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You Might Be a Zombie and Other Bad News
You're going to wish you never picked up this book.
Some facts are too terrifying to teach in school. Unfortunately, Cracked.com is more than happy to fill you in:
* A zombie apocalypse? It could happen. 50% of humans are infected with a parasite that can take over your brain.
* The FDA wouldn't let you eat bugs, right? Actually, you might want to put down those jelly beans. And that apple. And that strawberry yogurt.
* Think dolphins are our friends? Then these sex-crazed thrill killers of the sea have you right where they want you.
* The most important discovery in the history of genetics? Francis Crick came up with it while on LSD.
* Think you're going to choose whether or not to buy this book? Scientists say your brain secretly makes all your decisions 10 seconds before you even know what they are.
If you’re a fan of The Oatmeal or Frak.com and hate being wrong about stuff, you’ll love what you find in You Might Be a Zombie from the twisted minds at Cracked.
Some facts are too terrifying to teach in school. Unfortunately, Cracked.com is more than happy to fill you in:
* A zombie apocalypse? It could happen. 50% of humans are infected with a parasite that can take over your brain.
* The FDA wouldn't let you eat bugs, right? Actually, you might want to put down those jelly beans. And that apple. And that strawberry yogurt.
* Think dolphins are our friends? Then these sex-crazed thrill killers of the sea have you right where they want you.
* The most important discovery in the history of genetics? Francis Crick came up with it while on LSD.
* Think you're going to choose whether or not to buy this book? Scientists say your brain secretly makes all your decisions 10 seconds before you even know what they are.
If you’re a fan of The Oatmeal or Frak.com and hate being wrong about stuff, you’ll love what you find in You Might Be a Zombie from the twisted minds at Cracked.
295 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
123 people are currently reading
2695 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 426 reviews
January 4, 2013
If you're familiar with cracked.com you must already know how awesome and addictive it is. Extremely informative and fun to read, what can possible be better? And if you're an active user, you've probably read most of the articles in this books, but almost half or 18 of the articles are completely new. Some of them are hilarious, some very depressing and some really creepy. And no, this book has nothing or at least not much to do with zombies.
Also buying this book will make you look sexier(or so the editors of cracked.com claim) :p
Also buying this book will make you look sexier(or so the editors of cracked.com claim) :p
July 28, 2012
This book is the #1 resource on Teddy Roosevelt's Bad-Assedness! It's a really funny trivia book that covers many different topics and manages to find interesting and entertaining angles on all of them.
The only disclaimer is that this book can get a little gross from time to time (the very first article is about horrifying insects and what they can do to you), so I wouldn't recommend it for the squeamish. Anyone else, however, should get a lot of good laughs from this book.
The only disclaimer is that this book can get a little gross from time to time (the very first article is about horrifying insects and what they can do to you), so I wouldn't recommend it for the squeamish. Anyone else, however, should get a lot of good laughs from this book.
April 7, 2011
It is my habit to read a book like this one as I am reading a more serious, difficult book--thus giving my brain a bite of candy before or after the heaping helping of leafy green vegetable that is a "good" book. And You Might Be a Zombie and Other Bad News by the writers from Cracked.com is a tasty little piece of sugar indeed.
If you are already familiar with the highly entertaining lists at Cracked.com, then you know how addicting and engaging are such pieces as "Four Brainwashing Techniques They're Using on You Right Now" or "Five Ridiculous Lies You Were Taught in History Class." If you are not a frequent visitor to the website, then this book will give you a fine introduction to the factoids and freaky humor that make good old Cracked the best time-waster on the intertubes. (Even in this dead-tree version, it still retains the crack cocaine quality of its website progenitor. I picked up the book to scan one list--one!--and an hour later I found myself still reading, laughing, and forcing others to listen to me read aloud.)
I think this book would be in the #1 position on my list, "Five Books Perfect for a Guest Bathroom."
If you are already familiar with the highly entertaining lists at Cracked.com, then you know how addicting and engaging are such pieces as "Four Brainwashing Techniques They're Using on You Right Now" or "Five Ridiculous Lies You Were Taught in History Class." If you are not a frequent visitor to the website, then this book will give you a fine introduction to the factoids and freaky humor that make good old Cracked the best time-waster on the intertubes. (Even in this dead-tree version, it still retains the crack cocaine quality of its website progenitor. I picked up the book to scan one list--one!--and an hour later I found myself still reading, laughing, and forcing others to listen to me read aloud.)
