The humor/trivia category of your local bookstore is home to many books that are, more often than not, one-trick ponies. They may make entertaining birthday or Christmas gifts to friends, but really, does anyone ever truly read them or even pick them up after a week's gone by? Sadly, the answer is no. So is Cocktail Party Cheat Sheets by the editors of Mental Floss just another one of those trivia books or does it exceed in extricating itself from that label?
Thankfully, the answer to that last question is yes, because the last thing anyone needs is another book taking up space that you'll never read.
First of all, it's actually a useful book to have around. Organized alphabetically, it contains 44 entries on everything you'll need to know to pass yourself off as an intellectual. After all, the goal of the book is to make you "Sound like a genius at any social gathering." The books itself is compact in size and easily fits in a backpack, messenger bag, or any other trendy item you carry things in, making it easy to store for quick references or travel reading. After you read through it once (and because of its addictive quality, you most likely will read it all the way through) you will find yourself coming back to it for quick brush-ups on topics such as Voltaire, the Magna Carta, Nikola Tesla and martinis.
Another key component of making Cheat Sheets such a good read is the fact that it's just, well, a lot of fun to read. The humor and wit are genuine, its random asides and "conversation starters" don't feel forced, and the small, bite-size chapters are very addicting. Once you start reading it's hard not to just keep going.
Each chapter starts with a "Name Dropping" section on pronunciation and a very quick bio. Afterwards, there's a section on "When To Drop Your Knowledge". Instead of trying to explain this section, here's an excerpt from the entry on W.E.B. Du Bois:
Whether you're chatting with an exchange student from Ghana about her homeland, a board member from the NAACP about the organization's history, or a ditzy sociology major you're about to make out with on account of your breadth of knowledge and wisdom, Du Bois can carry you through. He's versatile like that.
Article comments
1 - Snarkattack
Aw man! And I put in all that hard work for an arts degree. Where was this book when I needed, eh?
2 - Natalie Bennett
This article has been selected for syndication to Advance.net, which is affiliated with newspapers around the United States. Nice work!
3 - Cameron Graham
Snark - If you had just put off that art degree a bit longer . . . (;
Natalie - Cool!
4 - Carlo
Excellent, just the review I needed to confirm my decision to buy the book. Thanks!