USA Today has a great article online about a tour of Teller’s (of Penn and Teller) house. I got a kick out of it, and especially out of the accompanying pictures.
In one picture you can see him standing next to his bookcase; the shot is really of him pondering a full-size coffin with a skeleton in it, but the books caught my eye more. Among them are a book by Alan Turing and another on the genome. I’ve talked with Teller a few times, and he is beyond doubt a very intelligent man.
Cool trivia: Teller is not short. He is my height, about 5’10″. It’s just that Penn is so freaking big that Teller looks short.
I’ve never been to Teller’s house, though I’d love to go sometime. From the pictures I think it reflects him the same way Penn’s house reflects Penn. The contrast between the two is pretty funny.
Tip o’ the top hat to Facta Sunt Facta.
November 19th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
I see he’s got a copy of Goedel, Escher, Bach there on the shelf too. Excellent book!
November 19th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
I want his book collection.
November 19th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
I doubt it’s a book by Alan Turing. It’s more likely the biography by Andrew Hodges- which is a good read by the way.
November 19th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Ooh, and a copy of Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” on the top shelf in picture 7/9. Great taste in fiction!
November 19th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Cribs should give up on generic-rich-person-houses-that-happen-to-be-owned-by-celebrities and showcase this.
November 19th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
That’s a lot more books than I have. Well, mine are mostly comics…
I especially like his study. Hidden away? That’s just so cool! I’d like to have a secret room too!
November 19th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
FYI – The Penn And Teller FAQ says he’s 5’9″, not 5’10″. (And Penn is 6’6″.) Still, next to Penn, he looks a lot shorter.
http://www.pennandteller.com/sincity/penn-n-teller/faq.html#Teller
November 19th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Teller and Penn are uber cool
November 19th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
I think that book is Alan Turing: The Enigma, an biography by Alan Hodges and an excellent read.
November 19th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Yeah Teller is a genius. Before he started working with Penn he was a Latin professor. Yeah.
November 19th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
> The Penn And Teller FAQ says he’s 5′9″, not 5′10″
Holy crap, the astronomer is off by a whole inch! HE R NOT TEH SCIENTUST.
Seriously, though, if the man works in parsecs and lightyears and diminutive angular measurements like arcseconds I can forgive him for making a mistake involving such a mundane little English-system unit like the lowly inch.
November 19th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Homer Simpson: It’s called a walk-on. It’s a showbiz thing.
Teller: Will you shut up!
Homer Simpson: Hey, I thought you didn’t talk.
Teller: [nervously] Uh, I didn’t mean to… it just slipped out. Oh god, now Penn’s gonna beat me…I’m not the first Teller.
November 19th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Oh. My. I’d sell my non-existent soul four that house.
November 19th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
Awesome Simpsons reference, Duane.
I saw the Teller house story at iTricks.com http://itricks.com/news/?p=2505, which has further insight from THE MAN HIMSELF, James Randi.
November 19th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
If you happen to catch one of their live shows, they usually meet the audience and sign autographs afterwards, and they stay until every last person is gone. And Teller talks!
November 19th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
I’ve never been to Teller’s house, though I’d love to go sometime.
Talk about dropping a hint.
November 19th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
I saw a show that gave a tour of Penn’s house (The Slammer). I’m not sure if it featured Teller’s. This was right before I took my mom to a Penn & Teller show in Scranton. I got a picture of my mom – who is 5’2″ – with Penn. She came up to his freaking elbow. I swear, based on the photo – which I took – he looks eight feet tall.
November 19th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
It’s a shame Teller doesn’t speak more often. He is a really intelligent and interesting guy.
November 20th, 2007 at 9:10 am
Is that a book by Turing, or a book about Turing?
November 20th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
The genome book is, remarkably enough, “Genome” by Matt Ridley, which I recommend every chance I get. He’s a great science writer–explains things very well for the lay audience without muddling up the facts.