Five Obscure and Highly Specialized Nonfiction Titles

Jeevan Sivasubramaniam Posted by Jeevan Sivasubramaniam, Managing Director, Editorial, Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.



Everyone has their own interests and passions, but some of these passions are very.
Everyone has their own interests and passions, but some of these passions are very...particular. However, some publishers thought that there was enough interest out there for these books to be profitable (no word on whether they actually were or not):

1. Cluck! The True Story of Chickens in the Cinema by Jon-Stephen Fink
A comprehensive filmography of every film in which a chicken appears (including cooked chickens). The author also lists every film in which the word "chicken" is used.

2. Communism, Hypnotism, and the Beatles by David A. Noebel
According to this author, the Beatles were agents of communism who used subliminal messages in their songs to hypnotize people and subvert the youth towards Marxist philosophies and practices.

3. Knight Life: Jousting in the United States by Robert L. Loeffelbein
A richly detailed history of jousting tournaments and championships in the US along with complete rules, records, and a listing of champions.

4. Early United States Barbed Wire Patents by Jesse S. James
Between the years 1867 and 1897, there were over 400 barbed wire patents granted (bet you didn't even know that barbed wire required patents). This book lists all of them.

5. Sell Yourself to Science* by Jim Hogshire
If you are desperate for money and are reasonably healthy, there's a lot of cash to be made in selling your various organs and body fluids as well as volunteering to take part in all sorts of medical trials. This book shows you how to do it.


* Let's face it, you would be curious about this title, wouldn't you?