The Know-it-all's Guide to Life : How to Climb Mount Everest, Cure Hiccups, Live to 100, and Dozens of Other Practical, Unusual, or Just Plain Fantastical Things

With wit and brevity this book contains useful advice on personal finance, health, sports, travel, automobiles, careers, and food. For example, in just six pages you will learn how to negotiate with a contractor. Consider some of the other facts brought to light in The Know-it-all's Guide to Life: o Eating chocolate before bedtime can disrupt your sleep. o 40 percent of totaled cars are fixed up and resold to unsuspecting buyers. o You can acquire a genuine British title of nobility for as little as $5,000. o By writing just one letter, you can eliminate most of the junk mail you receive. o You can lose weight by chewing sugarless gum. o You need to own at least 20 different stocks to have a well-diversified portfolio. o You will improve your recall if you skim written material first, then read it through completely. o Mashed potatoes and gravy are a healthier fast food choice than french fries. Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer or just intellectually curious, this book is the ultimate guide to modern life. Contents......Page 6 Introduction......Page 10 How to travel to space......Page 12 How to join Mensa......Page 15 How to try your own case......Page 17 How to decode Wall Street......Page 18 How to hire a contractor......Page 20 How to get rid of the budget surplus......Page 24 How to take the cure......Page 26 How to gain a firm grasp of the obvious......Page 30 How to get a good night's sleep......Page 31 How to become a movie star......Page 34 How to launch a new career......Page 36 How to get your hair back......Page 37 How to eat an artichoke......Page 41 How to buy a used car......Page 42 How to select an ear of corn......Page 46 How to get a patent......Page 47 How to become a day trader......Page 51 How to protect yourself without buying a gun......Page 55 How to cure hiccups......Page 57 How to dodge speeding tickets......Page 59 How to photograph an active volcano......Page 65 How to drive like Richard Petty......Page 66 How to go public......Page 67 How to live like a king for a day......Page 73 How to avoid an audit......Page 74 How to climb Mount Everest......Page 78 How to calculate your fortune......Page 83 How to pack for a business trip......Page 84 How to crash a black-tie party......Page 86 How to make great chili......Page 88 How to improve your memory......Page 89 How to solve the problem of public schools......Page 93 How to cure tennis elbow......Page 95 How to get an audience to pipe down......Page 96 How to beat the odds in Vegas......Page 98 How to hit out of a water hazard......Page 103 How to obtain a title of nobility......Page 104 How to cure bad breath......Page 108 How to eat with chopsticks......Page 112 How to do a swan dive into an empty pool......Page 113 How to find Blackbeard's treasure......Page 114 How to avoid hitting a moose......Page 116 How to remove a tattoo......Page 118 How to prevent jet lag......Page 120 How to get elected to the Senate......Page 124 How to get blood from a stone......Page 131 How to stop solicitors......Page 132 How to avoid gridlock......Page 134 How to correct your credit report......Page 135 How to ace an interview......Page 137 How to get admitted to Augusta National......Page 144 How to avoid being hit by lightning......Page 145 How to travel in style......Page 148 How to drink like Hemingway......Page 153 How to make great grilled chicken......Page 154 How to learn to fly fish......Page 156 How to prevent identity theft......Page 159 How to compete at altitude......Page 161 How to watch the Tour de France......Page 162 How to avoid jury duty......Page 168 How to choose a Christmas tree......Page 170 How to lose weight without dieting or breaking a sweat......Page 171 How to fake it at a bullfight......Page 172 How to conduct like Toscanini......Page 173 How to fly a jet fighter without joining the armed services......Page 178 How to cure a mid-life crisis......Page 181 How to cut an onion without crying......Page 183 How to improve your public speaking......Page 184 How to save the Earth......Page 185 How to turn a mountain back into a molehill......Page 188 How to get rid of all those frequent flyer miles......Page 189 How to live to 100......Page 190 How to run a democracy......Page 193 How to win a basketball game when your team is down by two with the ball and 30 seconds remaining......Page 194 How to select a single malt scotch......Page 195 How to run with the bulls......Page 199 How to become a