What do you think?
Rate this book
Imponderables
Look around - the world is full of perplexities, all just begging to be explained. Where do flies go in winter? Why do doughnuts have holes? Why do teddy bears frown? Imponderables provides entertaining and enlightening answers to these and innumerable other puzzlements about science, nature, animals, sport and every part of our daily lives.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
10 people are currently reading
321 people want to read
About the author
David Feldman
80 books37 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
He holds a bachelor's degree in literature from Grinnell College, and a master's degree in popular culture from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He consults and lectures on the media. He lives in New York City.
He holds a bachelor's degree in literature from Grinnell College, and a master's degree in popular culture from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He consults and lectures on the media. He lives in New York City.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 21, 2017
Here, at your fingertips, are all the fascinating and little known facts you'll need to be the cleverest guy (or biggest bore) at any cocktail party. And, yeah, I know - all this stuff in on the internet now, but it's kind of neat to have it in book form because it might just never occur to you to google why cats don't like to swim. Feldman has thought of every question you might possibly want to know, and put the answers to some of them in this book. (He has thirteen other titles along this same line, so it's safe to assume that if you read them all, you will indeed know everything.)
Granted, this title was originally published in 1986, so some of the information is a little dated, like "when is the money from pay phones collected?" Huh? Pay phones? What are those?
And, some of the explanations went on w-a-a-a-y too long to hold my interest such as pricing at gas stations, and why some folks are more vulnerable to hypnotism - but you may find the answers . . . mesmerizing.
I was interested to learn how the letter X came to stand for kiss, why there are holes in Swiss cheese, and why fast food chains suck at desserts.
Oh, yeah - if you've ever been left scratching your head as to why a relatively easy answer netted a daily-double award on Jeopardy, it's because it is exactly the same level of difficulty as the answer that would appear without the daily double. In fact, the staff does not even compose separate answers for daily doubles.
Dang it, Trebek! I knew it!
Granted, this title was originally published in 1986, so some of the information is a little dated, like "when is the money from pay phones collected?" Huh? Pay phones? What are those?
And, some of the explanations went on w-a-a-a-y too long to hold my interest such as pricing at gas stations, and why some folks are more vulnerable to hypnotism - but you may find the answers . . . mesmerizing.
I was interested to learn how the letter X came to stand for kiss, why there are holes in Swiss cheese, and why fast food chains suck at desserts.
Oh, yeah - if you've ever been left scratching your head as to why a relatively easy answer netted a daily-double award on Jeopardy, it's because it is exactly the same level of difficulty as the answer that would appear without the daily double. In fact, the staff does not even compose separate answers for daily doubles.
Dang it, Trebek! I knew it!
April 24, 2023
Have you ever pondered imponderables? Such as:
Why is the color blue associated with baby boys? And the color pink is associated with baby girls?
Why is the NBA shot clock 24 seconds?
On Jeopardy what is the difficulty level of the daily doubles supposed to be?
Why are U.S. elections held on Tuesday?
Why do people look up when thinking?
What is the difference between an Introduction, a Foreword, and a Preface in a book?
Why do other people hear our voices differently than we do?
Why do most men part their hair on the left?
Why does the word Filipino start with the letter F?
How was the order of the alphabet determined?
Why is a mile 5280 feet?
We have all seen signs saying ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED. What is a minor credit card?
David Feldman has pondered these imponderables and he has been able to come up with answers to these and many, many others. But how could he do that? The definition of imponderable is not ponderable; a mystery.
If they are imponderables, there can be no answer; and if there is an answer, they can’t be imponderables, can they?
At any rate, published in 1986, this is the first in a series of “Imponderable” books written by Feldman.
Why is the color blue associated with baby boys? And the color pink is associated with baby girls?
Why is the NBA shot clock 24 seconds?
On Jeopardy what is the difficulty level of the daily doubles supposed to be?
Why are U.S. elections held on Tuesday?
Why do people look up when thinking?
What is the difference between an Introduction, a Foreword, and a Preface in a book?
Why do other people hear our voices differently than we do?
Why do most men part their hair on the left?
Why does the word Filipino start with the letter F?
How was the order of the alphabet determined?
Why is a mile 5280 feet?
We have all seen signs saying ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED. What is a minor credit card?
David Feldman has pondered these imponderables and he has been able to come up with answers to these and many, many others. But how could he do that? The definition of imponderable is not ponderable; a mystery.
