What does Miley Cyrus have in common with Sacagawea? How could Steve Jobs have helped Eisenhower? What does the moon landing have to do with the Hilton sisters? In less time than it takes to recite the preamble to the Constitution, most Americans can spout off all their U.S. history knowledge. (Hint: it starts with “In 1492” and ends with “sailed the ocean blue.”) That’s because most history books are as interesting as the phone book—and have the same number of pages. The average Joe (the guy who TiVo’d John Adams on HBO but won’t make Colonial Williamsburg his next vacation spot) needs a witty and edgy history book—and he has it, with with this guide. Hysterical authors—and self-described slackers—Don Stewart and John Pfeifer give readers the bare minimum on important events such as: The Civil War (the war that pitted brother vs. brother—about the bruthas) The expedition of Lewis and Clark (the ultimate road trip) The Boston Tea Party (not much of a party unless that tea was from Long Island) The assassination of JFK (one vacation that ended particularly badly) Combining current pop culture references and accessible historical information, this satirical book catches readers up on what they slept through in History 101.

Discusses American history from prehistory through 2006, including brief biographical sketches of historical figures and events from popular culture.

Do you know America? No, I mean, do you REALLY know America? Would you recognize John Adams in a lineup? Can you identify any presidents between Lincoln and Roosevelt? Hmmm. I thought so. Well, you really need this book. Not only will it improve your sorry historical knowledge, it will crack you up, and give you material to throw your teachers off-balance for entire class periods. Identify their lies! Point out their half-truths! And possibly, just possibly, gain some extra credit for yourself.

Giving yesterday's words another chance to sparkle before they retire to the archives for good, Dewdroppers, Waldos, and Slackers focuses on language that still resonates with the mood of its times.

The compact history of a giant country. American history is one of those subjects that students frequently labor over and can seem like a random collection of names, dates, and events. Understood as a collective biography and free of the cheerleading found in many text books, the fully updated fifth edition of The Complete Idiot's Guide® to American History explains the changing tides in America's most pivotal periods. ? From a seasoned author and researcher ? The most current and comprehensive series title on American history ? Heightened interest right now in the question of how America got where we are - a question that can only be answered by an understanding of history

The '90's answer to The Preppie Handbook is a satiric, humorous and comprehensive critique, written by the ultimate slacker, that reveals rules, guidelines and recommendations for being a state-of-the-art slacker. The book features a hip MTV-like format with fast-cut sidebars, cartoons, photos, lists, quizzes and charts.

From the bestselling author of Swindle, Restart, and Slacker is another hilarious story about an underachiever who learns to go above and beyond. Cameron Boxer, king of the slackers, has found something worth his time. By playing video games online in front of an audience he can find both fame AND fortune -- especially with Elvis (a beaver who seems to love video games as much as Cam) at his side.The only problem? Things keep getting in Cam's way. Like school. And the club he accidentally started. And the misguided people in his life who don't think beavers should be playing video games.It's going to take some trickery, some close calls, and a fierce devotion to slacking in order for Cam to get to his goal -- conquering the game's infamous Level 13. But if any slacker can do it, Cam can.

Provides an overview of the people, events, and ideas that shaped the twentieth century, covering wars and political conflicts, innovations in technology, and the contributions of such great minds as Sigmund Freud and Albert Einstein

Everyone has responsibilities, obligations, and problems to deal with in the workplace and in life. Some people, however, have mastered the art of shifting those monkeys onto the backs of others. They claim they don t know how to solve a problem or do the task, they say they don't have time, they complain, they perform poorly, they find any and every way to avoid the work - and yet somehow, they're never held accountable. Instead, hardworking, loyal employees who care about results end up shouldering those burdens for their lazy or unmotivated colleagues. The slackers get just what they want - less work - while the best employees become alienated and overworked. Who is to blame for those misplaced monkeys? Shifting the Monkey shows how to shift an organization's focus from compensating for, excusing, and working around problem people to cultivating and rewarding the best employees. --Publisher.

From the author of Crying, a witty, wide-ranging cultural history of our attitudes toward work—and getting out of it Couch potatoes, goof-offs, freeloaders, good-for-nothings, loafers, and loungers: ever since the Industrial Revolution, when the work ethic as we know it was formed, there has been a chorus of slackers ridiculing and lampooning the pretensions of hardworking respectability. Reviled by many, heroes to others, these layabouts stretch and yawn while the rest of society worries and sweats. Whenever the world of labor changes in significant ways, the pulpits, politicians, and pedagogues ring with exhortations of the value of work, and the slackers answer with a strenuous call of their own: "To do nothing," as Oscar Wilde said, "is the most difficult thing in the world." From Benjamin Franklin's "air baths" to Jack Kerouac's "dharma bums," Generation-X slackers, and beyond, anti-work-ethic proponents have held a central place in modern culture. Moving with verve and wit through a series of fascinating case studies that illuminate the changing place of leisure in the American republic, Doing Nothing revises the way we understand slackers and work itself.