"From the New York Times-bestselling author of How We Got to Now and Where Good Ideas Come From, a look at the world-changing innovations we made while keeping ourselves entertained. This lushly illustrated history of popular entertainment takes a long-zoom approach, contending that the pursuit of novelty and wonder is a powerful driver of world-shaping technological change. Steven Johnson argues that, throughout history, the cutting edge of innovation...

Provides information on how to be funny, including ideas about comedic styles and routines, how to use props, developing a distinctive character, using music, improvisational techniques, as well as the history of comedy and some well-known people in the field.

It's time to put down the phone and: visit a botanical garden, create a palindrome, solve a brainteaser. Phone addiction is a modern epidemic. With social media, texting, games, and other apps, it's far too easy to get sucked into an endless spiral of scrolling, wasting hours while missing out on life. So why not: play a board game, try a breakfast burrito, focus a day on hearing every sound you can.

This activity book is filled to the brim with exciting activities for Nate fans of all ages. There is plenty of space for kids to get creative, and all the favorite characters from Nate's world are included--the know-it-all Gina, Nate's best buddies, Francis and Teddy, his rival, Artur, and his least favorite teacher, Mrs. Godfrey, aka Godzilla. With personality pop quizzes (which Big Nate character are you most like?), the fabulous fun 'o' meter,...

All children love to play. How does playtime differ for children from different countries? How is it the same? Readers are exposed to a wide range of interesting sports and games played in various countries around the world. Learning about these activities enhances knowledge of other cultures and encourages readers to appreciate differences but also look for common ground. This relevant critical-thinking exercise also complements elementary curricula...

Includes articles, many of which originally appeared in Scientific American, on memes, innumeracy, William Safire, Frederic Chopin, Rubik's Cube, strange attractors, Lisp, Heisenburg's uncertainty principle, quantum mechanics, Alan Turing, sphexishness, Prisoner's dilemma, and other topics.

For every boy from eight to eighty, covers essential boyhood skills such as building tree houses, learning how to fish, finding true north, and even answering the age-old question of what the big deal with girls is. In this digital age there is still a place for knots, skimming stones and stories of incredible courage. This book recaptures Sunday afternoons, stimulates curiosity, and makes for great father-son activities. The brothers Conn and Hal...