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Showing 101 - 120 of 16893 items
By Steve Roud. 2003
Are black cats lucky or unlucky? What should you do when you hear the first cuckoo? Since when have people…
believed that it's unlucky to shoot an albatross? Why does breaking a mirror lead to misfortune? This fascinating collection answers these and many other questions about the world of superstitions and forms an endlessly browsable guide to a subject that continues to obsess and intrigue.By Paul Griffiths. 2004
This superbly authoratitive new work provides a comprehensive A-Z guide to some 1000 years of Western music. It explores in…
detail the lives and achievements of a vast range of composers, as well as looking at such key topics as music history (from medieval plainchant to contemporary minimalism), performers, theory and jargon. Throught Griffiths skilfully blends lightly worn scholarship with personal insight, whether examining the emotional colouring that different musical keys achieve or charting the rise and development of the symphony.By Penguin Penguin Classics. 1991
'From books, all I seek is to give myself pleasure by an honourable pastime' Michel de Montaigne In 1946, E.…
V. Rieu's groundbreaking translation of The Odyssey established a cultural legacy that would bring the world's most compelling and influential literature to millions of readers around the globe. For over sixty-five years, Penguin Classics have been making works that were once the sole preserve of academics accessible to everyone; this catalogue offers a complete list of all titles in print across the list - more than 1,200 books, from Aristotle and Austen, to Zola and Zamyatin. It also features Michel de Montaigne's enchanting essay 'On Books'.'The Penguin Classics, though I designed them to give pleasure even more than instruction, have been hailed as the greatest educative force of the twentieth century. And far be it for me to quarrel with that encomium, for there is no one whom they have educated more than myself' E. V. RieuBy Penguin Classics. 2015
In 1946, E. V. Rieu's groundbreaking translation of The Odyssey established a cultural legacy that would bring the world's most…
compelling and influential literature to millions of readers around the globe. For over sixty-five years, Penguin Classics have been making works that were once the sole preserve of academics accessible to everyone; this catalogue offers a complete list of all titles in print across the list - more than 1,200 books, from Aristotle and Austen, to Zola and Zamyatin.'The Penguin Classics, though I designed them to give pleasure even more than instruction, have been hailed as the greatest educative force of the twentieth century. And far be it for me to quarrel with that encomium, for there is no one whom they have educated more than myself' E. V. RieuBy Henry Eliot. 2018
**Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year**The Penguin Classics Book is a reader's companion to the largest library of classic…
literature in the world.Spanning 4,000 years from the legends of Ancient Mesopotamia to the poetry of the First World War, with Greek tragedies, Icelandic sagas, Japanese epics and much more in between, it encompasses 500 authors and 1,200 books, bringing these to life with lively descriptions, literary connections and beautiful cover designs.By Philip Gray. 2008
The Penguin Careers Guide is the indispensable and practical source for anyone seeking careers information. Now fully revised and updated…
for its fourteenth edition, it contains in-depth discussions of hundreds of possible careers, with invaluable advice on education, training and employment issues. Whether you’re just starting out after college or returning to work, looking for a full or part-time position, wondering how to set up your own business or finance your studies, this is the essential guide to point you in the right direction.By James Walton. 2001
THE PERFECT QUIZ BOOK FOR BOOKWORMS!Which Haruki Murakami novel shares its title with a Beatles song? In Roald Dahl's Charlie…
and the Chocolate Factory, what is Charlie's surname? What is heavy-drinking Rachel Watson known as in the title of a 21st-century bestseller? And what do you get if you add the number of Bennet sisters in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice to the number of Karamazov brothers in Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov?With four hundred questions covering books from literary classics to modern bestsellers, through iconic children's books and books you say that you've read but really you haven't, The Penguin Book Quiz is as appropriate for a making you look well-read at a party as it is for a book-loving family to tuck into after Christmas dinner: it's as enjoyable to read as it is to play.Featuring the work of everyone from Antony Beevor to Zadie Smith, books from The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Ulysses, and with movie, music, television and literary references abound, this entertaining quiz tickles the fancy (and the brains) of light and heavy readers alike.Answers:- Norwegian Wood- Bucket- The Girl on the Train- Eight (five sisters, three brothers)By Duncan Alexander. 2017
In football, numbers are everywhere. From touches in the opposition box to expected goals, clear-cut chances to win-loss ratios. In…
