Although I didn't take notes on some of the more interesting details, I do remember a few sections I enjoyed. After visiting the Colosseum in Rome, it was fascinating to note that Roman soldiers were paid in salt, thus the term "worth one's salt." It seems like I read this before I checked out the book, but another curious travel fact mentioned that "The first toilet in any row of public stalls is the least frequented and contains the least bacteria." Good to know. I loved the section in the animal chapter on the names of groupings of animals: "ballet" of swans, "business" of ferrets, "intrigue" of kittens, and "ostentation" of peacocks. Even though it is highly unlikely that I'll ever use such terms, I love to discover new words like that.
The back cover encourages me to nap more, indicating that "napping can save you from a heart attack," and to surf the Internet more because it supposedly makes you smarter ("but not as smart as reading this book will"). Since my focus was taken up with the catch-up process for the Nanowrimo challenge (beginning ten days behind, due to my trip), this was an easy-to-read, light-hearted book. I think I might like to seek out another by the same author, Literary Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Literature.
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