The Book of General Ignorance
by John Mitchinson
from Harmony
Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.
Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more,
The Book of General Ignorance is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.
Revealing the truth behind all the things we think we know but don’t, this book leaves you dumbfounded about all the misinformation you’ve managed to collect during your life, and sets you up to win big should you ever be a contestant on Jeopardy! or Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
Besides righting the record on common (but wrong) myths like Captain Cook discovering Australia or Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, The Book of General Ignorance also gives us the skinny on silly slipups to trot out at dinner parties (Cinderella wore fur, not glass, slippers and chicken tikka masala was invented in Scotland, not India).
Thomas Edison said that we know less than one millionth of one percent about anything: this book makes us wonder if we know even that much.
You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know! Check out THE BOOK OF GENERAL IGNORANCE for more fun entries and complete answers to the following:
How long can a chicken live without its head?
About two years.
What do chameleons do?
They don’t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states.
Who invented champagne?
Not the French.
How many legs does a centipede have?
Not a hundred.
How many toes has a two-toed sloth?
It’s either six or eight.
How many penises does a European earwig have?
a)Fourteen
b)None at all
c)Two (one for special occasions)
d)Mind your own business
Which animals are the best-endowed of all?
Barnacles. These unassuming modest beasts have the longest penis relative to their size of any creature. They can be seven times longer than their body.
What is a rhino’s horn made from?
A rhinoceros horn is not, as some people think, made out of hair.
Who was the first American president?
Peyton Randolph.
What were George Washington’s false teeth made from?
Mostly hippopotamus.
What was James Bond’s favorite drink?
Not the vodka martini.
The Praxis Series Official Guide (Official Guide to the Praxis)
by Educational Testing Service
from McGraw-Hill
The only official guide to The Praxis Series™ of teacher-licensing exams-straight from the test-makers
If you're looking for the best, most trustworthy guide to the exams in The Praxis Series, you've found it. This official Praxis guide comes straight from ETS--the people who actually make the tests. It will show you exactly what to expect -- whether you're taking the PPST to begin your teaching career, the PLT to demonstrate your professional expertise, or a Praxis II Subject Test to prove your knowledge of a specific K-12 teaching topic. Only ETS can give you real Praxis questions for practice, show you exactly what you'll see on screen on the computerized exams, and tell you the test-maker's own strategies for success. That's why this guide is your indispensable source for everything you need to know about The Praxis Series.
No other Praxis guide gives you:
- 6 full-length real PPST exams
- Hundreds of authentic PLT and Praxis II questions-so you can study with the real thing
- Sample PPST essays with actual raters' comments
- The latest state-by-state teacher certification testing requirements
- Comprehensive outline of PLT study topics
- Complete coverage of Praxis II Elementary Education tests
Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used
by Peter Block
from Pfeiffer
The second edition of Peter Block's Flawless Consulting gracefully updates what many consider the best resource of its kind. New chapters on implementation, "whole-system" strategies, and ethics are included, but in general it simply fine-tunes Block's proven advice to match the transformations that business and society have undergone since initial publication two decades ago. "The days of long studies and expert-driven answers are passing," the author proclaims in his new preface. "The task of the consultant is increasingly to build the capacity of clients to make their own assessments and answer their own questions." He then subtly modifies his established recommendations accordingly for every step, from the initial client meeting and problem diagnosis through data collection and the execution of solutions. In the section on "Conducting a Group Feedback Meeting," for example, he advises: "Treat the group as a collection of individuals.... Ask each person what he or she wants from the meeting. This will surface differences and force the group to take responsibility for some of the difficulties that may arise." --Howard Rothman
The second edition of the "consultant's bible" is here!
For over fifteen years, consultants--both internal and external--have relied on Peter Block's landmark bestseller, Flawless Consulting, to learn how to deal effectively with clients, peers, and others. Using illustrative examples, case studies, and exercises, the author, one of the most important and well known in his field, offers his legendary warmth and insight throughout this much-awaited second edition. Anyone who must communicate in a professional context--and who doesn't?--will use the lessons taught in this book for years to come!
