Sure, you know all about the birds and bees. But did Dad ever tell you that it wasn't a stork that put that shiny can opener in your kitchen drawer? Or paperclips started out as proud, Nazi-fighting warriors? And did he tell you how cruise control was originally conceived by a blind genius? From mullets to Silly Putty, lie detectors to karaoke, we've got the true stories behind everything you didn't think had stories. Because if you're looking for answers, In the Beginning is the place to start.

Friends? Romans? Countrymen?You never know whom you'll have to impressat your next corporate shindig or keg party.Whatever the target audience, mental_floss knows staring facedown into the punch bowl isn't the trick. In fact, that's exactly why we're handing you Cocktail Party Cheat Sheets--a totally effective, foolproof guide to starting and sustaining conversations on every topic under the sun. Want to wax wise about barbarians, socialist theory, and jazz musicians? What about Keynesian economics, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and James Joyce's Ulysses? Well, it's all right here in front of you.We've jam-packed this book with jaw-dropping facts and hysterical anecdotes that are sure to please. So go ahead and stock up for your next soiree. We're not guaranteeing it will make you the most knowledgeable person in the room . . . just the most interesting.

Enlighten Up Already!Monet? Manet? Who can even tell the difference? Well, with the help of the newest mental_floss tome, you can! Want to learn how to tell egg rolls from spring rolls, nuclear bombs from dirty nuclear bombs, or even how to tell an idiot from a moron (there's a real scientific difference)? Piece of cake! Whether you're trying to impress your boss, your mother-in-law, attractive singles, or a pack of fourth graders (you know how they love semantics), mental_floss gives you all the tips and tricks to have you sounding like a genius.

Based on "Mental Floss" magazine's popular "Scatterbrained" section, this is the bathroom read to end all bathroom reads, in which thousands of juicy facts and tantalizing bits of trivia are connected humorously, i.e., from Greece (the country) to "Grease" (the movie) to greasy foods and on and on.

For ten years, the knowledge seekers at mental_floss have been hunting and trapping the world's rarest facts, locking them into captivating lists for the world to admire. Thanks to their tireless efforts, Mental Floss: The Book is packed with a decade's worth of the smartest, quirkiest stories around, including:

Five Presidential Fashion FlubsSeven Shameless Abuses of Diplomatic ImmunityFive Units of Measurement Weirder Than the Metric SystemFour Toys That Have Gone to War for AmericaSeven Reasons Mister Rogers Was the Best Neighbor EverFive Things Your Body Can Do After You DieSix of Baseball's Strangest TradesFour Foods People Actually Die ForSeven Things Walmart Has BannedFour TV Shows That Changed the Course of HistoryTen "Q" Words That Aren't "Q-U" WordsFour Horrifying Parasites to Keep You Awake at NightEight Fake Archaeological FindsFive Articles of Clothing That Caused RiotsFour Memorable Moments in Cross-Dressing HistoryFive Doomsdays We've Already SurvivedAnd 124 Other Extraordinary Lists