The Great Little Book of Fun Things You Probably Don't Know About Ireland!

Ireland is one of those countries that people love, and we're not sure why. Robert Sullivan strives to feed our hunger for the Emerald Isle in his collection of trivia called The Great Little Book of Fun Things You Probably Don't Know About Ireland!

The collection is a smorgasbord of information from every aspect of Irish culture imaginable. Find out about their Irish traditions both new and old. Read about some crazy stories from Irish history. Learn the meaning of baby names for boys and girls. And of course, a whole chapter each is dedicated to those favorite Irish sayings and proverbs. Understand "Craic" and Celtic knots.

One of the oddest traditions I saw was a variation on the American tradition of spanking the birthday boy. In Ireland, the birthday boy (or girl) is lifted by his (her) ankles, and the head is bounced on the floor the same number of times as years of age, plus one extra for good luck.

You have seen images of the Irish throwing their waste water into the streets, in movies such as Angela's Ashes, right? The Irish continue to not take care of their aquatic systems, making a fair share of the water undrinkable. So heads up if you ever travel - prepare to buy some water!

Many Americans can boast Irish heritage, including possibly 40% of all Presidents, and of course, Tom Cruise, who is supposedly going to buy the family farm there. (He supposedly bought a plot of land for Katie in my hometown of Toledo, near her parents, so why not partake in his own heritage?)

A whole chapter is devoted to the Irish Christmas. And of course, there are all of the fun and weird traditions about marriage, divorce, drinking, and sobriety.

The book is perfect for those of us who take pleasure in learning as much trivia as possible. It could turn into a fun party conversation, or help you land a role on Jeopardy!

The book is a great deal of fun to read and to share. It's not meant to be a read-through book - unless you are that hungry for information. But it makes a great coffee table book, or even a fun bathroom read!

Purchase The Great Little Book of Fun Things You Probably Don't Know About Ireland: Unusual facts, quotes, news items, proverbs and more about the Irish world, old and new

A review copy of this book was provided by the author. The opinions expressed above are completely honest and my own.