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Chain Reaction: How Chemistry Shapes Us and Our World
By one of the world's leading chemists, an entertaining and revealing tour of the chemical bonds that shape our everyday lives and provide the infrastructure for our chaotic world.
We all have a relationship with chemistry. Bonds between molecules, forged and broken in the blink of an eye, underpin everything from the food we eat and the clothes we wear to the ways we treat illnesses and construct our homes. It's a relationship we nurture, whether we know it or not, and for leading chemist Ijeoma Uchegbu, it was serious from the beginning.
In Chain Reaction, Uchegbu shows us the world through a chemist's eyes, revealing the intricate science we take for granted: how our body's most fundamental chemical structure, our DNA, is estimated to be two meters long, resting tightly within each of our cells; how egg yolks are held together by weak chemical bonds that make them primed for emulsifying our salad dressings; and how the chemical makeup of PFAs, or "forever chemicals," makes them so good at sticking around.
Along the way, we travel from Uchegbu's home in London to Nigeria, where cooking experiments go awry in her family kitchen, and to Italy, where the chemically inert compounds that make up stained glass keep medieval windows shining. The careful interplay of bonds and molecules brings a sense of order and wonder to the chaos of our lives, she shows, and we don't have to wear a lab coat or study solutions in beakers to appreciate it.
For readers of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry and anyone who wanted to be like Elizabeth Zott in Lessons in Chemistry, Chain Reaction is a lively and intimate portrait of the wondrous and under-explored field that shapes our everyday lives.
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Jefferson on Race: A Reader
From The New York Times-bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Hemingses of Monticello, a groundbreaking collection of Thomas Jefferson's writings on race that every American should read
Among America's Founding Fathers, none was more deeply, personally, or controversially entangled with race and slavery than Thomas Jefferson. The man whose Declaration of Independence proclaimed that "all men are created equal" enslaved more than 600 people of African descent even as he acknowledged the injustice of slavery, saw himself as its opponent, and condemned it in his writings. How is this possible? In Jefferson on Race, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed gathers Jefferson's most revealing writings about African Americans, slavery, and Native Americans, enabling readers as never before to directly explore his complex and contradictory thoughts, feelings, and decisions on these subjects--the most hotly debated aspect of his legacy. These selections come from Jefferson's public and private writings, letters, and plantation records, as well as accounts by contemporaries, including his son Madison Hemings and three other people formerly enslaved at Monticello. The book documents Jefferson's ideas about--and self-image in relation to--African Americans, slavery, and Native Americans, as well as his conduct, including interactions with individual Black and Native people. The writings show how Jefferson responded to living in a multiracial slave society while professing progressive ideals, and how his views on race and slavery were shaped by his experiences with enslaved Black people. Jefferson on Race is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand Jefferson's conflicted attitudes--and the impact of race and slavery on American history. -
Sold out5-Minute Dinosaur Stories
Ten read-aloud, 5-minute stories introduce young readers to an exciting array of dinosaurs, from flighty and feathered Anchiornis to lumbering giant Brachiosaurus
Explore the prehistoric world with this lavish read-aloud collection of nonfiction stories. At the end of each story, kids are invited to explore an informative "All About" page to find out additional facts about each dino. They'll discover why some species had spikes, which dino may have climbed trees, and more.
Written by science writer and poet Gabby Dawnay, this is a gorgeously illustrated gift to inform and delight the youngest dinosaur fans.
Stories include:
- The very FIRST dinosaur
- Slow, spiky Stegosaurus
- Brachiosaurus is tallest of all
- Anchiornis soars on high
- Swamp-dwelling Spinosaurus
- King Tyrannosaurus Rex
- Three-horned Triceratops
- Club-wielding Ankylosaurus
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Nonstop Bodies: How Dance Shaped New York City
A sweeping cultural history of the dancing that defined New York City
Throughout the twentieth century, in theaters, ballrooms, and nightclubs, dancers blazed trails of resistance and revolution. From the exuberant endurance of dance marathons during Prohibition to the militant precision of the Rockettes through WWII and the strait-laced fifties; from the aloof abstraction of the Judson Dance Theater to the explosive energy of hip hop in the South Bronx; from the elated mingling of discos to the commercialized physicality of Broadway, dance was both a reflection of culture and a backbone for social change.
In charting the stories and interconnected histories of these different dances, Nonstop Bodies: How Dance Shaped New York City reveals how each was fundamentally shaped by the social and historical forces of the time, as movements rumbling through the rest of the country came to a head in the singular density and diversity of New York City.
The iconic contractions of Martha Graham share a lineage with the West African dances being transported to New York stages by Katherine Dunham; the innovations of George Balanchine took inspiration from the acrobatic feats of the Nicholas Brothers and other dancers honing their skills in Harlem's ballrooms; the evolutions in partnered dancing at the Palladium found their way into the Broadway choreography of Jerome Robbins while preceding the individualized revelries of the disco.
Writer Rennie McDougall argues not only that dance can act as a mirror to the larger narratives of New York and the nation, but that the city itself has proven uniquely capable of creating innovations in how we move and dance together. Nonstop Bodies is more than a history--it is an exploration of movement that captures the ways in which dance has acted as both a catalyst and reflection of the city's culture, politics, and heart.
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Sold outBreak-Up Retreat
An undercover journalist goes to expose an exclusive psychological wellness clinic where women go to recover from heartbreak, with dire consequences, in this creepy thriller from The Bachelorette Party author Camilla Sten.
Welcome to Himlafall Clinic, where we use revolutionary therapy techniques to heal you from heartbreak. Whether you are going through a devastating breakup, or can't seem to stop picking the wrong partners, we are here to help you change your life, once and for all...
Isobel Anderssen has heard rumors. Nestled deep in the Swedish woods, there is a retreat. Primarily aimed at helping women who have gone through devastating break-ups, the Himlafall Clinic is meant to heal your mind and help you move on. Sometimes people are never heard from again. Armed with a fake story and a contraband phone to record interviews, Isobel is ready to expose Himlafall's founder and get closure for the families of missing loved ones. But when she gets there, nothing goes to plan. Her contact is missing. The founder, Dr. Martina Hastings, knows how to get under Isobel's skin in ways she didn't anticipate. And all the while, the ghosts of the missing haunt her at every turn. It is clear something is going wrong and Himlafall, and Isobel must uncover the truth, before she disappears once and for all.Sold out -
Yankee Sphinx: An FDR Novel
"A COMPASSIONATE story about one of the most consequential Americans of the 20th century." --Kirkus (STARRED review)
An extraordinary work of historical fiction by the co-creator of TWIN PEAKS--a novel about one of FDR's closest wartime advisers and the president's final days, INSPIRED BY THE AUTHOR'S OWN FAMILY In 1934, Will Hassett is working as a journalist when he gets a call from an old friend who now works at the White House. He arrives expecting to catch up on old times but is instead brought right into the Oval Office to meet with Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR needs help on his speeches; Will takes the job on the spot. For the next twelve years, Will is at FDR's side through the worst of the Depression, three reelection campaigns, and World War II.
The Yankee Sphinx, inspired by Will Hassett's real diaries, focuses on the last few years of FDR's life. The war is raging in Europe and FDR's good friend, Winston Churchill, begs for America's help. But Roosevelt knows he can't bring the country in until it's ready, an opportunity that won't arise until the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor in 1941. From Will's empathetic perspective, we witness FDR managing the Allied military campaign abroad and parrying shots from isolationist politicians at home--all while reckoning with his rapidly deteriorating health. Will and Anna, Roosevelt's daughter, plot an intervention to get him a doctor more up to speed on a new discipline called "cardiology" so the president can maintain his strength and end the war. Elegantly written, bursting with personality, and perfectly capturing life in wartime Washington, The Yankee Sphinx is a marvelous work by one of our most versatile writers. -
Sold outMan of My Dreams
A romance author is shocked when one of her characters-in-progress seemingly comes to life... but is he too good to be true, in this dramatic and twisty thriller perfect for fans of Ashley Winstead and Kate Alice Marshall, where the truth really is stranger than fiction.
Read this if you like: *Meet cutes gone wrong (like, really, really wrong). *Your boyfriends as unreliable as your narrators. *Bringing him to meet your family, Murder Edition.
Bestselling romance author Ivy Harcourt has been as unlucky in love as she's been successful in writing--as her sad relationship track attests, there are no good dating options left in New York . . . Until she rescues an escaped dog in the park, and runs into Liam. Charming, British, hot architect Liam. The exact description of the love interest in her next book. When an instant connection leads to a whirlwind relationship, Ivy is convinced she's found the dream man. Except he may be too perfect. He may be hiding something. And Ivy may have secrets of her own. Olivia Worley's Novels Are: "Dark and clever." ―People "Addictive." ―Liv Constantine "Spine-tingling." ―Sarah Pekkanen "So twisted." ―Ashley WinsteadSold out -
And the Corpse Wore Tartan
From Stuart MacBride, the Sunday Times bestselling author of the smash-hit Logan McRae series.
