- Table View
- List View
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2014 (The Best American Series)
by Barbara Kingsolver Carl Zimmer Elizabeth Kolbert Rebecca Solnit Nicholas Carr Seth Mnookin Fred Pearce E. O. Wilson&“A stimulating compendium&” on topics from antibiotics to animals, featuring Rebecca Solnit, E.O. Wilson, Nicholas Carr, Elizabeth Kolbert, and many more (Kirkus Reviews). &“A consistently strong series . . . Making connections between seemingly unrelated topics can help expand thinking, as seen in the effects of automated navigation on both airplane pilot error and Inuit hunting accidents that Nicholas Carr explores in &‘The Great Forgetting.&’ Sarah Stewart Johnson makes a similar connection between the loss of a 1912 Antarctic expedition and the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in &‘O-Rings.&’ . . . Essays like Virginia Hughes&’s &‘23 and You&’ investigates the effects of availability of individual genetic information on human interactions, while pieces like Maryn McKenna&’s &‘Imagining the Post-Antibiotics Future&’ and Kate Sheppard&’s &‘Under Water&’ remind us of unpleasant futures which we have in large part created ourselves. But Barbara Kingsolver&’s &‘Where it Begins,&’ a lyrical musing on connectedness, or Wilson&’s optimistic, bug-loving &‘The Rebirth of Gorongosa,&’ reveal that among the strange, shocking, or depressing, there is still unadulterated joy to be found.&” —Publishers Weekly &“Undeniably exquisite . . . meditations that reveal not only how science actually happens but also who or what propels its immutable humanity.&” —Maria Popova, Brain Pickings Contributors include: Katherine Bagley • Nicholas Carr • David Dobbs • Pippa Goldschmidt • Amy Harmon • Robin Marantz Henig • Virginia Hughes • Ferris Jabr • Sarah Stewart Johnson • Barbara J. King • Barbara Kingsolver • Maggie Koerth-Baker • Elizabeth Kolbert • Joshua Lang • Maryn McKenna • Seth Mnookin • Justin Nobel • Fred Pearce • Corey S. Powell • Roy Scranton • Kate Sheppard • Bill Sherwonit • Rebecca Solnit • David Treuer • E.O. Wilson • Carl Zimmer
Imagine This: Creating the Work You Love
by Maxine Clair&“Inspiring, engrossing, and informative, this is a book for all people—whether or not they consider themselves artists.&” —Tayari Jones, New York Times bestselling author Maxine Clair, award-winning author of the critically acclaimed short story collection Rattlebone and the novel October Suite, has assembled a deeply inspirational yet practical book to help readers access their inner creativity. Imagine This is a beautifully written set of deeply personal stories from which Clair draws examples of how we can be aware of the now, keep ourselves motivated, and create work of which we are proud. Imagine This explains how some of us consciously choose the vehicle through which we express our magnificence—be it business, art, science, or other—while others of us have dutifully plied a trade in arenas that society has suggested are worthwhile, with self-expression only fixed on a hobby. Both, Clair maintains, can contribute to a good life. Occasionally, however, a moment comes that is sufficiently insistent on deep examination. In that moment we float the possibility for expression of a greater self. Imagine This shows readers how to be aware of these moments and how our inner creativity is always seeking an outlet. By combining captivating memoir with step-by-step advice, Clair helps us find and develop our own unique and personal creative outlets. &“A guidebook to fulfilling one&’s aspirations and harnessing creative energy that seamlessly blends thorough practical advice with the vivid language and pathos of memoir.&” —Houston Style Magazine
Never Stop: A Memoir
by Simba SanaA memoir from the cofounder of the nation&’s largest black-owned chain of bookstores. &“A candid testimony of struggle and achievement.&” —Kirkus Reviews Never Stop is the wrenching memoir of Simba Sana, the cofounder and former leader of Karibu Books, a major indie-bookselling phenomenon and perhaps the most successful black-owned company in the history of the book industry. In this memoir, Sana reveals how his experience with Karibu jumpstarted his lifelong journey to better understanding himself, human nature, faith, and American culture—which ultimately helped him develop the powerful personal philosophy that drives his life today. Born Bernard Sutton in Washington, DC, Sana grew up in the cycle of poverty and violence that dominated inner-city life in the seventies and eighties. Sana&’s academic success got him into college, where his life increasingly embodied the contradictions that plagued his youth. Committed to self-improvement and self-discipline, he grew into a successful businessman while becoming an impassioned Black Nationalist and Pan-Africanist. He lived the corporate life at Ernst & Young by day while leading radical consciousness-raising groups by night. Building Karibu became Sana&’s opportunity to bind the disparate elements of his life together. Ultimately, though, the paradoxes in his identity and his accumulated emotional wounds confounded his effort to overcome his business reversals, and everything Sana built—his marriage, family, and business—was lost in an incredibly brief period of time. Sana had to rebuild his life—and his identity—and set out to do so in a way that focused principally on the meaning and importance of love. &“Hands down one of the best explorations into the Black male psyche I&’ve ever read.&” —Essence
And Then There Were Nuns: Adventures In A Cloistered Life
by Jane Christmas&“The best kind of memoir, revealing, refreshing, and reflective enough to make readers turn many of the questions on themselves.&” —Booklist (starred review) With humor and opinions aplenty, a woman embarks on an unconventional quest to see if she is meant to be a nun. Just as Jane Christmas decides to enter a convent in mid-life to find out whether she is &“nun material,&” her long-term partner Colin, suddenly springs a marriage proposal on her. Determined not to let her monastic dreams be sidelined, Christmas puts her engagement on hold and embarks on an extraordinary year-long adventure to four convents—one in Canada and three in the UK. In these communities of cloistered nuns and monks, she shares—and at times chafes and rails against—the silent, simple existence she has sought all of her life. Christmas takes this spiritual quest seriously, but her story is full of the candid insights, humorous social faux pas, profane outbursts, and epiphanies that make her books so relatable and popular. And Then There Were Nuns offers a seldom-seen look inside modern cloistered life, and it is sure to ruffle more than a few starched collars among the ecclesiastical set. &“A lovely, heartfelt tale. Get thee to a bookstore and buy it.&” —A. J. Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically &“In fluid and often playful prose, she introduces women and men (she spent a week at a monastery on the Isle of Wight) who have devoted their lives to prayer, including a skydiving 90-year-old nun.&” —Maclean&’s
Seeking Sickness: Medical Screening and the Misguided Hunt for Disease
by Alan Cassels&“Alan Cassels strips layers of expectation, hype, jargon, false-starts, and conflicts of interest off the medical screening mantra.&” —Nortin M. Hadler, author of Worried Sick Why wouldn&’t you want to be screened to see if you&’re at risk for cancer, heart disease, or another potentially lethal condition? After all, better safe than sorry. Right? Not so fast, says Alan Cassels. His Seeking Sickness takes us inside the world of medical screening, where well-meaning practitioners and a profit-motivated industry offer to save our lives by exploiting our fears. He writes that promoters of screening overpromise on its benefits and downplay its harms, which can range from the merely annoying to the life threatening. If you&’re facing a screening test for breast or prostate cancer, high cholesterol, or low testosterone, someone is about to turn you into a patient. You need to ask yourself one simple question: Am I ready for all the things that could go wrong? &“With engaging clarity backed by academic rigor, Cassels discusses a variety of popular investigational procedures . . . an excellent way to start the important process of self-education.&” —Quill & Quire &“Smartly written and very readable.&” —Brian Goldman, MD, author of The Secret Language of Doctors &“Cassels tackles this touchy topic, looking at it test by test. His overarching message is that modern medicine has &‘overpromised&’ with claims that screening will save our lives. He contends that with the lack of hard evidence on benefits, the evidence of harm from by such screening, as well as the multi-billion dollar interests at stake, we should approach this kind of screening with great precaution.&” —Canadian Women&’s Health Network
Good Eating's Quick Breads: A Collection Of Convenient And Unique Recipes For Muffins, Scones, Loaves, And More
by Chicago TribuneA selection of no-fail, simple bread recipes—from muffins to pancakes to sweet and savory loaves from the Chicago Tribune&’s award-winning food writers. Good Eating&’s Quick Breads provides a broad selection of quick bread recipes—all of which are made with a leavening agent like baking powder or soda instead of yeast to permit immediate baking—that are easily prepared and always enjoyed. An engaging and helpful introduction to baking quick breads precedes recipes that cover everything from scones, muffins, and pancakes to biscuits, savory loaves, and sweet loaves baked with fruits, nuts, and spices. For those who rarely bake, or even for those who regularly do looking for something new, quick breads are perfect sure-success recipes that can be prepared for any occasion. Written in the friendly tone of the Chicago Tribune and compiled from recipes kitchen-tested by the staff&’s award-winning food writers, Good Eating&’s Quick Breads is a terrific addition to any home cook&’s library. Filled with full-color photographs, helpful hints, and interesting back-stories, this book is a wonderful, straightforward way to add a unique twist to any chef&’s repertoire.
Banish Your Inner Critic: Silence the Voice of Self-Doubt to Unleash Your Creativity and Do Your Best Work
by Denise Jacobs&“Gives you the practical tools you need to own the room by owning yourself. Banish that inner devil&’s advocate and become as powerful as you can be.&” —Alan Cooper, software alchemist, cofounder of Cooper As the Founder and Chief Creativity Evangelist of &“The Creative Dose,&” Denise Jacobs teaches techniques to make the creative process more fluid, methods for making work environments more conducive to personal productivity, and practices for sparking innovation. Now, in her book, Banish Your Inner Critic, Denise shows you how to defeat those barriers that are holding you back and achieve success through a positive mental attitude. Banish Your Inner Critic shows you how to move beyond that mental block to your creative ideas, realize instant relief and lasting insight, and: · Identify and quiet the voice of self-doubt in your head · Master 3 powerful practices that will transform how you relate to yourself and your creativity forever · Overcome the fear of not knowing enough or not being original enough · Free yourself from comparisons, overwhelm, high self-criticism and self-sabotage · Transform your self-talk into a tool for success · Generate more creative ideas than ever before · Embrace your expertise and share your brilliance with the world Banish your Inner Critic to start doing your best work, achieving excellence, and contributing meaningfully to the world! &“If you&’re interested in diving deep into your own creative genius, this book will give you an abundance of ways to do that.&” —Michelle Villalobos, &“The Superstar Activator&” & founder of The Women&’s Success Summit &“A book I believe will inspire a new generation to step out of the shadows and shine.&” —Paul Boag, author of User Experience Revolution
Tatar Empire: Kazan's Muslims and the Making of Imperial Russia
by Danielle RossAn in-depth study of the relationship between the Russian government and its first Muslim subjects who served in the vanguard of the empire’s colonialism. In the 1700s, Kazan Tatar (Muslim scholars of Kazan) and scholarly networks stood at the forefront of Russia’s expansion into the South Urals, western Siberia, and the Kazakh steppe. It was there that the Tatars worked with Russian agents, established settlements, and spread their own religious and intellectual culture that helped shaped their identity in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Kazan Tatars profited economically from Russia’s commercial and military expansion to Muslim lands and began to present themselves as leaders capable of bringing Islamic modernity to the rest of Russia’s Muslim population. Danielle Ross bridges the history of Russia’s imperial project with the history of Russia’s Muslims by exploring the Kazan Tatars as participants in the construction of the Russian empire. Ross focuses on Muslim clerical and commercial networks to reconstruct the ongoing interaction among Russian imperial policy, nonstate actors, and intellectual developments within Kazan’s Muslim community and also considers the evolving relationship with Central Asia, the Kazakh steppe, and western China. Tatar Empire offers a more Muslim-centered narrative of Russian empire building, making clear the links between cultural reformism and Kazan Tatar participation in the Russian eastward expansion.“This is a rich study that makes important contributions to the historiography of the Russian Empire, sharpening our picture of an empire in which lines between colonizer and colonized were far from clear.” —The Middle Ground Journal
Sharks in the Rivers
