Some trends are clear and visible; others are less so. But it is the invisible trends that have a greater impact on our lives and society. An example of this is the current global recession, which few people saw coming. If you really want to understand the present and the future, you need to look at the long-term invisible changes taking place behind the scenes - not the plethora of trendy gadgets and fashion statements surrounding us on a daily basis. In this book, leading trendspotter and futurist Magnus Lindkvist goes beyond the latest handbag colours and digital gadgets, and instead takes us on a breathtaking tour of the real trends that are happening and evolving. These are the trends that will make a lasting impact on the world and our daily lives. They will provoke you into thinking about the present and future in a completely differently way.

The origin of life, particularly human life, is one of today’s most intensely debated subjects. Ironically, that debate has only two socially acceptable sides: Darwinism and Creationism. Darwinists support the detailed observations and speculations of a brilliant naturalist, while Creationists support the various interpreters of the Bible’s scriptural teachings. Despite the passion and intellect exhibited by both sides as they defend their positions, millions of people remain unconvinced by the arguments of either. For those individuals, it is time to present a viable, comprehensive, third option, Rationalism, which is the formation of ideas and opinions based on evidence and reasoning rather than on secular authority or divine revelation. Everything You Know Is Wrong stakes out a solid, defendable, entirely new position in the debate about life origins and human origins. That position is bolstered by an astonishing array of scientific facts either unmentioned or conspicuously ignored by the two currently entrenched camps. By utilizing such a fact-based format, this book’s presentation of Rationalism offers a far more convincing explanation for the origins of life, and particularly of human life, than Darwinism or Creationism ever have….or ever will.

In the new mega-anthology from best-selling editor Russ Kick, more than fifty writers, reporters, and researchers invade the inner sanctum for an unrestrained look at the wild and wooly world of organized belief. Richard Dawkins shows us the strange, scary properties of religion; Neil Gaiman turns a biblical atrocity story into a comic (that almost sent a publisher to prison); Erik Davis looks at what happens when religion and California collide; Mike Dash eyes stigmatics; Douglas Rushkoff exposes the trouble with Judaism; Paul Krassner reveals his “Confessions of an Atheist”; and best-selling lexicographer Jonathon Green interprets the language of religious prejudice. Among the dozens of other articles and essays, you’ll find: a sweeping look at classical composers and Great American Songbook writers who were unbelievers, such as Irving Berlin, creator of “God Bless America”; the definitive explanation of why America is not a Christian nation; the bizarre, Catholic-fundamentalist books by Mel Gibson’s father; eye-popping photos of bizarre religious objects and ceremonies, including snake-handlers and pot-smoking children; the thinly veiled anti-Semitism in the Left Behind novels; an extract from the rare, suppressed book The Sex Life of Brigham Young; and rarely seen anti-religious writings from Mark Twain and H.G. Wells. Further topics include exorcisms, religious curses, Wicca, the Church of John Coltrane, crimes by clergy, death without God, Christian sex manuals, the “ex-gay” movement, failed prophecies, bizarre theology, religious bowling, atheist rock and roll, “how to be a good Christian,” an entertaining look at the best (and worst) books on religion, and much more.

Indulge your curiosity with this humorous and fascinating book that demystifies the surprising myths about space. In the latest book from the Everything You Know is Wrong series, Matt Brown brings you a compendium of amazing facts about our planet, the universe, and everything in between! Thanks to popular sci-fi films and TV shows, there have been many misconceptions about the cosmos – from travelling through worm-holes to blowing up asteroids. In Everything You Know About Space is Wrong, you'll find a plethora of myths, legends and misquotes that have shaped the way you view the universe today. Think that the vacuum of space would make your blood boil and your head explode? It won't, and there have been people who have survived without wearing a suit in space. Think that astronauts float in space because there is zero-gravity? They're actually constantly falling towards the Earth. Think that the colour of space is black? It's actually predominantly green. Chock-full of facts about the cosmos, how it works (and how it doesn't!), this illuminating book will guide you through the mine of misinformation to answer such questions as whether we will meet aliens in our lifetime (SETI predicts we'll find evidence of ET by 2040!), what happens in the centre of the black hole, and why Mercury is not the hottest planet in the solar system. Discovering untruths about popular science, Everthing You Know About Space is Wrong provides a hugely entertaining insight into our universe.

Do you know all there is to know about dinosaurs? They're mean, green and not very smart, right? Well, this book is here to show you that you're WRONG! But don't worry, even the experts can't be right all the time. So, let's uncover the truth. From fossilised feathers to long-necked lookalikes, this book is packed with so many amazing dinosaur discoveries, you'll soon become a palaeontology pro. Including jaw-dropping research that will debunk many myths about all kinds of prehistoric creatures, you'll never look at a pigeon the same way again.

Britain's most famous mathematician takes us to the edge of knowledge to show us what we cannot know. Is the universe infinite? Do we know what happened before the Big Bang? Where is human consciousness located in the brain? And are there more undiscovered particles out there, beyond the Higgs boson? In the modern world, science is king: weekly headlines proclaim the latest scientific breakthroughs and numerous mathematical problems, once indecipherable, have now been solved. But are there limits to what we can discover about our physical universe? In this very personal journey to the edges of knowledge, Marcus du Sautoy investigates how leading experts in fields from quantum physics and cosmology, to sensory perception and neuroscience, have articulated the current lie of the land. In doing so, he travels to the very boundaries of understanding, questioning contradictory stories and consulting cutting edge data. Is it possible that we will one day know everything? Or are there fields of research that will always lie beyond the bounds of human comprehension? And if so, how do we cope with living in a universe where there are things that will forever transcend our understanding? In What We Cannot Know, Marcus du Sautoy leads us on a thought-provoking expedition to the furthest reaches of modern science. Prepare to be taken to the edge of knowledge to find out if there's anything we truly cannot know.

To err is human. Yet most of us go through life assuming (and sometimes insisting) that we are right about nearly everything, from the origins of the universe to how to load the dishwasher. In Being Wrong, journalist Kathryn Schulz explores why we find it so gratifying to be right and so maddening to be mistaken. Drawing on thinkers as varied as Augustine, Darwin, Freud, Gertrude Stein, Alan Greenspan, and Groucho Marx, she shows that error is both a given and a gift—one that can transform our worldviews, our relationships, and ourselves.