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Dubious Knowledge: Doubtful Facts, Twisted History and Other Humorosities
If you like learning with a lively dose of laughter, you'll love this hilarious book full of fishy facts, twisted history, and general “Dubious Knowledge” from award-winning humor columnist Dan Van Oss.
Collected from the best of his weekly “Dubious Knowledge Institute” humor column, these 25 side-splitting features will keep you laughing while you learn about:
The Fourth of July: “In Philadelphia, ships were decked out in red, white, and blue bunting, while an official dinner for the Continental Congress was held to determine what ‘bunting' was.”
Chocolate: “The botanical name of the chocolate plant is Theobramba cacao, which is, coincidentally, the same sound your lower intestine makes after eating an entire bag of M&Ms.”
Lawn care: “The difference between a fertilized lawn and an unfertilized one is about $200.”
Father’s Day: “Father's Day was created to complement Mother's Day, because, without fathers, we wouldn't have anyone to forget to get a card for Mother's Day.”
The Kentucky Derby: "Women attending the race traditionally wear large, elaborate hats, which are used to hide the fact that they are drinking so many mint juleps.”
Evoking the laugh out loud wit of classic humor columnist Dave Barry, and the British quirkiness of Douglas Adams and Monty Python, Dan expertly melds fact and fiction into a zany mixture of learning and laughter. Guaranteed to make you laugh or your money back!
About the Author
Dan Van Oss grew up reading just about everything he could borrow from the town library, although admittedly sometimes just to get the sticker segments so he could complete the Reading Centipede for each book he finished. He’s a Midwest guy, having spent time in Michigan and Kentucky, but mostly Iowa, where he now lives. He started writing during college, where he enjoyed getting red lines drawn through his Creative Writing projects, and where he also penned a weekly column in the school paper under the pseudonym “Fletcher Ford”. He’s currently working on his Survival Guide for Men series, which will include books on Home Improvement and Sports. You can catch his weekly humor column called the Dubious Knowledge Institute at his author site, danvanoss.com.
Collected from the best of his weekly “Dubious Knowledge Institute” humor column, these 25 side-splitting features will keep you laughing while you learn about:
The Fourth of July: “In Philadelphia, ships were decked out in red, white, and blue bunting, while an official dinner for the Continental Congress was held to determine what ‘bunting' was.”
Chocolate: “The botanical name of the chocolate plant is Theobramba cacao, which is, coincidentally, the same sound your lower intestine makes after eating an entire bag of M&Ms.”
Lawn care: “The difference between a fertilized lawn and an unfertilized one is about $200.”
Father’s Day: “Father's Day was created to complement Mother's Day, because, without fathers, we wouldn't have anyone to forget to get a card for Mother's Day.”
The Kentucky Derby: "Women attending the race traditionally wear large, elaborate hats, which are used to hide the fact that they are drinking so many mint juleps.”
Evoking the laugh out loud wit of classic humor columnist Dave Barry, and the British quirkiness of Douglas Adams and Monty Python, Dan expertly melds fact and fiction into a zany mixture of learning and laughter. Guaranteed to make you laugh or your money back!
About the Author
Dan Van Oss grew up reading just about everything he could borrow from the town library, although admittedly sometimes just to get the sticker segments so he could complete the Reading Centipede for each book he finished. He’s a Midwest guy, having spent time in Michigan and Kentucky, but mostly Iowa, where he now lives. He started writing during college, where he enjoyed getting red lines drawn through his Creative Writing projects, and where he also penned a weekly column in the school paper under the pseudonym “Fletcher Ford”. He’s currently working on his Survival Guide for Men series, which will include books on Home Improvement and Sports. You can catch his weekly humor column called the Dubious Knowledge Institute at his author site, danvanoss.com.
- GenresNonfictionHumorAmazon
109 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 2, 2015
69 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Dan Van Oss
15 books9 followersDan Van Oss (danvanoss.com) grew up reading just about everything he could borrow from the town library, although admittedly sometimes just to get the sticker segments to paste onto the Reading Centipede for each book he finished. Raised on a diet of Dave Barry columns, Douglas Adams radio serials and M*A*S*H reruns, Dan’s writing balances the line between laugh-out-loud hilarious and cleverly absurd.
“Humor is hard to do and Dan does it extremely well.”
“I am a fan of the late, great Douglas Adams, and in my opinion, Dan is the closest America has to him.”
“Van Oss's style reminds me somewhat of Douglas Adams. Very witty phrases full of Pythonesque non-sequitors.”
“Dan's style is like The Best of Dave Barry meets The Best of Dennis Miller.”
Dan’s had pieces published on humorwriters.org, won 2nd place in the Mona Schreiber Prize for Humorous Fiction and Nonfiction, was a semi-finalist in the humorpress.com writing contest, and was mentioned honorably in the Soul-Making Keats Literary Competition for Humor. He started writing during college, where he enjoyed getting red lines mercilessly drawn through his Creative Writing projects by his professor, and where he also penned a weekly column in the school paper under the pseudonym “Fletcher Ford”. You can catch his weekly humor column, the “Dubious Knowledge Institute,” at dubiousknowledge.institute.
