Language Buff Writes Witty Book on Presidential Trivia

KPBS | By KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published February 6, 2008 at 9:03 AM PST

This story was published more than 16 years ago.

Presidential history can be dry. But language expert Richard Lederer's new book Presidential Trivia: The Feats, Fates, Families, Foibles and Firsts of Our American Presidents takes a whimsical loo

Language Buff Writes Witty Book on Presidential Trivia

Originally aired Sep. 13, 2007.
Tom Fudge:
Did you know that former first lady Barbara Bush is the fourth cousin, four times removed, of the late President Franklin Pierce? I didn't know that, and I'll bet that Richard Lederer didn't know that either before he started doing research for his new book.

Richard is known to most of us as a professional word lover. For many years, he was the co-host of A Way with Words on KPBS. His new book is called Presidential Trivia: The Feats, Fates, Families, Foibles and Firsts of Our American Presidents .

Richard Lederer will give a presentation about his new book at the first 2007 KPBS lecture series on Wed., Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla.

Guest

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Richard Lederer, language expert and former co-host of KPBS Radio show A Way with Words .

Language Buff Writes Witty Book on Presidential Trivia

Presidential history can be dry. But language expert Richard Lederer's new book Presidential Trivia: The Feats, Fates, Families, Foibles and Firsts of Our American Presidents takes a whimsical loo

Presidential history can be dry. But language expert Richard Lederer's new book Presidential Trivia: The Feats, Fates, Families, Foibles and Firsts of Our American Presidents takes a whimsical loo