The New York Times practical guide to practically everything : the essential companion for everyday life / edited by Amy D. Bernstein & Peter W. Bernstein.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Bernstein, Amy D.

Bernstein, Peter W.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Life skills--Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Life skills.

United States.

Life skills--United States--Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Genre:

Handbooks and manuals.

Physical Description:

xiv, 834 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : St. Martin's Press, 2006.

Summary:

The New York Times Practical Guide to Practically Everything is a must-have resource that compiles the wisdom of hundreds of reporters, critics, and experts in their fields into this single volume. Practical wisdom for every facet of daily life, including: Art & Architecture, Car Maintenance, Careers, Computers & Technology, Collecting, College Admissions, Cooking, Doctors & Medicine, Education, Etiquette, Everyday Science, First Aid, Fitness, Gardening, Home Maintenance, Investing, Law, Movies, Music, Nutrition, Online Shopping, Parenting, Pets, Real Estate, Sexuality, Sports & Games, Taxes, Travel, Weddings, Wines & Spirits.

Expert advice from New York Times writers, including: Eric Asimov on how to stock a wine cellar on a budget, Mark Bittman on how to grill fish perfectly, Marian Burros on choosing the best produce, Michael Kimmelman on the best new modern art museums both in the U.S. and abroad, Nicolal Ouroussoff on underappreciated architectural gems from around the world, Michelle Slatalla on tips for shopping on the Internet, Anthony Tommasini, Allan Kozinn, Jon Pareles and Ben Ratliff on their album picks for a "desert island", Jane E. Brody on how to perform the Heimlich maneuver properly, Anne Raver on how to plant a beautiful garden, R. W. Apple, Jr. on how to mix classic cocktails.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Health & Fitness

