book-report

Article

Making an Impression

This week we're lucky to have guest blogger Elizabeth Lunday, author of Secret Lives of Great Artists: What Your Teachers Never Told You about Master Painters and Sculptors, spilling the dirt on the artists you thought you knew. We'll let her take it from here: BY ELIZABETH LUNDAY. The Impressionists were a brilliant group of amazing artists who transformed the entire idea of art. They were also a wacky collection of individuals. Here are a few examples: Maid man. As a young man, Claude Monet was... READ ON

Article

3 Renaissance Rascals Exposed!

This week we're lucky to have Elizabeth Lunday, author of Secret Lives of Great Artists: What Your Teachers Never Told You about Master Painters and Sculptors guest blogging with us. Every day this week, she'll be spilling the dirt on the artists you thought you knew. We'll let her take it from here: The Renaissance is known as a time when reason triumphed over superstition and culture over chaos. Maybe—but Renaissance artists didn't always live up to that ethos. Here are three examples of great... READ ON

Article

Pigeons as messengers, from spying to stocks?!

This week we're thrilled to have guest blogger Courtney Humphries posting with us. Courtney is the author of Superdove: How the Pigeon Took Manhattan...And the World and today she's riffing on why the U.S. military has awarded pigeons medals, the strange role they've played in financial journalism, and what they've got to do with Noah's Ark. We'll let her take it from here: Pigeons in a Time of War We don't think of pigeons as being particularly useful in recent history. Sure, they were invaluable as... READ ON

Article

Eating Pigeons by the Forkful!

This week we're thrilled to have guest blogger Courtney Humphries posting with us. Courtney is the author of Superdove: How the Pigeon Took Manhattan...And the World and today she's riffing on pigeons as a meal. We'll let her take it from here: Pigeons are edible, I swear! Since pigeons tend to poke around for food on sidewalks and in gutters, it might not occur to you that the birds are actually pretty appetizing. These days, we're too used to seeing them as dirty urban pests instead of the... READ ON

Article

Pigeon Guided Missiles (the bird-brained military scheme that almost happened!)

This week we're thrilled to have guest blogger Courtney Humphries posting with us. Courtney is the author of Superdove: How the Pigeon Took Manhattan...And the World and today she's riffing on pigeons in the military. We'll let her take it from here: As I investigated the unusual history of our friend the pigeon, one of the most bizarre stories I encountered was of Project Pigeon: psychologist B.F. Skinner's government-funded project to develop a pigeon-guided missile during WWII. At the time, Skinner... READ ON

Article

Two Popes, One Cap: The Strange Story of How There Came to be Two Popes

By Adam Winer, author of How Dumb Are You? My quiz book is full of questions every mildly-educated American SHOULD be able to answer—but often can't. Prior to publication, we ran all the questions past a test audience to see how many people answered each one correctly. Those stats are included in the book, so you can see exactly how poorly you stack up against your fellow countrymen. Plus each answer comes with a rip-roaring Fun Fact. For Mental Floss, I'll be taking the best facts... READ ON

Article

"You Don't Have to Whisper": Memories from the early days of AIDS

In 2003, Dave Isay created StoryCorps to record intimate interviews between loved ones and friends. In 2007, StoryCorps published 50 of their favorite stories in the New York Times best-seller Listening Is an Act of Love. We'll let them take it from here: Around twenty-five years ago, scientists Luc Montagnier and Robert Gallo both claimed to discover the virus that causes AIDS—eventually called HIV. And while the history of AIDS in America is filled with famous stories, including Ryan White's,... READ ON

Article

Generosity in the Middle of a Great Depression

By StoryCorps, author of Listening Is an Act of Love In 2003, Dave Isay created StoryCorps to record intimate interviews between loved ones and friends. Over the years, the organization has collected and preserved tens of thousands of American stories, covering everything from the war in Iraq to the Great Depression. In 2007, StoryCorps published 50 of their favorite stories in the New York Times best-seller Listening Is an Act of Love. We'll let them take it from here: These days, Americans are... READ ON

Article

StoryCorps: American Stories We All Should Hear

By StoryCorps, author of Listening Is an Act of Love Cable television and supermarket glossies bombard you with the same kinds of stories—partying heiresses, movie stars in rehab, and the wronged wives of politicians. Most of us can recite who is divorcing whom in Hollywood without the slightest effort. That's just how ubiquitous these stories have become. But author and award-winning radio producer Dave Isay believes there are more important stories to tell. In 2003, Isay created... READ ON

Article

The Great American Stupidity Quiz (and the baffling start to the Civil War)

By Adam Winer, author of How Dumb Are You? National Lampoon just published a fun little book I wrote called How Dumb Are You? The Great American Stupidity Quiz. It's full of questions every mildly-educated American SHOULD be able to answer—but often can't. Questions like, "What's the capital of Canada?" and "Here's a dime. Who's the dude pictured on it?" Before publication, we ran the series past a test audience and found out, for... READ ON