Getting into Guinness: One Man's Longest, Fastest, Highest Journey Inside the World's Most Famous Record Book

Larry Olmsted is quite a productive writer, one who has written many articles that have appeared in such publications such as USA Today, Inc., Investor's Business Daily, Outside, New York Magazine, Food & Wine, Men's Health, Playboy and many others. Many know him as one of this country's leading golf and travel writers, and he has appeared on both network television and nationally syndicated radio shows. I was personally familiar with his writing from some of the publications above, and from a book that he authored about a decade ago Snowshoeing: A Trailside Guide, one read when I was contemplating trying that winter sport. Had also seen some small news articles a couple of years ago talking about Larry Olmsted having set some new Guinness records, so my interest level rose when I saw the announcement of this new book from a versatile writer of whom I was familiar. And this book didn't disappoint, either. Between the covers, you'll meet Ashrita Furman, who at 187 holds the current record for the most Guinness world records held at the same time by a single individual, and presently holds 82 records. This native of Brooklyn, NY, set his first official record by doing 27,000 jumping jacks in 1979, and he hasn't stopped. Then there's Jackie Bibby, also known as 'The Texas Snakeman', who has set records for holding rattlesnakes by their tails in his mouth, along with sharing bathtubs with these poisonous snakes. Olmsted also introduces us to Sridhar Chillal, the man who let the fingernails on one of his hands grow for over 50 years, and whose thumbnail measures 57 inches. Then there's Lucky Diamond Rich, who is the most tattooed person alive, having spent more than 1,000 hours under the needle. There are many more, from celebrities to average people... if one can call an obsession to get ones name into print in the Guinness Book an "average" endeavor. Olmsted would be the first to admit that he also fell under the spell of obtaining such acknowledgment and done what so many have fantasized. He earned his way into the Guinness Book, and he did it twice. The first time was in February 2004, when he earned recognition from Guinness for "The Greatest Distance Between Two Rounds of Golf Played on the Same Day." This feat required that he start by playing a round at the New South Wales Golf Club in Sydney, Australia. He then boarded a Quantas flight to Los Angeles, drove to Newport Beach and played his second round of the day at Pelican Hill. He traveled almost 7,500 miles between his two rounds that day, breaking Nobby Orens' 1999 record of 5,954 miles. By his own admission, Olmsted noted that this accomplishment had seemed easy with his golf and travel background, but it ended up that things don't go as easily as planned. Still, he accomplished what he had set out to do, and his record held for three years before someone else bested him, as often happens. The next time was quite a bit more difficult, as he outlined in both the introdu

Larry Olmstead's look at the rarified world of record breaking is an entertaining read. For history buffs, it tells the story of the bestselling "Guinness World Records," a book I first read over 40 years ago. I remember being absolutely fascinated by the longest mustache, the longest fingernails, the tallest woman, etc. The fact that it was originally meant to be used to settle bar bets or disputes was an interesting tidbit -- the name "Guinness" refers to the Guinness Brewing Company. Guinness, the book, has come a long way since then, and Olmstead gives us a detailed look at how Guinness does what it does. It's clear he has both respect and affection for his subject -- and he uses his own experiences in breaking two records to illustrate the process. His description of his journey to break the "longest casino poker session" record is especially enjoyable. I found the book hard to put down -- Olmstead's style pulls the reader along through a fascinating story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This is a fascinating, entertaining, instructive publication, a real page-turner that compels the victim to keep on reading until the end. I say victim because I am convinced the author on purpose has put the whole thing together so that its readers won't be able to put it down until completely done with it. Olmsted, in my opinion, is such a brilliant storyteller, swift, clear, and to the point, and It is obvious that he had done his homework for the book --like traveling interviewing several records holders, and so forth-- reflected in this superb narration. The extensive research is obvious throughout this interesting work complete with details and facts of who, when and why of the Guinness Book, its beginnings and its later transformation into an engaging international best seller. Most everybody, not only teenagers, enjoy the Guinness Book of World Records yet most of us are clueless regarding who in the world is Guinness and where does the book come from in the first place. (At least, I did not know myself) I strongly recommend this special publication to anyone.

As Larry Olmsted points out early on in his book, nearly everyone knows "The Guinness Book of Records" and the quirky, often unusual achievements between its covers. What many people, myself included, did not know was...well...everything else. For example, that ten percent or less of the actual records tracked by the organization actually make it into print. Call me naive, but I too thought "the book" was all-inclusive. So it goes as Mr. Olmsted takes us through the history of the bestselling copyrighted book of all time. From its humble beginning as a wager to to its current behemoth status, this history is fascinating and is presented in a compelling yet easy-going style. It's almost like reading a good Magazine story in a waiting room; you really want to see it through. The books isn't a straightforward history. It is interspersed with stories of record holders, some derived from personal interviews with the author, giving what might look like random trivialities a human touch. Then there's the author's own attempt at achieving a world records (including the greatest distance between two rounds of golf played on the same day). Mr Olmsted doesn't just present record facts with narrative. He tells us how the whole process works, how the obsession begins and the lengths that some people will go to to get into "the book". Of course there are also numerous facts that, once absorbed, will make the reader wonder when he/she will be able to bring them out at moment that will impress their audience ("say...did you the record for somersaulting is over 12 miles?"). There is some repetition. It's not intentional. Mr Olmsted occasionally becomes so enthralled and devoted to his subjects that he finds it hard to let go. Its at these times that the book gets a little bogged down. That said, he treats his subject and his people with the respect they deserve for their achievements. His love of the subject, from the athletically wondrous to the just plain weird is obvious throughout so we can forgive the occasional ramble. I don't know what attracted me to this book in the first place. Like some other reviewers I was expecting a witty attempt at writing by someone who was trying to make money from their achievement. But I was very wrong and delighted to find I'd picked a winner. This is definitely worth a read and is a pleasant break from "the norm". Now, of course, I'm obsessed with wondering if there's a record for this event or that - thank you very much Mr. Olmsted. Though understood to be the domain of 12 to 15 year old readers (though that age group would arguably make the book a bestseller), the bestselling copyrighted book of all time draws all sorts of people from every walk of life. In this Olympic season, perhaps "Getting into Guinness" is a timely homage to a series of international events of truly record breaking proportions.

Like many kids, Larry Olmsted loved his copy of "The Guiness Book of World Records." Unlike most, Larry fulfilled his childhood dreams and got into the book. This is the story of his quest to achieve not one, but two world records, plus a treasure trove of information about the famous book. If you are also a fan of the Guiness record book, you may appreciate reading about the author's attempt to break the record for the greatest distance travelled between playing two rounds of golf in one day (he was successful, and his record is printed in the 50th anniversary edition). But you will really enjoy reading about his attempt to play poker for 100 hours straight. In between you will read about India, where people are world-record-crazy, and about tug-of-war, which is now considered too dangerous to allow further attempts at record setting. There is much, much more. I devoured every page.