Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Cabinet of Curiosities by Aaron Mahnke with Harry Marks Book Review

About the Book:

Become captivated by tales of wonderful, astounding, and downright bizarre people, places, and things throughout history. Perfect for trivia aficionados, history readers, or anyone with a thirst for unusual knowledge, Cabinet of Curiosities is full of titillating tidbits and mind-boggling stories you never knew you needed to know.

From the creator of the long-running, smash-hit podcast Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities comes the book—a riveting look inside some of history’s strangest stories. Learn the fascinating tale of where the invention of the croissant actually happened, and relive the adventures of a dog that stowed away and went to war. Along the way, readers will pass through an unfamiliar American state, watch Abraham Lincoln’s son be rescued by someone surprising, and learn how too many crash landings inspired one pilot to leave the airline industry and shift his thirst for flight to new heights.

For the first time ever, Aaron Mahnke has gathered scores of his favorites into print, and curated them—along with some fresh oddities—into a beautiful, topical collection for devoted followers and new fans alike.

My Review:

What an interesting collection of stories about oddities, clever animals, weird coincidences, little known facts about famous people, historical mysteries, and more. There are stories behind popular creations. I found out how the Oscars got their name, for example. I also read about a court case involving...rats. That's just a couple of the fascinating stories in this book.

Mahnke's writing style is entertaining. He has a particular way of telling a story that leaves the essential surprise until the very end. It is sometimes a sort of “gotcha” moment and frequently has an aspect of humor. For someone who grew up listening to Paul Harvey, this was a fun book to read, giving a feeling of nostalgia. I think there is a story for almost every interest.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

 

About the Author:

One of the most successful podcast producers in the world, Aaron Mahnke began his career in 2015 with the launch of Lore, which has racked up nearly half a billion downloads so far, been adapted for two seasons of television on Amazon Prime, and published as a three-book set from Penguin Random House. Beyond Lore, Aaron has produced a number of wildly popular shows, including his chart-topping hit, Cabinet of Curiosities, and his 2021 award-winning supernatural drama, Bridgewater. He lives in the historical North Shore area of Massachusetts with his family. Photo credit: Aaron Mahnke.

St. Martin's Press, 336 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

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