Getting Fit

Losing Weight: Getting and Staying Trim 3

Does Your Weight Fit You? 4

Cyber-Trim and Cyber-Fit 5

Let's Go to the Tape Measure 6

Should You Pop a Diet Pill? 6

Overweight? Check Your Body Mass Index 7

Exercise: No Gym, No Fees, No Strangers 9

Start with 12 Minutes a Day 9

Workout Benefits at a Glance 10

Exercise For the Time-Challenged 12

Body Sculpting: Cardio Machines 13

To Sculpt a Trophy Body 15

Advice Worth Its Weight in Gold 16

Exercise to Your Heart's Content 17

Sweating Your Way to Serenity 17

Avoiding Injuries: Staying Off the Bench 18

The Children's Hour 19

A Cure for Couch Potatoes 20

The Right Exercise Shoes 21

Protecting Feet and Joints 21

Signs That You Are Overdoing It 22

Looking Great

Skin Damage: The Aging Wars 23

The New Anti-Aging Makeup 24

Moles That Turn Deadly 25

Protecting Yourself From the Sun 26

January is the Cruelest Month 26

Beauty Aids: A Magic Moisturizer? 27

The Foundation of Everything 28

Tips From a Top Makeup Artist 29

Do-It-Yourself Facial Peels 30

Adding That Youthful Glow 30

Enhancements: A New Kind of Beauty 31

Six Injections and What They Do 32

Hand-to-Hand Combat 33

Hair: An Embarrassment of Baldness 33

Tender Loving Care for Delicate Hair 34

Teeth: Beyond the Pale 35

Sexuality

Hormones: Hormones Are Everything 36

Sex Effects 37

Contraception: Better Safe Than Dismayed 38

Menopause: When Menopause Comes 38

How Sex Life Changes 40

Dysfunction: When the Pump Won't Work 41

Sexual Diseases: STD's 42

Protecting Yourself From AIDS 44

The Search for an AIDS Vaccine 45

Abortion: Facts and Figures 46

Options for the Morning After 47

Doctors & Medicine

Doctors: Where to Find a Good One 48

Docs Who Make House Calls 48

The Doctor Is Online 49

The Better Off You Are 50

Talking With Your Doctor 50

Heart Disease: Men, Women & Disease 52

When Seconds Count 52

Every Stroke Matters 53

Handicapping Your Mini-Stroke 53

Acetaminophen: Too Much of a Good Thing 54

Statins: The New Miracle Drug? 54

Let the Patient Beware 55

Diabetes: The Diabetes Epidemic 55

Breast Cancer: A Primer 57

Performing a Breast Self-Examination 57

Mammograms 58

Prostate Cancer: The Quandary 60

Watch Your Waist-and Prostrate 60

Mental Health: Minding Your Mental Health 61

Holiday Depression 62

The Real Nature of Depression 63

Alternative Medicine: Other Treatments 64

Hypnosis 64

Five Alternative Approaches 66

Well-Kneaded Respites 67

Exercising Away Back Pain 68

Sleep: Snoring, From A to Zzzzz 68

Think Before You Sleep 69

Having Children

Conception: Before You're Pregnant 70

The Best Day to Try Your Luck 70

Pregnancy: Medical Checks in the Womb 72

Having a Safe Pregnancy 72

How to Figure Your Due Date 73

Some Drugs That Can Cause Problems 74

Avoiding Another Miscarriage 76

Fertilization: Learning the Lingo 77

New Ways to Start a Family 77

When Morning Sickness Comes 78

Quick Delivery? Try Exercise 79

Growth of the Fetus From 8 to 40 Weeks 79

Baby Makes More Than Three 80

Less Pain? Deliver in the Afternoon 80

Adoption: Adopting a Baby or Child 80

Resources for Adoptive Parents 82

Child Development & Parenting: Colic 83

Toxins in Your Breast Milk 84

Serious Face Time With Baby 84

Who's Bringing Up Baby? 85

Watch Them Grow...and Grow 86

Hello, Mama. Hello, Papa 87

Body Mass Index for Children 88

Have Your Children Had All Their Shots? 89

The Knotty Problem of ADHD 90

The Real Risks to Children 91

How to Raise a Moral Child 93

First Aid & Survival

First Aid: The ABC's of CPR 94

A Primer on Rescue Breathing 95

Taking Shock Seriously 96

Controlling Bleeding From an Open Wound 96

Saving a Choking Victim 97

Getting Burned 98

What's Dangerous for Babies 98

When Someone Is Poisoned 99

Treating Insect Bites 99

If a Snake Strikes and Bites 100

How to Alleviate Heatstroke 100

The First Step: A First-Aid Kit 101

Disasters: When the Earth Shakes 101

Surviving a Deluge 103

Riding Out a Thunderstorm 104

Preparing for a Hurricane 104

When a Twister Is Approaching 105

Disaster Info 106

Safety for Swimmers and Surfers 107

Self-Defense: If You're Mugged 107

Basic Moves in Your Own Defense 108

Survival Strategies: Airplane Crash 109

Before It All Goes Up in Smoke 110

What to Do If Confronted by a Bear 110

Lions and Tigers and Rhinos, Oh My 111

Biological and Chemical Attacks 111

Chapter 2 Food & Drink

Diet & Nutrition

Nutrition: You Are What You Eat 114

U.S.D.A. Food Guide 115

Calorie Requirements 116

Fat: The Lowdown on Low-Fat Diets 117

The Skinny on Fat 117

Fat Attack 118

Vitamins: The Home Vitamin Shelf 118

Don't Like the Newest Diet? Wait Awhile 119

More May Be Too Many 122

Minerals: The Mineral Minder 123

Questions About Calcium 124

Healthy Eating: The Food Label 125

How Fish Can Help Your Heart 127

Fish Oil: From Herring to Flounder 127

Oil That's Really Good for You 128

The Almighty Yogurt 129

In the Kitchen

Recipes & Utensils: Evaluate a Recipe 130

A Bare-Bones Kitchen 131

Casting Call for Pots and Pans 131

The Sticky Issues of Teflon 132

Fresh Produce & Ingredients 133

Ripe for the Picking 133

Hurry Up and Ripen 134

Some Really Delicious Apples 134

Where the Pesticides Are 135

Think Globally, but Eat Locally 136

How Green Is Your Kitchen? 136

Cooking Basics: Cooking by the Book 138

Germ Warfare 138

How to Carve a Turkey 139

How to Clean a Fish 140

The Catch of the Day 141

How to Grill a Fish 142

And Now, the Perfect Sauce 142

Gourmet Dining: Chillin' With Nigella 143

The Children's Menu 143

Vegetarian Chili With Corn Bread Topping 144

The Many Nuances of Chocolate 144

Cooking With a Foreign Accent 145

Why French Women Don't Get Fat 146

Meeting the Cordon Bleu Test 147

Creme Renversee au Caramel 147

Wine, etc.

