A survey of life on earth, in all its variety and pagentry, by a very annoyed humorist.From early man, the Neanderthal, Cro-Magnon, to irascible observations on mankind and the animal kingdom today (including “Birds I Could Do Without”), Will Cuppy, a perennially perturbed hermit, is your guide in these are very funny essays.For eight years, from 1921 to 1929, Will Cuppy lived alone on Jones Island, off Long Island’s South Shore. From that outpost, he gaine...

A New York Times–bestselling, comical take on world history from the beloved New Yorker humorist.So, you think you know most of what there is to know about people like Nero and Cleopatra, Alexander the Great and Attila the Hun, Lady Godiva and Miles Standish? You say there's nothing more to be written about Lucrezia Borgia? How wrong you are, for in these pages you'll find Will Cuppy footloose in the footnotes of history. He transforms these lumina...

A survey of the animal kingdom in which the nocturnal and tunneling wombat is awarded the greatest praise.Will Cuppy was something like the Larry David of the mid-20th century. From his perch as a staff writer at The New Yorker, Cuppy observed the world and found a great deal that annoyed him. This collection of essays on animals includes “Birds Who Can’t Even Fly,” “Optional Insects,” “Octopuses and Those Things”, and “How to Swat a Fly,” which codifies t...

In "How to Be a Hermit," Will Cuppy employs his signature blend of wit and satire to explore the art of solitude. Through a series of humorous essays and musings, Cuppy delves into the philosophical and practical aspects of hermit life, providing readers with a tongue-in-cheek guide to embracing isolation amidst the chaos of modern civilization. His literary style is characterized by a charmingly antiquated prose enriched with subtle irony and a disarming frankness, allowing the reader to ...

In "How to Be a Hermit," Will Cuppy presents a satirical guide that playfully explores the art of solitude and self-imposed seclusion. Through a humorous lens, Cuppy examines the idiosyncrasies of hermit life, blending witty prose with astute observations on human behavior. The work transcends traditional self-help genres by employing biting satire and ironic commentary, making it not just a guide, but a reflection on the societal pressures of modern life. Cuppy's unique literary style, ch...

How to Be a Hermit is Will Cuppy's wry account of retreating from modern society to a modest shack on Jones Island, off Long Island's South Shore. Cast as a mock manual for self-sufficient living, the book transforms domestic inconvenience, solitude, cooking, weather, and local fauna into polished comic essays. Its style is exact, deadpan, and deceptively casual, belonging to the American tradition of humorous anti-pastoral writing: a Thoreauvian withdrawal revised by urban skepticism and ...

This small book looks at some of the strange things that make England unique, starting with the English language itself and looking at concepts such as sports, ghosts and the English love for eccentricity - like the sportsman who rode his horse naked.As well as strange people, the book looks at strange places. For example, there is the canal across Southern England that was dug to keep back Bonaparte's hordes in the invasion that never took place. There is also the impressively mas...

Winner of the 16th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards"A vivid and engaging suspense tale with a wide-ranging cast." — Kirkus ReviewsWell’s Peake, 1810. Aleksandar Scott, a promising young inventor, hopes to build his future at the first-ever World’s Fair — until his invention falls into the hands of a mysterious masked man. After the disturbing murders of fellow innovators come to light, he fears for his life as the city turns dangerou...

More Strange Scotland is a collection of anecdotes, facts, folklore and legends about the strangeness of that little nation on the western fringe of Europe.From fairies to witches and the frightening water horses, Scotland has a host of legends. Add haunted castles, strange pub names and devilish people to the mix, sprinkle with Aberlour spirits and the mists of Skye and then open the book.If ghostly bagpipers and unseen river monsters don’t scare you off, then you may reve...

'A fascinating insight into how and why we are compelled to help others even when we've got nothing left to give.' – Amy Beecham, Stylist'This book is a powerful catalyst in showing helpers how to help themselves.' – Suzy Reading, author of The Self-Care Revolution'It goes well beyond reminding us of the importance of self-care and digs deep into unconscious beliefs and thinking patterns. I'm ...

'A wonderful account of a life filled with far more ups and downs than its subject's languid demeanour ever suggested.' -Miles JuppEven if the name doesn't ring a bell, you'd recognise David Tomlinson's face – genial and continually perplexed, he was Mr Banks in Mary Poppins, Professor Browne in Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Peter Thorndyke in The Love Bug. To many, he's the epitome of post-war British comedy....

This extensive reference volume presents the etymological history of thousands of English words.The story of how words come to be is the story of how humans think, and how we fashion our civilizations. Words can be the product of long and intertwining histories, migrations from other languages, or new coinages of science or slang. This diversity of origins is part of what gives the English language its beauty and power.In Dictionary of Word Origins, ...