Ever wondered what it would be like to be an Incan runner, carrying messages across the ancient Andes at lightning speed? Or perhaps a jester, keeping the royal courts in stitches with your hilarious antics? What about a stage farter? A poo collector? A body double? All these jobs are yours for the taking in history's line-up of the world's oddest jobs.
In this book, you'll encounter a colourful cast of characters who embraced the quirkiest of professions, including the legendary Harry Houdini who defied the laws of nature with his mind-bending magic tricks; Bessie Coleman, the first African-American stunt-pilot; Marie Tussaud who fled the French Revolution and came to London to create wax sculptures; Zazel, a Victorian daredevil who became the first human cannonball; and the amazing story of Samuel Sorensen Adams, inventor of many of the most famous joke shop gags such as sneezing powder, the handshake buzzer and the stink bomb.
This treasure trove of history's most peculiar jobs will leave you laughing, gasping, and wondering what job you'd have chosen in days gone by - and what jobs you might encounter in the future...
An irresistible exposé into the world of work from the brilliant Mike Barfield, author of A Day in the Life of a Poo, a Gnu and You, winner of the 2021 Blue Peter Award for a Book with Facts.Featuring the weirdest and wackiest jobs throughout the ages, this book is packed with facts for curious minds. Includes jobs in travel, science and sport, as well as the worst jobs in history... and some of the more curious jobs of today!Fun non-fiction edutainment for a younger age-range illustrated by the brilliant Franziska Höllbacher!Mike Barfield is an award-winning author: Winner of the Blue Peter Award; Shortlisted for Sainsbury's Award; Shortlisted for Royal Society Young People's Book Prize; Shortlisted for the Association of Science Education prize AND MORE! Mike's books have sold in over 40 territories. 
