Most Popular Books by Elizabeth Foley

''What guts. What attitude! These are the immortals I wish I''d learned about at school.'' OLIVIA COLMAN Channel the feminist power of mythical goddesses in this witty, inspirational gift book. ''Wonderful.'' CERYS MATTHEWS Whether it''s the Norse warrior goddess Freya breaking all the rules, the Yoruba goddess Oshun being unafraid to ask for what she''s owed, or the Japanese goddess Uzume finding humour and playfulness in even the most embarrassing of situations: this fierce and fantastic tour of 25 ancient deities reclaims these feminist icons for a new generation. Why settle for mere mortal excellence when you could be living like a goddess? Divinely illustrated by Georgia Perry, You Goddess! will help you conquer today''s world.

Pamela Colman Smith’s illustrations for the Rider Waite tarot deck are known to millions worldwide, but her work took her from art galleries in New York and Europe to salons with luminaries of the English suffrage movement, the Irish literary revival, and friendships with Bram Stoker, W. B. Yeats, and G. K. Chesterton. A feminist artist, poet, folklorist, editor, publisher, and stage designer who was active from 1896 through the 1920s, Colman Smith became popular for her live performances of Jamaican folktales in both England and the U.S., using the creole of the island to capture the dramatic power of these tales while driving speculation about her purposefully indeterminate racial and sexual identity. She also travelled in - and was expelled from – occult circles, and her ability to take on and cast aside a wide range of identities was central to her life’s work. Colman Smith illustrated more than 20 books and well over a hundred magazine articles, wrote two collections of Jamaican folktales, and edited two magazines. Her paintings were exhibited in galleries in the U.S. and Europe.

If you paid attention to Homework for Grown-ups you should hopefully now have a grasp of the basics: know your chiasmus from your zeugma, your obliques from your acutes, and your Anne of Cleves from your Anne Boleyn. Now, sit up straight, and get your jotters and pencils out, because E Foley and B Coates are back to steer you through some of the more complicated elements of the curriculum and beyond. Advanced Homework for Grown-ups will revisit and refresh the core subjects of Maths, English, Science, Geography, History and Classics in a little more depth. This time, amongst other topics, they tackle logarithms, unlock the secrets of semantics, and explore the Agrarian Revolution, with a mix of really useful information and entertainingly esoteric material. In addititon, new subjects enter the timetable: Music, Modern Languages, Economics, Politics, Philosophy and Psychology, as well as Design and Drama. Packed with fun practical excercises and, of course, examination papers for the competitive, Advanced Homework for Grown-ups will be the perfect gift.

“Fun, cheeky” (Booklist), and a visual delight, What Would Cleopatra Do? shares the wisdom and advice passed down from Cleopatra, Queen Victoria, Dorothy Parker, and forty-seven other heroines from past eras on how to handle common problems women have encountered throughout history and still face today. What Would Cleopatra Do? tackles issues by reminding us of inspiring feminists from the past, telling their stories with warmth, humor, and verve. From sticking up for yourself, improving body image, deciding whether to have children, finding a mentor, getting dumped, feeling like an imposter, being unattractive, and dealing with gossip, we can learn a lot by reading motivational stories of heroic women who, living in much tougher times through history, took control of their own destinies and made life work for them. Here are Cleopatra’s thoughts on sibling rivalry, Mae West on positive body image, Frida Kahlo on finding your style, Catherine the Great on dealing with gossip, Agatha Christie on getting dumped, Hedy Lamarr on being underestimated—to list only a few—as well as others who address dilemmas including career-planning, female friendship, loneliness, financial management, and political engagement. Featuring whimsical illustrations by L.A.-based artist Bijou Karman, What Would Cleopatra Do? is a distinctive, witty, and gift-worthy tribute to history’s outstanding women.

''Rather jolly and very helpful’ The Times Need to swot up on your Shakespeare? The ultimate guide to the Bard, perfect for the Shakespeare aficionado and general reader alike. If you’ve always felt a bit embarrassed at your precarious grasp on the plot of Othello, or you haven’t a clue what a petard (as in ‘hoist with his own petard’) actually is, then fear not, because this, at last, is the perfect guide to the Bard. From the authors of the number-one bestselling Homework for Grown-ups, Shakespeare for Grown-ups is the essential book for anyone keen to deepen their knowledge of they plays and sonnets. For parents helping with their children’s homework, casual theatre-goers who want to enhance their enjoyment of the most popular plays and the general reader who feels they should probably know more about Britain’s most splendid scribe, Shakespeare for Grown-ups covers Shakespeare''s time; his personal life; his language; his key themes; his less familiar works and characters; his most famous speeches and quotations; phrases and words that have entered general usage, and much more.

