'Utterly fascinating' Daisy Goodwin, Sunday Times Benjamin Franklin took daily naked air baths and Toulouse-Lautrec painted in brothels. Edith Sitwell worked in bed, and George Gershwin composed at the piano in pyjamas. Freud worked sixteen hours a day, but Gertrude Stein could never write for more than thirty minutes, and F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in gin-fuelled bursts - he believed alcohol was essential to his creative process. From Marx to Murakami and Beethoven to Bacon, Daily Rituals by Mason Currey presents the working routines of more than a hundred and sixty of the greatest philosophers, writers, composers and artists ever to have lived. Whether by amphetamines or alcohol, headstand or boxing, these people made time and got to work. Featuring photographs of writers and artists at work, and filled with fascinating insights on the mechanics of genius and entertaining stories of the personalities behind it, Daily Rituals is irresistibly addictive, and utterly inspiring.

Ponder, if you will . . . Is yawning contagious? Do starfish have faces? Why do they put crinkly paper into pairs of men's socks? Why is it that cans of Diet Coke float, but cans of regular Coke don't?

Pop culture guru David Feldman demystifies these questions and much more in "Why Do Pirates Love Parrots? "

One of the Imponderables(R)--the unchallenged source of answers to civilization's most perplexing conundrums--and charmingly illustrated by Kassie Schwan, this book provides you with knowledge about everyday life that encyclopedias, dictionaries, and almanacs just don't cover. And think about it: Where else are you going to find out how they get the paper tag into a Hershey's Kiss?

Here are the answers to questions that have been keeping you and your loved ones up nights, questions that have driven families to feuds, questions that nag and nag just won't let go. Have you ever wondered juts what purpose those warning labels on mattresses are supposed to serve? Or what happens to the trend that wears off tires? And how many meals have you spent pondering the perennially baffling question of why hot dogs come ten to a package while hot dog buns come in eight?

"Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise?" has the solutions to these and scores of other Imponderables. David Feldman's witty and irresistible compendium of knowledge goes where other reference books fear to trend, uncovering closely guarded secrets, revealing long-hidden facts, and, like all other invaluable works of detection, never letting well enough alone. Whether you want to settle those arguments about the difference between a kit and a caboodle, or just curious about dry cleaning, Teflon, Wayne Gretzky, or chocolate bunnies, "Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise?" is indispensable.

Ponder, if you will ...Why are tennis balls fuzzy? How come birds don't tip over when they sleep on telephone wires?What makes yawning contagious?Why, oh why, do roosters have to crow so early in the morning?

Pop-culture guru David Feldman demystifies these topics and so much more in When Do Fish Sleep? -- the unchallenged source of answers to civilization's most baffling questions. Part of the Imponderables(R) series and charmingly illustrated by Kassie Schwan, When Do Fish Sleep? arms readers with the knowledge about everyday life that encyclopedias, dictionaries, and almanacs just don't have. And think about it, where else are you going to get to the bottom of why Mickey Mouse has only four fingers?

Questions You're Not Supposed to Ask provides enlightenment on life's taboo subjects, with a healthy dose of laughter thrown in for good measure. The aim of the book is to arm the ordinary person with the sort of knowledge that is jealously guarded by the Powers That Be and so release the individual from the chains of ignorance. Some of the questions refer to bodily functions (Why is sex so much fun?), some debunk government falsehoods (Why do we pay tax?) while others delve into the supernatural (Is there more to life than meets the eye?) and others simply explain how things operate (What is physics?). Loads of fascinating information and a highly entertaining read from start to finish.

Calling all puzzle lovers, get ready to go word hunting!

77 Bible Word Searches for Kids helps kids to know God as they read 77 stories from the Bible about God's love for us and His faithfulness throughout history.
Each story is followed by a Word Search with ten key words to help kids remember what they have read in a way that is playful and engaging.

Join the hunt and see if you can find 770 words!

Special features:

• Softcover
• Gloss Laminated Cover
• One-color insides
• For 8-to-10-year-olds

Which is the smallest book in the Bodleian Library? Who complained when their secret pen name was revealed in the library's catalogue? How many miles of shelving are there in the Book Storage Facility? What is the story behind the library's refusal to lend a book to King Charles I? And, what is fasciculing? The answers to these questions and many more can be found inside this intriguing miscellaneous collection of curious facts and stories about the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Home to more than 12 million books and a vast array of treasures including the Gutenberg bible, J.R.R. Tolkien's hand-painted watercolours for 'The Hobbit', Shakespeare's First Folio and four thirteenth-century copies of Magna Carta, the Bodleian Library is one of the most magnificent libraries in the world with a fascinating history. 'Bodleianalia' delights in uncovering some of the lesser known facts about Britain's oldest university library. Through a combination of lists, statistics, and bitesize nuggets of information, it reveals many of the quirks of fate, eccentric characters, and remarkable events which have contributed to the making of this renowned institution. The perfect book for trivia-lovers and bibliophiles, it also offers readers a behind-the-scenes peek into the complex workings of a modern, world-class library in the twenty-first century.

‘Caroline Taggart has carved out a niche for herself in user-friendly, wittily written factual books.’ – Yorkshire Post ______________________ The huge variety of colourful phrases contained in the English language are notoriously varied and, often, notably odd. From blue-blooded (an invention of aristocratic Spaniards) to limelight (a way of lighting Victorian theatres), passing an exam with flying colours (an image from sailing ships) to winning hands down (from horse racing), the fascinating expressions that make up our language are explored in Humble Pie and Cold Turkey. In this highly entertaining book, language enthusiast and Sunday Times best-selling author Caroline Taggart browses through thousands of years of history to shed light on why we use the words and phrases we do. Arranged by themes including food, the household, childhood, romance and more, this intriguing book looks at the origins of our language from their historical context. For example, did you know that: If you rest on your laurels, you’re imitating a complacent Roman general? If you eavesdrop, you’re likely to get wet? If you’re taken aback, you should, strictly speaking, be a sailing ship? If you’re galvanized into action, you’re behaving like Frankenstein’s monster? Humble Pie and Cold Turkey will prompt you to question the downright bizarre idioms we use to express ourselves, and answer questions you may never have thought to ask. Including why turkeys need to be cold and how pies came to be humble.

The Years Gone Bye takes you back to a time when . . . a thong was something you wore on your feet a blackberry was something you ate and mini skirts raised eyebrows Elvis was drafted into the army Archie called Edith a "dingbat" and Forrest Gump became a household name America landed on the moon divers found the Titanic after 73 years and the police chased a white Bronco down the LA Freeway These snippets are just a few threads of the thousands of strands of pop culture and history that weave this book into a tapestry of the last half-century.