"New York City entered 1986 as a city reborn, with record profits on Wall Street sending waves of money splashing across Manhattan and bringing a once-bankrupt, reeling city back to life. But it also entered 1986 as a city divided. Nearly one-third of the city's Black and Hispanic residents were living below the federal poverty line. Thousands of New Yorkers were sleeping in the streets-and in many cases addicted to drugs, dying of AIDS, or suffering from mental illness. The manufacturing jobs that had once sustained a thriving middle class had vanished. Long-simmering racial tensions threatened to boil over. Over the next four years, a singular confluence of events-involving a cast of outsized, unforgettable characters-would widen those divisions into chasms. Ed Koch. Donald Trump. Al Sharpton. The Central Park Five. Spike Lee. Rudy Giuliani. Howard Beach. Tawana Brawley. The Preppy Murder. Jimmy Breslin. Do the Right Thing, Wall Street, crack, the AIDS epidemic, and, of course, ready to pour gasoline on every fire-the tabloids. In The Gods of New York, Jonathan Mahler tells the story of these convulsive, defining years"-- Provided by publisher.

"At age 20, Karleigh Brogan and her boyfriend, Dale, moved into his parents' home. The young couple hid their heroin addiction and promised they would only be there temporarily. What started as a two-week stopgap became two years of habitation. Karleigh and Dale's mother, Glorianne, developed a complex relationship that was both toxic and tender. Glorianne became a stand-in for Karleigh's mother, whose affection and trust Karleigh had always longed for. Simultaneously, Glorianne, an adoptee, searched for the birth mother she never knew. In Holding, Karleigh Brogan brings the reader into her life before, during, and after her time with Dale and his parents, following the road that led from her endless lies to her family and herself, along the long, crooked, path to breaking the chains of her addiction so she could dream again of achieving the life--and the relationship with her own mother--she longed for."--Publisher.

A historian and ordained Episcopal priest offers everything you need to know for shaping and defending your own beliefs on the role of religion in American life. Filled with stories from America's struggle for religious freedom most readers have never heard before and perfect for fans of Jesus and John Wayne and On Tyranny. The 1st Amendment to the US Constitution codified the principle that government should play no role in favoring or supporting any religion, while allowing free exercise of all religions (including unbelief). More than 200 years later, the results from this experiment are overwhelming: The separation of church and state has shielded the government from religious factionalism, and the United States boasts a diverse religious culture unmatched in the world. But changes have been taking place at an accelerating pace in recent years. The current Supreme Court has shifted away from excluding the influence and practice of religion at public institutions and in our laws and policies, and moved dramatically toward protecting the inclusion and promotion of religion in publicly funded undertakings. Moreover, adherents to a Christian Nationalism ideology have grown more vocal and emboldened, and are increasingly moving into positions of power. Randall Balmer, one of the premier historians of religion in America, reviews both the history of the separation of church and state and various attempts to undermine that wall. Despite the fact that the 1st Amendment and the separation of church and state has served the nation remarkably well, he argues, its future is by no means assured.

"In this posthumous gift to poetry lovers, one of our foremost poetry critics revisits the work of a wide range of American, English, and Irish poets--from John Donne to Marianne Moore to Ocean Vuong--in thirteen insightful essays. Helen Vendler approaches each of her subjects through the lens of a single poem, inhabiting it, living completely within its world, to uncover its rich emotional life. The essays gathered here were published in Liberties magazine during the last three years of Vendler's life, and were intended as her final book. The author's preface--completed only three days before her death, at age ninety--serves as a summation of her thoughts on poetry and poetry crticism. Whether reflecting on a Black poet's interest in creating the mind and language of an extraterrestrial (Robert Hayden), on the poetics of motherhood (Slyvia Plath), on the first PTSD poem (Walt Whitman), or on a literary conundrum *why, of the many poems known to her, Emily Dickinson requested on her deathbed that Emily Brontë's 'No coward soul is mine' be read at her funeral), Vendler demonstrates why the Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney called her 'the best close reader of poems to be found on the literary pages.' This farewell volume is further testament to Vendler's remarkable ability to get to the heart of a poem, to reveal the mind of the poet in the act of creation, and to show us exactly why and how poetry matters." --

"Confronts the brutal truths unearthed by the present-day descendant of an enslaved American family -- author Artress Bethany White. Tracking her ancestors' enslavement in 1700s Virginia and North Carolina, White weaves together data from Hairston family plantation archives and her Black Hairston mother's inherited oral slave narrative to create searing poems on a history of Scottish genes and African ancestry. In doing this sacred work, White expands the historical narrative far beyond Hairston plantation grounds to examine the lives of freed people who emigrated back to Africa to reestablish themselves in a Black nation, and to also chronicle her own life in the US"--

"Overwhelmed Mom shows us how to push back against the weariness epidemic that plagues so many women. Through biblical principles and flexible solutions, Jamie helps us learn to make adjustments to our homes, schedules, and attitudes so that we may experience freedom and enjoy the gift of motherhood"-- Provided by publisher.

