General Reference

'If people do not believe that mathematics is simple, it is only because they do not realize how complicated life is' - John von Neumann. Mathematics can tell you things about the world that can't be learned in any other way. This hugely informative and wonderfully entertaining little book answers one hundred essential questions about existence. It unravels the knotty, clarifies the conundrums and sheds light into dark corners. From winning the lottery, placing bets at the races and escaping from bears to sports, Shakepeare, Google, game theory, drunks, divorce settlements and dodgy accounting; from chaos to infinity and everything in between, "100 Essential Things You Didn't Know You Didn't Know" has all the answers!

ISBN: 9781847920034

More than just a list of what contributions were worth the studio hours, "1001 Albums" is packed with insights into why each album is significant, the key tracks, the circumstances of its creation, the critical reception in its day, and why it stands the test of time. The text contains fascinating anecdotes that will amaze even the most dedicated muso. Written by top UK and US music journalists, "1001 Albums" covers the period from the late '50s, when albums began to be considered as an oeuvre, to the early twenty-first century, when inspiration drawn from bands of the '60s once again defined the musical landscape.With albums from Elvis Presley to The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Green Day, Christina Aguilera, The Sex Pistols, ACDC, Ray Price, the Beach Boys, Dr. Dre, Pharcyde, Sonic Youth and the Zutons, "1001 Albums" covers all the works that have formed part of the soundtracks to all our lives, at one point or another. In short, no other publication crams so much endlessly readable information and insight into one volume.

ISBN: 9781844036240

OCTOBER 2008

Popular science meets parenting in this fascinating and beautiful book. Covering a baby's first two years with retrospective glimpses of life in the womb, it details the incredible changes that occur as development progresses. Desmond Morris' thought-provoking book sets out the astonishing facts with outstanding visual reference to make you marvel at the complexity of the human body and your baby's ability to achieve so much in so little time. Stunning photographs and artwork overlays complement amazing facts about the growth, genes, anatomy, physiology, and learning capacity of babies. An engaging read and enchanting reference, "Baby" is the ideal gift or self-purchase for new parents, as well as anyone interested in how the human body evolves and works.

ISBN: 9780600609018

SEPTEMBER 2008

New fully revised edition of this top of the range Collins World Atlas at a great price. Detailed world mapping is attractively presented along with hundreds of facts, internet links, images, tables and graphs. The atlas provides a complete and topical view of today's world. TOP OF THE RANGE ATLAS The flagship title in the Collins World atlas range, giving a full picture of the Earth through the use of maps, satellite images, space and aerial photography, 3D terrain models and graphics. These features are further enhanced by fact boxes and internet links on each topic. This Collins world atlas presents a complete view of the world, bringing it to life through innovative maps, stunning images and detailed content. It offers an exciting perspective on how the planet is made up, how it looks and how it works. This atlas takes you further than traditional world atlases giving a more complete understanding of the world.UPDATES INCLUDE / Serbia and Montenegro split into 2 independent countries / New joint capital of Myanmar- Naypyidaw / Golmud-Lhasa railway in Tibet now open / Longest cross ocean bridge to the south of Shanghai / Aral Sea and Lake Chad continue to shrink in size ALSO INCLUDES / Wide range of topical issues covered including natural disasters, population, climate and the environment / Key country statistics allow comparisons of their state of development and an understanding of today's world / Thousands of facts and statistics including world and ocntinental ranking tables / Dictionary of geographical facts with all key concepts and terms explained

ISBN: 9780007269655

OCTOBER 2008

The ultimate work of historical reference * With exclusive essay by Richard Overy * Presented in a new, highly-readable format, the narrative edition of The Times Complete History of the World traces the origins of the world right up to the present day with unrivalled authority. Also contains a 32-page section of photographs of the most important and iconic images of our world. With fully-up-to-date content including material on Iraq, Afghanistan, terrorism and the environment, as well as a new and exclusive essay from the editor, Richard Overy, on 'The State of the World', this edition is the most complete and readable record of our world yet. From cavemen to the Cold War, from Alexander the Great to global warming, from warfare through the ages to the great voyages of exploration, The Times Complete History of the World is the book that has all the answers, the detail and the authoritative text in one breathtaking single historical source.

ISBN: 9780007280902

OCTOBER 2008

High above the Earth's hazy atmosphere, the Hubble Space Telescope has literally opened up a new window on the Universe and is returning images and data that are amazing and astounding astronomers.This fully revised and updated book presents astounding pictures straight from the telescope, giving readers an exciting and unique view of the universe and revealing how Hubble keeps a watchful eye on our local space neighbourhood, as well as remote solar systems.The images show, in unprecidented detail, stars being born and in their final death throes, evidence of awsome black holes and galactic collisions, and new solar systems in the making.An expert and lively commentary by two of the world's leading popular astronomy writers complements the stunning images, making this book the essential package for anyone who wants to understand how the universe looks and works.

ISBN: 9780715329238

NOVEMBER 2008

"The Hungry Scientist Handbook" taps into the hot DIY technology trend that is capturing the imagination of young, creative minds. It compiles the most fascinating and rewarding projects created by mechanical engineer Patrick Buckley and his band of intrepid techie friends, whose collaboration on contraptions started at a memorable 2005 Bay area dinner party and resulted in the formation of The Hungry Scientist Society, a loose confederation of inventive minds dedicated to the pursuit of projects possessing varying degrees of bizarreness and utility.

