The Dead Guy Interviews appear monthly in mental_floss magazine. (The Dead Guy Interviews book will be available from Penguin Publishing in November 2007)

Some people see dead people. This guy interviews them…In depth, one at a time, knock-down, drag out, tête-à-têtes with Lincoln, da Vinci, Genghis Khan, Cleopatra, and a whole host of famous dead guys - and gals - throughout history. They may not have a pulse – but man can these people talk! Ever wanted to ask Nostradamus for the winning lotto numbers or Napoleon about his complex? How about Van Gogh about the whole ear episode, or if Frida might consider a brow wax? Here’s your chance! In The Dead Guy Interviews, you’ll get dating tips from Henry the VIIIth, a palm reading from Confucius, Beethoven’s take on “American Idol,” and the real story about if George Washington inhaled. The interviews are historical, hysterical, and great conversational fodder. If you ever wondered what it would be like to have dinner with anyone in history - now you’ll know…