# Weirdest Books You Own **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 7, 2004, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654 "2004-04-07T00:24:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/101 "2018-05-21T21:29:10Z")
Bloch, Dr. Iwan. _Anthropological Studies in the Strangest Sex Acts_. 1935. Chevalier, Denys. _Métaphysique du Strip-Tease_. 1961. Chideckel, Dr. Maurice. _Female Sex Perversion_. 1935. Hammett, Nina. _Laughing Torso_. 1932. Runes, Dagobert. _Pictorial History of Philosophy_. 1963. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/102 "2018-05-21T22:40:07Z")
[Mother Nature’s Emporium](https://www.amazon.com/Mother-natures-emporium-Sunshine-Brewer/dp/B00072GA0K) by Sunshine Brewer. It’s a fascinating, 256 page book on edible and medicinal plants. There are no photos. All of the images of plants were hand-drawn by the author. It’s been out-of-print for a long time. I also know the author, though it’s been ten years since I last saw her. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/103 "2018-05-21T22:40:41Z")
[**The Snouters: Form and Life of the Rhinogrades**](http://www.sivatherium.narod.ru/library/Stumpke/pics/cover_01.jpg), by Harald Stumpke **Flattened Fauna** (A field guide to roadkill) **Furtive Fauna:** A Field Guide to the Life That Lives on You [**Topsell’s History of Beasts**](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51YxgbeBiuL._SX306_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg) **Barlow’s Guide to Extraterrestrials** **White Indians of Darien,** by Richard Oglesby Marsh **How Chance and Stupidity Have Changed History** , by Eric Durschmeid [**Wonders of the Little World**](http://richardsmithrarebooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Wanley-4.jpg), by Nathaniel Wanley (A 17th Century “Book of Wonders”) **Journey to Ashango-Land** , by Paul du Chaillu (Account of the discovery of the gorilla) **The Bad Popes** **[Saints Preserve Us: Everything You’ll Ever Need to Know About Any Saint You’ll Ever Need.](https://images.penguinrandomhouse.com/cover/9780307780263)** **[Who In Hell: A Guide to the Whole Damn Bunch](https://ssli.ebayimg.com/images/g/1qMAAOSwBnVW-zxs/s-l1600.jpg)** ---
**Author:** ![Rough\_Draft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@Rough\_Draft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rough_Draft)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/104 "2018-05-21T23:53:08Z")
_Horses, Hitches, and Rocky Trails,_ by Joe Back. Everything you need to know about horse and mule packing in the mountains. My dad got it as a gift from a relative of the author (it’s autographed!), and it somehow passed on to me. For the record, I do not own any horses or mules. I also have a book of photographs by Joel-Peter Witkin. If you’re unfamiliar with him, just do a Google image search. He’s a great photographer who absolutely defines the word **Weird**. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/105 "2018-05-22T00:03:37Z")
_The Necronomicon_, _The Yellow King_, _Naturon Demonto_, _Book of the Vishanti_, _To Serve Man_ and the _Occido Lumen_. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/106 "2018-05-22T05:09:02Z")
_H.R. Giger’s Necronomicon_ “Coffee table book” collection of some of his paintings. Dark, disturbing, images, beautifully executed nightmare visions. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/107 "2018-05-22T05:23:00Z")
Not me, but yesterday (Monday in this time zone), I was volunteering at the library, and we got a self-published book from the early 1950s called “The One-Ity.” Its theme can be summed up in John Lennon’s “Imagine”, except that instead of no religion, all of them should be combined into one. I could not find any reference to it online. I Googled the author’s name and address, which were both in the book; the house is still there but the man died a few years later. We were once donated a book called “Irish Erotic Art”. It was blank. 😛 My own collection, even the ones I have for sale, is awfully vanilla compared to some of these. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/108 "2018-05-22T11:49:03Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > [**The Snouters: Form and Life of the Rhinogrades**](http://www.sivatherium.narod.ru/library/Stumpke/pics/cover_01.jpg), by Harald Stumpke > **Flattened Fauna** (A field guide to roadkill) > **Furtive Fauna:** A Field Guide to the Life That Lives on You > [**Topsell’s History of Beasts**](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51YxgbeBiuL._SX306_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg) > **Barlow’s Guide to Extraterrestrials** > **White Indians of Darien,** by Richard Oglesby Marsh > **How Chance and Stupidity Have Changed History** , by Eric Durschmeid > [**Wonders of the Little World**](http://richardsmithrarebooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Wanley-4.jpg), by Nathaniel Wanley (A 17th Century “Book of Wonders”) > **Journey to Ashango-Land** , by Paul du Chaillu (Account of the discovery of the gorilla) > **The Bad Popes** > **[Saints Preserve Us: Everything You’ll Ever Need to Know About Any Saint You’ll Ever Need.](https://images.penguinrandomhouse.com/cover/9780307780263)** > **[Who In Hell: A Guide to the Whole Damn Bunch](https://ssli.ebayimg.com/images/g/1qMAAOSwBnVW-zxs/s-l1600.jpg)** I mentioned _The Snouters_ upthread, back when this was originally posted. There’s a new book (well, 1997) similar to _Flattened Fauna_. It’s **That Gunk on your Car** by Mark Hostetter, a guide to insects you’ve run into and splattered all over yopur windshield. The book is filled with wonderful “before and after” pictures: > **[That Gunk on Your Car: A Unique Guide to the Insects of North America:...](https://www.amazon.com/That-Gunk-Your-Car-Insects/dp/089815961X)** > > Buy That Gunk on Your Car: A Unique Guide to the Insects of North America on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/109 "2018-05-22T11:59:29Z")
“The UFO Experience” by [**Dr. J. Allen Hynek**.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Allen_Hynek) > [@](#): > > Josef Allen Hynek (May 1, 1910 – April 27, 1986) was an American astronomer, professor, and ufologist.[1] He is perhaps best remembered for his UFO research. Hynek acted as scientific advisor to UFO studies undertaken by the U.S. Air Force under three consecutive projects: Project Sign (1947–1949), Project Grudge (1949–1952), and Project Blue Book (1952–1969). > > In later years he conducted his own independent UFO research, developing the “Close Encounter” classification system. He is widely considered[by whom?] the father of the concept of scientific analysis both of reports and especially of trace evidence purportedly left by UFOs ---
**Author:** ![Grim\_Render](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@Grim\_Render](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grim_Render)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/110 "2018-05-22T12:20:20Z")
I have translations of the Dead Sea Scrolls (Not all), the apocryphal Gospels, the Book of Enoch etc. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/111 "2018-05-22T12:47:26Z")
> [@Master\_Wang-Ka](#): > > \*\*Tales From The Doc Side, \*\* a bound compilation of various essays I’ve written over the years, many of which can be found on this message board. It’s always fun to see people do double takes when they see my picture on the cover… I don’t think I’ve got anything odd enough to qualify for this thread, but I did google this, and found that [this site](http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/doctorbedlam/) has links to some tales by \*\*Master Wang-Ka. \*\*In case you need something to make you smile this Tuesday morning. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/112 "2018-05-22T21:01:10Z")
I used to have this book, complete with the cassette. I sold it for about $10 on my Amazon account. > **[Is Elvis Alive?/Book and Audio Cassette: Brewer-Giorgio, Gail: 9780944276310:...](https://www.amazon.com/Elvis-Alive-Book-Audio-Cassette/dp/0944276318)** > > Is Elvis Alive?/Book and Audio Cassette \[Brewer-Giorgio, Gail\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Is Elvis Alive?/Book and Audio Cassette ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/113 "2018-05-23T00:19:37Z")
I own quite a few of the books mentioned. Some weird books I own that haven’t been mentioned yet: _How To Start Your Own Country_ by Erwin S. Strauss. It’s about…how to start your own country. _The Wild And Free Cookbook: With a Special Roadkill Section_ by Tom Squier. This reads more like a memoir with a collection of anecdotes from the author’s life with recipes interspersed throughout than a traditional index cookbook, but it does follow through with recipes that use roadkill. _The Gods Of Eden_ by William Bramley. This is book about world history that explains how extraterrestrials are responsible for the creation of modern man and all of the world’s major religions. The ETs are also responsible for orchestrating the majority of the world’s wars. _The Robots’ Rebellion: The Story of the Spiritual Renaissance_ by David Icke. David Icke believes the British Royal Family and other members of the world’s “Ruling Elite” are secretly shapeshifting reptilian extraterrestrials. Even Alex Jones thinks he’s nuts. (Though to be fair to Alex Jones, he’s never really been a proponent of Extraterrestrial conspiracies and theories. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/114 "2018-05-23T00:24:57Z")