"Who would have thought the 'consultant's bible' could be improved upon? Count on Peter Block--the consulting profession's very own revolutionary--to push us to confront and struggle with the paradoxes inherent in our work."
--Candace Thompson, organization development consultant, First Chicago NBD--A Bank One Company
"Block has distilled years of experience into a wise, down-to-earth, and eminently practical guide to excellence in consulting. If you are new to the practice, Flawless Consulting will chop years off your learning cycle. And even if you're an old pro, Block's insights will elevate you to new levels of effectiveness. Flawless Consulting is not simply about becoming a better consultant; it is about using consulting as a path toward becoming a better person."
--Barry Oshry, president, Power & Systems, Inc.; author of Seeing Systems and Leading Systems
Never Shower in a Thunderstorm: Surprising Facts and Misleading Myths About Our Health and the World We Live In
by Anahad O'Connor
from Times Books
A compendium of answers to the curious and nagging questions of how to keep healthy, Never Shower in a Thunderstorm will provide guidance and amusement to anyone who has ever wondered if the mosquitoes really are attacking her more than everyone else. (Yes, they are.)
First Aid Q&A for the USMLE Step 1 (First Aid)
from McGraw-Hill Medical
INSIDER ADVICE FOR STUDENTS FROM STUDENTS
From the same author as First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 -- the ultimate Q&A prep for the USMLE Step 1!
This the only comprehensive review for the USMLE Step 1 directly linked to key facts drawn from First Aid for the USMLE Step 1
FEATURES:
- 1,000 high-yield board-style questions and answers
- Easy-to-follow explanations for correct and incorrect answers-with letter options in boldface for review at a glance
- 7 comprehensive practice tests, each with 50 questions
- 350+ images clarify answers and reinforce important high-yield facts
- Written by the author of First Aid Cases for the USMLE Step 1
- Use with First Aid for the USMLE Step 1and First Aid Cases for the USMLE Step 1
- for an unbeatable board review package!
How to Organize (Just About) Everything: More Than 500 Step-by-Step Instructions for Everything from Organizing Your Closets to Planning a Wedding to Creating a Flawless Filing System
by Peter Walsh
from Free Press
Professional organizer Peter Walsh presents this witty and enormously practical guide to getting it -- and keeping it -- all together. With more than 500 easy-to-follow how-to instructions, How to Organize (Just About) Everything is packed with shrewd advice and insider tips to make your home, your workplace -- indeed, every imaginable aspect of your life -- run more smoothly. Step-by-step solutions help even the most organizationally challenged take on:
Kids
Schedules
Storage
Photos
Lists
Politics
Education
Remodels
Meals
Weddings
Finances
Holidays
Parties
Vacations
Emergencies
NCLEX-RN® Questions & Answers Made Incredibly Easy! (Incredibly Easy! Series)
from Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Lippincott's Q&A Review for NCLEX-RN® (Lippincott's Review for Nclex-Rn)
by Diane M Billings
from Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
33 Questions About American History You're Not Supposed to Ask
by Thomas E. Woods Jr.
from Three Rivers Press
News flash: The Indians didn’t save the Pilgrims from starvation by teaching them to grow corn. The “Wild West” was more peaceful and a lot safer than most modern cities. And the biggest scandal of the Clinton years didn’t involve an intern in a blue dress.
Surprised? Don’t be. In America, where history is riddled with misrepresentations, misunderstandings, and flat-out lies about the people and events that have shaped the nation, there’s the history you know and then there’s the truth. In 33 Questions About American History You’re Not Supposed to Ask, New York Times bestselling author Thomas E. Woods Jr. reveals the tough questions about our nation’s history that have long been buried because they’re too politically incorrect to discuss, including:
Are liberals really so antiwar?
Was the Civil War all about slavery?
Did the Framers really look to the American Indians as the model for the U.S. political system?
Did Bill Clinton actually stop a genocide in Kosovo, as we’re told?
The answer to all those questions is no. Woods’s eye-opening exploration reveals just how much of the historical record has been whitewashed,overlooked, and skewed beyond recognition. 33 Questions About American History You’re Not Supposed to Ask will have you wondering just how much of your nation’s past you haven’t been told.
Q & As for the PMBOK Guide
from Project Management Institute
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