I think this book would be in the #1 position on my list, "Five Books Perfect for a Guest Bathroom."
November 24, 2023
"Y" title, check.
November 7, 2011
After reading an avalanche of "fun" science books with titles like "Do bees have knees?" or "How cold is a penguin's chuff", this book was a breath of fresh air. Those familar with the writings of the cracked.com team will know the kind of irreverent humour to expect, and they don't disappoint.
Learn about the forgotten accounts of what Jesus did as a surly teenager (Jesus the child-killing dragon-slayer? Really? :) ) that the powers that be decided to excise from the finished gospels! Discover the 5 most horrifying bugs in the world! Quake in terror at the 5 times the world was seconds away from accidental thermonuclear war!
Hilarious, horrifying and completely fascinating, this book is highly recommended to those who enjoy their science with a liberal dose of blackest humour.
Learn about the forgotten accounts of what Jesus did as a surly teenager (Jesus the child-killing dragon-slayer? Really? :) ) that the powers that be decided to excise from the finished gospels! Discover the 5 most horrifying bugs in the world! Quake in terror at the 5 times the world was seconds away from accidental thermonuclear war!
Hilarious, horrifying and completely fascinating, this book is highly recommended to those who enjoy their science with a liberal dose of blackest humour.
January 5, 2011
I am a huge fan of Cracked.com, but the Book is just like the website, some of it is extremely interesting, but by some, I mean 3-4 articles out of the entire book. Some of it just seemed forced. I would recommend picking this book up at your local Bookstore, reading a few select articles and putting it back, or borrowing it from a friend.
It was just not worth the time, I finished it in about a day, mostly because some of the articles were so boring I skipped them, about things I already knew, or they were just reprints from the site. So it get's 2 stars because only about 40% of the book was worth reading.
It was just not worth the time, I finished it in about a day, mostly because some of the articles were so boring I skipped them, about things I already knew, or they were just reprints from the site. So it get's 2 stars because only about 40% of the book was worth reading.
June 1, 2016
I've been a fan of Cracked.com since the site started so i guess it is no surprise i liked the book. Eventhough I don't know how many of the articles are actually scientificaly proven, it's always fun to read them.
January 28, 2013
I've downloaded this from http://tuebl.ca for sometimes. And then, given a nudge by Limau Nipis, I read this. Oh my, I breeze through this! All chapters are short and memorable. And the chapter titles are catchy!! For example, Five Fun Things that Will Kill You, or Four Places that's Bad for You to Have Sex, or Terrifying Truths on Child Birth.
Three Colors that Control Your Mind is so hilarious. I never thought that pink would be one of the colours. Associated with feminine, girly things, it actually help in soothing fierce jail inmates. Maybe they don't want to be called sissy. And then, the US presidents that are celebrated but has its shortcomings, among them, the Kennedy who has copulation with different woman every night. Blagh..if Internet arrived during that time, it would shoot Kennedy to death. Bill Clinton had affair only with one woman, and he was kicked out from the White House.
And then, there are the bluffs done by media. "There is no starvation in Russia only malnutrition" ???? Or the fact that women had been oppressed (sexism) even though they achieved great things in life. Know Beatrix Potter? The one who wrote Peter Rabbit? You should be ashamed guys. Beatrix Potter was one of the women pioneering the geologist study but she was trodded because she is a woman. Or the fact that Alexander Graham Bell stole the telephone idea (shame on you!!) Reading this made me want to rewrite history!
I enjoyed this so much with the facts not fiction written in such humorous manner. The authors wrote it in such a jovial mood, it's like reading a humor book. Highly recommended. Funny. Tickles your bones.
Three Colors that Control Your Mind is so hilarious. I never thought that pink would be one of the colours. Associated with feminine, girly things, it actually help in soothing fierce jail inmates. Maybe they don't want to be called sissy. And then, the US presidents that are celebrated but has its shortcomings, among them, the Kennedy who has copulation with different woman every night. Blagh..if Internet arrived during that time, it would shoot Kennedy to death. Bill Clinton had affair only with one woman, and he was kicked out from the White House.
