What Are the Seven Wonders of the World? and 100 Other Great Cultural Lists--Fully Explicated

The elemental secret of their innovative table of contents is the use of numbers. Starting with three and working their way up (with a gap here and there) to 24, they pose a series of intriguing questions which are then answered to everyone's satisfaction on the indicated pages. What are the three Laws of Thermodynamics? Who were the three Furies? and What are the three ages of Vico's historical cycle? These are the sorts of queries they present in the chapter entitled Three. Further chapters inquire after the four properties of a musical tone, the six flavors of quarks, the seven Virtues, the 12 Labors of Heracles, the 14 Points of Woodrow Wilson, and the unofficial Homeric titles of the 18 chapters of Ulysses.

While the questions are appealing in and of themselves, the answers are even better. Going far beyond mere lists, they delve into the histories and texts, the theories and significance of each. The question is the hook, but the answer is the prize, riveting you with more information than you'd anticipated, reminding you of the joy of learning. --Stephanie Gold

Product Description
Can you name...

• Newton's 3 laws of motion?
• The 4 horsemen of the Apocalypse?
• The 5 pillars of Islam?
• The 6 wives of Henry VIII?
• The 7 kinds of plane triangles?
• The 8 Beatitudes?

Questions are grouped in sections according to the number of items in their answer (all the 3s, all the 4s, all the 5s, etc.), so that the answers are in the form of easily memorized lists. You won't find Luther's 95 theses, or the 264 Popes, for example, but you will find everything from the 3 sons of Adam and Eve all the way up to the 24 letters of the ancient Greek alphabet.

This clever format lends itself well to quizzing and guessing, which gives it a deliciously sophisticated parlor-game quality. But for those who wish to delve a little deeper, there are thoughtful essays to go with each answer that include fascinating details and place the list in its larger cultural or historical context. Much more than a book of trivia, What Are the 7 Wonders of the World? offers a grand overview of the knowledge needed to appreciate many of the finest things in our cultural and intellectual life.

Chapters are: Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Eighteen, Twenty and Twenty-Four. What makes the book more than just a quiz generator is the lengthy explanatory text, anywhere from three to eighteen pages. These pithy essays entertain and inform, and add greatly to the volume's enjoyment. Some questions are really obscure -- what were the five rivers of the classical underworld, anyway? -- but even the easier ones can leave you scratching your head and cursing your memory. Didn't I used to know allthis stuff? Then, after you knock yourself on the head and shout "Of course!", you will have the pleasure of reading a well-written essay by a co-author or one of a small number of contributors. There is also a fourteen page suggested reading list, organized by subject, that includes music and URLs. Rounded out with a good index, this is very nicely done and lots of fun.


Smart, readable, entertaining--a real tour de force.   January 8, 1999
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

Among the recent spate of "cultural literacy" books, What are the Seven Wonders of the World? is in a class all its own. It takes a huge chunk of the western tradition and offers it up in easily digestible morsels--and does so (incredibly) without dumbing it down. On almost every page I found things I thought I knew but had forgotten--as well as plenty of others I should have learned but never did.

But don't get me wrong. This book is FUN too. Horace put it best: An effective writer will mix the practical with the pleasurable ("utile dulci"), and entertain the reader at the same time he instructs. D'Epiro and Pinkowish do just that.

If you know a lot about history, literature, or art, check this book out. If you don't, check it out too.


Fun overview of significant cultural and historical lists.   June 22, 2004
M. E. Volmar
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

This informative, fascinating and entertaining volume presents, in a question-and-answer format, a compendium of 101 easy-to-memorize lists from the fields of history, mythology, religion, literature, art, music, mathematics and science, which are considered to be of great significance for our culture.
Each question is well-organized according to the number of items in its answer, which can vary from three (Who where the 3 Magi, and what gifts did they bring?) to twenty-four (What are the 24 letter of the ancient Greek alphabet?).
Each precise answer, instead of giving a mere list, is accompanied by an engrossing essay that places the list in its cultural and historical context and details some well-researched facts about it that aid our understanding of its meaning.
As a bonus, for those interested in doing further research in a specific topic, the book offers a list of suggested reading, which includes books as well as Web site addresses. A very thorough index is also offered for those interested in looking for a particular subject.
Overall, this is a practical, charming and pleasurable reference to either consult or flip through, recommended for readers of all ages eager to explore our culture's most captivating lists, series and hierarchies.
--Reviewed by M. E. Volmar


Number please   November 22, 1999
Karl (new hampshire)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful

I found this book absolutely fascinating. Short well written essays filled in details on the history and cultural setting of a wide variety of items from the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to the 7 kinds of plane triangles.The topics chosen varied widely over many centuries and many different cultures. While I was familiar slightly with perhaps half of the topics, the essays enriched my understanding of even those about which I thought I was most knowledgeable and informed me on many topics which were previously unknown to me. I could pick up the book and open it to any page and enjoy myself whether I had time for just a single essay or could indulge myself for an hour. Everyone should have fun reading this book.


A very entertaining book!   December 2, 1999
7 out of 8 found this review helpful

I highly recommend this book. It's fun to look through the lists (presented as questions) and try to guess the answers, but what really sets this book apart from most "list" books are the essays that accompany each list. They are witty and informative. You start reading and don't want to stop.

This book would make a great gift for all the "Cliff Clavins" on your gift list. And be sure to get one for yourself!