"A haunting image of an unnamed Native child and a recovered story of the American WestIn 1868, celebrated Civil War photographer Alexander Gardner traveled to Fort Laramie to document the federal government's treaty negotiations with the Lakota and other tribes of the northern plains. Gardner, known for his iconic portrait of Abraham Lincoln and his visceral pictures of the Confederate dead at Antietam, posed six federal peace commissioners with a young Native girl wrapped in a blanket. The hand-labeled prints carefully name each of the men, but the girl is never identified. As The Girl in the Middle goes in search of her, it draws readers into the entangled lives of the photographer and his subjects.Martha A. Sandweiss paints a riveting portrait of the turbulent age of Reconstruction and westward expansion. She follows Gardner from his birthplace in Scotland to the American frontier, as his dreams of a utopian future across the Atlantic fall to pieces. She recounts the lives of William S. Harney, a slave-owning Union general who earned the Lakota name "Woman Killer," and Samuel F. Tappan, an abolitionist who led the investigation into the Sand Creek massacre. And she identifies Sophie Mousseau, the girl in Gardner's photograph, whose life swerved in unexpected directions as American settlers pushed into Indian Country and the federal government confined Native peoples to reservations.Spinning a spellbinding historical tale from a single enigmatic image, The Girl in the Middle reveals how the American nation grappled with what kind of country it would be as it expanded westward in the aftermath of the Civil War"-- Provided by publisher.

"The body is the most complex machine in the world, and the only one for which you cannot get a replacement part from the manufacturer. For centuries, medicine has reached for what's available--sculpting noses from brass, borrowing skin from frogs and hearts from pigs, crafting eye parts from jet canopies and breasts from petroleum by-products. Today we're attempting to grow body parts from scratch using stem cells and 3D printers. How are we doing? Are we there yet? In Replaceable You, Mary Roach explores the remarkable advances and difficult questions prompted by the human body's failings... Her travels take her to the OR at a legendary burn unit in Boston, a "superclean" xeno-pigsty in China, and a stem cell "hair nursery" in the San Diego tech hub. She talks with researchers and surgeons, amputees and ostomates, printers of kidneys and designers of wearable organs. She spends time in a working iron lung from the 1950s, stays up all night with recovery techs as they disassemble and reassemble a tissue donor, and travels across Mongolia with the cataract surgeons of Orbis International. Irrepressible and accessible, Replaceable You immerses readers in the wondrous, improbable, and surreal quest to build a new you"-- Provded by publisher.

"From political economist, cabinet member, beloved professor, and bestselling author Robert Reich, a deeply felt memoir of a life spent fighting for democracy and economic equality--and a candid assessment of his idealistic generation's legacy. Coming Up Short is a ... chronicle of the choices that have landed the country where it is today--with economic bullies and powerful corporations on top, demagogues on the rise, and growing inequality fueling anger and hatred. Nine months after World War II ended, Robert Reich was born in an America with a bright future. Democracy had defeated fascism. But then, over time, big money took over our democracy. Reich's run-ins with school bullies on account of his short stature set him on a path to spend his life fighting bullies of every sort. He recounts mourning the death of a friend in the civil rights movement, working for Bobby Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy, experiencing a country torn apart by the Vietnam War, and meeting Hillary Rodham in college, Bill Clinton at Oxford, and Clarence Thomas at Yale Law. He details his friendship with John Kenneth Galbraith during his time teaching at Harvard and subsequent friendships with Bernie Sanders, Ted Kennedy, and Alan Simpson, as well as his efforts as labor secretary for Clinton and as economic advisor to Barack Obama. Ultimately, Reich asks: What did the members of his generation accomplish? Did they make America better, more inclusive, more tolerant? Did they strengthen democracy? Or did they come up short? Reich does not abandon us to despair over a doomed democracy. With his characteristic spirit, humor, and decency, he lays out how we can reclaim a sense of community and a democratic capitalism based on the American ideals we still have the power to salvage"-- Dust jacket flap.

