Seriously Curious: The Facts and Figures that Turn Our World Upside Down

by Tom Standage (Editor)

Smart, savvy answers to universal questions, from the highly popular The Economist Explains and Daily Chart blogs-a treat for the knowing, the uninitiated, and the downright curious.

Seriously The Facts and Figures that Turn Our World Upside Down brings together the very best explainers and charts, written and created by top journalists to help us understand such brain-bending conundrums as why Swedes overpay their taxes, why America still allows child marriage, and what the link is between avocados and crime. Subjects both topical and timeless, profound and peculiar, are explained with The Economist 's trademark wit and verve.

The Economist Explains and its online sister, the Daily Chart , are the two most popular blogs on The Economist 's website. Together, these online giants provide answers to the kinds of questions, quirky and serious, that may be puzzling anyone interested in the world around them. Want to know why exorcisms are on the rise in France or how porn consumption changed during a false alarm missile strike warning in Hawaii? We have the answers They are sometimes surprising, often intriguing, and always enlightening.

Genres: Nonfiction, Economics, Science, Politics, Trivia

272 pages, Paperback

First published November 27, 2018

About the author

Tom Standage is a journalist and author from England. A graduate of Oxford University, he has worked as a science and technology writer for The Guardian, as the business editor at The Economist, has been published in Wired, The New York Times, and The Daily Telegraph, and has published five books, including The Victorian Internet[1][2]. This book explores the historical development of the telegraph and the social ramifications associated with this development. Tom Standage also proposes that if Victorians from the 1800s were to be around today, they would be far from impressed with present Internet capabilities. This is because the development of the telegraph essentially mirrored the development of the Internet. Both technologies can be seen to have largely impacted the speed and transmission of information and both were widely criticised by some, due to their perceived negative consequences.

Standage has taken part in various key media events. He recently participated in ictQATAR's "Media Connected" forum for journalists in Qatar, where he discussed the concept of technology journalism around the world and how technology is expected to keep transforming the world of journalism in the Middle East and all around the world.

-Wikipedia

Reviews

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Barely a single well-addressed point, I'm afraid. Even well-dissed Trump couldn't save this book from being a lot of haphasarly strewn together topics.

Basically, this was a mishmash of 'facts' and facts that had some background and some pseudoexplanations. For instance, the abundance of languages in Papua New Guinea was explained by there being 40k years to have developed them all and it all being roughly isolated. Like the rest of places didn't have the same or similar luxuty. Or do we really think the rest of places had planes and other travel amenities for the 30k years?

[Olya]

A bunch of random facts with no real point or narrative. More of a bathroom reader than a book.

[Thomas Edmund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I'm a bit leery of listicle type books, especially from an economic perspective. Not to be too prejudiced but economics is IMHO a bizarre field in terms of bias, politics and ulterior motives. That's not saying everyone involved is going to be sinister (in fact psychology has some big flaws too so I better zip it) but what I mean is that because economics isn't a science and obviously has huge political influence I always check my sources.

Anyway that was all unfounded for Seriously Curious. The sort articles in this book were all intriguing, albeit VERY random, there were topics on polygamy, Easter, St Patricks, Punctuation, Language (not all connected) its was half the fun discovering a new topic.

I wouldn't expect this book to fully invert your work, but its a great food for thought piece, and definitely good anecdotes for (I guess more lame grown up) parties.

[Sandip Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice and easy read about the unique nuances of how the world works with some basic facts and stats .... it will open a wide array of interest areas just by reading a page or two of each article... however a little more detail or context on each article would have made the reading more complete....

[Alya Putri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bukunya menarik, banyak pertanyaan dasar gitu yang ngga disadarin, kek iya ya kenapa ya. Terus juga banyak datanya dan bahasannya singkat. Ada juga yang mindblowing haha. Suka deh!

[Kam Yung Soh · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting collection of recent short explainers originally published by The Economist to provide quick facts, figures and explanations on some aspects of the world, some of which may appear contradictory.

The book is divided into several sections, each of which contains explainers for some of the questions raised. The sections range from the very generic questions about the world to more specialised topics like food, economics (of course), science, technology, sports, words and holidays.

