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A Simple Christmas

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Huckabee, Mike

"The first Christmas was a simple one. So simple that it had all the makings of a first-class disaster. It's a miracle it turned out well at all. In fact, that's the whole point. It really was, and remains, a miracle--the greatest miracle of all time. And it really was simple." -- Mike Huckabee

Christmas has become synonymous with shopping, overindulging, competition, and stress. But according to Mike Huckabee (who was a pastor before getting into politics), that was never God's intention. Going back to the Nativity, Christmas is supposed to be about simple things: faith, love, family, and hope. The hard part, in today's crazy world, is remembering that those simple things are the most precious of all.

Now Huckabee recounts twelve Christmas memories -- often funny, sometimes deeply moving -- that range from his childhood in Arkansas to his years as a young husband and father to his time as a governor and then a presidential candidate. These true stories will help you smile, take a deep breath, and maybe slow down your own holiday treadmill. For instance:

As kids, Mike and his sister would sneak open their gifts before Christmas, play with them, then rewrap them so their parents wouldn't notice. The plan worked great for several years until one Christmas morning when young Mike unwrapped a brand-new football... that was covered in mud. That led to a powerful lesson about patience.

In 1966, like millions of preteens, Mike was obsessed with the Beatles. He dug in his heels, telling his parents that if they wouldn't buy him a guitar for Christmas, he didn't want anything at all. He was selfish, stubborn, and obnoxious, with no idea what it would take for working-class parents to find an extra $99. It took many years for him to understand the sacrifice they made for that life-changing gift--or how it connected to the Lord's own sacrifice.

Only a year after Mike and his wife, Janet, had gotten married, she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at the shocking age of twenty. That Christmas of 1975 was the most terrifying and upsetting they would ever know, as they wondered if they would ever get to share another one. But in retrospect, it's a Christmas they will treasure forever.

If you're looking for a little clarity, sanity, and inspiration at this insane time of year, you're sure to enjoy "A Simple Christmas."

Related Subjects:Books > Biography & Autobiography > Personal Memoirs

ISBN-13: 9781595230621
ISBN-10: 1595230629
Publisher: Sentinel
Date: November 2009
Page Count: 00240
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Open

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Agassi, Andre

From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography.

Agassi's incredibly rigorous training begins when he is just a child. By the age of thirteen, he is banished to a Florida tennis camp that feels like a prison camp. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he rebels in ways that will soon make him a 1980s icon. He dyes his hair, pierces his ears, dresses like a punk rocker. By the time he turns pro at sixteen, his new look promises to change tennis forever, as does his lightning-fast return.

And yet, despite his raw talent, he struggles early on. We feel his confusion as he loses to the world's best, his greater confusion as he starts to win. After stumbling in three Grand Slam finals, Agassi shocks the world, and himself, by capturing the 1992 Wimbledon. Overnight he becomes a fan favorite and a media target.

Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and every relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned. Alongside vivid portraits of rivals from several generations--Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer--Agassi gives unstinting accounts of his brief time with Barbra Streisand and his doomed marriage to Brooke Shields. He reveals a shattering loss of confidence. And he recounts his spectacular resurrection, a comeback climaxing with his epic run at the 1999 French Open and his march to become the oldest man ever ranked number one.

In clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise coach, his gentle trainer, all the people who help him regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf. Inspired by her quiet strength, he fights through crippling pain from a deteriorating spine to remain a dangerous opponent in the twenty-first and final year of his career. Entering his last tournament in 2006, he's hailed for completing a stunning metamorphosis, from nonconformist to elder statesman, from dropout to education advocate. And still he's not done. At a U.S. Open for the ages, he makes a courageous last stand, then delivers one of the most stirring farewells ever heard in a sporting arena.

With its breakneck tempo and raw candor, "Open" will be read and cherished for years. A treat for ardent fans, it will also captivate readers who know nothing about tennis. Like Agassi's game, it sets a new standard for grace, style, speed, and power.

ISBN-13: 9780307268198
ISBN-10: 0307268195
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Date: November 2009
Page Count: 00385
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Taraborrelli, J. Randy

From "New York Times" bestselling author J. Randy Taraborrelli comes the definitive biography of the most enduring icon in popular American culture.
When Marilyn Monroe became famous in the 1950s, the world was told that her mother was either dead or simply not a part of her life. However, that was not true. In fact, her mentally ill mother was very much present in Marilyn's world and the complex family dynamic that unfolded behind the scenes is a story that has never before been told...until now. In this groundbreaking book, Taraborrelli draws complex and sympathetic portraits of the women so influential in the actress' life, including her mother, her foster mother, and her legal guardian. He also reveals, for the first time, the shocking scope of Marilyn's own mental illness, the identity of Marilyn's father and the half-brother she never knew, and new information about her relationship with the Kennedy's-Bobby, Jack, and Pat Kennedy Lawford. Explosive, revelatory, and surprisingly moving, this is the final word on the life of one of the most fascinating and elusive icons of the 20th Century.

ISBN-13: 9780446580823
ISBN-10: 0446580821
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Date: August 2009
Page Count: 00560
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Highest Duty

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Sullenberger, Chesley

In this inspirational autobiography, Captain "Sully" Sullenberger, the airline pilot whose emergency landing on the Hudson River earned the world's admiration, tells his life story and talks about the essential qualities that he believes have been so vital to his success.

In January 2009, the world witnessed one of the most remarkable emergency landings in history when Captain Sullenberger brought a crippled US Airways flight onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all of the passengers and crew aboard. The successful outcome was the result of effective teamwork, Sully's dedication to airline safety, his belief that a pilot's judgment must go hand-in-hand with--and can never be replaced by--technology, and forty years of careful practice and training.

From his earliest memories of learning to fly as a teenager in a crop duster's single-engine plane in the skies above rural Texas to his years in the United States Air Force at the controls of a powerful F-4 Phantom, Sully describes the experiences that have helped make him a better leader, particularly the importance of taking responsibility for everyone in his care. And he talks about what he believes is at the heart of America's "can do" spirit: the very human drive to prepare for the unexpected and to meet it with optimism and courage.

His wife, Lorrie, has been a pillar of support through all the highs and lows that life has offered, from the challenges of commercial flying to the birth of their two daughters, from financial struggles to the event of January 15, 2009. Though the world may remember Sully as the hero of Flight 1549, the legacy he desires even more is that of a loving husband and father.

"Highest Duty" is the intimate story of a man who has grown up to embrace what we think of as quintessential American values--leadership, responsibility, commitment to hard work, and service to others. And it is a narrative that reminds us that cultivating seemingly ordinary virtues can prepare us to perform extraordinary acts.

