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The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2009

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The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2009

Author: World Almanac Books
ASIN : 1600571050
Sales Rank : 210
Studio : World Almanac
Binding : Paperback
EAN : 9781600571053
ISBN : 1600571050
Number Of Pages : 1008
Publication Date : December 25, 2008
Publisher : World Almanac
Manufacturer : World Almanac
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : World Almanac

Product Description

New for 2009—The World Almanac and Book of Facts includes the complete 2008 U.S. election results, and World Series statistics. Every family needs this New York Times best-selling reference book.

The World Almanac is the #1 best-selling American reference book of all time. It is the source for essential and authoritative facts for entertainment, reference and learning. The book contains thousands of facts and statistics that aren’t publicly available which are sourced and double-checked by the staff of World Almanac experts.

The 2008 Edition spent 12 weeks on the NYT Bestseller list reaching #2; 10 weeks on the USA Today Bestseller List reaching #51; and 9 weeks on the Book Sense List reaching a high of #11.

Features in The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2009:

· The World at a Glance: The most fascinating facts of the past year in science, economics, sports, arts and media, and more

· Election 2008 Coverage and Results: Twenty-four pages dedicated to the complete coverage of key issues, pivotal primaries, memorable moments, and election results from the presidential campaign.

· Beijing Olympics Recap: faces, Places and records from the Summer 2008 games.

· World Series: For the first time in 5 years, the World Almanac will contain facts covering the World Series.

· Year in Pictures: 16 page color photo section of the top stories of 2008, as well as 16 pages of world maps and flags and easy-to-use side abs.

· Plus thousands of facts and statistics that aren’t publicly available; sourced and double-checked by our full-time editorial staff who are reference experts by category

· Downloadable World Almanac Trivia Quiz Night Kit: All that you need to host a quiz night in your local pub, bookstore, or classroom. Our editors provide over 150 questions and answers - all derived from The World Almanac 2009. Have fun, fundraise, or draw a crowd with this turn-key party kit!

World Almanac Online: www.WorldAlmanac.com

2009 will feature the third year of Bonus Content Online, extended reading to the printed edition for the same combined price of $12.99. This year will feature the Election Results from 2008, plus lots more free information available year-round at worldalmanac.com: historical presidential information, health news and features, and early access to WA09 info.

Once online, look for The World Almanac Blog, launched in 2006 and every weekday featuring

· New original entries, including provocative postings such as Unbreakable Sports Records; fascinating scientific and historical trivia; and new links to online tools and archives for almanac fans · This Day in History, Notable Birthdays and unusual anniversaries such as when Nixon met Elvis Presley in the Oval Office (1970)

· More useful links and tags to essential reads

An Incomplete Education: 3,684 Things You Should Have Learned but Probably Didn't

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An Incomplete Education: 3,684 Things You Should Have Learned but Probably Didn't

Authors: Judy Jones, William Wilson
ASIN : 0345468902
Sales Rank : 1614
Studio : Ballantine Books
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9780345468901
ISBN : 0345468902
Number Of Pages : 720
Publication Date : December 25, 2006
Release Date : December 25, 2006
Publisher : Ballantine Books
Manufacturer : Ballantine Books
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Ballantine Books

Product Description

When it was originally published in 1987, An Incomplete Education became a surprise bestseller. Now this instant classic has been completely updated, outfitted with a whole new arsenal of indispensable knowledge on global affairs, popular culture, economic trends, scientific principles, and modern arts. Here’s your chance to brush up on all those subjects you slept through in school, reacquaint yourself with all the facts you once knew (then promptly forgot), catch up on major developments in the world today, and become the Renaissance man or woman you always knew you could be!

How do you tell the Balkans from the Caucasus? What’s the difference between fission and fusion? Whigs and Tories? Shiites and Sunnis? Deduction and induction? Why aren’t all Shakespearean comedies necessarily thigh-slappers? What are transcendental numbers and what are they good for? What really happened in Plato’s cave? Is postmodernism dead or just having a bad hair day? And for extra credit, when should you use the adjective continual and when should you use continuous?

