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All Facts Considered: The Essential Library of Inessential Knowledge
- Narrated by: Tom Dheere
- Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins
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Publisher's summary
For the best-selling miscellany market, an NPR librarian's compendium of fascinating facts on history, science, and the arts....
How much water do the Great Lakes contain? Who were the first and last men killed in the Civil War? How long is a New York minute? What are the lost plays of Shakespeare? What building did Elvis leave last? Get the answers to these and countless other vexing questions in All Facts Considered. Guaranteed to enlighten even the most seasoned trivia buff, this treasure trove of "who knew?" factoids spans a wide range of intriguing subjects.
- Written by noted NPR librarian Kee Malesky, whom Scott Simon has called the "source of all human knowledge".
- Answers questions on history, natural history, science, religion, language, and the arts.
- Packed with valuable nuggets of information, from the useful to the downright bizarre.
The perfect gift for every inquiring mind that wants to know, All Facts Considered will put you at the center of the conversation as you show off your essential store of inessential yet irresistible knowledge.
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Did you know that there are actually 27 letters in the alphabet, or that the U.S. had a plan to invade Canada? And what actually happened to the flags left on the moon? Even if you think you have a handle on all things trivia, you're guaranteed a big surprise with Now I Know. From uncovering what happens to lost luggage to New York City's plan to crack down on crime by banning pinball, this book will challenge your knowledge of the fascinating stories behind the world's greatest facts.
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Scientifically inaccurate
- By Sara on 12-04-20
By: Dan Lewis
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191 Fascinating World Facts That Will Blow Your Mind and Get You Thinking
- Facts You Need to Know Before You Die
- By: John Waitsburg
- Narrated by: Ross Pipkin
- Length: 1 hr and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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In 191 Fascinating World Facts That Will Blow Your Mind and Get You Thinking, you're going to learn about the world's secrets that will help you gain more knowledge. You will be able to use these facts with whomever, whenever, wherever; there's no wrong time to tell these fascinating facts.
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Just great!!!
- By straa on 08-08-21
By: John Waitsburg
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Tesla vs Edison
- A Captivating Guide to the War of the Currents and the Life of Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Duke Holm
- Length: 4 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Human history has seen many surprising and profound turning points. The ways that humans learned to use raw materials to create activity and resources set the stage for the most compelling and life-altering phase of the modern era, the Industrial Revolution. Born during this time on different continents but connected by similar interests, two men indelibly marked their generation and those that followed with their genius and foresight. This audiobook covers the war of currents and the individual lives of Tesla and Edison.
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Arduous
- By Hasbro on 10-22-18
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Wonderland
- How Play Made the Modern World
- By: Steven Johnson
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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From the New York Times best-selling author of How We Got to Now and Extra Life, a look at the world-changing innovations we made while keeping ourselves entertained. This history of popular entertainment takes a long-zoom approach, contending that the pursuit of novelty and wonder is a powerful driver of world-shaping technological change. Steven Johnson argues that, throughout history, the cutting edge of innovation lies wherever people are working the hardest to keep themselves and others amused.
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It will delight you
- By T. Leach on 02-09-17
By: Steven Johnson
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The Second Book of General Ignorance
- Everything You Think You Know Is (Still) Wrong
- By: John Lloyd, John Mitchinson
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Just when you thought that it was safe to start showing off again, John Lloyd and John Mitchinson are back with another busload of mistakes and misunderstandings. Here is a new collection of simple, perfectly obvious questions you'll be quite certain you know the answers to. Whether it's history, science, sports, geography, literature, language, medicine, the classics, or common wisdom, you'll be astonished to discover that everything you thought you knew is still hopelessly wrong.
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It's all stuff from QI
- By Bonnie Kennedy on 04-07-21
By: John Lloyd, and others
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Made in America
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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In Made in America, Bryson de-mythologizes his native land, explaining how a dusty hamlet with neither woods nor holly became Hollywood, how the Wild West wasn't won, why Americans say 'lootenant' and 'Toosday', how Americans were eating junk food long before the word itself was cooked up, as well as exposing the true origins of the G-string, the original $64,000 question, and Dr Kellogg of cornflakes fame.
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Bryson Not Reading Makes For a Rare Fail
- By John on 02-28-14
By: Bill Bryson
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The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight: Revised and Updated
- The Fate of the World and What We Can Do Before It's Too Late
- By: Thom Hartmann, Neale Donald Walsch - associate editor
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 18 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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While everything appears to be collapsing around us - ecodamage, genetic engineering, virulent diseases, water shortages, global famine, wars - we can still do something about it and create a world that will work for us and for our children's children. The inspiration for Leonardo DiCaprio's feature documentary movie The 11th Hour, The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight details what is happening to our planet, the reasons for our culture's blind behavior, and how we can fix the problem.
