Did you know that James Joyce liked to smell his wife’s farts? That some fish communicate by expelling gas? Or that the Pentagon is developing weapons of mass olfactory destruction (WMOD)? From flatulent dogs and fart fetishists to poot-proof underwear and anti-stink pills, eminent fartologist Jim Dawson sniffs out the latest and greatest fart stories of the past century. Plumbing the far reaches of politics, pop culture, science, and literature, this stinker of a bathroom book will leave you gasping for air.

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Who Cut the Cheese?: A Cultural History of the Fart
by Jim Dawson

Did You Know: Dinosaurs who farted prodigiously over millions of years, probably contributed enough “greenhouse gas” to make the earth’s atmosphere habitable for humans; a fart in Jerusalem during Passover nearly two thousand years ago led to the deaths of 10,000 people; thanks to his chronic flatulence, Adolf Hitler became addicted to anti-fart pills whose toxic ingredients may have contributed to his dementia?

Yes, it all sounds like a lot of hot air, but we’re not pulling your leg (or your finger!). In Who Cut the Cheese?, the most comprehensive collection of fartlore ever compiled, author Jim Dawson blows the lid off traditional history to reveal the lingering effects of farting through the ages. In sweeping fashion, Dawson sniffs out the influence of flatulence in religion, science, music, literature, television, radio, and more. With additional chapters about farts on film (called “Gone with the Wind”) and French fartiste Le Petomane (probably the most famous windbag in history), this scatological inquiry is nearly as exhaustive as it is unnerving.

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Rock Around the Clock: The Record That Started the Rock Revolution!
by Jim Dawson

The beginning of rock and roll as a phenomenon was July 9, 1955, when "Rock Around the Clock" climbed to the pinnacle of the American pop charts to herald the arrival of the youth culture that eventually conquered the world. Rock Around the Clock is the inside story of the beginning of modern youth culture in the early 1950s, culminating in Bill Haley and His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock" — the first rock and roll hit and one of the biggest-selling singles of all time — and its explosive role in Blackboard Jungle, one of Hollywood's first films to deal with postwar youth culture gone wrong. The combination of uninhibited music and cinematic juvenile delinquency inextricably connected rock and roll with teenage rebellion in the public mind. The record also led to the making of Rock Around the Clock, the first rock and roll movie.

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45 rpm: The History, Heroes & Villains of a Pop Music Revolution
by Jim Dawson and Steve Propes

This is a complete history of the 45 rpm record from the birth of the recording industry through the format's invention, development, marketing, and current standing. The book describes how this new technology and rock and roll, born almost simultaneously, became a single world-shaking phenomenon; how upstart labels broke into the market while major labels tried to outfox each other; and how musical and music-industry personalities shaped this fascinating history. Along the way are stories of legendary records and artists and 100 color and black-and-white photos.

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Memories of Buddy Holly
by Jim Dawson and Spencer Leigh

At last, the real story of rock 'n' roll pioneer Buddy Holly is told by those who knew him best: his family, the musicians he played with, the fans who loved him, and the stars who were inspired by his music, including John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Bob Dylan. With extensive coverage of Buddy's chart hits, the unreleased album of alternate takes you probably haven't heard, cover records & remakes of Buddy's songs, paeans, dirges & tribute records.