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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