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In Hock: Pawning in America from Independence through the Great Depression
by Wendy A. WolosonThe definitive history of pawnbroking in the United States from the nation’s founding through the Great Depression, In Hock demonstrates that the pawnshop was essential to the rise of capitalism. The class of working poor created by this economic tide could make ends meet only, Wendy Woloson argues, by regularly pawning household objects to supplement inadequate wages. Nonetheless, businessmen, reformers, and cultural critics claimed that pawnshops promoted vice, and employed anti-Semitic stereotypes to cast their proprietors as greedy and cold-hearted. Using personal correspondence, business records, and other rich archival sources to uncover the truth behind the rhetoric, Woloson brings to life a diverse cast of characters and shows that pawnbrokers were in fact shrewd businessmen, often from humble origins, who possessed sophisticated knowledge of a wide range of goods in various resale markets. A much-needed new look at a misunderstood institution, In Hock is both a first-rate academic study of a largely ignored facet of the capitalist economy and a resonant portrait of the economic struggles of generations of Americans.
Magicians of Gor: Gor Book 25 (Gorean Saga #25)
by John NormanChaos reigns on the Counter-Earth in the long-running series that &“draw[s] on a combination of philosophy, science-fiction, and erotica&” (Vice). After the disaster of the delta campaign, Ar is essentially defenseless. The forces of Cos and her allies are welcomed into the city as liberators. Ar&’s Station, which held out so valiantly against superior forces in the North, is denounced as traitorous. Veterans of the delta campaign are despised and ridiculed. Patriotism and manhood are denigrated. Lawlessness and propaganda are rampant. Marlenus, the great ubar, who might have organized and led a resistance, who might have rallied the city, is presumed dead somewhere in the Voltai Mountains. Tarl is concerned with a warrior&’s vengeance upon sedition and treachery, and, in particular, with meeting one who stands high among the conspirators—a beautiful woman now enthroned as ubara, whose name is Talena. Rediscover this brilliantly imagined world where men are masters and women live to serve their every desire. Magicians of Gor is the 25th book in the Gorean Saga, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Eccentric Neighborhoods: A Novel
by Rosario FerréA &“colorful family saga&” set against the dramatic historical backdrop of twentieth-century Puerto Rico, from an author nominated for the National Book Award (Kirkus Reviews). Elvira Vernet narrates Eccentric Neighborhoods as she attempts to solve the mystery of who her parents truly are. Her mother, the beautiful and aristocratic Clarissa Rivas de Santillana, was born into a rarefied world of privilege, one of five daughters on the family&’s sugar plantation. Elvira&’s father, Aurelio Vernet, and his three brothers and two sisters were raised by Santiago, a Cuban immigrant who ruled his family with an iron hand. As Puerto Rico struggles for independence—and Aurelio takes his place among the powerful political gentry—a legacy of violence, infidelity, faith, and sacrifice is born. Set against the backdrop of a country coming of age, Eccentric Neighborhoods is a lush, transcendent novel, a family saga about mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, parents and children. In this magnificent follow-up to The House on the Lagoon, Rosario Ferré delivers a work of historical fiction influenced by magical realism and infused with forgiveness and love.
The Beautiful and Damned: Large Print (The\cambridge Edition Of The Works Of F. Scott Fitzgerald Ser.)
