Nonfiction
Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream
An unsparing, incisive, yet ultimately hopeful look at how we can shed the American obsession with self-reliance that has made us less healthy, less secure, and less fulfilled
The promise that you can "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" is central to the story of the American Dream. It's the belief that if you work hard and rely on your own resources, you will eventually succeed. However, time and again we have seen how this foundational myth, with its emphasis on individual determination, brittle self-sufficiency, and personal accomplishment, does not help us. Instead, as income inequality rises around us, we are left with shame and self-blame for our condition.
Acclaimed journalist Alissa Quart argues that at the heart of our suffering is a do-it-yourself ethos, the misplaced belief in our own independence and the conviction that we must rely on ourselves alone. Looking at a range of delusions and half solutions--from "grit" to the false Horatio Alger story to the rise of GoFundMe--Quart reveals how we have been steered away from robust social programs that would address the root causes of our problems. Meanwhile, the responsibility for survival has been shifted onto the backs of ordinary people, burdening generations with debt instead of providing the social safety net we so desperately need.
Insightful, sharply argued, and characterized by Quart's lively writing and deep reporting, and for fans of Evicted and Nickel and Dimed, Bootstrapped is a powerful examination of what ails us at a societal level and a plan for how we can free ourselves from these self-defeating narratives.
Born Reading
Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs: A Journey Through the Deep State
--Glamour
Who are you? You are data about data. You are a map of connections--a culmination of everything you have ever posted, searched, emailed, liked, and followed. In this groundbreaking work of narrative nonfiction, Kerry Howley investigates the curious implications of living in the age of the indelible. Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs tells the true story of intelligence specialist Reality Winner, a lone young woman who stuffs a state secret under her skirt and trusts the wrong people to help. After printing five pages of dangerous information she was never supposed to see, Winner finds herself at the mercy of forces more invasive than she could have possibly imagined. Following Winner's unlikely journey from rural Texas to a federal courtroom, Howley maps a hidden world, drawing in John Walker Lindh, Lady Gaga, Edward Snowden, a rescue dog named Outlaw Babyface Nelson, and a mother who will do whatever it takes to get her daughter out of jail. Howley's subjects face a challenge new to history: they are imprisoned by their past selves, trapped for as long as the Internet endures. A soap opera set in the deep state, Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs is a free fall into a world where everything is recorded and nothing is sacred, from a singular writer unafraid to ask essential questions about the strangeness of modern life.
Boys Will Be Human: A Get-Real Gut-Check Guide to Becoming the Strongest, Kindest, Bravest Person You Can Be
A New York Times bestseller!
From filmmaker, actor, and author Justin Baldoni comes a real-talk, self-esteem-building guidebook that helps boys ages 11 and up embrace their feelings and fears instead of repress them.
Highly designed and filled with activities, sidebars, and inspirational quotes, this book is the perfect social-emotional learning tool for parents and educators to jump-start conversations about masculinity with the boys in their lives.
WARNING: THIS MIGHT BE THE MOST HONEST BOOK YOU'VE EVER READ
Have you ever noticed that there are unwritten rules that tell boys how to act, think, and feel? Nobody knows where they came from, but one day--BAM!--you suddenly feel these invisible forces, pushing you to follow the rules of masculinity, even if they don't make you happy.
This book isn't about learning the rules of the boys' club, it's about UNLEARNING them. It's a get-real guidebook that will show you how to be:
Brave enough to reveal who you really areSmart enough to ask questionsCool enough to feel all your emotionsConfident enough to know your worthStrong enough to speak your truth--and much, much more.
Be prepared: This book is raw and surprising. There is no subject off-limits or lies detected. Sometimes things might get a little uncomfortable, but that's an important part of getting to know--and believe in--yourself.
Don't worry, you're not on this journey alone, so let's jump in together to become the smartest, bravest, strongest HUMANS we can be!
Breathe Escape Journal
Breathe Resilience Journal
Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier
Buzzkill: A Wild Wander Through the Weird and Threatened World of Bugs
The praying mantis is the only animal on Earth with one ear--and it's in the middle of its chest. Aphids are born pregnant. Moths can't fly during an earthquake. If you didn't know these things, you soon will. Packed full of jaw-dropping facts, Buzzkill presents the big picture on bugs. You might think ew, gross. Insects are icky. Or scary. Or dangerous. They can be. But there's so much more you need to know.
Insects play a critical role on our planet, from sustenance to pollination to medicines and more. Brenna Maloney tackles both the wacky and weird, as well as threats to insects and their habitats, their possible extinction, and ways that everyday people, like you, can prevent their decline. Find out what all the buzz is about! Godwin Books A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD GOLD STANDARD TITLECall of the Tribe
The intellectual autobiography of Mario Vargas Llosa, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.
