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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
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
Canadian digital-marketing expert offers advice for integrating social media and personal branding into a new business model with the potential…
of reaching a larger consumer base. Offers examples of people who used Facebook, blogs, smartphones, and netbooks to successfully expand their businesses. 2009
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
Journalist Carr expands upon his 2008 article in The Atlantic Monthly entitled "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" Citing neurology research,…
he argues that humans are losing our capacity for concentration, contemplation, and reflection as advancing technology changes our neural pathways. Pulitzer Prize finalist. 2010
Allen, who cofounded Microsoft in 1975, traces the early years of the computer company and his relationship with his business…
partner and high school friend Bill Gates. Discusses his career blunders, ownership of the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers, recovery from Hodgkin's lymphoma, and philanthropic pursuits. 2011
Author of Genius (DB 36181) and Chaos (RC 27005) chronicles the history of humanity's efforts to store, access, and communicate…
information--from Paleolithic cave paintings to early-twenty-first-century search engines. Discusses prominent inventors Charles Babbage, Ada Byron, Samuel Morse, Alan Turing, and Claude Shannon. 2011
Biography of entrepreneur Steve Jobs (1955-2011) chronicles his childhood, education, entry-level jobs in California's Silicon Valley, 1976 cofounding of Apple…
computer in his parents' garage, and leadership in spearheading the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Discusses Jobs's personal and professional relationships and his 2003 cancer diagnosis. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2011
Political commentator and radio talk-show host shares her observations and opinions of boutique cupcake shops; laptop users; shrinking airplane seats…
and expanding passengers; celebrities' choices for baby names; and other aspects of modern American life. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2011
Historical analysis of mass-communication media--radio, telephone, television, and film--introduced during the twentieth century. Examines each technology's trajectory from being free…
and open for public access to becoming closed and controlled by a single corporation or cartel led by Adolph Zukor, David Sarnoff, and others. 2010
Author of The Men Who Stare at Goats (DB 60917) explores psychiatry's efforts to recognize and treat psychopaths. Interviews include…
a doctor who developed a checklist of psychopathic traits, a former Haitian death-squad leader, and an ex-CEO who seemed to enjoy firing workers. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller. 2011
Smithsonian Institution curator details the invention and development of computing, from punch cards to smartphones. Focuses on four themes: the…
coding of information in binary form, the convergence of different technologies, advances in solid-state electronics, and the interaction between people and machines. 2012
Software-company CEO posits society is at the tipping point of the Information Revolution, which he compares to the Agricultural and…
Industrial revolutions. Explores the history of computing and the rise of mobile technologies and social networks and analyzes their impact on entertainment, commerce, and health care. 2012
Technology historian examines the creation of one of the first computers: the Universal Machine proposed by Alan Turing in 1936.…
Chronicles the 1945 gathering of scientists, led by mathematician John von Neumann, who constructed the theoretical machine that would later assist early weather modeling and nuclear weapons development. 2012
British author of The Men Who Stare at Goats (DB 60917) pens essays exploring absurdities of the modern world. In…
the title piece Ronson investigated the 2011 disappearance of an employee from a Disney cruise and learned that many people go missing from cruises every year. Strong language. 2012
Paris-based writer and translator details her collaboration with perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour to develop a scent based on a romantic interlude…
she experienced in Seville, Spain. Chronicles her relationship with scents from childhood to the present. Includes discussion of historical perfumes. 2012
Recounts the life and career of the late founder of Apple, Steve Jobs (1955-2011). Covers his adoption and childhood, his…
friendship with Steve Wozniak, and his dynamic relationship with Apple--as chairman, head of the Mac department, advisor, and CEO--until his death. For junior and senior high and older readers. 2012
Our lives are defined by a story of endless growth and consumption. Now a climate crisis demands that we change.…
Can we write new stories? In All We Want, award-winning author Michael Harris dismantles our untenable consumer culture and delivers surprising, heartwarming alternatives. Drawing on the wisdom of philosophers, scientists, and artists, Harris uncovers three realms where humans have always found deeper meaning: the worlds of Craft, the Sublime, and Care. Past attempts to blunt our impact on the environment have simply redirected our consumption—we bought fuel-efficient cars and canvas tote bags. We cannot, however, buy our way out of this crisis. We need, instead, compelling new stories about life's purpose. Part meditation and part manifesto, All We Want is a blazing inquest into the destructive and unfulfilling promise of our consumer society, and a roadmap toward a more humane future.
Rehabilitation physician discusses BrainGate, the microelectrode system that operates by recognizing thought patterns that can manipulate a computer screen. Recounts…
implanting the device in the brain of Matthew Nagle, a twenty-one-year-old who suffered a stab wound in his neck that severed his spinal cord and made him a quadriplegic. 2012
Computer instructor presents concepts and techniques for computer novices. Covers subjects such as purchasing a computer, establishing Internet access, and…
working with iPads and mobile devices. Also offers tips on online banking, shopping, and using social media. 2011