Once dismissed as a rusting industrial has-been—the “Next Detroit”—Philadelphia has enjoyed an astonishing comeback in the 21st century. Over the past two decades, Inga Saffron has served as the premier chronicler of the city’s physical transformation as it emerged from a half century of decline. Through her Pulitzer Prize-winning columns on architecture and urbanism in the Philadelphia Inquirer, she has tracked the city’s revival on a weekly basis.Becoming Philadelphi...

In the tradition of Cod and Olives: a fascinating journey into the hidden history, culture, and commerce of caviar.Once merely a substitute for meat during religious fasts, today caviar is an icon of luxury and wealth. In Caviar, Inga Saffron tells, for the first time, the story of how the virgin eggs of the prehistoric-looking, bottom-feeding sturgeon were transformed from a humble peasant food into a czar’s delicacy–and ultimately a coveted status symbo...

A Dazzling Russian travelogue from the bestselling author of Great PlainsIn his astonishing new work, Ian Frazier, one of our greatest and most entertaining storytellers, trains his perceptive, generous eye on Siberia, the storied expanse of Asiatic Russia whose grim renown is but one explanation among hundreds for the region's fascinating, enduring appeal. In Travels in Siberia, Frazier reveals Siberia's role in history—its science, economics, an...

A gripping biological detective story that uncovers the myth, mystery, and endangered fate of the world’s most humble fruitTo most people, a banana is a banana: a simple yellow fruit. Americans eat more bananas than apples and oranges combined. In others parts of the world, bananas are what keep millions of people alive. But for all its ubiquity, the banana is surprisingly mysterious; nobody knows how bananas evolved or exactly where they originated. Rich cultural ...

The author of What Makes Flamingos Pink? offers up "a fun, fact-filled snack for the terminally informed . . . enlivened by the author's wit" ( Kirkus Reviews).Is it true that elephants are afraid of mice?How much gold does the United States store in Fort Knox?Why do I get a headache when I eat ice cream too fast?How did the "seventh inning stretch" originate?As the official webmaster for Xerox, Bill McLain was surprised...

Did you know that Did You Know? is full of bite-sized tidbits of absorbing information just for kids? You do now! It’s also loaded with tons of funny illustrations. And in true Uncle John style, there are lots of surprises to be discovered in these 252 pages! To make it easier for kids to navigate, the book is divided into fun categories covering a wide range of topics—from Antarctica to zebras to nearly everything in between. Here are a few of the facts sure to amaze kids both bi...

The highly acclaimed exploration of sushi’s surprising history, global business, and international allureOne generation ago, sushi’s narrow reach ensured that sports fishermen who caught tuna in most of parts of the world sold the meat for pennies as cat food. Today, the fatty cuts of tuna known as toro are among the planet’s most coveted luxury foods, worth hundreds of dollars a pound and capable of losing value more quickly than any other product on earth. So how...

Bite-sized bits of information to give you the edge on trivia night—from crime and punishment to the rich and famous to ghosts, ghouls, oddballs, and more!Packed with more than 400 pages, Uncle John's Bathroom Reader: Attack of the Factoids is a fact-a-palooza of obscure information. Like what, you ask? Here are just a few extraordinary examples:* Bats always turn left when they exit a cave.* In the 1960s, astronauts trained for moon voyages by walking on ...

We have all heard the dreaded "Are we there yet?" question; I know I have at least a million times over the past two decades travelling with my own children!Stickers, Story and Coloring Books are fine but kids will soon tire of them. Yes, we can give in and buy in car DVD players but believe me, where siblings and different age groups are involved, there will still be arguments! Ok, so you can buy two or even three portable units but someone's headphones will fail or they forget to...

Where were Venetian blinds invented?What color is the black box on a commercial airplane?Where did India ink originate?*Most of us know more than we think we know. We also think we know more than we actually do-because some of what we think we know simply "ain't so." We all harbor misconceptions that are accepted not only because they are popular but also because they make sense.It makes sense to believe, for example, that German chocolate originated in German...

WINNER OF THE 2017 NASW SCIENCE IN SOCIETY JOURNALISM AWARDA FINALIST FOR THE 2017 PEN/E. O. WILSON LITERARY SCIENCE WRITING AWARDLONGLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCEA LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST SCIENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR“[A] curiously edifying book.” —The New York Times Book Review“With the taut suspense of a spy no...

**INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS & EDITORS Book Award, Finalist 2014"Greenberg’s breezy, engaging style weaves history, politics, environmental policy, and marine biology." --New Yorker**From the acclaimed author of Four Fish and The Omega Principle, Paul Greenberg uncovers the tragic unraveling of the nation’s seafood supply—telling the surprising story of why Americans stopped eating from their own waters in American Catch...