Herausforderungen gehören zum Leben, und oft ist guter Rat teuer. In diesem liebevoll gestalteten Buch erfahren wir, wie Powerfrauen wie Margarete Steiff, Clara Schumann, Kleopatra, Elizabeth I., Katharina von Bora, Erika Mann und viele andere ihre Probleme lösten und sich Situationen stellten, denen wir uns auch heute noch in ähnlicher Weise stellen müssen. Wie verlockend ist es da, sich Inspiration von beachtlichen Frauen und strahlenden Vorbildern der Geschichte zu holen! Was würde Frida Kahlo an unserer Stelle tun, was können wir von Coco Chanel, Dorothy Parker, Annemarie Schwarzenbach, Agatha Christie und vielen anderen lernen? Die Quintessenzen aus ihren Lebenserfahrungen und ihrer mentalen Haltung bieten auch heute noch reichlich lebensnahe Inspiration für alle Lebenslagen!

Per dare una bella scrollata al soffocante ideale della brava bambina, affidatevi ai consigli delle spregiudicate e corsare figure femminili del passato. Cleopatra ci insegna a domare i parenti serpenti, Frida Kahlo a sfoggiare con orgoglio il nostro stile, Dorothy Parker a tenere testa ai maschi stronzi, Caterina la Grande a gestire i pettegolezzi. Dall’antichità all’età dell’oro elisabettiana, dalla Roma di Artemisia Gentileschi alla Parigi del dopoguerra, questa ricca carrellata di storie esemplari compone una brillante miniera di consigli per superare gli ostacoli con ironia, determinazione e una buona dose di sfrontatezza.

Eine brillante Sammlung voller kurioser Wissensschätze, die ein Jahr voller Staunen versprechen! Inmitten des stressigen Alltages kann es schwierig sein, die Zeit zu finden, die kleinen Wunder unserer Welt wahrzunehmen und wertzuschätzen. Dieses liebevoll gestaltete Buch soll uns dabei helfen und begleitet uns mit seinen 365 fröhlich-zufälligen und äußerst faszinierenden Einträgen durch ein ganzes Jahr, um uns Tag für Tag zum Staunen und Wundern zu bringen. Wir erfahren zum Beispiel, was die Japaner mit „kuchisabishii“ meinen, wie die Viktorianer durch Blumen kommunizierten und wir entdecken die geheime Herkunft der Pudelmütze. Es gibt Geschichten über fußballspielende Bienen und Wikingermäuse, den Beginn des Thesaurus und das Ende der Bibliothek von Alexandria. Ein Buch, das die Stimmung hebt, den Horizont erweitert und uns jeden Tag ein bisschen klüger macht.

Da sempre noi donne aspiriamo a migliorare noi stesse: amiamo confrontarci le une con le altre, imparare dai nostri errori, dispensare consigli. Ma perché accontentarsi di modelli mortali, quando disponiamo di esempi divini? I miti, antichi quanto l’umanità, con le loro storie popolate di creature magiche, di gesta coraggiose, ma anche di fallimenti epici, ci aiutano a comprendere il nostro posto nel mondo e a raggiungere i più alti obiettivi. Le autrici di questo libro ci accompagnano in un avventuroso viaggio attraverso leggendarie divinità, con esempi tratti da ventisei miti provenienti da ogni angolo del globo. Sono storie educative, ma non sempre edificanti: per coltivare le qualità esteriori e interiori, è necessario conoscere le virtù ma anche i lati oscuri del proprio carattere. Dalle dive greche, come Atena o Afrodite, a eroine meno note, come la nipponica Uzume, dea dell’alba, o Ix Chel, la dea giaguaro della cultura Maya, fino alla sirena africana Oshun, ogni racconto contiene insegnamenti per coltivare il potere personale, curare la salute, diventare sicure di sé e ottenere il successo. Siccome la maggior parte dei miti furono tramandati da autori maschi, questo libro sottolinea anche gli stereotipi che, nei secoli, hanno accompagnato la figura femminile (la fanciulla in pericolo, la madre che si sacrifica, la seduttrice insidiosa): conoscerne l’origine è il primo passo per risvegliare il proprio talento e trasformarlo in un “superpotere” utile nella realtà di tutti i giorni.

The legend of Dungeon Rock had intrigued and intimidated Colton and his friends since the first time they laid eyes on it. Huge and black in color, it straddles the cool, clear Monadnock River which lies at the foot of Mt. Monadnock. When the friends start out to win a simple kayak race in the shadow of Dungeon Rock, they find out that things can go terribly wrong. In the blink of an eye, the friends find themselves in mortal danger. Is the legend of Dungeon Rock coming true? Their story is all adventure and suspense as they face extreme adversity and discover that personal sacrifice, giving, caring, and the strength that lies in the strong bonds of friendship and family are all they have to rely on. Before their adventure is over, they will know that the truth isn=t out there, it=s in there--but they are all sworn to secrecy. Dungeon Rock is a story of courage, determination and hope that will entertain and educate readers from eight to one-hundred and eight with no parental controls necessary.

Which literary giant also held the post of Controller of the Custom of Hides, Skins and Wools in the port of London? Which former concubine went on to become the first, and only, empress of China? Which French diplomat gave his name to the notoriously addictive nicotine? How old was George Harrison whent the Beatles split up? Test your wits, compete with your loved ones and check if it''s all still there upstairs with these devilishly diverting questions on all the old-school subjects.