Other books that might interest you

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  The Thinkers - The Rise of...

  E.J. Fagan

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  Increasingly, political parties have adopted not only different policies, but different sets of facts. As E. J. Fagan argues, partisan think tanks have helped create these alternate realities in their capacity as de facto formal party organizations. Through the analyses generated by aligned think tanks, political elites on both the left and right frequently offer radically different assessments of a policy's consequences. 
   
   
   
  In The Thinkers, Fagan tells the story of how partisan think tanks displaced non-partisan experts to become the closest policy advisors to the Republican and Democratic Parties. He explores their history, how they influence policymakers, and how their influence impacts the polarization of American politics. More broadly, Fagan shows that the rise of partisan think tanks tracks closely with the increase in political polarization since the 1970s. Because they are funded and staffed by strong ideologues, partisan think tanks seek to move their party's preferences to the left or right of center. When they are successful, parties take more extreme positions than if they had only drawn information from non-partisan sources, which increases polarization. A powerful account of the impact of partisan think tanks on American democracy, The Thinkers will reshape our understanding of the fundamental drivers of the US's polarized political system.

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  Florida at Sea - A Maritime History

  Joe Knetsch

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  From small ports to large ports, from rivers to creeks, from lakes to lagoons, water routes have been essential to Florida's development as a commercial, recreational, agricultural, and cultural entity. With more than 30,000 lakes and ponds and some 1,700 rivers, creeks, and streams, Florida ranks second in the list of wettest states in the USA. Native Americans used the rivers, creeks, and lakes as routes to various locales within the peninsula while harvesting fish and other aquatic edibles to sustain their daily lives. Early European settlers followed suit and supplemented their diets with the bounty from the oceans and fresh water sources. Into statehood, settlers relied on the same sources for food while using fresh water to make the land productive for food and cash crops. By the early decades of the 20th Century, water became a marketable attraction to lure millions of tourists to Florida for recreation and sports. The trend continues today. Join a trio of authors on this look at the immense impact water and maritime activities have played in the development of Florida.

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  Vedantic Stories & Meditations -...

  Sandeep Verma

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  We live in a world of commodities. Today's consumerist culture tells us that we are not enough and that true happiness comes from external objects. The problem with this message is that, no matter how much wealth we acquire, there is always something better. Even after you buy that new car or those new shoes, soon after your acquisition, the object losses its appeal. 
  We believe that happiness is somewhere outside and can be obtained through relationships, wealth, name and fame, and position in the world. Consequently, we spend most of our life in acquiring these external goals. We eat some delicious food, listen to music, party, travel the world, drink the most expensive vines and spend time with people. During such occasions, the mind feels fulfilled, but this fulfilment doesn't last. 
  Fulfilment is an easy concept on the surface, yet it’s so elusive. Where is this fulfilment? 
  The truth is, happiness and fulfilment don't come from the external world.  
  Vedanta philosophy, originating from the Vedas, the most ancient scriptures of India, teaches us that our fundamental nature is complete. We seek happiness outside because we don't think of ourselves as whole. We think of ourselves as needing to be SAVED. Vedanta teaches us We are never LOST. At worst, we are living in ignorance of our true nature. 
  Throughout ancient times, great spiritual masters have often conveyed profound spiritual truths through interesting stories. And they know our psychology - that we may not remember abstruse metaphysical truths - but everybody loves a nice story. In this course, we are going to learn the teachings of Vedanta through stories only. In each session, we will have a story followed by a Vedantic meditation. Whether you are new to Vedanta or you are familiar with it, there is something for everybody.

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  The World Minute at Waterloo

  Stefan Zweig

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  The Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815 was Napoleon Bonaparte's last battle. It took place around 15 km south of Brussels near the village of Waterloo, then part of the Kingdom of the United Netherlands and now in Belgium. The defeat of the French led by Napoleon against the Allied troops under the English General Wellington and the Prussian Field Marshal Blücher ended Napoleon's rule of the Hundred Days and led to the end of the French Empire with his final abdication on June 22, 1815. After this second total military defeat in a short period of time, tightened peace terms were imposed on France in the Second Peace of Paris. Napoleon himself was taken as a prisoner of war by the British to the Atlantic island of St. Helena, where he died in exile on May 5, 1821. The idiom "to experience one's Waterloo" as a synonym for a total defeat has its origin in this battle.

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  Rhythm of Resistance - The...

  Eroms Ehiagwina

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  "Rhythm of Resistance: The Soulful Echoes of Black Musicians in the Era of Martin Luther King Jr. (1957-1968)" is a must-read book that sheds light on the pivotal role of music in the Civil Rights Movement. It provides a comprehensive overview of the social, political, and cultural context of the era, highlighting how music served as a powerful tool for expressing the aspirations and frustrations of African Americans. Through songs such as "We Shall Overcome" and "A Change Is Gonna Come," music became an anthem of the movement, inspiring activists and mobilizing communities across America and beyond, it also highlights the struggles of people of color in the United Kingdom at this time. This book is a testament to the enduring spirit of resistance and resilience that drives us towards a more just and equitable society. It serves as a reminder that the struggle for racial justice is ongoing, and the power of music to inspire social change remains as relevant today as it was during the Civil Rights era. Get ready to be inspired and motivated by the transformative power of music in the fight for civil rights. 
   

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  The Lost Southern Chefs - A...

  Robert F. Moss

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  In recent years, food writers and historians have begun to retell the story of southern food. Heirloom ingredients and traditional recipes have been rediscovered, the foundational role that African Americans played in the evolution of southern cuisine is coming to be recognized, and writers are finally clearing away the cobwebs of romantic myth that have long distorted the picture. The story of southern dining, however, remains incomplete. 
   
   
   
  The Lost Southern Chefs begins to fill that niche by charting the evolution of commercial dining in the nineteenth-century South. Robert F. Moss punctures long-accepted notions that dining outside the home was universally poor, arguing that what we would today call "fine dining" flourished throughout the region as its towns and cities grew. 
   
   
   
  Most important, Moss tells the forgotten stories of the people who drove this culinary revolution. These men and women fully embodied the title "chef," directing large staffs, staging elaborate events for hundreds of guests, and establishing supply chains for the very best ingredients from across the expanding nation. These chefs and entrepreneurs became embroiled in the pitched political battles of Reconstruction and Jim Crow, and then their names were all but erased from history.

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