Described on the book jacket as an "autodidact extraordinaire," Zacks is also the author of History Laid Bare, making him something of an expert guide through history's back alleys and side streets. There's no fact too seamy or perverse for Zacks to drag out into the light of day, from matters scatological and sexual to some of history's most truly bizarre episodes. Curious about ancient nose-blowing etiquette? What about the sexual proclivities of Catherine the Great? Throughout chapters such as "The Evolution of Underwear" and "Dentistry Before Novocaine," Zacks proves a tireless debunker of popular myths as well as a muckraker par excellence.

    Also appearing for the first time in Giant 10th Anniversary is our famous “Extended Sitting Section,” a series of extra-long articles for those truly leg-numbing experiences. There are also plenty of short and medium articles covering a whole host of topics, including little-known history, pop science, myth-conceptions, celebrity rumors, comedian quotes, and, of course, really dumb crooks. Read about…The anatomy of laughterIs your name your destiny?The history of the electric guitarWhat really happened at RoswellThe Politically Correct quizThe secret of Nancy DrewLegendary TV flopsWhy you itchAnd much, much more!

    Mishearing the words of such classic rock artists as the Beatles and Bruce Springsteen, as well as alternative bands like Nine Inch Nails and Pearl Jam, Gavin Edwards provides an assemblage of more than 250 misconstrued song lyrics. 90 line drawings.

    Drawing on almost three decades of experience as a journalist covering Italy and in particular the Vatican, Lo Bello entertains the reader on every page with trivia and fascinating anecdotes. The book also features more in-depth Vaticaniain essays that explore such topics as: - exorcism and the Vatican - the process of making a saint - the Vatican's involvement in the film industry - "la Popessa" (the most powerful woman in Vatican history) Appendices provide both a glossary of Vatican terminology and significant dates in Catholic Church history.Nino Lo Bello is the author of ten previous books, including the New York Times bestseller The Vatican Empire, Vatican U.S.A., European Detours, The Vatican Papers, Nino Lo Bello's Guide to Offbeat Europe, and Nino Lo Bello's Guide to the Vatican. For eight years, Lo Bello was Italian correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune and for more than a quarter-century served as special correspondent to the International Herald Tribune.

    It contains fascinating information about the kitchen and the garden, the weather and the world, and, from the past, the true voices of Nancy Willard’s and Jane Dyer’s relatives telling small stories of real farm life in the Midwest long ago.

    Learn the histories and inventors and strange facts about them.