Men's Health Big Book of Uncommon Knowledge: Clever Hacks for Navigating Life With Skill and Swagger, edited by Jeff Csatari (Rodale Books hardback, Oct. 20), 304 pages, $24.98
Any book with Men's Health on the cover is more than likely a repackaging of featurettes already published in the adults only magazine. This is known.
And true. In this case, the featurette is the magazine and its website's "Uncommon Knowledge" column, a grab bag of researched tidbits written by various contributors and generally focused on "how to ..." -- whatever -- "without looking like a moron."
The tone is teasing, but the information can be useful. For instance, here's a fine idea for an April Fool's prank:
"In a public place, challenge a co-worker to a coordination test: Tell him to close his eyes and move his hand vertically up and down between both of your hands, which you're holding about a foot apart -- but he must do it without hitting your hands. As soon as he starts, quietly step away and leave the room."
Add to such bright, intellectually undemanding items the fact that the length of each is suited to short attention spans and/or short amounts of time in which to be read.
So it's a coffee-table book?
Err, no. The layout is eye-grabbing, with each item displayed using bold type and graphic elements, but this is not a picture book. You read it for the articles. And it will not take very long to read any one of them. They are very short. There is a room of the house for which this book is perfectly suited ... but let's move on to more of my entertaining descriptions of the book's contents.
Topics range across the great swath of territory covered in Men's Health, whose 10 issues a year can be counted upon to coax and empower those who feel insecure about dating and sex -- or give them cause to feel insecure. But wait, there's more. Besides April Fool's pranks, Men's Health dabbles in fashion, home repair, behavior at work, diet, health and fitness, swimming with sharks, curing hiccups, recognizing fish, winning bar fights, avoiding a bee sting -- all sorts of quick-take info delivered with amusing assurance. For example:
• First step in avoiding a bee sting: "Do nothing."
• How to live longer: "Take a knee. Studies show that people who attend church regularly live 3 years longer on average than heathens do."
• Five things to lose when you graduate and get a job: "1. Futons."
• How to train your boss like a dog: "Make eye contact, smile and be animated. If your boss is walking, fall into step and match his gait."
Is any of this information stuff we haven't heard before?
Informed types might say that information is only as old as its source, and that's true, but also it is true that old information is new if it's new to you. If you pored over your father's copies of The Bluejacket Manual when you were coming up, you already know how to turn a pair of pants into a life preserver.
Any topics utterly neglected by this miscellany of advice?
Yes. I found not one tidbit of information on growing a plant. It would appear that Men's Health does not appreciate the sex appeal of farming.
ActiveStyle on 10/26/2015