by F. Scott FitzgeraldA brilliant, sharp-edged novel of the Jazz Age by its most famous chroniclerWith his impeccable lineage and Harvard education, twenty-five-year-old Anthony Patch is one of the sparkling lights of New York society. The presumptive heir to an enormous fortune, he marries the tempestuous Kansas City socialite Gloria Gilbert, and the two embark on a life of wild extravagance and profligate pleasure, assuming that whatever they cannot afford today they will be able to pay for tomorrow. But when Anthony&’s inheritance disappears, so too does his sense of invincibility. A brief tour in the Great War—where he finds comfort in another woman&’s arms—cannot correct Anthony&’s downward trajectory, and the marriage that began with such glittering promise ends in shambles.Fitzgerald&’s next novel, The Great Gatsby, would be his masterwork. But The Beautiful and Damned, with its evocative parallels to his relationship with Zelda and its prescient portrait of a man tumbling from dazzling heights to gloomy depths, is arguably his most personal. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The White Mandarin
by Dan ShermanA CIA double agent holds the fate of China—and the world—in his hands in this gripping spy thriller from the author of The Man Who Loved Mata Hari. John Polly enters Shanghai in 1948 on a muggy, velvet evening, just in time for the Communist takeover of China. It marks only his fourth month in America&’s newly formed Central Intelligence Agency. Over the next two decades, Polly will become The White Mandarin, a double agent buried so deep within the inner circle of the People&’s Republic as to shape the futures of both that nation and his own. Dan Sherman&’s intricate, superbly crafted spy thriller follows Polly as he walks a dangerous tightrope of intrigue and suspense. As China rebuilds itself, Polly attempts to start a family in the intersection between the American intelligence system and the Asian drug trade. Can Polly keep his wife and daughter safe? Can he keep track of the shifting stories and changing allegiances in the CIA? Will his emotion get in the way of his mission? Only pages into this stunning novel, readers will easily understand why Sherman has earned comparison to the great John le Carré and Graham Greene. It is both a story of very personal love and loss, and an insightful history of China between the rise of Chairman Mao and the 1972 visit by President Nixon. Anyone looking to understand the China of yesterday and today—its power, its flaws, its beauty—need look no further than The White Mandarin.
The Shadow Hunter
by Pat MurphyA time-travel adventure from the Nebula Award–winning author: &“Murphy&’s [blend] of fantasy and reality honorably recalls the novels of Margaret Atwood&” (Publishers Weekly). For generations, the people of the valley have hunted the bear, killing it to draw on its mystical power. On his first hunt, a young member of the tribe pursues the bear through the wilderness. Moments before their battle begins, the boy plunges into darkness—and awakes in a world beyond his wildest imagination, where nature is corrupted and the boundaries of time mean nothing at all. The researchers who brought him into the future call the Neanderthal boy &“Sam.&” The portal he fell through is the plaything of a billionaire intent on repopulating the world of its many extinct animals: birds, wolves, and bears. Sam was brought along by accident, but he will find a purpose in these alien surroundings. Guided by one woman who can see the past and another who can look into the future, the boy who hunted the bear will unlock the mysteries of time itself.
Cat Musculature: A Photographic Atlas
by Gordon GreenblattThis series of brilliant photographs shows the dissection of the cat musculature. It is designed for use in conjunction with the third edition of Hyman's Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, edited by Marvalee Wake, although it can be used with other textbooks. Every possible step has been taken to make the photographs easy to interpret and to follow. Reference indications to the Wake texts are included, and also concise data on the origin, insertion, and action of each muscle. The scale is such that in most cases no more than five muscles are shown per photograph, thus simplifying the task of visualizing the individual muscles. An invaluable aid for every student of cat anatomy.
The 7th Victim: A Novel (The Karen Vail Novels #1)
by Alan JacobsonIntroducing FBI profiler Karen Vail, who crosses paths with a Virginia serial killer in the first in the bestselling series. Special Agent Karen Vail &“is a knockout, tough and brilliant&” (Tess Gerritsen). As lead profiler for the FBI, Vail is spearheading the task force investigation into a serial killer known as &“Dead Eyes,&” who&’s been terrorizing Fairfax County, Virginia. What separates this psychopath from the others is a peculiar savagery, and an intimate knowledge of the FBI&’s detailed strategy of pursuit. What separates Vail from her peers is a life that has made her hard and uncompromising. Recently divorced from an abusive husband, and in the throes of an ugly custody battle, she&’s also helpless against her mother&’s struggle with Alzheimer&’s. But little by little, as Vail&’s personal baggage begins to consume her, the investigation threatens to derail. Now she&’s weighing her last hope on a controversial profile. It suggests that the one key to solving the case lies with the seventh victim. But that key will also unlock secrets that could destroy Vail&’s career, and expose a truth that even she might not be strong enough to survive. In compiling his research for The 7th Victim, Alan Jacobson was allowed wide-ranging access to the FBI&’s behavioral profiling unit over several years. Named one of the top five books of the year by Library Journal, it&’s &“a quantum leap in terror and suspense . . . A masterpiece&” (New York Times–bestselling author James Rollins).
