What was this nonfiction book about lists that have asterisks?

December 29, 2021 5:48 PM

Sometime in the last few months there was a book mentioned on the 99 Percent Invisible podcast that was something about lists with asterisks or the disclaimers/stories behind those asterisks. (I don't think this was an actual example in the book but like a list of hall of famers but some have an asterisk due to drug use, that type of story.) I think it was 99PI but it is possible it was from the podcast series The Edge about the Houston Astros, which was featured on a 99PI episode?
posted by Wretch729 to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

It was one of the "mini stories" episodes that Roman likes to do, and you're referring to Mary Roach's latest book, Fuzz.
posted by emelenjr at 7:03 PM on December 29, 2021

Response by poster: I don't think that was it? Though I love Roach's work. That book has footnotes that Roman mentioned, but its not about the idea of footnotes. I feel like the episode was farther back.
posted by Wretch729 at 5:40 AM on December 30, 2021

Was it the Interrobang episode? Maybe the book was Shady Characters? On the asterisk
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:58 AM on December 30, 2021 [1 favorite]

Also, the author’s name is Houston—maybe that’s why you thought of the Astros*?
posted by MonkeyToes at 7:14 AM on December 30, 2021