Curiosity richly rewarded

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, May 2019; written by Rebecca Brown.

"Curious" has long been a favorite word of mine – is there anything more delicious than following a mystery through to the end?

Mind blowing, curiosity satisfying facts are at the heart of two new books at the Ketchikan Public Library, and there’s also new reads for inquisitive dog and cat owners!

“Seriously Curious: The Facts & Figures That Turn Our World Upside Down,” is a publication from The Economist and edited by its deputy editor, Tom Standage. It contains bite-sized essays on a dizzying array of topics that include, “Why the Sea is Salty,” “The Surprising Link Between Avocados and Crime,” “Why Easter Moves Around So Much,” and “How Machines Learned to Process Human Language.” And: So. Much. More!

In case you’re wondering, Standage writes:

• The sea is salty because of mineral salts on land weather in to the sea;

• The scarcity of pricey, much adored avocados has resulted in smuggling and nighttime orchard banditos;

• Easter’s date is based on Passover, a Jewish celebration when Jesus also ate the Last Supper with his disciples. Passover happens in a 35-day window on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox;

• Machines have learned to process human language because they are taking over the world. Oops – not yet: Kidding aside, Standage writes, “faster computers and more abundant data” have allowed machines to process speech patterns more efficiently.

National Geographic’s “Almanac 2019” is another great choice to mystify friends and impress neighbors with its gorgeous photos and neat facts. A yellow sidebar pops up every few pages featuring handy information, like “Skywatching Events in 2019” (Saturn sighting on July 9), “World’s Deadliest Eruptions” (92,000 people were killed in an 1815 Indonesian eruption) or “Best Flowers for Hummingbirds” (Lupine is No. 4).

This is not your grandfather’s stodgy almanac with its ka-POW pages packed with animal examinations, relatable science, art, maps, profiles, pull-out quotes, timelines and several “Best of @NatGeo photos." Truly, it’s nearly impossible to be bored with this book.

For curious canine and kitty lovers, there are also two new books to help choose and train your pets. “77 Things to Know Before Getting a Cat,” by Susan M. Ewing is also divided in to easy-to-chew articles that contains photos and advice on everything from how to administer medicine to the importance of socialization.

Don’t miss the last section that contains cat superstitions, famous felines, and trivia. Ewing writes that cats have 32 muscles that control each ear while humans have just six. And the oldest cat ever? 38 years old!

There’s also “Training the Hard to Train Dog,” by animal trainer Peggy Swager, who won a Dog Writers of America Award in 2002 and now writes for several magazines.

An early chapter identifies dog traits, such as nervousness, that help steer what type of training works best. Swager’s book is also packed with anecdotes of her training clients’ successes and mistakes. Tips include smart practices for using clickers with stubborn dogs, how to train in distracting environments and correcting problems with dogs who aren’t housetrained