Books

100 Places to See After You Die

Finally, one of those "bucket list" travel books for the destinations you can only visit once you kick the bucket. 100 Places to See After You Die is a lighthearted memento mori that guides readers through the world to come, providing savvy travel tips for afterlives ranging from ancient Egypt and Dante's Inferno all the way up to Coco and The Good Place.

"An entertaining, amusing collection . . . Everything you always wanted to know about the afterlife but were too alive to ask." —Kirkus Reviews

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Planet Funny

It happened so slowly we almost didn't notice. For better or for worse, everything in modern life now has to be funny, from news to politics to advertising, from airline safety videos to church marquees. Planet Funny: How Comedy Took Over Our Culture explores this brave new comedic world, and offers a full taxonomy of what spawned and defines the modern sense of humor.

"Ken Jennings has done the impossible: he's written an actually funny book about comedy." —Michael Ian Black, comedian

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The Junior Genius Guides

The Junior Genius Guides were designed to remind young readers that knowing stuff is actually supposed to be fun. In each volume, Ken plays teacher, guiding readers through his favorite subjects, from maps to mythology, planetoids to presidents. A school day crammed full of amazing facts is interrupted by recess (game ideas), art class (a craft project), lunch (a kid-friendly recipe), pop quizzes, "extra credit," and much more. You see, anyone can be a Junior Genius. It's not an IQ level. It's a state of mind.

"A liberally illustrated tongue-in-cheek guide . . . it will delight middle-grade fact lovers." —Kirkus Reviews

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Because I Said So!

In Because I Said So!: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, & Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids, Ken reminds us that mother and father didn't always know best. The book tirelessly grapples with over a hundred time-honored parental clichés, separating fact from myth in important matters like the swallowing of gum, the cracking of knuckles, and the catching of colds.

"Because I Said So! could be a dangerous book if it falls into the wrong hands—namely your kids'. So buy this book, read it, and then hide it away!" —Ken Denmead, author of Geek Dad

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Maphead

Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks is a love letter to the maps Ken was obsessed with as a child. He travels the world in search of his fellow mapheads: antique map collectors, atlas publishers, geocachers, Geography Bee prodigies, systematic travelers, and roadgeeks. Who are these prodigies, and can they save the world from its own geographic illiteracy before it's too late?

"Jennings's charming, witty account reveals a whole other universe." —Sam Kean, author of The Disappearing Spoon

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Ken Jennings's Trivia Almanac

Ken Jennings's Trivia Almanac: 8,888 Questions in 365 Days is a trivia bonanza, stuffed with oddball historical events and dozens of related quiz questions for every single day of the calendar year. At over nine thousand questions, in fact, it's the largest single collection of trivia questions ever produced in America in any form.

"In addition to being my secret best friend, Jeopardy! champ Ken Jennings is also the author of . . . a compendium (offering) anywhere from two to four quizzes a day, with factoids sprinkled in between. Attempting to answer those quizzes has become a routine part of the day in our household. . . . If you don't have a copy of the book, buy it immediately." —Noel Murray, The A.V. Club

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Brainiac

Brainiac is the bestselling account of Ken's "Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs," for trivia addicts and novices alike. Ken's guided tour to the trivia world takes you from behind the scenes on Jeopardy! to the pub quizzes of Boston, from the college quiz bowl circuit to the annual 54-hour trivia marathon in tiny Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

"A thoughtful and lively exploration of a subculture where knowledge actually is power—and no detail is ever too small." —Stefan Fatsis, author of Word Freak

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Autographed copies of all of Ken's books can be ordered nationwide from Seattle's fine independent bookseller Phinney Books. Contact Phinney Books for more information.