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Imagine being the first human to see fire spewing from a mountain or feel your world shake violently. You're terrified. You don't know what's happening or why. Fast-forward to modern times: Every now and then the earth still shakes and volcanoes erupt. Planes crash. Hurricanes devastate. Whether natural or man-made, disasters have always captured mankind's attention, spawning wonder, awe, and fear. The 48 cards in this quiz deck chronicle a host of cataclysmic events from prehistoric to modern times, from cyclones, volcanic eruptions, killer fogs, and floods to pestilence, mining collapses, nightclub fires, and airline calamities. Although we know more today about how catastrophes can occur, we are no less frightened--and fascinated--by these compelling events.

Published by Pomegranate with GeoNova Publishing. With 48 fact-filled cards per package, Knowledge Cards are a great source of condensed information--all in a deck the size of a pack of playing cards. Size: 3 1/4 x 4 inches. ... Read more

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So you think you know it all do you? Do you astound your friends...amaze your family...fascinate your colleagues with your extensive general knowledge? Do you claim to know everything there is to know about the fair city of Dundee? Well let's put it to the test. Your specialist subject today is Dundee - its history, sport, culture, arts, entertainment and patter. Your time starts now: o What famous ship does Dundee host? o What food stuff is Dundee famous for? o When was the University of Dundee founded? o In what year did Mary Queen of Scots grant the gardens of the former Greyfriars Monastery to the town as a burial ground? o Which player has scored the most goals in a League match for Dundee United Football Club? How did you do? Did you answer them all yourself, or did you have to OEphone a friend'? The real test is the 500 questions inside. Blow out the cobwebs and get your brain into gear for Who Wants to be a Dundonian? The book every Dundonian or budding Dundonian shouldn't be without. ... Read more

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An account of the errors into which seemingly infallible humans have fallen, whether through obstinacy, arrogance or carelessness. The book gives a useful perspective on the risks and benefits of scientific advance. Examples investigated include the Piltdown Man hoax and the Tay Bridge collapse. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

A must for every Science Major
As a secondary science teacher, and would be philosopher of science, I found Youngson book, "Scientific Blunders" incredibly useful.He addresses areas of science that are not really beyond High School, but his discussions take the mystery out of the "process of science".

Beware that if you have an almost religious conviction to the superiority of science, its scope, aim and process, be prepared to lose a little awe, but gain more respect.

Philosophers??Certainly, this is worth the read.It will give you the necessary background when debating your hard science counterparts.

Science Majors??Don't let well organized lectures, and practiced oration fool you.Science does not proceed in such a linear fashion.Scientific Blunders is a necessary read.

The definition of the key concept missing
Like one of the other reviewers, I was offended by the bad scholarship. The title of the book is "Scientific Blunders" and the aim of the book is to lay bare several misconceptions in the history of science. I had these things in my mind, when I took a deep dive to the book.

In my opinion, the following statement should be pretty obvious: when deciding if something is science or not, one is making value judgement based on a certain conception of science. So, in the introductory chapter I would have excepted to find a definition of science, but couldn't find one. When my reading progressed, I was constantly waiting for the aforementioned definition - but still couldn't find it.

At certain point of my reading, it became clear to me, that the writer is not trying to convince the reader with logically and conceptually sound and coherent proof, but with rhetorics and assertions based on an implicit, narrow and (propably) philosphically poorly justified conception of science. For that reason the word "science" started to look like a magical word, which is somehow mysteriously expected to explain itself. But, it is pointless to continue on this track.

To summarize: the aim of the book is ambitious, but the attempt falls dolefully short. If I had a second chance, I would buy some other book and not waste my money to this... well, rubbish.

A journey through science
The 'Blunders' mentioned in this book are only an excuse to take the reader on an exciting journey through the very broad spectrum of science. You can actually compare this book with a menu card you would get in The Restaurant of Science: a starter of Evolution Theory, a main course of Physics, a slice of Biology and maybe some Technology as a dessert?

The common thread through all these chapters -being how wrong things can get- gives the reader an interesting view on what scientific prove actually means. All scientists are humans (we hope...) and this gives rise to emotional arguments popping up from time to time. What happens when you mix these with experimental research has been illustrated in abundance: carelessness, wrong-headedness, arrogance, moral fear or plain bad luck. Fair, not all 'blunders' are worthy of this tag, quite a lot are just as can be expected from a normal struggle for the truth. But still, science would have been far more advanced if these human influences could have been avoided. But isn't this a utopia?

Although the title might suggest some humorous content, it certainly does not deliver on these expectations. The tongue-in-cheek approach makes the topics quite more readable, but does not reduce the explanations to kindergarten gibberish. It is true that a few facts are plainly wrong, but the main message of the book doesn't suffer from this.

To conclude: it's a nice book intended for a general public and easy to read (I read it on a plane). It lets you browse through popular science in a relaxed manner. Hopefully this will encourage people to dive deeper into the topics they find interesting. But be aware: people who think of science as a sacred institution might get offended by this book.

well, not exactly
do not expect some kind of a breath taking find in the book, the name of this book should be more of a breif history of scientific misconseptions.
good book for easy reading and popular science history, no more but no less as well. nice book to have on the shelf.

Titled for sales to the wrong audience
I suspect many of those who bought this book did so in the hope that it would contain arguments to denigrate science in favor of their own religious/pseudoscientific beliefs. Its effect is just the opposite. It points out clearly that science is a dynamic and testable process that continuously revises and upgrades itself, often to the demise of previously widely subscribed notions where pseudoscience knows no error in itself and thereby is condemned to be erroneous.The author may not be an expert in the details of all the fields he discusses (and who could be?) but his analytic approach is on the mark. It is no wonder that those who are uncomfortable the notion of a changing paradigm are eager to downrate it, they just don't get the point. ... Read more

Product Description
How many air raids did Berlin sustain?Who was Hitler's favorite actress?What was the first U.S. unit to see action in Asia?This is just a sampling of the depth and variety of questions contained in this fascinating collections of facts, anecdotes, statistics, and trivia about World War II.Included are questions and answers on codes and intelligence groups, military action, and personnel.There is a special section on Pearl Harbor, a guide to memorial ships, and a list of all World War II Congressional Medal of Honor winners.More than fifty black-and-white photographs, many donated by veterans, further bring to life this unforgettable period of history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great WWII Read
Very enjoyable, informative read.You can skip around the book at will; no need to read cover to cover.

It's interesting to note that during WWII, people just pitched in and did their duty.There was no bellyaching about links between Hitler and Pearl Harbor, etc., like we see in America today. ... Read more

Product Description
This book contains over 2500 questions about Europe covering a wide variety of topics from geography and history, to food and drink, and much, much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A fun and informative collection of European information and trivia

The Europe Quiz Book: Test Your Knowledge Of The EU, deftly compiled and expertly authored by Helen Meade is an informed and informative collection of questions for students of the European culture ranging from the roots of European history to the current events. With questions like: In what city was the heir to the Austrian Throne, Archduke Ferdinand assassinated in 1914?; In Spain, what is an omelet made from eggs, potatoes and garlic called?; and What Romanian dictator was overthrown in a coup in 1989 and later executed?, The Europe Quiz Book is a compilation a great multitude of questions from the categories of mixed bag, entertainment, sports, cities, writers, famous people, food and drink, artists, and much more. The Europe Quiz Book is very highly recommended as a fun and informative collection of European information and trivia.
... Read more

Product Description
With questions on sport, history, politics, literature, and all kinds of Irish miscellany, this quiz book will test how much people really know about Ireland. Organized by subject matter with 134 sections in groups of 15 questions, this book is ideal for trivia buffs and Irish aficionados. The diverse questions offer something for everyone from "Why is Bloomsday so called?" and "What was a 'Galway Hooker'?" to "Who was termed the 'Babe Ruth' of Gaelic football?" ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Christmas fare for all year
Christopher Winn's book, I Never Knew That About England, is a little classic. Yes, I, too, received it as a Christmas present but it's far too good to be confined to the festive season.

It's one of those 'dip in and out' books that satisfies one's insatiable need for words when there isn't time to settle down to a long read. You can pick it up at any time, in passing. I have been known to do just that, stopping at the top of the stairs, where I'd last put it down, entirely forgetting that I had been in the process of making a cup of tea! It tickles the fancy with odds and ends of facts one could never have guessed at. It inspires you to go avisiting places you'd never thought of.

I have only one caveat. We need another book to complement it. There just isn't enough in this one book.

Patricia R Olds. Author. ... Read more

Product Description
So you want to be able to beat anyone at chess? I don’t blame you. If you had the skill and power to annihilate anybody you see you’ll be the most feared, respected, and honored person around. Well, at least in the chess world.

The good news is that learning chess is easy and fun, and mastering the art of checkmating is very attainable to the smart individual with a little practice and a little guts. If you’re like me you know that anything you put your mind into you’ll also pour your heart into, and end up thinking about chess when you go to bed and thinking about chess when you wake up. Visions of solid pawn structures will be dancing in your head while you sleep.

What Is Chess?

Chess is one of the most played strategy games in the world. In fact, it is one of the most sold and played board games globally. Its earliest forms have been around since the 7th century A.D., with the game as we know it forming in medieval times, when it was immensely popular.

It has been used for centuries as a measure of one’s intelligence and speed of thought; it has even been used by militaries to introduce and train soldiers in the art of war. It was a gentleman’s game not to be undertaken by the feeble-minded. Voltaire calls it “The game which reflects most honor on human wit.” I tend to agree with the old philosopher.

Anybody can learn and play chess. At a young age, if we were lucky, our parents sat us down and explained the ancient game of wit. I, for one, would rather have played checkers at such a young age, but thankfully picked it up eventually. We can’t all be Bobby Fishers, unfortunately. However, with a little smarts and perseverance, along with a whole lot of practice, we can increase our chess skills dramatically in a short period of time.

Intelligence, you already have. In fact, I’m willing to bet that you have a very high degree of smarts. How do I know this? Well, you’re reading this book, aren’t you? So, you have good judgment as well.

The readers of this book, like any group of players, are likely to have a wide range of skill and experience. Fortunately, both are easily increasable. Of course, if you’re reading this book, you’ll likely not be satisfied with your skill level, and would like to see it improve. I don’t blame you, I’m the same way. You can always learn and always improve yourself. Even the top grandmasters will tell you that.

Mistakes are the best teachers. Garry Kasparov will tell you to be “relentless in studying your own mistakes.” He’ll also tell you that when you lose, you gain far more than if you won. When you win, you don’t put much thought into how you played and what you did right or wrong because you are satisfied with the outcome. After a loss, you must examine closely what went wrong, and be sure not to let it happen again. Don’t be afraid of losing, but rather let the losses teach you, and know that you are getting better with every game you play.

The goal of this book is to teach you how to win. To learn how to win, you must have a plan of action, implement it, and reap the rewards. It’s that simple.

Contents

Introduction: What Is Chess?
The History of Chess in a Nutshell
How to Play
Object of the Game
Setup and notation
Pieces and Their Moves
Special Moves
Check and Checkmate
Draws
Chess Strategy
Openings (Goals, The Open Game, Semi-Open Game, Closed Game)
Fool’s Mates (Fool’s Mates In Two Moves, Scholar’s Mate In Four)
Middle Game Strategy (Special moves, Exchanges, Pawn Strategy, Combinations)
Endgame Strategy (Types of checkmate, Promotion, Avoiding Draws)
Intermediate Lessons
Principles of Good Game Play
Chess Problems
Resources
Appendix A: Chess Variants
Appendix B: Chess Puzzles ... Read more

Product Description
The sinking of the Titanic has long aroused debate, mysticiation and disagreement. This book presents the facts behind the fictions. ... Read more

Product Description
Packed with facts, fun, and1,000 questions, Stone Me! is more than a quiz book--it is a virtual pocket history of a group whose legendary status has spanned four decades. Test your knowledge or just enjoy the memories!Covering The Rolling Stones' entire career, the book features20 categories, including the early days, the tours, the singles, the albums, the covers, the girlfriends, the myths, and the amazing lives of Mick, Keith, Charlie, Ron, and Bill. Each category has a short introduction and questions of varying difficulty. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Truely Great
What a great trivia book on the stones, it's a must for all Rolling Stones fans.I had a great time reading this book alone and with friends.

Stone Me - A quiz book that will!
If your a fan of the band this book is a must! What fun I had reading this book. Some of the questions were a little hard and others were extremely hard but on the whole the book was highly entertaining. This book can be used as a learning tool or to simply vex friends and family. Enjoy this book - I did! ... Read more