In the summer of 1917, Ernest Hemingway was an eighteen-year-old high school graduate unsure of his future. The American entry into the Great War stirred thoughts of joining the army. While many of hi
Sasha, a young computer programmer from Leningrad, is driving north to meet some friends for a nature vacation. He picks up a couple of hitchhikers, who persuade him to take a job at the National Inst
Balance is a lively, 360-degree exploration of our body’s supersense. Health and wellness writer Carol Svec examines every facet of balance in a way that is highly entertaining, broadly accessib
The Who were a mass of contradictions. They brought intellect to rock but were the darlings of punks. They were the quintessential studio act yet were also the greatest live attraction in the world. T
From one of rock’s greatest writers, Love Becomes a Funeral Pyre is the definitive biography of the Doors Spanning the entire history of the band, from the birth of its members to the deaths of thos
Every schoolchild knows about Paul Revere’s 20-mile ride to warn that the British were coming. Far fewer know that 16-year-old Sybil Ludington rode twice as far on her horse Star in order to help her
For more than seventy-five years, Catwoman has forged her own path in a clear-cut world of stalwart heroes, diabolical villains, and damsels in distress. Sometimes a thief, sometimes a vigilante, some
Black powder, the world’s first chemical explosive, was originally developed during the Tang dynasty in China, in the seventh century. It was a crude mixture at first, but over time chemists discovere
Long before George Washington was a president or general, he was a sportsman. Born in 1732, his physique and aspirations were tailor-made for his age, one in which displays of physical prowess were es
Albert Einstein wasn’t afraid to think for himself. And as a young man, he had little choice—after barely passing his final exams in college, he couldn’t find a job in physics and had to take a job re
Discover the underdog story of the improbable rise of small-batch distilling in America in Tom Acitelli’s new Whiskey Business. This bracingly written, fast-paced work traces the relationship of Ameri
Back in the late 1600s, science was still in its infancy. If you dropped an apple it would fall to the ground, but nobody could explain why. That changed in 1687 when Isaac Newton, a professor at the
When Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species in 1859, he forever altered the way people looked at their place in the world—humans were just another animal species that evolved from more primiti
When Nazi forces occupy the beautiful coastal city of Yalta, everything changes. Eighteen-year-old Filip has few options—he is prime fodder for forced labor in Germany. His hurried marriage to Galina
Ugly Prey tells the riveting story of poor Italian immigrant Sabella Nitti, the first woman ever sentenced to hang in Chicago, in 1923, for the alleged murder of her husband. Journalist Emilie Le Beau
"Children love challenges, especially ones that involve hands-on experimentation and friendly competition. Can they build a bridge using only pasta and glue, one that a toy car can drive both under an
If you’ve ever wanted to step into your favorite movie, Vacation on Location is the perfect guidebook for you. Celebrate Groundhog Day in Woodstock, Illinois, the very town where Bill Murray relives
When Thomas Magner’s business partner is found dead in his car on the outskirts of St. Andrews, all evidence points to suicide. Meanwhile Magner, a wealthy property developer, is under investigation f
In a series of more than 50 interviews that span seven decades, many never before seen in print, this is the story of Led Zeppelin told by the people who knew it best—the members of the band. This boo
Set in Chicago in the late 1980s, this riveting crime novel revolves around Nick Hayden, a rookie INS field agent eager to make his mark in the unit responsible for picking up illegal immigrants aroun
The third of Judy Garland’s five husbands, Sid Luft was the one man in her life who stuck around. He was chiefly responsible for the final act of Judy’s meteoric career, producing her iconic, Oscar-no
Alexandra the Great tells the gripping story of underdog filly Rachel Alexandra. Despite dominating every filly her age, her owner refused to let her compete against male horses. When a new owner saw
“An excellent title for expanding students’ view of the Civil Rights Movement.” —School Library Journal "A must read for anyone interested in World War II, women’s history, or African American history
American politics changed forever in January 1973: the Watergate burglars went on trial, the administration negotiated an end to the Vietnam War, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Roe v. Wade,
On February 25, 1938, Hoboken’s reviled poormaster, Harry Barck—wielding power over who received public aid—died. Barck was murdered, the prosecution would assert, by an unemployed mason named Joe Scu
Hendrix on Hendrix includes the most important interviews from the peak of Jimi Hendrix’s career, carefully selected by one of the world’s leading Hendrix historians. In this book Hendrix recalls for
Hot Sauce Nation is a red-hot ride through the story of hot sauce in America. Why should the world’s most painful food have inspired such adoration in the USA? While chili pepper-based sauces have tra
The first examination of Nelson Algren in over 25 years, Algren is the definitive biography of one of the best-known writers of mid-20th-century America. Journalist Mary Wisniewski interviewed dozens
In 2009, Somali pirates attempted to capture the US flag ship Maersk Alabama. Suddenly, the pirates were no longer a distant menace. But were the Somali pirates a legion of desperate fishermen attacki
In Above the Din of War, Peter Eichstaedt focuses on the people of Afghanistan themselves, drawing out Afghans from all walks of life: a former warlord, a Taliban judge, courageous women parliamentar
A Light Shines in Harlem tells the fascinating story of the Sisulu-Walker Charter School of Harlem, the first charter school in New York. It is a true-to-life inspirational tale of how a hero of the c
In this honest novel set in the racial tinderbox of Chicago in 1969, Simon Fleming, the white son of an activist minister, is sent to a predominately African American high school, feeling charged to c
“An overwhelming book about an overwhelming character in the music field. . . . We owe Barry Mazor a debt of gratitude for telling Peer’s incredible life story.” —Bob DylanThis is the first biography
For over two decades, a white Catholic priest who pastors a black Chicago parish, Reverend Michael Pfleger, has never been far from the spotlight. His aggressive, innovative leadership has made St. Sa
“Clinton Heylin, master explicator of the Dylan canon, has, however improbably, sorted it all out for us. . . . The book is essential.” —Jonathan LethemThe second of two volumes, this companion to eve
15 remarkable women receive the spotlight they deserve in this lively collection of biographical profiles. These women took action in many ways: disguised as soldiers, working as field medics, as spie
Connecting Gandhi’s ideas and his life's work to contemporary issues such as bullying and conflict resolution, healthful eating from local sources, civil rights and diversity, and more, this useful re
Fleetwood Mac was a triumph from the beginning—their first album was the UK’s bestselling album of 1968. After some low points—when founder Peter Green left, some fans felt that the band continuing wa
Micro-stories of modern monsters and other horrors.This collection of twenty-six dark, but often humorous short stories features a pantheon of disturbed and disturbing characters, human and otherwise.
This compelling memoir is the true account of Issa Ibrahim, detailing in searing prose his development of severe mental illness leading to the accidental killing of his mother, his acquittal by reason
