From their perfectly insane television show to their consistently irreverent and riotous movies, Monty Python has owned the zany and absurd side of comedy since their debut. Their influence can be felt in every comedy show that followed them, from Saturday Night Live and Second City television, to The Kids in the Hall, not to mention all the laughs writ large on the silver screen, where their brand of absurdity opened the doors for such people as Jim Carrey who made a name for themselves by pushing the funny even further. This is the first book to look at everything influenced by the Pythons, but also at those who came before them – from the classic British comedies to the Marx Brothers, and everything in the Python universe, from Fawlty Towers and A Fish Called Wanda to Spamalot and Brazil. If You Like...Monty Python is a book for any fan who has graduated from the Ministry of Silly Walks and wants more.

Collects obscure trivia about historical figures, from President Lyndon Johnson's poor phone etiquette to Albert Einstein's habit of forgetting his shoes.

"Don't miss this fantastic book" - Haywood SmithFrom Benjamin Franklin there comes the old adage : For want of the nail, the shoe was lost : For want the shoe, the rider was lost : For want of the rider, the battle was lost: For want of the battle an empire was lost : The empire was lost all for the want of a nail.How often does that really happen? That a single tiny mistake causes an entire civilization to collapse? The reader will be amazed how often it happens over and over again. Some examples as follows: - A single document poorly designed by one single clerk in one single county changed the outcome of a presidential election and led directly to a major war. - A soldier accidentally kicks a helmet off of the top of a wall and causes an empire to collapse. - A small mechanical device several inches long fails to function ; This changes the outcome of WWII and leads to the death of millions of people. - A man who was president of a nation was also commanding a large army in the field facing a dangerous enemy. But when the expected attack from the enemy came, he was in his tent, high on opium, cavorting with a beautiful young slave woman. The battle led to the founding of a new nation and a famous song was later written about the beautiful young woman. These and many more: Hypnotic and addictive, this book is a review of the seemingly tiny mistakes that led to the collapse of grand civilizations. Human weakness at it very worst at critical moments. The Butterfly Effect in human history: The many tiny mistakes that changed the world we live in today. See the book trailer ( One of the best ever produced for a adult non-fiction book. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu4LlkqT72g

"Farquhar's ... entries draw from the full sweep of history to take readers through a complete year of misery, including tales of lost fortunes (like the would-be Apple investor who pulled out in 1977 and missed out on a $30 billion-dollar windfall), romance gone wrong (like the 16th-century Shah who experimented with an early form of Viagra with empire-changing results), and truly bizarre moments (like the Great Molasses Flood of 1919)"--

Get the Summary of Jared Knott's Tiny Blunders/Big Disasters in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. "Tiny Blunders/Big Disasters" by Jared Knott examines how seemingly minor mistakes and oversights have had profound impacts on history. The book delves into various historical events, demonstrating how small errors or decisions led to significant consequences. It explores George Washington's pivotal victories in the American Revolution, aided by intelligence from a spy, which were crucial for American independence...

From the brains behind the New York Times' bestseller, The Book of General Ignorance comes another wonderful collection of the most outrageous, fascinating, and mind-bending facts, taking on the hugely popular form of the first book in the internationally bestselling series. 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. For example, do you know who made the first airplane flight? How many legs does an octopus have? How much water should you drink every day? What is the chance of tossing a coin and it landing on heads? What happens if you leave a tooth in a glass of Coke overnight? What is house dust mostly made from? What was the first dishwasher built to do? What color are oranges? Who in the world is most likely to kill you? Whatever your answers to the questions above, you can be sure that everything you think you know is wrong. The Second Book of General Ignorance is the essential text for everyone who knows they don't know everything, and an ideal stick with which to beat people who think they do.

