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Big World, Small Planet: Abundance Within Planetary Boundaries
by Peter Miller Johan Rockström Mattias KlumBig World, Small Planet probes the urgent predicament of our times: how is it possible to create a positive future for both humanity and Earth? <P><P>We have entered the Anthropocene--the era of massive human impacts on the planet--and the actions of over seven billion residents threaten to destabilize Earth's natural systems, with cascading consequences for human societies. In this extraordinary book, the authors combine the latest science with compelling storytelling and amazing photography to create a new narrative for humanity's future. Johan Rockström and Mattias Klum reject the notion that economic growth and human prosperity can only be achieved at the expense of the environment. They contend that we have unprecedented opportunities to navigate a "good Anthropocene." By embracing a deep mind-shift, humanity can reconnect to Earth, discover universal values, and take on the essential role of planetary steward. With eloquence and profound optimism, Rockström and Klum envision a future of abundance within planetary boundaries--a revolutionary future that is at once necessary, possible, and sustainable for coming generations.
The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession
by Mark ObmascikEvery year on January 1, a quirky crowd of adventurers storms out across North America for a spectacularly competitive event called a Big Year -- a grand, grueling, expensive, and occasionally vicious, "extreme" 365-day marathon of birdwatching. For three men in particular, 1998 would be a whirlwind, a winner-takes-nothing battle for a new North American birding record. In frenetic pilgrimages for once-in-a-lifetime rarities that can make or break their lead, the birders race each other from Del Rio, Texas, in search of the rufous-capped warbler, to Gibsons, British Columbia, on a quest for Xantus's hummingbird, to Cape May, New Jersey, seeking the offshore great skua. Bouncing from coast to coast on their potholed road to glory, they brave broiling deserts, roiling oceans, bug-infested swamps, a charge by a disgruntled mountain lion, and some of the lumpiest motel mattresses known to man. The unprecedented year of beat-the-clock adventures ultimately leads one man to a new record -- one so gigantic that it is unlikely ever to be bested...finding and identifying an extraordinary 745 different species by official year-end count. Prize-winning journalist Mark Obmascik creates a rollicking, dazzling narrative of the 275,000-mile odyssey of these three obsessives as they fight to the finish to claim the title in the greatest -- or maybe the worst -- birding contest of all time. With an engaging, unflappably wry humor, Obmascik memorializes their wild and crazy exploits and, along the way, interweaves an entertaining smattering of science about birds and their own strange behavior with a brief history of other bird-men and -women; turns out even Audubon pushed himself beyond the brink when he was chasing and painting the birds of America. A captivating tour of human and avian nature, passion and paranoia, honor and deceit, fear and loathing, The Big Year shows the lengths to which people will go to pursue their dreams, to conquer and categorize -- no matter how low the stakes. This is a lark of a read for anyone with birds on the brain -- or not.
