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Murder for Art's Sake (The Nathan Shapiro Mysteries #4)
by Richard LockridgeThe apparent suicide of an artist looks sketchy to NYC detective Nathan Shapiro in this mystery by the coauthor of the &“excellent&” Mr. and Mrs. North series (The New Yorker). Nathan Shapiro might be the gloomiest member of Manhattan&’s finest, but that doesn&’t stop the dour detective from getting the job done when the going gets tough . . . Painter Shackleford Jones died of a bullet to the head, behind the ear to be exact. The homicide captain brushes it off as suicide, but the medical examiner draws a different conclusion: The angle&’s all wrong. Now it&’s up to Det. Lt. Nathan Shapiro to get some perspective on who might have wanted to take the up-and-coming artist out of the picture. In the high stakes world of expensive avant-garde art, Shapiro feels out of his depth. But with Det. Anthony Cook at his side, he interviews those closest to Jones, and soon both detectives start to believe the incident in the artist&’s Greenwich Village studio was murder after all. Someone wanted Shackleford dead. Maybe it was for the money or maybe an even more sinister reason. Whatever the case, Shapiro will follow the clues until he can paint the killer into a corner. Murder for Art&’s Sake is the 4th book in the Nathan Shapiro Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Wrong Turn (The Lucinda Pierce Mysteries #6)
by Diane FanningIn this &“fast-paced mystery&” from an Edgar Award finalist, detective Lucinda Pierce must confront the possibility that she put the wrong person in prison (Booklist). Homicide investigator Lucinda Pierce&’s confidence in her own judgment is deeply shaken when she learns that a woman she helped to put away for the murder of her stepdaughter may not be guilty. The girl&’s remains have been found—along with four other bodies—in the basement of a serial killer. At the same time Lucinda hears that US Representative Chris Phillips, in prison for killing his third wife, is out on bond, awaiting a new trial, and terrorizing his previous ex-wife. He too was originally convicted based on Lucinda&’s evidence. Then her young friend, middle-schooler Charley Spencer, is arrested on suspicion of vandalism. Now Lucinda has her hands full, trying to prove Charley&’s innocence while also dealing with the repercussions of the reopened cases. &“Multiple cases, interesting details of police work, and well-drawn characters, especially the complex, principled Lucinda, drive this fast-paced mystery that will appeal to readers who enjoy strong women protagonists.&” —Booklist This is the sixth book in the critically acclaimed Lucinda Pierce Mysteries by Edgar Award–winning true-crime writer Diane Fanning.
Blood Matters: From BRCA1 to Designer Babies, How the World and I Found Ourselves in the Future of the Gene
by Masha GessenA National Book Award winner&’s personal journey through the ethical dilemmas and unsettling choices raised by the new frontier of DNA testing. Several years after Masha Gessen&’s mother died of breast cancer, she discovered she too had the BRCA1 gene mutation, which predisposes women to high rates of ovarian and breast cancer. Her doctors gave her narrow options: surgical removal of her breasts and ovaries or living with the likelihood of one day developing cancer. As Gessen wrestled with her own health decisions, she sought more information about the implications of genetic testing from a variety of sources—ranging from others faced with her same dilemma to medical researchers, historians, and religious thinkers. With concerns both practical and philosophical, personal and societal, her inquiry led her across the globe, with stops in Israel, Russia, Austria, and the United States. Weaving her own story into her journalistic research, Gessen offers insight into how knowledge that was once unimaginable now shapes our lives. Blood Matters explores not only the decisions we must make in our physical and emotional health, but also the ethical choices we face when choosing spouses or having children. &“Valuable reading to almost anyone facing a huge health decision, not only for the literary commiseration it offers, but also for the inspired example of medical sleuthing on one&’s own behalf that it provides. Gessen keeps an inflammatory topic at room temperature, writing elegantly and without self pity.&” —The New York Times Book Review
With or Without You
by Lauren SandersThis novel about a violently obsessed fan is &“part journal, part suicide note and part psychological suspense story&” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Set in the late 1980s, and shifting between the points of view of an eighteen-year-old girl who is in prison for murdering a soap actress and the mother of the victim, this novel takes a dark look at celebrity and tabloid culture, neglectful parenting, and the damage that can arise from a desperate need for attention. From a Lambda Literary Award–winning author, With or Without You is &“a fearless book that captures perfectly the torment of modern-day adolescence, as well as the utter loneliness of obsession&” (Nina Revoyr, author of Southland).
