How to Hold a Crocodile

A how-to guide that offers at least as much browsing pleasure as it does practical advice, this colorful volume is sure to please those who love weird facts and unusual tidbits of information. With 188 brief, instructive and illustrated entries on natural oddities, mathematical formulas, rules of etiquette and handy skills, this compendium offers readers tips on everything from silly tricks (how to make an egg swim, tell a Zebra from a Zubra, recognize the Queen of England's swans and make hand shadows) to useful talents (how to count in roman numerals, calculate compound interest, repair a flat bicycle tire and ease a backache). Based on everyman's history, kitchen science and a goofy sense of humor, this motley collection will raise eyebrows, encourage wry smiles and maybe even teach a whole new generation how to make something used by WWII soldiers in the North African desert: a camel dung cigarette lighter.