ISBN-13: 9780061924682
ISBN-10: 0061924687
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Date: October 2009
Page Count: 00340
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

The Time of My Life

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Swayze, Patrick

In a career spanning more than thirty years, Patrick Swayze has made a name for himself on the stage, the screen, and television. Known for his versatility, passion and fearlessness, he's become one of our most beloved actors.

But in February 2008, Patrick announced he had been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. Always a fighter, he refused to let the disease bring him to his knees, and his bravery has inspired both his legion of fans and cancer patients everywhere. Yet this memoir, written with wisdom and heart, recounts much more than his bout with cancer. In vivid detail, Patrick describes his Texas upbringing, his personal struggles, his rise to fame with North and South, his commercial breakthroughs in "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost," and the soul mate who's stood by his side through it all: his wife, writer and director Lisa Niemi.

A behind-the-scenes look at a Hollywood life and a remarkable love, this memoir is both entertainment and inspiration. Patrick and Lisa's marriage is a journey of two lives intertwined and lived as one--throughout their years in Hollywood and at home on their working ranch outside Los Angeles, and culminating in the hope and wisdom they've imparted to all who know them. This book will open the door for families, individuals, and husbands and wives to grow, bond and discover entirely new levels of love and sharing, proving that life shouldn't be lived as a series of endings, but rather as the beginning of greater strength and love.

ISBN-13: 9781439158586
ISBN-10: 1439158584
Publisher: Atria Books
Date: September 2009
Page Count: 00247
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: O\'Reilly, Bill

The year was 1957, the month September, and I had just turned eight years old. Dwight Eisenhower was President, but in my life it was the diminutive, intense Sister Mary Lurana who ruled, at least in the third-grade class where I was held captive. For reasons you will soon understand, my parents had remanded me to the penal institution of St. Brigid's School in Westbury, New York, a cruel and unusual punishment if there ever was one.
Already, I had barely survived my first two years at St. Brigid's because I was, well, a little nitwit. Not satisfied with memorizing the Baltimore Catechism's fine prose, which featured passages like "God made me to show his goodness and to make me happy with him in heaven," I was constantly annoying my classmates and, of course, the no-nonsense Sister Lurana. With sixty overactive students in her class, she was understandably short on patience. For survival, she had also become quick on the draw.
Then it happened. One day I blurted out some dumb remark, and Sister Lurana was on me like a panther. Her black habit blocked out all distractions as she leaned down, looked me in the eye, and uttered words I have never forgotten: "William, you are a bold, fresh piece of humanity."
And she was dead-on.

One day in 1957, in the third-grade classroom of St. Brigid's parochial school, an exasperated Sister Mary Lurana bent over a restless young William O'Reilly and said, "William, you are a bold, fresh piece of humanity." Little did she know that she was, early in his career as a troublemaker, defining the essence of Bill O'Reilly and providing him with the title of his brash and entertaining issues-based memoir.
And this time it's personal. In his most intimate book yet, O'Reilly goes back in time to examine the people, places, and experiences that launched him on his journey from working-class kid to immensely influential television personality and bestselling author. Readers will learn how his traditional outlook was formed in the crucible of his family, his neighborhood, his church, and his schools, and how his views on America's proper role in the world emerged from covering four wars on five continents over three-plus decades as a news correspondent. What will delight his numerous fans and surprise many others is the humor and self-deprecation with which he handles one of his core subjects: himself, and just how O'Reilly became O'Reilly.

ISBN-13: 9780767928823
ISBN-10: 0767928822
Publisher: Broadway Books
Date: September 2008
Page Count: 00256
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Anne Frank

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Prose, Francine

In June 1942, Anne Frank received a red-and-white- checked diary for her thirteenth birthday, just weeks before she and her family went into hiding in an Amsterdam attic to escape the Nazis. For two years, with ever-increasing maturity, Anne crafted a memoir that has become one of the most compelling documents of modern history. She described life in vivid, unforgettable detail, explored apparently irreconcilable views of human nature--people are good at heart but capable of unimaginable evil--and grappled with the unfolding events of World War II, until the hidden attic was raided in August 1944.

But Anne Frank's diary, argues Francine Prose, is as much a work of art as a historical record. Through close reading, she marvels at the teenage Frank's skillfully natural narrative voice, at her finely tuned dialogue and ability to turn living people into characters. And Prose addresses what few of the diary's millions of readers may know: this book is a "deliberate" work of art. During her last months in hiding, Anne Frank furiously revised and edited her work, crafting a piece of literature that she had hoped would be read by the public after the war.

Read it has been. Few books have been as influential for as long, and Prose thoroughly investigates the diary's unique afterlife: the obstacles and criticism Otto Frank faced in publishing his daughter's words; the controversy surrounding the diary's Broadway and film adaptations; and the claims of conspiracy theorists who have cried fraud, along with the scientific analysis that proved them wrong. Finally, Prose, a teacher herself, considers the rewards and challenges of sharing one of the world's most read, and most banned, books with students.

How has the life and death of one girl become emblematic of the lives and deaths of so many, and why do her words continue to inspire? "Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife" tells the extraordinary story of the book that became a force in the world. Along the way, Francine Prose definitively establishes that Anne Frank was not an accidental author or a casual teenaged chronicler, but a writer of prodigious talent and ambition.

How has the life and death of one girl become emblematic of the lives and deaths of so many, and why do her words continue to inspire? "Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife" tells the extraordinary story of the book that became a force in the world. Along the way, Francine Prose definitively establishes that Anne Frank was not an accidental author or a casual teenage chronicler, but a writer of prodigious talent and ambition.

ISBN-13: 9780061430794
ISBN-10: 006143079X
Publisher: Harper
Date: October 2009
Page Count: 00336
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Hard Work

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Williams, Roy

Coach Roy Williams, one of the most successful basketball coaches in the nation, tells the story of his life that few people know, from his turbulent family life as a child to the North Carolina Tar Heels' National Championship victory in 2009.

ISBN-13: 9781565129597
ISBN-10: 1565129598
Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
Date: November 2009
Page Count: 00288
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

You Better Not Cry

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Burroughs, Augusten

You've eaten too much candy at Christmas...but have you ever eaten the face off a six-footstuffed Santa? You've seen gingerbread houses...but have you ever made your own gingerbread tenement? You've woken up with a hangover...but have you ever woken up next to Kris Kringle himself? Augusten Burroughs has, and in this caustically funny, nostalgic, poignant, and moving collection he recounts Christmases past and present--as only he could. With gimleteyed wit and illuminated prose, Augusten shows how the holidays bring out the worst in us and sometimes, just sometimes, the very, very best.