by Ada Limón“A wonderful book” from the National Book Award for Poetry finalist that explores themes of dislocation and danger (Bob Hicok, author of Red Rover, Red Rover).The speaker in this extraordinary collection finds herself dislocated: from her childhood in California, from her family’s roots in Mexico, from a dying parent, from her prior self. The world is always in motion—both toward and away from us—and it is also full of risk: from sharks unexpectedly lurking beneath estuarial rivers to the dangers of New York City, where, as Ada Limón reminds us, even rats find themselves trapped by the garbage cans they’ve crawled into. In such a world, how should one proceed? Throughout Sharks in the Rivers, Limón suggests that we must cleave to the world as it “keep[s] opening before us,” for, if we pay attention, we can be one with its complex, ephemeral, and beautiful strangeness. Loss is perpetual, and each person’s mouth “is the same / mouth as everyone’s, all trying to say the same thing.” For Limón, it’s the saying—individual and collective—that transforms each of us into “a wound overcome by wonder,” that allows “the wind itself” to be our “own wild whisper.”“Through the steamy, thorny undergrowth, up through the cold concrete, under the swift river, Limon soars and twirls like a bird, high on heart.” —Jennifer L. Knox, author of Crushing It
Smyllie's Ireland: Protestants, Independence, and the Man Who Ran the Irish Times (Irish Culture, Memory, Place)
by Caleb Wood Richardson“A thoughtful, superbly researched and elegantly written study of one the most important pioneering Irish newspaper editors of the past 150 years.” —Journal of British StudiesAs Irish republicans sought to rid the country of British rule and influence in the early twentieth century, a clear delineation was made between what was “authentically” Irish and what was considered to be English influence. As a member of the Anglo-Irish elite who inhabited a precarious identity somewhere in between, Irish Times editor R. M. Smyllie found himself having to navigate the painful experience of being made to feel an outsider in his own homeland. In this engaging consideration of a bombastic, outspoken, and conflicted man, Caleb Wood Richardson offers a way of seeing Smyllie as representative of the larger Anglo-Irish experience. Richardson explores Smyllie’s experience in a German internment camp in World War I, his foreign correspondence work for the Irish Times at the Paris Peace Conference, and his guiding hand as an advocate for culture and intellectualism. Smyllie had a direct influence on the careers of writers such as Patrick Kavanagh and Louis MacNeice, and his surprising decision to include an Irish-language column in the paper had an enormous impact on the career of novelist Flann O’Brien. Smyllie, like many of his class, felt a strong political connection to England at the same time as he had enduring cultural dedications to Ireland. How Smyllie and his generation navigated the collision of identities and allegiances helped to define what Ireland is today.“Describes the rich history of Irish Protestants who found themselves aliens in their own land.” —Communication Booknotes Quarterly
A Jewish Refugee in New York: A Novel (The Modern Jewish Experience)
by Kadya Molodovsky“This novel invites the reader inside the mind of a Polish Jewish woman who has recently arrived in New York just after WWII began in Europe.” —Jeffrey Shandler, author of Anne Frank UnboundRivke Zilberg, a twenty-year-old Jewish woman, arrives in New York shortly after the Nazi invasion of Poland, her home country. Struggling to learn a new language and cope with a different way of life in the United States, Rivke finds herself keeping a journal about the challenges and opportunities of this new land. In her attempt to find a new life as a Jewish immigrant in the United States, Rivke shares the stories of losing her mother to a bombing in Lublin, jilting a fiancé who has made his way to Palestine, and a flirtatious relationship with an American “allrightnik.”In this fictionalized journal originally published in Yiddish, author Kadya Molodovsky provides keen insight into the day-to-day activities of the large immigrant Jewish community of New York. By depicting one woman’s struggles as a Jewish refugee in the United States during WWII, Molodovsky points readers to the social, political, and cultural tensions of that time and place.
Owl of Minerva: Poems
by Eric PankeyA Walt Whitman Award–winning poet seeks the spiritual within everyday physical objects in this luminous collection.Taking its name from the Roman goddess of wisdom and her companion bird, Owl of Minerva turns astonishingly precise attention to the physical world, scouring it for evidence of the spiritual as the poet travels through such places as Appalachia, New England, Venice, Spain, the Caribbean, and the American Midwest. Along the way, Eric Pankey ponders mortality, religious narratives and iconography, the continued press of childhood on the present, and the simultaneous violence and beauty of the natural world.At the book’s core are three ambitious poems titled “The Complete List of Everything,” which together offer an extended vision of American longing and connection—as well as a window into the sort of compendium of images and moments a sustained devotion to poetry can yield. “The hope was to construct // A coherent totality of meaning from odds / And ends,” Pankey writes, and so much of this book is about the difficult work of constructing meaning from the available material all around us. This book is an extraordinary example of lyric-meditative journaling—a large and profound collection by a brilliant poet writing at the height of his powers.“Pankey remains one of our leading practitioners of the metaphysical poem.” —C. Dale Young, author of Prometeo
The Book of Awesome Women Writers: Medieval Mystics, Pioneering Poets, Fierce Feminists and First Ladies of Literature
by Becca Anderson“A testament to the relationship and contributions of women writers, lest we forget their impact and inspiration . . . [an] amazing journey.” —Ntozake Shange, author of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is EnufFrom the first recorded writer to current bestsellers, Becca Anderson takes us through time and highlights women who have left their mark on the literary world. This expansive compilation of women writers is a chance to delve deeper into the lives and works of renowned authors and learn about some lesser-known greats, as well. Some of the many women writers you will love learning about are: Maya Angelou, Jane Austen, Judy Blume, Rachel Carson, Nadine Gordimer, Margaret Mead, Joyce Carol Oates, and many, many more. This feminist book is a beacon of brilliance and a celebration of the journeys and accomplishments of women who have worked to have their voices heard in black and white letters across the world.Open The Book of Awesome Women Writers today, and you will find:Engaging chapters such as “Prolific Pens,” “Mystics, Memoirists, and Madwomen,” and “Banned, Blacklisted, and Arrested”A plethora of necessary new additions to your reading listConfirmation that the female voice is not only awesome, but an essential part of literary culture“So go on, do some guilt-free indulging in the pages of Becca Anderson’s basket of literary bonbons. She has gathered a wealth of delectable stories in which to immerse ourselves, a bit at a time. Let’s hear it for bibliophiles and book ladies—our richest yet most non-fattening vice.” —Vicki León, author of Uppity Women of Ancient Times
Greek Mythology Explained: A Deeper Look at Classical Greek Lore and Myth
by Marios Christou David RamenahA unique retelling of Greek mythological tales featuring love, betrayal, murder and ruthless ambitions—for fans of George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones.Discover six classic Greek myths in this exciting retelling that paints both famous and lesser-known characters in a whole new light. Follow the likes of Odysseus, Lamia, Bellerophon, Icarus, Medusa and Artemis as their fates are revealed through bloody trials, gut-wrenching betrayals, sinister motives and broken hearts. With an accessible writing style that delves into the thoughts, feelings, desires, and motivations of every character, these mythical figures and their compelling stories will resonate with readers as they are guided through perilous and tragic adventures.Greek Mythology Explained provides an in-depth analysis of each story told as it unravels the greater themes and valuable lessons hidden within each chapter. Inside these pages, you’ll . . .Sail with Odysseus as he navigates through the straits of Messina with a terrifying monster on each side, intent only on killing him and his crew.Witness Lamia’s world turned upside down as she loses her kingdom, her children and her humanity.Journey with Bellerophon as he battles the Chimera and becomes the hero that he was destined to be.Take flight with Icarus and Daedalus as they escape their confinement and the Cretan navy.Follow Medusa as she loses faith in the gods and becomes the monster she so adamantly wished to protect her people from.Experience the love between Artemis and Orion, as well as the bitter jealousy it spawns at the core of her brother Apollo.
