The Mental Floss History of the World: An Irreverent Romp through Civilization's Best Bits. This item is unavailable.The Mental Floss History of the World: An Irreverent Romp through Civilization's Best Bits

An account of human civilization, presented in the series' trademark irreverent style, features twelve accessible chapters that cover such topics as the Dark Ages, terrorism, and the unlikely namesake of the literary character Babar. 75,000 first printing.

History is . . .
(a) more or less bunk.
(b) a nightmare from which I am trying to awaken.
(c) as thoroughly infected with lies as a street whore with syphilis.

Match your answers:
(1) Stephen Daedalus of James Joyce's Ulysses
(2) Henry Ford
(3) Arthur Schopenhauer

It turns out that answer need not be bunk, nightmarish, or diseased. In the hands of mental_floss, history's most interesting bits have been handpicked and roasted to perfection. Packed with little-known stories and outrageous—but accurate—facts, you'll laugh yourself smarter on this joyride through 60,000 years of human civilization. Remember: just because it's true, doesn't mean it's boring!