Create the next superhero or villain! - penguin.com · ARTS The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Drawing Superheroes & Villains Illustrated 9781592577958 The Complete Idiot’s Guide

ARTSThe Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Drawing Superheroes & Villains Illustrated 9781592577958The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Graphic Design 9781592578061The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Drawing Manga Illustrated, Second Edition 9781592578238BODY/MIND/SPIRITThe Complete Idiot’s Guide® to 2012 9781592578030BUSINESSThe Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Working Less, Earning More 9781592577989The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Coaching for Excellence 9781592577835The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Starting & Running a Winery 9781592578184COMPUTERS/TECHNOLOGYThe Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Creating a Website 9781592577880COOKING/BEVERAGEThe Pocket Idiot’s Guide™ to Martinis 9781592578139The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Tapas 9781592578245The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Wine Basics, Second Edition 9781592577866The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to High-Fiber Cooking 9781592578207GAMESThe Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Chess Openings 9781592577767The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Self-Testing Your IQ 9781592578115HEALTH/FITNESSThe Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Secrets of Longevity 9781592577408The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Boosting Your Metabolism 9781592578009HISTORYThe Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Middle East Conflict, Fourth Edition 9781592577910

HOMEThe Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Country Living 9781592578016MUSICThe Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Buying a Piano 9781592577187The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Playing the Fiddle 9781592577682PARENTING/ FAMILYThe Pocket Idiot’s Guide™ to Play Groups 9781592578054The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Life as a Military Spouse 9781592577873PERSONAL FINANCEThe Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Active Trading 9781592577453SCIENCEThe Complete Idiot’s Guide® to the Science of Everything 9781592577965SELF-HELP/PSYCHOLOGYThe Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Self-Testing Your Personality 9781592578146The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Your True Age 9781592578221The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Changing Old Habits for Good 9781592577804The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Enhancing Your Social IQ 9781592578160TRAVELThe Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Walt Disney World, 2009 Edition 9781592578900The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to New York City 9781592578122TRUE CRIMEThe Pocket Idiot’s Guide™ to Spanish for Law Enforcement Professionals 9781592577842WRITING/GENERAL REFERENCEThe Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Study Skills 9781592577996

New Titles, Resources, Story Ideas | September–December 2008

Create the next superhero or villain! 9781592577958 • $19.95 • September 2008

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Drawing Superheroes and Villains, Illustrated is the series’ fourth release in the step-by-step, how-to-draw arena, and the first to venture outside the realm of manga. But like the two manga books before it (The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Manga: Fantasy Creatures and The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Manga: Shoujo), this guide follows the same four-color format in which readers learn how to create a variety of characters. With more than 400 illustrations that are broken up into six- to eight-step series, color is used to clarify how the new strokes add to final full-color character.

In this book, readers learn:

• To create original superheroes and villains that are patterned after the underlying traits associated with well-known characters, but without replicating what’s already been done by the likes of Marvel and DC Comics

• To draw unique figures and see how they are both similar to and different from the established superheroes and villains

• To gain inspiration for creating their own truly original characters

AbouT The AuThoRS:

Matt Forbeck (Milwaukee, WI) is the co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Manga, Illustrated: Fantasy Creature and The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Manga: Shoujo. He has designed collectible card games, role-playing games, miniatures games, toy lines, and board games and has written short fiction, comic books, and novels for companies including IDW (Dracula’s Revenge), Wizards of the Coast (The Lost Mark trilogy of Eberron novels), Games Workshop (Blood Bowl novels), WizKids (High Stakes Drifter trading card game), Artbox Entertainment (Monster Rancher trading card game), and Playmates Toys (Marvel Heroes Battle Dice collectible miniatures and dice game). Projects he has worked on have garnered twelve Origins Awards and five ENnies.

Yair Herrera (San Diego, CA) started his professional career working in several underground comic projects in his native country, Argentina. After working for the Spanish Sulaco Studios and for Eadultcomics, writing and drawing comics, in 2006 Herrera drew and inked his first graphic novel: Zombies: Eclipse of the Undead! for IDW, with scripts by El Torres and color by Pablo Quilogotti.

A member of Penguin Group (uSA) Inc.

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Graphic Design Made Easy 9781592578061 • $24.95 • October 2008

New graphic design programs and software allow the average consumer or small business owner to design business cards and marketing materials, launch a blog with a logo and design, and create fun CD covers or graphic T-shirts.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Graphic Design is a one-stop reference for creating a variety of projects without a graphic arts degree.

Presented in an intuitive, accessible format—in full-color—The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Graphic Design quickly gets readers up and running on the fundamental elements of design and then teaches readers how to apply those ele-ments to a variety of projects.

Contents include:

• Available software products• Typography• Visual hierarchy• Image creation• Photography• Layout

AbouT The AuThoRS:

Marjorie L. Crum (Pittsford, NY) is the program chair and a past president of the American Institute of Graphic Arts. In addition to being the owner, head designer, and creative director of her own Happy Creek Studio, she is a graphic design instructor at Monroe Community College. She previously served as an adjunct professor and instructional developer at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Marcia Layton Turner (Rochester, NY) is an award-winning writer who has partnered with numerous graphic designers in her career. Some of the titles she has authored or co-authored include The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Staging Your Home to Sell, The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Webkinz, the Unofficial Guide to Marketing Your Small Business, Successful Fine Art Marketing, and How to Think Like the World’s Greatest Marketing Minds.

