Schottenfreude

‘Hugely inventive… Pleasantly pre-Web—a self-enclosed thing that rewards another, older kind of multitasking: reading, laughing, and learning.’ * New Yorker *‘The Germans, thanks to Schott, now have the word Wohlverpackunsfreude, or the delight of a perfectly wrapped parcel. Andthat, in a word, is Schottenfreude.’ – David Astle * Sydney Morning Herald *‘Ben Schott has a knack of entertaining us with facts for a number of decades now. But Schottenfreude could outdo all his previous sales…It is inevitable that words like leertretung (stepping down heavily on a stair that is not there / “void stepping”) will be bellowed over the turkey carcass-strewn table of thousands of households this Christmas.’ * Bookseller’s Choice *‘Use this to learn a (made-up) German word every day. Because we need more speichelgleichmuf (pretending you haven’t been accidentally spat on in conversation) in our vernacular, don’t you think?’ * Sunday Style *‘Perfectly tailored.’ * New Republic *‘Immediately fascinating, amusing and enlightening.’ * Weekend Press/Dominion Post/Waikato Times *‘Presented with Schott’s usual combination of far-flung research and droll humour.’ * Big Issue *‘Schott presents layer upon layer of sharply curated knowledge, which you can peruse as deeply or flippantly as you like…a bespoke encyclopaedia on topics from ancient philosophy to contemporary literature: it’s bitty in size, but meaty in thought.’ – Kill Your Darlings

Ben Schott is the author of Schott’s Original Miscellany, Schott’s Food & Drink Miscellany, Schott’s Sporting, Gaming & Idling Miscellany, Schott’s Quintessential Miscellany and the yearbook Schott’s Almanac (2006–11). Ben is a regular contributor to the New York Times and The Times. He divides his time between London and New York.