From its origins, the liberal doctrine has represented the most advanced forms of democratic culture, and it is what has most defended us from the inextinguishable "call of the tribe." This book hopes to make a modest contribution to that indispensable project. In The Call of the Tribe, Mario Vargas Llosa surveys the readings that have shaped the way he thinks and has viewed the world over the past fifty years. The Nobel laureate, "tireless in his quest to probe the nature of the human animal" (Marie Arana, The Washington Post), maps out the liberal thinkers who helped him develop a new body of ideas after the great ideological traumas of his disenchantment with the Cuban Revolution and his alienation from the ideas of Jean-Paul Sartre, the author who most inspired Vargas Llosa in his youth. The works of Adam Smith, José Ortega y Gasset, Friedrich A. Hayek, Karl Popper, Raymond Aron, Isaiah Berlin, and Jean-François Revel helped the author enormously during those uneasy years. They showed him another school of thought, one that placed the individual before the tribe, nation, class, or party and defended freedom of expression as a fundamental value for the exercise of democracy. The Call of the Tribe documents Vargas Llosa's engagement with their work and charts the evolution of his personal ideology.
Can You Escape the Video Game?
Can You Find the Knights Templar Treasure?: An Interactive Treasure Adventure
Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes
What story would Eve have told about picking the apple? Why is Pandora blamed for opening the box? And what about the fate of Cassandra who was blessed with knowing the future but cursed so that no one believed her? What if women had been the storytellers?
Elizabeth Lesser believes that if women's voices had been equally heard and respected throughout history, humankind would have followed different hero myths and guiding stories--stories that value caretaking, champion compassion, and elevate communication over vengeance and violence.
Cassandra Speaks is about the stories we tell and how those stories become the culture. It's about the stories we still blindly cling to, and the ones that cling to us: the origin tales, the guiding myths, the religious parables, the literature and films and fairy tales passed down through the centuries about women and men, power and war, sex and love, and the values we live by. Stories written mostly by men with lessons and laws for all of humanity. We have outgrown so many of them, and still they endure. This book is about what happens when women are the storytellers too--when we speak from our authentic voices, when we flex our values, when we become protagonists in the tales we tell about what it means to be human.
Lesser has walked two main paths in her life--the spiritual path and the feminist one--paths that sometimes cross but sometimes feel at cross-purposes. Cassandra Speaks is her extraordinary merging of the two. The bestselling author of Broken Open and Marrow, Lesser is a beloved spiritual writer, as well as a leading feminist thinker. In this book she gives equal voice to the cool water of her meditative self and the fire of her feminist self. With her trademark gifts of both humor and insight, she offers a vision that transcends the either/or ideologies on both sides of the gender debate.
Brilliantly structured into three distinct parts, Part One explores how history is carried forward through the stories a culture tells and values, and what we can do to balance the scales. Part Two looks at women and power and expands what it means to be courageous, daring, and strong. And Part Three offers "A Toolbox for Inner Strength." Lesser argues that change in the culture starts with inner change, and that no one--woman or man--is immune to the corrupting influence of power. She provides inner tools to help us be both strong-willed and kind-hearted.
Cassandra Speaks is a beautifully balanced synthesis of storytelling, memoir, and cultural observation. Women, men and all people will find themselves in the pages of this book, and will come away strengthened, opened, and ready to work together to create a better world for all people.
Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back
Choreography of Everyday Life
City of Refugees: The Story of Three Newcomers Who Breathed Life into a Dying American Town
War, persecution, natural disasters, and climate change continue to drive millions around the world from their homes. In this "tender, intimate, and important book--a carefully reported rebuttal to the xenophobic narratives that define so much of modern American politics" (Sarah Stillman, staff writer, The New Yorker), journalist Susan Hartman follows 3 refugees over 8 years and tells the story of how they built new lives in the old manufacturing town of Utica, New York. Sadia, a Somali Bantu teenager, rebels against her mother; Ali, an Iraqi interpreter, creates a home with an American woman but is haunted by war; and Mersiha, a Bosnian baker, gambles everything to open a café. Along the way, Hartman "illuminates the humanity of these outsiders while demonstrating the crucial role immigrants play in the economy--and the soul--of the nation" (Los Angeles Times). The 3 newcomers are part of an extraordinary migration over the past 4 decades; thousands fleeing war and persecution have transformed Utica, opening small businesses, fixing up abandoned houses, and adding a spark of vitality to forlorn city streets. Utica is not alone. Other Rust Belt cities--including Buffalo, Dayton, and Detroit--have also welcomed refugees, hoping to jump-start their economies and attract a younger population. City of Refugees is a complex and poignant story of a small city but also of America--a country whose promise of safe harbor and opportunity is knotty and incomplete, but undeniably alive.
Classes
Cleopatra Tells All!
