Download or read book The World s Wackiest History written by Christopher Henry Forest and published by Capstone. This book was released on 2015-12-21 with total page 67 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Readers will be amazed to learn the history of how potato chips were invented and why pirates really wore eye patches! With dozens of fascinating images and fun trivia facts, The World's Wackiest History provides young readers an interesting look into strange and little-known events through history.
Download or read book A Million Years in a Day written by Greg Jenner and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2016-06-21 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who invented beds? When did we start cleaning our teeth? How old are wine and beer? Which came first: the toilet seat or toilet paper? What was the first clock? Every day, from the moment our alarm clock wakes us in the morning until our head hits our pillow at night, we all take part in rituals that are millennia old. Structured around one ordinary day, A Million Years in a Day reveals the astonishing origins and development of the daily practices we take for granted. In this gloriously entertaining romp through human history, Greg Jenner explores the gradual—and often unexpected—evolution of our daily routines. This is not a story of wars, politics, or great events. Instead, Jenner has scoured Roman rubbish bins, Egyptian tombs, and Victorian sewers to bring us the most intriguing, surprising, and sometimes downright silly historical nuggets from our past. Drawn from across the world, spanning a million years of humanity, this book is a smorgasbord of historical delights. It is a history of all those things you always wondered about—and many you have never considered. It is the story of your life, one million years in the making.
Download or read book The WEIRDest People in the World written by Joseph Henrich and published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. This book was released on 2020-09-08 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A New York Times Notable Book of 2020 A Bloomberg Best Non-Fiction Book of 2020 A Behavioral Scientist Notable Book of 2020 A Human Behavior & Evolution Society Must-Read Popular Evolution Book of 2020 A bold, epic account of how the co-evolution of psychology and culture created the peculiar Western mind that has profoundly shaped the modern world. Perhaps you are WEIRD: raised in a society that is Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic. If so, you’re rather psychologically peculiar. Unlike much of the world today, and most people who have ever lived, WEIRD people are highly individualistic, self-obsessed, control-oriented, nonconformist, and analytical. They focus on themselves—their attributes, accomplishments, and aspirations—over their relationships and social roles. How did WEIRD populations become so psychologically distinct? What role did these psychological differences play in the industrial revolution and the global expansion of Europe during the last few centuries? In The WEIRDest People in the World, Joseph Henrich draws on cutting-edge research in anthropology, psychology, economics, and evolutionary biology to explore these questions and more. He illuminates the origins and evolution of family structures, marriage, and religion, and the profound impact these cultural transformations had on human psychology. Mapping these shifts through ancient history and late antiquity, Henrich reveals that the most fundamental institutions of kinship and marriage changed dramatically under pressure from the Roman Catholic Church. It was these changes that gave rise to the WEIRD psychology that would coevolve with impersonal markets, occupational specialization, and free competition—laying the foundation for the modern world. Provocative and engaging in both its broad scope and its surprising details, The WEIRDest People in the World explores how culture, institutions, and psychology shape one another, and explains what this means for both our most personal sense of who we are as individuals and also the large-scale social, political, and economic forces that drive human history. Includes black-and-white illustrations.
Download or read book The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt written by Michael G. Vann and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2019 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Tells the darkly humorous story of the French colonial state's failed efforts to impose its vision of modernity upon the colonial city of Hanoi, Vietnam. This book offers a case study in the history of imperialism, highlighting the racialized economic inequalities of empire, colonization as a form of modernization, and industrial capitalism's creation of a radical power differential between "the West and the rest." On a deeper level, The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt will engage the contradictions unique to the French Third Republic's colonial "civilizing mission," the development of Vietnamese resistance to French rule, the history of disease, and aspects of environmental history"--
Download or read book The Great Big Book of Horrible Things written by Matthew White and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2011-10-25 with total page 689 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A compulsively readable and utterly original account of world history—from an atrocitologist’s point of view. Evangelists of human progress meet their opposite in Matthew White's epic examination of history's one hundred most violent events, or, in White's piquant phrasing, "the numbers that people want to argue about." Reaching back to 480 BCE's second Persian War, White moves chronologically through history to this century's war in the Congo and devotes chapters to each event, where he surrounds hard facts (time and place) and succinct takeaways (who usually gets the blame?) with lively military, social, and political histories. With the eye of a seasoned statistician, White assigns each entry a ranking based on body count, and in doing so he gives voice to the suffering of ordinary people that, inexorably, has defined every historical epoch. By turns droll, insightful, matter-of-fact, and ultimately sympathetic to those who died, The Great Big Book of Horrible Things gives readers a chance to reach their own conclusions while offering a stark reminder of the darkness of the human heart.
