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With words of wisdom by everyone from Socrates and Thomas Jefferson to Anne Frank, Alice Walker, Martin Luther King Jr., and Bono, The Anti-War Quote Book features more than 250 inspiring and thought-provoking arguments for peace. Here’s just a small sample:

–On propaganda: “The first casualty, when war comes, is truth.”-Hiram Johnson
–On empires: “Government is a tool, like a hammer. You can use a hammer to build with or you can use a hammer to destroy with.”-Molly Ivins
–On victory: “One is left with the horrible feeling that war settles nothing, that to win a war is as disastrous as to lose one.”-Agatha Christie
–On peace: “I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it.”-Dwight D. Eisenhower

Featuring a big, bold graphic design, archival photographs of peace rallies, and images of classic protest posters from around the world, The Anti-War Quote Book is guaranteed to fuel conversations as the election of 2008 unfolds.

ERIC GROVES, SR., is a lifelong pacifist who lives in California.

The cards in this kit may look like an ordinary deck of playing cards. But looks can be deceiving . . .

These are the tricks magicians and playing-card impresarios have used for centuries to confound the common man, captivate audiences, and make women swoon. Now you, too, can attain that power. Lift the lid, read the illustrated book, and explore the possibilities of The Amazing Magical Wonder Deck.

The magic box contains a 52-card “tapered” deck—indistinguishable from ordinary playing cards, but slightly tapered at the bottom—that allows magicians-in-training to keep track of cards removed from the deck and astonish friends by appearing to read their minds! The kit also contains a set of 16 “gimmicked” cards, including:

• An Eight of Clubs that makes a matchstick levitate!
• A Jack of Spades that can be pierced with a pencil—without leaving a hole!
• Four kings that mysteriously transform into four queens!
• Two fours that mysteriously transform into blank cards!
• Plus two-sided cards, disappearing cards, and more!

MR. MYSTERIO was a world-famous magician during the early twentieth century. Upon his death in 1936, he left these secrets to be discovered by generations of future magicians.

Here’s the ultimate modern guide to magic tricks for everyday situations, using cell phones, floppy disks, airsickness bags, TV remote controls, and other everyday items. This handbook features more than 40 do-it-yourself illusions to perform in your home, office, car, in transit, or out on the town, with step-by-step instructions and illustrations throughout.

Learn to:
• Magically Feed a Parking Meter
• Make Yourself Levitate
• Pull a Banana Out of Thin Air
• Make a Calculator Predict the Future
• Make a Shot Glass Disappear
• Make Time Stand Still
• And More!

With so many amazing tricks, Amazing Irv’s Handbook of Everyday Magic brings instant fun to family outings, business meetings, cocktail parties, and dozens of other situations.

IRV FURMAN teaches a course in magic at Temple University and is the owner of the Hocus Pocus Magic Shop in Philadelphia.

For every woman who wants to be as tough as Lara Croft, as nimble as the Bionic Woman, and as babe-a-licious as Charlie’s Angels, The Action Heroine’s Handbook shows how to conquer the bad guys in virtually any situation. This sequel to The Action Hero’s Handbook  (more than 175,000 copies in print!) features step-by-step illustrations and instructions on profiling a serial killer, going undercover as a beauty queen, navigating white-water rapids, outwitting a band of home intruders, and more. All the information is reality-based and comes from a host of experts (including stuntwomen, jujitsu instructors, and primatologists). Special sections and appendices highlight the top action heroine hairdos, handbag essentials, and the best footwear for every action situation.

JENNIFER WORICK is the coauthor of My Fabulous Life, My Dysfunctional Life, and The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Dating & Sex. She lives in Philadelphia.

JOE BORGENICHT is coauthor of The Action Hero’s Handbook and The Baby Owner’s Manual. He lives in Salt Lake City.

Everyone wants to be an action hero-as smooth as James Bond, as clever as Captain Kirk, as tough as Charlie’s Angels. And now you can: The Action Hero’s Handbook is the ultimate guide to an action-packed lifestyle, with genuine step-by-step instructions on interrogating a suspect, catching a great white shark, performing the Vulcan Nerve Pinch, stopping a wedding, navigating a ventilation shaft, and much more. All information is reality-based and comes from a host of experts (including FBI agents, marine biologists, karate champions, wedding planners, and air duct cleaners). With more than 35 illustrations throughout, this dynamic little handbook will teach us all how to keep up with the Indiana Joneses.

DAVID BORGENICHT lives in Philadelphia and is coauthor of The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series (Chronicle Books).

JOE BORGENICHT has coauthored The Action Heroine’s Handbook, The Baby Owner’s Manual, and Undercover Golf. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Sure every dog has its day–but these 100 canines raced ahead of the pack to alter the very course of world history. In 100 Dogs Who Changed Civilization, readers will discover the inspiring true tales of dogs who’ve contributed to scientific advancements, influenced geopolitical events, inspired great works of art, and saved the lives of their beloved masters. These astounding pooches include:

–Biche, the Italian Greyhound who started a war between France and Prussia
–Seaman, the Newfoundland who saved explorers Lewis and Clark from a marauding buffalo
–Sergeant Stubby, the most decorated war dog in U.S. history
–Laika, the first earthling of any kind to go into orbit
–Hachiko, an Akita whose devotion to his dead master made him a Japanese national hero

…and many more. Packaged in a very civilized hardcover with black-and-white illustrations, 100 Dogs Who Changed Civilization is the perfect gift for dog lovers and history buffs alike.

SAM STALL is the author of 100 Cats Who Changed Civilization (Quirk, 2007) and coauthor of The Dog Owner’s Manual (Quirk, 2004). He lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.