Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong

By Terry Teachout

"Draws on previously unavailable sources including hundreds of private recordings made throughout the second half of the jazz master's life to assess his artistic achievements and personal arenas, sharing authoritative coverage of such topics as Armstrong's decision to break up his band and his quarrel with Eisenhower."
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Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History

An absorbing, probing look at the conspiracy theories that operate on the sidelines of history and the reasons they continue to play such a seditious role.
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Lighting Out for the Territory: How Samuel Clemens Headed West and Became Mark Twain

A lighthearted account of Samuel Clemens's six-year sojourn through the American West documents how sensational adventures and a failed search for silver prompted his literary reinvention and work as a journalist, stage performer and short-story writer.
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Breakfast With Socrates: An Extraordinary (Philosophical) Journey Through Your Ordinary Day

An intellectual chronicle of an average day that applies philosophy to typical activities considers the nature of existence upon waking up, an evaluation of the work ethic versus vanity during a visit to the gym and the abstract relevancies of playing hooky.
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The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever

Presents excerpts on the subject of religion from the writings of such notable non-believers as John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx, Charles Darwin, Mark Twain, H. L. Mencken, Albert Einstein, Richard Dawkins, and Salman Rushdie.
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Belief: Readings on the Reason for Faith

"Keynote From the New York Times bestselling author of The Language of God comes the definitive reader on the rationality of faith Description "Is there a God?" is the most central and profound question that humans ask. Throughout history, this subject has been discussed, defended, refuted, and debated. With the New Atheists gaining a loud voice in today's world, it is time to revisit the longstanding intellectual tradition on the side of faith. Francis Collins, New York Times bestselling author of The Language of God and renowned physician and geneticist, defends the reason for faith in this provocative collection. Collins is our guide as he takes us through the writings of many of the world's greatest thinkers,- philosophers, preachers, poets, scientists - both past and present, including such luminaries as C. S. Lewis and Augustine, and unexpected voices such as A.N. Wilson and Annie Dillard. Despite the doubts of a cynical world, this essential companion proves once and for all the rationality of faith. Including C. S. Lewis * Madeleine L'Engle * Martin Luther King * Annie Dillard * Elie Wiesel Desmond Tutu * Mother Teresa * Blaise Pascal * Mahatma Gandhi * And many more".
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This Will Change Everything: Ideas That Will Shape the Future

Collects the perspectives of more than 150 leading intellectuals on scientific ideas and developments that are expected to change the world in the near future, from Ian McEwan's thoughts on the flourishing of solar power to Chris Anderson's views on how the Internet will revolutionize education.
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The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own

A companion to the popular The Little Black Book of Style identifies the essential articles of a classic and stylish wardrobe that includes clothing, cosmetics, and accessories, in a guide that features lighthearted sidebars and fashion-industry trivia.
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Muse and Reverie

The latest anthology of tales set in the "Newford" universe finds the culture of an everyday North American city transformed by magical elements nested in between its people and places. By the World Fantasy Award-winning author of Memory and Dream.
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Quilts, 1700-2010: Hidden Histories, Untold Stories

Showcases the Victoria & Albert Museum's patchwork and quilt collection, providing major essays by textile historians; case studies focusing on particular pieces; primary sources such as inventories, dairies, letters and more that offer opportunities to reinterpret the personal narratives behind the quilts; and 118 full-color photos.
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Officer, Nurse, Woman: The Army Nurse Corps in the Vietnam War

Vuic says the story she tells is not just about the nurses themselves, or the Army or the Corps, but also about changing gender roles as reflected in how the Army used nurses and how the nurses framed their experience, and all against the background of the US and American military at a crucial turning point in the midst of social and cultural turmoil. Her topics include meeting nursing demands for the Vietnam War, nursing education and practice, pregnant and married nurses, gender and sexuality in the war zone, and postwar depictions of Vietnam War nurses.
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Birdology: Adventures With a Pack of Hens, a Peck of Pigeons, Cantankerous Crows, Fierce Falcons, Hip Hop Parrots, Baby Hummingbirds, and One Murderously Big Liv

Combines popular science with personal anecdotes as the author describes her encounters with a range of avian personalities from various parts of the world.
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Housing Options for Senior Adults in the Capital Region

Covering the four counties of Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, and Saratoga.

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Curtains: Adventures of an Undertaker-in-Training

In the tradition of "Stiff" and "The Undertaking": Tom Jokinen's year as an apprentice undertaker offers an enlightening, lively, and surprisingly funny trip through the business of death.
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