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    Unavailable
    Because I Said So!: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, and Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids
    Unavailable
    Because I Said So!: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, and Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids
    Unavailable
    Because I Said So!: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, and Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids
    Audiobook5 hours

    Because I Said So!: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, and Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids

    Published by Tantor Audio

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Ken Jennings is here to tell us that mother and father didn't always know best. Yes, all those years you were told not to sit too close to the television (you'll go blind!), or swallow your gum (it stays in your stomach for seven years!), or crack your knuckles (arthritis!) are called into question by our country's leading trivia guru. Jennings separates myth from fact to humorously debunk a wide variety of parental edicts: no swimming after meals, sit up straight, don't talk to strangers, you'll get worms from cookie dough, and so on.

    Combining the Q&A tradition of Why Do Men Have Nipples? and the anti-helicopter parenting philosophy of The Dangerous Book for Boys, Jennings exposes countless examples of parental wisdom run amuck, armed with medical case histories, scientific findings, and even the occasional experiment on himself (or his kids). Whether you're a parent who wants to know what you can stop worrying about or a kid (of any age) looking to say, "I told you so," this is the book you've been waiting for.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Audio
    Release dateDec 4, 2012
    ISBN9781452679747
    Unavailable
    Because I Said So!: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, and Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids

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    Reviews for Because I Said So!

    3.5/5

    88 ratings14 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A breezy, lighthearted read. Ken Jennings' dry wit resonates with me. And now, next time my mom tells me to eat my carrots, I can wave this book in her face. Take that, mom!

      Not groundbreaking or original, but lots of fun!
    • 3/5
      Okay, light read; S (age 11) enjoyed it more than me though.
    • 3/5
      Entertaining
    • 4/5
      I've read a couple of Jennings' books now (I'm not really into Maps so that book is taking longer than the others, but, totally random facts, I'm there.) And like the trivia one I found that while I was learning a little something it was also hilariously funny. Of course, in this book there were some truly disgusting things in the book too (Eating own boogers-- quadruple eww...)There were so many (at least over 100) factiods and questions answered (or sort of answered). I'm not sure which were my favorites. I do think that the most helpful part of the book wasn't just that Jennings proved or disproved the validity of the factoid, but that there was also a handy little scale at the end of each entry so the reader can get a visual look at how true or false each fact is.Back to favorites though. Learning that there is no chemistry that causes pee in a pool to turn blue was sad. And I'd always thought Poinsettia leaves were poisonous, but I guess they really sorta aren't.Some of the factoids I already knew. That a wet covered cut heals faster, that you really, really shouldn't lean back if you have a nose bleed, don't feed the dog (or cat) chocolate. But, now I can say with authority that it's not just me saying it, but Jeopardy Champion Ken Jennings says it too. (Maybe that'll actually help too, or maybe it won't).And then there were the really interesting ones. What yawning actually is, the information about compound interest, why you shouldn't mix batteries, or that Einstein not only didn't flunk math, but did really well in languages too, which he wasn't a great as.Overall it was a hilarious and informative book that is a perfect example of random non-fiction, oh, and also, the dedication of the book was hilarious.
    • 4/5
      Ken Jennings of Jeopardy! fame takes a look at the various dire warnings and bits of received wisdom parents pass down to their kids -- Don't cross your eyes, or your face will freeze like that! Most of the heat leaves your body through your head, so you need to wear a hat! -- and examines just how true they really are.I thought this might be mildly interesting and perhaps amusing, but I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed it. Jennings does a good job of addressing each topic in a clear, thorough way in just a page or two. He cites real science and employs some admirable critical thinking skills. I like the fact that he doesn't oversimplify things in order to declare them true or false, but instead places them on a spectrum of validity: this one is "mostly true," that one is "false, but..." He also puts a lot of the risks of childhood into perspective, pointing out that the things parents make a big deal out of warning their kids about -- running with scissors! tainted Halloween candy! -- are actually not the things kids are most likely to be hurt by. He doesn't shy away from talking about topics that are provocative or just plain gross, either. (I expect a lot of parents will look askance at his conclusion that it's not that great to teach kids not to talk to strangers. And I'm still wincing over the section on whether your eyeballs will pop out if you sneeze with your eyes open.) And he does it all in a lively, humor-filled way. It was a lot of fun to read, and I actually did learn quite a lot. Mostly about how much my mother lied to me.While this seems like a book that just about anybody is likely to enjoy, I think it might be especially interesting for parents who want to know just how right or wrong all the stuff they've been telling their kids is, and for smart-ass kids who want ammunition for arguments with their parents.
    • 5/5
      Hooked my teenager. Quick read. Great for reluctant readers. Similar to snopes.com in feel.
    • 4/5
      Ken Jennings is screamingly funny. Not geekishly funny or nerdishly funny. Just plain really, seriously funny. This book is like Mythbusters in print, which is worth mentioning, because besides for his great sense of humor and fine research, he gives the show, The Straight Dope, and Snopes.com their proper due. His method of delivering this information should be brought to the masses, because it is well consumable and palatable in this way, and might achieve more than scholarly drone-inflected health warnings. Caution, however, much of the material is not quite for children. Adults are targeted for this book.
    • 5/5
      Jennings' book is like a mirror-universe version of John Hodgman's explanatory epics.
    • 4/5
      A thoroughly entertaining of the things your parents always presented to you as truth. My mother was a great believer in not swimming for an hour -- exactly! an hour -- after eating. Ken Jennings researches what he can find out behind these stories and assigns them a rating on the scale of true and false.
    • 5/5
      I 'read' the audible version of this book while I was swimming and I enjoyed it enormously. Ken Jennings is a great reader! I learned all kinds of interesting things. I was kind of disappointed when it ended, I'm ready for vol.2. I don't really care much about maps (his other book) but if he did the reading, I'm going to listen to it, too!
    • 3/5
      Meh. The more unfamiliar superstitions, ironically, were particularly boring. And, Jennings isn't going to win any comedy awards.
    • 5/5
      If you haven't read anything by Ken Jennings, please do because the man is absolutely hilarious (his twitter is definitely a must-follow). Here, he examines the "Mom-and-Dadisms" like "Don't swallow gum or it'll sit in your stomach for 7 years!" or "If you touch a butterfly's wings they will DIE!" and see how truthful they actually are. He checks his sources and is SUPER witty- and also asked reddit for suggestions of myths to follow, actually using about 20 from that thread and sending the contributing redditors free copies.

