The perfect gift book for every age, generously illustrated with evocative full-color images and striking black-and-white photographs. This is the ultimate book of lists that is sure to entertain and inform—a 1,000-page collection of fun and fascinating facts in a wide range of topics, presented in a wonderfully eclectic format that invites browsing, yet also provides an absorbing read. Featuring over 10,000 entries compiled by experts in each field, this treasure trove of facts, trivia, and bite-size summaries covering diverse areas of knowledge will delight the legions of fans of "best of" lists. Featuring 100 lists each in turn showcasing 100 "bests" covering a wide variety of subjects—including the arts, science, nature, history, sports, design, technology, and philosophy—this volume provides a breathtaking range of informed, accessible, and essential reading. Lovers of the visual arts will encounter fascinating insights into artists, paintings, sculptures, movies, and museums, while foodies will relish the best cheeses, luxury foods, restaurants, and legendary chefs. History buffs will become absorbed in momentous events, famous trials, and great warriors, and sports fans will appreciate facts on sporting heroes, great races, and winning teams. Richly illustrated, this compendium makes the perfect gift and contains an abundance of useful information, hard facts, and obscure trivia. Among the wealth of knowledge in these pages, the reader will find helpful summaries of great art, music, and literature as well as complex philosophical ideas, scientific theories, and history alongside a guide to the wonders of the cosmos, innovative economic and political theories, pivotal scientific discoveries, and game-changing technological innovations.

Set between Holland and a remote Indonesian island, this intimate magical realism novel offers “an offbeat narrative that has the timeless tone of a legend” (Time). “Dermoût’s sentences came at me like a soft knowing dagger, depicting a far-off land that felt to me like the blood of all the places I used to love.” —Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild The Ten Thousand Things is at once novel of shimmering strangeness—and familiarity. It is the story of Felicia, who returns with her baby son from Holland to the Spice Islands of Indonesia, to the house and garden that were her birthplace, over which her powerful grandmother still presides. There Felicia finds herself wedded to an uncanny and dangerous world, full of mystery and violence, where objects tell tales, the dead come and go, and the past is as potent as the present. First published in Holland in 1955, Maria Dermoût's novel was immediately recognized as a magical work, like nothing else Dutch—or European—literature had seen before. The Ten Thousand Things is an entranced vision of a far-off place that is as convincingly real and intimate as it is exotic, a book that is at once a lament and an ecstatic ode to nature and life.

The perfect gift book for every age, generously illustrated with evocative full-color images and striking black-and-white photographs. This is the ultimate book of lists that is sure to entertain and inform—a 1,000-page collection of fun and fascinating facts in a wide range of topics, presented in a wonderfully eclectic format that invites browsing, yet also provides an absorbing read. Featuring over 10,000 entries compiled by experts in each field, this treasure trove of facts, trivia, and bite-size summaries covering diverse areas of knowledge will delight the legions of fans of "best of" lists. Featuring 100 lists each in turn showcasing 100 "bests" covering a wide variety of subjects—including the arts, science, nature, history, sports, design, technology, and philosophy—this volume provides a breathtaking range of informed, accessible, and essential reading. Lovers of the visual arts will encounter fascinating insights into artists, paintings, sculptures, movies, and museums, while foodies will relish the best cheeses, luxury foods, restaurants, and legendary chefs. History buffs will become absorbed in momentous events, famous trials, and great warriors, and sports fans will appreciate facts on sporting heroes, great races, and winning teams. Richly illustrated, this compendium makes the perfect gift and contains an abundance of useful information, hard facts, and obscure trivia. Among the wealth of knowledge in these pages, the reader will find helpful summaries of great art, music, and literature as well as complex philosophical ideas, scientific theories, and history alongside a guide to the wonders of the cosmos, innovative economic and political theories, pivotal scientific discoveries, and game-changing technological innovations.

