Collection: Adult

With warmth and humor, a popular radio and podcast host shares her love of language, weaving together linguistic history, regional phrases, the hidden poetry in etymologies, new words, and stories from her life and time on the air, now in paperback

Martha Barnette has spent two decades as the cohost of A Way with Words, lauded by Mary Norris in The New Yorker as "a virtual treasure house" and "'Car Talk' for Lexiphiles." Over that time, she's developed a keen sense of what fascinates people about language. They are curious about etymology and revel in slang, are surprised by regional vocabulary and celebrate linguistic diversity. Idioms both puzzle and delight word lovers, and they are eager to share family neologisms and that weird phrase Grandma always used to say.

In Friends with Words, Barnette weaves together all these strands in a clear, informative, highly entertaining exploration of language. Chock-full of anecdotes, humorous asides, new words, trivia, and other lexicological delights, Friends with Words also tells Barnette's story--from her Appalachian roots through her study of Ancient Greek, and on to the making of a beloved and enduring show. Friends with Words is an expert, good-humored, joyful book.

Distinct among golf writers for having been born in Pinehurst, arguably America's golf capital, Bill Fields brings to life growing up during the 1960s and '70s in the Sandhills of North Carolina, where his early ties to the game were a springboard for a long, award-winning career chronicling it. A Quick Nine Before Dark is a richly detailed memoir: poignant sketches of a lost small-town world, introducing his blue-collar dad to golf; the culture shock and awe of a new arrival in 1980s New York City; an insider's vantage of an evolving golf media world. Fields interviewed a 15-year-old Tiger Woods and played 18 holes with Sam Snead when he was 84. Having walked Pinehurst's fairways as a tour-event standard bearer when he was a teen, Fields went on to photograph 40 major championships and has reported from twice that many as a fixture on the golf scene for four decades. A Quick Nine Before Dark is a vivid account of that journey and the charms and challenges along the way.

The definitive story of Tara VanDerveer, Stanford women's basketball, and an unmatched legacy of excellence

By the time Tara Vanderveer stepped down from nearly four decades at the helm of Stanford women's basketball, she had surpassed both Pat Summitt and Mike Krzyzewski to become the winningest head coach in NCAA college basketball history. Along the way, she'd led the Cardinal to three national championships and 14 Final Fours, and served as head coach for the 1996 Team USA Olympic team that was a launching pad for professional women's basketball.

How did this upstate New York native whose own antiquated basketball experience was a reflection of the limited opportunities available to women in sports prior to Title IX, whose first coaching job was her sister's recreation league team, become a legend, a Hall of Famer and a standard-bearer for excellence and success?

Retracing countless seminal moments in Stanford Cardinal history, Life's Work details the construction and maintenance of an elite women's program and an unmatched legacy in sports. VanDerveer built upon a foundation of relentless competitiveness, intellectual curiosity, and a desire to change with the times and her teams. Beyond the accolades, she established a culture for young women in which they given the opportunity to improve, thrive and emerge into the world after basketball ready to lead.

Through extensive research and conversations with VanDerveer, Michelle Smith communicates the unflappable vision of a coach who is a mentor, an example, and a touchstone for a sport that finds itself on the cusp of mainstream success like never before.

An essential collection of stories from notable Black hockey players, personalities and people

The game of hockey has long been considered a predominantly white sport in nearly every facet of its being. But if you look through the annals of the game, you will find Black players who have created longstanding hockey moments. We know -- or think we know -- these people as hockey players. But do we know how they got here as people? And what about the multitude of factors that have helped shape who they are?

Black Aces tells these stories, going deeper than what has previously been covered in traditional media. The Athletic's Julian McKenzie talks to Hall of Famers, Olympic Gold medalists, World Champions, Stanley Cup playoff heroes, and auteurs of hockey history. Completing this modern portrait are the voices of up-and-coming players who look toward the future and defining moments of their own.

Includes conversations with Jarome Iginla, Grant Fuhr, Sarah Nurse, P.K. Subban, Georges Laraque, Anson Carter, Blake Bolden, and more

Military aide Luke Steele and FBI Special Agent Amberlyn Reiner go undercover once again to unravel a string of murders that may be tied to a nuclear threat capable of igniting a war.

Military aide Luke Steele grapples with self-doubt after a tragic loss during his last mission. But when a trusted American journalist is killed in Istanbul, Luke must push past his grief to prepare for a new assignment.

