In a time unremembered, this author was found washed up on the shores of Lake Titicaca. In his possession was this book. This book is a map, it tells you where you've come from, it tells you where you're going, it tells you where you are. It tells you what is hidden and what will be revealed, and it tells you how to get out alive if only youa d remember

This is not a book of facts; it's a book of 'facts'. Should you finish it believing we became the planet's dominant species because predators found us too smelly to eat; or that the living bloodline of Christ is a family of Japanese garlic farmers - well, that's on you. Why are we here? Do ghosts exist? Did life on Earth begin after a badly tidied-up picnic? Was it just an iceberg that sank the Titanic? Are authors stealing their plotlines from the future? Will we ever talk to animals? And why, when you're in the shower, does the shower curtain always billow in towards you? We don't know the answers to any of these questions. But don't worry, no matter what questions you have, you can bet on the fact that there is someone (or something) out there, investigating it on your behalf. From the sports stars who use cosmic energy to office plants investigating murders, The Theory of Everything Else will act as a handbook for those who want to think differently.

Step into the unknown Tales of the paranormal have seduced us and spooked us for centuries, passed around from person to person and frequently retold and reimagined in books, films and TV. Whether they're based on real events or they're simply urban legends which have taken on a life of their own, the strange happenings, unexplained events and unsolved mysteries in this book will take you on a frightening journey to the outer limits of plausibility, and dare you to believe the unbelievable. Ranging from the mysterious to the macabre, the stories in this book span a broad range of supernatural subjects including ghosts, spirits and the undead, witchcraft and occultism, extraterrestrial life, mythical creatures, and much more. Whether you're a believer or a sceptic, a paranormal junkie or an interested observer, let these stories spark your imagination, capture your curiosity and perhaps even send a shiver down your spine.

It was August in 2011 when riots broke out in the UK. They started in London and then spread to provincial cities including Wolverhampton. I was sitting in a garden outside a working men's club when someone asked for an explanation of what had gone wrong. I had been following the situation closely right from the inception and I gave my views and explanations of what had gone wrong, and how it could be solved in the long run. I never could see any short term solutions. When I had finished, everyone agreed with me; with the proviso that "they would never take notice of what I had to say". It is not very often that people will agree with everything I say. The next morning I got up early as usual and started to write this book. I was not put off by "never take any notice"; if it needed to be written down I would write it. Although it would upset many, I knew that it reflected what normal working class people had to say.I estimated that it would take me a year, and it was exactly two years before I had a first draft. By now of course I have included many other topics which were not concerned with the riots, and the number of people who disagree with what I have to say will have increased. But the aim of this book is make people think about alternatives to society's taboos whatever they may be.

A wildly entertaining and surprisingly educational dive into art history as you've never seen it before, from the host of the beloved ArtCurious podcast We're all familiar with the works of Claude Monet, thanks in no small part to the ubiquitous reproductions of his water lilies on umbrellas, handbags, scarves, and dorm-room posters. But did you also know that Monet and his cohort were trailblazing rebels whose works were originally deemed unbelievably ugly and vulgar? And while you probably know the tale of Vincent van Gogh's suicide, you may not be aware that there's pretty compelling evidence that the artist didn't die by his own hand but was accidentally killed--or even murdered. Or how about the fact that one of Andy Warhol's most enduring legacies involves Caroline Kennedy's moldy birthday cake and a collection of toenail clippings? ArtCurious is a colorful look at the world of art history, revealing some of the strangest, funniest, and most fascinating stories behind the world's great artists and masterpieces. Through these and other incredible, weird, and wonderful tales, ArtCurious presents an engaging look at why art history is, and continues to be, a riveting and relevant world to explore.

Much has been written over the years about Rosslyn Chapel and its connection with Scottish Freemasonry, as well the St.Clair family, the Knights Templar and a variety of 'lost treasures'. The author looks in depth at the validity of the published material and the legends associated with the Rosslyn Chapel exposing major differences between Scottish Freemasons' view of their history and heritage and that described by those who are not Freemasons.