"Robert S. McNamara was widely considered to be one of the most brilliant men of his generation. He was an invaluable ally of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson as U.S. secretary of defense, and he had a deeply moving relationship with Jackie Kennedy. But to the country, McNamara was the leading advocate for American escalation in Vietnam. He strongly advised Johnson to deploy hundreds of thousands of American ground troops, just weeks before concluding that the war was unwinnable, and for the next two and a half years, McNamara failed to urge Johnson to cut his losses and withdraw. McNamara at War examines McNamara's life of intense personal contradictions, following his childhood, his career as a young faculty member at Harvard Business School, and his World War II service, to his leadership of the Ford Motor Company and the World Bank. Philip and William Taubman had access to materials previously unavailable to McNamara biographers, including Jacqueline Kennedy's warm letters to McNamara during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations and beyond; family correspondence dating back to McNamara's service in World War II; and a secret diary maintained by McNamara's top Vietnam policy aide. What emerges is the comprehensive story of the infamous former leader of the Pentagon: riven by melancholy, guilt, zealous loyalty, and a profound inability to admit his flawed thinking about Vietnam before it was too late. McNamara at War is a portrait of a man at war with himself--with a grave influence on the history of the United States and the world."--Provided by publisher.

Two insiders explain why the Israeli-Palestinian peace process failed, and anticipate what lies ahead. On October 7, 2023, Hamas fighters killed more than eleven hundred Israelis and took more than two hundred hostages, prompting an Israeli response that has in turn taken tens of thousands of lives and devastated the Gaza Strip. Why did this happen, and can anything be done to grant peace and justice to Israelis and Palestinians alike? ... [The authors] offer a personal and bracing perspective on how the hopes of the Oslo Peace Process became the horrors of the present. Drawing on their experience advising the Palestinian leadership (Arafat and Abbas) and US presidents (Clinton, Obama, and Biden) and their participation in secret talks over decades, Agha and Malley offer candid portraits of leading figures and an interpretation of the conflict that exposes the delusions of all sides.

"Great films are born of great collaborations, and Sunset Boulevard represents one of the most extraordinary confluences of cinematic talent in film history, but its production was surprisingly fraught, filled with unexpected twists. Why was William Holden, who had never caught fire as a leading man, hired to play Joe Gillis after the fastest rising star in the business dropped out at the last minute? After Mae West and Mary Pickford turned down the now iconic role of Norma Desmond, how did Billy Wilder convince Gloria Swanson, who had long been absent from Hollywood at this point, to leave her low paying job as a TV talk show host to join the cast? From the writers' room during Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett's final collaboration to the moment when the film won three Academy Awards, scholar and former Rolling Stone staffer David M. Lubin takes readers on a fascinating journey through film history that proves, once and for all, why Sunset Boulevard is one of the most iconic films in cinematic history. By exploring the history of Sunset Boulevard in time for the movie's 75th anniversary, from its inception to its making to its present-day legacy, Ready for My Closeup breathes life into a beloved masterpiece of American cinema, not only marking its influential place in film history, but also proving how prescient it really was in terms of the human costs of relentless technological change and our obsessive quest for fame, youth, and immortality"-- Provided by publisher.

"In this ... new collection, Zadie Smith brings her unique skills as an essayist to bear on a range of subjects that have captured her attention in recent years. She takes an exhilaratingly close look at artists Toyin Ojih Odutola, Kara Walker, and Celia Paul. She invites us along to the movies, to see and to think about Tár, and to New York to reflect on the spontaneous moments that connect us. She takes us on a walk down Kilburn High Road in her beloved northwest London, and welcomes us to mourn with her the passing of writers Joan Didion, Martin Amis, Hilary Mantel, Philip Roth, and Toni Morrison. She considers changes of government on both sides of the Atlantic--and the meaning of 'the commons' in all our lives"-- Dust jacket flap.

How the science of evolution explains how everything came to be, from bacteria and blue whales to cell phones, cities, and artificial intelligence Everything Evolves reveals how evolutionary dynamics shape the world as we know it and how we are harnessing the principles of evolution in pursuit of many goals, such as increasing the global food supply and creating artificial intelligence capable of evolving its own solutions to thorny problems. Taking readers on an astonishing journey, Mark Vellend describes how all observable phenomena in the universe can be understood through two sciences. The first is physics. The second is the science of evolvable systems. Vellend shows how this Second Science unifies biology and culture and how evolution gives rise to everything from viruses and giraffes to nation-states, technology, and us. He discusses how the idea of evolution had precedents in areas such as language and economics long before it was made famous by Darwin, and how only by freeing ourselves of the notion that the study of evolution must start with biology can we appreciate the true breadth of evolutionary processes. A sweeping tour of the natural and social sciences, Everything Evolves is an essential introduction to one of the two key pillars to the scientific enterprise and an indispensable guide to understanding some of the most difficult challenges of the Anthropocene.

