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A Soldier of the Great War (Vib/ediciones B Ser. #Vol. 197)
by Mark HelprinAn Italian septuagenarian recounts his life before and after World War I in this novel from the author of Paris in the Present Tense.For Alessandro Giullani, the young son of a prosperous Roman lawyer, golden trees shimmer in the sun beneath a sky of perfect blue. At night, the moon is amber and the city of Rome seethes with light. He races horses across the country to the sea, and in the Alps, he practices the precise and sublime art of mountain climbing. At the ancient university in Bologna he is a student of painting and the science of beauty. And he falls in love. His is a world of adventure and dreams, of music, storm, and the spirit. Then the Great War intervenes.Half a century later, in August of 1964, Alessandro, a white-haired professor, still tall and proud, finds himself unexpectedly on the road with an illiterate young factory worker. As they walk toward Monte Prato, a village seventy kilometers distant, the old man tells the story of his life. How he became a soldier. A hero. A prisoner. A deserter. A wanderer in the hell that claimed Europe. And how he tragically lost one family and gained another.The boy is dazzled by the action and envious of the richness and color of the story, and realizes that the old man's magnificent tale of love and war is more than a tale: it is the recapitulation of his life, his reckoning with mortality, and above all, a love song for his family. &“[A] testimony to the indomitable human spirit. Highly recommended.&”—Library Journal
Becoming King: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Making of a National Leader (Civil Rights and the Struggle for Black Equality in the Twentieth Century)
by Troy JacksonThis biography sheds new light on King&’s development as a civil rights leader in Montgomery among activists such as Rosa Parks, E.D. Nixon, and others. In Becoming King, Troy Jackson demonstrates how Martin Luther King's early years as a pastor and activist in Montgomery, Alabama, helped shape his identity as a civil rights leader. Using the sharp lens of Montgomery's struggle for racial equality to investigate King's burgeoning leadership, Jackson explores King's ability to connect with people across racial and class divides. In particular, Jackson highlights King's alliances with Jo Ann Robinson, a young English professor at Alabama State University; E. D. Nixon, a middle-aged Pullman porter and head of the local NAACP chapter; and Virginia Durr, a courageous white woman who bailed Rosa Parks out of jail. Drawing on countless interviews and archival sources, Jackson offers a comprehensive analysis of King&’s speeches before, during, and after the Montgomery bus boycott. He demonstrates how King's voice and message evolved to reflect the shared struggles, challenges, experiences, and hopes of the people with whom he worked. Jackson also reveals the internal discord that threatened the movement's hard-won momentum and compelled King to position himself as a national figure, rising above the quarrels to focus on greater goals.
Presidents' Secrets: The Use and Abuse of Hidden Power
by Mary GrahamA &“succinct and well-written&” look at how presidents use secrecy to protect the nation, foster diplomacy—and gain power (The Wall Street Journal). Ever since the nation&’s most important secret meeting—the Constitutional Convention—presidents have struggled to balance open, accountable government with necessary secrecy in military affairs and negotiations. For the first one hundred and twenty years, a culture of open government persisted, but new threats and technology have long since shattered the old bargains. Today, presidents neither protect vital information nor provide the open debate Americans expect. Mary Graham tracks the rise in governmental secrecy that began with surveillance and loyalty programs during Woodrow Wilson&’s administration, explores how it developed during the Cold War, and analyzes efforts to reform the secrecy apparatus and restore oversight in the 1970s. Chronicling the expansion of presidential secrecy in the Bush years, Graham explains what presidents and the American people can learn from earlier crises, why the attempts of Congress to rein in stealth activities don&’t work, and why presidents cannot hide actions that affect citizens&’ rights and values. &“Engrossing . . . chilling and fascinating.&” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Haunts of Old Louisville: Gilded Age Ghosts and Haunted Mansions in America's Spookiest Neighborhood
by David DominéThe paranormal investigator and author of Phantoms of Old Louisville explores haunted historic mansions, churches, and more.The Louisville, Kentucky, neighborhood known as Old Louisville is one of the country&’s largest National Preservation Districts and the largest Victorian-era neighborhood in the country. Beneath the balconies and terraces of the district's Gothic, Queen Anne, and Beaux Arts mansions, current residents trade stories about the strange and unexplained phenomena they encounter in their historic homes.When David Dominé moved into one of these houses, he dismissed local rumors of a resident poltergeist named Lucy. But soon, disembodied footsteps and mysterious odors changed his mind. Now Dominé is one of Louisville&’s best-known investigators of paranormal phenomena.In Haunts of Old Louisville, Dominé takes readers inside the opulent Ferguson Mansion—where a phantom tosses books off shelves—and introduces them to the spectral stable hand who lurks around Campion House. He also examines historic tales pulled out of the headlines and even explores the claim that a winged demon haunts the ornate towers of Walnut Street Baptist Church.