Wines: Starting a Wine Collection 148

Wine by the Numbers 148

A Worldwide Wine Sampler 149

Savoring a Good Wine 149

Wine by the Book 150

Ranking the French Elite 151

Wines Have Temperatures, Too 152

For Summer, Think Pink 153

Matches Made in Heaven 154

Plonk Ain't What It Used to Be 155

Champagne on the Cheap 156

Beer: Beyond the Basic Six-Pack 157

The Dos and Don'ts of Drinking 158

Spirits: Mixology 101: Classic Cocktails 159

How to Cure a Hangover 159

Stocking the Liquor Cabinet 161

Whiskey-Sipping Secrets 161

Not Just Any Old Mint Julep 162

Coffee & Tea: The Perfect Cup of Espresso 163

Java Jolts to Start You Up 164

A World Tour of Teas 164

Chapter 3 Money

Personal Finance

Budgeting: You, Inc. 166

Figuring Your Budget 167

Calculating Your Net Worth 167

Saving: The Best Way to Save 168

The Risks of Online Banking 168

How to Save $100 or More This Year 169

How to Get a Swiss Bank Account 170

Want to Get Rich Quick? 172

Your Chances of (Not) Winning the Lottery 173

Children: What It Costs to Raise a Child 173

Can I Have an Allowance? 174

Teaching Kids to Use Plastic 174

Reining in Teenage Spending 175

Rules for Boomerang Kids 176

Credit: Credit Cards That Reward 177

Checking Up on Your Credit Rating 178

Debt: Beyond Get-Out-of-Debt Cliches 178

Going Bankrupt Is Harder to Do 179

Choosing a Credit Counselor 180

Filing for Bankruptcy 180

Investing

Stocks & Bonds: Where to Put Your Money 181

What a Difference 10 Days Make 182

Pick the Stock or the Moment? 183

The Bulls Are Beating the Bears 183

As January Goes, So Goes the Year 184

How Amateurs Might Beat Pros 185

Does Real Estate Beat Stocks? 185

Staying Ahead of the Yield Curve 187

Advice From the Oracle of Omaha 187

Forecasting the Future 189

Mutual Funds: How to Pick a Fund 190

Why You Can't Beat the Market 191

Reading a Balance Sheet 192

Words to Watch on Wall Street 194

How to Estimate Total Return 195

Does Big Mean Bad for Funds? 196

Beware of Mutual Fund Taxes 197

Financial Advisers: Finding a Broker 197

A Broker by Any Other Name 198

Retirement: Nurturing Your 401(k) 199

Calculating Retirement Needs 200

Real Estate

Home Buying: The Long View on Real Estate 202

America's Last True Bargains 204

Better to Buy or Rent? 204

Mortgages: The Mortgage Minefield 207

What Lenders Want to Know 208

Which Mortgage Is for You? 210

Terms to Learn Before Closing 212

Figuring Your Monthly Payments 212

Playing the Refinancing Game 213

Beware of the Reverse Mortgage 214

Second Homes: A Cottage in the Country 215

The Priciest Vacation Havens 216

Sick of the Suburbs? 218

Opportunities: Houses on the Cheap 220

Bargains Beyond the Borders 221

When You Are Homesick at 64 223

Beyond Houses 224

Insurance & Taxes

Buyers Guide: Policies to Keep You Covered 226

Life Insurance 226

Health Insurance 228

Disability Insurance 229

Homeowner's Insurance 230

Automobile Insurance 233

Filing an Auto Insurance Claim 233

Why Bet on Long-Term Care Insurance? 234

Coverage You May Not Need 235

Know Your Insurance Terms 235

Tax Planning: Overlooked Deductions 237

Preparing Tax Returns Right the First Time 237

Six Year-End Tax-Saving Tips 239

Estate Planning: A Trust With Pros and Cons 239

The Giving Circle 240

The Give-and-Take of Charitable Giving 241

What to Show Your Accountant 242

Picking an Accountant 242

Audits: How Does the I.R.S. Pick Audits? 243

If the I.R.S. Comes Knocking 244

Chapter 4 Spending & Saving

Consumer Advice

Shopping Online: The Online Bazaar 246

Comparison Shopping Made Easy 246

Sites for Savvy Shoppers 247

Strategies: If You've Got It, Flaunt It 248

When to Take Out Your Wallet 249

Tipping: How Much? 250

Don't Forget the Hotel Maid 250

Buying Old Is New Again 251

Worthless Warranties? 252

The Bargains in Your Post Office 253