The (Big) Year that Flew By: Twelve Months, Six Continents, and the Ultimate Birding Record
by Arjan Dwarshuis"A fast-paced page-turner and a unique adventure story . . . filled with insights about landscapes, people, and a world of wonderful birds.”―Kenn Kaufman, author of Kingbird Highway An epic tale of one passionate birder’s record-breaking adventure through 40 countries over 6 continents—in just one year—to see 6,852 bird species, rare and common, before many go extinct. When Arjan Dwarshuis first heard of the “Big Year”—the legendary record for birdwatching—he was twenty years old, it was midnight, and he was sitting on the roof of a truck in the Andean Mountains. In that moment he promised himself that, someday, somehow, he would become a world-record-holding birder. Ten years later, he embarked on an incredible, arduous, and perilous journey that took him around the globe; over uninhabited islands, through dense unforgiving rainforests, across snowy mountain peaks and unrelenting deserts—in just a single year. Would he survive? Would he be able to break the “Big Year” record, navigating through a world filled with shifting climate and geopolitical challenges? The (Big) Year that Flew By is an unforgettable, personal exploration of the limits of human potential when engaging with the natural world. It is a book about birds and birding and Arjan’s attempts to raise awareness for critically endangered species, but it is also a book about overcoming mental challenges, extreme physical danger, and human competition and fully realizing your passions through nature, adventure, and conservation. "Dwarshius’ exhilarating race against time across 40 countries and 6 continents in his attempt to break the world record will thrill armchair readers and bird enthusiasts alike."―Booklist
A Bigger Picture: My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the Climate Crisis
by Vanessa NakateA manifesto and memoir about climate justice and how we can—and must—build a livable future for all, inclusive to all, by a rising star of the global climate movement Leading climate justice activist Vanessa Nakate brings her fierce, fearless spirit, new perspective, and superstar bona fides to the biggest issue of our time. In A Bigger Picture, her first book, she shares her story as a young Ugandan woman who sees that her community bears disproportionate consequences to the climate crisis. At the same time, she sees that activists from African nations and the global south are not being heard in the same way as activists from white nations are heard. Inspired by Sweden&’s Greta Thunberg, in 2019 Nakate became Uganda&’s first Fridays for Future protestor, awakening to her personal power and summoning within herself a commanding political voice. Nakate&’s mere presence has revealed rampant inequalities within the climate justice movement. In January 2020, while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as one of five international delegates, including Thunberg, Nakate&’s image was cropped out of a photo by the Associated Press. The photo featured the four other activists, who were all white. It highlighted the call Nakate has been making all along: for both environmental and social justice on behalf of those who have been omitted from the climate discussion and who are now demanding to be heard. From a shy little girl in Kampala to a leader on the world stage, A Bigger Picture is part rousing manifesto and part poignant memoir, and it presents a new vision for the climate movement based on resilience, sustainability, and genuine equity.
The Biggest Puddle in the World
by Mark LeeSarah and Charlie hunt down the biggest puddle in the world with their grandfather in this fun introduction to the water cycle, perfect for young readers.When Sarah and her younger brother Charlie go to stay with their grandparents, it rains for days. At first, they have fun exploring inside the big, old house, but eventually they want to explore outside, too. “Where does the rain come from?” Sarah asks her grandfather, Big T. He promises to show her once it stops raining.When the storm passes, Sarah, Big T., Charlie and Keeper the dog go exploring. They jump in puddles, draw a puddle map and finally find the biggest puddle in the world!Mark Lee’s lively story is an introduction to the water cycle for young readers. Nathalie Dion’s soft illustrations show the fun, loving relationship between Big T., Sarah and Charlie.Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
The Biggest Snowball Fight!
by Angela Shelf MedearisA snowball fight leads to a new dance and starts a new town tradition. picture descriptions added.
Biggety Bat: Chow Down, Biggety! (Scholastic Reader, Level 1)
by Ann IngallsBiggety Bat is back--and on a search for his supper!"Hot diggety!" said Biggety. "Supper for sea turtle, but. . . . . . what about me?"Biggety Bat is hungry -- and looking for his supper. The swamp he explores is full of animals chowing down: frogs, cuckoo birds, sea turtles, and more.But what will Biggety find to eat? Author Ann Ingalls blends lyrical text with real-life information about a Florida mangrove swamp. Readers will love discovering the eating habits of the animals who live in this unique habitat.
