The Book Report: Hot Topics

The Pulitzer Prize-winning opinion columnist at The New York Times and "an absolutely original genius" (Bob Woodward, The Washington Post) Carlos Lozada explores how people in power reveal themselves through their books and writings and, in doing so, illuminate the personal, political, and cultural conflictions driving Washington and the nation. A longtime book critic and columnist in Washington, Carlos Lozada dissects all manner of texts: commission reports, political reporting, Supreme Court decisions, and congressional inquiries to understand the controversies animating life in the capital. He also reads copious books by politicians and top officials: tell-all accounts by administration insiders, campaign biographies by candidates longing for high office, revisionist memoirs by those leaving those offices behind. With this "unsparing and gentle, erudite and entertaining" (Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize­-winning author of Ghost Wars) essay collection, Lozada argues that no matter how carefully political figures sanitize their experiences, positions, and records, they almost always let the truth slip through. They show us their faults and blind spots, their ambitions and compromises, and their underlying motives and insecurities. Whether they mean to or not, they tell us who they really are. Lozada notes that Barack Obama constantly invoked the power of his life story in his memoirs and speeches, a sign of how he tried to transform his personal symbolism from inspiration on the campaign trail into an all-purpose government tool. Donald Trump revealed not just his vanity, but his utter isolation from the world, long before he entered the bubble of the White House. In deft and lacerating prose, Lozada interprets the unresolved tensions of Hillary Clinton's ideological beliefs. He imagines the wonderful memoir of George H.W. Bush could have given us but instead left scattered throughout various books and letters. He explores why Kamala Harris has struggled to carve out a distinctive role as vice president. He explains how Ron DeSantis's pitch to America is just a list of enemies. And he even glimpses what Vladimir Putin fears the most, and why he seeks conflict with the west. He does so all through their own books, and their own words. This "monumental read" (The Guardian) is the perfect guide to the state of our politics, and the men and women who dominate the terrain. It explores the construction of personal identity, the delusions of leadership, and the mix of subservience and ambition that can define a life in politics. The more we read the stories of Washington, the clearer our understanding of the competing visions of our country.

A detailed primer on the United States election cycle - newly revised and updated! Every four years, coverage of the presidential election turns into a horse-race story about who's leading the polls and who said what when. Social media and online news have made it easier to spread false information (even by accident) and harder to know what's accurate. It can be difficult to get good information about how the election process actually works, why it matters, or how you can get involved. Civics education and information about how our government functions is necessary whether you're a longtime voter or a soon-to-be voter. This newly revised edition includes statistics and anecdotes from recent elections alongside straightforward, nonpartisan analysis and explanation. Author Jeff Fleischer uses a fun, casual voice and real-world examples to provide an essential resource that will remain relevant long after the next president is elected. Praise for the second edition of Votes of Confidence: "A very readable, engaging, and entertaining history of American elections and politics for young people."--starred, Booklist "Reads like course notes from a beloved teacher . . . A history lesson, civics compendium, and call to action combined in one engaging volume."--School Library Journal

A "terrific, if chilling, account" (The Guardian) of how the Supreme Court's new conservative supermajority is overturning decades of law and leading the country in a dangerous political direction. In The Supermajority, Michael Waldman explores the tumultuous 2021­­-2022 Supreme Court term. He draws deeply on history to examine other times the Court veered from the popular will, provoking controversy, and backlash. And he analyzes the most important new rulings and their implications for the law and for American society. Waldman asks: What can we do when the Supreme Court challenges the country? Over three days in June 2022, the conservative supermajority overturned the constitutional right to abortion, possibly opening the door to reconsider other major privacy rights, as Justice Clarence Thomas urged. The Court sharply limited the authority of the EPA, reducing the prospects for combatting climate change. It radically loosened curbs on guns amid an epidemic of mass shootings. It fully embraced legal theories such as "originalism" that will affect thousands of cases throughout the country. These major decisions--and the next wave to come--will have enormous ramifications for every American. It was the most turbulent term in memory--with the leak of the opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, the first Black woman justice sworn in, and the justices turning on each other in public, Waldman previews the 2022­-2023 term and how the brewing fights over the Supreme Court and its role that already have begun to reshape politics. The Supermajority is "a call to action as much as it is a history of the Supreme Court " (Financial Times) at a time when the Court's dysfunction--and the demand for reform--are at the center of public debate.

