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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 031.02
EAN num: 9780517065037
ISBN number: 0517065037
Label: Gramercy
Manufacturer: Gramercy
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 512
Printing Date: September 23, 1991
Publishing house: Gramercy
Release Date: September 23, 1991
Sale Popularity Level: 90526
Studio: Gramercy
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Within the pages of Isaac Asimov's Book of Facts are many hours of entertaining and informative reading—little-known facts that will make you exclaim, time and again, 'I didn't know that!'
Here are some of the intriguing facts you will find in this book:
-Emperor Caligula appointed his favorite horse as a consul of Rome.
-Eskimos use refrigerators to keep food from freezing.
-For distances of up to 150 feet, an alligator can outrace a man.
-In 1896, two men rowed across the Atlantic.
-The number of possible ways of playing just the very first four moves on each side in a game of chess is 318,979,564,000.
-Jimmy Carter was the very first U.S. president to be born in a hospital.
Amazon.com Review:
Isaac Asimov was unquestionably one of America's greatest scientific writers--from his mind came the awe-inspiring Foundation trilogy and the classic I, Robot. It hardly comes as a surprise then, that the brain of Asimov was overflowing with facts, statistics, and millions of trivial tidbits. His Book of Facts comprises 3,000 of these little information snippets. To organize this wealth of data are distinct subject areas--ranging from chapters titled 'Art' and 'Medicine' to more obscure ones such as 'Salty Facts' and the amusing 'Strange Rules, Laws and Customs.' Did you know, for instance, that the Tinguian people of the Philippines have a very unique way of kissing? They put their lips close to each other's faces, and then quickly inhale. Or that in the Middle Ages the Europeans put their disobedient animals on trial? Well, you know now! Asimov's Books of Facts immerses the reader into a humongous vat of information. Asimov feeds the brain. --Naomi Gesinger
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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If there is one fact connected with this book that I would like to see confirmed, it's that Asimov had less to do with it than he let on at the time of its publication.
What it resembles is a magpie's nest. To a magpie diamonds and broken glass are much the same. I picked up a dog-eared copy of the book in my local second-hand bookshop because I have always valued Asimov highly as a source of information, intelligibly presented, on the ever-fascinating topics of physics and astronomy. Like his more gifted friend and rival Clarke, he is nothing less than a major educator of an era in these matters. That was what I had been hoping for here, but what I find is a load of jumble. There are some genuinely interesting and enlightening facts in the more scientific chapters, but the book has little else to be said for it.
It is not even much use a source of information for downmarket quiz-shows -- The Weakest Link comes to mind through some kind of association of ideas. There is no detectable plan or strategy for selecting the facts,but of course being who he is and self-concerned as usual Asimov sees fit to tell the world that some books of stories published under the name of Paul French are actually his, although they have been republished under his proper name anyway. Not everything is even factual, properly speaking. I don't wish to argue with the statements that Rilke was the greatest German lyric poet of his time, or that the Age of Reason ended with Voltaire, I say only that these are opinions not facts. Even where the matter is genuinely factual it is liable to be out of date, as is obviously the case with crime statistics; and if it's true that the Tasmanian Wolf is still found I should be overjoyed, but I very much doubt it.
I would not even recommend this book for children. If they get interested in some topic it seems to me that they should be encouraged to learn how to apply their minds to 'facts' and not swallow them uncritically. If asked who this book is suitable for I can only suggest the Rain Man.
Rated by buyers 
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In his autobiography, "I, Asimov", Isaac makes it clear he did not write this book. It was put together by someone else, and his name was attached to it through some kind of contractual mumbo-jumbo. That being said, it is an entertaining book.
Rated by buyers -
I am a junkie for inconsequential facts. This book is full of them, although it also has many facts that we should know and perhaps don't. My only complaint is that it's not a paperback. I can't carry it around easily and read at lunch! I recommend it for other facts junkies.
Rated by buyers -
I love this book, but it seems to be stuck in the early 80's. A lot has happened since that time. I think the Publishing house should honor the memory of the late great Isaac Asimov by keeping the book up to date. Do that and it would earn 5 stars.
Rated by buyers 
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This book has some of the most bizarre things that I've ever read. Including the story of some medieval ruler who had the eyes of every captured enemy soldier destroyed with hot pokers. One out of 100 soldiers were spared one eye, in order to lead the blind back home.
Some of this ... I don't think is true, but all the same this is a very fun book. Great bathroom material.
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