I have read quite a number of the explainers when they were originally published by The Economist, so much of the material in the book is already familiar to me. Even so, there are some explainers that I missed that explain some aspects of the world in a new light.

All the explainers are brief, at most only a few pages, with some occasional graphs. But they fulfil the aim of the book, which is to explain some interesting and unusual aspects of why some things in the world are the way they are now.

[cellomerl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable book with cute little two-page summary explanations for events and ideas that you might not normally interconnect. As with most stuff from The Economist, it’s well-written (aside from one or two errors) if a bit socialist.
It seems like a little repackaging of content from the magazine, as I recall it generally runs a column with content like this.
For a pink rag publication, the book includes somewhat less toeing-the-party-line climate change propaganda than I expected but still included a few wince-making moments. Its format made it very easy to read in short bursts. I’d recommend it to people who like this sort of light non-fiction.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

If you're someone who enjoys random facts, quirky studies, and data-driven insights, this book compiled by The Economist might catch your eye. I picked it up hoping for a fun change of pace...a book filled with clever, thought-provoking nuggets that would surprise and educate. In some ways, it delivered. But overall, I found it underwhelming.

The book is a compilation of short essays covering a wide range of topics, from economics and science to pop culture and politics. It promises to explain the hidden forces that shape our world using data and research. While that sounds great in theory, the execution often felt shallow. Most chapters skim the surface of intriguing questions, offering just enough to tease but not enough to satisfy.

The chapter titles, while attention-grabbing, often overpromise. I was drawn in by headlines that suggested bold insights or surprising turns, only to find that the content didn’t quite follow through. That said, there were still a few interesting tidbits sprinkled throughout, and I did learn some new things...which I may have already forgotten.

It's not a waste of time by any means. For readers who are curious about the world and want a light, breezy read without too much commitment, this might be a decent pick. But if you're looking for something more substantial or thought-provoking, there are better books out there that dig deeper into the fascinating world of data and ideas.

5.0 —One of the best I've ever read! It will be burned into my brain. If there were any flaws, I didn't care. I would recommend to everyone.
4.5 —I loved this! It was very memorable. There weren't many flaws. I would recommend to anyone.
4.0 —I really liked this. It probably will be memorable. There may have been some minor flaws. I'd recommend to fans of the genre.
3.5 —I mostly liked it. It might be memorable. There were some notable flaws. I'd recommend to fans of the genre.
3.0 —I somewhat liked it. It might be memorable. There were significant flaws. I might recommend to people who like similar books.
▌2.5 —I was underwhelmed or unimpressed. It wasn't memorable. It had significant flaws. I might recommend to people who like similar books.
2.0 —I was disappointed. It wasn't memorable or it was memorable for the wrong reasons. It had major flaws. I probably wouldn't recommend.
1.5 —I did not like this at all. It was memorable for the wrong reasons. It had so many flaws. I wouldn't recommend to anyone.
1.0 —I hated this. I wish I never wasted my time on it. I would actively dissuade people from reading this.

[Kiran Kaur · Rating 3 out of 5]

its as tho quora questions became a book
its not bad but it wasn't exactly hooking either - which I guess it wasn't trying to, id just recommend it as a casual "oh that topic looks interesting" type book. Not a "let me read this like I read a fictional book like its chapters" :)

[Olwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun collection of articles....step into an economist's perspective on the world.

