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Author : Tim Holtz
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780615545080
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (45 download)
Download or read book A Compendium of Curiosities written by Tim Holtz and published by . This book was released on 2014-01-11 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Not your typical how to book, but inspirational papercraft and mixed media projects designed by Tim Holtz.
Author : Jan Bondeson
Publisher : Cornell University Press
ISBN 13 : 1501733451
Total Pages : 276 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (17 download)
Download or read book A Cabinet of Medical Curiosities written by Jan Bondeson and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2019-01-24 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Long ago, curiosities were arranged in cabinets for display: a dried mermaid might be next to a giant's shinbone, the skeletons of conjoined twins beside an Egyptian mummy. In ten essays, Jan Bondeson brings a physician's diagnostic skills to various unexpected, gruesome, and extraordinary aspects of the history of medicine: spontaneous human combustion, colonies of snakes and frogs living in a person's stomach, kings and emperors devoured by lice, vicious tribes of tailed men, and the Two-Headed Boy of Bengal. Bondeson tells the story of Mary Toft, who gained notoriety in 1726 when she allegedly gave birth to seventeen rabbits. King George I, the Prince of Wales, and the court physicians attributed these monstrous births to a "maternal impression" because Mary had longed for a meal of rabbit while pregnant. Bondeson explains that the fallacy of maternal impressions, conspicuous in the novels of Goethe, Sir Walter Scott, and Charles Dickens, has ancient roots in Chinese and Babylonian manuscripts. Bondeson also presents the tragic case of Julia Pastrana, a Mexican Indian woman with thick hair growing over her body and a massive overgrowth of the gums that gave her a simian or ape-like appearance. Called the Ape Woman, she was exhibited all over the world. After her death in 1860, Julia's husband, who had also been her impresario, had her body mummified and continued to exhibit it throughout Europe. Bondeson tracked the mummy down and managed to diagnose Julia Pastrana's condition as the result of a rare genetic syndrome.
Author : Terry Breverton
Publisher : Quercus
ISBN 13 : 1623653207
Total Pages : 596 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (236 download)
Download or read book Breverton's Nautical Curiosities written by Terry Breverton and published by Quercus. This book was released on 2013-11-05 with total page 596 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Breverton's Nautical Curiosities is about ships, people and the sea. However, unlike many other nautical compendiums, the focus of this book is on the unusual, the overlooked or the downright extraordinary. Thus, someone most of us do not know, Admiral William Brown, is given equal coverage to Admiral Nelson. Without Admiral Brown releasing Garibaldi, modern Italy might not exist. And without the barely known genius John Ericsson designing the Monitor, the Confederacy might have won the American Civil War. Readers will be stimulated to read more about the remarkable men--explorers, admirals and trawlermen--who have shaped our world. The sea has had a remarkable effect upon our language. We hear the terms "steer clear," "hit the deck," "don't rock the boat," "to harbor a grudge" and the like, and give little thought to them. In the pages of this book, the reader will find the origin of "bumpkin," a "brace of shakes," "born with a silver spoon," "booby prize," "to take on board," "above board," "bombed" (in the sense of being drunk), the "blues," "blind-side," "blind drunk," "the pot calling the kettle black," "reach the bitter end," "wasters," "ahoy," "all at sea," "to keep aloof," "piss-artist," "taken aback," "barbecue" and "bamboozle." Other colourful terms, which have passed out of common usage, such as "bring one's arse to anchor" (sit down), "belly timber" (food) and "bog orange" (potato) are also included, as well as important pirate haunts, technical terms, famous battles, maritime inventors and ship speed records.
