ABOUT THE BOOK When the second season of How I Met Your Mother premiered in September 2006, fans were waiting to find out what came next after a big cliffhanger at the end of the series' successful first season. The series was building momentum after introducing the world to a unique sitcom approach: Ted Mosby (voiced by Bob Saget) in the year 2030 narrates the series as he tells his kids about the events that led up to him meeting their mother; each event takes the form of an episode. A few critics have compared the show favorably to Friends and The Wonder Years, describing it as a modern take on a sitcom based on flashbacks and a group of friends living in New York. MEET THE AUTHOR Dan P. Taylor is a writer, editor and journalist with more than eight years of professional experience. He is currently managing editor of a weekly publication in the Washington, D.C.-area that covers the world of the Pentagon and Capitol Hill, and he also writes articles for various magazines. Dan has a passion for writing on a variety of topics and puts a high level of research into every piece he writes. You can learn more about him -- as well as view sample work -- at his website: www.danptaylor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter via his handle: @DanPTaylor1. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Marshall and Lily's relationship and wedding: This is perhaps the fulcrum of the entire season, as it begins with Marshall heartbroken over Lily's departure to San Francisco and ends with their wedding. Much of the season revolves around this relationship, starting with some of the early episodes as Barney and Ted try to get his mind off Lily so that he can move on with his life. The drama continues when Lily returns, but Marshall isn't ready to just jump right back into the relationship. As a result, there's a back-and-forth that develops that is somewhat similar to the relationship between Ted and Robin. Eventually, however, the two settle down with each other. The remainder of the season revolves around the planning of their wedding. The relationship between Ted and Robin: Ted and Robin once again restart their relationship after things ended in Season 1. The two actually remain committed to each other until the very end of the second season, when they decide to go their own separate ways. Although they continue to have feelings for each other, it doesn't appear to be the right time in their lives for them to be together. Future Ted even goes as far as to say explicitly that Robin is not "The One." CHAPTER OUTLINE Quicklet on How I Met Your Mother Season 2 + About How I Met Your Mother Season 2 + About Producer and Director Pamela Fryman + Synopsis of How I Met Your Mother Season 2 + Episodes 1-4: Marshall Moves On, Ted Hearts Robin + ...and much more How I Met Your Mother Season 2

How I Met Your Mother has a misleading title. Sure, the premise focuses on a father telling his kids how he first met their mother, but it's really just about life - Ted finding his future mate is just a small part of that story. Season 3 of the hit CBS comedy series continues to revolve around Ted Mosby, struggling architect, and his four best friends. This time, however, the dynamic is a bit different than in the previous seasons. Marshall and Lily are married, and as of last season's finale, Ted and Robin are broken-up. Barney continues to be his hilarious womanizing self, but no one expects or desires that to change any time soon.

ABOUT THE BOOK Robin: “It was weird. Weird. Weird. Weird. Weird. W-I-E-R-D. Weird.” How I Met Your Mother has a misleading title. Sure, the premise focuses on a father telling his kids how he first met their mother, but it’s really just about life — Ted finding his future mate is just a small part of that story. Season 4 of the hit CBS comedy series continues to revolve around Ted and his four best friends Marshall, Lily, Robin, and Barney. While Ted struggles with the heartache of yet another failed relationship, Marshall and Lily work to make their marriage a continued success. Meanwhile, Barney attempts to balance his womanizing ways with his growing feelings for Robin. What makes How I Met Your Mother so successful is its ability to relate to its viewers, not just on the big lofty issues like love and loss, but on the silly, stupid, ridiculous experiences that color our lives. From Seinfeld to Friends, it seems like there will always be a home on our television screens for a bunch of friends experiencing life just like the rest of us. What sitcoms like these lack in big budgets, action sequences, and life-or-death heroics, they make up for in heart and relatability. Our friends at Maclaren’s Pub are growing up a bit more this season, but they’re still the characters we know and love from Season 1. We expect them to face challenges and experience life lessons because if they did not, the illusion that these are real people living real lives would become more difficult to accept. Fans of How I Met Your Mother wait in anticipation to find out who will be Ted’s future wife, what marriage will hold for Marshall and Lily, and how Barney will one-up his last hilarious stunt, but they mainly tune in each week to just catch-up with their friends. A show that delivers both laughs and moments of authentic poignancy from its likeable cast of characters? Really, what more can you ask for? EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK This episode marks the halfway point for Season 4, and yet Robin is still ignorant of Barney’s feelings for her. To be fair, Barney’s motivations have been split between winning Robin and scoring with any girl who walks into the bar, so perhaps Robin cannot be blamed for her ignorance. Episode 13: Three Days of Snow Ted and Barney are put in charge of MacLaren’s for a night, and they use the opportunity to accidentally invite the entire Arizona Tech Marching Band to party with them. The gang has been going to MacLaren’s for years, and Ted and Barney have always wanted to close the bar. Their dream finally comes true, but I doubt either of them ever expected a boisterous group of marching band members to feature that prominently in the experience. Lily and Marshall believe they have grown out of some of their earlier romantic traditions, but Marshall begins to fear that letting their traditions die will lead to their relationship dying. It is honestly refreshing to see such a honest portrayal of a long-term relationship on television. A lot of other shows out there that target the young adult demographic spend most of their time celebrating a lifestyle that allows for multiple romantic partner per season... Buy the book to continue reading! Follow @hyperink on Twitter! Visit us at www.facebook.com/hyperink! Go to www.hyperink.com to join our newsletter and get awesome freebies! CHAPTER OUTLINE Quicklet on How I Met Your Mother + About How I Met Your Mother + About Carter Bays and Craig Thomas + Overall Summary + Episode-by-Episode Commentary and Summary + ...and much more How I Met Your Mother Season 4 (TV Show)

