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== Volumes ==
== Volumes ==
Not all volumes include a number stamp. From 1986 to 1991, HarperCollins assigned each hardback and paperback edition more than one ISBN.
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"
{| class="wikitable"
!{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
!{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
Line 44: Line 44:
|-
|-
|1
|1
|''Imponderables''
|''Imponderables''{{Hsp}}{{Efn|Revised as ''Why Don't Cats Like to Swim?'' (2004).}}
| rowspan="7" |HarperCollins
| rowspan="7" |HarperCollins
|September 1986
|September 1986
|{{Ubl|{{ISBNT|0-688-05913-9}} (hb.)|{{ISBNT|0-688-05914-7}} (pb.)}}
|{{ISBNT|0-688-05913-9}}
|-
|-
|2
|2
|''Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise?''
|''Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise?''
|November 1987
|November 1987
|{{Ubl|{{ISBNT|0-06-015781-X}} (hb.)|{{ISBNT|0-06-091515-3}} (pb.)}}
|{{ISBNT|0-06-015781-X}}
|-
|-
|3
|3
|''When Do Fish Sleep?''
|''When Do Fish Sleep?''
|October 1989
|October 1989
|{{Ubl|{{ISBNT|0-06-016161-2}} (hb.)|{{ISBNT|0-06-092011-4}} (pb.)}}
|{{ISBNT|0-06-016161-2}}
|-
|-
|4
|4
|''Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses?''
|''Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses?''
|September 1990
|September 1990
|{{Ubl|{{ISBNT|0-06-016293-7}} (hb.)|{{ISBNT|0-06-092111-0}} (pb.)}}
|{{ISBNT|0-06-016293-7}}
|-
|-
|5
|5
|''Do Penguins Have Knees?''
|''Do Penguins Have Knees?''
|October 1991
|October 1991
|{{Ubl|{{ISBNT|0-06-016294-5}} (hb.)|{{ISBNT|0-06-092327-X}} (pb.)}}
|{{ISBNT|0-06-016294-5}}
|-
|-
|6
|6
|''When Did Wild Poodles Roam the Earth?''
|''When Did Wild Poodles Roam the Earth?''{{Hsp}}{{Efn|Revised as ''Are Lobsters Ambidextrous?'' (2005).}}
|November 1992
|November 1992
|{{Ubl|{{ISBNT|0-06-016908-7}} (hb.)|{{ISBNT|0-06-092432-2}} (pb.)}}
|{{ISBNT|0-06-016908-7}}
|-
|-
|7
|7
|''How Does Aspirin Find a Headache?''
|''How Does Aspirin Find a Headache?''
|November 1993
|November 1993
|{{Ubl|{{ISBNT|0-06-016923-0}} (hb.)|{{ISBNT|0-06-092558-2}} (pb.)}}
|{{ISBNT|0-06-016923-0}}
|-
|-
|8
|8
Line 83: Line 83:
| rowspan="2" |Penguin
| rowspan="2" |Penguin
|October 1995
|October 1995
|{{Ubl|{{ISBNT|0-399-14084-0}} (hb.)|{{ISBNT|0-425-15451-3}} (pb.)}}
|{{ISBNT|0-399-14084-0}}
|-
|-
|9
|9
|''How Do Astronauts Scratch an Itch?''
|''How Do Astronauts Scratch an Itch?''
|October 1996
|October 1996
|{{Ubl|{{ISBNT|0-399-14189-8}} (hb.)|{{ISBNT|0-425-15984-1}} (pb.)}}
|{{ISBNT|0-399-14189-8}}
|-
|-
|10
|10
Line 94: Line 94:
| rowspan="2" |HarperCollins
| rowspan="2" |HarperCollins
|November 2, 2004
|November 2, 2004
|{{Ubl|{{ISBNT|0-06-053913-5}} (hb.)|{{ISBNT|0-06-053914-3}} (pb.)}}
|{{ISBNT|0-06-053913-5}}
|-
|-
|11
|11
|''Why Do Pirates Love Parrots?''
|''Why Do Pirates Love Parrots?''
|September 2006
|September 2006
|{{Ubl|{{ISBNT|0-06-088842-3}} (hb.)|{{ISBNT|0-06-088843-1}} (pb.)}}
|{{ISBNT|0-06-088842-3}}
|}
|}


Line 113: Line 113:
|''Why Don't Cats Like to Swim?''
|''Why Don't Cats Like to Swim?''
|November 2, 2004
|November 2, 2004
|{{ISBNT|0-06-075148-7}} (pb.)
|{{ISBNT|0-06-075148-7}}
|-
|-
|6
|6
|''Are Lobsters Ambidextrous?''
|''Are Lobsters Ambidextrous?''
|August 16, 2005
|August 16, 2005
|{{ISBNT|0-06-076295-0}} (pb.)
|{{ISBNT|0-06-076295-0}}
|}
|}


=== ''Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?'' ===
=== ''Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?'' ===
In 1989, Feldman explored 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> It was not published as part of the series by HarperCollins, however the design and formatting is identical to other volumes.
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"
{| class="wikitable"
!Title
!Title
Line 130: Line 130:
|''Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?''
|''Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?''
|April 1989
|April 1989
|{{Ubl|{{ISBNT|0-06-016072-1}} (hb.)|{{ISBNT|0-06-091661-3}} (pb.)}}
|{{ISBNT|0-06-016072-1}}
|}
|}


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* ''[[The Answer Man]]'' – Radio program that ran from 1937 to 1956
* ''[[The Answer Man]]'' – Radio program that ran from 1937 to 1956
* "[[The Straight Dope]]" – Newspaper column and companion books published from 1973 to 2018
* "[[The Straight Dope]]" – Newspaper column and companion books published from 1973 to 2018

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}


== References ==
== References ==

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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