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Dancing with Roomba: Cracking the Robot Riddle and Building an Icon
by Joseph L. JonesDancing with Roomba tells the unexpected story of the world’s favorite robot. For five decades, corporations spent millions pursuing a floor-cleaning robot. Legions of engineers toiled, dozens of patents were issued, yet every effort failed. Then came Roomba. Selling nearly 50 million units since its launch, Roomba’s unlikely success sprang from a breakthrough at an MIT robotics lab, an inventor who persevered through years of setbacks, and an inspired team that worked as one to smash every problem. This book provides a rare view behind the scenes, revealing how a revolutionary product came to be, how it works, and how a tiny company was able to best a crowd of corporate giants. Written in an easy, narrative style, Dancing with Roomba is accessible to all. Anyone who owns a Roomba, works in technology, dreams of building a product, or is just curious about the robot that launched a million memes will find much to love.
Engineering Science and Technology: Innovations for the Future
by S. R. Reeja Bore Gowda Y. S. Rammohan Ganesan Prabu Sankar G. JayalathaThe International Conference on Recent Innovations in Engineering Science & Technology (ICRIET-2025), hosted by KSIT Bengaluru, brought together researchers and experts from around the world to present 225 peer reviewed papers across four engineering domains. With keynote sessions on AI, energy harvesting, and sustainable manufacturing, the conference promoted interdisciplinary dialogue and cutting-edge innovation. It served as a dynamic platform for academic exchange, fostering collaboration between academia and industry. ICRIET-2025 stands as a testament to KSIT’s commitment to advancing research and technological progress.
Recent Trends in Applied Physics and Material Science
by Bhuvneshwer Suthar Sudhir Bhardwaj Manoj Singh ShekhawatIt gives us immense pleasure to present the Conference Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Recent Trends in Applied Physics & Material Science (RAM 2024), held on November 15–16, 2024, at Bikaner, Rajasthan, India. This prestigious event was organized jointly by Bikaner Technical University, Bikaner and the Condensed Matter Research Society, Bikaner with the support of our esteemed publication partners — CRC Press and the Journal of Condensed Matter. RAM 2024 brought together over 400 participants, both offline and online, from across the globe, reflecting the vibrant and growing international interest in the domains of Applied Physics and Material Science. The conference featured plenary and keynote lectures by eminent experts, oral presentations, and poster sessions, providing a stimulating platform for the exchange of knowledge and recent advances in the field.
Advances in Construction, Real Estate, Infrastructure and Project Management
by Anil Kashyap Sushma S. Kulkarni Rajni Kant Rajhans Jolita Kruopienê B. S. ShashankThe 8th International Conference on Construction, Real Estate, Infrastructure, and Project Management (ICCRIP 2024), organized by NICMAR University, Pune, on August 23–24, 2024, served as a premier platform for knowledge exchange and industry-academic collaboration. Continuing its legacy of fostering innovation and research in the built environment, ICCRIP 2024 featured insightful discussions across a wide spectrum of emerging challenges and advancements in the CRIP sectors.