Download or read book 100 of the Worst Ideas in History written by Michael Smith and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2014-06-03 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A humorous illustrated gift book with history's biggest fails hailing from politics, pop culture, international relations, business, sports, and more. From skinny-dipping Presidents to toxic tooth fillings to singing pop stars who can't carry a tune, 100 of the Worst Ideas in History is a celebration of humanity's historical—and often hysterical—missteps that have started wars, sunk countries, wrecked companies, scuttled careers, lost millions of dollars, and even endangered the Earth. Interesting stories from history include: How a confused chauffeur helped start World War I Who turned down the greatest product placement opportunity in Hollywood history How a Chicago White Sox game helped hasten the demise of disco The toad that nearly ate Australia The most dangerous children's game ever invented Spanning politics, pop culture, fashion, sports, technology, and more, this irreverent and witty book is packed with fun photos and sidebars, tracing how these thundering brainstorms turned into blundering brain farts—and the astonishing impacts our faux pas and foibles still have on us today. Great for gifting! Funny Father's Day gift White elephant gag gift Unique gift for the history major Fun teacher gift
Download or read book 50 Wacky Inventions Throughout History written by Joe Rhatigan and published by Walter Foster Jr.. This book was released on 2017-06 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 50 Wacky Inventions Throughout History describes 50 unbelievable inventions that seem too crazy to be true.
Download or read book The Best of Times The Worst of Times written by Michael Burleigh and published by Pan Macmillan. This book was released on 2017-11-02 with total page 566 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the decades since the end of the Second World War, it has been widely assumed that the western model of liberal democracy and free trade is the way the world should be governed. However, events in the early years of the twenty-first century – first, the 2003 war with Iraq and its chaotic aftermath and, second, the financial crash of 2008 – have threatened the general acceptance that continued progress under the benign (or sometimes not so benign) gaze of the western powers is the only way forwards. And as America turns inwards and Europe is beset by austerity politics and populist nationalism, the post-war consensus looks less and less secure. But is this really the worst of times? In a forensic examination of the world we now live in, acclaimed historian Michael Burleigh sets out to answer that question. Who could have imagined that China would champion globalization and lead the battle on climate change? Or that post-Soviet Russia might present a greater threat to the world’s stability than ISIS? And while we may be on the cusp of still more dramatic change, perhaps the risks will – in time – bring not only change but a wholly positive transformation. Incisive, robust and always insightful, The Best of Times, The Worst of Times by Michael Burleigh is both a dazzling tour d’horizon of the world as it is today and a surprisingly optimistic vision of the world as it might become.
Download or read book Good Old Days My Ass written by David A. Fryxell and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2012-10-04 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Welcome to the Not-So-Glorious Days With the uncertain economy, lingering wars, and the ever-present threats of everything from bird flu to Bieber Fever, it's tempting to long for the "good old days." But just how good were they? Buckle up for a bumpy ride down memory lane (and try not to get trampled) as these 665 funny history facts and terrifying truths reveal the unfortunate reality of life during the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. From patents that should still be pending to hairdos that attract vermin, these horrors will leave you thankful you didn't have to struggle to live through them. Brace yourself as the truth hits you like an ice-cold Victorian-era shower with enough pressure to knock you unconscious. Get ready to shudder with laughter (or horror) at these funny moments in history that are not to be forgotten.
