For those who have ever wondered what it's like to stand on top of Mount Everest, this attention-grabbing book is the closest way to visit the world's highest places without getting vertigo. But readers will be surprised to learn that the label "highest place on Earth" is a controversial one. They'll find out about the contenders for the prize, including Mount Everest, Hawaii's Mauna Kea, and Ecuador's Mount Chimborazo. They'll also travel to some jaw-dropping tall buildings around the world. Beautiful, vivid photographs give readers a true sense of what it would be like to visit these unique sites.
Traces the history of mapmaking while offering insight into the role of cartography in human civilization and sharing anecdotes about the cultural arenas frequented by map enthusiasts.
An unforgettable cast of characters is unleashed into a realm known for its cruelty—the American high school—in this captivating debut novel. The wealthy enclaves north of San Francisco are not the paradise they appear to be, and nobody knows this better than the students of a local high school. Despite being raised with all the opportunities money can buy, these vulnerable kids are navigating a treacherous adolescence in which every action, every rumor, every feeling, is potentially postable, shareable, viral. Lindsey Lee Johnson’s kaleidoscopic narrative exposes at every turn the real human beings beneath the high school stereotypes. Abigail Cress is ticking off the boxes toward the Ivy League when she makes the first impulsive decision of her life: entering into an inappropriate relationship with a teacher. Dave Chu, who knows himself at heart to be a typical B student, takes desperate measures to live up to his parents’ crushing expectations. Emma Fleed, a gifted dancer, balances rigorous rehearsals with wild weekends. Damon Flintov returns from a stint at rehab looking to prove that he’s not an irredeemable screwup. And Calista Broderick, once part of the popular crowd, chooses, for reasons of her own, to become a hippie outcast. Into this complicated web, an idealistic young English teacher arrives from a poorer, scruffier part of California. Molly Nicoll strives to connect with her students—without understanding the middle school tragedy that played out online and has continued to reverberate in different ways for all of them. Written with the rare talent capable of turning teenage drama into urgent, adult fiction, The Most Dangerous Place on Earth makes vivid a modern adolescence lived in the gleam of the virtual, but rich with sorrow, passion, and humanity. Praise for The Most Dangerous Place on Earth “Alarming, compelling . . . Here’s high school life in all its madness.”—The New York Times “Unputdownable.”—Elle “Impossibly funny and achingly sad . . . [Lindsey Lee] Johnson cracks open adolescent angst with adult sensibility and sensitivity.”—San Francisco Chronicle “[A] piercing debut . . . Johnson proves herself a master of the coming-of-age story.”—The Boston Globe “Entrancing . . . Johnson’s novel possesses a propulsive quality. . . . Hard to put down.”—Chicago Tribune “Readers may find themselves so swept up in this enthralling novel that they finish it in a single sitting.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
In this Very Short Introduction, Martin Price addresses the role of mountains in global ecosystems and within human culture. Considering the global effects of melting glaciers, and the conservation of mountain regions and peoples, he discusses the future of mountainous regions and the implications for all of us.
This stunning book all about mountains takes children on a grand tour of the highest places on Earth. From the salt flats of the Andes to the snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji, discover 14 of the world’s most spectacular mountains and mountain ranges, and the animals and plants that live in them. The chapters cover four different types of mountains: plateaus, volcanoes, mountain ranges, and tepuis, with a selection of both famous and less-well known places within each. Every mountain or range is explored in detail, with intriguing information about its geography and flora and fauna, alongside detailed photography and beautiful illustrations. Marvel at the Great Aletsch Glacier flowing down the Alps, mountain goats scrambling across cliff faces in the Rockies, and the tiny saltwort flowers that bloom 20,000 feet up in the Himalayas. As well as the wonders of these remote areas, the threats facing mountains and their species are also investigated. Habitat: Mountains will be treasured for years to come. With foil on the cover and colorful sprayed edges, this book makes the perfect gift for any child with a passion for the natural world.
High Towers and Strong Places: A Political History of Middle-earth surveys Tolkien's world from Beleriand to Barad-dûr and Utumno to Umbar, and from the First to the early Fourth Age. It examines not just types of political systems, but cultural differences, international relations and why there were so many wars over 7000 years of Middle-earth's history. (How those conflicts were waged will be covered in the successor volume, Bright Swords and Glorious Warriors: A Military History of Middle-earth.) If you've ever wondered how Sauron controlled his Orcs, what Gondor owed Númenor, the way the Shire was governed or why Dwarves and Elves didn't get along-this is the book for you.
Looks at "rust belt" communities in Europe and the United States, once stagnant and economically depressed, that are now beginning to emerge as zones of economic strength and technological innovation by producing advanced smart-products.
