A Note From Uncle John
Welcome to our hippest e-book, Fads & Flops. Why group these seemingly disparate subjects together in one volume? Because every fad and every flop started out as someone’s big idea. Whether it’s putting a rock in a box, calling it a “pet,” and becoming a millionaire—or trying to sell groceries over the Internet and going broke, the difference between fad and flop boils down to how people react to the big idea. Sure, timing and execution play a part, but as you’ll see on the e-pages ahead, although success and failure may board the train together, they exit at different stops. And why some things become popular (like a 40-year-old Russian pop song) while others fizzle out (like Will Smith’s recent movie bomb) is anyone’s guess. But there is one conclusion we can make: The public sure is fickle.
About the Series
Uncle John’s Facts to Go e-books feature the very best articles— along with all-new material—from the extensive Bathroom Reader line. Founded in 1988, the Bathroom Reader’s Institute has written more than 100 books that have collectively sold over 15 million copies. Today, Uncle John is the world’s most trusted name in trivia.