Custody: A Novel
by Manju KapurAn unforgettable novel about what happens when a marriage collapses Shagun is a woman of unassailable social standing, married to a man chosen for her—a rising executive. Her lover is her husband&’s boss. She asks for a divorce, and all hell breaks loose.Locked in a venomous legal battle for custody of their eight-year-old son and two-year-old daughter, Shagun and Raman begin a journey that will have unforetold consequences. Set against the backdrop of upper-middle-class South Delhi, Custody is both a searing indictment of India&’s judicial system and an intimate portrait of a failing marriage and a family.
Fire & Blood: A History of Mexico
by T. R. FehrenbachMexican history comes to life in this &“fascinating&” work by the author of Lone Star: A History of Texas and the Texans (The Christian Science Monitor).Fire & Blood brilliantly depicts the succession of tribes and societies that have variously called Mexico their home, their battleground, and their legacy. This is the tale of the indigenous people who forged from this rugged terrain a wide-ranging civilization; of the Olmec, Maya, Toltec, and Aztec dynasties, which exercised their sophisticated powers through bureaucracy and religion; of the Spanish conquistadors, whose arrival heralded death, disease, and a new vision of continental domination. Author T. R. Fehrenbach connects these threads with the story of modern-day, independent Mexico, a proud nation struggling to balance its traditions against opportunities that often seem tantalizingly out of reach. From the Mesoamerican empires to the Spanish Conquest and the Mexican Revolution, peopled by the legendary personalities of Mexican history—Montezuma, Cortés, Santa Anna, Juárez, Maximilian, Díaz, Pancho Villa, and Zapata—Fire & Blood is a &“deftly organized and well-researched&” work of popular history (Library Journal).
Overboard
by Hank SearlsFrom the New York Times–bestselling author of Jaws 2 and Jaws: The Revenge: &“One of his best-known novels . . . the story of a troubled couple at sea&” (People). It was supposed to be a relaxing vacation for a hard-working lawyer and his wife, but one slip and what begins as an adventure quickly becomes terrifying. When Mitch Gordon opens his eyes to find his wife missing in the middle of the ocean, he panics. He is seventy miles from Tahiti on a forty-foot ketch and there is no sign of help. Join Hank Searls, the creator of Jaws 2 and Jaws the Revenge, in this beautiful but frightening tale of love, trust, and survival.
Ruler of the Sky: A Novel of Genghis Khan
by Pamela SargentA novel of the thirteenth-century Mongolian warrior, and the women who surrounded him, that offers &“a panoramic view of the charismatic leader&” (Library Journal). In 1167, in the harsh homeland of Mongol tribes, a child was born who was to change the course of human history. His father named him Temujin, but the world knows him as Genghis Khan. Set amid the barbaric splendor of the Mongol hordes, Ruler of the Sky tells the tale of the warrior who forged one of the greatest and most terrifying armies the world had ever seen, and conquered the world from Peking to Persia. Not only is this the story of Genghis Khan, it is also the story of those who were closest to him, especially the women who played such an important role in his life. From the windswept plains of Mongolia to the opulence of the Chinese court, Ruler of the Sky is unforgettable.
Population Fluctuations in Rodents
by Charles J. KrebsHow did rodent outbreaks in Germany help to end World War I? What caused the destructive outbreak of rodents in Oregon and California in the late 1950s, the large population outbreak of lemmings in Scandinavia in 2010, and the great abundance of field mice in Scotland in the spring of 2011? Population fluctuations, or outbreaks, of rodents constitute one of the classic problems of animal ecology, and in Population Fluctuations in Rodents, Charles J. Krebs sifts through the last eighty years of research to draw out exactly what we know about rodent outbreaks and what should be the agenda for future research. Krebs has synthesized the research in this area, focusing mainly on the voles and lemmings of the Northern Hemisphere—his primary area of expertise—but also referring to the literature on rats and mice. He covers the patterns of changes in reproduction and mortality and the mechanisms that cause these changes—including predation, disease, food shortage, and social behavior—and discusses how landscapes can affect population changes, methodically presenting the hypotheses related to each topic before determining whether or not the data supports them. He ends on an expansive note, by turning his gaze outward and discussing how the research on rodent populations can apply to other terrestrial mammals. Geared toward advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and practicing ecologists interested in rodent population studies, this book will also appeal to researchers seeking to manage rodent populations and to understand outbreaks in both natural and urban settings—or, conversely, to protect endangered species.