ISBN-13: 9780312341916
ISBN-10: 0312341911
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Date: October 2009
Page Count: 00224
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Bon Jovi

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Bon Jovi

You think you know Bon Jovi, but you don't until you open this book. With gorgeous, exclusive photographs and revealing text from the band members themselves, "Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful" captures Jon, Richie, Dave, and Tico at both intimate moments and under the limelight in all aspects of their lives, from the private times backstage and on the road to their stunning and unforgettable live performances. Stretching back to the early days in Jersey, through successes and struggles, and up to the 2008 "Lost Highway" tour--the highest-grossing rock tour of that year--this book offers fans a dazzling portrait of rock stars on the road as they reflect on their twenty-five years together as a band of brothers. This insider's portrait of one of America's best-loved rock bands is the subject of a major documentary and this extraordinary book.

Related Subjects:Books > Biography & Autobiography > Composers & Musicians - Rock

ISBN-13: 9780061864155
ISBN-10: 0061864153
Publisher: Collins Design
Date: November 2009
Page Count: 00192
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

American Rebel

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Eliot, Marc

As an actor, he seduces us with his tough-guy charm. As a director and producer, he amazes us with his artistry and technical savvy. As a Hollywood icon, Clint Eastwood, one of film's greatest living legends, represents some of the finest cinematic achievements in the history of American cinema.
In "American Rebel," bestselling author and acclaimed film historian Marc Eliot examines the ever-exciting, often-tumultuous arc of Clint Eastwood's life and career. Unlike past biographers, Eliot writes with unflinching candor about Eastwood's highs and lows, his artistic successes and failures, and the fascinating, complex relationship between his life and his craft. Eliot's prodigious research reveals how a college dropout and unambitious playboy rose to fame as Hollywood' s "sexy rebel," eventually and against all odds becoming a star in the Academy pantheon as a multiple Oscar winner. Spanning decades, " American Rebel "covers the best of Eastwood' s oeuvre, films that have fast become American classics-"Fistful of Dollars, Dirty Harry, Unforgiven, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby," and "Gran Torino. "
Filled with remarkable insights into Eastwood's personal life and public work, "American Rebel" is highly entertaining and the most complete biography of one of Hollywood's truly respected and beloved stars-an actor who, despite being the "Man with No Name," has left his indelible mark on the world of motion pictures."
"

ISBN-13: 9780307336880
ISBN-10: 0307336883
Publisher: Harmony
Date: October 2009
Page Count: 00383
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

True Compass

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Kennedy, Edward M.

In this landmark autobiography, five years in the making, Senator Edward M. Kennedy tells his extraordinary personal story--of his legendary family, politics, and fifty years at the center of national events.
TRUE COMPASS
The youngest of nine children born to Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, he came of age among siblings from whom much was expected. As a young man, he played a key role in the presidential campaign of his brother John F. Kennedy, recounted here in loving detail. In 1962 he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he began a fascinating political education and became a legislator.
In this historic memoir, Ted Kennedy takes us inside his family, re-creating life with his parents and brothers and explaining their profound impact on him. For the first time, he describes his heartbreak and years of struggle in the wake of their deaths. Through it all, he describes his work in the Senate on the major issues of our time--civil rights, Vietnam, Watergate, the quest for peace in Northern Ireland--and the cause of his life: improved health care for all Americans, a fight influenced by his own experiences in hospitals.
His life has been marked by tragedy and perseverance, a love of family, and an abiding faith. There have been controversies, too, and Kennedy addresses them with unprecedented candor. At midlife, embattled and uncertain if he would ever fall in love again, he met the woman who changed his life, Victoria Reggie Kennedy. Facing a tough reelection campaign against an aggressive challenger named Mitt Romney, Kennedy found a new voice and began one of the great third acts in American politics, sponsoring major legislation, standing up for liberal principles, and making the pivotal endorsement of Barack Obama for president.
Hundreds of books have been written about the Kennedys. TRUE COMPASS will endure as the definitive account from a member of America's most heralded family, an inspiring legacy to readers and to history, and a deeply moving story of a life like no other.

ISBN-13: 9780446539258
ISBN-10: 0446539252
Publisher: Twelve
Date: September 2009
Page Count: 00532
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Nightlight

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Harvard Lampoon

"About three things I was absolutely certain. First, Edwart was most likely my soul mate, maybe. Second, there was a vampire part of him -- which I assumed was wildly out of his control -- that wanted me dead. And third, I unconditionally, irrevocably, impenetrably, heterogeneously, gynecologically, and disreputably wished he had kissed me."

And thus Belle Goose falls in love with the mysterious and sparkly Edwart Mullen in the Harvard Lampoon's hilarious send-up of "Twilight."

Pale and klutzy, Belle arrives in Switchblade, Oregon, looking for adventure, or at least an undead classmate. She soon discovers Edwart, a super-hot computer nerd with zero interest in girls. After witnessing a number of strange events -- Edwart leaves his tater tots untouched at lunch, Edwart saves her from a flying snowball -- Belle has a dramatic revelation: Edwart is a vampire. But how can she convince Edwart to bite her and transform her into his eternal bride, especially when he seems to find girls so repulsive?

Complete with romance, danger, insufficient parental guardianship, creepy stalker-like behavior, and a vampire prom, "Nightlight" is the uproarious tale of a vampire-obsessed girl looking for love in all the wrong places.

Related Subjects:Books > Humor > Form - Parodies

ISBN-13: 9780307476104
ISBN-10: 0307476103
Publisher: Vintage Books USA
Date: November 2009
Page Count: 00154
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Heroes and Villains

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Hajdu, David

"Heroes and Villains" is the first collection of essays by David Hajdu, award-winning author of "The Ten-Cent Plague," "Positively 4th Street," and "Lush Life." Eclectic and controversial, Hajdu's essays take on topics as varied as pop music, jazz, the avant-garde,
comic books, and our downloading culture. The heart of "Heroes and Villains" is an extraordinary new piece of cultural rediscovery, original to this book. It tells the untold story of one of the most important--and, ultimately, one of the most tragic--figures in American popular music, Billy Eckstine. Through exhaustive new research, Hajdu shows how this great, forgotten singer, once more popular than Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, transformed American music by combining sex appeal, sophistication, and black machismo--in the era of segregation. The cost, for Eckstine, was his career--and nearly his life.

Other essays in this expansive book deal with topical and surprising subjects like Beyonce, Bobby Darin, Kanye West, Marjane Satrapi, Woody Guthrie, Will Eisner, the White Stripes, Elmer Fudd, Elvis Costello, Harry Partch, Ray Charles, Joni Mitchell, and more."
"

Related Subjects:Books > Literary Collections > Essays
Books > Social Science > Popular Culture - General

ISBN-13: 9780306818332
ISBN-10: 0306818337
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Date: October 2009
Page Count: 00352
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Austen, Jane

Click Here for a Free Discussion Guide!

