The Wisdom Found in Hen's Teeth

When it comes to all things rare, strange and peculiar, there's one common denominator: Jules Torti. In this, her fourth book, she explores sensory heritage, the birthday paradox, broken heart syndrome, superstitions, signs, kooky diets, ylang ylang and falling airplane parts statistics.

Life lessons learned from a wayward racing pigeon named Marge and a gull that stole her egg salad sandwich at the beach make sound sense in a book that includes everything from lost wedding rings to Belinda Carlisle lyrics to the fine print on insurance coverage for suborbital flights.

If you've ever wondered about prosthetic wings for butterflies, Bill Murray (in general), star-nosed moles and lucky rabbit foot charms, Torti places these topics under a microscope (though she hasn't used one since elementary school). In the moving spirit of My Octopus Teacher, Torti discovers she has many teachers, including, possibly, a local beaver.

Readers will be enlightened on the meandering path from balloon animals to wax museums to Gwyneth Paltrow's vagina-scented candle line. It's an irresistible ecosystem of unusual things and events that prove that rare moments are not as rare as you are led to believe. Insert a collection of shared stories from Torti's circle that includes lottery winners, lightning strikes, bizarre accidents involving port-a-potties, dishwashers and a cow. Who has friends who have been bitten by a beaver, mongoose and scorpion (not all at once)? Maybe you're nodding along and realizing that nothing is as rare as rocking horse manure anymore.

Even Oprah makes an appearance.

If you know of a kid who only ate white things or owned a 6-toed cat or gave a foot massage to a 6-toed person, well, you'll relate. The Wisdom Found in Hen's Teeth is an engaging romp through a magnified world that includes volunteer turtle taxi drivers, competitive hot dog eaters, storm chasers, paranormal societies and white-lipped snails.

It's Seth Rogan's Yearbook meets Jeremy Clarkson's signature salt and vinegary-ness with a little Shirley MacLaine woo-woo thrown in for good measure. If you like to take a walk on the wild side, one that involves rescuing snails from the road after the rain and pickling possums for posterity, Jules Torti's latest will have you contemplating your own private Goa. You'll see. It's a cabinet of curiosities with the doors blown right off.