Studs Terkel's Chicago
by Studs TerkelIn a blend of history, memoir, and photography, the Pulitzer Prize winner paints a vivid portrait of this extraordinary American city. Chicago was home to the country&’s first skyscraper (a ten-story building built in 1884), and marks the start of the famed Route 66. It is also the birthplace of the remote control (Zenith) and the car radio (Motorola), and the first major American city to elect a woman (Jane Byrne) and then an African American man (Harold Washington) as mayor. Its literary and journalistic history is just as dazzling, and includes Nelson Algren, Mike Royko, and Sara Paretsky. From Al Capone to the street riots during the Democratic National Convention in 1968, Chicago, in the words of Studs Terkel, &“has—as they used to whisper of the town&’s fast woman—a reputation.&” Chicago was also home to Terkel, the Pulitzer Prize–winning oral historian, who moved to Chicago in 1922 as an eight-year-old and who would make it his home until his death in 2008 at the age of ninety-six. This book is a splendid evocation of Studs Terkel&’s hometown in all its glory—and all its imperfection.
The Blind Man of Seville: A Novel (Javier Falcón Books #1)
by Robert WilsonA Spanish detective investigates a series of grisly killings in a crime thriller that maintains &“an almost unbearable pitch of excitement&” (Booklist). Called to a gruesome crime scene, Inspector Javier Falcón is shocked and sickened by what he finds there. Strewn like flower petals on the victim&’s shirt are the man&’s own eyelids, evidence of a heinous crime with no obvious motive. When the investigation leads Falcón to read his late father&’s journals, he discovers a disturbing and sordid past. Meanwhile, more victims are falling. While he struggles to solve the case, he comes across a missing section of his father&’s journal—and becomes the murderer&’s next intended victim. Combining suspenseful storytelling with a thoughtful exploration of the human psyche, The Blind Man of Seville is a terrifying and &“consistently stunning&” police procedural from the Gold Dagger Award–winning author of A Small Death in Lisbon (St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
Petroleum Man: A Novel
by Stanley CrawfordA billionaire sets out to teach his grandchildren some life lessons in this sharply funny novel by &“a brilliant, original writer&” (Ann Beattie, author of The Accomplished Guest). Bewildered by the odious liberal tendencies of his son-in-law, Chip, Leon Tuggs, self-made arch-capitalist billionaire, inventor of the ubiquitous and environmentally hazardous Thingie, and author of the influential General Theory of Industrial Sex, decides to rescue his grandchildren from a life of guilt, indecision, and existential anxiety, by educating them in the way the world actually works and telling them, for their own good, the things no teacher or parent in our politically correct and morally relative world could ever venture to say . . . Petroleum Man is a hilariously scathing satire that takes on both sides of some of the raging debates of our times between Democrats and Republicans, haves and have-nots, trickle-down conservatives and bleeding-heart liberals, environmentalists and industrialists—a comic classic from the author of Gascoyne and Some Instructions.
The Thing in the Stone: And Other Stories (The Complete Short Fiction of Clifford D. Simak #12)
by Clifford D. SimakA mind-opening collection of short science fiction from one of the genre&’s most revered Grand Masters. Legendary author Robert A. Heinlein proclaimed, &“To read science fiction is to read Simak. A reader who does not like Simak stories does not like science fiction at all.&” The remarkably talented Clifford D. Simak was able to ground his vast imagination in reality, and then introduce readers to fantastical worlds and concepts they could instantly and completely dig into, comprehend, and enjoy. In the title story, a man&’s newfound ability to walk in the past allows him to dwell among dinosaurs, saber-toothed tigers . . . and something even more timeless. In &“Construction Shack,&” the first manned expedition to Pluto reveals that no matter how advanced aliens may be, even they don&’t always get everything right. And in &“Univac 2200,&” the thin line between humans creating technology and humans becoming technology is about to be crossed—and there may be no going back. Each story includes an introduction by David W. Wixon, literary executor of the Clifford D. Simak estate and editor of this ebook.
