Mental Floss Presents: Forbidden Knowledge

Thinkofanythingbad,fromartheiststoGenghisKahn,andit'slikelytobeincludedinthiswickedlysmartandhumorousguidetotheseedyunderbellyofbasicallyeverything.Thebrainiacteamat"mental_floss",creatorsofthehitmagazineandlastyear'sCondensedKnowledge,havescouredthedarkest,dirtiestcornersofhistoryandtheglobetogatherthisultimatecollectionofthebadstuffyou'renotsupposedtoknowandyoucertainlyneverlearnedinschool.Organizedbytheme,withchaptersforeachofthesevendeadlysins,thebookincludesfeuds,plagiarists,hoaxes,lies,schemes,scandals,evildictators,mobbosses,actsofrevenge,angryqueens,cannibalsandmuchmore,allorganizedintobite-sized—albeitfoul-tasting—lists(i.e."TheFascistStyleGuide:FiveDictatorGroomingTips","FourBiblicalGirlsGoneWild"and"ThreeDeliciousAnimalsWeCharbroiledIntoExtinction.").It'stheperfectwaytoaddsomespicetoadullconversationandprovesthatlearningcanbenotonlyeasy,butexquisitelysinful.