A People's History of the Peculiar by Belardes, Nick -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Praise Foreword Random Thoughts Introduction CHAPTER 1 - AMASSED FROM THE PAST: CURIOUS AND FANTASTIC FACTS FROM THE ...

TO BURN OR NOT TO BURN THE EXAMINATION OF TITIBE THE 45 DEATHS OF TECUMSEH IS THERE AN IRAQ WAR SYNDROME? SOLDIER’S SPELL MYSTERIOUS CONVICTIONS OF SACCO AND VANZETTI THE BOSTON MASSACRE DID NAPOLEON’S GASTRIC SECRET COST HIM WATERLOO? WHY OBAMA WAS SWORN IN AS PRESIDENT IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THE FIRST FEDERAL CITY A FOUNDING FATHER’S FEUD THE YELLOW FEVER PLAGUE OF 1793 ARCHITECTURAL MYSTERIES OF WASHINGTON, D.C. DID THOMAS JEFFERSON HAVE A MENTAL CONDITION? AND WAS HIS GRANDSON AN AX MURDERER? BLENNERHASSETT ISLAND AND BURR’S CONSPIRACY WAS OPPENHEIMER AN IDIOT? THE STRANGE FIRES OF ROANOKE DANGEROUS NATIVES, SUPPLY FAILURES, AND STRANGE SMOKE DROWNINGS, MYSTERIOUS FIRES, AND TREE CARVINGS THE MISSING SHIP’S LOG OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS THE MOST ENIGMATIC OF EXPLORERS THE BARCELONA COPY AND THE DOMINICAN FRIAR ON THE CONDUCT OF WAR, 1865 SEPTEMBER 11, 1775 MYSTERY OF THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS SCRIBAL CREATIVE FREEDOM IN AN ANCIENT JEWISH COMMUNITY DOOMSAYERS OF EARLY AMERICA A COFFEEHOUSE CULTURE OF PROPHETS? DOUBTING LINCOLN A CURIOUS NOTE FROM THE KENNEDY ASSASSINATION HEARINGS FEBRUARY 20, 1978, LETTER FROM RONALD REAGAN TO CONGRESSMAN PHIL CRANE ... THE QUESTION OF THE 2012 APOCALYPSE DYING LANGUAGE OF THE TUBATULABAL FANNIE JONES AND THE MYSTERY OF SERVITUDE

CHAPTER 2 - UNNATURAL SCIENCES: BIZARRE DISCOVERIES FROM BIOLOGY TO OUTER SPACE

FOSSIL HUNTERS OF THE ANCIENT DUNKLEOSTEUS FOSSIL SMILES FOUND WITHIN CLIFF WALLS DO STARS WATCH THEIR WEIGHT? BABY STARS DO GOBBLE THEIR COSMIC FOOD CANNIBALS AMONG THE STARS THE UNNATURAL LAND OF TWINS BODY PARTS CAN STAY INTACT IN WATER SO MARS HAS METHANE, BUT CAN YOU LIVE THERE? COULD THERE HAVE BEEN NESSIE LAKE MONSTERS? UMOONASAURUS AND THE LOCH LAKE FOSSIL AN ALLURING SEX SCENT FOR VAMPIRE FISH A NEW WAY OF POPULATION CONTROL FOR THE LAMPREY BLUE LIGHTS, CITY LIGHTS, AND CONFUSED CREATURES THE EYE-POPPING EFFECT OF BLUE LIGHT POLARIZED LIGHT AS AN ECO-TRAP WHEN U.K. TEDDY BEARS INVADED SPACE TWO-LITER-BOTTLE PRESSURE SUITS TEDDY BEARS INSTEAD OF ACTION FIGURES TEDDY BEAR TRIVIA A VERY “PLUSH” LANDING EXTREME CUISINE GLOBAL FROG MEAT TRADE KILLS BILLIONS OF FROGS ANNUALLY FRENCH CHEFS GETTING HOPPING MAD SCIENTISTS EXCITED OVER WHALE SHARK POO? FISH POO HELPS OCEANS THRIVE

