(Amadeus). Think opera's just about starving artists, vengeful goddesses, randy noblemen, and adulterous lovers? Think again. In So When Does the Fat Lady Sing? , Michael Walsh, the former music critic for Time magazine, takes audiences on a wise and witty dash through 400 years of operatic history and culture. More a freewheeling dialogue between author and reader than a traditional quiz book, So When Does the Fat Lady Sing? poses irreverent and impertinent questions designed not so much to test knowledge as to inspire and entertain both expert and novice alike. Curtain up!

Here's the newest twist on the familiar tale of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly.There was a cold lady who swallowed some snow.I don't know why she swallowed some snow.Perhaps you know.This time, the old lady is swallowing everything from snow to a pipe, some coal, a hat, and more! With rollicking, rhyming text and funny illustrations, this lively version will appeal to young readers with every turn of the page. And this time, there's a surprise at the end no reader will be able to guess!

From the legendary producer and author of The Kid Stays in the Picture—one of the greatest Hollywood memoirs ever written—comes a long-awaited second work with all the elements of a star-studded blockbuster: glamour and conflict, giddy highs and near-fatal lows, struggle and perseverance, tragedy and triumph.

The story of singer Phyllis Hyman is brought to light in the powerful new biography Strength Of A Woman: The Phyllis Hyman Story by Jason A. Michael. Hyman's 20-year career, which included the release of eight albums as well as a Tony nomination and Theater World Award for her Broadway turn in Sophisticated Ladies, was brought to a tragic end by her suicide June 30, 1995, just hours before she was due to take the stage at the legendary Apollo Theatre. In the spotlight, Hyman's breathtaking voice and stunning beauty shone brightly. But off stage, after the applause and the laughter produced by her bawdy humor had faded, Hyman spent her days and nights engaged in an exhausting battle against bipolar disorder. Complicating its crippling effects was Hyman's addiction to drugs and alcohol, which she tried repeatedly to kick, and the demands and constraints of being a female African-American entrepreneur in an industry controlled by white men. But though she ultimately chose to extricate herself from the pain, she did so not before leaving a legacy of beautiful music that will last and live on forever as a true testament to the 'strength of a woman.'

David W. Barber has delighted readers all around the world with the quirky definitions of Accidentals on Purpose: A Musician's Dictionary, the irreverent history of Bach, Beethoven and the Boys, a hilariously offbeat history of dance and ballet in Tutus, Tights and Tiptoes and a host of other internationally bestselling books of musical humor. With When the Fat Lady Sings, the popular author and musical humorist turns his attention to what Dr. Johnson called that "exotick and irrational entertainment," the world of opera. Here are stories of love and lust, jealousy, intrigue, murder and tragic death - and that's just the stuff happening off stage, in the composers' personal lives. Wait till you read about the opera plots. Informal yet informative, witty yet wise, this book will both enlighten and entertain you. As always, Dave Donald has provided witty and clever cartoons that perfectly complement the text. This completely revised and expanded edition includes new material and an index, to make it easier for readers to find all their favorite references. "This is a very humorous book, but at the same time it tells it like it is, or was. David's not really fabricating anything, he just manages to give you the gist of the history while leaving out all the boring bits." - Maureen Forrester

An "alternate history novel that explores the question of what might have come of Belgium's ... colonization of the Congo if the native populations had learned about steam technology a bit earlier"--Amazon.com.

The groundbreaking discovery that shows why women need fat to lose fat. Why do women struggle so much with weight? Can women ever lose weight and keep it off? In this research-driven and counterintuitive book, an anthropologist and a public health doctor team up to answer those questions. Blending anecdotal evidence with hard science, they explain how women's weight is controlled by evolution-but more important- they reveal how a change in diet three decades ago may be the reason women today are bigger than their grandmothers were. Explaining why fat (both in our diet and in our body) is crucial to long-term health, the authors show not only why women tend (and need) to get heavier after having their first child, but also destroy cultural myths like "all fat is bad for you." Providing a plan that can help any woman achieve a natural, healthy weight- without dieting- Why Women Need Fat not only gives women the tools they need to shed weight, but also a better understanding of why those last five pounds seem impossible to lose.