Synergies in Smart and Virtual Systems Using Computational Intelligence
by Shankar Babu Mahesh Babu KotaWe are delighted to present the preface to the International Conference on Smart Systems, Virtual Intelligence and Robotics Automation using Advanced Electronics and Computational Designs (ICSVREC – 2025). This conference was conceived with the aim of providing a robust interdisciplinary platform for researchers, aca□demicians, professionals, and students to share their research findings, innovative ideas, and technological advancements acros
How to Summon a Fairy Godmother: A Laugh-Out-Loud Fairytale What-If (Fairies and Familiars #1)
by Laura J. MayoIf a fairy godmother can get one sister into a marriage, getting another out of one should be easy… Lady Theodosia Balfour is screwed—with the Balfour estate on the verge of bankruptcy, and Theo&’s royal stepsister spreading wicked rumors about her, Theo's only path forward seems to be a forced betrothal to a foul-tempered geezer who wishes only to use her as a brood mare. Desperate for help, Theo clings to the only thing that might save her: the rumor of a fairy godmother. And after discovering a way to summon one, Theo thinks her prayers have been answered. But the fairy she meets isn't at all what she imagined. Drop-dead gorgeous and slightly devious, Cecily of the Ash Fairies is much more interested in smoking her pipe than providing charitable magic to humans. Now, Theo must prove she&’s good to gain Cecily&’s trust (and magic), but proving goodness doesn&’t seem to be all that easy. In fact, it all seems to be rather ridiculous… "This was an absolutely refreshing spin on the Cinderella mythos and one of the best debut novels I have read in years!!!!" - David Redbird, reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I can't remember the last time I was so in love with a story and all its characters. Do yourself a favor and read this book!" - Jamie Brandenburg, reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Such a fun book! I ate this up in less than 24 hours." - Hannah Rowan, reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I need the next one already!" - Karina Toldedo, reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I couldn&’t put this book down! I loved this story of what happened after Cinderella&’s happily ever after, to her &“evil&” stepsister, Theo. I can't wait to read the next installment!" - Leesa Tarter, reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I think this book will be making my list of top 5 reads of the year! This was such a funny, heartwarming story, so clever and inventive, and perfect for all lovers of fairytale retellings! This is Laura J. Mayo&’s debut and I am so impressed!" - Sarah Asnaashari, reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Guide to the Aria Repertoire, Volume II (Indiana Repertoire Guides)
by Mark Ross ClarkFifteen years since the publication of its first volume, this invaluable guide to some of the most challenging aria excerpts continues with Volume II. Featuring an entirely new selection of arias, Guide to the Aria Repertoire, Volume II brings together many sources to aid the singer on their journey toward powerful, informed performances. Volume I of this guide has proven a tried-and-true resource for the developing operatic singer, with a wealth of insightful commentary from world-famous singers, directors, and other professionals as well as comments on interpreting arias and roles. Volume II follows in this tradition, discussing additional works and including some contemporary and lesser-known works beyond the standard selection. The arias in this guide are organized by voice type, and represent canonical, contemporary, and obscure works from different languages. Each reference listing addresses level of difficulty, voice and character type, special techniques, tessitura, accompaniment, and more. Guide to the Aria Repertoire, Volume II will be invaluable to the performer, student, and teacher of operatic repertoire throughout their developing careers.
Festival Activism (Activist Encounters in Folklore and Ethnomusicology)
by Jeremy Reed David A. McDonald Andrew SnyderFor decades, festivals have been important sites of inquiry for folklorists and ethnomusicologists alike as celebrations of culture. Moving beyond traditional discussions of staged culture and multiculturalism, however, this edited volume explores how festivals may be mobilized as strategic forms of direct action.Festival Activism is a diverse collection of case studies from scholars, performers, and arts administrators, all of whom deftly argue that festivals do more than simply celebrate culture; they also shape culture, creating new forms of aspirational community with direct political effects. Specifically, this volume addresses the many ways festivals provide resources for imagining and enacting social change, alternative citizenship, and long-term political transformation, revealing how performers, participants, and organizers encounter and challenge the myriad forms of violence that frame their worlds.With its emphasis on activism, direct action, and social justice, Festival Activism points toward a new paradigm in festival research, one that focuses on decolonial and justice-oriented methods to illuminate festivals' latent political potential.
Men of Valor and Anxiety: Polish-Jewish Masculinities and the Challenge of Modernity (Jews in Eastern Europe)
by Mariusz KalczewiakAt the turn of the twentieth century, Jewish men in Eastern Europe lived in a social reality in which both Jewish and non-Jewish men and women tested, debated, and redesigned masculinities.Men of Valor and Anxiety explores how religion, class divisions, antisemitism, new domesticity, and militarization changed masculine ideas and practices in Eastern Europe between the 1890s and 1930s. Author Mariusz Kalczewiak applies recent paradigms of gender theory and social history to offer a sensitive historical analysis of personal memoirs, advice books, archives of Jewish institutions, and journalistic commentaries. This study ventures into the military barracks, yeshivot study halls, fraternity parties, and Jewish homes to demonstrate how complex Jewish masculinities were between orthodoxy, acculturation, Polish and Jewish nationalisms, and changing notions of domesticity and profession.Focusing on an ethnic minority in a country that first struggled for independence and later embarked on an accelerated modernization project, Men of Valor and Anxiety is the first book to demonstrate how the links between ethnicity and gender were constructed within both global and local contexts.
