As you might have guessed, librarians are very good at Trivial Pursuit games. We love knowing all manner of things, relevant, useless, interesting, obscure, doesn't matter. That's why you will find us reading the encyclopedia for fun.
I just stumbled upon Kenneth C. Davis and his trivia-filled Don't Know Much About series.
He has written books on such topics as history, geography, the Bible, world mythology, and dinosaurs. In each one, Davis pulls together information and presents it in a way that you and I can understand.
The title I looked at was Don't Know Much About The Universe : Everything You Need To Know About The Cosmos But Never Learned. 2001. (ANF 523.1 DAV).
He poses questions like "Why did the Vatican arrest Galileo?" and "The Big Bang: Was it big and did it really bang?", and then proceeds to answer them.
Comets, planets, galaxies, constellations all have a place in this book. The usual famous scientists and their theories and work are documented here in clear English, as well as the work of relative unknowns like Ussher, Cassini, Brahe, and Bruno.
I did learn some trivia -- cosmetics and cosmology are related. It seems both words come from the Greek "cosmos" for "order"; so cosmetology means to bring order to the face. I guess that means that your Avon lady could also be a cosmonaut.
Try one or more of these other titles this week.
The Almond Picker by Simonetta Agnello Hornby. 2002. Fiction. (FIC
HOR)
Who really is Maria Rosalia Inserillo, known as Mennulara, the almond picker?
Her death reveals a complicated life lived in Sicilian society where honour, respect, and family obligation determine one's fate.
Tiger Bone & Rhino Horn : The Destruction Of Wildlife For Traditional Chinese Medicine by Richard Ellis. 2005. (ANF 610.951 ELL)
Most traditional Chinese medicines rely on herbs, but there is still a demand for products made at the expense of threatened animals. This book talks about the harvesting and explores what needs to be done to stop it.
The Last Good Day : A Joanne Kilbourn Mystery by Gail Bowen. 2004. Mystery. (MYS BOW)
Chris Altieri drives off the end of a dock and dies in the deep water of a northern lake.
Joanne Kilbourn is staying at a cottage on the same lake and finds his death odd since he seemed fine when she last saw him.
Knitting Heaven And Earth : Healing The Heart With Craft by Susan Gordon Lydon. 2005. (ANF 746.432 LYD)
A series of heart-wrenching events left the author reeling, and through it all she found reserves of strength in knitting.
Classic Guitars by Robert Shaw. 2004. (ANF 787.8719 SHA)
This beautiful book presents luscious photographs and information on sixty-five superb acoustic and electric guitars by Martin, Gibson, Fender, Gretsch, and other legendary companies.
Trace Evidence : A Novel by Elizabeth Becka. 2005. Mystery. (MYS BEC)
Forensic trace evidence expert Evelyn James investigates two murders and is faced with the knowledge that her own teenage daughter may be part of the killer's plans.
The Body In The Moonlight by Katherine Hall Page. 2001. Large Print Mystery. (LP MYS PAG)
In the tradition of Agatha Christie, this murder mystery involves an amateur detective, the minister's wife Faith Fairchild, who becomes implicated in the death of a beautiful young woman, and must then find the murderer in order to save her own reputation.
Teaching The Restless : One School's Remarkable No-Ritalin Approach To Helping Children Learn And Succeed by Chris Mercogliano. 2003. (ANF 371.93 MER)
The Albany Free School experience with six boys and three girls diagnosed with ADHD is profiled.
Educators there have developed ways to help hyperactive children relax, focus, modulate emotional expression, make responsible choices, and forge lasting friendships.
Dead Reckoning by Patricia Hall. 2003. Mystery. (MYS HAL)
DCI Michael Thackeray and his girlfriend, reporter Laura Ackroyd, deal with the relations between the union at the Earnshaw mill, a large Muslim workforce, and the shareholders of the company itself after one of the Earnshaw children is murdered.
- For more information or to request books online, go to www.virl.bc.ca