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Empires of the Plain: Henry Rawlinson and the Lost Languages of Babylon
by Lesley Adkins"Well-told story of a life dedicated to scholarship, with great adventures and derring-do an unexpected bonus." - Kirkus ReviewsFrom 1827 Henry Rawlinson, fearless soldier, sportsman and imperial adventurer of the first rank, spent twenty-five years in India, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan in the service of the East India Company. During this time he survived the dangers of disease and warfare, including the disastrous First Anglo-Afghan War. A gifted linguist, fascinated by history and exploration, he became obsessed with cuneiform, the world's earliest writing. An immense inscription high on a sheer rock face at Bisitun in the mountains of western Iran, carved on the orders of King Darius the Great of Persia over 2,000 years ago, was the key to understanding the many cuneiform scripts and languages. Only Rawlinson had the physical and intellectual skills, courage, self-motivation and opportunity to make the perilous ascent and copy the monument. Here, Lesley Adkins relates the story of Rawlinson's life and how he triumphed in deciphering the lost languages of Persia and Babylonia, overcoming his brilliant but bitter rival, Edward Hincks. While based in Baghdad, Rawlinson became involved in the very first excavations of the ancient mounds of Mesopotamia, from Nineveh to Babylon, an area that had been fought over by so many powerful empires. His decipherment of the inscriptions resurrected unsuspected civilizations, revealing intriguing details of everyday life and forgotten historical events. By proving to the astonished Victorian public that people and places in the Old Testament really existed (and, furthermore, that documents and chronicles had survived from well before the writing of the Bible), Rawlinson became a celebrity and assured his own place in history.
To Begin the World Over Again: Lawrence of Arabia from Damascus to Baghdad
by John C. HulsmanThe little known history of Lawrence of Arabia's passionate and tragic advocacy of Arab nationalism during the pivotal years following WWI and his template for nation building in the Middle East.Lawrence of Arabia is best remembered for the Oscar-winning film about his life. But there is a different T.E. Lawrence, a man who applied his unique experiences and extensive knowledge of the Arab world to a political vision for nation building in the Middle East that holds many lessons for today. Following the Arab Revolt, Lawrence embarked on a heroic effort, harnessing his celebrity to force the British to keep the promises made to their Arab allies. Alas, he was unable to stop the Western powers from carving up the Middle East at Versailles, thus laying the foundations for the ongoing instability in that region. Still, until the day he died, Lawrence continued to fight for Arab nationalism, famously saying: "Better to let them do it imperfectly than do it perfectly yourself, for it is their country, their war, and your time is short." By weaving together a gripping narrative of Lawrence's Middle East adventures and highlighting his surprisingly astute political thinking, John Hulsman teases out this and many other lessons to be learned from Lawrence about the Arab world.
Every Contact Leaves a Trace: Crime Scene Experts Talk About Their Work, from Discovery Through Verdict
by Connie FletcherReal crime scene investigation is vastly more complicated, arduous, bizarre, and fascinating than TV's streamlined versions. Most people who work actual investigations will tell you that the science never lies -- but people can. They may also contaminate evidence, or not know what to look for in crime scenes that typically are far more chaotic and confusing, whether inside or outside, than on TV. Forensic experts will tell you that the most important person entering a scene is the very first responding officer – the chain of evidence starts with this officer and holds or breaks according to what gets stepped on, or over, collected or contaminated, looked past, or looked over, from every person who enters or interprets the scene, all the way through the crime lab and trial. And forensic experts will tell you the success of a case can depend on any one expert's knowledge of quirky things, such as:"The Rule of the First Victim": (the first victim of a criminal usually lives near the criminal's home) Criminals' snacking habits at the scene"Nature's Evidence Technicians," the birds and rodents that hide bits of bone, jewelry, and fabric in their nestsThe botanical evidence found in criminals' pants cuffs Baseball caps as prime DNA repositoriesThe tales told by the application of physics to falling blood drops. Forensic experts talk about their expertise and their cases here. They also talk about themselves, their reactions to the horrors they witness, and their love of the work. For example, a DNA analyst talks about how she drives her family crazy by buccal-swabbing them all at Thanksgiving dinner. A latent print examiner talks about how he examines cubes of Jell-O at any buffet he goes to for tell-tale prints. A crime scene investigator gives his tips on clearing a scene of cops: he slaps "Bio-hazard" and "Cancer Causing Agent" stickers on his equipment. And an evidence technician talks about how hard it is to go to sleep after processing a scene, re-living what you've just witnessed, your mind going a hundred miles an hour. This is a world that TV crime shows can't touch. Here are eighty experts – including beat cops, evidence technicians, detectives, forensic anthropologists, blood spatter experts, DNA analysts, latent print examiners, firearms experts, trace analysts, crime lab directors, and prosecution and defense attorneys – speaking in their own words about what they've seen and what they've learned to journalist Connie Fletcher, who has gotten cops to talk freely in her bestsellers What Cops Know, Pure Cop, and Breaking and Entering. Every Contact Leaves A Trace presents the science, the human drama, and even the black comedy of crime scene investigation. Let the experts take you into their world. This is their book – their words, their knowledge, their stories. Through it all, one Sherlock Holmesian premise unites what they do and what it does to them: Every contact leaves a trace.
