Genre:  Nonfiction / Humor / War / Politics

Year Published:  1983

Year Read: 3/11/2017

 

 

 

 

Publisher: William Morrow and Company, Inc.

 

I must admit that I was on a shopping spree on Amazon for books that were obscure and out of print and I happened to stumble upon this really obscure book called “True Paranoid Facts!” “True Paranoid Facts!” is a factual book that was written by Calvin Zeit along with artwork by Henrik Drescher and the only reason I bought this book in the first place was because of Henrik Drescher’s artwork and I actually found this book to be quite an interesting read!

Basically, this book is filled with facts that deal with wars, historical figures and nuclear weapons that were relevant during the 1980s and these facts include:

“You can run, but you can’t hide.”

“Most wars in history have been fought over RELIGION!”

“Valley of the Dolls is the best-selling novel in the history of the world!”

“YOU are your own worst enemy!”

“Love is never having to say you’re sorry.”

Calvin Zeit has done a great job at detailing various facts that were relevant during the 1980s and compiling them into this graphic novel that is more aimed towards adults than anything, especially if you have knowledge about the Cold War paranoia going on during the 1980s. I like the fact that Calvin Zeit provided some source notes at the end of the book that details where he researched the facts in this book as I wanted to know where these facts had stemmed from and how authentic they were during the 1980s. There were also some facts that I found surprising as I did not know about some of these facts until I read this book such as “Valley of the Dolls” being the best-selling novel in the history of the world or that Nancy Reagan is more popular than Mother Teresa. Henrik Drescher’s artwork is as usual humorous and bizarre to look at as the artwork is mostly rendered in black and white colorings and the characters shown in this book are exaggerated beyond comprehension. One of my most favorite images in this book is the image of the food coming after a man as the facts state about how some foods contain dangerous and poisonous chemicals that could kill a human being and the image of the food coming alive really reinforces that fact.



The reason why I gave this book a four-star rating was because I felt that the information in this book were a bit outdated. Of course, since this was written during the 1980s, this cannot be helped, although it still bothered me a bit when I look at information like “Valley of the Dolls” is the best-selling novel in the world and you look at the current best-selling books and that fact has changed dramatically over the years. Also, just because the cover of this book looks extremely humorous, does not mean that this book is for younger readers. This book contains lots of violence and nudity and that might make some readers uncomfortable if they do not like such elements in a story.

Overall, “True Paranoid Facts!” is an interesting book if you are looking to see what kind of facts about war, nuclear weapons and historical figures were relevant during the 1980s. I would recommend this book to fans of books that deal with the society of the 1980s!

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

Weird but True Sports: 300 Wacky Facts A... National Geographic Kids Weird but True Sports definitely gets the seal of approval in this household. Not only did it entertain the child in the family, but it was a hit with the adults too! It’s stuffed with facts, filled with pictures, and formatted so that each page is attention-grabbing. The facts vary greatly. There’s a bit of the absurd in the custard throwing contest, pole-sitting competition, glacier racing, etc. For the serious (but little known) facts to offset them,they have stuff like the fact that divers use a bubbler machine to ‘soften the water’. There’s also animal sport facts that totally had the kiddo and myself grabbing my phone so we could look stuff like the Pig Olympics up.

It was so fascinating for my child that she made it halfway through the book before her attention wandered! Parents of the 5 to 7 age range can understand exactly how rare that is. Almost all the information was new to her, and it was fun to discover it together. Weird but True Sports perfectly nails how to be informative and entertaining at the same time. It’s a book that kids can pick up and browse at any time. The set-up means there will be things for them to discover time and time again. It’s the perfect size and length, so I’d definitely recommend picking it up. Especially with the Olympics not too far away. What better way to get your kid excited and interested in what will be going on?

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"Remember if you ever want to come out of your shell and let your freak flag fly, the cuttlefish has your back."

I will be posting some thought provoking quotes now. [At least to me :P]

 

The U.S. Attorney General's Commission on Pornography even proposed that women's professional advancement might be responsible for rising rape rates. With more women in college and at work now, the commission members reasoned in their report, women just have more opportunities.

 

Just let that quote sink in. This book was published in 1991.

 

The rising chorus of female protest shouldn't be written off as feminist-induced 'oversensitivity'.

 

My note in the margins is a big resounding YES! With three underlines. Yes, this is my copy. Lol

 

[...]antifeminist backlash has been set off not by women's achievement of full equality but by the increased possibility that they might win it.

 

Interesting food for thought.