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{{Infobox book series
{{unreferenced|date=March 2010}}
| name = Imponderables
__NOTOC__
| books =
'''''Imponderables''''' is a series of eleven books written by [[David Feldman (author)|David Feldman]]. The books examine, investigate, and explain common, yet puzzling phenomena. Examples include "Why do your eyes hurt when you are tired?", "Why do judges wear black robes?", and "Why do you rarely see purple Christmas lights?", among many others. The word "imponderable" is used to describe such mysteries of everyday life. The books are effectively a [[frequently asked questions]] list for people who wonder why and how the world works as it does. The first book in this series was published in 1986.
| author = Dave Feldman
| title_orig =
| translator =
| illustrator =
| cover_artist =
| country = United States
| language = English
| genre = {{Ubl
|[[Reference]]
|[[FAQ]]
}}
| publisher = {{Ubl
|[[HarperCollins]] (1986–1993; 2004–2006)
|[[Penguin Random House|Penguin]] (1995–96)
}}
| pub_date = 1986–2006
| media_type = Print
| number_of_books = 11
| list_books =
| website = {{URL|imponderables.com}}
}}
'''''Imponderables''''', or '''''Mysteries of Everyday Life Explained''''', is a series of illustrated reference books by [[David Feldman (author)|David Feldman]] written in [[FAQ]] format. The series was published by imprints of [[HarperCollins]] from 1986 to 1993, [[Penguin Random House|Penguin]] from 1995 to 1996, and HarperCollins from 2004 to 2006.


== Premise ==
The books in the series (each named after an imponderable covered in the book) are:
The books examine, investigate, and explain common, yet puzzling phenomena. Examples include: "Why do your eyes hurt when you are tired?", "Why do judges wear black robes?", and "Why do you rarely see purple Christmas lights?", among many others. The word "imponderable" is used to describe such mysteries of everyday life. The books are organized in a [[FAQ]] format.
*''Imponderables'' (Reissued as ''Why Don't Cats Like to Swim?''), Harper, ISBN 978-0060751487
*''Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise?'', Harper, ISBN 978-0060740924
*''When Do Fish Sleep?'', Harper, ISBN 978-0060740931
*''Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses?'', ISBN 978-0060921118
*''Do Penguins Have Knees?'', ISBN 978-0060740917
*''When Did Wild Poodles Roam the Earth?'' (Reissued as ''Are Lobsters Ambidextrous?'')
*''How Does Aspirin Find a Headache?''
*''What Are Hyenas Laughing At, Anyway?''
*''How Do Astronauts Scratch an Itch?''
*''Do Elephants Jump?''
*''Why Do Pirates Love Parrots?''


The books also feature additional chapters on ''Frustables'', which are defined as imponderables that are uniquely frustrating because they lack a clear answer.
Additional chapters explore ''Frustables'', defined as ''Imponderables'' that are uniquely frustrating because they lack a clear answer. Some of the recurring ''Frustables'' are:
* Why do you so often see one shoe lying along the side of the road?
* [[Left- and right-hand traffic|Why do the English drive on the left and most other countries on the right?]]
* Why do American women shave their armpits?
* Why do doctors have such messy handwriting?


== Volumes ==
Some of the recurring frustables are:
Not all volumes include a number stamp. HarperCollins assigned each edition more than one ISBN, therefore the numbers listed below may not be the first edition.
{| class="wikitable"
!{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
!Title
!Publisher
!Date
!ISBN
|-
|1
|''Imponderables''{{Hsp}}{{Efn|Revised as ''Why Don't Cats Like to Swim?'' (2004).}}
| rowspan="7" |HarperCollins
|September 1986
|{{ISBNT|0-688-05913-9}}
|-
|2
|''Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise?''
|November 1987
|{{ISBNT|0-06-015781-X}}
|-
|3
|''When Do Fish Sleep?''
|October 1989
|{{ISBNT|0-06-016161-2}}
|-
|4
|''Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses?''
|September 1990
|{{ISBNT|0-06-016293-7}}
|-
|5
|''Do Penguins Have Knees?''
|October 1991
|{{ISBNT|0-06-016294-5}}
|-
|6
|''When Did Wild Poodles Roam the Earth?''{{Hsp}}{{Efn|Revised as ''Are Lobsters Ambidextrous?'' (2005).}}
|November 1992
|{{ISBNT|0-06-016908-7}}
|-
|7
|''How Does Aspirin Find a Headache?''
|November 1993
|{{ISBNT|0-06-016923-0}}
|-
|8
|''What Are Hyenas Laughing At, Anyway?''
| rowspan="2" |Penguin
|October 1995
|{{ISBNT|0-399-14084-0}}
|-
|9
|''How Do Astronauts Scratch an Itch?''
|October 1996
|{{ISBNT|0-399-14189-8}}
|-
|10
|''Do Elephants Jump?''
| rowspan="2" |HarperCollins
|November 2, 2004
|{{ISBNT|0-06-053913-5}}
|-
|11
|''Why Do Pirates Love Parrots?''
|September 2006
|{{ISBNT|0-06-088842-3}}
|}


