Monday, May 30, 2011

Publication date for THAT IS ALL (Hodgman's 3rd book) announced

It's time to start getting excited. Amazon has a bare-bones product page for John Hodgman's coming book That Is All.

It's going to be out on November 1st.

If you fish around on the Internet, you can find the publisher's description of the book:


John Hodgman-bestselling author, "The Daily Show"'s "Resident Expert," minor television celebrity, and deranged millionaire-brings us the third and final installment in his trilogy of Complete World Knowledge.

In 2005, Dutton published "The Areas of My Expertise," a handy little book of Complete World Knowledge, marked by the distinction that all of the fascinating trivia and amazing true facts were completely made up by its author, John Hodgman. At the time, Hodgman was merely a former literary agent and occasional scribbler of fake trivia. In short: a nobody.

But during an interview on "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart, an incredible transformation occurred. He became a famous minor television personality. You may ask: During his whirlwind tornado ride through the high ether of minor fame and outrageous fortune, did John Hodgman forget how to write books of fake trivia? The answer is: Yes. Briefly. But soon, he remembered

And so he returned, crashing his Kansas farmhouse down upon the wicked witch of ignorance with "More Information Than You Require," a "New York Times" bestseller containing even more mesmerizing and essential fake trivia, including seven hundred mole-man names (and their occupations).

And now, John Hodgman completes his vision with "That Is All," the last book in a trilogy of Complete World Knowledge. Like its predecessors, "That Is All" compiles incredibly handy made-up facts into brief articles, overlong lists, and beguiling narratives on new and familiar themes. It picks up exactly where "More Information" left off-specifically, at page 596-and finally completes COMPLETE WORLD KNOWLEDGE, just in time for the return of Quetzalcoatl and the end of human history in 2012.

While teasing with the reference to the seven hundred molemen names, the description dances around the big question about Hodgman's third book: Who will be the hobos/molemen analog for That Is All?

Cat burglars? Spammers? Chimney sweeps? Robo-hobos?

Place your bets in the comments area.