Back to Our Future: How the 1980s Explain the World We Live in Now—Our Culture, Our Politics, Our Everything


David Sirota - 2011
    Fights over taxes. Racial resentments. A Lakers-Celtics championship. The Karate Kid topping the box-office charts. Bon Jovi touring the country. These words could describe our current moment—or the vaunted iconography of three decades past.In this wide-ranging and wickedly entertaining book, New York Times bestselling journalist David Sirota takes readers on a rollicking DeLorean ride back in time to reveal how so many of our present-day conflicts are rooted in the larger-than-life pop culture of the 1980s—from the “Greed is good” ethos of Gordon Gekko (and Bernie Madoff) to the “Make my day” foreign policy of Ronald Reagan (and George W. Bush) to the “transcendence” of Cliff Huxtable (and Barack Obama).Today’s mindless militarism and hypernarcissism, Sirota argues, first became the norm when an ’80s generation weaned on Rambo one-liners and “Just Do It” exhortations embraced a new religion—with comic books, cartoons, sneaker commercials, videogames, and even children’s toys serving as the key instruments of cultural indoctrination. Meanwhile, in productions such as Back to the Future, Family Ties, and The Big Chill, a campaign was launched to reimagine the 1950s as America’s lost golden age and vilify the 1960s as the source of all our troubles. That 1980s revisionism, Sirota shows, still rages today, with Barack Obama cast as the 60s hippie being assailed by Alex P. Keaton–esque Republicans who long for a return to Eisenhower-era conservatism. “The past is never dead,” William Faulkner wrote. “It’s not even past.” The 1980s—even more so. With the native dexterity only a child of the Atari Age could possess, David Sirota twists and turns this multicolored Rubik’s Cube of a decade, exposing it as a warning for our own troubled present—and possible future.

Ethiopia: The Bradt Travel Guide


Philip Briggs - 1995
    It includes plenty of tips on bridging the cultural gap. It covers various Ethiopia's national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents


Cormac O'Brien - 2003
    Presidents features outrageous and uncensored profiles of the men in the White House - complete with hundreds of little-known, politically incorrect, and downright wacko facts.

The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2009


Elizabeth Kolbert - 2009
    Bringing together promising new voices and prize-winning favorites, this collection is "a delight for any fan of popular science" (Publishers Weekly).

Reflections: An Oral History of Twin Peaks


Brad Dukes - 2014
    As the mystery of “Who Killed Laura Palmer?” played out on television sets across the world, another compelling drama was unfolding in the everyday lives of the show’s cast and crew. Twenty-five years later, Reflections goes behind the curtain of Twin Peaks and documents the series’ unlikely beginnings, widespread success, and peculiar collapse. Featuring first-hand accounts from series cocreator Mark Frost and cast members including Kyle MacLachlan, Joan Chen, Sherilyn Fenn, Piper Laurie, Michael Ontkean, Ray Wise, Billy Zane, and many more – Reflections explores the magic and mystique of a true television phenomenon, Twin Peaks.

London: A Life in Maps


Peter Whitfield - 2006
    From Big Ben to the grimy Victorian streets of Dickens novels on up to the sleek high-rises that dot the skyline of the twenty-first-century metropolis, the urban landscape of London is steeped in history, while forever responsive to the changing dictates of progress, industry, and culture. In London: A Life in Maps, acclaimed historian Peter Whitfield reveals a wealth of surprising truths and forgotten facts hidden in the city’s historic maps.Whitfield examines nearly 200 maps spanning the last 500 years, all of which vividly demonstrate the vast changes wrought on London’s streets, open spaces, and buildings. In a rich array of colorful cartographic illustrations, the maps chronicle London’s tumultuous history, from the devastation of the Great Fire to the indelible marks left by World Wars I and II to the emergence of the West End as a fashion mecca. Whitfield reads historic sketches and detailed plans as biographical keys to this complex, sprawling urban center, and his in-depth examination unearths fascinating insights into the city of black cabs and red double-deckers. With engaging prose and astute analysis he also expertly coaxes out the subtle complexities—of social history, urban planning, and design—within the rich documentation of London’s immense and constantly changing cityscape.London: A Life in Maps lets readers wander through the past and present of London’s celebrated streets—from Abbey Road to Savile Row—and along the way reveals the city’s captivating history, vibrant culture, and potential future.

Las Vegas Then and Now


Su Kim Chung - 2002
    Part of the highly successful Then & Now series, each spread shows an image of Las Vegas as it was, and how it is currently.

