A fascinating and fun look at the Lone Star State’s history, culture, and people Texas is the country's second-largest state by size and population. It has a unique and varied history, having been ruled by a succession of nations—from which the term “six flags over Texas” sprang—before becoming an independent republic. From its traditional oil, cattle, and cotton industries to the modern energy, electronics, computer, aerospace, and biomedical industries, Texas has become an economic powerhouse. It’s known for its low taxes, diverse population, thriving universities, and art scenes. Exploring the state’s fascinating history, people, myths, culture, and trivia, The Handy Texas Answer Book takes an in-depth look at this fascinating and diverse state with the bigger-than-life personality. Learn about the original Indigenous peoples, the Spanish, French, and Mexican colonizations, the independence from Mexico, the ties to the Confederacy and United States, devastating hurricanes, football culture, fast-growing cities and urban sprawl, food, attitude, and much, much more. Tour landmarks from the Alamo and cattle ranches to the Rio Grande and the state capital. Learn about famous sons and daughters, including Lyndon Johnson, Sam Houston, Howard Hughes, Janis Joplin, and Renée Zellweger. Sports (both college and professional) are illuminated. The government, parks, and cultural institutions are all packed into this comprehensive guide to the state of Texas. Find answers to more than 850 questions, including: • What is the origin of “Howdy?” • Where in Texas can you find all three kinds of dinosaur tracks in one place? • Where can gold be found in Texas? • How did we come to have “Dr. Pepper”? • Is it true that Texas’s annexation to the United States was never really legal? • How did Texas women get to vote a year before women in the rest of the United States? • What Texan became the most-decorated soldier in World War II? • Is it true that the only Texas governor to die in office expired in the arms of his mistress? • How did Texas transform from solidly Democratic to solidly Republican? • How did the discovery of Texas oil change the face of American business? • How did rodeos originate? • What was the University of Texas mascot before there was Bevo the Longhorn? • What was the slightly dishonest secret of UT’s early success in baseball? • What is so special about the television show Austin City Limits? • What are the “Marfa Lights”? • How many Texas convicts have been freed after proving their innocence with DNA? • What is the Cuero Turkey Trot? Illustrating the unique character of the state through a combination of facts, stats, and history, as well as the unusual and quirky, The Handy Texas Answer Book answers intriguing questions about people, places, events, government, and places of interest. This informative book also includes a helpful bibliography and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness.

An informative, easy-to-use guide to accounting fundamentals and concepts Everyone needs to budget money and manage costs, whether for groceries and everyday purchases, rent or mortgage, education, retirement, or even a business. Like it or not, accounting infuses most everything in life. From credits, debits, and basic bookkeeping to getting the most out of tax deductions and from reading or creating a business’ financial statement to better understanding accounting lingo, The Handy Accounting Answer Book can help anyone acquire the skills to start or run a business, plan for retirement, set money aside for a big purchase, establish everyday budgets, and improve their money management. Find out about the concepts and assumptions behind the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Understand tax returns and maximize write-off. Manage retirement account statements and find ways to improve their results. Learn how to create a business plan. Learn about a business’ financial ratios, cost of goods, depreciation, tax planning, recognizing revenue and expenses, financial audits, year-end closing the books, and other terms and rules. Maximize profits and improve personal or business bottom lines. Covering accounting fundamentals, concepts, and jargon, The Handy Accounting Answer Book is for everyone who wants to understand the language of money and business. It uses basic terms and simple examples to illustrate complex accounting topics and can help you make better decisions about your business or personal finances. This handy primer answers nearly 800 questions and offers fun facts covering the basics of accounting, including ... What is the earliest known form of accounting? What are the elements of financial statements? When is revenue recognized? What is accrual basis accounting? How does an accountant determine which asset account titles to use? What is goodwill? How many different types of financial statements are there? What is the basic accounting equation? How is operating income different from net income? How do you know if a company is doing well? What is the quick ratio? How is earnings per share evaluated? What is a journal entry? What is a purchase order? What is the fraud triangle? How is depreciation expense calculated and recorded? What is a franchise? What are the employer payroll taxes? What is indirect labor? How is a budget prepared? What is a revenue variance? What is contribution margin? What is the time value of money? What is one of the first things that must be done when starting a small business? What are some of the key components of a business plan? Can a business be successful if it doesn’t make a profit? What is a CPA? What happened at Enron? For anyone planning for a business, retirement, college, or life in general, this informative book also includes a glossary of commonly used terms to cut through the jargon, a helpful bibliography, appendices providing examples of accountancy practices, and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness. It will help anyone’s financial intelligence!