Begetting: What Does It Mean to Create a Child?
by Mara van der LugtAn investigation of what it means to have children—morally, philosophically and emotionally&“Do you want to have children?&” is a question we routinely ask each other. But what does it mean to create a child? Is this decision always justified? Does anyone really have the moral right to create another person? In Begetting, Mara van der Lugt attempts to fill in the moral background of procreation. Drawing on both philosophy and popular culture, van der Lugt does not provide a definitive answer on the morality of having a child; instead, she helps us find the right questions to ask.Most of the time, when we talk about whether to have children, what we are really talking about is whether we want to have children. Van der Lugt shows why this is not enough. To consider having children, she argues, is to interrogate our own responsibility and commitments, morally and philosophically and also personally. What does it mean to bring a new creature into the world, to decide to perform an act of creation? What does it mean to make the decision that life is worth living on behalf of a person who cannot be consulted? These questions are part of a conversation we should have started long ago. Van der Lugt does not ignore the problematic aspects of procreation—ethical, environmental and otherwise. But she also acknowledges the depth and complexity of the intensely human desire to have a child of our own blood and our own making.
The Radio Hour: A Novel
by Victoria PurmanFrom USA TODAY bestselling author Victoria Purman comes an engaging, clever story about women&’s work—often unseen—during Australia&’s golden years of radio broadcasting.Martha Berry is on the brink of fifty years old, unmarried, and one of an army of polite, invisible women who go to work each day at the country&’s national broadcaster and get things done without fuss, fanfare, or reward.When the network prepares to launch a new radio serial in the style of their longest running and most successful show, Martha is transferred to assist the newly hired Quentin Quinn, the man who will write and produce the drama. But Mr. Quinn is wholly unprepared and ill-equipped for the role, clueless about radio and work in general. He&’d rather enjoy his cigarettes and imbibe over lengthy lunch breaks and cannot be bothered to call his secretary by her correct name.Rather than see the new show canceled, Martha steps in to hire a cast and write the scripts for the new show. Her authentic, women-focused storyline snags an ever-growing audience of loyal fans—and causes a stir with management. And Quentin Quinn is more than happy to accept the credit. But Martha&’s secret cannot remain hidden. All too soon she faces exposure and must decide if she will politely remain in the shadows—or boldly step into the spotlight.The Radio Hour is at once a sharp satire exposing the lengths men once employed to keep women out of the workplace and a hopeful tale about how one woman proves her worth and unwittingly outsmarts them all."Bestselling Australian author Victoria Purman is one of our nation's most valued storytellers . . . " --Mrs. B's Book Reviews
God's Big Picture Bible Storybook: 140 Connecting Bible Stories of God’s Faithful Promises (God’s Big Picture Bible Stories)
by N. T. WrightThis first illustrated Bible storybook from one of the world's top Bible scholars draws the connections across all of God's very good story, His Word. This practical Bible guide shares all your family's favorite stories, plus some that may be new, combining a theologian's expertise with engaging narratives that will draw kids into the good news of the world's greatest, truest tale.God's Big Picture Bible Storybookis for children ages 6 to 10;is the first children's book written by scholar and professor Tom (N.T.) Wright;identifies story parallels across the Bible that show kids that all of God's Word matters;includes 140 short stories, each vividly illustrated by award-winning artist Helena Perez Garcia; andshows the intention behind God's stories and the hope for salvation they provide.N.T. Wright wants his readers to discover the many surprising ways in which one Bible story echoes another, and how different stories contribute to the one very good and very big story of God's love for creation--a story that unfolds over the centuries, until at last it is fully revealed in the life and teaching of Jesus. Young readers will be fascinated and delighted as they hear the echoes and spot the visual links between the pictures and the stories. Not only that, they will be thrilled to discover that this is not just a story involving people who lived long ago: it's a living and enduring story, a story in which God invites them to be involved as well!
