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The Curiosity of School
by Zander ShermanIt's one thing we all have in common. We've all been to school. But as Zander Sherman shows in this fascinating, often shocking account of institutionalized education, sending your kids off to school was not always normal. In fact, school is a very recent invention. Taking the reader back to 19th-century Prussia, where generals, worried about soldiers' troubling individuality, sought a way to standardize every young man of military age, through to the most controversial debates that swirl around the world about the topic of education today, Sherman tells the often astonishing stories of the men and women-and corporations-that have defined what we have come to think of as both the privilege and the responsibility of being educated. Along the way, we discover that the SAT was invented as an intelligence test designed to allow the state to sterilize "imbeciles," that suicide in the wake of disappointing results in the state university placement exams is the fifth leading cause of death in China, and that commercialized higher education seduces students into debt as cynically as credit card companies do. Provocative, entertaining-and even educational-The Curiosity of School lays bare the forces that shape the institution that shapes all of us.
The Curiosity of School
by Zander ShermanIt¿s one thing we all have in common. We¿ve all been to school. But as Zander Sherman shows in this fascinating, often shocking account of institutionalized education, sending your kids off to school was not always normal. In fact, school is a very recent invention. Taking the reader back to 19th-century Prussia, where generals, worried about soldiers¿ troubling individuality, sought a way to standardize every young man of military age, through to the most controversial debates about the topic of education today, Sherman tells the often astonishing stories of the men and women¿and corporations¿that have defined what we have come to think of as both the privilege and the responsibility of being educated. With clarity, detachment, and wry humour, Sherman presents the story of school through the stories of its most influential¿and peculiar¿reformers. We learn that Montessori schools were embraced by Mussolini's Italy, that the founder of Ryerson University was a champion of the Canadian residential school system (for which the government apologized a century and a half later), and that Harvard was once a byword for mediocrity. Along the way, we discover that the SAT was invented as an intelligence test designed to allow the state to sterilize ¿imbeciles¿ and in its current state is perhaps equally pernicious, that suicide in the wake of disappointing results in the state university placement exams is the fifth leading cause of death in China, and that commercialized higher education seduces students into debt as cynically as credit card companies do.
Curiosity Of School,The
by Zander ShermanIt's one thing we all have in common. We've all been to school. But as Zander Sherman shows in this fascinating, often shocking account of institutionalized education, sending your kids off to school was not always normal. In fact, school is a very recent invention. Taking the reader back to 19th-century Prussia, where generals, worried about soldiers' troubling individuality, sought a way to standardize every young man of military age, through to the most controversial debates that swirl around the world about the topic of education today, Sherman tells the often astonishing stories of the men and women-and corporations-that have defined what we have come to think of as both the privilege and the responsibility of being educated. Along the way, we discover that the SAT was invented as an intelligence test designed to allow the state to sterilize "imbeciles," that suicide in the wake of disappointing results in the state university placement exams is the fifth leading cause of death in China, and that commercialized higher education seduces students into debt as cynically as credit card companies do. Provocative, entertaining-and even educational-The Curiosity of School lays bare the forces that shape the institution that shapes all of us.
Curious: True Stories and Loose Connections
by Rebecca Front'Warm, anxious and true - a Little Book of Un-Calm' Caitlin MoranShortlisted for Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the National Book AwardsSometimes things are more ordinary than you think. And sometimes they're a whole lot odder than you can possibly imagine. By turns poignant, comic and uplifting, Curious is a book of stories from Rebecca Front's life, all of them true, though sometimes perhaps a little bent out of shape in the telling. It is a beguiling celebration of the curiosities of everyday life, and of what it is to be curious - in every sense of the word.
Curious: True Stories and Loose Connections
by Rebecca Front'Warm, anxious and true - a Little Book of Un-Calm' Caitlin MoranShortlisted for Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the National Book AwardsSometimes things are more ordinary than you think. And sometimes they're a whole lot odder than you can possibly imagine. By turns poignant, comic and uplifting, Curious is a book of stories from Rebecca Front's life, all of them true, though sometimes perhaps a little bent out of shape in the telling. It is a beguiling celebration of the curiosities of everyday life, and of what it is to be curious - in every sense of the word.
