Overview

Did you know Thomas Jefferson's grandson was an ax murderer? Don't you delight knowing some dinosaurs were teeny tiny as hens? Before buying that plane ticket, don't you NEED to know which exotic islands still have cannibals? Wonder what it's like to live in Hell Town at the End of the World? How about an ailment so surreal it's named after Alice in Wonderland? In Random Obsessions: Trivia You Can't Live Without, historian Nick Belardes has dug into the raw source material found in historical archives, scientific studies, and libraries the world over. You'll also read first-person interviews with people who can explain the unexplained, from the permanently puzzling Mothman conspiracy to secret Star Wars Jedi religious cults, and the charmingly eccentric reason why British aerospace engineers sent teddy bears floating out into space. Truly trivia you can't live without, Random Obsessions is filled with facts, lists, definitions, and astonishing information guaranteed to provide you with the best cocktail conversation for many years to come! Your guide, Nick Belardes, has devoted his life to poking around the peculiar and perplexing. Explore the unknown stories behind why the nation's capitol didn't stay in Philadelphia, why some fossils are smiling, and how, if Preparation H existed in the early 1800s, Napoleon would have won Waterloo. These real-world facts are outlandish enough to sharpen your brain and occupy your mind for hours of reading. This book is so fascinating and fun, you'll become obsessed, too!

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9781573443609

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Reviews

You've got to love a book that reveals why thousands of men think their private parts are disappearing inside their bodies. Whether you're already a fan or just getting acquainted with the quirky genius of Nick Belardes, this book will cause you to ignore your friends, family and Facebook until you've read every last fact. Bonnie Hearn Hill, author The Astro Girl series from Running Press/Perseus Books (2010) 'Random Obsessions' is the perfect desk reference for ordinary insane people. Nick Belardes is a force of nature. Brad Listi, author of Attention. Deficit. Disorder Nick Belardes is an imaginative writer with a truly new and unique voice--he will both startle and thrill you with his stories that pop out from the dark like the teasing dangers in Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Jessica Anya Blau, author of The Summer of Naked Swim Parties Voted 'Best Book of 2008' by The San Francisco Chronicle Nick Belardes is definitely from the dark side of the zodiac--lucky for us who love to read about real-life freaks, weird rituals, and ew-w-w-w eliciting strangeness. Random Obsessions is packed with, what the hell? moments, hair-raising tales, and just plain spooky fun. Hazel Dixon-Cooper, Author of the Rotten Day Astrology Books Cosmopolitan Magazine's Bedside Astrologer For the reader who needs to know why the characters in Dilbert don't have mouths, your oracle has arrived. Random Obsessions is every bit as silly as it is informative. Belardes has ransacked the useless information files and uncovered some gems. Jonathan Evison, author of All About Lulu Nick Belardes told me he'd throw himself into a chicken coop filled with baby chickies if I didn't blurb this book. Of course he needn't have gone so far because Random Obsessions stands unique - and wonderful! - in its explication of the bizarre and the divine. Warning: read it as I am doing with a lovely Pinot Noir or, at least, a Diet Pepsi Lime. Seriously, read it, for fun and adventure, because you will not be disappointed. Lauren Baratz-Logsted, author of a ridiculous amount of books, most particularly Vertigo and The Sisters Eight series. [Obsessions] is space age journalistic cut-up, as Burroughs might have hallucinated, that is, if he were stoned on [California] central valley methane sky, with a cheap tequila hangover, and big plow cojones that makes Belardes's writing so damn outlandish, and yet, so Bakersfield! Tim Z. Hernandez, author of Skin Tax 2006 American Book Award Winner And I thought my friends were weird. Reading Random Obsessions is like wandering around the Epcot Center on hallucinogens -- colorful, crazy, occasionally terrifying, and always exciting. If you're a trivia buff with a penchant for the madcap, do yourself a favor, and buy this book. Matt Shaer, Christian Science Monitor In Random Obsessions, Nick writes about the wacky, the wild and the random. Everything you ever wanted to know about fried spiders as delicacy, jobs as odor tester, and what exactly is in Anasazi poo, and much much more, you'll find in this handy dandy reference to all things weird. It's like a self-help guide for folks without imaginations. Or literature for those of us that like to know things that others don't. --Amy Wallen, author of MoonPies and Movie Stars and DimeStories Reading Series host

