|
|
|
The State Boys Rebellion
A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist tells the amazing story of how a group of imprisoned boys won their freedom, found justice, and survived one of the darkest and least-known episodes of American history. In the early twentieth century, United States health officials used IQ tests to single out "feebleminded" children and force them into institutions where they were denied education, sterilized, drugged, and abused. Under programs that ran into the 1970s, more than 250,000 children were separated from their families, although many of them were merely unwanted orphans, truants, or delinquents. The State Boys Rebellion conveys the shocking truth about America's eugenic era through the experiences of a group of boys held at the Fernald State School in Massachusetts starting in the late 1940s. In the tradition of Erin Brockovich, it recounts the boys' dramatic struggle to demand their rights and secure their freedom. It also covers their horrifying discovery many years later that they had been fed radioactive oatmeal in Cold War experiments -- and the subsequent legal battle that ultimately won them a multimillion-dollar settlement. Meticulously researched through school archives, previously sealed papers, and interviews with the surviving State Boys, this deft exposé is a powerful reminder of the terrifying consequences of unchecked power as well as an inspiring testament to the strength of the human spirit..
Price: $7.62
[Notify me when price goes down.]
|
|
Hershey: Milton S. Hershey's Extraordinary Life of Wealth, Empire, and Utopian Dreams
The name Hershey evokes many things: chocolate bars, the company town in Pennsylvania, one of America's most recognizable brands. But who was the man behind the name? In this compelling biography, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael D'Antonio gives us the real-life rags-to-riches story of Milton S. Hershey, a largely uneducated businessman whose idealistic sense of purpose created an immense financial empire, a town, and a legacy that lasts to this day. Hershey, the son of a minister's daughter and an irresponsible father who deserted the family, began his career inauspiciously when the two candy shops he opened both went bankrupt. Undeterred, he started the Lancaster Caramel Company, which brought him success at last. Eventually he sold his caramel operation and went on to perfect the production process of chocolate to create a stable, consistent bar with a long shelf life...and an American icon was born. Hershey was more than a successful businessman -- he was a progressive thinker who believed in capitalism as a means to higher goals. He built the world's largest chocolate factory and a utopian village for his workers on a large tract of land in rural Pennsylvania, and used his own fortune to keep his workers employed during the Great Depression. In addition, he secretly willed his fortune to a boys' school and orphanage, both of which now control a vast endowment. Extensively researched and vividly written, Hershey is the fascinating story of this uniquely American visionary. .
Price: $4.50
[Notify me when price goes down.]
|
|
American Catholics Today: New Realities of Their Faith and Their Church
American Catholics Today presents trends in American Catholic opinion from 1987 to 2005, using four identical surveys. These surveys depict trends in Catholics' views of the sacraments, church authority, church teachings in the area of sex and gender, and strength of Catholic identity. The analysis in this book suggests that the future will see more Catholics making decisions about their own faith and fewer Catholics who are fervently committed to church life..
Price: $11.41
[ Notify me when price goes down.]
|
|
A Ball, a Dog, and a Monkey: 1957 - The Space Race Begins
A Ball, a Dog, and a Monkey tells the remarkable story of America's first efforts to succeed in space, a time of exploding rockets, national space mania, Florida boomtowns, and interservice rivalries so fierce that President Dwight Eisenhower had to referee them. When the Soviet Union launched the first orbital satellite, Sputnik I, Americans panicked. The Soviets had nuclear weapons, the Cold War was underway, and now the USSR had taken the lead in the space race. Members of Congress and the press called for an all-out effort to launch a satellite into orbit. With dire warnings about national security in the news almost every day, the armed services saw space as the new military frontier. But President Eisenhower insisted that the space effort, which relied on military technology, be supervised by civilians so that the space race would be peaceful. The Navy's Vanguard program flopped, and the Army, led by ex-Nazi rocket scientist Wernher von Braun and a martinet general named J. Bruce Medaris (whom Eisenhower disliked), took over. Meanwhile, the Soviets put a dog inside the next Sputnik, and Americans grew more worried as the first animal in space whirled around the Earth. Throughout 1958 America went space crazy. UFO sightings spiked. Boys from Brooklyn to Burbank shot model rockets into the air. Space-themed beauty pageants became a national phenomenon. The news media flocked to the launchpads on the swampy Florida coast, and reporters reinvented themselves as space correspondents. And finally the Army's rocket program succeeded. Determined not to be outdone by the Russians, America's space scientists launched the first primate into space, a small monkey they nicknamed Old Reliable for his calm demeanor. And then at Christmastime, Eisenhower authorized the launch of a secret satellite with a surprise aboard. A Ball, a Dog, and a Monkey memorably recalls the infancy of the space race, a time when new technologies brought ominous danger but also gave us the ability to realize our dreams and reach for the stars..
Price: $3.90
[Notify me when price goes down.]
|
|
Mosquito: A Natural History of Most Persistent and Deadly Foe
From a world-renowned expert on mosquitoes and a prize-winning reporter comes a fascinating work of popular science -- a comprehensive study of the insect itself, its role in history, and its threat to mankind. From its irritating whine to the sting and itch of its bite, the mosquito ranks near the bottom of mankind's list of favorite creatures. But these tiny insects, once merely a seasonal annoyance, now are capturing headlines worldwide as new information emerges about the diseases they carry, their migratory population, and their growing resistance to pesticides. Harvard professor Andrew Spielman has dedicated his life to understanding this insect, a passion that makes him the perfect guide to their amazing world and the perfect author of this lively, accessible book that offers an intriguing and horrifying mosquito-eye view of nature and man. He explains where mosquitoes breed, and how they die, showing us their natural foes and man-made enemies while explaining the myriad diseases they bring to all corners of the world. Spielman offers colorful examples of how the mosquito has insinuated itself into human history, from the defeat of Sir Francis Drake's fleet to the death of thousands of Frenchmen working on the Panama Canal to the recent widespread West Nile panic in New York City. Filled with little-known facts and illuminating anecdotes that bring this tiny being into larger focus, Mosquito offers fascinating, alarming, and convincing evidence that the sooner we get to know this little creature, the better off we'll be..
Price: $16.97
[Notify me when price goes down.]
|
|
Mountain Biking the Greater Philadelphia Area, 2nd: A Guide to the Delaware Valley's Greatest Off-Road Bicycle Rides (Regional Mountain Biking Series)
This is a comprehensive guide to the Delaware Valley's greatest off-road bicycle rides, featuring more than 40 rides in Philadelphia, Jim Thorpe, New Jersey, and Northern Delaware.
.
Price: $9.21
[ Notify me when price goes down.]
|
|
Acoustic Diffusers and Absorbers: Theory, Design and Application
Absorbers and diffusers are two of the main design tools for altering the acoustic conditions of a room, semi-enclosed spaces and the outdoor environment. Their correct use is important for delivering high quality acoustics. The unique and authoritative text describes how to effectively measure, model, design, optimise and apply diffusers and absorbers. Surface diffusion is a relatively young subject area, and diffuser design, application and characterisation are new to practitioners and researchers, who may not have been exposed to this new information in their formal training. This book is a resource for new and experienced acousticians seeking an understanding of the evolution and current state of the art in diffuser research and practice. Absorption is a more established technology, and so the book blends traditional design with modern developments. By collecting the key aspects of absorbers in one text, the book offers new and experienced professionals an opportunity to understand this subject in more depth. This detailed book serves to cover the practical and theoretical aspects of absorbers and diffusers and is well illustrated, with examples of installations and case studies..
Price: $140.00
[ Notify me when price goes down.]
|
|
Fun While It Lasted: My Rise and Fall In the Land of Fame and Fortune
ruce McNall became obsessed with coin collecting at the age of 10. At 16, his collection was worth $60,000. During college, he traveled the world buying coins stolen from ancient sites and tombs. McNall's first major sale was to Sy Weintraub, the head of Panavision, who bought $500,000 worth of coins in one sitting. Soon, McNall branched out into horse racing, movie making (The Fabulous Baker Boys), and owning the L.A. Kings hockey team..
Price: $4.80
[ Notify me when price goes down.]
|
|
Do Cows Eat Cake?: A Book About What Animals Eat (Animals All Around)
|
|
|
|
|