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Author
Description
Overview: The math we learn in school can seem like a dull set of rules, laid down by the ancients and not to be questioned. In How Not to Be Wrong, Jordan Ellenberg shows us how terribly limiting this view is: Math isn't confined to abstract incidents that never occur in real life, but rather touches everything we do-the whole world is shot through with it. Math allows us to see the hidden structures underneath the messy and chaotic surface of our...
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"A state-by-state compendium of weird laws, quirks, one-offs, and unusual records only to be found in the wonderfully wacky US of A. Only in America! explores the strangest claims to fame and the most unusual place names every state has to offer. Visit the city of Dinosaur, drop by the Pizza Museum, find out where it is illegal to feed a pig without a permit, and check out the world's only "carhenge" (that's right, Stonehenge reconstructed using cars)."--...
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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...
5) Don't know much about history: everything you need to know about American history, but never learned
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From the arrival of Columbus through the historic election of Barack Obama and beyond, Kenneth C. Davis carries readers on a rollicking ride through more than five hundred years of American history. In this 30th anniversary edition of the classic anti-textbook-which includes a new preface by Davis-he debunks, recounts, and serves up the real story behind the myths and fallacies of American history.
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An inspiring entrepreneur, known for his popular The #AskGaryVee Show, highlights the most interesting questions ever posed to him and offers insights and advice on marketing, using social media, creating a personal brand and how to hire superstar employees. --Publisher's description.
7) The violinist's thumb: and other lost tales of love, war, and genius, as written by our genetic code
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"In The Disappearing Spoon, bestselling author Sam Kean unlocked the mysteries of the periodic table. In THE VIOLINIST'S THUMB, he explores the wonders of the magical building block of life: DNA. There are genes to explain crazy cat ladies, why other people have no fingerprints, and why some people survive nuclear bombs. Genes illuminate everything from JFK's bronze skin (it wasn't a tan) to Einstein's genius. They prove that Neanderthals and humans...
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THE book for sports fans searching for a deeper understanding of the games they watch and the people who play them. Bestselling author L. Jon Wertheim teams up with Tufts psychologist Sam Sommers to take readers on a wild ride into the inner world of sports. Through the prism of behavioral economics, neuroscience, and psychology, they reveal the hidden influences and surprising cues that inspire and derail us--on the field and in the stands--and by...
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"The Anthropocene is the current geologic age, in which humans have profoundly reshaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays, bestselling author John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale--from QWERTY keyboard and sunsets to Canada geese and Penguins of Madagascar. Funny, complex, and rich with detail, the reviews chart the contradictions of contemporary humanity. John Green's...
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"The millions of people around the world who loved What If? still have questions, and those questions are getting stranger. Thank goodness xkcd creator Randall Munroe is here to help. Planning to ride a fire pole from the Moon back to Earth? The hardest part is sticking the landing. Hoping to cool the atmosphere by opening everyone's freezer door at the same time? Maybe it's time for a brief introduction to thermodynamics. Want to know what would...
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Pub. Date
[2016]
Physical Desc
xx, 428 pages ; 24 cm.
Description
"Early civilizations, Native Americans, the English colonies, slavery, the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights begin the journey and lay the foundation for the United States of today. The Handy American History Answer Book takes a walk through the economic, political, and social forces, as well as the military conflicts that created, changed, and built the United States. It explains the impact of the biggest...
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MLB Network host and commentator Brian Kenny uses stories from baseball's present and past to examine why we sometimes choose ignorance over information, and how tradition can trump logic, even when directly contradicted by evidence.
Emmy Award-winning sportscaster Brian Kenny wants to reshape the way we think about baseball. The biggest proponent of sports analytics in the mainstream media, Kenny says that groupthink and tradition are standing in...
Author
Pub. Date
2021.
Description
"While on a field trip to the zoo, Buzz and Fly Guy discover the world is filled with weird and unusual animals! From blobfish to naked mole rats, there's plenty for the best friends to explore." -- Amazon.com.
"Fly Guy is buzzing to learn all about the world's weirdest animals!"-- Provided by publisher.
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This big book of 96 science-packed pages introduces young readers to all the key facts about our solar system and the universe in a fun question and answer format.
The book's wide-ranging Q&As include: How many stars are there in space? Where does the Sun go at night? Will astronauts visit Mars? Which planet has diamond rain? What is the Moon made of? What is an eclipse? Which asteroid is the biggest? Is there another planet like Earth? And could...
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A new collection of the best Canadian trivia in honour of Canada's 150th birthday. Just in time for Canada's 150th birthday comes this collection of the best in Canadian questions and answers, covering history, famous Canadians, sports, word origins, geography, and everything in between. In these pages, you'll learn the answers to questions like: Where did the word Canuck come from? How did an aristocratic French girl become a Canadian Robinson Crusoe?...
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"The Liberty Bell cracked the very first time it was rung. However, the cracked Liberty Bell visitors can see on display in Philadelphia today isn't that bell, which means another bell was made and cracked! This and a plethora of other historical facts show readers a fun, surprising, and sometimes-humorous side of history."--Publisher's website.
18) The 50 states
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This new version of the Caldecott-winning classic by illustrator David Small and author Judith St. George is updated with current facts and new illustrations to include our forty-second president, George W. Bush. Hilariously illustrated by Small, this celebration by St. George shows us the foibles, quirks and humanity of forty-two men who have risen to one of the most powerful positions in the world.
Author
Pub. Date
2013
Physical Desc
148 p. : cm.
Appears on list
Description
"...Under the current system, Presidential nominees are forced to allocate almost all of their time, energy and resources to only about ten states, the Battleground States. The other forty states, which represent approximately 80% of the American electorate, are largely ignored because the electoral outcome in these forty states is almost a forgone conclusion. This unfortunate situation is solely the result of the winner-take-all method of awarding...





