Because It’s Halloween

Tis October, the month for all things creepy, spooky, scary and twisted.

During the first week of October, I was in charge of the Scholastic book fair at the boy’s school. It was quite the circus when the kids came to browse and purchase, but there was also lots of down time between recesses and lunches. I loved just browsing there among the books. Great things, books.

For obvious reasons, this particular book caught my eye. I read it cover-to-cover in one gulp. Couldn’t put it down. Hilariously written, delightfully illustrated, and full of all kinds of fantastical but accurate information. This is a fantastic book.

Readers beware though, because there is a declaimer on the opening page. Below an illustration of a skull and cross bones it reads:

WARNING:
”If you don’t have the guts for gore, do not read this book.”

The introduction follows, beginning with these paragraphs…

“Remember when you watched Bambi for the first time and you got to the part where Bambi’s mom dies? And the sweet movie about a family of deer turns into a horror flick? “What the heck was that?” you thought. And in that second you realized that if Bambi’s mom could die, then so could everyone else.”

“How They Croaked is like reliving Bambi’s mom’s death over and over again. Except it’s worse because it’s blood, sweat, and guts of real people. In this book are the true stories of how some of the most famous people who ever lived---died.”

Continue reading (like I was compelled to do) and you’ll find out all the interesting, and yes, very gory details about how the likes of King Tut, Christopher Columbus, Galileo, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Marie Curies and Albert Einstein---died. For instance…did you know that Henry VIII’s remains expanded, exploded and then leaked out the sides of his coffin; or that the first forensic autopsy ever recorded was done on Julius Caesar? The doctor that did the autopsy found that of the twenty three stab wounds on Caesars body, only the one to his chest was fatal. Caesar would have survived the other twenty two. I guess it only takes one…if it’s the right one!

You’ll also learn loads of interesting facts about how these people lived. There is a reason these people have become household names for eternity. I’m just grateful for modern medicine. Three cheers for antibiotics!

Hey…did you know that Albert Einstein's eyeballs are in a jar of formaldehyde somewhere in New Jersey?

Happy Halloween everyone!

p.s. Mary Kate plowed through this book as well. She joins me in my recommendation. Just don’t read it while you’re eating.