The Collected Works Volume Two: Cuts, All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go, and Doctor Criminale
by Malcolm BradburySharp-witted novels and social commentary by the beloved British critic, teacher, and author of the &“outstanding&” comic masterpiece, The History Man (The Guardian). &“A satirist of great assurance and accomplishment,&” Malcolm Bradbury remains one of the sharpest comic minds of the twentieth century (The Observer). Cuts and Doctor Criminale—like &“all Bradbury&’s novels, for all their surface wit and comedy, have serious moral and philosophical subtexts&” (The Guardian), as do his barbed and brilliant observations on 1950s culture shock in Great Britain in All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go. Taken together, these three volumes illustrate the myriad ways &“Bradbury dazzles&” (Kirkus Reviews). Cuts: In Bradbury&’s &“outrageously funny&” satire set in Thatcher-era Great Britain, a media tycoon, looking to strike it rich with television gold, recruits an unassuming novelist and academic to script his small-screen epic, with disastrous—and hilarious—consequences (Publishers Weekly). &“It is funny, exact—and pretty bloody serious.&” —The Observer All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go: In this nonfiction social commentary, Bradbury confronts a curious moment in British history. After teaching abroad for a year in the 1950s, he returned to find that his native country had become nearly as mystifying to him as the American Midwest. As Britain marched toward a new decade, much of the country was changing rapidly, its agrarian past paved over by suburban developer and its quiet traditionalism replaced by beehive hairdos and shiny, glass-walled office buildings. With wry wit, he reacts to this uncomfortable transition to mid-twentieth-century modernism. &“A master not only of language and comedy but of feeling too.&” —The Sunday Times Doctor Criminale: &“Playful, smart and entertaining,&” Bradbury&’s comic novel follows enterprising young reporter Francis Jay as he attempts to navigate the chaotic world of post–Cold War Europe in pursuit of the specter of literary legend Bazlo Criminale, a mysterious novelist and thinker known for his extreme elusiveness (The New York Times Book Review). &“Bradbury writes with splendid energy and a fertile mind.&” —Los Angeles Times Book Review
Stumbling Into Infinity: An Ordinary Man in the Sphere of Enlightenment
by Michael FischmanAn American truth seeker recounts his life-changing friendship with the spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in this intimate memoir. Michael Fischman is the president of His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar&’s Art of Living Foundation in the United States. In this intimate memoir, Fischman recounts his startling spiritual journey from childhood in New York &“among the tribe of people known as the Jewish Middle Class&” to befriending and working with the humanitarian and spiritual leader who changed his life. His story is a compelling narrative that blends remarkable experiences with an inner struggle and search for meaning. &“In writing this story, different eras and their flavors came to life again—the world of Orthodox Jews I grew up in; twenty years of teaching meditation and breathing to people around the world; the traumas and triumphs of self-discovery in the Caribbean and Jerusalem; the spiritual traditions of India that became so meaningful to me; and the remarkable atmosphere around the enlightened master I fell in love with&” (from the prologue). &“Michael Fischman&’s journey reveals how fears and negative emotions can be transformed into love, compassion, and higher consciousness when a student has an authentic relationship with a wise teacher.&” —Deepak Chopra
Blind Shuffle: A Rusty Diamond Novel (The Rusty Diamond Mysteries #2)
by Austin WilliamsAn ex-magician-turned-amateur-detective hunts for a missing pregnant woman in this tale of New Orleans noir . . . Rusty Diamond abandoned the Crescent City years ago to pursue fame in Las Vegas, leaving Marceline Lavalle with a broken heart. Now Rusty has finally come back to New Orleans—but no one has seen Marceline for days. Five months pregnant, Marceline&’s vanished without a trace, and her estranged boyfriend, a casino boss with criminal ties and a hair-trigger temper, claims no knowledge of her whereabouts. With the police not yet ready to declare foul play, Rusty launches his own investigation. The search for Marceline will take Rusty into dark corners far from the neon lights of Bourbon Street, where enormous profit can be made from human misery and desperate people hunt on the fringes. The journey will force him to confront the mistakes of his past, and offer him a shot at redemption—if he doesn&’t wind up at the bottom of a bayou first . . . &“I wanted to take a bite out of Blind Shuffle before breakfast but ended up reading straight through lunch. I finished it on a plane to Tijuana. This was my first Rusty Diamond novel . . . it won&’t be my last. Dig in.&” —Patrick Hasburgh, creator of 21 Jump Street