The Turkish police report the journalist as the eighth victim of a serial killer. But US intelligence considers the suspicious death a murder at the hands of an international threat and fear that the journalist could have had top-secret information that is now in the hands of an enemy of the United States.

The president tasks Luke to join with FBI Special Agent Amberlyn Reiner to investigate. As the two delve into the cause of the journalist's death, they unravel a conspiracy that reveals a chilling plan for the assassination of the president and a potential nuclear strike on the United States.

Going undercover as a couple, Luke and Amberlyn travel to Istanbul to connect with a Russian source who holds key information to the case--if they can find him in time.

In the crucible of danger, Luke must rediscover his confidence and trust the bond he has forged with Amberlyn as they fight to save the president of the United States and stop a perilous nuclear plot poised to kill millions.

The first ever comprehensive history in English of China's Warring States period, an era that saw epic battles, the birth of profound philosophies, groundbreaking innovations, and shaped much of East Asian culture as we know it today

In 481 BCE, ancient China was on the cusp of one of the most profound revolutions any society has ever undergone, one that would set the course of world history for the following two millennia and a half. The ruling order that had been set up by the Zhou kings almost six centuries before was disintegrating. While the Zhou realm was populous, wealthy, and blessed with a sophisticated and already ancient culture, the basic institutions that structured social and spiritual life were in radical decay. The world was literally falling apart.

The following two-hundred and sixty years saw the largest civilization on earth reinvent and recreate itself. Through war, diplomacy, debate, commerce, philosophy, literature, science, and artistic expression, the people of the Warring States gave birth to a radically new social order. The era saw the emergence of Confucianism and Daoism, the composition of seminal texts such as The Art of War by Master Sun and the Book of Changes, and the codification of Chinese script into its current form. It also saw the initial building of the Great Wall and the canal system that would become the Grand Canal, as well as the invention of the crossbow--which would not be invented in Europe for another 1,500 years--and the origin of acupuncture and feng shui.

This dynamic period coincided with the lives of global figures such as the Buddha, Socrates, and the prophet Ezra, beginning during Confucius's lifetime and culminating with the reign of the First Emperor, whose tomb is famously guarded by the terra cotta soldiers. The Persian Wars and the conquests of Alexander the Great are well known to people in Europe and America; however, far fewer English-language books have attempted to cover this same and equally important period in East Asia. To Rule All under Heaven corrects this imbalance by recounting a detailed history that is replete with dramatic stories and characters. The result is a thorough and entertaining account of one of the most fertile and significant periods in world history.

The Early English Text Society (EETS) was founded in 1864 by F. J. Furnivall, in part to supply lexicographical material for the Philological Society's 'New English Dictionary' (now the Oxford English Dictionary). Many medieval English texts were hitherto unprinted, or only in scarce editions, and hence unavailable to the Dictionary's readers. But Furnivall and his associates were also fascinated by these texts for their insights into medieval and early modern social history: Furnivall, social reformer and founding member of the Working Men's College, and under Carlyle's influence, read the material as a mirror from which political lessons could be learned for his own times. Initially he published medieval texts through the Philological Society but, asked to find another outlet, decided to found his own publishing society. This first volume (of three) of the EETS's history takes the story from Furnivall's birth to the beginnings of the EETS. It offers much new material concerning Furnivall's biography as a young man, as well his associates in the College (including Ruskin and the Pre-Raphaelites), and the EETS's early editors (including Richard Morris and Oswald Cockayne).

From New York Times bestselling author Peter Clines, God's Junk Drawer is a mind-bending tale of mystery and adventure set at the dawn of time.

Welcome to the valley ...

Forty years ago, the Gather family--James, his daughter Beau, and his son Billy--vanished during a whitewater rafting trip and were presumed dead.

Five years later, Billy reappeared on the far side of the world, telling an impossible tale of a primordial valley populated by dinosaurs, aliens, Neanderthals, and androids. Little Billy became the punchline of so very many jokes, until he finally faded from the public eye.

Now, a group of graduate astronomy students follow their professor, Noah Barnes, up a mountain for what they believe is a simple stargazing trip. But they're about to travel a lot farther than they planned ...

Noah--the now grown Billy Gather--has finally figured out how to get back to the valley. Accidentally bringing his students along with him, he's confident he can get everyone back home, safe and sound.

But the valley is a puzzle--one it turns out Noah hasn't figured out--and they'll need to solve it together if there's any chance of making it out alive.

