The Onion Book of Known Knowledge

The Onion Book of Known Knowledge is a satirical encyclopaedia written by the staff of The Onion, an American satirical newspaper.^[1] The book was published by Little, Brown and Company on October 23, 2012.^[2]

The book satirizes topics in a wide range of fields, including politics, history, entertainment, medicine and religion.^[2][1]

Development

According to Onion editor Will Tracy, the writing process saw the team listing down various topics they felt had to be covered, such as God and World War II.^[1] Once these topics were written, the writers were then given the freedom to write about any other topic they wanted.^[3] The writers also scattered various inside jokes throughout the book.^[1]

Publication history

Written by the staff of The Onion, the book was published by Little, Brown and Company on October 23, 2012.^[2] An audiobook version narrated by Avery Sandford and June Bunt was also released that year by Hachette Audio.^[4]

Critical reception

Kirkus Reviews thought the book was "well worth dipping into" and praised its artwork in particular.^[2] AudioFile's W.M. noted some of the jokes "wear a bit thin", but found the book funny and entertaining as a whole.^[4] The Daily Telegraph's Madeline Healy was impressed by the writers' ability to maintain a consistent voice throughout the book.^[5]