"The publishing phenomenon of summer reading, often focused on novels set in vacation destinations, started in the nineteenth century, as both print culture and tourist culture expanded in the United States. As an emerging middle class increasingly embraced summer leisure as a marker of social status, book publishers sought new market opportunities, authors discovered a growing readership, and more readers indulged in lighter fare. Drawing on publishing...

"The names of Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler have been emblazoned in the memories of generations of readers who have made Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind one of the most beloved sagas in American literature. Here is the sweeping take of Scarlett, raised to be a southern lady of leisure, and her world, which changes irrevocably during the Civil War. Scarlett's struggle is that of the south--trying to scrape together a life of decency and meaning...

Galbraith's classic on the "economic of abundance" is, in the words of the New York Times, "a compelling challenge to conventional thought." With customary clarity, eloquence, and humor, Galbraith cuts to the heart of what economic security means (and doesn't mean) in today's world and lays bare the hazards of individual and societal complacence about economic inequity. While "affluent society" and "conventional wisdom" (first used in the book) have...

"Not just about the rise of the factories or the emergence of the modern city, this fascinating history conveys how it felt to work the assembly line and walk the bustling urban streets. Provides an overview of the dramatic economic changes occurring in the United States during industrialization, especially in the textile, meatpacking, steel, and railroad industries; Describes a political culture marked by high participation rates in the North, active...

"Miriam Thaggert illuminates the stories of African American women as passengers and as workers on the nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century railroad. As Jim Crow laws became more prevalent and forced Black Americans to 'ride Jim Crow' on the rails, the train compartment became a contested space of leisure and work. Riding Jane Crow examines four instances of Black female railroad travel: the travel narratives of Black female intellectuals such...

Martin Luther King Jr. was the dominant force in the civil rights movement during its decade of greatest achievement, from 1957 to 1968. He believed in changing the world through nonviolence. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. --Publisher.

"Thom Hartmann, the most popular progressive radio host in America and a New York Times bestselling author, looks at the real history of the corrupting influence of oligarchy in America-and how we can fight back"--

This book deals with the subject of slave society, and focuses on the millions of children and youth enslaved in 19th-century America. This enlarged and revised edition reflects the abundance of new scholarship on slavery that has emerged in the 15 years since the first edition. While the structure of the book remains the same,the author has expanded its scope to include the international dimension with a new chapter on the transatlantic trade in...

"Who is to blame for our broken politics? The uncomfortable answer to this question starts with ordinary citizens with good intentions. We vote (sometimes) and occasionally sign a petition or attend a rally. But we mainly "engage" by consuming politics as if it's a sport or a hobby. We soak in daily political gossip and eat up statistics about who's up and who's down. We tweet and post and share. We crave outrage. The hours we spend on politics are...