[Elentarri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of very short, but (sometimes) interesting chapters on a hodge-podge of different subjects. Good for filling in a few minutes here and there, but not particularly spectacular.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am getting very concerned that publishing houses only care about liberals and not the other half of the world. So many books lately have had to diss President Trump in an aside, even when completely unnecessary for the premise of the book. What is happening?!? If I want to read poltical views, I will pick up a book focused on them. Not hard to find.
If you are a liberal and care nothing for your fellow citizen who happens to have a differing opinion on some issues, you will not be bothered by this. I personally feel respectful discourse understanding that both sides have some good points is the way to go, instead of all this emotional hatred. But I digress. Anyways, the book would get four stars, if you don't care. It had some interesting ideas, not all fully backed up, and a few kind of boring which would stop it from a five star review anyway.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to read for little dinner table conversation starters. the titles of the chapters are just to grab attention and following development is not reflective of chapter title. the data used is skewed, and does not always best answer question. whole book almost seems like experiment to see how one can write about anything, put data in evidence, and see if can get away with argument.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's betting you don't know why China has the world's worst flight delays.
In fact, bet you didn't know China has the world's worst flight delays or even care to know why that is so.
But pick up "Seriously Curious" and I'll dare you not to read about China's airport issues.
There are 247 paperback pages of "information" like that, if information is the correct term.
It's stuff you didn't know, mostly, and didn't know you didn't know. Such as why Swedes overpay their taxes, that if you pay an extra $25 to the sperm bank you can select the eye color of the child you'll have thanks to the sperm donor, and how the letters of the alphabet got their names.
On the other hand, you may very well know — or at least have learned at some time — why the date Easter is celebrated moves from year to year. You could have surmised, without the research evidence presented in this little book, that the easiest way to get rich in the United States is to be born into a wealthy family.
If you've been paying attention to the news, you already knew that "using tariffs to disrupt the complex cross-border supply chains on which manufacturers rely, another of (President Trump's) favored approaches, damages the sectors he purports to champion," but then again, it's somehow reassuring to know that there is someone else paying attention to the errors of the current U.S. administration's failing policies.
One doesn't have to read all of the brief items in "Seriously Curious," nor read them in any particular order. One or two or several in a sitting may be all the factualness a mind can absorb.
But don't miss "Which European country has the most craft breweries per person?"
I especially like, "The shift towards smaller brewers shows no sign of abating. Forecasts for the craft (beer) industry look stout." Get it? Craft beer? Stout?

[India · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst coming across this book in a local New Zealand bookstore, I was genuinely "seriously curious" to see what knowledge this book offered. After realising that the book was written by "The Economist," I was even more compelled to buy it.

Having read over 3/4 of the book in about 2 hours, it is definitely a book for aspiring economists who understand the workings of opportunity cost and time management. For each question asked, the answer is succinct and provided within 2 pages.

The nature of the book is much like that of "Freakonomics" by Stephen J. Dubner and Steven Levitt. It explains the random occurrences that take place across the world through economics, with strange facts and figures to support it. For example, "Why Polygamy makes civil wars more likely," "Why spaghetti is smuggled across the Sahara," "Why Swedes overpay their taxes," and "The surprising link between avocados and crime."

The book is split into 10 different sections ranging from science to food, to festivals to language. It covers almost everything you would never have thought of. The book is very informative yet humorous. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in economics or just the intricate workings behind the obscurities of the world. It's a quick read but nevertheless very intellectually stimulating.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason I don't read The Economist every week is that I would feel duty bound to read almost the whole thing once I had started, and then I would have time to read little else. These fascinating snippets covering a wide range of topics - each one a model of compact and clear explanation - are a reminder of the publication's ability to boil down thorny and complex issues to a few simple and readily understood paragraphs.

My only criticism of the book was that there was almost nothing to it beyond the 100-odd articles snipped from the magazine. It might have benefitted from a more detailed introduction, throwing light on how The Economist selects and researches its stories, for example. To nitpick further, several of the charts and infographics, which would originally have appeared in colour, were a little hard to interpret when translated into shades of grey.

[Alan W. Rudolph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another in the line of “explainer” books from Tom Standage, deputy editor of The Economist, which collects some of the best of those previously published. I didn’t like as much of this one as the 2016 book, but it’s not for lack of quality. It’s still an enjoyable read of curious topics. The last two sections were my favorite: “Speaking my language: words and wisdom” and “Seasonal selection: festivals and holidays demystified”. But there are several good entries in other sections as well. My favorite among those was the one possibly the lost global of them all: “Why so many places are called Guinea – and turkeys don’t come from Turkey” As usual, any of these entries are merely a starting point to explore much further, which is likely intended!

[Pedro V Hernández Serrano · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Seriously Curious" it's worth a read. But not in one sit because it’s information overload. The editor did a good job of organizing the stories in a non- borning order tho

Some of my favorites were those statistical facts which explanations are rooted in cultural explanations, like why China has the worst flight delays, it has to do stricter safety checks compared to other nations. Or why Swedes overpay their taxes, also rooted on their trust on administration clerks.

