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MIND = BLOWN
WARNING: This book will blow your mind.
Matthew Santoro is a fact-filled YouTube sensation. Now comes his first ever book packed full of trivia, laughs and facts that seem too mind-melting to be true. From videogame characters that were based on real people to myths you still believe about space, Santoro brings together the world's most amazing facts in mind-boggling Top Ten lists and myth-busting revelations.
Did you know that it's illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament? Or that under extreme pressure peanut butter can be turned into diamonds?
If you like to learn new things and laugh a little while you're at it, you won't believe what you'll discover in Mind = Blown.
www.youtube.com/MatthewSantoro
Matthew Santoro is a YouTube star whose videos have been viewed more than 500 million times. He is best known for his Top Ten lists of strange and surprising facts, and his popular series '50 Things to Blow Your Mind.' A former accountant, he won the 2015 Hubub #AcademySocial award, as well as the fan vote for the 2015 Shorty Awards 'YouTube Star of the Year.' He lives in Toronto, Canada.
www.youtube.com/MatthewSantoro
Matthew Santoro is a fact-filled YouTube sensation. Now comes his first ever book packed full of trivia, laughs and facts that seem too mind-melting to be true. From videogame characters that were based on real people to myths you still believe about space, Santoro brings together the world's most amazing facts in mind-boggling Top Ten lists and myth-busting revelations.
Did you know that it's illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament? Or that under extreme pressure peanut butter can be turned into diamonds?
If you like to learn new things and laugh a little while you're at it, you won't believe what you'll discover in Mind = Blown.
www.youtube.com/MatthewSantoro
Matthew Santoro is a YouTube star whose videos have been viewed more than 500 million times. He is best known for his Top Ten lists of strange and surprising facts, and his popular series '50 Things to Blow Your Mind.' A former accountant, he won the 2015 Hubub #AcademySocial award, as well as the fan vote for the 2015 Shorty Awards 'YouTube Star of the Year.' He lives in Toronto, Canada.
www.youtube.com/MatthewSantoro
256 pages, Hardcover
First published August 9, 2016
55 people are currently reading
1404 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Santoro
2 books21 followersMatthew Santoro is a Canadian YouTube personality. He posts on his main channel, "Matthew Santoro", top ten lists and "50 Amazing Facts" videos
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
September 20, 2016
Mind = Blown is a very simple book, done pretty effectively. Matthew Santoro runs a YouTube channel consisting of very popular videos listing facts, ranging from the most bizarre sports to the weirdest plastic surgeries. Matthew is very good at these videos and has built up a colossal following, which led to the publication of this book, which is essentially several videos written out into book form. Which is fine - if you're after a light list of interesting facts you could do much worse. What the book does to keep things fresh is to give many sections unique structures, such as examining what kind of robo-pocalype would result from various intelligent robots taking over the world, based on real facts.
What the book tries to do and is somewhat less successful at is reference its claims. Perhaps this is the scientist in me, but I would not trust many of the sources cited when presenting facts. I would much rather see published papers or articles from investigative journalists than red top tabloid newspapers when referencing, well, anything. This is a difficult task of course, but when presenting a literal catalogue of facts it's important.
If you're after some untroubling, occasionally interesting (I did, I fully admit, learn several interesting facts from the book), and slickly presented facts then maybe give it a try. Though The QI books are definitely superior, and you may find the writing style of mixing absolute facts with personal interpretation very grating.
What the book tries to do and is somewhat less successful at is reference its claims. Perhaps this is the scientist in me, but I would not trust many of the sources cited when presenting facts. I would much rather see published papers or articles from investigative journalists than red top tabloid newspapers when referencing, well, anything. This is a difficult task of course, but when presenting a literal catalogue of facts it's important.
If you're after some untroubling, occasionally interesting (I did, I fully admit, learn several interesting facts from the book), and slickly presented facts then maybe give it a try. Though The QI books are definitely superior, and you may find the writing style of mixing absolute facts with personal interpretation very grating.
August 16, 2016
If you're familiar with Matthew Santoro, I highly recommend this book!
If you're not familiar with Matthew Santoro, I highly recommend this book!
This is packed with crazy and interesting facts and you'll fly through it in no time! I loved every page!