Scrabble master......Page 201 How to prevent mosquito bites......Page 207 How to choose a fast food......Page 210 How to remove a fishhook......Page 217 How to avoid catching a cold......Page 218 How to tell if you are getting fat......Page 221 How to get rid of a fruitcake......Page 222 How to become a billionaire......Page 223 How to train a basset hound......Page 224 How to listen in on the CIA......Page 225 How to allocate your assets......Page 227 Additional resources......Page 234 B......Page 250 D......Page 251 J......Page 252 P......Page 253 S......Page 254 Z......Page 255 Contents 6 Introduction 10 How to travel to space 12 How to join Mensa 15 How to try your own case 17 How to decode Wall Street 18 How to hire a contractor 20 How to get rid of the budget surplus 24 How to take the cure 26 How to gain a firm grasp of the obvious 30 How to get a good night's sleep 31 How to become a movie star 34 How to launch a new career 36 How to get your hair back 37 How to eat an artichoke 41 How to buy a used car 42 How to select an ear of corn 46 How to get a patent 47 How to become a day trader 51 How to protect yourself without buying a gun 55 How to cure hiccups 57 How to dodge speeding tickets 59 How to photograph an active volcano 65 How to drive like Richard Petty 66 How to go public 67 How to live like a king for a day 73 How to avoid an audit 74 How to climb Mount Everest 78 How to calculate your fortune 83 How to pack for a business trip 84 How to crash a black-tie party 86 How to make great chili 88 How to improve your memory 89 How to solve the problem of public schools 93 How to cure tennis elbow 95 How to get an audience to pipe down 96 How to beat the odds in Vegas 98 How to hit out of a water hazard 103 How to obtain a title of nobility 104 How to resurrect a dead philosophy 108 How to cure bad breath 108 How to eat with chopsticks 112 How to do a swan dive into an empty pool 113 How to find Blackbeard's treasure 114 How to avoid hitting a moose 116 How to avoid inheriting the Earth 118 How to remove a tattoo 118 How to tell if a president is any good 120 How to prevent jet lag 120 How to get elected to the Senate 124 How to get blood from a stone 131 How to stop solicitors 132 How to avoid gridlock 134 How to correct your credit report 135 How to ace an interview 137 How to get admitted to Augusta National 144 How to avoid being hit by lightning 145 How to travel in style 148 How to drink like Hemingway 153 How to make great grilled chicken 154 How to learn to fly fish 156 How to prevent identity theft 159 How to compete at altitude 161 How to watch the Tour de France 162 How to get rid of tailgaters 168 How to avoid jury duty 168 How to choose a Christmas tree 170 How to lose weight without dieting or breaking a sweat 171 How to fake it at a bullfight 172 How to conduct like Toscanini 173 How to fly a jet fighter without joining the armed services 178 How to vex the terminally pleasant 181 How to cure a mid-life crisis 181 How to cut an onion without crying 183 How to improve your public speaking 184 How to save the Earth 185 How to turn a mountain back into a molehill 188 How to get rid of all those frequent flyer miles 189 How to live to 100 190 How to run a democracy 193 How to win a basketball game when your team is down by two with the ball and 30 seconds remaining 194 How to select a single malt scotch 195 How to run with the bulls 199 How to become a Scrabble master 201 How to prevent mosquito bites 207 How to choose a fast food 210 How to remove a fishhook 217 How to avoid catching a cold 218 How to permanently cure a slice 221 How to tell if you are getting fat 221 How to get rid of a fruitcake 222 How to become a billionaire 223 How to train a basset hound 224 How to listen in on the CIA 225 How to allocate your assets 227 Additional resources 234 Index 250 A 250 B 250 C 251 D 251 E 252 F 252 G 252 H 252 I 252 J 252 K 253 L 253 M 253 N 253 O 253 P 253 Q 254 R 254 S 254 T 255 U 255 V 255 W 255 Y 255 Z 255 1564146731 These topics and many more are illuminated with wit and brevity. You'll get useful advice about a myriad of subjects including: personal finance, health, sports, travel, automobiles, careers, and food. And the information is not hidden behind a lot of jargon or filler material. With just a few pages devoted to each area of discussion, you will learn things like how to negotiate with a contractor, try your own court case, join Mensa, become a movie star, get a patent, avoid being hit by lightning, run a democracy...even save the Earth. And that's just a small sample of topics -- from the glorious to the goofy -- covered within.