Learn to Draw Manga 9781592578238 • $19.95 • December 2008

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Drawing Manga Illustrated, Second Edition, makes it easier than ever before for read-ers to create their own manga characters, landscapes, and stories. This new edition is even more visual, with over 100 additional step-by-step illustrations that guide readers from the basic strokes to the final ink renderings. From bodies and faces to backgrounds and mech (manga for anything mechanical), readers learn all the basics necessary to start rendering the exotic worlds and a creative cast of characters that attracted them to the genre as readers. Coverage includes:

• Body building basics• Bodies in motion• Faces and facial expressions• Villains• Weapons & Vehicles• Backgrounds and environments• Storytelling basics

AbouT The AuThoRS:

John Layman (Seattle, WA) has been involved in not just manga, but all sorts of comics, for more decades than he cares to admit. He is the current writer for Gambit for Marvel Comics and has written two Thundercats miniseries for WildStorm and two Species miniseries for Avatar. He is also the creator of Puffed for Image Comics and Bay City Jive for WildStorm. Layman has edited for Idea + Design Works (IDW), WildStorm, and Image; lettered comics for almost every comic company under the sun; and was once a comic book columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

David Hutchinson (San Diego, CA) is a freelance illustrator who specializes in manga. He has contributed to many of Antarctic Press’s How to Draw Manga volumes and has worked for Idea + Design Works as a contract illustrator.







2012—The end or the beginning? 9781592578030 • $16.95 • October 2008

According to the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, referred to more familiarly as the Mayan calendar, the world will come to an end in 2012. Perhaps, instead, the year 2012 is the dawning of a new age. Could 2012 bring good things instead of bad?

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to 2012 gives readers a look at what the Mayan prophecy is all about and what it means, including:

• The Cosmic Calendar and how the ancient Egyptians, the Bible, the Koran, Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, and other sources all refer to an end time in 2012

• Global warming and climate change, and how the Mayans predicted these• Personal journal, and the tools needed to survive into the 6th Age• After 2012—the end of the world or a Golden Age to come?• Glossary of terms and symbols, resources for a changing world, and exercises to assist you in your journey.

AbouT The AuThoRS:

Synthia Andrews (Guilford, CT) began studying the Mayan prophecies in the 1990s after an inspira-tional meeting with Mayan spokesperson Hunbatz Men, author of Secrets of Mayan Science/Religion. Andrews is a respected energy/bodywork practitioner and teacher. She is currently finishing her doctorate degree in Naturopathic Medicine.

Colin Andrews, a native of England, is the foremost researcher into the global mystery of crop circles. He and co-author Pat Delgado wrote the first book on the subject, Circular Evidence, in 1989. Through his research and first-hand experience he has developed a personal connection to the prophecies of 2012 and their relationship to political, social and ecological happenings of today.

Work Less, Earn More 9781592577989 • $16.95 • September 2008

In an economic recession can Americans still transition from a workaholic culture to one that places more emphasis on family and recognizes the value of downtime? Absolutely. So how does one determine a desired income and set sensible work hours to attain that balance? And what are some passive income techniques for creating—and maintaining—a positive income?

The answers to these questions and more can be found in Jeff Cohen’s The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Working Less, Earning More. Through practical, realistic information provided by an author who works only about three days a week, readers will understand how to:

• Set income-focused goals—and achieve them• Build—and maintain—powerful relationships and networks• Round out skill sets to be more marketable• Maximize technology to minimize time spent on minutia• Use active and passive income techniques to uphold living standards

Presented in an easy-to-follow, interactive workbook-style approach, The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Working Less Earning More teaches readers how to attain the perfect working lifestyle—which is something different for everyone.

AbouT The AuThoR:

Jeff Cohen (Washington, NJ) possesses 10 years’ experience in the field of human potential and motivation. He earned a dual degree in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and marketing from the Wharton School of Business. He spent eight years at American Express in a variety of areas from business management, marketing and leadership to talent assessment. Through seminars, consulting, and freelance writing, Cohen now helps individuals work less, earn more, and live more. Cohen does all this work in three days a week and earns double his corporate America salary. He’s appeared on CNN, CBS, and Voice of America, and been interviewed by numerous newspapers including USA Today, The New York Daily News, the Denver Post, the Chicago Tribune, and the Boston Herald.







Coaching Employee Success 9781592577835 • $16.95 • October 2008

Growth, profit, and productivity are among the most important goals of business. In a world of intense competition both domestically and abroad, the most effective way for companies to achieve goals is by energizing their most important asset: their staff. From the executive suite to the assembly line, each staff person is a member of a team that is paid to do the best he or she can to further the interests of the company.

However, keeping staff motivated and working at peak performance is no easy task, especially with traditional “top-down” managements. That’s why the powerful model of coaching works so effectively. In The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Coaching for Excellence master coach Jane Creswell shares her decades of corporate coaching experience using clear, concrete, and business-friendly language, she explains:

• How corporate coaching works• The benefits it presents• How it can be implemented in any workplace setting, large or small

AbouT The AuThoR:

Jane Creswell (Lafayette, IN), Master Certified Coach, spent 17 years as a manager of product development at IBM, where she started the IBM Coaches Network, a group that now numbers over 500 coaches across 26 countries. As founder and president of Internal Impact, a coaching consulting firm, Creswll travels the world, training corporate coaches. She has appeared in such publications as Time, Strategy and Leadership, and HR Magazine.

It’s all in the grape…or is it? 9781592578184 • $18.95 • November 2008

For many, owning and running a winery is a dream job. Wine making is both science and art, and it’s a life style. Most people imagine that winery owners spend their days sipping wine and leisurely strolling through their vine-yards. The reality, however, is that starting and running a winery is starting and running a small business.

