THE BOOK OF LISTS

From the Wallace family--father, name-retaining son, and daughter--comes this book of lists of historical trivia and assorted inconsequentials, with a shelf life of at least 20 minutes. Most are fairly inoffensive: they include 14 men whose names are units of measurement; 10 aphrodisiacs, starting with asparagus; the 13 longest English words, from honorificabilitudinitatibus past the 100-letter wonders of Finnegan's Wake; 10 doctors who tried to get away with murder (but not the more recent ones); 8 cases of spontaneous combustion; the 9 shortest-running national TV series; 10 beans and their flatulence levels; and the infamous White House Enemies list. Others are more provocative: the 15 most boring classics, tightly led by Pilgrim's Progress, also features (aah!) War and Peace. Primarily compiled by the Wallaces or their associates (also indicated in a list), this has ""Exclusives"" from such diverse luminaries as Margaret Mead, John Wooden, and H. R. Haldeman. No vital statistics--just fiddle-laddie.