The Orphan Train Movement: The History of the Program that Relocated Homeless Children Across America


Charles River Editors - 2016
    They were not the best answer, but they were the first attempts at finding a practical system. Many children that would have died, lived to have children and grandchildren. It has been calculated that over two million descendants have come from these children. The trains gave the children a fighting chance to grow up." – D. Bruce Ayler By the middle of the 19th century, New York City’s population surpassed the unfathomable number of 1 million people, despite its obvious lack of space. This was mostly due to the fact that so many immigrants heading to America naturally landed in New York Harbor, well before the federal government set up an official immigration system on Ellis Island. At first, the city itself set up its own immigration registration center in Castle Garden near the site of the original Fort Amsterdam, and naturally, many of these immigrants, who were arriving with little more than the clothes on their back, didn’t travel far and thus remained in New York. Of course, the addition of so many immigrants and others with less money put strains on the quality of life. Between 1862 and 1872, the number of tenements had risen from 12,000 to 20,000; the number of tenement residents grew from 380,000 to 600,000. One notorious tenement on the East River, Gotham Court, housed 700 people on a 20-by-200-foot lot. Another on the West Side was home, incredibly, to 3,000 residents, who made use of hundreds of privies dug into a fifteen-foot-wide inner court. Squalid, dark, crowded, and dangerous, tenement living created dreadful health and social conditions. It would take the efforts of reformers such as Jacob Riis, who documented the hellishness of tenements with shocking photographs in How the Other Half Lives, to change the way such buildings were constructed. While the Melting Pot nature of America is one of its most unique and celebrated aspects, the conditions also created a humanitarian crisis of sorts. In the 19th century, child labor was still the norm, especially for poor families, and no social welfare systems were in place to provide security for people. As a result, if a child was abandoned or orphaned, they were at the mercy of an ad hoc system of barely tolerable orphanages with little to no centralization. Minorities and immigrants were also discriminated against on the basis of ethnicity and religion. Into this issue stepped the Children’s Aid Society, led by Charles Loring Brace, who determined he could improve abandoned kids’ futures by helping relocate them further to the West, which would also help Americans settle the frontier. By coordinating with train companies, Brace was able to transport dozens of children at a time to places in the heartland of America or further out west, where they would end up in new homes, decades before the existence of foster care. Genealogist Roberta Lowrey, a descendant of one of these orphans, noted that the situations for many of those on the Orphan Trains were vastly different, but in all, the system worked: “Many were used as strictly slave farm labor, but there are stories, wonderful stories of children ending up in fine families that loved them, cherished them, [and] educated them. They were so much better off than if they had been left on the streets of New York. ... They were just not going to survive, or if they had, their fate would surely have been awful.

Stalemate: A Shocking True Story of Child Abduction and Murder


John Philpin - 1997
    For 10 years, Bindner has stayed one step ahead of the law; at every turn, he has challenged the police and FBI to make their case. Featuring the suspect's own words, "Stalemate" takes us into the complex realm of forensic investigation, bringing readers face-to-face with a man who may be playing a deadly game and winning.

The Show: The Inside Story of the Spectacular Los Angeles Lakers in the Words of Those Who Lived It


Roland Lazenby - 2005
    LakersThe L.A. Lakers have long been one of the NBA's most exciting teams. In The Show, critically acclaimed sportswriter Roland Lazenby brings the story of this charismatic team to life in an unprecedented oral history, featuring such legendary players as Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul- Jabbar, and Magic Johnson, along with current stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.Through in-depth interviews with players, coaches, and many other key figures, Lazenby follows the Lakers from their birthplace in 1946 Minneapolis to their eventual successes and failures in Los Angeles, using his flair for storytelling and eye for detail to show you exactly why the 14-time NBA champion Lakers are a celebrated favorite for sports fans all over America.

Finding Suzy: The Hunt for Missing Estate Agent Suzy Lamplugh and 'Mr Kipper'


David Videcette - 2021
    However, the Crown Prosecution Service refused to charge him, citing a lack of evidence.High-profile searches were conducted, yet Suzy’s body was never found; the trail that might lead investigators to her, long since lost.Haunted by another missing person case, investigator and former Scotland Yard detective, David Videcette, has spent five years painstakingly reinvestigating Suzy’s cold case disappearance.Through a series of incredible new witness interviews and fresh groundbreaking analysis, he uncovers piece by piece what happened to Suzy and why the case was never solved.People don't just disappear...

