Because I Said So!: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, and Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids (Hardcover)

Because I Said So!: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, and Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids By Ken Jennings Cover Image
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December 2012 Indie Next List


“Did your mom ever tell you not to swallow your gum because it would stay in your stomach for seven years? Ever wonder if that was true? In his new book, Jennings, the witty, charming Jeopardy! champ, gets to the bottom of the old wives' tales your parents told you and uncovers the truth. If you've got kids, read this so you can lie informatively, and if you don't have kids, read this so you can undermine your friends who do!”
— Flannery Fitch, Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA

Description


New York Times bestselling author and all-time Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings delivers a characteristically engaging and surprisingly useful new book, revealing the truth behind all the terrible things our parents used to warn us about.

Don’t cross your eyes or they’ll stay like that!

Feed a cold, starve a fever!

Don’t touch your Halloween candy until we get it checked out!

Never run with scissors

Don’t look in the microwave while it’s running!

This will go down on your permanent record

Is any of it true? If so, how true? Ken Jennings wants to find out if mother and father always know best. Yes, all those years you were told not to sit too close to the television (you’ll hurt your eyes!) or swallow your gum (it stays in your stomach for seven years!) or crack your knuckles (arthritis!) are called into question by our country’s leading trivia guru. Jennings separates myth from fact to debunk a wide variety of parental edicts: no swimming after meals, sit up straight, don’t talk to strangers, and so on.

Armed with medical case histories, scientific findings, and even the occasional experiment on himself (or his kids), Jennings exposes countless examples of parental wisdom run amok. Whether you’re a parent who wants to know what you can stop worrying about or a kid (of any age) looking to say, “I told you so,” this is the anti–helicopter parenting book you’ve been waiting for.

About the Author


Ken Jennings grew up in Seoul, South Korea, where he became a daily devotee of the quiz show Jeopardy! In 2004, he successfully auditioned for a spot on the show and went on an unprecedented seventy-four game victory streak worth $2.52 million. Jennings’s book Brainiac, about his Jeopardy! adventures, was a critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller, as were his follow-up books Maphead and Because I Said So! He is also the author of Planet Funny. Jennings lives in Seattle with his wife Mindy and two children.

Praise For…


"Because I Said So! is the MythBusters of old wives' tales. But beware: it could be a dangerous book if it falls into the wrong hands; namely your kids'. All of us can look back on the cautionary admonitions our parents and grandparents used to shout at us when we were in the middle of fun, and now our suspicions that they were hokum are verified! But we have to keep this to ourselves. If our kids get a hold of this book, we'll have nothing left to kill their joy with. So buy this book, read it, and then hide it away!"
— Ken Denmead, New York Times bestselling author of Geek Dad

“A fun, lighthearted compendium of conventional wisdom, mostly parental, which debunks plenty of old wives’ tales and urban myths while offering a few surprising truths…. ‘Occasionally Mom knew what she was talking about,’ as this clever book confirms, but often she did not.”

"With his trademark with and genius. . . . Jennings imparts wisdom and good sense in this highly entertaining and oddly educational book."

"Sets aside esoterica in favor of the received wisdom of American parenting. . . . Jennings maintains his humor and warmth, keeping everything on the level of friendly, well-researched advice from the dad down the street who, by the by, would totally own your ass on trivia night at the neighborhood pub. Because I Said So! is breezy and illuminating, a mix that would be more volatile in less capable hands."

“Because I Said So! is a treasure trove of quality information, debunkery, and thoughtful common sense, as Jennings makes like the MythBusters and puts these classic cliches to the test. Informative, enthusiastic, and very very funny, Because I Said So! deftly mixes an occasional personal anecdote with plenty of verifiable scientific data to confirm or discredit numerous childhood warnings. (He’s even fair enough to rank the level of truth inherent in each particular warning.)”

"Highly engaging...if this book keeps one kid from having to wait an hour between eating and swimming, it will have done its job."

"An entertaining trivia night could be based on “Because I Said So,” by Jeopardy! champ, Ken Jennings. Pick it up for a laugh and a conversation starter, or put a copy in your guest bath to replace that dog-eared issue of National Geographic. . . .Clever and comical."
Product Details
ISBN: 9781451656251
ISBN-10: 1451656254
Publisher: Scribner
Publication Date: December 4th, 2012
Pages: 256
Language: English