Author : John Oldale
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101580402
Total Pages : 622 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (15 download)
Download or read book A World of Curiosities written by John Oldale and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2012-04-24 with total page 622 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe: everything you never knew you never knew about every country on Earth.A scientist by training and an explorer by passion, Dr. John Oldale has logged half a million miles visiting more than ninety nations. Now, he celebrates our weird and wonderful world in a cornucopia of fascinating facts brought vividly to life through the unexpected stories behind them. Touching on history, travel, politics, natural history and more, he paints a unique portrait of each country from the mightiest to the most miniscule. You won't find the following in your average travel guide: · Why is kissing on trains banned in France? · In what country are litigants expected to present their case at court in the form of a poem? · Which war did women win in 1929 just by sitting down? · If Panama hats aren’t from Panama, where are they from? · Who eat fresh camel dung as a cure for dysentery (and why does it work)? · Why were US disk jockeys once told they could play birthday requests on any day except the one requested? · Which modern dictator banned old age, libraries and gold teeth, and was later replaced by his dentist? · And 2,000 more funny, trivial, poignant, and telling facts A must for active and armchair globe-trotters alike, A World of Curiosities will engross anyone who is at all curious about the world beyond their door. Explore and enjoy.
Author : Marcia Bjornerud
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 0691232725
Total Pages : 200 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (912 download)
Download or read book Geopedia written by Marcia Bjornerud and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2022-05-03 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A garden of geologic delights for all Earthlings Geopedia is a trove of geologic wonders and the evocative terms that humans have devised to describe them. Featuring dozens of entries—from Acasta gneiss to Zircon—this illustrated compendium is brimming with lapidary and lexical insights that will delight rockhounds and word lovers alike. Geoscientists are magpies for words, and with good reason. The sheer profusion of minerals, landforms, and geologic events produced by our creative planet demands an immense vocabulary to match. Marcia Bjornerud shows how this lexicon reflects not only the diversity of rocks and geologic processes but also the long history of human interactions with them. With wit and warmth, she invites all readers to celebrate the geologic glossary—a gallimaufry of allusions to mythology, imports from diverse languages, embarrassing anachronisms, and recent neologisms. This captivating book includes cross-references at the end of each entry, inviting you to leave the alphabetic trail and meander through it like a river. Its pocket-friendly size makes it the perfect travel companion no matter where your own geologic forays may lead you. With whimsical illustrations by Haley Hagerman, Geopedia is a mix of engaging and entertaining facts about how the earth works, how it has coevolved with life over billions of years, and how our understanding of the planet has deepened over time. Features a cloth cover with an elaborate foil-stamped design
Author : Robert Wilson
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1461747244
Total Pages : 241 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (617 download)
Download or read book Vermont Curiosities written by Robert Wilson and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2008-10-14 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fun, accessible read for travelers and non travelers alike Vermont Curiosities is part zany Vermont guidebook and part Who's Who of unusual and unsung heroes, this compendium of the state's quirks and characters will amuse Vermont residents and visitors alike.
Author : Dominique Lesbros
Publisher : New York Review of Books
ISBN 13 : 1681371103
Total Pages : 241 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (813 download)
Download or read book Curiosities of Paris: An idiosyncratic guide to overlooked delights... hidden in plain sight written by Dominique Lesbros and published by New York Review of Books. This book was released on 2017-05-23 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Francophiles and Paris buffs will find something new and fascinating in this timeless guidebook, filed with sites, passageways, hotels, shops, and more What if—walking around Paris—instead of seeing only the Paris of 2017, you glimpsed Paris in Revolutionary times? Or Paris when it was home to 80,000 horses; or Paris lit by gaslight; or medieval Paris? What if—walking down a block in Paris—you recognized the signs, mosaics, pieces of hardware, and architectural details as relics of many centuries that have stories to tell of past eras? This is what Curiosities of Paris reveals. Each of the book’s 800 photos of unique locations and architectural oddities—as well as utilitarian objects whose functions have long been obscured with the passage of time—discloses a previously unnoticed city. Even those who know Paris well might never have registered the thousands of details on every street that testify to the enduring presence of the past: the solar cannon at Invalides, street signs with the word “saint” and all fleur-de-lys removed; the unique features of Parisian street lighting. You’ll never look at an elm tree the same way again. And, with Curiosities of Paris as your guide, you’ll feel very in-the-know as you walk down the Champs-Élysées past all the auto dealerships. Organized by subject—including fountains and wells; centuries-old shop signs; vestiges of wars and ancient Egypt; hotels of legend; remarkable trees; sundials and meridians; equestrian Paris; romantic ruins; unusual tombs, stairways, and passageways; religious relics; mosaics; public barometers and thermometers; and hundreds more urban elements and anachronisms—the book also includes three themed walks (along the city’s ancient walls, in the steps of Quasimodo, and through the French Revolution), as well as an index of street names. This absorbing compendium is an essential addition to the library of the armchair traveler and flâneur alike.
