Showing titles in History & Culture

Using riveting first-person accounts, award-winning author Candace Fleming reveals the makings of a monster: from Jones’s humble origins as a child of the Depression… to his founding of a group whose idealistic promises of equality and justice attracted thousands of followers… to his relocation of Temple headquarters from California to an unsettled territory in Guyana, South America, which he dubbed "Jonestown”… to his transformation of Peoples Temple into a nefarious experiment in mind-control.

Can species change? Or go extinct? In the eighteenth century, most people answer no to both questions. But in the century that follows, that certainty gets challenged as some people in Europe question the common belief that all creatures are the same as they’ve been since life’s creation. The Evolution of an Idea, the second volume of Discovering Life’s Story, opens with the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, who attempts to create an organizing system for the myriad forms of life on earth.

hen did we start learning the scientific secrets of life? Step back to the Islamic Golden Age, when scholars ask questions about life science and medicine that will establish those fields. Chart a path through the Renaissance, as Leonardo da Vinci dissects cadavers by candlelight to learn human anatomy firsthand. In this first of four volumes spanning hundreds of years of scientific innovation and discovery, follow the evolution of life science up to the late 1800s, when a Dutch biologist finds a tiny infectious particle destroying tobacco crops and gives this particle a new name: virus.

At the peak of the civil rights movement, Lydia Abarca was the first ballerina in a Black ballet company to grace the cover of Dance magazine. Alongside founding members Shelia Rohan and Gayle McKinney-Griffith and first-generation dancers Karlya Shelton and Marcia Sells, Abarca invited a bright light to shine on Black professional classical dancers. Grit, determination, and exquisite artistry propelled these swans of Harlem to dizzying heights as they performed around the world for audiences that included celebrities, dignitaries, and royalty.

For teens who are space fans, this book is loaded with fascinating facts, great stories, and new ways of thinking about the challenges of space. It covers topics on the science of space and developments in technology (e.g., satellites behaving like spacecraft), and it also considers the laws that have been drafted for space travel and space etiquette—the agreed upon norms of behavior that allow humans to explore without conflict. The book discusses the problem of space debris, and the growth of space tourism.

Often regarded as more of a myth and legend than man, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was many things throughout his storied life: student, activist, preacher, dreamer, father, husband. From his Atlanta childhood centered in the historically Black neighborhood of Sweet Auburn to his precipitous rise as a civil rights leader on the streets of Birmingham, Selma, and Montgomery, Dr. King would go on to become one of the most recognizable, influential, and controversial persons of the twentieth century.

After millions of people died during World War I and from the 1918 influenza pandemic, the popularity of Spiritualism soared. Desperate to communicate with their dead loved ones, the bereaved fell prey to extortion by fraudulent mediums and fortune-tellers. But magician Harry Houdini wasn't fooled. He recognized the scammers' methods as no more than conjurer's tricks. Angered by the way people were exploited, Houdini set out to expose the ghost hoaxes.

Edie is a talented dancer and a skilled gymnast with hopes of making the Olympic team. Between her rigorous training and her struggle to find her place in a family where she’s the daughter “with brains but no looks,” Edie’s too busy to dwell on the state of the world. But life in Hungary in 1943 is dangerous for a Jewish girl.

In Flamboyants, George M. Johnson celebrates writers, performers, and activists from 1920s Black America whose sexualities have been obscured throughout history. Through 14 essays, Johnson reveals how American culture has been shaped by icons who are both Black and Queer–and whose stories deserve to be celebrated in their entirety.

Embark on an extraordinary journey of discovery with "Captain Cook: The Legendary Seafarer, Navigator, and Explorer”, a captivating and informative account of the life and voyages of one of history's most remarkable figures. This book brings to life the story of Captain James Cook, whose unparalleled navigational skills, scientific curiosity, and intrepid spirit led him to chart the uncharted waters of the Pacific Ocean and explore the farthest reaches of the globe. Even though Captain Cook died in tragic circumstances at the age of 50, he is remembered today for some astonishing ...

A fashionista teen ill-suited for a safari adventure. A self-centered father. Can they save themselves and endangered rhinos from armed poachers? The last place seventeen-year-old Claire wants to go is on a South African safari with her father. Her discovery of her dad’s extramarital affair has unleashed a tidal wave of anger towards him. Claire’s safari experience improves after meeting Junior, a handsome young guide. But when she breaks a critical game-drive rule, Claire and her father are pulled into the crosshairs of armed rhino poachers. Can Claire and her dad overcome their broken...

One of the most important and least understood true stories of our nation, the fight for representation is an ongoing and epic quest to build the democracy sketched out in the Constitution but unfinished in the twenty-first century. With impeccable research and exhilarating prose, Represent tells the story of voting rights in the United States from the American Revolution up to the present day.

In the second book of the Queer History Project, The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities around the World, author Lee Wind uses historical evidence and primary sources—poetry, ancient burial sites, firsthand accounts, and news stories—to explore gender roles and identities.

"History" sounds really official. Like it's all fact. Like it's definitely what happened. But that's not necessarily true. History was crafted by the people who recorded it. And sometimes, those historians were biased against, didn't see, or couldn't even imagine anyone different from themselves. That means that history has often left out the stories of LGBTQIA+ people: men who loved men, women who loved women, people who loved without regard to gender, and people who lived outside gender boundaries.

Half a Century Ago offers a vivid recollection of memories about coming of age in the Bronx, New York, in the 1970s. This engaging story is an empowering listen about how family love provided the foundation to overcome the challenges faced by language and cultural barriers, poverty and social inequities while remaining steadfast focused on positive outcomes. Dr. Arias told these stories to her students over the years in the classroom. She now wishes to share those tales to a larger audience of young immigrants who struggle to overcome adversity and hope for a brighter future.

In 1930, the Indian people, long ruled by their British occupiers, were at a breaking point. No more could many stand the terrible demands of colonial rule. At this pivotal moment, Mohandas Gandhi, who had suffered firsthand for decades the cruelty of his oppressors, saw an opportunity to win his people's freedom. And so, Gandhi led a small band of his followers on a grueling march from his ashram in western India to the Arabian Sea. After 24 days and 241 miles under a withering sun, the marchers arrived on the Dandi seashore.

A teen suffering from PTSD. A trip to a remote African safari camp to fund a rhino foundation. Will her presence protect the rhinos or endanger them all? Seventeen-year-old Claire’s role in a dramatic effort to save two rhinos while visiting South Africa caused her to become a social media sensation known worldwide as #QueenoftheRhino, but the trauma of the encounter left her with emotional scars. When her celebrity draws the attention of a mysterious Mr. Sudan, a shadowy international billionaire and potential donor for her Rhino in the Room Foundation, Claire agrees to travel to Kenya ...

Since the regiment’s creation in 1899, the men of the 65th have proudly served the US through multiple wars, despite facing racial discrimination. Their courage, loyalty, and patriotism earned them hundreds of accolades, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014.

A true account of a group of African American men from Detroit who sought to change the life trajectory of young African American boys from something negative to something positive. Faced with the problem statement of "what life lessons would you teach a young boy about life survival in America if you only had one weekend?", the group of men set out on a course to make a difference.

"Unraveling Enigmas" beckons you to unlock the secrets that have mystified humanity for ages. Prepare to be captivated, intrigued, and utterly fascinated as you delve into this extraordinary compendium of the unexplained. With 101 unsolved mysteries at your disposal, prepare to spend countless hours engrossed in the enigmatic and the unknown. Embark on an adventure through time and across continents as you uncover ancient secrets, decode cryptic clues, and unravel the intricate webs of history’s most perplexing enigmas.