Identity Theft: Protecting Your Data 254

Who's Vulnerable to Identity Theft? 255

Emergencies: Preparing for a Quick Getaway 256

In Case I Get Hit by a Bus 257

Going Out Feetfirst 258

The Truth About Embalming 259

Autos

Buying: What Dealers Won't Tell You 260

Alternatives to Kicking the Tires 261

New Ways to Buy Used Cars 261

The Car of the Future? 262

Cars Across the Land 263

Beyond Gasoline 264

Driving: A Racer on Driving Defensively 265

What It Takes to Stop in Time 265

For Safety, First Buckle Up 266

Holding Your Liquor 267

The Meaning of Tipsy 267

Helping Your Child Drive Safely 268

Choosing a Driving School 269

When to Hang Up the Keys 270

Help When You're Stranded 271

Maintenance: The Manual or the Mechanic? 272

Gas Misers 273

Drinking Soda and Driving 274

Gas-Saving Strategies 274

Cycles & RV's: 275

Taking a Cycle for a Spin 275

Make Room for Scooters 277

Condos on Wheels 277

On the Horizon: Off-Road RV's 278

Stopping Auto Rustlers 279

Home Technology

Computers: Networking Your Home 280

Many Computers, Many Choices 283

A Basic Computer Just for E-Mail 284

Secrets to Hard-Drive Hygiene 284

Moving Data to a New Computer 285

Making Old Files New Again 286

E.R. for Hard Drives 287

The Lifespan of a Diskette 288

Backing Up While On the Go 288

How Never to Miss an E-mail 289

Online: A Bounty of Browsers 290

Serene Behind a Firewall 290

Service & Energy: Computer Docs 291

I Vant to Drink Your Vatts 292

Audio & Video: Finding Podcasts 292

Satellite Radio That Follows You Home 293

TV: Where the World Is Really Flat 294

Big Screen on a Small Budget 294

Phones: Making Calls Without a Phone 296

Should Your PC Be Your Phone? 297

Choosing a Cellphone Plan 298

Cameras: Have Digital, Will Travel 298

Collecting

Art: A Guide for the Artless 300

When Beauty and Value Merge 302

What to Look for in a Painting 303

Antiques: How to Spot a Real Antique 303

How to Recognize Famous-Name Antiques 305

What's Your Collection Worth? 306

Going on the Antiques Roadshow 307

Auctions: Hot Bids, Cold Sweats 307

Culling the Junk From the Collectibles 308

Bargains at Charity Auctions 309

Demystifying eBay 310

Shopping in Uncle Sam's Attic 310

Sniffing Out a Fake 311

Gems, Etc.: Diamonds: What's in a Rock? 312

Pearls: Only the Oyster Knows for Sure 313

The Price of Sparkle in Your Life 314

Silver: Look for a Lion or a King 314

Virtual Stamp Collecting 315

Profiting From Botched-Up Stamps 315

Wine: A Consumable Asset 316

Oriental Rugs: On a Magic Carpet Ride 317

Guitars With a Real Twang 318

Chapter 5 Education

Pre-K Through 12

Pre-School: Lighten Up, Parents 320

How Children Really Learn 321

Identifying a Gifted Child 321

Acquiring a Second Tongue 322

Strategies: Does Music Make You Smarter? 323

Chess Check-up 324

How to Succeed in Science 324

Physical Education Is Getting Fitter 325

Testing: Public vs. Private School 326

The Child Who Does Too Much 326

Cures for Text Anxiety 327

Homework: A Helping Hand at Day's End 328

Teaching Techniques: Single-Sex Schools 329

Goodbye, Class. See You in the Fall 330

Inside the Teenage Mind 330

Reading: Summer Reading 332

The Best Books for Kids, 2001-2005 333

College & Beyond

Getting In: Translating the "New" SAT 336

SAT Scores: "Will I Get In?" 336

Prepping for the SAT's 337

The Truth About College Rankings 338

Campus Reality Tour 339

The Admissions Game 341

Factors in Admissions Decisions 341

College Athletics: From Field to Dorm 343

Do A.P. Courses Help? 343

Getting Credit Before You Go 345

Arts Education: What Would Picasso Do? 346

Dancing Around the Subject 347

Financial Aid: Coping With the Cost 348

College Grants You Don't Have to Repay 350

Courses of Study: Life 101 350

The Two-Year Option 351

The Student's Life 351

Getting a College Degree Abroad 352

U.S.

