- The Book of General Ignorance
] His reference to "
Does Anything Eat Wasps? " would be fairer if he had also fully noted that "The Book of General Ignorance", based on the "terrific show" "QI " does not so much ape itsNew Scientist forebear, as its televisual roots - in a question and answer round of a comedy quiz show. [cite web | last = Berkmann | first = Marcus | authorlink = Marcus Berkmann | title = QI News: Critic's view | date = 2006-12-08 | url = http://www.qi.com/news/item.php?id=54 | accessdate = 2007-07-20]Both the "question and answer" format and indexing issues were addressed for the follow-up "
The Book of Animal Ignorance ", which opted for an alphabetised structure (with contents page), and stand-alone facts, rather than responses.Technicalities
Other critics note that many of the book's "facts" are actually spurious technicalities, rather than 'genuine' facts (which somewhat misses the point of both the programme and the book, which is "uncommon" and obscure knowledge and facts). For example, the most widely circulated example is that the authors claim that Everest is not the world's "tallest" mountain, suggesting that one should in fact measure from "undersea" base to peak - thus claiming that
Mauna Kea in Hawaii is in fact the "tallest" mountain. However, the book avoided the point that, when people speak of Everest being the "tallest" they mean "highest" mountain, they are actually referring to it being the highest point - above sea level, which it is.equels
A "Pocket edition" of "The Book of General Ignorance" was published on
3 April ,2008 . [cite web|url=http://www.qi.com/shop/general_ignorance_pb.php|title=The Pocket Book of General Ignorance|publisher=QI|accessdate=2008-04-18] A second book in the series, "The Book of Animal Ignorance ", was released in the UK almost exactly a year after "The Book of General Ignorance", on4 October ,2007 .On the first of November, 2007, another "QI" spin-off title was produced: The "QI" "E" annual, intended as the first of a continuing series focusing on the respective Series' alphabetic theme. [ [http://qitalk.blogspot.com/2007/04/qi-book-releases-for-2007.html QI Talk Blog - QI Book Releases For 2007] . Created
19 April 2007 . Accessed15 June 2007 .] The annual featured contributions from most of "QI"s guest-panellists, as well as esteemed comedianRowan Atkinson . It is not yet known whether 'prequel' annuals for the letters A, B, C and D will subsequently see print.References
External links
* [http://www.qi.com/talk/viewforum.php?f=23 QI.com - "The Forum of General Ignorance"]
* [http://www.qi.com/shop/general_ignorance.php QI.com - "The Book of General Ignorance"]
* [http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=6464352822&ref=pb "QI" Book"'s photos at Facebook]
* [http://www.meettheauthor.co.uk/bookbites/1298.html Creators John Lloyd and John Mitchinson discussing "The Book of General Ignorance"]
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