"When Roy Wood Jr. held his baby boy for the first time, he was relieved that his son was happy and healthy, but he felt a strange mix of joy and apprehension. Roy's own father, a voice of the civil rights movement in Birmingham, Alabama, had passed away when Roy was sixteen. There were gaps in the lessons passed down from father to son and, holding his own child, Roy wondered: Have I managed to fill in those blanks, to learn the lessons I will one day need to teach my boy? So Roy looked back to figure out who had taught him lessons throughout his life and which he could pass down to his son. Some of his father figures were clear, like a colorful man from Philadelphia navigating life after prison, who taught Roy the value of having a vision for his life, or his fellow comedians, who showed him what it took to make it as a working stand-up performer. Others were less obvious, from the teenage friends who convinced him to race "leaf boats" carrying lit matches in the middle of a drought to a drug-addicted restaurant colleague who played hoops while Roy scoured dirty dishes to big names in Hollywood, like Trevor Noah and more. In The Man of Many Fathers, Roy shares what he's learned with humor and heart, delivering the most memorable lessons, such as how to channel anger through a more successful outlet (hint: never ever try to outfox a single mom), how not to get caught snitching (hint: never snitch), and how to become a good man--and a good dad (hint: listen to your fathers)."--Publisher.

"An exploration of all the ways in which birds are social creatures-from breeding to nesting to babysitting ... With stories of birds from around the world-from broad-winged hawks that migrate south together in the fall, tree swallows that roost together in the thousands, and guira cuckoos that nest in communes-The Social Lives of Birds explores the different kinds of bird groups and what to look for when watching them. Above all, it reveals this fact: solitary life, it seems, is not for the birds"-- Provided by publisher.

"Irin Carmon was eight months pregnant when the Supreme Court allowed states to ban abortion, unleashing pain and suffering on those who didn't want to be pregnant and, shockingly to some, on those who did. What was clear to Carmon from her dozen years of reporting--and from what she felt in her bones--was how incomplete the American story of reproduction had been, and how much had been unexpressed, hidden, or taken for granted--not just by conservative justices or in red states. Grounded in history and journalism, Unbearable tells this deeper story, going beyond the headlines and any one experience or choice. It introduces us to Maggie, Christine, Hali, Yashica, and Alison, five women navigating pregnancy care in red and blue states--from that first positive pregnancy test through joy, loss, and the unforeseen. In a country that is at best indifferent and at worst willfully cruel, Carmon centers the brave and outnumbered people fighting to make it better"-- Dust jacket flap.

"Filled with lush photography and behind-the-scenes detail on Chappell Roan's entire career from a small-town singer to queer icon and music superstar, this is the definitive look at an era-defining artist. Uncover the untold full story behind the songs, looks, and noteworthy live performances by Chappell Roan in this definitive guide. Covering everything from her raw demos to her dazzling recent albums and featuring exclusive insight into her debut Midwest Princess tour, this book offers an in-depth exploration of Chappell Roan's artistic evolution over the past ten years. Complete with stunning images of her outfits, instruments, and mementos, the book delves into the origins, inspiration, and production of Chappell Roan's iconic look and sound. For fans and music enthusiasts alike, this is a comprehensive and inspiring portrait of an artist who fearlessly pushes boundaries and continues to shape the future of pop music."-- description from publisher's website, https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/katherine-st-asaph/the-rise-and-rise-of-chappell-roan/9798894142029/, accessed 20250917.

