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2) Don't know much about history: everything you need to know about American history, but never learned
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"From Columbus through to the twenty-first century, Don't Know Much About History takes readers on a tour through more than 500 years of American life. Drawing on the latest scholarship and new archaeological discoveries, Davis presents a thorough overview of American history that is exciting, interesting and fun to learn"--Publisher's description.
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"Fans of xkcd ask Munroe a lot of strange questions: What if you tried to hit a baseball pitched at 90 percent the speed of light? How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? If there was a robot apocalypse, how long would humanity last? What if everyone only had one soulmate? What would happen if the moon went away? In pursuit of answers, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves...
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"In this fun, erudite, and often moving book, Cass R. Sunstein explores the lessons of Star Wars as they relate to childhood, fathers, the Dark Side, rebellion, and redemption. As it turns out, Star Wars also has a lot to teach us about constitutional law, economics, and political uprisings. Sunstein tells the story of the films wildly unanticipated success and explores why some things succeed while others fail. Ultimately, Sunstein argues, Star Wars...
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"Illustrated compendium telling the stories of real-life cursed objects from throughout history ... their bizarre stories have inspired countless horror movies, reality TV shows, novels, and campfire tales. From the Raggedy Ann doll that spawned the horror franchise The Conjuring, to the mummy rumored to have sunk the Titanic and kickstarted World War I"-- Provided by publisher.
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"Obscure and addictive true tales from history told by one of our most entertaining historians, Giles Milton. The first installment in Giles Milton's outrageously entertaining series, History's Unknown Chapters: colorful and accessible, intelligent and illuminating, Milton shows his customary historical flair as he delves into the little-known stories from the past. There's the cook aboard the Titanic, who pickled himself with whiskey and survived...
11) The madman's library: the strangest books, manuscripts and other literary curiosities from history
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"The Madman's Library reveals the fascinating stories behind some of the strangest and most beautiful books ever created in a highly illustrated tour through an eccentric "library" of literary curiosities and wonders"-- Provided by publisher.
Brooke-Hitching has hunted down the oddest books and manuscripts ever written, uncovering the intriguing stories behind their creation. From the Qur'an written in the blood of Saddam Hussein, to the gorgeously...
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"What's it like to be the first to enter an Egyptian burial chamber that's been sealed for thousands of years? What horrifying secret was found among the prehistoric ruins of the American Southwest? Who really was the infamous the Monster of Florence? Douglas Preston's journalistic explorations have taken him from the haunted country of Italy to the jungles of Honduras. He was granted exclusive journalistic access to the largest tomb in Egypt's Valley...
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"So much of our world seems to make perfect sense, and scientific breakthroughs have helped us understand ourselves, our planet, and our place in the universe in fascinating detail. But our adventures in space, our deepening understanding of the quantum world, and our leaps in technology have also revealed a universe far stranger than we ever imagined. With brilliant clarity and wit, bestselling author Marcus Chown examines the profound science behind...
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An accessible, in-depth exploration of the runes as a living spiritual tradition.
Diana Paxson has distilled her many years of experience working with the runes into this essential source book. Readers will learn the historical meaning of each individual rune and its use and meaning now, in contemporary culture.
But, Paxson reveals, the real power of the runes comes from internalizing them and using their symbols as sources of wisdom and power....
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"3... 2... 1... We have lift off on another fully revised and updated Guinness World Records annual. The 2023 edition takes readers on a journey that's out of this world, revealing the latest and greatest record-breaking achievements here on Planet Earth and across the vast distances of space."--Amazon.com.
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"A literary history of our most influential book of all time, by an Oxford scholar and Anglican priest. In our culture, the Bible is monolithic: It is a collection of books that has been unchanged and unchallenged since the earliest days of the Christian church. The idea of the Bible as "Holy Scripture," a non-negotiable authority straight from God, has prevailed in Western society for some time. And while it provides a firm foundation for centuries...
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From the acclaimed author of Einstein's Dreams, here is an inspired, lyrical meditation on religion and science that explores the tension between our yearning for permanence and certainty, and the modern scientific discoveries that demonstrate the impermanent and uncertain nature of the world. As a physicist, Alan Lightman has always held a scientific view of the world. As a teenager experimenting in his own laboratory, he was impressed by the logic...
