What's Up Wednesday

What's up with book titles? There are some real doozies out there, and some are fun while others just make you scratch your head.

The following are the titles of a few non fiction books. Pretty strange, huh? I thought they were odd enough to blog about.

How To Cook Husbands by Elizabeth Strong Worthington – 1899.
It's kind of like a really long essay about marriage that's written by an unmarried woman. People must have been very strange at the turn of the century. If you're curious, you can read the whole book here.

Do Snakes have Legs? by Bert Cunningham – 1934
We all know the answer to this one, so you'd think it would be a very short book, right? I hate to disappoint you, but the author is talking about axial bifurcations in serpents. You've seen pictures of two-headed snakes, haven't you? I know I have. According to the Antiquarian Booksellers Association, this book is an historical survey of serpent monsters. It's an expensive book, too. You might find a copy on eBay. I didn't bother to look.

Teach Yourself Alcoholism by Meier Glatt – 1975
What the hell? I couldn't find out anything about this book, but I imagine alcoholism wouldn't be too hard to learn if you put your mind to it. We've certainly seen enough made-for-TV movies that would make good how-to guides.

Sex Life Of The Foot And Shoe by William Rossi – 1977
The author takes us on a walking tour through history, from Chinese foot binding to the outrageous distortions of the foot suffered by women wanting to make themselves more sexy. Rossi gives us an "insightful psycho sexual guide to ourselves via our footwear." Sheesh. Carrie Bradshaw ought to read this book.

How to Make Love While Conscious by Guy Kettelhack – 1993
Dear lord! Well, it's a catchy title that's a bit misleading because the actual description of the book makes sense. "A supportive guide to sex for people in recovery who want to overcome their fears of intimacy and enter a deeper realm of authentic love." That's nice.

Grow Your Own Hair by Ron MacLaren - 1947
I wonder if this book comes with a package of hair seeds and a suggestion for what kind of fertilizer to use.

Bombproof Your Horse by Sgt Rick Pelicano – 2004
This book is written by a mounted policeman who trained his horse to remain calm and responsive no matter what the situation, including bomb threats. A valuable book for someone needing to ensure their horse won't go ballistic when the bullets fly.