Smith, Michael

"Drawing on interviews with active and former British, American, Russian, European, and Asian intelligence officers and agents, . . . creates a layered portrait of why spies spy, what motivates them, and what makes them effective. Love, sex, money, patriotism, risk, adventure, revenge, compulsion, doing the right thing--focusing on the motivations, [this book] presents a wealth of spy stories, some previously unknown and some famous, from the very human angle of the agents themselves. The accounts of actual spying extend from ancient history to the present, and from running agents inside the Islamic State and al-Qaeda to the recent Russian active measures campaigns and operations to influence votes in the UK, European Union, and United States, penetrating as far as Trump Tower if not the White House"--Provided by publisher.

A young boy enjoys the company of a grasshopper.

A rhyming story about the relativity of one thing to another, such as how far away a place is, or the levels of high versus low.

An extraordinary character and one of history's great explorers, Ernest Shackleton pioneered the path to the South Pole over 100 years ago, becoming the dominant figure in Antarctic discovery. His incredible adventures on four expeditions to the Antarctic have captivated generations. But Shackleton was a flawed character whose chaotic private life, marked by romantic affairs, unfulfilled ambitions, and failed business ventures, contrasted with his celebrity status as the leading explorer.

"Qui?en va lento y qui?en va r?apido?" "Who is fast, and who is slow?" A car seems fast compared to a bicycle, but relative to a snail, a bike moves quickly. A charming, bilingual rhyming story that is not about Einstein's theory of relativity, but something just as important: the concept that "everything is relative.".

Tells the story of the codebreakers who worked to crack the codes and ciphers of Japan during World War II, featuring a step-by-step account of the codebreaking process, and discussing the personalities of the often eccentric people who accomplished the task.

A collection of eighteen short stories and five essays by Michael Smith that focus on the lives of Central Americans.

Nine-year-old Thomas, his cousin Rita, and their Junior Scientist Club travel to Montana with a paleontologist and help discover one of the most complete T-Rex skeleton ever discovered. They follow carefully as the fossil is dug up, transported to California, assembled, and put on display in the Dinosaur Hall at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Based on a true story; includes photographs of the excavation and fossil recovery.