Everything (or Almost Everything) About Paris A petite encyclopedia of indispensable and superfluous information

The almost 200 entries in the addictive Everything (or Almost Everything) About Paris are a witty and sophisticated treasure trove of facts, histories, lists, records, quotations, and miscellaneous oddities that go well beyond trivia to include significant cultural information and an enlightening glimpse of Parisian life: 

• An explanation of the Parisian chant of disillusionment: "métro, boulot, dodo;" 
• Addresses and descriptions of vineyards within the city limits;
• Ten vintage aperitifs to order in bistros;
• Imaginary Parisian streets that appear in novels;
• The number of brothels, massage parlors, and “places of pleasure” listed in a 1922 guidebook;
• Famous poisonings that occurred in Paris;
• Mottos of the five greatest educational institutions in Paris;
• Fines charged for municipal infractions, from feeding pigeons (35€) to appearing nude in a public place (35,000€ and imprisonment);
• Histories of the cobblestones, the rooftops, and the trashcans of Paris;
• Names of the most famous can-can dancers of the mid-19th and early 20th century;
• The odd and scandalous history of villa Félicien-Fabre in the 16th arrondissement;
• Thirty significant paintings displayed in churches in Paris

...and much, much, much more.

Jean-Christophe Napias is an author, translator, and editor. He is the author of Quiet Corners of Paris, also published by The Little Bookroom. His most recent book, co-authored with Patrick Mauriés and Christian Lacroix, is Fashion Quotes: Stylish Wit and Catwalk Wisdom. 

Simon Beaver grew up in the South of England, but moved to Paris nearly 40 years ago. For three decades Beaver has been adapting books, TV and movie scripts, songs and biographies into English, writing subtitles and recording voice overs. He lives in Brittany.