Cover Story:

The 25 Most Influential Books of the Past 25 Years

By rosemary ahern
This list isn't about story arcs or beautiful prose; it's about books with spine. Whether they've saved lives or gotten people killed, predicted America's future or uncovered its past, these 25 books have all had real-world impact. Be prepared to wear your library card ragged!

Features:

Forged in the Heat of Battle: The Incredible Story of the First Boy Scouts

By jenny bond & chris sheedy
Meet the man who started the Boy Scouts by dressing a group of youngsters in khaki uniforms and letting them fight for England.

Who's the Fittest Now? Everything You Know About Genetics Is Evolving

By sam kean
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck has been the laughingstock of evolutionary science ever since Darwin hit the scene. But now a field called epigenetics is giving his theories some new life, and helping biology break new ground in the process.

Art of the Aborigines: Painting the World in Dreamtime

By rolf potts
Paintings by Australia's indigenous people express profound spirituality-and sell for crazy money! Learn how the commercialization of Aboriginal art is bringing an ancient culture into the 21st century.

scatter_brained:

furniture

For us, great furniture facts are all about the thrill of the chaise. Join us as we race through a lazy history of the La-Z-Boy, thrifty decorating tips from Balzac, and all the dirt you'll ever need to know about Thomas Chippendale and the strippers who bear his name.

right_brain:

flex appeal: the father of modern bodybuilding

By tim Farrell
Once upon a time, strongmen were fat, "gun shows" still featured rifles, and weightlifting was thought to cause paralysis. Then a skinny Prussian named Eugen Sandow came along and flexed his muscles, and exercise was never the same again.

our lady of the curd: 4 holy women transformed by cheese

By david clark
Praise cheeses! It's time to put the lactose intolerance aside and bow your heads. David Clark uncovers the miracles of the delicious dairy, from inspiring saints to transforming the lives of gamblers.

left_brain:

scientific reasons to believe in vampires, werewolves, and zombies

By matt soniak
Looking for hot investment tips in the monster market? Researcher Matt Soniak advises us to sell off our wooden stakes and holy water and buy up these scientific explanations.

50-Cent Tour

The outback

By mark juddery
Whether you're hunting for feral camels or looking for a nice patch of desert to race your yacht, Australia's Outback is your place. Mark Juddery explains.