"Focusing on his presidential runs in 1984 and, especially, 1988, Phillip highlights how Jackson built an unlikely coalition that showed how Black political power could be consolidated. His experience working under Martin Luther King; his organizing the SLCC's Operation Breadbasket in Chicago and beyond; and his roots in the deep South combined into two ... impactful presidential campaigns. Appealing to the working people of urban enclaves like that of Chicago, young people on college campuses, and Black people across the South, he created the modern Democratic coalition--one that has been used by all major Democrats seeking national success from Obama to Biden to Harris"-- Provided by publisher.

From Amazon.com: "Now Departing explores the science, craft, and mindfulness behind Victor M. Sweeney's very peculiar skill set. Working in the funeral business since he was eighteen years old, Sweeney astutely shares the powerful and moving lessons of how we can exist and be remembered with intention and meaning."

"A former senior food policy advisor to President Obama breaks down how changing the way we eat can help fix the climate crisis, from rethinking daily habits to investing in new technology. As a chef in high-end restaurants, and later, in the home of then Senator Barack and Michelle Obama, Sam Kass read a lot about how eating organic and buying local was the key to remaking a food system otherwise built on climate-change-causing petroleum. But when he followed the Obamas into the White House, he realized something: While it's easy to identify the problems in our spoiled food system, fixing it is not as simple as getting your eggs from the farmers' market. Now investing in startups trying to solve the environmental and human challenges of climate change in food and agriculture. In The Last Supper, Kass shares everything he's learned, simplifying it all down to what he calls "The Core Principle": Maximize nutrient production while minimizing environmental damage. He lays out an accessible, action-based plan to save the environment, and in turn, ourselves, based on four pillars of change: Culture: shifting the way we think about and approach the environment as individuals is the foundation of broader change Policy and legislation: the limited but important role of policy and how change is made on a governmental level and what we can do about it Business: How to change the businesses that provide the food we eat as the only path to change our food system Technology: a deep dive into the future with the new and innovative technologies researchers are using to save the environment, from CRISPR and Loam Bio to the magic of mycelium and the secret weapon that is regenerative farming Through anecdotes, interviews, and an astounding amount of research, The Last Supper gives us the tools we need to make a difference"-- Provided by publisher.

A longtime educator explores how the study of Black history challenges our understanding of race, nation, and the stories we tell about who we are. Black history is under attack from powerful forces that seek to excise it from classrooms, libraries, and the popular imagination. Yet its opponents fail to understand a simple truth: the best education challenges our assumptions, helps us see larger forces at work, and gives us glimpses of alternate futures. In Black History Is for Everyone, Brian Jones offers a meditation on the power of Black history, using his own experiences as a lifelong learner and classroom teacher to question everything--from the radicalism of the American Revolution to the meaning of "race" and "nation." With warmth and immersive storytelling, Jones encourages us to delve deeper into our collective history, explores how curiosity about our world is essential--and reminds us that with stakes so high, the effort is worth it.

"Professor Angie Hobbs proves in this persuasive and intelligent book that Plato is more relevant than ever. Does Plato matter? An ancient philosopher whose work has inspired and informed countless thinkers and poets across the centuries, his ideas are no longer taught as widely as they once were. But, as Angie Hobbs argues in this clear-sighted book, that is a mistake. If we want to understand the world we live in - from democracy, autocracy and fake news to celebrity, cancel culture and what money can and cannot do - there is no better place to start than Plato. Plato's methodology, arguments, ideas and vivid images are explained with a clarity suitable both for readers familiar with his work and for those approaching Plato for the first time. This book shows why Plato really matters, now more than ever."--Dust jacket flap.

"Naturalist, forager, and educator Maria Pinto offers a stunning debut book that uncovers strange and beautiful fungal connections between the natural and human worlds. She mingles reportage, research, memoir, and nature writing, touching on topics that range from Black farmers' domestication of the unforgettable aroma of truffles to the history of mycological poisons wielded by enslaved people against their enslavers. Pinto brings a new perspective and a distinctive literary voice to this mix of environmental and lived history, and every page sings with her enthusiasm for the networks in which we are embedded: fungal, ecological, ancestral, and communal. Join her in pursuit of beautiful, perplexing, delicious, and deadly mushrooms as she explores this understudied kingdom's awe-inspiring diversity and discovers how fungi have been used by people, especially those on the margins, for survival, pleasure, revelation, and revolution"-- Provided by publisher.

