British photographer Ben Schott came out with this slim volume of factual floatsam a couple years back. It's already well on its way to becoming a franchise, which will probably overshadow the charm of the first installment, much like the Worst Case Scenario juggernaut did. That said, this collection is worth a look before the plague of desk calendars descends. Variety is the key here. Sections include: medical shorthand, cockney rhyming slang, pencil hardness, cattle branding, etc. etc. etc. Also notable is the book design, which is, um, "strongly reminiscent" of the McSweeney's aesthetic.

Harold Check