united states

"'Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes ... ' Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave. It's 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California's first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world's first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes. Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before it's too late"--Publisher.

"[This book] reveals how FDR confronted an American public disinterested in going to war in Europe, skillfully won their support, and pushed government and American industry to build the greatest war machine in history"--Provided by publisher.

Cassidy Hutchinson's desk was a mere steps from the most controversial president in recent American history. Now she provides an account of her experiences as an idealistic young woman thrust into the middle of a national crisis, where she risked everything to tell the truth about some of the most powerful people in Washington.

"From journalist and historian Steve Inskeep, a compelling and nuanced exploration of the political acumen of Abraham Lincoln via sixteen encounters before and during his presidency, bringing to light not only the strategy of a great politician who inherited a country divided, but lessons for our own disorderly present. In 1855, as the United States found itself at odds over the issue of slavery, then lawyer Abraham Lincoln composed a note on the matter to his close friend, the heir to a slaveholding family in the South. Lincoln--who was morally against the institution of slavery--rebuked his friend for his opposing views, he lectured him, he challenged him. But in the end, he wrote: "If for this you and I must differ, differ we must." Throughout his life and political career, Lincoln often agreed to disagree. Democracy demanded it--even an adversary had a vote"--Provided by publisher.

"Two disparate Americas have always coexisted. In this thoroughly researched, engaging and ultimately hopeful story of our nation's divergent roots, Seth David Radwell clearly links the fascinating history of the two American Enlightenments to our raging political division. He also demonstrates that reasoned analysis and historical perspective are the only antidote to irrational political discourse."Did my vision of America ever exist at all, or was it but a myth?" Searching for a fresh and distinctive perspective on the recent corrosion of our civic life, Radwell's very personal and yet broadly shared question propelled his search back to our nation's founding for a fresh and distinctive perspective on the recent corrosion of our civic life - and led to a surprising discovery. Today's battles reflect the fundamentally divergent visions of our country that emerged at our nation's founding and have been vying for prominence ever since. The founding principles that shaped the United States may be rooted in the Enlightenment era. But the origin of our dual Americas is a product of two distinct Enlightenments - Radical and Moderate."--.

Zachary R. Wood, head of the college group Uncomfortable Learning, describes growing up as an African-American in a dangerous area and going to private school and explains his belief in open dialogue and free speech.

The march to the Trump presidency began in 1988, when Rush Limbaugh went national. Brian Rosenwald charts the transformation of AM radio entertainers into political kingmakers. By giving voice to the conservative base, they reshaped the Republican Party and fostered demand for a president who sounded as combative and hyperbolic as a talk show host.--.

Describes how the United States developed from the first contact between extremely different cultures to its role as a superpower and explores how a country based on diversity seeks the sometimes contradictory goals of freedom and equality.

"Tad Lincoln was forever getting into trouble. He bounced around the White House making mischief and annoying the staff. Only President Lincoln was never annoyed--he delighted in his son's antics. Tad was his father's joy and comfort in the midst of a brutal war, a family tragedy, and the toll of holding the nation's highest office. When Tad befriends a turkey who is meant to be Thanksgiving dinner, his plea for his pet to be spared teaches his father a lesson about mercy and starts the tradition of the Thanksgiving turkey pardon, a tradition that presidents carry on to this day"--Provided by publisher.

Alphabetically organized, two-volume compilation of essays documenting various conspiracy theories in American History. Explores a wide range of business, political, pop culture, and science and technology conspiracy theories and the facts and investigations that prove them false. Covers topics such as Area 51, the assassinations of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, and the misinformation surrounding vaccinations. Includes black-and-white photographs and resources for further research.