The Extra: A Novel
by A. B. YehoshuaAfter her father&’s death, a musician must go home to Israel to confront the relationships she left behind in this novel by the author of The Retrospective Noga, forty-two and divorced, is a harpist with an orchestra in the Netherlands. Upon the sudden death of her father, she is summoned home to Jerusalem by her brother to help make decisions in urgent family and personal matters. Returning also means facing a former husband who left her when she refused him children, but whose passion for her remains even though he is remarried and the father of two. For her imposed three-month residence in Israel, her brother finds her work as an extra in movies, television, and opera. These new identities undermine the firm boundaries of behavior heretofore protected by the music she plays, and Noga, always an extra in someone else&’s story, takes charge of the plot. The Extra is Yehoshua at his liveliest storytelling best—a bravura performance.&“Engaging…Yehoshua is a master in his visual sketches of scenes.&”—The New York Times Book Review &“[A] finely etched new novel…A marvel of a book.&”—Haaretz &“Four and a half decades after his first book&’s publication, his twentieth shows Yehoshua&’s writing chops are undiminished and his content fearlessly topical.&”—New York Journal of Books &“Rich in reflection and personal truth…Masterful.&”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review &“Award-winning Israeli novelist Yehoshua gives moral force, even grandeur, to the inevitable push-pull of one family&’s life.&”—Library Journal, starred review
Small Town, Big Oil: The Untold Story of the Women Who Took on the Richest Man in the World—and Won
by David W. MooreHow three New Hampshire women triumphed over an oil billionaire: &“A very timely reminder that when we fight we often win.&”—Bill McKibben Never underestimate the underdog. In 1973, Greek oil shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis—husband of President John F. Kennedy&’s widow, Jacqueline, and arguably the richest man in the world—proposed to build an oil refinery on the narrow New Hampshire coast, in the town of Durham. At the time, it would have cost $600 million to build and was expected to generate 400,000 barrels of oil per day, making it the largest oil refinery in the world. The project was vigorously supported by the governor, Meldrim Thomson, and by William Loeb, the notorious publisher of the only statewide newspaper, the Manchester Union Leader. But three women vehemently opposed the project—Nancy Sandberg, the town leader who founded and headed Save Our Shores; Dudley Dudley, the freshman state rep who took the fight to the state legislature; and Phyllis Bennett, the publisher of the local newspaper that alerted the public to Onassis&’ secret acquisition of the land. Small Town, Big Oil is the story of how the residents of Durham, led by these three women, out-organized, out-witted, and out-maneuvered the governor, the media, and the Onassis cartel to hand the powerful Greek billionaire the most humiliating defeat of his business career, and spare the New Hampshire seacoast from becoming an industrial wasteland. &“Activists and organizers will find lots of ideas and inspirations in this book's detailed account of an epic battle.&”—Bill McKibben &“[An] apt handbook on the power of the people.&”—Providence Journal
American Trivia Quiz Book
by Richard Lederer Caroline McCullaghTest your knowledge of our great nation with this comprehensive volume of United States trivia, complete with quizzes to challenge—and stump—your friends.These days, many Americans are more familiar with The Simpsons than they are with American presidents. So historian Richard Lederer and author Caroline McCullagh have decided to put their fellow American to the test with the American Trivia Quiz Book.This entertaining volume brims with fascinating facts about the people, places, and events that make our nation great, with a series of fun and informative quizzes on subjects ranging from Columbus to baseball. There are questions about presidents and first ladies, explorers and inventors, heroes and poets, and much more.
Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls (Read-On)
by Rachel SimmonsThe classic work on female bullying now revised and updated to include new material on cyberbullying and the dangers of life online. When Odd Girl Out was first published, it became an instant bestseller and ignited a long-overdue conversation about the hidden culture of female bullying. Today the dirty looks, taunting notes, and social exclusion that plague girls&’ friendships have gained new momentum in cyberspace. In this updated edition, educator and bullying expert Rachel Simmons gives girls, parents, and educators proven and innovative strategies for navigating social dynamics in person and online, as well as brand new classroom initiatives and step-by-step parental suggestions for dealing with conventional bullying. With up-to-the-minute research and real-life stories, Odd Girl Out continues to be the definitive resource on the most pressing social issues facing girls today. &“Peels away the smiley surfaces of adolescent female society to expose one of girlhood&’s dark secrets: the vicious psychological warfare waged every day in the halls of our . . . schools.&”—San Francisco Chronicle &“Provocative . . . Cathartic to any teen or parent trying to find company . . . it will sound depressingly familiar to any girl with a pulse.&”—Detroit Free Press &“Encourages girls to address one another when they feel angry or jealous, rather than engage in the rumor mill.&”—Chicago Tribune &“Simmons examines how such &‘alternative aggression&’—where girls use their relationship with the victim as a weapon—flourishes and its harmful effects . . . Simmons makes an impassioned plea that no form of bullying be permitted.&”—Publishers Weekly
Until Tomorrow
by Rosanne BittnerA bank robber hopes to steal the heart of his hostage in this historical western romance from the USA Today–bestselling author of Love&’s Bounty. Addy wants nothing more than to leave her small Illinois home for the gold-rich hills of Colorado, where a teaching job awaits. But her plans are thwarted when a band of outlaws rob the very bank in which she is withdrawing her savings, taking her hostage in the process. Rogue and ruthless, her captives sweep her off to the country with evil intent, but one man stands in the way. Ex-Confederate soldier Parker Cole doesn&’t understand his own fierce determination to protect the beautiful captive from his fellow bandits. Touched by her courage and spirit, he vows to prove his love to her, following Addy to a mining boomtown filled with dreamers and desperados. Fearless though he may be, Parker must summon all of his courage to beat out the line of rich and powerful suitors in the pursuit of the greatest treasure—Addy&’s heart. &“Powerfully charged with thrilling escapades, colorful history, realism, romance, and a pair of memorable characters who prove that love can indeed triumph over everything.&” —Romantic Times
The Joy Fit Club: Cookbook, Diet Plan & Inspiration
by Joy BauerThe Today show nutrition expert shares over 75 recipes, dramatic weight-loss success stories, and ten simple rules for healthy everyday eating. Joy Bauer, the long-time on-air diet and nutrition expert for the Today show, regularly tells the inspiring personal stories of people who have lost one hundred pounds or more using her weight-loss plan. Joy&’s diet plan not only works, it really works. Now, you can take the Joy Fit challenge and use these delicious, bountiful recipes and meal plans at home to start losing weight today. The Joy Fit Club is the one tool you'll need to succeed! Featuring more than 75 recipes, detailed meal plans, and motivational before-and-after photographs of real people, this book is ideal for anyone who wants to join the Joy Fit Club.
