Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/16/2012
ISBN-13: 9781250003614
ISBN-10: 125000361X

Covering English prehistory through the glittering Tudor dynasty of the 16th century, Foundation launches a projected six-volume series by premier British historian Peter Ackroyd. Informed by expert knowledge of politics, religion, and culture, Foundation traces the layering of influences that led to -- for example -- the Magna Carta and development of English common law. The lives of the common people are addressed with equal sensitivity as those of royalty, in a dense but delightful pageant that Booklist proclaims "ought not to be missed." For a lighter read on the topic, consider Simon Jenkins' A Short History of England.

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Publisher: Harper
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/09/2012
ISBN-13: 9780061992100
ISBN-10: 0061992100

Marvel Comics began in 1939 (when publisher Marvin Goodman reluctantly expanded his pulp magazine business into the new field of comic books), but the Marvel brand didn't burst onto the scene until 1961. In Marvel Comics, author Sean Howe delves into the tangled, contentious personal relationships among artists, writers, and editors that arose throughout Marvel's publishing history. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby take center stage, as do their creations: readers will especially like Howe's description of how golden-boy Captain America and lovable (if nerdy) Spiderman were transformed from four-color comic book heroes to Hollywood stars. Blake Bell's The Secret History of Marvel Comics offers another dishy take on Marvel's backstory.

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/02/2012
ISBN-13: 9780312622961
ISBN-10: 0312622961

Former BBC editor and noted historian Nigel Jones takes readers on a chatty, accessible, and thoroughly appealing tour of the Tower of London. Founded by William the Conqueror to convey his power and authority, the Tower has endured for 1,000 years as a powerful symbol in the English psyche and the site of continued drama surrounding its rulers. Drawing together archaeology, law, history, cultural studies and more, Jones brings to life centuries during which the Tower has diversely served as a royal fortress, zoo, armory, mint, and -- of course -- the notorious prison where a number of English history's notables (Anne Boleyn, Jane Grey and more) met their deaths.

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Publisher: Basic Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/09/2012
ISBN-13: 9780465021765
ISBN-10: 046502176X

Have you ever thought about the fork? The spoon? The frying pan? Award-winning British food writer Bee Wilson has, and she shares what she's learned in this tasty blend of history, science, and gastronomy. Tracing the life of what are now everyday kitchen items, she cooks up a meal of surprising facts (forks were once ridiculed) and engaging cultural anecdotes while demonstrating how technological innovations, ranging from the mortar and pestle to the microwave (based on military technology), have shaped how and what we eat. Publishers Weekly calls Consider the Fork a "mouthwatering history: broad in scope, rich in detail, stuffed with savory food for thought." For a tasty look at another kitchen commonplace, try Mark Kurlansky's Salt: A World History.

Publisher: Crown Publishers
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/20/2012
ISBN-13: 9780307719218
ISBN-10: 0307719219

What makes nations flourish -- or fail -- economically? Economist Acemoglu of MIT and political scientist James A. Robinson of Harvard provide their answers to this endlessly complex question in a way that makes a dense, difficult topic both engaging and understandable. Their argument centers around whether a country's institutions are "inclusive" or "extractive," with the latter being the province of autocratic rule -- and the sign that a nation will flounder financially. Readers who enjoy, as Kirkus Reviews puts it, "how gracefully the authors wear their erudition" should also check out Acemoglu and Robinson's previous collaboration, Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy.

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Publisher: Penguin Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/29/2011
ISBN-13: 9780143118725
ISBN-10: 0143118722

Aspects of the financial crisis of 2008 have been amply and excellently covered in bestsellers like Andrew Sorkin's Too Big to Fail and Michael Lewis' The Big Short. Roger Lowenstein's account stands alone in breadth of coverage, extending from the very origins of the crisis to the consequences of bank failures and government bailouts. His precise, readable accounting of how leaders in the financial industry were continuously caught unprepared may well leave you wondering why those responsible haven't been prosecuted. Readers interested in the big picture won't want to miss it: clear explanations of complex financial instruments are complemented by "juicy behind-the-scenes detail and thoughtful analysis" (Publishers Weekly).

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Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/30/2003
ISBN-13: 9780743243797
ISBN-10: 074324379X

Did Copernicus's heliocentric model of the universe draw upon (or steal from) the work of 13th-century Persian polymath Nasir al-Din al-Tusi? This is just one of the questions that science writer Dick Teresi investigates in his study of science and mathematics discoveries in ancient, non-Western societies. He unearths some fascinating facts: 5,000 years ago the Sumerians concluded that the Earth was round, and Africa of 5,000 BCE may have been the birthplace of mineralogy. Elsewhere, Pacific Islanders made incredibly detailed star maps for use in navigation by around 2,000 BCE, while cultures in China, India, and Mesoamerica were already moving toward mathematical concepts like zero, negative numbers, and calculations of pi. History of science buffs won't want to miss this one, Mayan apocalypse or not.

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