An Incomplete Education answers these and thousands of other questions with incomparable wit, style, and clarity. American Studies, Art History, Economics, Film, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, Science, and World History: Here’s the bottom line on each of these major disciplines, distilled to its essence and served up with consummate flair.

In this revised edition you’ll find a vitally expanded treatment of international issues, reflecting the seismic geopolitical upheavals of the past decade, from economic free-fall in South America to Central Africa’s world war, and from violent radicalization in the Muslim world to the crucial trade agreements that are defining globalization for the twenty-first century. And don’t forget to read the section A Nervous American’s Guide to Living and Loving on Five Continents before you answer a personal ad in the International Herald Tribune.

As delightful as it is illuminating, An Incomplete Education packs ten thousand years of culture into a single superbly readable volume. This is a book to celebrate, to share, to give and receive, to pore over and browse through, and to return to again and again.

Amazon.com Review

You'll find everything you forgot from school--as well as plenty you never even learned--in this all-purpose reference book, an instant classic when it first appeared in 1987. The updated version takes a whirlwind tour through 12 different disciplines, from American studies to philosophy to world history. Along the way, Judy Jones and William Wilson provide a plethora of useful information, from the plot of Othello to the difference between fission and fusion. It's not a shortcut to cultural literacy, the authors write in their introduction, but it's an excellent "way in" to the building blocks of Western civilization: the "books, music, art, philosophy, and discoveries that have, for one reason or another, managed to endure." Think of it as finishing school for your brain; study up and you'll gain a lifetime's worth of cocktail conversation--as well as a new list of books you simply must read.

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The Book of General Ignorance

Authors: John Mitchinson, John Lloyd
ASIN : 0307394913
Sales Rank : 3187
Studio : Harmony
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9780307394910
ISBN : 0307394913
Number Of Pages : 288
Publication Date : December 07, 2007
Release Date : December 07, 2007
Publisher : Harmony
Manufacturer : Harmony
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Harmony

Product Description

Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.

Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more,

The Book of General Ignorance is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.

Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don’t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you’ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, The Book of General Ignorance also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).

Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.

You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following:

How long can a chicken live without its head?
About two years.

What do chameleons do?
They don’t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states.

Who invented champagne?
Not the French.

How many legs does a centipede have?
Not a hundred.

How many toes has a two-toed sloth?
It’s either six or eight.

How many penises does a European earwig have?
a)Fourteen
b)None at all
c)Two (one for special occasions)
d)Mind your own business

Which animals are the best-endowed of all?
Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body.

What is a rhino’s horn made from?
A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair.

Who was the first American president?
Peyton Randolph.

What were George Washington’s false teeth made from?
Mostly hippopotamus.

What was James Bond’s favorite drink?
Not the vodka martini.

The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy

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The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy

Author: Rick Beyer
ASIN : 0060014016
Sales Rank : 8427
Studio : Collins
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9780060014018
ISBN : 0060014016
Number Of Pages : 224
Publication Date : December 01, 2003
Release Date : December 18, 2003
Publisher : Collins
Manufacturer : Collins
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Collins

Product Description

History isn't always made by great armies colliding or by great civilizations rising or falling. Sometimes it's made when a chauffeur takes a wrong turn, a scientist forgets to clean up his lab, or a drunken soldier gets a bit rowdy. That's the kind of history you'll find in The Greatest Stories Never Told.

This is history candy -- the good stuff. Here are 100 tales to astonish, bewilder, and stupefy: more than two thousand years of history filled with courage, cowardice, hope, triumph, sex, intrigue, folly, humor, and ambition. It's a historical delight and a visual feast with hundreds of photographs, drawings, and maps that bring each story to life. A new discovery waits on every page: stories that changed the course of history and stories that affected what you had for breakfast this morning.