Border Bride (The Border Series #2)
by Arnette LambThe New York Times–bestselling author &“weaves a fascinating tale that incorporates Scottish history into an emotionally moving and realistic love story&” (Affaire de Coeur). Lady Alpin MacKay is in despair when she learns that, in one tyrannical, sweeping gesture, the Scottish lord Malcolm Kerr has stolen her property. Determined to reclaim her home from her childhood nemesis, she storms Kildalton Castle with a scheme to take back what&’s hers. When the beautiful Alpin arrives on Malcolm&’s doorstep declaring her land—and herself—as his for the taking, he&’s thrilled. At last, he has her under his thumb, right where he wants her. But as Malcolm plots his revenge, and Alpin conspires to trick him into forfeiting her land, neither of them plans for the flame of passion that ignites between them. &“Arnette Lamb ignites readers&’ imaginations with her unforgettable love stories.&” —RT Book Reviews
The Night Casey Was Born: The True Story Behind the Great American Ballad "Casey at the Bat"
by John Evangelist WalshThe acclaimed biographer offers a social history of the poem that helped America fall in love with baseball—a lively story that &“hits it out of the park&” (The Baltimore Sun). The sport that came to be known as America&’s Pastime was still in its infancy when a journalist for the San Francisco Examiner wrote a ballad extolling the drama and excitement of the game. Ernest L. Thayer&’s Casey at the Bat made its first appearance in the Examiner on June 3, 1888. But the immortal tale of Mighty Casey was destined to become an American phenomenon when star of the New York stage DeWolf Hopper first read it to a rapt audience at Wallack&’s Theater later that year. For the first time, John Evangelist Walsh tells the story behind the poem and its young journalist author, its unlikely journey from California to New York, and the wave of baseball mania that made it one of the most famous poems in the country. The Night Casey was Born is a portrait of America in the earliest years of its love affair with baseball.
The Physics of Wall Street: A Brief History of Predicting the Unpredictable
by James Owen WeatherallA look inside the world of &“quants&” and how science can (and can&’t) predict financial markets: &“Entertaining and enlightening&” (The New York Times). After the economic meltdown of 2008, Warren Buffett famously warned, &“beware of geeks bearing formulas.&” But while many of the mathematicians and software engineers on Wall Street failed when their abstractions turned ugly in practice, a special breed of physicists has a much deeper history of revolutionizing finance. Taking us from fin-de-siècle Paris to Rat Pack–era Las Vegas, from wartime government labs to Yippie communes on the Pacific coast, James Owen Weatherall shows how physicists successfully brought their science to bear on some of the thorniest problems in economics, from options pricing to bubbles. The crisis was partly a failure of mathematical modeling. But even more, it was a failure of some very sophisticated financial institutions to think like physicists. Models—whether in science or finance—have limitations; they break down under certain conditions. And in 2008, sophisticated models fell into the hands of people who didn&’t understand their purpose, and didn&’t care. It was a catastrophic misuse of science. The solution, however, is not to give up on models; it&’s to make them better. This book reveals the people and ideas on the cusp of a new era in finance, from a geophysicist using a model designed for earthquakes to predict a massive stock market crash to a physicist-run hedge fund earning 2,478.6% over the course of the 1990s. Weatherall shows how an obscure idea from quantum theory might soon be used to create a far more accurate Consumer Price Index. The Physics of Wall Street will change how we think about our economic future. &“Fascinating history . . . Happily, the author has a gift for making complex concepts clear to lay readers.&” —Booklist
Death of a Dormouse (Felony And Mayhem Mysteries Ser.)