From the publisher of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies comes a new tale of romance, heartbreak, and tentacled mayhem.

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters expands the original text of the beloved Jane Austen novel with all-new scenes of giant lobsters, rampaging octopi, two-headed sea serpents, and other biological monstrosities. As our story opens, the Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island full of savage creatures and dark secrets. While sensible Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, her romantic sister Marianne is courted by both the handsome Willoughby and the hideous man-monster Colonel Brandon. Can the Dashwood sisters triumph over meddlesome matriarchs and unscrupulous rogues to find true love? Or will they fall prey to the tentacles that are forever snapping at their heels? This masterful portrait of Regency England blends Jane Austens biting social commentary with ultraviolent depictions of sea monsters biting. Its survival of the fittestand only the swiftest swimmers will find true love!

Related Subjects:Books > Humor > Form - Parodies

ISBN-13: 9781594744426
ISBN-10: 1594744424
Publisher: Quirk Books
Date: September 2009
Page Count: 00343
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Max, Tucker

- TuckerMax.com gets 10.9 million page views per month
- The paid members-only section of TuckerMax.com received 2,000 registrations in its first few weeks, with more subscribing every day at $15 per year
- TuckerMax.com has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Esquire and Playboy
- TuckerMax.com generates over $10,000 a month in ad revenue
- Tucker sold over 5,000 copies each of his two previous, self-published books on Amazon.com alone

Related Subjects:Books > Humor > Topic - Adult
Books > Humor > Form - Anecdotes
Books > Humor > Topic - Relationships

ISBN-13: 9780806532257
ISBN-10: 0806532254
Publisher: Citadel Press
Date: August 2009
Page Count: 00326
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

My Bad

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Scott, Jerry

"My Bad" is filled with funny, genuine stories about life as--and with--a teenage boy. Taken from firsthand experience of successfully living through the teen years and now raising teenagers, Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman cross the minefield of all that teenagerhood holds. From questions, curiosities, and concerns, to hormones and insecurities, key character Jeremy, girlfriend Sara, and best buds Hector and Pierce make muddling through the day memorable.

* Everybody gets "Zits" because everyone has either been a teenager, is one, will be one, is raising one, or knows one. Maybe that's why this breakthrough work was named Best Newspaper Comic Strip in 1998 and 1999 by the National Cartoonists Society.

* "Zits" nabbed the Max and Moritz Award for Best International Comic Strip in 2000.

* Jerry Scott won the 2001 Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year.

* Jim Borgman took home the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning and he's the only cartoonist to win the National Cartoonists Society's Best Editorial Cartoonist Award five times. He also won the 1993 Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year.

* ""Zits" is being hailed as one of the freshest and most imaginative strips of recent years." --"Los Angeles Times"

Related Subjects:Books > Humor > Form - Comic Strips & Cartoons

ISBN-13: 9780740780905
ISBN-10: 0740780905
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Date: March 2009
Page Count: 00262
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Pearls Sells Out

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Pastis, Stephan

Stephan Pastis has done it again with "Pearls Sells Out: A Pearls Before Swine Treasury." This edgy comic is the perfect collection of insight and observation on humanity's pitiful plight as seen by an arrogant rat, a half-wit pig, and their insane entourage. "Pearls Sells Out" gives fans their much-needed dose of humor, wit and biting sarcasm. The book also features thoughts and sly comments from Pastis about the strips in running commentary throughout the book.

"There's an artful, edgy rebellion being waged in the funny pages, and one of its brightest revolutionaries is Stephan Pastis." --"Fort Worth Star-Telegram"

"The cartoon "Pearls Before Swine" is written by a psychopath." --reader complaint, "Wichita Eagle"

Related Subjects:Books > Humor > Form - Comic Strips & Cartoons

ISBN-13: 9780740773969
ISBN-10: 0740773968
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Date: August 2009
Page Count: 00264
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

The Days Are Just Packed

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Watterson, Bill

A collection of the Sunday paper cartoon strips in which Calvin, the self-proclaimed "Boy of Destiny", continues to save the universe with his alter egos, Spaceman Spiff and Stupendous Man--until Miss Wormwood or his mother bring him back to reality. Full color.

Related Subjects:Books > Humor > General

ISBN-13: 9780836217353
ISBN-10: 0836217357
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Date: September 1993
Page Count: 00175
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Pearls Before Swine

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Pastis, Stephan

Pearls Before Swine is the hilarious new comic strip tale of two friends: an arrogant, egotistical Rat who thinks he knows it all and a slow-witted Pig who doesn't know any better. Together with Zebra, the activist, and Goat, the reluctant brain, Pearls Before Swine offers caustic commentary on humanity's quest for the unattainable. Smart, witty, and sometimes painfully honest, Pearls Before Swine mocks the flaws and shortcomings of human nature with cynical humor.Pearls Before Swine has been syndicated by United Feature Syndicate since January 2002 and now appears in more than 100 newspapers worldwide. In panel after panel, Pearls Before Swine causes readers to lose themselves in laughter.

Related Subjects:Books > Humor > Form - Comic Strips & Cartoons
Books > Humor > General

ISBN-13: 9780740734373
ISBN-10: 0740734377
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Date: March 2003
Page Count: 00128
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Alternative Zits

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Scott, Jerry

In "Zits," Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman sublimely manipulate the two seemingly dissimilar worlds of teenagedom and parenthood to create a strip that is equally enjoyed by teens and their parents.Appealingly portraying the angst and insecurities associated with growing up, Alternative Zits: A "Zits" Treasury features all strips from Are We Out of the Driveway Yet? and Rude, Crude, and Tattooed.

Related Subjects:Books > Humor > Form - Comic Strips & Cartoons

ISBN-13: 9780740768484
ISBN-10: 0740768484
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Date: September 2007
Page Count: 00245
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Wrapped-Up Foxtrot

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Amend, Bill

Bill Amends treasury, "Wrapped-Up FoxTrot," will leave FoxTrot fans with a lasting impression and a lot of laughs.

Now a Sunday-only strip, this anthology includes colored Sundays as well as the final dailies of the comic "Entertainment Weekly" said "is the most idiosyncratic one to debut since "Calvin and Hobbes.""

Fans get all the family angst and antics they can handle with a collection of stories and experiences that only Jason, Peter, Paige, and parents can provide. Life is always fresh, topical, and irreverent in this wacky house.

* Amend's "FoxTrot" won the National Cartoonists Society's prestigious Reuben Award in 2007.

