Now You Know Absolutely Everything Series

This is a follow-up to last year’s runaway bestseller Now You Know … The Book of Answers, which went through five printings and sold over 20,000 copies! Why do we shout "Fore" on a golf course? Why is confetti thrown at a wedding? Exactly how long is a "moment" or a "jiffy"? Why is breaking a mirror bad luck, and a rabbit’s foot good luck? In this second book, Lennox continues to trace the concise and fascinating history and reasons for hundreds of expressions in our everyday language, as well as customs and habits, in the same entertaining format that was so successful last year. These gems are from the original syndicated radio scripts broadcast daily to millions across Canada through the Sound Source Network of Standard Broadcasting.

Building on the success of his previous bestsellers, Now You Know, Now You Know More, and Now You Know Almost Everything, this fourth volume is headed straight for the bestseller list! It is Doug Lennox at his best as he masterfully dispenses the answers to quirky questions, never losing sight of the joy of discovering the "why" of ordinary things. Discover the fascinating histories behind people, places, and words: WHY DO WE SAY THAT SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN TREATED BADLY HAS BEEN "HUNG OUT TO DRY"? Discipline on early British sailing ships was necessary but often extreme. The cat-o’-nine-tails left sailors scarred for life, but keelhauling (tying a victim with a rope and pulling him under a ship) was feared most. If the prisoner survived, he was suspended from a yardarm where he was left hanging for a predetermined period of time. WHY IS A MILITARY DINING HALL CALLED A "MESS"? The term goes back to the Middle Ages, when British sailors began calling their meagre and often grub-infested meals a "mess." It evolved into meaning the general area where the sailors gathered to eat. Later it referred to a specific area where men gathered to eat, drink, and socialize.

The phenomenal success of the Now You Know and Now You Know More has encouraged this third Book of Answers. Now You Know Almost Everything continues with the same formula of dispensing knowledge concisely, never losing sight of the joy and fun of discovering the why of ordinary things. In Now You Know Almost Everything you will discover answers to hundreds of questions: Why can’t grooms see their bride on the day before the wedding? Why is a swindle called a "double-cross"? Why do people say, "That’s all she wrote"? Where did the word "Canuck" come from? Now You Know Almost Everything makes sure that you just about know it all.

Why are golf assistants called caddies? Why do the British drive on the left and North Americans on the right? Why is football played on a "gridiron," and a leg injury called a "Charlie horse"? The answers to these questions and the origins of hundreds of other expressions and customs are brought together in this fascinating collection of the history behind everyday words and routines. With all the conciseness of his original radio scripts, Doug Lennox "cuts to the quick" in telling you the things you always wanted to know.

Doug Lennox is back with a treasure trove of his favourite trivia culled from his four previous Now You Know books plus 125 brand new questions answered by the master of Q & A. Lennox dispenses knowledge concisely, never losing sight of the joy and fun of discovering the why or ordinary things. He covers a wide range of topics from sports to war, from crime to religion, from pop culture to politics. Answers to questions and the origins of hundreds of expressions and customs are brought together in this fascinating compilation. Thanks to Doug, you’ll learn the answers to: Why do humans kiss? Why is a miserly person called a "cheapskate"? Why is an evil adversary called a "villain"? Why is football played on a "gridiron" and a leg injury called a "charley horse"? Why is confetti thrown at a wedding? Why do golf courses have 18 holes? Why do the British drive on the left and North Americans on the right? Why is a road called a "highway" and the ocean the "high seas"?

With hit cop TV dramas like the various CSI and Law and Order shows, Bones and Criminal Minds. everybody seems to think they’re a forensics expert. But what do we really know? Now, with Now You Know Crime Scenes, we can all get the dope on: How long does it really take to analyze a DNA sample? Who started the first forensics laboratory? Who invented criminal profiling? How do you do a walk-through?

"When it rains, it pours," especially when it comes to best-selling author Doug Lennox’s Now You Know Extreme Weather. Global warming, killer hurricanes, murderous tornadoes, melting permafrost – weather concerns us all, and now with this tightly packed compenium of questions and answers, everyone can get the lowdown on things like: What makes a perfect storm perfect? Where’s the world’s hottest place? Why was Hurricane Katrina so destructive?

Known around the world as football, soccer is the world’s most watched and played sport. Now Doug Lennox, the striker of Q&A, scores with a pitch full of tidbits that delivers the goods on Pelé, Maradona, Beckham, Zidane, and other superstars, as well as the history, traditions, and rules of the game. Doug has compiled a World Cup of trivia about a truly universal phenomenon that has legions of passionate, and sadly sometimes violent, fans. How did soccer originate?, Who was the first soccer player to score a hat trick in a World Cup final? What was the largest attendance ever for a soccer match? What is the "technical area"? Where was the world’s first soccer club formed? What was the first movie ever made about soccer? Where was the first World Cup held? What are the Laws of the Game? What were the 10 worst losses of life in soccer history?