Download or read book Reflections on the History of Art written by Ernst Hans Gombrich and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1987-01-01 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Essays discuss Greek and Chineese art, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Dutch genre painting, Rubens, Rembrandt, art collecting, museums, and Freud's aesthetics
Download or read book The Worst Weather on Earth written by William Lowell Putnam and published by Light Technology Publishing. This book was released on 1991-06-01 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "There may be worse weather, from time to time, at some forbidding place on Planet Earth, but it has yet to be reliably recorded." So begins The Worst Weather on Earth: A History of the Mount Washington Observatory. Mount Washington, at 6,288 feet above sea level, is one of the highest elevations in the eastern United States and is subject to some of the fiercest weather patterns in the world. Situated close to major centers of population, it has been an accessible objective for travellers. The curious, the intrepid, the scientific -- Mount Washington has attracted them all. In this age of satellites and advanced instrumentation, the intricacies of weather observation are now taken for granted. However, not so long ago, weather was a blank on the scientific map of understanding. The Worst Weather on Earth chronicles the social and scientific milieu of those who have recorded the weather on the mountain for over one hundred years. Included are chapters such as "Radio on the Rockpile," which covers the pioneering days of radio broadcasting from the Summit, and "Rime and Reason," which presents a fascinating discussion of rime and the problems of icing that were researched extensively on the Summit. The Worst Weather on Earth is rendered more immediate by the liberal use of contemporary accounts; excerpts from letters, reports, and the log notes of the Summit observers abound, giving the flavor and the excitement of over a century of scientific observation and discovery.
Download or read book The World s Worst Assistant written by Sona Movsesian and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2022-07-19 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ***An Instant New York Times Bestseller*** One of Vulture's Best Comedy Books of 2022 | One of Business Insider's Best Books About Celebrities | One of NPR's Books We Love in 2022 | One of Hudson's Best Books of 2022 | One of Audible's Best of Audiobooks of 2022 From Conan O’Brien’s longtime assistant and cohost of his podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, a completely hilarious and irreverent how-to guide for becoming a terrible, yet unfireable employee, spilling her trade secrets for minimizing effort while maximizing the rewards. Sona Movsesian didn’t wake up one day and decide to become the World’s Worst Assistant. Achieving such greatness is a gradual process--one that starts with long hours and hard work before it eventually descends into sneaking low-dosage edibles into your lunch and napping on your boss’s couch. With a foreword from Conan O’Brien, The World’s Worst Assistant is populated with hysterical black-and-white illustrations, comics, and more. It’s a mixture of how-tos (like How to Nap at Work and How to Watch TV at Your Desk), tips for becoming untouchable (like memorizing social security and credit card numbers and endearing yourself to friends and family), and incredible personal stories from Sona’s twelve years spent working for Conan that put their adorable closeness and professional dysfunction on display. In these pages, Sona will explain her descent from eager, hard-working, ambitious, detail-orientated assistant to self-awarded title-holder for the worst in history. This book is irresistible fun you’ll want to give to every young professional in your life. For readers of heartfelt humor like that of Phoebe Robinson and Colin Jost, The World’s Worst Assistant is a chance for fans, viewers, and listeners of Conan’s shows and podcast to fall in love with Sona and Conan all over again.
Download or read book The World s Weirdest Places written by Nicholas Redfern and published by New Page Books. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Just in time for that most mysterious and macabre of all nights--Halloween, of course--Nick Redfern unleashes The World's Weirdest Places, his latest darkly entertaining supernatural title. In its mysterious pages, you will find Redfern's personal top 25 paranormal-themed locales, and the strange, amazing, and diabolical things that lurk within them. From the legendary Loch Ness, Scotland, to the slopes of Mount Shasta, California; from the dark depths of the Solomon Islands to the heart of the Kremlin; and from the magical landscape of Sedona, Arizona, to the turbulent waters of the Devil's Sea of Japan, The World's Weirdest Places reveals the sheer astonishing scale of strangeness that dominates our planet. Bigfoot, aliens, ghosts, vampires, UFOs, lake monsters, strange energies, enigmatic vortexes, werewolves, and terrifying demons are just some of the bizarre things that populate these parts of our planet, which provoke as much fascination and intrigue as they do fear and horror.