"Engaging and inspiring . . . Reading this book should make you want to vote."--Barack Obama In a world of sound bites, deliberate misinformation, and a political scene colored by the blue versus red partisan divide, how does the average educated American find a reliable source that's free of political spin? What You Should Know About Politics . . . But Don't breaks it all down, issue by issue, explaining who stands for what, and why--whether it's the economy, income inequality, Obamacare, foreign policy, education, immigration, or climate change. If you're a Democrat, a Republican, or somewhere in between, it's the perfect book to brush up on a single topic or read through to get a deeper understanding of the often murky world of American politics. This is an essential volume for understanding the background to the 2020 presidential election. But it is also a book that transcends the season. It's truly for anyone who wants to know more about the perennial issues that will continue to affect our everyday lives. The fourth edition includes an introduction by Martin Garbus discussing the themes and issues that have come to the fore during the present presidential cycle.

This book presents the history of immigration to the United States, debates over criminalization under the Trump administration, and the effects on immigrants, U.S. residents, the U.S. economy, and its relationships with other nations. Robert Hartmann McNamara offers a comprehensive understanding of past and current immigration policy in the United States and exposes falsehoods in the rhetoric and narrative portraying Latino and Mexican immigrants in the U.S. Repeated statements by federal officials, including the U.S. president, that immigrants pose a threat to national security, contribute to crime, and take jobs away from native-born residents have predicated intensified immigration enforcement and deportation policies. However, the evidence has consistently concluded that these narratives are inaccurate. This book highlights white nationalism as a backdrop to understanding current immigration policy and tactics. It examines how political and economic factors, broadly defined as neoliberal policies, shape the immigration narrative and unpacks the criminal justice system's role in immigration, law enforcement efforts, problems with immigration courts and judges, and the detention of immigrants as part of a larger mass incarceration of people of color. Finally, the text illuminates the reasons for massive migration, with the U.S. contributing to the problem by supporting regimes that endorse or allow humanitarian crises.

 #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER George Stephanopoulos, the legendary political news host and former advisor to President Clinton, recounts the history-making crises from the place where twelve presidents made their highest-pressure decisions: the White House Situation Room.  No room better defines American power and its role in the world than the White House Situation Room. And yet, none is more shrouded in secrecy and mystery. Created under President Kennedy, the Sit Room has been the epicenter of crisis management for presidents for more than six decades. Time and again, the decisions made within the Sit Room complex affect the lives of every person on this planet. Detailing close calls made and disasters narrowly averted, THE SITUATION ROOM will take readers through dramatic turning points in a dozen presidential administrations, including: Incredible minute-by-minute transcripts from the Sit Room after both Presidents Kennedy and Reagan were shot The shocking moment when Henry Kissinger raised the military alert level to DEFCON III while President Nixon was drunk in the White House residence The extraordinary scene when President Carter asked for help from secret government psychics to rescue American hostages in Iran A vivid retelling of the harrowing hours during the 9/11 attack New details from Obama administration officials leading up to the raid on Osama Bin Laden And a first-ever account of January 6th from the staff inside the Sit Room THE SITUATION ROOM is the definitive, past-the-security-clearance look at the room where it happened, and the people--the famous and those you've never heard of--who have made history within its walls.

"You look like a thing and I love you" is one of the best pickup lines ever...according to an artificial intelligence trained by the scientist Janelle Shane, creator of the popular blog AI Weirdness. Shane creates silly AIs that learn how to name colors of paint, create the best recipes, and even flirt (badly) with humans--all to understand the technology that governs so much of our human lives. We rely on AI every day, trusting it for matters both big and small, from unlocking our phones to hospital care. But how smart is AI really...? Shane delivers the answer to every AI question you've ever asked, and some you definitely haven't--such as: How can a computer design the perfect sandwich? What does robot-generated Harry Potter fan fiction sound like? And is the world's best Halloween costume really "vampire hog bride"?

Thrilling new discoveries in science and technology are announced almost daily. Cutting-Edge Science and Technology keeps readers at the forefront of new research. Artificial Intelligencecovers a wide variety of topics in the emerging field of machine learning, including facial identification, voice recognition, video games, driverless cars, and robot helpers. High-impact photos and explanatory graphics and charts bring scientific concepts to life. Features include essential facts, a glossary, selected bibliography, websites, source notes, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has impacted many industries around the world--banking and finance, pharmaceuticals, automotive, medical technology, manufacturing, and retail. But it has only just begun its odyssey toward cheaper, better, and faster predictions that drive strategic business decisions. When prediction is taken to the max, industries transform, and with such transformation comes disruption. What is at the root of this? The authors explain that the two key decision-making ingredients are prediction and judgment, and we perform both together in our minds, often without realizing it. The rise of AI is shifting prediction from humans to machines, relieving people from this cognitive load while increasing the speed and accuracy of decisions. This sets the stage for a flourishing of new decisions and has profound implications for system-level innovation.

This authoritative reference work provides readers with a complete overview of artificial intelligence (AI), including its historic development and current status, existing and projected AI applications, and present and potential future impact on the United States and the world. Some people believe that artificial intelligence (AI) will revolutionize modern life in ways that improve human existence. Others say that the promise of AI is overblown. Still others contend that AI applications could pose a grave threat to the economic security of millions of people by taking their jobs and otherwise rendering them "obsolete"--or, even worse, that AI could actually spell the end of the human race. This volume helps users understand the reasons AI development has both spirited defenders and alarmed critics; explains theories and innovations like Moore's Law, mindcloning, and Technological Singularity that drive AI research and debate; and gives readers the information they need to make their own informed judgment about the promise and peril of this technology.

Uncover everything you need to know about "deepfakes" and what could become the biggest information and communications meltdown in world history. In a world of deepfakes, it will soon be impossible to tell what is real and what isn't. As advances in artificial intelligence, video creation, and online trolling continue, deepfakes pose not only a real threat to democracy -- they threaten to take voter manipulation to unprecedented new heights. This crisis of misinformation which we now face has since been dubbed the "Infocalypse." In DEEPFAKES, investigative journalist Nina Schick uses her expertise from working in the field to reveal shocking examples of deepfakery and explain the dangerous political consequences of the Infocalypse, both in terms of national security and what it means for public trust in politics. This all-too-timely book also unveils what this all means for us as individuals, how deepfakes will be used to intimidate and to silence, for revenge and fraud, and just how truly unprepared governments and tech companies are for what's coming.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is all around us, from music choices to electronics to healthcare. AI refers to machines that are programmed to think and act like humans. Examples of AI include Pandora personalized song lists, robotic vacuum cleaners and self-driving vehicles. Many industries offer careers in AI, including financial services, technology, marketing, agriculture, gaming, and retail. As the need for technology and its problem-solving abilities continues to grow, so does the need for highly-skilled individuals to work in this sector. Careers in Artificial Intelligence provides detailed information and need-to-know information on various careers in artificial intelligence. Each chapter provides a wealth of real-world information including A Day in the Life, Work Environment, Education & Training, Earnings & Advancement, Employment Outlook, Networking Contacts, Areas with the Highest Employment Levels, and Conversations with Real Professionals.

This book gives details on how Ukrainians felt about a previous conflict. In 2014 Ukraine ousted their president due to dissatisfaction with him allying more closely with Russia than the EU. This could provide insight into how Ukrainians feel about Russia as well as offer a glimpse of what war is like for them.

There is a long history of conflict between Ukraine and Russia. This book details a conflict in the 1930s in devastating detail and provides more context for Russian/Ukrainian relations.

Ukraine, due to its positioning in Europe, has been sought after by those in power for a long time. This book explains the history of Ukraine in that context.

This ebook describes historic tensions between Russia and the Ukraine (and Crimea, a region of Ukraine which has been hotly contested by Russia and which in 2014 was annexed by Russia).

This book takes place after the Crimea crisis and does reporting on Ukraine from the inside by going to the source, Ukrainians, to learn more about them.

The ongoing struggle between Israel and Palestine is one of the most bitter conflicts in history, with profound global consequences. In this book, Middle East expert Michael Scott-Baumann succinctly describes its origins and charts its evolution from civil war to the present day. Each chapter offers a lucid explanation of the politics and ends with personal testimony from Palestinians and Israelis whose lives have been impacted by the dispute.

Justice in the Question of Palestine is often framed as a question of law. Yet none of the Israel-Palestinian conflict's most vexing challenges have been resolved by judicial intervention. Occupation law has failed to stem Israel's settlement enterprise. Laws of war have permitted killing and destruction during Israel's military offensives in the Gaza Strip. The Oslo Accord's two-state solution is now dead letter. Justice for Some offers a new approach to understanding the Palestinian struggle for freedom, told through the power and control of international law. Focusing on key junctures--from the Balfour Declaration in 1917 to present-day wars in Gaza--Noura Erakat shows how the strategic deployment of law has shaped current conditions.

Drawing on a wealth of untapped archival materials and the reports of generations of family members--mayors, judges, scholars, diplomats, and journalists--The Hundred Years' War on Palestine upends accepted interpretations of the conflict, which tend, at best, to describe a tragic clash between two peoples with claims to the same territory. Instead, Khalidi traces a hundred years of colonial war on the Palestinians, waged first by the Zionist movement and then Israel, but backed by Britain and the United States, the great powers of the age. He highlights the key episodes in this colonial campaign, from the 1917 Balfour Declaration to the destruction of Palestine in 1948, from Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon to the endless and futile peace process.

It is impossible to understand Palestine today without a careful reading of its distant and recent past. But until now there has been no single volume in English that tells the history of the events--from the Ottoman Empire to the mid-twentieth century--that shaped modern Palestine. The first book of its kind, A History of Palestine offers a richly detailed interpretation of this critical region's evolution. Starting with the prebiblical and biblical roots of Palestine, noted historian Gudrun Krämer examines the meanings ascribed to the land in the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions.

Here to fill in the information gap is Israeli American Noa Tishby. But "this is not your Bubbie's history book" (Bill Maher, host of Real Time with Bill Maher). Instead, offering a fresh, 360-degree view, Tishby brings her "passion, humor, and deep intimacy" (Yossi Klein Halevi, New York Times bestselling author of Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor) to the subject, creating an accessible and dynamic portrait of a tiny country of outsized relevance. Through bite-sized chunks of history and deeply personal stories, Tishby chronicles her homeland's evolution, beginning in Biblical times and moving forward to cover everything from WWI to Israel's creation to the disputes dividing the country today.

Historians have long treated Reconstruction primarily as a southern concern isolated from broader national political developments. Yet at its core, Reconstruction was a battle for the legacy of the Civil War that would determine the political fate not only of the South but of the nation. In Gold and Freedom, Nicolas Barreyre recovers the story of how economic issues became central to American politics after the war. The idea that a financial debate was as important for Reconstruction as emancipation may seem remarkable, but the war created economic issues that all Americans, not just southerners, had to grapple with, including a huge debt, an inconvertible paper currency, high taxation, and tariffs. Alongside the key issues of race and citizenship, the struggle with the new economic model and the type of society it created pervaded the entire country. Both were legacies of war. Both were fought over by the same citizens in a newly reunited nation. It was thus impossible for such closely related debates to proceed independently. A truly groundbreaking work, Gold and Freedom shows how much the fate of Reconstruction--and the political world it ultimately created--owed to northern sectional divisions, revealing important links between race and economy, as well as region and nation, not previously recognized.

Should the United States be open to commerce with other countries, or should it protect domestic industries from foreign competition? This question has been the source of bitter political conflict throughout American history. Such conflict was inevitable, James Madison argued in The Federalist Papers, because trade policy involves clashing economic interests. The struggle between the winners and losers from trade has always been fierce because dollars and jobs are at stake: depending on what policy is chosen, some industries, farmers, and workers will prosper, while others will suffer. Douglas A. Irwin's Clashing over Commerce is the most authoritative and comprehensive history of US trade policy to date, offering a clear picture of the various economic and political forces that have shaped it. From the start, trade policy divided the nation--first when Thomas Jefferson declared an embargo on all foreign trade and then when South Carolina threatened to secede from the Union over excessive taxes on imports. The Civil War saw a shift toward protectionism, which then came under constant political attack. Then, controversy over the Smoot-Hawley tariff during the Great Depression led to a policy shift toward freer trade, involving trade agreements that eventually produced the World Trade Organization. Irwin makes sense of this turbulent history by showing how different economic interests tend to be grouped geographically, meaning that every proposed policy change found ready champions and opponents in Congress. As the Trump administration considers making major changes to US trade policy, Irwin's sweeping historical perspective helps illuminate the current debate. Deeply researched and rich with insight and detail, Clashing over Commerce provides valuable and enduring insights into US trade policy past and present.

Which was the last country to abolish slavery? Which is the only amendment to the U.S. Constitution ever to be repealed? How did King Henry II of England provide a procedural blueprint for criminal law? These are just a few of the thought-provoking questions addressed in this beautifully illustrated book. Join author Michael H. Roffer as he explores 250 of the most fundamental, far-reaching, and often-controversial cases, laws, and trials that have profoundly changed our world--for good or bad. Offering authoritative context to ancient documents as well as today's hot-button issues, The Law Book presents a comprehensive look at the rules by which we live our lives. It covers such diverse topics as the Code of Hammurabi, the Ten Commandments, the Trial of Socrates, the Bill of Rights, women's suffrage, the insanity defense, and more. Roffer takes us around the globe to ancient Rome and medieval England before transporting us forward to contemporary accounts that tackle everything from civil rights, surrogacy, and assisted suicide to the 2000 U.S. presidential election, Google Books, and the fight for marriage equality. Organized chronologically, the entries each consist of a short essay and a stunning full-color image, while the "Notes and Further Reading" section provides resources for more in-depth study. Justice may be blind, but this collection brings the rich history of the law to light.

Throughout history, men and women have always found ways to control reproduction. In some ancient societies, people turned to herbs or traditional rituals. Others turned to methods that are still used in the twenty-first century, such as abstinence, condoms, and abortions. Legislating access to birth control, sex education, and abortion is also not new. Disputes over contraception, sex education, and abortion continue to roil the nation, leading to controversial legal and political rulings and occasionally violence. As society changes--and as new reproductive technologies expand the possibilities for controlling and initiating pregnancy--Americans will continue to debate reproductive rights for all.

With stories from the front lines, a legal scholar journeys through distinct legal climates to understand precisely why and how the war over abortion is being fought. Drawing on her years of research in El Salvador-one of the few countries to ban abortion without exception-legal scholar Michelle Oberman explores what happens when abortion is a crime. Oberman reveals the practical challenges raised by a thriving black market in abortion drugs, as well as the legal challenges to law enforcement. She describes a system in which doctors and lawyers collaborate in order to identify and prosecute those suspected of abortion-related crimes, and the troubling results of such collaboration- mistaken diagnoses, selective enforcement, and wrongful convictions. A fresh look at the battle over abortion law, Her Body, Our Laws is an invitation to those on all sides of the issue to move beyond the incomplete discourse about legality by understanding how the law actually matters.

Reproductive politics is a term coined in the 1970s to describe contemporary, Roe v. Wade-era power struggles over contraception and abortion, adoption and surrogacy, and other satellite issues. Forty years later, questions of reproductive rights are just as complex - and controversial - as they were then. Covering a substantial range of information in an accessible and lively manner, Solinger orients readers and provides the knowledge necessary to enter into dialogue with this important and continually evolving field.

This anthology assembles two decades of work initiated by SisterSong Women of Color Health Collective, creators of the human rights-based 'reproductive justice' framework to move beyond polarised pro-choice/pro-life debates. Rooted in Black feminism and built on intersecting identities, this revolutionary framework asserts a woman's right to have children, to not have children, and to parent and provide for the children they have.

Women from remarkably diverse religious, social, and political backgrounds made up the rank-and-file of anti-abortion activism. Empowered by the changes wrought by feminism, they founded grassroots groups, developed now-familiar strategies and tactics, and gave voice to the movement's moral and political dimensions. Drawing on oral histories and interviews with prominent figures, Karissa Haugeberg examines American women 's fight against abortion. Throughout, Haugeberg explores important questions such as the ways people fused religious conviction with partisan politics, activists' rationalizations for lethal violence, and how women claimed space within an unshakably patriarchal movement.

As seen in the HBO docuseries THE VOW: A jaw-dropping insider look into the world of the so-called "Hollywood Sex Cult" NXIVM chronicling the rise of enigmatic cult leader, Keith Raniere, from its "Patient Zero," his former girlfriend and test subject for his coercive control techniques. Many have heard of NXIVM and its creator, Keith Raniere, the unassuming Albany man now prosecuted for ensnaring tens of thousands of people in the US, Mexico, Canada and elsewhere, to do his bidding and pay millions of dollars to participate in his self-improvement methodology. But where did Keith Raniere begin? Enter Toni Natalie, Keith's Patient Zero, the first one indoctrinated into Raniere's methodology and the first one to escape.

Ted Bundy is one of the most notorious serial killers in American history and one of the most publicized to this day. However, very rarely do we hear from the women he left behind-the ones forgotten as mere footnotes in this tragedy. This updated and expanded reissue of Elizabeth Kendall's 1981 book The Phantom Prince chronicles her intense, six-year relationship with Ted Bundy and its eventual unraveling. Featuring a new introduction and a new afterword by the author, never-before-seen photos, and a new chapter from the author's daughter, Molly, this gripping account presents a remarkable examination of obsession, intrigue, and the darkness that love can mask.

InThe Perfect Father,New York Timesbestselling author John Glatt reveals the tragedy of the Watts family, whose seemingly perfect lives played out on social media--but the truth would lead to a vicious and heartbreaking murder.

FromNew York Times bestselling true crime author John Glatt comes the devastating story of the Turpins: a seemingly normal family whose dark secrets would shock and captivate the world.

Vancouver student Elisa Lam was last heard from on January 31, 2013, after she checked into L.A.'s Cecil Hotel, a 600-room building with a history of scandal and tragedy. The next day, Elisa vanished. More than a week later came a grim discovery: Elisa's nude body floating in a rooftop water tank. The only clue was a disturbing surveillance video of Elisa, uploaded to YouTube in hopes of public assistance. The video soon went viral and opened up many questions. In this detailed investigation, journalist Jake Anderson sets out to answer them.

Writer Eugene Linden explores the relationship between the actions of business corporations and environmental degradation in this book.

In this book, two physicians investigate the unexpected ways in which human health might be impacted by changing climates.

Gary Ferguson delves into how climate change has lengthened wildfire seasons in the Western United States. Read this if you're interested in understanding how the fires are fought and the ways in which ecosystems are impacted by them.

Rick Van Noy details how different Southern communities are adapting to climate change.

Environmental journalist Benjamin Von Brackel analyzes how nonhuman animals are reacting to changing temperatures.

In Courage to Soar, the official autobiography from four-time Olympic gold-winning and record-setting American gymnast Simone Biles, Simone shares how her faith, family, passion, and perseverance has made her one of the top athletes and gymnasts in the world--and how you too can overcome challenges in your life. Simone Biles' entrance into the world of gymnastics may have started on a field trip in her hometown of Spring, Texas, but her God-given talent, along with drive to succeed no matter the obstacle, are what brought her to the national spotlight during the Olympic Games and have catapulted her ever since--including 25 World Championship medals. But there is more to Simone than her accomplishments.