Author : J. C. McKeown
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780199752782
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (527 download)
Download or read book A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities written by J. C. McKeown and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2010-06-01 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here is a whimsical and captivating collection of odd facts, strange beliefs, outlandish opinions, and other highly amusing trivia of the ancient Romans. We tend to think of the Romans as a pragmatic people with a ruthlessly efficient army, an exemplary legal system, and a precise and elegant language. A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities shows that the Romans were equally capable of bizarre superstitions, logic-defying customs, and often hilariously derisive views of their fellow Romans and non-Romans. Classicist J. C. McKeown has organized the entries in this entertaining volume around major themes--The Army, Women, Religion and Superstition, Family Life, Medicine, Slaves, Spectacles--allowing for quick browsing or more deliberate consumption. Among the book's many gems are: ? Romans on urban living: The satirist Juvenal lists "fires, falling buildings, and poets reciting in August as hazards to life in Rome." ? On enhanced interrogation: "If we are obliged to take evidence from an arena-fighter or some other such person, his testimony is not to be believed unless given under torture." (Justinian) ? On dreams: Dreaming of eating books "foretells advantage to teachers, lecturers, and anyone who earns his livelihood from books, but for everyone else it means sudden death" ? On food: "When people unwittingly eat human flesh, served by unscrupulous restaurant owners and other such people, the similarity to pork is often noted." (Galen) ? On marriage: In ancient Rome a marriage could be arranged even when the parties were absent, so long as they knew of the arrangement, "or agreed to it subsequently." ? On health care: Pliny caustically described medical bills as a "down payment on death," and Martial quipped that "Diaulus used to be a doctor, now he's a mortician. He does as a mortician what he did as a doctor." For anyone seeking an inglorious glimpse at the underside of the greatest empire in history, A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities offers endless delights.
Author : Lesley Alderman
Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0062074199
Total Pages : 255 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (62 download)
Download or read book The Book of Times written by Lesley Alderman and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2013-02-12 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Clever and entertaining . . . contains everything you’d want to know about the ticking away of seconds, minutes, hours, days, years, decades and centuries.” —Time.com Our relationship to time is complex and paradoxical: Time stands still. Time also flies. Tomorrow is another day. Yet there’s no time like the present. We want to do more in less time, but wish we could slow the clock. And despite all our time-saving devices—smart phones, AI, high-speed trains—Americans feel that they have less leisure time than ever. In an era when our time feels fractured and imperiled, The Book of Times encourages readers to ponder time used and time spent. How long does it take to find a new mate, digest a hamburger, or compose a symphony? How much time do we spend daydreaming, texting, and getting ready for work? The book challenges our beliefs and urges us to consider how, and why, some things get faster, some things slow down, and some things never change (the need for seven to eight hours of sleep). Packed with compelling charts, lists, and quizzes, as well as new and intriguing research, The Book of Times is an addictive, browsable, and provocative look at the idea of time from every direction. “Alderman’s greatest achievement is the continual delivery of quirky knowledge that our collective curiosities crave.” —Forbes “Fascinated by how we spend—and waste—our most precious commodity, journalist Lesley Alderman gathered the sometimes-surprising stats for her debut, The Book of Times.” —People “A fascinating foray into familiar terrain and a revealing look at how we really spend our lives.” —Mental Floss
Author : Edward Brooke-Hitching
Publisher : Chronicle Books
ISBN 13 : 1797212052
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (972 download)