Related Subjects:Books > Humor > Form - Comic Strips & Cartoons

ISBN-13: 9780740781582
ISBN-10: 0740781588
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Date: May 2009
Page Count: 00187
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Our Front Pages

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Williams, Brian

From The Birth Of A Nation To The Death Of Journalism

Since its founding by a bloodthirsty tyrant in 1756, "The Onion" has not merely changed the way we think about the news -- it has changed whether we think about the news at all. As the first decade of this new millennium draws to a close, "Our Front Pages" shows us the first thing that presidents, kings, prime ministers, and popes saw when they opened their eyes each morning for the last 21 years. Now you, the common reader and citizen, can see what they saw and be as informed as they were with this important retrospective of the past two decades. You, too, will realize what generations before have realized and generations yet unborn will some day realize in turn: "The Onion" is not merely the chronicle of America. "The Onion" is America.

Related Subjects:Books > Humor > Form - Parodies
Books > Humor > Topic - Political

ISBN-13: 9781439156926
ISBN-10: 1439156921
Publisher: Scribner Book Company
Date: November 2009
Page Count: 00304
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Zombies

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Roff, Don

The year is 2011, and what starts as a pervasive and inexplicable illness ends up as a zombie infestation that devastates the world's population. Taking the form of a biologist's illustrated journal found in the aftermath of the attack, this pulse-pounding, suspenseful tale of zombie apocalypse follows the narrator as he flees from city to countryside and heads north to Canada, where he hopes the undead will be slowed by the colder climate. Encountering scattered humans and scores of the infected along the way, he fills his notebook with graphic drawings of the zombies and careful observations of their behavior, along with terrifying tales of survival. This frightening new contribution to the massively popular zombie resurgence will keep fans on the edge of their seats right up to the very end.

Related Subjects:Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Horror

ISBN-13: 9780811871006
ISBN-10: 0811871002
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Date: October 2009
Page Count: 144
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

New Moon

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Meyer, Stephenie

The movie tie-in edition of the #1 bestselling trade paperback includes a collectible full-color, fold-out poster with photos of the movie cast on both sides.

In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.

ISBN-13: 9780316075633
ISBN-10: 0316075639
Publisher: Little Brown & Co.
Date: September 2009
Page Count: 00576
Reading Level: Ages 12 - 18

Inside Disney's A Christmas Carol

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Dickens, Charles

The timeless tale of an old miser who must face Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet-to-Come, is re-imagined by cinematic visionary Robert Zemeckis. The three Ghosts remind Scrooge of the man he once used to be, the cold truth of who he is today, and what will happen if Scrooge does not strive to be a better man for tomorrow Set during the holidays, "A Christmas Carol" is sure to stand out as a classic holiday film for years to come.
Making of Disney's A Christmas Carol
Just how did Robert Zemeckis and the rest of the film crew make "Disney's A Christmas Carol"? This 32-page early reader will go behind the scenea and show children just how the movie came together With special effects shots, rough sketches of scenes, costumes, and set design, fans of the movie will enjoy this making of "Disney's A Christmas Carol "

ISBN-13: 9781423122128
ISBN-10: 1423122127
Publisher: Disney Press
Date: September 2009
Page Count: 00032
Reading Level: Ages 06 - 09

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Barrett, Judi

In Chewandswallow, meals rain from the sky at appropriate times of the day, but a change in the weather blows in massive problems. "Prediction: Children dreaming up their own weather menus are sure to follow up on the fun".--Booklist. A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year. Three-color illustrations.

Related Subjects:Books > Juvenile Fiction > Humorous Stories

ISBN-13: 9780689707490
ISBN-10: 0689707495
Publisher: Atheneum Books
Date: May 1982
Page Count: 00032
Reading Level: Ages 04 - 08

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Set

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Riordan, Rick

Humans and half-bloods alike agree-Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a series fit for heroes Re-live the adventure from the beginning with this boxed set of the first three books. The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. When his mom tells him the truth about where he came from, she takes him to the one place he'll be safe-Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island). There, Percy learns that the father he never knew is actually Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon Percy finds himself caught up in a mystery that could lead to disastrous consequences. Together with his friends-a satyr and other the demigod daughter of Athena-Percy sets out on a quest to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.
The Sea of Monsters
After a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson finds his seventh-grade school year unnervingly calm. But things don't stay quiet for long. Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half-Blood: the magical borders which protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner by the Cyclops Polyphemus on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters-the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millennia-only today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new nameL: the Bermuda Triangle. Now Percy and his friends must retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes by the end of the summer or Camp Half-Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his family-one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor or simply a cruel joke...
The Titan's Curse
When Percy Jackson receives a distress call from his friend Grover, he immediately prepares for battle. He knows he'll need his powerful demigod allies, Annabeth and Thalia, at his side; his trusty broze sword Riptide; and... a ride from his mom. The demigods race to the rescue, to find that Grover has made an important discovery: two new powerful half-bloods whose parentage is unknown. But that's not all that awaits them. The Titan lord, Kronos, has set up his most devious trap yet, and the young heroes have unwittingly fallen prey. Hilarious and action-packed, this third adventure in the series finds Percy faced with his most dangerous challenge so far: the chilling prophecy of the Titan's curse.

ISBN-13: 9781423113492
ISBN-10: 1423113497
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Date: September 2008
Page Count: 01032
Reading Level: Ages 10 - 14

Precious (Push Movie Tie-In Edition)

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Sapphire

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE
Includes a Reading Group Guide
Precious Jones, an illiterate sixteen-year-old, has up until now been invisible to the father who rapes her and the mother who batters her and to the authorities who dismiss her as just one more of Harlem's casualties. But when Precious, pregnant with a second child by her father, meets a determined and radical teacher, we follow her on a journey of education and enlightenment as she learns not only how to write about her life, but how to make it truly her own for the first time.

Related Subjects:Books > Fiction > Media Tie-In - General

ISBN-13: 9780307474841
ISBN-10: 0307474844
Publisher: Vintage Books USA
Date: October 2009
Page Count: 00192
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

The Boys Are Back

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Carr, Simon

""So there we are, a father and two sons in a household without role models, males together in a home different from anything I'd known--an idyllic Lost Boys' world with a house full of children and as few rules as possible.""
When Simon Carr's wife Susie lost her battle to cancer, Carr was left to raise his 5-year old son, Alexander, on his own. Soon after, Hugo, his 11-year old son from a previous marriage comes to live with them. Now, this motley crew of boys have to learn how to be a family. Along the way, Carr reveals some illuminating truths about parenting and the differences between mothers and fathers. His messy household bears no similarity to the immaculate home his wife kept; his response to mothers on the playground fretting about his son's safety on the handlebars is, "If he falls, at least he'll know not to do it again." Emotionally honest and sharply witty, Carr's story is at once heartbreaking and wonderfully life-affirming.

