- Table View
- List View
All About U.S.: A Look at the Lives of 50 Real Kids from Across the United States
by Matt Lamothe Jenny VolvoskiA gorgeously illustrated companion to Matt Lamothe’s This Is How We Do It featuring 50 kids from across the United States.From the rocky coastline of Maine to the lush rainforests of Hawai‘i, read about the many different places American kids call home—and about 50 real kids who live there.In Iowa, Amelia and her dad soar through the skies in their red-and-white-striped plane.In Rhode Island, Ramon and his sisters ride scooters in the apartment building courtyard.In Louisiana, Adrain Jr. races his dirt bike down a gravel road, speeding past cornfields.Matt Lamothe and Jenny Volvovski document the daily lives of 50 children from America’s 50 states in this compelling companion to the award-winning picture book This Is How We Do It. Fifty unique, authentic portraits of growing up in America include:Families who live in a variety of dwellings, from houseboats and yurts to farms, Native reservations, and Air Force basesChildren with adoptive families, stepfamilies, single-parent families, two moms or dads, and those who live with their grandparentsChildren living with health conditions such as leukemia and muscular dystrophyFamilies from a range of social, religious, and economic backgroundsThis illustration-packed nonfiction children's book depicts a diverse collection of families, homes, and dreams, highlighting what makes each child’s world so unique yet also familiar. All About U.S. brings us together by celebrating the similarities and differences between kids’ day-to-day experiences across the United States.KIDS CAN DO AMAZING THINGS!: Prepare to be amazed and inspired by the variety of activities and interests kids take up across the United States, including kids who fly planes, forge real swords, raise their own cows, and write novels.A FRESH APPROACH TO GEOGRAPHY BOOKS FOR KIDS: Focusing on how children experience the United States today, this book presents the REAL lives of modern children with a variety of backgrounds and family structures.A WEALTH OF ONE-OF-A-KIND BACKMATTER: With kid-friendly demographics analysis, snapshots of the children featured in the book, and a fascinating peek into the research process (the authors sent more than 400 emails to teachers, librarians, and organizations asking for help finding kids to feature; 231 families applied to be included), this is sure to be a classroom favorite and a valuable educational resource for years to come. CHALLENGING STEREOTYPES: All About U.S. challenges preconceptions while deepening readers’ understandings of the country. No family in the book represents their entire state, where millions of others live. But the 50 children featured create an image of the country's incredible diversity and the next generation's unique potential.EXCELLENT EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE: An entertaining and informative resource for children of all ages, this book will inspire children to tell their own stories and to learn about the lives of others across the United States. This book also speaks to educational standards, specifically for younger grades, emphasizing that "students compare and contrast everyday life in different times and places around the world."PRAISE FOR THIS IS HOW WE DO IT: A Booklist Editors' Choice An Amazon Best Book of the YearA Parents' Choice Award winnerA Junior Library Guild selectionAnd so much more!Perfect for:Parents or teachers looking for children's books about the United StatesFans of National Geographic Kids magazine and other resources that explore geography and different world culturesReaders of books like Everything & Everywhere: A Fact-Filled Adventure for Curious Globe-Trotters and Milo Imagines the WorldKids who love U.S. wall maps or atlasesGift-givers seeking an inspiring and educational gift book
Dear Intern
by Mara Nelson-GreenbergEveryone makes mistakes—especially in their first job. Cringe and commiserate with the everyday missteps and epic workplace screwups in this collection of self-confessed blunders from disaster‑prone‑yet‑good‑intentioned interns finding their footing in professional settings.All tenured professionals know that detours and mishaps are an essential rite of passage en route to a successful career—but that doesn't make them any less funny. This curated collection of true intern confessions, from minor mistakes to major messes, is the workplace humor book everyone can relate to. Whether spilling coffee on the boss's laptop or drunkenly sending out a personal tweet on the company's Twitter account, these first-hand stories comprise a cringe- and compassion-inducing celebration of the many memorable blunders that can (and do) happen in our entry‑level years.UNIQUE ADULTING BOOK: This one-of-a-kind collection of hilarious intern stories is the perfect way for current and past interns and entry-level newbies to commiserate over embarrassing moments and lessons learned. RELATABLE HUMOR: Whether you are about to start an internship, currently are an intern, or were once an intern, these stories are a great reminder that levity in the workplace makes all the difference in getting through any given day. Everyone has humiliating slipups, and it is comforting to share them.GREAT GIFT FOR GRADS: What better way to celebrate the trials and tribulations of the workforce than a book poking fun at interns and their amusing mistakes? For anyone from recent graduates to long-standing coworkers, this is perfect as a funny first-job gift or work-iversary present.Perfect for:Graduates and young professionalsGift-giving between coworkers or from bosses to internsComedy and humor fansShort story and essay collection readersFans of The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Office Space
Move by Move: Life Lessons on and off the Chessboard
by Maurice AshleyA little book of life advice drawing on the timeless wisdom of chess from Maurice Ashley, the first African American Chess Grandmaster.At age thirty-three, Maurice Ashley became the first African American to attain the rank of International Grand Master of Chess. Since that historic moment, he has brought his love of the game to a wide audience as an educator, innovator, and motivational speaker.In Move by Move, Ashley guides readers through the essential lessons that chess has taught him about life, using both personal examples from his rise from an immigrant kid playing matches in Brooklyn parks to the most rarified levels of competition, as well as insights and anecdotes from fellow notable chess players. In short chapters with practical takeaways, this book reaches from the fundamental to the counterintuitive on subjects ranging from self-knowledge to strategic thinking to the importance of failure. This little book of wisdom is the perfect gift for graduates, chess enthusiasts, and anyone interested in understanding how lessons from the most famous and long-lasting game of strategy can help you reach your personal and professional goals.NOT JUST FOR CHESS PLAYERS: Chess is timeless. This book is perfect for anyone who plays chess, is chess-aspirational, or just has positive associations with the game. For the reader seeking a motivational book with actionable takeaways, Maurice Ashley offers the perfect authoritative yet accessible volume.AUTHORITATIVE, EXPERT AUTHOR: Maurice Ashley made history as the first Black Grandmaster in the annals of the game and translates his love of chess to others as a three-time national championship coach, ESPN commentator, NBC National Chess Championships commentator, iPhone app designer, puzzle inventor, and motivational speaker.GIFTABLE PACKAGE: This small, jacketed hardcover is elegant and classic, like the game itself. An outstanding gift book for graduation, Father's Day, birthday, retirement, and more, Move by Move also makes a great add-on gift to a chess set or a standalone present for beginner chess players and experts alike.Perfect for:Readers of self-help, personal growth, and popular business booksAnyone seeking guidance on applying strategic thinking to their daily livesChess players and fans of the gamePeople who loved The Queen’s Gambit and want to learn more about chessGift for grads and anyone else who may enjoy or benefit from inspirational books
The Shadow and the Ghost
by Cat MinShinbi is not a particularly ghosty ghost. At night she likes making tiny bouquets of things, and gazing at the far away stars. Haunting? Not so much. Even if that’s what the other ghosts like. In the daytime, in a meadow, sits a single rock, casting a single shadow, named Greem. He’d really like someone to talk to. But who? He writes one word on his lonely rock: "Hi" and hopes someone will see it. Sure enough, in the darkness of night, Shinbi finds the note! But who could have written it? In a profound exploration of how friendship can break through barriers of time and circumstance, Cat Min introduces us to two unforgettable characters we’d all love to know.
What It Means to Be a Designer Today: Reflections, Questions, and Ideas from AIGA’s Eye on Design
by Liz Stinson and Jarrett FullerAIGA’s Eye on Design presents a provocative collection of essays and interviews that cover a wide-reaching examination of the profession of design today and its impacts on society and culture.Eye on Design is an editorial platform from AIGA that has, for the last decade, covered the ins and outs of the design industry. From documenting bold new work from global designers to chronicling the field's most critical issues, their reported stories, op-eds, interviews, and conversations help designers make sense of the world and place their profession within a broader context. Weaving together original and previously published content from some of the most important writers in today’s design conversation, this book for designers encapsulates wide-reaching topics that strive to answer an essential question: What does it mean to be a designer today?Organized into three parts—Reflections, Questions, and Ideas—this book covers the most pressing issues and provocations that designers face in our current world, including:The evolution of personal brandingTeaching design historyThe cult of minimalismThe perils of hero worshipDesigners’ role in conspicuous consumptionThe meaning of visual sustainabilityAnd moreContributors include the book's editors, Liz Stinson and Jarrett Fuller, and such outstanding design writers as Rick Poynor, Anne Quito, Briar Levit, Cliff Kuang, and many more. Accessible, engaging, and conversational, What It Means to Be a Designer Today is an enduring resource and vibrant gift book that speaks to design students and educators, working designers of all levels, and anyone interested in graphic design.
Know the Theologians (KNOW Series)
by Jennifer Powell McNutt David McNuttKnow the Theologians is an introduction to the most important thinkers throughout church history and a demonstration of their ongoing relevance for believers today.The Bible describes the church as a kind of family. Those who believe in Christ are sisters and brothers in the faith, whether they live at the same time or are separated by centuries. For that reason, believers today need to know our family members who have come before and shaped our beliefs and practices now. In Know the Theologians, professors and authors Jennifer Powell McNutt and David W. McNutt introduce the most significant thinkers in the church's history.McNutt and McNutt survey over a dozen primary figures, including Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant theologians, who represent the breadth and depth of the church's theology. The book explores how they fit into their own time period and also draws attention to the theological voices of women throughout the church's history. Every chapter includes short sidebars on figures contemporary to the main theologians, bringing in additional important voices.This book has everything you need for a full personal or group study experience.As part of the KNOW series, Know the Theologians is designed for either personal study or classroom use, and it will also be an accessible resource for small groups and adult education in churches. Chapters end with reflection questions and recommended reading for further study.An individual access code to stream all video sessions online. (You don&’t need to buy a DVD!)Sessions:PART 1: EARLY CHRISTIAN THEOLOGIANS1. Irenaeus of Lyons2. Athanasius of Alexandria3. The Cappadocian Four4. Augustine of HippoPART 2: MEDIEVAL THEOLOGIANS5. John of Damascus6. Anselm of Canterbury7. Julian of Norwich8. Thomas AquinasPART 3: REFORMATION THEOLOGIANS9. Martin Luther10. John Calvin11. Menno Simons12. Teresa of AvilaPART 4: MODERN THEOLOGIANS13. The Wesley Brothers14. Friedrich Schleiermacher15. Karl Barth16. Gustavo GutiérrezStreaming video access code included.?Access code subject to expiration after 4/2/2029. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.
How to Drink Whiskey: From Grains to Glasses, Everything You Need to Know
by Carlo DeVitoThis comprehensive guide to whiskey appreciation teaches you everything you need to know, from selecting the perfect bottle to savoring its complex flavors and aromas.Whiskey is more than just a drink--it's a cultural icon, steeped in history and tradition. But for many, knowing how to appreciate whiskey can be a daunting task. That's where this book comes in. Discover the basics of whiskey-making, the art of distilling, aging, and blending. Learn about the different types of whiskey, their origins, and how to read a whiskey label like a pro. Inside you'll find three whiskey cocktail recipes for each featured type of whiskey.Delve into the nuanced world of flavor profiling with valuable tips on identifying the unique flavors and aromas of different whiskeys. From the smoky richness of peated Scotch to the sweet caramel notes of bourbon, you'll learn how to savor each sip and fully appreciate the complexity of this celebrated spirit. This is an essential resource for any whiskey lover. Engaging insights on notable distilleries and distillers will help you enjoy whiskey like never before.So pour yourself a dram, settle in, and let How to Drink Whiskey be your guide on this rewarding journey to the heart of whiskey country.
How to Drink Wine: From Grapes to Glasses, Everything You Need to Know
by Carlo DeVitoThis comprehensive guide to wine appreciation teaches you everything you need to know, from selecting the perfect bottle to pairing it with your favorite meal.Wine is more than just a drink--it's a passion, a lifestyle, and an art form. But for many people, knowing how to appreciate wine can be a daunting task. That's where this book comes in. Discover valuable information on the history of winemaking, the different types of wine, and how they vary by region and season. Learn the right way to taste wine, how to read wine labels, and how to store your bottles for optimal aging. Inside you'll find three wine cocktail recipes for each featured type of wine.With expert tips on selecting the right glassware, serving temperatures, and decanting techniques, How to Drink Wine is an essential resource for any sommelier in the making. Engaging insights on notable wineries and wine makers will help you enjoy wine like never before.So pour yourself a glass, settle in, and let How to Drink Wine be your guide on this rewarding journey through the world of wine.
Up Toward the Light
by Granger SmithThrough a simple conversation between a boy and a tree, country-music star Granger Smith shares an incredibly powerful and deeply moving story filled with life lessons on loss, grief, and the strength gained in finding the light and the will to move forward with joy and purpose.In this wonder-filled and inspiring story of surprising loss but found strength, a boy encounters a red oak who shares forest wisdom about the rich soil and the nourishing sun, pointing the boy toward a simple truth about moving on: we must grow toward the light. With breathtaking artwork from Laura Watkins, this picture bookis for ages 4 to 8;is a message of hope and strength that is passed through generations;shares the value of pain, grief, and reaching out of the darkness toward the light; andis perfect for fans of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse; The Velveteen Rabbit; The Invisible String or other beloved stories that teach life lessons through simple but profound moments.As you settle into the soothing nature of Granger's storytelling, let this meaningful interaction between a boy and a tree guide you toward the purpose and goodness of life.
How to Plot a Payback
by Melissa FergusonHe crossed an ocean, and it still wasn&’t enough to escape his lifelong nemesis. Now he has to work with her.Successful screenwriter Finn Masters just landed his dream job writing for Neighbors, one of Hollywood&’s highest-rated, longest-running sitcoms. The only downside? It will put him back in proximity of the show&’s universally adored, optimistic, altruistic star, Lavender Rhodes, who has been inadvertently ruining his life since they were school chums in England. But she doesn&’t even know she destroyed his acting career and wrecked his relationship with the love of his life.He&’s not about to let this woman yank yet another dream out from under his feet. In fact, he realizes he&’s been given the ideal opportunity to plot his payback: spinning her character in shocking new directions. What could go wrong? Only everything. As Finn&’s not-so-brilliant plot backfires one scene after the next, catching him in the blasts, he&’s forced to think about this impossible, infuriating…and maybe even lovable woman in an entirely new light.Sweet romantic comedyStand-alone novelBook length: 88,000 wordsIncludes discussion questions for book clubs
Talk Money to Me: The 8 Essential Financial Questions to Discuss With Your Partner
by Jason TartickFinancial compatibility is equally as important as emotional compatibility, and the only way to find out if you and your partner are a match is to TALK MONEY.Everyone talks about the pillars of a healthy relationship: Compatibility, chemistry, honesty, loyalty, and respect, but too many overlook one of the most critical pillars…finances! Many cohabitating Americans feel uncomfortable discussing finances with their partner.?This is a huge problem because arguments about money are the second leading cause for divorce, right behind infidelity!In this practical and no-holds-barred follow-up to his Wall Street Journal bestselling book The Restart Roadmap, host of the Trading Secrets podcast Jason Tartick will teach you the eight numbers you need to discuss with your partner and why. From investing, managing cash flows, emergency funds to credit scores, Tartick will help you gain a comprehensive view of your and your partner's financial compatibility by talking you through how to:Get comfortable starting the money conversations with your partner and loved ones.Learn the most important financial tricks, tactics, and technology to improve money habits.Calculate and manage the eight figures that will critically impact your financial wellbeing.Create independent and joint spending, saving, and investing strategies as a team.Understand the potential repercussions of financial infidelity and deception. Net worth is not self-worth. Whether you're making six figures or deep in debt, being open about your finances and coming up with a plan of action together is the best way to ensure a healthy, lasting relationship.
What the Mountains Remember
by Joy Callaway&“Joy Calloway weaves a dramatic, heartfelt story of self- discovery and a hard-won love against the stunning backdrop the &‘Eighth Wonder of the World.&’&” —Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author of Time is a River At this wondrous resort, secrets can easily be hidden in plain sight when the eye is trained on beauty.April 1913—Belle Newbold hasn&’t seen mountains for seven years—since her father died in a mining accident and her mother married gasoline magnate, Shipley Newbold. But when her stepfather&’s business acquaintance, Henry Ford, invites the family on one of his famous Vagabonds camping tours, she is forced to face the hills once again—primarily in order to reunite with her future fiancé, owner of the land the Vagabonds are using for their campsite, a man she&’s only met once before. It is a veritable arranged marriage, but she prefers it that way. Belle isn&’t interested in love. She only wants a simple life—a family of her own and the stability of a wealthy man&’s pockets. That&’s what Worth Delafield has promised to give her and it&’s worth facing the mountains again, the reminder of the past, and her poverty, to secure her future.But when the Vagabonds group is invited to tour the unfinished Grove Park Inn and Belle is unexpectedly thrust into a role researching and writing about the building of the inn—a construction the locals are calling The Eighth Wonder of the World—she quickly realizes that these mountains are no different from the ones she once called home. As Belle peels back the facade of Grove Park Inn, of Worth, of the society she&’s come to claim as her own, and the truth of her heart, she begins to see that perhaps her part in Grove Park&’s story isn&’t a coincidence after all. Perhaps it is only by watching a wonder rise from ordinary hands and mountain stone that she can finally find the strength to piece together the long-destroyed path toward who she was meant to be.International bestselling author Joy Callaway returns with a story of the ordinary people behind extraordinary beauty—and the question of who gets to tell their stories.Praise for What the Mountains Remember:&“Callaway is back with another insightful rendering of a place and time in history, bringing her trademark attention to detail, warmth, and heart to a story centered around one of the nation&’s most beautiful and fabled hotels, the Grove Park Inn in Asheville NC.&”? —Marybeth Mayhew Whalen, author of ten novels and cofounder of The Book Tide A stunning portrayal of the building of the Grove Park Inn that reveals not only its grandeur, but also the struggles of the laborers tasked with its construction, Joy Callaway brings the famed Vagabonds to life with immaculate research and rich details in this intriguing, elegantly written historical fiction that readers are going to love!&” —Madeline Martin, New York Times Bestseller author of The Keeper of Hidden Books? Perfect for fans of The Only Woman in Room and A Well-Behaved WomanStand-alone novelIncludes Discussion Questions
No mires atrás: Liberarse y avanzar con pasión y propósito
by Christine CaineCon un grito de &“Recuerden a la mujer de Lot&”, la profesora de Biblia, conferenciante internacional, activista y autora de best sellers Christine Caine nos motiva a dejar de mirar atrás, a desatascarnos y a seguir avanzando hacia las promesas y el propósito de Dios para nuestras vidas.Hay momentos en la vida en los que miramos hacia atrás y nos sentimos desesperados por hacer que el tiempo se detenga, sobre todo cuando nos sorprenden cambios inesperados. Pero no podemos detener el flujo de la vida, y no podemos detener el tiempo. Es más, mirar atrás no nos permite volver. La mayoría de las veces, solo hace que nos quedemos atascados. En un lugar, en un espacio, en un recuerdo, en una mentalidad, en un hábito.En Juan 17:32, Jesús entrega tres palabras &“Recuerda a la mujer de Lot&”, No sabemos su nombre ni su historia. Todo lo que sabemos es que cuando ella estaba huyendo de Sodoma y Gomorra, le dijeron que no mirara hacia atrás, e hizo lo único que se le pidió que no hiciera. Miró hacia atrás y se convirtió en una estatua de sal y de las 170 mujeres mencionadas en las Escrituras, ella es la única que Jesús nos dijo que recordáramos.En No mires atrás, Christine te motivará a:dejar de mirar hacia atrás y empezar a mirar a Jesúsinvitar a Jesús a entrar para que te ayude a desatascarte de los muchos lugares en los que a menudo nos encontramos;avanzar desde donde te encuentras hacia todos los planes, propósitos y promesas de Dios para tu vida; ymirar hacia el futuro y seguir avanzando hacia él con fe, especialmente cuando tu mundo ya no se parece en nada a lo que era antes.Jesús nos invita a avanzar hacia la novedad de lo que está por venir. Deja de descalificarte quedándote atorado en el pasado. Es hora de recordar a la mujer de Lot y no mirar atrás, sino avanzar con valentía.Don&’t Look BackWith a rallying cry to &“Remember Lot's wife,&” Bible teacher, international speaker, activist, and bestselling author Christine Caine motivates us to stop looking back, to get unstuck and to keep moving forward into God's promises and purpose for our lives.There are times in life when we look back and feel desperate to make time stand still, particularly when we get blindsided by unexpected changes. But we can't stop the flow of life, and we can't stop time. What's more, looking back doesn't enable us to go back. More often than not, it just makes us stuck. In a place. In a space. In a memory. In a mindset. In a habit.In John 17:32, Jesus drops three little words: &“Remember Lot's wife.&” We don&’t know her name, history, or story. All we know is that when she was fleeing Sodom and Gomorrah, she was told not to look back, and she did the one thing she was asked not to do. She looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. And out of the 170 women referred to in the Scriptures, she's the only one Jesus told us to remember.In this new book, Christine will motivate you tostop looking back and start looking to Jesus;invite Jesus in to help you get unstuck from the many places we often find ourselves;move on from where you are into all God's plans, purposes, and promises for your life; andlook forward to the future and keep moving toward it in faith--especially when your world is nothing like it once was.Jesus is beckoning us onward into the newness of what lies ahead. Stop disqualifying yourself by getting stuck in the past. It's time to remember Lot's wife and not look back but move forward boldly.
Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect
by John InazuAre you discouraged by our divided, angry culture, where even listening to a different perspective sometimes feels impossible? If so, you're not alone, and it doesn't have to be this way. Learning to Disagree reveals the surprising path to learning how to disagree in ways that build new bridges with our neighbors, coworkers, and loved ones--and help us find better ways to live joyfully in a complex society.In a tense cultural climate, is it possible to disagree productively and respectfully without compromising our convictions? Spanning a range of challenging issues--including critical race theory, sexual assault, campus protests, and clashes over religious freedom--highly regarded thought leader and law professor John Inazu helps us engage honestly and empathetically with people whose viewpoints we find strange, wrong, or even dangerous.As a constitutional scholar, legal expert, and former litigator, John has spent his career learning how to disagree well with other people. In Learning to Disagree, John shares memorable stories and draws on the practices that legal training imparts--seeing the complexity in every issue and inhabiting the mindset of an opposing point of view--to help us handle daily encounters and lifelong relationships with those who see life very differently than we do.This groundbreaking, poignant, and highly practical book equips us to:Understand what holds us back from healthy disagreementLearn specific, start-today strategies for dialoguing clearly and authenticallyMove from stuck, broken disagreements to mature, healthy disagreementsCultivate empathy as a core skill for our personal lives and our whole society If you are feeling exhausted from the tattered state of dialogue in your social media feed, around the country, and in daily conversations, you're not alone. Discover a more connected life while still maintaining the strength of your convictions through this unique, often-humorous, thought-provoking, and ultimately life-changing exploration of the best way to disagree.
Seek Higher Ground: The Natural Solution to Our Urgent Flooding Crisis
by Tim PalmerPairing in-depth journalism with historical perspectives, this book makes a compelling case for a natural solution to the growing problem of flooding. With Seek Higher Ground, environmental writer and former land-use planner Tim Palmer explores the legacy of flooding in America, taking a fresh look at the emerging climatic, economic, and ecological realities of our rivers and communities. Global warming is forecast to sharply intensify flooding, and this book urges that we reduce future damage in the most effective, efficient, and equitable ways possible. Through historical narrative, rigorous reporting, and decades of vivid personal experience, Palmer details how our society’s approach to flood control has been infamously inadequate and chronically counterproductive. He builds a powerful argument for both the protection of floodplain open space and for programs that help people voluntarily relocate their homes away from high-water hazards. Only by recognizing the indomitable forces of nature—and adapting to them—can we thrive in the challenging climate to come.
The Marvelous Ones: Drugs, Gang Violence, and Resistance in East Los Angeles
by Prof. Randol ContrerasAn intimate portrait of LA gang members turning to drugs, nostalgia, and religion as they age and fight to stay relevant in a new era. Once celebrated in the gang world as rebels who defied the established prison order, veterano Maravilla gang members now grapple with the consequences of leading violent and drug-ridden lives. At once thrilling and tender, The Marvelous Ones sheds light on how these aging gang members struggle to stay meaningful in the face of addiction, violent trauma, and a rapidly changing East Los Angeles. Randol Contreras spent close to a decade studying the legendary Maravilla gangs of East LA, who made waves in the 1990s for their rebellion against the most powerful prison gang in the United States: the Mexican Mafia, or La Eme. These men granted Contreras unique access to their experiences, revealing how family members shun them, how jail and prison worsen them, how the church and drug treatment redeem them, and how their brightest moments lie in their pasts as legends of the California gang world. The Marvelous Ones gives human faces to the suffering and resilience of some of the most marginalized members of our society.
Ritual Boundaries: Magic and Differentiation in Late Antique Christianity (Christianity in Late Antiquity #14)
by Joseph E. SanzoA free ebook version of this title is available through Luminos, University of California Press's Open Access publishing program. Visit www.luminosoa.org to learn more. In Ritual Boundaries, Joseph E. Sanzo transforms our understanding of how early Christians experienced religion in lived practice through the study of magical objects, such as amulets and grimoires. Against the prevailing view of late antiquity as a time when only so-called elites were interested in religious and ritual differentiation, the evidence presented here reveals that the desire to distinguish between religious and ritual insiders and outsiders cut across diverse social strata. The magical evidence also offers unique insight into early biblical reception, exposing a textual world in which scriptural reading was multisensory and multitraditional. As they addressed sickness, demonic struggle, and interpersonal conflicts, Mediterranean people thus acted in ways that challenge our conceptual boundaries between Christians and non-Christians; elites and non-elites; and words, materials, and images. Sanzo helps us rethink how early Christians imagined similarity and difference among texts, traditions, groups, and rituals as they went about their daily lives.
Hollywood Remaking: How Film Remakes, Sequels, and Franchises Shape Industry and Culture
by Kathleen LoockFrom the inception of cinema to today’s franchise era, remaking has always been a motor of ongoing film production. Hollywood Remaking challenges the categorical dismissal in film criticism of remakes, sequels, and franchises by probing what these formats really do when they revisit familiar stories. Kathleen Loock argues that movies from Hollywood’s large-scale system of remaking use serial repetition and variation to constantly negotiate past and present, explore stability and change, and actively shape how the film industry, cinema, and audiences imagine themselves. Far from a simple profit-making exercise, remaking is an inherently dynamic practice situated between the film industry’s economic logic and the cultural imagination. Although remaking developed as a business practice in the United States, this book shows that it also shapes cinematic aesthetics and cultural debates, fosters film-historical knowledge, and promotes feelings of generational belonging among audiences.
New under the Sun: Early Zionist Encounters with the Climate in Palestine
by Dr. Netta CohenNew under the Sun explores Zionist perceptions of—and responses to—Palestine’s climate. From the rise of the Zionist movement in the late 1890s to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Netta Cohen traces the production of climactic knowledge through a rich archive that draws from medicine and botany, technology and economics, and architecture and planning. As Cohen convincingly argues, this knowledge was not only shaped by Jewish settlers’ Eurocentric views but was also indebted to colonial practices and institutions. Zionists’ claims to the land were often based on the construction of Jewish settlers as natives, even while this was complicated by their alienated responses to Palestine’s climate. New under the Sun offers a highly original environmental lens on the ways in which Zionism’s spatial ambitions and racial fantasies transformed the lives of humans and nonhumans in Palestine.
Social Choice, Agency, Inclusiveness and Capabilities
by Flavio Comim P. B. Anand Shailaja FennellThe capability approach is a versatile framework rooted on issues of justice and multidimensional assessment of quality of life developed in the 1980s as an alternative approach to prevailing mainstream development ideas focused narrowly on economic development. Most closely associated with the work of Amartya Sen, it has become of great interest to development scholars from a variety of different disciplines. Much has already been done exploring the conceptual foundations of the capability approach and discussing Sen's contribution to the field, but few books have explored the links between social choice (another field with rich contributions by Sen) and human development issues. Featuring many of the world's leading experts on social choice theory and capability indicators, Social Choice, Agency, Inclusiveness and Capabilities combines these interrelated themes into one volume and fully explores the relevance of social choice to human development.
Only and Forever (The Bergman Brothers #7)
by Chloe LieseIt&’s a room-mance for the books in this tender, steamy story about unexpectedly finding love and being brave enough to let it revise life&’s narrative in the final book in the beloved Bergman Brothers series. Viggo Bergman, hopeless romantic, is thoroughly weary of waiting for his happily ever after. But between opening a romance bookstore, running a romance book club, coaching kids' soccer, and adopting a household of pets—just maybe, he&’s overcommitted himself?—Viggo&’s chaotic life has made finding his forever love seem downright improbable. Enter Tallulah Clarke, chilly cynic with a massive case of writer&’s block. Tallulah needs help with her thriller&’s romantic subplot. Viggo needs another pair of hands to keep his store afloat. So they agree to swap skills and cohabitate for convenience—his romance expertise to revive her book, her organizational prowess to salvage his store. They hardly get along, and they couldn&’t be more different, but who says roommate-coworkers need to be friends? As they share a home and life, Tallulah and Viggo discover a connection that challenges everything they believe about love, and reveals the plot twist they never saw coming: happily ever after is here already, right under their roof.
The House on Biscayne Bay
by Chanel CleetonNamed an Anticipated Read of 2024 by Entertainment Weekly and a Best Historical Fiction novel of 2024 by BookBub.As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton&’s atmospheric new novel.With the Great War finally behind them, many Americans flock to South Florida with their sights set on making a fortune. When wealthy industrialist Robert Barnes and his wife, Anna, build Marbrisa, a glamorous estate on Biscayne Bay, they become the toast of the newly burgeoning society. Anna and Robert appear to have it all, but in a town like Miami, appearances can be deceiving, and one scandal can change everything.Years later following the tragic death of her parents in Havana, Carmen Acosta journeys to Marbrisa, the grand home of her estranged older sister, Carolina, and her husband, Asher Wyatt. On the surface, the gilded estate looks like paradise, but Carmen quickly learns that nothing at Marbrisa is as it seems. The house has a treacherous legacy, and Carmen&’s own life is soon in jeopardy . . . unless she can unravel the secrets buried beneath the mansion&’s facade and stop history from repeating itself.
Old Flames and New Fortunes (A Moonville Novel #1)
by Sarah HogleFibs and squabbles and spells . . . oh my!A small, magical town tucked away in rural Ohio, Moonville is the perfect place for floral witch Romina Tempest to use the language of flowers to help the hopeful manifest love in their lives. After giving up on her own big romance eleven years ago, at least she can bask in others' happily ever afters.When the shop&’s potential financier shares news of his wedding, Romina jumps at the opportunity to discuss the business . . . even if it means she has to fake-date her chaotic colleague Trevor to get an invitation. But all hell breaks loose when she discovers Trevor&’s soon-to-be stepbrother is none other than Alex King: her high school sweetheart. Her greatest love. The boy who broke her heart.What starts as an innocent misunderstanding becomes a weeklong fake-dating scheme, as Romina quickly finds out she can&’t deny her connection with Alex. Caught between her livelihood and her heart, Romina must decide if taking a second chance on first love is worth the risk.
The Breakup Lists
by Adib KhorramLove is more complicated than &“boy meets boy&” in bestselling author Adib Khorram&’s sharply funny new romantic comedy, set in the sordid world of high school theaterJackson Ghasnavi is a lot of things—a techie, a smoothie afficionado, a totally not obsessive list-maker—but one thing he&’s not is a romantic. And why would he be? He&’s already had a front row seat to his parents&’ divorce and picked up the pieces of his sister Jasmine&’s broken heart one too many times.No, Jackson is perfectly happy living life behind the scenes—he is a stage manager, after all—and keeping his romantic exploits limited to the breakup lists he makes for Jasmine, which chronicle every flaw (real or imagined) of her various and sundry exes.Enter Liam: the senior swim captain turned leading man that neither of the Ghasnavi siblings stop thinking about. Not that Jackson has a crush, of course. Jasmine is already setting her sights on him and he&’s probably—no, definitely—straight anyway.So why does the idea of eventually writing a breakup list for him feel so impossible?
We Built This City
by Cat PatrickAward-winning author Cat Patrick returns with a charming tale full of first crushes and new friendships, as one girl learns a little more about who she is and who she wants to be all while on the road trip of lifetime.It&’s the summer of 1985, when air guitar, jelly bracelets, and huge hair are all the rage, and twelve-year-old Stevie is finally old enough to go on her performing troupe&’s annual cross-country tour. Twenty-six teen cast members will lip-synch and dance their way through more than twenty cities, and Stevie and her best friend, Wes, can&’t wait—for more reasons than one!