This is for you, Fuse 8!
Today, Cheryl Rainfield, Cynthia Lord, and Fuse 8 all mentioned Bookseller.com’s Vote for the Oddest Book Title of the Last 30 Years Poll. Fascinating, funny, and strange (I am a purveyor of the strange).
Anyway, Bizarre Books by Russell Ash and Brian Lake has lots more to inspire those of you looking for just the right title for your next book.
A few more titles that didn’t make the Oddest Book Title Poll (my faves highlighted):
The Unconscious Significance of Hair (George Berg, 1951)
How to Boil Water in a Paper Bag (Anon, 1891)
Teach Yourself Alcoholism (Meier Glatt, 1975)
How to Become a Schizophrenic (John Modrow, 1992)
Nuclear War: What’s in it for You? (Ground Zero War Foundation, 1982)
A Pictorial Book of Tongue Coating (Anon, 1981)
Fish Who Answer the Telephone (YP Frolov, 1937)
The Thermodynamics of Pizza (Harold J. Morowitz, 1991)
Who’s Who in Barbed Wire (Anon, 1970)
Hand Grenade Throwing as a College Sport (Lewis Omer, 1918)
~ from The Literary Companion by Emma Jones (Robson Books, 2004)
Jama's Alphabet Soup 
Magnificent
I mentioned the two I particularly liked on my blog, but now that I look at the list again I think that “The Unconscious Significance of Hair” may well and truly be the best. Thanks!
-Fuse #8
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Re: Magnificent
Glad you found something to your liking. I seem to be particularly drawn to titles featuring body parts — hence the tongue coating and hair . . .
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My favourite ridiculous title from the book publisher where I used to work:
Animal Husbandry: The Meeting Of Cow and Grass
I couldn’t type that without giggling.
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OH, that’s a good one! Do you think they served chocolate milk at the meetings?
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These are hilarious! I’ll never feel like any of y titles are too silly again!
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For some of these books, probably the title is the best thing about them 🙂 . . .
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A couple more
I remember my mom giving my younger brother a booked titled How to Be Your Own Selfish Pig.
Also, when I taught at an international school in Mozambique, the library had this vintage book for middle grade readers: Algae and Our Future.
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Re: A couple more
What great titles! Was your mom trying to send your brother a message by giving him that book?
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I admit it–I’m a serial snorter. But in my current reading local, snorting would SO not be appreciated. So instead I’m snurfling to the brink of hyperventilation. TEACH YOURSELF ALCOHOLISM? This, ma’am, is comic GENIUS.
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Sorry to hear your snorting is presently being stifled, but of course, we welcome snurfling as a suitable substitute!
BTW, please return and SNORT when you are able.
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