mental_floss magazine
Reviewed by: Genna Buhr, Public Services Manager
Genre: Entertaining and Educational Facts
Suggested Age: Adult (but most content is appropriate for high schoolers, too)
What is the book about?: First up, mental_floss is a magazine, not a book. As a magazine, it offers articles – both long and short – on a seemingly endless variety of topics presented in entertaining and often humorous ways. Currently published 9 times each year, it covers science, the arts, entertainment, literature, health, language, history, and other mysteries with the approach of answering questions you’ve always had…or didn’t even know you had! Here’s a sneak peak at some of its more recent stories:
- “The White Whale” – Moby-Dick made Melville a legend – and sank his career.
- “Miracle on ice” – Scientists scale glaciers to study miniscule and elusive ice worms.
- “13 secrets of ice cream science” – Get the inside scoop (ha!) from one of Ben & Jerry’s elite food scientists.
- “The Barnum of Baseball” – Charlie Finley had some doozies when it came to ideas for bettering baseball.
- “Inside Star City” – Once a top-secret military base, this remote Russian campus has become a playground for space-bound billionaires.
- “Hop to it! Who invented India Pale Ale?” – Hint: It wasn’t an Indian.
My review: As far as magazine’s go, mental_floss is my fave. As a non-fiction reader and trivia lover, it’s perfect. As someone who doesn’t get to read as much grown-up stuff as she likes, it’s perfect. It’s interesting, it’s funny, and it’s quick. It gets me thinking, without making me snore. They used to have a slogan – “Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix,” and they’ve moved on to “Feel Smart Again!” If you’re a sucker for BuzzFeed type lists, but want some with a little more heft, check out their website at mentalfloss.com. They also publish great compendium books that are easy to pick up and put down as needed; FDL owns many you can borrow. Speaking of borrowing, FDL not only subscribes to the print magazine, but also offers the digital version of the print magazine through the library’s Zinio downloadable magazine service. (If you need help getting started with Zinio, click the link at the top of the Zinio page or stop by the library with your device.)
Heads up: Beware of their website…it can be somewhat addicting! (At least with the magazine, there’s an end.)
Rating: 5/5
Find it at the library! Download full issues from the library!
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each Tuesday at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!