If they are imponderables, there can be no answer; and if there is an answer, they can’t be imponderables, can they?
At any rate, published in 1986, this is the first in a series of “Imponderable” books written by Feldman.
September 17, 2015
It doesn't answer all of life's imponderables but it entertains when you have nothing better to do. Great for those people who like useless trivia/information like me.
July 19, 2012
An enjoyable, if lightweight book.
I only note one thing about a book before I start reading it: it publishing date. That's often critical to separating poorly written from merely dated science fiction for example. This poor demonstrates how even well researched and written material becomes out of date so quickly. (Though the compilation was published in 2006, some components date as early as 1984, and it shows. Some of the pop culture and science references are so dated as to perplex young readers in 2012.)
Still, a fun read. (And handy reference for answers to obscure questions about the mysteries of everyday life.
I only note one thing about a book before I start reading it: it publishing date. That's often critical to separating poorly written from merely dated science fiction for example. This poor demonstrates how even well researched and written material becomes out of date so quickly. (Though the compilation was published in 2006, some components date as early as 1984, and it shows. Some of the pop culture and science references are so dated as to perplex young readers in 2012.)
Still, a fun read. (And handy reference for answers to obscure questions about the mysteries of everyday life.
June 8, 2011
This is the kind of book that obnoxious people (like me) read just so they can blurt a fun fact in the middle of a conversation that is vaguely related to the fact. Filled with fun little things that most people wouldn't even think about, it makes a great read! It's good to keep handy just in case one of those questions arise, such as why is the middle of the ice cube cloudy? What does the "Q" in Q-tip stand for? and various others. I enjoyed this book and I liked how it was organized to make it easier to find just what you're looking for.
November 8, 2009
This is an entertaining piece that explores the answers to questions that many of us give no real thought to! Once the author raises the question, it is pretty fascinating to discover the answers to these amusting topics. Some questions that are raised are "Why is a mile,5,280 feet"?, or "Why does any x stand for a kiss"? I found this book a lot of fun to read, and it really satisfied my curiousity about these issues. I would recommend this to anyone who has a sense of curiousity about the world around them. Most teens would enjoy the kinds of questions raised, and the addition of this data to their store of trivial knowledge!
August 11, 2015
This is the first in the series of questions to life's little mysteries and it was interesting, but not as much as the later ones. It did show its age somewhat, since the questions regarding technology are almost all about objects that are now obsolete. Still, it would be one way to explain some of it to the younger generation.
July 10, 2012
Now I know all of the answers to all of those burning questions... like "Where do they get that awful music for ice skating?" and "Why do women wear uncomfortable shoes?" Yay, 1986!
This is why we weed our collection. 5 stars for being ridiculous!
This is why we weed our collection. 5 stars for being ridiculous!
June 10, 2010
This is a great series, explaining the most ridiculous things of life. If you want to know the answer to a random question, you can try perusing this series.
February 29, 2012
I really enjoyed this book that answered questions that you sometimes think to yourself but aren't very Google-able.
March 12, 2017
Firstly, this book is 30 years old now so many of its facts are a bit dated and some while difficult to discover back then are easily googled today. Information about payphones, 1980's credit cards, and old business practices is occasionally interesting but no longer useful. While I enjoyed reading it, I think I'd recommend something more contemporary for any reader who isn't interested in outdated trivia.
I didn't doubt the truthfulness of the author or his thoroughness, but I was often frustrated that he didn't consistently cite his sources. There were plenty of tidbits that I wanted more information about and having the name of the author's source would've been helpful. For instance, he explains that the color blue was thought to have protective properties and was used to ward boy children. However, he doesn't say when, where, or on what authority he knows this. He also claims without context that in a wedding ceremony the father-of-the-bride would remove a shoe and hand it to the groom, who would tap the bride on the head with it to signify the transference of ownership of the woman from father to husband. As amusing as that is, I wish I knew where and when it was a custom.
I attempted to research association between the color blue and boy children. I discovered that as recently as the 1920's there were as many groups in the USA that associated pink with baby boys as blue, and the eventual scheme our culture settled on had more to do with fashion than superstition. However, in looking for a magical association with the color I as it relates to boy children, and found that there are claims that ancient Greek, Semitic, and Chinese people had this superstition, which resulted in it being spread to other countries which were influenced by those cultural megaliths. Unfortunately these claims were largely unsourced. I found plenty of references claiming that the modern superstition being derived from African slaves in the US believing that spirits could not cross water, but this was also attributed as a superstition of European origin in other places. Either this belief was common across multiple cultures in many historical eras, or its origin is thoroughly muddled.