Drawing from their Mennonite upbringings, RuthAnn Zimmerman and her husband, Elvin, chose early in their marriage to build a life focused on family, hard work, and serving others. Now RuthAnn invites you to slow down, focus quietly, and listen closely to the heartbeat of the homestead. She offers insights on working together as a family ; enjoying good food and fellowship ; growing and preserving food ; appreciating what you have ; finding contentment by doing more with less. Along the way, you'll enjoy some tasty recipes and heartwarming glimpses into RuthAnn's everyday life as a homesteading mother of seven children.

"A one-stop shop for practical guidance, encouragement, and a variety of perspectives from today's top homeschooling voices to answer your biggest questions and help you kickstart or refine your home education journey"--

"Over the past six years, Brenâe Brown, along with a global community of coaches and facilitators, has taken more than 150,000 leaders in 45 countries through her Dare to Lead courage-building work. In Strong Ground, Brown shares the lessons from these experiences along with wisdom from other thinkers. This is a vital playbook for everyone from senior leaders developing and executing complex strategies to Gen Z-ers entering and navigating turbulent work environments. It is also an unflinching assessment of what happens when we continue to perpetuate the falsehood that performance and wholeheartedness are mutually exclusive. With equal amounts of optimism and caution about AI, Brown writes, 'I hear a lot of experts trying to soothe people's anxiety about the pace of technological change by offering platitudes like, What makes us human will ensure our relevance. This isdangerous simply because, right now, we're not especially good at what makes us human. We're not hardwired for this level of uncertainty, and many of us feel as if the constant need to self-protect is driving the humanity right out of us. This is why organizational transformation today must foster deep connection, deep thinking, and deep collaboration. We need the courage to lead people in a way that honors and protects the wisdom of the human spirit.' Brown offers a broad assessment of the skill sets and mindsets we need moving forward, including the capacity for respectful and difficult conversations,increased productive urgency and smart prioritization rather than reactivity, and strategic risk-taking, paradoxical thinking, and situational and anticipatory awareness skills. She identifies the toughest skill set as the discipline, humility, and confidence to unlearnand relearn. Brown writes, 'Individuals and organizations are building new muscles. Finding our strong ground--that athletic stance--isthe only thing that can provide both unwavering stability in a maelstrom of uncertainty and a platform for the fast, explosive change that the world is demanding'"-- Provided by publisher.

"A long-time liberal activist gets an up-close political education about conservative America when he moves to a small town in upstate New York"--

"Gina Homolka, founder of the longstanding go-to healthy eating blog Skinnytaste, is an expert at creating super simple, weeknight friendly, flavor-packed recipes that meet all your dietary needs, and in Skinnytaste High Protein, she delivers on that promise with 100 high-protein meals. Whether you're looking for creative ways to incorporate more protein into your diet, go-to recipes to jazz up your favorite proteins, or ideas for nutritionally balanced meals that will keep you satiated, Gina has you covered. Each recipe packs at least thirty grams of protein per serving (including options for vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free eaters) and there are plenty of one-pot, meal-prep friendly, and streamlined recipes for every meal of the day. Start your day with a Mango-Blueberry Smoothie or Chicken Chorizo Breakfast Tacos. Turn hearty proteins into a complete meal with Grilled Chicken Thighs and Charred Corn Summer Salad, Sheet Pan Chili-Lime Salmon Fish Tacos, and Seared Steaks with Dijon-Mushroom Sauce and Roasted Asparagus. Gina also offers protein-boosted versions of classics like A Monte Cristo Omelet Sandwich or Peanut Butter and Jammy Crepes. And if you need a midday protein boost, prep a DIY Spicy Salmon Roll or Chilled Shrimp Salad with Eggs. With nutritional information included for each recipe and recipes labeled for gluten-free and dairy-free ingredients, Skinnytaste High Protein will be your go-to resource for nutritious meals that pack a protein punch"-- Provided by publisher.

"The Autobots and Decepticons have renewed their endless war on Earth, and one thing is immediately clear: the planet will never be the same. New alliances are struck. Battle lines are redrawn. And humanity's only hope of survival is Optimus Prime. Explore the beginning of the Eisner Award-winning series from critically acclaimed creative team Daniel Warren Johnson (Do A Powerbomb), Jorge Corona (Middlewest) and Mike Spicer, alongside showrunner Robert Kirkman (Invincible, Void Rivals), in this beautiful deluxe hardcover." --Provided by Publisher.

This book explores the concept of "lawfare" -- the strategic use of legal systems for political purposes -- focusing on its application in contemporary American politics. Author Alex Marlow argues that the legal system has been increasingly used as a political tool, particularly against Donald Trump. The book examines the historical development of lawfare, critiques the notion of impartial legal principles, and outlines the networks of donors and activists involved. It concludes with predictions about future trends and suggestions for countering perceived legal overreach.

"From Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a glimpse of her journey to the Court and an account of her approach to the Constitution since her confirmation hearing, Americans have peppered Justice Amy Coney Barrett with questions. How has she adjusted to the Court? What is it like to be a Supreme Court justice with school-age children? Do the justices get along? What does her normal day look like? How does the Court get its cases? How does it decide them? How does she decide? In Listening to the Law, Justice Barrett answers these questions and more. She lays out her role (and daily life) as a justice, touching on everything from her deliberation process to dealing with media scrutiny. With the warmth and clarity that made her a popular law professor, she brings to life the making of the Constitution and explains her approach to interpreting its text. Whether sharing stories of clerking for Justice Scalia or walking readers through prominent cases, she invites readers to wrestle with originalism and to embrace the rich heritage of our Constitution"-- Provided by publisher.

