Rare and Unusual Knowledge: Extraordinary Facts About Everyday Things (Facts and Knowledge)

Soap, rising bread and hair that turns grey with age all have explanations, and Daniel Bulmez gathers hundreds of them here. The chapters move from the science of daily life to nature's oddities, such as lightning striking the same place twice and animals sensing coming disasters, then on to the origins of phrases like break the ice and bite the bullet, and why some countries drive on the left.

There are lesser-known facts about the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China, how QR codes work, old remedies still in use, extinct sports and strange cuisines. It is a book to dip into a page at a time, and a good present for the person who always has a fact ready at dinner.