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Pop Goes the Weasel: The Secret Meanings of Nursery Rhymes

by: Albert Jack

August 28, 2008
Enjoyed this book from start to end. The type of book to have by your bedside at night. Will pass to my children when slightly older....The author introduced me in to the wonderful world of nursery rhymes.
When I purchased this book, Amazon recomended buying "Now Then Lad"!! This also is a fantastic read.

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Red Herrings and White Elephants

by: Albert Jack

September 03, 2007
I am also sceptical about books of this nature, because there is always a danger of the author (no matter their intentions) to reuse stories from previous authors that were poorly researched, or just plane wrong. This author has unfortunately fallen into this trap and even though this is an entertaining read, some of the explanations of the phrases covered in this book are wrong. For example, the Dodo did not become extinct due to their meat being eaten by hungry sailors. This theory was disproved by historians who did some proper research and read the journals of sailors who actually tried to eat Dodo meat where it was described as being of bad taste and tough. This is not the only error and even when the author does give multiple examples ... Read More:

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Shaggy Dogs and Black Sheep: The Origins of Even More Phrases We Use Every Day

by: Albert Jack

August 28, 2008
All the most known phases, Red Herrings & White Elephants is the one to choose. However if you want more, then this book contains more but they are more obscure (less well known). Good though.

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Red Herrings and White Elephants

by: Albert Jack

October 08, 2004
Albert Jack's books have been unfavourably compared with Michael Quinion's 'Port Out, Starboard Home'. I have books by both authors. Jack's are well thumbed "bog books" - perfect for passing the time in the lav. Quinion's lies largely unread in a cupboard.

Quinion's is almost certainly the more accurate and learned. But it's so dull. His approach tends to be to dismiss the wonderful folk tales around words and phrases in a very superior way before confessing he doesn't really have a better explanation.

Jack doesn't let the facts get in the way of a good tale and he presents a much more entertaining read.

The choice is simple - if you want a few funny tall tales to entertain a group of mates in the pub, ... Read More:

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Phantom Hitchhikers and Decoy Ducks: The Strange Stories Behind the Urban Legends We Can't Stop Telling Each Other

by: Albert Jack

August 28, 2008
Albert Jack's books have been unfavourably compared with Michael Quinion's 'Port Out, Starboard Home'. I have books by both authors. Jack's are well thumbed "bog books" - perfect for passing the time in the lav. Quinion's lies largely unread in a cupboard.

Quinion's is almost certainly the more accurate and learned. But it's so dull. His approach tends to be to dismiss the wonderful folk tales around words and phrases in a very superior way before confessing he doesn't really have a better explanation.

Jack doesn't let the facts get in the way of a good tale and he presents a much more entertaining read.

The choice is simple - if you want a few funny tall tales to entertain a group of mates in the pub, ... Read More:

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Loch Ness Monsters and Raining Frogs: The World's Most Puzzling Mysteries Solved

by: Albert Jack

August 28, 2008
Albert Jack's books have been unfavourably compared with Michael Quinion's 'Port Out, Starboard Home'. I have books by both authors. Jack's are well thumbed "bog books" - perfect for passing the time in the lav. Quinion's lies largely unread in a cupboard.

Quinion's is almost certainly the more accurate and learned. But it's so dull. His approach tends to be to dismiss the wonderful folk tales around words and phrases in a very superior way before confessing he doesn't really have a better explanation.

Jack doesn't let the facts get in the way of a good tale and he presents a much more entertaining read.

The choice is simple - if you want a few funny tall tales to entertain a group of mates in the pub, ... Read More:

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Shaggy Dogs and Black Sheep: The Origins of Even More Phrases We Use Every Day (Penguin Pockets)

by: Albert Jack

October 05, 2006
All the most known phases, Red Herrings & White Elephants is the one to choose. However if you want more, then this book contains more but they are more obscure (less well known). Good though.

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That's Bollocks!

by: Albert Jack

September 28, 2006
It must be easy to write a book like this. Simply gather a bunch of - for the most part - well known Urban Legends, and retell them in a superficial way.

The trouble with this book is that very few of the legends are actually debunked. We are led to believe that some of the stories may actually be true. But which ones? If you want to know, you won't find out here.
Jack has obviously done no real research. You could write a book like this by using an internet search for Urban Legends. Where he has debunked them, it has been in the most cursory fashion.

Incidentally, the Hook Legend. The most obvious debunk to me is to ask the obvious question: what mental asylum would allow a one handed psychopath to keep his hook? ... Read More:

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Shaggy Dogs and Black Sheep: The Origins of Even More Phrases We Use Every Day

by: Albert Jack

September 01, 2005
All the most known phases, Red Herrings & White Elephants is the one to choose. However if you want more, then this book contains more but they are more obscure (less well known). Good though.

Average Rating:

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That's Bollocks!: Urban Legends, Conspiracy Theories and Old Wives' Tales

by: Albert Jack

October 04, 2007
It must be easy to write a book like this. Simply gather a bunch of - for the most part - well known Urban Legends, and retell them in a superficial way.

The trouble with this book is that very few of the legends are actually debunked. We are led to believe that some of the stories may actually be true. But which ones? If you want to know, you won't find out here.
Jack has obviously done no real research. You could write a book like this by using an internet search for Urban Legends. Where he has debunked them, it has been in the most cursory fashion.

Incidentally, the Hook Legend. The most obvious debunk to me is to ask the obvious question: what mental asylum would allow a one handed psychopath to keep his hook? I suppose ... Read More: