On the last hot day of summer in 1992, gunfire cracked over a rocky knob in northern Idaho, just south of the Canadian border. By the next day three people were dead, and a small war was joined, pitting the full might of federal law enforcement against one well-armed family. Drawing on extensive interviews with Randy Weaver's family, government insiders, and others, Jess Walter traces the paths that led the Weavers to their confrontation with federal agents and led the government to treat a family like a gang of criminals.This is the story of what happened on Ruby Ridge: the tragic and unlikely series of events that destroyed a family, brought down the number-two man in the FBI, and left in its wake a nation increasingly attuned to the dangers of unchecked federal power. Views: 49
Violence and tensions along the U.S.-Mexican border have never been higher, sparked by battles between rival drug lords and an increased flow of illegal migrants. To combat the threat, the United States has executed Operation Rampart: a controversial test base in Southern California run by Major Richter and TALON, his high-tech special operations unit. Their success is threatened by a drug kingpin and migrant smuggler named Ernesto Fuerza. In the guise of Mexican nationalist "Commander Veracruz," he causes a storm of controversy on both sides of the border, calling for a revolution to take back the northernmost "Mexican states" — the southwestern United States. His real intention is to make it easier to import illegal drugs across the border. This sets off a storm of controversy that's being stirred to a fever pitch by a popular right-wing radio talk-show host who calls for the complete militarization of the border. Views: 49
In Keeping the Faith, nationally acclaimed author and commentator Tavis Smiley, host of NPR's The Tavis Smiley Show, weaves stories of over one hundred African Americans into a rich tapestry of intimate testimonies about life, love, and inner strength. In Smiley's affirming collection, black Americans from all walks of life join with well known figures such as Iyanla Vanzant, Cornel West, and Danny Glover to offer insights about the moments that challenged them to learn, the teachers who inspired them to grow, and the sources of hope and courage they draw on in their daily lives. Certain to be of abiding value to readers everywhere, Keeping the Faith offers rich lessons about loss and healing, wisdom and fulfillment, perseverance and the wellsprings of joy.From the Trade Paperback edition. Views: 49
An epic historical novel by award-winning author Bernard Knight, which tells the story of Madoc, a Welsh prince who, legend says, was one of the first people to discover the continent of North America. Views: 49
For twenty-nine-year-old Hannah O'Dowd, finding a decent man in Portland, Oregon, is like pulling teeth!Luckily, the self-employed clothing designer has a job she loves and friends to help ease the pain: oversexed Cassie (always good to have the opposite perspective, Hannah notes), analytical Louise (too much perspective not always good) and an in-the-flesh tooth puller, dentist Scott (could prove useful). But as she nears the big 3-0, she begins to realize that dating frantically may truly be the only solution to finding Mr. Maybe.So, pumped up on nothing but drive and determination, Hannah cuts loose on her romantic quest. In fact, she kisses so many frogs she fears she'll turn green. (Note: While paling in comparison to her paralyzing fear of anything dental related, acquiring froglike qualities from hanging around losers--still not good.)And she's only just begun! Views: 49
On September 15, 1946, a biological weapon created by an alien race was accidently detonated above the streets of New York City, killing countless numbers of men, women, and children. But those who survived the initial explosion soon began to wish they had died also, once they discovered they had been forever mutated by the virus unleashed in the blast...In this all-new collection of Wild Cards stories, the spotlight is on the most unusual Wild Cards of them all - the Deuces. As you'll discover in this thrilling collection, their role in the Wild Cards Universe is just as important as that of the Aces and the Jokers. In fact, their actions have affected the course of Wild Cards history. Views: 49
Detective Sergeant Kate Power has gained promotion but there's no job to be promoted into - so she is sent off to Devon to act in an undercover job. Unfortunately, she's undercover in more ways than one. Kate has no idea what kind of crime she's meant to be discovering or what the background is to this investigation into a timeshare holiday company. And acting blind can be dangerous - in more ways than one. Views: 49
An intimate and poignant memoir about the family of Alan Kurdi—the young Syrian boy who became the global emblem for the desperate plight of millions of Syrian refugees—and of the many extraordinary journeys the Kurdis have taken, spanning countries and continents.Alan Kurdi's body washed up on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea on September 2, 2015, and overnight, the political became personal, as the world awoke to the reality of the Syrian refugee crisis. Tima Kurdi first saw the shocking photo of her nephew in her home in Vancouver, Canada. But Tima did not need a photo to understand the truth—she and her family had already been living it. In The Boy on the Beach, Tima recounts her idyllic childhood in Syria, where she grew up with her brother Abdullah and other siblings in a tight‑knit family. A strong‑willed, independent woman, Tima studied to be a hairdresser and had dreams of seeing the world. At twenty‑two, she... Views: 49
Master storyteller Peter Benchley combines high adventure with practical information in Shark Trouble, a book that is at once a thriller and a valuable guide to being safe in, on, under, and around the sea. The bestselling author of Jaws, The Deep, and other works draws on more than three decades of experience to share information about sharks and other marine animals."Shark attacks on human beings generate a tremendous amount of media coverage," Benchley writes, "partly because they occur so rarely, but mostly, I think, because people are, and always have been, simultaneously intrigued and terrified by sharks. Sharks come from a wing of the dark castle where our nightmares live--deep water beyond our sight and understanding--and so they stimulate our fears and fantasies and imaginations."Benchley describes the many types of sharks (including the ones that pose a genuine threat to man), what is and isn't known about shark behavior, the odds against... Views: 49
Twins Mark and Scott discover an abandoned Apollo command module and take off to rescue a stranded Russian cosmonaut in the second Astrotwins adventure from retired NASA astronaut and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Mousetronaut, Mark Kelly.Mark and Scott Kelly, who are mostly known for getting in trouble, are finally back from their first space adventure. The twins have wanted to explore space ever since they were little and watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. And when they hear that a Russian cosmonaut is trapped inside the Salyut space station now orbiting 220 miles above the surface of the Earth, they wish they could find a way to help. While staying in the countryside at their grandfather's house with their friend Jenny (aka Egg), the twins repurpose a NASA Titan 2 rocket ship being stored nearby. Complete with spacesuits and snacks, the twins take off to rescue the Russian spacecraft. Will they ever see their family or their... Views: 49