And then, there are the bluffs done by media. "There is no starvation in Russia only malnutrition" ???? Or the fact that women had been oppressed (sexism) even though they achieved great things in life. Know Beatrix Potter? The one who wrote Peter Rabbit? You should be ashamed guys. Beatrix Potter was one of the women pioneering the geologist study but she was trodded because she is a woman. Or the fact that Alexander Graham Bell stole the telephone idea (shame on you!!) Reading this made me want to rewrite history!
I enjoyed this so much with the facts not fiction written in such humorous manner. The authors wrote it in such a jovial mood, it's like reading a humor book. Highly recommended. Funny. Tickles your bones.
May 8, 2018
You Might Be a Zombie.. is essentially a collection of Cracked.com articles in a book. Articles such as 'The 5 Most Horrifying Bugs in the World' and 'The 6 Most Depressing Film Endings in History'.
If you enjoyed Cracked.com back in it's heyday or love reading clickbait articles, this is for you. It's not exactly award-winning writing or world-class journalism but it's a fun read.
When I first read this book 5 or so years ago, I loved it. Now after maturing slightly, I found it kind of meh.
If you enjoyed Cracked.com back in it's heyday or love reading clickbait articles, this is for you. It's not exactly award-winning writing or world-class journalism but it's a fun read.
When I first read this book 5 or so years ago, I loved it. Now after maturing slightly, I found it kind of meh.
December 16, 2016
"You Might Be a Zombie and Other Bad News" is humorous enough (some sections more than others) and yet mega-creepy in other areas. I now have nightmares about shrieking bullet ants, being decapitated via hippo and having to listen to hours-long recordings of men impersonating Abraham Lincoln. It was a fun read and some of the info is good for freaking out friends.
lookedinto-decidedagainst
March 6, 2014I read The Zombie Survival Guide - it is all the info I need on this subject.
;OP
;OP
May 29, 2011
See my review on my book blog: http://quirkyreader.livejournal.com/2...
May 7, 2018
I was really into Cracked for a while. The humor is juvenile, but fun.
This book will take you through everything from fanfic Jesus stories to deadly bugs, told with in the classic Cracked list style. More than anything, this book is fun if you want to whip out some interesting facts at a party or in a trivia competition.
Some of the lists in this book were pretty obvious (Cute Animal that Can Kill You - Hippo? SHOCKING.) There were some interesting factoids about the bugs and the food you eat. I will never look at red food dye in the same way again. Also the ants. Ant-Man could learn something from those insanely hungry blood-thirsty monsters.
I had a good time reading it, but it was a little juvenile in places, and occasionally stretched facts a bit too much.
This book will take you through everything from fanfic Jesus stories to deadly bugs, told with in the classic Cracked list style. More than anything, this book is fun if you want to whip out some interesting facts at a party or in a trivia competition.
Some of the lists in this book were pretty obvious (Cute Animal that Can Kill You - Hippo? SHOCKING.) There were some interesting factoids about the bugs and the food you eat. I will never look at red food dye in the same way again. Also the ants. Ant-Man could learn something from those insanely hungry blood-thirsty monsters.
I had a good time reading it, but it was a little juvenile in places, and occasionally stretched facts a bit too much.
October 2, 2012
You Might Be A Zombie, if you're familiar with their website, doesn't deviate from the formula that made them so popular in the first place. And that's just fine, because it works for them and their lists are entertaining and easy to read bathroom fair. However, I found myself slightly disappointed.
I think that Cracked is one of the most entertaining websites on the internet because it is (mostly) entertaining, not overly-crude, and, most of all, super informative. They churn out articles regularly that expose such a diverse and interesting array of information that I find myself working something I learned from one of their articles into conversations and classes (Did you know that Dole Banana is only the SECOND worst company ever after Coke, who issued orders to have a union leader from a plant in South America to be executed?!). What makes those articles so informative, though, is the fact that the authors typically embed links to their sources right in the article, so if you're interested enough about a topic, you can instantly see what they are referencing and if it's authentic/reliable as a source, which is not always the case (but it IS a comedy site).