Curses!: Curses!, Icy Clutches, And Make No Bones (The Gideon Oliver Mysteries #5)
by Aaron ElkinsOn an archeological excavation in Mexico, the Skeleton Detective must solve an ancient riddle and a modern murder: &“A series that never disappoints.&” —Philadelphia Inquirer Mayan ruins in the Yucatán . . . a secret room in a tomb . . . age‑old skeletons. To anthropologist Gideon Oliver, the renowned Skeleton Detective, the invitation to join the archaeological excavation of Tlaloc promises two months of paradise on Earth. That is, until an ancient series of Mayan curses against desecrators of the site is unearthed. When the first one comes to pass (&“The bloodsucking kinkajou will come freely among them&”), it is taken by all as a practical joke. But by the time the fourth one is apparently consummated (&“The one called Xecotcavach will pierce their skulls so that their brains spill onto the earth&”), nerves have begun to fray and suspicions and discord are mounting. The steamy jungles weigh down on the band of eccentric anthropologists as one by one the curses continue to materialize. It takes Gideon&’s special talents for deduction—along with the enigmatic insights of Mexico&’s one and only Mayan Indian inspector of the state judicial police—to resolve an ancient riddle and a modern, murderous mystery. Curses! is the 5th book in the Gideon Oliver Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Kingdoms of the Wall
by Robert SilverbergA pilgrimage leads to a shocking revelation in this &“deeply affecting and evocative extraterrestrial novel&” from the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author (Locus). The village of Jespodar nestles in the foothills of a world-dominating mountain known to all as "The Wall." Poilar Crookleg has grown up in Jespodar training hard and hoping that he will be chosen for the annual Pilgrimage, a group journey to the top of the mountain from which no pilgrim has ever returned both alive and sane. The pilgrims seek to replicate the legendary journey of a distant ancestor who scaled the mountain and, so the story goes, met with the gods. The Pilgrimage is a a life journey, an overwhelming challenge and a sacred honor and Poilar feels blessed when he is finally chosen to lead it. But not all is as it first seems. Along the journey lie hazards of all kinds, both vilently dangerous and seductively beguiling and to triumph in the climb is to confront a revelation so surprising and so disturbing that none, not even the smartest and best prepared, are likely to survive. What belief and what devotion leads so many to hope for such a challenging task and what will be the ultimate result of such dedication? Only The Wall itself can reveal the destiny for those who undertake the Pilgrimage.
Foolish Mortals: A Novel
by Jennifer JohnstonAfter a shocking accident, one family gathers for an unforgettable Christmas overflowing with secrets and revelations in this deeply felt novel by one of Ireland&’s foremost modern writersHenry has been estranged from his children since his divorce with their mother, Stephanie. But when a car accident claims the life of his second wife and leaves him with partial amnesia, Henry embarks on the fraught journey of making amends. As the family gathers for Christmas dinner, Henry&’s memory comes back in starts and stops—the wedges that drove his daughter, Ciara, away; the slow onset of his mother&’s dementia; the real cause of his break with his ex-wife. A tragicomedy of near-Shakespearean proportions, Foolish Mortals is at once a novel of the mending of a dysfunctional family and a portrait of the modernizing gradient blending old Ireland into new.