Move Over Miss Marple . . . The great and the not-so-good are gathered at Skirivour Castle Hotel, in the heart of the Highlands, for the wedding of the year - but they weren't expecting Detective Sergeant Roberta Steel to crash their party. And get horribly, horribly drunk. The whole valley's been cut off by a massive thunderstorm and the phone lines are down, so when the father-of-the-bride's body is discovered - decoratively impaled on a stag's head in the hotel lobby - it's up to DS Steel to find out whodunit. Which isn't easy when you've got a monstrous hangover and only a world-weary sergeant and a halfwit police constable for backup. With no witnesses and every wedding guest a suspect, Roberta will need to use every one of her little grey cells if she's going to catch the killer and get out of there alive. Praise for Stuart MacBride: 'MacBride is a damned fine writer' - Peter James, author of Picture You Dead 'Dark and brilliantly written' - Linwood Barclay, author of I Will Ruin You 'Crime fiction of the highest order' - Mark Billingham, author of The Last Dance -
Sold outMeet Me in the Garden
From bestselling, award-winning author Nina LaCour comes a sweeping family saga about self-discovery and love in all forms, inspired by the author's Creole roots
New Orleans, 1944. Odette has always been one of the Honore sisters, glamorous and admired in their Creole community. But while Odette's older sisters are content to be wives and mothers, Odette has always wanted something else. It is only with her beloved cousin, Delphine, that Odette can tell her secret: she is in love with a woman, and she longs to be an artist. Delphine has a secret lover, too, a white man. In the hidden garden they've discovered, Odette and Delphine can dream of futures full of passion and freedom. But five years later, Odette's life is nothing like what she'd planned. She's a widowed mother, living in Los Angeles, and she and Delphine, who is passing as white, have spiraled away from each other. When Delphine reaches a breaking point, Odette must make a shattering choice to try to hold her family together. Profound and expansive, a story of love and longing, art and motherhood, friendship and desire, Meet Me in the Garden is a decades-spanning tour de force, inspired by the author's family and tracing the history of the Great Migration.Sold out -
Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being
From the award-winning journalist and NPR TED Radio Hour host comes a timely investigation into how screens and sitting are reshaping our bodies--and how a simple shift can change everything.
In today's world, a normal day means sitting in front of a screen for eight to ten hours. Meeting after meeting. Email after email. We leave our desks drained, overstimulated and unfocused, only to go home, sit down again, and scroll some more. The result? Headaches, back pain, restless sleep, and rising rates of preventable disease. We know technology is breaking us down--so why can't we break away? It's a question that Manoush Zomorodi has always wanted to answer. As the host of the NPR's TED Radio Hour and Body Electric podcast, she has interviewed experts, conducted citizen experiments, and sought out research about how our digital lives are changing the way we think, learn, and feel. Now, in Body Electric, she presents an eye-opening investigation into the impact technology and sedentary living has had on our bodies and brains, from breath and eyesight to blood pressure, posture, and productivity, and shares what science (and tens of thousands of participants in a groundbreaking study with Columbia University Medical Center) have taught her--it's the small shifts, not the digital detoxes, that will make us healthier. And all we need is five minutes. Filled with perspective-shifting data and real-life applications and tools, Body Electric is the next must-read for fans of Four Thousand Weeks and The Anxious Generation, and anyone else feeling trapped by their technology. -
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Aging Out: An Exploration of Caregiving, Community, and How Americans Grow Old
A deeply personal investigation into the current state of eldercare and what it means to grow old in America
Like many of us, Lucy Schiller experienced this callousness firsthand when her grandmother passed away during the pandemic. In the wake of this trauma, propelled by equal parts grief and curiosity about her own fear of aging, Schiller embarked on an investigative journey to understand why the prospect of aging is so frightening and how being "old" in America intersects with class, race, disability, and public policy. From profit-driven networks of care facilities to systemic failures in economic support, the future of older Americans looks increasingly uncertain. In Aging Out, Schiller reports this crisis, sharing the human toll of inadequate housing, health care, and community, while simultaneously excavating her own complicated relationship with aging. Combining the incisive reporting of Evicted with the beautifully rendered introspection of The Empathy Exams, Aging Out is an intimate and unflinching exploration of what it means to age in this country and why Americans--including Schiller herself--are so terrified of getting old.