Based on the true story of the most famous team in the history of American sports: the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. Follow from the team's selection process to the ultimate victory over Finland for the gold.

The #1 New York Times-bestselling story about the American Olympic rowing triumph in Nazi Germany--from the author of Facing the Mountain. For readers of Unbroken, out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times--the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant.

Discover the astonishing, inspirational, and largely unknown true story of the eighteen African American athletes who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, defying the racism of both Nazi Germany and the Jim Crow South. Set against the turbulent backdrop of a segregated United States, sixteen black men and two black women are torn between boycotting the Olympic Games in Nazi Germany or participating. If they go, they would represent a country that considered them second-class citizens and would compete amid a strong undercurrent of Aryan superiority that considered them inferior. Yet, if they stayed, would they ever have a chance to prove them wrong on a global stage? To be better than anyone ever expected? Five athletes, full of discipline and heart, guide readers through this harrowing and inspiring journey.

The first U.S. Olympic team, a ragtag group of 14 men, mostly Ivy Leaguers caused a swell of national pride while taking home 11 gold medals and paving the way for generations of U.S. Olympians. Author Jim Reisler chronicles the growing American sports scene in the 19th Century, the men of influence who established a modern Olympics, and how a squad of moderately talented Americans, funded independently, competing without the backing of the Amateur Athletic Union or their universities, went off to Athens, anyway. By triumphing in their events, they won not only gold but also the hearts and minds of the world.

This timely and compelling book presents a broad study of all key cyber security issues of the highest interest to government and business as well as their implications. This comprehensive work focuses on the current state of play regarding cyber security threats to government and business, which are imposing unprecedented costs and disruption. At the same time, it aggressively takes a forward-looking approach to such emerging industries as automobiles and appliances, the operations of which are becoming more closely tied to the internet. Revolutionary developments will have security implications unforeseen by manufacturers, and the authors explore these in detail, drawing on lessons from overseas as well as the United States to show how nations and businesses can combat these threats. The book's first section describes existing threats and their consequences. The second section identifies newer cyber challenges across an even broader spectrum, including the internet of things. The concluding section looks at policies and practices in the United States, United Kingdom, and elsewhere that offer ways to mitigate threats to cyber security. Written in a nontechnical, accessible manner, the book will appeal to a diverse audience of policymakers, business leaders, cyber security experts, and interested general readers.

A New York Times Notable Book of 2020 "[A] sweeping and authoritative history" (The New York Times Book Review), Black Wave is an unprecedented and ambitious examination of how the modern Middle East unraveled and why it started with the pivotal year of 1979. Kim Ghattas seamlessly weaves together history, geopolitics, and culture to deliver a gripping read of the largely unexplored story of the rivalry between between Saudi Arabia and Iran, born from the sparks of the 1979 Iranian revolution and fueled by American policy. With vivid story-telling, extensive historical research and on-the-ground reporting, Ghattas dispels accepted truths about a region she calls home. She explores how Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran, once allies and twin pillars of US strategy in the region, became mortal enemies after 1979. She shows how they used and distorted religion in a competition that went well beyond geopolitics. Feeding intolerance, suppressing cultural expression, and encouraging sectarian violence from Egypt to Pakistan, the war for cultural supremacy led to Iran's fatwa against author Salman Rushdie, the assassination of countless intellectuals, the birth of groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon, the September 11th terrorist attacks, and the rise of ISIS. Ghattas introduces us to a riveting cast of characters whose lives were upended by the geopolitical drama over four decades: from the Pakistani television anchor who defied her country's dictator, to the Egyptian novelist thrown in jail for indecent writings all the way to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. Black Wave is both an intimate and sweeping history of the region and will significantly alter perceptions of the Middle East.