Ready to Start with Some Engaging Stories?
Your dose of "Wow! I never knew that!" is ready and waiting. Just choose your preferred reading or listening option below!
What You'll Learn
“You’re So Vain: Striking a Vocal Chord”
“The Rolling Stones have made a heck of a dent in the music landscape over the past six decades. Another full-lipped and stunningly talented performer made her own ripple in music history. How about Carly Simon, writer and singer of the classic You’re So Vain? What do these two have to do with each other? Read on…”
What possessed us to invent a game, presumably one for kids, where the object is to fling a ball at an opponent with enough force to prevent them from catching it? As I remember the rules, nothing is sacred. Leg, body, extremity, and full-on facial shots are all “American Dodgeball Association… Of America” approved. (Warning: There may be plenty of Dodgeball movie references in this piece. Deal with it.)
The Real Origin of Dodgeball
Schrodinger’s Cat: A Guide to Radioactive Felines
If you dislike cats, you’ll love Schrodinger’s Cat. I guarantee it. You see, Schrodinger’s cat is locked inside of a sealed box. Inside the box is a radioactive element, a Geiger counter, and either some poison or perhaps some type of explosive. Schrodinger was a twisted thought scientist because he deigned to rig this setup in such a way that when (or if) the radioactive element decayed at some random time, it would trigger the Geiger counter, which would, in turn, release the poison or launch the feline-seeking Hellfire missile.
"Good information, great style, easy reading. We are all curious, but don’t always take time to find answers. So Tom has answered a ton of questions in this book. I’ll point out a couple of things that make it worth your while. I have listened to Tom on podcasts, and he is an entertaining conversationalist. Wisecracks that make you laugh and information that make you listen and nod your head in agreement. Easy reading, it’s like having a conversation with someone. The subjects are in short reads, 5 minutes or less. We know where we might spend 5 minutes or less, don’t we?"
"Well done Tom McHale! The book is extremely easy to read, entertaining, well written, and humorous."
DID YOU KNOW?
Who invented beer?
Did Federal Express really survive based on a blackjack bet in Vegas?
What's the deal with radioactive bananas?
What are hot dogs really made from?
Do you know what space smells like?
Why do tennis players grunt?
Who decided to start drinking milk from cows?
The sticky truth of tar and feathering.
The dead man who won World War II. Sort of.
How do politicians get so rich?
Microwaves cook from the inside. Or do they?
Why do weeks have seven days?
Discover and enjoy surprising, quirky and stimulating stories.
"Great information you may not know but you will after reading this book…Tom has done an outstanding job on this book…Readers, you will not be disappointed with this book."
Burning Dirt: Why Some Scotch Tastes Like Peat Moss
Scotch whisky obtains its flavors from a variety of sources. The water used by higher-end distilleries is often a closely guarded secret used to competitive advantage. The barley used in scotch whisky production will undoubtedly have an influence, as will the handling between the germination and kilning phases. But some whisky distilleries use the old way and bring you the finest scotches by using a healthy dollop of… dirt.
Yep, that’s why scotch aficionados describe some peaty varietals with words including smokey, earthy, heather, floral, seaweed, antiseptic and… iodine.
Also available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Audible
And much, much more.
✅ Why does some scotch taste like burning dirt?
✅ An interesting story that very few people know about Carly Simon's hit song, "You're So Vain." It's not about the debate over who she's talking about...
✅ A scientist named Schrodinger postulated a quantum mechanics theory that explained how a cat in a box could be dead and alive at the same time. Was he absolutely nuts?
✅ We all played dodgeball as kids, but where did this game come from? The answers may surprise, and even shock you.
✅ A rogue codebreaker who wore bathrobes to work during his US Navy duties changed the course of the war in the Pacific. Learn the full story.
✅ Federal Express is a multibillion dollar global shipping company now, but did you know the company's survival once hinged on a Las Vegas gamble?
✅ It sounds weird when you think about it, but to this day we tell performers to "break a leg" before their big moment. Why?
✅ Where on earth did the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe come from? Some romantic horticulturist or was there more to the story?
✅ Why is tennis scoring so utterly bizarre? "Love-15?" Really?
✅ Back in the day, sailors and entire fleets had little idea of where they were at any given time. More than one regatta literally crashed into the shores because of the challenge of navigation. Learn how the simple pocket watch solved the problem.
✅ Clarence Birdseye changed the way we eat, but it sure wasn't easy.
Over 80 Fascinating Stories for Curious Minds
Tom has published about 10 books and a couple of thousand articles over the past decade or so while working as a magazine editor. He’s the creator of Practical Guides—fun and lighter-side approaches to learning new things.
He finished college and his Master’s of Business Administration degree about a hundred years ago. Before shifting gears and wading into the writing business, he spent a couple of decades in high-tech corporate marketing. Then he opened a restaurant, which was a really bad idea. He doesn’t recommend it to anyone.
Tom is a voracious reader, having melted three Kindles so far, topically alternating between history, humor and well-written crime and suspense novels. Yeah, they’re a great way to unwind.
You can find the latest at his website, and there’s always a free eBook there for the taking, along with social media links if you’d like to connect.
About the Author