"Over the last few decades, and especially in the last ten years, our understanding of slavery has been transformed by the work of many talented scholars. We have learned a great deal about the actions of enslavers, the struggles and victories of the enslaved, and how the afterlives of American slavery persist into the present. Yet Dan Rood's In the Shadow of the Great House is one of the first contemporary books to focus on the primary engine of slavery, race, and capitalism in this country: the plantation."--

"Birding can nourish our spiritual lives. Birdwatching is a delight, a deepening. It puts us in touch with the ineffable, and it draws us toward self-denial for the sake of love. Birding brings us close to hope, abundance, and joy. In fact, it looks a lot like prayer. From having his vision opened by a rare flycatcher, to learning the power of naming while watching shorebirds, to forging friendships on a Christmas Bird Count, naturalist, birder, and Episcopal priest Ragan Sutterfield delves into how birdwatching shapes our souls. He writes of turning yards into refuges for birds on their long migration. Even as we reckon with the inconsolable grief of habitat loss and species decline, he writes, birds can give us hope amid the desolation. Readers of Margaret Renkl, Drew Lanham, and Terry Tempest Williams will find a kindred spirit in Sutterfield as he explores, in verdant and lyrical prose, the spirituality of birding over a year of watching, waiting, and wondering. In each chapter, Sutterfield names a particular way in which paying attention to birds shapes our souls and draws us toward awe. Twelve virtues and practices rooted in the Christian tradition--including joy, attention, slowness, kenosis, and friendship--are nurtured within us as we wait and watch and wait some more. Watching birds, we move toward sacramental sight: looking at the visible to find the holy hidden behind it. Winged wonders that delight and sometimes disappoint, birds are ever within and beyond our vision. Whether you are a serious birder with an extensive life list or a casual observer of hawks along the highway, this book is an invitation to wonder and awe. It only takes paying attention"-- Provided by publisher.

"Warm, insightful, and witty, the first book of advice from New York Times-bestselling author Jenny Lawson-aka the Bloggess Jenny Lawson is full of contradictions. She's a celebrated author but battles self-doubt, paralysis, and anxiety. She's an award-winning humorist but struggles with treatment-resistant depression. The question she's most often asked by people is "How do you do it? How do you keep going even when it feels impossible? How do you keep creating?" This book is her answer. In How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay, Jenny shares one hundred humorous, heartfelt, and genuine tools and tricks that she relies on to keep her going even when her brain isn't working properly due to depression, anxiety, and ADHD. She also offers tips to stay passionate and focused on creative endeavors, especially when everything around you is saying to give up. With chapters like "Wash Your Brain More Than You Wash Your Bra" (sleep, you beautiful human), "Work on Easy Mode" (asking for accommodations is okay!), "Celebrate Good Times, Come On!" (make it a habit to celebrate the good things), and many more, How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay is a balm and companion, reminding us all that we are not alone. It's for anyone who struggles with self-doubt, guilt, motivation, and mental blocks and wants to rekindle their passion for creating. Funny, simple, empathetic, and inspirational, it will encourage you not to just survive but to find and curate joy in the face of difficult times"-- Provided by publisher.

