Somewhat amusing, lightly informative, but often stops a sentence or 5 short of imparting useful information. Also nudists and ninjas seem to need a particular amount of myth debunking with extra sentences added as do Islam and Wicca. A time or two I felt, not that the myth was truth, but the debunking less than scrupulously factual. ( )

Weird. Entertaining. Odd. Random. Enjoyable.

The title of this book got my attention. I’m one of those people who checks those crazy string-email topics on snopes.com, so alarmists be ware! So of course when I heard about this title, I was very curious.

The book is a fast, enjoyable read. Think of it as a rumor-busting book in the style of “Damn You Autocorrect.” I do recommend this book for skeptics with a sense of humor. On the other hand, the author seems to champion some surprising groups. For some reason this book is going to make sure you have a better idea of what Vikings were actually like (perhaps Thor did them a disservice—I didn’t see the movie or game so I couldn’t say) versus what some to say about this ancient group of explorers.

Nudists also get extra attention of the positive sort. A number of times this lifestyle and the common misconceptions about nudists are debunked. I support treating people fairly based on facts. However, I’ve never actually heard this lifestyle disparaged even when I lived outside of California, so I wasn’t aware they commonly needed defending or debunking.

A couple other groups also appear to be singled out: Wiccans and Catholics. Yes, this is an odd combination, and still. Both religions are discussed a number of times and common misconceptions repelled.

You’ll also find some science items included in the book. I personally found some of the data bits a tad out of date; this happens so fast due to research and testing it is not surprising for nearly anything in print. If you’re looking for scientific confirmation, do some extra research your own. Since none of the claims in the book are foot-noted for sources, this is recommended regardless.

Overall, the book is fun to read. Buy this one for the entertainment value. It’s not going to reveal truths that will rock your world. You will however, probably have a good time buzzing through the book. I read it in less than a day (and yes, I read really fast). It could also make for some interesting conversations.

The writing style offers quick vignettes so it’s a great thing to read when you don’t have time to dive into a novel or thriller and perhaps loose an entire evening to your favorite author. If you do, however, want solid facts to face down any of these myths, the book gets you started in the right direction but you’ll need to take the next steps to really nail down the information in question. ( )