      srsly, Ken Jennings is probably one of my favorite Mormons.
    • 4/5

      Despite the easy accessibility of information, we're still passing on old-wives' tales.  Some are wise, some not so.  Jennings collected a bunch of stuff his parents told him, he catches himself telling his kids, and some other tidbits of advice from friends & online.  Then he researched many of them through Straight Dope, Snopes, and and Mythbusters, but continued his research with the more original sources, the science journals etc.  

      I trust his information in the mini-essays that answer all the questions.  I *do not* trust his 'meter' icon at the end of each essay, colored in against how False, mostly false, mostly true, true" the adage is.  Only you can decide whether the risk of doing something, vs. not doing something, is worth it....

      I also was surprised to see a lot of warnings and tales I'd never heard of before.  But there were also ones I'd never questioned.  For example, who'd have thought that the advice not to let someone who has bumped their head sleep, for fear of concussion, is *wrong* - ?  Turns out the monitoring parent shouldn't sleep, because s/he should wake the victim "every two or three hours [during the first 12 hours] to make sure they know where they are and that their condition is unchanged."  Sleep is actually probably healing.

      The essay on "Don't feed the ducks" should be required reading.  Not only are you messing up their migratory patterns and their ability to live wild and free, but bread is very bad for them.  Not to mention the poopy parks and even contaminated ponds and nests that too much feeding can lead to.  (Jenning's meter is almost entirely colored, and is labeled 'True.")

      If we all did our research before spouting these 'wisdoms' we wouldn't need this book.  But I sure as heck wish I had it when my sons were little.  And I will buy a copy for them if they ever give me grandchildren.  I think this would make a wonderful gift this holiday season, too.

      "
    • 4/5
      Today I drove up to Asheville, NC for a book signing with a whole bunch of authors, including Lenore Appelhans and Beth Revis. On the way, I finished up this audiobook in the car. Expect this to be a short review, both because I've got things to do and because there's not a whole lot to say.


      Basically, this book is a whole bunch of trivia about the things your parents tell you. For example, I now know that my mom was lying when she told me I would damage my eyes by reading in a room with low light. Take that, mom! If you love trivia or want to feel vindicated when you told your parents their rules were crazy, this book is for you.

      Ken Jennings doesn't have the best voice for narration and has a couple of odd pronunciations, but does a good job anyway. He doesn't take anything too seriously and has a punny sense of humor which I appreciate. I'm sure this would be fun in print too, but the audio was good because I might have skimmed some of the research info, which would have been a shame because it's great.

      Alright, this is definitely my shortest review ever (at least since early days), but just know that this is big fun for a nerd like me.