The book doesn't have that luxury and I found that it didn't engross me as much as surfing their site does. I would have loved it if they had picked the most interesting and least known facts and covered less of them in more detail. I really liked the section on things that "Can Kill Us Instantly" (or something), which was about all the ways the earth/solar-system/universe can kill us that are much less discussed outside of scientific communities than the normal disasters everyone is afraid will happen. Unfortunately I found myself exasperated that they basically combined some of their older articles and never expanded on them more than just to give the reader a gist of what they are. I understand it's a comedy site that published a comedy fact book, but many of the readers have noted that they enjoy comedy AND learning about so many diverse subjects.
Lastly, I hated the way there were articles in the book that were ripped directly off of their website. I know I got the book fairly late, but the fact that I had seen probably 25% of the articles before felt like a rip-off. One or two being posted for promotional reasons wouldn't have been bad, but just taking them off of a site that I use for free and packaging them into a book I paid money for was lazy and annoying. I don't like skipping around when I'm reading, especially when I took the time and money to BUY it.
So, if you're an avid reader of Cracked, I would recommend staying away from this book. You're going to be disappointed in the lack of new material. If you're not an avid reader of Cracked, I'm sure you'll enjoy the book, and the short articles are perfect for it to sit on top of the tank of your toilet.
I think that Cracked is one of the most entertaining websites on the internet because it is (mostly) entertaining, not overly-crude, and, most of all, super informative. They churn out articles regularly that expose such a diverse and interesting array of information that I find myself working something I learned from one of their articles into conversations and classes (Did you know that Dole Banana is only the SECOND worst company ever after Coke, who issued orders to have a union leader from a plant in South America to be executed?!). What makes those articles so informative, though, is the fact that the authors typically embed links to their sources right in the article, so if you're interested enough about a topic, you can instantly see what they are referencing and if it's authentic/reliable as a source, which is not always the case (but it IS a comedy site).
The book doesn't have that luxury and I found that it didn't engross me as much as surfing their site does. I would have loved it if they had picked the most interesting and least known facts and covered less of them in more detail. I really liked the section on things that "Can Kill Us Instantly" (or something), which was about all the ways the earth/solar-system/universe can kill us that are much less discussed outside of scientific communities than the normal disasters everyone is afraid will happen. Unfortunately I found myself exasperated that they basically combined some of their older articles and never expanded on them more than just to give the reader a gist of what they are. I understand it's a comedy site that published a comedy fact book, but many of the readers have noted that they enjoy comedy AND learning about so many diverse subjects.
Lastly, I hated the way there were articles in the book that were ripped directly off of their website. I know I got the book fairly late, but the fact that I had seen probably 25% of the articles before felt like a rip-off. One or two being posted for promotional reasons wouldn't have been bad, but just taking them off of a site that I use for free and packaging them into a book I paid money for was lazy and annoying. I don't like skipping around when I'm reading, especially when I took the time and money to BUY it.
So, if you're an avid reader of Cracked, I would recommend staying away from this book. You're going to be disappointed in the lack of new material. If you're not an avid reader of Cracked, I'm sure you'll enjoy the book, and the short articles are perfect for it to sit on top of the tank of your toilet.
June 6, 2011
While I would generally avoid anything with “zombie” in the title, I’m also one who would get my hands on anything having to do with Cracked.com, a site of great wit, humor and surprising educational value. Having You Might Be a Zombie, and Other Bad News in my possession is like having a pocketful of trivia and hilarity whenever I may go.
You Might Be a Zombie, and Other Bad News is a compilation of humor articles written for Cracked.com by writers of various professions. Not only does it take readers on a whirling roller coaster of little-known trivia, mind-blowing science and enthralling government conspiracies; it also calls bullshit on widely-believed fallacies that the powers that be want you to believe.
You know a book is going to be laugh-out-loud funny when the opening page says, “For refusing to collapse into an earth-devouring black hole under the force of its own staggering density, we dedicate this book to Theodore Roosevelt’s left testicle.” And that pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the book.
In the history category, we have “The Four Most Badass Presidents of All Time” (Roosevelt, not surprisingly, is number one), “The Five Most Ridiculous Lies You Were Taught in History Class” and “The Ten Most Insane Medical Practices in History,” and that’s just the beginning. Mythology lovers will enjoy articles such as “Four Mythological Beasts That Actually Exist” and “The Gruesome Origins of Five Popular Fairy Tales.” Science geeks will love “Six Insane Things Science Might Do With Your Cadaver” and “Five Ways Your Brain is Messing With Your Head.” In short, there’s something there for everyone.
