Why Do People Queue for Brunch?: The Explainer guide to modern mysteries

by Felicity Lewis

Does handwriting still matter? What are rogue waves? What do our teeth reveal about us? A compelling compendium of astonishing facts and occasional weirdness for curious minds.

'For anyone who has ever wondered … just about anything! This is the book for you' Adam Spencer

What's the meaning of a bee's waggle dance? Who thought budgie smugglers into being? And why is cancer so damn hard to cure?

In these lively and surprising Explainers, writers from Australia's leading mastheads reveal the mysterious workings of the world, from outer space and the deep sea to our own backyards.

Navigate life's quirks and curiosities with journalists from these newsrooms—across health, science, culture and human behaviour—as they ask some of the deeper questions in life.

Does handwriting still matter? What are rogue waves? And how do you make the right decisions?

A compelling companion for the curious reader.

Felicity Lewis is the national Explainer editor at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Genres: Nonfiction

340 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 3, 2024

Reviews

[Amy Johnson]

Took ages to finish but I did enjoy it and learned lots, including:

— When Speedos were first sold, the men wearing them were arrested for indecent exposure, but the charges were dismissed because there was no visible pubic hair.

— In the 1700s dentures were crudely made from expensive materials, so "Waterloo teeth" looted from battlefields became a popular alternative

— The best way to build a great sandcastle is to start with a big mound and chisel away at it, rather than adding sand as you go

— The global population is expected to peak in the mid 2080s, then decline

— Our regional highways that have no shoulders, no barriers or centre islands and are surrounded by trees are super dangerous, and the speed limits should probably be reduced to 70 or 80 km/h

[Alana]

3.5 stars
An interesting compendium of “explainer” chapters, each addressing a provocative or unusual question on cultural norms, natural phenomena, anthropological mysteries etc.

I enjoyed the chapter on rogue waves the most (who knew walks of water commonly materialise out of nowhere in the ocean, often causing havoc!)

Well researched and accessible my disappointment was that only about half of the subject chapters were interesting to me (so I only read half the book).

[Lee McKerracher]

What a great little book! If you have curiosity about all sorts of unusual or quirky things then this will be a read you will love.

Felicity Lewis has gathered together a team of 'explainer' journalists who have delved into the mysteries of the autopsy, pickleball, the dancing habits of bees, decision making, car accidents, Diwali and the concept of land ownership on the moon.

A raft of additional topics are covered in the 26 short chapters. It is engaging, entertaining and educational.

I'm now off to use my improved conversational skills (chapter 11), have a closer look at my teeth (chapter 21) and ponder what lies at the bottom of our seas (chapter 20).

Highly recommended.

[Saralie]

The considered answers to a diverse selection of life‘s quirky mysteries and conundrums, including handwriting relevance, budgie smugglers, narcissists, the art of conversation, giftedness, retirement and what your teeth say about you. Great to dip in and out of; I speed-read a couple of the essays in which I was less interested but all in all an informative and entertaining Aussie-centric book.

[Zach Nicoll]

I love these essay anthology style books that dive into a diverse range on topics with barely any strings of commonality between them. Writing was great! Topics were great!

If you're looking for something similar I suggest The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green.

[Sarah]

Really enjoyed this one for something a little different. I learnt things I’d never known before (or would’ve ever thought to look up). Each chapter tackles a different topic, making it easy to dip in and out of. Light, interesting, and very digestible.

[Sarah Jackson]

3.5 stars - An interesting set of essays explaining various social, natural and scientific phenomena.

[Mitchell]

This book was alright - the topics it covered were generally interesting, but tended to be a bit more 'surface level' than I was looking for. Some were definitely better than others!

[chloe]

3.5

[Michael]

Read more like a series of magazine articles than a book.

[Daniel Kuilenburg]

Interesting array of topics, some lacking depth