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In this richly reported, scene-driven narrative, Sam Wasson...
In this richly reported, scene-driven narrative, Sam Wasson charts the meteoric rise of improv from its unlikely beginnings in McCarthy-era Chicago. We witness the chance meeting between Mike Nichols and Elaine May, hang out at the after-hours bar where Dan Aykroyd hosted friends like John Belushi, Bill Murray, and Gilda Radner, and go behind the scenes of cultural landmarks from The Graduate to The Colbert Report.
Yeast is responsible for fermenting our alcohol and providing...
Yeast is responsible for fermenting our alcohol and providing us with bread - the very staples of life. Moreover, it has proven instrumental in helping cell biologists and geneticists understand how living things work,manufacturing life-saving drugs, and producing biofuels that could help save the planet from global warming.
In 1951 Artie finally got a chance to play in the majors with...
In 1951 Artie finally got a chance to play in the majors with the New York Giants, but after batting a mere twenty-four times he urged Giants manager Leo Durocher to send him back to the minors and bring up a former Black Barons teammate to take his place–Willie Mays.
With numbers down to just 20,000, many experts believe, that...
With numbers down to just 20,000, many experts believe, that without effective conservation plans in place, Africa’s remaining lions will be wiped out by the mid half of this century. Sara Evans considers the cultural significance of the Lion over thousands of years as well as its historic rise and fall as a global species.
Unless we start addressing the causes of climate change and...
Unless we start addressing the causes of climate change and stop simply navigating its effects, we will be facing a series of unstoppable catastrophes by the time our preschoolers graduate from college. Our world is in trouble - right now.
Simpson uncovers this little-known piece of history, rescuing...
Simpson uncovers this little-known piece of history, rescuing from obscurity many poignant survivor testimonies, old accounts of wartime players, and the diaries of survivors and perpetrators. In victim accounts and rare photographs–many published for the first time in this book–hidden stories of soccer in almost every Nazi concentration camp appear.
We tend to think that if we can’t see contamination and...
We tend to think that if we can’t see contamination and experts deem it safe, then we are okay. Yet, having knowledge about the uncertainty behind expert claims can awaken us from a false sense of security and alert us to decisions and practices that may in fact cause harm.
In the 1700s, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck first described epigenetics...
In the 1700s, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck first described epigenetics to explain the inheritance of acquired characteristics; however, his theory was supplanted in the 1800s by Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection through heritable genetic mutations.
Objectivity and impartiality, the cornerstones of journalistic...
Objectivity and impartiality, the cornerstones of journalistic principle, were not jettisoned, but they were reimagined. Journalists’ adoption of an adversarial relationship with government and big business, along with sympathy for the dispossessed, gave their reporting a distinctly liberal drift.
This book leads the reader to the mystery, power, and amazing...
This book leads the reader to the mystery, power, and amazing freshness of the biblical Jesus.
The destruction of these habitats, long seen as wastelands that...
The destruction of these habitats, long seen as wastelands that harbored deadly disease, accelerated in the twentieth century. Today, the majority of the original wetlands in the US have vanished, transformed into farm fields or buried under city streets.
In a world where a gruesome photograph can decisively influence...
In a world where a gruesome photograph can decisively influence a jury and homosexual behavior is still condemned by some as “unnatural,” it is worth asking: is our legal system really governed by the power of reason? Or do we allow a primitive human emotion, disgust, to guide us in our lawmaking?
Ross shows how the league, originally created as a challenge to...
Ross shows how the league, originally created as a challenge to the dominance of the NFL, pressured for and ultimately accelerated the racial integration of pro football and also allowed the sport to adapt to how African Americans were themselves changing the game.
Through intimate stories of people in the system and those...
Through intimate stories of people in the system and those trying to fix it, Roth reveals the hidden forces behind this crisis and suggests how a fairer and more humane approach might look.
African Americans have often glorified sport, viewing it as one...
African Americans have often glorified sport, viewing it as one of the few ways they can achieve a better life. In reality, while some African Americans found fame and fortune in sport, most struggled just to participate - let alone succeed at the highest levels of sport.
Yet Nefertiti remains one of the most famous and enigmatic...
Yet Nefertiti remains one of the most famous and enigmatic women who ever lived. Her instantly recognizable face adorns a variety of modern artifacts, from expensive jewelry to cheap postcards, t-shirts, and bags, all over the world. She has appeared on page, stage, screen, and opera.
All of us harbor hate but the powerful acknowledgment that we...
All of us harbor hate but the powerful acknowledgment that we are all in this together can lead us out of the wilderness. The opposite of hate is connection.
Through fascinating profiles and first-person anecdotes,...
Through fascinating profiles and first-person anecdotes, Bercovici illuminates the science and strategies extending the careers of elite older athletes, uncovers the latest advances in fields from nutrition to brain science to virtual reality, and offers empowering insights about how the rest of us can find peak performance at any age
From medieval times to the present, and from the United States,...
From medieval times to the present, and from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden to China and Japan, Matthias Doepke and Fabrizio Zilibotti look at how economic incentives and constraints–such as money, knowledge, and time–influence parenting practices and what is considered good parenting in different countries.
Honey bees get all the press, but the fascinating story of...
Honey bees get all the press, but the fascinating story of North America’s native bees–an endangered species essential to our ecosystems and food supplies–is just as crucial. Our Native Bees is the result of Paige Embry’s yearlong quest to learn more about these forgotten, yet fundamental, creatures.
Last updated by Sarah Vital on June 24, 2019