Many writers of Cracked.com are keen on revealing little-known truths behind common misconceptions, and fans of the TV show Mythbusters will enjoy the bubble-bursting social commentary of articles such as “Five Big Inventors Who Stole Their Big Idea” and “The Five Most Frequently Quoted Bullshit Statistics.” Other writers shine light on social injustice with articles such as “The Awful Truth Behind Five Items on Your Grocery List,” which lists out food items produced through slave labor and animal cruelty; and “Five Great Women Buried by Their Boobs,” a list of women who went unrecognized for their great accomplishments due to their gender.
All the best writers of Cracked.com have mastered the art of handling their subject matter in a humorous, sardonic and engaging way, and the result is education made fun. Whether you’re looking for a good laugh or a brush-up on your trivia, I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
You Might Be a Zombie, and Other Bad News is a compilation of humor articles written for Cracked.com by writers of various professions. Not only does it take readers on a whirling roller coaster of little-known trivia, mind-blowing science and enthralling government conspiracies; it also calls bullshit on widely-believed fallacies that the powers that be want you to believe.
You know a book is going to be laugh-out-loud funny when the opening page says, “For refusing to collapse into an earth-devouring black hole under the force of its own staggering density, we dedicate this book to Theodore Roosevelt’s left testicle.” And that pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the book.
In the history category, we have “The Four Most Badass Presidents of All Time” (Roosevelt, not surprisingly, is number one), “The Five Most Ridiculous Lies You Were Taught in History Class” and “The Ten Most Insane Medical Practices in History,” and that’s just the beginning. Mythology lovers will enjoy articles such as “Four Mythological Beasts That Actually Exist” and “The Gruesome Origins of Five Popular Fairy Tales.” Science geeks will love “Six Insane Things Science Might Do With Your Cadaver” and “Five Ways Your Brain is Messing With Your Head.” In short, there’s something there for everyone.
Many writers of Cracked.com are keen on revealing little-known truths behind common misconceptions, and fans of the TV show Mythbusters will enjoy the bubble-bursting social commentary of articles such as “Five Big Inventors Who Stole Their Big Idea” and “The Five Most Frequently Quoted Bullshit Statistics.” Other writers shine light on social injustice with articles such as “The Awful Truth Behind Five Items on Your Grocery List,” which lists out food items produced through slave labor and animal cruelty; and “Five Great Women Buried by Their Boobs,” a list of women who went unrecognized for their great accomplishments due to their gender.
All the best writers of Cracked.com have mastered the art of handling their subject matter in a humorous, sardonic and engaging way, and the result is education made fun. Whether you’re looking for a good laugh or a brush-up on your trivia, I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
May 29, 2011
Pretty freaking good. Reads exactly like the blog at Cracked.com; hilarious and smart. It's not something I could sit down and read, but for short trips in the car (as a passenger, of course) and during commercials it was a fun read. Some of the claims are definitely a bit on the wild side, like the whole zombie-parasite claim.
We have a lab here at USF that studies T. gondii, it does not cause zombification, period. While it does affect the olfactory senses of rats, affecting their primary defense from cats, their sense of smell. But in humans it does not cause anything even close to that, in fact it infects the macrophages, causes flu-like symptoms, and then goes into latency (except in some immunocompromised individuals, such as AIDS patients where it can infect the brain and lead to death). Some studies have shown "statistically significant" decreases in reaction time associated with increased traffic accidents, but I'm not sure I buy it (with a sample size large enough you can make any minute difference significant, in this case they had nearly 4,000 participants) and if you check the paper the data is all over the place. The differences they show are literally less than 0.20% increase in rate of car accidents between Toxoplasma-free individuals and those with extremely high antibody titres and some with intermediate titres showed decreased rate of accidents (yea... and this got published). The high antibody titres means these people are sick, not experiencing a latent infection, and are feeling like they have the flu. A proper study would have looked at healthy and sick controls, as it is likely the "flu-like symptoms" had a bigger effect on their reaction times than this zombie-making parasite. That's neither here nor there, though. The point is, some of their blogs are a bit sensationalist and based off of some poorly done scientific studies.
