In a "post-millennial" world the choices available to us in our personal lives has never been larger. This book explores every aspect of life from value to time, competition to leisure and offers tests and exercises to assist with finding direction.
Kent State and the End of American Innocence
"At midday on May 4, 1970, after three days of protests, several thousand students and the Ohio National Guard faced off at opposite ends of the grassy campus Commons at Kent State University. At noon, the Guard moved out. Twenty-four minutes later, Guardsmen launched a 13-second, 67-shot barrage that left four students dead and nine wounded, one paralyzed for life. The story doesn't end there, though. A horror of far greater proportions was narrowly averted minutes later when the Guard and students reassembled on the Commons"--Provided by publisher
The essence of John Chapman, a quintessentially American figure, is explored in depth, stripping away longstanding myths to reveal his true character. This portrayal offers a thrilling escape from the clichés that have surrounded him, providing a fresh and insightful understanding of his life and legacy. Renowned filmmaker Ken Burns highlights the book's ability to bring Chapman to life, making it a compelling read for those interested in American history and culture.
"Swimming is a long thread that connects the Olympic heroes of today with the real and mythic ones of the past across more than ten millennia--a recorded history that begins in a cave in the Egyptian desert and sweeps across athletes and poets, statesmen and emperors, humans and gods; across the whole human experience, the entire human story. Splash! weaves a 10,000-year-old tale that begins in a bone-dry cave in the remote southwest corner of Egypt, winds its way through ancient Greece and Rome, flows mostly underground through the Dark and Middle Ages, and then reemerges in the wake of the Renaissance before ending on the runway of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo--where, critically, swimming will once again be among the most high-profile of all events. But swimming is also about more than itself, more than simply moving through the water, more than speed or great feats of aquatic endurance or the terror of the bottomless deep. It's part of the churning continuum of time--part of history, part of life. Stretch "swimming" out to its largest dimension, and its history offers a multi-tiered tour through religion, fashion low and high, architecture, sanitation and public health, colonialism, segregation and integration, sexism, sexiness, guts, glory, and much, much more. Unique and compelling, Splash! sweeps across the whole of humankind's swimming history, and has fun along the way"-- Provided by publisher
The dramatic story of greed, money, power, and the moguls and dynasties that have shaped business From merchant ships to microchips, industry has been defined by the powerful business leaders who have caused seismic shifts in the growth of commerce. The companion book to the acclaimed CNBC documentary, Money and Power takes readers on a gripping journey following the movement of power from east to west-from the feudal estates of medieval Europe to the halls of modern finance, from the teeming streets of ancient Venice to the serene campuses of Silicon Valley-to tell the story of how business shaped the modern world, and how the goals of a few ambitious people paved the way to the wealth and prosperity shared by so much of the world's population today. A dramatic narrative focusing on the groundbreakers throughout history-from St. Godric, the twelfth-century monk reviled for his love of money to Bill Gates, the contemporary embodiment of money and power-traces the roots of banking, industry, commerce, and power. Fever-pitch moments in the book center around pivotal figures such as Cosimo de Medici, Philip II, the Rothschilds, J. P. Morgan, the Rockefellers, Henry Ford and others. The authors also extract important lessons about the strategies and tactics used to build these business empires.
Hobbies, Collecting, and Other Passionate Pursuits
Exploring the diverse hobbies, collections, and amateur sports that define American culture, this book delves into the nation's lesser-discussed passions. It highlights how these pursuits reflect broader societal values and personal identities, offering insights into what truly captivates the American spirit. By focusing on these obsessions, the author fills a gap in the understanding of American life, showcasing how these activities shape our communities and individual experiences.