The Untold Journey: The Life of Diana Trilling
by Natalie RobinsA biography of a famed 20th century, Jewish New York author and literary and social critic who struggled in the shadow of her husband. Diana Trilling&’s life with Columbia University professor and literary critic Lionel Trilling was filled with secrets, struggles, and betrayals, and she endured what she called her &“own private hell&” as she fought to reconcile competing duties and impulses at home and at work. She was a feminist, yet she insisted that women&’s liberation created unnecessary friction with men, asserting that her career ambitions should be on equal footing with caring for her child and supporting her husband. She fearlessly expressed sensitive, controversial, and moral views, and fought publicly with Lillian Hellman, among other celebrated writers and intellectuals, over politics. Diana Trilling was an anticommunist liberal, a position often misunderstood, especially by her literary and university friends. And finally, she was among the &“New Journalists&” who transformed writing and reporting in the 1960s, making her nonfiction as imaginative in style and scope as a novel. The first biographer to mine Diana Trilling&’s extensive archives, Natalie Robins tells a previously undisclosed history of an essential member of New York City culture at a time of dynamic change and intellectual relevance.&“Meticulously researched and documented, the biography is a detailed foray into the lives of a generation of writers and into the mind of literary critic, writer and intellectual Diana Trilling.&”—Ms.&“Robins does a solid job of rehabilitating a significant literary and cultural figure of the 20th century, a woman who spent much of her career in her husband&’s shadow.&”—Kirkus Reviews
Five Days in London, May 1940: May 1940
by John LukacsA &“gripping [and] splendidly readable&” portrait of the battle within the British War Cabinet—and Churchill&’s eventual victory—as Hitler&’s shadow loomed (The Boston Globe). From May 24 to May 28, 1940, members of Britain&’s War Cabinet debated whether to negotiate with Hitler or to continue what became known as the Second World War. In this magisterial work, John Lukacs takes us hour by hour into the critical events at 10 Downing Street, where Winston Churchill and his cabinet painfully considered their responsibilities. With the unfolding of the disaster at Dunkirk, and Churchill being in office for just two weeks and treated with derision by many, he did not have an easy time making his case—but the people of Britain were increasingly on his side, and he would prevail. This compelling narrative, a Washington Post bestseller, is the first to convey the drama and world-changing importance of those days. &“[A] fascinating work of historical reconstruction.&”—The Wall Street Journal &“Eminent historian Lukacs delivers the crown jewel to his long and distinguished career.&”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) &“A must for every World War II buff.&”—Cleveland Plain Dealer &“Superb…can be compared to such classics as Hugh Trevor-Roper&’s The Last Days of Hitler and Barbara Tuchman&’s The Guns of August.&”—Harper&’s Magazine
100 Desserts for $5 or Less
by Angel ShannonMake delicious desserts for the entire family—for what a single slice of cake might cost you at a restaurant. These incredibly tasty, made-from-scratch cookies, bars, cakes, pies, candies, and frozen desserts are ideal for special occasions or every day. They also allow you to treat yourself, family, and friends for far less money! In addition to recipes, you&’ll find calorie counts per serving and tips on how to navigate the grocery aisles, make healthier choices, and fight back against rising food costs while still indulging in some sweet luxury. Learn to make: · Blackberry Crunch · Sweet-Tart Lime Bars · Caramel Apple Funbake · Ginger Clove Cake · Lemon Walnut Bites, and more
Num Pang: Bold Recipes from New York City's Favorite Sandwich Shop
by Ratha Chaupoly Ben Daitz Raquel Pelzel100 amazingly delectable Cambodian- and Southeast Asian-inspired recipes from New York&’s favorite sandwich shop.In a city with so many great sandwich joints, Num Pang Sandwich Shop is a standout, receiving high praise from numerous sources including Bon Appétit and Zagat. First opened in 2009 by Ratha Chaupoly and Ben Daitz, the restaurant introduced New York City to Cambodian-inspired sandwiches and sides. Today, there are six locations in the city with more in the works. Num Pang sandwiches are similar to Vietnamese banh mi, but what makes them so special is the inventive fillings, ranging from Glazed Five-Spice Pork Belly to Seared Coconut Tiger Shrimp to Hoisin Meatballs. The book provides recipes for all the fan favorites as well as ones for condiments like Pickled Five-Spice Asian Pears, sides like the Sambal Chili–Glazed Chicken Wings, soups and stews like Curried Red Lentil Soup, salads like Green Papaya Salad, and drinks like Cambodian Iced Coffee. With touches of graffiti art inspired by the chain&’s signature urban, hip-hop style, Num Pang looks just as bold as the mouthwatering recipes taste.&“The food at Num Pang is delicious. No wait…it&’s f@*cking delicious!...Ben and Ratha&’s book is like a collection of magic tricks being revealed. Delicious magic tricks that I can make and eat in my apartment.&”—Adam &“Ad-Rock&” Horovitz, musician &“From the humble descriptions and step-by-step recipes to the awesome narrative and incredible photography, I am stoked to add this book to my collection.&”—Michael Chernow, owner of Seamore&’s and co-owner of The Meatball Shop
Real Paleo: Fast & Easy (Paleo Ser.)