If you're not familiar with Matthew Santoro, I highly recommend this book!
This is packed with crazy and interesting facts and you'll fly through it in no time! I loved every page!
January 30, 2025
This was a very funny audiobook
August 29, 2016
And this is 50... oh, wait, lots and lots of amazing facts to blow your mind!
I've been a big fan of Matthew Santoro and his educational videos for a few years now. Even more specifically, a huge fan of his "50 amazing facts to blow your mind" series. And this here is the perfect mash up of his videos and another thing I adore - books.
Most of the facts were new for me, a few I've heard before, and some that Matthew has mentioned in his videos before and has now expanded in the "YouTube remix" chapters.
I recommend the book to everyone who wants to learn some new (and kinda random) facts about the world and/or, like me, love devouring new information. Also, if you haven't yet, check out Matthew's YouTube channel.
I've been a big fan of Matthew Santoro and his educational videos for a few years now. Even more specifically, a huge fan of his "50 amazing facts to blow your mind" series. And this here is the perfect mash up of his videos and another thing I adore - books.
Most of the facts were new for me, a few I've heard before, and some that Matthew has mentioned in his videos before and has now expanded in the "YouTube remix" chapters.
I recommend the book to everyone who wants to learn some new (and kinda random) facts about the world and/or, like me, love devouring new information. Also, if you haven't yet, check out Matthew's YouTube channel.
August 20, 2016
Awesome book! I enjoyed it just as much as I enjoy watching his youtube videos. If you enjoy his mutiple videos and channels then this is something that will be right up your alley.
August 21, 2016
" Because of complete isolation, lack of basic facilities, and bitter cold, most residents of the prison go insane well before their sentences are completed. Come to think of it, isolation and freezing cold temperatures sounds like the life of a Canadian YouTuber. And you all wonder why I'm so weird."
-Pp 31, Mind = Blown.
I remember thinking a couple of years ago that all non-fiction was trash and that I would probably never go through the trouble of reading it. If I could go back and slap younger me, I would do it slowly and painfully. This book was amazing. Watching Matt on Youtube as a regular fan, when I heard he wrote a book, I am pretty sure I broke the world record for fastest-ordering-of-a-book. I enjoyed his videos so much that I instantly knew I would love this book. Good videos or not, Matt is Canadian so that just adds 100+ points of coolness. As soon as I read the inroduction, I knew I was not mistaken. His humour reminded me that of other authors I had read before *cough* Rick Riordan *cough*, and brought out this interest in me I never knew I really had. I know that if I read this book again, I would find out something I never knew before. For his first book, Matt did a splendid job. I have read books before by authors that had written several books and still would be on the lower level. This book was 10/10 I would recomend it for everyone.
-Pp 31, Mind = Blown.
I remember thinking a couple of years ago that all non-fiction was trash and that I would probably never go through the trouble of reading it. If I could go back and slap younger me, I would do it slowly and painfully. This book was amazing. Watching Matt on Youtube as a regular fan, when I heard he wrote a book, I am pretty sure I broke the world record for fastest-ordering-of-a-book. I enjoyed his videos so much that I instantly knew I would love this book. Good videos or not, Matt is Canadian so that just adds 100+ points of coolness. As soon as I read the inroduction, I knew I was not mistaken. His humour reminded me that of other authors I had read before *cough* Rick Riordan *cough*, and brought out this interest in me I never knew I really had. I know that if I read this book again, I would find out something I never knew before. For his first book, Matt did a splendid job. I have read books before by authors that had written several books and still would be on the lower level. This book was 10/10 I would recomend it for everyone.
August 22, 2016
Won on Goodreads
Amazing fun facts. Book is highlighted on several pages for me to read more about on the internet. Great fun!!
Amazing fun facts. Book is highlighted on several pages for me to read more about on the internet. Great fun!!
April 20, 2018
A fine miscellaneous of random outstanding facts the like of L'Encyclopédie du Savoir Relatif et Absolu by Bernard Werber! Spicy savory food for thought!
October 4, 2017
Amazing and very educational,I recommend this to everyone who likes learning random facts
July 16, 2017
This review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!
