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  • The Second Book of General Ignorance

  • Everything You Think You Know Is (Still) Wrong
  • By: John Lloyd, John Mitchinson
  • Narrated by: Julian Elfer
  • Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (182 ratings)
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The Second Book of General Ignorance cover art

The Second Book of General Ignorance

By: John Lloyd, John Mitchinson
Narrated by: Julian Elfer
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Summary

Just when you thought that it was safe to start showing off again, John Lloyd and John Mitchinson are back with another busload of mistakes and misunderstandings. Here is a new collection of simple, perfectly obvious questions you'll be quite certain you know the answers to. Whether it's history, science, sports, geography, literature, language, medicine, the classics, or common wisdom, you'll be astonished to discover that everything you thought you knew is still hopelessly wrong.

For example, do you know who made the first airplane flight? How many legs does an octopus have? How much water should you drink every day? What is the chance of tossing a coin and it landing on heads? What happens if you leave a tooth in a glass of Coke overnight? What is house dust mostly made from? What was the first dishwasher built to do? What color are oranges? Who in the world is most likely to kill you?

Whatever your answers to the questions above, you can be sure that everything you think you know is wrong. The Second Book of General Ignorance is a must-have for everyone who knows they don't know everything and an ideal stick with which to beat people who think they do.

©2010 QI Ltd. (P)2019 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about The Second Book of General Ignorance

Average customer ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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My Ignorance

Well narrated, kept me interested. I didn’t realise how misinformed I’d been since school lol

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Everything you thought you knew….

Turns out not to be the case. Well researched and well delivered. A lot of info is packed in so you do have to listen or you miss half of what is being said.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Information Overload !!

What a lot of things we think we know are completely wrong 😅 Facinating facts...I just wish I could remember some of them 🙏

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Love my ignorance

I love listening to a rich fund of clever trivia. I love hearing Julian Elfer reading. QI is great but GI is a brilliant listen.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Its okay.

I downloaded this book because it was a freebie.
Overall the book is okay on this basis, but it can be rather annoying when facts are explained first and then the transcript from QI is read. This seems pretty pointless.

The narrator lets themself down badly in one place, though. Their attempt at pronouncing the village name Llanfairpwllgwyngyll…” in Anglesey is truly execrable.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Interesting

It’s a mix of references to the show, which are like interspersed in a big winding interconnected list of interesting facts.

The narrators voice and delivery is very pleasant so it’s a good listen while you’re doing something else.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

OK but some "facts" incorrect

This book is pretty decent, but I have found some of the "facts" in it are not right. For instance Parasthesia (Pins and Needles) is not a side effect of acupuncture!

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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loved it

As a fan of QI and miscellaneous facts, I loved this! I had to check a few of the claims which sounded dubious and decidedly unlikely (some are still in this category). Above all else it is a highly entertaining list of things you do not need to know and which is therefore essential listening.

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As usual, it’s pure knowledge.

I love hearing about the things that we know are true, especially when it is revised knowledge, such as the knowledge that we get from Qi, and while this is not a story, I still rated it being worth five stars, because I found it thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining. And because it is included in the subscription fee, I am happy to say that everyone should give it a try, because the facts come in handy little chunks, which will help pass the time on short bus/train journeys.

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phenomenal

the weird facts come at you fast and furiously. things you think are facts are not. sprinkled with witticisms from the QI panel

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