Shortlists for major literary prizes often leave casual readers scratching their heads, as they wonder why such acclaimed novels have passed them by.But even avid bookworms may have missed out on Baboon Metaphysics, which is up for this year's Diagram Prize.
The award, which is run by The Bookseller magazine, aims to reveal the oddest book title of the last year.
The 2008 shortlist is as follows:
• Baboon Metaphysics by Dorothy L Cheney and Robert M Seyfarth
• Curbside Consultation of the Colon by Brooks D Cash
• The Large Sieve and its Applications by Emmanuel Kowalski
• Strip and Knit with Style by Mark Hordyszynski
• Techniques for Corrosion Monitoring by Lietai Yang
• The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60-milligram Containers of Fromage Frais by Professor Philip M Parker
Last year's winner was If You Want Closure In Your Relationship, Start With Your Legs by "celebrity bodyguard" Big Boom.
"So effective is the title that you don't even need to read the book itself," noted the Bookseller's deputy editor, Joel Rickett.
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