The Royal Society was founded in 1660 from a basis of more informal meetings of physicians, natural philosophers, and other interested parties (there was no such thing as a "scientist" yet). It was influenced by Francis Bacon's thinking about science and knowledge and inspired by the many discoveries that were happening at the time. In a sense, the development of the Royal Society was a mirror of the development of science itself. 2010 was the 350th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Society, and Seeing Further: The Story of Science, Discovery, and the Genius of the Royal Society was published to commemorate that fact. Rather than simply write a history of the institution, Bryson elected to edit a volume of essays displaying some of the variety of interests so evident in the Royal Society itself. He selected twenty one writers, and not just scientists, either. Though there are quite a few eminent scholars listed as authors, there are also novelists and journalists. What they all share, though, besides the ability to turn a phrase, is an enthusiasm for science and an appreciation for the achievements of the Society.

ABOUT THE BOOK House M.D. has become one of the most successful medical dramas of all time; this is no small feat, considering the medical drama genre has been around since the inception of the TV series. Medical dramas tend to have several of the same elements, which can be packaged and arranged in different ways but remain fundamentally the same. Medical dramas have sick patients, of course, so people in peril is part of the formula. They have technology, or, more specifically, they have medical technology. The shows are full of disease names, other jargon, and high-tech machines that make viewers think what is on the screen is new and vibrant. And they have ratiocination, that is, they have that quality of the detective story that keeps everyone interested, the application of reason and investigative methodology to solve a difficult problem. MEET THE AUTHOR Jeff Davis is a life long educator with a Ph.D. in English Studies who has taught at both the high school and university levels. He is also an artist and an amateur anthropologist who is a proponent of First Art, that art which our ancient ancestors practiced some 30,000 years ago and even earlier. His most recent book, The First-Generation Student Experience, expanded the college student-affairs field describing the challenges of contemporary nontraditional students. Related to his interest in evolutionary biology, he is currently working on a writing pedagogy book that argues that motivation is the most important dimension of the creative process, even more important than skill and native ability. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK House M.D. has been running for eight seasons, since 2004, and each season has its own special flavor in terms of character and plot development. One of the main themes of Season Two is Houses attitude toward medical ethics. House obviously thinks about the ethics of his actions, but his actions often reflect questionable conclusions. Strangely, some people regard House as ethical to a fault. These people think House gets into trouble because he represents a true, pure ethical character while everyone around him takes the easy way out. This behavior can make him seem brave to some people, but what if he is just a cold, antisocial individual who doesnt care about other peoples feelings? For example, it might be full disclosure to tell a terminal patient who will die in two days that his wife has been cheating on him, but this does inflict unnecessary emotional injury to the patient as well. So what is ethical? Anyway, Season Two shows House acting brashly in many touchy, ethical situations; although he sometimes appears to get pleasure out of delivering bad news to people, he also seems to want to do the right thing most of the time. CHAPTER OUTLINE Quicklet on House Season 2 (TV Show) + Introduction + Producer and Directors + Overall Summary: Season Two + Episode Summaries: Season Two + ...and much more House Season 2 (TV Show)

From viral Instagram sensation, lifestyle photographer, and mommy blogger Laura Izumikawa comes Naptime with Joey, a ridiculously delightful photo book of her now internet-famous daughter dressed up in various pop culture costumes—a perfect gift for new parents everywhere. Lights, Camera…Nap! Joey Marie wears many hats (or, rather, wigs): she’s dressed up as Inigo Montoya, Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Pikachu, Anna Wintour, Moana, and Barb from Stranger Things. She’s taken trips to Hawaii, baked croissants, and blasted off to the moon as an astronaut (at least, in her dreams). She’s held occupations such as pizza chef, aerobics instructor, and handy-dandy-fixer-upper (figuratively, of course). She’s inspired a parenting blog, been the face of her mom Laura Izumikawa’s Instagram account—and for the first time, she’s taken the leap from the ranks of internet-baby-snoredom to the pages of a book. Naptime with Joey is chockablock full of over a hundred deliciously adorable photos of Joey dressed up as various pop culture characters, movie stars, musicians, vacationers, and holiday-goers, making this the most fun, festive, and downright delightful gift under the sun!

Shreddies in my hair. I looked at Eddie. Eddie's looking at me. Big grin on his face. I knew he had done it. Last week he put pepper in the raisins. The yucky things your borther does, the annoying things your parents say, the funny things you feel. Michael Rosen knows all about YOU! Look inside and see if he's spotted your deepest, darkest secrets. A much-loved classic of family life from the brilliant Michael Rosen & Quentin Blake.