The Book of Animal Ignorance

Infobox Book
name = The Book of Animal Ignorance


image_caption = The UK cover.
author = John Lloyd
John Mitchinson
illustrator = [http://www.mr-bingo.co.uk Mr. Bingo]
Ted Dewan
country = flagicon|UK United Kingdom
language = English
subject = Trivia
publisher = Faber and Faber
pub_date = 4 October, 2007
media_type = Hardback
pages = 203
isbn = 987-0-571-23370-0
preceded_by = The Book of General Ignorance
followed_by = Advanced Banter

"The Book of Animal Ignorance"" ^{[http://faber.co.uk/book_detail.html?bid=50348&clid=]} is the second title in a series of books based on the intellectual British panel game "QI", written by series-creator John Lloyd and head-researcher John Mitchinson. It is a trivia book, consisting largely of little-known facts about various animals, alongside factual corrections to "other" pieces of supposedly "well-known" trivia that, although widely believed, are not always accurate. It is a sequel to "The Book of General Ignorance".

Publication history

The Book of Animal Ignorance was first published in the UK by Faber and Faber on the 4 October, 2007, almost exactly a year after "The Book of General Ignorance", and clearly targeted towards the same Christmas market. An American printing is likely to be forthcoming, since the success of "General Ignorance" in the UK Christmas market 2006 reputedly prompted "a two-book, six-figure"cite news | last = Jury | first = Louise | authorlink = Louise Jury | title = How interesting: 'QI' is surprise Christmas hit | language = English | publisher = "The Independent" | date = 2006-12-04 | url = http://www.independent.co.uk/arts/books/news/article2037434.ece | accessdate = 2007-08-04] sale of the US publication rights, although the UK edition is already available through Amazon.com. From November, 2007, it is distributed in Australia by Allen & Unwin.

tructure

Differing from its forebear, the QI "Book of General Ignorance"'s structure as a question-and-answer trivia tome, "The Book of Animal Ignorance" instead opts for an encyclopaedic listing of 100 animals, providing information and facts for each. This change in style may be dictated simply by the content, but could also be as a direct result of criticism directed at the former title by Marcus Berkmann, referring to its disappointing similarity in format to a number of titles, and specifically New Scientist's 2005 book "Does Anything Eat Wasps?" [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]

Touted on the cover as being "from the team that brought 'Ignorance' to millions", it promised to be a "bestiary for the 21st century," [Lloyd, John & Mitchinson, John "The Book of Animal Ignorance" (Faber&Faber, 2007), "from the inside-dustjacket blurb"] and contains almost-completely new "quite interesting" facts on 100 different animals, described in Fry's introduction as "the oats in the "QI" muesli". [cite book | last = Fry | first = Stephen | authorlink = Stephen Fry | coauthors = Lloyd, John and Mitchinson, John | title = QI: The Book of Animal Ignorance | publisher = Faber and Faber | date = 2007-10-04 | pages = ix | isbn = 978-0-571-23370-0] [ [http://www.qi.com/shop/animal_ignorance.php "Animal Ignorance" at the QI Shop] . Accessed February 5, 2008] This new style and emphasis on new material clearly demonstrates the evolution of the "QI" brand, moving as it does away from the look of the initial book, a far more obvious simple rehashing of content from the TV series(' "General Ignorance" round), rather than being a complementary companion volume in its own right, as is "Animal Ignorance". [ [http://qitalk.blogspot.com/2007/09/exclusive-review-book-of-animal.html The "QI" Blog's Exclusive Review of "The Book of Animal Ignorance"] . Accessed February 6, 2008]

"Animal Ignorance" again features forewords from both regular QI personalities, Stephen Fry and Alan Davies. In contrast to the preceding books' "Four words," Davies here contributes a 'proper' foreword, labelled a "Forepaw", in keeping with the books subject matter. [cite book | last = Davies | first = Alan | authorlink = Alan Davies | coauthors = Lloyd, John and Mitchinson, John | title = QI: The Book of Animal Ignorance | publisher = Faber and Faber | date = 2007-10-04 | pages = xi | isbn = 9780571233700] It comprises two-page spreads on 100 diverse mammals, reptiles, rodents, fish, birds and other beasts ranging from aardvark to worm (and not strictly "Aardvark to Zebra" as initially reported).cite news | last = Jury | first = Louise | authorlink = Louise Jury | title = How interesting: 'QI' is surprise Christmas hit | language = English | publisher = "The Independent" | date = 2006-12-04 | url = http://www.independent.co.uk/arts/books/news/article2037434.ece | accessdate = 2007-08-04] The book was designed, typeset also illustrated (with "400 diagrams and cartoons") "by the brilliant Ted Dewan". [ [http://www.qi.com/shop/animal_ignorance.php "Animal Ignorance" at the QI Shop] . Accessed February 5, 2008]

Reviews, comments & criticism

"QI: The Book of Animal Ignorance" was one of 51 titles to make [http://www.exclusivebooks.com/features/list07/list07.php?PHPSESSID=qq2j69r5pootgpjs1udsuoipd4 "The 2007 Exclusive Books List"] ("formerly the "Publisher's Choice" list") of "the best books to give or get" at Christmas, 2007. [cite news | authorlink = LitNet Staff | title = The 2007 Exclusive Books List: The List features 51 of the best books to give or get this festive season | language = English | publisher = "LitNet" | date = 2007-11-27 | url = http://www.litnet.co.za/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&news_id=28606&cause_id=1270#* | accessdate = 2008-02-06]

References

External links

* [http://www.qi.com/talk/viewforum.php?f=23 QI.com - "The Forum of General Ignorance"]
* [http://www.qi.com/shop/animal_ignorance.php QI.com - "The Book of Animal Ignorance"]
* [http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=6464352822&ref=pb "QI" Book"'s photos at Facebook]
* [http://qitalk.blogspot.com/2007/09/exclusive-review-book-of-animal.html QI Blog's Exclusive Review of "The Book of Animal Ignorance"]
* [http://www.meettheauthor.co.uk/bookbites/1298.html Creators John Lloyd and John Mitchinson discussing "The Book of General Ignorance"]
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20071126/ai_n21127335 A general interview with John Lloyd by Meg Carter]