THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING TRIVIAL
Book ID/图书代码： 11320008B22101
English Summary/英文概要： If you’re not remotely interested in the fact that Pete Conrad was the first man to fall over on the moon or that the stretch of road between the Strand and the Savoy is the only public highway in Britain where you are legally obliged to drive on the right, then The Importance of Being Trivial is very definitely not for you. If on the other hand you’re intrigued by these pearls of information - and more importantly, intrigued by why you’re intrigued by them - then Mark Mason’s book will be required reading. An exploration of why little facts hold such a big fascination (interviews with the likes of John Sessions), it examines what our love of trivia says about us. Ranging from the history of science to the psychology of knowledge (with contributions from medical experts such as Simon Baron-Cohen), Mason sets out to discover the perfect fact. Along the way he learns how memory works, why Einstein and Picasso had more in common than you’d think, and - in asking why trivia is such a male pursuit - he uncovers fundamental truths about how men and women relate to each other.
Chinese Summary/中文概要： 開膛手傑克其實是左撇子?! Heinz番茄醬ㄧ天可流0.7英里?! 艾菲爾鐵塔夏天會長高7英吋？！星巴克(Starbucks)的命名是來自白鯨記？！
人們自然地被這些生活中的瑣碎知識（trivia）所吸引，看英國BBC熱門電視節目「QI」的受歡迎程度以及書籍【QI: The Book of General Ignorance】（簡繁體已售）的暢銷程度就知道人類對於這些瑣碎知識的好奇程度（相信你周遭也有朋友常問這些問題，並對於自己知道答案而高興不已）。
作者試圖找出人們對於這些瑣碎知識的熱愛所顯示的重要意涵。作者展開了許多調查，從訪問QI的幕後團隊到認知與神經科學研究所的教授們，從自然歷史博物館到英國地標黑池（Blackpool Tower）。從生活中的小問題出發，卻帶領他面對生命的重要課題。為何上禮拜二做了什麼事總是想不起來做了什麼事總是想不起來卻忘不了名人軼事？！男人真的比較喜歡這類瑣碎知識？！所有事都能被證明嗎？更重要的是是否真有所謂的完美事實，如果有的話又是啥？！文中常會出現TOPOTs，提供各式小知識。(VC)
Awards/获奖情况：’If you love facts and figures this book will be a treat.’---Sun, 11 July 2008
’To the growing number of trivialists, I suspect this book may be fascinating.’---Spectator, 12 July 2008
’The first book to ask why we’re obsessed with trivia.’---Zoo, 27 June 2008
“Mason’s personal odyssey has an irresistibly hapless charm.”---Guardian
About the Author/作者介绍： Mark Mason’s previous non-fiction includes The Bluffer’s Guide To Football and The Bluffer’s Guide To Bond. He is also the author of three novels, and has written for most British national newspapers (though never about anything too heavy), and magazines from the Spectator to Four Four Two.
Format:TRADE PAPERBACK
Rights Status/版权销售情况：Simplified Chinese/简体中文：AVAILABLE(到期可授)
Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE
Sales in other countries/其他国家销售情况：
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