Exchange Programs 354

Harvard at a Bargain Price 355

The New Face of Facebooks 355

How to Win a Rhodes Scholarship 356

Other Roads to Study Abroad 357

Grad School: Let Abe Lincoln Guide You 358

Psst! Apply to Law School 359

Are You a Master of the Universe? 359

Beyond Law School Rankings 360

If You're Thinking of Med School 361

Is B-School Worth the Big Bucks? 363

The Real World: Free Advice 364

Chapter 6 Careers

Picking a Profession: Personality Tests 366

What's Your Type? 367

Job Hunting: Networking Online 367

Remember Your SAT Scores? 368

Best Web Sites for Job Seekers 369

Honing Your Skills for the Hunt 370

Getting Hired: Job Interviews 371

20 Terms to Avoid on a Resume 372

A Resume That Works 373

Now, Let's Go to the Videotape 373

Strategies: Want a Job, Get an Internship 374

Majors With a Pragmatic Bent 374

Occupational Outlook 375

Where the Best Jobs Will Be 375

Go West, Job Seeker 376

The 30 Fastest-Growing Professions 377

Salaries: What Legends Get Paid 378

What 100 Jobs Pay 379

Smart Moves

Leadership: Who Gets to the Corner Office? 382

The Changing Profile of Chief Executives 382

Management by the Book 383

Who Makes It in Washington? 384

Office Politics: Bully Bosses 385

A Spotter's Guide to Brutal Bosses 386

Disagreeing With the Boss 387

How to Shush the Office Magpie 388

Job Transfers: A Year Abroad as a Career Move 388

What to Know Before You Go Abroad 389

Stress Management: Beat Burnout 390

Commuting: The Long Road to Work 390

Stressful and Stressless Jobs 391

The E-Mail Menace 392

Moving Up: How to Get Your Next Raise 392

Don't Ask, Don't Tell 393

When You Get a Better Offer 394

How to Get Your Head Hunted 395

Moving On: When to Jump Ship 396

If Your Company Is Sold 396

You're Fired: The Art of the Comeback 397

I Quit!!! 397

The Womenless Workforce 399

Second Careers: What Is Your New Career? 400

Where Career Switchers Go 402

They'd Rather Switch 403

Want to Be Your Own Boss? 404

A Chair Fit for a Chairman 405

Your New "Retirement" Plan 406

Chapter 7 House & Garden

Around the House

Remodeling: How to Pick a Contractor 408

Smaller Families = Bigger Houses? 408

Just in Case Things Go Wrong 410

The Emotional Roller Coaster 411

If I Had a Hammer 411

How Long Is a Lifetime? 412

Decorating: Antique Hardware 413

How to Stencil a Floor 413

Taming Monster Spaces 414

Living Large in Small Rooms 414

The Secret World of Decorators 415

Ready-to-Eat Kitchens 416

My Stove Is Bigger Than Your Stove 417

Concrete Is Oh-So Decorative 418

Behind Closet Doors 419

Where to Stash a Flat-Screen TV 419

Shelves That Last a Lifetime 420

The Luminous Life of Paint 421

Not All Paints Are Created Equal 422

Fixing the Light Fantastic 423

The Right Shade for the Right Lamp 424

Track Lighting That Disappears 424

The Right Bulb for the Right Light 425

Frame the World Around You 425

Furnishings: A Grandfather Clock to Go 427

Beds You Won't Lose Sleep On 427

A Little Pillow Talk 428

Put Some Spring in Your Sofa 429

What's Hidden Under the Rug? 430

Out, Out, Damn Spot 430

Looking Behind the Curtains 431

Maintenance: Cut Your Heating Bills 431

Potential Savings From a New Furnace 432

When to Fix It, When to Junk It 434

Protecting Your Castle From Time 434

What to Look For on a Leaky Roof 435

Help for a Leaking Toilet 436

If a House Is a Hot Zone 437

When You Fire the Handyman 438

In the Garden

Planting: Figments That Turn Into Flowers 440

Where Green Thumbs Shop 440

Where the Growing Zones Fall 441

A Sower's Guide to Soil 442

Tipping the pH Scales 444

Dig and You Shall Reap 445

Good Gardeners' Secret Weapon 445

Flowers: A Bulb Lover's Choices 446

We Promise You a Rose Garden 447

Out, Out Black Spot 448

10 (Comparatively) Easy Roses 449

The Scent of a Garden 450

How to Train a Rose 450

10 (Absolutely) Scented Roses 451

Perfect Plants for Tough Places 452

The 60-Second Gardener 453

Vegetables: Late-Season Vegetables 454

What Makes Them Heirlooms? 455

A Vegetable for Every Pot 456

Feed Your Plants 458