In The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Starting and Running a Winery, readers will find information on:

• Putting together a business plan• Federal regulations and rules• The varieties of both grapes and wines• Laying out a floor plan and what equipment you’ll need• Promoting your wines

AbouT The AuThoR:

Thomas Pellechia (Hammondsport, NY) has been a wine salesman, a winery owner, a specialty wine shop owner, a wine judge for the American Wine Society, and is currently a wine educator and writer. His articles have appeared in Wine Enthusiast, Practical Winery, Vineyard and Winery Management, Washington Wine Style, Spirit, Brandweek, Slow Food’s Snail, Decanter, Wines and Vines, The American Wine Society Journal, and The Finger Lakes Wine Gazette. His latest book is Wine: The 8,000 Year-Old Story of the Wine Trade. Pellechia presents his wine seminars at local Finger Lakes wineries, the Wine and Culinary Center in the Finger Lakes, and at Cooper Union College in Manhattan.







How to create a website 9781592577880 • $24.95 • October 2008

In the 21st century, it has become very difficult for a business to survive without a website—today’s equivalent of a mid-1990s yellow-pages listing. Today’s websites require advanced features that visitors have come to expect: streaming video and audio; e-commerce; custom surveys, forms, and polls; and discussion groups.

In The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Creating a Website, readers will find how to:

• Create a webpage—all the basics and tables• Create strong design• Publish a site• Automate a site• How to make a site profitable• Publicize a site

AbouT The AuThoR:

Paul McFedries (Toronto, Canada) is a technical writer who has been programming computers since he was a teenager in the mid-1970s. He has a degree in mathematics and has authored more than 50 computer books that have sold nearly three million copies. His most recent titles include The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Windows Vista; Microsoft Windows Home Server Unleashed!; Teach Yourself VISUALLY Computers; Fifth Edition; and Microsoft Access 2007 Forms, Reports, and Queries.

Making the Perfect Martini 9781592578139 • $12.95 • October 2008

The Martini is the fabled drink of the sophisticate. From Fred Astaire to James Bond, this seemingly simple con-coction of spirits has taken on a life of its own. Nearly every restaurant from Friday’s to the Four Seasons has a separate Martini menu. Dozens of hip club/bars have their signature Martinis, and around the holidays new recipes abound. There’s even a Pumpkin Martini for Halloween.

Now, The Pocket Idiot’s Guide™ to Martinis by professional food author James O. Fraioli and award-winning mixology consultant Vincenzo Marianella shares with readers:

• Over 150 mouthwatering recipes for this fabled drink• How to mix them all properly• Delicious facts about the history and lore of Martinis

A perfect addition to everyone’s “bar library.” Just in time for the holidays, too.

AbouT The AuThoR:

James O. Fraioli (Solvang, CA) is a published, award-winning author of numerous books. His work has appeared on Martha Stewart Radio, The Food Network and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, presented at the White House, and featured in such periodicals as the Associated Press, Forbes Traveler, and The New York Times. Fraioli is also a contributing writer and photographer for dozens of magazines. Visit him at jamesofraioli.com.

Recently named Best Bar Chef and Los Angeles’ Best Bartender, Mixologist Vincenzo Marianella left his native Italy for Los Angeles, New York City and Sydney, where he found inspiration for cocktails. Vincenzo created My Mixology, a beverage consulting company focusing on improving the bar scene in Los Angeles and across the country. Visit him at mymixology.com.







Tapas—Not Just an Appetizer 9781592578245 • $14.95 • November 2008

Tapas represent one of the hottest food trends around. Much more than just flavorful appetizers, tapas draw on time-honored ingredients and the convivial custom of sharing small plates for their mass appeal. Tapas have found a strong footing in restaurants across the country, but how can readers bring the style and sophistication of these savory Spanish dishes into their at-home entertaining?

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Tapas offers over 100 mouthwatering tapas recipes. And for readers unfamiliar with the preparation techniques and the arrangement of dishes into appetizing presentations, we’ve included a section of full-color photographs.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Tapas includes:

• Over 100 recipes for time-honored and tasty tapas• Step-by-step instructions for perfecting each dish• Substitutions and variations• A full-color photography section to enhance readers’ understanding of presentation

For delighting dinner guests or just adding flavor and flair to a quiet night at home, The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Tapas is the easy answer to the next big thing in entertaining!

AbouT The AuThoR:

Jeanette Hurt (Milwaukee, WI) has published extensively on cooking and food. The author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Cheeses of the World, she has also drawn on her experience living in Madrid to publish articles on tapas and entertaining. Hurt has worked with José Andrés, the host of “Made in America” on PBS, to ensure accuracy and creativity in the tapas recipes included in this book.

Choosing the Perfect Wine 9781592577866 • $18.95 • November 2008

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Wine Basics, Second Edition expands on the content from the previous edition to focus on new information for ordering hard-to-find wine online, discussing the newest and most popular labels and vintages, and understanding the biggest trend in wine today: environmentally conscious wines and winemaking. In addition, expert author Tara Q. Thomas provides updated and expanded information on:

• Organic/biodynamic/natural winemaking• Wines that are “underappreciated but worth a look” • Winemaking in states other than California, Oregon, and Washington• Regions gaining in popularity, such as South Africa, Eastern Europe, and Portugal• Suggestions for great pairing exercises that exemplify the interactions of food and wine

AbouT The AuThoR:

Tara Q. Thomas (Denver, CO) has served as an editor and wine critic for Wine & Spirits magazine for over a decade. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, she has worked in the food and wine world for twenty-some years, from running a restaurant in Greece to teaching wine-and-food pair-ing classes in schools around the United States. Between magazine deadlines, she also serves as the wine critic for the Denver Post and writes articles that appear in magazines and newspapers across the U.S. Visit her at taraqthomas.com.