The Biggle Bee Book: A Swarm of Facts on Practical Beekeeping, Carefully Hived
by Jacob Biggle"As long as I can remember, even as a boy, there were bees kept on our farm," wrote Jacob Biggle in his preface to The Biggle Bee Book. "If for no other reason than to insure the proper fertilization of fruit and other blossoms, every farmer, fruit grower, or gardener should keep a few bees upon his grounds." Biggle's fifty colonies of bees, though requiring just a small part of his time, paid Biggle a larger return than any other animal on his farm. Not only did he take pleasure in caring for these wonderful insects and enjoying the honey they produced, he also recognized that their presence on his farm meant that his orchards and crops would flourish.If there are any so-called secrets to the art of beekeeping, Jacob Biggle does his best to expose them all in this delightful little volume. His hope was that readers could profit from his hard-earned wisdom that included:The benefits of keeping beesHow to care for bees through the winterThe marketing and selling of wax- and honey-based productsWhat bee-friendly plants to raise in the gardenHow to introduce a new queen to the hiveWritten not only for the professional beekeeper, but also for the backyard farmer, and anyone interested in rural life, self-sufficiency, and farming techniques of the past, this book is an essential addition to the home library.
The Biggle Garden Book: Vegetables, Small Fruits and Flowers for Pleasure and Profit (Gardening In America Ser.)
by Jacob BiggleWhen The Biggle Garden Book was first published in 1908, most people were in the habit of raising their own food and flowers. Jacob Biggle felt that a gardener's success had to do with willpower and passion rather than acreage. "The man, woman or youngster who really wants a garden, will somehow manage to have a good one regardless of soil conditions, bad weather, measles in the family, or whether the area of ground at hand is a square acre or a square rod," he wrote encouragingly at the start of the book.That passion for gardening continues today in fields, backyards, and urban community plots across the United States. According to a poll taken in 2009 by the National Gardening Association, more than forty-three million households in the United States grow some of their own food. Learn how to do things the "old-school" way as Jacob and Harriet Biggle guide you through the fundamentals of:Soil preparation, sowing, and plantingHotbeds and cold framesFertilization, cultivation, and irrigationFlower gardening with old-fashioned favoritesGarden pests and friendsWith a resurgence in organic farming, heirloom varieties, and self-reliant living, The Biggle Garden Book is more valuable than ever because of the time-tested advice it offers.
The Biggle Horse Book: A Concise and Practical Treatise on the Horse, Adapted to the Needs of Farmers and Others Who Have a Kindly Regard for This Noble Servitor of Man
by Jacob Biggle"People ought to try to make their horses happy," wrote Jacob Biggle's wife Harriet in The Biggle Horse Book in 1894. "A happy, cheerful horse will do more work and live longer, and thus be more profitable to its owner, than one whose temper is kept constantly ruffled, whose disposition is soured by ill-usage, and whose peace of mind is often disturbed by the crack of the whip, the hoarse voice of the driver, the strain of overwork, the discomfort of a hard bed, or the pangs of hunger and thirst." When it comes to the treatment of animals--especially the horse--the Biggles were ahead of their time.Folksy and informative, this manual offers timeless tips on the effective and humane treatment and training of horses and detailed descriptions of all the major breeds. Practical horsemen and veterinarians of the era contributed their wisdom and insight, and their maxims on owning, riding, and working with horses will provide endless hours of entertainment. Here are just a few:"Proper food and lots of sentiment will make with good blood a good horse.""If you must put frosty bits in some mouths, let it be your own. Suffering begets sympathy.""The three greatest enemies of the horse are idleness, fat, and a dumb blacksmith.""Don't try to fit a horse to the collar. It won't work. Fit the collar to the horse."Enhanced with beautiful engravings, illustrations, and snippets of poetry throughout, The Biggle Horse Book remains a loving and fitting tribute to "this noble servitor of man."
The Biggle Poultry Book: A Concise and Practical Treatise on the Management of Farm Poultry
by Jacob BiggleWhen Jacob Biggle first published his book on the management of poultry, there were more than 300 million chickens and 30 million other domesticated fowl in the United States. Today, the trend continues with thousands if not millions of chickens and other fowl being raised in suburban and urban backyards across America. Biggle's aim was to "help farmers and villagers conduct the poultry business with pleasure and profit." To that end, this handy little volume contains all the information the reader needs to know, such as:The various breeds of chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, ducks, geese, and pigeonsThe most common diseases and enemies that threaten our feathered friendsRaising hens expressly for eggs rather than meatThe farmer's flock versus the village henneryThe art of hatching eggs and caring for chicksWritten for the practical farmer who raises poultry and eggs for market,The Biggle Poultry Book will also appeal to collectors of farm ephemera and anyone else who is nostalgic for a simpler way of doing things. Illustrated with sixteen color plates by Louis P. Graham, and hundreds of black-and-white photographs and illustrations throughout, The Biggle Poultry Book is as beautiful as it is useful and a treasure for the home library.