From oversized socks filled with treats to firs in living rooms and strange stories and songs, Christmas makes us all scratch our heads now and then. Now You Know Christmas will help everyone make sense of the holiday season, with answers to questions like: How fast would Santa have to travel in order to deliver toys to all the children in the world in one night? Why are Christmas songs called "carols"? Why did the Wise Men bring gold, frankincense and myrrh as gifts?

Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and tidal waves, fires, mine cave-ins, bridge collapses, ship sinkings, airplane crashes, explosions, and plagues — natural and human-engineered calamity and catastrophe have many forms and guises. In Now You Know Disasters, Q & A ringmaster Doug Lennox showcases the what, why, when, where, who, and how of everything that’s gone tragically and terribly wrong, past and present. How does a tsunami occur? Why do Canadian engineers wear iron rings? Who was Richter in the Richter scale? What was the worst freshwater ship disaster ever in North America? What is wildfire? Who was Typhoid Mary? How is "ring around the rosie" related to disaster? How did the Halifax Explosion occur? What was the worlds worst airplane crash?

Shiver me timbers and avast ye hearties! We think we know pirates, from Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow to Errol Flynn as Captain Blood, or literature’s Long John Silver and Captain Hook. But what do we really know? The true Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Sir Henry Morgan, and lots more, from ancient keelhauling to twenty-first-century buccaneering, are all here in Q & A commodore Doug Lennox’s Now You Know Pirates. Arrrr! What is the origin of the word pirate? Who were the Barbary Corsairs? What did pirates do to St. Patrick? What is the difference between a pirate and a privateer? What is the Oak Island Treasure? How many female pirates have there been? What are "pieces of eight" and "doubloons"? Who were the buccaneers? How old is piracy?

Once again Doug Lennox, the toastmaster of trivia, serves up a mammoth selection of some of his most cherished Q&As culled from his previous books. Also featured in this wide-ranging compendium are 150 brand-new questions answered with Doug’s inimitable flair for unearthing intriguing arcana on everything from animals and the arts to superstitions and show business. Customs, conventions, expressions, everyday words, rituals, and traditions – Doug has dug deep to deliver the goods on a vast array of perplexing subjects. Why is a warm autumn called "Indian summer"? What is the origin of "nicknames"? Why is a decorated parade vehicle called a "float"? Why is the rubber around a car wheel called a "tire"? Why are sailors known as "tars"? Why is a bad dream called a "nightmare"? Why are published periodicals called "magazines"?

Everybody seems to be a golfer or at least knows someone who is. The game is one of the world’s most popular sports, and now Doug Lennox, the links pro of Q&A, hits the green with a barrage of golfing trivia on everything from albatrosses and barkies to Vardon grips and zingers. All the titans, male and female, take a swing, including Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Kathy Whitworth, Vijay Singh, Annika Sorenstam, Michelle Wie, and, of course, Tiger Woods. What is the oldest playing golf course in the world? Where was golf invented? How does the term sandbagger connect golf with criminals? What member of British royalty introducedgolf to Continental Europe? Who was the first female golfer to compete in a major men’s professional match? What type of golf club did astronaut Alan Shepard use on the moon?

As Canadians, we all think we know hockey inside and out, but Doug Lennox, the head referee of Q&A, delivers the score on everything from All-Stars to Zambonis and stickhandles the skinny on who wore the first mask in hockey, how the term hat trick originated, and just where hockey was invented. Along the way, you’ll discover all sorts of fascinating things about the giants of the game, from Jean Beliveau and Sidney Crosby to Gordie Howe and Alexander Ovechkin. Who was the first black player in the NHL? Where did the word deke come from? What was the greatest women’s hockey team of all time? How did the Rocket Richard riot start? Who was the first Russian to play in the NHL? When was the Stanley Cup not awarded? What team beat Canada for the gold medal in the 1936 Winter Olympics?

We’re all familiar with the trials and tribulations of the current British Royal Family, but there are more than 25 royal families that still wield power in the world today from Japan and Thailand to Saudi Arabia and Scandinavia. The crown prince of Q&A, Doug Lennox, is at it again, this time with a cornucopia of facts and frivolities about the escapades, excesses, and extravagances of the world’s monarchies, past and present. From betrayal and beheadings to pageantry and privilege, discover the truth about life behind the castle walls. Which wife of England’s Henry VIII had six fingers on one hand? What royal connection does Thomas Crapper, inventor of the flush toilet, have? What is the royal residence in Monaco known as? What royal family in the world today has ruled the longest? Who was the "Hammer of the Scots"? Why are members of royal families said to have "blue blood"? Which member of the British royal family competed at the Olympics? Where did the word czar come from? What did Marie Antoinette say before she was executed?

It’s easy to be a Monday-morning quarterback, but the true football fan has the answers all week long. Doug Lennox, the all-pro of Q&A, leads the drive as he tells us why a touchdown is worth six points, who first decided to pick up the ball and throw it, and how a children’s toy changed the sport’s biggest championship. Along the way we’ll meet players great and not-so-great and encounter the various leagues that have come and gone throughout the world. Why is the sport called "football"? Who first used the term sack? Why did one American president consider banning football? What football team was named after a Burt Reynolds character? Why are footballs shaped the way they are? How many times have NFL and CFL teams squared off? Which came first - the Ottawa Rough Riders or the Saskatchewan Roughriders? Whose Super Bowl ring is a size 25?