Increase Fiber Intake, Improve Health 9781592578207 • $16.95 • December 2008

Increasingly, research shows that a high-fiber diet may help prevent cancer, heart disease, diabetes, digestive dis-orders such as irritable bowel syndrome, and other serious ailments. Moreover, a high-fiber diet helps with weight loss and can keep a person regular. The American Dietetic Association recommends that adults eat 25 to 35 grams of fiber daily. However, the typical American adult eats between 10 and 15 grams of fiber each day, while many adults eat much less. It’s not easy to get that much fiber in your diet without a dedicated cookbook to show the way. In The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to High-Fiber Cooking, readers will find:

• A grocery list of what to stock in your pantry• Information on the types of fiber and what foods contain the highest amounts• Recipes for delicious high-fiber breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and desserts• Tips on working fiber in to foods you like that aren’t high in or that lack fiber

AbouT The AuThoR:

Liz Scott (Plainfield, NJ) is a professional chef and cookbook author. She teaches healthy eating habits and cooking, and develops menus and recipes for clients with specific dietary needs, from diabetes and heart disease to irritable bowel syndrome and addiction. She has appeared on numerous radio and television health segments, including Ask Heloise and A Chef’s Table and has been applauded in The Seattle Times and The Washington Post as a gifted chef and pioneer in her field. Liz is a consulting editor for the Cleveland Clinic Press on healthy cookbooks and writes a nutritional monthly column for various health websites and newsletters. She is a gradu-ate of New York University and the French Culinary Institute.

Check Mate! 9781592577767 • $12.95 • October 2008

The way players begin a game of chess often dictates the outcome, which explains why hundreds of websites, com-puter programs, and even a five-volume book collection called The Encyclopedia of Chess Openings are all devoted to categorizing the thousands of possible moves with which a chess game can be opened. But sorting through all that information is daunting, not to mention time-consuming, especially when literally thousands of opening move options are available.

In a new book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Chess Openings, even the chess novice can figure out the best openings and the most strategic way to execute them, both offensively and defensively? In addition readers learn:

• How to solidify their opening game and get on the road to victory• One hundred of the most effective opening moves step-by-step• Opening strategies that are clearly and succinctly explained, with numerous illustrations that bolster the

reader’s understanding• How to take game play to the next level

AbouT The AuThoR:

Chess Master William Aramil (Chicago, IL) has been a chess teacher for over six years. He was Illinois High School Champion (2002 and 2003), and won the Denker Tournament of High School State Champions (2003), which resulted in a four-year scholarship at the University of Dallas. In 2004, he won the Collegiate Championship, and has won chess games against two Grand Masters (tied against seven Grand Masters). He was drawn against GM Alexander Onischuk at the World Open Tournament (2005); Onischuk is the 2006 U.S. Champion and the number 52 player in the world.







How smart are you? 9781592578115 • $12.95 • October 2008

In The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Self-Testing Your IQ, this entertaining book provides readers with tests to estimate a realistic IQ score, as well as games, puzzles, and more for an engaging and challenging mental workout. Using accessible language and an amusement-based approach, author and expert Dr. Jean Cirillo presents fun questions and answers that are rooted in standard IQ testing to help identify mental strengths and weaknesses.

The tests and games included in The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Self-Testing Your IQ are designed to measure the fol-lowing:

• Cognitive skills• Reasoning ability• Problem-solving capability• Verbal ability• Mathematics and calculation skills• Short- and long-term memory• Spatial relations

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Self-Testing Your IQ also provides tips and tricks for readers to maximize their strengths and improve their weaknesses in particular areas, as well as IQ-building puzzles, games, and resources.

AbouT The AuThoR:

Dr. Jean Cirillo’s (Huntington, NY) experience with IQ testing began during her work with the Counseling Psychology Program at Columbia University. Her later training and work in the Long Island school system focused on using IQ tests as an important measure in screening for signs of learning difficulties and giftedness in children of all ages, as Cirillo designed remediation and enrichment programs. She has written a monthly column for the Long Island Parent and articles for the North Shore Women’s Newspaper and Parent Connections. In addition, Cirillo has appeared on hundreds of national talk shows as both an expert guest and staff psychologist. Currently, she does consulting for MTV, VH1, and BET on reality shows such as Flavor of Love, College Hill, Made, Making the Band, and I Love New York.

Learn How to Live Longer 9781592577408 • $18.95 • November 2008

Modern life is dangerous to health. Burnout, extra weight, stress, lack of sleep, bad diet, pollutants—they all have a negative impact on one’s “health span”— years of quality, healthy living. We all want—and need—to stay healthier, look younger, and in fact live longer, but where do we start?

Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden give us a clear and easy path to follow in The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Secrets of Longevity. In clear, and jargon-free language, this guide unlocks the secrets to living healthier and looking younger for longer. Inside, readers find practical and achievable tips on

• Diet, exercise, and supplementation• Essential medical tests to help prevent health problems• The pitfalls of longevity-threatening lifestyle choices, including bad relationships, harried and stressful

schedules, and too little sleep• Insights into toxins, from food to cleaners to cosmetics• The incredible power of laughter, optimism, and a positive attitude to lengthen life

AbouT The AuThoRS:

Kandeel Judge, M.D., ABIHM, (Sacramento, CA) is a board-certified internal medicine physician and holis-tic medicine specialist. She brings to her medical practice a combination of conventional (Western) medicine, lifestyle modifications, and alternative treatment options. Judge received her medical training at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan.

Maxine Barish-Wreden, M.D., ABIHM, earned her medical degree from the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine and is a member of the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine. She is a popular speaker and has made numerous appearances on television and radio in the northern California area.

Judge and Barish-Wreden together write a weekly column on Integrative Medicine for the Sacramento Bee. They are the Medical Directors of the Sutter Integrative Medicine Program in Sacramento, California.







Improve Metabolism 9781592578009 • $16.95 • December 2008

For those challenged with weight issues it’s easy to use the excuse, “It isn’t me—it’s my metabolism.” Eating right, exercising, and reducing stress all work together to boost the metabolism and control weight.