Mind = Blown is one of the most interesting non-fiction books I have read. I normally only read non-fiction for school, for research papers and whatnot, but in this case, I was more than excited to request YouTuber Matthew Santoro's fact book and give it a go. It has been sitting in my shelves for the longest time, and I decided to pick it up because I wanted a quick read. A read that is satisfying enough that wouldn't make me bored. Or make my head hurt. This definitely had its span of ridiculous facts, however it was funny and entertaining (for the most part) at the same time. I will certainly remember some of the weird things for a long time.
This took me about two sittings to finish, and I admit that the four star rating exists because I had to skip over some chapters that did not interest me. I am not the biggest fan of mythology, so, naturally, I skipped over that chapter after trying to give it a go. But, I must say that the most memorable one was the one about pets and how they understand more than we humans do. Ah. The perfect way to describe this book is it being a perfect amount of everything we are searching for.
Mind = Blown really blew my mind. It's a feel-good read that everyone should pick up to take a break from our deep, hardcore fiction. Go for it as soon as possible!
*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*
Mind = Blown is one of the most interesting non-fiction books I have read. I normally only read non-fiction for school, for research papers and whatnot, but in this case, I was more than excited to request YouTuber Matthew Santoro's fact book and give it a go. It has been sitting in my shelves for the longest time, and I decided to pick it up because I wanted a quick read. A read that is satisfying enough that wouldn't make me bored. Or make my head hurt. This definitely had its span of ridiculous facts, however it was funny and entertaining (for the most part) at the same time. I will certainly remember some of the weird things for a long time.
This took me about two sittings to finish, and I admit that the four star rating exists because I had to skip over some chapters that did not interest me. I am not the biggest fan of mythology, so, naturally, I skipped over that chapter after trying to give it a go. But, I must say that the most memorable one was the one about pets and how they understand more than we humans do. Ah. The perfect way to describe this book is it being a perfect amount of everything we are searching for.
Mind = Blown really blew my mind. It's a feel-good read that everyone should pick up to take a break from our deep, hardcore fiction. Go for it as soon as possible!
*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*
February 7, 2017
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway.
I actually had not heard of Matt Santoro prior to receiving this book and I took a few minutes to watch some of his videos to get his voice in my head. His voice and energy elevated the book for me and made it more fun. Regardless, the facts contained in the book are amusing and there's plenty to keep you entertained.
My one qualm is the lack of pictures in places where they would really elevate the fact like when talking about the appearance of something. Surely this book could have stood to be 20% more pages to get some pictures included? Maybe Mind = Blown 2.
I actually had not heard of Matt Santoro prior to receiving this book and I took a few minutes to watch some of his videos to get his voice in my head. His voice and energy elevated the book for me and made it more fun. Regardless, the facts contained in the book are amusing and there's plenty to keep you entertained.
My one qualm is the lack of pictures in places where they would really elevate the fact like when talking about the appearance of something. Surely this book could have stood to be 20% more pages to get some pictures included? Maybe Mind = Blown 2.
February 6, 2018
"February 6, 2018 –
90.0% "33:20"
February 5, 2018 –
90.0% "Part 4 out of 4
...
05:03-55:19"
February 4, 2018 –
60.0% "1:03:07"
February 4, 2018 –
60.0% "45:17"
February 4, 2018 –
60.0% "Part 3 out of Parts 4
...
30:04"
February 4, 2018 –
25.0% "Part 2 Out of Part 4
...
17:31"
February 3, 2018 –
5.0% "Part 1 Out of 4 Parts
...
35:49"
February 3, 2018 – Shelved
February 3, 2018 – Started Reading"
P.S. - This book is suitable for facts fans... If you want something new to learn this book is the best choice.
90.0% "33:20"
February 5, 2018 –
90.0% "Part 4 out of 4
...
05:03-55:19"
February 4, 2018 –
60.0% "1:03:07"
February 4, 2018 –
60.0% "45:17"
February 4, 2018 –
60.0% "Part 3 out of Parts 4
...
30:04"
February 4, 2018 –
25.0% "Part 2 Out of Part 4
...
17:31"
February 3, 2018 –
5.0% "Part 1 Out of 4 Parts
...
35:49"
February 3, 2018 – Shelved
February 3, 2018 – Started Reading"
P.S. - This book is suitable for facts fans... If you want something new to learn this book is the best choice.
