Kurlansky, Mark

Describes what is happening to fish, the oceans, and the environment in the early twenty-first century, explaining how commonly-consumed fish, such as tuna, cod, and salmon, are disappearing; and discusses the impact of overfishing on other species and the effects of fishing on the oceans.

Presents a biography of Clarence Birdseye who invented frozen food. Describes his childhood, his development of the flash-freeze process, and his legacy today. Includes photographs.

Chronicles the history of paper, with an emphasis on the contributions made in Asia and the Middle East.

Outlines the history of fishing for and consuming codfish from the time of the Vikings through the present. Includes discussions of the cod's life cycle, over fishing, and recipes using the fish.

A history of the song "Dancing in the Street" as a civil rights activist anthem, and explores the connection between Motown and the civil rights movement.

Nathan Seltzer, running a copy shop in the same building where he lives along with his wife, daughter, and parents, struggles to handle the changes coming to his life and his Lower East Side neighborhood in the 1980s, as he is faced with the dilemmas of whether to have an affair with Karoline, a German pastry maker, and whether to sell his shop.

Chronicles the history of New York City's oyster industry up until the early 1900s, exploring how the food influenced the city's culture, economy, cuisine, and inhabitants.

Chronicles the life and legacy of Hank Greenberg, describing his role in American Jewish history and his career in Major League Baseball, and discussing his childhood in the Bronx, his Jewish heritage, and related topics.

A biography of Clarence Birdseye, the American inventor, discussing work as a fur trapper in Canada early in the twentieth-century, his patented Birdseye freezing process that changed the way we preserve, store, and distribute food, and the other inventions that he created.

Can a song change a nation? In 1964, Marvin Gaye, record producer William "Mickey" Stevenson, and Motown songwriter Ivy Jo Hunter wrote "Dancing in the Street." The song was recorded at Motown's Hitsville USA Studio by Martha and the Vandellas. Released on July 31, the song was supposed to be an upbeat dance recording--a precursor to disco, a song about the joyousness of dance, the song of a summer. But events overtook it, and the song became one of the anthems of American pop culture. The Beatles had landed in the U.S. in early 1964. By that summer, the '60s were in full swing. 1964 was the Mississippi Freedom Summer, the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Act, and the lead-up to a dramatic election that completely changed American politics. As the country grew more radicalized in those few months, "Dancing in the Street" gained currency as an activist anthem. The song took on new meanings, multiple meanings, for many different groups that were all altered as the country changed. Told by the writer who is legendary for finding the big story in unlikely places, Ready for a Brand New Beat chronicles that extraordinary summer of 1964 and showcases the momentous role that a simple song about dancing played in our nation's history.--Publisher's description.