The Future, Declassified: Megatrends That Will Undo the World Unless We Take Action
by Mathew BurrowsTwenty-five years ago when Mathew Burrows went to work for the CIA as an intelligence analyst, the world seemed frozen. Then came the fall of the Berlin Wall and the implosion of the Soviet Union; suddenly, unpredictability became a universal theme and foresight was critical. For the past decade, Burrows has overseen the creation of the Global Trends report—the key futurist guide for the White House, Departments of State and Defense, and Homeland Security. Global Trends has a history of making bold predictions and being right:* In 2004, it argued that al-Qaeda's centralized operations would dissolve and be replaced by groups, cells, and individuals—the very model of the 2012 Boston bombings.* In 2008, it included a scenario dubbed October Surprise, imagining a devastating late-season hurricane hitting an unprepared New York City.In The Future, Declassified, Burrows—for the first time—has expanded the most recent Global Trends report into a full-length narrative, forecasting the tectonic shifts that will drive us to 2030. A staggering amount of wholesale change is happening—from unprecedented and widespread aging to rampant urbanization and growth in a global middle class to an eastward shift in economic power and a growing number of disruptive technologies. Even our physical geography is changing as sea levels rise and faster commercial shipping routes open up through a warming Arctic region.The book concludes with its most provocative section: four fictional paths to 2030 with imagined storylines and characters based on analysis by the most authoritative figures in the intelligence community. As Burrows argues, we are living through some of the greatest and most momentous developments in history. Either we take charge and direct those or we are at their mercy. The stakes are particularly high for America's standing in the world and for ordinary Americans who want to maintain their quality of life. Running the gamut from scary to reassuring, this riveting book is essential reading.
Divas, Inc.: A Novel
by Donna HillDiva (n.): an extremely arrogant or temperamental woman.Delicious Diva Tip #13: When in doubt, just do it anyway. Tiffany Lane and Chantal Hollis are bonafide divas-in every sense of the word. They've also been Margaret Drew's best friends since they were children. Margaret has always been the plain Jane of the threesome, living vicariously through the exploits of her friends. But when Tiffany and Chantal head to Europe on an extended vacation, leaving Margaret to tend their apartments, Margaret decides to see how the other half lives. Co-opting their apartments, their boyfriends (current and past), their fabulous lifestyles and Tiffany's very savvy pooch, Virginia, Margaret finally feels like she has found the life she has always wanted and deserved. But her double living begins to catch up with her and Margaret might soon be homeless, manless, and friendless all in one swoop.
The Secret Book of Kings: A Novel
by Yochi Brandes“This volume, by Biblical scholar Yochi Brandes, is a riveting novel based on textual sources about the experiences of David and Solomon. Its lessons are also relevant for our turbulent time.” —Elie Wiesel, #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of NightIn the tradition of The Red Tent from internationally bestselling author Yochi Brandes comes the stories of the struggles of King David and King Saul in the early days of the Kingdom of Israel, seen through the eyes of Michal, Saul’s daughter and David’s abandoned queenStories are deadlier than swords. Swords kill only those who stand before them, stories decide who will live and die in generations to come.Shelomoam, a young man from the tribe of Ephraim, has grown up in the shadow of dark secrets. He wonders why his father is deathly afraid of the King’s soldiers and why his mother has lied about the identities of those closest to him. Shelomoam is determined to unearth his mysterious past, never imagining where his quest will ultimately lead him.The Secret Book of Kings upends conventions of biblical novels, engaging with the canonized stories of the founding of the Kingdom of Israel and turning them on their heads. Presented for the first time are the heretofore unknown stories of the House of Saul and of the northern Kingdom of Israel, stories that were artfully concealed by the House of David and the scribes of the southern Kingdom of Judah.Yochi Brandes, one of Israel’s all-time bestselling novelists, enlists her unique background in both academic Jewish scholarship and traditional religious commentaries to read the Bible in an utterly new way. In this book, a major publishing phenomenon in Israel and one of the bestselling novels in the history of the country, she uncovers vibrant characters, especially women, buried deep within the scriptures, and asks the loaded question: to what extent can we really know our past when history is written by the victors?
Metro Stop Dostoevsky: Travels in Russian Time
by Ingrid BengisA Russian American writer catapults herself into the maelstrom of Russian life at a time of seismic change for bothThe daughter of Russian émigrés, Ingrid Bengis grew up wondering whether she was American or, deep down, "really Russian." In 1991, naïvely in love with Russia and Russian literature, she settled in St. Petersburg, where she was quickly immersed in "catastroika," a period of immense turmoil that mirrored her own increasingly complex and contradictory experience. Bengis's account of her involvement with Russia is heightened by her involvement with B, a Russian whose collapsing marriage, paralleling the collapse of the Soviet Union, produces a situation in which "anything could happen." Their relationship reflects the social tumult, as well as the sometimes dangerous consequences of American "good intentions." As Bengis takes part in Russian life-becoming a reluctant entrepreneur, undergoing surgery in a St. Petersburg hospital, descending into a coal mine-she becomes increasingly aware of its Dostoevskian duality, never more so than when she meets the impoverished, importuning great-great-granddaughter of the writer himself. Beneath the seismic shifting remains a centuries-old preoccuption with "the big questions": tradition and progress, destiny and activism, skepticism and faith. With its elaborate pattern of digression and its eye for the revealing detail, Bengis's account has the hypnotic intimacy of a late-night conversation in a Russian kitchen, where such questions are perpetually being asked.
Monster, 1959: A Novel
by David MaineFrom the critically acclaimed author of The Preservationist and The Book of Samson,Monster, 1959 is an extraordinary tale of 1950s America---flawed, conflicted, and poised to enter the most culturally upended decade of the century. The United States government has been testing the long-term effects of high-level radiation on a few select islands in the South Pacific. Their efforts have produced killer plants, mole people, and a forty-foot creature named K. Covered in fur and feathers, gifted with unusable butterfly wings and the mental capacity of a goldfish, K. is an evolutionary experiment gone very awry. Although he has no real understanding of his world, he knows when he's hungry, and he knows to follow the drumbeats that lead him, every time, to the tree where a woman is offered to him as a sacrifice by the natives. When a group of American hunters stumble across the island, it's bound to get interesting, especially when the natives offer up the guide's beautiful wife to K. Not to be outdone, the Americans manage to capture him. Back in the States, they start a traveling show. The main attraction: K.
The Road to Santa Fe
by Norman ZollingerEnrique "Rick" Garcia, district attorney in the small New Mexico county of Chupadera, is a man of principle, a strange breed in the rough-and-tumble politics of his state. When he is tapped to run for governor, he will learn just how rocky the road to Santa Fe really is.He has a mortal enemy in Stanford Brown, a wealthy rancher Garcia convicted of manslaughter. From his prison cell Brown promises revenge on his former college football teammate. All through his campaign Garcia has been guided and encouraged by Ashley McCarver, an attorney and state Democratic Party operative. Ashley's relationship to her candidate evolves from campaign manager for a man she admires into an abiding love for him. Garcia, still haunted by the suicide of his wife, at first sees in Ashley only her professionalism and encyclopedic knowledge of state politics, but the election draws the pair inexorably together: after Garcia's political triumph the two marry. Meanwhile, Stanford Brown, freed from prison through a gubernatorial pardon granted by Garcia's predecessor, begins to unfold an elaborate and cunning plot to have his rival impeached. Will this attempt to jeopardize Garcias political life become a serious threat? And will this shadow from the past cement or destroy his burgeoning relationship with Ashley?Meticulously researched by a master historical novelist, The Road to Santa Fe demonstrates Norman Zollinger's skill in creating three-dimensional contemporary characters. He also brings to life the complicated behind-the-scenes machinations of the strange world of New Mexico politics.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Salamander Cotton: A Novel (Jacob Tshabalala)
by Richard KunzmannA dark, chilling mystery set in the brooding, atmospheric lands of South AfricaIn his debut thriller, Bloody Harvests, Richard Kunzmann gave readers a glimpse into the turbulent South African landscape. Now Detective Inspector Jacob Tshabalala and his former colleague Harry Mason return with another beautifully spellbinding thriller combining murder, revenge, greed, and the classic struggle between good and evil.A wealthy ex-mining boss has been found beaten and burned to death at his home in suburban Johannesburg. His estranged wife, however, does not seem particularly surprised by this cold-blooded murder, but keeps insisting that the killer will be found in the Northern Cape, where the victim owned a farm with a dark secret. It's a remote and desolate landscape of extreme poverty, burdened with a bleak history as an asbestos-mining community.When Tshabalala persuades Mason to investigate a link between the man's murder and the disappearance of his daughter thirty years before, Harry has no way of knowing he will soon be plunged into a menacing world of rumored supernatural attacks, corporate cover-ups, ruthless hijackers, and bitter vengeance.Kunzmann returns with a strong force, capturing the bitter landscape and people of Johannesburg and beyond--captivating readers with his plot twists, dramatic action, and engaging characters. Salamander Cotton is a representation of poverty and a portrait of a country whose values of freedom and justice are only just emerging.
Marcus: The Autobiography of Marcus Allen
by Carlton Stowers Marcus AllenIn his eloquent words, hear mega-football superstar Marcus Allen--Heisman trophy winner, Super Bowl MVP, and record-breaking running back--tell his inspiring and unforgettable story.In Marcus, learn about his triumphant rise to athletic stardom, to his rocky 11-year relationship with Los Angeles Raiders coach Al Davis, to his controversial friendship with O.J. Simpson, and all the high and low points in between.Marcus on Al Davis:"I could neither understand nor determine why Al Davis had declared war against me. But for all the motives suggested, none involved the possibility that the issue might be racial. Al Davis was many things that I didn't admire, but he was no bigot." Marcus on O.J. Simpson:"I am and forever will be forever be tortured by the loss of two people who were my friends; one murdered, one now forced to live a lifetime being blamed for tragedy." Marcus on Football"It teaches hard lessons about success and failure, joy and disappointment. And when played well, it has a poetry all its own."