Gordie: A Hockey Legend
by Roy MacSkimmingThe author of Cold War shoots and scores with the only full-length biography to cover the entire playing career of the Red Wings&’ superstar. Before Gretzky, before Russians played in the National Hockey League, before multimillion-dollar salaries, there was Gordie Howe: the greatest star ever to play hockey. This richly illustrated, thoroughly researched and completely unauthorized biography takes readers behind the sports icon to reveal a man who remains immensely popular with young and old. The Howe legend begins on the frozen sloughs of Saskatchewan, where a painfully shy boy from a poverty-ridden family discovered his one advantage in life: major athletic talent. Signed by the Detroit Red Wings at 16, Howe joined celebrated teammates Sid Abel, Ted Lindsay, Terry Sawchuk and Red Kelly to forge a team that dominated the NHL as only the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers have since. Six-time leading scorer, six-time Hart Trophy winner as the most valuable player, Howe surpassed Rocket Richard&’s NHL goals record to reach an amazing total of 801, unmatched for years until finally Gretzky caught up to his mentor and idol. &“Far superior to the hero-worshiping, gee-whiz, then-we-played, ghostwritten autobiographies so popular today . . . Must reading for hockey fans.&” —Booklist &“A very impressive book . . . thoughtful, well-written and marvelously evocative of the era when the NHL had only six teams and the Red Wings were one of the best . . . an excellent biography.&” —The Sporting News
World Peace and Other 4th-Grade Achievements
by John Hunter&“His ideas will help anyone who has the courage to understand that a real education must go beyond filling in circles on a standardized test form.&” —Rafe Esquith, New York Times-bestselling author of Teach Like Your Hair&’s on Fire Can playing a game lead to world peace? If it&’s John Hunter&’s World Peace Game, it just might. In Hunter&’s classroom, students take on the roles of presidents, tribal leaders, diplomats, and military commanders. Through battles and negotiations, standoffs and summits, they strive to resolve a sequence of many-layered, interconnected scenarios, from nuclear proliferation to tribal warfare. Now, Hunter shares inspiring stories from over thirty years of teaching the World Peace Game, revealing the principles of successful collaboration that people of any age can apply. He offers not only a forward-thinking report from the frontlines of American education, but also a generous blueprint for a world that bends toward cooperation rather than conflict. In this deeply hopeful book, a visionary educator shows us what the future of education can be. &“The World Peace Game devised by fourth-grade teacher Hunter has spread from a classroom in 1978 to a documentary, a TED Talk, the Pentagon, and now finally a book, in which he describes the ways his students have solved political and ecological crises that still loom large in the world of adults . . . Hunter&’s optimism is infectious.&” —Publishers Weekly &“Inspired, breath-of-fresh-air reading.&” — Kirkus Reviews &“Hunter proves the value of &‘slow teaching&’ in this important, fascinating, highly readable resource for educators and parents alike.&” — Booklist
So Big: The Original 1924 Edition (Perennial Classics Ser.)
by Edna FerberThe Pulitzer Prize–winning &“masterpiece&” by the acclaimed author of Giant follows the life of a farming woman on the Illinois prairie (The Literary Review). In the small Dutch community of New Holland, Illinois, Selina DeJong dedicates herself to her passion for learning by becoming a schoolteacher. But as life progresses, she finds other loves: first, her husband, Pervus, a Dutch farmer; and then her son, Dirk, whom she nicknames &“So Big&” in reference to the common refrain: &“How big is baby? So big!&” Throughout her life, Selina never loses her fondness for learning and art—even as tragedy, loss, the realities of hard work, and the necessity of money threaten to eclipse all else. But as her son grows up to pursue his fortune in Chicago, can she help him retain those same values? So Big is the story of both a woman and her son, and a country in the midst of profound cultural transition. The winner of the 1925 Pulitzer Prize, it is widely considered author Edna Ferber&’s masterpiece. &“It has the completeness, [the] finality, that grips and exalts and convinces.&” —The Literary Review
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2015 (The Best American Series)
by Rebecca SklootThis anthology of essays and articles explores topics ranging from untouched wilderness to scientific ethics—and the nature of curiosity itself. Scientists and writers are both driven by a dogged curiosity, immersing themselves in detailed observations that, over time, uncover larger stories. As Rebecca Skloot says in her introduction, all the stories in this collection are &“written by and about people who take the time, and often a substantial amount of risk, to follow curiosity where it may lead, so we can all learn about it.&”The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2015 includes work from both award-winning writers and up-and-coming voices in the field. From Brooke Jarvis on deep-ocean mining to Elizabeth Kolbert on New Zealand&’s unconventional conservation strategies, this is a group that celebrates the growing diversity in science and nature writing alike. Altogether, the writers honored in this volume challenge us to consider the strains facing our planet and its many species, while never losing sight of the wonders we&’re working to preserve for generations to come. This anthology includes essays and articles by Sheri Fink, Atul Gawande, Leslie Jamison, Sam Kean, Seth Mnookin, Matthew Power, Michael Specter and others.
Where Do Camels Belong?: Why Invasive Species Aren't All Bad
by Ken ThompsonThe ecologist and author of Do We Need Pandas? &“presents a stimulating challenge to our perceptions of nature&” and non-native species (George Monbiot). You may be surprised to learn that camels evolved and lived for tens of millions of years in North America—and also that the leek, national symbol of Wales, was a Roman import to Britain, as were chickens, rabbits and pheasants. These classic examples highlight the issues of &“native&” and &“invasive&” species. We have all heard the horror stories of invasives wreaking havoc on ecosystems. But do we need to fear invaders? In this controversial book, Ken Thompson asks: Why do very few introduced species succeed, why do so few of them go on to cause trouble, and what is the real cost of invasions? He also discusses whether fear of invasive species could be getting in the way of conserving biodiversity and responding to climate change.
Spending Smart: A Consumer's Guide to Saving Money and Making Good Financial Decisions
by Gregory Karp Chicago TribuneA collection of the Chicago Tribune&’s weekly &“Spending Smart&” articles from the award-winning business journalist and NerdWallet&’s credit cards expert. Spending Smart is a compact but immensely helpful collection of columns penned by Gregory Karp. Offering tips for consumers across a wide variety of fields, including insurance, banking, cars, phones, homes, travel, and more, this book is a terrific primer for how to take better care of your money and find deals where others aren&’t even looking. The simple and sober advice from Karp has made him a newspaper mainstay for many years, as evidenced by this book&’s vast amount of straightforward tips. In breaking down the true worth of a deal or exposing hidden value, Spending Smart is a reader&’s go-to financial adviser while on the go. Perfect to pull up on smartphones, e-readers, and tablets, Karp&’s friendly tone and measured counsel can be accessed just about anywhere readers have financial questions. Praise for Gregory Karp &“Greg Karp has a clear roadmap to wealth that is yours for the taking. Follow his simple steps and you will take control of your financial future. Get FIT now!&” —Clark Howard, The Clark Howard radio show &“Greg Karp gets it and you will too. His research and tips will help you keep more of the money you earn.&” —Steve & Annette Economides, New York Times bestselling authors of America&’s Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money &“The author provides solid advice and solid writing on a topic that benefits from a fresh voice.&” —Liz Pulliam Weston, MSN Money columnist and author of Your Credit Score
The Best American Essays 2017 (The Best American Series)
by Leslie Jamison, Robert AtwanThis anthology edited by the New York Times–bestselling author of The Empathy Exams offers &“essays that are challenging, passionate, sobering, and clever&” (Publishers Weekly). &“The essay is political—and politically useful, by which I mean humanizing and provocative—because of its commitment to nuance, its explorations of contingency, its spirit of unrest, its glee at overturned assumptions; because of the double helix of awe and distrust—faith and doubt—that structures its DNA,&” writes guest editor Leslie Jamison in her introduction to this volume. The essays she has compiled in The Best American Essays 2017 &“thrill toward complexity.&” From the Iraqi desert to an East Jerusalem refugee camp, and from the beginnings of the universe to the aftermath of a suicide attempt, these essays bring us, time and again, to the thorny intersection of personal experience and public discourse. The Best American Essays 2017 includes entries by Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah, Lawrence Jackson, Rachel Kushner, Alan Lightman, Bernard Farai Matambo, Wesley Morris, Heather Sellers, Andrea Stuart, and others.
Ottoman Dress and Design in the West: A Visual History of Cultural Exchange
by Charlotte Jirousek Sara Catterall&“This amply illustrated, attractive book is valuable for dress history scholars . . . [an] ideal textbook for courses on clothing and cultural history.&” —The Journal of Dress History Ottoman Dress and Design in the West is a richly illustrated exploration of the relationship between West and Near East through the visual culture of dress. Charlotte Jirousek examines the history of dress and fashion in the broader context of western relationships with the Mediterranean world from the dawn of Islam through the end of the twentieth century. The significance of dress is made apparent by the author&’s careful attention to its political, economic, and cultural context. The reader comes to understand that dress reflects not simply the self and one&’s relation to community but also that community&’s relation to a wider world through trade, colonization, religion, and technology. The chapters provide broad historical background on Ottoman influence and European exoticization of that influence, while the captions and illustrations provide detailed studies of illuminations, paintings, and sculptures to show how these influences were absorbed into everyday living. Through the medium of dress, Jirousek details a continually shifting Ottoman frontier that is closely tied to European and American history. In doing so, she explores and celebrates an essential source of influence that for too long has been relegated to the periphery.
Beyond Fair Trade: How One Small Coffee Company Helped Transform a Hillside Village in Thailand
by Mark PendergrastThe author of Uncommon Grounds offers &“a rich and resonantly detailed account of an unlikely partnership&” that redefined the concept of fair trade (Coffee Review). The Akha hill Tribe of Thailand has a long, tumultuous history. Politics, economics, and land development consistently worked against the Akha&’s desire to move away from their dependency on opium production and create a stable future for their children. That all changed in 2006 when Canadian businessman John Darch met with Thai entrepreneur Wicha Promyong. Their meeting resulted in the establishment of an equal partnership business venture that goes beyond fair trade: the Doi Chaang Coffee Company. Beyond Fair Trade tells the story of the growth of this unique partnership, its successes and challenges, and the incredible people who made it happen.
A World Treasury of Riddles: Riddle Me This (World Treasury Of Word Puzzles, Folk Wisdom And Literary Conun Ser.)
by Phil CousineauThe bestselling author of The Art of Pilgrimage and Once and Future Myths presents a selection of mind-bending brain teasers.Riddles by any name—enigmas, conundrum, word puzzles, teasers—have been posed since ancient times to test people’s wit and stretch their imaginations. Mythologist and adventurer Phil Cousineau resurrects this lost art form in A World Treasury of Riddles. Drawing from world literature, history, myth, and folklore, Cousineau has created a one-of-a-kind book that presents riddles from ancient Greece to the Ozarks, from Leonardo da Vinci to Lewis Carroll, and more.Previously published as Riddle Me This: A World Treasury of Word Puzzles, Folk Wisdom, and Literary Conundrums
Capone: A Photographic Portrait of America's Most Notorious Gangster
by Chicago TribuneA visual retelling of the rise and eventual fall of Al Capone, comprised of many never-before-published photographs from the Chicago Tribune&’s archives. A look back in time to the Roaring Twenties and the early days of organized crime, this collection of historical photos—taken from 1926 to 1952—focus on Capone and those connected to him, including his family, mob rivals, and targets. Many of these photographs have never been seen outside of Chicago&’s Tribune Tower, but all of them are high-quality scans of original glass-plate negatives, making them historically significant to both photography buffs and readers interested in Capone. The introduction by the Chicago Tribune&’s associate managing photo/video editor details this process in an illuminating, fascinating fashion. The first section gives readers a look inside Capone&’s luxurious and illicit gangster lifestyle—vacation homes, mob funerals, gun-toting arrests—up to the time of the Saint Valentine&’s Day Massacre in 1929. The second part follows Capone&’s 1931 indictment, trial, and sentencing on charges of defrauding the government and violating prohibition. The third section introduces readers to a mob target who evaded assassination for decades, and one who was not so lucky. The fourth part follows up with Al Capone&’s brother, Ralph, and the fifth part focuses on Capone&’s death.