barney hegarty

Tales of the Unexpected - Did I Know That? is a collection of facts, laws, origins of sayings and incredible truths. They all come from emails sent to the author from all over the world and in one way or another caused him to laugh out loud when he received them.

To be precise, the type of laughter brought about by these is more of wonder and fascination with the world around us than of rib-tickled mirth, so it’s probably more accurate to describe them as bringing on snorts of wry pleasure than out-loud guffaws. But that shouldn‘t alter anything. This is a fascinating book that was a joy to compile with interested readers in mind.

All the stories and facts in here are understood to be true, so you can become an instant centre of fascination with your friends, family and workmates as you regale them with these fantastic facts. In fact, it will be a matter of eternal wonder if you don’t get promoted, better looking AND more popular as a direct result of buying and reading this book.

Have you ever wondered about the relationship between the Space Shuttle and a horse’s backside?

Have you tried moving your leg in a clockwise direction and drawing a ‘6’ at the same time?
Do you know where a Piggy Bank comes from? Where ‘Dirt Poor’, ‘Saved by the bell’ or “Getting fired” come from? Or what a ‘tittle’ is?

All the answers are in here. Some you may already astonish yourself by knowing; the rest sound familiar but have been selected because they are just a bit different from the usual ones that get trotted out.

The book is as usual short and sweet so it can be randomly read and enjoyed at your convenience during a drink, a meal or a journey. It will certainly beat gazing dopily at your phone hoping for a torrent of friendly texts. And all for less than the price of a drink.

Enjoy it. Fill your boots and allow yourself to laugh at some of these facts simply because it’s good for you.