Why Do Pirates Love Parrots?

by David Feldman

Are you the type of person who stays up nights wondering how they get the paper tag into Hershey's Kisses? Or why portholes are round? Even if you don't lose sleep over such matters, you have to admit that such questions are, well, worthy of consideration. Here, from David Feldman, creator of the Imponderables® series, are the latest questions on the minds of his devoted readers and fans. No question from his readers is too small or obscure for Feldman to tackle. From the return of red M&Ms (they are back, if you've missed it) to new-car smell, the answers to life's little mysteries are dissected in these pages. Although it's all done in great fun, there is also an educational edge to the answers, as Feldman ferrets out top experts in diverse fields to come up with his entertaining answers. And their answers may surprise you—from the detailed physics involved in why cans of Diet Coke float but regular Coke doesn't, all the way to why they put crinkly paper into pairs of men's socks (but only one sock, not both). Complete with drawings by longtime Imponderables ® illustrator Kassie Schwan, and a special section updating answers to questions in previous books in the series, this eleventh book of Imponderables ® is sure to entertain the thousands of Feldman fans who have purchased over 2 million copies to date. Prepare to be delighted!

Genres: Nonfiction, Trivia, Reference, Humor

384 pages, Hardcover

First published September 19, 2006

About the author

Librarian 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.

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to love Imponderables books all through middle and high school! In fact, one volume served me well in an argument about whether or not a cornish game hen is just a baby chicken after all. (It is.) I had thought the series had faded away. In the age of Google, not many questions can't be answered. By slightly tweaking his formula, Feldman has managed to keep the series going. It's still Q&A, but Feldman seems to have expanded what he's willing to answer to types of questions that require a bit more speculation. Despite the new material, reading this was like a fun trip down memory lane for me, and I learned some new trivia.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

If questions such as the title one catch your interest, then this might be the sort of book for you. There's probably a dozen of these Imponderable volumes. I read them as a teen but somehow missed this one (which was published in 2006, so . . . I guess not still a teen, was I?). Lots of random questions submitted by readers--Do ostriches swim? Why does dog food smell so awful? Why are computer circuit boards green? Why are portholes round?

And so on and so forth. The goal is to answer questions that aren't easily solved by a quick dive into the encyclopedia or other reference works. The author consults dozens of experts across the scope of this book, and often does not land on just one answer. But it's always intriguing.

And the books always finish with updates on previous books, readers' letters, and the discussion of some questions that never seem to be able to be solved. All in all a refreshing and satisfying read. One of the better parts of the junior-high years.

[Sharon Falduto]

Answer: They were colorful, provided companionship, and the pirates could sell them. I don't know what iteration of imponderables books this is, but none of the questions or answers seemed to be anything I cared about all that much. I did find out that grape ice cream, though hard to find (grapes don't have a lot of flavor so one has to use artificial flavoring to make grape flavors), is popular with little kids and pregnant women. Mmmm...grape ice cream....

[Dan Stern · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are great to own or give as gifts because they bring hours of enjoyment to all. We use ours as coffee table books so when we have company these books open up all sorts of topics of discussion. We have bought these as gifts for that hard-to-buy-for person at holidays and for birthdays. A must buy for inquiring minds or for those you want to develop an inquiring mind

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious book!

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE Bathroom Books!! Lots of fun facts, short chapters (hey, perhaps TWO could be read while oning one's "business!). Been through several in my lifetime, and enjoy every one. This one was given to me by my good friend Jim, with whom I celebrate Talk Like A Pirate Day (September 19th, if you didn't already know; see the article by Dave Barry, go to www.talklikeapirate.com). So he simply HAD to get it for me! The title article reveals that parrots were a favorite animal aboard ships because of their light weight and thus low maintenance; they also, at times, served as lunch. The "Parrot on the shoulder of the Pirate" image was largely promulgated by Robert Newton in his portrayal of Long John Silver in "Treasure Island" (See the movie! Read the book!). Other stuff relates to the strip of paper in Hershey's Kisses, the piece of tissue paper in new socks (well, only one); portholes; and other stuff. Per the Code of the Bathroom Book Owners, this has been passed on to my other good friend Larry, himself the source of others I have read. Please to enjoy.

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always loved books full of random facts, and this one is fun to read, although I felt that the answers to some of the questions could have been shorter and more concise. The answer to the title question was very interesting, some of the others were things I'd come across before, but it was still interesting to read. I like that anybody can send in a question, and I like the way the author answers them by consulting "experts" in those fields, but this approach sometimes leads to somewhat rambling chapters. I think this would be a good book for parents to read with children who are ask these sorts of questions, although I would flip through the book before giving it to a child to look at, since some of the questions might be a little mature for children or might not interest them.

[Wellington · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced, light book which you will surely learn something. With a humorous and self-depreciating banter, the authors answer random questions people have had over the years.

Why can't you buy grape ice cream?
Why do drive-up ATMs have braille markings?
Why do we often find a fold-up piece of tissue paper inside one of a pair of men's dress socks?
How did they mark years before the birth of christ?
Why does dog food have to smell so awful?

This is their eleventh book so far all named after an imponderable answered in the book.

[Bettie]

Description: Ponder, if you will . . . Is yawning contagious? Do starfish have faces? Why do they put crinkly paper into pairs of men's socks? Why is it that cans of Diet Coke float, but cans of regular Coke don't? Pop culture guru David Feldman demystifies these questions and much more in Why Do Pirates Love Parrots?

[Zarvon Rejaee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Overall it was a really easy read and answered questions that I have always had for a while such as "Why are pages intentionally left blank?'. Like Do Clocks Run Clockwise this book discusses imponderables, or questions that are too difficult to answer or really think about for long. I will read other books in this series such as "Do Elephants Jump?"

[Sammi]

Hilarious! Questions that I find myself asking all the time. Why do Drive up atm's have braile? As well as many others! It was refreshing to know that I am not the only one out there asking these stupid questions. Also very nice to get some of the answers that I have pondered over for so long!

[Brandi Wamsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and informational answers to fun and interesting questions