Click the “Follow” button above and get updates on new books and audiobooks Dan is releasing.
Want more? Visit danvanoss.com for exclusive books and his latest columns.
“Humor is hard to do and Dan does it extremely well.”
“I am a fan of the late, great Douglas Adams, and in my opinion, Dan is the closest America has to him.”
“Van Oss's style reminds me somewhat of Douglas Adams. Very witty phrases full of Pythonesque non-sequitors.”
“Dan's style is like The Best of Dave Barry meets The Best of Dennis Miller.”
Dan’s had pieces published on humorwriters.org, won 2nd place in the Mona Schreiber Prize for Humorous Fiction and Nonfiction, was a semi-finalist in the humorpress.com writing contest, and was mentioned honorably in the Soul-Making Keats Literary Competition for Humor. He started writing during college, where he enjoyed getting red lines mercilessly drawn through his Creative Writing projects by his professor, and where he also penned a weekly column in the school paper under the pseudonym “Fletcher Ford”. You can catch his weekly humor column, the “Dubious Knowledge Institute,” at dubiousknowledge.institute.
Click the “Follow” button above and get updates on new books and audiobooks Dan is releasing.
Want more? Visit danvanoss.com for exclusive books and his latest columns.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 7, 2016
Not funny
I downloaded this book almost a year before I read it on a plane flight. I am sure many enjoy the authors writing, but I found it almost unreadable and stop at 60% I was hoping something would be funny or I might learn something. But neither happened. The book tries too hard to be funny and therefore is not.
I downloaded this book almost a year before I read it on a plane flight. I am sure many enjoy the authors writing, but I found it almost unreadable and stop at 60% I was hoping something would be funny or I might learn something. But neither happened. The book tries too hard to be funny and therefore is not.
December 31, 2015
OMG! I rarely give five stars, but this one was worth it! This guy has an awesome sense of humour and a weird way of seeing the history all around us. I am looking forward to his future books - if this one is any indication, he's giving Dave Barry a run for his money!
Run, don't walk, to your nearest Kindle and grab this book! Great read to end the day or for a lazy-day afternoon.
Run, don't walk, to your nearest Kindle and grab this book! Great read to end the day or for a lazy-day afternoon.
May 6, 2016
Funny
I read a few of the reviews before purchasing this book. They said that this book wasn't funny, but I found it to be a funny in a wry way. I just guess that one person's funny is another one very unfunny. But to each their own brand of humor. All said and done just try it you might like it.
I read a few of the reviews before purchasing this book. They said that this book wasn't funny, but I found it to be a funny in a wry way. I just guess that one person's funny is another one very unfunny. But to each their own brand of humor. All said and done just try it you might like it.
February 7, 2017
Great follow-up to his first book - and it was free! It was a promotional deal from his website (which also included his website-only "Book Zero"). Van Oss gives the likes of Dave Barry a run for his money. Love his writing style and can't wait for more.
April 20, 2015
Funny stuff
A really entertaining read. Van Oss's style reminds me somewhat of Douglas Adams. Very witty phrases full of Pythonesque non-sequitors.
A really entertaining read. Van Oss's style reminds me somewhat of Douglas Adams. Very witty phrases full of Pythonesque non-sequitors.
April 26, 2015
Silly explanations of words and things. Funny.
Read
October 26, 2015A good idea. bad follow through. its too long and sometimes too needlessly wordy. its trying to be funny and clever by adding lame jokes. it runs on and on like a college aged blogger.
October 27, 2015
Nice collection of short humorous articles
Not bad, for what it is. Not a good source of accurate information, but quite fun to read. I would read the next book.
Not bad, for what it is. Not a good source of accurate information, but quite fun to read. I would read the next book.
January 28, 2018
I thought it was a fact book not a humor book
If you are looking for facts this is not the place. It is a humor book with some facts and some make believe nonsense.
If you are looking for facts this is not the place. It is a humor book with some facts and some make believe nonsense.
September 17, 2018
This was an interesting read. However, it was not a memorable one, as I had downloaded it to my new Kindle without realizing I had already read it.
March 8, 2016
Dubious is an understatement
While I doubt there are as many as five facts in this book, it is interesting reading. You'll find such topics as bacon, chocolate, bowling and colonoscopies along with valuable tips concerning your lawn, the Kentucky Derby and Halloween.
While I doubt there are as many as five facts in this book, it is interesting reading. You'll find such topics as bacon, chocolate, bowling and colonoscopies along with valuable tips concerning your lawn, the Kentucky Derby and Halloween.
April 29, 2017
I'm still reading this book, but at 85%, I can say it's okay. If you are a big fan of Dave Barry, don't read this. It's sort of a poor man's Dave Barry, using many of the same amusing devices, but I have not guffawed nor even giggled yet. I have smirked, but that's really not enough.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews