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Coming September 15, 2026
The Museum of Lost Things

by Sam Kean

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Discover the astonishing story of the world's greatest lost treasures in this enthralling narrative by a writer with "the anecdotal flourishes of Oliver Sacks and the populist accessibility of Malcolm Gladwell." (Entertainment Weekly)

Spanning a million years of history, the mysteries in these pages include fabled relics, legendary cities, mythical species, and undeciphered languages that have bedeviled seekers for centuries.

Perhaps the single most common theme across all of history is loss. The loss of lands, loss of sacred objects, loss of languages, of rights, of life--the past groans with disappearances of all kinds. This enthralling narrative collects the most spellbinding tales of these experiences and weaves them into a thoughtful meditation on what it all means across the sweep of human history and the scope of human lives, including:

  • The long-lost city of Troy
  • The hidden tomb of Genghis Khan
  • The destruction of the fabled library of Alexandria
  • The near-destruction of the Mona Lisa and other art
  • The decipherment of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs
  • The extinction--and potential resurrection--of dodos, mammoths, and other iconic species

Provocative, surprising, and above all entertaining, this globe-trotting narrative acknowledges the sheer scale of humanity's losses, celebrates the treasures we have managed to retain, and reveals why they continue to captivate us centuries later.

Book Details

ISBN
9781426223860
Binding
Hardcover
Authors
Sam Kean
Publisher
National Geographic Society
Published Date
September 15, 2026
Language
English
Pages
400
Physical Info
1.6 in H x 9.1 in L x 6.2 in W (1.35 lb)
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