In The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Boosting Your Metabolism, Dr. Joseph Lee Klapper, a noted cardiologist and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Lowering Your Cholesterol, takes readers from what metabolism is and instructs read-ers how to boost it—from what we eat and drink, vitamins, minerals, supplements, and herbs that can be true body boosters; to other metabolic aids such as meditation and holistic healing; and medications and surgical procedures that can be considered as a last resort. Dr. Klapper’s exercise plan—including aerobic and isotonic exercises and resistance training—helps readers reduce fat and increase muscle, and his recipes show readers how delicious metabolism boosting foods can be.

Dr. Klapper also discusses:

• When to talk to a doctor about metabolism• Why abdomen size predicts future health• How walking, running, swimming, weight training, martial arts boost metabolism• Fat loss and muscle gain—the two-step approach to a healthy metabolism• Food choices and portions at home and on the go

AbouT The AuThoR:

Dr. Joseph Lee Klapper, (Los Angeles, CA) is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Diseases. He holds hospital privileges at the Stanford University Hospital and Clinics Medical Staff in Northern California. He went to medical school at Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, PA, and completed his Internal Medicine Internship and Residency at SUNY, Stony Brook, NY, and Cabrini Medical Center, NY, and his Cardiovascular Diseases Fellowship at Saint Vincents Hospital and Medical Center, NY

Understanding Middle East Conflict 9781592577910 • $19.95 • September 2008

There is no other place in the world fraught with as much turmoil as the Middle East. This updated guide pro-vides readers with an intense look at current events and the ever-changing political and social landscape, as well as the history—ancient and modern—of this region. This fourth edition of The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Middle East Conflict offers a completely updated view of events in the region through the corrective lens of present-day knowl-edge, as well as a look at what’s going on there right now:

• The rearming of Hezbollah, and what it may mean to Israel and the Lebanese government• The increased threat of Iran—despite increased pressure from the United States and Europe• With Hamas controlling Gaza and the Palestinian Authority now divided, can the Palestinians present a

united position in peace talks?• The evacuation from Gaza—has this peace measure only led to a launching pad for a new front in a war

against Israel?

AbouT The AuThoR:

Mitchell G. Bard, Ph.D., (Chevy Chase, MD) is one of the country’s foremost experts on United States–Middle East policy and the author of 18 books, including The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to World War II. Bard has appeared on the BBC, Fox News, MSNBC, Al-Jazeera, and other television and radio outlets. His work has been published in academic journals, magazines, and newspapers. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from UCLA and a Master’s degree in public policy from Berkeley. He received his B.A. in economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara.







Country Mouse or City Mouse? 9781592578016 • $18.95 • November 2008

For many, moving back to the country is part of the American Dream. Millions of Americans—from empty nesters and retirees to young families—made this dream a reality by moving out of cities and suburbs to build a new life in quieter settings.

But the transition can be complicated, with dozens of issues to consider: power, water, schools, roads, and taxes— the list goes on and on. Anyone interested in making this transition needs to do homework, and The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Country Living is the perfect place to start. For decades expert adviser Kimberly Willis has been counsel-ing people making this transition. She speaks from the unique perspective of having made the transition herself. In this book, Willis includes information on...

• How to make the decision to relocate to a country setting—and how to choose the right location• Real estate and tax advice• Building a new home or refurbishing an existing farmhouse• Utilities, water, structural concerns, driveway, and local roads• Community, schools, postal service, and multimedia options• Home farming as a small seasonal income• Pets, horses, and other animal-related issues

AbouT The AuThoR:

Kimberley Willis (Clifford, MI) works for the Lapeer County, Michigan, MSU (Michigan State University) Extension office, where she is the coordinator of the Lapeer Master Gardener Program and advises homeown-ers on gardening and small farm problems. She teaches gardening classes and writes on agricultural and life-style topics for Farmers’ Advance, Dog Fancy, Lapeer County Press, Plant Guides, and Granny’s Guide to Everything (gardeninggranny.blogspot.com).

The Key to Piano Buying 9781592577187 • $16.95 • September 2008

There’s a lot to consider when buying a piano. Choosing from new or used, digital or acoustic, upright, grand, hybrid, or player pianos can overwhelm almost anyone. Piano buyers are often unfamiliar with manufacturers or manufacturing methods and materials or price ranges.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Buying a Piano is the first book written by professional salespeople to guide prospective buyers through the process, dispelling the myths and misconceptions associated with piano selling by uncloaking common deceptions and tricks. This book will save buyers time, money, and frustration by providing the straight scoop and unvarnished truths about buying pianos.

In this Complete Idiot’s Guide®, readers will find:

• How to determine which piano to buy• A detailed but easy-to-use buyer’s guide for all the well-known and many of the not-so-well-known piano

models• The differences, advantages, and disadvantages among acoustic, digital, hybrid, player, antique, new, and used

pianos

AbouT The AuThoRS:

Together, Jennifer and Marty Flinn (Mission Viejo, CA) have more than 44 years in the retail piano business. Jennifer taught instrumental music in a large suburban school district for many years before joining the retail ranks. Marty came up through the ranks of one of the oldest and largest retail piano chains in the country and held an executive position for several years. He is also a member of the Piano Technicians Guild. Both of the authors are musicians. The Flinns have been trained by a number of acoustic piano factories, including Steinway & Sons, Schimmel, Yamaha, Wurlitzer, Story & Clark. They have been also trained by digital piano factories, including Yamaha Clavinova, Kawai, Roland, Casio, and Baldwin Pianovelle.







Fiddling Has Never Been So Popular 9781592577682 • $21.95 • October 2008

Riverdance and Celtic Women; Irish bands like the Chieftans, Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul, Altan and Gaelic Storm; Old Time and Bluegrass were the surprise hits of the blockbuster movie O’ Brother Where Art Thou? The success of bands like Alison Krauss & Union Station and the Del McCoury Band continue to grow. They have one thing in common: incredible fiddle playing.

