Picture of author.

Cecil Adams

Author of The Straight Dope

5 Works 1,669 Members 15 Reviews 8 Favorited

About the Author

Includes the name: Cecil Adams

Disambiguation Notice:

Cecil Adams is a name, possibly a pseudonym, designating the American author of The Straight Dope, a popular question and answer column published in The Chicago Reader since 1973. Ed Zotti is Adams' editor.

Image credit: Ed Zotti is a long-time journalist and editor of the syndicated "Straight Dope" newspaper column by Cecil Adams -- a name that is most likely a pseudonym.

Series

Works by Cecil Adams

The Straight Dope (1984) 615 copies
More of the Straight Dope (1988) 368 copies
Return of the Straight Dope (1994) 266 copies
The Straight Dope Tells All (1998) 229 copies
Triumph of the Straight Dope (1999) 191 copies

Tagged

Common Knowledge

Other names
Zotti, Ed
Birthdate
20th century
Gender
male
Nationality
USA
Places of residence
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Short biography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_Ad...
Disambiguation notice
Cecil Adams is a name, possibly a pseudonym, designating the American author of The Straight Dope, a popular question and answer column published in The Chicago Reader since 1973. Ed Zotti is Adams' editor.

Members

Reviews

I'm a fairly recent convert to the Straight Dope. One of the first things I learned from the esteemed Cecil Adams is armadillos are leprous (a fact not included in this book, but maybe one of his other books). I've learned many other useful facts since I've started reading the column and books... but that's the fact that always stands out.
1 vote
Flagged
eyelit | 8 other reviews | Mar 21, 2018 |
I can't believe I forgot to review this awesome book. Another book in the Straight Dope series, this one tackles the truth about Thanksgiving, if there is really a pill that turns water into gasoline, what lava lamps are made out of, and, to my immense delight, gives real facts on Dracula and Elizabeth Bathory. I love Cecil's wit and sarcasm, and this book was just as good as the others.
½
 
Flagged
Heather19 | May 2, 2017 |
Culled from a weekly reader-submitted question column in the Chicago Reader. Thankfully dealing with any topic under the sun, rather than relationship advice. The 1970s hipster-wiseass persona begins to grate pretty quickly, but a wide variety of topics are treated, and Cecil's research usually brings home the bacon.
 
Flagged
ehines | 8 other reviews | Nov 10, 2010 |
I love that this book re-addressed a lot of topics from the older books, gave new information, updates, things that readers have written in about those topics... I think it's awesome that it's not "well here's the answer, I'm done with that topic now", Cecil actually updates his readers on things that have been hashed out before.

As always, Cecil doesn't shy away from the stranger or more controversial questions. I'm sure this guy has a whole bunch of religious enemies, as well as political/science/etc, for the way he tackles everything full-on, no holds barred.

This was the only Straight Dope book I hadn't read, and now I'm a little disappointed and flaily, not having anymore to look forward to. .... The fact that I re-read them all constantly is something my mind is ignoring, it seems.
… (more)
½
1 vote
Flagged
Heather19 | May 29, 2010 |

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Associated Authors

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Ed Zotti Editor, Introduction

Statistics

Works
5
Members
1,669
Popularity
#15,390
Rating
4.1
Reviews
15
ISBNs
8
Favorited
8

Charts & Graphs