Think of anything bad, from art heists to Genghis Kahn, and it's likely to be included in this wickedly smart and humorous guide to the seedy underbelly of basically everything. The brainiac team at mental_floss, creators of the hit magazine and last year's Condensed Knowledge, have scoured the darkest, dirtiest corners of history and the globe to gather this ultimate collection of the bad stuff you're not supposed to know and you certainly never learned in school.

Organized by theme, with chapters for each of the seven deadly sins, the book includes feuds, plagiarists, hoaxes, lies, schemes, scandals, evil dictators, mob bosses, acts of revenge, angry queens, cannibals and much more, all organized into bite-sized--albeit foul-tasting--lists (i.e.The Fascist Style Guide: Five Dictator Grooming Tips, "Four Biblical Girls Gone Wild and "Three Delicious Animals We Charbroiled Into Extinction.). It's the perfect way to add some spice to a dull conversation and proves that learning can be not only easy, but exquisitely sinful.

--Chicago Tribune

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Published: 11/01/2005
ISBN: 9780060784751
Pages: 307
Weight: 1.18lbs
Size: 9.06h x 7.72w x 0.84d

Review Citations: Ingram Advance 11/01/2005 pg. 105
Library Journal 11/21/2005