A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert "Believe It or Not!" Ripley by Neal Thompson

I remember watching the 80s ABC version of Ripley’s starring Jack Palance when I was a kid. The host scared the hell outta me and so did the opening sequence. I remember seeing Rip’s face on the opening credits and thinking “Just who was they guy?” I also fell in love with the Beleive it or Not odditoriums and the comic strip, reading my grandpa’s old Ripley paperbacks before starting my own collection.

  All of those fond memories of BION are collected in the biography of the Marco Polo of the 20th Century. A fascinating read about a man who loved to play as hard as he worked. From his outsider upbringing to becoming a ladies man, it’s amazing to see just how much a workaholic Ripley was.

  There are some pictures in the middle of the book, but I would’ve loved to have read a few of his comic strips. (Only one is even reprinted legibly in the book towards the end.) One needed aspect of the book are little BION snippets about the many cast of characters Ripley encounters both home and abroad. And talking about broads, Ripley had his share of ’em. I was surprised how many ladies fawned over a guy who collected shrunken heads, tribal masks and erotic photos of amputees.

  Essentially, Robert Ripley is an oddball. But he loved the planet he lived on and the odder, the better. A must read for fans of shows like “Oddities” and “World’s Dumbest” and other shows that explore the strange, goofy, or just plain spooky.

  Believe it or not, this book is Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.