The Book of Animal Ignorance
Encyclopedia
The Book of Animal Ignorance is the second title in a series of books based on the intellectual British
panel game
QI
, written by series-creator John Lloyd
and head-researcher John Mitchinson
. It is a trivia
book, consisting largely of little-known facts about various animals, alongside factual corrections to other pieces of supposedly "well-known" trivia that, although widely believed, are not always accurate. It is a sequel to The Book of General Ignorance
.
on the 4 October 2007, almost exactly a year after The Book of General Ignorance, and clearly targeted towards the same Christmas market. An American printing is likely to be forthcoming, since the success of General Ignorance in the UK Christmas market 2006 reputedly prompted "a two-book, six-figure" sale of the US publication rights, although the UK edition is already available through Amazon.com
. From November, 2007, it is distributed in Australia by Allen & Unwin
. A Dutch translation of the book, Het grote boek van foute feiten over dieren, was published on 1 March 2009 by Uitgeverij Forum.
s structure as a question-and-answer trivia tome, The Book of Animal Ignorance instead opts for an encyclopaedic listing of 100 animals, providing information and facts for each. This change in style may be dictated simply by the content, but could also be as a direct result of criticism directed at the former title by Marcus Berkmann
, referring to its disappointing similarity in format to a number of titles, and specifically New Scientist
's 2005 book Does Anything Eat Wasps?
Touted on the cover as being "from the team that brought 'Ignorance' to millions", it promised to be a "bestiary for the 21st century," and contains almost-completely new "quite interesting" facts on 100 different animals, described in Fry's introduction as "the oats in the QI muesli". This new style and emphasis on new material clearly demonstrates the evolution of the QI brand, moving as it does away from the look of the initial book, a far more obvious simple rehashing of content from the TV series ('"General Ignorance" round), rather than being a complementary companion volume in its own right, as is Animal Ignorance.
Animal Ignorance again features forewords from both regular QI
personalities, Stephen Fry
and Alan Davies
. In contrast to the preceding books' "Four words," Davies here contributes a 'proper' foreword, labelled a "Forepaw", in keeping with the book's subject matter. It comprises two-page spreads on 100 diverse mammals, reptiles, rodents, fish, birds and other beasts ranging from aardvark
to worm
(and not strictly "Aardvark to Zebra
" as initially reported). The book was designed, typeset also illustrated (with "400 diagrams and cartoons") "by the brilliant Ted Dewan
".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
panel game
Panel game
A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait.....
QI
QI
QI is a British comedy panel game television quiz show created and co-produced by John Lloyd, hosted by Stephen Fry, and featuring permanent panellist Alan Davies. Most of the questions are extremely obscure, making it unlikely that the correct answer will be given...
, written by series-creator John Lloyd
John Lloyd (writer)
John Hardress Wilfred Lloyd CBE is a British comedy writer and television producer. He is the great nephew of John Hardress Lloyd.-Early life and career:...
and head-researcher John Mitchinson
John Mitchinson
For the English tenor, see John Mitchinson .For the Bishop, see John Mitchinson .John Mitchinson is the head of research for the British television panel game QI, and is also the managing director of Quite Interesting Limited. He is co-writer of the QI series of books with the show's creator John...
. It is a trivia
Trivia
The trivia are the three lower Artes Liberales, i.e. grammar, rhetoric and logic. These were the topics of basic education, foundational to the quadrivia of higher education, and hence the material of basic education, of interest only to undergraduates...
book, consisting largely of little-known facts about various animals, alongside factual corrections to other pieces of supposedly "well-known" trivia that, although widely believed, are not always accurate. It is a sequel to The Book of General Ignorance
The Book of General Ignorance
The Book of General Ignorance is the first in a series of books based on the final round in the intellectual British panel game QI, written by series-creator John Lloyd and head-researcher John Mitchinson, to help spread the QI philosophy of curiosity to the reading public...
.