That said, it makes for some entertaining reading, just as long as you know it's just that and not a scientific journal.
We have a lab here at USF that studies T. gondii, it does not cause zombification, period. While it does affect the olfactory senses of rats, affecting their primary defense from cats, their sense of smell. But in humans it does not cause anything even close to that, in fact it infects the macrophages, causes flu-like symptoms, and then goes into latency (except in some immunocompromised individuals, such as AIDS patients where it can infect the brain and lead to death). Some studies have shown "statistically significant" decreases in reaction time associated with increased traffic accidents, but I'm not sure I buy it (with a sample size large enough you can make any minute difference significant, in this case they had nearly 4,000 participants) and if you check the paper the data is all over the place. The differences they show are literally less than 0.20% increase in rate of car accidents between Toxoplasma-free individuals and those with extremely high antibody titres and some with intermediate titres showed decreased rate of accidents (yea... and this got published). The high antibody titres means these people are sick, not experiencing a latent infection, and are feeling like they have the flu. A proper study would have looked at healthy and sick controls, as it is likely the "flu-like symptoms" had a bigger effect on their reaction times than this zombie-making parasite. That's neither here nor there, though. The point is, some of their blogs are a bit sensationalist and based off of some poorly done scientific studies.
That said, it makes for some entertaining reading, just as long as you know it's just that and not a scientific journal.
February 21, 2015
This is harder to judge than it may seem. The book itself is written in typical, cracked.com style. And even though I usually enjoy it a lot, this time it was complicated.
First of all, I read some of the articles online. So even though they were good (e.g. the one about bugs), they weren't new. And they would be more interesting for someone less knowledgeable. The way the book is crafted counts on reactions of surprise and disbelief of the reader. More often than not, it's pulled off smoothly. But if you know a bit about the topic, the magic vanishes.
For example, when the book tells you "because of saccadic masking, you are effectively blind for 40 minutes a day" you are expected to go "OH WOW REALLY? You must be kidding me!" If instead you think "well yeah, that's hardly surprising", the rest of the text suddenly loses its impact.
And last but not least, some chapters really seem to be a bit of a stretch. Sure, they may be based on facts. But the 'scientific' implications outlined are sometimes questionable at best.
So the final verdict? It isn't a bad read. In spite of these shortcomings, I might still recommend it. If you like Cracked's style and sense of humour, by all means, go ahead.
However: first read Everything is Going to Kill Everybody by Robert Brockway, also an author at Cracked. The book is thematically less diverse, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. As You Might be a Zombie itself says in the Credits section: Brockway's book "is infinitely superior to this one in every way".
First of all, I read some of the articles online. So even though they were good (e.g. the one about bugs), they weren't new. And they would be more interesting for someone less knowledgeable. The way the book is crafted counts on reactions of surprise and disbelief of the reader. More often than not, it's pulled off smoothly. But if you know a bit about the topic, the magic vanishes.
For example, when the book tells you "because of saccadic masking, you are effectively blind for 40 minutes a day" you are expected to go "OH WOW REALLY? You must be kidding me!" If instead you think "well yeah, that's hardly surprising", the rest of the text suddenly loses its impact.
And last but not least, some chapters really seem to be a bit of a stretch. Sure, they may be based on facts. But the 'scientific' implications outlined are sometimes questionable at best.
So the final verdict? It isn't a bad read. In spite of these shortcomings, I might still recommend it. If you like Cracked's style and sense of humour, by all means, go ahead.
However: first read Everything is Going to Kill Everybody by Robert Brockway, also an author at Cracked. The book is thematically less diverse, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. As You Might be a Zombie itself says in the Credits section: Brockway's book "is infinitely superior to this one in every way".
January 19, 2011
There were several parts of this book where I laughed until I thought I would choke. I already love the cracked.com website as my spiritual home, and I finally got tired of the incessant pop-up ads begging me to read their book.
so fine, I bought it over New Year's.
