Today more than ever, series finales have become cultural touchstones that feed watercooler fodder and Twitter storms among a committed community of viewers. While the final episodes of The Fugitive and M*A*S*H continue to rank among the highest rated broadcasts, more recent shows draw legions of binge-watching fans. Given the importance of finales to viewers and critics alike, Howard and Bianculli along with the other contributors explore these endings and what they mean to the audience, ...

Fascinating facts, trivia, and little-known details about the Master of the Macabre's life from the "world's leading authority on Stephen King" ( Entertainment Weekly).New York Times–bestselling author Stephen Spignesi has compiled interviews, essays, and loads of facts and details about all of Stephen King's work into this fun and informative compendium for the author's many fans, from the casual to the fanatical!Did you know. . . ?

Did you know that, according to director Chris Columbus, Robin Williams improvised so much during the filming of Mrs. Doubtfire that the studio had enough footage to release PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17 versions of the movie? Or that Robin ad-libbed all his lines in Good Morning, Vietnam because the DJ the movie was based on didn’t really do comedy during his shows?Robin Williams, American Master looks at Robin’s seventy movies, from his earliest appearance in...

Weirdness abounds in this unprecedented compilation of peculiar facts, including forms of divination, bizarre tortures, invasive medical tests, celebrity UFO sightings, crucified saviors other than Jesus, banned books, elements of a near death experience, curious tourist attractions, ridiculous sex laws, and much more.Dr. Bizarro’s Eclectic Collection of Strange and Obscure Facts is a fascinating and irresistible compendium of bizarre info and trivia that will engage and s...

Elton John: Fifty Years On looks at the impact songwriting partners Elton John and Bernie Taupin have had on popular music and culture, and also discusses every song on all thirty albums, plus his work on Broadway, in movies, and elsewhere.Part 1 is a bullet-pointed look at every released song, complete with insights, trivia, and meanings, including musical insights—like Elton’s favorite chord progressions, or the most notable melodies in his discography.Pa...

From George Washington to Barack Obama, this collection of weird and wild—but true!—facts will show you a whole other side of our nation’s leaders:• Andrew Jackson was married to a bigamist.• Martin Van Buren wore pistols in the Senate chamber in case things got too rowdy.• Franklin Pierce ran over a woman with his horse while in office and was arrested, but was released when the police realized he was the president.• James Garfield could simultaneously write G...

A comprehensive guide to all of Robin Williams's movies, with facts about plots, performances, and cast, as well as notable trivia and behind-the-scenes details about each film.Did you know that, according to director Chris Columbus, Robin Williams improvised so much during the filming of Mrs. Doubtfire that the studio had enough footage to release PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17 versions of the movie? Or that Robin ad-libbed all his lines in Good Morning, Vie...

A New York Times science bestseller from "America's funniest science writer" ( Washington Post ), this "quirky, funny read offers perspective and insight about life, death and the medical profession" ( Wall Street Journal ). With a New Epilogue by the Author."Delightful—though never disrespectful" ( Time Out New York), science ...

The complete rankings of our best -- and worst -- presidents, based on C-SPAN's much-cited Historians Surveys of Presidential Leadership.Over a period of decades, C-SPAN has surveyed leading historians on the best and worst of America's presidents across a variety of categories -- their ability to persuade the public, their leadership skills, their moral authority, and more. The crucible of the presidency has forged some of the very best and very worst leaders in o...

From the most-read humor site on the internet, Cracked.comYOU MIGHT BE A ZOMBIE…You're going to wish you never picked up this book.Some facts are too terrifying to teach in school. Unfortunately, Cracked.com is more than happy to fill you in:* A zombie apocalypse? It could happen. 50% of humans are infected with a parasite that can take over your brain.* The FDA wouldn't let you eat bugs, right? Actually, you might wa...

Your high school history teachers never gave you a book like this one! Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents features outrageous and uncensored profiles of the men in the White House—complete with hundreds of little-known, politically incorrect, and downright wacko facts. You’ll discover that:• George Washington spent a whopping 7% of his salary on booze• John Quincy Adams loved to skinny-dip in the Potomac River• Gerald Ford once worked as a Cosmopolitan magaz...

Whether she’s a leading lady, loyal spouse, or lightning rod for scandal, the First Lady of the United States has always been in the spotlight—and in 2017 that was truer than ever. This revised and expanded edition from Quirk’s best-selling Secret Lives series features outrageous and uncensored profiles of the women of the White House, from Martha Washington to Melania Trump, it comes complete with hundreds of little-known, politically incorrect, and downright wacko facts. Did you know tha...