She Treads Softly: Epic True Tales And Crazy Stories

Monday, August 7, 2023

Epic True Tales And Crazy Stories

Epic True Tales And Crazy Stories by Owen Janssen
10/31/22; 276 pages

Epic True Tales And Crazy Stories by Owen Janssen is a very highly recommended entertaining collection of true stories, trivia, and trifles.

This is a good choice for those who love to collect and share interesting little facts. The short, pithy tales are told in an engaging manner with humor and details. As I was reading, I kept thinking that this would be an excellent choice for kids, upper elementary and up. It would captivate the younger group and could encourage older, struggling readers with the interesting stories. Each fact/story is presented in a succinct manner, fast and to the point. For the older crowd, the short selections make a perfect choice for quick reading while waiting or in-between tasks.

Chapters include: Histories Hidden Side; True Crime; The Famous and Their Little Secrets; Inventions; Stretching the Truth: Hoaxes and Scams; Sport and Sports; Science, Nature, and Animals; Pop Culture; and Fabulous Flops. Each chapter is followed by a Bonus Interrogation section (5 questions) and Answers to the questions.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Owen Jannsen via NetGalley.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.