Pulling from Earth's past, future, and beyond, Peter Clines has created a complex, dangerous world, navigated by a dynamic ensemble cast, and a story that is as thrilling as it is funny and heartfelt.

Confronting Bad History is about our history's most infamous villain and debunks the conspiracy story that Lincoln' assassin escaped justice.

John Wilkes Booth's assassination of President Abraham Lincoln is the most infamous political assassination in United States history. The assassination of Lincoln suddenly ended the prospect of a peace with malice toward none, with charity for all. The collective expectations of the people -- peace and normalcy in the North, reconciliation and reconstruction in the South -- were shattered. Only the assassination of President Kennedy is comparable in its immediate disruption of people's hopes for the future.

The assassination in 1865 irrevocably joined Lincoln and Booth. The full history of Lincoln's presidency cannot be told without Booth, and the life of Booth is defined by his dastardly deed. How Booth met his fate cannot change Lincoln's life and presidency, but it can diminish the trust in our own history.

John Wilkes Booth was captured, shot, and died at Garrett Farm in Virginia on April 26, 1865. This is the traditional history, but it was contradicted by a 1907 book entitled The Escape and Suicide of John Wilkes Booth written by Finis L. Bates for the "correction of history." The book ebbed in and out of public consciousness over the years, until two Booth escape proponents talked Unsolved Mysteries into producing the Bates escape story in an episode aired in 1991. This emboldened the escape proponents to request the exhumation of Booth's remains buried in Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore. An impasse was reached, and the proponents sued to force an exhumation relying on the Bates book, resulting in a sixteen-witnesses trial in May 1995 that included anthropologists, a medical examiner, history scholars, and historians.

In Confronting Bad History, How a Lost Cause and Fraudulent Book Caused the John Wilkes Booth Exhumation Trial, Frank Gorman who represented the Cemetery at trial, recounts the trial preparations and strategies, lining up expert witnesses, the historical testimony and evidence, and trial tactics. He describes the overwhelming testimony and evidence showing that the Bates book is unreliable and fraudulent, with citations to the trial testimony in the Appendix. He also exposes the Bates book as a Lost Cause false narrative.

Yet the Booth escaped story persists in books sold by Amazon and on You Tube. Confronting Bad History gives voice to the Baltimore trial and confirms that Booth met his fate at Garrett Farm on August 26, 1865.

For readers of His Name Is George Floyd and Under the Skin

A landmark investigation into forensic medicine that exposes the systematic concealment of state-sanctioned violence through death investigations

Each year, police officers kill over 1,000 people they've sworn to protect and serve. While some cases, like George Floyd's and Sandra Bland's, capture national attention, most victims remain nameless, their stories untold. The Coroner's Silence reveals a disturbing truth about these cases: coroners and other death investigators are often complicit in obscuring the violent circumstances of in-custody deaths.

Through rigorous research--including critical records analysis, public health studies, and interviews with victims' families--this book unmasks the systemic failures within forensic medicine. Terence Keel shows how incomplete autopsy reports, mishandled medical documents, and strategically lost evidence effectively shield law enforcement from accountability.

The Coroner's Silence uncovers how the current system of death investigation operates as a mechanism of institutional safeguarding. By highlighting the structural powerlessness of coroners and their disconnection from the communities most affected by police violence, Keel demonstrates how bureaucratic processes can render human suffering invisible.

True accountability requires more than procedural reform. It demands a fundamental reimagining of how we investigate, document, and understand deaths at the hands of state institutions. The Coroner's Silence is a crucial intervention that challenges us to confront the deeply ingrained mechanisms that perpetuate systemic violence.

A landmark biography of one of our most prominent chroniclers of American life

In this groundbreaking literary biography, Steven J. Zipperstein captures the complex life and astonishing work of Philip Roth (1933-2018), one of America's most celebrated writers. Born in Newark, New Jersey--where his short stories and books were often set--Roth wrote with ambition and awareness of what was required to produce great literature. No writer was more dedicated to his craft, even as he was rubbing shoulders with the Kennedys and engaging in a spate of famous and infamous romances. And yet, as much as Roth wrote about sex and self, he viewed himself as socially withdrawn, living much like an "unchaste monk" (his words).