=== Revised volumes ===
*Why do you so often see one shoe lying along the side of the road?
Feldman significantly revised two volumes for HarperCollins in 2004. They were released alongside reprints of other volumes with new titles.
*[[traffic directionality|Why do the English drive on the left and most other countries on the right?]]
{| class="wikitable"
*Why do American women shave their armpits?
!{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
*Why do doctors have such messy handwriting?
!Title
!Date
!ISBN
|-
|1
|''Why Don't Cats Like to Swim?''
|November 2, 2004
|{{ISBNT|0-06-075148-7}}
|-
|6
|''Are Lobsters Ambidextrous?''
|August 16, 2005
|{{ISBNT|0-06-076295-0}}
|}


=== ''Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?'' ===
Feldman also wrote one ''Imponderables'' book solely about [[Linguistics|linguistic]] mysteries, entitled ''Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?'' The book deals with the mysterious origins of names and phrases in the [[English language]].
In 1989, Feldman explored a number of idiosyncratic features of the English language in ''Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smart |first=Patricia |date=October 15, 1989 |title=WITTY LOOK AT IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS WHO PUT THE BUTTER IN BUTTERFLY? BY DAVID FELDMAN. HARPER & ROW. $15.95. |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1989-10-15-8902040490-story.html |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=2020-10-26 |website=Sun-Sentinel.com |publisher=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |language=en-US}}</ref> The volume was not published as part of the ''Imponderables'' series by HarperCollins, however the book design and text formatting of paperback editions is identical to other volumes.
{| class="wikitable"
!Title
!Date
!ISBN
|-
|''Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?''
|April 1989
|{{ISBNT|0-06-016072-1}}
|}


== See also ==
The term "Imponderables" is a [[trademark]].
* ''[[The Answer Man]]'' – Radio program that ran from 1937 to 1956
* "[[The Straight Dope]]" – Newspaper column and companion books published from 1973 to 2018


==See also==
== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}
* [[Straight Dope]], a newspaper column based on a similar premise


==External links==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* [http://www.imponderables.com/ Imponderables website]


== External links ==
{{ref-book-stub}}
* {{Official website|https://imponderables.com/}} (no longer maintained)


[[Category:Trivia books]]
[[Category:Publications established in 1986]]
[[Category:Publications established in 1986]]
[[Category:Trivia books]]
[[Category:Series of books]]
[[Category:Series of books]]
[[Category:HarperCollins books]]

Latest revision as of 01:42, 28 September 2023

Imponderables
AuthorDave Feldman
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre
Publisher
Published1986–2006
Media typePrint
No. of books11
Websiteimponderables.com

Imponderables, or Mysteries of Everyday Life Explained, is a series of illustrated reference books by David Feldman written in FAQ format. The series was published by imprints of HarperCollins from 1986 to 1993, Penguin from 1995 to 1996, and HarperCollins from 2004 to 2006.

Premise

[edit]

The books examine, investigate, and explain common, yet puzzling phenomena. Examples include: "Why do your eyes hurt when you are tired?", "Why do judges wear black robes?", and "Why do you rarely see purple Christmas lights?", among many others. The word "imponderable" is used to describe such mysteries of everyday life. The books are organized in a FAQ format.

Additional chapters explore Frustables, defined as Imponderables that are uniquely frustrating because they lack a clear answer. Some of the recurring Frustables are:

Volumes

[edit]

Not all volumes include a number stamp. HarperCollins assigned each edition more than one ISBN, therefore the numbers listed below may not be the first edition.

No. Title Publisher Date ISBN
1 Imponderables [a] HarperCollins September 1986 0-688-05913-9
2 Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise? November 1987 0-06-015781-X
3 When Do Fish Sleep? October 1989 0-06-016161-2
4 Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses? September 1990 0-06-016293-7
5 Do Penguins Have Knees? October 1991 0-06-016294-5
6 When Did Wild Poodles Roam the Earth? [b] November 1992 0-06-016908-7
7 How Does Aspirin Find a Headache? November 1993 0-06-016923-0
8 What Are Hyenas Laughing At, Anyway? Penguin October 1995 0-399-14084-0
9 How Do Astronauts Scratch an Itch? October 1996 0-399-14189-8
10 Do Elephants Jump? HarperCollins November 2, 2004 0-06-053913-5
11 Why Do Pirates Love Parrots? September 2006 0-06-088842-3

Revised volumes

[edit]

Feldman significantly revised two volumes for HarperCollins in 2004. They were released alongside reprints of other volumes with new titles.

No. Title Date ISBN
1 Why Don't Cats Like to Swim? November 2, 2004 0-06-075148-7
6 Are Lobsters Ambidextrous? August 16, 2005 0-06-076295-0

Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?

[edit]

In 1989, Feldman explored a number of idiosyncratic features of the English language in Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?.[1] The volume was not published as part of the Imponderables series by HarperCollins, however the book design and text formatting of paperback editions is identical to other volumes.

Title Date ISBN
Who Put the Butter in Butterfly? April 1989 0-06-016072-1

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Revised as Why Don't Cats Like to Swim? (2004).
  2. ^ Revised as Are Lobsters Ambidextrous? (2005).

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Smart, Patricia (October 15, 1989). "WITTY LOOK AT IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS WHO PUT THE BUTTER IN BUTTERFLY? BY DAVID FELDMAN. HARPER & ROW. $15.95". Sun-Sentinel.com. Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
[edit]
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