Books
A Scholar Follows a Trail of Dead Mice and Discovers a Lesson in Why Museum Collections Matter
A former Smithsonian curator authors a new book, <i>Inside the Lost Museum</i>
This Obscure Fishing Book is One of the Most Reprinted English Books Ever
'The Compleat Angler' is much more than an instruction manual on fishing. It's a Walden-like meditation on nature and friendship
Is One A Number? According to ‘Mathematicks Made Easie,' Yes
The ancient Greeks, and people for almost 2,000 years after them, argued over whether one was a number
Medieval Manuscripts Are a DNA Smorgasbord
Researchers are finding animal DNA in the parchment pages as well as genetic fingerprints from humans (like kissing priests)
The Author of 'Robinson Crusoe' Used Almost 200 Pseudonyms
Daniel Defoe honed his pen on political writing before he came to the novel
Why 'Paradise Lost' Is Translated So Much
New book shows the enduring power of the epic poem has made it spread across dozens of languages and hundreds of years
Take a Stroll Through Jane Austen's England With This Interactive Map
A look at the houses and towns that shaped the life and writing of the famed author on the 200th anniversary of her death
Ancient Humans Liked Getting Tipsy, Too
In a new book on the archaeology and chemistry of alcoholic beverages, Patrick McGovern unravels the history of boozing
The Tin Man Is a Reminder of L. Frank Baum’s Onetime Oil Career
Baum had a number of careers before he hit it big with 'The Wizard of Oz'
These Fanciful Microbes Need Your Coloring Skills
A vast microscopic world writhes around you. Now a coloring book lets you bring wee beasts and beauties to life
Harry Potter Sparks Illegal Owl Trade in Indonesia
Hedwig made quite the impression—but her popularity is hurting real-life birds
Which Books Do Americans Take on Vacation?
Our city-by-city breakdown uncovered some surprises
Horse-Riding Librarians Were the Great Depression's Bookmobiles
During the Great Depression, a New Deal program brought books to Kentuckians living in remote areas
The Great Uprising: How a Powder Revolutionized Baking
Before baking powder hit the scene in 1856, making cake was not a piece of cake
Happy Bloomsday! Too Bad James Joyce Would Have Hated This
Joyce infamously disliked the idea of being memorialized
Three Very Modern Uses For A Nineteenth-Century Text Generator
Andrey Markov was trying to understand poems with math when he created a whole new field of probability studies
257-Year-Old Coloring Book Rediscovered in St. Louis
The Florist contains 60 drawings, and recommends watercolor pigments like “gall-stone brown”
Anthony Burgess' Legendary Dictionary of Slang Lives
The author and linguist gave up the book after realizing how enormous the task of keeping up with slang would be
Dylan Finally Delivers on Nobel Prize Lecture
The reclusive singer-songwriter muses on literature and music in characteristic style
Scholars Rediscover Forgotten Edith Wharton Play
“The Shadow of a Doubt” had been overshadowed by over 100 years of history
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