Never before has fiddling been so popular. With The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Playing the Fiddle, written by interna-tional expert and performer Ellery Klein, anyone can learn to play the fiddle. This guide offers:

• A simple, step-by-step method that will have players fiddling in no time• Illustrations with finger tabs that are supported by a unique, 90-minute combination instructional and music

DVD• The most comprehensive and easy-to-follow instructional manual available

AbouT The AuThoR:

Ellery Klein (Boston, MA) is a seasoned performer and professional instructor in the art of the fiddle. She holds an MA in Traditional Irish Music from the University of Limerick, where she also taught both academic and sum-mer program courses. For four years, she toured with Gaelic Storm, the high-energy Irish band best known for its 1998 appearance in the movie Titanic. Klein is featured on Gaelic Storm’s full-length recordings, How Are We Getting Home? and Bring Yer Wellies, which debuted on the Billboard charts at #3 and #2, respectively. She has also produced several independent CDs.

The ABCs of Play Groups 9781592578054 • $9.95 • September 2008

Once upon a time, dads worked 9 to 5, moms did housework, and kids ran free in the neighborhood, finding their own fun—and their own playmates—almost effortlessly. Flash forward to the 21st century, when it seems play has to be penciled in amid a busy agenda—both that of parents and children—and play groups have become the norm for infants through preschoolers.

The Pocket Idiot’s Guide™ to Play Groups addresses the questions of parents and the needs of kids in a warm, reassuring manner that will calm nerves, ease tensions, and keep the emphasis on “play.”

• The ABCs of play groups—setting them up, keeping them going, and getting out of them gracefully• Organizational issues—the who, what, where, and when of play groups• Play group rules • Child-focused issues, from separation anxiety and shyness to dealing with the dreaded biters• Grownup issues—competitive and uncooperative parents and how to deal with them gracefully• Great ideas for indoor and outdoor activities for play groups of various sizes

AbouT The AuThoR:

Marian Edelman Borden is the author of 10 nonfiction books, including Smart Start: The Parent’s Guide to Preschool Education and The Baffled Parent’s Guide to Sibling Rivalry. She has served as editor and editor-in-chief of several parenting magazines, and has written articles for The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, American Baby, Parenting, and other national and regional magazines. Borden is the mother of four children and lives in Westchester, New York.







Married to the Military 9781592577873 • $12.95 • September 2008

Today’s military has changed dramatically in just the last four years, making life as a military spouse especially dif-ficult. For example, the introduction of Individual Augmentation (taking a service member from his current job and sending him to Iraq or Afghanistan for a year) and the change in Shore Duty (no longer means a spouse will not end up deploying) has dramatically increased the level of preparedness expected of military families. The author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Life as a Military Spouse is a military spouse herself, and in her book she provides tips on how to survive, including:

• How to enroll your child in the Child Development Homes program• What you need to do before a permanent change of station (PCS) move• How to prepare for deployment and the return of a spouse• Little-known but important information such as the fact that a spouse can use his or her spouse’s GI bill to

further his or her education if they are stationed overseas• Easy ways to calculate benefits, allowances, and special pays

AbouT The AuThoR:

Lissa McGrath (Oak Harbor, WA) has been “married to the military” for seven years and has seen her hus-band deployed to the Middle East six times, where he is currently stationed. She’s lived overseas; PCS’ed (per-manent change of station move) three times, delivered her daughter at a military hospital, and used most of the resources available to military families. McGrath has been a contributing writer for Family magazine for two years, a publication specifically targeted to military families worldwide. She also writes for Family’s sister maga-zine, Salute, which is aimed at active duty military members. McGrath has written about topics including: how moving military children really affects them; what to expect when you deliver a child at a military hospital; mar-rying by proxy when the military member is deployed/stationed overseas; how to navigate the military childcare system; getting involved in Operation USO Care Package; and more.

Trading 101 9781592577453 • $19.95 • November 2008

By all accounts, the single biggest factor to impact the stock market is electronic trading. A decade ago, during the high-tech boom, the market was so volatile that fortunes could be made by novice day traders quickly jumping online and catching whatever financial wave was cresting that hour. Today, the velocity of the market has changed. Trillions of dollars can be traded 24/7 every day, from one side of the world to the other with lightning speed, but the range of price swings isn’t as great. Day trading has become active trading—aggressive strategies for managing stocks for the long and short term. And there’s money to be made, even in this bear market.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Active Trading explains:

• The new rules and investing strategies • All the information needed to be successful at active trading stocks in today’s market• Tips and information about the newest technologies• How to profit in both American and international markets

AbouT The AuThoR:

Ken Little (Marshfield, WI) is a seasoned business executive writer on financial topics. He’s the chief financial writer for Strong Capital Management’s website and business editor of the San Antonio Express News. He has written five books on money management and investing, including Alpha Teach Yourself Investing in 24 Hours, Personal Finance at Your Fingertips, Personal Finance Desk Reference, and the upcoming title, The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Socially Responsible Investing.







Why is the sky blue? 9781592577965 • $18.95 • October 2008

Ever wonder why the sky is blue? Or why stomach acid doesn’t dissolve your stomach?

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to the Science of Everything answers these questions and many, many more, shedding light on the science behind more than 200 intriguing questions, educating readers on the fundamentals of science in the process. In a book that is as informative as it is entertaining, readers learn about every major branch of science, including:

• Physics (Why do figure skaters spin faster when they pull their arms in?)• Chemistry (How does salt melt ice?)• Biology (How does a chameleon change its color?)• Geology (Why do so many earthquakes occur along the Pacific coast?)• Meteorology (Why does the jet stream flow from west to east in North America?)• Astronomy (What causes Jupiter’s big red spot?)• Cosmology (Do black holes really exist and can anything escape them?)