The Handy History Answer Book


Rebecca Ferguson - 1999
    Now, with The Handy History Answer Book you can step back in time and uncover the real truth behind the events that shaped the world leading up to the end of the 20th century.Open the pages of this historical guide and get ready for an exciting journey. From the excavation of the Neanderthal Man to the creation of MTV, this easy-to-read question and answer book will change your attitude about history for ever.Learn about such notable figures as Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, Mary, Queen of Scots, Marie Antoinette, Thomas Edison, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Rosa Parks, to name just a few. Enjoy more than 50 photos and illustrations of famous historical moments and individuals.

U.S. Taxes for Worldly Americans: The Traveling Expat's Guide to Living, Working, and Staying Tax Compliant Abroad


Olivier Wagner - 2017
    is one of only two countries in the world that applies citizenship based taxation in order to tax its own citizens on their worldwide income, irrespective of where they are anywhere in the world. If you’re thinking about becoming a digital nomad or expatriating to another country, do you know how to avoid having to pay tax on your income while abroad? There could be huge penalties or tax evasion charges if you don’t file correctly. Fortunately, these important questions have answers.By combining the right strategies for citizenship, residency, banking, incorporation, and physical presence in other countries, most people who work overseas can legally lower their U.S. tax owing to $0. In U.S. Taxes for Worldly Americans, Certified Public Accountant, U.S. immigrant, expat, and perpetual traveler Olivier Wagner preaches the philosophy of being a worldly American. He uses his expertise to show you how to use 100% legal strategies (beyond traditionally maligned “tax havens”) to keep your income and assets safe from the IRS.Olivier covers a wealth of international tax information, including: -Step-by-step instructions to fill out the Forms and Schedules you will use to file your offshore tax, no matter where you are.-How to qualify for special deductions, credits, and exemptions on international taxation.-Why opening bank accounts and corporations in foreign countries is easier than you think.-How residency or citizenship in another country can legally lower your taxes.-Practical advice for moving, living, and working with tax free income in other parts of the world.-What to consider before renouncing your American citizenship and saying goodbye to the IRS for good.As a non-resident American, there is no single easy answer to lower your taxes. If you don’t understand every possibility, you could end up paying too much. Embrace a worldly lifestyle with confidence as you master the U.S. tax system for Americans living overseas.

Bury Me Standing: The Gypsies and Their Journey


Isabel Fonseca - 1995
    A masterful work of personal reportage, this volume is also a vibrant portrait of a mysterious people and an essential document of a disappearing culture. 50 photos.

Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well


David L. Hough - 2000
    100 photos, some in color.

The 12 Bad Habits That Hold Good People Back: Overcoming the Behavior Patterns That Keep You From Getting Ahead


James Waldroop - 2001
    The fact is, most people learn their greatest lessons not from their successes but from their mistakes. The 12 Bad Habits That Hold Good People Back offers the flip side to Stephen Covey’s approach in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, zeroing in on the most common behavior that can impede a career. Based on over twenty years of research as business psychologists, the authors claim that the reasons people fail in their jobs are the same everywhere. Only after these detrimental behaviors have been identified can the patterns that limit career advancement be broken. Using real-life accounts of clients they have worked with at Harvard and as executive coaches at such companies as GTE, Sony, GE, and McKinsey & Co., Waldroop and Butler offer invaluable–and in some cases, job-saving–step-by-step advice on how readers can change their behavior to get back on track. For anyone seeking to achieve his or her career ambitions, The 12 Bad Habits That Hold Good People Back is a powerful tool for unleashing true potential.

The New Roadside America: The Modern Traveler's Guide to the Wild and Wonderful World of America's Tourist Attractions


Mike Wilkins - 1992
    250 photographs; line drawings.

Carving Grand Canyon: Evidence, Theories, and Mystery


Wayne Ranney - 2005
    This story of a fascinating landscape is told in an engaging style that nonscientists will find inviting. The story’s end, however, remains a mystery yet to be solved.

South Africa


Michael Brett - 1999
    Packed with information, detailed maps, beautiful cutaways, and floor plans of all major sights, this guidebook explores every facet of the "Rainbow Nation" and includes a 56-page field guide to South Africa's wildlife and the safari experience, with detailed information on safaris, wildlife preserves, and local species.DK's insider travel tips and essential local information provides the practical recommendations for hotels, restaurants, shopping, and entertainment.With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that brighten every page, "DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: South Africa" truly shows you this country as no one else can.