When it comes to Q&A trivia, Doug Lennox has no peer. Sir Isaac Brock, Tecumseh, Laura Secord, Norman Bethune, Terry Fox, and Roberta Bondar are all Canadian icons we’ve come to cherish. Doug gives the dope on all those famous heroes and many more, but you’ll also discover the amazing courage, pluck, and accomplishments of Upper Canada Rebellion heroine Elizabeth Barnett, privateer Joseph Barss, the Angel of Long Point Abigail Becker, the First Lady of Labrador Mina Hubbard, and Second World War pilot Charley Fox - genuine heroes all! Who was the "musketeer in petticoats"? Who was the "Laura Secord of Gananoque"? What War of 1812 privateer was the founder of a major Canadian bank? How did an aristocratic French girl become a Canadian Robinson Crusoe? Who was the first Canadian firefighter to die in the line of duty? How did Tom Longboat astound the world in 1907? Who was the first Black woman electedt o Canada’s Parliament? How did a dog named Gander become a Canadian war hero?

Ever wonder where the figure skating terms axel, salchow, and lutz came from? Or why a curling tournament is called a "brier"? And how about a "haymaker" in boxing or a "high five" in any sport? Well, Doug Lennox, the world champion of trivia, is back to score touchdowns, hit homers, and knock in holes-in-one every time with a colossal compendium of Q&A athletics that has all anyone could possibly want to know from archery and cycling to skiing and wrestling and everything in between. What’s more, Doug goes for gold with a wealth of Winter and Summer Olympics lore and legend that will amaze and captivate armchair fans and fervent competitors alike. What do the five Olympic rings and their colours represent? Why does the winner of the Indianapolis 500 drink milk in victory lane? Who was the first player ever to perform a slam dunk in a basketball game? Why are golfers’ shortened pants called "plus-fours"? When was the Stanley Cup not awarded? Why does the letter k signify a strikeout on a baseball score sheet? Where is the world’s oldest tennis court?

A National Bestseller! A new collection of the best Canadian trivia in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday. Just in time for Canada’s 150th birthday comes this collection of the best in Canadian questions and answers, covering history, famous Canadians, sports, word origins, geography, and everything in between. In these pages, you’ll learn the answers to questions like: Where did the word Canuck come from? How did an aristocratic French girl become a Canadian Robinson Crusoe? What famous explorer played hockey in the Arctic? Who was the first black woman elected to Canada’s Parliament? What unlikely team beat Canada for the gold medal for hockey in the 1936 Winter Olympics? How did the Halifax Explosion occur?

While baseball is touted as America’s favourite pastime, everyone will know the score with this grand slam of Q&A that’s sure to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Doug Lennox hammers it out of the park by filling us in on who’s won the most Cy Young Awards, what the Green Monster is, and the five ways that a player can be called "out." In this treasure trove of baseball lore, you’ll learn all about the leagues and teams that have come and gone, the players who are legends, and the achievements and records that have become the stuff of myth and fable. Where and when did Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run? What major league team was known as the Blue Jays long before a team existed in Toronto? Who were the Bash Brothers? Where was baseball first played? Who wrote the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"? Did Fidel Castro try out for the New York Yankees?

This bundle presents Doug Lennox’s popular trivia book series in its entirety. These books will provide years and years of fun, with countless questions to be asked and tons of knowledge to be learned. The books cover general trivia but also such topics as sports (baseball, hockey, football, golf, soccer, among others), Christmas and the Bible, disasters and harsh weather, royal figures, crime and criminology, important people in Canada’s history, and so much more! Along the way we find out the answers to such questions as: Why do the British drive on the left and North Americans on the right? What football team was named after a Burt Reynolds character? Who started the first forensics laboratory? Which member of the British royal family competed at the Olympics? Lennox’s exhaustive series is fun for all ages. Includes Now You Know Now You Know More Now You Know Almost Everything Now You Know, Volume 4 Now You Know Big Book of Answers Now You Know Christmas Now You Know Big Book of Answers 2 Now You Know Golf Now You Know Hockey Now You Know Soccer Now You Know Football Now You Know Big Book of Sports Now You Know Baseball Now You Know Crime Scenes Now You Know Extreme Weather Now You Know Disasters Now You Know Pirates Now You Know Royalty Now You Know Canada’s Heroes Now You Know The Bible

The Bible has had a profound impact on the world. Now Doug Lennox, the vicar of Q&A, serves up an entertaining but informative slice of biblical lore, literature, and history. Discover the top four box office successes for biblical-themed movies in North America, find out what The Matrix and Moby-Dick have in common with the Bible, and learn quirky insights into many of the Good Books major and minor cast of characters and fabled events. Youll eat, drink, and be merry with this collection of minutiae showcasing highlights of the bestselling book of all time! Who is the only left-handed person mentioned in the Bible? Who asked Jesus Christ to perform his first recorded miracle? How many passages has God said to have written in the Bible? Who was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire? What caused Moses to break the tablets of the Ten Commandments? How many versions of the Bible are there?