Herbs for All Spaces 459

Pests & Pruning: Doing Battle With Blight 460

How to Attract Butterflies 462

To Lure a Hummingbird 462

Even Plants Need a Haircut 463

How to Delay Blooming 463

Pruners and Spades to Die For 464

Trees & Lawns: From Root to Branch 465

Trees You Can Adopt 465

Pruning Trees 466

The Mighty Quince 467

The Perfect Lawn 467

The Grass Is Always Greener 469

Indoors & Out: Houseplants 470

Location, Location, Location 471

Books: Gardening From A to Z 472

10 Terrific Public Gardens 473

Beautiful Gardens That Gather Moss 473

Pets

Dogs & Cats: Picking a Canine Companion 474

Fair Weather Friends 474

Congenital Defects in Dogs 475

Buying a Pedigree Pup 476

That Doggie in the Pop-up Window 477

Adopting From an Animal Shelter 477

Smelling Like a Wet Dog 477

How to De-Skunk Your Dog 478

Dieting-A Dog's Life 478

All the Cat's Meows 479

Pet Photos: Smile and Say "Arf" 480

Jumpy? Try DogCatRadio 481

Vets: When Your Pet Gets Sick 482

Boosting Your Pet's Well-Being 484

A New Age in Pet Care 485

Finding a Boarding Kennel 486

Birds, Gerbils & More

Choosing a Bird Feeder 486

This Recipe Is for the Birds 487

Caged Birds That Sing 488

Thinking of Getting a Gerbil? 488

Bringing Up the Other Baby 489

You Can't Take Them With You 490

Chapter 8 Travel

Getting There

Flying: Finding Air-Fare Bargains Online 492

Online Travel Sites Worth a Visit 493

All's Fair in the Fare Wars 494

Two Ways to Fly for Peanuts 494

How to Get an Even Cheaper Fare 495

Vacation Packages: A Deal for You 496

Taking the Fear out of Flying 497

A Cure for Jet Lag? 498

Are You on the Safest Airplane? 498

...And in the Safest Seat? 499

If You Are Bumped From a Flight 499

No-Fly Frequent Flier Miles 500

Making the Best of a Long Layover 500

Sails & Rails: Tall Ships Sailing 501

If Shuffleboard Isn't Your Thing 501

Deck by Deck 502

Cruising the World 502

Riding the Rails 503

Distances Between Major U.S. Cities 504

Lodging: The World's Most Charming Inns 504

Where the Well-Heeled Stay 506

Taking a Bite of the Big Apple 507

Hush-Hush Hotels 508

Palaces That Could Be Yours 510

Swapping Castles 511

Get Thee to a Monastery 512

Incidentals: It's a Wireless World 512

Getting an 11th-Hour Passport 513

Calling Home for Less 514

The Case for Trip Insurance 515

Travelers' Illnesses 515

A Short Guide to Travel Guides 516

Blogs: Need Even More Travel Advice? 517

Hot Spots

Asia: Southeast Asia's Tourist Meccas 519

Angkor Wat: Temples & Terror 520

Chowing Down in Shanghai 521

Beyond the Taj Mahal 523

Islands: The Caribbean's Hidden Gems 523

The Next St. Bart's 525

Treasures Beneath the Sea 526

Cuba: You Can't There From Here 527

The Pearl of the Atlantic Regains Its Luster 527

Beyond Hawaii's Big Island 528

Greece: So Many Islands, So Little Time 530

Family Travel: Beyond Disney World 533

Perfect Meals in London and Paris 534

Monaco: Not Just for Adults 536

Natural Treasures

National Parks: America's Crown Jewels 538

Sure Ways to Beat the Crowds 541

The Best Park Guides 545

Where the Crowds Aren't 546

Pick a Park, Any Park 549

Lodges: Places to Hang Your Hiking Boots 551

Paths Across the Nation 552

Wildlife: Catch a Glimpse of a Bighorn 554

Where to Watch the Whales 555

Way South: Galapagos Unbound 556

A Birdwatcher's Best Friend 557

Rain Forests: Wet and Wild 558

Butterflies Are Free 559

The Pyramids Next Door 559

On Safari: Into the Heart of Africa 561

Where the Wild Things Roam 563

Adventure

Trekking: A Heck of a Trek 564

G.P.S. Devices: Lost and Found 565

Life Is Better in Bhutan 567

Hiking All Day, Pampered at Night 568

Biking: Your Personal Tour de France 572

River Trips: Slow Boats Through Europe 573

Renting a Canal Cruiser 574

White Water Runs Through It 574

The Ultimate River-Rafting Trip 576

Pristine Places: Sites for the Intrepid Traveler 577

Follow the Silk Road to the 'Stans 579

Chapter 9 Sports & Games

A Fan's Guide

Baseball: Take Me Out to the Ballgame 582

Baseball's Winter Games 584

Following the Boys of Summer in the Spring 587

