Did you know that people in Indonesia have a word that means to take off your clothes in order to dance? Or how many words the Albanians have for eyebrows & moustaches? Or the Dutch word for skimming stones is plimpplamppletteren? Drawing on the collective wisdom of over 154 languages, this intriguing book is arranged by theme so you can compare attitudes all over the world to such subjects as gastronomy, romance, the human body, recreation & the battle of the sexes. Here you can find not only those words for which there is no direct counterpart in English (such as the Japanese age-otori which means looking less attractive after a haircut), but also a frank discussion of exactly how many ' Eskimo' terms there are for snow, & a vast array of information exploring the wonderful & often downright strange world of words. Also reveals the meaning of Tingo... ...

This volume tells the story of how science, revolutionary politics, & the dream of a new economy converged to produce both the metric system & the first struggle over globalization. Amidst the scientific fervour of the Revolution, two French scientists, Delambre & Mechain, were sent out on an expedition to measure the shape of the world & thereby establish the metre (which was to be one ten-millionth the distance from pole to equator). Their hope was that people would use the globe as the basis of measure rather than an arbitrary system meted out by the monarchs. As one scientist went north along the French meridian & the other south, their experiences diverged just as radically. After seven years, they received a hero's welcome upon their return to Paris. Mechain, however, was obsessed over a minute error in his calculations that he'd discovered & concealed, & which eventually drove him to his grave. His death forced his colleague Delambre to choose between loyalty to his friend & his science. ...

John Randel Jr. (1787
- 1865) was an eccentric & flamboyant surveyor renowned for his inventiveness as well as his bombast & irascibility.
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John Randel Jr. (1787
- 1865) was an eccentric & flamboyant surveyor renowned for his inventiveness as well as his bombast & irascibility.
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This is your master guide to cooking meat. Know the cuts & master the skills, The Meat Book will help you conquer cooking meat, with over 300 meat recipes combined with expert advice about getting the best from quality meats & experimenting with more unusual cuts. With butchery courses on the rise & people wanting quality cuts of meat at a good price, The Meat Book is here to help you learn everything about cooking meat, from top to tail. You can try meat recipes such as oxtail stew, beef carpaccio & pork stir-fry, plus over 50 step-by-step techniques on how to cook a turkey, how to make sausages & more. All the mouth-watering recipes for pork, lamb, beef, poultry, game & offal include timing & temperature charts to make sure you get the perfect flavour, plus help with choosing which herbs go with different meats. To help you create tasty meat dishes there is a unique ` How to Butcher` section which provides illustrated step-by-steps & focuses on cuts of meat that can be easily butchered at home. You also get tips on how to use a meat thermometer, how to test for `doneness` & how to experiment with flavour pairings. With expert advice from butchers on the best cooking techniques, The Meat Book is the perfect guide to help you prepare & cook delicious cuts of meat. ...

Having founded the bank that became the most powerful in Europe in the fifteenth century, the Medici gained political power in Florence, raising the city to a peak of cultural achievement & becoming its hereditary dukes. Among their number were no fewer than three popes & a powerful & influential queen of France. Their patronage brought about an explosion of Florentine art & architecture. Michelangelo, Donatello, Fra Angelico & Leonardo are among the artists with whom they were associated. Thus runs the `received view` of the Medici. Mary Hollingsworth argues that the idea that they were wise rulers & enlightened fathers of the Renaissance is a fiction that has acquired the status of historical fact. In truth, the Medici were as devious & immoral as the Borgias
- tyrants loathed in the city they illegally made their own & which they beggared in their lust for power.
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A dazzling history of the modest family which rose to become one of the most powerful in Europe, The Medici is a remarkably modern story of power, money & ambition. Against the background of an age which saw the rebirth of ancient & classical learning
- of humanism which penetrated & explored the arts & sciences & the `dark` knowledge of alchemy, astrology, & numerology
- Paul Strathern explores the intensely dramatic rise & fall of the Medici family in Florence, as well as the Italian Renaissance which they did so much to sponsor & encourage. Interwoven into the narrative are the lives of many of the great Renaissance artists with whom the Medici had dealings, including Leonardo, Michelangelo & Donatello, as well as scientists like Galileo & Pico della Mirandola, both of whom clashed with the religious authorities. In this enthralling study, Paul Strathern also follows the fortunes of those members of the Medici family who achieved success away from Florence, including the two Medici popes & Catherine de` Medicis who became Queen of France & played a major role in that country through three turbulent reigns. Vivid & accessible, the book ends with the gloriously decadent decline of the Medici family in Florence as they strove to be recognised as European Princes.

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How did people travel in the middle ages? Evidence shows that despite all the likely deterrents
- danger from man & beast, uncertainty
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This lyrical adventure sweeps us through time & across Europe & the Middle East, charting the lands & events of the period known as the Middle Ages. Artworks, maps, & fine photography illuminate the key events of every century, beginning with the fall of the Roman Empire in A.D. 476 & moving forward to A.D. 1500
- the beginning of the age of discovery. Vibrant text from author John M. Thompson captures the drama & intrigue of the era, exploring wars, migrations, occupations, & inventions. Three hundred illustrations
- antique paintings, magnificent portraits, illuminated manuscripts, & historical documents such as ” Magna Carta” & the ” Domesday Book”
- lend rich immediacy. More than 60 maps, among them specially commissioned illustrated presentations & a lavishly drawn crusader map from A.D. 1170, chart important routes & events including the spread of Christianity & Islam. Twelve richly illustrated spreads chronicle the amusements, clothing, feasts, science, books, animals, & other aspects of daily life in the Middle Ages. Voices of the medieval world come alive through"ations from literature, letters, & journals that have survived the passage of time. Sidebars in every chapter examine important beliefs, arts & letters, architecture, & innovations. Biographical features introduce fascinating women & men, revealing the stories behind famous names like King Arthur, whose legend is noted in medieval Welsh literature. Joan of Arc, the teenage French peasant whose infamous trial is documented word for chilling word. Charlemagne, 8th-century ruler of an empire that encompassed Western & Central Europe. Saladin, sultan of the Arab world & enemy of the crusaders, yet respected by them for his high standards of chivalry. & his foe, Richard the Lionhearted, iconic king of England who spent most of his life elsewhere. In a unique feature that helps readers trace the march of time & progress, a world-class city is highlighted to exemplify the character & developments of each century. These key urban areas include London, Paris, Barcelona, Constantinople, & Damascus. Their histories are traced on fascinating time lines that also tie in global happenings during the century, for a rich overview of world events & progress. Painstakingly designed for accuracy & ease of use, ” The Medieval World” is a fine reference for libraries, schools, families, & all who find fascination in this pivotal yet mysterious era of world history.


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For over four thousand years the Mediterranean was the centre of Western civilization. Geographically, it is a whole world in miniature, an inland sea whose shores encompass every type of terrain & climate. Historically, it has been the meeting-place of the cultures of Europe, Asia & Africa, the battleground of races & nations & the focus of three great religions, Christianity, Judaism & Islam. David Abulafia, doyen of Mediterranean scholars, has brought together a team of leading specialists from many countries to tell this enthralling & complex story as a connected narrative: from the physical setting, the prehistoric traders & the struggle between Phoenicians, Greeks & Etruscans ending in Roman victory, to the post-Roman nations, the Christian & Islamic powers, domination by England & France, & finally the twentieth century, divided between war & mass tourism. This study covers all of recorded history, incorporating recent research & tools ranging from linguistics to underwater archaeology, accompanied by spectacular illustrations. Here is the only complete & up-to-date overview of one of the great themes of world history. ...