For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

Cabinet of Curiosities: A Historical Tour of the Unbelievable, the Unsettling, and the Bizarre by Aaron Mahnke is a series of short articles taken from Mr. Mahnke popular podcast. Mr. Mahnke launched his podcasting career in 2015 with Lore podcast, and has been at it ever since.

I’ve read similar books before, collections of bite size true stories for those of us who love trivia, history, or just general knowledge. These type of literary buffets can be read in any order, even though Mr. Mahnke does put them in general categories such as True Crime, War, Literature, Inventions, and more.

Cabinet of Curiosities by Aaron Mahnke is just a bunch of very short, mostly interesting tidbits. You can read them in any order, skip pages or even sections without missing a beat even if it’s in the same section.

When I checked out the sources which were used to write this book, I found them to be lacking. Most of it relied on Wikipedia other easily searched on-line material. That’s fine for a free podcast, or even a bookish blog with a Fun Facts Friday feature, but if you’re asking someone to pay hard earned money for a product, I think a bit more effort is needed. Other “bizarre” stories are out of context, as they were not seen as bizarre during that time, and many times embellishing an already amazing story was going overboard.

As a dad, however, I appreciated the cheesy jokes at the end of each story.

On a positive note, this book does not pretend to be anything more than what it is. The stories are simply written, often relatable, short and get straight to the point. I do wish that that more context or history would have been provided.

This is a fun book to introduce people to different subjects. However, it plays too loosely with history, presenting it without context or disputed evidence.

The book is a collection of tales of curiosity. Mildly interesting, a reasonably interesting if read in bits and pieces, but not as a straight through in 2 or 3 sittings.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This book would make a great bathroom reader. There is a plethora of curious stories grouped into different catagories, much like the room(s) of curiosities he mentions. The stories are short enough to read as you have time on a bus or commute, or of course the bathroom.

I have to confess that I love books like this, with short little tidbits about all sorts of things, that you can consume a little at a time or in big batches. Cabinet of Curiosities was just that, a book full of interesting short stories from all sorts of categories. I learned so much reading this and enjoyed myself the whole time.

I had a great time reading this book and highly recommend it.

5/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Aaron Mahnke for the opportunity to read and review Cabinet of Curiosities.

This was a really fun book. I actually think this would be the perfect bathroom book to learn a little fun fact or two. I do think there were a few stories that took a bit of a jump just to fit the punny closing line, but interesting nonetheless. I loved the way Mahnke sectioned the book. It was fun to see stories about people, animals, events, etc across the world and time. I would recommend this book for any and all curious minds.

Cabinet of Curiosities is a delightful collection of the weird and wonderful. Fans of the podcast may find themselves hearing Aaron Mahnke's voice and signature storytelling style in their heads while reading through this book, while those unfamiliar are in for a real treat. When reading each page, it truly feels as though the author is discovering these curiosities right alongside you. The short tales grouped in related sections mean you can pick this book up any time and flip to any page for a few minutes of entertaining and interesting information. That is, if you don't devour the whole thing in one sitting, like I did. The stories in this book range from inspiring to icky, sensational to spooky, and there's something for everyone. It would make a great read to share with friends and family.

I didn't count exactly how many separate stories there are in Aaron Mahnke's 'Cabinet of Curiosities' but there are a lot. Like, a lot. So it's not an easy book to summarize and review.

But I can say this - if you're like me and history fascinates you, if you're like me and a little nugget of history can send you on a happy, escapist rabbit hole of research for hours, if you're like me and sometimes you need to read in short spurts instead of big commitments, and if you're like me and there's truly nothing better than saying "oh, wow! I didn't know that!" ... 'Cabinet of Curiosities' is the non-fiction book you need to read.

I don't have a favorite section or story from the book. I liked it all. And there was so much, I am 100% going to be coming back to it again soon!

--------

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest and original review. All thoughts are my own.

Cabinet of Curiosities by Aaron Mahnke is a treasure trove of weird and whacky people, places and things recorded over the past few centuries. Divided into topical chapters, these strange but true short stories are written with wit, humour, word plays and surprise twists.

"Wonder rooms" became trendy hundreds of years ago, ideal distractions for bored and curious aristocrats who wanted to show off and study their acquisitions. Some of my favourite curiosities in this bookish cabinet include a cab accident which involved the same car, same driver and same passenger one year apart; Mike the Chicken; the six-mile fall survivor; the man who was in the right place at the right time to save two falling babies on two separate occasions; a woman who survived being frozen solid out in the snow; the incredible tale of the pilot who got sucked out of the plane windshield; famous author stories and the flaked cereal mistake.

My only wish would be less Wikipedia representation. Nevertheless, the stories and writing enthrall and are fun snippets to dip in and out of at will.

My sincere thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this absorbing book.

What an interesting collection of stories about oddities, clever animals, weird coincidences, little known facts about famous people, historical mysteries, and more. There are stories behind popular creations. I found out how the Oscars got their name, for example. I also read about a court case involving...rats. That's just a couple of the fascinating stories in this book.