Board Stiff (The Xanth Novels #38)
by Piers AnthonyKandy may be bored stiff, but a magical mishap makes her problem literal in this hilarious novel in the New York Times–bestselling Xanth series. In the land of Xanth, where everyone has a unique magical talent, adventures come easily to most. But two inhabitants find themselves quite bored . . . until they&’re inadvertently thrust together on a mission to save Xanth from an anti-pun virus that could turn their world into just another Mundania. Irrelevant Kandy is gorgeous, but thanks to a mental typo and an ornery wishing well, she&’s now an actual board—with mind control powers. So much for her big plans for adventure, excitement, and romance. And Ease has his own problems, namely that everything is just too easy. He craves a challenge. Fortunately, Humfrey the Good Magician is more than happy to provide them with a quest. The duo—along with a basilisk bodyguard in the form of a young woman and nefarious android Com Pewter—is tasked with saving the puns of Xanth. But who could have released a virus that would destroy Xanth&’s essence, and can Kandy and Ease figure out how to stop it in time?
I Married the Icepick Killer: A Poet in Hollywood
by Carol Muske-DukesA vibrant and insightful essay collection about life as a poet in Southern California Poetry and Hollywood may not seem compatible in anyone&’s book. But acclaimed poet, novelist, and critic Carol Muske-Dukes finds common ground for both in meditations on movie sets and metaphors, on the big screen and the luminous focus of a haiku.I Married the Icepick Killer offers the reader ways to reimagine the Imagination itself. Former California Poet Laureate Muske-Dukes explores Southern California&’s unexpected poetry, from Emily Dickinson on freeway billboards to poet-script doctors rewriting action-flick dialogue. Moving personal essays recount the story of Muske-Dukes&’s romance with her late husband, actor David Coleman Dukes, whom she met in Italy and relocated with in Los Angeles. Muske-Dukes sharpens her astute gaze as she addresses contradictions and convergences between belle lettres and the ever-surprising City of Angels.This ebook was originally published as Married to the Icepick Killer.
Lucifer's Weekend (Digger #4)
by Warren MurphyIn Lucifer&’s Weekend, Digger cannot convince a crazy widow to take a million dollar settlement for accidental death, and ends up uncovering a complicated murder plot involving a baby with a surprising father, a rogue cop, and a scheming millionaire with a sexy younger wife.
Mom! I Want to Be a Star
by Irene DreayerThis is the ultimate show-biz how-to guide for aspiring kids and their parents, written by Hollywood&’s number-one kid-talent expert and executive producer for Disney, ABC, and the WB, Irene Dreayer (&“the Dray&”). As a thirty-year veteran of discovering kid stars and producing hit TV shows such as the Disney Channel&’s The Suite Life on Deck and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, as well as several TV movies, Dreayer has seen hundreds of kids try to make it in show business. Most parents and kids don&’t understand the steps or how to navigate the ins and outs of the industry. Most make critical mistakes. As Hollywood&’s only trusted career coach for kid talent, Irene Dreayer developed the Dray Way (www.thedrayway.com) as her proven method for guiding show-biz kids and their parents on how to audition correctly, how to handle the business side, and how to deal with issues such as image and rejection. The Dray Way is her method for working with kids and training parents on how to pursue this business we call show in a strategic manner, the right way. This book is designed as a workbook for parents and kids to do together. Every chapter explains, informs, and delivers the honest truth about specific aspects of the entertainment business and outlines the crucial information kids and parents need to learn as a family. Some chapters are designed exclusively for parents, but most are a family affair. The exercises in each chapter are to be completed by parents and kids in order to learn the skills required to be a better actor, singer, or dancer. Mom! I Want to Be a Star is entertaining, fun to read, and a wonderful opportunity for families to explore together their child&’s dream and desire to become a star.
Chimaera's Copper (Dragon's Gold #3)
by Piers Anthony Robert E. MargroffOld enemies return as a mysterious prophecy unfolds in the third Dragon&’s Gold book from the authors of Serpent&’s Silver. When his two deadliest enemies join forces to take revenge on him, Kelvin is trapped in the distant Frame World and must escape in order to save the woman he loves, who carries their unborn child.
