The Mental Floss History of the World: An Irreverent Romp Through Civilization's Best Bits

· · ·
· Harper Collins
4.4
23 reviews
Ebook
431
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

“An admirable job of covering 60,000 years of human history in one volume. . . . fascinating stories, hilarious oddities, and plenty of fun.” —School Library Journal

The Mental Floss History of the World is an amazingly entertaining joyride through sixty millennia of human civilization. As audacious as it is edifying, here is a hilarious and irreverent—yet always historically accurate—overview of the ascent (or descent) of humankind, courtesy of the same rebel geniuses who brought you Mental Floss Presents Condensed Knowledge and Mental Floss Presents Forbidden Knowledge. The Mental Floss History of the World is proof positive that just because something’s true doesn’t mean it’s boring.

“Filled with amusing tidbits and accurate and compelling information.” —Publishers Weekly

Ratings and reviews

4.4
23 reviews
William Scott
July 30, 2016
Lots of facts told in a light and humorous way.
2 people found this review helpful
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Cody Kitchens
November 17, 2014
Best history book ever
1 person found this review helpful
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About the author

Erik Sass is a journalist based in Los Angeles with branch offices around the country. When not writing for mental_floss, he reports on the media and advertising business for MediaPost.com.

An award-winning political journalist and history writer for more than three decades, Steve Wiegand has worked as a reporter and columnist for the San Diego Evening Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Sacramento Bee, where he currently covers state government and politics.

During his career, he has interviewed four presidents and six California governors—and has the dubious distinction of once being airsick and throwing up on the shoes of the state attorney general's wife.

It may have been his greatest personal contribution to world history.

Wiegand is a graduate of Santa Clara University, where he majored in American literature and U.S. history. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Mass Communications from California State University, San Jose.

In addition to The mental_floss History of the World, Wiegand is the author of U.S. History for Dummies, Sacramento Tapestry, and Papers of Permanence, a contributing author to mental_floss presents: Forbidden Knowledge, and a frequent contributor to mental_floss magazine.

He lives in Northern California.

Will Pearson and Mangesh Hattikudur met as first year students at Duke University. Ignoring the lures of law school and investment banking, the pair co-founded mental_floss and have been grinning ever since. Maggie Koerth-Baker is a freelance journalist and a former assistant editor at mental_floss magazine, where she consistently astounded Will and Mangesh with her amazingness.

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