CHAPTER 3 - PUZZLING AILMENTS: MOST MYSTERIOUS MALADIES

TREE MAN DISEASE VARIOLATION, ANYONE? BAD DOCTORS PATIENTS GUINEA WORM DISEASE MORGELLONS DISEASE ALICE IN WONDERLAND SYNDROME ELIXIR OF LIFE COXSACKIEVIRUSES FOREIGN ACCENT SYNDROME ALIEN HAND SYNDROME MEDICINE IS MAGIC HYPOPLASTIC LEFT HEART SYNDROME MULTIFETAL PREGNANCIES SPASMODIC DYSPHONIA COTARD’S DELUSION STENDHAL SYNDROME JERUSALEM SYNDROME JUMPING FRENCHMEN OF MAINE DISORDER PENIS PANIC

CHAPTER 4 - IDIOSYNCRATIC INVENTIONS: TECHNOLOGIES WE DEPEND ON EVERY DAY AND ...

NEOLITHIC AX CHARIOT RIMS DILDOS OF THE ANCIENTS ANCIENT CHINESE SEISMOGRAPH GREEK FIRE BONE SKATES TATTOOS AFTERLIFE LEGS MAN-BEARING KITES GLOVES THE CAMERA OBSCURA MASS-PRODUCED PAPER ZINC YELLOW ICE FACTORY THE GREAT WONDER-WORKER OF THE AGE VOLTA BATTERY MILE-HIGH BUILDING MRI SCANNER MICROWAVE OVEN GYROSCOPE COMPASS COB BUILDINGS ARCADE VIDEO GAMES COMPUTER MOUSE KOOBFACE COMPUTER VIRUS A VIRUS INVENTION THAT AFFECTS TRUST ISSUES ROBOT FACES 802.11B PENDULUM CLOCKS PAPER CLIPS FISH TANKS

CHAPTER 5 - ODD OCCUPATIONS: SOME OF THE DIRTIEST, WEIRDEST JOBS THAT YOU NEVER ...

‘OBAMA WONDERAMA’ BURLESQUE PERFORMER SEXY JOB EMPOWERS WOMAN AFTER 40 NOT AS BAD AS WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SWORD SWALLOWER WASTEWATER OPERATOR WAIST DEEP IN WASTEWATER, AND THE WALL OF SHAME BEAN PIMP PAWNBROKER’S GOOD DEEDS THE ART OF GUTTING FISH GRANDFATHER CLOCK WINDER PERSONAL REPORT: BOTTLE WASHER A JOB WHERE LOTS OF GLASS GETS SMASHED HOW DIRTY CAN A MILK BOTTLE GET? TAROT CARD READER SHOVELING COW POOP LEARNING TO LOVE COW PIES PERSONAL REPORT: CREATIVE WRITER ARTISTS ARE INSANE GETTING PAID FOR CREATIVITY

CHAPTER 6 - SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER: POPULAR FILMS FOR OBSESSIVE FANS

PERSONAL REPORT: STAR TREK REVISITED STAR WARS AND THE CULTURE OF FAN INSANITY GENERATION X, STAR WARS TOYS, AND VIDEO GAMES HARRISON FORD ISN’T AN OBSESSED HAN SOLO FAN FAN FANATICS WORSHIP THE JEDI FAITH ANIMATOR BRAD ALEXANDER TALKS STAR WARS CULTURE AND MEDIA AVATAR: GREAT SCI-FI MOVIE-MAKING FORGET HISTORY CLASS—I HAVE HOLLYWOOD GAY FILM CULTURE: HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH WHERE DID YOU GET THAT SCARFACE JACKET? PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE WATER RIDE FACTOR WELLYWOOD, FIGWIT, AND LORD OF THE RINGS SAVING PRIVATE RYAN AND TRIUMPHANT WAR FILMS PERSONAL REPORT: HARRY POTTER AND THE WIZROCKERS “HOTS FOR HERMIONE” AND OTHER WROCK HITS GIRLS WHO WEAR HELLO KITTY DO HELLO KITTY HATERS REALLY HATE? ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF THE WAR OF THE WORLDS THE SPELL OF THE WIZARD OF OZ

CHAPTER 7 - ECCENTRIC AUTHORS AND FANTASTIC ART: GREAT AND LITTLE-KNOWN WORKS ...