I have thoroughly enjoyed (nearly) every part of it. Like the site, the book is not so much chapters of a narrative as it is short (ish) articles in five to 10 parts. I must admit that I skimmed the article on bugs, and didn't read any of the article about childbirth. (Look, there's a bunch of reasons I don't have kids, and this article details like 6 of them, k? I don't need to rehash them for my own benefit.)
while I don't know that I'd actually advise people with school-age kids to let them read this, in addition to the informative but horrifying articles, there are a number of informative but historically interesting articles, mostly about the presidents. ALL of the presidential articles were easily more informative than any history class I've ever taken.
I highly recommend this book, but I don't recommend that you read it while eating. Or drinking.
and watch out for the zombies.
so fine, I bought it over New Year's.
I have thoroughly enjoyed (nearly) every part of it. Like the site, the book is not so much chapters of a narrative as it is short (ish) articles in five to 10 parts. I must admit that I skimmed the article on bugs, and didn't read any of the article about childbirth. (Look, there's a bunch of reasons I don't have kids, and this article details like 6 of them, k? I don't need to rehash them for my own benefit.)
while I don't know that I'd actually advise people with school-age kids to let them read this, in addition to the informative but horrifying articles, there are a number of informative but historically interesting articles, mostly about the presidents. ALL of the presidential articles were easily more informative than any history class I've ever taken.
I highly recommend this book, but I don't recommend that you read it while eating. Or drinking.
and watch out for the zombies.
September 26, 2016
Cracked.com is a great specimen of good old worldwidewebbery: funny, original, researched, non-promotional, well-written. Of course all of the web was never so great, but there's still a major qualitative drop these days. We love you, cracked.com, and we need you more than ever. Deliver us from terrible web content!
Random words of wisdom I've underlined in this this book:
"In other words, the platypus is Mother Nature's way of saying, "I made this thing out of spare parts I found on the workshop floor, and it can still cripple you."
"Mockery developed as a conformity enforcer [...] Thousands of years later, a good dose of mockery can still shut down critical thinking and make us fall right in line."
"...So either pink is subliminally pacifying violent criminals around the world, or the secret motivation for all crime is the desire to be pretty, and having satisfied it, these hardened criminals are simply and finally happy."
"Park rangers in bear country caution against having sex for the same reason they caution against dipping a fresh salmon in honey and putting it down your pants."
Random words of wisdom I've underlined in this this book:
"In other words, the platypus is Mother Nature's way of saying, "I made this thing out of spare parts I found on the workshop floor, and it can still cripple you."
"Mockery developed as a conformity enforcer [...] Thousands of years later, a good dose of mockery can still shut down critical thinking and make us fall right in line."
"...So either pink is subliminally pacifying violent criminals around the world, or the secret motivation for all crime is the desire to be pretty, and having satisfied it, these hardened criminals are simply and finally happy."
"Park rangers in bear country caution against having sex for the same reason they caution against dipping a fresh salmon in honey and putting it down your pants."
July 30, 2011
Really what is there to say? Have you read cracked.com? No, go give it a try. Laugh a lot. This is like the website only expanded into longer takes at the subject matter. I looked up some of the things I never heard of and it seems to be right on the money with them. A friend sent me this one and I needed to laugh. This filled the bill. I laughed myself simple over several of them. They give you a title then riff off it, like the titular heading (Toxoplasmosis gondii and yes, it’s true. It’s one of the gems in my parasitology class) Other chapters include, five fun things that will kill you, the five most horrifying bugs in the world, the six cutest animals that can still destroy you, Five stories about Jesus’s childhood cut from the Bible (to avoid an NC-17 rating) (these are from the Apocrypha), Four things that your mom said were health that can kill you. And if those titles are enough to lure you in for 320 pages of giggles and fear then I don’t know what is. Oh and if bad language bugs you, do not there is some swearing.
July 11, 2012
Well, if you enjoy Cracked.com articles you'll enjoy this book. All the book really is is just a collection of the articles from the website. Whether or not the articles already appeared on the website, I've no idea, but they're entertaining and accurate so far as I know.
I liked the book, and found it amusing. There were a few places that made me go "hm" and a few that got me to crack a grin. All in all, this is a book that can be browsed through at will. It doesn't need to be read in any particular order, doesn't need to be read straight through in one sitting or anything. Take it as entertaining, and memorize a bit for bar trivia.
