On Sale at a Bookstore Near You
Since September 16th, 2008!
Getting Into Guinness is the never before told story of the history, characters and obsessions behind the Guinness World Records™ book, the best selling copyrighted book in publishing history. It is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Guinness World Records.
The famous record book is a title known to virtually everyone on earth, and sold more than 110 million copies in three dozen languages, yet while we all know what is it is, very few people know anything about it. Did you know that:
The Guinness Book of Records was created by Arthur Guinness & Sons, the famed Dublin brewery, to settle bets in pubs?
The first edition in 1955 was serious reference book, meant to join dictionaries and encyclopedias on the shelf?
The book spawned one of the longest running prime time television series ever on the BBC and ultimately TV shows in 85 countries?
The book was the precursor to reality television and social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook?
The book has made the New York Times bestseller list just about every year for the past half century. About 3.5 million copies are sold each year?
The vast majority of records – more than 90% - are NOT in the book?
There is a subculture of serial Guinness World Records™ setters with dozens or even hundreds of records?
You too can be a record holder?!!!
Getting Into Guinness explores the rich and colorful history of the Guinness Book of Records™, from its unlikely barroom beginnings to its profound effect on the culture of our society. Over the past half century it has been transformed from a staid reference book into a social phenomenon that tens of thousands of people are desperate to “get into.” Along the way, the Guinness book changed the way society looks at books, television, and sports and has spawned such contemporary media outlets as reality television and the social networking sites that are a lively part of our digital age.
To bring this multi-layered tale to life, Olmsted journeyed into the heart of the book, setting two bizarre records himself. Through extensive intereiws and research, he then invetigated the world of quirky, obsessed and sometimes insane world record fanatics all bound by the common desire to “get into Guinness.”
Getting Into Guinness is the sometimes unbelievable, often touching, frequently disturbing, and always entertaining story of society’s obsession with records and fame, including interviews with the world’s most prolific record setter, numerous fans, fanatics and serial record setters, experts on fame and addiction, distiguished authorities and members of the media, and famous record setters, from celebrity chefs to billionaire adventurer Sir Richard Branson.
Getting Into Guinness is published by Harper Collins and was released in North America on September 16th, 2008.
Getting Into Guinness will be published by Collins UK and released in Ireland, Britain and throughout the British Commonwealth on October 6th, 2008.