10 Things You Might Not Know About Nearly Everything: A Collection of Fascinating Historical, Scientific and Cultural Trivia about People, Places and Things

“Guaranteed to make you the smartest person in the room! One problem: you can’t stop reading this clever, amazing assortment of upscale trivia.” —Bill Kurtis, cohost of Wait Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me!

For years, the Chicago Tribune’s popular weekly column 10 Things You Might Not Know has been entertaining readers while informing them on a diverse range of fascinating subjects. 10 Things You Might Not Know About Nearly Everything is a carefully curated collection of these columns, presented in a fun, easy-to-read format. This book provides well-researched, obscure facts on a variety of topics such as arts, culture, money, food, politics, war, science, technology, language, and more.

10 Things You Might Not Know About Nearly Everything contains a plethora of surprising trivia and pertinent tidbits that will appeal to everyone, from history buffs to sports fans to foodies. From amusing, lighthearted topics, such as misspellings and extreme eating, to more serious subjects, such as World War II and prison, this collection of carefully researched and universally appealing trivia will make readers laugh and their jaws drop. This book leaves readers brighter, wittier, and more curious about a myriad of subjects they may have never encountered before.

Mark Jacob is the associate managing editor for metropolitan news at the Chicago Tribune and the coauthor of six books. He lives with his wife in Evanston, Illinois.

Stephan Benzkofer worked for the Chicago Tribune for nearly 20 years and coedited, with Mark Jacob, the paper’s popular feature column, 10 Things You Might Not Know. He is now the owner of Benzkofer Communications and lives in Oak Park, Illinois, with his family.