Allen Davenport Bragdon

Well, this is a catch-22 isn't it. If I denounce the book, then I am perhaps unfit material for these mental exercises. If I praise the book, then I am clearly the subject of questioning regarding my own relative lack of progress. In truth the book is full of decent puzzles and strategems to promote thinking. I doubt that any actual points accrue to one's IQ; but it couldn't hurt, right? Anyway it's fun to challenge oneself and to stretch the mental powers.

You will give the right hemisphere of your brain a workout by trying to identify the proper function of these 80 household implements from their photographs. They were all in common use in the "good old days" before packaging design hid the inner workings with sheet metal and it became impossible to figure out what something was just by looking at it. Start with the first photo. Don't turn the page until you think you've figured out what the first object is, what it does and how it works. show more Then turn the page and you'll find the answer on the back of the photo. On the opposite page is a photo of another object for you to think about. You'll find its name. You'll see its description when you turn the page. And so on through the book. Working your brain like this will keep it sharp.

Fun for people who don't need to read assembly instructions, and.... attic-addicts, curiosity collectors and your smart aunt. show less

I must admit I skipped the ones about wine, religion, and ballroom dancing. But the ones about history were enlightening, and once I read all the answers with their explanations, satisfying. The comments and notes are fun, too. I think some members of my family will dip in and try some of the tests, too, but then I'll be ready to pass the book on.

This is a series of multiple question tests on a wide gamut of topics generally taking from sources like certifying bodies. Often questions include explanatory details. These cover topics from bartending to barbering and graphology to geology.

This is actually my second time reading this. The first was over thirty years ago as a teenager. Then, I did all the tests mostly using a green highlighter and corrected them in pencil. So, I was listening to a three album stage piece and was looking show more for a book on the shelf I could leaf through while the albums turned and I listened. This seemed to be a good choice to page through for a couple of hours while I considered my answers from three decades ago. I had been reading Mathematics and the Search for Knowledge and I needed something less taxing while I also listened to the dialogue. show less