Tickets: Nothing Beats Being There 588

Football: Reading the Football Ref's Arms 589

Scalper's Guide: Snagging a Seat 590

Get Ready for the Kickoff 591

Basketball: A Short History of B-ball 592

A Who's Who of Pro Hoop Teams 593

The Odds of Winning the Office Pool 594

Hockey: The Fastest Game on Ice 594

Where to Watch the Puck Fly 595

Auto Racing: Following the Racing Flags 596

Legends: How to Get to the Hall of Fame 597

Must-See Sites for Sports Junkies 598

An Athelete's Guide

Golf: Get a Grip on Your Golf Game 599

How Handicapping Works 601

Playing Golf Like a Billionaire 602

The Power Game 603

Game Plans: How to Play Smart Tennis 604

Basketball: The Home Court Advantage 604

Picking a Tennis Racket 605

Growing Squash 606

Hitting the Softball Every Time 606

From Little Leaguer to All-Star 607

Should Kids Play Football? 608

Sports for a Summer Day 609

How to Ride a Raging Bull 612

Rodeos With a Twist 613

Outdoors: Bicycles: Deals on Wheels 614

Beyond the Basic Bike 615

How to Swim Like a Fish 616

Snorkeling: A Mask and the Deep Blue 617

Fishing: Finding Bigger, Meaner Fish 618

Flies That Never Fail 619

A Little Night Fishing 620

Rare Books for an Angler's Soul 621

The Call of the Hunt 621

Dick Cheney's Hunting Lessons 623

Falconry: A Sport of Sultans 624

Rock Climbing: Clinging to the Crags 625

Winter Games: Polar Chills and Thrills 627

Fitting a Snowshoe 627

The Dangers of Thin Air 628

Snowboarding: Catching Some Air 630

Skiing: It's All Downhill From Here 632

Cross-Country Skiing 632

The Best of the West and East 633

How Long Should Your Skis Be? 634

Face-Saving Lessons From the North Pole 635

Igloos: Living Like the Inuit 636

Hitch Rover and Go Skijoring 637

Gear for Warm Toes and Safe Wrists 637

Adventures in Wild Skating 638

Figure-Skating: Making It on the Ice 638

Anatomy of an Ice Skate 640

Extreme Sports: Radical

Races 640

Waivers: The Fine Print 641

Parlor Games

Pool: Taking Cues From a Shark 642

Pool Rules 643

Online Gaming: Rules for Multiplayer Newbies 644

Board Games: Secrets of a Monopoly Champ 645

The Most Landed-on Monopolies 646

A-D-V-I-C-E From a Scrabble Master 647

Go Directly to Go 648

Bored? Looking for Board Games 648

Mah-Jongg: Joining the Tile-High Club 649

Where Kings and Queens Reign 650

Card Games: Poker: Cut the Deck, Please 653

What Beats What 654

Be Prepared to Bet the Ranch 655

A Guide to Poker-Table Manners 657

A Full House With Harry or Johnny 657

Poker Can Make You Rich...or President 658

The Rest: From Bridge to Solitaire 658

Seduced by Sudoku 664

Chapter 10 Arts & Entertainment

Movies & TV

Classics: The Very Best "Best Movies" List 666

Who Is Oscar, Anyway? 666

Fan Fun: Online Sites for Movie and TV fans 671

Parties: Just in Case You Get Invited 672

Home Video: Best DVD's You Haven't Seen 673

Films for a Very Rainy Day 676

Festivals: Film Festivals Worth the Journey 677

How to Get on a Reality Tv Show 678

Children: The Best 100 Movies for Kids 679

Music

Critics' Picks: Picks for a Desert Island 681

Where Classical Music Thrives 682

What Jazzes Wynton Marsalis 685

Pop & Rock: Rock & Roll Royalty 686

Opera & Ballet: Cecilia Bartoli Airs Her Arias 689

Opera-Wherever You May Be 690

Ballet at Its Best 691

Indie Music & Jazz: The Earliest Recordings 691

For R&B and Jazz Lovers 692

A Who's Who of Music Lists 692

Sites From the Underground 693

Festivals: The Best Summer Festivals 694

The Battle of the Bands 695

The World's Most Remote Music Festival 696

Museums & Books

Art: The World's Great Modern Museums 697

Can't Get to the Louvre? Try This 698

Small European Gems 699

Whistler's Mother Unseated 700

Architecture: Sites for Your Eyes 701

Great Books: Best Books of the 21st Century 702

Libraries: Getting Lost in the Stacks 708

Beloved American Novels 708

Chapter 11 Everyday Science

Weather & Geology

Forecasting: Crickets as Thermometers 710

When to Believe the Weatherman 710

What Weather Maps Say 711

Weather Watching Around the U.S. 712

Know Which Way the Wind Blows 713