In addition, the book highlights some of the really big ideas that helped shape science as we know it today, and discusses the future of science with cutting edge topics such as nanotechnology, genetic modification, molecular medicine, and string theory.

AbouT The AuThoR:

Steve Miller (State College, PA) is a freelance science writer, specializing in physical science and educa-tional writing. He contributes regularly to trade magazines and journals, including Analytical Chemistry. Miller also writes science and math curriculum materials for grades K-12, and is the co-author of High Performance Manufacturing. Prior to beginning his career as a writer in 1999, he worked as a chemist at manufacturing com-panies for more than 20 years.

Know Your Personality 9781592578146 • $12.95 • November 2008

Personality tests have long been popular for entertainment and enlightenment. The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Self-Testing Your Personality is a collection of entertaining, self-scoring quizzes that readers can use to learn about their interaction and communication styles, people skills, workplace strengths, and more. Written by expert author Arlene Matthews Uhl, the self-tests in this book combine wit and entertainment with insight and understanding in all the aspects that make up personality.

Quizzes include:

• Am I Introverted or Extroverted? • My Confrontation Style• What’s My Humor Type? • My Flirtation I.Q.• Am I a Risk-taker? • Am I Sex Savvy?• How Predictable Am I? • Am I A Spender or a Saver?• My Office Politics I.Q. • Can I Spot a Liar?• Am I an Entrepreneur? • ...and more!• Am I a Nag?

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Self-Testing Your Personality also provides explanations for the many factors that influ-ence our personality—from family role models and birth order to genetics to cultural influences—and offers insight to enhance personality through self-understanding.

AbouT The AuThoR:

Arlene Matthews Uhl (Fairhaven, NJ) is a nationally recognized expert in the fields of psychology and inter-personal relationships. Formerly a psychotherapist in private practice in New York City, she now conducts work-shops for corporations and resorts. The author of numerous books on self-help topics, including The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Beating Stress and The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Coping with Difficult People, Uhl teaches psychol-ogy at the university level. She appears frequently in the national media and has been a guest on “Oprah” and

“Good Morning America,” among other television shows.







How young are you? 9781592578221 • $14.95 • November 2008

Nobody wants to acknowledge that dreaded number on their driver’s license. Yet, chronological age is only one aspect of what determines a person’s “true age.”

Just as it has been shown that we all possess multiple intelligences, so has it been shown that we all have multiple ages that make up our “true age.” In this fun and accessible addition to The Complete Idiot’s Guide® series, expert authors explain just what factors make up these multiple ages, and provide practical insight on ways to lower or raise the score in each area. From there, readers will discover ways to improve on each area and find a “true age” that is closer to how they feel than how they look. Areas that are discussed include:

• Medical & Fitness • Marriage & Family• Sexuality • Social• Education • Career• Self-image • Future

AbouT The AuThoRS:

Judith Partnow Hyman, Ph.D. has run a family practice of psychotherapy and psychoanalysis in Encino, California for nearly 30 years. For many years, she taught at UCLA Extension in the field of mental imagery. Formerly she taught on the faculty at the California Graduate Institute, and at the Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies (LAISPS), and is now a member of the Pacific Psychoanalytic Center of Los Angeles.

Elaine Bernstein Partnow (Live Oak Island, FL) is the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Great Quotes for All Occasions. She is also the author of The Quotable Woman—The First 5,000 Years, The Quotable Jewish Woman, The Female Dramatist, and Breaking the Age Barrier. You can visit Partnow at TheQuotableWoman.com.

Kick the habit…for good! 9781592577804 • $16.95 • December 2008

Nearly everyone has an old habit that just won’t go away. Changing an old habit is no easy business—even wanting to do it can be difficult! The general statistic says that over 90 percent of people relapse within a year of breaking an old habit.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Changing Old Habits for Good is the whole package—from separating good habits from bad to evaluating the risks and benefits. Inside, readers will find information on how to:

• Identify habits• Process change—do things have to get worse before they can begin to get better?• Understand the short-term challenges of relapse• What to do when others are not supportive• Identify bad habits in kids, and what parents should look for

AbouT The AuThoRS:

G. Alan Marlatt, Ph.D., (Seattle, WA) is director of the Addictive Behaviors Research Center, a professor of psychology at the University of Washington, Seattle and an adjunct professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Washington. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Indiana University and is widely published on the subject of relapse prevention.

Deborah S. Romaine (Tacoma, WA) is a freelance medical and wellness writer, the co-author of dozens of successful health books, including Thyroid Balance (with Glenn Rothfeld, M.D.), and senior writer for the four-volume Facts On File Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine. She lives in the Puget Sound.







What is your social IQ? 9781592578160 • $16.95 • December 2008

Social Intelligence is the new buzzword in the psychology of relationships. Studies show that people have a basic need to connect with each other on dozens of levels, often simultaneously. Just as “intellectual” intelligence is the way we relate to knowledge and emotional intelligence to our own feelings, social intelligence tells how successful we are at making connections and maintaining relationships at home, work, or in any number of social settings.

Greg Koregeski shows how to strengthen social IQ to succeed in every aspect of life in his new book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide® ® to Enhancing Your Social IQ. Beginning with a series of short quizzes that assess the strength of one’s Social IQ in specific situations, each chapter explains how to

• Enhance the ability to create and sustain mutually enriching relationships• Make friends• Build a rich social network

AbouT The AuThoR:

Gregory P. Korgeski, Ph. D. (St. Paul, MN) is a clinical and consulting psychologist. He has been on the clini-cal faculty of the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology, and has worked as a consultant, organizational psychologist and therapist for nearly thirty years. He conducts workshops on a wide range of topics in psy-chology, has been a contributor to Contemporary Psychology and a writer and co-editor for the newsletter of the Society for Psychoanalytic Studies.