Informative, easy-to-use guide to everyday science questions, concepts and fundamentals celebrates its twenty-fifth year and over one million copies sold! Science is everywhere, and it affects everything! DNA and CRISPR. Artificial sweeteners. Sea level changes caused by melting glaciers. Gravitational waves. Bees in a colony. The human body. Microplastics. The largest active volcano. Designer dog breeds. Molecules. The length of the Grand Canyon. Viruses and retroviruses. The weight of a cloud. Forces, motion, energy, and inertia. It can often seem complex and complicated, but it need not be so difficult to understand. The thoroughly updated and completely revised fifth edition of The Handy Science Answer Book makes science and its impact on the world fun and easy to understand. Clear, concise, and straightforward, this informative primer covers hundreds of intriguing topics, from the basics of math, physics, and chemistry to the discoveries being made about the human body, stars, outer space, rivers, mountains, and our entire planet. It covers plants, animals, computers, planes, trains, and cars. This friendly resource answers more than 1,600 of the most frequently asked, most interesting, and most unusual science questions, including ... When was a symbol for the concept of zero first used? How large is a google? Why do golf balls have dimples? What is a chemical bond? What is a light-year? What was the grand finale of the Cassini mission? How many exoplanets have been discovered? Where is the deepest cave in the United States? How long is the Grand Canyon? What is the difference between weather and climate? What causes a red tide? What is cell cloning and how is it used in scientific research? How did humans evolve? Do pine trees keep their needles forever? What is the most abundant group of organisms? How do insects survive the winter in cold climates? Which animals drink seawater? Why do geese fly in formation? What is FrogWatch? Why do cats’ eyes shine in the dark? Which industries release the most toxic chemicals? What causes most wildfires in the United States? Which woman received the Nobel Prize in two different fields (two different years)? What is the difference between science and technology? For anyone wanting to know how the universe, Earth, plants, animals, and human beings work and fit into our world, this informative book also includes a helpful bibliography, and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness. It will help anyone’s science questions!

Get the most out of reading with this an engaging and fun guide to the deeper meanings in great works of literature! From the epic of Gilgamesh to Aristotle and Cicero, and from Shakespeare and the King James Bible to Wuthering Heights, War and Peace, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the Nobel-winning lyrics of Bob Dylan, the world of literature is an integral part of our lives. Great literature can shape and form thoughts and opinions as well as influence politics and predict the future. Reading can truly enrich our lives, but it can sometimes be daunting to get the most out of a great work of literature. The Handy Literature Answer Book: Understand and Enjoy Meanings, Symbolism, and Signs in Great Works is an engaging, easy-to-read look at literature basics such as themes, symbols, context, and other literary devices. Different literary forms, including novels, poems, plays, short stories, memoirs, and literary nonfiction are analyzed. Hundreds of important stories and great works are used as illustrative examples. Learn about the five basic questions for any work of literature, including “What is the significance of a title?” “What is conflict?” “What is character development?” “What is point of view?” “How does a setting affect a story?” “What are the different schools of literary criticism?” and many more. Bringing the most out of the reading experience, The Handy Literature Answer Book deciphers and analyzes stories, novels, and verses through insightful in-depth answers to nearly 400 common questions. You will also read about such fascinating tidbits as ... What are the key components of literature? How is reading literature different from other kinds of reading? Why is artful reading so hard? What do poems do? How should a poem be read for its comparisons—metaphors and similes? What, according to Poe, should be the method of the short story writer? How do you recognize the difference between story and plot in a short story? How can you recognize a symbol? What are the defining characteristics of the novel? How did the novel evolve from a popular literary entertainment to the modern novel? What is the difference between drama and theater? What is the best way to understand and appreciate Shakespearean drama? What approaches should you take in reading an essay? What are characteristics of a memoir? This handy primer from two highly regarded experts also includes a glossary of essential literary terms, a timeline, a helpful bibliography, and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness. Making reading more enriching, rewarding, and enjoyable, The Handy Literature Answer Book is a wonderful, eye-opening read!

Engaging answers to common questions on the history, beliefs, practices and what it means to be a Christian. What does it mean to be a Christian? What is the core of the faith? What does it mean to follow the gospel? What is the significance of the rites, rituals, and symbols of Christianity, such as baptism and the crucifix? Who was Jesus Christ and what was His life like? How did Christianity start, spread, and grow? What are the differences—and similarities—between Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism? How did Christianity influence art, architecture, music, and movies? The Handy Christianity Answer Book provides detailed descriptions of the teachings of Jesus, Christian beliefs about Jesus, ceremonies, symbols, rituals, observations, customs, leaders, and organization of the world’s largest religion. It clearly and eloquently explains how different Christians think and delves into the richness of the Christian tradition. This engaging, user-friendly primer looks at the significance of the Bible, Jesus, the Apostles, the Trinity, the Eucharist, historical schisms, divisions among different denominations, worship, sacraments, prayer, and much more. This important reference answers nearly 900 questions and offers fun facts that cover Christian history, religious practices, and cultural perspectives, including ... Who is a Christian? Why are there so many different kinds of Christians? Do the Dead Sea Scrolls tell us anything about Jesus? What language did Jesus speak? What are the last words spoken by Jesus? What is the style of the teachings of Jesus? What did Jesus say about loving one’s enemies? Did Jesus have brothers? Who was John the Baptist? What are the basic beliefs of Mainline Christians? What is the Nicene Creed? What does Jesus have to do with the way our years are numbered? What is the Christian belief in an immortal soul? Is Heaven up and Hell down? Are there other kinds of angels besides angels and archangels? What is the devil? What were the Crusades? What was the Black Death? Who was Joan of Arc? Why is Martin Luther so important? What was Henry VIII of England’s role in changing Christianity? What is the Salvation Army? Who was Pere Jacques Marquette? What are the Gothic cathedrals? Why was the artist Michelangelo important to Christians? Why do most churches have organs? What is the earliest major film about Jesus? What are the Catholic Sacraments? What is the Jesus Seminar? What is the largest statue of Jesus? What is the story behind Our Lady of Guadalupe? This information-rich book also provides a historic timeline, a glossary of commonly used terms, and a bibliography help further exploration of the world’s largest religion. A perfect companion for anyone seeking a better understanding of Christianity.

An informative, accessible, easy-to-use guide to physics, covering the fundamental concepts and amazing discoveries that govern our universe! We don’t need a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to know that everyone is governed by the laws of physics, but what are they? How do they affect us? Why do they matter? What did Newton mean when he said, "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction?" What is gravity? What is Bernoulli’s Principle? Einstein’s Theory of Relativity? How do space, time, matter, and energy all interact? How do scientific laws, theories, and hypotheses differ? Physics can often seem difficult or complex, but it's actually beautiful and fun—and it doesn't need to be hard to understand. Revised for the first time in a decade, the completely updated third edition of The Handy Physics Answer Book makes physics and its impact on us, the world, and the universe entertaining and easy to grasp. It disposes with the dense jargon and overly-complicated explanations often associated with physics, and instead it takes an accessible, conceptual approach—never dumbing down the amazing science, yet all written in everyday English. The Handy Physics Answer Book tackles big issues and concepts, like motion, magnetism, sound, and light, and lots of smaller topics too—like, why don’t birds or squirrels on power lines get electrocuted?—and makes them enlightening and enjoyable for anyone who picks up this informative book. For everyone who has ever wondered about the sources of energy production in the United States, or how different kinds of light bulbs shine, or why wearing dark-colored clothes is warmer than light-colored ones, or even what happens when you fall into a black hole, The Handy Physics Answer Book examines more than 1,000 of the most frequently asked, most interesting, and most unusual questions about physics, including ... How can I be moving even while I’m sitting still? If the Sun suddenly disappeared, what would happen to the Sun’s gravity? What is the energy efficiency of the human body? Why do golf balls have dimples? How can ice help keep plants warm? What kinds of beaches are best for surfing? What do 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G wireless networks mean? Why shouldn’t metal objects be placed in microwave ovens? Why does my voice sound different on a recording? Can a light beam be frozen in time? Why are soap bubbles sometimes so colorful? Why does a charged balloon stick to a wall? Is Earth a giant magnet? What are gamma rays? What happens when antimatter strikes matter? What is quantum teleportation? Are artificial intelligence systems able to think on their own? What happens when two black holes collide? How will the universe end? Useful and informative, The Handy Physics Answer Book also includes a glossary of commonly used terms to cut through the jargon, a helpful bibliography, and an extensive index. Ideal for students, curious readers of all ages, and anyone reckoning with the essential questions about the universe. This handy resource is an informative primer for applications in everyday life as well as the most significant scientific theories and discoveries of our time. And, we promise, no whiteboard needed.

The story of the United States military is the story of the country itself. Both have grown and changed over time. Learn about the unique histories, traditions, weapons, leaders, stats, and fun facts of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Space Force, and their roles within the military in this fun and fascinating guide! From the few hundred soldiers in its ranks when it was first established, to the over one million service members today, the U.S. military has grown in power and size over its 250-year history. Its organization and branches have changed to adapt to new technologies and national needs. The Handy Armed Forces Answer Book: Your Guide to the Whats and Whys of the U.S. Military looks at each branch of the U.S. military. It answers more than 500 of the most intriguing questions, including … How is the U.S. military organized? How do the branches work together? When did the Army Air Corps become the U.S. Army Air Force? What is the selection process like for Special Forces? Who was the Continental Army’s first Commander in Chief? How does the military rank structure function? How does somebody become an Air Force officer? What was the “Brown Water Navy”? What is the motto of the Coast Guard? How many bases does the military have? What is the Marine Corps Hymn? Did any Coast Guard vessels serve in combat? What type of aircraft is Air Force One? Who said “Retreat? Hell! We just got here!” Who were the Buffalo Soldiers? What are the Blue Angels? What is the most challenging USAF plane to fly? What is the origin of the Coast Guard “racing stripe”? Does the Space Force have any operational bases? How did a mutiny help establish the United States Naval Academy? What is the longest-serving personal weapon used by the American soldier? What is the difference between a UAV and a drone? What attack submarines does the Navy deploy? Who defends the United States against cyberattacks and other digital threats? The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and Space Force are uniquely American, each in their own way. Learn what makes each branch special in The Handy Armed Forces Answer Book! With more than 140 photos and graphics, this fascinating to me is richly illustrated. Its helpful bibliography and extensive index add to its usefulness.