The Filling Station: A Bestselling Historical Fiction Novel about the Tulsa Race Massacre
by Vanessa MillerA USA TODAY BESTSELLER! · A heart wrenching and hopeful novel from the USA TODAY bestselling author of The American Queen"Absolutely worthy." --Booklist, starred review"Should be required reading." --Library Journal, starred review"Resilience, faith, and grit." --Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling authorTwo sisters. One unassuming haven. Endless opportunities for grace.Sisters Margaret and Evelyn Justice have grown up in the prosperous Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma--also known as Black Wall Street. In Greenwood, the Justice sisters had it all--movie theaters and entertainment venues, beauty shops and clothing stores, high-profile businesses like law offices, medical clinics, and banks. While Evelyn aspires to head off to the East Coast to study fashion design, recent college grad Margaret plans to settle in Greenwood, teaching at the local high school and eventually raising a family.Then the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre upends everything they know and brings them unspeakable loss. Left with nothing but each other, the sisters flee along what would eventually become iconic Route 66 and stumble upon the Threatt Filling Station, a safe haven and the only place where they can find a shred of hope in oppressive Jim Crow America. At the filling station, they are able to process their pain, fill up their souls, and find strength as they wrestle with a faith in God that has left them feeling abandoned.But they eventually realize that they can't hide out at the filling station when Greenwood needs to be rebuilt. The search for their father and their former life may not give them easy answers, but it can propel them--and their community--to a place where their voices are stronger . . . strong enough to build a future that honors the legacy of those who were lost.The Filling Station weaves together themes of love, hate, hope, trust, and resilience in the face of great turmoil. With every turn of the page, you will be transported into a story about strong Black women in a pivotal moment of history.Discussion questions are included, so it's perfect for book clubs! Keep your tissues nearby because this one is practically guaranteed to make you feel all the feelings.
Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender
by David R. Hawkins MD/PHDThis groundbreaking bestseller describes a simple and effective way to let go of challenges from world-renowned author, psychiatrist, clinician, spiritual teacher, and researcher of consciousness, David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D.&“Letting Go&” is a guide to helping to remove the obstacles we all have that keep us from living a more conscious life, it is truly a life-changing book. Many of us have trouble Letting Go in our lives even though it can have profound impact on our life.&” —Wayne DyerDuring the many decades of Dr. David Hawkins&’, clinical psychiatric practice, the primary aim was to seek the most effective ways to relieve human suffering in all of its many forms.In Letting Go, he shares from his clinical and personal experience that surrender is the surest route to total fulfillment.This motivational book provides a mechanism for letting go of blocks to happiness, love, joy, success, health, and ultimately Enlightenment. The mechanism of surrender that Dr. Hawkins describes can be done in the midst of everyday life. The book is equally useful for all dimensions of human life: physical health, creativity, financial success, emotional healing, vocational fulfillment, relationships, sexuality and spiritual growth.It is an invaluable resource for all professionals who work in the areas of mental health, psychology, medicine, self-help, addiction recovery and spiritual development."Letting go is one of the most efficacious tools by which to reach spiritual goals." — David Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D.This profound self-development book offers a roadmap to release emotional burdens, unlock inner peace, and embrace a life of fulfillment.It is a classic that will help you break free from limitations and unlock your true potential.Learn how to navigate challenges with grace and emerge as a stronger, more resilient version of yourself. By incorporating the principles of surrender, "Letting Go" provides practical tools for personal growth and transformation.This consciousness-expanding book will help you:· Release past traumas, negative beliefs, and self-imposed limitations.· Experience a newfound sense of freedom, joy, and authenticity.· Recover from addiction· Enhance your personal relationships· Achieve success in your careerJoin millions who have experienced profound transformations through the principles outlined in "Letting Go.""Letting Go" is a must-read for anyone on a quest for personal growth, spirituality, and self-improvement. Whether you're new to the realm of self-help books or a seasoned seeker, Dr. David Hawkins' insights will inspire you to embrace a life of conscious living, emotional well-being, positive thinking, and unlimited possibilities.Experience the transformative power of letting go and unlock a life of healing, success, and spiritual growth.
