Now You Know: The Book of Answers

Alain Létourneau is a librarian in the J.N. Desmarais Library at
Laurentian University.

“How did sunglasses originate?” “Why do we call a good meal a
‘square meal’?” “Why do the British drive on the left and North
Americans on the right?” “When did men start shaving every
morning?” “Why is a horseshoe thought to be good luck?” “Why is
an eager person ‘gung ho’ and a coward ‘yellow’?” The answers
to these questions and hundreds more can be found in this very
entertaining handbook by Doug Lennox, a freelance writer and radio and
television host.

The question-and-answer scripts were originally written for radio and
first heard on the radio show “Now You Know.” Each script includes
not only the question and answer, but also the origin of the saying,
custom, superstition, routine, habit, or word, etc.—all explained in
an easy-to-read format. The scripts are organized into 12 sections:
“People and Places,” “Pop Culture,” “Customs,” “Sports and
Leisure,” “Politics and History,” “War and Military,”
“Holidays,” “Animals,” “Beliefs and Superstitions,”
“Words,” “Expressions,” and “Trivia,” and the book is filled
with amusing illustrations.

Trivia buffs need look no further. This book is sure to fascinate
readers. One more: “Why did pirates wear earrings?” If you think it
was for decoration, you are wrong.