There was plentiful documentation on the color being used to ward evil spirits away from buildings and even the clothing of adults in recent history. In the American South a tint called "Haint Blue" (haint meaning ghost, and related to "haunt") is still a popular choice in exterior home painting at least partly as a result of this traditional belief. However, I couldn't find anything about it being used to protect boy children specifically. There was a single passage in a biography of Saint Paul that in his time a Jewish boy child's foreskin would be sewed inside a blue cloth bag and that would be used to ward off evil, but that wasn't solidly attributed to any historical source. While this book's claim remains plausible, I couldn't really confirm it even with modern resources at my disposal.
I didn't doubt the truthfulness of the author or his thoroughness, but I was often frustrated that he didn't consistently cite his sources. There were plenty of tidbits that I wanted more information about and having the name of the author's source would've been helpful. For instance, he explains that the color blue was thought to have protective properties and was used to ward boy children. However, he doesn't say when, where, or on what authority he knows this. He also claims without context that in a wedding ceremony the father-of-the-bride would remove a shoe and hand it to the groom, who would tap the bride on the head with it to signify the transference of ownership of the woman from father to husband. As amusing as that is, I wish I knew where and when it was a custom.
I attempted to research association between the color blue and boy children. I discovered that as recently as the 1920's there were as many groups in the USA that associated pink with baby boys as blue, and the eventual scheme our culture settled on had more to do with fashion than superstition. However, in looking for a magical association with the color I as it relates to boy children, and found that there are claims that ancient Greek, Semitic, and Chinese people had this superstition, which resulted in it being spread to other countries which were influenced by those cultural megaliths. Unfortunately these claims were largely unsourced. I found plenty of references claiming that the modern superstition being derived from African slaves in the US believing that spirits could not cross water, but this was also attributed as a superstition of European origin in other places. Either this belief was common across multiple cultures in many historical eras, or its origin is thoroughly muddled.
There was plentiful documentation on the color being used to ward evil spirits away from buildings and even the clothing of adults in recent history. In the American South a tint called "Haint Blue" (haint meaning ghost, and related to "haunt") is still a popular choice in exterior home painting at least partly as a result of this traditional belief. However, I couldn't find anything about it being used to protect boy children specifically. There was a single passage in a biography of Saint Paul that in his time a Jewish boy child's foreskin would be sewed inside a blue cloth bag and that would be used to ward off evil, but that wasn't solidly attributed to any historical source. While this book's claim remains plausible, I couldn't really confirm it even with modern resources at my disposal.
December 16, 2020
Imponderables by David Feldman 1986;
I purchased this book from a Library Book Fair in Southern California. It is old - but still has some very interesting facts and explanations on subjects that I did not know the answer to and which stumped and fascinated me and I am sure - the average person. Many of the subjects herein correct long believed notions and falsehoods about things we heard as children or young adults and which people have wondered about since or been misinformed about - throughout their lifetime. It also clarifies or corrects many misconceptions many of us have held on a wide variety of interesting topics. Some of the information is self-evident but much of it takes people aback - to learn they have held incorrect assumptions on such things. It also destroys preconceived ideals or folk lore on some basic things. For instance the topic of cats and their eyesight. It is interesting, humorous, informative and a good read on a rainy or lazy day or a long trip where boredom would take over.
I purchased this book from a Library Book Fair in Southern California. It is old - but still has some very interesting facts and explanations on subjects that I did not know the answer to and which stumped and fascinated me and I am sure - the average person. Many of the subjects herein correct long believed notions and falsehoods about things we heard as children or young adults and which people have wondered about since or been misinformed about - throughout their lifetime. It also clarifies or corrects many misconceptions many of us have held on a wide variety of interesting topics. Some of the information is self-evident but much of it takes people aback - to learn they have held incorrect assumptions on such things. It also destroys preconceived ideals or folk lore on some basic things. For instance the topic of cats and their eyesight. It is interesting, humorous, informative and a good read on a rainy or lazy day or a long trip where boredom would take over.
