The Order of Things: How Everything in the World Is Organized into Hierarchies, Structures, and Pecking Orders

Author: Barbara Ann Kipfer

First line: From the inner workings of the smallest things to the complex system of the universe, The Order of Things is an attempt to cover all those things that we ourselves have organized, or what we have found naturally organized, into: hierarchies, structures, orders, classifications, branches, scales, divisions, successions, sequences, rankings.

Why you should read this book: Whether you're trying to remember the seven deadly sins or the seven wonders of the ancient world, all the dynasties of China or the structure of the US government, the order of poker hands or the order in which Shakespeare's plays were published, this book has an answer. From abacus to zoology, Kipfer has classified the known world according to its understood structure including science, religion, history, arts, sports, and philosophy. A remarkable reference for anyone reveling in natural curiosity or suffering from general forgetfulness.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You're an anarchist.