You can fool some of the people all of the time—but wouldn’t you rather really know what you’re talking about? Why are conservatives on the “right” and liberals on the “left”? What is an archetype? Most people drop these and other cultural references in conversation all the time without really knowing much about them. But with this witty, information-packed book, you can quickly bone up on the actual facts behind the multitude of data, events, and words that come at you each day—and that you’ve been casually bandying about without really understanding. Here are invaluable explanations of a wide range of topics that are assumed to be common knowledge, from deciphering newsspeak (What is a spin doctor?) to psychobabble (What’s the difference between the ego and the id?) to cyberlingo (What is cyberlingo?); from the supposedly obvious (What makes cholesterol good or bad?) to the deceptively simple (What is a formula race car?). Perfect as a quick reference tool, for browsing, or simply for sharing impressive, newfound knowledge with family and friends, this handbook will endow you with genuine cultural literacy in just a few hours of fun-filled reading.

A culinary compendium for all those who want to season their vocabulary along with their cuisine, the latest volume in this lively and informative series offers a pantry-full of savory facts, including common cooking phrases and terminology, often misused food terms, and fascinating food lore.

The #1 New York Times bestselling (mostly true) memoir from the hilarious author of Furiously Happy. “Gaspingly funny and wonderfully inappropriate.”—O, The Oprah Magazine When Jenny Lawson was little, all she ever wanted was to fit in. That dream was cut short by her fantastically unbalanced father and a morbidly eccentric childhood. It did, however, open up an opportunity for Lawson to find the humor in the strange shame-spiral that is her life, and we are all the better for it. In the irreverent Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Lawson’s long-suffering husband and sweet daughter help her uncover the surprising discovery that the most terribly human moments—the ones we want to pretend never happened—are the very same moments that make us the people we are today. For every intellectual misfit who thought they were the only ones to think the things that Lawson dares to say out loud, this is a poignant and hysterical look at the dark, disturbing, yet wonderful moments of our lives. Readers Guide Inside

"Quick, Answer me Before I Forget the Question tackles the most nagging and embarrassing questions about midlife in a Q & A format packed with essential information and spiked with amusing sidebars. The words awaken, reinvent, and quest will not be found in these pages. Instead, you'll find out: the truth about liposuction and cellulite, the timeline for "normal" memory loss, the reason your feet are getting bigger, decent alternatives to the words grandma and grandpa, and much more. A unique and lighthearted take on a daunting subject, this is the perfect guide to that undiscovered country: middle age"--Page 4 of cover.

Working up the courage to take a big, important leap is hard, but Jabari is almost absolutely ready to make a giant splash. Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He’s finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and he’s a great jumper, so he’s not scared at all. “Looks easy,” says Jabari, watching the other kids take their turns. But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back. He needs to figure out what kind of special jump to do anyway, and he should probably do some stretches before climbing up onto the diving board. In a sweetly appealing tale of overcoming your fears, newcomer Gaia Cornwall captures a moment between a patient and encouraging father and a determined little boy you can’t help but root for.

A true crime author turns to a reclusive tech whiz to help stop a copycat serial killer in this romantic thriller by the New York Times bestselling author. A serial killer is targeting prostitutes and runaways—the sort of women no one would notice were missing if not for the photographs of their lifeless bodies, posed in the back of a semi-trailer. It’s all disturbingly similar to the infamous Trucker murders. But this isn’t just a copycat. It’s a vendetta. Carmen Jacobs interviewed the world’s most terrifying serial killers for her bestselling book, The Heart of a Predator. The police might not believe her, but she knows there’s a monster out there, paying homage to other murderers. The only person who can predict where he’ll strike next is reclusive software millionaire Griffin Archer—a man with ample reason not to help Carmen. Carmen has charmed her way past Griffin’s defenses before. He didn’t intend to let it happen again. But with a psycho sending her gruesome trophies, Griffin has no choice but to get involved. The clues point to a killer who knows Carmen’s work, her past, and her secrets—someone determined to make all her deepest fears come true . . . “Ivy deftly charts a course between gruesome suspense and sudden romance.”—Publishers Weekly