Suppose you think you’re too old to satisfy a curious mind, believing you already know all the essential truths. In that case, you might consider this opening gem in Seraphina Lewis’s book Curiosities Revealed:

“[Did you know] that you can’t hum while pinching your nose shut?”

I did not know that. Therefore, I was hooked on the very first page. After that, I kept my mouth closed courteously rather than allowing it to hang open rudely in amazement. Granted, the astonishment came from the information provided—the Curiosities Revealed. That is not on the author; it’s on our universe’s myriad wonders and mysteries, from the microcosm to the macrocosm. However, the joyful, intriguing, and thoroughly engaging presentation of revelations is every bit the author’s, and this book shines from her creative choices and the perfect words used to unveil her marvels.

Other compendiums of interesting facts find their way to bookshelves. Humans have a curiosity as intrinsic and intense as any cat. Game shows ply their wares by challenging trivial knowledge. Admirably, this book is not that. One can only presume the author’s intent based on the results: effectively and magnetically, the concise and factual gemlike nuggets comprising the contents of these pages create a tapestry that is—to quote another cliché truth—more than the sum of its parts. Judging from the result, the point of this hypnotic narrative seems to be that we live in an infinite mystery that reveals itself bit by lovely bit. Or, to quote the author’s humbler words:

“As we draw the curtains on our expedition through the hidden truths and extraordinary marvels of the world, I hope your mind is buzzing with excitement and wonder.”