Consider:

The Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock because they ran out of beer
Some Roman officials were so corrupt that they actually stole time itself
Three cigars changed the course of the Civil War
The Scottish kilt was invented by an Englishman

Based on the popular Timelab 2000® history minutes hosted by Sam Waterston on The History Channel®, this collection of fascinating historical tidbits will have you shaking your head in wonder and disbelief. But they're all true. And you'll soon find yourself telling them to your friends.

The New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge, Second Edition: A Desk Reference for the Curious Mind

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The New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge, Second Edition: A Desk Reference for the Curious Mind

Author: The New York Times
ASIN : 0312376596
Sales Rank : 3788
Studio : St. Martin's Press
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9780312376598
ISBN : 0312376596
Number Of Pages : 1328
Publication Date : December 30, 2007
Release Date : December 30, 2007
Publisher : St. Martin's Press
Manufacturer : St. Martin's Press
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : St. Martin's Press

Product Description

A Complete Revision and Thorough Updating of the Ultimate Reference from the Newspaper of Record

Whether you are researching the history of Western art, investigating an obscure medical test, following current environmental trends, studying Shakespeare, brushing up on your crossword and Sudoku skills, or simply looking for a deeper understanding of the world, this book is for you. An indispensable resource for every home, office, dorm room, and library, this new edition of The New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge offers in-depth explorations of art, astronomy, biology, business, economics, the environment, film, geography, history, the Internet, literature, mathematics, music, mythology, philosophy, photography, sports, theater, film, and many other subjects.

This one volume is designed to offer more information than any other book on the most important subjects, as well as provide easy-to-access data critical to everyday life. It is the only universal reference book to include authoritative and engaging essays from New York Times experts in almost every field of endeavor.

The Mental Floss History of the World: An Irreverent Romp through Civilization's Best Bits

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The Mental Floss History of the World: An Irreverent Romp through Civilization's Best Bits

Authors: Erik Sass, Steve Wiegand, Editors Of Mental Floss
ASIN : 0060784776
Sales Rank : 7298
Studio : Collins
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9780060784775
ISBN : 0060784776
Number Of Pages : 432
Publication Date : December 01, 2008
Release Date : December 28, 2008
Publisher : Collins
Manufacturer : Collins
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Collins

Product Description

With mental_floss's trademark smart-aleck approach, combined with hilarious (but true) trivia, world history has never been such a joyride.

Amazon.com Review

History is . . .
(a) more or less bunk.
(b) a nightmare from which I am trying to awaken.
(c) as thoroughly infected with lies as a street whore with syphilis.

Match your answers:
(1) Stephen Daedalus of James Joyce's Ulysses
(2) Henry Ford
(3) Arthur Schopenhauer

It turns out that answer need not be bunk, nightmarish, or diseased. In the hands of mental_floss, history's most interesting bits have been handpicked and roasted to perfection. Packed with little-known stories and outrageous—but accurate—facts, you'll laugh yourself smarter on this joyride through 60,000 years of human civilization. Remember: just because it's true, doesn't mean it's boring!

Exclusive: Amazonian Tips for Amazon.com

When you think of the word “Amazon,” we’re sure the first thing that comes to mind is the fantastic website where you can buy our book (buy our book!) or half-naked warrior women. But here are three tantalizing tidbits you might not know--and why you need to act now.

1. Find Gold
There’s something about long, tropical rivers that seems to drive people batty. But the Basque conquistador Lope de Aguirre was by all accounts a murderous sociopath long before he got to the Amazon. Take, for instance, the time a judge sentenced Aguirre to be flogged. The brutish Basque hunted the terrified magistrate across 4,000 miles of rough South American terrain, barefoot, to kill him! So, in 1560, it probably wasn’t the best idea to invite Aguirre along on the quest to find El Dorado, the legendary city of gold. After 900 miles of unbroken rain forest, Aguirre was fed up. He led a mutiny that killed more than half of his fellow conquistadors. Then, he declared himself prince of Peru, Tierra Firma, and Chile. Eventually he and his tiny army attacked Panama…where he was killed and dismembered so his body parts could be paraded around the colony.
The bright side: El Dorado is still out there, waiting for you to discover it! Just don’t bring a friend like Lope.

