Not all trivia experts begin their quest by becoming polymaths that try to absorb every list or detail they see.  Cynthia earned her stripes on a country farm in the Midwest, where hours were spent in the stable with the horses, feeding chickens and livestock, and helping with the crops. As someone who enjoyed the solitude of rural landscape while growing up, she was known to bring along a book to enjoy between chores, including the occasional almanac with its well-worn cover. Cynthia prefers non-fiction to fiction, learning to love rankings and statistics while guarding the hen house.