Many ancient writers from Pliny and Plutarch to Xenophon were incorrigible collectors of miscellany, lively anecdotes and after-dinner jokes. Here, writer and historian Philip Matyszak brings together his favourite incidents, wisecracks and curious facts from ancient Greece and Rome. The compendium [...]

Unsurpassed quality and reliability! Over 472,000 entries 14,000 new words in a special Addenda section 3,000 illustrations Authoritative and comprehensive[...]

Dragonflies are among the most ancient of living creatures - few insect groups fascinate as much or are more immediately recognisable.[...]

A world Bible for our time from Buddhist, Hindu, Confucian, Taoist, Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and primal religion sources! In this perfect companion to Huston Smith's bestselling The World's Wisdom, Philip Novak distills the most powerful and elegant expressions of the wisdom of humankind. Authent[...]

Tough Test Questions? Missed Lectures? Not Enough Time? Fortunately for you, there's "Schaum's Outlines". More than 40 million students have trusted "Schaum's" to help them succeed in the classroom and on exams. "Schaum's" is the key to faster learning and higher grades in every subject. Each Outlin[...]

If you are looking for a quick nuts-and-bolts overview, turn to Schaum's Easy Outlines! Schaum's Easy Outline of Biochemistry is a pared-down, simplified, and tightly focused review of the topic. With an emphasis on clarity and brevity, it features a streamlined and updated format and the absolute e[...]

This is the game-changing guide to smarter financial decisions. Through vividly illustrated game play, Monopoly, Money, and You shows you how to manage real-life financial challenges using lessons from the iconic board game. You'll improve the critical skills it takes to succeed financially, includi[...]

What is the connection between a rather unflattering item of clothing and the French trapeze artist Jules Leotard? Which filling did the Earl of Sandwich opt for when he made his great culinary invention? And was there really a Sir Oswald Binge whose week-long feasts were notorious for their excess?[...]

On the outskirts of Paris, two men have been found with their throats cut. It is assumed that this is a drug-related incident of the kind so often uncovered in that area of town. But Adamsberg is convinced that there is more to it. Anxious to keep control of the case, he must call in a favor from th[...]

Sabbath's Theater is a comic creation of epic proportions, and Mickey Sabbath is its gargantuan hero. Once a scandalously inventive puppeteer, Sabbath at sixty-four is still defiantly antagonistic and exceedingly libidinous. But after the death of his long-time mistress - an erotic free spirit whose[...]

Over 100 years of speculation and controversy surround claims that the great seventeenth-century Dutch artist, Johannes Vermeer, used the camera obscura to create some of the most famous images in Western art. This intellectual detective story starts by exploring Vermeer's possible knowledge of seve[...]