Zipperstein explores the unprecedented range of Roth's work--from "Goodbye, Columbus" and Portnoy's Complaint to the Pulitzer Prize-winning American Pastoral and The Plot Against America. Drawing on extensive archival materials and over one hundred interviews, including conversations with Roth about his life and work, Zipperstein provides an intimate and insightful look at one of the twentieth century's most influential writers, placing his work in the context of his obsessions, as well as American Jewishness, freedom, and sexuality.

A strikingly designed, deluxe hardcover edition of Psycho, one of the most iconic horror novels of the 20th century, featuring a translucent jacket, debossed case, special endpapers, and edge-splatter.

Before the infamous new Netflix series Monster or Alfred Hitchcok's classic movie, there was Psycho--the chilling original novel inspired by the shocking crimes of Ed Gein.

"Icily terrifying!" --New York Times

Norman Bates loves his mother. She has been dead for the past 20 years, or so people think. Norman knows better, though.

Ever since leaving the hospital, he has lived with Mother in the old house up on the hill above the Bates Motel. One night, after a beautiful woman checks into the motel, Norman spies on her as she undresses. Norman can't help but spy on her.

Mother is there, though. She is there to protect Norman from his filthy thoughts. She is there to protect him with her butcher knife.

This beautifully produced collector's edition is a great way to experience this horror classic and perfect for displaying and gifting.

'... the shadow turned round; and I saw a terrible death's-head, which darted a look at me from a pair of scorching eyes. I felt as if I were face to face with Satan...' Erik, the Phantom of the Paris Opera House, is one of the great icons of horror literature. This tormented and disfigured creature has made his home in the labyrinthine cellars of this opulent building where he can indulge in his great passion for music, which is a substitute for the love and emotion denied him because of his ghastly appearance. It is in the Opera House that he encounters Christine Daaé whom he trains in secret to become a great singer. Erik's passionate obsession with a beautiful woman beyond his reach is doomed and leads to the dramatic tragic finale. Gaston Leroux's novel is a marvellous blend of detective story, romance and spine-tingling terror which has fascinated readers ever since the work was first published.

An eye-opening account of how Russia's leaders have used sports as a political tool to solidify their global power

"Victories in sport do more to cement the nation than a hundred political slogans." This was the pep talk Russian athletes heard in 2000 from their new president, Vladimir Putin. And so, for more than two decades, Putin has used sports like his Soviet predecessors to stoke nationalism at home, boost prestige abroad, and cement his position as leader.

The Moscow Playbook: How Russia Used, Abused, and Transformed Sports in the Hunt for Gold is the first book to fully examine the intersection of Russian sports and geopolitical power, from the dominant Soviet teams of past Olympics to recent doping scandals and international sanctions. With new research from Olympic archives, records of the Soviet bloc and current Russian media, historian Bruce Berglund shows how Moscow's leaders have defied the rules of the game for decades as the world's governing bodies turned a blind eye.

Featuring oligarchs, sportocrats, and famous athletes from Olga Korbut to Alex Ovechkin, this is a timely investigation into the gears of power, nationalism, and money that drive the Russian sports machine.

A gripping biography of a man who escaped slavery to become an influential abolitionist, famously known as the "King of the Underground Railroad"

Jermain Wesley Loguen (1813-1872) was a fugitive from slavery, an abolitionist, and a minister, teacher, and political activist. He worked alongside Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, and his home in Syracuse, New York, was among the most publicized Underground Railroad stations in the northern states. Loguen's political commitments in the years before the Civil War were carried out at great personal risk, for he had liberated himself from slavery in Tennessee and was in constant danger of being captured and reenslaved under the Fugitive Slave Law. Defiantly, however, he refused to purchase his own freedom, an act that he believed would have legitimized the rights of slaveholders. In addition to aiding fellow fugitives from slavery, Loguen worked tirelessly to promote Black equality and uplift throughout upstate New York and Canada. After Emancipation, he extended his work to aid freedpeople in the South and to advocate for Black equality on a national scale.

In this engaging study, Angela F. Murphy follows Loguen from his early years through his transformation into one of the brightest stars in the constellation of abolitionists and reformers in New York.

Celebrate someone who means the world to you with the golden edition of the bestselling keepsake I Wrote a Book About You. This heartfelt fill-in book transforms your words into a one-of-a-kind gift. Just complete the playful prompts and thoughtful questions to tell someone all the reasons they're truly one of a kind. Whether for a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or just because, this gift will be enjoyed for years to come.

Now with a shimmering gold cover, this book is more giftable than ever--warm, whimsical, and perfect for anyone who deserves to be reminded just how amazing they are.