‘Get the inside scoop on all things Spice!’ OK! Magazine 'A compelling new book' Daily Express From the moment they burst into our lives, the Spice Girls have inspired millions around the world.

The first book to explore their history, legacy, and influence This is a book about the Kids in the Hall „ the legendary Canadian sketch comedy troupe formed in Toronto in 1984 and best known for the innovative, hilarious, zeitgeist-capturing sketch show The Kids in the Hall „ told by the people who were there, namely the Kids themselves. John SemleyÍs thoroughly researched book is rich with interviews with Dave Foley, Mark McKinney, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, and Scott Thompson, as well as Lorne Michaels and comedians speaking to the KidsÍ legacy: Janeane Garofalo, Tim Heidecker, Nathan Fielder, and others. It also turns a criticÍs eye on that legacy, making a strong case for the massive influence the Kids have exerted, both on alternative comedy and on pop culture more broadly. The Kids in the Hall were like a band: a group of weirdoes brought together, united by a common sensibility. And, much like a band, theyÍre always better when theyÍre together. This is a book about friendship, collaboration, and comedy „ and about clashing egos, lost opportunities, and one-upmanship. This is a book about the head-crushing, cross-dressing, inimitable Kids in the Hall.

Want to dance? Want to sing? DK is proud to present You've Got Talent, a spectacular guide to show business and how to become the next big thing. Tapping into the current craze for musical theater, this all-singing, all-dancing eBook is designed for the Glee generation. You've Got Talent helps kids find their own talents, rather than just watch others on TV. You've Got Talent features everything you need to know about the world of entertainment, past and present. Readers can relive the greatest and most memorable performances, from the earliest shows to the most expensive disasters! They'll get a sneak peek behind the scenes, to look at the stage, equipment, and meet the people who make everything happen, from top-billing stars to scriptwriters and set designers.

The Spice Girls phenomenon was a genuine pop music landmark. No group since The Beatles had commanded as much media attention. Ginger, Baby, Posh, Sporty and Scary became international stars and, whether they were adored or ridiculed, they became the ultimate expression of global media fame in the Nineties.

Musicians who find fame on reality TV are supposed to provide a bit of entertainment and then fade away - not have three UK Top 10 albums and more than a dozen UK Top 10 singles. Maybe someone forget to tell Girls Aloud the rules.November 2002 saw the birth of the most successful reality TV-formed pop band in UK chart history - but little did the triumphant daughters of Popstars: The Rivals know what was in store. Cheryl Tweedy, Nicola Roberts, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh and Sarah Harding, in their new guise as Girls Aloud, stormed to the coveted Christmas number one slot with 'Sound Of The Underground', consigning their rivals, One True Voice, to eternal oblivion.Stomping a stiletto-heeled shoe in the face of the pop landscape, Girls Aloud instantly changed what manufactured pop acts were about - with the talents of Brian Higgins' Xenomania behind their full frontal assault on the charts, Girls Aloud were unstoppable...and four-and-a-half-years, still were. The feisty fivesome proved right from the beginning that their unique and unabashed brand of punky girl-power pop would set the charts alight, and the Top 540 would never be the same again.But it hasn't always been straightforward for the girls. It was a hard slog to win over some sneering music critics, and when Cheryl was charged with assault after attacking a toilet attendant in a nightclub, some feared it would spell the end of the group's success. In true Girls Aloud style, however, the lovely ladies bounced back stronger than ever, hailed as the saviours of pop with a salvo of killer tunes and a bucketload of attitude.With the release of their greatest hits album in the autumn of 2006, rumours suggested the band were going to split up, but if anything they're better than ever. Now you can read the full story.

A book that proves idiocy is as old as time Think civilization has deteriorated and that people these days are dumber than ever? Dumb History proves that we didn’t invent stupidity in the 21st century. You’ll find facts from throughout the ages about everyone from Cleopatra and Napoleon to Elvis Presley and even NASA scientists. Consider this: • In 820 C.E., Emperor Hsien Tsung’s herbalist presented him with an anti-aging elixir—it killed him • In 1849, Brooklyn inventor Walter Hunt invented and patented the safety pin and then sold all the rights to his invention for $400. By the time he died penniless, the United States was producing an estimated five billion safety pins annually • In 1967, voters in the town of Picoaza, Ecuador, elected a brand of foot powder as their new mayor It’s a wonder we’ve survived as long as we have.

'Beautifully written, brilliantly insightful' Owen Jones Tony Blair and Noel Gallagher shaking hands at No. 10. Saatchi's YBAs setting the international art world aflame. Geri Halliwell in a Union Jack dress. A time of vibrancy and optimism: when the country was united by the hope of a better and brighter future. So why, twenty years on, did that future never happen? Richard Power Sayeed takes a provocative look at this epochal year, arguing that the dark undercurrents of that time had a much more enduring legacy than the marketing gimmick of 'Cool Britannia'. He reveals how the handling of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry ushered in a new type of racism. How the feminism-lite of 'Girl Power' made sexism stronger. And how the promises of New Labour left the country more fractured than ever. This lively, rich and evocative book explores why 1997 was a turning point for British culture and society - away from a fairer, brighter future and on the path to our current malaise.