It’s not often you come across a history book that’s got something for everyone. However, “”The Mental Floss History of the World: An Irreverent Romp Through Civilization’s Best Bits”” by Erik Sass is truly remarkable. This book has all the interesting parts of history and is witty enough to keep you occupied. With chapter titles such as “”The Not-Really-That-Dark (Unless You Lived in Europe) Ages”” and “”War and Slavery (And, Uh, Enlightenment),”” it’s hard to keep from laughing – and learning – while you read this book. Seriously, there’s an appendix on Canada.

This book teaches you all kinds of things, ranging from Australia’s own penal colony and babies being given opium-based sedatives, to Shakespeare’s plays being in the red-light district of London and the bikini being named after an atoll where atomic weapons tests were performed.

Each chapter covers an era of history packed with the good stuff, the bad stuff and everything in between, plus a few entertaining quotes from famous people along the way.

This book may not be the novel you’ve been looking for, but it would definitely be a healthy addition to your next paper – or just simply put the power of awesome trivia at your fingertips.

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‘Mental Floss’
Collins Publishing
432 pages
4/5 stars