000			02134nam a2200229Ia 4500
003			ASM
005			20241206092855.0
008			241203s9999 xx 000 0 und d
010			_a2012003129
020			_a9780452297838
020			_qPaperback
040			_cASM
050			_a
100			_aJohn Oldale _eAuthor
245		2	_aA world of curiosities: _b"surprising, interesting, and downright unbelievable facts from every nation on the planet" _cJohn Oldale.
260			_aNew York _bPlume _c2012
300			_a300 pages _billustrations _c23 cm
520			_a"From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe: everything you never knew you never knew about every country on Earth.A scientist by training and an explorer by passion, Dr. John Oldale has logged half a million miles visiting more than ninety nations. Now, he celebrates our weird and wonderful world in a cornucopia of fascinating facts brought vividly to life through the unexpected stories behind them. Touching on history, travel, politics, natural history and more, he paints a unique portrait of each country from the mightiest to the most miniscule. You won't find the following in your average travel guide: · Why is kissing on trains banned in France? · In what country are litigants expected to present their case at court in the form of a poem? · Which war did women win in 1929 just by sitting down? · If Panama hats aren’t from Panama, where are they from? · Who eat fresh camel dung as a cure for dysentery (and why does it work)? · Why were US disk jockeys once told they could play birthday requests on any day except the one requested? · Which modern dictator banned old age, libraries and gold teeth, and was later replaced by his dentist? · And 2,000 more funny, trivial, poignant, and telling facts A must for active and armchair globe-trotters alike, A World of Curiosities will engross anyone who is at all curious about the world beyond their door. Explore and enjoy."
546			_aEnglish
650			_a"Geography, Anthropology, Recreation- Geography--Miscellanea."
942			_cBooks
999			_c3997 _d3997