The Biggle Swine Book: Much Old and More New Hog Knowledge, Arranged in Alternate Streaks of Fat and Lean
by Jacob BiggleWhen Jacob Biggle first published The Biggle Swine Book in 1898, hog husbandry was undergoing major changes. New feeding methods had come into vogue, new breeds of hogs had been developed, and significant progress had been made in curbing swine-borne epidemics. Even the public perception of pigs as filthy creatures wallowing up to their knees in mud had brightened, and pigs were accorded a modicum of respect. But with the onset of railroad development across the United States, the backyard pig farmer started losing ground to slaughterhouses and large processing plants.The Biggle Swine Book captures this moment in American history when home animal husbandry was giving way to more industrialized meat production. Nevertheless, Jacob Biggle continued to offer guidance to the small-scale farmer on all manner of livestock issues, centered around the proper breeding, feeding, and care of pigs. His book includes valuable instructions on: What to do at farrowing timeConstructing the piggery and styKeeping on top of the manure pileButchering and curing meatsProtecting your animals from various pig ailmentsIllustrated with photographs, engravings, and line drawings throughout of all things pig-related, this book is a glimpse into a bygone era when sows and their litters had a place on every farm, and people knew exactly where their bacon came from.
Biking For Dummies
by Tyler BenedictExplore, travel, and get fit on two wheels Biking For Dummies will teach you the basics of riding your bike as a workout or as a mode of transportation. Great for people of all ages and fitness levels, this book shows you how to select the best bike for your needs, how to ride safely, and how to maintain your bicycle, so you can enjoy the many adventures that lie ahead. This entertaining Dummies guide answers all your questions about e-bikes, cycling etiquette, must-have gear and gadgets, and staying safe out there. Plus, you’ll find bicycle maintenance advice and tips that will help you get faster and ride farther, even if you’re starting from zero. Become a cyclist, the Dummies way. Choose the right bike for you and find places to ride it Use correct form, learn the rules of the road, and enjoy every ride Learn to keep your bike or e-bike in good shape for years to come Discover which equipment you need, and which you can live withoutBiking For Dummies is for beginners who want to start cycling, and for experienced riders looking for reliable info. Start with a quick ride around the block and branch out to long rides and exciting cycling vacations. There’s no limit to where two wheels can take you.
Bilingual Bird - ¡Cuidemos las aves!
by Brendan Kearney- A bilingual book that taps into eco-awareness, climate change and shows the benefits of making sustainable decisions. - Teaches words in context and supports second language development through key phrases and structures. - Resource that strengthens bilingualism and reading skills. Easy-to-read book for kids who are 3-5 years old. Dual language book: read both English and Spanish side by side or switch between them! Lively and fun story with quirky illustrations. Features lots of practical tips for taking care of the planet. Teaches words in context and supports second language development through key phrases and structures. Excellent resource for strengthening bilingualism and reading skills. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cuento bilingüe ilustrado que alimenta valores como el respeto y la sensibilidad medioambiental. - Libro con ilustraciones sencillas y coloridas, pensado para compartir momentos de lectura bilingüeAcompaña a Finn y su perro, Skip, descubre cómo mantener el aire limpio de contaminación, proteger las aves. ¡Aprende inglés y español al mismo tiempo! Un divertido cuento bilingüe, perfecto para lectores principiantes y estudiantes.
Bill And Pete To The Rescue
by Tomie DepaolaThe long-awaited sequel to "Bill and Pete" and "Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile" is a hilarious romp that takes William Everett Crocodile (Bill) and his toothbrush bird buddy Pete from the Nile to the Mississippi, in their first visit to the United States.
Bill Nye's Great Big World of Science
by Bill Nye Gregory MoneWith photos, experiments, and more, this “appealing and highly informative” science book from the beloved TV host is “a winner” (School Library Journal).Science educator, TV host, and New York Times–bestselling author Bill Nye is on a mission to help young people understand and appreciate the science that makes our world work. Featuring a range of subjects—physics, chemistry, geology, biology, astronomy, global warming, and more—this profusely illustrated book covers the basic principles of each science, key discoveries, recent revolutionary advances, and the problems that science still needs to solve for our Earth. Nye and coauthor Gregory Mone present the most difficult theories and facts in an easy-to-comprehend, humorous way. They interviewed numerous specialists from around the world, in each of the fields discussed, whose insights are included throughout. Also included are experiments kids can do themselves to bring science to life! “Wordplay and wry wit put extra fun into a trove of fundamental knowledge.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Includes photographs, illustrations, diagrams, glossary, bibliography, and index
Billion Dollar Burger: Inside Big Tech's Race for the Future of Food
by Chase PurdyA fast-paced, gripping insider account of the entrepreneurs and renegades racing to bring lab-grown meat to the world.The trillion-dollar meat industry is one of our greatest environmental hazards; it pollutes more than all the world's fossil-fuel-powered cars. Global animal agriculture is responsible for deforestation, soil erosion and more emissions than air travel, paper mills and coal mining combined. It also depends on the slaughter of more than 60 billion animals per year, a number that is only increasing as the global appetite for meat swells. The whole world seems to be sleepwalking into a food crisis. But a band of doctors, scientists, activists and entrepreneurs have been racing to end animal agriculture as we know it, hoping to fulfill a dream of creating meat without ever having to kill an animal. This is the story of a group of seven vegans quietly working to solve one the most pressing issues we face today, creating the biggest upheaval to the food business in decades along the way. In Billion Dollar Burger, Chase Purdy explores the companies at the cutting edge of the nascent food technology sector, from polarizing activist-turned-tech CEO Josh Tetrick to lobbyists and regulators on both sides of the issue. Billion Dollar Burger follows the people fighting to upend our food system as they butt up against the entrenched interests fighting viciously to stop them. It will take readers on a truly global journey from Silicon Valley to China, by way of Israel and the UK.The stakes are monumentally high: cell-cultured meat is the best hope for sustainable food production, a key to fighting climate change, a gold mine for the companies that make it happen and an existential threat for the farmers and meatpackers that make our meat today.
Billion Dollar Burger: Inside Big Tech's Race for the Future of Food
by Chase PurdyA fast-paced, gripping insider account of the entrepreneurs and renegades racing to bring lab-grown meat to the world.The trillion-dollar meat industry is one of our greatest environmental hazards; it pollutes more than all the world's fossil-fuel-powered cars. Global animal agriculture is responsible for deforestation, soil erosion and more emissions than air travel, paper mills and coal mining combined. It also depends on the slaughter of more than 60 billion animals per year, a number that is only increasing as the global appetite for meat swells. The whole world seems to be sleepwalking into a food crisis. But a band of doctors, scientists, activists and entrepreneurs have been racing to end animal agriculture as we know it, hoping to fulfill a dream of creating meat without ever having to kill an animal. This is the story of a group of seven vegans quietly working to solve one the most pressing issues we face today, creating the biggest upheaval to the food business in decades along the way. In Billion Dollar Burger, Chase Purdy explores the companies at the cutting edge of the nascent food technology sector, from polarizing activist-turned-tech CEO Josh Tetrick to lobbyists and regulators on both sides of the issue. Billion Dollar Burger follows the people fighting to upend our food system as they butt up against the entrenched interests fighting viciously to stop them. It will take readers on a truly global journey from Silicon Valley to China, by way of Israel and the UK.The stakes are monumentally high: cell-cultured meat is the best hope for sustainable food production, a key to fighting climate change, a gold mine for the companies that make it happen and an existential threat for the farmers and meatpackers that make our meat today.
