Quarks, Elephants and Pierogi: Poland in 100 Words

by Mikołaj Gliński, Matthew Davies, Adam Żuławski

Can you distil the essence of a country into just 100 words?

This book will make you fall in love with a country with one of the most unusual histories out there. It'll also show you how languages intersect and whole cultures arise, and make you realise just how interwoven our world is.

Along the way, you'll find out why quarks are made from curd cheese, learn what elephants have to do with a Central European country, and discover how pierogi saved an entire town.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Linguistics, Design, Poland, History, Cultural

235 pages, Hardcover

First published December 20, 2018

Reviews

[Curtis Urness · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the perfect coffee table book for anyone with an interest in the Polish language. Not only does it contain the Polish alphabet, pronunciation, and etymologies, the books provides many interesting cultural aspects of Poles and their language.

[Gabrielle Okun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like pierogis so I liked this book. Also there is a fun free poster of ridiculous-looking polish words that are fun to say but later hate yourself for the headache it caused.

[David Blynov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchased this book at the Gdansk airport. The further I got into this book, the more I fell in love with the Polish language. Learning major Polish words and their historical, linguistic, and cultural contexts was nothing short of pleasurable.

4.7/5

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning! Both visually and in its content.
Want to get a glimpse of what Poland, the Polish language, history, and culture are all about? Dive into this fabulous book and discover both serious facts and wonderfully intriguing tidbits from the fascinating past of this country and its people.
More than just recommended — I absolutely adore this book!

[Naphtalene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and interesting facts compiled in a beautifully illustrated book.

I recommend "Quarks, Elephants and Pierogi" to anyone with a little curiosity about Polish culture and its language.

It's also a wonderful souvenir to bring back from Poland. It reminds me of my trip every time I see it in my library.
It also makes me crave pierogies. I miss them soooo much.

[Anne Nowak · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to read it and then I finally started and didn’t like it anymore…