The Order of Things: Hierarchies, Structures, and Pecking Orders

By Barbara Ann Kipfer

Book Overview

Utterly compelling Barbara Ann Kipfer has elevated the list to high art and bestselling pleasure. A foremost expert of classification, in The Order of Things , she does for life what her previous books do for happiness and wisdom--organize it in a way that is brilliantly conceived. The The Order of Things is practical, entertaining, eclectic, and impossible to put down. Beginning with Earth--Smog Alert States, Rain Forest Layers, Coal Sizes-- and ending with General Knowledge and Philosophy (the I Ching's 64 "chapters," Ludwig Wittgenstein's four-step Method of Overcoming Puzzlement), it is a 14-chapter taxonomy of the world as we know it: - The Seven Hills of Rome, the Seven Deadly Sins, the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Seven Dwarfs--check. - The belt degrees of karate and judo, weight classes of professional and amateur boxing, flower names of the golf holes at Augusta--check. - The hierarchy of the FBI, publication order of Shakespeare's plays, cuts of beef, Freud's divisions of the human psyche, order of rank in world armies and navies, Jupiter's satellites, ships' bells, traditional and modern wine measures, blood-pressure levels, fastest animals--check. A completely indispensable reference--check.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0761150447
• ISBN13: 9780761150442
• Release Date: November 2008
• Publisher: Workman Publishing
• Length: 615 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 4.1" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Great book for trivia lovers!

This book is awesome! There are more facts and information in this little book than I've seen in any other published book. It's fun to look through and learn things I hadn't considered. A great gift for someone who loves to learn or likes to know facts.

book review

This little book is chock full of information. There is all kinds of neat nuggets of trivia that cover just about every subject. Also a great reference, without having to surf the internet.

Answer all you questions!

Okay maybe not all your questions, but this little book is packed with some great information. If you like history, games, and just some interesting facts about the world we live then this book is for you.

Every writer needs this book

There are three reference books I use all the time in writing: The Synonym Finder, the Random House Word Menu, and The Order of Things. I use these three books more often than a dictionary, because they help you *find* words that can be properly used, which is the primary exercise of a writer.

Perfect for Fact Junkies!

I picked this book up after seeing it mentioned in David Sedaris' "Me Talk Pretty One Day" - he had referred to it as an excellent source for verifying just about any fact or figure you can think of, and he was right. The Internet can answer just about any nagging reference question you may have, but here you will have it in a handy volume you can also pour over just for fun. Excellent for settling debates with know-it-alls and Cliff Clavens everywhere.