Countdown

Eleven-year-old Franny deals with the challenges of growing up against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.... (more)

Eleven-year-old Franny deals with the challenges of growing up against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Interspersed with the text are photographs, news items, and advertisements from the early sixties. (less)

With Amy and Dan still in pursuit of Pierce, Amy does something unthinkable that sends shockwaves through her family. (more)

With Amy and Dan still in pursuit of Pierce, Amy does something unthinkable that sends shockwaves through her family. (less)

Told in free verse, the story of the American effort to land the first man on the moon comes to life. (more)

Told in free verse, the story of the American effort to land the first man on the moon comes to life. (less)

Agent Amy Cornwall excels at working from the shadows--until a botched field operation reveals dark dealings between her... (more)

Agent Amy Cornwall excels at working from the shadows--until a botched field operation reveals dark dealings between her bosses and an informant. And a hidden plot by a terrorist genius that could kill thousands of Americans. Among them: her husband and daughter. She has to go dark. The Division wants to erase her. And they know every detail about her identity, her history, and her family. Agent Cornwall's countdown has begun. (less)

"Agent Amy Cornwall excels at working from the shadows--until a botched field operation reveals dark dealings between he... (more)

"Agent Amy Cornwall excels at working from the shadows--until a botched field operation reveals dark dealings between her bosses and an informant. And a hidden plot by a terrorist genius that could kill thousands of Americans. Among them: her husband and daughter. She has to go dark. The Division wants to erase her. And they know every detail about her identity, her history, and her family. Agent Cornwall's countdown has begun"-- (less)

"A powerful investigation into the chances for humanity's future from the author of the bestseller The World Without Us.... (more)

"A powerful investigation into the chances for humanity's future from the author of the bestseller The World Without Us. In his bestselling book The World Without Us, Alan Weisman considered how the Earth could heal and even refill empty niches if relieved of humanity's constant pressures. Behind that groundbreaking thought experiment was his hope that we would be inspired to find a way to add humans back to this vision of a restored, healthy planet-only in harmony, not mortal combat, with the rest of nature. But with a million more of us every 4 1/2 days on a planet that's not getting any bigger, and with our exhaust overheating the atmosphere and altering the chemistry of the oceans, prospects for a sustainable human future seem ever more in doubt. For this long awaited follow-up book, Weisman traveled to more than 20 countries to ask what experts agreed were the probably the most important questions on Earth-and also the hardest: How many humans can the planet hold without capsizing? How robust must the Earth's ecosystem be to assure our continued existence? Can we know which other species are essential to our survival? And, how might we actually arrive at a stable, optimum population, and design an economy to allow genuine prosperity without endless growth? Weisman visits an extraordinary range of the world's cultures, religions, nationalities, tribes, and political systems to learn what in their beliefs, histories, liturgies, or current circumstances might suggest that sometimes it's in their own best interest to limit their growth. The result is a landmark work of reporting: devastating, urgent, and, ultimately, deeply hopeful. By vividly detailing the burgeoning effects of our cumulative presence, Countdown reveals what may be the fastest, most acceptable, practical, and affordable way of returning our planet and our presence on it to balance. Weisman again shows that he is one of the most provocative journalists at work today, with a book whose message is so compelling that it will change how we see our lives and our destiny"-- (less)

"Franny Chapman just wants some peace. But that's hard to get when her best friend is feuding with her, her sister has d... (more)

"Franny Chapman just wants some peace. But that's hard to get when her best friend is feuding with her, her sister has disappeared, and her uncle is fighting an old war in his head. Her saintly younger brother is no help, and the cute boy across the street only complicates things. Worst of all, everyone is walking around just waiting for a bomb to fall. It's 1962, and it seems the whole country is living in fear."--Dust jacket flap. (less)

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The clock has run out for thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill. As head of the most powerful family the world has ever known, he... (more)

The clock has run out for thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill. As head of the most powerful family the world has ever known, he and his older sister, Amy, have been in the crosshairs for too long. Dan and Amy have always managed to stay a step ahead of their enemies, but it was only a matter of time until luck failed them. Now Dan is hopelessly trapped and nothing can save him except unleashing an evil into the world even worse than the enemies closing in. (less)

Agent Amy Cornwall excels at working from the shadows -- until a botched field operation reveals dark dealings between h... (more)

Agent Amy Cornwall excels at working from the shadows -- until a botched field operation reveals dark dealings between her bosses and an informant. And a hidden plot by a terrorist genius that could kill thousands of Americans. Among them: her husband and daughter. She has to go dark. The Division wants to erase her. And they know every detail about her identity, her history, and her family. Agent Cornwall's countdown has begun. (less)

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Burke explains how the invention of the movie projector led to improvements in castle fortifications caused by the inven... (more)

Burke explains how the invention of the movie projector led to improvements in castle fortifications caused by the invention and use of the canon. He connects the invention of the movie projector to four major innovations in history: incandescent light, the discovery of celluloid, the projector that uses frame-by-frame pictures on celluloid, and finally, recorded sound. (less)