ASSOCIATES (vol. 4, no. 1, July 1997) - associates.ucr.edu
_Everything You Know Is Wrong_ Paul Kirchner Rhino Records/General Publishing 1995 ISBN 1881649709 $14.95 Reviewed by Bob Farnsworth Senior Library technical Assistant University of North Florida bfarnsw@ospray.unf.edu Just for variety for this issue, I thought I'd pick a book that has been out for a while. This one has started to develop a 'word-of-mouth' following among library staffs. The book is quite readable - and, admittedly, a bit shocking because of its information. it's kind of like mirrors in a magic show - what we've always believed isn't necessarily what really has happened. The author, Paul Kirchner, has written another book you might also want to check, _Forgotten fads and Fabulous Flops_, but this particular one is interesting because of its application in reference situations. So let's have a few samples: WILLIAM TELL SHOT AN APPLE OFF HIS SON'S HEAD. He couldn't have. He did not have a son, a crossbow, an apple, or in fact, an existence outside of the imagination of an anonymous fifteenth-century story teller. The tale of William Tell, in all its dramatic detail, is a complete fiction. THE SUN IS CLOSEST TO THE EARTH DURING SUMMER. Strangely enough, the sun is not closer to the earth during summer, nor even the same distance, but farther, it is the tilt of the earth's axis, not the distance of the sun, that determines the seasons. The part of the earth receiving the most direct rays from the sun enjoys the most warmth. GROUND ZERO MEANS A STARTING POINT. We've all heard politicians say that we have to start over 'from ground seder'. The clich they're usually searching for is 'from square one'. Ground zero refers to the target of a bomb, usually a nuclear bomb. EDISON INVENTED THE LIGHTBULB. Edison gets credit for inventing the electric lightbulb in 1879, but almost every element of the design had already been developed by others. Although Edison didn't exactly invent the lightbulb, he deserves full credit for making electrical lighting the enormous success that it is. He organized companies to produce bulbs and developed the equipment necessary for making the system feasible, for example, light sockets. DINOSAURS FAILED AS A SPECIES. Paleontologists bristle when they hear some short-lived commercial failure disparagingly called 'a dinosaur'. They are quick to point out that dinosaurs, far from being a failure, were an astonishingly successful life-form, dominating the earth for 160 million years. Modern man has been here for less than 50,000. COMETS ARE BALLS OF FIRE STREAKING THROUGH SPACE. According to astronomers, they're more like a 'dirty snowball', consisting of a nucleus of frozen gases and dust. AN AIRPLANE'S BLACK BOX IS BLACK. Though called a black box, it is actually bright orange. After a serious accident, it may end up some distance from the wreckage, so there wouldn't be much point in making it any harder to spot than necessary. As you can see from just these few examples, this is the kind of book that makes you want to read it from start to finish. it would also be great for those who want to show off their reference trivia knowledge - or, perhaps, conduct a little betting at a party. All in all, take a look at _Everything You Know Is Wrong_. I'll bet the explanations will be like potato chips - you won't be able to stop with just one!