Repeat Offender: Sin City's Most Prolific Criminal and the Cop Who Caught Him


Bradley Nickell - 2015
    "If you like mayhem, madness, and suspense, Repeat Offender is the book to read. It’s a provocative journey into a world one rarely uncovers, with shocking twists and turns that will keep you riveted!”—Aphrodite Jones, New York Times bestselling author of Cruel Sacrifice and host of True Crime with Aphrodite Jones on the Investigation Discovery Network Millions in stolen property, revolting sex crimes and murder-for-hire were all in the mix for a Las Vegas police detective as he toiled to take Sin City’s most prolific criminal off the streets for good. Las Vegas Police Detective Bradley Nickell brings you the inside scoop on the investigation of the most prolific repeat offender Las Vegas has ever known. Daimon Monroe looked like an average guy raising a family with his diffident schoolteacher girlfriend. But just below the surface, you’ll learn he was an accomplished thief with an uncontrollable lust for excess. His criminal mind had no bounds—he was capable of anything given the proper circumstances. You will be revolted by Monroe’s amassed wealth through thievery, his plot to kill Detective Nickell, a judge and a prosecutor, and the physical and sexual abuse to which Monroe subjected his daughters. "An action-packed, fast-paced true crime thriller from a real-life ‘Sin City’ cop depicting his battle with a notorious, and dangerous, Las Vegas criminal.”–Steve Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of BOGEYMAN and MONSTER. "This will be the ride-along of your life. Repeat Offender takes you here, there and everywhere into the world of repeat offenders, cops, justice and injustice. The ultimate detective, Bradley Nickell, expertly takes you through it all with brilliance and dedication. The shocking conclusion helps the reader understand everything about the system all at once. Fasten your seat belts!”—Anne Bremner, high-profile attorney and internationally recognized television legal analyst "Career criminals are hard to catch and even more difficult to send to prison. Daimon Monroe met his match when he decided to prey upon the citizens of Las Vegas. Repeat Offender is a fascinating, behind the scenes look at an investigation and prosecution of a notorious criminal. You won’t want to put it down"—David Roger, District Attorney of Clark County, NV (retired) "Repeat Offender takes you deep into the “belly of the beast” of our legal system for an insight filled look at the dedication and perseverance required by police officers and prosecutors engrossed in the thankless tasks of keeping our cities, streets, and homes a safer place"—Matthew J. Pallamary, author of Land Without Evil and Spirit MattersRepeat Offender is a true crime story written like a thriller, but it's also a memoir of sorts since the author, Bradley Nickell, is a main character in the events. You get to be there right with Detective Nickell as he investigated the crimes. You'll know his thoughts, suspicions and emotions. Get ready for the ride-along of your life.

Can't Forgive: My 20-Year Battle with O.J. Simpson


Kim Goldman - 2014
    Don’t ask her to forgive and forget.When Kim was just 22, her older brother, Ron Goldman, was brutally killed by O.J. Simpson. Ron and Kim were very close, and her devastation was compounded by the shocking not guilty verdict that allowed a smirking Simpson to leave as a free man.It wasn’t Kim’s first trauma. Her parents divorced when she was young, and she and Ron were raised by their father. Her mother kidnapped her, telling her that her father didn’t love her any more. When she was 14, she was almost blinded from severe battery acid burns on her face during an automobile accident, requiring three reconstructive surgeries.But none of these early traumas compared to the loss of her brother, the painful knowledge that his killer was free, and fact that she could not even grieve privately—her grief was made painfully public. Counseled by friends, strangers, and even Oprah to “find closure,” Kim chose a different route. She chose to fight.Repeatedly, Kim and her family pursued Simpson by every legal means. Foiled over and over again, they ultimately achieved a small measure of justice.Kim’s story is one of tragedy, but also of humanity and, often, comedy. Living life as one of America’s most famous “victims” isn’t always easy, especially as a single mother in the dating market. She often had bizarre first date experiences, with one man even breaking down into tears and inconsolable with grief after realizing who she was.Ultimately Kim’s story is that of an ordinary person thrown into extraordinary circumstances at a very young age, and who had the courage—despite the discouragement of so many—to ignore the conventional wisdom and never give up her fight for justice.

Heist: The True Story Of The World's Biggest Cash Robbery


Howard Sounes - 2008
    From the author of the bestselling true-crime classic 'Fred & Rose', comes the astonishing inside story of the world's biggest cash robbery: the Tonbridge Securitas heist.

Spycraft Rebooted: How Technology is Changing Espionage


Edward Lucas - 2018
    Once, intelligence operations could employ James Bond-style forgeries and disguises to infiltrate a target, but modern-day spies must succeed at the seemingly impossible: to hide in plain sight in a world where everything is visible.Our technology-reliant lives are a trail of electronic interactions; from card payments to CCTV, we leave involuntary and often unwitting digital footprints. Faking this online trail is hard, while the lack of one is dangerously conspicuous. When even an expertly forged ID has little chance against biometric databases and facial recognition technology, how can open societies’ intelligence agencies continue to operate undercover?In this gripping, meticulously researched study, drawing on numerous real-life cases, Edward Lucas, an acclaimed espionage expert, tracks the changing landscape of international spycraft—and highlights the West’s growing disadvantage against its autocratic adversaries.

101 Quick & Easy Chicken Recipes


Victoria Steele - 2013
    Chicken is a versatile ingredient that’s well suited for any kind of meal, so whether you’re planning a school-day lunch, Saturday night get-together or a special Sunday dinner, you’ll find a recipe here that will fit your time schedule and budget. This cookbook covers a wide diversity of chicken recipes, from boneless chicken to bone-in, including quick recipes for the skillet, baked chicken, salads, chicken on the grill, soups and slow cooker recipes.Prep time can turn off even the most enthusiastic cook. That’s why these recipes are so popular. They don’t have dozens of ingredients or contain complicated preparations, so you’ll have your meal ready to cook in just minutes. Get in and out of the kitchen fast with 101 Easy Chicken Recipes!

The Art of Dancing in the Rain


Jack Lehman - 2013
    Or read this book and find out how you have all the tools you need, but must make the one change to become the writer you have always wanted to be.

Who Stole My Spandex?: Life in the Hot Flash Lane


Marcia Kester Doyle - 2016
    Who Stole My Spandex? is a witty selection of stories from Doyle’s madcap world of menopausal pitfalls, wardrobe malfunctions, and a family full of pranksters. This clever compilation includes laugh-out-loud pieces like "Queen of Klutz,” "One Size Fits None," and "Hands off my Egg Roll!" From couples' colonoscopies to nightmare holidays to disappearing spandex, no topic—no matter how crazy or unimaginable—is too taboo. With a heavy dose of self-deprecating humor, and a dash of sentiment, this marvelous collection of anecdotes will resonate with anyone who’s ever felt the call of nature at exactly the wrong time. Welcome to the nuthouse that Marcia Kester Doyle calls home.

Terri: The Truth


Michael Schiavo - 2006
    But you don't know the truth. A religious zealot put a $250,000 bounty on my head, urging that I be tortured before I'm killed. I was condemned by the President of the United States, the majority leaders of the House and Senate, the governor of Florida, the Pope, Jesse Jackson, and the right-wing media. My two babies were threatened with death to teach me a lesson. On the night my wife died, snipers had to be posted on the roof of the hospice because of death threats." Michael Schiavo's memoir may not change your mind about the Terri Schiavo issue, but it will help you realize at what stakes it was waged.

AMERICA The Story of Us Book 1: The World Comes To America


Kevin Baker - 2012
    

Death Row Romeo: The True Story of Serial Killer Oscar Ray Bolin


J.T. Hunter - 2017
    For years, their killer remained a mystery as the cases turned cold. Then a Crime Stoppers call led to his arrest. Charming and handsome, serial killer Oscar Ray Bolin married a member of his legal defense team, and he toyed with the criminal courts for decades while on Death Row. This is the first book written about Oscar Ray Bolin and his victims. Bestselling True Crime Books by JT Hunter - Devil in The Darkness: True Story of Serial Killer ISRAEL KEYES - In Colder Blood: True Story of the Walker Family Murder as depicted in Truman Capote’s, In Cold Blood - The Vampire Next Door: True Story of the Vampire Rapist and Serial Killer - The Country Boy Killer: The True Story of Serial Killer Cody Legebokoff

Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents 2009: Who They Are! What They Want! How To Win Them Over!


Jeff Herman - 2008
    More comprehensive than ever before--and now 1,000 pages--this revised edition describes the insider dynamics at hundreds of U.S. and Canadian publishers, with hundreds of names and specialties for book acquisition editors. Nearly 200 of the most powerful literary agents reveal invaluable tips, as if they were having a private conversation with a special friend. With detailed information on what to do (and what not to do) to break the code, break down the walls, and get that first book, second book, or thirtieth book published, bought and read, Jeff Herman's Guide is the go-to source for writers everywhere.