Download or read book Savage Peace written by Ann Hagedorn and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2007-04-10 with total page 564 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written with the sweep of an epic novel and grounded in extensive research into contemporary documents, Savage Peace is a striking portrait of American democracy under stress. It is the surprising story of America in the year 1919. In the aftermath of an unprecedented worldwide war and a flu pandemic, Americans began the year full of hope, expecting to reap the benefits of peace. But instead, the fear of terrorism filled their days. Bolshevism was the new menace, and the federal government, utilizing a vast network of domestic spies, began to watch anyone deemed suspicious. A young lawyer named J. Edgar Hoover headed a brand-new intelligence division of the Bureau of Investigation (later to become the FBI). Bombs exploded on the doorstep of the attorney general's home in Washington, D.C., and thirty-six parcels containing bombs were discovered at post offices across the country. Poet and journalist Carl Sandburg, recently returned from abroad with a trunk full of Bolshevik literature, was detained in New York, his trunk seized. A twenty-one-year-old Russian girl living in New York was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for protesting U.S. intervention in Arctic Russia, where thousands of American soldiers remained after the Armistice, ostensibly to guard supplies but in reality to join a British force meant to be a warning to the new Bolshevik government. In 1919, wartime legislation intended to curb criticism of the government was extended and even strengthened. Labor strife was a daily occurrence. And decorated African-American soldiers, returning home to claim the democracy for which they had risked their lives, were badly disappointed. Lynchings continued, race riots would erupt in twenty-six cities before the year ended, and secret agents from the government's "Negro Subversion" unit routinely shadowed outspoken African-Americans. Adding a vivid human drama to the greater historical narrative, Savage Peace brings 1919 alive through the people who played a major role in making the year so remarkable. Among them are William Monroe Trotter, who tried to put democracy for African-Americans on the agenda at the Paris peace talks; Supreme Court associate justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., who struggled to find a balance between free speech and legitimate government restrictions for reasons of national security, producing a memorable decision for the future of free speech in America; and journalist Ray Stannard Baker, confidant of President Woodrow Wilson, who watched carefully as Wilson's idealism crumbled and wrote the best accounts we have of the president's frustration and disappointment. Weaving together the stories of a panoramic cast of characters, from Albert Einstein to Helen Keller, Ann Hagedorn brilliantly illuminates America at a pivotal moment.
Download or read book America s Funny But True History 1750s 1790s Revolting Revolutio written by Elizabeth Levy and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents numerous personalities of the revolutionary period, including George Washington, John Hancock, and Thomas Paine, accompanied by information about the events leading to and including the Revolutionary War. The American colonies have had enough of British governance, British taxes, even British tea. They've decided it's time to form a United States of America. Sounds like war ... Revolutionary War!From battlefield to Congress, the fight is on to win independence for the 13 colonies. And movers and shakers like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and the Adams family are leading the charge!
Download or read book Discovering the Civil War written by and published by Giles. This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Peels back years of accumulated analysis, interpretation, and opinion to reveal the human face of history.
Download or read book History s Worst Predictions written by Eric Chaline and published by Chartwell Books. This book was released on 2011-04-25 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This hardcover book is an excellent historical resource, and a great gift for anyone with an interest in history. Organized chronologically from Antiquity to modern times and beyond, History's Worst Predictions excavates the strata of history to expose the credulity and absurdity of humanity's prophetic utterances. Every aspect of human life—religion, politics, science, economy, culture, and war—has provided material for the most far-fetched and inaccurate of predictions. Chapters include: The "First" Second Coming: Saints Mark, Matthew, Luke, and Paul Plagiarist Prophet: Nostradamus Historical Imperative: Karl Marx Man of Peace: Neville Chamberlain All Shook Up: Variety Magazine This beautifully illustrated, full-color volume contains photographs and maps that bring each chapter to life, depicting the people and places responsible for some of the most infamous prophecies in human history.