Curious: True Stories and Loose Connections
by Rebecca FrontNarrated by the author, and featuring an interview with Jeremy Front.Sometimes things are more ordinary than you think. And sometimes they're a whole lot odder than you can possibly imagine. Rebecca Front has always drawn on experiences from her life in her award-winning acting and comic writing. In her debut book, she reveals herself as a master storyteller: sharp, witty, honest and highly attuned to the absurdities of life and the oddities of human nature. By turns poignant, comic and uplifting, CURIOUS is a book of stories, all of them true, though sometimes perhaps a little bent out of shape in the telling. We learn, among other things, why a Mexican wave is a symbol of oppression, how to navigate a conversational cul-de-sac with a French vegan train driver, and why keeping a pet rabbit on a lead is perfectly normal.This is a beguiling celebration of the curiosities of everyday life, and of what it is to be curious - in every sense of the word.(p) 2014 Orion Publishing Group
Curious About the White House (Smithsonian)
by Kate WatersCome on into America's most famous home! Everybody knows the building at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It's the White House, home to US presidents, first ladies, first children, and even first pets! But aren't you curious: why is the house white (and how many gallons of paint keep it that way)? Who built the place? How many rooms are in there and what are they used for? Where does the president work? Where does the first family live? Is there really a bowling alley in the White House? The lively text and interesting photographs in this fact-filled 8 x 8 will answer all these questions and more about daily life in the most famous house in America.
A Curious Discovery: An Entrepreneur's Story
by John S. HendricksIn A Curious Discovery, media titan John Hendricks tells the remarkable story of building one of the most successful media empires in the world, Discovery Communications.John Hendricks, a well-respected corporate leader and brand builder, reveals that his professional achievements would not have been possible without one crucial quality that has informed his life since childhood: curiosity. This entrepreneur’s story takes you behind the scenes of some of the network’s most popular shows and greatest successes, and imparts crucial lessons from the network’s setbacks.With insights, anecdotes, photographs, and real-world wisdom, A Curious Discovery is more than a powerful autobiography and corporate history: It also a valuable primer for business innovators and entrepreneurs.
The Curious Life of Elizabeth Blackwell
by Pamela HolmesAn engrossing historical saga based on the life of the eighteenth-century woman who endured loss and betrayal—and dared to pursue her dreams. Her parents warned Elizabeth that Alexander Blackwell would not make a dependable husband, and only after eloping with him did she learn they may have been right . . . After their marriage, the couple finds lodgings in London. Alexander looks for work while Elizabeth learns engraving. Before long, though, Alexander is in the Marshalsea, the notorious debtors&’ prison, and she is left to fend for herself. Alone and penniless, she has a few things going for her: a skill, an idea, and an acquaintance. Elizabeth embarks on a quest that earns her a small fortune and may allow her to buy her husband&’s freedom. It seems like she may live happily ever after. But her extraordinary story isn&’t over yet . . .Praise for Pamela Holmes &“A genuinely original, utterly enchanting story.&” —A. N. Wilson, author of Victoria: A Life &“[A] lyrical novel that skillfully represents the constraints placed on middle-class women of the era.&” —Historical Novel Society
Curious Life of Nevada's LaVere Redfield, The: The Silver Dollar King
by Jack HarpsterLaVere Redfield was a prolific hoarder. When he died in 1974, his estate was estimated at more than $70 million. Executors found 680 bags of silver coins and 407,000 Morgan and Peace silver dollars in his Reno mansion. A local Reno legend, Redfield gambled regularly in Virginia Street casinos. He survived robbery and burglaries of his home, which contained false walls to store millions of silver dollars. Hating banks and paper money, as well as big government, Redfield opted to serve a prison term for income tax evasion rather than pay his debts from his ample fortune. Join author Jack Harpster for this first book-length study of this unconventional man behind the folklore and the myth.
