Book review: ‘The Book of Odds’ by Amram Shapiro, Louise Firth Campbell and Rosalind Wright

The Book of Odds is a fascinating collection of odd facts for every aspect of life from birth to death,including sex, marriage, parenthood, sickness, politics,religion, and probably anything else you can think of. It was compiled by the creators of the popular Book of Odds on the Internet.

Some of the odds here are reassuring: You are not likely to die from drowning or in a car crash or be struck by lightning. Some are depressing: The odds a child has seen Internet porn are the same as that a person is right-handed. Some are just intriguing: Nearly one out of three adults believe in UFOs. One in six think they have seen one.

No matter what your field of interest, there will be something here to hold your attention. For students, writers, and anyone else who sometimes needs information for a project or just to settle a bet or start a conversation, this book will be an excellent reference. It’s definitely a book to leave out on the coffee table to share with guests as well.

For writers and researchers, the sources for all of the information are clearly stated so that one can feel confident including the odds in reports, articles or books. It is obvious that the writers were diligent in their own research.

The format of the book is colorful and stylish, seldom presenting information in a standard way on the page. It is definitely eye-catching although from time to time it is somewhat difficult to read, particularly if your vision is not perfect. Sometimes, for instance, the background is blue and the font is black or grey. Sometimes the odds are written in yellow or orange. At times the words go sideways. All of these things look great but do not always make the information easy to access.

Nevertheless,  is a delightful compendium of knowledge for anyone who is curious or enjoys trivia or likes to collect tidbits of information to use or share with others. It would make a great gift for graduates or for writers, so get one for yourself and one for someone else!