Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

It turns out that you don't despite what your parents told you lose most of your body heat through your head. It also turns out that chicken soup really can make you feel better; there has never been a reported case of someone poisoning Halloween candy; if you swallow gum it won't sit there, undigested, in your stomach for seven years; you don't need eight glasses of water a day (unless you're really thirsty); and the well-known fact that we only use 10 percent of our brains is, well, brainless. Jennings examines 125 of the nagging Mom-and-Dad-isms that we all grew up with, checking them for accuracy, exploring their origins, looking for the truth behind the truisms. Some of the results might not surprise you, but others likely will. Like Jennings' earlier books (including Brainiac, 2006), the book is highly entertaining, a deft combination of information and humorous commentary. It's time to stop calling Jennings that guy who won millions on Jeopardy and start calling him that very good writer of entertaining nonfiction who appeared on a game show nearly a decade ago.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A fun, lighthearted compendium of conventional wisdom, mostly parental, which debunks plenty of old wives' tales and urban myths while offering a few surprising truths. The latest in the brainy and engaging Jeopardy! champion's series of breezy reads (Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks, 2011, etc.) offers bite-sized chunks that could be devoured in a couple of hours, though more readers are likely to use it piecemeal, looking for answers to specific questions. As the preface explains, the author "compiled 125 of the nagging Mom-and-Dad-isms that we all grew up with, and then I've meticulously researched the scientific evidence behind them." Meticulously, though not necessarily dryly, as his writing is filled with good humor that is occasionally even a little edgy. Thus, when he refutes "Don't talk to strangers!" by showing that children are far more at risk of kidnapping and other dangers from someone they know: "The most serious problem with stranger danger' is that, statistically, it's completely backward.The only kind of stranger danger' I'm willing to inflict on my children is a mortal fear of Billy Joel's 1977 album The Stranger. It's never too early to instill correct musical taste in your kids." Readers will learn, if they haven't guessed already, that you don't need to wait an hour after eating before swimming, that masturbation will not result in hairy palms, that sitting too close to the TV isn't all that bad for your eyes and that eating the Christmas poinsettia leaves won't kill you. ("The truth is that you're probably safer eating an entire potted poinsettia than you are eating Grandma's holiday fruitcake.") But bicyclists should always wear a helmet, and breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. "Occasionally Mom knew what she was talking about," as this clever book confirms, but often she did not.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Library Journal
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All-time Jeopardy champion Jennings (Maphead; Brainiac) tackles the veracity of old wives' tales that will likely be familiar to most listeners: feed a cold and starve a fever; sitting too close to the TV will ruin your eyes; if you cross your eyes, they'll stay like that; never run with scissors. Jennings uses medical case histories and evidence, scientific studies, and even sometimes experiments on himself to prove or disprove each saying. Verdict Hilarious, entertaining, and surprisingly informative, Jennings's volume is recommended for young and old alike and anyone who's ever wondered about the warnings their mother gave them when they were a child. Great fun.-Gloria Maxwell, Metropolitan Community Coll.-Penn Valley Lib., Kansas City, MO (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly
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Jeopardy! champion Jennings (Maphead) tackles the not-so-trivial matters of parenting advice in his latest eye-opening book. With his trademark wit and genius, he dissects common phrases most adults say to their children at one time or another. Using solid research, he judges whether long-held beliefs are true or false. For example, are poinsettias really poisonous? Definitely not, he writes, citing a hilarious study to prove his point. Part entertainment and part informative, in a style that's reminiscent of a quiz show, he assures parents that most of the things we worry about won't hurt us at all. Talking to strangers isn't so dangerous and those silica gel packets in pill bottles won't kill anyone. Some of the topics-don't sneeze or your eyeballs will fall out-are obviously false, but he skillfully generates interest by telling the reader how these myths originated. And, of course, a few bits, like "don't stare at the sun," are true. Jennings imparts wisdom and good sense in this highly entertaining and oddly educational book. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.