A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert "Believe It or Not!" Ripley
by Neal ThompsonA Curious Man is the marvelously compelling biography of Robert "Believe It or Not" Ripley, the enigmatic cartoonist turned globetrotting millionaire who won international fame by celebrating the world's strangest oddities, and whose outrageous showmanship taught us to believe in the unbelievable.As portrayed by acclaimed biographer Neal Thompson, Ripley's life is the stuff of a classic American fairy tale. Buck-toothed and cursed by shyness, Ripley turned his sense of being an outsider into an appreciation for the strangeness of the world. After selling his first cartoon to Time magazine at age eighteen, more cartooning triumphs followed, but it was his "Believe It or Not" conceit and the wildly popular radio shows it birthed that would make him one of the most successful entertainment figures of his time and spur him to search the globe's farthest corners for bizarre facts, exotic human curiosities, and shocking phenomena.Ripley delighted in making outrageous declarations that somehow always turned out to be true--such as that Charles Lindbergh was only the sixty-seventh man to fly across the Atlantic or that "The Star Spangled Banner" was not the national anthem. Assisted by an exotic harem of female admirers and by ex-banker Norbert Pearlroth, a devoted researcher who spoke eleven languages, Ripley simultaneously embodied the spirit of Peter Pan, the fearlessness of Marco Polo and the marketing savvy of P. T. Barnum.In a very real sense, Ripley sought to remake the world's aesthetic. He demanded respect for those who were labeled "eccentrics" or "freaks"--whether it be E. L. Blystone, who wrote 1,615 alphabet letters on a grain of rice, or the man who could swallow his own nose.By the 1930s Ripley possessed a vast fortune, a private yacht, and a twenty-eight room mansion stocked with such "oddities" as shrunken heads and medieval torture devices, and his pioneering firsts in print, radio, and television were tapping into something deep in the American consciousness--a taste for the titillating and exotic, and a fascination with the fastest, biggest, dumbest and most weird. Today, that legacy continues and can be seen in reality TV, YouTube, America's Funniest Home Videos, Jackass, MythBusters and a host of other pop-culture phenomena. In the end Robert L. Ripley changed everything. The supreme irony of his life, which was dedicated to exalting the strange and unusual, is that he may have been the most amazing oddity of all.From the Hardcover edition.
A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life
by Charles Fishman Brian GrazerFrom Academy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer and acclaimed business journalist Charles Fishman comes a brilliantly entertaining peek into the weekly "curiosity conversations" that have inspired Grazer to create some of America's favorite and iconic movies and television shows--from 24 to A Beautiful Mind.For decades, film and TV producer Brian Grazer has scheduled a weekly "curiosity conversation" with an accomplished stranger. From scientists to spies, and adventurers to business leaders, Grazer has met with anyone willing to answer his questions for a few hours. These informal discussions sparked the creative inspiration behind many of Grazer's movies and TV shows, including Splash, 24, A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, Arrested Development, 8 Mile, J. Edgar, and many others. A Curious Mind is a brilliantly entertaining, fascinating, and inspiring homage to the power of inquisitiveness and the ways in which it deepens and improves us. Whether you're looking to improve your management style at work or you want to become a better romantic partner, this book--and its lessons on the power of curiosity--can change your life.
Curious Minds: How a Child Becomes a Scientist
by John BrockmanA fascinating collection of essays from twenty-seven of the world's most interesting scientists about the moments and events in their childhoods that set them on the paths that would define their lives. What makes a child decide to become a scientist? *For Robert Sapolsky--Stanford professor of biology--it was an argument with a rabbi over a passage in the Bible. *Physicist Lee Smolin traces his inspiration to the volume of Einstein's work he picked up as a diversion from heartbreak. *Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a psychologist and the author of Flow, found his calling through Descartes. *Mary Catherine Bateson--author of Composing a Life--discovered that she wanted to be an anthropologist while studying Hebrew. *Janna Levin--author of How the Universe Got Its Spots--felt impelled by the work of Carl Sagan to know more. Murray Gell-Mann, Nicholas Humphrey, Freeman Dyson, Daniel C. Dennett, Lynn Margulis, V. S. Ramachandran, Howard Gardner, Richard Dawkins, and more than a dozen others tell their own entertaining and often inspiring stories of the deciding moment. Illuminating memoir meets superb science writing in essays that invite us to consider what it is--and isn't--that sets the scientific mind apart and into action.
