Product Description

What time is it at the North Pole? Should you pickle your conkers? Why does my aubergine look like Elvis? Plus 111 other questions answered. Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze? is the latest compilation of readers' answers to the questions in the 'Last Word' column of New Scientist, the world's best-selling science weekly. Following the phenomenal success of Does Anything Eat Wasps? - the Christmas 2005 surprise bestseller - this new collection includes recent answers never before published in book form, and also old favourites from the column's early days. Yet again, many seemingly simple questions turn out to have complex answers. And some that seem difficult have a very simple explanation. New Scientist's 'Last Word' is regularly voted the magazine's most popular section as it celebrates all questions - the trivial, idiosyncratic, baffling and strange. This new selection of the best is popular science at its most entertaining and enlightening.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2418 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 236 pages

Review
Daily Express - 'a fascinating mix of the baffling, ridiculous and trivial...answers the scientific questions you never got round to asking.' Independent on Sunday - 'at last, the mysteries of the world are explained...the book everyone is talking about' Daily Mirror - 'They are the things we've all wondered about, from why we cry when we slice onions, to what makes our hair turn grey...' BBC Radio 5 Live - 'Extraordinary book...responsible for putting popular science back on its feet'

Independent on Sunday
'at last, the mysteries of the world are explained... the book
everyone is talking about'

BBC Radio 5 Live
'Extraordinary book... responsible for putting popular science
back on its feet'

Customer Reviews

No, it's not because they wear a tuxedo
I wasn't sure about this book, but then I bought DO ANTS HAVE ARSEHOLES? And laughed myself silly. This book is on the same scale.

The book contains questions we've all wondered about, but were afraid to ask. And here they are. With the answers. The great thing about WHY DON'T PENGUINS' FEET FREEZE is that it can be read by adults and children. PG rating. The ideas range from history to physics, to chemistry and strophysics, so you won't be bored, but neither will you be overwhelmed. For other great books, I'd reommend DON'T STOP ME NOW and the book DRESS YOUR FAMILY IN CORDUORY by David Sedaris.

Superb for any age !
Wonderful for anybody that wants to know the answers to life's sometimes baffling questions (especially if you have children that want the answers to questions that sometimes you even have doubts about). This book is almost certainly for you (look really clever in front of the childern, no more ask the teacher the answer to that one). Boys will love the question on snot, and for you older one's (the answer to why hair goes grey might be of some help, no it is not too much perming or colouring, buy and book and read it to find out.

I originally bought the book for our daughter who is aged 15 but couldn't resist a look at it myself, had to read it though as it is just so gripping, once looking at one question and answer, then it snowballs. (At least if I get caught short on the conversation front, now I can think of different questions and see how people answer), or they will just look and think what the heck am I on.

A must book for summer holidays, long car journeys, you could ask one question and get everyone to give their answer to it, enjoyable fun and could put the end to are we there yet?

Bought my copy from Amazon on offer, so got a really good deal, but even at full price less than £8.00 still a good buy.

Penguins' Feet Are Just the Start
I was a big fan of the first book and this one's even better. Once you start going through the questions, you get more and more caught up in them. As well as knowing about penguins' feet, I'm now also an expert on conkers, the dangerous lives of left-handers, and how to make the perfect cup of tea!