Provides an important examination of Charles Chesnutt as a practitioner of realismAlthough Chesnutt is typically acknowledged as the most prominent African American writer of the realist period, scholars have paid little attention to the central question of this study: what does it mean to call Chesnutt a realist? As a writer whose career was restricted by the dismal racial politics of his era, Chesnutt refused to conform to literary conventions for depict...

In The Mysterious Stranger, which was unfinished at the time of his death, Twain unleashes his sardonic, freewheeling wit to present deeply nihilistic philosophical and religious views in an audacious narrative that concludes with one of his most haunting lines. In 1590, three boys in a remote Austrian village are befriended by an attractive, charismatic stranger. Before he vanishes, the stranger devises supernatural ways to expose the boys to the puniness of existence, the violen...

The goal of The Adventures of Prescott Junior McCoy III and Friends is to captivate and engage a young audience of learners in the power of imagination through fun, fictional reading. The adventures of Prescott stories have been time tested and developed over many years and have showcased young learners all over the world how powerful and limitless imagination can be, yet also how simple and fun it is to imagine, create, and pretend. The foundation for these adventures are focused on insti...

Renewable and carbon-neutral energy have been promoted as the future of energy production in the United States. Non-traditional energy sources show promise as alternatives to fossil fuels and may provide a sustainable source of energy in increasingly uncertain energy markets. However, these new sources of energy face their own set of political, administrative, and legal challenges. Green vs. Green explores how mixed land ownership and existing law and regulation present serious ch...

As an aspiring or seasoned writer, do you feel like you aren't making headway, stumbling on what to write next, or wondering if you're even on the right path? Are you unable to find the motivation to charge up your computer and put your fingers on the keyboard after that last rejection?Between the pages of What I Wish I'd Known: For Writers, 100 highly accomplished authors share their time, energy, and knowledge to pay it forward and inspire other writers, experienced or a...

Tar Sands critically examines the frenzied development in the Canadian tar sands and the far-reaching implications for all of North America. Bitumen, the sticky stuff that ancients used to glue the Tower of Babel together, is the world’s most expensive hydrocarbon. This difficult-to-find resource has made Canada the number-one supplier of oil to the United States, and every major oil company now owns a lease in the Alberta tar sands. The region has become a global...

Passionate and cogent, this could be the most important book of the year for CanadiansWe are complacent. We bask in the idea that Canada holds 20% of the world’s fresh water — water crises face other countries, but not ours. We could not be more wrong. In Boiling Point, bestselling author and activist Maude Barlow lays bare the issues facing Canada’s water reserves, including long-outdated water laws, unmapped and unprotected groundwater reserves, agricult...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFrom Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former head of the Sierra Club Carl Pope comes a manifesto on how the benefits of taking action on climate change are concrete, immediate, and immense. They explore climate change solutions that will make the world healthier and more prosperous, aiming to begin a new type of conversation on the issue that will spur bolder action by cities, businesses, and citizens—and even, someday, by Washington.

Kitty's owners are home with a big surprise for Kitty. But what is it? Kitty, reeling in horror, thinks it's a . . . dog. The neighbor cats are convinced it's a cat. But we all know that it's really a BABY!With Nick Bruel's trademark mix of antic humor (this time involving a Kitty game show and the Kitty Olympics—which the baby wins hands down), riotous illustrations, total mayhem, and Uncle Murray Fun Facts, this may be the funniest Kitty book yet, and the one that hits closest to ...

Bad Kitty faces her toughest challenge yet, in Bad Kitty School Daze from Nick Bruel.Kitty and Puppy are out of control! They're screaming, fighting, hissing, and drooling all over the house, and all of the commotion is upsetting Baby. Time for school—obedience school, that is. Can Kitty learn to follow the rules and make friends with the other students or will she bring chaos to the classroom?Find out in Bad Kitty's hilarious, new (mis)adventure!

An energy industry insider delivers hard truths about the reality of fracking.Conventional wisdom has North America entering a new era of energy abundance thanks to shale gas. But has industry been honest? Cold, Hungry and in the Dark argues that declining productivity combined with increasing demand will trigger a crisis that will cause prices to skyrocket, damage the economy, and have a profound impact on the lives of nearly every North American.Re...

In the New York Times bestselling Bad Kitty series from writer and illustrator Nick Bruel, prepare for a battle royale as Uncle Murray steps into the role of petsitter in Bad Kitty vs the Babysitter.Kitty's owners are taking a week off and leaving Kitty and Puppy at home. So who's going to watch them? Good ol' Uncle Murray, star of the Fun Facts feature of previous Kitty books—the guy you thought knew everything about cats. Think again! It isn't l...