Curious Scotland: Tales from a Hidden History
by George RosieScottish history isn't just about Robert Burns and Braveheart. In fact, it's far more complex than some might think. In Curious Scotland, journalist George Rosie digs deep into Scotland's past, unearthing some of the lesser known, but more surprising details, including: Who was behind the military's "Operation Vegetarian"? What Became of the Glasgow Frankenstein? Why do Scots always spit on a certain Edinburgh street? And how did John Ross become the greatest Cherokee chieftain? Rosie answers these and other questions, illuminating corners of Scottish lore that have never been explored before. With a dry wit and unflagging curiosity, he shows us that Scotland's history is full of far stranger stuff than your average plate of haggis. Learn about the Scottish connection with the Cherokee Nation where all of the land was sacred and selling it without permission was punishable by death. Discover that Daniel De Foe, author of Robinson crusoe, lived in Scotland as a British spy. Meet the highly educated Doctor Archie Cameron, who had treated both Scottish and British soldiers at the battle at Culloden and was executed unnecessarily years later. In chapters ranging from 3 to 20 pages long, he explains how witches were found, tried and executed and how Jonathan Swift incessantly wrote nasty remarks about Scottish people in the margins of his manuscripts. This fast paced, intriguing book will appeal to general readers and history buffs alike.
The Curious World of Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn
by Margaret WillesAn intimate portrait of two pivotal Restoration figures during one of the most dramatic periods of English history Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn are two of the most celebrated English diarists. They were also extraordinary men and close friends. This first full portrait of that friendship transforms our understanding of their times. Pepys was earthy and shrewd, while Evelyn was a genteel aesthete, but both were drawn to intellectual pursuits. Brought together by their work to alleviate the plight of sailors caught up in the Dutch wars, they shared an inexhaustible curiosity for life and for the exotic. Willes explores their mutual interests—diary-keeping, science, travel, and a love of books—and their divergent enthusiasms, Pepys for theater and music, Evelyn for horticulture and garden design. Through the richly documented lives of two remarkable men, Willes revisits the history of London and of England in an age of regicide, revolution, fire, and plague to reveal it also as a time of enthralling possibility.
Curly: An Illustrated Biography of the Superstooge
by Michael Jackson Joan Howard MaurerWhile the Three Stooges were the longest active and most productive comedy team in Hollywood, their artistic height coincided with the years Curly was with them, and this is his definitive biography. From 1932 to 1946 Curly was the zaniest of the Stooges, becoming famous for his high-pitched voice, his "nyuk-nyuk-nyuk" and "why, soitenly," and his astonishing athleticism. He was a true natural, an untrained actor with a knack for improvisation, yet for decades, little information about him was available. Curly's niece Joan Howard Maurer amassed a wealth of Curly memorabilia--a mixture of written material and rare photographs of Curly's family, films, and personal life--and her exhaustive research and exclusive interviews resulted in this first and only in-depth look at a crazy comedic genius. Plenty of intimate details are included about his astonishing relationship with his mother, his three marriages, and his interactions with his daughters and friends. The book was so beloved among Three Stooges fans that it even garnered a foreword from Michael Jackson, the King of Pop himself. This new, redesigned edition of a timeless classic is sure to be appreciated by Three Stooges fans new and old.
