The Trivia Lover's Guide to the World

August 20, 2012
Fuller hits the road around the world with this accessible and fun guide to global geography. The author couches "trivia" in an engaging narrative, but his knowledge is anything but trivial in an increasingly globalized world, where an understanding of the lay of the land on the other side of the planet may prove as important as knowing one's neighborhood. He introduces chapters on state capitals, continent-straddling countries, and "Really Big Cities," and more with questions that are sure to coerce the curious to delve into Fuller's informative olioâ"What is the oldest language in Europe?" (Answer: Basque.) "Where was basketball invented?" (Answer: Springfield, Mass.) Interspersed throughout are fun anecdotes culled from Fuller's 35 years as a professor at the University of Hawai'iâone student "thought it was unfair to call some lakes âgreat' and thus, as she put it, âto dis other lakes.'" Featuring more than 50 maps and countless bits of miscellany, Fuller's "Guide to the World" will provide geography buffs with plenty of interesting facts. Folks will be happy to read thru or peruse at random. Maps.

August 1, 2012
It is, unfortunately, an oft repeated (and probably true) maxim that most Americans are woefully ignorant about the geography of both their own country and the wider world. Fuller taught geography at the University of Hawaii for 35 years and is also a former winning contestant on the game show Jeopardy! Using a game-show format and trivia questions, Fuller goes beyond short answers to expound on a wide variety of geographic topics that provide enjoyment and enhanced knowledge to general readers hoping to fill in the gaps in their understanding of the world. The chapters are arranged around particular themes, which include state capitals, the why and where of various cities, and the links between religion and geography. Readers can learn why many state capitals were built away from large cities, or which nations, surprisingly, can expect population decline. Although the uninformed will benefit most, even those who consider themselves knowledgeable can enjoy the tidbits in this breezy, informative work.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)