by Reginald HillA woman exposes her dead husband&’s lies in a thriller by the &“consistently excellent&” author of the Dalziel and Pascoe mysteries (The Times, London). Best known for his Dalziel and Pascoe novels, which were adapted into a hit BBC series, Reginald Hill proves himself to be a &“master of . . . cerebral puzzle mysteries&” in his stand-alone thrillers as well—now available as ebooks (The New York Times). When her husband, Trent, dies in a car accident, shy and agoraphobic Trudi Adamson is unprepared to face the world. She has no choice. After twenty-five years of marriage, she&’s just discovered that her life has been a lie. Despite Trent&’s prosperous career he&’s left Trudi penniless. He&’d quit his job without telling her, maintained a rural hideaway, had a possible lover in Vienna, a Swiss bank account, and traveled the world under numerous aliases. But Trudi&’s not the only one following a dead man&’s trail. So are Trent&’s dangerous enemies. Both hunter and hunted, Trudi must go from timid and terrorized mouse to fearless investigator if she&’s to discover the truth in the deadly shadows of her husband&’s secret life.
Boudica: The Life of Britain's Legendary Warrior Queen
by Vanessa CollingridgeAn &“intelligent and infectiously enthusiastic&” biography of the Celtic queen and an analysis of her impact on British and feminist history (The Sunday Times). Boudica has been mythologized as the woman who dared to take on the Romans to avenge her daughters, her tribe, and her enslaved country. Her immortality rests on the fact that she almost drove the Romans out of Britain, and her legend has become the reference point for any British woman in power, from Elizabeth I to Margaret Thatcher. As Boudica has become well known as an icon of female leadership and strength, the true story of her revolt against the Roman Empire has only become more distant until now. Combining new research and recent archaeological discoveries, Vanessa Collingridge has written a major new biography on this shadowy and often misunderstood figure of ancient history. Boudica provides a detailed history of the Celtomania that has adopted Boudica as its earliest hero, and the nationalist and feminist causes that have also tried to claim her as their own. While tracking the origins and impact of the various versions of the Boudica legend, Collingridge unearths a historical woman who is far subtler but every bit as fascinating as the myths associated with her name. &“Deeply researched and powerfully explosive.&” —Saga Magazine &“A compelling tale.&” —Daily Mail
Dancer in the Flames
by Stephen SolomitaThe NYPD hides a killer within the ranks in this &“dark, satisfying&” hard-boiled noir thriller (Publishers Weekly). Detective Boots Littlewood of Brooklyn&’s Sixty-Fourth Precinct has been assigned an investigation that&’s hitting close to home: the murder of his police captain. It&’s been called another tragic cop killing. Boots suspects something closer to an organized hit—and he knows in his gut that the perp in custody is an innocent man. Boots&’s new partner, &“Crazy&” Jill Kelly, is taking it personally, too. The daughter of a murdered officer, she&’s got a quick temper, a vengeful streak, and perfect aim. Once Boots and Jill hit the streets, they uncover more than dirty secrets. The investigation reaches back a decade to the sordid serial crimes of the Lipstick Killer—and ahead to a cesspool of corruption and conspiracy that taints the badges of New York&’s finest. But as Boots and Jill prepare for hunting season, they realize that they themselves are being hunted.