<br> You've got to love a book that reveals why thousands of men think their private parts are disappearing inside their bodies. Whether you're already a fan or just getting acquainted with the quirky genius of Nick Belardes, this book will cause you to ignore your friends, family and Facebook until you've read every last fact. <br>Bonnie Hearn Hill, author The Astro Girl series from Running Press/Perseus Books (2010) <br> 'Random Obsessions' is the perfect desk reference for ordinary insane people. Nick Belardes is a force of nature. <br>Brad Listi, author of Attention. Deficit. Disorder <br> Nick Belardes is an imaginative writer with a truly new and unique voice--he will both startle and thrill you with his stories that pop out from the dark like the teasing dangers in Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. <br>Jessica Anya Blau, author of The Summer of Naked Swim Parties<br>Voted 'Best Book of 2008' by The San Francisco Chronicle <br> Nick Belardes is definitely from the dark side of the zodiac--lucky for us who love to read about real-life freaks, weird rituals, and ew-w-w-w eliciting strangeness. Random Obsessions is packed with, what the hell? moments, hair-raising tales, and just plain spooky fun. <br>Hazel Dixon-Cooper, Author of the Rotten Day Astrology Books<br>Cosmopolitan Magazine's Bedside Astrologer <br> For the reader who needs to know why the characters in Dilbert don't have mouths, your oracle has arrived. Random Obsessions is every bit as silly as it is informative. Belardes has ransacked the useless information files and uncovered some gems. <br>Jonathan Evison, author of All About Lulu <br> Nick Belardes told me he'd throw himself into a chicken coop filled with baby chickies if I didn't blurb this book. Of course he needn't have gone so far because Random Obsessions stands unique - and wonderful! - in its explication of the bizarre and the divine. Warning: read it as I am doing with a lovely Pinot Noir or, at least, a Diet P

<br> You've got to love a book that reveals why thousands of men think their private parts are disappearing inside their bodies. Whether you're already a fan or just getting acquainted with the quirky genius of Nick Belardes, this book will cause you to ignore your friends, family and Facebook until you've read every last fact. <br>Bonnie Hearn Hill, author The Astro Girl series from Running Press/Perseus Books (2010) <br> 'Random Obsessions' is the perfect desk reference for ordinary insane people. Nick Belardes is a force of nature. <br>Brad Listi, author of Attention. Deficit. Disorder <br> Nick Belardes is an imaginative writer with a truly new and unique voice--he will both startle and thrill you with his stories that pop out from the dark like the teasing dangers in Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. <br>Jessica Anya Blau, author of The Summer of Naked Swim Parties<br>Voted 'Best Book of 2008' by The San Francisco Chronicle <br> Nick Belardes is definitely from the dark side of the zodiac--lucky for us who love to read about real-life freaks, weird rituals, and ew-w-w-w eliciting strangeness. Random Obsessions is packed with, what the hell? moments, hair-raising tales, and just plain spooky fun. <br>Hazel Dixon-Cooper, Author of the Rotten Day Astrology Books<br>Cosmopolitan Magazine's Bedside Astrologer <br> For the reader who needs to know why the characters in Dilbert don't have mouths, your oracle has arrived. Random Obsessions is every bit as silly as it is informative. Belardes has ransacked the useless information files and uncovered some gems. <br>Jonathan Evison, author of All About Lulu <br> Nick Belardes told me he'd throw himself into a chicken coop filled with baby chickies if I didn't blurb this book. Of course he needn't have gone so far because Random Obsessions stands unique - and wonderful! - in its explication of the bizarre and the divine. Warning: read it as I am doing with a lovely Pinot Noir or, at least, a Diet

Author Information

Nicholas Belardes is novelist, journalist, illustrator, memoirist and poet. He's author of Songs Of The Glue Machines (poetry: 2013), Letters From Vegas, Invisible Memoirs: I Speak From My Palms (memoir: 2013), Illustrator of New York Times best selling novel West of Here (2011), author of Random Obsessions (nonfiction, reference: 2009), the first Twitter Lit, Small Places (2008), and Lords, (fiction: 2005). His latest book, A People's History Of The Peculiar will be published by Viva Editions in 2014. His journalism has appeared on the homepage of CNN and his artwork has appeared in Memoir Journal, Knock Literary Magazine and 826 Seattle's What to Read in the Rain (part of acclaimed author and philanthropist Dave Eggers 826 National). Nicholas currently teaches for Random Writers Workshop (RWW). He launched RWW in 2009, a low-cost writing critique, lecture and discussion group open to the public in Bakersfield and Fresno, California. He has most recently taught for Memoir Journal's The (In)visible Memoirs Project, and has taught at Bakersfield College, CSU Bakersfield, the Art Institute of Las Vegas, and has guest lectured at UCLA, BARD College, various museums, libraries, galleries and writing groups. He has performed at the Texas State University's Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center, The Beat Museum, MTV's Rock N'; Read, The Levan Center, art galleries, coffeehouses, pizza houses, bookstores, and more. Caroline Leavitt is the New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and eight other award-winning books. She lives in Hoboken, NJ.

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