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The devil's snake curve: a fan's notes from left field
By Josh Ostergaard. 2014
Anthropologist shares anecdotes and stories of baseball's history, from its founding in the mid-1800s to the early twenty-first century, framing…
them in the context of social and political history. Presents similarities between the sport and war and nationalism. Strong language. 2014
Tinderbox: Hbo's ruthless pursuit of new frontiers
By James Andrew Miller. 2021
From the New York Times bestselling author of Those Guys Have All the Fun comes the unvarnished, comprehensive, and astonishing…
history of HBO, told for the first time through the disruptors who led its epic rise to prestige and changed the way we watch television forever. The exclusive story of HBO's key creators, executives, actors, and directors gives listeners an unprecedented peek behind the curtain at the founding and triumph of the first "pay-channel" that brought America The Sopranos , Sex and the City , The Wire , Succession , and countless, groundbreaking, culture-shifting shows. James Andrew Miller collects insider accounts of the humble beginnings, devastating missteps, controversial business decisions, and, of course, backstage drama and celebrity gossip from the set. Since televisions entered Americans' living rooms, the question of whether programming should be "free"—paid for with advertising—has loomed, to the extent that some broadcasters, lobbyists and fearmongers warned someone would come along and disrupt their Madison Avenue–championed business model. But who would pay for something that had always been free? Home Box Office dared to ask that question in 1972, opening the doors for other pay-channels and ultimately the streaming platforms that are now the norm. They created different, better content—or at least they convinced viewers that different was better. HBO gave us violent scenes with blood and guts, shows like Tales from the Crypt that were actually scary, romcoms with sex instead of suggestion. We take their big-budget, "prestige" TV for granted now, but their success was far from assured at the outset. HBO's audacity built the viewing culture we have today and permanently transformed the television landscape. A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company
Comedian and host of The Adam Carolla Show--a daily podcast--pokes fun at modern society and political correctness. Rants about parents…
selling Girl Scout cookies, My-Wife's-My-Best-Friend Guy and other types he can't hang out with, minimum wagers ruining his life, and loud cell-phone conversations in public bathrooms. Strong language. Bestseller. 2010
Does the noise in my head bother you?: a rock 'n' roll memoir
By Steven Tyler. 2011
Aerosmith lead singer and American Idol judge, born in 1948, reminisces about his childhood in the Bronx as the son…
of a classical pianist, early musical career, and the rise and fall of the band that made him a rock star. Strong language. Bestseller. 2011
20 years younger: look younger, feel younger, be younger!
By Bob Greene, Harold A. Lancer, Ronald L. Kotler, Diane L. McKay. 2011
Exercise physiologist, personal trainer, and contributing writer for oprah.com Greene posits that signs of aging should be fought on four…
fronts: exercise, nutrition, skin care, and restorative rest. Working with a dermatologist and experts in sleep and healthful eating, Greene prescribes routines for each area. Bestseller. 2011
Blood, bones, & butter: the inadvertent education of a reluctant chef
By Gabrielle Hamilton. 2011
Memoir explores the unconventional upbringing and career of chef Gabrielle Hamilton, owner of the acclaimed New York City restaurant Prune.…
Describes her parents' grand outdoor feasts and Hamilton's own informal visits to overseas kitchens, freelance catering jobs, challenges of running a restaurant, and culinary relationship with her Italian mother-in-law. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2011
SEAL Team Six: memoirs of an elite Navy seal sniper
By Howard E. Wasdin, Stephen Templin. 2011
Wasdin, a former Navy SEAL Team Six sniper, chronicles his training and war experiences, including special operations during Desert Storm.…
Details the mission that almost cost him his life--the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia, the basis for the 2001 movie Black Hawk Down. Some violence, strong language. Bestseller. 2011
If you ask me: (and of course you won't)
By Betty White. 2011
Eighty-nine-year-old award-winning actress from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Girls, and Hot in Cleveland comments on aging and…
friendships. Discusses her love of animals and continuing popularity, as evidenced by her hosting Saturday Night Live and starring in a Super Bowl commercial in 2010. Bestseller. 2011
