Ripley’s Believe it or Not Book: Download the Weird!

When I was a kid, there were several Christmas mornings where I found Ripley’s Believe it or Not paperbacks in my stocking. I always enjoyed reading the wild and wacky facts and would pour over them long after the holidays were over. This nostalgia was re-kindled for me when I received a promo copy of Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Download the Weird in the mail. This is the 2012 installment in the well-loved series, a large, colorful hardback edition.

As soon as I pulled it out, Jai walked by and said, “Oh! Cool!” Like me, he too had grown up with Ripley’s and was interested to see what funny facts he would learn this time. Since this was such a classic staple of both our childhoods, it makes total sense to continue the tradition and gift this to the next generation, so they too can experience these Christmas morning memories. And the series has been updated for the modern-day set: With this book, you truly can “Download the weird”, because the book contains special smartphone triggers that you can scan to access special bonus content. Pretty cool, huh?

Like its predecessors, Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Download the Weird is jam-packed with trivia, from factoids about a dress made from human hair to a skydiving dog. The old-school illustrations have been replaced by full-color photographs, so be warned: You are treated to pictures of things like a man with a pair of garden shears through his eye. Bleaaaurgh!!! So definitely keep in mind age and temperament when selecting this particular Ripley’s, since there are photos of blood and gross things. Children of the Internet age will probably be nonplussed, but old fogies like me might prefer the harmless ’70s illustrations! 😉

Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Download the Weird is available in stores and Amazon for under $20.