V.S. NAIPAUL: EXPATRIATE WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE WALT WHITMAN J.R.R. TOLKIEN: FROM THE TRENCHES OF WORLD WAR I LOUISA MAY ALCOTT JACK KEROUAC’S ON THE ROAD SCROLL ANAÏS NIN THE SUMMER OF NAKED SWIM PARTIES MODERN-DAY NUDITY JUST ISN’T THE SAME JACK LONDON: AUTHOR WITH A STRANGE BEGINNING JAMES JOYCE: PORTRAIT OF A PHOBIA VIRGINIA WOOLF: WOMAN, INTERRUPTED THE SISTERS 8 THE POWER OF OCTUPLETS IN POP CULTURE FLANNERY O’CONNOR: A SENSE OF PLACE W.B. YEATS: POOR SPELLER WINS NOBEL PRIZE LORD BYRON: “I LOVE YOU” FAN MAIL GEORGE ORWELL: IT’S ALL IN A NAME CAMPUS SCANDALS: THE PROFESSORS’ WIVES’ CLUB D.H. LAWRENCE: SON OF THE WORKING CLASS OSCAR WILDE: SEXUAL DEVIANT

CHAPTER 8 - MYSTERIOUS PLACES: EXPLORING SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST MYSTIFYING ...

NABUTAUTAU, UDRE UDRE’S GRAVE, AND THE CANNIBAL ISLANDS: EMBARRASS YOUR ENEMIES ... A BAKER COOKED IN AN OVEN? CANNIBAL TABLE MANNERS AND ETIQUETTE SINGING SAND DUNES OF THE MOJAVE DESERT HELL TOWN AT THE END OF THE WORLD LAKE ERIE MONSTER AT “THE END OF THE WORLD” BURIAL MOUNDS WITH MYSTICAL ENERGY SERPENT MOUND TOXIC MUTANTS OF HELL TOWN THE PENINSULA PYTHON LEGEND GHOSTS BENEATH THE FAMOUS LAS VEGAS WELCOME SIGN MAN ON THE CHAISE LOUNGE STRANGE ART BENEATH CAESARS PALACE PERSONAL REPORT: BAKERSFIELD’S MYSTERIOUS CHINESE TUNNEL ENTRANCE TUNNELING INTO SECRETS SEARCHING BLIND ALLEYS THE OSSUARY AT STEPHANSDOM BUBONIC PLAGUE AND THE STRANGE BONE GUIDE COLORADO STUPA AND THE TEMPLE THAT DOESN’T LIKE GIRLS MOTHMAN, THE CURSE OF POINT PLEASANT, AND BABY MOTHMAN THE SIGHTING THAT SPOOKED A TOWN NEWELL PARTRIDGE SEES RED EYES MUTANT BIRD FROM A TOXIC SWAMP? BUG-EYED MIB: WHO WERE THEY? BRIDGE COLLAPSE THAT SHOCKED A NATION HAUNTING OF THE SILVER BRIDGE STRANGE HAPPENINGS TO THOSE WHO SAW MOTHMAN CHIEF CORNSTALK CURSES POINT PLEASANT COULD CHIEF CORNSTALK BE MOTHMAN? SERPENT OF LIGHT AT KUKULCAN PYRAMID PYRAMID INSIDE A PYRAMID ANCIENT CLOCK OF THE STARS “SNAKE DAY” AND THE 72-YEAR WINDOW PERSONAL REPORT: BLUE HOLE OASIS, NEW MEXICO CORONADO AND THE CITY OF GOLD UNCOVERING BLUE HOLE MYSTERIOUS CAVES OF THE DEEP THE CHILL OF EDGAR ALLAN POE’S GRAVE CHACO CANYON COSMIC RELATIONSHIPS THE FLAGSTAFF CRATER DEVIL’S HOLE CAVE WINCHESTER MYSTERY HOUSE THE WHITE HOUSE

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