the modern game, these numbers help provide the narrative, the drama, and the conversation. They are scrutinised in order to justify results and to predict future outcomes. They even dictate transfer policy and drive clubs to achieve the impossible.But when did the numbers become so important and what do they mean?In Outside the Box, Duncan Alexander looks back at twenty-five years of the Premier League and beyond, uncovering the hidden truths and accepted myths that surround the game. Using the archives of OptaJoe and never-before-seen data, we discover why Liverpool have gone 27 years without winning a league title and why Lionel Messi is the best player in the game’s history. Or is he? Insightful, wry, and hugely entertaining, Outside the Box is an enlightening and accessible account of football across the decades, analysing data from the some of the greatest seasons, players, teams and managers.By Matt Sewell. 2013
In this beautiful follow-up to 2012's hit, Our Garden Birds, street artist Matt Sewell offers more watercolours and quirky descriptions…
of British songbirds.In Matt's world, the peewit sings the blues, and the bittern fills his neck 'like a tweed pair of bellows'. Distinctive and enchanting, with a songbird for each week of the year, this delightful gift book will appeal to birders, children and adults, and art and design fans alike.By National Quiz Team. 2014
The championship winning England team presents for the very first time, 3,000 questions in a quiz book for all the…
family.Fresh from winning the European Championships, the England quiz team have put their heads together and compiled 200 quizzes to challenge every member of the family. From questions for kids, to History, TV and Sport, and of course general knowledge, there’s a quiz to suit everyone. And for those quiz fanatics among you, there are even a few fiendishly difficult ones that our very own champions struggled to answer. So pit yourself against the best, or just join in for a bit of fun; and whether you’re playing in groups or simply testing your own skill, one thing is for sure – a quiz book put together by the best team in Europe is guaranteed to be the only quiz book you’ll ever need.By Oscar Wilde. 2016
'It would be unfair to expect other people to be as remarkable as oneself'Wilde's celebrated witticisms on the dangers of…
sincerity, duplicitous biographers, the stupidity of the English - and his own genius. One of 46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Each book gives readers a taste of the Classics' huge range and diversity, with works from around the world and across the centuries - including fables, decadence, heartbreak, tall tales, satire, ghosts, battles and elephants.By Robert Andrews. 2003
The New Penguin Dictionary of Modern Quotations contains over 8,000 quotations from 1914 to the present. As much a companion…
to the modern age as it is an entertaining and useful reference tool, it takes the reader on a tour of the wit and wisdom of the great and the good, from Margot Asquith to Monica Lewinsky, from George V to Boutros Boutros-Galli and Jonathan Aitken to Frank Zappa.By Joan Morgan. 1993
This extraordinary book contains in one unique volume, the most wide-ranging history of apples ever written and a detailed survey…
of over 2,000 of the world's apple varieties. Beautifully illustrated with 32 exquisite colour paintings, the last edition of this book received many accolades and was quickly recognised as a classic. Complete with a fully revised directory covering all the varieties of apple to be found in the world's largest apple collection, The New Book of Apples includes full historical, geographical and botanical details as well as tasting notes on each type of apple. Exploring the role of apples in cooking, cider making, gardening, myth and medicine, this is an indispensable reference guide.By Maggie Semple, Jane Oremosu. 2023
Through their work with organisations and companies across the world, Maggie Semple and Jane Oremosu found that there was a…
need to help people as they discussed difference, race and inclusion. My Little Black Book: A Blacktionary aims to do just that.This A-Z pocket guide is for people who are entering the workplace and finding their identity, for leaders and managers who feel overwhelmed by ever-evolving definitions and phrases, for anyone who is afraid of saying the wrong thing and being judged. From explaining what microagressions are and their impact, to helping you understand what cultural appreciation is and how it's different to cultural appropriation, this book will break down barriers to engaging in conversations on race.Drawing together the best definitions as well as useful advice and tips, My Little Black Book: A Blacktionary is an essential tool to broaden your knowledge and live and work better with others.By Jeremy Hardy. 2010
When Jeremy Hardy decided to explore his ancestry it was, in part, to get to the bottom of his grandmother…