2. Invest a Dollar
When it’s not making people crazy, the Amazon seems to inspire bizarre, larger-than-life schemes. In 1967, American shipping magnate and billionaire Daniel Ludwig bought a larger-than-Connecticut sized chunk of the Amazon to create a gigantic industrial and agricultural complex called the Jari Project. It didn’t work out. All the construction led to massive soil erosion, screwing up the “agricultural” part of his plan. After sinking $1 billion into the project (back when $1 billion really meant something) Ludwig called it quits in 1982. It was eventually put up for sale for $1--a great deal, if you’re willing to assume $354 million in debt.
The bright side: For anyone with a dollar and a dream, it’s your lucky day: the Jari Project is still for sale!

3. Make New Friends
The pictures of spear-wielding tribesmen produced in May 2008 may have been a hoax, but it’s true that there are literally dozens of so-called “uncontacted” native tribes in the Amazon basin--Stone Age peoples who have never had any contact with the outside world! While this seems preposterous, it makes sense when you consider the Basin’s size, over 2.7 million square miles in area, half of which is covered by dense rain forest and divided by 15,000 rivers and tributaries. Altogether, there are believed to be about three dozen uncontacted tribes in Brazil and 15 in Peru.
The bright side: If you’re up for the adventure, you have more than 50 chances to claim fame and fortune. Just make sure you don’t accidentally give everyone smallpox.

… And so much more!
What you’ve just read isn’t available in our book, but don’t worry--roughly 82% of the rest of history is. Our twelve essential chapters tackle everything from civilization’s baby steps in the Fertile Crescent to the Pope’s first text message, the 6,000-pound super-wombats of early Australia to the Goose Crusade of 1096, the golden hemorrhoids of the Philistines to the most important assassinations of the 20th century, and everything else that’s wacky, entertaining, and completely, unbelievably true.

Reviews for the The Mental Floss History of the World: An Irreverent Romp through Civilization's Best Bits

Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty

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Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty

Author: Joy Masoff
ASIN : 0761107711
Sales Rank : 8913
Studio : Workman Publishing Company
Binding : Paperback
EAN : 9780761107712
ISBN : 0761107711
UPC : 019628107718
Number Of Pages : 224
Publication Date : December 02, 2000
Publisher : Workman Publishing Company
Manufacturer : Workman Publishing Company
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Workman Publishing Company
Maximum Age : 144

Product Description

Kids love stuff that's gross. From the liquids, solids, and gases--especially the gases!--or their own bodies to the creepy, crawly, slimy, slithery, fetid, and feculent phenomena in the world at large, kids with a curious bent just can't get enough. Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty brings together, in one book, all the good things about some of the baddest things on Earth.

Exhaustively researched and impeccably scientific, yet written with a lively lack of earnestness, Oh, Yuck! is an ants to zits encyclopedic compendium covering people, animals, insects, plants, foods, and more. Here are vampire bats, which sip blood and pee at the same time so that they'll always be light enough to fly away; and slime eels, wreathed in mucus and eating fellow fish from the inside out. Oh, Yuck! explains why vomit smells; where dandruff comes from; what pus is all about; and why maggots adore rotting meat. Other features include gross recipes, putrid projects, 10 foods that make you airborne, and more.

With hundreds of cartoon illustrations and real-life photographs, Oh, Yuck! is the complete guide to the irresistible--at least to an 8-to-12 year old--underbelly of life.

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Guinness: World Records 2009 (Guinness World Records)

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The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2009

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An Incomplete Education: 3,684 Things You Should Have Learned but Probably Didn't

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The Book of General Ignorance

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Uncle John's Unsinkable Bathroom Reader (Uncle John's Bathroom Reader)

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The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy

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Late Show Fun Facts

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The New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge, Second Edition: A Desk Reference for the Curious Mind

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The Mental Floss History of the World: An Irreverent Romp through Civilization's Best Bits

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Amazon.com Review

Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty

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