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Why You Should Store Your Farts in a Jar Afflictions, Remedies, and "Cures": and Other Oddball or Gross Maladies, Afflictions, Remedies, and "Cures"
The next book in the strange and fascinating series that began with the national bestseller Why You Shouldn't Eat Your Boogers & Other Useless or Gross Information About Your Body .
The national bestseller Why You Shouldn't Eat Your Boogers & Other Useless or Gross Information About Your Body uncovered everything one might want to know (and a few things one might not) about the human body. The follow-up bestseller Why Fish Fart & Other Useless or Gross Information About the World contained an artful selection of odd and/or unsavory facts about the world. Why Dogs Eat Poop scoured the animal kingdom for gross and or off-color facts about animals. In this delightfully disgusting new book in the series, David Haviland plumbs the world of medicine to uncover the answers to such vitally important questions
*What exactly is urine therapy?
*Is it safe to fly with breast implants?
*How did a nine-and-a-half-inch spatula find its way into a surgery patient's body?
*Why do some boxers drink their own pee?
*What is cyclic vomiting syndrome and how can one avoid it?
Any fan of the absurd and/or obscure is sure to delight in this strange (and slightly stomach-turning) book.
The national bestseller Why You Shouldn't Eat Your Boogers & Other Useless or Gross Information About Your Body uncovered everything one might want to know (and a few things one might not) about the human body. The follow-up bestseller Why Fish Fart & Other Useless or Gross Information About the World contained an artful selection of odd and/or unsavory facts about the world. Why Dogs Eat Poop scoured the animal kingdom for gross and or off-color facts about animals. In this delightfully disgusting new book in the series, David Haviland plumbs the world of medicine to uncover the answers to such vitally important questions
*What exactly is urine therapy?
*Is it safe to fly with breast implants?
*How did a nine-and-a-half-inch spatula find its way into a surgery patient's body?
*Why do some boxers drink their own pee?
*What is cyclic vomiting syndrome and how can one avoid it?
Any fan of the absurd and/or obscure is sure to delight in this strange (and slightly stomach-turning) book.
- GenresNonfictionScienceHumor
272 pages, Paperback
First published December 30, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 6, 2021
Ini buku trivia yang santai dan menarik untuk dibaca. Buku yang tepat dibaca pada saat ini walaupun ia terbit pada tahun 2010. Buku ini banyak membawa kita kembara ke waktu-waktu wabak besar dunia melanda seperti black death, ebola, smallpox, AIDS dan pelbagai penyakit lain.
Satu hal yang aku dapat daripada buku ini ialah apa-apa pun, perkara asas yang paling penting haruslah menjaga kebersihan diri (dan rajin basuh tangan).
Satu hal yang aku dapat daripada buku ini ialah apa-apa pun, perkara asas yang paling penting haruslah menjaga kebersihan diri (dan rajin basuh tangan).
August 12, 2017
This is a collection of trivia from medical history. Chapter headings include such choices as the wisdom of the ancients; curious cures; rude bits; and snake oil.
The back of the book claims this is "A thoroughly enjoyable collection into some of the most gruesome satories in medical history". I don't really have a problem with the enjoyable part but the most gruesome is a pretty wild exaggeration. Most are fairly tame stories about various oddities from the history of medicine. In fact, there is quite a lot of overlap in the different tales. A lot of medicine in history was based on theories developed by Greek philospher {scientists) suach as diseases were caused by miasmas (bad airs) and an imbalance in the 4 humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile). The other main belief was the cure of sympathy that says cures resemble (or called sypathetic) to the disease. These points were the traditional view and remained intact in some cases until the 1950s.
The entries in the book are divided into chapters and then as questions. Each question is between 1 to 3 pages long. As I stated earlier, a lot of the answers, at least partially, revolved around the facts that medicine used the theories of miasmas, the four humors, and sympathetic cures to explain everything. This makes it sound like the book is repetitive and boring but it isn't really. Most of the questions showcase how these traditions were disproved in small pieces throughout history. I did find the questions reminded me of TV news teasers, those provactive sounding headlines they spout in the commercials to get you to stay around for the news (and usually turn out to be much tamer than they sounded). There was also an air of the juvenile to their questioning. They read like they were wriiten to get teenage boys or younger to go this is going to be so gross to (again) find out the answer isn't really that bad.
One minor point of cover design. On the back cover, there are several questions from the book used as teasers. No problem there except they tried to make them stand out by using different color inks to make them stand out. The pinkish red one was merely hard to read. The yellowish green one is nearly impossible. It is possible the ink faded somewhat since the book came out in 2010 and I found it on the bargain table. But I think they were just a little too pale or close to the background color of the book to ever be the best choices.