Download or read book The Madman's Library written by Edward Brooke-Hitching and published by Chronicle Books. This book was released on 2021-07-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This fascinating and bizarre collection compiles the most unusual, obscure books from the far reaches of the human imagination throughout history. From the author of the critically acclaimed bestsellers The Phantom Atlas and The Sky Atlas comes a unique and beautifully illustrated journey through the history of literature. The Madman's Library delves into its darkest territories to hunt 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 decorated fifteenth-century lawsuit filed by the Devil against Jesus, to the most enormous book ever created, The Madman's Library features many long forgotten, eccentric, and extraordinary volumes gathered from around the world. Books written in blood and books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle and books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscovered. Spell books, alchemist scrolls, wearable books, edible books, books to summon demons, books written by ghosts, and more all come together in the most curiously strange library imaginable. Featuring hundreds of remarkable images and packed with entertaining facts and stories to discover, The Madman’s Library is a captivating compendium perfect for bibliophiles, literature enthusiasts, and collectors intrigued by bizarre oddities, obscure history, and the macabre. • MUST-HAVE FOR BOOKLOVERS: Anyone who appreciates a good read will love delving into this weird world of books and adding this collection to their own bookshelf. • DISCOVER SOMETHING TRULY UNIQUE: The Madman's Library will let you in on the secret and obscure histories of the strangest books ever made. • EXPERT AUTHOR: Edward Brooke-Hitching is the son of an antiquarian book dealer, a lifelong rare book collector, and a master of taking visual deep dives into unusual historical subjects, such as the maps of imaginary geography in The Phantom Atlas or ancient pathways through the stars in The Sky Atlas.
Author : Suzanne Schwalb
Publisher : Peter Pauper Press, Inc.
ISBN 13 : 1441305122
Total Pages : 164 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (413 download)
Download or read book Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies written by Suzanne Schwalb and published by Peter Pauper Press, Inc.. This book was released on 2010 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The situation is grave. Vampires are vamping. Werewolves are shape shifting. And zombies are lurching into the garden. Is this modern-day ferment of paranormal activity, ah, normal? Learn all about it in this nifty new guide to man's best fiends: VAMPIRES, WEREWOLVES, ZOMBIES: Compendium Monstrum. Fascinating facts revealed in the book include documented ''sparkling vampires'' in 19th-century folklore, why wolfsbane is sometimes known as ''Dumbledore's Delight'', and much more. Illustrated by Bruce Waldman, cartography by David Lindroth, additional historical images throughout.
Author : Carolyn Collins Petersen
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1440563608
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (45 download)
Download or read book Astronomy 101 written by Carolyn Collins Petersen and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-06-18 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explore the curiosities of our galaxy with this comprehensive, digestible guide to astronomy! Too often, textbooks obscure the beauty and wonder of outer space with tedious discourse that even Galileo would oppose. Astronomy 101 cuts out the boring details and lengthy explanations, and instead, gives you a lesson in astronomy that keeps you engaged as you discover what's hidden beyond our starry sky. From the Big Bang and nebulae to the Milky Way and Sir Isaac Newton, this celestial primer is packed with hundreds of entertaining astronomy facts, charts, and photographs you won't be able to get anywhere else. So whether you’re looking to unravel the mystery behind black holes, or just want to learn more about your favorite planets, Astronomy 101 has all the answers—even the ones you didn’t know you were looking for.
Author : Bryan C. Keene
Publisher : Getty Publications
ISBN 13 : 160606598X
Total Pages : 300 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (6 download)
Download or read book Toward a Global Middle Ages written by Bryan C. Keene and published by Getty Publications. This book was released on 2019-09-03 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This important and overdue book examines illuminated manuscripts and other book arts of the Global Middle Ages. Illuminated manuscripts and illustrated or decorated books—like today’s museums—preserve a rich array of information about how premodern peoples conceived of and perceived the world, its many cultures, and everyone’s place in it. Often a Eurocentric field of study, manuscripts are prisms through which we can glimpse the interconnected global history of humanity. Toward a Global Middle Ages is the first publication to examine decorated books produced across the globe during the period traditionally known as medieval. Through essays and case studies, the volume’s multidisciplinary contributors expand the historiography, chronology, and geography of manuscript studies to embrace a diversity of objects, individuals, narratives, and materials from Africa, Asia, Australasia, and the Americas—an approach that both engages with and contributes to the emerging field of scholarly inquiry known as the Global Middle Ages. Featuring more than 160 color illustrations, this wide-ranging and provocative collection is intended for all who are interested in engaging in a dialogue about how books and other textual objects contributed to world-making strategies from about 400 to 1600.
