Everything (or Almost Everything) about Paris A Petite Encyclopedia of Indispensable and Superfluous Information

There are almost 200 entries in the addictive Everything (or almost everything) About Paris, a witty and sophisticated treasure trove of facts, histories, lists, records, quotations, and miscellaneous oddities that go well beyond trivia to include significant cultural enlightenment and a below-the-surface glimpse of what it means to be Parisian. Among the thousands of facts that most certainly haven't been assembled in one place anywhere else- The number of brothels, massage parlors and "places of pleasure" listed in a 1922 guidebook; Famous poisonings that occurred in Paris; Addresses of the ten vineyards within the city limits; Ten vintage aperitifs to order in bistros; Imaginary Parisian streets that appear in novels; Fines charged for municipal infractions (from feeding pigeons 35E to appearing nude in a public place 35,000 E and imprisonment ); The history of the bikini, the cobblestones, the rooftops, and the trashcans of Paris; Exploits staged at the Eiffel Tower from 1891 through 2010; Innovative (unadopted) ideas proposed through the years to improve the quality of life in Paris- shut down museums and put the paintings in bars, turn churches into housing for the poor, and more. ...and that's just for starters.