"I am so glad we signed up for Calc II, this textbook is a riot!"

Like the leaves fluttering to the ground so our laughter falls away as we bury our noses in textbooks. But not necessarily—sometimes textbooks say weird and amazing shit. Take this quote from Empire City (assigned by Prof Ken Jackson for his perennial favorite ‘History of the City of New York’ class) which describes Columbia’s colorful past:

The college, tho’ only one third of the plan is compleat (sic), makes a fine appearance, on one of the finest situations perhaps of any college in the world. […] One circumstance I think is a little unlucky, the enterance (sic) to this college is thro’ one of the streets where the most noted prostitutes live. This is certainly a temptation to the youth that have occasion to pass so often that way.

If you find similar hilarity, whether informative or bizarre, send it our way.

Unintentional theme of toddlers continued via Wikimedia