ISBN: 9780061238680

OCTOBER 2008

The phrase "Knowledge is Power" is attributed to the British author and philosopher Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626).The world he knew was, in comparison to today, a simple and uncomplicated one. And, yet the importance of knowledge and the world around us is as important now as it was then, if not more so."Know It All" is a unique guide to general knowledge, combining essential information with intelligence quizzes that readers can take to test their progress.The book contains 10 sections each tackling a key subject with a quiz at the end of each section, and a final 10 mixed-subject quizzes at the end of the book.

ISBN: 9780715331590

Some of the world's best-loved songs have had remarkable origins. Had Robert Burns not heard an old man sing a quavering version of an ancient Scottish country song, we would never have had 'Auld Lang Syne'. Miss Jane Ross wrote down the tune she heard played by a piper at an Irish village fair in 1855. Had she not done so, the rest of the world would not have heard 'Danny Boy'. Marie Antoinette heard a peasant nurse sing an obscure lullaby to her princely son. The empress's unexpected promotion of the song resulted in its now being listed by The Guinness Book of Records as one of the three most familiar songs in the world. Love Me Tender tells the remarkable stories behind 40 popular and traditional songs. Some evolved from folksongs, some are from musical theatre, while others hit the mark because a particular recording appeared at just the right time. In some cases, one word made all the difference: Paul McCartney composed a tune but could only think of the words 'scrambled eggs' to fit it, but fortunately he later came up with the perfect solution - 'Yesterday'.In a book full of surprises and curiosities, Max Cryer reveals stories from all around the world, and from artists as diverse as Elvis Presley, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby and Cole Porter. This truly fascinating book makes enthralling reading.

ISBN: 9780711229112

Every year more than 8,000 items are photographed to make "Miller's Antiques Price Guide" the most comprehensive and informative price guide on the market. Whether you're buying or selling, a dealer, collector or auctioneer, this is the book you need to help you keep track of the international market. Whenever you're buying or selling always take Judith with you.

ISBN: 9781845333133

SEPTEMBER 2008

Since it was first published in 1998, more than 110,000 copies have been sold. Today, a new generation of collectors, dealers and auctioneers continue to need this outstanding and accessible resource. This book covers from 18th century chairs to 20th century Barbie dolls, Art Deco sculpture to ancient Chinese ceramics, and Native American rugs to toy robots. New sections featuring mid-century modern and postmodern design make it the ultimate authenticated reference.

ISBN: 9781845334338

SEPTEMBER 2008

Every year more than 4,000 items are photographed to make "Miller's Collectables Price Guide" the most comprehensive and informative price guide on the market. Whether you're buying or selling, a dealer, collector or auctioneer, this is the book you need to help you keep track of the international market. Whenever you're buying or selling always take Judith with you.

ISBN: 9781845334420

OCTOBER 2008

"The Paranormal Caught on Film" is a mysterious and mesmerizing collection of photographs depicting ghosts and other extraordinary phenomena from around the world.Believers will marvel at the range of unexplained activity captured on camera and sceptics will not be able to resist debating the provenance of these enigmatic images.Five chapters cover everything from the unfathomable to the downright spooky: mediums and spiritualists producing bizarre phenomena, eery lights, fogs and auras, astonishing appearances, levitating children and flying objects.Each compelling picture is accompanied by illuminating commentary from ghost expert and psychical investigator, Dr Melvyn Willin.

ISBN: 9780715329801

ISBN: 9781842365731

Like the ocean, a starry sky has the capacity to fill us with wonder. A stargazer is anyone who's ever found themselves looking at the stars and wanting to know a bit more. Unlike its more scientific sister, astronomy, stargazing requires no equipment, except perhaps something comfortable to sit on and a star map (such as the ones in this book). Portable, free and completely fascinating, it can be done anywhere - even in the city. This book will guide you through what there is to see in the sky, why it's interesting and how previous generations have viewed and interpreted it. Organised month by month, we are taken through the various stories - mythological, historical and scientific - associated with the night sky and provided with simple diagrams to identify the constellations. Also explained are the sun - our closest star - the moon, planets, comets, meteor showers (or shooting stars) and satellites.This book also answers key questions like: What do we see when we look at the sun? How did the Greeks spin myths around forty-eight out of the eighty-eight constellations we recognise today? What, exactly, is the Milky Way? Why, on the 19th of November, might a stargazer see hundreds of shooting stars every hour? What does modern astronomy owe to astrology? No reader of this book will ever gaze up at the seemingly endless mass of stars in the same way again.

ISBN: 9781845297244

What was the largest dinosaur to roam the planet? Who has won the most Oscars for best actor? Which Government spends the most money? All of these questions and many, many more are answered in "Top 10 of Everything 2009", the 20th anniversary edition of the annual bestseller. Packed with brand new and updated lists, "Top 10 of Everything" reveals thousands of fascinating facts and little-known trivia about history, science, sports, music, movies, nature, people and places. Compiled by category and featuring original Now & Then lists that show just how much the times have changed, this is the perfect book for all lovers general knowledge.

ISBN: 9780600617396

SEPTEMBER 2008

When we reach our forties, something changes. Suddenly nothing - hair, skin, body shape - looks quite the way it used to. And it's a myth to think that by using Botox, working out religiously and wearing skinny jeans you're going to fool people into thinking you're thirty. Nothing can stop the ageing process. But that doesn't mean that you have to start wearing a twin set, cutting your hair and donning sensible shoes. You can find a new kind of beauty and a new way of being confident - why shouldn't forty, fifty or sixty be as beautiful as twenty or thirty in a different way? Twiggy is as beautiful in her fifties as she was in her twenties, and has maintained her style and fabulousness without the aid of any plastic surgery. Women everywhere look at her as a role model and think 'Maybe I can look like that'. And now, with this practical guide containing hundreds of tips, you can...

ISBN: 9780718154042