The Barnes & Noble Review: Was she a sexual predator, political meddler, wastrel, and traitor? Or was she a scapegoat for a corrupt and bankrupt nation, who went with superb dignity to the guillotine, the victim of a vindictive judicial murder? The tragic life of Marie Antoinette, rich in conflicting detail, remains a biographer's challenge, and Antonia Fraser's richly human yet evenhanded account is a reader's delight. In 1770, Marie Antoinette,...

In this exposé by radical journalist Scahill, you will meet BLACKWATER USA, the world's most secretive and powerful mercenary firm. Based in the wilderness of North Carolina, it is the fastest-growing private army on the planet, with forces capable of carrying out regime change throughout the world. Blackwater protects the top US officials in Iraq, and yet we know almost nothing about the firm's quasi-military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and...

This poignant and powerful narrative tells the dramatic story of Kunta Kinte, snatched from freedom in Africa and brought by ship to America and slavery, and his descendants. Drawing on the oral traditions handed down in his family for generations, the author traces his origins back to the seventeen-year-old Kunta Kinte, who was abducted from his home in Gambia and transported as a slave to colonial America. In this account Haley provides an imaginative...

One of the most valuable tools acquired in a university education, college algebra is essential for courses from the sciences to computing, engineering to mathematics. It can help you do better on placement exams, even before college, and it's useful in solving the computations of daily life. Now anyone with an interest in college algebra can master it. In "College Algebra Demystified, entertaining author and experienced teacher Rhonda Huettenmueller...

Gooney Bird Greene, an entertaining second grader who introduces challenging vocabulary words and tells "absolutely true" stories, finds a surprise room mother to bring cupcakes for the Thanksgiving pageant.

Examines the possible reasons why American boys, from kindergarten to college, are less resilient and ambitious than twenty years ago, discussing the causes of failure in school and at home and presenting a series of practical solutions.

The tradition of stew-making is as old as the invention of the first pot, so it is only natural that a piping-hot, rib-sticking stew is comforting in a very primal sort of way. In The Best Stews in the World, Cliff Wright takes cooks on a culinary voyage around the world to discover the favorite comfort foods of nearly 50 countries. These 300 recipes are the real deal: classic home food complete with culinary pedigrees. Here you can find authentic...

For builders of natural homes (straw bale, cob, adobe, rammed earth, and other natural materials), this unique step-by-step guide takes the confusion out of choosing, mixing, and applying natural plasters. From principles to practicalities, and with every stage of the process illustrated, The Natural Plasters Book details the entire process of plastering with earth, lime, and gypsum for a long-lasting and durable finish. Starting with an overview...