Trivia books are a dime a dozen. Trust The Economist, which knows the price and the value of everything, to do something different.

In its first ever trivia book in a 175-year history, the sharp wits of The Economist's own champion pub quiz team (team name: Marginal Futility) throw down the gauntlet for a genuinely tough contest. Ranging over the globe and the sweep of world history, peering into the most significant developments in science, politics and culture, this is the rare quiz whose answers shed real light on the ways of the world. For example:

• Where did 15th-Century popes live?
• Which European country's flag features a double-headed eagle?
• Who was the only man to serve as president of the U.S. and chief justice of the Supreme Court?
• What is notable about the constitution of Israel?
• Ikebana is a Japanese art associated with what skill?