World's Oddest Book Titles

The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60-milligram Containers of Fromage Frais has been crowned the winner of the Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year. Fromage frais (also known as fromage blanc, maquée or quark) is a yogurt-like dairy product often eaten as a light dessert, or breakfast dish with fruit or honey added. Considering the $795 list price for the book at Amazon, I think I'll remain ignorant about its future.

The Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year is presented annually by The Bookseller magazine. The award was first presented in 1978, when the prize went to the wonderfully named Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice. Librarians, teachers, and bookstore workers submit suggestions for the award. The Diagram is unique in that judges do not actually have to read the books in question. Indeed, they are actively discouraged from doing so, in case a close knowledge of the subject makes them realize the book is less odd than it first appears - although I have a feeling a book on the future of tiny pots of fromage frais is odd enough. Competition for this year's prize was fierce and included titles like Baboon Metaphysics, Curbside Consultation of the Colon and The Large Sieve and its Applications.