Nietzsche's Animal Philosophy: Culture, Politics, and the Animality of the Human Being (Perspectives In Continental Philosophy Ser.)
by Vanessa Lemm&“[Lemm] consolidates her reputation as one of Nietzsche&’s most original, attentive, and lively readers.&” —The Journal of Nietzsche Studies This book explores the significance of human animality in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche, and provides the first systematic treatment of the animal theme in Nietzsche&’s body of work. Vanessa Lemm argues that the animal is neither a random theme nor a metaphorical device in Nietzsche&’s thought. Instead, it stands at the center of his renewal of the practice and meaning of philosophy itself. Lemm provides an original contribution to ongoing debates on the essence of humanism and its future. At the center of this new interpretation stands Nietzsche&’s thesis that animal life and its potential for truth, history, and morality depends on a continuous antagonism between forgetfulness (animality) and memory (humanity). This relationship accounts for the emergence of humanity out of animality as a function of the antagonism between civilization and culture. By taking the antagonism of culture and civilization to be fundamental for Nietzsche&’s conception of humanity and its becoming, Lemm gives a new entry point into the political significance of Nietzsche&’s thought. The opposition between civilization and culture allows for the possibility that politics is more than a set of civilizational techniques that seek to manipulate, dominate, and exclude the animality of the human animal. By seeing the deep-seated connections of politics with culture, Nietzsche orients politics beyond the domination over life and, instead, offers the animality of the human being a positive, creative role in the organization of life. This book will appeal not only to those interested in Nietzsche, but to anyone interested in the theme of the animal in philosophy, literature, cultural studies, and the arts, as well as those interested in the relation between biological life and politics.
The Man Who Robbed the Pierre: The Story of Bobby Comfort and the Biggest Hotel Robbery Ever
by Ira BerkowThis Pulitzer Prize–winning author&’s true account of the thief behind the famed 1972 heist is &“an engrossing crime biography . . . [and] a fast-paced romp&” (Kirkus Reviews). Growing up in Rochester, New York, Bobby Comfort wanted to be a good something. It just so happened that he was great at being a criminal. In January 1972, men in tuxedos robbed the Pierre, the luxurious Manhattan hotel, and got away with eleven million dollars&’ worth of cash and jewelry. The police were baffled by how such a large-scale operation could go off so smoothly. The answer lay in the leader of the thieves, a man by the name of Bobby Comfort. He had taken to crime from a young age with card sharping and petty theft. Eventually, taking money from the rich was where he excelled. Sort of like Robin Hood—except for the part where he kept the loot himself—Comfort masterminded what was, at the time, the most lucrative heist in history, while appearing to his neighbors like an ordinary suburban family man. In this blend of insightful biography and true crime, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Ira Berkow chronicles the story, using first-hand accounts to weave together a fascinating portrait of a criminal and &“a corking good cops-and-robbers tale&” (Library Journal).
The Idea of a Christian Society
by T. S. EliotOne of the twentieth century&’s great thinkers and writers explores what it means to incorporate Christian values into our worldly lives. Originally delivered in 1939 at Corpus Christi College, these three lectures by the renowned poet and playwright T. S. Eliot address the direction of religious thought toward criticism of political and economic systems. With sincerity and intellectual rigor, the Nobel Prize winner asks whether—and how—it is possible for Christianity to coexist with Western democracy and capitalism.
High on Rebellion: Inside the Underground at Max's Kansas City
by Yvonne Sewall-RuskinThe definitive oral history—with a foreword by Lou Reed—of the center of New York&’s 1960s and &’70s underground culture. From its opening in December 1965 on Park Avenue South, Max&’s Kansas City, a hybrid restaurant, bar, nightclub, and art gallery, was the boisterous meeting spot for famous—or soon-to-be-famous—figures in New York&’s underground art, music, literary, film, and fashion scenes. Max&’s regulars included Andy Warhol (and his superstars such as Viva, Ultra Violet, Edie Sedgwick, Gerard Malanga, Holly Woodlawn, and Candy Darling), Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan, Jane Fonda, and dozens more. A hotbed of drugs, sex, and creative collaboration, Max&’s was the place to see and be seen among the city&’s cultural elite for nearly two decades. With reminiscences from the likes of Alice Cooper, Bebe Buell, Betsey Johnson, Leee Black Childers, Holly Woodlawn, and John Chamberlain, along with Max&’s owner Mickey Ruskin and several waitresses and bartenders, this vivid oral history evokes an unforgettable place where a spontaneous striptease, a brawl over the meaning of art, and an early performance by the Velvet Underground were all possibilities on any given night. High on Rebellion dazzles with rare photos and other Max&’s memorabilia, and firsthand accounts of legendary nights, chance encounters, romances sparked and extinguished, and stars being born.
After bin Laden: Al Qaeda, the Next Generation
by Abdel Bari AtwanAn &“intelligent and fascinatingly readable&” examination of Al Qaeda after the death of its longtime leader, by the renowned Arab world journalist (Pat Lancaster, editor in chief of Middle East Magazine). Osama bin Laden is dead, yet Al Qaeda remains the CIA&’s number one threat. Since the 9/11 attacks on the United States, and the US military&’s subsequent strikes, the organization has evolved into a much more complex and far-flung entity. This richly documented account of Al Qaeda moves well beyond the headlines to offer readers a deeper understanding of the organization&’s aims, strategies, and fortunes in a new era of conflict with the United States and the Western powers. Drawing on firsthand accounts and interviews with uniquely well-placed sources within Al Qaeda, noted journalist and expert Abdel Bari Atwan investigates the movement&’s new internal dynamics, how it survives financially, and how its political appeal has changed dramatically following the Arab Spring. Atwan profiles the next generation of leaders and explores both the new methods they embrace—especially on the digital battlefield—as well as the global range of their operations and local variations in Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and elsewhere. &“Abdel Bari Atwan has long been one of the sharpest commentators about Al Qaeda and the Middle East.&” —Peter Bergen, author of Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Osama bin Laden, from 9/11 to Abottabad &“A sobering, intensive report.&” —Kirkus Reviews
The Realms of Gold: A Novel
by Margaret DrabbleAn archaeologist struggles to unearth her own true passions in the &“richest, most absorbing novel&” by the author of The Dark Flood Rises (Joyce Carol Oates). Frances Wingate is one of England&’s most renowned archaeologists, having recently discovered a lost city in the Saharan desert. On the outside, she appears to have it all. But beneath the surface, the scientist deals with the demands of children and family—as well as a tumultuous, on-again, off-again romance with a married historian. It&’s only when Frances throws herself into her work that she discovers some surprising connections to others, in this novel about the search for meaning in life that is &“alive with ideas&” (Anatole Broyard, The New York Times).
Italian Folktales (Penguin Classics)
by Italo CalvinoOne of the New York Times&’s Ten Best Books of the Year: These traditional stories of Italy, retold by a literary master, are &“a treasure&” (Los Angeles Times). Filled with kings and peasants, saints and ogres—as well as some quite extraordinary plants and animals—these two hundred tales bring to life Italy&’s folklore, sometimes with earthy humor, sometimes with noble mystery, and sometimes with the playfulness of sheer nonsense. Selected and retold by one of the country&’s greatest literary icons, &“this collection stands with the finest folktale collections anywhere&” (The New York Times Book Review). &“For readers of any age . . . A masterwork.&” —The Wall Street Journal &“A magic book, and a classic to boot.&” —Time
To Kill and Kill Again: The Terrifying True Story of Montana's Baby-Faced Serial Sex Murderer
by John CostonThe twelve-year rampage of &“Missoula Mauler&” Wayne Nance—and the shocking end to his murder spree To his neighbors, Wayne Nance, a furniture mover from Missoula, Montana, appeared to be an affable, considerate, and trustworthy guy. No one knew that Nance was the &“Missoula Mauler,&” a psychopath responsible for a series of sadistic sex slayings that rocked the idyllic town between 1974 and 1986. Nance&’s only requirement for murder was accessibility—a preacher&’s wife, a teenage runaway, a female acquaintance, a married couple. Putting on a friendly façade, he could easily gain his victims&’ trust. Then, one September night, thirty-year-old Nance pushed his luck, preying on a couple who lived to tell the tale. A true story with an incredible twist, written by former Wall Street Journal editor John Coston and complete with photos, To Kill and Kill Again reveals the disturbing compulsions of a charming serial killer who fooled everyone he knew, stumped the authorities, terrified a community, and nearly got away with it.