The passport to a hassle-free vacation 9781592578900 • $ 18.95 • September 2008

To kids around the world, a trip to Walt Disney World represents a dream come true. To the many unprepared parents, it’s more like a nightmare—one filled with endless lines, cramped hotel rooms, and an overgrown mouse chasing after their wallets.

Newly updated for 2009 The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Walt Disney World puts the magic back into this beloved destination by taking all the guesswork out of planning the perfect Disney vacation. This book goes beyond giving general descriptions of rides, hotels, and restaurants to give practical advice readers can really use to plan the kind of Disney experience one would like to have. Notable elements include:

• Coverage of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Downtown Disney, BoardWalk, and more

• Ride ratings for each attraction based on the perspective of five different age groups• Age-specific take-along touring itineraries, with detailed maps for each Disney park to enable readers to

experience all the best rides in the most efficient, tantrum-free manner• Easy-to-understand coverage of Disney’s comprehensive ticket, dining, and hotel options, and recommenda-

tions based on budget and type of experience sought • Special icons that mark which restaurants, hotels, and activities might be of special interest to honeymooners,

parents with younger kids, and parents with teens• An 8-page color insert that captures that magic of Disney World

AbouT The AuThoR:

Doug Ingersoll (Carmel, IN) is a travel writer and lifelong Disney fan, who has been vacationing at Walt Disney World for more than 30 years. Over the past decade, he has helped friends, family, and others negotiate the maze that is Walt Disney World with his unique itinerary system and reviews of attractions, hotels, and res-taurants for family vacations, bachelor weekends, and romantic getaways.







Explore the Big Apple 9781592578122 • $16.95 • November 2008

New York is America’s city these days, but even before 9/11, it was one of the top tourist destinations in the world.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to New York City dispels the mystery but retains all the excitement of this popular destina-tion by taking the guesswork out of planning the perfect New York vacation. With its experience-based approach, The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to New York City breaks the one-size-fits-all mold and offers a dream vacation to everyone. Notable elements include:

• An 8-page color insert that captures that magic of the Big Apple• Fifty pages of itineraries—based on number of days in town, areas of the city, special interest, and five fabu-

lous itineraries—a romantic getaway, family fun, single in the city, luxury, and taking it easy.• East Side, West Side, Uptown and Down, and sights, tastes and more outside of Manhattan—everything

readers need to know.• Special icons that indicate hotels, restaurants, and sights that can’t be missed, or are best avoided, offer the

quintessential city flavor, and more

AbouT The AuThoR:

Anita Gates (New York, NY) has worked for the New York Times since 1992, currently as a critic and feature writer, specializing in theater (Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway and regional), television and film, with addi-tional contributions in the Travel, Book Review and Style sections. As a freelance writer, she has contributed to Fodor guides and Travel & Leisure and Frequent Flyer magazines, among others.

Communicate with Ease 9781592577842 • $9.95 • September 2008

Due to the ever-growing number of Spanish-speaking people in cities and rural areas across America, many institu-tions have had to address the issue of bilingualism. From schools to hospitals, the IRS to the BMV, communication with the population for whom Spanish is the primary language is vital. Probably in no single public arena is the need felt more than in law enforcement. Anyone who interacts with Spanish-speaking people needs a specialized, easy-to-use guide to help them communicate and sometimes translate quickly and effectively in difficult and stress-ful situations.

The Pocket Idiot’s Guide™ to Spanish for Law Enforcement Professionals is a comprehensive phrase book designed for use:

• On the street—traffic patrollers, police officers, detectives• In the station—corrections officers, security officers• Anywhere that a law enforcement situation takes place—court officers, parole officers

AbouT The AuThoR:

Jacquelyn R. MacConnell (Phoenix, AZ) is currently a lieutenant with the Phoenix Police Department where she has been employed since 1994. She learned Spanish as a child, living in Colombia, South America. As a police officer in Phoenix, she quickly learned the advantages of knowing Spanish and created a program for the police department to teach other officers basic street Spanish. MacConnell also used her knowledge to create a security consulting business, NetCatAZ.com.







Study Successfully! 9781592577996 • $14.95 • September 2008

Every high school and college student is looking for the magic bullet—the study tips and inside information that will get them the highest grades with the least amount of effort possible. Even the best students—but especially those who aren’t—can have trouble focusing and concentrating on all the textbook pages, class notes, and other study materials they deal with in every class, every semester. The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Study Skills helps by explaining the TEST Method:

• Taking responsibility for learning• Establishing success in the classroom• Succeeding with writing• Tackling tough issues

This book provides students with a guiding philosophy they can use for every class, every time, laying the founda-tion for lifelong learning. Filled with tips, success stories from other students, and mini-assessments, students will be empowered to succeed in class preparation, read with comprehension, take exams with confidence, and more.

AbouT The AuThoRS:

Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., and Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., (DeLand, FL) together have more than 20 years of college-level teaching experience, including several years teaching a first-year skills seminar. Dr. Randall Hansen is also founder and CEO of EmpoweringSites.com, a network of self-help websites, including one focused on academic success. Dr. Katharine Hansen, who has had a lifelong interest in education, recently com-pleted a Ph.D. program that included coursework in teaching and learning. The Hansens previously authored a book together on college writing skills, Write Your Way to a Higher GPA, and combined have authored hundreds of articles and books. Dr. Randall Hansen, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Choosing a College Major, is often quoted in the media and conducts empowering workshops around the country.



Create the next superhero or villain! - penguin.com · ARTS The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Drawing Superheroes & Villains Illustrated 9781592577958 The Complete Idiot’s Guide

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