ISBN-13: 9780307476272
ISBN-10: 0307476278
Publisher: Vintage Books USA
Date: September 2009
Page Count: 00240
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Julie and Julia

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Powell, Julie

Julie & Julia, the bestselling memoir that's "irresistible....A kind of "Bridget Jones" meets "The French Chef"" ("Philadelphia Inquirer"), is now a major motion picture. Julie Powell, nearing thirty and trapped in a dead-end secretarial job, resolves to reclaim her life by cooking in the span of a single year, every one of the 524 recipes in Julia Child's legendary "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Her unexpected reward: not just a newfound respect for calves' livers and aspic, but a new life-lived with gusto. The film version is written and directed by Nora Ephron and stars Amy Adams as Julie and Meryl Streep as Julia.

ISBN-13: 9780316044271
ISBN-10: 031604427X
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Date: July 2009
Page Count: 00307
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Doyle, Arthur Conan

A new collection to coincide with the upcoming major motion picture starring Robert Downey, Jr., and Jude Law, "Sherlock Holmes"
This gripping collection includes many of the famous cases-and great strokes of brilliance-that made the legA-endary Sherlock Holmes one of fiction's most popular creations. With his devoted secretary, Dr. Watson, Holmes emerges from his smoke-filled rooms on Baker Street to grapple with the forces of treachery, intrigue, and evil in such cases as "The Speckled Band," in which a terrified woman begs Holmes and Watson's help in solvA-ing the mystery surrounding her sister's death, and "A Scandal in Bohemia," which portrays a European king blackmailed by his misA-tress. A spine-tingling treat for anyone who loves a classic whodunit, "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" shows the inimitable detective at his best.

ISBN-13: 9780143117025
ISBN-10: 0143117025
Publisher: Penguin Books
Date: September 2009
Page Count: 00321
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Where the Wild Things Are

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Sendak, Maurice

In the forty years since Max first cried "Let the wild rumpus start," Maurice Sendak's classic picture book has become one of the most highly acclaimed and best-loved children's books of all time. Now, in celebration of this special anniversary, introduce a new generation to Max's imaginative journey where a naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to the land of the wild things and becomes their king.

Caldecott Medal Winner: Picture Book 1964

Features: Dust Cover, Illustrated
0.43" H x 9.24" L x 10.4" W (1.02 lbs) 48 pages

ISBN-13: 9780060254926
ISBN-10: 0060254920
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Date: September 1988
Page Count: 00048
Reading Level: Ages 04 - 08

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Rowling, J. K.

The war against Voldemort is not going well; even Muggle governments are noticing. Ron scans the obituary pages of the Daily Prophet, looking for familiar faces. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses.

As in all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to Apparateand lose a few eyebrows in the process. The Weasley twins expand their business, Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Classes are never straightforward, though Harry receives some extraordinary help form the mysterious Half-Blood Prince.

So its the home front that takes center stage in the multilayered sixth installment of the story of Harry Potter. Here at Hogwarts, Harry will search for the full and complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemortand thereby find what may be his only vulnerability.

ISBN-13: 9780439784542
ISBN-10: 0439784549
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Date: July 2005
Page Count: 00652
Reading Level: Ages 09 - 12

The Vampire's Assistant and Other Tales from the Cirque Du Freak

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Shan, Darren

Darren Shan is just an ordinary schoolboy who loves to ride bikes and hang out with his three best friends. Then one day Darren and his friends stumble across an invitation to visit the Cirque Du Freak, a strange and mysterious freak show. Almost as if by destiny, Darren wins a ticket and what follows is his horrifying descent into the dark and bloody world of vampires.
This is Darren's story.
New movie edition features the first three books--Cirque Du Freak, The Vampire's Assistant, and Tunnels of Blood-- bound up in one volume

ISBN-13: 9780316052405
ISBN-10: 031605240X
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Date: September 2009
Page Count: 00692
Reading Level: Ages 12 - 22

Toy Story/Toy Story 2

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Disney

Relive the adventures of Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of Andy's toys in this classic read-aloud storybook retelling of "Toy Story "and "Toy Story 2." With glossy pages, full-color art straight from the new 3-D version of the movies, and a pull-out movie poster, this is the perfect gift for tried-and-true "Toy Story "fans or a whole new generation of viewers.

ISBN-13: 9780736425957
ISBN-10: 0736425950
Publisher: Random House Disney
Date: August 2009
Page Count: 00072
Reading Level: Ages 04 - 08

Where Men Win Glory

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Krakauer, Jon

The bestselling author of "Into the Wild," "Into Thin Air," and "Under the Banner of Heaven" delivers a stunning, eloquent account of a remarkable young man's haunting journey.
"
"Like the men whose epic stories Jon Krakauer has told in his previous bestsellers, Pat Tillman was an irrepressible individualist and iconoclast. In May 2002, Tillman walked away from his $3.6 million NFL contract to enlist in the United States Army. He was deeply troubled by 9/11, and he felt a strong moral obligation to join the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Two years later, he died on a desolate hillside in southeastern Afghanistan.
Though obvious to most of the two dozen soldiers on the scene that a ranger in Tillman's own platoon had fired the fatal shots, the Army aggressively maneuvered to keep this information from Tillman's wife, other family members, and the American public for five weeks following his death. During this time, President Bush repeatedly invoked Tillman's name to promote his administration's foreign policy. Long after Tillman's nationally televised memorial service, the Army grudgingly notified his closest relatives that he had "probably" been killed by friendly fire while it continued to dissemble about the details of his death and who was responsible.
In "Where Men Win Glory," Jon Krakauer draws on Tillman's journals and letters, interviews with his wife and friends, conversations with the soldiers who served alongside him, and extensive research on the ground in Afghanistan to render an intricate mosaic of this driven, complex, and uncommonly compelling figure as well as the definitive account" "of the events and actions that led to his death. Before he enlisted in the army, Tillman was familiar to sports aficionados as an undersized, overachieving Arizona Cardinals safety whose virtuosity in the defensive backfield was spellbinding. With his shoulder-length hair, outspoken views, and boundless intellectual curiosity, Tillman was considered a maverick. America was fascinated when he traded the bright lights and riches of the NFL for boot camp and a buzz cut. Sent first to Iraq--a war he would openly declare was "illegal as hell" --and eventually to Afghanistan, Tillman was driven by complicated, emotionally charged, sometimes contradictory notions of duty, honor, justice, patriotism, and masculine pride, and he was determined to serve his entire three-year commitment. But on April 22, 2004, his life would end in a barrage of bullets fired by his fellow soldiers.
Krakauer chronicles Tillman's riveting, tragic odyssey in engrossing detail highlighting his remarkable character and personality while closely examining the murky, heartbreaking circumstances of his death. Infused with the power and authenticity readers have come to expect from Krakauer's storytelling, "Where Men Win Glory "exposes shattering truths about men and war.

