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The newest book by Tim O’Brien and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! calls attention to the fact that 55% of all amphibian species are considered threatened or believed to be threatened. Frog Oddities & Trivia is a whimsical new book that takes a look at a serious problem in a lighthearted, educational way. It calls attention to the plight of frogs and other amphibians that are going extinct at a rapid rate.
“Believe It or Not! More than 1,800 amphibian species are threatened with extinction!”
Ripley’s Aquariums, in conjunction with Ripley Publishing, published the book to help promote the “Year of the Frog,” a designation that national and international conservation groups have given 2008. Written by Tim O’Brien and created in the style of a Ripley’s Believe It or Not! book, Frog Oddities & Trivia features more than 50 original cartoons by Ripley’s official illustrator, John Graziano. In addition, there are several early cartoons drawn by Robert Ripley himself.
“Believe It or Not! The blood cells of a frog are 5 times larger than those of an elephant!”
Robert Ripley was always fascinated with the odd and the unusual and – luckily for him – the animal world was, and is, full of strange and remarkable animal species - often displaying bizarre adaptations for survival. Ripley studied God’s creatures intensely and during his career created 106,238 cartoons featuring animals, nearly 17% of all he created! More than 500 of his cartoons were dedicated to amphibians. By the 1930s, his daily cartoon was syndicated throughout the world with a readership of more than 80 million people a day!
“Believe It or Not! The African Bullfrog can live to be 45 years old, grow to 9.5 inches long and eat animals as large as rats!”
Standing by its long-standing commitment to conservation and the preservation of all living creatures, Ripley’s Aquariums are distributing, free of charge, more than 11,000 of these books to various zoos, aquariums, and wildlife parks who have pledged to donate all monies from the sale to a world-wide amphibian conservation fund! The book is also available through traditional sources, again, with proceeds going to a conservation fund. Click here for more information on this wacky new collection of Believe It or Not! facts and cartoons!
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Ripley Publishing and Tim O’Brien’s first release of 2008 offers an offbeat and bizarre, but 100% factual journey through the world of baseball players, coaches, owners, teams, stadiums and fans! For the first time in its 79-year publishing history, Ripley has dedicated a book specifically to one of Robert Ripley’s favorite subjects – baseball. Not falling into the category of a conventional trivia book, this one has the spirit of a traditional Ripley book throughout! No one does the odd and trivial better than Ripley! With a whole lot of totally unbelievable and mind-boggling facts, this Believe It or Not! book is a first of its kind in sports publishing. While best known for his artistic endeavors and the coining of the popular Believe It or Not! phrase, Robert Ripley’s move to New York City in early 1914 marked his determination to play professional baseball. He tried out for the New York Giants in 1914 and made the team but had his pitching arm shattered by a line drive in his very first appearance. With his baseball career apparently over, he landed an illustrator’s job at the New York Globe in the sports department where he soon was combining his passion for sports with his love for the odd and unusual. With more than 350 Believe It or Nots! and original illustrations by Ripley’s official cartoonist John Graziano, the entire book is dedicated to the bizarre, colorful and entertaining universe of baseball oddities and trivia. Click here for more information on this wacky new collection of Believe It or Not! facts and cartoons!
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Ripley Publishing and Tim O’Brien’s newest industry book is an uncanny journey through the weird, wacky, and absolutely true world of amusement park oddities and trivia! Tired of the traditional ho-hum trivia book? Rejoice, here’s one that’s unique, enjoyable, accurate AND edgy! With a bit of history, a bit of trivia and a lot of totally unbelievable facts, this is a first of its kind book for the amusement industry. With more than 350 Believe It or Nots! inside its pages, and 50-plus original illustrations by Ripley’s official cartoonist John Graziano, nearly half of the book is dedicated to the bizarre, colorful and entertaining universe of amusement parks, rides and attractions. The other half features chapters on the Walt Disney parks, roller coasters, Ferris wheels, carousels, entertainers and park food! A comprehensive index permits readers to quickly discover the oddities of their favorite park. This book belongs in the hands of all park and ride fans in the world! Click here for more information on the most unique book written on the park industry this century!
