history and criticism

In Aesop's Animals, zoologist Jo Wimpenny turns a critical eye to the fables and ask whether there is any scientific truth to Aesop's portrayal of his animals. She brings the tales into the twenty-first century, introducing the latest scientific research on some of the most fascinating topics in animal behavior. Each chapter focuses on a different fable and a different topic in ethology, including future planning, tool use, self-recognition, cooperation and deception. At the end of each chapter, the author pulls together the evidence to assess whether Aesop's portrayal of the animals holds true from a modern, scientific perspective.

"A comprehensive resource for using novels in verse in classrooms and libraries"--Provided by publisher.

"'Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.' The prophetic words of abolitionist, writer, and social reformer Frederick Douglass live on in his speeches and books of autobiography. This speech, delivered on July 5, 1852 was an address to the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society. Douglass grew up enslaved and deprived of rights and liberty and argued that the American values of freedom and liberty for some, but not all, was an injustice to all humans"--Provided by publisher.

Unlike the other classic Universal horror movie monsters of their time, the Mummy's origins can't be found in the pages of a book. His story was inspired by the opening of King Tut's tomb in 1922. The world fell in love with all things Egyptian and was enthralled with stories of ancient mummies. The film producers of the early Dracula and Frankenstein films wasted no time creating a character who's been creeping out of his coffin and entertaining audiences since 1932.

"Andrew Grant ... reveal[s] the surprising origins of twenty-one beloved carols, presenting ... tales of musicians and thinkers, saints and pagans, shepherd boys and choirboys, monks and ministers ... accompanies each account with that carol's words and music..."--Back cover.

"Sanneh . . . has made a . . . study of how popular music unites and divides us, charting the way genres become communities, shape-shifting across the years, giving us a way to track larger forces and controversies"--Provided by publisher.

"A sociological study of reality television that explores its rise as a culture-dominating medium--and what the genre reveals about our attitudes toward race, gender, class, and sexuality"--Provided by publisher.

A collection of writings by Henry Louis Gates Jr. in which he examines African American arts and culture, Africa and the African Diaspora, and other related topics.

"An illustrated exploration of how the expressionism and spontaneity of jazz spilled onto its album art, posters, and promotional photography, and even inspired standalone works of fine art"-- Provided by publisher.

"[This book] is a . . . project that unravels all modes and methods of black performance, in this moment when black performers are coming to terms with their value, reception, and immense impact on America. [The author] examines how black performance happens in specific moments in time and space--mid-century Paris, the moon, or a cramped living room in Columbus, Ohio. At the outset of this project, [he] became fascinated with clips of black minstrel entertainers like William Henry Lane, better known as Master Juba. Knowing there was something more complicated . . . in the history and legacy of minstrelsy, [he] uncovered questions and tensions that help to reveal how black performance pervades all areas of American society"--Provided by publisher.