Billionaire Wilderness: The Ultra-Wealthy and the Remaking of the American West (Princeton Studies In Cultural Sociology Ser. #83)
by Justin FarrellA revealing look at the intersection of wealth, philanthropy, and conservationBillionaire Wilderness takes you inside the exclusive world of the ultra-wealthy, showing how today's richest people are using the natural environment to solve the existential dilemmas they face. Justin Farrell spent five years in Teton County, Wyoming, the richest county in the United States, and a community where income inequality is the worst in the nation. He conducted hundreds of in-depth interviews, gaining unprecedented access to tech CEOs, Wall Street financiers, oil magnates, and other prominent figures in business and politics. He also talked with the rural poor who live among the ultra-wealthy and often work for them. The result is a penetrating account of the far-reaching consequences of the massive accrual of wealth, and an eye-opening and sometimes troubling portrait of a changing American West where romanticizing rural poverty and conserving nature can be lucrative—socially as well as financially.Weaving unforgettable storytelling with thought-provoking analysis, Billionaire Wilderness reveals how the ultra-wealthy are buying up the land and leveraging one of the most pristine ecosystems in the world to climb even higher on the socioeconomic ladder. The affluent of Teton County are people burdened by stigmas, guilt, and status anxiety—and they appropriate nature and rural people to create more virtuous and deserving versions of themselves. Incisive and compelling, Billionaire Wilderness reveals the hidden connections between wealth concentration and the environment, two of the most pressing and contentious issues of our time.
Billy Budd: Downloadable Teaching Unit (Sparknotes Literature Study Guides)
by Herman MelvilleWhile 'Moby Dick' is Herman Melville&’s best known book, 'Billy Budd, Sailor' is considered by many to be his greatest work. Billy, a foundling from Bristol, has an innocence, good looks and a natural charisma that make him popular with the crew. His only physical defect is a stutter which grows worse when under intense emotion. He arouses the antagonism of the ship&’s master-at-arms, John Claggart. Claggart, while not unattractive, seems somehow defective or abnormal next to Billy. Despite Claggart&’s animosity towards him, Billy saves Claggart&’s life further infuriating the man. Claggart then accuses Billy of conspiring to mutiny. Billy, dumfounded by the accusation, becomes unable to defend himself against Claggart&’s words because of his stuttering and in frustration strikes the lying Claggart with a blow so powerful that it kills the man instantly. In the ensuing trial Melville explores good and evil, justices and mercy, right and wrong, and natural law verses man&’s law. A Masterpiece for the Ages!
Billy Budd: Downloadable Teaching Unit (Clasicos Universales Series #41)
by Herman Melville<p>A young sailor in the eighteenth-century Royal Navy is falsely accused of mutiny in this classic tale of good and evil by the celebrated author of Moby Dick.<p> <p>England, 1797. Billy Budd, a young sailor aboard the merchant ship Rights-of-Man is conscripted to serve on a Royal Navy warship, the HMS Bellipotent. Innocent and charming despite his stutter, Billy is quickly accepted by the crew—and resented by the ship’s brooding master-at-arms, John Claggart. When Claggart accuses Billy of conspiracy to mutiny, the false charge sets the young innocent on an inescapable path toward tragedy.<p> <p>Herman Melville’s final novel, Billy Budd was first published in 1924, more than thirty years after the author’s death. A tale of virtue caught in the machinery of law and wartime vigilance, this American classic has been adapted for both stage and screen, and remains one of Melville’s most beloved works.<p>
Billy Budd, Sailor
by Herman MelvilleHerman Melville's final masterpiece, found unpublished on his desk at his death.Billy Budd, Sailor would emerge, after its publication in 1924, as one of Melville's best-loved books--and one of his most open, with its discussion of homosexualty. In it, Melville returns to the sea to tell the story of Billy, a cheerful, hard working, and handsome young sailor, conscripted to work against his will on another ship, where he soon finds himself persecuted by Claggart, the paranoid master-at-arms. As things escalate beyond the naive Billy's control, tragedy looms on the horizon like Melville's great white whale, and the story become Melville's final, sublime plunge into the classic tussle between civilization and chaos, between oppression and freedom, as well as the book in which he discusses homosexuality most openly. One of the major works of American literature.
