At twelve years old, Lev Parikian was an avid birdwatcher. He was also a fraud, a liar & a cheat. Those lists of birds seen & ticked off? Lies. One hundred & thirty species? More like sixty. Then, when he turned fifty, he decided to right his childhood wrongs. He would go birdwatching again. He would not lie. He would aim to see two hundred species of British bird in a year. Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear? is the story of that year, a story about birds, family, music, nostalgia, the nature of obsession & obsession with nature. It`s about finding adventure in life when you twig it`s shorter than you thought, & about losing & regaining contact with the sights, sounds & smells of the natural world. It`s a book for anyone who has ever seen a small brown bird & wondered what it was, or tried to make sense of a world in which we can ask, ` What`s that bird?` & ` What`s for lunch?` & get the same answer. ...

The names of the 300 or so London underground stations are part of the everyday landscape for the Londoners, who strap-hang their way across the capital. We hardly ever question their meanings or origins
- yet these well-known names are linked with fascinating stories of bygone times. Until the mid-19th century, London was almost unbelievably rural, with names belonging to a countryside we could never recognise or imagine today. Who in the twenty-first century, thinks of a real flesh-&-blood shepherd lolling back on a specially-trimmed hawthorn bush, when travelling through Shepherd`s Bush underground station? & who, travelling through Totteridge & Whetstone on the Northern Line, imagines medieval soldiers sharpening their swords & daggers at the aptly named Whetstone, just before engaging in the appallingly bloody battle of Barnet? David Hilliam not only uncovers the little-known history behind the station stops below ground, but also explores the eccentric etymology of some of London`s landmarks from Acton to Wimbledon, offering trivia boxes that will delight the visitor & Londoner alike. This entertaining book will ensure that you will never view your normal journey to work in the same way again.
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How does the sun help us? What`s it made of? & where does the sun go at night? Discover the answers to these questions & many more in this gorgeous introduction to the sun for little children, with over 30 flaps to lift, delightful illustrations & simple text. Published in association with the Science Museum, London. ...

In May 2000 Chris Smith left Worcestershire by jumping on his bike & cycling to Beijing
- by way of the Indian sub-continent. The
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Why I Fly Fish captures the life lessons that fly-fishing aficionados have learned from their favorite pursuit. As always, Santella was able to interview top-notch contributors, including: Bill Ford (CEO of Ford Motor Company), Donald Trump, Jr (son of THE DON), Conway Bowman (host of several fly fishing TV programs), Lefty Kreh (the world`s best known fly fisherman), James Williamson (lead guitarist for IGGY POP & THE STOOGES), Henry Winkler (yes, the Fonz). With personal photographs provided by the contributors themselves Why I Fly Fish is an inspirational & personal reflection on a beloved sport & pastime. ...

Train Travel! Murder! Librarians! A Series Finale! Can Lemony Snicket finally discover all the right answers? There was a town, & there was a train, & there was a murder. Apprentice investigator Lemony Snicket was on the train, & he thought that if he solved the murder he could save the town. He was almost thirteen & he was wrong. He was wrong about all of it. He should have asked the question ” Is it more beastly to be a murderer or to let one go free?” Instead, he asked the wrong question
- four wrong questions, more or less. This is the account of the last...
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Before he wrote `A Series of Unfortunate Events`, Lemony Snicket asked all the wrong questions. Four to be exact. This is the account of the fourth question. There was a town, & there was a train, & there was a murder. Apprentice investigator Lemony Snicket was on the train, & he thought that if he solved the murder he could save the town. In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary & irreverent. You`ll laugh only if you find humour in gothic & mysterious things involving detectives & crime solving. Lemony`s other literary outings in, `A Series of Unfortunate Events` have sold 60 million copies worldwide & been made into a Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey. & in the future things are poised to get much worse, thanks to the forthcoming Netflix series directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. You have been warned. Have you read all four mysterious titles in the Wrong Questions series? ` Who Could That Be at the This Hour?` ` When Did You Last See Her?` ` Shouldn`t You Be in School?` ` Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?` Author Lemony Snicket was born before you were & is likely to die before you as well. He was born in a small town where the inhabitants were suspicious & prone to riot. He grew up near the sea & currently lives beneath it. Until recently, he was living somewhere else. He is a broken man, wracked with misery & despair as a result of writing `A Series of Unfortunate Events`. He spends his days wandering the countryside weeping & moaning & his evenings eating hastily-prepared meals. Artist Seth has portrayed suspicious circumstances & shady characters in much of his work. He is a multi-award-winning cartoonist, author & artist, whose works include Palookaville & Clyde Fans. ...

Italians love to talk about food. The aroma of a simmering ragu, the bouquet of a local wine, the remembrance of a past meal: Italians discuss these details as naturally as Brits might talk about politics or sport, & often with the same flared tempers. In ” Why Italians Love to Talk About Food”, Elena Kostioukovitch explores the phenomenon that first struck her as a newcomer to Italy: the Italian `culinary code`, or way of talking about food. Along the way, she captures the fierce local pride that gives Italian cuisine its remarkable diversity. To come to know Italian food is to discover the differences of taste, language, & attitude that separate a Sicilian from a Piedmontese or a Venetian from a Sardinian. Try tasting Piedmontese bagna cauda, then a Lombard cassoela, then lamb ala Romana: each is part of a unique culinary tradition. In this learned, charming & entertaining narrative, Kostioukovitch takes us on a journey through one of the world`s richest & most adored food cultures. Organized according to region & colourfully designed with illustrations, maps, menus, & glossaries, ” Why Italians Love to Talk About Food” will allow any reader to become as versed in the ways of Italian cooking as the most seasoned of chefs. Food lovers, history buffs, & gourmands alike will savour this exceptional celebration of Italy`s culinary gifts. ...

Our world is changing dramatically. The global economic crisis has given way to social crisis: corrupt & dictatorial politics enmeshed with a global financial elite
- & an ever-widening gulf between the haves & have-nots. In 2011 this profound disconnect found expression in events that we were told had been consigned to history: revolt & revolution. In this compelling new book, Paul Mason sets out to explore the causes & consequences of this new wave of struggle. From London to Cairo, Wisconsin to Tehran, he charts the new forms of collective action: fluid networks of agile, Twitter- & Facebook-savvy networks of youthful protesters who understand how power works. The events, says Mason, reflect the expanding power of the individual & call for new ways of thinking about political alternatives, elite rule & global poverty.
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In Why It`s Not All Rocket Science, Robert Cave examines 100 extraordinary projects, theories & experiments that have been conducted in the name of science. Some, including various nuclear tests, have attracted controversy & hostility; others, such as Johann Wilhelm Ritter`s erotic self-experiments with a voltaic pile, seem downright weird. But Cave demonstrates, thoroughly & informatively, that it is only by doggedly asking awkward questions, & paying close attention to the answers, that scientists have been able to make progress. From spider monkeys to human cyborgs, & from swimming in syrup to chaos theory, Cave places each experiment & discovery in its scientific context to present an entertaining guide to some of the most jaw-dropping entries in the history of science. Why It`s Not All Rocket Science contains chapters on the brain, the body, society & communications, planet Earth & the Universe, & to read it is to gain startling insights into why scientists seem to behave so oddly, & how their brilliant if sometimes bizarre work benefits all of society. ...