"Joan Didion told us, "We tell ourselves stories in order to live." And yet, the story of stories has never been told until now. MIT technology pioneer Kevin Ashton was at the forefront of the digital revolution that led to the invention of the smartphone, the ultimate storytelling device. This latest technology in the long arc of human storytelling allows anyone, for the first time in history, to tell stories to everyone. In The Story of Stories, Ashton tells the untold story of storytelling. The result is an eye-opening, compelling journey through the eight great revolutions of storytelling, all of which follow a simple pattern: each major new storytelling tool increases the number of people who can share stories and the number of people with whom those stories can be shared. Our first night-fires created the earliest audiences for spoken stories. Language did not lead us to stories; stories led us to language. In time, the development of rhyme, song, and other mnemonic devices allowed those spoken stories to be preserved for generations; pictures drawn on cave walls turned preservation into permanence, telling stories we still experience thousands of years later; writing enabled storytellers to spread tales to faraway places; the Chinese invented printing with moveable metal type around 700 CE; the Toltecs independently invented it at about the same time; 750 years later Gutenberg independently invented it again, adding a converted wine press to create the mass production of mass communication. Over time, printing presses increased the number of storytellers and the size of their audiences by many orders of magnitude, a trend which led us to great revolutions, and electric, then electronic, then digital storytelling and all our storytelling tools of today--and tomorrow's. In this remarkable book, more than twenty-five years in the making, Ashton looks at the development of human storytelling to help us understand where we are in the latest iteration that is the digital era. Drawing on examples from art, literature, music, and pop culture, from the Bible to Bon Jovi, Aristotle to Artificial Intelligence, Frederick Douglass to Facebook, and cave paintings to cinema, The Story of Stories is a passionate and crucial exploration of how stories and the tools we use to tell them continue to change us, cause revolutions, and connect us to each other and give our lives meaning." --Provided by publisher.

A sweeping history of Native Americans' fraught relationship with United States citizenship and their efforts to protect tribal sovereignty.

The dramatic story of the secretive decade-long Pentagon campaign to deliver America into the age of AI warfare.

"Meaning in life is getting harder to find-and there's a reason for that. In The Meaning of Your Life, social scientist and happiness expert Arthur Brooks explains how rapid societal and technological changes have rewired our brains, making them ill-equipped to handle questions of existential reckoning. The resulting emptiness is not imaginary, and it is life-destroying for some, especially for young people. Fortunately, there's hope. With compassion, clarity, and practicality, Brooks tells you exactly what you need to do to move toward meaning. You'll take a test to determine where you are on your meaning journey, learn evidence-based tactics for rewiring your brain for complex and abstract concepts, and discover a vocabulary for your desires. Most importantly, Brooks will show you where to search for the transcendence, vocation, and significance that are your birthright as a human being. "What is the meaning of my life?" is not an unanswerable question, but the road to an answer-or answers-is a long one. The Meaning of Your Life is your guide for the journey"-- Provided by publisher.

"The new science of why we quit, whether we should, and how to make the right choices for our work and lives, by a leading organizational psychologist. Most of us are just one event away from leaving our job. Conventional wisdom would have us believe that the decision to leave secure work is the result of an uneven trade-off between our paychecks and benefits, and the time and effort we put into our jobs. But in reality, quitting is most often triggered by a single event, inside or outside the workplace, that causes us to stop and reflect on our relationship with work. These events are what organizational psychologist Anthony Klotz calls "jolts," and they are the most underacknowledged realities in our work lives. In Jolted, Klotz breaks down what makes a jolt, and helps us navigate these inevitable disruptions, keeping us from being thrown off track by quitting when we shouldn't-or spurring us to make the career change that can improve our lives"-- Provided by publisher.

"If you've been told your child needs to lose weight, you know how hard it can be. You love your child just as they are and want them to feel good about themselves and their body. But, you may also have very legitimate concerns about weight-related bullying, anti-fat bias, and possible long-term health issues. While there are no easy answers, Your Child Is Not Their Weight offers compassionate and realistic parenting advice to help improve your child's overall health without compromising their happiness or self-esteem. Leading pediatric obesity medicine specialists, Joey Skelton, MD, MS, MD, and his team, Dara Garner-Edwards, MSW, LCSW, and Melissa Moses, MS, RDN, LDN, have in-depth medical expertise as well as decades of practical, hands-on experience working with families like yours in their clinic. Their family-focused approach acknowledges that body weight is a complex issue, that diets almost always fail, and that eating disorders are a real risk--even, and maybe especially, for children in bigger bodies. But, they also share exactly how you can make a big difference for your child by focusing on healthy habits, outdoor play, and your own unconditional love for your child. You will be empowered to address weight concerns while making sure your child never doubts that they are loved and wonderful, regardless of the unrealistic body images and weight bias that the world so often perpetuates. Your Child Is Not Their Weight will help you discover a better way forward, together." -- Provided by publisher.