I liked the book, and found it amusing. There were a few places that made me go "hm" and a few that got me to crack a grin. All in all, this is a book that can be browsed through at will. It doesn't need to be read in any particular order, doesn't need to be read straight through in one sitting or anything. Take it as entertaining, and memorize a bit for bar trivia.
February 27, 2013
A collection of random historical, scientific, psychological, religious, literary, pop cultural, and sociological facts in hilarious and engaging readable format. This time, unlike on their website, in tree form! Though not as quite as detailed as their articles on their website, still a great, brilliant, and fascinating read. Though I read their website an average of 15 hours a week, I still found new information to rock my brain and incessantly talk about to friends and acquaintances. Grade: A
May 19, 2011
I was a little bit disappointed in this book. I thought it was interesting and funny, much like the website that spawned it. My problem with it was that a lot of the lists were taken from the website, and of the lists written specifically for the book, three or four were put on the site to promote the book, so by the time I got to read the book, I had already read the majority of it. I would have been annoyed if I bought this book instead of checking it out from the library.
September 1, 2013
There's not much of a difference between reading this book and reading the list articles on Cracked's website (although I found it a more pleasant read considering there was an ending in sight and I didn't get lost in an endless online "cracked hole." Like with the site's list articles, I wished something that was supposed to be humorous were funnier, but there were a few good zingers.
August 18, 2011
An extremely entertaining read throughout that was hard to put down. It even offered some insight as to why some people wear tinfoil hats and tissue box shoes... in fact, after reading this you might become one of those people.
July 6, 2013
Comically well written
Easy read
Insightful
Non politically correct
Brilliantly intelligent
What more can a person say? If reading is for fact finding, intellectual growth, and for enjoyment then this book is for you.
Easy read
Insightful
Non politically correct
Brilliantly intelligent
What more can a person say? If reading is for fact finding, intellectual growth, and for enjoyment then this book is for you.
May 28, 2013
It was a fun easy read, and fairly interesting. It would have received a better star rating if it wasn't for the language used. Not that there was a lot, but it got distracting.
January 23, 2013
This was a good book... basically like reading cracked.com in book form. :-)
November 6, 2015
Very interesting book. I enjoyed it a lot.
February 7, 2021
Yesterday, in class we did a little Book Tasting with books provided by our librarian. A student says, “Miss, there is cussing in this book!” I take a peek at it and I see “f****ing.” I tell the student it is bleeped out, it’s fine. However, he replies, “No, there is more, Miss! Seeeeee.” So, I look a bit closer and decide I did not want to have this convo the rest of the day and placed it on my desk.
As the day goes on I look at the rest of the book and think, “Why is this in our library?” You see, I teach 6th and 7th graders and I’m fairly confident most parents would not appreciate their child reading a book that has been dedicated to a man’s left testicle regardless of how important the man is in history. Just saying!
So, why 5 stars you may question? Because from an adult’s perspective, it is wildly hilarious in the way shocking truths are presented. I laughed at my inclusion teacher as she silently read and literally laughed out loud while she read the section “Six Terrifying Things They Don’t Tell You About Childbirth”. My students were more interested in her giggles than their own books and I knew right then and there I had to check it out for myself.
This book is fantastic for an adult. For a kiddo - not so much and I’d have to give a 1 star then.
BTW, yes our librarian (who also enjoyed this little ditty) is moving it to the section of our middle school library that requires parent approval for check out.!
As the day goes on I look at the rest of the book and think, “Why is this in our library?” You see, I teach 6th and 7th graders and I’m fairly confident most parents would not appreciate their child reading a book that has been dedicated to a man’s left testicle regardless of how important the man is in history. Just saying!
So, why 5 stars you may question? Because from an adult’s perspective, it is wildly hilarious in the way shocking truths are presented. I laughed at my inclusion teacher as she silently read and literally laughed out loud while she read the section “Six Terrifying Things They Don’t Tell You About Childbirth”. My students were more interested in her giggles than their own books and I knew right then and there I had to check it out for myself.
This book is fantastic for an adult. For a kiddo - not so much and I’d have to give a 1 star then.
BTW, yes our librarian (who also enjoyed this little ditty) is moving it to the section of our middle school library that requires parent approval for check out.!
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