Chock-full of advice that's stood the test of time, Ask the Past is the tongue-in-cheek compilation of hilarious and true answers to life's questions, drawn from actual antique sourcebooks by a historian and bibliophile.
Based on the popular blog, Ask the Past offers absolutely serious yet now uproariously funny advice culled by Yale University-trained historian Archibald from the rare books she's uncovered in her research. Whether it's 18th-century tips for ridding your abode of bedbugs (sprinkle bed with gunpowder and let smolder) or a 16th-century guide on how to score (do not pass gas), Ask the Past is a wildly entertaining take on classic advice books, a postmillennial Miss Manners for the overeducated, overread, and overly ironic.
Ask the Past is the perfect gift full of tips, tricks, and curiosities that no one can resist.