December 13, 2016
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. It's quite light-hearted and fun. This would make a great present for a curious teenager who wants to learn about the world.
The reason why I am not giving this more than 3 stars is because of all the jokes he makes after the facts that he presents. Just like it did for Aziz Ansari's Modern Love, it really diluted the quality of the book.
(Edit: I've never heard of this guy before nor have I watched his YouTube videos)
The reason why I am not giving this more than 3 stars is because of all the jokes he makes after the facts that he presents. Just like it did for Aziz Ansari's Modern Love, it really diluted the quality of the book.
(Edit: I've never heard of this guy before nor have I watched his YouTube videos)
February 5, 2017
I honestly couldn't have expected more from this book. I love Matthew Santoro as a YouTube and now as an author. this book was really interesting. One of those where you keep saying "just a few more pages"
October 17, 2016
This book is awesome! It did what I'd hope a book would do for me; it entertained and got me out of my stressful life for a short while. Mind Blown = Brain Reset!
December 6, 2016
Interesting, but this random collection of anecdotes, trivia, and rankings did not overly impress me. Perhaps I need to watch his YouTube channel instead.
August 30, 2017
DNF@ 60% thru. Unfortunately, this one just didn't hold my interest enough to finish it. If you want a more interesting fact book, try AsapScience!
April 22, 2020
Very fun! I just wish there were photos of some of the things he talked about.
June 12, 2019
Mind = Blown is one of the most interesting non-fiction books I have read. I normally only read non-fiction for school, for research papers and whatnot, but in this case, I was more than excited to request YouTuber Matthew Santoro's fact book and give it a go. It has been sitting in my shelves for the longest time, and I decided to pick it up because I wanted a quick read. A read that is satisfying enough that wouldn't make me bored. Or make my head hurt. This definitely had its span of ridiculous facts, however it was funny and entertaining (for the most part) at the same time. I will certainly remember some of the weird things for a long time.
This took me about two sittings to finish, and I admit that the four star rating exists because I had to skip over some chapters that did not interest me. I am not the biggest fan of mythology, so, naturally, I skipped over that chapter after trying to give it a go. But, I must say that the most memorable one was the one about pets and how they understand more than we humans do. Ah. The perfect way to describe this book is it being a perfect amount of everything we are searching for.
Mind = Blown really blew my mind. It's a feel-good read that everyone should pick up to take a break from our deep, hardcore fiction. Go for it as soon as possible!
This took me about two sittings to finish, and I admit that the four star rating exists because I had to skip over some chapters that did not interest me. I am not the biggest fan of mythology, so, naturally, I skipped over that chapter after trying to give it a go. But, I must say that the most memorable one was the one about pets and how they understand more than we humans do. Ah. The perfect way to describe this book is it being a perfect amount of everything we are searching for.
Mind = Blown really blew my mind. It's a feel-good read that everyone should pick up to take a break from our deep, hardcore fiction. Go for it as soon as possible!
August 18, 2019
Fun, light read…
If you are a fan of the Uncle John Bathroom Readers style than you will enjoy this read!
The format and content may be similar but it had a unique take on sharing unusual facts that set it apart as well. The writing style is good and the author shared his thoughts and opinions, adding his sarcastic (and funny) take on the material. I found myself more than once googling a topic to find out more – and make sure that what I was reading was, in fact, true. Truth may be stranger than fiction and the author found a lot of that!
An easy read with fun facts delivered in entertaining little bites, this was a fun summer beach read...
**Thank you to Goodreads and the author for the opportunity to read this book which I happily reviewed
If you are a fan of the Uncle John Bathroom Readers style than you will enjoy this read!
The format and content may be similar but it had a unique take on sharing unusual facts that set it apart as well. The writing style is good and the author shared his thoughts and opinions, adding his sarcastic (and funny) take on the material. I found myself more than once googling a topic to find out more – and make sure that what I was reading was, in fact, true. Truth may be stranger than fiction and the author found a lot of that!
An easy read with fun facts delivered in entertaining little bites, this was a fun summer beach read...
