Isaac Asimov, the science-fiction writer who also happened to be one of the most widely educated men of our times, has written dozens of fascinating books on technical, scientific, and historical topics. Here, in this large volume of what is essentially fascinating bits of trivia, he distills the essence of many of those works in a delightful candy store of cool things to know that, probably, most of us didn't know before. It's less a book for reading in bed or on the beach and more one for reading in a room full of plumbing. One can pick it up and put it down a minute later and feel one has gained by the experience. It took me several years to work through it, and I was sorry when it ended. I recommend it. ( )

A bunch of widely varied, and in some cases, wildly out of date facts here from Asimov. I particularly like his confident declaration that the Channel Tunnel will never be constructed. ( )

Loved this as a young teenager. Don't know why my mother bought it for me, must have been free or on sale somewhere, but I loved it. ( )

I enjoy reading books filled with sorted or random facts and lists. Check out my library. I have an assortment. Not sure if Isaac Asimov really had his fingers in the selection of the book's content. However, the reading is actually pretty interesting. Some repeated information from other books, but mostly fresh material (for a book published in 1979). ( )

I'm a sucker for trivia and this is my favorite book of all time. Even though Mr. Asimov has moved on from this reality, I wish there was some kind of update for this book. Maybe there is and I don't know about it.

Always remember and never forget - what happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object. ( )