Geodesica Ascent (Geodesica #1)
by Sean Williams Shane DixThe year is 2438. Humanity has migrated to the stars in discrete waves, driven by evolving technologies and new ways of being human. The far-flung Arc Systems struggle under the yoke of their newest rulers—Exarchs from Sol, whose monopoly on faster-than-light communication gives them absolute control of a growing interstellar empire.But humans weren&’t the first to conquer the stars, and the discovery of an alien artifact promising transport between systems threatens to undermine the Exarchs&’ power. Revolutionary leader Melilah Awad seeks an alliance to unlock Geodesica&’s secrets with VOIDship pilot Palmer Eogan, a lover she lost to the Dark more than two centuries earlier. What they find could be more dangerous than anyone--human or more than human--could imagine….
Calico Palace: A Novel (Rediscovered Classics Ser.)
by Gwen BristowThe New York Times bestseller that brings to life the passionate, adventurous men and women who transformed San Francisco during the California Gold Rush. Kendra comes to San Francisco, a sleepy town of nine hundred people, because her stepfather, an army colonel, is charged with overseeing its defenses during the Mexican War. Marny arrives from Honolulu to set up a gambling hall. Neither expects to be swept up in one of history&’s greatest adventures, which begins when tiny flakes of gold are discovered in the California hills. As both young women follow their dreams into the mining camps and back to a rapidly growing San Francisco, they encounter ambitious settlers, sailors, miners, ranchers, and mysterious drifters, men who will offer them love or friendship or will break their hearts. Yet Kendra and Marny&’s lives stay centered on the Calico Palace, the little gambling operation in a tent in Shiny Gulch that becomes the most opulent gambling house in California. Thrilling and rich in authentic historical detail, Calico Palace is first-rate historical fiction that informs and entertains.
Saffron and Brimstone: Strange Stories
by Elizabeth HandThese &“superbly crafted tales&” showcase the World Fantasy Award–winning author&’s &“beautifully nuanced, often disquieting style&” (Booklist). America boasts no finer, more acclaimed or accomplished literary fantasist than Elizabeth Hand. Poetry, magic, and love intermingle as she tears down the walls that separate the mundane from faerie and fancy. In this stunning collection of eight &“strange stories,&” the multiple Nebula Award– and World Fantasy Award–winning author weaves spells that enrapture her readers, ranging freely from Greek mythology to the contemporary nightmares of AIDS and 9/11. The celebrated chiller &“Cleopatra Brimstone&” chronicles the aftermath of a brutal rape and the bizarre transformation of a young entomology student into a vengeful angel of death. An emotionally unmoored tattoo artist discovers an unusual deck of tarot cards that enables her to profoundly alter bare skin and her personal reality in the mind-expanding masterwork &“The Least Trumps.&” An artist attempts to capture her wayward modern-day Odysseus in oils and otherwise; a woman tragically in love isolates herself from a catastrophe-prone world; the death of a dear friend inspires profound personal reflections and strange pagan rituals; and in the brilliant concluding story, an artifact from a lost world reveals the inescapable vulnerability of our own. Odd and touching, provocative and disturbing, the selections in this magnificent collection showcase a master of the fantastic at the very peak of her storytelling powers.
Ill Met in the Arena
by Dave Duncan&“Complicated politics and family scandals twist through this tale of courtly intrigue from prolific fantasist Duncan&” (Publishers Weekly). Though Quirt&’s name is little known, his skills as a gladiator are quickly obvious and hard to match. In Aureity, noblemen battle in the arena circuit, using their powers of teleportation and telekinesis to prove their breeding and strength. The prizes at play are not only silver and bronze but also the chance to rise amongst the nobility and mate with the ruling class of women. Older than most players, Quirt still manages to draw attention and awe through his mastery of the games. Some of that attention comes from Humate, a brash young competitor with unbelievable power and little patience or control. To him, Quirt is a mystery he can&’t resist. However, that mystery soon proves much bigger than all of them. Ancient crimes, struggles for status, romance, vengeance, duty—Humate has a lot to learn from the world‑wise Quirt. As the secret of Quirt&’s true identity and past unfolds, Humate and Quirt race to bring justice to the murderer and madman whose blood links the two gladiators together. With Ill Met in the Arena, award‑winning fantasy author Dave Duncan creates yet another new, fully realized world filled with complex cultures and brisk adventure. Intrigue, politics, action, humor—this book will grab you from page one and not let go until the final word.