Millions of people visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe's iconic webcomic. His stick-figure drawings about science, technology, language, and love have a large and passionate following. Fans of xkcd ask Munroe a lot of strange questions. What if you tried to hit a baseball pitched at 90 percent the speed of light? How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? If there was a robot apocalypse, how long would humanity last? In...

"At what temperature do bees stay home? Why do southerly winds in winter often bring storms? How can you plant a garden that tells the time, or know how many tumbles a hailstone has made through a cloud? These are among the many questions that international-bestselling author Peter Wohlleben poses in his newly translated book. Full of the very latest discoveries, combined with ancient, now forgotten lore, The Weather Detective helps you read nature's...

"A quirky collection of Earth's most compelling animals who give mythical creatures a run for their money"--

In this thoughtful treatise spurred by the 2015 death of African-American academic Sandra Bland in jail after a traffic stop, New Yorker writer Gladwell (The Tipping Point) aims to figure out the strategies people use to assess strangers-to "analyze, critique them, figure out where they came from, figure out how to fix them," in other words: to understand how to balance trust and safety. He uses a variety of examples from history and recent headlines...

"What is the "best" diet? Do calories matter? And when it comes to protein, fat, and carbs, which ones are good and which are bad? Food writer and cook Mark Bittman and health expert David Katz, MD, answer all these questions and more in a lively and easy-to-read Q&A format. Inspired by their viral hit article in Grub Street--one of New York magazine's most popular and most-shared articles--here Bittman and Katz share their clear, no-nonsense perspective...

Most people who resist logical thought in baseball preach "tradition" and "respecting the game." But many of baseball's traditions go back to the nineteenth century, when the pitcher's job was to provide the batter with a ball he could hit and fielders played without gloves. Instead of fearing change, Brian Kenny wants fans to think critically, reject outmoded groupthink, and embrace the changes that have come with the "sabermetric era." In his entertaining...

Collects postings on life and relationships from The Rumpus' popular "Dear Sugar" online advice column, sharing recommendations on everything from infidelity and grief to marital boredom and financial hardships.

Daniele Cybulskie brings the vibrant world of the Middle Ages alive for anyone who's ever wondered about day-to-day life in the medieval world.

"Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know is crammed with weird and wonderful Star Wars trivia, strange-but-true facts and fascinating "Did you know?" Q&As via a highly engaging infographic design. Find out who cleans the floors of the Death Stars and what takes 1,000 years to digest its victims! From movie-making trivia to quirky facts you never knew, this guide will excite new and old fans alike of Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone...