What, exactly, do you know about your body? Do you know how your immune system works? Or what your pancreas does? Or the myriad -- and often simple -- ways you can improve the way your body functions? This full-color, visually rich guide answers these questions and more. Matthew MacDonald, noted author of Your Brain: The Missing Manual, takes you on a fascinating tour of your body from the outside in, beginning with your skin and progressing to your vital organs. You'll look at the quirks, curiosities, and shortcomings we've all learned to live with, and pick up just enough biology to understand how your body works. You'll learn: That you shed skin more frequently than snakes do Why the number of fat cells you have rarely changes, no matter how much you diet or exercise -- they simply get bigger or smaller How you can measure and control fat That your hair is made from the same stuff as horses' hooves That you use only a small amount of the oxygen you inhale Why blood pressure is a more important health measure than heart rate -- with four ways to lower dangerously high blood pressure Why our bodies crave foods that make us fat How to use heart rate to shape an optimal workout session -- one that's neither too easy nor too strenuous Why a tongue with just half a dozen taste buds can identify thousands of flavors Why bacteria in your gut outnumbers cells in your body -- and what function they serve Why we age, and why we can't turn back the clock What happens to your body in the minutes after you die Rather than dumbed-down self-help or dense medical text, Your Body: The Missing Manual is entertaining and packed with information you can use. It's a book that may well change your life. Reader comments for Your Brain: The Missing Manual, also by author Matthew MacDonald: "Popular books on the brain are often minefields of attractive but inaccurate information. This one manages to avoid most of the hype and easy faulty generalizations while providing easy to read and digest information about the brain. It has useful tricks without the breathless hype of many popular books."-- Elizabeth Zwicky, The Usenix Magazine "...a unique guide that should be sought after by any who want to maximize what they can accomplish with their mental abilities and resources."-- James A. Cox, The Midwest Book Review - Wisconsin Bookwatch "If you can't figure out how to use your brain after reading this guide, you may want to return your brain for another."-- The Sacramento Book Review, Volume 1, Issue 2, Page 19 "It's rare to find a book on any technical subject that is as well written and readable as Your Brain: The Missing Manual. The book covers pretty much anything you may want to know about your brain, from what makes it up, through how it develops to how to mitigate the affects of aging. The book is easy reading, fact packed and highlighted notes and practical applications. So if you want to learn more about your brain, how it works, how to get the best out of it or just want to stave off the ravages of Alzheimers (see chapter ten for details of how learning helps maintain your brain) then I can't recommend this book highly enough."-- Neil Davis, Amazon.co.uk "MacDonald's writing style is perfect for this kind of guide. It remains educational without becoming overly technical or using unexplained jargon. And even though the book covers a broad scope of topics, MacDonald keeps it well organized and easy to follow. The book captures your attention with fun facts and interesting studies that any person could apply to their own understanding of human ability. It has great descriptions of the brain and its interconnected parts, as well as providing full color pictures and diagrams to offer a better explanation of what the author is talking about."-- Janica Unruh, Blogcritics Magazine

A hilariously honest look at the misadventures of teenage dating. Alan Macklin is your average 17-year-old guy with a simple goal. He wants to get a girl. But trial and error has made one thing perfectly clear: when it comes to the opposite sex, Alan keeps on striking out. Repeatedly. And painfully. He knows he needs help. His friend Jeremy proves useless, so he turns to someone who might actually have some good advice. Maggie Macpherson has lots of goals for herself, including a career in law or psychology or both, but she needs some cash to reach them. Alan becomes the perfect client for her new consulting business: a desperate guy with a simple objective and deep pockets. For a fee, she takes on the Alan project and coaches him from girl to girl, base to base. With Maggie’s guidance Alan comically builds his dating experience until he’s convinced he can get along without her coaching. But soon he’s washed up on the romantic shores, dumped by the woman of his dreams. Once again, there’s only one person who can give Alan the advice he needs... but he has to be willing to listen.

At first Raven is only annoyed by the zit that has appeared on her cheek--but when it becomes a real monster it takes all of the Teen Titans to deal with the threat.

Guy Talk is the must-have advice book for boys navigating all things puberty and growing up great! This easy to read, diverse guide is illustrated for better understanding and includes bodies of all shapes, abilities, and sizes. With Guy Talk, get the answers to the questions you don't know who to ask or are too embarrassed to. From body changes, personal hygiene, healthy eating, and tips for sensitive topics, this book covers all the bases. Learn to not only prioritize your physical health, but your emotional health, too! A healthy mind and a healthy heart makes for a happy life. Maintain healthy relationships with family, friends, and peers. Growing up isn't just about your changing body. Learn how to handle peer pressure, social media safety, consent, and self-confidence so that you can be your best you as you journey through this new time in your life.