Publication history
The Book of Animal Ignorance was first published in the UK by Faber and FaberFaber and Faber
Faber and Faber Limited, often abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in the UK, notable in particular for publishing a great deal of poetry and for its former editor T. S. Eliot. Faber has a rich tradition of publishing a wide range of fiction, non fiction, drama, film and music...
on the 4 October 2007, almost exactly a year after The Book of General Ignorance, and clearly targeted towards the same Christmas market. An American printing is likely to be forthcoming, since the success of General Ignorance in the UK Christmas market 2006 reputedly prompted "a two-book, six-figure" sale of the US publication rights, although the UK edition is already available through Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
. From November, 2007, it is distributed in Australia by Allen & Unwin
Allen & Unwin
Allen & Unwin, formerly a major British publishing house, is now an independent book publisher and distributor based in Australia. The Australian directors have been the sole owners of the Allen & Unwin name since effecting a management buy out at the time the UK parent company, Unwin Hyman, was...
. A Dutch translation of the book, Het grote boek van foute feiten over dieren, was published on 1 March 2009 by Uitgeverij Forum.
Structure
Differing from its forebear, the QI Book of General IgnoranceThe Book of General Ignorance
The Book of General Ignorance is the first in a series of books based on the final round in the intellectual British panel game QI, written by series-creator John Lloyd and head-researcher John Mitchinson, to help spread the QI philosophy of curiosity to the reading public...
s structure as a question-and-answer trivia tome, The Book of Animal Ignorance instead opts for an encyclopaedic listing of 100 animals, providing information and facts for each. This change in style may be dictated simply by the content, but could also be as a direct result of criticism directed at the former title by Marcus Berkmann
Marcus Berkmann
-Life:Educated at Highgate School and Worcester College, Oxford, he began his career as a freelance journalist, contributing to computer and gaming magazines...
, referring to its disappointing similarity in format to a number of titles, and specifically New Scientist
New Scientist
New Scientist is a weekly non-peer-reviewed English-language international science magazine, which since 1996 has also run a website, covering recent developments in science and technology for a general audience. Founded in 1956, it is published by Reed Business Information Ltd, a subsidiary of...
's 2005 book Does Anything Eat Wasps?
Touted on the cover as being "from the team that brought 'Ignorance' to millions", it promised to be a "bestiary for the 21st century," and contains almost-completely new "quite interesting" facts on 100 different animals, described in Fry's introduction as "the oats in the QI muesli". This new style and emphasis on new material clearly demonstrates the evolution of the QI brand, moving as it does away from the look of the initial book, a far more obvious simple rehashing of content from the TV series ('"General Ignorance" round), rather than being a complementary companion volume in its own right, as is Animal Ignorance.
Animal Ignorance again features forewords from both regular QI
QI
QI is a British comedy panel game television quiz show created and co-produced by John Lloyd, hosted by Stephen Fry, and featuring permanent panellist Alan Davies. Most of the questions are extremely obscure, making it unlikely that the correct answer will be given...
personalities, Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
and Alan Davies
Alan Davies
Alan Davies is an English comedian, writer and actor best known for starring in the TV mystery series Jonathan Creek and as the permanent panellist on the TV panel show QI.- Early life :...
. In contrast to the preceding books' "Four words," Davies here contributes a 'proper' foreword, labelled a "Forepaw", in keeping with the book's subject matter. It comprises two-page spreads on 100 diverse mammals, reptiles, rodents, fish, birds and other beasts ranging from aardvark
Aardvark
The aardvark is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa...
to worm
Worm
The term worm refers to an obsolete taxon used by Carolus Linnaeus and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck for all non-arthropod invertebrate animals, and stems from the Old English word wyrm. Currently it is used to describe many different distantly-related animals that typically have a long cylindrical...
(and not strictly "Aardvark to Zebra
Zebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
" as initially reported). The book was designed, typeset also illustrated (with "400 diagrams and cartoons") "by the brilliant Ted Dewan
Ted Dewan
Ted Dewan is an England-based American author/illustrator, born in 1961 in Boston, Massachusetts. He is married to fellow-illustrator Helen Cooper and has a daughter Pandora Dewan, and is the brother of musician/artist Brian Dewan.-Life:...
".