Rebecca's dubious claims that the family descended from a certain 17th-century architect and that, more recently, Jeremy's great-grandfather was a Royal bodyguard. Other legends ranged from the great aunt who ran illegal hooch during Prohibition to the wronged Victorian servant girl who bore an illegitimate Hardy, not forgetting the family's rightful claim to a large country estate. Wild stories aside, Jeremy sets out to such diverse locations as the Croydon one-way system and the hostile waters around Malta in order to find traces of recognisable family traits and a sense of how he came to be. With wry humour and a keen eye for the absurd and the frustrating, Jeremy takes us on a by turns funny and moving journey into the world of family ancestry. My Family and Other Strangers will be enjoyed by anyone who has tried to decipher the 1901 census records, or simply wishes they too had asked their grandparents more about their lives.By Audrey Howard. 1985
Liverpool, 1921. It was the year lively Kate Fowler rebelled against working in her hated father's chip shop and, with…
her gentle sister Jenny, left his brutal house forever. For this was the Jazz Age - and Kate and Jenny revelled in their freedom and in dancing until dawn, until romance changed the tempo of their lives. For Kate, it was Charlie, a man as strong and warm-hearted as herself. For Jenny, it was Nils, the Norwegian navigator, who shared a brief, bittersweet affair with her before tragically disappearing from her life. And while Kate and Charlie together face the bad times that are coming, Jenny looks set to repeat the tragic pattern of her mother's life.By Charles Tyrwhitt. 2021
The ultimate guide to style and social success for the modern gentleman.Ever wondered how to decode the infamous smart casual…
dress code? How many shirts a man really needs? How to master the art of small talk? Or even which cocktail recipes every man simply must have in his repertoire of bar skills? The Modern Gentleman's Handbook will have all the answers the modern man requires to put his best foot forward for all occasions, from the office, to weddings and sporting events and even long weekends away.This essential collection of do's and don'ts, from the fundamentals to the obscure and eccentric, will ready any man to conquer all of life's daily challenges and opportunities with finesse and good spirit.Effortlessly elevate your style and reputation with this vital handbook.By Richard Horne. 2013
Tired of the dull daily commute to the office, the tedious traipse to and from the school gates? Fed up…
with the seemingly endless shades of grey that decorate the canvas of modern life? Then the time has come to open your eyes!For in the midst of those soulless sceneries and vacant vistas there lies a wealth of fascinating detail. Look up! Look carefully all around! Where once there was monotony, now there is intrigue in abundance; sights and sounds sure to delight and amuse, amaze and entertain, to brighten each and every day - for once you spot, you can’t stop.The Modern Day Spotter’s Guide brings together the fun and frustrating, the maddening and the mundane, the good, the bad and the ugly to offer you a list of unlikely things to spot on your daily trudge through life. So be sure to keep your eyes peeled: for whether it be a cat with a moustache, a hopelessly lost tourist, a pigeon with one foot, an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction or the face of Jesus in your soup, the world is waiting to be spotted. See things a little differently. And, remember, life is in the details – don’t let them pass you by.By Owen Hatherley. 2021
The definitive illustrated guide to modern British architecture, from one of the most acclaimed critics at work todayModernism is now…
a century old, and its consequences are all around us, built into our everyday lived environments. Its place in Britain's history is fiercely contested, and its role in our future is the subject of ongoing controversy - but modernist buildings have undoubtedly changed our cities, politics and identity forever.In Modern Buildings in Britain, Owen Hatherley applauds the ambition and explores the significance of this most divisive of architectures, travelling from Aberystwyth to Aberdeen, from St Ives to Shetland, in search of our most important and distinctive modern buildings. Drawing on hundreds of examples, we learn how the concrete of Brutalism embodies post-war civic principles, how corporate values were expressed in the glass façades of the International Style, and why Ecomodernist experimentation is often consigned to the geographic fringes. As Hatherley considers the social, political and cultural value of these structures - a number of which are threatened by demolition - two linked questions emerge: what happens to a building after it has been lived in, and what becomes of an idea when its time has passed?With more than six hundred pages of trenchantly opinionated, often witty analysis, and with three hundred photographs in duotone and colour, Modern Buildings in Britain is a landmark contribution to the history of British architecture.It's the most hilarious time of the year...Packed full of festive pop-culture quizzes, Christmas trivia to fascinate and holly jolly…
games to play - as well as colouring and dot-to-dot pages to distract, and cracking cracker jokes to make you chuckle (and groan).The perfect Christmas companion for work Christmas parties, entertaining friends and family, entertaining kids (including kids), when you're too full to move, there's nothing on the TV, it's too wet for a walk and the pub isn't open yet.A book everyone will love, actually...