Journal Entry 1 by bigcurlyloz from Fordham, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Thursday, October 05, 2006

A Christmas present from my sister last year. Very entertaining.

"How long can I live on beer alone? Why do people have eyebrows? Has nature invented any wheels? Plus 99 other questions are answered in this book. Every year, readers send in thousands of questions to "New Scientist", the world's best-selling science weekly, in the hope that the answers to them will be given in the 'Last Word' column - regularly voted the most popular section of the magazine. "Does Anything Eat Wasps?" is a collection of the best that have appeared, including: why can't we eat green potatoes? Why do airliners suddenly plummet? Does a compass work in space? Why do all the local dogs howl at emergency sirens? How can a tree grow out of a chimney stack? Why do bruises go through a range of colours? And why is the sea blue inside caves? Many seemingly simple questions are actually very complex to answer. And some that seem difficult have a very simple explanation. "New Scientist's" 'Last Word' celebrates all questions - the trivial, the idiosyncratic, the baffling and the strange. This selection of the best is popular science at its most entertaining and enlightening." - amazon.co.uk synopsis 

Journal Entry 2 by bigcurlyloz from Fordham, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Monday, October 09, 2006

I think it'd be nice if people in this ring included which their favourite question in the book was - it's entirely optional though!

Participants
bigcurlyloz
Twynnie (UK - anywhere)
Annodyne (UK - anywhere)
Cross-patch (UK - Europe)
Prilade (Bulgaria - Europe)
Iojima (France - anywhere)
glade1 (US - US)
Cpetersky (US - surface Intl)
cmbohn (US - US/Canada)
Kimmi (Canada - Canada/anywhere if needed) NB near end
ajsmom (Canada - Intl)
sudokugirl (Bosnia-Herzegovina - anywhere)
catflap (UK - anywhere)<-- book is here
birmingham-rose (pass on in person to....)
juliako (UK - anywhere)

How it works
- PM me to join and state your shipping preferences.
- When I have at least 5 people, I'll (probably) post the book to the first person.
- Please journal the book when it arrives and when you've sent it on.
- When you've read it, please PM the next person on the list for their address.
- Bear in mind other people want to read it, so don't put it at the bottom of your TBR pile (6 weeks is a reasonable timeframe imo)!
- The last person on the list is to send it back to me :-)

When I have enough participants I'll sort the order to suit as many people's postage preferences as possible.
 

Journal Entry 3 by Twynnie from Cambridge, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Saturday, October 21, 2006

Received today, I've got a couple of rings before it but I'll get to it pretty soon. Looking forward to reading this, thanks for sharing bigcurlyloz! 

Journal Entry 4 by Twynnie from Cambridge, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, November 01, 2006

This book was good fun - it made me wonder how people came up with some of these questions! I think my favourite was the question from the kid who kept pestering his mother to tell him if his dead pet was 'just bones' yet. He got some quite comprehensive answers, telling him it probably wasn't. There are quite a few questions relating to beer, which makes me think a lot of these were probably thought up in the pub!

This will be on its way to Annodyne tomorrow... 

Journal Entry 5 by Annodyne from Sale, Cheshire United Kingdom on Friday, November 03, 2006

The book arrived safely today. I'm going to enjoy reading this very soon! 

Journal Entry 6 by Annodyne from Sale, Cheshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, November 15, 2006

As a curious but non-scientific kind of a person, this is just my kind of book, interesting, varied, enlightening and easy to read, either straight through or in little bits at a time.

Some great questions here! (Loved the one about the poo ;) I think my favourite though was one I already knew something about, and that is, why geese fly in a V-shaped formation. Opinions vary, but the general concensus is that it gives the weaker birds at the back the benefit of the aerodynamic lift created by the leaders. This is a beautiful example of altruism as it appears in nature, and I am glad to see it discussed at some length here.

 

Journal Entry 7 by Annodyne at In the hands of the Royal Mail in Posted to another bookcrosser, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Thursday, November 16, 2006

Released 5 yrs ago (11/16/2006 UTC) at In the hands of the Royal Mail in Posted to another bookcrosser, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom

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Posted to Cross-patch, the next person in the ring. 

Journal Entry 8 by Cross-patch from Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Saturday, November 18, 2006

Thank you. Arrived safely this morning. 