The Prom Night Murders: A Devoted American Family, Their Troubled Son, and a Ghastly Crime (St. Martin's True Crime Library)
by Carlton SmithIn 1989, a shocking tragedy shattered an otherwise peaceful small Indiana community. Much-admired pastor Robert L. Pelley was found slain in his home. In his basement were the huddled, blood-soaked bodies of his wife and daughters, executed by shotgun at close range. The doors to the house were locked, and there were no signs of forced entry. Meanwhile, the pastor's son, Jeff, was nowhere to be found…Police had a hunch that Jeff was responsible for the massacre, but they didn't have enough evidence to convict. The case went cold…until, more than a decade later, when law officials resolved to finally try to unravel the truth about Jeff and to establish a motive—that he was angry toward his father for grounding him on prom night. Then it would be up to prosecutors to prove that Jeff was responsible for THE PROM NIGHT MURDERS
The Last Patrician: Bobby Kennedy and the End of American Aristocracy
by Michael Knox BeranOverviewIn this provocative reassessment of one of the most controversial figures of twentieth-century American politics, Michael Knox Beran shows how Bobby Kennedy was shaped by values of the aristocratic class to which he had been brought up to belong. He was one of them - until he realized that the welfare state they had helped to create at home and the empire they had helped to found abroad were undermining some of America's most cherished traditions. In denouncing the welfare system as a "second-rate set of social services" and "hand-outs," and in questioning the imperial commitments that the patricians made in places like Vietnam, Bobby Kennedy was a prophet who accurately foresaw the changing direction of American politics. Challenging the work of Arthur Schlesinger Jr., Jack Newfield, and others, Beran demonstrates that Bobby was neither a pious liberal martyr nor a would-be revolutionary. He was a man who drew on the wisdom of Emerson, the ancient Greeks, and his own father's ideas about the transformative power of free markets - and used them to create a compelling vision of a better America.
Sicilian Tragedee: A Novel
by Ottavio CappellaniBalding, forty-something Mister Alfio Turrisi, an up-and-coming mafioso in Catania, has the deep pockets that London's financial world loves. He, in turn, loves Betty, the spoiled young daughter of Turi Pirrotta, a rival Catanian mobster. Alfio and Betty would seem to be the Romeo and Juliet of this poison-pen valentine to Ottavio Cappellani's native Sicily. That is, until we meet another pair of star-crossed lovers: gay theater director Tino Cagnotto and his bored and sexy young amore, Bobo. Because the way Tino sees it, the real heat in Shakespeare's tragedy is between Romeo and Mercutio, not Romeo and Juliet . . . Set in a twenty-first-century Sicily rife with moody aristocrats, vain politicians, inept gangsters, shabby theater actors, and high-tech killers, Cappellani's hilarious second novel—part Tarantino-style operetta, part soap opera—is also a surprising tribute to the Bard.
Everything Asian: A Novel
by Sung J. WooA funny and incisive Korean family coming-of-age novel in stories about a 12-year-old boy who moves with his mother and sister from Korea to work at their father's Asian gift shop in a New Jersey strip mall--and the growing pains that ensueYou're twelve years old. A month has passed since your Korean Air flight landed at lovely Newark Airport. Your fifteen-year-old sister is miserable. Your mother isn't exactly happy, either. You're seeing your father for the first time in five years, and although he's nice enough, he might be, well--how can you put this delicately?--a loser.You can't speak English, but that doesn't stop you from working at East Meets West, your father's gift shop in a strip mall, where everything is new.Welcome to the wonderful world of David Kim.
I Never Knew That About London
by Christopher WinnDiscover hundreds of fascinating facts about London in this enthralling miscellanyTravelling through the villages and districts that make up the world's most dynamic metropolis, Christopher Winn takes us on a captivating journey around London to unearth the hidden gems of legends, firsts, inventions, adventures and birthplaces that shape the city's compelling and at times turbulent past. See the Chelsea river views that inspired Turner and find out where London's first nude statue is. Explore London's finest country house in Charlton and unearth the secrets of the Mother of Parliaments. Discover which church steeple gave us the design of the traditional wedding cake, where the sandwich was invented and where in Bond Street you can see London's oldest artifact. Visit the house where Handel and Jimi Hendrix both lived. Climb the famous 311 steps of the Monument and fly the world's biggest Ferris wheel. Brimming with stories and snippets providing spellbinding insight into what has shaped the city, I Never Knew That About London is a beautifully illustrated gem of a book that informs and amuses in equal measure."Will not fail to enhance months, even years, of gentle urban exploration...Any number of morning or weekend outings can be constructed from these rich pages... the selections and observations remain unfailingly interesting." --The Guardian (UK)I Never Knew That:Tucked away below Clive Steps at the end of King Charles Street can be found the small underground rooms where Winston Churchill and the War Cabinet met during the air raids of the Second World War. The first-ever Valentine Card was written from the Tower, where in 1415 the recently imprisoned Duke of Orleans composed a love poem to his wife. The measurement of one foot comes from the length of the foot of St. Algar's statue, carved on the base of one of the columns near the entrance of St. Paul's Cathedral. The design for the traditional wedding cake is drawn from the steeple of St. Bride's church in Fleet Street.
In the Rooms
by Tom ShonePart Nick Hornby, part Jay McInerney, with a dash of vermouth, In the Rooms is a warm, sharply observed comedy about sex, lies, drinking, and second chances London literary agent Patrick Miller comes to New York dreaming of joining the big league, only to find himself selling celebrity dog books. But when he spots legendary novelist Douglas Kelsey on the street and follows him into an AA meeting, a world of opportunity beckons. Who knew that sobriety offered such networking possibilities? Or that the women would be so attractive? Soon he's a regular attendee at AA meetings, but there's only one problem—he's not an alcoholic.
Senior Moments: Looking Back, Looking Ahead
by Willard SpiegelmanA moving collection of essays on aging and happinessDrawing on more than six decades' worth of lessons from his storied career as a writer and professor, Willard Spiegelman reflects with candid humor and sophistication on growing old. Senior Moments is a series of discrete essays that, when taken together, constitute the life of a man who, despite Western cultural notions of aging as something to be denied, overcome, and resisted, has continued to relish the simplest of pleasures: reading, looking at art, talking, and indulging in occasional fits of nostalgia while also welcoming what inevitably lies ahead. Spiegelman's expertly crafted book considers, with wisdom and elegance, how to be alert to the joys that brim from unexpected places even as death draws near. Senior Moments is a foray into the felicity and follies that age brings; a consideration of how and what one reads or rereads in late adulthood; the eagerness for, and disappointment in, long-awaited reunions, at which the past comes alive in the present. A clear-eyed book of memories, written in eight searching and courageously honest essays, Senior Moments is guaranteed to stimulate, stir, and restore.
Bound to You
by Alyssa Brandon“When alpha werewolf Megan meets her one true mate . . . she inherits more than she anticipates” in this “quick, enjoyable” teen paranormal romance (School Library Journal).She’s met her mate . . . and he’s met his match.Werewolf Megan Ross has been waiting her whole life for her mate to come and sweep her off her feet. But the wolf she meets on the beach is not the sweet gentle boy she’s been dreaming of. Instead, he’s a warrior, one whose suffering has led him to lock his heart away in a prison as cold and hard as a diamond, who fights to resist the bond and their deep attraction.Far from home, with a soulmate who is still a stranger, Megan learns that the path to true love isn’t quite as straight and easy as she thought . . .Alyssa Brandon’s debut novel Bound to You is guaranteed to make readers swoon, sigh, and maybe even cry before it’s over.“A promising story of how past pain and future expectations can cloud the present.” —Publishers Weekly
The Entity Within
by Cat DevonIS LOVE SOMETHING…Zoe Adams and her grandmother Irma are witches who have been banished from Boston. With nowhere to go, they accept an invitation to come to Chicago...but what they don't realize is that their new space puts them right in the heart of the most dangerous spot of all: Vamptown.YOU CAN SINK YOUR TEETH INTO? Damon Thornheart is just that—virtually untouchable when it comes to love. As Vamptown's highest-ranking demon hunter, he sees red flags when he meets Zoe and Irma, who unwittingly unleashed a brutal evil upon the community. But the more Damon gets to know the stunning, spirited Zoe, the less he understands about his own true nature. Vamps and witches have always been archrivals in the entity world; surrendering to their passion could mean losing their immortal powers. Is their desire worth the risk? Only one thing is for certain: in Entity Within, Damon will make it his mission to find out…"I want Cat Devon's vampires…by the dozen, please!" —Kerrelyn Sparks, bestselling author of Sexiest Vampire Alive
The World According To Al Gore: An A-To-Z Compilation of His Opinions, Positions, and Public Statements
by Joseph KaufmannFor many years Al Gore has been an influential figure in national politics. He may soon become even more significant to the United States and the world.We've gotten to know him via thousands of sound bites and images. For the first time, a cohesive and substantive representation of this man is available. In The World According to Al Gore, the vice president's opinions and statements on a broad spectrum of important topics are assembled in one volume.Here is Al Gore in his own words. This easily accessible, user-friendly volume is presented in an A-to-Z format and contains excerpts from hundreds of speeches, debates, and interviews. These passages span his national political career and give the reader an understanding of Gore's ideas, motivations, and priorities, and the way they have evolved over the last two decades. Read Gore on the environment, family values, drugs, campaign finance, education, parenting, foreign policy, the Internet, and much more.The World According to Al Gore provides insight into Gore the man, the father, the activist, and the politician.
Plan B: A Novel
by Jonathan TropperThe heartwarming debut novel by the New York Times bestselling author of This is Where I Leave You and One Last Thing Before I Go.Turning thirty was never supposed to be like this. Ten years ago, Ben, Lindsey, Chuck, Alison, and Jack graduated from New York University and went out into the world, fresh-faced and full of dreams for the future. But now Ben's getting a divorce; Lindsey's unemployed; Alison and Chuck seem stuck in ruts of their own making; and Jack is getting more publicity for his cocaine addiction than his multimillion-dollar Hollywood successes.Suddenly, turning thirty-- past the age their parents were when they were born, older than every current star athlete or pop music sensation-- seems to be both more meaningful and less than they'd imagined ten years ago.Plan B, Jonathan Tropper's wonderful debut novel, is about more than friendship, love, celebrity, addiction, kidnapping, or even turning thirty-- it's a heartfelt comic riff on what it means to be an adult against your will, to be single when you thought you'd have a family, to discover you are not, in fact, immortal, and to learn that Star Wars is as good a life lesson today as it was when you were six years old.
Letters from Black America
by Pamela NewkirkLetters from Black America fills a literary and historical void by presenting the pantheon of African American experience in the most intimate way possible—through the heartfelt correspondence of the men and women who lived through monumental changes and pivotal events, from the 1700s to the twenty-first century, from slavery to the war in Iraq. The first-ever narrative history of African Americans told through their own letters, this book includes the thoughts of politicians, writers, and entertainers, as well as those of slaves, servicemen, and domestic workers. From a slave who writes to his wife on the eve of being sold to famous documents like Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," these writings illuminate struggles and triumphs, hardships and glory, in the unforgettable words of the participants themselves. Letters from Black America is an indispensable addition to our country's literary tradition, historical understanding, and self-knowledge.
Galápagos Regained: A Novel
by James MorrowJames Morrow's Galápagos Regained centers on the fictional Chloe Bathurst, an unemployed Victorian actress who finds work on Charles Darwin's estate, nurturing the strange birds, exotic lizards, and giant tortoises he brought back from his trip around the world. When Chloe gets wind of the Great God Contest, sponsored by the Percy Bysshe Shelley Society—£10,000 to the first petitioner who can prove or disprove the existence of a Supreme Being—she decides that Mr. Darwin's materialist theory of speciation might just turn the trick. (If Nature gave God nothing to do, maybe He was never around in the first place.) Before she knows it, her ambitions send her off on a wild adventure—a voyage by brigantine to Brazil, a steamboat trip up the Amazon, a hot-air balloon flight across the Andes—bound for the Galápagos archipelago, where she intends to collect the live specimens through which she might demonstrate evolutionary theory to the contest judges.
Martyrs: Innocence, Vengeance and Despair in the Middle East
by Joyce M. DavisMartyrs offers compelling and chilling interviews with terrorist trainers, with the families of suicide bombers, fighters and fanatics, and with Muslim scholars offering differing opinions on the legitimacy of violence in Islam. Through the voices of those who plan and those who grieve, Martyrs provides provocative and troubling insights into the zealotry that leads to the targeting of innocents, the endless cycle of revenge, and the despair that besets the Middle East. From Iran to Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, Joyce Davis reports on the rage that drives tragedies and at the despondency of the mothers of those who die and kill. Unsettling as the perspectives presented here may be, they are crucial to understanding, though not accepting, the fury at and resentment of the US.