Full Description
How many of these questions can you answer without calling the New York Public Library's Telephone Reference Service?
Who really designed the American flag?
How hot is the sun's surface?
How does quicksand work?
When was the Ark of the Covenant last seen?
Who sat at the Algonquin Round Table?
Where does the name "The Grateful Dead" come from?
Why is Christmas abbreviated as Xmas?
Can any creatures besides humans get a sunburn?
How many muscles does it take to smile? To frown?
Why are rabbits' feet considered good luck?
You could, of course, do all the painstaking research yourself. Or you could pick up the phone and call the resourceful, erudite, quick-witted librarians of the New York Public Library's Telephone Reference Service, Tel Ref, for whom questions like these are all in a day's work. For the past twenty years, Tel Ref has met the information needs of a public as diverse as the subjects in the Library's catalog, and now they've compiled their most interesting, unusual, and most-often-asked queries into The Book of Answers -- a delight for browsers, a treasure trove of fascinating information, and the perfect companion to The New York Public Library Desk Reference.
Contents
Contents
Introduction
1. American History
2. American Statistics
3. The Animal World
4. Crime and Criminals
5. The English Language
6. Fine Arts
7. The First
8. Geography
9. Holidays
10. The Human Body
11. Inventions
12. Library Omnibus
13. Literature
14. Myth and Folklore
15. New York City History
16. Popular Culture
17. The Question and Answer Hall of Fame
18. Religion
19. Royalty and World Leaders
20. Science
21. Sports
22. Trademarks
23. U.S. Presidents
24. Who Was Who
25. World Cultures
26. World History
27. Twelve Trick Questions and
Popular Delusions
Index
