Do Elephants Jump?

From Publishers Weekly
In this latest addition to his "Imponderables" series (which includes Do Penguins Have Knees? and When Do Fish Sleep?), Feldman answers about four score more fascinating questions that, as he puts it in a rather vivid analogy, "spring from dark corners like cockroaches in a crumb-filled kitchen." So do elephants jump? The answer is pretty easy to guess: elephants’ legs and bones are not structured for jumping. Other questions provide more illuminating information: silver fillings don’t rust because they contain more mercury than silver; Campbell’s Alphabet Soup is sold only in North America; football’s two-minute warning was invented to keep the game fair; pregnant women may get strange food cravings because hormonal changes affect their perception of taste. But obvious or arcane, Feldman’s answers are consistently lively and entertaining. His collection is a good fit for trivia hounds on the go, as each of the brief q&a’s take only a few minutes to read. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Remarkably, this is the tenth installment in the Imponderables series. Who'd have thought there were so many interesting, trivial, nagging, and just plain mind-boggling questions that needed to be answered? Why does the pope change his name when he assumes his papal duties? How does the hole get in a syringe's needle? Does P.U. (as in "P.U., that stinks") mean anything? Why don't bars put sawdust on their floors anymore? And on and on. Like all the Imponderables books, this one is pretty straightforward: questions and answers, accompanied by some letters from curious readers. But it's more than a trivia quiz book, because it really does spark one's curiosity about the world. As you read, you find yourself thinking: yeah, why is that, anyway? Why do toads have warts, and why do pianos have 88 keys, and, for crying out loud, do elephants jump? Fans of the series will consider this one a must-have. It's also ideal for people who like to amuse and astound their friends with esoteric knowledge. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description

Every day, we are confronted with innumerable small mysteries that puzzle and confound. Why do pianos have 88 keys? Why is peanut butter sticky? And do elephants jump? Now David Feldman returns with his tenth Imponderables® book to answer these and 100 other perplexing questions about food, popular culture, the human body, science, and more. Like the other books in the Imponderables® series, Do Elephants Jump? answers questions sent in by Dave's vast, and inquisitive, readership. For the painstakingly researched answers, Dave turns to his national network of experts in everything from fishing to astronomy to plastics, not to mention his millions and millions of readers who are eager to supply him with tidbits about even the most obscure phenomena. And since it's presented with Dave's trademark humor, you will be learning and laughing in equal measure.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Every day, we are confronted with innumerable small mysteries that puzzle and confound. Why do pianos have 88 keys? Why is peanut butter sticky? And do elephants jump? Now David Feldman returns with his tenth Imponderables￯﾿ﾽ book to answer these and 100 other perplexing questions about food, popular culture, the human body, science, and more. Like the other books in the Imponderables￯﾿ﾽ series, Do Elephants Jump? answers questions sent in by Dave's vast and inquisitive readership. For the painstakingly researched answers, Dave turns to his national network of experts in everything from fishing to astronomy to plastics, not to mention his millions and millions of readers who are eager to supply him with tidbits about even the most obscure phenomena. And since it's presented with Dave's trademark humor, you will be learning and laughing in equal measure.