The facts about The Book of Lists

The Book of Lists is a series of compendium books compiled by David Wallechinsky, Irving Wallace and Amy Wallace. The series covers a wealth of random trivia in the form of lists, including topics such as famous events that happened in the bathtub and facts about well-known horror authors. The format has been widely copied, even by the American author Michael Lomonico in his The Shakespeare Book of Lists.

The Book of Lists

History The original Book of Lists came out in 1977, followed by a second and third volume in the 1980s and a third volume in the 1990s. The New Book of Lists, a collection of updated lists from the first three now out-of-print volumes, was published in 2005. The first volume was banned by several libraries in the United States for the risky nature of some of its content, such as a chapter that rated popular sexual positions. Books that follow a similar format include Russ Kick's The Disinformation Book of Lists, Geoff Tibballs' the Best Book Of Lists Ever!, the Sex Lover's Book of Lists by David Copeland, The All-New Book of Lists for Kids by Sandra Choron and Harry Choron, and The Ultimate Book of Top Ten Lists by Jamie Frater.

The Shakespeare Books of Lists

The life and work of the Bard Michael Lomonico's The Shakespeare Book of Lists - the title was later changed to Shakespeare 101 - provides an insight into the life and work of the Bard through a series of easy-to-digest book lists. Incorporating fun facts from every possible angle, Lomonico delivers such gems as a list of phrases from Shakespearean plays that have passed into popular use and the top ten best pubs within walking distance of Shakespeare’s Globe.
Expressions in Shakespearean plays Citing an old joke about the list of clichés in Hamlet as a jumping off point, Lomonico goes in search of expressions that first appeared in a Shakespearean play. Some of them are instantly recognisable, such as the moment when Hamlet declares, 'Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him'. Other famous phrases include 'A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!' and 'a tower of strength' from Richard III. 'All the world's a stage' is a line from As You Like It, while the expression 'come full circle' originates in King Lear.