INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “One of the most important books I’ve ever read—an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world.” – Bill Gates “Hans Rosling tells the story of ‘the secret silent miracle of human progress’ as only he can. But Factfulness does much more than that. It also explains why progress is so often secret and silent and teaches readers how to see it clearly.” —Melinda Gates "Factfulness by Hans Rosling, an outstanding international public health expert, is a hopeful book about the potential for human progress when we work off facts rather than our inherent biases." - Former U.S. President Barack Obama Factfulness: The stress-reducing habit of only carrying opinions for which you have strong supporting facts. When asked simple questions about global trends—what percentage of the world’s population live in poverty; why the world’s population is increasing; how many girls finish school—we systematically get the answers wrong. So wrong that a chimpanzee choosing answers at random will consistently outguess teachers, journalists, Nobel laureates, and investment bankers. In Factfulness, Professor of International Health and global TED phenomenon Hans Rosling, together with his two long-time collaborators, Anna and Ola, offers a radical new explanation of why this happens. They reveal the ten instincts that distort our perspective—from our tendency to divide the world into two camps (usually some version of us and them) to the way we consume media (where fear rules) to how we perceive progress (believing that most things are getting worse). Our problem is that we don’t know what we don’t know, and even our guesses are informed by unconscious and predictable biases. It turns out that the world, for all its imperfections, is in a much better state than we might think. That doesn’t mean there aren’t real concerns. But when we worry about everything all the time instead of embracing a worldview based on facts, we can lose our ability to focus on the things that threaten us most. Inspiring and revelatory, filled with lively anecdotes and moving stories, Factfulness is an urgent and essential book that will change the way you see the world and empower you to respond to the crises and opportunities of the future. --- “This book is my last battle in my life-long mission to fight devastating ignorance...Previously I armed myself with huge data sets, eye-opening software, an energetic learning style and a Swedish bayonet for sword-swallowing. It wasn’t enough. But I hope this book will be.” Hans Rosling, February 2017.

This fun book is a perfect stocking stuffer, the perfect book to take to Paris to use for a scavenger hunt, and perfect for the armchair traveler who loves trivia. There are more than 400 multiple-choice questions, by arrondissement, ranging from obscure lore to facts about well-known buildings, streets, and statues with fascinating and often humorous histories. Here’s a sample: What color are all the illuminated signs on the Champs-ƒlys?es? A) Blue B) Green C) White C: They are required to be white. Advertisers and merchants must conform to the decision of uniformity taken in the interest of aesthetics. Even McDonald’s had to swap its yellow M for a white one, making it the only exception in the world. Only pharmacies are allowed to break the rule. In 1836 the ƒglise Saint-Cosme was demolished to make room on the boulevard Saint-Michel. The construction unearthed remains from an old cemetery adjoining the church. What was peculiar about it? A) It was an animal cemetery B) It was a cemetery for clergy C) It was a cemetery for hunchbacks C: The church and its cemetery were located between the rue Racine and the rue des ƒcoles, on the current site of the Gibert bookstore. Using the shape of the remains (most of the exhumed spinal columns were curved and presented malformations), it was deduced that it was a cemetery for hunchbacks.

A comprehensive category killer, with over 6,000 varied questions on every topic imaginable - as well as some you might not imagine. The 400 quizzes are a mixture of general knowledge and specialist rounds all aimed at the popular pub or society quiz market on science and technology; nature and the universe; human geography; history; life as we know it; arts and culture; sports and games; popular culture; celebrities and trivia. The questions are up-to-date, interesting and, unlike much of the competition, accurate.

With over 5,500 years to choose from, and a whole world of events, you can be sure there is no shortage of intriguing history to explore. With questions ranging from multiple choice, truth or fiction, map and picture and quotation questions, you will find there is always something new to learn about the world.

A book that lists French language words and gives their equivalent in English, and English language words with their equivalent in French.