Some other stories are funny when inner bias become self-fulfilling prophecies, such as the why Chinese children born in the Year of the Dragon tend to be more successful, or the decline in alcohol consumption around the world, driven by shifts in the new generation's attitudes.

Enjoyable collection and hope to see more content like this.

[Tony Fitzpatrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my Christmas presents - a compendium of 109 "facts and figures" from the deputy editor of The Economist newspaper covering a range of topics including language, cities, economics, etc. They are presented in such a way as to challenge conventional wisdom, by for example challenging the notion of a declining arms trade (it is booming thanks to increasing demand in the middle and far east), or explaining why food packaging is actually beneficial for the environment. Interesting and well written in the usual clear Economist house style.

[Ronald J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Curiosity is not merely useful, it’s vital. Thomas Hobbes called it “the lust of the mind.” This collection of facts and data by Tom Standage, Deputy Editor, The Economist is quite a romp through some fascinating topics (are we at peak diamond, why spaghetti is smuggled across the Sahara, why does New Zealand have so many gang members, how wine glasses have got bigger over the years, and many more). I like The Economist, and I’m an avid reader. However, it has tilted to the left over the years, and is more and more not presenting the other side of issues. This book is a good example. It presents data as facts, and even causation sometimes, as if wet streets cause rain. I believe the world is more complex and can’t be so neatly measured, and I just wish they’d explain the problems with data more than they do. That said, it’s an interesting read and you’ll learn some interesting things.

[Aaron Schlafly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is tricky to rate. As a subscriber and cover-to-cover reader of The Economist, I’ve read most of these articles when they were published. They were fun to reread, but lose some surprise.

If you don’t read The Economist regularly, the articles are delightful and highly recommended.

One minor quibble with the paperback edition I read - the charts are black-and-white, making a few of the more complex charts muddled.

[Giles Field · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a word on the three-star rating: I found this a really enjoyable read on fact and figures from around the world, curated by the Economist newspaper. But I’m planning to read some great works of literature this year so can hardly hand out a four or five star rating: this is not Uber! I had fun with this, almost knocked it over in one evening and hopefully retained some of the info! Recommended.

[Adrian Bennetts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short bite sized (3 pages at most) stories about a wild variety of topics.

You will notice some stories if you read the economist regularly, which is probably the main downside of the book.

Easy to read, interesting facts and fairly easy to read if you have to pick up and put down the book with regularity.

[Laura Kaye · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was seriously disappointed in this book. The introduction and the blurb on the back suggested that thought provoking questions would be posed that had an intriguing explanation (even if the explanation was only a suggestion).

That didn't happen for me - and there was little in there that made me look at the world in a new way.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short (approximately 2 pages each) articles from the economist covering a wide range of topics. The articles cover everything from "Why American States still allow child marriage" to "Why do Swedes overpay their taxes". Great book to have around if you only have a few minutes to read at a time.

[Benjamin Bookman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with the others in this series, this book is fun yet serious, quirky yet informative. It teaches without boring. Some topics were a bit misleading - where the data didn’t actually cover what the heading claimed. And some were too short, or buried the important piece in a single sentence at the end. So I can’t rate it 5 stars. But I enjoyed it nonetheless. I would read more.

[Elmwoodblues · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pocket manual for your inner Cliff Clavin. A few hundred words and maybe a small graph on scores of odd correlations and causations in our everyday world, from porn in times of incoming missiles to how avocados cause crime. Be the big hit at holiday parties you know you can be!

[Siebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book for those two minutes you're waiting on the bus to arrive. The 'facts' described are just a couple of pages each. Not all are evenly interesting and the ones that are often feel a bit short.

[Manween · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listicle style book of collected popular fact/myth/Half truths/popular science being touched on surface. Not difficult to read or deeply enlightening.
Definitely something you read while having a note with you.

Worth a read? Yes. If you are piqued, expect a further personal research though.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I could give it 4.5 I would. A great read. Bite sized chunks of very interesting topics and questions. Highly recommend.