Murder by Death
I read cozy and historical mysteries, a bit of Paranormal/UF, and to mix it up, I read science and gardening books on occasion.
The Odditorium: The Tricksters, Eccentrics, Deviants and Inventors Whose Obsessions Changed the World
This one should have been a 5 star, but I knocked 1/2 star off for some shocking editing blunders and another 1/2 star for occasionally crossing the line from humorous commentary into editorialising. And really cheap, newsprint type paper stock.
Otherwise it is an excellent read; most of the people profiled were unknown to me, so there was a lot of new information. Those I'd heard of before were shown here from a different perspective, giving me a more rounded view of them.
The book is divided by types: Tricksters and Subversives, Creative Mavericks, Wild at Heart, etc. with 8-10 people profiled under each. The emphasis is on profile; these are not comprehensive by any stretch, but each chapter ends with suggestions for further exploration of each person via books, excursions, movies, etc.. I can't think of any of them that I didn't find fascinating in their own way and quite a few of them got the "read out loud" treatment.
If you like off-the-beaten-path knowledge and see this one out in the wild, check it out - it's worth a read.
5
3