May 16, 2017
This book, Imponderables: The Solution to the Mysteries of Everyday Life, explained a lot of things I didn't know about but I have constantly thought about. Like why the Muppets are left handed, and why dogs have black lips. Muppets are left handed because the puppeteers behind them are right handed, and use their right hand for the head because of the lip sync. And dogs have black lips because it protects them from sun burns. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars because its a good book to read if your into learning new things every day. It was written for adults who have thought about these things and wondered why that's a thing. I would recommend it.
September 8, 2020
I placed this under science because I didn't have another category it fit. Some of the answers can be considered scientific while others are more like assumptions or are people's best guesses. I doubt any of the answers will change your world, but if you are into trivia you'll be interested. Because this book was written in the 1980s, younger people may never have heard about some of the things being discussed - pay phones, vinyl records, etc. I rate it as a fun book of trivia that is a quick read to fill a little time.
July 30, 2023
I started this book eagerly - I enjoy books about trivial nonsense - and the first half of it flew by.
But I began to notice that these supposedly "imponderable" questions that "everyone" always wondered about, and were dying to get the answers for, were really not questions that I had ever given much thought at all.
It was trivial nonsense that I really couldn't care less about, and the book became more and more of a slog the further I went. The last 45 pages literally became a 2 1/2 hour struggle against boredom and sleep.
But I began to notice that these supposedly "imponderable" questions that "everyone" always wondered about, and were dying to get the answers for, were really not questions that I had ever given much thought at all.
It was trivial nonsense that I really couldn't care less about, and the book became more and more of a slog the further I went. The last 45 pages literally became a 2 1/2 hour struggle against boredom and sleep.
September 19, 2018
Great light read. I have read other books in this series and picked this up not knowing this is the first one. I think the series has come far and contemporary. Nevertheless, good one if you have a few hours to kill and if you remember any of it, then makes you look smart in social gatherings!
May 11, 2024
The audio book was poorly organized. It would have been helpful for each section of the chapter to be marked. That way, a reader could have read desired sections rather than an entire chapter all at once.
January 11, 2018
Read it over the course of several summers when I was younger. I would love to have it on my shelf now.
February 13, 2022
This unfortunately is out of date in 2022. Many of the topics listed are irrelevant.
March 1, 2022
Fun quick romp through some of life's weird questions. A bit outdated at points, but it was written in the mid 80s so it's mostly still relevant
April 11, 2023
Lots of fun, silly trivia.
July 13, 2023
as it was published in 86 and I read it in 2023, some of the entries were a bit dated.
still enjoyable
still enjoyable
February 11, 2024
I love books like this! This thing is a massive beast of a book but super easy reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Check it out!
February 12, 2015
I learned a lot of things I didn't even know I wanted to learn about, until I learned about them. Now I know why you can't buy fresh sardines, what barley corn has to do with shoe sizes, and too many others to mention. It was a very easy read because each of the many topics (random and mostly unrelated) were each like a chapter on their own from a paragraph to several pages. So it was easy to read in short bursts or for longer periods. The author clearly states the sources of the information he uncovers and kept my interest throughout. I highly recommend this book to anyone craving random knowledge and interesting trivia.
February 5, 2009
There was some interesting information here, but overall it was outdated and boring. It did settle a long-standing disagreement between my husband and I over the percentage of humidity when it is raining. We both now agree that I was right! That was worth reading the book for! I also amused to see and remember that in the 1980's we were worried about pollution bringing on the next ice age (as opposed to global warming).
April 27, 2012
I'm all for cramming my brain with useless facts, but an entire book of the stuff put me to sleep. I would recommend this book as something to just look at the table of contents, find something you would like to find out about and read it. Unless you are just into reading different facts I wouldn't try to read this book the whole way through. If nothing else it taught me that I need an actual story with a plot and characters. :)
August 26, 2013
Yes, some of the information was a little too in-depth, and a few of the questions were outdated, but this was still an enjoyable read. If you're interested in fun facts or "solutions to the mysteries of everyday life" appeal to you, I would recommend this author, but perhaps one of his more recent editions of Imponderables would be a better choice. From my experience, however, this book is definitely a conversation starter!
July 16, 2013
I have read a few books in the "Imponderables" series and I get the impression that this volume is an amalgamation of them. Lots of interesting Q and A's in various categories, with colour illustrations sprinkled throughout. All in all, an interesting book that is easy to pick up, read, put down and then pick up again, whenever.
November 12, 2012
This series has answered many questions for me and prompted many more. It's truly fascinating and well written.
November 14, 2012
Semi-interesting trivia.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews