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"When it rains, it pours," especially when it comes to best-selling author Doug Lennox’s Now You Know Extreme Weather . Global warming, killer hurricanes, murderous tornadoes, melting permafrost – weather concerns us all, and now with this tightly packed compenium of questions and answers, everyone can get the lowdown on things like: What makes a perfect storm perfect? Where’s the world’s hottest place? Why was Hurricane Katrina so destructive?

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Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and tidal waves, fires, mine cave-ins, bridge collapses, ship sinkings, airplane crashes, explosions, and plagues – natural and human-engineered calamity and catastrophe have many forms and guises. In Now You Know Disasters , Q & A ringmaster Doug Lennox showcases the what, why, when, where, who, and how of everything that's gone tragically and terribly wrong, past and present. How does a tsunami occur? Why do Canadian engineers wear iron rings? Who was Richter in the Richter scale? What was the worst freshwater ship disaster ever in North America? What is wildfire? Who was Typhoid Mary? How is «ring around the rosie» related to disaster? How did the Halifax Explosion occur? What was the worlds worst airplane crash?

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From oversized socks filled with treats to firs in living rooms and strange stories and songs, Christmas makes us all scratch our heads now and then. Now You Know Christmas will help everyone make sense of the holiday season, with answers to questions like: How fast would Santa have to travel in order to deliver toys to all the children in the world in one night? Why are Christmas songs called «carols»? Why did the Wise Men bring gold, frankincense and myrrh as gifts?

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Once again Doug Lennox, the toastmaster of trivia, serves up a mammoth selection of some of his most cherished Q&As culled from his previous books. Also featured in this wide-ranging compendium are 150 brand-new questions answered with Doug’s inimitable flair for unearthing intriguing arcana on everything from animals and the arts to superstitions and show business. Customs, conventions, expressions, everyday words, rituals, and traditions – Doug has dug deep to deliver the goods on a vast array of perplexing subjects. Why is a warm autumn called «Indian summer»?What is the origin of «nicknames»?Why is a decorated parade vehicle called a «float»?Why is the rubber around a car wheel called a «tire»?Why are sailors known as «tars»?Why is a bad dream called a «nightmare»?Why are published periodicals called «magazines»?

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Doug Lennox is back with a treasure trove of his favourite trivia culled from his four previous Now You Know books plus 125 brand new questions answered by the master of Q & A. Lennox dispenses knowledge concisely, never losing sight of the joy and fun of discovering the why or ordinary things. He covers a wide range of topics from sports to war, from crime to religion, from pop culture to politics. Answers to questions and the origins of hundreds of expressions and customs are brought together in this fascinating compilation. Thanks to Doug, you’ll learn the answers to: Why do humans kiss? Why is a miserly person called a «cheapskate»? Why is an evil adversary called a «villain»? Why is football played on a «gridiron» and a leg injury called a «charley horse»? Why is confetti thrown at a wedding? Why do golf courses have 18 holes? Why do the British drive on the left and North Americans on the right? Why is a road called a «highway» and the ocean the «high seas»?

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The phenomenal success of the Now You Know and Now You Know More has encouraged this third Book of Answers. Now You Know Almost Everything continues with the same formula of dispensing knowledge concisely, never losing sight of the joy and fun of discovering the why of ordinary things. In Now You Know Almost Everything you will discover answers to hundreds of questions: Why can’t grooms see their bride on the day before the wedding?Why is a swindle called a «double-cross»?Why do people say, «That’s all she wrote»?Where did the word «Canuck» come from? Now You Know Almost Everything makes sure that you just about know it all.

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Why are golf assistants called caddies? Why do the British drive on the left and North Americans on the right? Why is football played on a «gridiron,» and a leg injury called a «Charlie horse»? The answers to these questions and the origins of hundreds of other expressions and customs are brought together in this fascinating collection of the history behind everyday words and routines. With all the conciseness of his original radio scripts, Doug Lennox «cuts to the quick» in telling you the things you always wanted to know.

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Every day Canadians buy groceries at Sobey’s, develop film at Black’s, or grab a coffee at Tim Horton’s without giving it a second thought. These brands are in our lives and in the public eye. We’re familiar with the names, but what do we really know about the people who lie behind them? I Know That Name! will answer these questions for you. It’s full of fun facts, intriguing trivia, and engrossing explorations of more than one hundred Canadian men and women who beat the odds to become household names, including Timothy Eaton, Laura Secord, and J.L. Kraft.

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Did a Canadian kill famed escape artist Harry Houdini? Are the streets of Yellowknife really paved with gold? What was Canada's connection to those famous «Paul McCartney is dead» rumours of the late 1960s? And just how long does it take a drop of water to flow from Lake Superior to the Atlantic Ocean? The Great Canadian Trivia Book II brings you all these answers and more. In the much-anticipated sequel to their bestseller, The Great Canadian Trivia Book , award-winning writers Mark Kearney and Randy Ray dig even deeper into Canada's curious characters, storied past, natural phenomena, cultural idiosyncrasies, and the peculiarities of our leisurely pursuits. In the pages of this intriguing book, you'll discover the Canadian who was responsible for introducing the glove to professional baseball, the story behind Canada's blue two-dollar bill, how the robbery phrase «hands up» was connected to Canada, and whether a goalie can take a face-off in a hockey game. Think it's unlikely a Canadian might have been president of the United States? That Sir John A. Macdonald was the only one in his family to achieve political fame? Or that a Canadian rock group would turn down a chance to play at the famous Woodstock festival of 1969? The Great Canadian Trivia Book II will have you thinking again. And again.

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Sure, Canada was built on dreams and hard work, but it was also built on failure – mix-ups, mistakes, screw-ups, and boondoggles. Failing at things, and laughing about them, has long been a characteristic of our citizens. Where else but in Canada would governments send farmers to land that couldn't be farmed? Where else would an argument over the metric system almost result in the death of hundreds? Who else but Canadians would march against non-existent enemies? Where else would lumberjacks be used to defend the borders? Are there politicians better than ours at spending millions, against all odds and good advice, on things that just won't work? Is there any nation better at re-electing those politicians no matter what they do? What other country should adopt as its national slogan «If we don't laugh, we'll cry»? Here are more of the things that seemed like a good idea at the time.

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