Drunken Goldfish is a hilarious compendium of scientific research (did I just say that?) by international chess master and scientific journal fan William Hartston. With tongue firmly planted in cheek, Hartston takes the reader on a tour of some of the lesser-known scientific research gathering dust in the academic sections of college libraries everywhere. Organizing the research in categories from liquids to humans, Hartston ties all of the less than glorious research data into a flowing examination of everything science has asked that it maybe shouldn't have, all with an attention to detail that is never ponderous and always entertaining. The last third of the book - Section Two: Knowledge at a Glance - is a delightful dumping ground for the additional interesting tidbits that didn't make it into the previous chapters, from Abdominal Hairs to Yeast, and also serves as an index for the rest of the book. I guarantee, this will be one of the few indexes that you will ever read from beginning to end. Whether you're just looking for some random trivia or are interested in the underbelly of scientific investigation, Drunken Goldfish will definitely not disappoint. ( )