A volume of transcripts of plays enacted by the _Theatre de Grand Guignol de Paris_ between the late 19th century and the early 1960s. For some reason they didn’t translate well for London or New York audiences. Short, cheerful dramas incorporating themes like “You fucked my wife, so now I am going to OPERATE ON YOUR BRAIN.” ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/115 "2018-05-23T01:16:55Z")
I have a vintage copy of Mein Kampf from just before WW2. What’s interesting is that it is an American published version that is annotated with the German history (to explain his references) and corrections on the errors of the author (e.i. explaining why he was wrong or mistaken). It’s essentially meant to help Americans understand who Hitler was and how potentially dangerous he could be. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/116 "2018-05-23T20:01:29Z")
Well, as the mission statement was to name something that makes your friends say “What the F…” - **Mein Kampf**. In English, published in London, ninth reprint of the translation (71 000 sold). Printed in (I can’t explain this) November 1939; adorned with swastikas and a portrait of the author. Strictly speaking it’s not mine - I came across it in a shop and bought it as a birthday present for the wife (a historian). I suppose a chunk of the context is that half the British aristocracy were Nazis; and one of our fine national newspapers was supporting fascism up until 1934. ([Daily Mail - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_Mail#Support_of_fascism)) But the fact that this was reprinted in London during the war is a - to me at least - a bit of a headscratcher. j ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/117 "2018-05-23T20:05:46Z")
> [@caligulathegod](#): > > I have a vintage copy of Mein Kampf from just before WW2. What’s interesting is that it is an American published version that is annotated with the German history (to explain his references) and corrections on the errors of the author (e.i. explaining why he was wrong or mistaken). It’s essentially meant to help Americans understand who Hitler was and how potentially dangerous he could be. Lordy - Hi Caligula - I searched this thread to see if Mein Kampf had been mentioned and missed _the immediately preceding entry_. But interesting to see that the two books (UK and US) are very different. There’s nothing about the UK version that is of the nature of a warning. j ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/118 "2018-05-23T20:08:27Z")
I own 2 copies of [The Portmanteau Book](https://smile.amazon.com/Portmanteau-Book-Thomas-Rockwell/dp/0316753416/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527105793&sr=8-1&keywords=the+portmanteau+book) by Thomas Rockwell. It was a favorite as a kid growing up, one of the few books that I managed to find at public libraries in cities we moved to. When eBay first became a thing, I secured a copy and years later got another for my sister. Then I saw a perfect copy pop up and bought that as well. I also have (I’m pretty sure) the world’s largest collection of Don Novello’s [The Blade: Shellville High School Yearbook](https://www.amazon.com/Blade-Shellville-High-School-Yearbook/dp/0020295804). It’s the single funniest book I’ve ever seen. For those who haven’t seen it, it’a high school yearbook for a small town who’s main industries are donut shops, jumper cable stores and video rental places. Oh, and everyone is a sheep. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/119 "2018-05-23T20:27:26Z")
While not ‘weird’ in any sense, I own a copy of Kiwi author Craig Harrison’s “The Quiet Earth,” made into a mid 1980s movie. For a relatively recent book, it’s pretty dog-gone hard to find. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654/120 "2018-05-23T20:47:10Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > While not ‘weird’ in any sense, I own a copy of Kiwi author Craig Harrison’s “The Quiet Earth,” made into a mid 1980s movie. For a relatively recent book, it’s pretty dog-gone hard to find. I haven’t read the book but I’ve owned the movie in 2 formats now; excellent movie IMO. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-books-you-own/238654.md?page=7)