A new edition of the classic bestseller from the original authors, with additional material specifically prepared for Canadian readers by long-time "This Morning CBC producer, Ira Basen, and Jane Farrow, the author of Wanted Words. In 1977, a publishing sensation was born. The Book of Lists, the first and best compendium of facts weirder than fiction, was published. Filled with intriguing information and must-talk-about trivia it has spawned many imitators -- but none as addictive or successful. For nearly three decades since, the editors have been researching curious facts, unusual statistics and the incredible stories behind them. Now the most entertaining and informative of these have been brought together in a long-awaited, thoroughly up-to-date new edition that is also the first Canadian edition. Ira Basen and Jane Farrow have augmented the existing lists with fascinating homegrown material, and compiled lists specifically of relevance to Canadian readers. So if you've always wanted to find out how porcupines really mate, how comedy can kill and -- that most essential piece of knowledge -- how long the longest recorded nose was, this is the book for you. With contributions from a variety of celebrities and experts including Margaret Atwood, Mike Myers, Michael Ondaatje, Dave Eggers, Phillip Pullman and Charlotte Gray, this anthology has something for everyone -- and more than you ever suspected you wanted to know. A list of lists from "The Book of Lists: 10 Notable Film Scenes Left on the Cutting Room Floor 10 Afflictions and Their Patron Saints 14 Nations with More Sheep Than People 5 Trips to the Canadian Wilderness That Ended in Disaster 10 ReallyBad Canadian Sports Teams 14 Last Words of Famous Canadians Kurt Browning's 9 Turning Points in Figure Skating History 7 Trial Verdicts That Caused Riots 12 Museums of Limited Appeal 10 Unusual Canadian Place Names That Start with a "B" 7 Well-Known Sayings Attributed to the Wrong Person 10 Celebrated People Who Read Their Own Obituaries Sloane's Jay Ferguson's 10 Perfect Pop Songs 13 Possible Sites for the Garden of Eden 9 Canadian Sports Stars Who Became Politicians First Sexual Encounters of 13 Prominent Canadians Four Foods Invented by Canadians 1. Processed Cheese -- J. L. Kraft grew up on a dairy farm in Stevensville, Ontario. While working as a grocer he was struck by the amount of cheese that was wasted on wheels of cheddar when the dried rind was scraped off to get at the fresh interior. He resolved to find a way to use this "waste" product, experimenting with double boilers, preservatives and cheddar. Eventually he found a way of stabilizing the dairy product that has come to be known as processed cheese. 2. Frozen Foods -- The technology to freeze food quickly and transport it to markets far away was developed in Halifax in 1928. Within a year, "ice fillets" were being sold to fish-deprived Torontonians who loved the taste and didn't seem to mind the high price tag. Despite this, the fishing industry and private companies lost interest and quickly mothballed the project. In 1930, a feisty American, Colonel Clarence Birdseye, claimed responsibility for developing frozen foods and promptly made a fortune. 3. Pablum -- Invented in 1930 by Dr. Alan Brown, assisted by researchers Theodore Drake and Fred Tisdall. The add-water babycereal revolutionized infant nutrition, and, of course, became synonymous with food that was bland and mushy. 4. Poutine -- Although many claim responsibility for the crowd-pleasing combination of squeaky cheese curds, canned gravy and french fries, it is generally agreed that the first order of this regional specialty of Quebec was served up by restaurant owner Fernand Lachance in 1957. Many variations on the original recipe exist including one deluxe version with foie gras served in Montreal's Pied de Cochon bistro.

Explores scientific questions on a variety of topics including astronomy, genetics, geology, and information technology.

Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of prac­ticing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct com­plex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By complet­ing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the meth­ods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard key­board, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the sim­ple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Fig­ure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcompo­nents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accu­rate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chain­saws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.

Learn how to persevere and pivot to achieve your goals from a celebrated Hollywood actor 10,000 NOs: How to Overcome Rejection on the Way to Your YES chronicles actor Matthew Del Negro’s tough journey from humble beginnings, through a sea of rejections, on the way to his eventual rise to become a recognizable face on some of history's most acclaimed television shows. Along the way, he learned hard lessons about perseverance, persistence, and resilience. Teaching readers how to make it through the tough times and deal with massive uncertainty by retaining the flexibility to change course and pivot to follow your passion, Del Negro explains how to achieve success in even the most competitive industries. The book, which delves into his personal story from Division I athlete to his professional dream of becoming an actor without any show business connections, shares the wisdom and knowledge Del Negro has gained from both his failures and successes in one of America’s most competitive industries: professional acting. Amidst his own stories from life and acting, Del Negro weaves anecdotes and quotes from interviews he has had with a wide range of inspirational people from all walks of life on his popular podcast, 10,000 NOs. The list of high-achievers includes professional athletes, bestselling authors, Forbes list entrepreneurs, cancer survivors, Hollywood elite, and more. His celebrated and top-ranked podcast in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, continues to inspire others to keep going even when their progress seems infinitesimally slow.