This book examines the development of ancient Greek civilization through a path-breaking application of social scientific theories. David B. Small charts the rise of the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations and the unique characteristics of the later classical Greeks through the lens of ancient social structure and complexity theory, opening up new ideas and perspectives on these societies. He argues that Minoan and Mycenaean institutions evolved from elaborate feasting, and that the genesis...

This book presents a novel and innovative approach to the study of social evolution using case studies from the Old and the New World, from prehistory to the present. This approach is based on examining social evolution through the evolution of social institutions. Evolution is defined as the process of structural change. Within this framework the society, or culture, is seen as a system composed of a vast number of social institutions that are constantly interacting and changing. As a res...

The #1 New York Times bestseller and National Book Award finalist that "breaks new ground for graphic novels" (Francois Mouly, art editor, The New Yorker).David Small, a best-selling and highly regarded children's book illustrator, comes forward with this unflinching graphic memoir. Remarkable and intensely dramatic, Stitches tells the story of a fourteen-year-old boy who awakes one day from a supposedly harmless operation to discover that he has ...

Wanna know what the real problem is? It's God.Deep down, in that quiet place of the heart, the problem isn't doubt-it's disappointment. Hurt by the church. Betrayed by leaders. Embarrassed by how "Christians" behave. So I walked away. For more than a decade, I left God behind and chased success, money, and happiness instead. I blamed God for the wounds His people caused me.But that wasn't God.What followed was not a return to religion-but an unexpec...

IF THE BURMA ARMY CAUGHT HIM, THEY'D EXECUTE HIM.David Small knew this as he crouched in a ditch, bullets cracking overhead—exactly the kind of place missionaries aren't supposed to end up—more Mr. Bean than James Bond, and absolutely certain he was about to die.Again.For ten years with the Free Burma Rangers, he's slipped across borders in the dead of night. Navigated landmine fields. Ducked as jets screamed overhead dropping 500-pound bombs. Pulle...

Acclaimed author Judith St. George shares the joy of discovery in this delightful book about the ups and downs of exploring. So you want to be an explorer? Explorers need courage, like Alexander the Great, who conquered most of the known world. But for budding explorers out there, the rewards can be great. Neil Armstrong earned lasting fame when he became the first person to set foot on the moon.

A dazzling depiction of the connection between diverse readers of all ages and their books, from beloved author-illustrator team Sarah Stewart and David Small.This Book of Mine is a celebration of the power of reading, of the ways in which books launch our adventures, give us comfort, challenge our imaginations, and offer us connection. From new mothers to fantasy lovers, butterfly hunters to musicians, the readers of This Book of Mine all share a ...

So later, after a nice dinner at Shirley and Moe's, after all the soldiers, pilots, Marines, FBI men, and the cousins had said their goodbyes, the visitors from outer space made a momentous announcement.There's going to be a wedding on planet Nextoo! And, after having tasted Shirley's meatballs, the spacemen ask Shirley and Moe a teeny weeny favor: would they be so kind as to cater the simple celestial celebration for four hundred and eighty-seven alien guests (giv...

2013 Caldecott Honor Book.From New York Times bestselling author Toni Buzzeo and Caldecott Medal winning illustrator David Small, comes a cool tale about an unlikely friendship.On a spontaneous visit to the aquarium, straight-laced and proper Elliot discovers his dream pet: a penguin. When he asks his father if he may have one (please and thank you), his father says yes. Elliot should have realized that Dad was probably thinking of...

An exquisite paean to everyone who struggles to learn how to read, and to everyone who won’t give up on them."Cal is not the readin' type. Living way high up in the Appalachian Mountains, he'd rather help Pap plow or go out after wandering sheep than try some book learning. Nope. Cal does not want to sit stoney-still reading some chicken scratch. But that Book Woman keeps coming just the same. She comes in the rain. She comes in the snow. She comes right up the side of the mountain...

"A superb, kid-centered survey and a perfect way to enliven the perennial class unit on the presidents." - Kirkus ReviewsIn the cherished tradition of political commentary, this rip-roaring celebration of forty-two Presidents shows us the foibles, the quirks, and—most of all—the humanity of those men who have risen to one of the most powerful positions in the world.

"The narration provided is spot-on" - School Library JournalWhen well-mannered Elliot reluctantly visits the aquarium with his distractible father, he politely asks whether he can have a penguin--and then removes one from the penguin pool to his backpack. The fun of caring for a penguin in a New England Victorian house is followed by a surprise revelation by Elliot's father.