"Who are the avatars? And what do they have to do with the future of America and the world...and your life? Could they lie behind the outcome of every recent American presidential election and the nation's future? Jonathan Cahn, author of nine New York Times bestsellers, now releases what may be his most explosive book yet!" -- Provided by the publisher.

"Using stories, statistics and the sociological imagination, Household Deformation explains how the rise in single adult households fueled by societal norm changes and anti-family federal low-income housing policy has precipitated the rise in homelessness over the past 50 years. Ullman also shows how the federal definition itself confuses the public about who is housed and who is not and creates the persistently high levels reported annually" --

In a social media saturated world where it's all too easy to believe we'd be happy "if only," popular mentor of moms offers practical advice, tips, and her trademark philosophy of home to help you identify and dismantle the 10 most common lies about time, friends, money, and home life-- to truly enjoy the life you already have.

Telling the intertwined story of a legendary New York retailer, the fashion world's evolution, and the Pressman family's ambitions and conflicts, this book recounts Barneys' rise from a 1923 suit shop to a global fashion force--and its eventual unraveling"-- Provided by publisher.

"For over five decades following the 1972 rapprochement between the United States and China, the two countries seemed to be steadily building a sound relationship, even accounting for periodic setbacks like the Tiananmen Square massacre. The last decade, though, has seen a sharp increase in tensions and a complete reorientation of American policies toward China-from "engagement" to "competition." In Breaking the Engagement: How China Won & Lost America, esteemed scholar David Shambaugh examines the evolution, expansion, and disintegration of the American engagement strategy towards China. Shambaugh attributes the recent sharp deterioration of relations to a combination of China's actions and American expectations. Xi Jinping's increasingly assertive foreign policy and domestic repression has directly challenged American interests. More deeply, he argues that the real underlying cause is America's longstanding paternalistic approach to transform China into a liberal state and society which conforms with the U.S.-led global liberal order. When China has generally evolved in this direction--politically, economically, socially, intellectually, and internationally--it corresponds with American aspirations and the two could cooperate. But when Beijing pushes back against this transformative strategy--which Beijing sees as subversion--Americans become disillusioned and U.S. policymakers see China as a malign regime, which must be countered. By focusing on the role of perceptions and U.S. expectations in fueling the shift towards competition and rivalry in the last decade, Shambaugh provides a unique new perspective on this critical global relationship"--

"My Russia is an autobiography that traces Jill Dougherty's fascination with Russia and shares the insights into the country, its people, and its leader she has gleaned through forty years of reporting. Readers will see Russia's evolution through the eyes of the dedicated and compassionate woman they have watched on cable since 1983"--

"The practice of yoga promises peace, self-realisation and release, thanks to the power of its 'mystic' Indian origins. But what if this is just hype? In Fascist Yoga, Stewart Home sweeps away the half-truths to tell a new origin story of the world's first modern yogi - a Californian escapologist who added some Hindu fairy dust to gym and circus exercises. Ever since, the world of yoga has been full of grifters, occultists and white supremacists, all out to exploit and recruit via the medium of exercise. From cult leaders and brainwashed followers to TV celebrities and fake gurus, the story of yoga has involved some of the strangest currents of humanity. In this new exposé, Stewart Home shows that nothing is sacred. In this book, the author focuses on the Anglo-American roots of modern postural practice, and in particular the fascistic and conspiratorial turns the ideologies associated with this type of yoga have taken over the past century. More specifically, the book traces the development of modern postural yoga in North America and Europe through the twentieth century, up to its explosion in popularity in the 1970s. As will become apparent, guru lineages have been repeatedly falsified in an attempt to make it appear as though modern yoga originated on the Indian subcontinent and is an ancient, rather than a recently invented, tradition. Much of the hype around yoga leans on cognitive priming: the deep cerebral desire we all have to see what we expect--or hope--to see. Just as fascism provides false solutions to real problems, those marketing modern postural practice have often relied on a cynical exploitation of human needs. In short, the genesis and history of modern postural practice is deeply entangled with both occultism and the far right. To start building a credible history of yoga and its connections to fascism and occultism, it is therefore necessary to begin by unpacking its false history"--

"An asteroid impact led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. Will another cosmic missile soon be heading our way? Govert Schilling offers a guide to the projectiles that have targeted our planet"--

Magic and the occult have held humanity in their thrall for thousands of years. This sweeping history traces its origins across time and culture--from the protective amulets of ancient Egypt to ceremonial magic in India, Celtic paganism to modern magic tricks. National Geographic Book of Magic and the Occult illuminates this enthralling world across more than 90,000 years of history. You'll meet witches and wizards, healers and alchemists, discovering the legends behind them and how they have enriched modern culture.

"A guide for family and friends of polyamorous people so that they can better understand and support their loved one"--