Unlike many other cultures, our collective stance toward older people in the United States has long been one of casual avoidance and neglect. This attitude became brutally clear during the height of the COVID pandemic, when too many people saw elderly deaths not as tragedies but as foregone conclusions.Sold out -
Sold outLong Island Girls
An unforgettable novel of love and belonging, set in the indie music world of the early 2000s.
The first time Susan and Eliza meet, it's 2005, and Susan is barreling down the Long Island Expressway driving a group of friends to an indie rock show. Eliza is a surprise addition to the backseat, and she doesn't quite fit in; she's a little too pretty, and she doesn't know anything about music, but Susan is drawn to her anyway. Their flying sparks lead to combustion when Susan recognizes Eliza as the girl from a nude photo boys have been sending around. They part ways, and Susan assumes that's the end of it. Susan goes off to college and onto a career in Brooklyn's indie music scene, where she navigates a toxic job at a small record label and learns hard lessons about who exactly has the privilege of making art under late-stage capitalism. In 2015, in her twenties, Susan has a chance run-in with Eliza on a dating app, and they finally embark on a relationship. But Eliza is plagued by her traumatic past, which involves people Susan is still involved with, and that's where it all falls apart again. Over the next few years, Susan's career takes off, she helps dismantle a predatory work environment, and meets someone new who might actually be good for her. Yet she can't stop thinking about Eliza. What might have been, if things had gone differently? And who might Susan become if she could only let Eliza go? At once a hilarious-yet-tender coming of age story; a steamy, complicated romance; and an authentic celebration of queer joy, Long Island Girls is for anyone who has ever struggled to stop getting caught up in "what-ifs" and start appreciating what is.
The only thing Susan loves more than music is Eliza, and both keep breaking her heart.Sold out -
Vengeance: The Last Stands of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull
A dramatic new look at Custer's Last Stand in time for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, by the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Heart of Everything That Is.
On June 25-27, 1876, the Battle of the Little Bighorn, commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was fought between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes and the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. Along the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory, the battle resulted in the devastating defeat of U.S. forces and was the most significant action of the Great Sioux War of 1876. This dramatic look at the Little Bighorn battle includes not only the Native American point of view-with two dynamic Native figures, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, on prominent display-but also the impact it had on the Plains Indians. It turned out to be their last stand too because a vengeful nation quashed any remaining resistance, with a conclusive massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890, almost simultaneous with the murder of Sitting Bull. In addition, Custer's character by June 1876 is at the heart of this world-famous disaster. For all his celebrated bravery, especially at Gettysburg 13 years earlier, Custer became a devout media hound, desperate to gain fame. Even, some say, his own demise was a misguided attempt at grabbing national headlines: He envisioned a massacre - just not his own. As both the camera and the tabloid came of age, George Armstrong Custer became America's first bona fide celebrity. Vengeance is a thrilling read, filled with action, legendary characters, and poignance for the impact this had on Native Americans and the shape of the American West. -
Sold outHot Girl Murder Club
From national bestselling author Ashley Winstead comes a buzzy, bloody new thriller about success, sisterhood, and demanding justice...by any means necessary.
What's a girl got to do to get some fame, a few million record sales, and justice for murder? Ten years ago, aspiring singer-actress Scout Sage lost the only thing that mattered: her sister, Georgia. Ever since Georgia's mysterious death at a Hollywood party, Scout's done her best to honor her memory, clawing her way through the industry and collecting a network of climbers along the way, fellow hot girls in stilettos with cutthroat ambition, a new Hollywood order. But when a slew of targeted murders makes headlines across L.A., all pointing to Scout as the killer, she turns overnight from a mid-tier pop star into the world's most famous (alleged) murderer. Now everything she's worked to build--including the justice she wants for Georgia--will fall apart unless Scout can prove she's not guilty. Meanwhile, the young and unusual detective assigned to her case, herself no stranger to tragedy, begins to unearth secrets not even Scout knows, let alone her millions of new fans. Particularly about the ways Georgia's death connects to an even older pattern of crimes long hushed over in Hollywood--an old reign of terror that, if brought to light, could be the fuel that ignites a reckoning the world over.Sold out -
Sold outWe the People Is All the People
Who are the "we" of "we the people"? This collaboration between award-winning artist Duncan Tonatiuh and author Howard W. Reeves celebrates inclusion, exploring what the preamble to our United States constitution leaves unsaid We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union . . . Who are the "we the people" mentioned in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution? They are our neighbors next door, down the street, or across the country. They live in different places, worship in different ways, come from different backgrounds and histories. They struggle, achieve, and overcome. They are you, and me, and us. Because, as we strive to create a more perfect union, "we" should mean "all."Sold out