Tom Burnam (1913–1991)

This is a quick easy to read encyclopedia of widely held beliefs straightened out. This bolsters my belief that quotes are often inaccurate and or wrongly ascribed. Also folk etymologies and remedies generally are baseless.

This is an AWESOME book! I'm sure that nowadays there are multiple other trivia books that have these bits of information, but to my knowledge this is one of the first "misinformation" books. It was certainly the first one I read, years ago. And it's not filled with "trivia" that everyone actually already knows, like some books. It's filled with stuff you would never think of questioning, sayings and facts that you just take for granted, without ever knowing the real truth behind them.

"Amazing facts to astonish your friends and annoy your enemies!
The world's number one conversation starter and argument settler.
For example, did you know that …
-- Sir Lancelot never even SAW the Round Table?
-- The American Declaration of Independence was not signed on July 4th?
-- Joan of Arc was not French?
-- James Watt did not invent the steam engine?
-- Churchill did not invent the phrase ""iron curtain""?
-- Hitler was never called Schicklgruber, nor was he a house painter?
-- There's no show more evidence that golf originated in Scotland?" show less

A miscellany of misinformation, misbelief, misconstruction and misquotation.