QI's best book so far?

grimwig · 669031. Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:03 am

Well that's what I think, and I'm only up to chapter 3. I'd like to know what others reckon. I must say that reading it does feel like catching up with a high-quality newspaper obituary page, although admittedly on a day when seemingly everyone you've ever heard of has snuffed it. You get that same mixture of 'I never knew that' one minute, and 'Why wasn't this man more famous?' the next.

As I say great read, and i hope there'll be sequels: please don't say there's only sixty or so people in the history of the world whose lives justify such eulogising

britishsm · 670107. Sat Feb 13, 2010 5:03 pm

I agree entirely, I'm really enjoying this book - what with the lives being "linked", getting a fuller picture of the people and the fact that the unrecognised and forgotten are getting recognised.

to keep up with the QI'ness of the book and thread.

Francis Galton, who has been mentioned in these here forums plenty before, and also in the QI book of the dead, has a great-grandson who has a Michelin star. He is Galton Blackiston of the Morston Hall Hotel and Restaurant, and sometime contributor to Saturday Morning Kitchen on BBC1.

B.

edit: N.B further to my post below Galton Blackiston is Sir Francis Galton's Great Grand Nephew.

Menocchio · 670630. Sun Feb 14, 2010 5:48 pm

Thank you both for your kind words - obviously we'd love to do more. Cracking fact about Galton's relative, britishsm. Wonder if he applies dodgy statistical analysis when calculating his gross profit per dish...

britishsm · 678833. Fri Mar 05, 2010 1:48 pm

Cracking fact or no - it's completely false - well maybe not completely ... but I made a fairly basic genealogical hiccough ...

Sir Francis Galton begot no children - which makes having a great grandson somewhat of a challenge (possibly one insurmountable even for a man like Sir Francis) - Sir Francis Galton is the Great Great Uncle of Galton Blackiston.

my deepest and most sincere apologies to all involved.

B.