Describes how circuses got their start and what is happening under the big top today.

This is the story of the survival of American circuses throughout one of the most perilous periods in our nation's history: 1860-1865. This was a period of transition for traveling exhibitions. The size of equipment and personnel had leveled off, performances were fixed, and the number of proprietors had reached a peak that would not be exceeded until the early 1870s. But still the show had to go on! Complete with notes, index, bibliography, and contemporaneous illustrations.

Presents an overview of various types of codes and ciphers used throughout history, famous cryptologists, and how to create your own secret messages.

Discusses how to interpret a work of art and guides readers as they interpret art throughout the book.

Sosina Wogayehu learnt to do flips and splits at the age of six, sitting on the floor of her parents' lounge room in Addis Ababa, watching a German variety show on the only television channel in the land. She sold cigarettes on the streets at the age of eight, and played table soccer with her friends who made money from washing cars, barefoot in the dust. She dreamed of being a circus performer. Twenty-five years later, Sosina has conjured herself a new life in a far-off country: Australia. She has rescued one brother and lost another. She has travelled the world as a professional contortionist. She can bounce-juggle eight balls on a block of marble. Sosina is able to juggle worlds and stories, too, and by luck - which is something Sosina is not short of - she has a friend, David Carlin, who is a writer. Following his acclaimed memoir Our Father Who Wasn't There, David brings us his 'not-me' book, travelling to Addis Ababa where he discovers ways of living so different to his own and confronts his Western fantasies and fears. Through Sosina's story he shows us that, with risk and enough momentum, life - whom we befriend, where we end up, how we come to see ourselves - is never predictable.

Traces the history of traditional and unusual instruments from around the world, discusses their historical and cultural context, and includes information on how they are played and their construction.

Discusses the history and performance of magic tricks.

Introduces the genre of science fiction, discusses the lives and works of famous authors, and explores imaginary worlds, creatures, robots, and spaceships.

Each Culture in Action book is packed with high-interest facts, imaginative activities, and fascinating photographs.

Biography of Texas-born actress and singer Beyonce Knowles.