"An unvarnished, deeply human account of one man's time in prison . . . and his unexpected journey to healing, accountability, transformation, and redemption.At 18, Jesse Crosson was considered a lost cause. Strung out on drugs, he committed a robbery and later a nonfatal shooting. For those choices, he was sentenced to 32 years-nearly twice as long as the maximum recommended by sentencing guidelines. No one expected his story to end well. But for Jesse, prison was not the end. It became the beginning of a long path toward redemption. In The Best Part of Prison, Jesse reveals how a system "meant to rehabilitate" so often alienates and destroys, describing both the daily brutality of incarceration and the added cruelty of surviving the COVID-19 pandemic behind bars. Across four prisons, shoulder to shoulder with people convicted of every imaginable crime, Jesse anticipated only the worst. Instead, he discovered teachers, friends, trauma survivors striving to heal, victims seeking repair, and even hardened lifers who became unlikely mentors. Within that crucible, he confronted what it means to cause harm, to make amends, and to rediscover humanity. Now a pardoned advocate for criminal justice reform and the founder of the Second Chancer Foundation, Jesse shares a story that exposes the inequity of today's justice system, champions rehabilitation and restorative justice, and demonstrates the redemptive power of accountability, education, and human connection. Electric and deeply felt-from the slam of a cell door to the awe of seeing the night sky after 19 years-The Best Part of Prison reminds us that second chances are always possible, and that none of us are defined solely by our worst moments"-- Provided by publisher.

"What do you do if the faith that raised you seems to fail when you need it the most? Kristen LaValley grew up a church kid through and through. She said "the sinner's prayer" before she could write her name-and spent the next few decades trying to prove she meant it; in a body that couldn't rest, with a mind she didn't yet understand, under a God she was afraid to disappoint. She learned to perform the kind of faith that got praised: one that hid pain and swallowed questions. But in the thick of depression, spiritual exhaustion, and a late ADHD diagnosis, she found herself wondering if the faith she'd built her life on could really hold her. In Growing Up Saved, Kristen maps the slow undoing of a faith formed in certainty and what it took to find God in the middle of her unraveling. In these pages, you'll find authenticity, empathy, and biblical wisdom as you explore how to find your way through a faith that was formed in fear, the intersection of trauma, mental health, neurodivergence, and spiritual identity, the healing work of making peace with your body, your mind, and your story, and a path for those navigating life after disillusionment, burnout, religious trauma, or pain. This book isn't a call to give up on faith. It's an invitation to hold it differently. With tenderness, grit, and humor, Kristen offers a hard-won way through grief and grace to a messy, holy rebuilding"-- Provided by publisher.

"From chic accessories like matching friendship necklaces to unique scratchers and beds that will have your cat lounging in style."-- Provided by publisher.

"When do you become a real doctor? Now a celebrated cartoonist and practicing physician, in 2004 Grace Farris began med school with visions of ER and Scrubs. Across cadaver labs, operating rooms, and lecture halls, she embarked on the arduous road to becoming a doctor. In her graphic memoir debut, Grace looks back on her journey through medical school and residency in her iconic palate of pastels. Through candid comics, readers experience the box of bones Grace must take home to study, the overwhelming smell of formaldehyde that emanates from the cadaver she dissects, the endless mnemonics and “-ologies” she must learn, and the racism and sexism that confront her in the healthcare system. As she works grueling, thirty-hour shifts and meets with patients from all walks of life, she discovers moments of joy, too: making her first correct diagnosis, matching at a top residency program, and, when she least expects it, falling in love. At the end of her residency, Grace takes on two new roles—attending physician and mother. Touching and tender, See One, Do One, Teach One is a vivid portrait of the human side of healthcare and what binds patient and doctor together." -- publisher's website

A concise, colorful, and convincing account of capitalism's rise to global dominance.

