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The first Sherlock Holmes adventure appeared in 1887, but today the detective is more popular than ever-witness the upcoming release date of Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. For every reader who dreams of solving crimes in turn-of-the-century London, The Sherlock Holmes Handbook features skills that all would-be sleuths should know:

    * How to Use Deductive Reasoning
    * How to Analyze Fingerprints-Without Computers
    * How to Master a Dozen Disguises
    * How to Survive a Plunge over a Waterfall

Readers will also discover a host of information about Holmes and his universe: How was the real Scotland Yard organized? Could people back then really buy cocaine over the counter? And why were the British so terrified of Australia? Packed with fascinating trivia, evocative illustrations, and a classic Victorian design, The Sherlock Holmes Handbook will appeal to “Baker Street Irregulars” of all ages.

RANSOM RIGGS is a lifelong Holmes aficionado and a regular contributor to mental_floss magazine. He lives in Los Angeles.

Food Network star Sandra Lee presents 70 favorite recipes from her best-selling cookbooks, including Dijon Chicken and Mushrooms, Pumpkin Ravioli in Brown Butter, French Apple-Raisin Sandwiches, and Gooey Mud Pie. Sandra’s stress-free recipes combine both store-bought and fresh ingredients to create gourmet-tasting meals in no time. The perfect gift for busy moms!

SANDRA LEE is the best-selling author of the Semi-Homemade Cooking series, which has sold more than 250,000 copies. She is the host of Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee on the Food Network.

Budget Travel magazine is dedicated to providing great travel experiences at affordable prices-which is harder than ever when you’ve got a brood of screaming kids in the backseat! Thankfully, their dedicated readers are here to help. This companion volume to The Smart Traveler’s Passport (100,000 copies in print!) features 350 tips for anyone traveling with children. Readers will learn:

    * how a camera phone can help you overcome language barriers.
    * why a jar of peanut butter is the ultimate traveling companion.
    * memorable souvenirs that won’t break your budget.
    * how to answer the dreaded question, “Are we there yet?”

Full of tips on planning, booking, packing, fl ying, safety, getting around, and much more, this passport-sized anthology makes the perfect bon voyage gift!

BUDGET TRAVEL is one of America’s favorite travel magazines, with a circulation of 550,000.

Budget Travel magazine isn’t just about the best travel experience at the lowest price-it’s also about traveling “the right way.” Their philosophy, “Vacations for real people,” has led them to their readership for guidance, and this collection of their readers’ best 399 travel tips is an essential addition to any traveler’s library. In The Smart Traveler’s Passport, you’ll learn:

    * 13 different uses for Ziploc bags
    * How dental floss can double as a tape
    * Where to find the best street food in cities worldwide
    * How a digital camera can help you find your rental car
    * Why clearing your Web browser’s cache will lead to lower prices on airfare and hotel reservations
    * How to avoid long lines at the world’s most popular attractions

Designed to look and feel like an actual passport, this handy reference provides expert advice on planning, booking, packing, flying, safety, security, and getting around. It makes the perfect bon-voyage gift!

BUDGET TRAVEL is one of America’s favorite travel magazines, with a circulation of 550,000.

The Complete Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook — The worst of the worst, all in one place! This deluxe desk reference includes a hardbound volume of the most popular scenarios from all 11 Worst-Case Scenario handbooks, plus the entire contents of all the books on a fully searchable CD. Avoid the perils of mountain lions and blind dates, avalanches and teenage driving lessons, runaway golf carts and Christmas turkeys on fire-a remedy for every crisis the worst-case experts have anticipated is now only a click away.

The CD also contains newly created extra features: screensavers, e-cards, wallpaper, and more. Boasting more than 500 pages, this sturdy addition to the Worst-Case Scenario library could stop a bullet-just one more way to be prepared for the worst.

Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht, authors of The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series, live life on the edge in the wilds of Philadelphia.

According to efficiency experts, average commuters spend 25 minutes every day waiting for trains, sitting in traffic, or hoofing it to their place of employment. By the time you take the A train to meet the big guy in the sky, you’ll have spent a full year of your life traveling to and from your workplace.

Now, at last, there’s an activity book to help frazzled commuters and travelers make the most of their time. Commuter Waiting Games is a witty, illustrated collection of more than 50 how-to projects, puzzles, games, and activities. You’ll discover exciting new sports (Airline Safety Card Volleyracket), amazing weight-loss techniques (Commuter Train Calisthenics), guidelines for tapping your inner muse (Traffic-Sign Haiku), and hilarious group participation events (Airport Check-In Limbo).

You’ll also learn how to:

• Design a Newspaper Bridal Gown
• Practice Trainscendental Meditation
• Honk a Morse Code Message
• Relax with Commuter Headrest Shiatsu
. . . and much, much more!

HAL BOWMAN is the celebrated author of Computer Waiting Games. He honed these activities after three years of commuting by car, train, and shoe leather.