Are You Sh*tting Me?

October 1, 2014

For the purpose of reader education, McNeal attempts to compile 1,004 new pieces of information. The facts are organized into 27 chapters that group them by topics such as "Florida," "Torture Devices," "Drivers Who Suck," and "The 1970s, Man." Each section begins with a paragraph of introduction followed by a list of 25 to 60 facts. These tidbits are in no particular order and are one or two sentences long each, with some clip-art style illustrations. The work concludes with a list of sources, one for each entry. McNeal writes in a wry and engaging manner and in the tradition of the many "Bathroom Reader" type of reference works. VERDICT While it is full of intriguing information and will definitely circulate well in a public or school library, it is not clear what this book would add to a reference collection beyond trivia.--Samantha Schmehl Hines, Mansfield Lib., Univ. of Montana, Missoula

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