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One of the Most Important Books of our Time
- By Jana on 04-24-20
By: Thom Hartmann, and others
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1491
- New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
- By: Charles C. Mann
- Narrated by: Darrell Dennis
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Traditionally, Americans learned in school that the ancestors of the people who inhabited the Western Hemisphere at the time of Columbus' landing had crossed the Bering Strait 12,000 years ago; existed mainly in small nomadic bands; and lived so lightly on the land that the Americas were, for all practical purposes, still a vast wilderness. But as Charles C. Mann now makes clear, archaeologists and anthropologists have spent the last 30 years proving these and many other long-held assumptions wrong.
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Exposes Non-Academic Audience to The Debate Between Ideas of Pre-Colombian America's
- By Christopher on 01-19-17
By: Charles C. Mann
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Ask a Historian
- 50 Surprising Answers to Things You Always Wanted to Know
- By: Greg Jenner
- Narrated by: Dan Schreiber, Greg Jenner, Janina Ramirez, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Responding to fifty genuine questions from the public, Greg Jenner takes you on an entertaining tour through history from the Stone Age to the Swinging Sixties, revealing the best and most surprising stories, facts and historical characters from the past. From ancient joke books, African empires and the invention of meringues, to mummies, mirrors and menstrual pads—Ask A Historian is a deliciously amusing and informative smorgasbord of historical curiosities.
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best bonus content ever!
- By Matthew K Wendelken on 03-24-22
By: Greg Jenner
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Meet Me in Atlantis
- My Quest to Find the 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City
- By: Mark Adams
- Narrated by: Andrew Garman
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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A few years ago, Mark Adams made a strange discovery: Everything we know about the lost city of Atlantis comes from the work of one man, the Greek philosopher Plato. Then he made a second, stranger discovery: Amateur explorers are still actively searching for this sunken city all around the world, based entirely on the clues Plato left behind.
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A Bryson-esque tour of people, myth, & archaeology
- By A reader on 05-14-15
By: Mark Adams
What listeners say about All Facts Considered: The Essential Library of Inessential Knowledge
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Elizabeth L.
- 06-27-14
The fun stuff you didn't know you wanted to know!
Where does All Facts Considered: The Essential Library of Inessential Knowledge rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I found it to be one of the better non fiction books I have listened to.
What was one of the most memorable moments of All Facts Considered: The Essential Library of Inessential Knowledge?
It was very interesting to hear about the building of the Chrysler building and the steps the builder used to make it the tallest building in New York at the time.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I did listen to this in 2 sittings. I think if you were on a longer trip you could do it all in one sitting and NOT feel overwhelmed.
Any additional comments?
I enjoyed Mr. Dheere's narration of this book. I would like to make a comment about the pacing of the book. (I think this would follow under editing and NOT Mr. Dheer's narration) I felt as though the pacing was very fast. There seemed to be very little space between each fact/concept. I had trouble sometime realizing that we had changed subjects. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book.
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- Mary Pass
- 01-14-15
Facts Considered ?????
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
No, guess I wouldn't. I TRIED listening to the first couple chapters, but all I can say is nothing caught my attention to listen to more...
What didn’t you like about Tom Dheere’s performance?
boring .... but the contents were not interesting.
Any additional comments?
Sorry to the author and Mr Dheere. Nothing got my attention. Don't know if I should have tried to listen longer..... but contents were NOT what I was hoping to hear
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- Teresa
- 06-11-14
I Love FACTS! This was full of great information!
Would you listen to All Facts Considered: The Essential Library of Inessential Knowledge again? Why?
Yes I would definitely listen to this book again. It was an eye-opener. I love learning the origin of things, their meanings and the thought and history behind things.
What was one of the most memorable moments of All Facts Considered: The Essential Library of Inessential Knowledge?
There were several. I like the meaning behind the names of Italian food. That was great. I also love the fact that quarks come in flavors! Who knew?
What about Tom Dheere’s performance did you like?
Tom Dheere's narration flowed nicely. Each section had a nice segue to the next.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
No. I just like the inessential knowledge. I find knowledge essential.
Any additional comments?
I really enjoyed this book and found it to be refreshing and would have loved to have had this when I was a kid. Good stuff! And I received the audiobook free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review.
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- T
- 06-19-14
Interesting Facts
What made the experience of listening to All Facts Considered: The Essential Library of Inessential Knowledge the most enjoyable?
New and interesting subject matter was covereed.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I did one chapter at a time.
Any additional comments?
I wish there had been a longer pause between each fact... It was confusing as to when soemthing ended and nother started.
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