Billy Budd, Sailor: An Inside Narrative (Library Of Literature #Vol. 43)
by Herman Melville Harrison Hayford Merton M. Sealts Jr.Hayford and Sealts's text was the first accurate version of Melville's final novel. Based on a close analysis of the manuscript, thoroughly annotated, and packaged with a history of the text and perspectives for its criticism, this edition will remain the definitive version of a profoundly suggestive story. "The texts are impeccably accurate. . . . The collection is accompanied by an unobtrusive but expert annotation. . . . Probably Melville's finest short work, the incomplete 'Billy Budd,' [is] a striking reworking of the crucifixion set in the English maritime service of the Revolutionary period."--John Sutherland, The Los Angeles Times
Billy Budd, Sailor and Selected Tales (Oxford World's Classics)
by Herman Melville`Truth uncompromisingly told will always have its ragged edges. ' So wrote Melville of Billy Budd, Sailor, among the greatest of his works and, in its richness and ambiguity, among the most problematic. As the critic E. L. Grant Watson writes, `In this short history of the impressment and hanging of a handsome sailor-boy are to be discovered problems as profound as those which puzzle us in the pages of the Gospels. ' Outwardly a compelling narrative of events aboard a British man-of-war during the turmoil of the Napoleonic Wars, Billy Budd, Sailor is a nautical recasting of the Fall, a parable of good and evil, a meditation on justice and political governance, and a searching portrait of three extraordinary men. The passion it has aroused in its readers over the years is a measure of how deeply it addresses some of the fundamental questions of experience that every age must reexamine for itself. The selection in this volume represents the best of Melville's shorter fiction, and uses the most authoritative texts. The eight shorter tales included here were composed during Melville's years as a magazine writer in the mid 1850's and establish him, along with Hawthorne and Poe, as the greatest American story writer of his age. Several of the tales - Bartleby the Scrivener, Benito Cereno, The Encantadas, The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids - are acknowledged masterpieces of their genres. All show Melville a master of irony, point-of-view, and tone whose fables ripple out in nearly endless circles of meaning. [This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards in English language arts in grades 11-12 at http://www.corestandards.org.]
The Bin Laden Plot: A Novel (Trident Deception Series #7)
by Rick CampbellA U.S. destroyer is torpedoed by an Iranian submarine and Captain Murray Wilson of the U.S.S. Michigan is flown to the Pentagon to meet with the Secretary of the Navy (SecNav). There Wilson learns that the Iranian submarine is just a cover story. One of the United States' own fully automated unmanned underwater vehicles has gone rogue, its programming corrupted in some way. Murray is charged with hunting it down and taking it out before the virus that's infected its operating system can infect the rest of the fleet. At the same time, the head of the SEAL detachment aboard the U.S.S Michigan is killed and Lonnie Mixell, a former U.S. operative, now assassin for hire, is responsible. And that is only the first SEAL to be hunted down and killed. Jake Harrison, fellow SEAL, discovers that these SEALs had one mission in common - they were all on the team that killed Bin Laden. Or so the world was told. As Wilson discovers that his mission is actually meant to cover up dangerous acts of corruption, even treason, Harrison discovers that the assassin is out to protect the same forces. Forces too powerful for either of them to take on alone.