Books published by publisher PIATKUS

HORNY LIZARDS AND HEADLESS CHICKENS is a vile and disgusting compendium of the world's most unpleasant creatures, diseases, hideous tortures and every other type of horrifying, nauseating fact imaginable. Questions posed in the book address revolting matters such as:* Do flies really puke on your food?* Which worm can eat its way through the human eye?* And how long does a head remain conscious after being guillotined?In HORNY LIZARDS AND HEADLESS CHICKENS, readers can explore a huge range of horrible subjects, which most books have the good sense to avoid, including Aztec sacrifices, bizarre medical treatments, body snatchers, cannibalism, and eye-wateringly unpleasant execution methods. You are guaranteed a brilliantly sickening read.

In the summer that saw the first successful flight of the Zeppelin, a 140 acre site of scrubland in West London was transformed into the White City, which housed the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition - and a state-of-the-art stadium built to house the first London Olympics. The Olympics were organised by volunteers in just 18 months and at a fraction of the cost of the modern Olympics and yet, just as today, the sport was overshadowed by doping scandals and caused international uproar. The ferocious competitiveness of a US team dominated by New York Irish Americans led to a succession of 'scandals' culminating in the historic marathon when Italian confectioner baker Dorando Pietri's heroic efforts at the limits of exhaustion so entranced on-lookers that track officials helped him across the finish line. Coinciding with the 100th Anniversary of the first London Olympics, this delightful social and sporting history - illustrated with over 70 contemporary images - provides a thought-provoking contrast to the forthcoming 2012 Olympic Games.

Are you tired of getting cooking tips from people who can't even remember what it's like to need them? The shelves are full of people who can tell you how to bake a better pie - but will they remember to tell you that if you have cheap or old tins, you have to line them with baking paper so that you can get the food to come out of them?That's where LOVE FOOD, CAN'T COOK? comes in. Lara DePetrillo and Caroline Eastman-Bridges remove the intimidation from cooking and offer a light-hearted, smart and funny approach to making great food from your own kitchen - without fancy gadgets and over-complicated instructions.In this heartwarming guide to food in all its forms, you will find superb recipes, amazing facts and invaluable tips to creating fabulous meals at home.

Everything you ever wanted to know about the human body - and some things you'd rather not...A wonderfully entertaining yet authoritative treasure trove of facts about our anatomy - it answers all the questions about our bodies we're usually too embarrassed to ask.· Why is yawning contagious? Some experts think that yawning may have developed as a means of communication. It may, for example, be a way of signalling to others that it's important to remain alert and stay awake in a certain situation. Another theory is that our early ancestors used it as part of their social behaviour, and as a way to help build a bond with the rest of the group.· Why are bogies green? When white blood cells meet germs, they make a large amount of an enzyme called myeloperoxidase, which is green because it contains a lot of iron. The colouration therefore comes from the iron.

Gina had fallen for Matt Hooley when they were both teenage rebels. Together, they were going to save the world - until their mothers put a stop to it, and made sure they never saw each other again. Now, fourteen years later, Gina still regards Matt as 'The One'. No one else has ever come close to measuring up. All of her other boyfriends have eventually stumbled at some hurdle or other, cursing 'Saint Matt' as they fell. Gina's always had a daydream that one day Matt would come back and carry her off on his obligatory white charger. But never once in her fantasies did he ever arrive complete with an ex-wife and three kids! Worse, her teenage rebel has become thoroughly respectable. Well groomed, wealthy, middle class - he could even pass for an accountant! How can her Mr Right have gone so wrong...?

'This is a remarkable book . . . Read it and use it: you may find you are doing nothing less than giving back to your children their childhood, while they still have the chance to live it' Mark Williams, Director, University of Oxford Mindfulness Centre and author of Mindfulness: Finding peace in a frantic world'10 Mindful Minutes can help any adult - parent, grandparent, teacher - make double use of their moments with the children they love and have a terrific time while helping shape that child's brain for a lifetime of resilience and happiness' Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional IntelligenceBestselling author Goldie Hawn offers parents a practical guide for helping their children to learn better and live more happily. Based on the MindUP programme, supported by the Hawn Foundation, 10 Mindful Minutes outlines short, practical exercises for parents and children - taking less than 10 minutes - to help young children and teenagers reduce stress and anxiety, improve concentration and academic performance, effectively manage emotions and behaviour, develop greater empathy for others and the world, and be more optimistic and happy. Representing the culmination of years of research and programmes developed by the Hawn Foundation currently being used by schools internationally, this book will help children and parents develop mindfulness which has been proven to promote more effective learning and happier lives.

Meet The Clique, the five girls who rule Octavian Country Day School ...There's Massie, with her glossy bob and laser-whitened smile, uncontested leader of the Clique. Dylan, second in command, spends her time sucking up to Massie. Alicia, as sneaky as she is beautiful, wants to be leader of the group one day ? and she just might. Then there's Kristen, smart, hardworking, who doesn't suffer fools gladly. And Claire, in by the skin of her teeth, is the newest member of The Clique ? but has swapping her hand-me-down clothes for Chanel No. 19 really solved all her problems? Apparently not. When the girls at pack up their warmest cashmere coats for a trip to Lake Placid, they discover that bears aren't the only scary things in the woods. The Briarwood boys are staying in a cabin way to close for comfort ? and it's up to Massie's Underground Clinic for Kissing (MUCK) to save immaculately-made-up face ...