NYC Big Book Award (Distinguished Favorite 2023)Book Excellence Awards (Historical Fiction Winner 2022)Maincrest Media Book Award (Mainstream Winner 2021)Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book Award (Top 100 Notable 2016)Historical Novel Society (Editor's Choice 2015)Best Indie Book Award (Literary/Mainstream Winner 2013)"A stunning novel and a joy to read" Helen Hollick, Managing Editor - Historical Novel Society (Editor'...

“Highly recommended for a wide audience.” Donovan's Literary Services - Midwest Book Review“Highly engaging little read.” J. Aislynn d Merricksson - Readers' Favorite“More an adventure tale” Big Al - Books and PalsA soulful mix of writing, geology, rock and roll, and lost ancient nations from the author of the award winning historical novel, Storykeeper. The thought-provoking acco...

Daniel A. Smith exposes the truth about the American tax revolt. Contrary to conventional wisdom, recent ballot initiatives to limit state taxes have not been the result of a groundswell of public outrage; rather, they have been carefully orchestrated from the top down by professional tax crusaders: political entrepreneurs with their own mission. These faux populist initiatives--in contrast to genuine grassroots movements--involve minimal citizen participation. Instead, the tax crusaders h...

"This body of research not only passes academic muster but is the best guidepost in existence for activists who are trying to use the ballot initiative process for larger policy and political objectives."--Kristina Wilfore, Executive Director, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center and FoundationEducated by Initiative moves beyond previous evaluations of public policy to emphasize the educational importance of the initiative process itself. Since a majority of ballots ul...

The Great Turtle and the White Bird is an uplifting short story for readers of all ages. A vast flood covers all the land, leaving behind no place for turtles or birds to lay their eggs or build a nest. An old turtle and one bird discover that of all the creatures who survived, they alone share a concern about the future of their offspring. As a selfless gift for the generations to come, the two unlikely heroes from different worlds work together to create a new land.

American politics seems to grow more contentious and complicated by the day, and whether American democracy works well is hotly debated. Amidst all this roiling partisan argument and confusing claims and counterclaims, there has never been a greater need for an impartial primer on the basics of the American political system. This Very Short Introduction gives readers a concise, accessible, and sophisticated overview of the vital elements of American democracy, emphasizing both how these el...

This book looks beyond the headlines to uncover the controversial history of California's ballot measures over the past fifty years. As the rest of the U.S. watched, California voters banned public services for undocumented immigrants, repealed public affirmative action programs, and outlawed bilingual education, among other measures. Why did a state with a liberal political culture, an increasingly diverse populace, and a well-organized civil rights leadership roll back civil rights and a...

Learn how to build all of your favorite houses in this all-new guide for Minecraft. Houses included in this guide are a mushroom hut, a tree house, a floating house, a cobblestone and glass home, a rustic countryside house, a medieval style house, and a lighthouse!Conquer Minecraft with your very own tree house!

From the #1 bestselling author of The Bomber Mafia, the landmark book that has revolutionized the way we understand leadership and decision making.In his breakthrough bestseller The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell redefined how we understand the world around us. Now, in Blink, he revolutionizes the way we understand the world within.Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in...

Record-setting Jeopardy! champion-turned-host and New York Times bestselling author of Planet Funny Ken Jennings explores the world of maps, geography, cartography, and map obsessives, “a literary gem” (The Atlantic).Ken Jennings takes readers on a world tour of geogeeks from the London Map Fair to the bowels of the Library of Congress, from the prepubescent geniuses at the National Geographic Bee to the computer programmers at G...

New York Times Bestseller • Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award • Winner of the Saroyan International Prize for Writing • Winner of the Pacific Northwest Book Award • “The best outdoors book of the year.” —Sierra ClubFrom a talent who’s been compared to Annie Dillard, Edward Abbey, David Quammen, and Jared Diamond, On Trails is a wondrous exploration of how trails help us understand the world—from invisible ...

From the author of Why Americans Hate Politics, the New York Times bestselling and “notably fair-minded” (The New York Times Book Review), story of the GOP’s fracturing—from the 1964 Goldwater takeover to the Trump spectacle.Why the Right Went Wrong offers an “up to the moment” (The Christian Science Monitor) historical view of the right since the 1960s. Its core contention is that American conservatism and the Republica...