The author has combined his knowledge of London and its Masonic connections and history to produce this fascinating guide to the historic heart of the capital. The form of the book is a walk from Freemasons' Hall to the Royal Exchange with 26 selected locations on the way. For each a history is provided and the connection with the Masonic movement explained.

In "The Warriors and the Bankers", the research and writing team of Alan Butler and Stephen Dafoe bring their combined experiences to bear on the question asked for hundreds of years, What became of the Knights Templar? Arrested in 1307, dissolved in 1312 and executed by 1314, the Templars have been the subject of many theories concerning their possible survival. This book examines these theories against new evidence and information. Additionally the authors put forth, for the first time, a completely new theory that has caught the ears, eyes and attention of many readers. The ultimate conclusion is that the Templars did survive, virtually intact and that in a very direct sense, they may still be one of the most potent forces at work in the world at the start of the new Millennium. "The Warriors and the Bankers" is eminently readable and is intended for both the serious student of Templarism or simply the interested observer.

If you thought Dan Brown's fiction was gripping, try the truth. This controversial book pieces together new evidence on the real life of Jesus. The true inspiration behind Kathy Reich's bestselling thriller, 'Cross Bones', archaeologist and scholar James Tabor takes us on a startling journey that changes the story of Christianity as we know it. Based on hands-on archaeological experience and ground-breaking academic research, real-life Indiana Jones, James Tabor, has produced a compelling and bold new interpretation of the life of Jesus and the origins of Christianity. So revelatory is his work that Kathy Reichs, bestselling mystery writer of the Tempe Brennan series, was inspired by his findings to write her latest novel, 'Cross Bones'. The truth, however, is far more gripping than fiction - either hers or Dan Brown's. Tabor's scholarly detective work begins with his accidental discovery on a dig in Israel of what many now think was Jesus' family tomb. Tabor pieces together new archaeological evidence, combined with the earliest surviving Christian documents to reconstruct Jesus' real family history as a royal dynasty in exile. Jesus was leader of a messianic movement - one far different to the revelations of his maverick follower Paul who was responsible for what we know as Christianity today. Was Jesus far more human than the Church has led us to believe? Was his royal bloodline meant to free mankind or just a chosen few? And why did dissident follower Paul have a more lasting effect on Christianity than Jesus himself? Find out the controversial truth in 'The Jesus Dynasty'.

What is luck? The chances are you don't really know, but you probably believe in it, and I bet that you invoke the word every day of your life ...'Bad luck!' 'That was lucky!' 'You should be so lucky!' 'What a lucky escape!' - said with varying degrees of intensity, sincerity, sarcasm, amusement, incredulity or disgust. But what is luck? This book tries to determine what luck is, how it operates in our lives, and how far the individual is at its mercy - favoured by good luck or cursed by bad? Is there any justice or fair play in life, or are these merely human concepts that don't exist in the laws governing the universe? Whatever you think you believe, by the time you have read this book, the odds are that you will have changed your mind. James M Kileen's analysis ranges from Astrology to Zoroastrianism and everything in between: the big bang and the butterfly effect, destiny and determinism, fortune-telling and feng shui, gambling and game theory, miracles and Murphy's Law, oracles and ordeals, philosophy and religion, precognition and the placebo effect, serendipity and synchronicity. A Matter of Luck is a highly readable yet thought-provoking work, interspersed with illuminating and amusing examples to illlustrate each facet of this fascinating subject: for example, the true stories of the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo, King Umberto and the chef, James Dean's car, and the woman who simultaneously chose the winning numbers for both the Massachusetts and Rhode Island lotteries (although the numbers she chose for the Rhode Island lottery were the winning numbers for the Massachusetts lottery, and vice versa). Lucky or unlucky - you decide, if you can.

Larry Flaxman and Marie D. Jones present their theory of The Grid, the pattern by which all of reality is built upon and structured around. Using evidence from quantum theory as well as support from many religious and spiritual traditions, they hypothesise that, like a skyscraper, reality is constructed in a rising grid pattern, layer upon layer, with doors, windows, stairs and other connectors between levels of reality and theorises that we may be able to use these connectors to access other planes of reality.