For anyone who is wondering, here is the answer to the book's title. There was a belief that the plague was caused by bad air (miasma) and since like cured like, other bad smells would prevent you from getting the plague. Instead of relying on the vagaries of having to fart, you should keep a jar of your own personal bad smells to sniff when plague hit the town.
Like most trivia books, there are some interseting bits of information to be found. The kind you tell someone the next day as listen to this weird thing I read and then forget by the day after that. So harmless fun and not a bad choice if you want something to read that doesn't require getting too involved. It wouldn't be a bad gift for someone in the medical profession.
The back of the book claims this is "A thoroughly enjoyable collection into some of the most gruesome satories in medical history". I don't really have a problem with the enjoyable part but the most gruesome is a pretty wild exaggeration. Most are fairly tame stories about various oddities from the history of medicine. In fact, there is quite a lot of overlap in the different tales. A lot of medicine in history was based on theories developed by Greek philospher {scientists) suach as diseases were caused by miasmas (bad airs) and an imbalance in the 4 humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile). The other main belief was the cure of sympathy that says cures resemble (or called sypathetic) to the disease. These points were the traditional view and remained intact in some cases until the 1950s.
The entries in the book are divided into chapters and then as questions. Each question is between 1 to 3 pages long. As I stated earlier, a lot of the answers, at least partially, revolved around the facts that medicine used the theories of miasmas, the four humors, and sympathetic cures to explain everything. This makes it sound like the book is repetitive and boring but it isn't really. Most of the questions showcase how these traditions were disproved in small pieces throughout history. I did find the questions reminded me of TV news teasers, those provactive sounding headlines they spout in the commercials to get you to stay around for the news (and usually turn out to be much tamer than they sounded). There was also an air of the juvenile to their questioning. They read like they were wriiten to get teenage boys or younger to go this is going to be so gross to (again) find out the answer isn't really that bad.
One minor point of cover design. On the back cover, there are several questions from the book used as teasers. No problem there except they tried to make them stand out by using different color inks to make them stand out. The pinkish red one was merely hard to read. The yellowish green one is nearly impossible. It is possible the ink faded somewhat since the book came out in 2010 and I found it on the bargain table. But I think they were just a little too pale or close to the background color of the book to ever be the best choices.
For anyone who is wondering, here is the answer to the book's title. There was a belief that the plague was caused by bad air (miasma) and since like cured like, other bad smells would prevent you from getting the plague. Instead of relying on the vagaries of having to fart, you should keep a jar of your own personal bad smells to sniff when plague hit the town.
Like most trivia books, there are some interseting bits of information to be found. The kind you tell someone the next day as listen to this weird thing I read and then forget by the day after that. So harmless fun and not a bad choice if you want something to read that doesn't require getting too involved. It wouldn't be a bad gift for someone in the medical profession.
December 21, 2018
A compendium of anatomical oddities, quackery, little-known history, and medical practices that will leave you scratching your head, or ready to heave, and sometimes laughing out loud. Along the way you'll find out where the term "toady" came from, who Typhoid Mary was, and why arsenic has been so widely used in medicine. You'll also hear about kings who were killed by their doctors and which surgeon had a fatality rate of 300% on a truly bad day in the operating theater.
August 7, 2019
It is an interesting read at casual times. However, it would be even better of there are citation on the source of the information to ensure the information is true and not made-up. (Can't help it as there are too many fake news out there.)
December 31, 2019
This is a bargain bin pick but fun to have on my shelves. The factoids make for nerdily-gleeful party conversation. Yes, everything can be Googled, but not as neatly researched, packed ready for banter.
August 18, 2018
A hodge-podge of medical history, amusing vignettes scattered in a very a loosely organized way. Good bathroom reading, actually.
October 3, 2020
Entertaining book filled a bunch of answers to all sorts of medical terms and phrases that are part of popular cultural and language.
April 14, 2023
Loved learning about all of the weird, gross and outrageous ways people have attempted to cure themselves of various ailments.
September 24, 2015
I'm a lover of trivia books so when an opportunity to read and review a David Haviland book cropped up, I signed the form and crossed my fingers and waited. And who of us that likes trivia, particularly scientific and history trivia, could pass up this sort of opportunity. Definitely not I.