What would happen if the famous people of ancient Egypt were given the opportunity to tell their version of historical events--in their own words? It would be incredible! In this highly entertaining and comically illustrated book, Cleopatra is brought back to life to tell her own version of history.
The politically savvy, multilingual, cosmopolitan ruler of Alexandria, Cleopatra reveals herself to be the world's first influencer. Finally able to tell her own version of events, readers will reel at her amazing story, including how she created an army of mercenaries to counter her bullying brother and how she secured the support of two of the world's most powerful men--Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Witty, contemporary, and full of sass, this is Cleopatra #nofilter.
Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions for Everyone
--The New York Times Climate Forward newsletter This must-have book shows us WHY we need to take action now to combat climate change and then, critically, HOW, through easy-to-understand language and fascinating infographics that offer each of us varied and doable solutions to the overwhelming challenges facing our planet. As more focus is put on climate science, there is a need for each of us to learn how we can change our habits in our home, communities, and government to save our planet. Enter The Climate Action Handbook. A visually stunning guide, it does what no other climate change book manages to do: it's approachable, digestible, and offers the average person ideas, options, and a roadmap for action. It also offers hope--often overlooked in climate change conversations. Climate actions can create near-instantaneous improvements in air quality and can offer ways to address societal inequities, green our communities, save money, and build local economies. Stunning and creative infographics help anyone easily grasp the many challenges facing our planet, as well as how every action--be it on the individual, local, or government level--matters. From food and fashion choices, rethinking travel, greening up our homes and gardens, to civic engagement and championing community climate planning, Dr. Heidi Roop shares 100 wide-ranging ways that readers from all walks of life can help move the needle in the right direction. Actions include:
- Cutting down on food waste
- Reducing your driving speed
- Voting in every election
- Using the cold-water cycle on your washing machine
- Supporting healthy soils in your gardens and community green spaces
- Engaging in local climate action planning
- Preparing an emergency kit for your home
- Deleting unused emails and online accounts
- Swapping out milk for nondairy alternatives like oat milk
- Opting for slower shipping whenever possible
- Regularly maintaining and clean your heating and cooling systems
- Engaging in climate conversations at work and at home
And many more! Return to this invaluable resource again and again to discover a roadmap for action and much-needed hope. What will your climate journey look like?
Complete Book of Cat Names (That Your Cat Won't Answer to, Anyway)
Reader, beware! A cat's name will set the tone for the rest of their personal and professional life. Recent studies from dubious cat blogs have shown that 80 percent of cat owners regret the name they gave their feline friends. The number one reason: it became too popular. Fear not. Whether the goal is a name to carry on family tradition or to find something new and different, The Complete Book of Cat Names is packed with options, along with all-new, cat-themed cartoons by Eckstein, making this crucial step in owning a pet a pleasure.
Here, you will find the most popular cat names (to avoid), bookstore cat names (Homer or Pip), cat names for foodies (S'more or Capers), James Bond villain cats (Golden Paws or Jinx), and many more. In addition, Eckstein provides handy charts for identifying a cat's type (inside or outside, sassy or sweet). It's the perfect gift for any cat owner.
Crystal and Gems
How did the Vikings use iolite to help them steer their ships, for example? And why did the Ancient Greeks and Romans believe that sardonyx could protect them in battle? Inside this magical book of crystals, you will find: - A quirky and compelling angle on the subject of crystals and gems - combining science with culture and history.
- Definitions for the key properties of precious, semi-precious, and organic stones.
-An exploration of their traditional uses in healing and manifesting, and the powers they have been ascribed through the centuries.
-The stories of famous gems and jewels throughout history Encounter the fascinating stories of some of the most famous or celebrated gemstones and jewels along the way - from a turquoise-studded pectoral worn during Aztec ceremonies, to the diamond necklace that helped to bring about the French Revolution - in this glorious celebration of precious, semi-precious, and organic stones in all their beauty and variety.
Daily Dad: 366 Meditations on Parenting, Love, and Raising Great Kids
Dark Sky Rising: Reconstruction and the Dawn of Jim Crow (Scholastic Focus)
Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior Is Almost Always Good Politics
As featured on the viral video Rules for Rulers, which has been viewed over 3 million times.
Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith's canonical book on political science turned conventional wisdom on its head. They started from a single assertion: Leaders do whatever keeps them in power. They don't care about the "national interest"-or even their subjects-unless they have to.
This clever and accessible book shows that democracy is essentially just a convenient fiction. Governments do not differ in kind but only in the number of essential supporters, or backs that need scratching. The size of this group determines almost everything about politics: what leaders can get away with, and the quality of life or misery under them. The picture the authors paint is not pretty. But it just may be the truth, which is a good starting point for anyone seeking to improve human governance.
Dictionary of Difficult Words: 5000 English Words