**Thank you to Goodreads and the author for the opportunity to read this book which I happily reviewed
June 12, 2021
I have a weird penchant for little-known fact books. Reading bits and pieces of this or that piece of knowledge brings ,e some strange joy. I suppose those books are fairly easy to write too. You just look up a bunch of facts & present them to the reader with a little flavor.
Matthew Santoro didn't do that. He took that flavor knob, cranked it to 11 and then broke it off. This isn't a book of amazing facts so much as it is a book of normal facts paired with Santoro's off-putting opinions that I never asked for. I've never watched his Youtube channel but I can't imagine I'd enjoy it based off of how much I adored his book.
Matthew Santoro didn't do that. He took that flavor knob, cranked it to 11 and then broke it off. This isn't a book of amazing facts so much as it is a book of normal facts paired with Santoro's off-putting opinions that I never asked for. I've never watched his Youtube channel but I can't imagine I'd enjoy it based off of how much I adored his book.
October 11, 2021
I listened to the audiobook, but for some reason that wasn't a choice of editions? Maybe because that was definitely the wrong format to consume this book. I like random facts about obscure topics...but when there are hundreds of them being slung at you quickly, it is hard to keep them straight.
If I had read a paper copy or kindle version of this book, I probably would have picked it up periodically, consumed random facts about a topic (like weird courting rituals) and then put it down for awhile. I probably would have enjoyed it much more.
Sorry to the author for giving a low rating for something that was my fault, but consumed as an audiobook it was just 'meh'.
If I had read a paper copy or kindle version of this book, I probably would have picked it up periodically, consumed random facts about a topic (like weird courting rituals) and then put it down for awhile. I probably would have enjoyed it much more.
Sorry to the author for giving a low rating for something that was my fault, but consumed as an audiobook it was just 'meh'.
August 21, 2021
We will call this a 2.5. It was a light, breezy, fairly entertaining read. I did discover a few new random facts though a couple were very much veering towards urban legend so I would fact check before going around telling everyone "did you know that....."
All in all good harmless fun, though the humour didn't always translate well in my opinion (attempts to rank wizards especially fell flat). Nothing at all wrong with this, but I am probably judging this a bit harshly give I'm a trivia fiend. Definitely one to borrow from the library rather than own or better still, find him on YouTube.
All in all good harmless fun, though the humour didn't always translate well in my opinion (attempts to rank wizards especially fell flat). Nothing at all wrong with this, but I am probably judging this a bit harshly give I'm a trivia fiend. Definitely one to borrow from the library rather than own or better still, find him on YouTube.
July 15, 2018
This book is full of breath-taking facts, but a few (or more than a few) are blown out of proportion. It is difficult to tell whether Santoro is chasing after fame or these are undeliberate mistakes. This book leaves an unpleasant aftertaste of hype based on nothing more than fictitious stories. Even when the facts and figures are genuine, it appears that the author is attempting to sell them off as much more sensational than they in fact are. Entertaining but hardly non-fiction.
March 25, 2020
Very interesting tidbits..... That is about it. Not much to this book but a series of interesting facts. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed it, I just don't think I would have bought it if I had known the content. Only because I think it doesn't tell a story, just a sublime reference to this crazy world and how humans have created a truly bizarre society to live in. Light read, I would use it as a filler between books or a break from other genres.
November 6, 2020
Let me start off saying I am huge fan of Matthew’s YouTube Channel and I follow him on Facebook. With that out there I have to say I didn’t know enjoy the book. I feel after listening to this, he’s one of those guys you can only do in minor doses. You could date him but not seriously, or marry him. Sorry Matthew, it was just a lot!
January 26, 2022
What a fun book! Some things I already knew but I learned a lot of random facts. Not only did I learn weird, random facts but I had fun doing it. Matthew Santoro is a funny, clever guy and I always enjoy watching him on YouTube. I was worried that the book would be stale but he managed to get his personality in it. Definitely a must read if you are a fan of his!
July 14, 2018
A fun bathroom book, filled with short articles highlighting odd things. I did catch a few errors, but overall, a good book for those times when you just want a few fun minutes of reading.
March 25, 2019
Audiobook. I gave it twenty minutes and he never stopped talking about how much he loved YouTube and it changed his life. I gave up.
May 28, 2019
This book is more like global cultures and traditions. Many you could already saw or heard people talking.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews