Ripley’s Believe it or Not: Download the Weird!

Last Updated on June 10, 2015 by

My kids are fascinated by random trivia.  We have apps on my iphone that keep them entertained for hours in the car just learning about weird facts.  They are also passionate readers and enjoy an odd assortment of books both fiction and non fiction.  So, when I got the chance to check out Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Download the Weird I thought this would be perfect for my ever inquisitive children.  Do you remember watching Ripley’s Believe it or Not on TV when you were a kid?  I absolutely loved that show and my husband and I actually took our children to the Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum in Tennessee last year.  It was awesome and we all really enjoyed it!  What exactly is Download the Weird?  It is an awesome combination of book plus technology that will keep you (I mean your CHILDREN!) entertained for hours!

Ripley’s Believe it or Not: Download the Weird

 

Title:  Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Download the Weird

Author:  Geoff Tibballs (Compiler)

Publisher:  Ripley Publishing; Annual edition (September 11, 2012)

ISBN: 978-1609910327

Pages/format: hardcover (256 pages)

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

 

From the Publisher:

Ripley Publishing will again WOW! readers with its latest annual, Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Download the Weird, an all-new collection of unbelievable stories from around the world.

But there’s a new twist to Download the Weird—readers can actually download the weird. The brand new Ripley’s Believe It or Not! app allows hidden content in the book to COME ALIVE!

Here’s how it works: simply point a smart phone or advanced iPod at the special oddSCAN™ logos in the book and see that story come to life with exclusive bonus content, including videos and images. It’s a one-stop portal that will transport readers deep into the hidden world of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! like never before.

Ripley fans will be thrilled to see that this newest title in the best-selling series has all the qualities that Ripley’s is known for. Download the Weird is jam-packed with an incredible array of crazy facts, stories, lists and interviews.

 

My Review:

Maybe I am behind the times but I have never heard of a book with an app that you can use to interact with the info inside the story.  I immediately went to the App store to download the app (FREE!).  It is available for Android or Apple smartphones.  While there is a whole bunch of cool stuff within the app, it is the OddScan portion of the app that you want to use with the book. Just open up the OddScan link and download the “Download the Weird” bundle which only takes a few seconds.  Then, you are ready to interact with the book.

Now, the book alone is totally amazing so don’t think you NEED to download the app to enjoy it.  You will find all sorts of crazy info, amazingly bold photos and enough weird facts to keep you entertained for hours…I would say even days or weeks!  This is a huge book that is totally packed full of info!  It is clearly broken down into categories like Transportation, Food, Digital, Art, and a ton of others so stuff is easy to sort through.  What sort of weird stuff will you see?  Here are a few tidbits from the publisher about the content:

• Meet the world’s oddest couple: he swallows swords, hedge trimmers and umbrella handles while she hangs upside down and lifts lead weights by her hair!
• Learn why a California man has experienced more than 950 violent car crashes.
• See tourists risk life and limb to get their picture taken with an 18-foot-long crocodile!

My favorite oddities in the book?  The vampire lady, the cyclops shark, and the pullout section about the Titanic.  There are a few pages that actually fold out so you can get a ton more information on that topic on one really long page.

The scanning portion of the app was totally simple to use. Just open the book and look for the OddScan logo.  Then, hold your phone so the entire page is framed in the camera.  Within seconds it ‘reads’ the image/page and starts proving additional interactive information about that particular topic.  Totally easy to use!

I absolutely love this new installment of Ripley’s Believe it or Not and the Download the Weird book and app are definitely coming on our next car trip!  This will keep my kids entertained for a long time.  If they can manage to pry it out of my hands!

 

Disclaimer:  In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials.”: I received one copy of this book  in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. Some of the links in this post may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.