{"product_id":"9781473670174","title":"The Odditorium: The Tricksters, Eccentrics, Deviants and Inventors Whose Obsessions Changed the World","description":"'I LOVE THE BOOK... A BRILLIANT READ' \u003cb\u003eChris Evans, Radio 2 Breakfast Show\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'This book, that I approached with caution, turns out to be magnificent. Tested it with the Moondog entry. Passed A+' \u003cb\u003eDanny Baker, Radio 5Live\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA CELEBRATION OF CURIOSITY AND OBSESSION\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eStep  into a world of gloriously unpredictable characters such as Ivor  Cutler, Quentin Crisp, Joe Orton, Reginald Bray, Ken Campbell, Screaming  Lord Sutch, Sun Ra, Buckminster Fuller, Timothy Leary and Ayn Rand.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Odditorium\u003c\/i\u003e  is a playful re-telling of history, told not through the lens of its  victors, but through the fascinating stories of a wealth of individuals  who, while lesser-known, are no less remarkable.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThroughout its  pages you'll learn about the antics and adventures of tricksters,  eccentrics, deviants and inventors. While their stories range from  heroic failures to great hoaxes, one thing unites them - they all carved  their own path through life. Each protagonist exemplifies the human  spirit through their dogged determination, willingness to take risks,  their unflinching obsession and, often, a good dollop of eccentricity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLearn  about Reginald Bray (1879-1939), a Victorian accountant who sent over  30,000 singular objects through the mail, including himself; Muriel  Howorth (1886-1971), the housewife who grew giant peanuts using atomic  energy; and Elaine Morgan (1920-2013), a journalist who battled a tirade  of prejudice to pursue an aquatic-based theory of human evolution,  which is today being championed by David Attenborough. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile many of us are content to lead a conventional life, with all of its comfort and security, \u003ci\u003eThe Odditorium\u003c\/i\u003e  reminds us of the characters who felt compelled to carve their own  path, despite risking ostracism, failure, ridicule and madness. Outsider  artists, linguists, scientists, time travellers and architects all  feature in \u003ci\u003eThe Odditorium\u003c\/i\u003e, each of whom risked ostracism,  ridicule and even madness in pursuit of carving their own esoteric path,  changing the world in wonderful ways.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'BRAMWELL CLEARLY HAS AN EYE FOR THE ODDBALL AND ARCANE' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Quercus","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47144372142320,"sku":"9781473670174","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781473670174_p0.jpg?v=1763602620","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781473670174","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}