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Praised by industry pundits for its in-depth and passionate writing style, this book is a tribute to the greatest of the great – those who made the amusement park, theme park and waterpark industry what it is today. Volume One features 10 larger than life characters who each made a huge impact on the development of the amusement industry. Included in this first volume are: Harrison “Buzz” Price, who created, and then introduced professional data analysis into the industry; George Millay, visionary who created the SeaWorld marine park concept and Wet’n Wild, the world’s first waterpark; Ron Toomer, roller coaster designer, with more than 80 coasters to his credit; Jeff Henry, waterpark ride creator and visionary; Harold Chance, founder of Chance Rides; Dr. Roberto Ortiz, Costa Rican physician who created the country’s first theme park to raise money for his children’s hospital; John Graff, 20-year president of International Assn. of Amusement Parks & Attractions (IAAPA); Bo Kinntorph, first international president of IAAPA and CEO of Liseberg Park in Sweden; Carl Hughes, first non-owner president of IAAPA, and a catalyst in modernizing the association; and Marty Sklar, creative guru for Walt Disney Parks for more than 50 years. Volume One is a 272 page softcover book with approximately 115 photos. It's indexed for easy reference. Click here to read more on this new tome by Tim O’Brien.
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George Millay’s creation of SeaWorld in 1964 took the idea of sea life parks to new levels. In 1971, he created Magic Mountain theme park in Valencia, California, and then in 1977, he crafted the world’s first waterpark, Wet’n Wild. Today, George Millay is the unchallenged “Father of the Waterpark.” The Wave Maker is a story of the man who believed in himself, who never thought of giving up. He had in his arsenal a tremendous sense of creativity, a strong work ethic, and an unshakable belief that his ambitious projects would indeed reach their successful completion. This 352-page historical biography, with 90 illustrations, is the story of George Millay, his amazing accomplishments, and the early history and development of the 12 marine parks, theme parks, and waterparks he conceived. Click here to read the Table of Contents, Prologue, Introduction, and Foreword.
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This official biography of the most-loved and best-known amusement industry trade journalist of all time tells the story of the amazing larger-than-life former editor of Amusement Business magazine. His weekly column "TP on AB" started his legendary status more 30 years ago. Since then, he has rubbed elbows with people from all walks of life, from the likes of President Bill Clinton, Willie Nelson, and Tommy Lasorda to carnival owners, fair executives and sideshow freaks. He enjoys the company of all. This 200-page adventure has more than 60-photos and is available in softcover and in a Special Edition hardcover. Click here to read sample chapters, the introduction and prologue and to look at the extensive Table of Contents.
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Since 1991, this guide has been the most accurate, most complete guide to North America’s theme parks, waterparks, and thrill parks. Written by an award-winning industry insider, the book has been praised for its writing style, its accuracy and its breadth of knowledge. Click here to find out more about the best guide to parks nationwide.
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No other book takes you on so many back roads and into so many of the funkiest and friendliest places in the state of Tennessee. Click here to enjoy the introduction, index and find out why Tennessee is regarded as one of the most unique states in the nation. |
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Here’s an oldie but a goodie that Tim O’Brien wrote, with the help of his then 12-year old daughter Carrie, in 1995-1996 when there were only 12 Six Flags Theme Parks. A short history, a list of rides, shows, attractions, eateries and plenty of photos appear for each park. Very much out of date as a current park guide but an amazing source of historical information and photos of the original Six Flags parks, this book belongs in every theme park aficionado’s book collection. The 288-page softcover book was commissioned by Bob Pittman, then Six Flags President, and published by Oxmoor House in May, 1996. Click here for more information. |
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Listing more than 250 zoos, aquariums and other wildlife attractions across North America, this 301-page guide, researched and written by Tim O’Brien in 1992, highlights the history, the collections, the featured species and specialty animals, unique exhibits, locations and services at each facility. Now more than 15 years old, this classic tome is really too old to serve as a guide book but is invaluable as a historical look back at how these institutions appeared in 1992 and how sophisticated most of them have become since! Click here for more information. |
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