by Loren CordainThe simple, satisfying and delicious way to eat paleo every day with more than 150 recipes ready in 30 minutes or less—from the author of The Paleo Diet. Internationally regarded paleo expert and bestselling author Loren Cordain, Ph.D., understands that we live busy lives, but he also knows this is no reason to sacrifice good health; a great dinner that follows the Paleo Diet is only 30 minutes away with this innovative cookbook. The book has a range of speedy meals, from flash-roasted fish to microwave peach chutney for pork chops. There are soups, skillet meals, fresh dinner salads, and more. The 170 recipes and 70 color photos make dinner easy and appealing. The recipes use Paleo convenience foods, such as salt-free canned tomatoes and frozen vegetables, and draw on the techniques that Dr. Cordain and his family developed for their own busy lives. Also included is the Paleo Pantry, with recipes for Paleo condiments and spice blends to enliven meals throughout the week.Praise for The Paleo Diet&“Finally, someone has figured out the best diet for people—a modern version of the diet the human race grew up eating.&”—Jack Challem, bestselling author of The Inflammation Syndrome &“The Paleo Diet helps you lose fat, improve your health, and feel great. Why? Because the Paleo Diet works with your genetics to help you realize your natural birthright of vibrant health and wellness.&”—Robb Wolf, New York Times bestselling author of The Paleo Solution
Free-Form Embroidery with Judith Baker Montano: Transforming Traditional Stitches Into Fiber Art
by Judith Baker MontanoThe fiber artist and author of Crazy Quilting Odyssey shares her secrets for creating embroidered landscapes and seascapes in this illustrated guide. Beloved fiber artist and teacher Judith Baker Montano demonstrates how to beyond traditional embroidery in this new and comprehensive to free-form embroidery. In this book full of stunningly photographed examples and watercolor illustrations, she shows you how to apply the principles of fine art to various projects using fabrics, threads, and fibers. Judith explains how to use these materials with other embellishments to convey lifelike trees, flowers, ocean corals, and more with 60 stitches and 67 stitch combinations. She also demonstrates artistic embroidery techniques for building layers, creating dimension and perspective, and blending shapes. With techniques of free-form embroidery, you&’ll be able to translate your favorite landscape or seascape photo into fiber art.
Black Hole: How an Idea Abandoned by Newtonians, Hated by Einstein, and Gambled on by Hawking Became Loved
by Marcia BartusiakThe award-winning science writer &“packs a lot of learning into a deceptively light and enjoyable read&” exploring the contentious history of the black hole (New Scientist). For more than half a century, physicists and astronomers engaged in heated dispute over the possibility of black holes in the universe. The strange notion of a space-time abyss from which not even light escapes seemed to confound all logic. Now Marcia Bartusiak, author of Einstein&’s Unfinished Symphony and The Day We Found the Universe, recounts the frustrating, exhilarating, and at times humorous battles over one of history&’s most dazzling ideas. Bartusiak shows how the black hole helped revive Einstein&’s greatest achievement, the general theory of relativity, after decades of languishing in obscurity. Not until astronomers discovered such surprising new phenomena as neutron stars and black holes did the once-sedate universe transform into an Einsteinian cosmos, filled with sources of titanic energy that can be understood only in the light of relativity. Black Hole explains how Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, and other leading thinkers completely changed the way we see the universe.
