Ever wondered why bad musicians always win the Eurovision Song Contest, or how incompetent politicians get elected? You need some Quirkology in your life. While other scientists beaver away on obvious problems, Richard Wiseman has been busy uncovering the secret ingredients of charisma, exploring how our personalities are shaped by when we are born and examining why people usually miss the obvious signs of their partner's infidelity. Using scientific methods to investigate offbeat topics that interest the general public as well as the scientific community, "Quirkology" brings a new understanding to the backwaters of the human mind and takes us to places where mainstream scientists fear to tread.It is comparable to "Freakonomics", but British, far more populist, and a lot funnier. Findings include: How does your surname influence your life? What does the way you walk reveal about your personality? Why should women have men write their personal ads? What is the funniest joke in the world?

Malcolm Gladwell, the #1 bestselling author of The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, and What the Dog Saw, offers his most provocative---and dazzling---book yet. Three thousand years ago on a battlefield in ancient Palestine, a shepherd boy felled a mighty warrior with nothing more than a stone and a sling, and ever since then the names of David and Goliath have stood for battles between underdogs and giants. David's victory was improbable and miraculous. He shouldn't have won. Or should he have? In David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell challenges how we think about obstacles and disadvantages, offering a new interpretation of what it means to be discriminated against, or cope with a disability, or lose a parent, or attend a mediocre school, or suffer from any number of other apparent setbacks. Gladwell begins with the real story of what happened between the giant and the shepherd boy those many years ago. From there, David and Goliath examines Northern Ireland's Troubles, the mind

This book features schedules of daily push ups for 6 weeks tobuild the strength needed for 100 consecutive push ups - and in sodoing transform one's whole body strength. Breaking it down muscleby muscle from neck to toes, this book explains why the push up isthe best strength exercise ever. Next, it teaches the reader how todo a perfect push up that maximizes its benefit. Then it presents acarefully developed training program which guides the reader day byday, week by week until the reader can do 100 consecutive push ups.Along the way, the author offers further tips and insights intofull body strength and fitness. By the end, the read will reach thevery real goal of doing 100 consecutive push ups while reshapingand transforming his body.

A comprehensive approach to fitness that will improveperformance and prevent common injuries by teaching the athlete howto develop body awareness, balance strength and flexibility,improve concentration, increase energy, and manage stress. Over 400photos and illustrations show students at various levels ofexperience. Includes routines for 21 other sports. "Precise,practical, and specific . . . and ideal home companion".--Runner'sWorld. (Rodmell Press)