"What do condoms have in common with Goodyear Tires?"

The book is called Quickies - Fascinating Facts About the Facts of Life, and it is, in a brief summation, just that. But it is also so much more. The author, Don Voorhees, is well known for his collection of other fact-filled books, including The Book of Totally Useless Information, Thoughts for the Throne: The Ultimate Bathroom Book of Useless Information, Why Does Popcorn Pop: 201 Other Fascinating Facts About Food, and the upcoming Why Do Donuts Have Holes?: Fascinating Facts About What We Eat And Drink due out in October 2004.

Amazon has a list of his books with all rave reviews, and they're all quite interesting, but let's focus on the Quickies at the moment.

This book is filled with simple information on sex and is really quite erudite - it's even corrected a few of the trivia notes that I have made in the past. The table of contents include Man's Best Friend, Victoria's Secrets, Getting it up!, Sponges, Caps and Pills, Unmentionables, The Business of Sex, The World's Oldest Professions and a host more. The thing is that it's all rather fascinating. I sat down one night to peruse the book and found myself astounded at the wealth of information contained and how it was presented. I even found myself chuckling aloud at some of the more interesting notes.

For instance, Mr. Voorhees asserts that, "The size of a man's feet or hands has no relation to his penis size." According to Mr. Voorhees, the best indicator of penile size is the size of his father's penis. Another little tidbit - Can an erection break? It is, it seems, possible to break an erection. You'll have to read more to find out how and why.

Is one testicle supposed to be larger than another?
He has the answer for this as well, and you'd be surprised at it. The information, however, is not entirely male-based. Women are covered here as well with questions like "How is the clitoris like an iceberg?" No, it's not the way you think! According to Mr. Voorhees, it's "because there's more to the clitoris than meets the eye - it's not that little bit of tissue that you can see. Like an iceberg, only the tip of the clitoris is visible at the surface." And the book goes on with a more detailed explanation which, in my not so humble opinion, all men (and some women) should read.

For someone like me who is always interested in knowing more about sex, sexuality and sensuality, this book is a godsend. It offers information you may have gotten wrong in the past or learned from your buddies on the street, and gives that info correctly, in concise, interesting tidbits.

"What article of lingerie is men's favorite? A 2002 Maidenform survey revealed that men's favorite lingerie item is the thong. The women surveyed, however, fancied the bra as the sexiest part of their wardrobe. (The garter belt, which was more popular in olden days, ranked at the bottom of the sexy lingerie list.)"

It's a quick read, and is more of something you can sit down and examine in an evening. Or you could have a party, question your friends about their knowledge and let them know whether or not their store of factoids is correct. It can even be a bathroom book, with little vignettes to pass the time while you're doing what it is that you do in there. However you use it, this book offers something for everyone.

One of my favorite pieces (which is timely too) is When Nipple Rings Came into Vogue. Think Janet, and we're on the same page. Contrary to the recent furor, this book's little tit-bit of information tells us that Nipple Rings are long-standing fashion statements. I quote: "Young people today think that any fad of our time is always something new and different. Although some people today may be taking body piercing to the extreme, nipple rings are actually nothing new. Many ladies of the late Victorian era had a naughty little secret under their clothes."

"During the 1890s, it became fashionable for trendy Parisian and English women to pierce their nipples. They wore small gold rings on their nipples during the day, known and bosom rings. At night, they might put on more ornate rings for their spouses. Basically, any earring they had could be hung from the nipples. Some even wore strings of pearls attached from one breast to another. Reportedly, these women liked the way it felt when the nipple rings rubbed against their clothing and believed that the rings could help make their breasts larger and firmer."

So, what's all the fuss about Janet? If it was de rigueur in the repressive Victorian era, what's a little nipple cover now? I'm not sure where Mr. Voorhees collects his wealth of information, but it is fascinating and enlightening, and I've found myself reading and re-reading several sections just because I am astounded at the information contained therein. I love this book, and highly recommend it to anyone who has curiosity, clinical questions, and just a love of the bizarre.

You can find Mr. Voorhees' book on Amazon for the reasonable price of $10.36, and I assure you it is a mere pittance for the quality of information and fascination that you will discover within his pages.

"What do condoms have in common with Goodyear Tires?"
Early condoms did not fit very well and were clumsy to put on. With Charles Goodyear's patenting of vulcanized (hardened) rubber in 1844, that would soon change. Vulcanization allowed the creation of rubber condoms, called, appropriately enough, 'rubbers', which became very popular in the late 1870s. They were rather thick and somewhat reduced the man's pleasure, but they were tough and reusable (after washing)."

"Why did the Arabs put stones into a camel's uterus?"
Evidently, a pregnant camel is a foul and unruly beast, not good for much. The Arabs of Northern Africa somehow discovered that if you put a stone into the womb of a camel, it will not get pregnant."

This author gives it a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10. Give it to someone you love, but make sure you have one in your own library, as well. It's the ultimate bathroom or bedroom read…while you wait for your lover to come to bed!