"In this week-by-week guide, a former Harvard writing teacher and dean takes students and their families on a journey to explore their identities, write their stories, connect with one another, navigate the stress of college admissions, and find a fabulous future"-- Provided by publisher.

"In a world that feels faster, louder, and more uncertain than ever, many of us are searching for something steady to stand on. We want clarity, peace, and a sense of who we truly are, without feeling lost in the chaos. In The Anatomy of Awakening, Dr. Sue Morter, best-selling author of The Energy Codes, changes the narrative of how we understand human potential, perceive ourselves and others, and manifest the visions for our lives by learning the deeper language of the authentic self. Using this deeper language, we recover suppressed aspects of ourselves to heal completely and create the lives we are meant to live. Dr. Sue reveals a deeper inner design that underlies the human body and nervous system, helping us reconnect with a steadier, more authentic way of being. She introduces us to a Greater Love--moving beyond stress-driven reactions to feel steady, clear, and connected, even in the midst of life's challenges. How we see ourselves changes, with an unconditionality that we've likely never known. Our purpose becomes clearer. Peace and healing follow. Our creative nature emerges"-- Amazon.com.

"Using the metaphor of cooking, Serving Up Scripture explains how the reader (or interpreter of Scripture) can make solid meals (trustworthy, insightful interpretations) from the ingredients (chapters and verses) in the Bible, putting the biblical text back in the hands of anyone who's ever felt it's been abused or its message mischaracterized"-- Provided by publisher.

"A profound meditation on Hip Hop's transformative power, In the hour of chaos takes us deep into the mind of the genre's most unabashed revolutionary. This book is not an autobiography. It's not a manifesto. It's a deep investigation into Hip Hop and rap music by searing lyricist and global music icon, Chuck D of Public Enemy. Engaging with some of the world's leading thinkers on Hip Hop, 'Professor Chuck' sets out on a journey that celebrates 50 years of Hip Hop's legacy and charts paths forward for its future. Exploring the intersections of Hip Hop with Black radicalism and feminism, media and technology, globalization and politics, and more, this curated collection shows the power of culture and the arts to not only bring people together, but to bring about political change in this current 'hour of chaos'."-- Provided by publisher.

"Conspiracy theories are at the root of the most pressing political problems of our time, yet their influence cuts just as personal. Suspicion has fractured families, communities, churches, and our very social fabric, as one person's fact is another's fake news. In Reality in Ruins, Dr. Jared Stacy braves the untold history of conspiracism in American evangelicalism and the anxiety at the heart of this radioactive movement that affects us all. In a new age of what he calls 'Disreality,' many are left reeling in the ruins of what was once a common world, now splintered by warring ideologies, religious and political extremism, and cults of certainty. Dr. Stacy reports from the inside as someone raised and even ordained in one of the nation's most conservative denominations. Now, as a historian and post-evangelical theologian, Dr. Stacy traces the currents of pain, panic, and power that have thrust the evangelical church into a theological crisis with consequence for everyone. For concerned citizens, Christians who are sounding the alarm on Christian Nationalism, and anyone grieving the relationships paranoia has ruptured, Reality in Ruins profiles the problem, validates your pain, prepares you for good resistance, and empowers you to become the truth-tellers a common world deserves" -- Book jacket.

"For generations, we've accepted the story that weight loss can never last--that as soon as we go off the diet or stop taking the medication, we revert to our old habits, regain the weight, and the calorie-counting journey starts all over again. Traditional medicine continues to treat the symptom of weight gain rather than addressing its root causes. Too often, healthcare systems intervene with quick fixes and short-term solutions, ignoring the factors that lead to sustainable weight loss that can last a lifetime. What if the secret to long-term weight maintenance and better health isn't just about what you eat--or even when you eat--but why you eat? With the food industry's reliance on ultra-processed foods and the popularity of Ozempic and Mounjaro, understanding the forces behind why we eat is more important than ever before. In The Hunger Code, New York Times bestselling author Dr. Jason Fung reveals the three powerful forces that drive us to eat: physical hunger, emotional hunger, and social hunger. Dr. Fung also introduces the concept of the body's "fat thermostat"--a biological "set point" that regulates how much fat your body tries to maintain. Guided by hormones and metabolism, this internal system drives hunger and energy use, explaining why lasting weight loss requires more than just willpower ... With three Golden Rules and 50 actionable tips, The Hunger Code empowers you to recognize and respond to hunger appropriately. Learn how to slow digestion, break emotional eating cycles, and overcome social pressures to eat constantly, so you can maintain a healthy weight--from scratch, after fasting, or after using weight loss drugs"--

