Instant Genius: Fast Food for Thought

Commons The Knowledge

Summary

Open this book anywhere, any time, any place for bite-size morsels of essential (and not-so-essential) knowledge.   We have two mottos here at Portable Press: “Get smart” and “Have fun.” As the publishers of the wildly popular Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader series, we have twenty years’ experience in translating our mottos into bestselling books, but we also know that not every reader is a bathroom reader.   That’s why we’ve created this definitive collection of bite-sized bits of knowledge that covers a wide variety of topics ranging from the seemingly ordinary to the obscure.   We’ll take you on a fun and fascinating trip through the essentials (and nonessentials) of history, science, geography, the arts, pop culture, language, mathematics, and more. So you can become a genius instantly!   Up your genius factor with such tidbits as: There are moneys in Mexico that apply natural, plant-based perfumes to their bodies.Gnomons are the part of a sundial that casts a shadow.Opsigamy is a marriage late in life.Albert Einstein’s brain was kept in two Mason jars in a small office in Wichita, Kansas, for more than twenty years. And more . . .

Available since: 05/01/2012.

Print length: 401 pages.

Other books that might interest you

Mary Mac's Tea Room 75th...

John Ferrell

The renowned Atlanta eatery shares its traditional Southern comfort food recipes—plus stories, photos, and memorabilia from its seventy-five-year history. 
 
In 1945, Mary Mac’s Tea Room opened in Atlanta, Georgia. Serving more than just tea, it began as a nicer version of the traditional “meat and three.” For folks who had moved to Atlanta from Georgia’s small towns, its upscale comfort food reminded them of home. Seventy-five years later, Mary Mac’s continues to bring great Southern cooking to everyone from blue collar workers to celebrities.  
 
Now you can bring the restaurant’s famous home cooking to your own home with this richly illustrated volume. More than just a collection of recipes, it also shares the restaurant’s rich history through stories of family, friends, employees, and loyal customers, as well as photos, old menus, postcards, and more.

Show book

Electric Interurbans and the...

H. Roger Grant

“A well-written social history of the shortest-lived major US transportation mode” from the railway historian and author of A Mighty Fine Road (Choice).

One of the most intriguing yet neglected pieces of American transportation history, electric interurban railroads were designed to assist shoppers, salesmen, farmers, commuters, and pleasure-seekers alike with short distance travel. At a time when most roads were unpaved and horse and buggy travel were costly and difficult, these streetcar-like electric cars were essential to economic growth. But why did interurban fever strike so suddenly and extensively in the Midwest and other areas? Why did thousands of people withdraw their savings to get onto what they believed to be a “gravy train?” How did officials of competing steam railroads respond to these challenges to their operations? H. Roger Grant explores the rise and fall of this fleeting form of transportation that started in the early 1900s and was defunct just 30 years later. Perfect for railfans, Electric Interurbans and the American People is a comprehensive contribution for those who love the flanged wheel.

“With this book, the subject no longer has footnote status. In fact, Grant’s work deserves a place alongside some of the other landmark surveys of the subject . . . Here, Grant moves beyond the receiverships, the rickety track, and all that fascinating rolling stock. He shows us why the whole darned thing mattered.” —Railroad History

“H. Roger Grant has produced a fine social history of America’s electric interurbans, exploring the relationship between people and those railway enterprises. The book fills a void, is eminently readable, and richly illustrated.” —Don L. Hofsommer, author of Off the Main Lines

Show book

Bamboo Style

Gale Beth Goldberg

An architect and bamboo expert shares a wealth of home design inspirations that demonstrate the beauty, utility, and endless versatility of bamboo.   In Bamboo Style, architect and author Gale Goldberg shows you how to incorporate bamboo throughout your home, from interior decorations to outdoor structures and even growing your own bamboo plants. Bamboo is highly versatile and requires little care, yet its visual appeal can change a mundane setting into an exotic oasis. Every room in your home can benefit from beautiful, sensual bamboo furniture, flooring, wall covering, ceiling material and accessories.  Bamboo Style includes a resource directory of designers, manufacturers, artists, suppliers and bamboo organizations. For do-it-yourselfers, the bamboo projects in this book—from a simple ladle to an impressive garden pergola—will inspire you with the endless creative possibilities of bamboo.

Show book

Honey Child Tellit Jest Like it is

James M. Spears

Idiotic Audio presents Honey Child Tellit Jest Like it is,  by James M. Spears 
Some of the funniest stories ever told!

Show book

The Joyful Gardener - The...

Jane E. Curtis

· Would you like to start your own hydroponic garden that will provide you with delicious food?
· Does the thought of your own organic herbs, vegetables and fruit appeal to you?
· Do you need the best advice for getting started with this amazing adventure?
· Do you want to grow your own marijuana for medical purposes?
· Are you new to the concept and need the best advice to get started?
· Do you want to lose weight but are tired of all the fad diets that don’t seem to work?
· Would you like to shed those extra kilos with something you are already doing anyway?
In this book you will find everything you need to know to get you started, with chapters that cover:
· How marijuana is used for medical problems
· 7 rules of a good grower
· Growth stages of cannabis
· How the Alkaline diet is different
· The origins of the diet
· How colorful food can help you lose weight
· How hydroponics work
· How to build a vertical garden bed
· Planting and taking proper care of your plants
· Basic information on successful growing
· Cultivating plants without soil
· Hydroponics in your garden
· Planting on a flat roof
· Taking good care of seedlings
· And much more…
And with more than 50 additional pages of all new information including highly advanced gardening guides for novices and professional growers alike, you’ll soon be growing a fantastic crop of your own.
The Alkaline diet is more than just a way to help you lose the excess weight you’ve gained. It is a way of getting every part of your body into tip-top condition, without having to resort to the pain that most diets put you through.
With the in-depth information that is contained within this book, the chances of success are increased, even if you are a complete novice to this type of gardening and have had no previous experience.
Then you

Show book

Fibber McGee and Molly: Fibber's...

Don Quinn

Fibber decides to cash in the hundreds of deposit bottles he's been saving.

Show book