Journal Entry 9 by Cross-patch from Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Sunday, December 03, 2006

Now I know why I can't sing! Lovely book full of answers. I'm still thinking about why the NZ and Australians talk like they do...a head full of push and pull chains.
Thank you, as always, BigCurlyLoz, for sharing your book shelves.
I have Prilade's address and shall take this little book to the P.O. tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 10 by prilade from York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, January 03, 2007

The book arrived with the post today. I'm starting it. Looks interesting - questions and answers in several different areas: our bodies, plants and animals, domestic science, our universe, our planet, weird weather, troublesome transport, best of the rest. Lillya 

Journal Entry 11 by prilade from York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Friday, May 04, 2007

Apologizes for the long delay. I am posting the book today. 

Journal Entry 12 by Iojima from Nyons, Rhône-Alpes France on Saturday, May 19, 2007

Arrived today and looks like a lot of fun. Very educational postcard, too. :-) Thank you. 

Journal Entry 13 by Iojima from Nyons, Rhône-Alpes France on Tuesday, June 12, 2007

This was a lot of fun. Thank you. Glade1 has read this on another ring. Cpetersky's bookshelf says she is not accepting rings. Trying cmbohn. 

Journal Entry 14 by cmbohn from Orem, Utah USA on Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Just got this one and I read it already! It was a fast read and it made me smile. I liked the question about the aliens stealing the moon.

Will PM Kimmi and mail when I've heard back. Thanks for the chance to read it!

CMB 

Journal Entry 15 by Kimmi from Kelowna, British Columbia Canada on Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Arrived today. Thanks! 

Journal Entry 16 by Kimmi from Kelowna, British Columbia Canada on Wednesday, July 25, 2007

I quite enjoyed this book as did my husband. We read a lot of it out loud to each other as we came across interesting tidbits of info. Sometimes I found the answers to be repetitive but I learned a lot. I'm going to try the straw experiment with my class this year. I'm sure they will enjoy it.

Just waiting for a reply to my PM for an address and the book will be on its way.

Thanks for sharing bigcurlyloz!

Edit: This is going out in today's (26th) mail. ajsmom lives close by so she should receive the book early next week. 

Journal Entry 17 by ajsmom from Quesnel, British Columbia Canada on Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Caught today, thank you! 

Journal Entry 18 by ajsmom from Quesnel, British Columbia Canada on Sunday, August 05, 2007

Very enjoyable. I learned a lot of things, particularly about beer and bodily functions! I may try and track a copy of this down for my physicist father, who loves fun facts. PM''ing sudukogirl now. 

Journal Entry 19 by ajsmom at mailed to next reader in Postal release, A Bookray -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Released 4 yrs ago (8/7/2007 UTC) at mailed to next reader in Postal release, A Bookray -- Controlled Releases

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Air mailed to sudokugirl! 

Journal Entry 20 by sudokugirl from Sarajevo, Sarajevo Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday, August 16, 2007

Arrived safe and sound this morning :) Looks very interesting. Thanks to ajsmom for speedy shipping. 

Journal Entry 21 by sudokugirl from Sarajevo, Sarajevo Bosnia-Herzegovina on Sunday, September 09, 2007

This was a wonderfuly entertaining read. Thanks for sharing, bigcurlyoz.

I PMed catflap a few days ago and am now waiting for her reply. 

Journal Entry 22 by sudokugirl at to the next participant in sent by mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, September 10, 2007

Released 4 yrs ago (9/10/2007 UTC) at to the next participant in sent by mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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Sent to catflap. 

Journal Entry 23 by catflap from London , Greater London United Kingdom on Saturday, September 15, 2007

this arrived today, will read after the ring that arrived yesterday

now read loved it, to those who read after did anyone wonder about the cat question if they had proerly randomised it and how the dogs behaved? just a quick thouht of psm read I read te question and answers to him.

would strongly recommend this book for anyone who is into science and for those who think that they aren't. 

Journal Entry 24 by catflap at BookRing in controlled release, .---controlled release---. Switzerland on Saturday, April 05, 2008

Released 4 yrs ago (4/7/2008 UTC) at BookRing in controlled release, .---controlled release---. Switzerland

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will post this to Juliako on monday withthe hope that it can then be passed back to birmingham-rose when she is next available 

Journal Entry 25 by juliako from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Wednesday, June 04, 2008

This arrived safely yesterday. Have been flicking through and came upon the wasp question quite accidently. Fascinating! I look forward to reading the rest and then will have another go at tracking down birmingham-rose. 

Journal Entry 26 by bigcurlyloz from Fordham, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Arrived home yesterday. Thanks to everyone for taking part.