What you get in this book is 10 Chapters filled with short informative sections that cover a wide range of 'medicinal' topics. Everything from what the Inca's thought cured headaches, to a clarification of the historical fact that Julius Caesar was not delivered by C-section; and why crocodile dung might very well have worked as a contraceptive. Here are the chapter headings:
1. the wisdom of the ancients
2. disgusting diseases
3. dodgy diagnoses
4. curious cures
5. the good doctor
6. bad medicine
7. the human body
8. rude bits
9. public health
10. snake oil
What I like about David's approach is that he doesn't treat the reader as an idiot. Yes, he has a deliciously cheeky humor and he's not adverse to pointing out the kinky uses of various apparatuses, but he also isn't afraid to discuss the work of Pasteur and van Leeuwenhoek, And in the case of Julius Caesar, he spells out the possible origins of the name. In this case the 3 Latin words caesaries, caesius, and caesai. The first dealing with hair, the second eye color and the third elephants.
But don't let that scare you if you're not into linguistics. If you are into trivia there will definitely be something for you in this book that will keep you riveted and page turning.
One cautionary note: This isn't a book for children. There is some definitely Adult material here.
Pam T~
blogger
pageinhistory.com
What you get in this book is 10 Chapters filled with short informative sections that cover a wide range of 'medicinal' topics. Everything from what the Inca's thought cured headaches, to a clarification of the historical fact that Julius Caesar was not delivered by C-section; and why crocodile dung might very well have worked as a contraceptive. Here are the chapter headings:
1. the wisdom of the ancients
2. disgusting diseases
3. dodgy diagnoses
4. curious cures
5. the good doctor
6. bad medicine
7. the human body
8. rude bits
9. public health
10. snake oil
What I like about David's approach is that he doesn't treat the reader as an idiot. Yes, he has a deliciously cheeky humor and he's not adverse to pointing out the kinky uses of various apparatuses, but he also isn't afraid to discuss the work of Pasteur and van Leeuwenhoek, And in the case of Julius Caesar, he spells out the possible origins of the name. In this case the 3 Latin words caesaries, caesius, and caesai. The first dealing with hair, the second eye color and the third elephants.
But don't let that scare you if you're not into linguistics. If you are into trivia there will definitely be something for you in this book that will keep you riveted and page turning.
One cautionary note: This isn't a book for children. There is some definitely Adult material here.
Pam T~
blogger
pageinhistory.com
January 17, 2011
Well, a different read full of interesting little stories from way back and when and recent. Each question and answer has to do with medical happenings and myths debunked.
Unfortunately, my review for this book will be short and sweet. It was a great non fiction read, very random and one may call a great toilet book. It was a book that my dad would definitely enjoy for its quirky facts.
I would pass this book along to all my friends who love to read quirky little books and learn quirky facts.
Unfortunately, my review for this book will be short and sweet. It was a great non fiction read, very random and one may call a great toilet book. It was a book that my dad would definitely enjoy for its quirky facts.
I would pass this book along to all my friends who love to read quirky little books and learn quirky facts.
August 29, 2011
Haviland has a series of books on the esoteric. This one is mostly medical oddball science, crazy illnesses, and crazier cures. Quick read. Some stuff more entertaining than others.
In case you have some questions, you can find out about pee-drinking, compulsive vomiting, syphilis, snake oil, and farts, of course.
If you like oddball stuff, you'll enjoy this.
In case you have some questions, you can find out about pee-drinking, compulsive vomiting, syphilis, snake oil, and farts, of course.
If you like oddball stuff, you'll enjoy this.
August 30, 2011
A fun book to keep in your purse (it is quite tiny) and read whenever you have a few spare moments. Interesting answers to questions in a few short paragraphs for each question. I might check out the other books in this series.
January 24, 2012
Oddball facts for your delectation. Ever wonder where the term "toady" came from? Now you know.
February 18, 2012
This is good for bathroom reading material, but not much else.
September 28, 2012
Satisfied my insatiable need to know the most random of facts.
May 20, 2015
very awesome facts.
nice reading.
nice reading.
July 1, 2015
THIS BOOK IS AMAZING IF YOU LIKE FACTS
I LOVE RANDOM FACTS
super quick cool medical facts
LAUGHED OUT LOUD ON THE BUS A COUPLE TIMES
ITS GOOD
I LOVE RANDOM FACTS
super quick cool medical facts
LAUGHED OUT LOUD ON THE BUS A COUPLE TIMES
ITS GOOD
June 18, 2018
I picked this book up simply because I like the word fart. It makes me laugh like a school boy every time I hear it or say it. I'm such a juvenile.
Read
February 28, 2018Interesting read! but I don't agree with the author's opinion in the last title.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews