This comprehensive and thoroughly engaging reference examines the origins and meanings of thousands of first and last names, presented alphabetically. It also lists the 40 most popular male and female given names in the United States since 1930; the 1,000 most commonly found family names in the U.S. organized according to popularity; and the top 100 family names in each of the 50 states. An indispensable encyclopedia for anyone interested in looking up his or her name or finding one for a baby.

Tap into the age-old, secret power of runes to create a better and more enriching life. Generally associated with the ancient Northern Europeans, runes are magical symbols that convey the story of creation, life, destruction, and rebirth, and how these forces constantly affect our many levels of being. Runes connect with your body, mind, and spirit, as well as the environment, and are ideal for use in psychological integration, spiritual growth, healing, and magic. Learn the history of runes and the meanings and associations of each symbol. Then discover a wide variety of ways runes can help you find answers to personal questions, increase self-awareness, relieve stress, gain a sense of personal empowerment, and clear out blockages in your life. As you work with these mystical tools you’ll find within them the power to transform yourself.

Broken up into categories such as Animals, Astrology, Dreams, and Flowers, this fascinating dictionary will alert you to thousands of beliefs, omens, and proverbs that you may never have known. Many other subjects range from Clothing to Food to Marriage numbers.

For your amusement, for your edification and inspiration, for livening up that speech you have to give: proverbs have an irresistible power. These little pockets of wisdom say volumes about a culture--so take a tour around the world in words. You'll encounter the lively and colorful sayings from all around the world: Africa and its diaspora (Haiti, Jamaica, and African-American); Central and South America; Mexico; Native American; China, Japan; Italy; Ireland; Scotland; Israel; and the Arab nations.

"Whether you invite friends over for a couple of rounds of Ace-duce-jack or organize a family night with the kids to play Slapjack, you're in for a good time with this huge collection of cards games. A cross-referenced index makes it easy to find a game by name, number of players, or type (general, gambling, solitaire, children's), while easy-to-understand rules and strategies make getting started a breeze. Here's one encyclopedia that's packed with great entertainment!"--Back cover

This extraordinary reference covers witches, shamen, voodoo priests and priestesses, and oracles; provides the low-down on pentagrams, exorcisms, coven rituals, and conjuring spirits; and tells how to cast spells for protection, invisibility, and illness prevention. Illustrations.

Universally popular, checkers is one of the world s oldest and most elegantly structured board games and on a high level, it can demand real strategic thought. Put your skill to the test with these puzzles all based on the Standard American game. (Federation rules appear in their entirety.) Each is solvable in no more than six-and-a-half moves, and sometimes, the winner even seems at a serious disadvantage at the start. Quite a few of the solutions list alternative patterns of play. "