ISBN-13: 9780385522267
ISBN-10: 0385522266
Publisher: Doubleday Books
Date: September 2009
Page Count: 00383
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

The Good Soldiers

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Finkel, David

It was the last-chance moment of the war. In January 2007, President George W. Bush announced a new strategy for Iraq. He called it the surge. "Many listening tonight will ask why this effort will succeed when previous operations to secure Baghdad did not. Well, here are the differences," he told a skeptical nation. Among those listening were the young, optimistic army infantry soldiers of the 2-16, the battalion nicknamed the Rangers. About to head to a vicious area of Baghdad, they decided the difference would be them.
Fifteen months later, the soldiers returned home forever changed. Pulitzer Prize-winning "Washington Post" reporter David Finkel was with them in Bagdad, and almost every grueling step of the way.
What was the true story of the surge? And was it really a success? Those are the questions he grapples with in his remarkable report from the front lines. Combining the action of Mark Bowden's "Black Hawk Down" with the literary brio of Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," " The Good Soldiers" is an unforgettable work of reportage. And in telling the story of these good soldiers, the heroes and the ruined, David Finkel has also produced an eternal tale--not just of the Iraq War, but of all wars, for all time.

Related Subjects:Books > History > Military - Iraq War (2003-)
Books > History > Military - United States

ISBN-13: 9780374165734
ISBN-10: 0374165734
Publisher: Sarah Crichton Books
Date: September 2009
Page Count: 00287
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Healing of America

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Reid, T. R.

Bestselling author T. R. Reid guides a whirlwind tour of successful health care systems worldwide, revealing possible paths toward U.S. reform.
In "The Healing of America, New York Times" bestselling author T. R. Reid shows how all the other industrialized democracies have achieved something the United States can't seem to do: provide health care for everybody at a reasonable cost.
In his global quest to find a possible prescription, Reid visits wealthy, free market, industrialized democracies like our own-including France, Germany, Japan, the U.K., and Canada-where he finds inspiration in example. Reid shares evidence from doctors, government officials, health care experts, and patients the world over, finding that foreign health care systems give everybody quality care at an affordable cost. And that dreaded monster "socialized medicine" turns out to be a myth. Many developed countries provide universal coverage with private doctors, private hospitals, and private insurance.
In addition to long-established systems, Reid also studies countries that have carried out major health care reform. The first question facing these countries-and the United States, for that matter-is an ethical issue: Is health care a human right? Most countries have already answered with a resolute yes, leaving the United States in the murky moral backwater with nations we typically think of as far less just than our own.
"The Healing of America" lays bare the moral question at the heart of our troubled system, dissecting the misleading rhetoric surrounding the health care debate. Reid sees problems elsewhere, too: He finds poorly paid doctors in Japan, endless lines in Canada, mistreated patients in Britain, spartan facilities in France. Still, all the other rich countries operate at a lower cost, produce better health statistics, and cover everybody. In the end, "The Healing of America" is a good news book: It finds models around the world that Americans can borrow to guarantee health care for everybody who needs it.

Related Subjects:Books > Medical > Health Care Delivery
Books > Medical > Health Policy

ISBN-13: 9781594202346
ISBN-10: 1594202346
Publisher: Penguin Press
Date: August 2009
Page Count: 00288
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Arguing with Idiots

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Beck, Glenn

FUNNY.

FRIGHTENING.

TRUE.

It happens to all of us: You're minding your own business, when some idiot informs you that guns are evil, the Prius will save the planet, or the rich have to finally start paying their fair share of taxes.

"Just go away " you think to yourself -- but they only become more obnoxious. Your heart rate quickens. You start to sweat. You can't get away. Your only hope is...

...this book.

Glenn Beck, author of the #1 "New York Times" bestsellers "An Inconvenient Book" and "Glenn Beck's Common Sense," has stumbled upon the secret formula to winning arguments against people with big mouths but small minds: knowing the facts.

And this book is full of them.

The next time your Idiot Friends tell you how gun control prevents gun violence, you'll tell them all about England's handgun ban (see page 53). When they tell you that we should copy the UK's health-care system, you'll recount the horrifying facts you read on page 244. And the next time an idiot tells you that vegetable prices will skyrocket without illegal workers, you'll stop saying "no, they won't" and you'll start saying, "actually, eliminating all illegal labor will cause us to spend just $8 a year more on produce." (See page 139.)

Idiots can't be identified through voting records, they can be found only by looking for people who hide behind stereotypes, embrace partisanship, and believe that bumper sticker slogans are a substitute for common sense. If you know someone who fits the bill, then "Arguing with Idiots" will help you silence them once and for all with the ultimate weapon: the truth.

ISBN-13: 9781416595014
ISBN-10: 1416595015
Publisher: Threshold Editions
Date: September 2009
Page Count: 00325
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

The 10 Big Lies about America

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Medved, Michael

"It ain't so much the things we don't know that get us into trouble," nineteenth-century humorist Josh Billings remarked. "It's the things we know that just ain't so."

In this bold "New York Times" bestseller, acclaimed author and talk-radio host Michael Medved zeroes in on ten of the biggest fallacies that millions of Americans believe about our country-in spite of incontrovertible evidence to the contrary.
The Big Lies exposed and dissected include:
- America was founded on genocide against Native Americans.
- The United States is uniquely guilty for the crime of slavery and built its wealth on stolen African labor.
- Aggressive governmental programs offer the only remedy for economic downturns and poverty.
- The Founders intended a secular, not Christian, nation.
Each of the ten lies is a grotesque, propagandistic misrepresentation of the historical record. Medved's witty, well-documented rebuttal supplies the ammunition necessary to fire back the next time somebody tries to recycle destructive distortions about our nation."
"

ISBN-13: 9780307394071
ISBN-10: 0307394077
Publisher: Three Rivers Press (CA)
Date: October 2009
Page Count: 00280
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

In the President's Secret Service

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Kessler, Ronald

Never before has a journalist penetrated the wall of secrecy that surrounds the U.S. Secret Service, that elite corps of agents who pledge to take a bullet to protect the president and his family. After conducting exclusive interviews with more than one hundred current and former Secret Service agents, bestselling author and award-winning reporter Ronald Kessler reveals their secrets for the first time.
Secret Service agents, acting as human surveillance cameras, observe everything that goes on behind the scenes in the president's inner circle. Kessler reveals what they have seen, providing startling, previously untold stories about the presidents, from John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson to George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as well as about their families, Cabinet officers, and White House aides.
Kessler portrays the dangers that agents face and how they carry out their missions-from how they are trained to how they spot and assess potential threats. With fly-on-the-wall perspective, he captures the drama and tension that characterize agents' lives.
In this headline-grabbing book, Kessler discloses assassination attempts that have never before been revealed. He shares inside accounts of past assaults that have put the Secret Service to the test, including a heroic gun battle that took down the would-be assassins of Harry S. Truman, the devastating day that John F. Kennedy was killed in Dallas, and the swift actions that saved Ronald Reagan after he was shot.
While Secret Service agents are brave and dedicated, Kessler exposes how Secret Service management in recent years has betrayed its mission by cutting corners, risking the assassination of President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and their families. Given the lax standards, "It's a miracle we have not had a successful assassination," a current agent says.
Since an assassination jeopardizes democracy itself, few agencies are as important as the Secret Service-nor is any other subject as tantalizing as the inner sanctum of the White House. Only tight-lipped Secret Service agents know the real story, and Ronald Kessler is the only journalist to have won their trust.