A girl’s quest for perfection results in dangerous consequences in this smart, suspenseful YA novel by the author of Playlist for the Dead. Fans of We Were Liars and The Secret History will devour this layered, ensemble-cast novel in which “twists and turns abound” (SLJ). How far would you go to be perfect? Kara has the perfect life. At least, that’s what she wants everyone to believe. The truth is, she works hard to maintain that illusion. But when a moment of doubt leads Kara to do something risky—and illegal—someone sees. Before she knows it, she’s drawn into an unlikely group of classmates, all bound together by secrets of their own. Secrets that are being used against them. Soon Kara is forced to confront how far she’s willing to go to be perfect—and if that’s something she really wants to be. “Reminiscent of the novels of Joan Lowery Nixon and Lois Duncan, this mystery set in a modern-day well-to-do suburb in California will keep readers turning the pages.” —School Library Journal “Full of well-developed, diverse supporting characters. For teens who enjoy mysteries in the form of timely, realistic fiction.” —Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) “Readers will be kept guessing.” —Kirkus Reviews

The #1 bestselling Boy's Body Book includes everything you need to know about growing up, even the embarrassing stuff. The newly updated fifth edition provides advice for parents and addresses questions a pre-teen boy may have while maturing through puberty and becoming a man. Everything is changing! How will you survive this trying time in your life? This book made just for boys contains all of the guy stuff you need to know about growing up, from your voice changing to peer pressure. The newly updated fifth edition of The Boy's Body Book helps prepare young boys and their parents for the ups and downs of puberty, middle school, and everything in between. This guide for pre-teen boys addresses issues like changing bodies, personal hygiene, self-confidence, leadership, school safety and personal boundaries. This updated fifth edition book for boys is expanded to include topics like: School safety and consent Emotional health, mindfulness, and self esteem Cyberbullying and internet safety Learning disabilities Personal boundaries, communication, and consent Stress management Building healthy friendships and more The Boy's Body Book helps prepare boys for puberty and beyond by giving them age appropriate information, tools, tips, and tricks to take care of themselves and grow up in a healthy environment. Kelli Dunham, RN, BSN is a nurse, a comedian, and author of three other books: How to Survive and Maybe Even Love Nursing School, How to Survive and Maybe Even Love Your Life as a Nurse, and The Girl's Body Book: Everything You Need to Know for Growing Up You.

A is for "Tink Aaron-Martin," "Aardvark," and "Amazing" in this wonderful alphabetical novel! Tink Aaron-Martin has been grounded AGAIN after an adventure with her best friend Freddie Blue Anderson. To make the time pass, she decides to write an encyclopedia of her life from "Aa" (a kind of lava--okay, she cribbed that from the real encyclopedia) to "Zoo" (she's never been to one, but her brothers belong there). As the alphabet unfolds, so does the story of Tink's summer: more adventures with Freddie Blue (and more experiences in being grounded); how her family was featured in a magazine about "Living with Autism," thanks to her older brother Seb--and what happened after Seb fell apart; her growing friendship, and maybe more, with Kai, a skateboarder who made her swoon (sort of). And her own sense that maybe she belongs not under "H" for "Hideous," or "I" for "Invisible," but "O" for "Okay."Written entirely in Tink's hilarious encyclopedia entries, The Encyclopedia of Me is both a witty trick and a reading treat for anyone who loves terrific middle-grade novels.

An essential and comprehensive guide to acne for women of all ages Acne is no longer just a teenage affliction. In fact, dermatologists often refer to it as a woman's disease, and drugstore shelves are filled with acne products specifically geared toward adult women. But how do you choose from the overwhelming selection of treatments? Which products are appropriate to use as you grow older, become pregnant, or enter menopause? How can you work with a dermatologist to get the most out of prescription acne medications? Lydia Preston answers all of these questions and more, with up-to-date information drawn from her years of reporting on dermatology, as well as her own long personal experience with acne. In Breaking Out, she shares the wisdom of dozens of doctors and scientists who have devoted their careers to studying and treating acne, including: Guidelines for buying and using over-the-counter products Treatment for acne scars Emergency acne remedies and camouflage tips Alternative treatments, including herbal remedies, acupuncture, dietary approaches, and ways to unlock the mind-skin connection No one has to live with acne or its consequences. Breaking Out is an invaluable guide to understanding and combating acne that women of all ages can turn to with confidence.

Ivy Jensen survived the Dark House once, but can she make it out a second time? Two months have passed since Ivy narrowly escaped the Nightmare Elf's grip, but the memories of Parker, Natalie, Shayla, Frankie, and Garth continue to haunt her. Their killer is still out there???somewhere. The police trail has gone cold, though, and it's up to Ivy to piece together the clues to find him. When a cryptic video arrives in her inbox, Ivy soon finds herself back in the spotlight, this time on a twisted scavenger hunt through the dark, ancient halls of a long-forgotten Gothic school building. Ivy's not alone, either. Taylor Monroe has returned to the scene. But can Taylor be trusted? Or is she another pawn in the Nightmare Elf's deadly game? Laurie Faria Stolarz crafts a mesmerizing thriller that will leave readers looking over their shoulders.

If ten girls were asked to describe the “perfect” girl, they would likely rattle off an eerily similar list of qualities—from hair, skin, and weight to a cute button nose. That’s a problem, because God has given girls a desire to be desirable. If girls think that they will be most wanted if they fit a one-size-fits-all image of “perfection,” they will continually chase that proverbial carrot their entire lives. Backwards Beauty examines ten cultural lies young women listen to regarding beauty to help them unpack how they’re looking at themselves through the wrong lens. The “tips to feel ugly” range from “compare yourself to every other girl” to “eat junk and diet, diet, diet.” Reading a book by Jessie Minassian is like sitting down with a friend and talking about the hard things in life. Girls will be able to find freedom and hope in the midst of a culture that idolizes beauty.