Starting from the depths of the Bathroom Reader archives, you’ll be transported to exotic lands where you’ll learn the local customs and sample the curious cuisine (without those annoying stomach cramps). You’ll also meet some of the strangest people in the world, and you might even learn a new word or two. So hang on tight as you read about... • Why time travel movies were banned in China, and other fun things forbidden in foreign countries• How to give your business card to a Japanese businessman, and other handy travel tips• Uncle John's Stall of Fame• Racing sled dogs in the Arctic, running a marathon across the Moroccan desert, and floating a raft across the Atlantic• What’s all the buzz about in Amsterdam?• How to find your antipodes—the exact opposite side of the planet from you• The world's biggest blunders, best inventions, and worst disasters• Ronnie Biggs—Brazil’s most famous English fugitive• Worldly wisdom, including this from Charles Schulz: “Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia.”And much, much more!

It’s an actual fact—Uncle John is the most entertaining thing in the bathroom! Uncle John and his team of devoted researchers are back again with an all-new collection of weird news stories, odd historical events, dubious “scientific” theories, jaw-dropping lists, and more. This entertaining 31st anniversary edition contains 512 pages of all-new articles that will appeal to readers everywhere. Pop culture, history, dumb crooks, and other actual and factual tidbits are packed onto every page of this book. Inside, you’ll find . . . Dogs and cats who ran for political office The bizarre method people in Victorian England used to resuscitate drowning victims The man who met his future pet—a stray dog—while running across the Gobi Desert Searching for Planet X—the last unknown planet in our solar system Twantrums—strange Twitter rants that had disastrous effects The true story of Boaty McBoatface And much more!

Uncle John’s all-new 8th edition is packed with everything that Bathroom Reader fans have come to expect from this stellar series—short, medium, and long articles covering a whole host of topics—everything from dumb crooks to funny quotes to forgotten history. Read about… * Ice cream origins * Olympic cheaters * Celebrity mummies * The first Thanksgiving * Groucho’s wit and wisdom * Weird tales of the Ouija board * The creation of Frankenstein’s monster * “Earring Magic Ken” and other weird dolls And much, much more!

Restore your faith in humanity in just 50 pages. This very special e-book will lift your spirits with inspiring stories of heroism, overcoming adversity, random acts of kindness, wise thoughts, and some really weird tales of people who benefitted from amazing luck. So put on your rose-colored glasses and curl up with these Uncle John’s gems—both old and new—that prove once and for all, the glass really is half full! Some heartwarming examples: • The origin of Mother’s Day • Strangers who saved the lives of strangers • The anonymous good deed that led to the “Pay it Forward” movement • How Rodney Dangerfield finally got some respect • The biologist who wrote a book and gave birth to the modern environmental movement • The bus driver who gave a man his shoes • The heroes of September 11th • Crime-stopping kids And much, much more!

Presents a collection of brief articles on a wide variety of topics designed especially for bathroom reading.

Flush with delightfully useless--and sometimes even useful--information about sports, movies, music, politics, American and world history, and much more, this book is the most extensive reference guide in the series to date.

Liberal, conservative, independent, or just plain nuts--no one in the public sector gets a free pass in this funny and informative look at the world of politics. No one skewers public servants of all political stripes like Uncle John! Here’s a no-holds-barred look at the history and lunacy of our govern-mental machine. Starting with the birth of democracy in the western world, you’ll learn how today’s political landscape was shaped and get an inside look at how government works (and doesn’t work)--from Main Street to Wall Street to Pennsylvania Avenue to the world stage. These 288 pages consist of the most eye-opening political articles from the BRI’s 25-year-history, plus a few all-new pieces ripped from the election-year headlines. So do your civic duty and read about… * Toilet diplomacy * Gingrich vs. the Glitterati * Why a donkey? Why an elephant? * Animals that ran for office…and won * The island election that was buried by a volcanic eruption * The birth, death, and rebirth of America’s major political parties * Why the first U.S. congresswoman had to hide in a phone both * The rapper who (nearly) took a swing at Romney * The Russian czar who taxed the human soul * The secret plot to take down FDR * Poisonous pundits And much, much more!

An all-new follow up quotation book to 2004’s Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Colossal Collection of Quotable Quotes, complete with indexes by name and by subject for easy reference. Here it is: the quintessential collection of notable quotes for all occasions. Grouped together in weird categories as only Uncle John could do, you’ll find quotes about farts, firsts, dogs, Canada, male chauvinist pigs, colors, TV, aliens, and more! And not just quotes, either--there are great facts, fun quizzes, and a few longer articles about how quotations shape our world. As if that weren’t enough, there are a ton of eye-opening new entries for Uncle John’s Quotationary. (Love: “Being stupid together.” --Paul Valery) And to make it easier than ever to find the exact quote you’re looking for, there is a by-subject index as well a by-name index. Here are but a few of the thousands of great quotations awaiting you: * “I don’t really care what I’m famous for.” --Jessica Simpson * “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.” --Charlie Chaplin * “The way that I feel about music is there is no right and wrong. Only true and false.” --Fiona Apple * “One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.” --A. A. Milne * “Bears are crazy. They’ll bite your head if you’re wearing a steak on it.” --Space Ghost * “I don’t mind not being president. I just mind that someone else is.” --Ted Kennedy * “If little else, the brain is an educational toy.” --Tom Robbins

Lots and lots of lists of quick and quirky historical facts, from the Stone Age to the Internet Age! Leave it to Uncle John to find a new way to make history fun and exciting! This quirky collection of lists is the latest volume in the Bathroom Reader’s bestselling history series. Over 500 fact-packed pages will breathe life into history’s most famous (and most unusual) stories. History buffs, trivia hounds, and readers looking for an educational snack will love learning about some of history’s greatest—and strangest—events. In one great book, you’ll find: * Two famous pioneering trails * Three one-armed men who lent a hand * Four famous folks who literally died laughing * Five horrifying medieval punishments * Six photographic firsts * Seven hotel rooms where history was made * Eight disgusting secret ingredients * Nine famous trains * Ten places you can’t go * Eleven disasters that changed the world * Twelve fast food firsts, and much, much more!