Book review: National Geographic Kids' 'Surprising Stories Behind Everyday Stuff' is a fun read for adults and kids

Once upon a time, before smart phones, there were bathroom books. A bathroom book would often be kept near the toilet and available for perusing during your time on the commode. And this book, Surprising Stories Behind Everyday Stuff would have been the perfect bathroom book!

Image from my phone while at Museum of Natural Curiosity. The kids played while I read!

But I haven't seen bathroom books in a while, so maybe this could be called a coffee table book? Are there still coffee table books?

Regardless (because my kids think coffee tables should be called book tables, anyway), Surprising Stories Behind Everyday Stuff is one of those books that's easy to pick up, flip randomly through pages, and quickly get sucked in. And that's exactly what keeps happening to me every time I open it.

Image from Amazon

This book tells about the history of the camera, women's swimsuits, barber poles, deodorant, and a zillion other things. Its 250+ pages are divided into 10 chapters and every page has colorful photographs and illustrations.

Image from Amazon

I learned that handshakes started thousands of years ago and were originally used to show another that you weren't holding any weapons. Shaking the hand up and down was a way to wrangle any hidden weapons out of sleeves. Yikes! But at the same time, how interesting is that?

Image from Amazon

I read about neckties, a fashion I've always wondered about every time I've picked out a new tie for my husband. I mean, why do guys wear ties? Is it to hide their dress shirt buttons? I learned that no one actually knows where this custom came from. But I did learn about some of the more outlandish tie fashions from long ago and I'm glad my boys don't have to deal with those.

Image from Amazon

Surprising Stories Behind Everyday Stuff is a trivia book with a lot of history about culture tucked into it. This is a clean book with nothing offensive in it and a fun one to pick up and read any time. Also, it's small and easy to tuck into purses, as proven by the length of time it's been in my purse!

Book breakdown:
254 pages
Full-color photographs and illustrations
Best for ages: 8 through adult
Educational factor: high
Religious content: low
Parents could be concerned about: nothing