Biology
How much of our world do we know? Ed Yong is a Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer who’s knowledgeable about a wide variety of creatures inhabiting the night skies and ocean depths. His lyrical prose will lure readers into the worlds of insects, birds, fish, and mammals, giving our own world greater meaning. Yong has a knack for flirting with the imagination, as our senses tune into different environments experienced by the dazzling array of life on the planet. Prepare to be surprised.
Biography
The first of two parts, this well-researched and approachable biography of Antonin Scalia paints a wonderful picture of an ambitious, talented, fun-loving, and charismatic man before he became a Supreme Court justice. Just as importantly, historian James Rosen demonstrates the value of family, a solid work ethic, and a good marriage for success in life. He took years amassing these interviews and information, and readers will delight in the many tales of the justice’s probity, wit, and humor.
Classics
These 17th-century aphorisms—many only a sentence or two long—influenced French intellectuals such as Voltaire and are still pertinent today. Tart with a cynicism earned in the 17th-century royal court, concise in expression, they shouldn’t be gulped down but are best digested in small bites over weeks or even months. They invite argument, rejection, and reflection, all the while making us think. Translator Leonard Tancock provides readers with an excellent introduction to the author.
Geographic History
Is Jerusalem really the center of the world? Montefiore’s historiographical study of the holy city makes a clear case for it. Tracing through thousands of years, the author discusses the origin of the city, the battles over it, and those―ranging from King David to Cleopatra to Saladin to Harry Truman―who played roles in its preservation or destruction. Encounter the Babylonian Empire, the Roman Empire, the Crusaders, the Ottomans, and the modern Jewish state. It’s a history that’s most intriguing.
Military History
As World War II turned against them, the Japanese tried the kamikaze. Pilots rammed aircraft into Allied warships and transports. It started in October 1944 and continued through the war’s last day. This book examines the most intense phase of the kamikaze campaign, the Allied invasion of Okinawa, casting the fight as a duel between the competing vice admirals: Matome Ugaki and Marc Mitscher. It tells this story through the eyes of its participants, offering a fresh look at this campaign.
For Kids
Peering in at the beginnings of the self-trained artist and ornithologist John James Audubon, this book is a celebration of nature, wonder, tenacity, and self-sufficiency. Hang feeders outside, leave a field guide by the window, and take in this charming biography with your children to kick off springtime and perhaps ignite a new interest.
