A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year

The witty and exuberant New York Times bestselling author and record-setting Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings relays the history of humor in "lively, insightful, and crawling with goofy factlings," (Maria Semple, author of Where'd You Go Bernadette)—from fart jokes on clay Sumerian tablets to the latest Twitter gags and Facebook memes.
Where...

'Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.' One of the greatest arguments for female emancipation, A Room of One's Own began as a lecture series at Cambridge University defending women's independence. In this extended essay, Virginia Woolf brings to life the many issues facing women of her era and pioneered the path toward a more equal future. Passionate, insightful,...

A collection of stories that relate reports of haunted encounters and other supposedly supernatural phenomena, including haunted houses and buildings, ghostly lights, phantom sounds, poltergeists, and related topics.

Featuring chronological reviews of more than300 zombie films from 1932's White Zombie to the AMC series The Walking Dead this thorough, uproarious guide traces the evolution of one of horror cinemas most popular and terrifying creations. Fans will learn exactly what makes a zombie a zombie, go behind the scenes with a chilling production diary from Land of the Dead, peruse a bizarre list of the oddest things ever seen in undead cinema, and immerse...

What exactly is the Western literary canon? Why does it contain certain works and not others? And what do particular works in the Western canon tell us about the development of literature and civilization? Explore these and other thought-provoking lectures with a thorough investigation of more than 30 key works of the Western canon and the critical roles they played - and continue to play - in the development of Western literature. Over the course

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In the late sixties and early seventies, Los Angeles was a hotbed of musical creativity--the home base of Joni Mitchell, the Eagles, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, among many others. Now, drawing on exclusive interviews with many of the leading players, music journalist Hoskyns recreates the excitement, ferment, and energy of those years. We see the genesis of Crosby, Stills, and Nash at Joni Mitchell's...

Novelist Stephen King reflects upon the creation and elements of horror in various media, discussing specific films, novels, stories, radio programs, and folktales.

"Describes the world of pop music, explaining how the music evolved and spotlighting its different eras and important musicians"--Provided by publisher.

"Whether you're coming to Broadway fresh faced or are an old hand, you'll enjoy these 150+ profiles of the great musicals to hit the stage--including Hamilton! The Book of Broadway is a celebratory, gorgeous tome dedicated to what is arguably the quintessential American art form: the Broadway show. Lose yourself in 150 profiles of the best, most influential, and most important Broadway musicals and plays ever produced.Shows profiled include everything...

"Imagine loving a fictional world so much that you're inspired to continue creating stories about that world long after closing a book, exiting a movie theater, or watching a TV show. That's what fan fiction writers do! The world of "fic" is introduced to young fans in this helpful guide to one of the most creative areas of fandom. The accessible text explains what fan fiction is, where people can find it, and how fans can begin writing it. Detailed...