Israel Eats
by Steven RothfeldStories, photos, and recipes from Israel&’s culinary scene—a fusion of flavors from around the world. After years of travels elsewhere, photographer Steven Rothfeld visited Israel for the first time, spending several months exploring the small country&’s vibrant food scene. The locals guided him from one great restaurant to another, and to growers and producers of fine foods as well. This book is a delicious compilation of stories and reflections, recipes, and stunning photographs of Israel&’s food culture today. From north to south, Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, chefs and food growers have branched out from a vast array of cultural influences and historic traditions to create fresh, contemporary fusions and flavors. Rothfeld&’s friend Nancy Silverton, a winner of the James Beard Foundation&’s Outstanding Chef Award, contributes ten dishes inspired by the delicious fusion styles that have become a hallmark of the Israeli culinary community. &“Learn about the cultural traditions underlying dishes like spiced lamb kabobs grilled on cinnamon sticks, beet puree with tahini and date syrup, a kumquat marmalade Rothfeld first tasted at an inn in the Golan Heights, and inventive variations on Israeli staples like cauliflower and eggplant.&”—St. Helena Star
Peanut Butter Puppies
by Greg MurrayRescue-dog advocate and professional photographer Greg Murray has followed up on the fan favorite Peanut Butter Dogs with an even more irresistible theme: Peanut Butter Puppies. These adorable portraits of rescued dogs, captured in studio with colorful backgrounds and in delightfully amusing detail, will tug at your heartstrings. Prepare to swoon over Wallaby, the seven-month-old heeler; Archie, the eight-month-old Chihuahua; Fiona Wigglesworth, the eight-month-old Boston terrier; Zoey, the nine-month-old mastiff mix, and so many more! Each one-of-a-kind portrait is sure to make your day. Names, ages, and breed/mix accompany each portrait.
No Fears, No Excuses: What You Need to Do to Have a Great Career
by Larry Smith&“Smith convincingly shows how individuals of any age and in any industry can chart a course to a great career by drawing on prior success stories.&”—Publishers WeeklyOver the past three decades, Professor Larry Smith has become something of a &“career whisperer&” for his students at the University of Waterloo. His stunning TEDx talk on finding your calling has been viewed by more than six million people and counting. This book captures the best of his advice in a one-stop roadmap for your future. Showcasing his particular mix of tough love and bracing clarity, Smith itemizes all the excuses and worries that are holding you back—and deconstructs them brilliantly. After dismantling your hidden mental obstacles, he provides practical, step-by-step guidance on how to go about identifying and then pursuing your true passion. There&’s no promising it will be easy, but the straight-talking, irrepressible Professor Smith buoys you with the inspiration necessary to stay the course.&“Have you ever had a conversation with someone about your life that leaves you feeling so elated that you have goosebumps? This is a typical result of how I feel after chatting with Larry.&”—M. Azam Javed, Tesla&“Had it not been for the time I was able to spend with Professor Smith during my university years gaining his advice on career success, I would not be where I am today.&”—Mike McCauley, Google&“Larry Smith has hit on the new millennium&’s major career issue.&”—Booklist &“Larry Smith has created the road map young people need to not only follow their passion but do so sensibly and with integrity.&”—Gail Vaz-Oxlade, #1 bestselling author of Debt-Free Forever
Wanamaker's: Meet Me at the Eagle (Landmarks Ser.)
