Women. Spandex. Drugs. Hair spray. . . . Welcome to heavy metal rock ’n’ roll, circa 1980, when all you needed was the right look, burning ambition, and a chance. Stephen Pearcy and supergroup Ratt hit the bull’s-eye. What they did with their fame and fortune is a riotous tale of . . . SEX, DRUGS, RATT & ROLL Pearcy was a scrawny, horny, thrill-seeking teenager with an electric guitar who had graduated from backyard parties in San... more...

Some things are funny--jokes, puns, sitcoms, Charlie Chaplin, The Far Side, Malvolio with his yellow garters crossed--but why? Why does humor exist in the first place? Why do we spend so much of our time passing on amusing anecdotes, making wisecracks, watching The Simpsons? In Inside Jokes, Matthew Hurley, Daniel Dennett, and Reginald Adams offer an evolutionary and cognitive perspective. Humor, they propose, evolved out of a computational problem... more...

Quentin Blake is one of the foremost illustrators of the twentieth century. Best known for his collaboration with Roald Dahl on books such as The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, The Twits, and Matilda, he is cherished by young and old alike. Still, his work has not attained "fine art" status. How does Blake's background in education inform his work? And what is the relationship between the work he makes and the life he leads?... more...

The notorious Linda Lovelace was America's first Queen of Porn, presiding over a fast-developing multi-billion-dollar film industry during the decadent 1970s. Her movie, Deep Throat, redefined the nation's views on obscenity and was credited with changing America's sexual attitudes more than anything since the 1948 Kinsey Report. But at decade's end, Linda, in a complete about-face, emerged as one of the more compelling voices in the feminist movement,... more...

Financial Elements of Contracts: Drafting, Monitoring and Compliance Audits navigates the nuances of drafting financial terms for license and other self-reporting agreements and shows how proper monitoring and auditing should occur once a deal is in place. This book will modernize and remold how agreements are written and will greatly enhance the bottom line of licensors and other contractors. Lawyers involved in drafting license and other... more...

From four-time New York Times bestselling author, master fixologist, and “Cocktail Queen,” Bethenny Frankel, comes the ultimate drink guide for every Skinnygirl’s shelf! Hosting a holiday party or planning a girls’ night and don’t know what to serve? The leading lady in effortless entertaining, Bethenny Frankel, best known for her delicious, health-conscious recipes and Skinnygirl cocktail line, presents her first cocktails book, Skinnygirl... more...

If you have ever suspected that "heavy water" is the title of a bootleg Pink Floyd album, believed that surface tension is an anxiety disorder, or imagined that a noble gas is the result of a heavy meal at Buckingham Palace, then you need The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry to set you on the road to chemical literacy. You don't need to be a scientist to grasp these and many other complex ideas, because The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry explains them all:... more...

(Book). Freddie Mercury was one of rock's most dazzling front men. When he died in 1991, the music world lost one of its most flamboyant characters, as well as a supremely talented writer and vocalist. Best known as the lead singer of Queen, his amazing four-octave voice was a distinctive element in the band's unique sound, which resulted in more than a dozen million-selling albums through the 1970s, '80s, and early '90s. Freddie Mercury: A Kind of... more...

This is the definitive guide to raising, training and caring for your German shepherd. A brief history introduces the breed, describes its characteristics and will help you decide if a German shepherd is right for you. Whether a new or experienced dog owner, you will find professional advice on grooming, feeding and basic health care with a section on diseases and conditions specific to the breed. These faithful and protective dogs need plenty of care... more...

Who controls how one’s identity is used by others? This legal question, centuries old, demands greater scrutiny in the Internet age. Jennifer Rothman uses the right of publicity―a little-known law, often wielded by celebrities―to answer that question, not just for the famous but for everyone. In challenging the conventional story of the right of publicity’s emergence, development, and justifications, Rothman shows how it... more...