"When eight-year-old Amy Erdman Farrell moved with her family to Akron, Ohio, in 1972, she found herself adrift in a sea of taunting boys and mean girls. Shy by nature, she dreaded her long, unhappy days at school. But a few years later, Farrell found an escape from bullying, the promise of sisterhood, a rising sense of confidence, adventure, and - best of all - lifelong friendship when she joined a Girl Scout troop. Decades later, award-winning author Farrell returns to those formative experiences to explore the complicated and surprising history of the Girl Scouts of the USA. Drawing from extensive archival research, visits to iconic Girl Scout sites around the world, and vivid personal reflections, Farrell uncovers the Girl Scouts intricate history, revealing how the organization has shaped the lives of more than 50 million girls and women since its founding in 1912. With Farrell as our own intrepid guide, we travel to American Indian boarding schools, Japanese American incarceration centers, segregated African American communities, middle-class white neighborhoods, and outposts throughout the globe. Intrepid Girls unpacks how the Girl Scouts navigated tensions over feminism, race, class, and political differences, carving out extraordinary opportunities for girls and women - even as it participated in the very discrimination it promised to transcend. For anyone who has ever worn a uniform or wondered about the hidden history behind this iconic American institution, Intrepid Girls will surprise, inspire, and challenge what we think we know about the Girl Scouts"-- Provided by publisher.

"Rocky Kanaka is known the world over as a dog rescue advocate. His millions of fans follow along each week as Rocky visits shelters and finds dogs in need. He often finds the most hopeless cases--dogs that have been abandoned because they're sick or their owners can no longer care for them, or they've never had a home and have been living on the street--and helps them find their forever homes. Through patience, kindness, and love, Rocky helps dogs trust and love again, even if it's just for the short time Rocky visits with them in the shelter. Sitting with Dogs is a collection of stories about nine rescue dogs that each got off to a rough start but found their way into Rocky's arms. From the story of Flip, Rocky's first rescue and his inspiration for dedicating his life to saving lost and abandoned dogs, to Macy, who was so emaciated when she arrived at the shelter that no one thought she would survive, Rocky's stories will tug at your heart, bring a smile to your face, and maybe even inspire you to give a little of your own time to a dog in need. And you don't need to be a dog expert to make a difference. With a little love and patience, you can do exactly what Rocky does--change lives"-- Provided by publisher.

"[The author] will help you master the art of elegant, no-fuss cooking and entertaining. These recipes are versatile, interesting, and flavorful--but not intimidating. Hosting is an invitation to press pause, to share, to laugh, and to come together. It's memories in the making. It's love."--Back cover.

"From Dr Nicholas Wright, a leading neuroscientist and advisor to the Pentagon, discover a new perspective on the human brain and on war. Why did France's defenders lose to the Nazis, despite having more tanks, troops, and guns? How did Ukraine stand firm against Russia? How do you know if you can trust an ally? How can we make clearer decisions under pressure? In Warhead, Nicholas Wright takes us on a journey through the brain to show us how it shapes human behaviour in conflict and war. Drawing on his neuroscience expertise and over a decade's work with the Pentagon, Wright also reveals that, whether we like it or not, the brain is not only built for everyday life, but is wired for conflict. Whether that be in the office or on the battlefield. Warhead brings cutting-edge research to life through battle stories from history: What was it like for a foot soldier at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, or in China's Red Army as it fought to survive and triumph throughout the 1930s and 40s? How could leaders such as World War Two tank commanders, Shaka Zulu, or Winston Churchill see through the fog of conflict, make better decisions, and communicate with those who must carry those decisions out? How will humans shape war's technological futures? Warhead examines why global tensions are rising and how we can defuse them. In an increasingly dangerous world in which our values and success are under threat, it is essential to understand why humans fight, lose, and win wars, and harness this knowledge to protect our way of life"-- Provided by publisher.

"Along Lake Michigan charts the course of shipping disasters great and small on Lake Michigan, home to more shipwrecks than the other four Great Lakes combined. Surveying the wreckage throughout the decades, Michael Schumacher illuminates the details of maritime weather and shipcraft, the lives devoted to and lost on the water, and the mistakes and monumental failures that led to these ships' watery ends"-- Provided by publisher.