"Before Larry McMurtry became one of the most celebrated writers of the twentieth century, he worked on his family's ranch in rural Texas. He spent his days on horseback and his nights listening to vivid stories of his cowboy uncles driving herds of cattle across the plains where there once were bison and Native Americans. "McMurtry Means Beef," as one ranching magazine put it. By the time he died in 2021, McMurtry had published forty books, won a Pulitzer for Lonesome Dove and an Oscar for his cowritten adaptation of Annie Proulx's Brokeback Mountain, and seen his work made into such classic films as Hud and Terms of Endearment. Now, McMurtry means great stories. For all his fame, McMurtry was an elusive figure. He loved women but was married to his typewriter; he was wary of critics and distrustful of other men-except David Streitfeld. When McMurtry gave the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist the keys to his past, Streitfeld dug into every archive and interviewed everyone who would talk. He found that, even as McMurtry's work criticized the old cowboy myths, he loved making up stories about himself. WESTERN STAR reveals the real and complicated life of a storyteller who was both an icon and critic of Texas, the favorite of presidents, confidant to movie stars like Diane Keaton and Cybill Shepherd, friend to Ken Kesey and husband to his widow Faye, an obsessive bookseller, and the most enduring voice of the American West"-- Provided by publisher.

"We are all cyborgs, relying on technology--whether it's Alexa, a pacemaker, or a titanium knee--for our quotidian existence. In our deep connection to a technological world, from robots to augmented and virtual realities, metaverses, and gaming, Candi Cann sees an opportunity, and good reason, to question our ideas about accessibility and inclusion. In augmented, she asks us to reconsider traditional notions of biology and death. Having relied on hearing aids from the age of four, Cann uses her experience to challenge readers to reconsider their assumptions about technologies and their role in life--and death. She also focuses on what it means that most of us are living longer with the intervention of medical technologies, and how a better understanding of our relationship to technology will grant us greater control as we age. Drawing on her life experience in Asia, the author explains how cultural and religious views of machines and artificial intelligence vary globally--in particular, how a Western fear of machines contrasts with an animistic worldview that can see machines as conduits of care for others, embedding spiritual possibilities."--

"Music is more than art--it's a force of change. In On The Record: Music that Changed America, Anna Harwell Celenza brings to life the pivotal moments where American music collided with politics to spark debate, empower communities, and redefine culture. Hundreds of musical compositions and popular songs have been written in response to American politics, but only a few dozen works have actually instigated change in Congress. On the Record focuses on a range of influential works like Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit," Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring, Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton, and Kendrick Lamar's "Damn": works that altered the way politicians think about the world around them; music that influenced important changes in domestic and foreign policy; compositions that left an indelible mark on American culture. Each chapter focuses on a single work, tracing the backstory of the music and the often surprising connections to Congressional action. Provocative and inspiring, it's a must-read for those who believe in the transformative power of song"-- Provided by publisher.

"Author and science journalist Bill Gifford takes readers on [an]... exploration of the power of heat to improve our performance and our health. Combining cutting-edge science, personal discovery, and practical insights, Gifford reveals how heat adaptation and heat therapy such as sauna can make us healthier, stronger, and even happier, by unlocking the body's built-in tools to promote longevity and resilience. Through innovative research in evolutionary biology, physiology, and thermoregulation, Gifford uncovers how humans evolved to excel in sweltering conditions--and how we've lost touch with this ancient advantage"--