The quest: energy, security and the remaking of the modern world
By Daniel Yergin. 2011
The author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power (DB 32424) examines…
the worldwide energy crisis. Investigates increasing energy demands, environmental concerns, and the development of alternative and renewable resources. Bestseller. 2011
Medium raw: a bloody valentine to the world of food and the people who cook
By Anthony Bourdain. 2010
Chef-turned-professional-eater describes changes in the world of celebrity cooks since he penned Kitchen Confidential (DB 50845). Bourdain explores the modern…
gastronomical revolution in nineteen essays on subjects including Top Chef winners and losers, the great American hamburger, and fellow critics. Strong language. Bestseller. 2010
Role models
By John Waters. 2010
Baltimore director of cult films Pink Flamingos and Hairspray pens essays about the people he admires, including singers Johnny Mathis…
and Little Richard, writer Tennessee Williams, former Charles Manson groupie Leslie Van Houten, gay pornographers, and bar owners. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2010
Legacy of ashes: the history of the CIA
By Tim Weiner. 2007
Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter investigates sixty years of the Central Intelligence Agency. Uses archival documents and interviews to illustrate that the…
agency's mission of gathering intelligence has faltered due to blunders, structural flaws, and philosophical conflicts. Posits that national security is jeopardized by the CIA's disarray. National Book Award. Bestseller. 2007
The end of illness
By David B. Agus, David Agus. 2012
Cancer researcher Agus advocates a systemic view of health and recommends knowing about your own physiology and genetics to personalize…
your health care. Discusses the holistic value of nutrition, sleep, movement, and keeping a regular schedule. Highlights developing medical technologies like proteomic analysis, the analysis of human proteins. Bestseller. 2011
Quiet: the power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking
By Susan Cain. 2012
Author explores introversion from a cultural point of view. Posits that as many as half of Americans are introverts, even…
as society promotes what she calls the "extrovert ideal." Examines the differences between the two personality types. Suggests ways to nurture "quiet" children. Bestseller. 2012
Ameritopia: the unmaking of America
By Mark R. Levin. 2012
Talk-show host and president of Landmark Legal Foundation, a conservative legal advocacy group, surveys the history of utopias and warns…
that Americans must choose between statism and liberty. Argues that the U.S. Constitution rejects the idea of government control over the individual. Bestseller. 2012
Journalist and author of The First National Bank of Dad (DB 59001) warns that inventing new technologies to deal with…
the energy crisis does not fix the problem--and may worsen the situation. Advocates consuming less and living in densely populated areas such as New York City. 2011
Once upon a secret: my affair with President John F. Kennedy and its aftermath
By Mimi Alford. 2012
Author relates the seventeen-month sexual relationship she had at the age of nineteen with President John F. Kennedy. Describes accepting…
an unsolicited White House summer internship in 1962 as an inexperienced adolescent and becoming the object of the president's physical desires shortly afterward. Some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2012
The Obamas
By Jodi Kantor. 2012
New York Times correspondent conducted hundreds of interviews to create a portrait of Barack and Michelle Obama and their life…
in the White House. Kantor examines the first lady's influence on and advocacy for her husband and explores the political consequences of their personal dynamics. Bestseller. 2012
American sniper: the autobiography of the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history
By Chris Kyle, Jim DeFelice, Scott McEwen. 2012
Texas ranchhand-turned-Navy SEAL recalls his career as the sniper with the most kills in U.S. military history. Describes his training,…
his four tours of duty in Iraq, and the strains of deployment on his family life. Violence and strong language. Bestseller. 2012
The heart and the fist: the education of a humanitarian, the making of a Navy SEAL
By Eric Greitens. 2011
Eric Greitens recounts his personal odyssey from humanitarian to soldier. Relates studying the history of humanitarianism as a Rhodes scholar,…
working with genocide survivors as a volunteer, and joining the Navy SEALs to make a difference. Some violence and some strong language. 2011