Be Your Own Forecaster 714

Why Windchill Matters 715

Hurricanes: Stormy Weather Ahead 715

Avoiding Hypothermia 716

Looking Beyond the Clouds 717

Earth Science: How to Read Rocks 717

Common Minerals and Their Uses 718

Predicting Earthquakes 719

Earthquake-Prone Zones 721

The Magnitude of Tremors 721

Stars & Tides

The Stars & Planets: With the Naked Eye 722

The Night Sky: Month by Month 723

Stars and Constellations 724

Our Closest Stellar Neighbors 725

A Portrait of the Planets 726

What's a Planet, Anyway? 728

The Question of Comets 729

Computer-Assisted Telescopes 730

The Sun & Moon: Solar Eclipses 731

Shadows of the Moon 732

Mountains on the Moon 733

The Phases of the Moon 734

Star Talk: How to Talk Like an Astronomer 736

Internet Travel: To the Moon, Alice 736

Astrology: What the Stars Say About You 739

The Stars They Are A-Changin' 741

The Tides: A Beachgoer's Guide to the Tides 742

Times & Dates

About Time: A Very Brief History of Time 744

A Quick Glance at the Clock 744

How to Tell Time Like a Sailor 745

Time Zones: Daylight Saving Time 746

International Time Zones 747

Calendar Dates: The Perpetual Calendar 748

Holidays Around the World 749

Why Are There Leap Years? 756

How to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions 758

Ancient Times: The Chinese Zodiac 759

How to Tell Geologic Time 761

Figures & Formulas

Weights & Measures: Measuring Everything 762

Making Do Without a Ruler 762

U.S. Customary Units 763

Temperature Conversions 763

Metric Units 764

The Long and Short of Clothing Sizes 765

Converting U.S. Units to Metric 765

How Far Is That in Miles? 766

Bits, Bytes & Beyond 767

Special Weights & Measures 767

Common Household Measures 768

Chemistry & Math: Chemistry 769

The Periodic Table of Elements 769

Placing Math on a Timeline 770

Algebra 770

Reading the Signs 770

Roman Numerals 771

Fractions and Their Decimal Equivalents 772

Geometry: Angles and Triangles 772

Quadrilaterals and Other Polygons 773

The Right Way to View Right Triangles 773

Solids 774

Chapter 12 Law & Mores

Legal Guide

Citizenship: How to Become a U.S. Ciitizen 776

Registering to Vote 777

How the Electoral College Works 777

How a Bill Becomes a Law 778

Getting a Passport 778

Obtaining a Social Security Number 779

How to Register for the Draft 780

How to Make a Campaign Contribution 780

Deciphering an Opinion Poll 781

How to Join AmeriCorps 782

Legalities: Jury Duty: The Whole Truth 783

Having Your Day in Small Claims Court 784

Where to Go When the Stakes Are Low 785

How to Read Your F.B.I. File 786

Divorce on the Cheap 787

How to Change Your Name 788

When a Child Needs a Guardian 788

Do You Need a Will? 789

Living Wills: Whose Life Is It Anyway? 790

Manners & Miscellany

Etiquette: 21st-Century Manners 791

If the Queen Drops By 792

If You Only Knew What to Do 793

Entertaining With Children 794

Flummoxed by Finger Bowls 795

Putting the "R" back in R.S.V.P. 796

The Lost Art of Letter Writing 796

The Art of the Thank-You Note 797

Minding Multicultural Manners 797

Weddings: Weddings Ring a New Bell 798

Looking for Mr. Right 799

Raising a Glass 800

All the Nuptials Fit to Print 801

What to Say If You Get Cold Feet 801

Ways to Remember a Big Day 802

Stepping Out on the Dance Floor 803

Genealogy: Tracing Your Family Tree 803

Finding Grandma, the DNA Way 804

Words: New York Times Crossword Puzzles 804

Grammar in a Jiffy 805

Research: Your Personal Reference Desk 806

Signs & Symbols

Visual Aids: Negotiating Highways & Byways 807

International Road Signs 807

Codes: If You Are Lost in the Woods 808

Symbols of Distress 808

Tracking Codes 808

Secrets in Code 809

The Semaphore Code 809

The Morse Code 809

Without Words: Musical Notations 810

Proofreader's Marks 811

Second That Emoticon 811

How to Sign 812

American Sign Language Alphabet 812

The Braille System 812.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

031235388X

9780312353889

OCLC:

70708067

Online:

Contributor biographical information

Publisher description