Synopses & Reviews
From Apache creation myths and Christopher Columbusand#8217;s STD-ridden arrival on the shores of America, to Elvis, the Mole People, and Roswell, a humorous look at the seminal events and legends in US history. In
and#160;George Washington Is Cash Money, readers will learn the absolutely true stories of:
- The UFO at Roswell was a weather balloon--patched up with floral-print scotch tape.
- The Salem Witch trials happened because a couple of teens wanted attention.
- Joseph Smith invented Mormonism by staring into a hat full of rocks.
- Elvis Presley watched up to three TVs at once, and changed channels by shooting them with guns.
Review
“A cavalcade of delicious facts, surprising trivia and refreshingly honest, hilariously smart-alecky insight that finally sets the wayward historical record straight.” AmericanProfile.com
Review
“[B]reezy, bullet-pointed and well illustrated.” Financial Times
Review
“[M]anages to educate and entertain simultaneously, which is a win-win for everybody!” Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Review
Praise for Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes and#8220;I was giggling by the first page and full blown LOLing by the first myth. Itand#8217;s really that funny.and#8221;
and#8211;Electric Feast
and#160;
and#8220;It is in fact the not-so-delicate, in-your-face attitude, sarcasm, and black humor that have made this book an instant standout against the other mythology chronicles of its time.and#8221;
and#8211;The Blue and Gold
Synopsis
Smarter than your old history teacher, funnier than the founding fathers, and more American than apple pie, The Mental Floss History of the United States is an almost (but not entirely) comprehensive primer on American history (or at least, the good stuff). From the editors of MentalFloss.com and mental_floss magazine—with its tagline: “Feel smart again”—comes an American History text packed with hilarious (but true!) trivia written in the smart-aleck tradition of The Mental Floss History of the World, Mental Floss Presents In the Beginning, and the first mental_floss book, Condensed Knowledge. Perfect for trivia buffs, history lovers, college students, and anyone who likes to laugh and learn. United States history has never been so fun.
About the Author
Erik Sass is a journalist who covers the media business from his main base of operations in Los Angeles, with branch offices around the country. When not writing for
mental_floss, he reports on magazines, newspapers, radio, and billboard advertising for MediaPost.com.
A shy, withdrawn child ("loser"), Erik spent many of his formative years reading about history. Ironically, the knowledge he acquired transformed him from mopey misfit to man-about-town; now much sought after for his historical anecdotes, he is considered an indispensable conversational ornament to any party attended by persons of substance.
A giver, Erik also works with mental_floss to share these benefits with others. In addition to the present volume, he was a contributing author for mental_floss presents: Forbidden Knowledge, and also writes about history for mental_floss magazine.
Erik has not vomited on the shoes of government officials or their spouses; however, he has vomited on his own shoes more than once.