Mahnke's writing style is entertaining. He has a particular way of telling a story that leaves the essential surprise until the very end. It is sometimes a sort of “gotcha” moment and frequently has an aspect of humor. For someone who grew up listening to Paul Harvey, this was a fun book to read, giving a feeling of nostalgia. I think there is a story for almost every interest.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Read about the origins of Freddy Krueger and other well-known characters, a war lasting just 45 minutes, famous figures in history, the lifesaving ability of tootsie rolls, and much more.
I'm not familiar with the podcast this is derived from, but this book sure is interesting. It seems long book but it's a collection of very short stories that are quick to read and categorized. Several anecdotes I've heard before but plenty new ones as well. Because of the brevity, there were a couple spots where I'd like more detail or information, and will have to do some research into the rest.
A couple of my favorites include 'Something Borrowed'- an actor looking for the book based on the play he's about to do, and 'Wizard's Coat'- a movie prop with an unexpected past.
A book for lovers of trivia and fun facts, those who enjoyed things like 'The Rest of the Story' or 'Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction' should be entertained by this.

My thanks to Net Galley, St Martin s and the personal invitation I received to review this.

Very interesting little stories filled with fun facts and tales. I enjoyed. Could have been a little shorter.

This was definitely an interesting book and some of the stories were very fun. However, I felt the writing was very formulaic. It seems like it would lend itself very well to podcasting though, so maybe I'll check that out next.

Loved this book. If you’re a fan of Aaron’s podcast this grab this book. Also a great gift of lovers of his podcast as well.

This collection of short stories was interesting and entertaining! A nice change of pace from my normal reading material

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an eARC copy of Cabinet of Curiosities by Aaron Mahnke.

I've been a long time follower of Aaron Mahnke, so I was really excited to see that he had another book coming out. As always, the stories are well researched and the level of detail is top notch. I'll also say that while I was reading, I could hear Aaron narrating as if this was his podcast and not just a book he wrote. Plus, it made me go back to his Grim & Mild grouping of podcasts to listen to the actual stories verbally as well. Anyone who enjoys strange things and a collection of stories novel will enjoy this!

Cabinet of Curiosities by Aaron Mahnke with Harry Marks

A book of anecdotes, which many of you may have already heard, the author adds some humor and a twist or two to every one of them.

You’ll learn some new facts of how the birth of ideas came about for some very famous people. Most of the anecdotes reveal things that happened in the early 19th to the 20th centuries.

This is a fun read, especially if you need a good ice breaker for a gathering of some kind. I recommend it for any reader and rate it four stars.

This is a very interesting collection of little known or lesser known historical facts and tales about famous people or historical figures. It's a look at the curious side of history that has either not been well told previously or that has been forgotten over time. The author does a really great job presenting the short bits of history in an interesting way that often leaves you guessing the identity of person involved until the end when it's revealed. It reminded me a lot of the movie Mike Rowe put out called Something To Stand For. I love curious, little-known facts and now I know even more of them.

Cabinet of Curiosities: A Historical Tour of the Unbelievable, the Unsettling, and the Bizarre by Aaron Mahnke is a captivating exploration of intriguing and unusual artifacts. Mahnke expertly weaves together a tapestry of historical oddities that will leave readers both informed and entertained. With his signature storytelling style, Mahnke delves into the depths of our past, compelling us to reconsider our understanding of history.

Cabinet of Curiosities: A Historical Tour of the Unbelievable, the Unsettling, and the Bizarre by Aaron Mahnke, is the very highly recommended collection of stories from his podcast which are edited by Harry Marks.

Self described as tales of wonderful, astounding, and downright bizarre people, places, and things throughout history, these short nonfiction selections are perfect for those who like history and trivia in a quick, short, often humorous format. While familiar with many of the events/tales presented, I am unfamiliar with the podcast but immediately appreciated this collection as one that can entertain and educate.

This is one of those collections that you can pick up, read a few stories, set aside and pick it back up whenever the mood hits you. They are organized by topic, so a reader could chose to read tales from just one topic or browse through several. All the stories are truly strange and interesting pieces of history. Many of the selections are suitable for ages 10 and up. The stories are also intentionally short, so don't expect a scholarly deep dive into any one event, although you could undertake this on your own if interested.

After I read Cabinet of Curiosities, I immediately knew this is an excellent gift choice for several people. Of them, one is a trivia lover and this would become a coffee table/bathroom reader to pick up as the mood strikes. Another loves history and would likely use the stories as an impetus to looking further into a topic. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Neutral 3 stars
——————

I’m a huge fan of Aaron Mahnke and his podcasts, so I was particularly excited for this one. But it just felt sort of meh.

The little snippets in the book are definitely interesting, but I found them a little too short and the research was questionable. It felt like a lot of assumptions are made. The research being so heavily Wiki based was a little off-putting. Some of the stories were definitely more interesting than others, but overall I felt pretty bored by this. I put it down for a while to read other things because I felt so slumped. I think it was just too many stories and not enough info on them. I tend to dislike anthologies and they’re like because of the lack of ability to set the scene fully and that’s definitely what I felt about this one. There was quite a bit of wanting be witty and it took away from the overall book.

This is certainly a fun conversation starter, but felt a little shallow in its research.