ISBN-13: 9780307461353
ISBN-10: 0307461351
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
Date: August 2009
Page Count: 00288
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

We Are Doomed

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Derbyshire, John

To his fellow conservatives, John Derbyshire makes a plea: Don't be seduced by this nonsense about "the politics of hope." Skepticism, pessimism, and suspicion of happy talk are the true characteristics of an authentically conservative temperament. And from Hobbes and Burke through Lord Salisbury and Calvin Coolidge, up to Pat Buchanan and Mark Steyn in our own time, these beliefs have kept the human race from blindly chasing its utopian dreams right off a cliff.
Recently, though, various comforting yet fundamentally idiotic notions of political correctness and wishful thinking have taken root beyond the "Kumbaya"-singing, we're-all-one crowd. These ideas have now infected conservatives, the very people who really should know better. The Republican Party has been derailed by legions of fools and poseurs wearing smiley-face masks.
Think rescuing the economy by condemning our descendents to lives of spirit-crushing debt. Think nation-building abroad while we slowly disintegrate at home. Think education and No Child Left Behind. . . . But don't think about it too much, because if you do, you'll quickly come to the logical conclusion: We are doomed.
Need more convincing? Dwell on the cheerful promises of the diversity cult and the undeniable reality of the oncoming demographic disaster. Contemplate the feminization of everything, or take a good look at what passes for art these days. Witness the rise of culturism and the death of religion. Bow down before your new master, the federal apparatchik. Finally, ask yourself: How certain am I that the United States of America will survive, in any recognizable form, until, say, 2022?
A scathing, mordantly funny romp through today's dismal and dismaler political and cultural scene, "We Are Doomed" provides a long-overdue dose of reality, revealing just how the GOP has been led astray in recent years-and showing that had conservatives held on to their fittingly pessimistic outlook, America's future would be far brighter.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to embrace the Audacity of Hopelessness. "
"

ISBN-13: 9780307409584
ISBN-10: 0307409589
Publisher: Crown Forum
Date: September 2009
Page Count: 00261
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Culture of Corruption

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Malkin, Michelle

In her shocking new book, Malkin goes where the mainstream media refuse to tread. She digs deep into the records of President Obama's staff, revealing corrupt dealings, questionable pasts, and abuses of power throughout his administration.

ISBN-13: 9781596981096
ISBN-10: 1596981091
Publisher: Regnery Publishing
Date: July 2009
Page Count: 00376
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

End the Fed

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Paul, Ron

In the post-meltdown world, it is irresponsible, ineffective, and ultimately useless to have a serious economic debate without considering and challenging the role of the Federal Reserve.
Most people think of the Fed as an indispensable institution without which the country's economy could not properly function. But in END THE FED, Ron Paul draws on American history, economics, and fascinating stories from his own long political life to argue that the Fed is both corrupt and unconstitutional. It is inflating currency today at nearly a Weimar or Zimbabwe level, a practice that threatens to put us into an inflationary depression where $100 bills are worthless. What most people don't realize is that the Fed -- created by the Morgans and Rockefellers at a private club off the coast of Georgia -- is actually working against their own personal interests. Congressman Paul's urgent appeal to all citizens and officials tells us where we went wrong and what we need to do fix America's economic policy for future generations.

Related Subjects:Books > Political Science > Public Policy - Economic Policy

ISBN-13: 9780446549196
ISBN-10: 0446549193
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Date: September 2009
Page Count: 00224
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

A Heart to Serve

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Frist, William H.

Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist shares his unique experience as a heart transplant surgeon and U.S. senator inspiring people to make a difference wherever they are and whatever position they are in by helping others, risking failure, challenging the status quo, and above all, having a heart to serve. One of the brightest and most forward-thinking senators, Frist tackles controversial issues to offer feasible solutions. His simple philosophy for peace, for example, is service. "People don't usually go to war against someone who helped save their children," Frist writes. "While the world often sees America's tougher side ... when people see America's more compassionate, humanitarian side, the barriers come down, and peace becomes a viable possibility." With heartfelt love for family and country, warmhearted humor, and a doctor's comforting tones, Frist writes openly about the values and experiences that shaped his life, and challenges and inspires everyone to find a place where they, too, can make a difference.

ISBN-13: 9781599950167
ISBN-10: 1599950162
Publisher: Center Street
Date: October 2009
Page Count: 00361
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA

Instinct

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:01 CST

By: Smerconish, Michael A.

September 11, 2001. Almost everything seemed to go as the terrorists intended. Almost. Flight 93--which crashed not on the Capitol or the White House, but in a Pennsylvania field--was one terrorist shy of the other flights. The brave Americans who rose up that day against the hijackers were aided by a man they never met and whose story has never been written. His name is Jose Melendez-Perez. This book tells his story. As Michael Smerconish recounts in riveting detail in "Instinct," more than a month earlier a young Saudi national had arrived at Orlando International Airport on a flight from London. He didn't speak English, and his customs paperwork was blank except for his name: Mohamed al-Kahtani. He had a one-way ticket. Soon, INS agent Melendez-Perez was called to the scene. To others, al-Kahtani seemed like a befuddled tourist eager to see Disney World. At risk to his job for the appearance of racial profiling, Melendez-Perez--drawing on his training "and" his instinct--sent al-Kahtani packing back to Dubai. Melendez-Perez changed history that day. But he is not alone. In addition to telling his story and that of al-Kahtani--who was later captured in Afghanistan and sent to Guantanamo Bay--"Instinct "examines the quick thinking of other Americans who faced fanatics; for example, the Washington State border inspector whose gut told her something wasn't right about the would-be millennium bomber. Michael Smerconish provides fascinating insight into the post-9/11 world of interrogation. And he poses tough questions about how the CIA and Homeland Security can protect America in a post-9/11 world. Most pointedly: Have we learned from the example of Jose Melendez-Perez?

ISBN-13: 9781599215167
ISBN-10: 1599215160
Publisher: Lyons Press
Date: September 2009
Page Count: 00205
Reading Level: Ages NA - NA