A hilarious anthology of comic treasures written by Britain's "comic genius"—the former editor of Punch and beloved regular on BBC's Radio 4 ( The Times).Alan Coren was one of contemporary Britain's most prolific humorists. Over his forty-year career, Coren wrote comic and satirical pieces for The New Yorker, The Times, Observer, Tatler, Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, and Punch, and publi...

A headline-crunching celebration of Radio 4’s hugely successful topical comedy quiz showThe News Quiz made its debut on Radio 4 in 1977, and four decades later it’s still playfully making and breaking the headlines of our daily news.Among the vintage gems in this collection are 25 Years of the News Quiz, in which Alan Coren, Andy Hamilton, Jeremy Hardy, John Sergeant, Linda Smith and Francis Wheen take a t...

Sandi Toksvig’s first four series as host of the popular satirical comedy showTaking over the News Quiz chair from Simon Hoggart, comedian and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig steps up to the plate to lead the intrepid panellists in a round-up of the biggest (and smallest) news stories of 2006 and 2007. With the exception of one show, hosted by Clive Anderson when Sandi had the flu, she chairs each of these 33 episodes with her characteristic wit, charm and erudi...

"A breath of intellectual fresh air . . . [an] amusing look at how to dispel endemic pseudoscience and conspiracy theories through rational thinking." — Publishers WeeklyAliens. Ley lines. Water dowsing. Conspiracies and myths captivate imaginations and promise mystery and magic. Whether it's arguing about the moon landing hoax or a Frisbee-like Earth drifting through space, when held up to science and critical thinking, these ideas fall flat.In ...

#1 New York Times Bestseller! Get thousands of facts at your fingertips with this essential resource: sports, pop culture, science and technology, U.S. history and government, world geography, business, and so much more.The World Almanac® is America’s bestselling reference book of all time, with more than 83 million copies sold. For more than 150 years, this compendium of information has been the authoritative source for school, library, business,...

The New York Times bestselling author of The Physics of Wall Street " deftly explains all you wanted to know about nothingness—a.k.a. the quantum vacuum" (Priyamvada Natarajan, author of Mapping the Heavens ).James Owen Weatherall's bestselling book, The Physics of Wall Street, was named one of Physics Today's five most intriguing books of 2013. In this work, he takes on...

This updated edition of the New York Times Notable Book recounts the long hunt for Einstein's predicted gravitational waves—and celebrates their discovery.In February 2016, astronomers announced that they had verified the last remaining prediction of Einstein's general theory of relativity—vibrations in space-time, called gravitational waves. Humanity can now tune in to a cosmic orchestra. We have heard the chirp of two black holes dancing...

Get the science facts, not science fiction, on the cutting-edge developments that are already changing the course of our future.Every day, scientists conduct pioneering experiments with the potential to transform how we live. Yet it isn't every day you hear from the scientists themselves! Now, award–winning author Jim Al–Khalili and his team of top-notch experts explain how today's earthshaking discoveries will shape our world tomorrow—and beyond.Pull...

"[A] glorious, pictorial tour of the universe . . . beginning with photos depicting Earth from space and progressing through . . . the individual planets." — School Library JournalPreface by Bill NyeTake a tour of the universe with this breathtaking collection of photographs from the archives of NASA. Astonishing images of Earth from above, the phenomena of our solar system, and the celestial bodies of deep space will captivate reade...

"Might be just the book to bring out your inner astronomer . . . over 250 pages of breathtaking images from the past 50 years of NASA's space exploration." — ParadePreface by Bill NyeThis magnificent volume offers a rich visual tour of the planets in our solar system. More than two-hundred breathtaking photographs from the archives of NASA are paired with extended captions detailing the science behind some of our cosmic neighborhood'...

By the bestselling author of Just My Type: a "thoroughly enjoyable and illuminating" journey into the concept of time "stuffed with fascinating material" ( Observer, UK).Timekeepers is a book about our obsession with time and our desire to measure it, control it, sell it, film it, perform it, immortalize it and make it meaningful. In this fascinating, anecdotal exploration, award-winning author Simon Garfield has two simp...

From the archives of the Library of Congress: "An irresistible treasury for book and library lovers." — Booklist (starred review)The Library of Congress brings book lovers an enriching tribute to the power of the written word and to the history of our most beloved books. Featuring more than two hundred full-color images of original catalog cards, first edition book covers, and photographs from the library's magnificent archives, this collection is a visual ...