Author : Smithsonian Institution
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781524872151
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (721 download)
Download or read book Cabinet of Curiosities written by Smithsonian Institution and published by . This book was released on 2022-10-04 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Celebrate the beautiful and the unique with a sticker compendium of more than 1,000 stunning selections from the collections of the Smithsonian Institution. In collaboration with the Smithsonian comes a book of over 1,000 stickers of varying sizes showcasing incredible photographs and illustrations from the millions of captivating collections from the Smithsonian, the world's largest museum and research complex. From Victorian anatomy illustrations to rare animals; seashells to insects; scientific oddities to jewelry; spacecraft and airplanes to letters and numbers, this book is brimming with a curated selection of stickers perfect for mindfulness and creative relaxation.
Author : Edward Brooke-Hitching
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1471166929
Total Pages : 373 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (711 download)
Download or read book The Madman's Library written by Edward Brooke-Hitching and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-10-01 with total page 373 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: * BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK * 'Anybody who loves the printed word will be bowled over by this amusing, erudite, beautiful book about books. It is in every way a triumph. One of the loveliest books to have been published for many, many years' Alexander McCall Smith 'Quite simply the best gift for any book lover this year, or perhaps ever' Lucy Atkins, Sunday Times Literary Book of the Year 'An utterly joyous journey into the deepest eccentricities of the human mind… The most cheering, fascinating book I’ve read for ages' Guardian From the author of the critically acclaimed and globally successful The Phantom Atlas, The Golden Atlas and The Sky Atlas comes a stunning new work. The Madman’s Library is a unique, beautifully illustrated journey through the entire history of literature, delving into its darkest territories to hunt down the very strangest books ever written, and uncover the fascinating stories behind their creation. This is a madman’s library of eccentric and extraordinary volumes from around the world, many of which have been completely forgotten. Books written in blood and books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle, books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscovered… and a few others that are just plain weird. From the 605-page Qur'an written in the blood of Saddam Hussein, through the gorgeously decorated 15th-century lawsuit filed by the Devil against Jesus, to the lost art of binding books with human skin, every strand of strangeness imaginable (and many inconceivable) has been unearthed and bound together for a unique and richly illustrated collection ideal for every book-lover.
Author : Wellcome Library
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781846680335
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (83 download)
Download or read book Cures & Curiosities written by Wellcome Library and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lavishly illustrated and punctuated by personal comments from authors who have used the Library, this is an invaluable record of the wonders of a memorable collection, and a testament to the rich complexity of medicine through the centuries.
Author : Jonn Elledge
Publisher : Hachette UK
ISBN 13 : 1472276485
Total Pages : 188 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (722 download)
Download or read book The Compendium of (Not Quite) Everything written by Jonn Elledge and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2021-09-16 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Compendium of (Not Quite) Everything is a treasure trove of random knowledge. Covering everything from the furthest known galaxies to the murky origins of oyster ice cream, inside you will find a discussion of how one might determine the most average-sized country in the world; details of humanity's most ridiculous wars; and, at last, the answer to who would win in a fight between Harry Potter and Spider-Man. Bizarre, brilliant and filled with the unexpected, The Compendium covers the breadth and depth of human experience, weaving its way through words and numbers, science and the arts, the spiritual and the secular. It's a feast of facts for a hungry mind. Includes entries on the cosmos, the human planet, questions of measurement, history/politics, the natural world, leisure and many 'oddities' that don't fit elsewhere...