by Michael J. LisickyAn &“informative and entertaining&” history of the famed Philadelphia department store, with photos included (Montgomery News). Philadelphia was once the proud home of Wanamaker&’s, a department store founded by the retail giant John Wanamaker in 1861. Its name was synonymous with service, and Philadelphians still fondly remember the massive bronze eagle in the Grand Court, concerts from the world&’s largest pipe organ, and the spectacular Christmas festivities. In this book, Philadelphia native Michael J. Lisicky takes a nostalgic journey through the history of the store, from its beginnings as a haberdashery to its growth into New York and Delaware and the final poignant closing of its doors. Lisicky brilliantly combines interviews with store insiders, forgotten recipes, and memories from local celebrities such as Trudy Haynes and Sally Starr to bring readers back to the soft glow of the marble atrium and the quiet elegance of the Crystal Tea Room that was Wanamaker&’s. &“A wonderfully affectionate look at the Market St. store whose name, for generations, was symbolic of Philly.&”—Philadelphia Daily News
The Weiser Field Guide to Cryptozoology: Werewolves, Dragons, Skyfish, Lizard Men, and Other Fascinating Creatures Real and Mysterious (The Weiser Field Guide)
by Deena West BuddA study of dozens of hidden animals—from the chupacabra to Mongolian death worms—drawing on eyewitness accounts from around the world. This informative book includes information, interviews, and stories about forty different cryptids seen around the world by credible eyewitnesses like policemen, rangers, and doctors. Readers will learn where and how to find flying humanoids, hairy humanoids, giants of all kinds including rabbits, bats, and spiders, goblins, vampires, werewolves, demons, aliens, and ghosts. Cryptozoology—a term coined in the 1950s by a French zoologist named Bernard Heuvelmans—is the study of hidden or unknown animals not recognized in standard zoology. From traditional cryptids like Big Foot, the Abominable Snowman, and Nessie, to mythical cryptids like unicorns, vampires, dragons, and werewolves, to lesser-known cryptids like bunyips (waterhorses), Encantado (Dolphin Men of Brazil), thunderbirds, mothmen, and chupacabra, these creatures are very much alive, says expert Deena West Budd, if beyond the realm of normal perception. The Weiser Field Guide to Cryptozoology includes a brief history of the field and surveys all the creatures for which any credible amount of research exists—as well as giving tips on how to spot these creatures and cautionary advice on how to interact with them. Includes two dozen line drawings rendered from eyewitness descriptions
Foucault's Pendulum
by Umberto EcoA literary prank leads to deadly danger in this &“endlessly diverting&” intellectual thriller by the author of The Name of the Rose (Time). Bored with their work, three Milanese book editors cook up an elaborate hoax that connects the medieval Knights Templar with occult groups across the centuries. Becoming obsessed with their own creation, they produce a map indicating the geographical point from which all the powers of the earth can be controlled—a point located in Paris, France, at Foucault&’s Pendulum. But in a fateful turn the joke becomes all too real. When occult groups, including Satanists, get wind of the Plan, they go so far as to kill one of the editors in their quest to gain control of the earth. Orchestrating these and other diverse characters into his multilayered semiotic adventure, Umberto Eco has created a superb cerebral entertainment. "An intellectual adventure story…sensational, thrilling, and packed with arcana."—The Washington Post Book World
The Last Train to Zona Verde: My Ultimate African Safari
by Paul TherouxThe acclaimed author of Dark Star Safari journeys across western Africa in this &“thoroughly engrossing [and] at times tragic&” travelogue (Washington Post).Paul Theroux&’s best-selling Dark Star Safari chronicled his epic overland voyage from Cairo to Cape Town, providing an insider&’s look at modern Africa. Now, with The Last Train to Zona Verde, he returns to discover how both he and Africa have changed in the ensuing years. Traveling alone, Theroux sets out from Cape Town, going north through South Africa, Namibia, then into Angola, encountering a world increasingly removed from tourists&’ itineraries and the hopes of postcolonial independence movements. After covering nearly 2,500 arduous miles, Theroux cuts short his journey, a decision he chronicles with unsparing honesty in a chapter titled &“What Am I Doing Here?&” Vivid, witty, and beautifully evocative, The Last Train to Zona Verde is a fitting final African adventure from the writer whose gimlet eye and effortless prose have brought the world to generations of readers. &“If this book is proof, age has not slowed Theroux or encouraged him to rest on his achievements . . . Gutsy, alert to Africa's struggles, its injustices and history.&” — San Francisco Chronicle
Siberia 10
by Clark HowardAs the Vietnam War rages, blood will be shed at a stateside Marine Corps prison, in this novel by a &“superlative storyteller&” (Publishers Weekly).Siberia 10 is a military prison in California, and tensions are coming to a slow boil within its walls. Inmates are trying to escape; guards are practicing constant brutality; racial tensions are seething. Those confined to Siberia 10 have been trained to fight and kill—and in the midst of chaos, things could turn lethal. Into this tinderbox comes Garth Hannon, pulled out of action in Vietnam and flown back to the States for a special assignment: to solve the problem of Siberia 10. But before Hannon can assess the situation and diffuse a time bomb, it may all blow up in his face, in this suspenseful military thriller by an Edgar Award–winning author.