History’s Greatest Unsolved Secrets: Famous Mysteries And The People Behind Them
Nils began his career as marketing director for a major book publisher before joining Clairol as its marketing director. He has since edited the authors’ manuscripts for more than 20 published books, written more than 200 book reviews, served as publisher of several million-plus circulation national magazines, created the official yearbooks for teams in Major League Baseball, the National Football League, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League, served as a consultant for the launch of three other national magazines as well as for two radio stations, and “retired” as president of a successful telecommunications company.
Readers of this monthly column know of my penchant for seeking interesting and unique books wherever I go, even at places where they would not expect to be found—for example, in food markets, electronics shops … almost anyplace. That is how I discovered one of my most treasured volumes, Wise Trees, which I reviewed here several years ago after convincing the owner of a furniture store that I wanted and needed it more than he did when I saw it being used as a display prop to draw attention to the elegant coffee table on which it was lying.
That book is a large, hardcover volume that describes in color photographs and text each of 59 historic trees still thriving around the world. I have leafed through it in never-ending awe many times, feeling grateful to be able to view, as but one example, a recent photo of the very tree—still standing and bearing fruit—under which Isaac Newton sat when an apple falling on his head prompted the thoughts that led to his theory of the law of gravity.
The only similarity between Wise Trees and this month’s book may be the fact that with both there is no need to start at the beginning and read the pages in sequence from first page to last. Instead, as so often is the case with the most unique books I find, you can open to any page that starts a new section, read just those few pages … then turn to any other section’s opening page that interests you at that moment.
History’s Greatest Unsolved Secrets is a large, sturdily bound 422-page hardcover book I found in a big-box store that focuses more on appliances and clothing but displays several piles of books on a small group of tables. This volume’s title attracted me, and I soon learned that it offers stories of 79 true happenings that have occurred over a span of millions of years, but about which there remain unsolved mysteries. The chapters range from one-half page to eight pages in length and are organized into 11 sections: Mysterious Places; Unsolved Events; Strange Sightings; Cryptic Artifacts; Biological Sciences; Medicine and Neuroscience; Earth Sciences; Physical Sciences; Astronomy and Cosmology; Political Corruption, Lies and Murder, and War and Spies.
The interesting and easy-to-follow text is complemented by more than 200 photos, paintings, illustrations and maps. The range of subject matter is impressive and any attempt on my part to provide a sample list of the contents may do more harm than good because they are influenced by my own interests rather than yours. But my sense of obligation to this column’s readers demands that I at least make an effort, so here is just one topic from each of the 11 sections.
• Atlantis
• The Lost Colony of Roanoke
• Weeping Statues
• The Ark of the Covenant
• How Do Migrating Animals Find Their Way?
• Why Are More People Right-Handed Than Left-Handed?
• What Is at the Bottom of the Sea?
• Why Does Time Only Move Forward?
• Is Time Travel Possible?
• What Really Happened with Edward Kennedy?
• Was the Wooden Horse of Troy Real?
It’s no “secret” that I am confident you will find this book to be informative, a lot of fun … and well worth seeking out.