Currahee!: A Screaming Eagle at Normandy
by Donald R. Burgett<p>No other book on D-Day can approach <i>Currahee!</i> Among all the accounts by officers and war correspondents it stands alone: the only account of D-Day by a private soldier who lived through the fighting. <p>Told simply but with total recall, this is the combat narrative of a 19-year-old paratrooper who took part in the momentous invasion of Normandy as a PFC in the 506th Parachute Regiment and fought almost continuously for five days and nights in the battle to secure the beachhead. <p>In <i>Currahee!</i> Burgett tells of killing and heroism, the confusion of war and the shock of death, as he presents his stunning eyewitness account of D-Day--living through an experience he could never forget.</p>
The Currency of Love: A Courageous Journey to Finding the Love Within
by Jill Dodd“This page-turning memoir of decadence and faith will resonate with seekers everywhere." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A remarkable story well worth reading.” —Booklist In this courageous and inspiring memoir about personal freedom and spiritual empowerment, Jill Dodd “writes earnestly and refreshingly about learning many of life’s more difficult lessons the hard way” (Kirkus Reviews) through her journey from Paris model to Saudi billionaire’s harem wife to multi-million dollar business entrepreneur.In the 1980s, Jill Dodd determined that her ticket out of an abusive home was to make it as a top model in Paris. Armed with only her desire for freedom and independence, she embarks on an epic journey that takes her to uncharted territory—the Parisian fashion industry with all its beautiful glamour and its ugly underbelly of sex, drugs, and excess. From there, Jill begins an eye-opening adventure that includes trips to Monte Carlo, sexual exploitation, and falling in love with one of the richest men in the world, agreeing to become one of his wives—until she finds the courage to walk away from it all and rebuild her dreams. The Currency of Love is a raw, honest, and inspiring portrait of a young woman’s struggles and triumphs from fashion model to Saudi billionaire’s pleasure wife to founder and creator of global fashion line, ROXY. This modern memoir with a feminist fairy tale twist reveals how one woman chose to live her life without forfeiting her independence, ambition, creative expression, and free spirit, all while learning one invaluable lesson: nothing is worth the sacrifice of her integrity, inner peace, and spirit.
Currently Between Husbands
by Cathrine MahoneyTrust me, there is life and love (and plenty of laughter) after divorce, even when your ex is one of Australia&’s highest profile sport stars. Actually, I Don&’t Like Cricket Or Blow Jobs! (And to be honest, I suck at both.) Yes, that was what I originally wanted to call this book. But then I realised that some women like cricket. Also, reading this in front of your inquisitive seven-year-old could lead to some awkward conversations. So, in stepped Currently Between Husbands to save the day and any blushes. Having a relationship in the spotlight is hard enough, but in Currently Between Husbands, Cathrine Mahoney details the unique experience of breaking up with one of Australia's highest profile sport stars. Even for a self-confessed over-sharer, the breakdown of her marriage to rugby league player Andrew Johns was more public than she was used to. In her first book, the writer, podcaster and publicist provides a self-deprecating and hilarious look at her life – from fashion mistakes and early crushes as a kid growing up in Wales, to her years working with some of the world's biggest stars at Sony Music, to navigating life and love as a &‘solo&’ mum, and coming to terms with hitting the big 4-0. Currently Between Husbands is the equivalent of having a chat with your bestie over a drink or two, with all the inappropriate confessions, front bottom revelations and teary moments that entails.&‘Desperately funny, fearless and full of heart.&’ Meg Mason, author of Sorrow and Bliss&‘Strap in. You&’re in for a fabulous ride. And you&’ll be wishing (like I was before I knew her) that she was your friend. It&’s a bloody good book, and I didn&’t want it to end.&’ Amanda Keller OAM, radio and TV host&‘My all-time favourite movie is Bridget Jones&’ Diary – to anoint a real-life version is a big deal – but Cathrine Mahoney is it Bridget to a tee. I&’d pay to read a post it note she wrote, let alone a book. Cathrine&’s ability to be funny, clever, relatable, self-deprecating and just so loveable is unlike anyone I&’ve ever met.&’ Erin Molan, TV presenter, radio host and writer
Curriculum Vitae: A Volume of Autobiography
by Muriel SparkMuriel Spark's bracingly salty memoir is a no-holds-barred trip through an extraordinary writer's life. It is no surprise that one of Muriel Spark's most lively and entertaining works would be her own memoir, Curriculum Vitae. Born to a Scottish Jewish father and an English Presbyterian mother, Spark describes her childhood in 1930s Edinburgh in brief, dazzling anecdotes. In one she recalls a cherished schoolteacher, Christina Kay, who would later be used as the prototype for Miss Jean Brodie. Spark boldly details her disastrous first marriage to Sydney Oswald Spark (S.O.S.) -- himself thirty-two, she just nineteen -- whom she followed to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and left behind to return to England. In the midst of WWII, Spark took a bizarre position working in the disinformation campaign of the British Secret Service, eliciting information from German POWs to combat Nazi propaganda. She later moved to the Poetry Society of London, where she mingled with literati and other intellectuals, befriended by some (such as Graham Greene, an early supporter of her work) and sparring with others. We experience Spark's joy with the publication of her first novel, The Comforters, her trials with other writers' envy, and her emergence as the most brilliant femme fatale of 20th-century English literature.
The Curse of Anne Boleyn
by C. C. Humphreys"If you like Bernard Conwell's Grail Quest series, you'll love The French Executioner and The Curse of Anne Boleyn. To my mind Cornwell is good, but Humphreys is better."--Sally Zigmund, Historical Novels Review (UK)From the masterful C.C. Humphreys comes the captivating sequel to The French ExecutionerNearly twenty years have passed since Anne Boleyn died at the hands of her slayer and savior, Jean Rombaud. All he wants is to forget his sword-wielding days and live happily with his family. Yet her distinctive six-fingered hand, stolen at her death--and all the dark power it represents--still compels evil men to seek it out.When Jean's son, Gianni, joins the Inquisition in Rome and betrays all his father worked for, Jean discovers that time alone cannot take him--or his son--far from his past. But he never expected his whole family, especially his beloved daughter Anne, to become caught up once more in the tragic queen's terrible legacy.From the savagery of way in Italy to the streets of London and Paris and the wilds of North America, The Curse of Anne Boleyn sweeps readers into a thrilling story that puts love, loyalty, and family to the ultimate test."With The French Executioner, Humphreys established himself as a quality purveyor of historical detail and vigorous action...This unusual story line is dispatched with consummate skill."--Good Books Guide (UK)
The Curse of Beauty: The Scandalous & Tragic Life of Audrey Munson, America's First Supermodel
by James BoneThe tumultuous and heartbreaking life of a world-famous model whose riveting story of beauty, fame, passion, murder, and madness in the Gilded Age captivated a nation.As America was stepping into the modern era, one great beauty became the artist's model of choice. Her perfect form became the emblem of the Gilded Age and appears on the greatest monuments of New York and the nation. Supermodel, actress, icon--her beauty paved the way for a life of glamour, passion, and ultimately tragedy. She dated the rich millionaires of the fashionable Newport colony, became the first American movie star ever to appear naked in a film, but her promising film career collapsed, her doctor fell in love with her and killed his own wife, and on her fortieth birthday, her mother committed her to an insane asylum. She remained there until her death in 1996 at the age of 104 and is now buried in an unmarked grave. Her name is Audrey Munson. Many readers will recognize Audrey Munson, and have walked by her in the street, without even knowing her name. She stands atop New York's Municipal Building. She sits as "Miss Manhattan" and "Miss Brooklyn" outside the Brooklyn Museum, is immortalized on the Manhattan Bridge, the Frick Mansion, the New York Public Library, and the Pulitzer Fountain outside the Plaza Hotel. In gold, bronze, and stone, she still graces bridges, skyscrapers, fountains, churches, monuments, and public buildings across the nation, from Jacksonville to San Francisco, from Atlanta to the Wisconsin state capitol. From James Bone, the former New York Bureau Chief of The Times of London, this brilliantly reported investigative biography reveals, for the first time, the riveting truth of the forgotten life of an iconic beauty.
The Curse of Oak Island: The Story of the World's Longest Treasure Hunt
by Randall SullivanAn in-depth look into the history of a Canadian island rumored to hold buried treasure and of centuries of failed attempts to claim the riches.Updated with new material from the authorIn 1795, a teenager discovered a mysterious circular depression in the ground on Oak Island, in Nova Scotia, Canada, and ignited rumors of buried treasure. Early excavators uncovered a clay-lined shaft containing layers of soil interspersed with wooden platforms, but when they reached a depth of ninety feet, water poured into the shaft and made further digging impossible.Since then, the mystery of Oak Island’s “Money Pit” has enthralled generations of treasure hunters, including a Boston insurance salesman whose obsession ruined him; a young Franklin Delano Roosevelt; and film star Errol Flynn. Perplexing discoveries have ignited explorers’ imaginations: a flat stone inscribed in code; a flood tunnel draining from a man-made beach; a torn scrap of parchment; stone markers forming a huge cross. Swaths of the island were bulldozed looking for answers; excavation attempts have claimed two lives. Theories abound as to what’s hidden on Oak Island–pirates’ treasure, Marie Antoinette’s lost jewels, the Holy Grail, proof that Sir Francis Bacon was the true author of Shakespeare’s plays–yet to this day, the Money Pit remains an enigma.The Curse of Oak Island is a fascinating account of the strange, rich history of the island and the intrepid treasure hunters who have driven themselves to financial ruin, psychotic breakdowns, and even death in pursuit of answers. And as Michigan brothers Marty and Rick Lagina become the latest to attempt to solve the mystery, as documented on the History Channel’s television show The Curse of Oak Island, Sullivan takes readers along to follow their quest firsthand.Praise for The Curse of Oak Island“Sullivan writes with open-minded balance, rendering the Oak Island story into a weirdly fascinating mystery.” —Booklist“A definitive read for fans of the History Channel television show. Sullivan delves deeper into the history, personalities, and theories presented only briefly on the show. . . . The book is incredibly well researched and the presentation . . . is very readable. If you’ve watched The Curse of Oak Island and were frustrated that snippets and possibilities were left tantalizingly unexplored, this is the book for you.” —Heather Cover, Homewood Library (Birmingham, Alabama)“Sullivan isn’t writing about Oak Island the TV show; his subject is Oak Island the place, largely as seen and imagined by the show’s viewers. So, if you’ve ever been more entranced by the show’s long trips into history and theoretical island encounters across history, Sullivan’s book probably needs to be on your Christmas list.” —Starcasm
The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater: Essays on Crafting
by Alanna OkunThe Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater is a memoir about life truths learned through crafting.People who craft know things. They know how to transform piles of yarn into sweaters and scarves. They know that some items, like woolen bikini tops, are better left unknit. They know that making a hat for a newborn baby isn’t just about crafting something small but appreciating the beginnings of life, which sometimes helps make peace with the endings. They know that if you knit your boyfriend a sweater, your relationship will most likely be over before the last stitch.Alanna Okun knows that crafting keeps her anxiety at bay. She knows that no one will ever be as good a knitting teacher as her beloved grandmother. And she knows that even when we can’t control anything else, we can at least control the sticks, string, and fabric right in front of us.Okun lays herself bare and takes readers into the parts of themselves they often keep hidden. Yet at the same time she finds humor in the daily indignities all crafters must face (like when you catch the dreaded Second Sock Syndrome and can’t possibly finish the second in a pair). Okun has written a book that will speak to anyone who has said to themselves, or to everyone within earshot, “I made that.”
The Curse of the Hungerfords
by Alison WeirThe Curse of the Hungerfords by acclaimed historian Alison Weir is an e-short and companion piece to the captivating fourth novel in the Six Tudor Queens series, Anna of Kleve: Queen of Secrets.Each sunset, as I go to the chapel, I find myself looking for her. I look for details. What she is wearing, some clue to her identity. But she fades away if I look at her directly. I can just glimpse the blur of a hood, or a widow's wimple, and those sad eyes, staring at something - or someone - I cannot see. Anne Bassett served four of Henry VIII's queens, yet the King himself once pledged to serve her. Had fate not decreed otherwise, she might have been his wife - and Queen of England.But now, far from court and heavy with her husband's child, Anne prays in the Hungerford chapel, and awaits the ghostly figure she knows will come. This is her story, one that entwines with the fate of another Lady Hungerford from not so many years before. They say there's a curse on this family... Featuring the first chapter of Anna of Kleve: Queen of Secrets. SIX TUDOR QUEENS. SIX NOVELS. SIX YEARS.