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The First Book of Seconds: 220 of the Most Random, Remarkable, Respectable (and Regrettable) Runners-Up and Their Almost Claim to Fame
Susan Lucci, Al Gore, and the Buffalo Bills all received top billing by coming in second. But that's not normally the case--most runners-up dwell in obscurity.
Finally, there's a book that celebrates the many unsung qualities of those who faltered on their way to the top! Inside, you'll discover little-known second-acts with entries that highlight their worthy achievements, such as:
The second highest homerun hitter
The second man to set foot on the moon
The second most dangerous animal in the world
The second-largest car rental chain (whose motto is fitting: "We try harder")
With more than 200 accounts of almost-claims-to-fame, this book leaves trivia junkies of all ages feeling like they won a gold medal--not a booby prize.
Finally, there's a book that celebrates the many unsung qualities of those who faltered on their way to the top! Inside, you'll discover little-known second-acts with entries that highlight their worthy achievements, such as:
The second highest homerun hitter
The second man to set foot on the moon
The second most dangerous animal in the world
The second-largest car rental chain (whose motto is fitting: "We try harder")
With more than 200 accounts of almost-claims-to-fame, this book leaves trivia junkies of all ages feeling like they won a gold medal--not a booby prize.
240 pages, ebook
First published September 21, 2010
4 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Murrie
10 books11 followersMatt Murrie is the Chief Curiosity Curator for What If Curiosity. What If Curiosity is a culmination of his life's work and global travels as a writer, photographer, Peace Corps Volunteer, school teacher, college professor, and social entrepreneur. When he's not getting curious with students, educators, entrepreneurs, and executives around the world, from Kratovo to Colombia, Matt gets super stoked for science writing books with his father, Steve Murrie.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 8, 2019
This is a trivia book but a good one and one that I enjoyed. The Murries are a father and son team, trained as teachers, who write for Scholastic Corporation, a major publisher of educational materials. Not all the language in this book is suitable for children, but the Murries’ experience writing for middle school is a fine warm-up for engaging general readers who are older and heavier. The book is especially fun in small doses, and if it occasionally triggers more serious thoughts about some of its topics, so much the better.
My only caveat is that teachers who are thinking about using any of these factoids in class should first consult another source to make sure they are correct as given. For instance, I’m not sure why the Murries think the Erie Canal did not freeze over in winter (88) or that 1816, “the year without a summer,” was an event local to Indonesia (168). We’d all make such mistakes if we had to deal with 220 different subjects in as many pages.
My only caveat is that teachers who are thinking about using any of these factoids in class should first consult another source to make sure they are correct as given. For instance, I’m not sure why the Murries think the Erie Canal did not freeze over in winter (88) or that 1816, “the year without a summer,” was an event local to Indonesia (168). We’d all make such mistakes if we had to deal with 220 different subjects in as many pages.
November 18, 2018
Fun twist on trivia.
August 9, 2012
“The world’s second largest land animal could fit inside of the world’s largest land animal with room to spare. What are these two animals? Elephants—both of them.”
“Quick, who’s that on MTV’s Video Music Awards statuette? You know, the one of an astronaut holding an MTV flag. Need a hint? It’s not Neil Armstrong. First known as the “Moon Man,” it is a statue of the second man on the moon. And the award goes to… Buzz Aldrin.”
“Quick, who’s that on MTV’s Video Music Awards statuette? You know, the one of an astronaut holding an MTV flag. Need a hint? It’s not Neil Armstrong. First known as the “Moon Man,” it is a statue of the second man on the moon. And the award goes to… Buzz Aldrin.”
February 6, 2016
This would have been better with some levity; there were a few jokes, but mostly it was just factoids. I also didn't bother with the last chapter because I'm not at all interested in sports. We enjoyed the first chapters, but the nature chapter got tedious after a while. Some of the information shocked and amazed me, but other topics made me wonder why that was selected over other available topics. Not bad, not great...just meh.
March 29, 2012
Really interesting stuff. From people to science to nature to sports, it has about 200 some pages for 220 facts about the world's second _______. Each a page long, and some not even, short, sweet, and simple. Cool right?
May 21, 2015
As per the title, covers things that are second in 220 categories. Each entry is one page in length accompanied by a sidebar containing an appropriate graphic and anecdotal information. And, yes, number one is cited.
January 19, 2017
A fun, entertaining, easy read (basically a "bathroom page-turner"). Nothing super heavy or deep, but lots of interesting factoids. (Some spelling errors, but nothing super major, and only really towards the end of the book).
November 10, 2013
Matthew Murrie is such a humerous guy. It is the reason I enjoy his authorship.
May 1, 2015
good book for those that like trivia!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews