Books published by Penguin Putnam Inc

Have you ever wanted to dazzle your friends with your command of history, science, and other important matters? No? Then this is the book for you. Ronald Reagan once famously said, "Facts are stupid things.” The book you hold in your hands will prove it.Did you know that Albuquerque's population is 78% chupacabra and 22% victim?Do you know why civilization started in Mesopotamia, and not Boise?And did you know the reason you shouldn't stare at the Sun is that it will probably shoot you and turn your skin into a rain poncho?Disalmanac is a handy compendium of false facts covering everything from world history and economics to pop culture, sports, and more. All of which are incorrect, but try not to be so judgy about it.But wait, there's more. You'll also discover a generous supply of Random Bonus Facts from the likes of Michael Ian Black, Neil Gaiman, Wil Wheaton, Weird Al Yankovic, and other luminaries who may or may not have a good grasp of the facts.

Are you a parent? Do you have friends who are parents? Do you have parents? Then chances are you've been exposed to the growing online phenomenon known as overshare.From posting photos of baby's first poo and the intricacies of placental crafts to sanctimommies declaring their child the most beautiful kid in the world and criticizing the parenting skills of fellow Facebook "friends,” STFU, Parents collects the most bizarre, hilarious, and horrifying examples of oversharing on the web. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll cringe at detailed descriptions of baby's first blowout, but one thing's for sure: You'll never look at parenting the same again.

Interest abounds in the work of the Transcendentalists, such as Emerson, Thoreau, and Bronson Alcott. Each year, tens of thousands of readers rediscover Transcendental thought in books and articles, and in visits to historic sites, such as Walden Pond. But few appreciate the truly mystical and contemplative qualities of the Transcendentalists, and the spiritual movements and figures they have since inspired. As Richard G. Geldard-one of today's leading scholars of Emerson-illustrates in The Essential Transcendentalists, Transcendentalism adds up to a school of practical spiritual philosophy that aims to guide the individual toward inner development, much like that of Stoicism in Western antiquity. This current of New England mysticism has influenced modern-day luminaries as diverse as essayist Annie Dillard and Ernest Holmes, founder of the worldwide Religious Science movement. Through revealing commentary, historical overview, and selections from classic works, The Essential Transcendentalists provides a distinctive and heretofore neglected examination of the spiritual breadth and depth of "Yankee mysticism."

In Our Land Before We Die, Jeff Guinn traces the little-known history of the runaway slaves who fled to the Florida Everglades to live alongside the Seminole Indians. Deeply rooted in tribal oral history, and based on extensive interviews with descendants, this book describes the incredible circumstances of a people who sought shelter in the shadow of a tribe whose land and welfare already hung in the balance. And yet, in their tireless journey-from Florida to Indian Territory in Oklahoma; on the seven-hundred-mile flight from persecution that took them across the Rio Grande into Mexico; and then back across the Rio Grande to Texas-they never surrendered the hope of one day attaining land of their own. Our Land Before We Die brings to life the largely forgotten history of a courageous people and the descendants for whom this story is their only legacy.

Think homeschooling is only for a handful of eccentrics on either end of the political spectrum? Think again. Today in America, two million primary- and secondary-school students are homeschooled. Growing at a rate of 10 percent annually, homeschooling represents the most dramatic change in American education since the invention of the mimeograph—and the story has only just begun.In The Year of Learning Dangerously, popular blogger, author, and former child actor Quinn Cummings recounts her family's decision to wade into the unfamiliar waters of homeschooling—despite a chronic lack of discipline, some major gaps in academic knowledge, and a serious case of math aversion. (That description refers to Quinn.)Trying out the latest trends, attending key conferences (incognito, of course), and recounting the highlights and lowlights along the way, Quinn takes her daughter's education into her own hands, for better and for worse. Part memoir, part social commentary, and part how-not-to guide, The Year of Learning Dangerously will make you laugh and make you think. And it may or may not have a quiz at the end. OK, there isn't a quiz. Probably.

"...a simple plan ... yielding easy ways to of eating that let (anyone) make peace with carbs and melt fat in the process." -First for WomenFitness and diet expert Robert Ferguson offers a weight-loss program that shifts fat storing to fat burning. Ferguson's plan teaches readers how to customize their meals to include fast and slow carbs, protein and fat, and get immediate and sustainable results. This 21-day Mindset Makeover includes: A guide to eliminate wrong-headed diet mindsets Daily prompts to sustain the plan Nutrition and exercise tips Simple recipes to create fat-burning meals Advice for shopping and eating-out

Though food is supposed to be one of life's simple pleasures, few things cause more angst and confusion. Every day we are bombarded with come-ons for the latest diet, promises for "clinically proven" miracle ingredients, and warnings about contaminants in our favorite foods. It's enough to give anybody indigestion.Packed with useful-and surprising-information, Coffee Is Good for You cuts through the clutter to reveal what's believable and what's not in a fun and easily digestible way.You'll find out: Locally grown produce isn't necessarily more healthful than fruits and vegetables from across the globe Alcohol does cause breast cancer You don't need eight glasses of water a day for good health Milk isn't necessary for strong bones Oatmeal really can lower cholesterol Sea salt isn't more healthful than regular salt Low-fat cookies may be worse for you than high-fat cheese

Have you been guilty of catachresis* at work? Have you defenestrated* your dictionary in frustration? Do you have phloem bundles* stuck in your diastema*? Scratching your occiput* now? Rod L. Evans's Thingamajigs and Whatchamacallits will help take the mystery out of some of our most obscure words. Containing hundreds of words from agitron (the phenomenon of wiggly lines in comic strips indicating that something is shaking) to zarf (the holder for a paper cone coffee cup), this lively reference will enable you to easily locate your thingamajig or whatchamacallit, be it animal, vegetable, mineral, or punctuation mark. Leave no linguistic oddity unexamined-your brain will thank you. *catachresis: strained, paradoxical, or incorrect use of a word; *defenestrate: to throw out a window; *phloem bundles: stringy bits between the skin and the edible parts of a banana; *diastema: the gap between teeth in a jaw; *occiput: the back part of the head or skull