E. H. Gombrich's Little History of the World, though written in 1935, has become one of the treasures of historical writing since its first publication in English in 2005. The Yale edition alone has now sold over half a million copies, and the book is available worldwide in almost thirty languages. Gombrich was of course the best-known art historian of his time, and his text suggests illustrations on every page. This illustrated edition of the Little History brings together the pellucid humanity of his narrative with the images that may well have been in his mind's eye as he wrote the book. The two hundred illustrations—most of them in full color—are not simple embellishments, though they are beautiful. They emerge from the text, enrich the author's intention, and deepen the pleasure of reading this remarkable work. For this edition the text is reset in a spacious format, flowing around illustrations that range from paintings to line drawings, emblems, motifs, and symbols. The book incorporates freshly drawn maps, a revised preface, and a new index. Blending high-grade design, fine paper, and classic binding, this is both a sumptuous gift book and an enhanced edition of a timeless account of human history.

A humorous illustrated gift book with history's biggest fails hailing from politics, pop culture, international relations, business, sports, and more. From skinny-dipping Presidents to toxic tooth fillings to singing pop stars who can't carry a tune, 100 of the Worst Ideas in History is a celebration of humanity's historical—and often hysterical—missteps that have started wars, sunk countries, wrecked companies, scuttled careers, lost millions of dollars, and even endangered the Earth. Interesting stories from history include: How a confused chauffeur helped start World War I Who turned down the greatest product placement opportunity in Hollywood history How a Chicago White Sox game helped hasten the demise of disco The toad that nearly ate Australia The most dangerous children's game ever invented Spanning politics, pop culture, fashion, sports, technology, and more, this irreverent and witty book is packed with fun photos and sidebars, tracing how these thundering brainstorms turned into blundering brain farts—and the astonishing impacts our faux pas and foibles still have on us today. Great for gifting! Funny Father's Day gift White elephant gag gift Unique gift for the history major Fun teacher gift

What do you get the man who has everything? Are you struggling to find the ideal present for your dad, brother, uncle or cousin? They've got everything - or at least everything you can afford! Can't get them any more novelty socks - you got them last year. Give them this book and watch them rock with laughter. Perfect the art of Schadenfreude from your own armchair as you wonder who left the lid of the idiot box open. Laugh at the dumb and dumber from the comfort of your own toilet seat. Wonder at the stupidity of man with hilarious anecdotes spanning time and history and culture. "Outrageously amusing stories...." "We could hear my dad chortling away" "Put a smile on my face for hours, except when I was laughing aloud" "Fact is definitely stranger than fiction but a lot funnier too" "200 or so facts you never needed to know, but now you will never forget." "My uncle laughed so hard he went red, and we had to give him one of his pills" In this book.... Hear about the time a spiritual guru steamed himself to death in a giant pot, along with some corn and steamed buns? Or the time a president projectile vomited on a prime minister at a state banquet. Was it something they said? Back in New York in February 1940 at the world premiere of Walt Disney's Pinocchio. Walt had hired 11 midgets, dressed them up as Pinocchio and put them on top of Radio City Music Hall. The idea was they could wave to the children entering the theatre. However, in a moment of inspiration, someone sent up alcohol with their lunch. So by the middle of the afternoon, there were 11 drunken, naked midgets cavorting on the roof and screaming obscenities at the crowd. They had to be removed by police, who carried them away in pillowcases. As the great Professor Stephen Hawking once said, "Stupidity remains the biggest threat to mankind." No truer words have ever been spoken; so we might as well enjoy it. Get or Give hours of amusement - scroll up and click the BUY NOW button

The creators of the podcast The Dollop present illustrated profiles of the weird, outrageous, NSFW, and downright absurd tales from American history that you weren't taught in school. The United States of Absurdity presents short, informative, and hilarious stories of the most outlandish (but true) people, events, and more from United States history. Comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds cover the weird stories you didn't learn in history class, such as 10-Cent Beer Night, the Jackson Cheese, and the Kentucky Meat Shower, accompanied by full-page illustrations that bring each historical "milestone" to life in full-color.