A collection of facts about unusual people, animals, plants, events, and places.

Throughout the centuries, different cultures have established a variety of procedures for handling and disposing of corpses. Often the methods are directly associated with the deceased's position in life, such as a pharaoh's mummification in Egypt or the cremation of a Buddhist. Treatment by the living of the dead over time and across cultures is the focus of this study. Burial arrangements and preparations are detailed, including embalming, the funeral service, storage and transport of the body, and forms of burial. Autopsies and the investigative process of causes of deliberate death are fully covered. Preservation techniques such as cryonic suspension and mummification are discussed, as well as a look at the "recycling" of the corpse through organ donation, donation to medicine, animal scavengers, cannibalism, and, of course, natural decay and decomposition. Mistreatments of a corpse are also covered.

Acclaimed novelist Benjamin Cheever--author of The Plagiarist, Famous After Death, and The Good Nanny--brings his buoyant literary style to this impassioned memoir about the sport that changed his life. From Pheidippides, who ran the first marathon in 490 BC--bringing news to Athens of the Greek victory on the plains of Marathon--to our own soldiers in Iraq today, running is an integral part of human culture and legend. In Strides, heralded author Benjamin Cheever explores the role of running in human history while interspersing this account with revelations of his own decades-long devotion to the sport. Cheever has traveled the world writing features for Runner's World magazine, and he draws from this rich experience on every page. His adventures have taken him to Kenya in search of the secrets of the world's fastest long-distance runners and to a 10-K race with American soldiers in Baghdad. Cheever celebrates the quotidian personal satisfaction of a morning run and the more exotic pleasures of the Medoc Marathon in Bordeaux, where fine wines are served at water stations and the first prize is the winner's weight in grand crus. He shares vivid moments from the New York Marathon and waxes rhapsodic about the granddaddy of American distance events--the Boston Marathon. But what truly distinguishes Strides as a memorable read is the unique lens through which this sparkling writer explores our deep bond to running, an experience he likens to that of being able to fly.

Ripley's Believe it or Not for guy's who think they know everything! One for the grown-ups, this quirky new Ripley’s book is filled with bizarre and hilarious "Believe It or Not!" stories, trivia and lists— perfect for any fan of the unusual, and the ideal Father’s Day gift. Some of the utterly stupefying stories within include: • Joseph Puyol, professional farter and highest paid entertainer in 19th-century France • the craziest true CIA plots • a divorce settlement that included a kidney • the college student jailed for insulting a horse • Iceland’s penis museum • the gambler who broke Monte Carlo • a man who removed his own appendix The perfect gift for the man in your life. This title will engage its audience with stories, facts and charts that men can relate to. This title takes the unbelievable and strange facts that Ripley's is known for and expands upon these stories to make a fun and entertaining book for men. Did you know that military hot-air balloons and submarines were used in the American Civil War? Did you know that the Japanese Earthquake shortened a day? What about before Madoff? What was the first ponzi scheme? How about the craziest true plots of the CIA? This title will engage an adult male audience with all the unique and fun stories that Ripley's is famous for.