Episode · Stuff You Should Know · 2024-05-30
Books mentioned on The Guinness Book of Records
If you grew up in the 70s and 80s in America, you probably have the image of your tattered Guinness Book of Records. The book was ubiquitous then, but is still thriving today in despite the internet.
Josh Clark discussed The Guinness Book of Records, Uncle John's Bathroom Reader by Bathroom Readers' Institute, and Guinness Book of World Records. Also mentioned: The Guinness book of world records, 1998. by Mark C. Young.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Guinness book of world records, 1998.
The Guinness Book of World Records, 1998 by Mark C.
Discussed“We had a copy of the Guinness Book, I think we probably got it as a Christmas gift one year, and maybe your dad lifted it from his school library. He brought it home.”
Where to get it
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The Guinness Book of Records
Discussed“wash the stank of Unit 731 off of us by talking uh about a very fun thing which is the Guinness book of world's records or the Guinness World Records uh I feel like when I was a kid it was called The Guinness Book of World Records in the United States”
Where to get it
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Uncle John's Bathroom Reader
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader by the Bathroom Readers' Institute is a long-running, highly popular series of trivia and bathroom entertainment compendiums filled with thousands of fascinating short facts and anecdotes.
Discussed“like this may have been my Uncle John's bathroom reader for you uh no I yeah okay I got you have both no no no Uncle John's bathroom reader definitely trumped it for sure”
Where to get it
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Guinness Book of World Records
Guinness Book of World Records is an annual reference publication that documents extraordinary human achievements and natural extremes from around the globe.
Discussed“if you've ever wondered if the Guinness Book of World Records is actually connected to the Guinness beer company my friend yes they absolutely are the guy who was the managing director of Guinness son and Company Limited the Guinness beer company was also the guy responsible for coming up with the Guinness Book of World Records”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (8) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“Yeah, let's, well you know what we get to do now in our typical two-episode procession, the way that is Stuff You Should Know, is we get to wash the stank of Unit 731 off of us by talking about a very fun thing, which is the Guinness Book of World Records, or the Guinness World Records. I feel like”
Passing Guinness Book of World Records
“let's give a shout out to listener mallerie Stafford who's the one who suggested that we do an episode on the Guinness Book of World Records so thanks a lot mallerie”
“They own Peterbilt, they own the Great Wolf Lodges, they own Associated Grocers, they own everything including the Guinness Book of World Records, as well as Ripley Entertainment! And so over time they've kind of added to what the Guinness World Records does, it's the reason one of the reasons why you don't say the Guinness Book of World Records”
“But only 4,000 records are put into the book every year, and a lot of those are like classics, like I think at least half are like classic ones that have been in there for years and years and years that people just want to see that weren't necessarily broken, you know, in the past year. Yeah, I tried to”
“So out of 50,000 people, you have a very, very slim chance of making it in that book if that's what you're after. And that's kind of what everyone's goal is, you want to be in the book, you do, because that's the thing.”
“And that's kind of what everyone's goal is, you want to be in the book, you do, because that's the thing. Even if you um set a record, you're not necessarily going to be in the book, like you said, there's actually a slim chance of being in the book even if you break a record.”
“Even if you um set a record, you're not necessarily going to be in the book, like you said, there's actually a slim chance of being in the book even if you break a record. The thing you can definitely uh be guaranteed to get is a certificate saying that you are the official record holder and you'll be in”
“What we're talking about is the Guinness Book of World Records not just surviving, but actually thriving in the internet age. That is just amazing that it's not just some brand that's on its last leg; it still sells a million books a year.”