Homes for Living: The Fight for Social Housing and a New American Commons
by Jonathan TarletonA tale of 2 NYC affordable housing co-ops&’ struggle over privatization, public goods, and the future of American housingThe American Dream of homeownership is becoming an American Delusion. As renters seek an escape from record-breaking rent hikes, first-time buyers find that skyrocketing interest rates and historically low inventory leave them with scant options for an affordable place to live. With home valued more than ever as a commodity, even social housing programs meant to insulate families from cut-throat markets are under threat—sometimes by residents themselves.In Homes for Living, urban planner and oral historian Jonathan Tarleton introduces readers to 2 social housing co-ops in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Longtime residents of St. James Towers and Southbridge Towers lock horns over whether to maintain the rules that have kept their homes affordable for decades or to cash out at great personal profit, thereby denying future generations the same opportunity to build thriving communities rooted in mutual care.With a deft hand for mapping personal histories atop the greater housing crisis, Tarleton explores housing as a public good, movements for tenant rights and Indigenous sovereignty, and questions of race and class to lay bare competing visions of what ownership means, what homes are for, and what neighbors owe each other.
Critical Issues Facing America: Selected Essays from a Black Economist, 2016–2025
by Fred McKinneyThis book analyzes nuances and shifts in the scarcity of resources across food, energy, housing, and healthcare in the United States between 2016 and 2025. Written by Fred McKinney, the book provides a chronological exploration of cultural moments that impacted macroeconomic policy in the United States during this period. The chapters in the book cover a range of important topics, including racial wealth gaps, crime, minority business development, sustainability, corporate supplier diversity, education policy, culture, and war.
Micro- and Nano-plastics in Soil and Crop Systems (Sustainability Sciences in Asia and Africa)
by Mohammad Zaman Saif UddinThis book is an open access book on micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) in soil and crop systems addresses a critical knowledge gap as plastic pollution increasingly infiltrates terrestrial ecosystems. It compiles the information on how MNPs enter agricultural systems through practices like plastic mulching, wastewater irrigation, and sludge application, offering insights into their long-term environmental effects. This book also highlights the potential disruptions MNPs cause to soil health, such as reduced fertility, impaired nutrient cycling and altered water retention. It also investigates their effects on crop growth, including their uptake by plants and the potential for these pollutants to enter the food chain, raising concerns about human health. This resource is crucial for researchers, policymakers and agricultural practitioners, offering practical solutions to mitigate plastic contamination in farming. It provides evidence-based recommendations for sustainable agricultural practices and contributes to developing environmental policies aimed at reducing plastic pollution in soils, ensuring food security and protecting ecosystem health.
Algorithmic Antagonism: Algorithmic Control, Precarity and Resistance in China's Food-Delivery Platform Economy (New Perspectives on Chinese Politics and Society)
by Hui HuangThis book provides a critical examination of how artificial intelligence and algorithmic management are transforming labour relations in the platform economy, with a focus on food-delivery workers in China. By combining ethnographic research with labour process theory, it reveals the hidden mechanisms of digital labour control and the ways workers resist algorithmic exploitation in an era of technological dominance. This book will interest scholars of the platform gig economy, of Chinese labor issues, and of the sociology of AI.
Italian Consensus for the Classification and Reporting of Thyroid Cytology
by Lucio Palombini Fulvio Basolo Anna Crescenzi Guido Fadda Andrea Frasoldati Francesco Nardi Enrico Papini Alfredo PontecorviThis updated edition of the Italian Consensus for Classification and Reporting of Thyroid Cytology (ICCRTC) integrates the evolution in the field of thyroid pathology and the new approaches in the management of thyroid diseases. The five categories defined in the 2014 Consensus edition, with the separation of indeterminate nodules into TIR3A and TIR3B subcategories, are retained due to their effective stratification of malignancy risk. The 2024 Consensus update has been developed by pathologists and endocrinologists with recognised expertise in thyroid disease and has been endorsed by their respective scientific societies: Società Italiana di Anatomia Patologica e Citologia Diagnostica (SIAPeC-IAP), Associazione Italiana Tiroide (AIT), Associazione Medici Endocrinologi (AME), Società Italiana di Endocrinologia (SIE). This book includes chapters on sampling techniques, ultrasound imaging, molecular testing, oncocytes and translatability between major reporting systems. Enhanced with videos of WSI from cytology slides explaining morphological criteria for category selection, and with interactive self-assessment flashcards, this book will help pathologists to report thyroid cytology diagnoses, and endocrinologists to correctly interpret cytology reports for patient management.
Business Process Management: Analysis, Modeling, Optimization, and Controlling of Processes
by Andreas GadatschThis textbook bridges the gap between business-administrative and organizational methods and their digital implementation, since process management increasingly means shaping operational tasks. In addition to methodological fundamentals, the book offers many practical examples and exercises. Prof. Gadatsch&’s book is now considered the &“current classic&”, the authoritative standard work for IT-supported design of business processes. The eleventh edition has been improved and adapted to the requirements of digital transformation. Another related trend is the increased use of data science methods for process management. Of particular importance are recent research findings published under the term &“exploratory process management.&” These show that the first main phase of process management was more focused on optimizing existing processes and business models. New practical examples have been added throughout the book, such as migration strategies for the ERP system SAP S/4 HANA, which serves as the basis for many industrial and service processes. The chapter on process modeling has been updated and newer methods, such as the Business Model Canvas, have been included.
Landscape Handbook: German Language Research Perspectives (Springer International Handbooks of Human Geography)
by Olaf Kühne Corinna Jenal Florian Weber Karsten BerrThis handbook presents different perspectives on landscapes and illuminates various landscape understandings from different disciplines. Written by experts in the field, it provides an overview of landscape research&’s current status and sheds light on the future of the field. The handbook examines theoretical perspectives of landscape research, landscape in the context of disciplinary references, meta-perspective approaches to landscape, methods of landscape research and practice, and fields of investigation of landscape research. Therefore, this handbook is an excellent resource for students, lecturers and researchers of landscape architecture, urban and regional planning, social sciences, and geography.
The Handbook of Multilingualism, Identity, and Language Endangerment in Africa (Springer Handbooks in Languages and Linguistics)
by Alireza Korangy Evgeniya GutovaThis handbook addresses the interrelatedness of nationalism, identity, language, linguistics, and multilingualism in an African context. It covers multilingualism, language and identity, language endangerment, language shift, language maintenance, language contact, diglossia, language decline, language death, language vitality, and much more in, linguistically, one of the richest regions on earth. The variety of alphabets and oral traditions immersed in folklore, made more linguistically complex through issues of inter-borders, and the long history of foreign intrusions and colonialism, has meant a collision of identities and linguistic peculiarities. This book considers these facets in relation to language endangerment in numerous geographies within the African continent. It confronts these questions under the rubric of multilingualism, linguistic geography, and a panoply of other sub-studies. By investigating a multitude of topics around the themes of multilingualism, identity, and language endangerment in Africa, this volume brings together these dimensions to showcase interdisciplinary research in studies of African languages and linguistics. Relevant to applied linguists, socio-linguists, cultural linguistics, language teachers, anthropologists, and scholars in African cultural studies more broadly, this is a vital, urgent text challenging language, and identity, endangerment.
Tokyo Express: A Novel
by Seicho MatsumotoFrom &“Japan's Agatha Christie&” (The Sunday Times): A secluded bay. An apparent lovers&’ suicide. And a pair of detectives with a nagging suspicion that the pieces don&’t add up. Can you solve one of the most astonishing literary puzzles ever written?&“An irresistible Hitchcockian gem: a fiendishly plotted crime novel told in crisp, elegant prose.&”—Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train In a rocky cove at Hakata Bay, the bodies of a young and beautiful couple are discovered. Standing on the cold beach, the police see nothing to investigate: The flush of the couple&’s cheeks and the empty juice bottle speak clearly of cyanide, of a lovers&’ suicide. But in the eyes of two men, senior detective Torigai Jutaro and Kiichi Mihara, a young gun from Tokyo, something is not quite right. Together, they begin to pick at the knot of a unique and calculated crime.Now widely available in English for the first time, Tokyo Express is celebrated around the world as Seichō Matsumoto&’s masterpiece.
There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America
by Brian GoldstoneA NEW YORK TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR (SO FAR) • Through the &“revelatory and gut-wrenching&” (Associated Press) stories of five Atlanta families, this landmark work of journalism exposes a new and troubling trend—the dramatic rise of the working homeless in cities across America&“An exceptional feat of reporting, full of an immediacy that calls to mind Adrian Nicole LeBlanc&’s Random Family and Matthew Desmond&’s Evicted.&”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors&’ Choice)The working homeless. In a country where hard work and determination are supposed to lead to success, there is something scandalous about this phrase. But skyrocketing rents, low wages, and a lack of tenant rights have produced a startling phenomenon: People with full-time jobs cannot keep a roof over their head, especially in America&’s booming cities, where rapid growth is leading to catastrophic displacement. These families are being forced into homelessness not by a failing economy but a thriving one.In this gripping and deeply reported book, Brian Goldstone plunges readers into the lives of five Atlanta families struggling to remain housed in a gentrifying, increasingly unequal city. Maurice and Natalia make a fresh start in the country&’s &“Black Mecca&” after being priced out of DC. Kara dreams of starting her own cleaning business while mopping floors at a public hospital. Britt scores a coveted housing voucher. Michelle is in school to become a social worker. Celeste toils at her warehouse job while undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer. Each of them aspires to provide a decent life for their children—and each of them, one by one, joins the ranks of the nation&’s working homeless.Through intimate, novelistic portraits, Goldstone reveals the human cost of this crisis, following parents and their kids as they go to sleep in cars, or in squalid extended-stay hotel rooms, and head out to their jobs and schools the next morning. These are the nation&’s hidden homeless—omitted from official statistics, and proof that overflowing shelters and street encampments are only the most visible manifestation of a far more pervasive problem.By turns heartbreaking and urgent, There Is No Place for Us illuminates the true magnitude, causes, and consequences of the new American homelessness—and shows that it won&’t be solved until housing is treated as a fundamental human right.
The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War
by Erik Larson#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The author of The Splendid and the Vile brings to life the pivotal five months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the start of the Civil War in this &“riveting reexamination of a nation in tumult&” (Los Angeles Times). &“A feast of historical insight and narrative verve . . . This is Erik Larson at his best, enlivening even a thrice-told tale into an irresistible thriller.&”—The Wall Street JournalA PARADE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAROn November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the fluky victor in a tight race for president. The country was bitterly at odds; Southern extremists were moving ever closer to destroying the Union, with one state after another seceding and Lincoln powerless to stop them. Slavery fueled the conflict, but somehow the passions of North and South came to focus on a lonely federal fortress in Charleston Harbor: Fort Sumter.Master storyteller Erik Larson offers a gripping account of the chaotic months between Lincoln&’s election and the Confederacy&’s shelling of Sumter—a period marked by tragic errors and miscommunications, enflamed egos and craven ambitions, personal tragedies and betrayals. Lincoln himself wrote that the trials of these five months were &“so great that, could I have anticipated them, I would not have believed it possible to survive them.&”At the heart of this suspense-filled narrative are Major Robert Anderson, Sumter&’s commander and a former slave owner sympathetic to the South but loyal to the Union; Edmund Ruffin, a vain and bloodthirsty radical who stirs secessionist ardor at every opportunity; and Mary Boykin Chesnut, wife of a prominent planter, conflicted over both marriage and slavery and seeing parallels between them. In the middle of it all is the overwhelmed Lincoln, battling with his duplicitous secretary of state, William Seward, as he tries desperately to avert a war that he fears is inevitable—one that will eventually kill 750,000 Americans.Drawing on diaries, secret communiques, slave ledgers, and plantation records, Larson gives us a political horror story that captures the forces that led America to the brink—a dark reminder that we often don&’t see a cataclysm coming until it&’s too late.