This clever collection of literary curiosities will thrill book-lovers and history buffs alike. Explore the whimsical pages of The Secret Library to discover that Edgar Allan Poe only achieved success with one book during his lifetime, a nonfiction work about snails; hear some funny gags from a 1,700-year-old joke book; find out that "Lady Maria Clutterbuck," author of the 1851 cookbook What Shall We Have for Dinner?, was actually Charles Dickens's wife; and so much more! This is 3,000 years' worth of delightful bookish trivia! (CH)