Rediscover your sense of wonder! Generations of comic book readers remember the tantalizing promises of vintage novelty advertisements that offered authentic laser-gun plans, x-ray specs, and even 7-foot-tall monsters (with glow-in-the-dark eyes!). But what would you really get if you entrusted your hard-earned $1.69 to the post office? Mail-Order Mysteries answers this question, revealing the amazing truths (and agonizing exaggerations) about the actual products marketed to kids in the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. Pop-culture historian Kirk Demarais shares his astonishing collection, including: 100 Toy Soldiers in a Footlocker Count Dante’s World’s Deadliest Fighting Secrets GRIT Hercules Wrist Band Hypno-Coin Life-Size Monsters Mystic Smoke Sea Monkeys Soil From Dracula’s Castle U-Control Ghost Ventrilo Voice Thrower ...and many, many more! With more than 150 extraordinary, peculiar, and downright fraudulent collectibles, Mail-Order Mysteries is a must-have book comic book fans everywhere. Trust us.
NATIONAL BESTSELLER “Offers an entertaining look at Kerkorian’s outsize life… an interesting portrait of a billionaire.” – Wall Street Journal The rags-to-riches story of one of America’s wealthiest and least-known financial giants, self-made billionaire Kirk Kerkorian—the daring aviator, movie mogul, risk-taker, and business tycoon who transformed Las Vegas and Hollywood to become one of the leading financiers in American business. Kerkorian combined the courage of a World War II pilot, the fortitude of a scrappy boxer, the cunning of an inscrutable poker player and an unmatched genius for making deals. He never put his name on a building, but when he died he owned almost every major hotel and casino in Las Vegas. He envisioned and fostered a new industry —the leisure business. Three times he built the biggest resort hotel in the world. Three times he bought and sold the fabled MGM Studios, forever changing the way Hollywood does business. His early life began as far as possible from a place on the Forbes List of Billionaires when he and his Armenian immigrant family lost their farm to foreclosure. He was four. They arrived in Los Angeles penniless and moved often, staying one step ahead of more evictions. Young Kirk learned English on the streets of L.A., made pennies hawking newspapers and dropped out after eighth grade. How he went on to become one of the richest and most generous men in America—his net worth as much as $20 billion—is a story largely unknown to the world. That’s because what Kerkorian valued most was his privacy. His very private life turned to tabloid fodder late in life when a former professional tennis player falsely claimed that the eighty-five-year-old billionaire fathered her child. In this engrossing biography, investigative reporter William C. Rempel digs deep into Kerkorian’s long-guarded history to introduce a man of contradictions—a poorly educated genius for deal-making, an extraordinarily shy man who made the boldest of business ventures, a careful and calculating investor who was willing to bet everything on a single roll of the dice. Unlike others of his status and importance, Kerkorian made few public appearances and strenuously avoided personal publicity. His friends and associates, however, were some of the biggest names in business, entertainment, and sports—among them Howard Hughes, Ted Turner, Steve Wynn, Michael Milken, Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley, Mike Tyson, and Andre Agassi. When he died in 2015 two years shy of the century mark, Kerkorian had outlived many of his closest friends and associates. Now, Rempel meticulously pieces together revealing fragments of Kerkorian’s life, collected from diverse sources—war records, business archives, court documents, news clippings and the recollections and recorded memories of longtime pals and relatives. In The Gambler, Rempel illuminates this unknown, self-made man and his inspiring legacy as never before.
Rahssan Roland Kirk was one of the most unique and colorful creators in music. Such imagination. Such a creative individual. He was awesome, at the top of my list. Quincy Jones
An indispensible guide to coastal foraging and fishing in the intertidal regions of our Northern California coast where fish, small and large, plus abalone and many other tasty items can be found
“This game means a lot to me, and by the grace of God, I’ll never lose sight of the privilege it is to play it.” —Kirk Cousins Kirk’s book is a reflection of who he is—not just a football player, but someone who is committed to making those around him better in every walk of life. —Mike Shanahan, head coach, Washington Redskins In 2011, the NFF selected 16 college football players as "National Scholar Athletes", one of the highest honors a college football player can receive … Kirk was one of these distinguished 16, which says everything you need to know about him. —Archie Manning, chairman, National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Kirk Cousins is a lot more than an outstanding quarterback. He walks the talk. Few people I've met can inspire like he does. —Jon Gruden, ESPN announcer and former head coach, Tampa Bay Buccaneers In a world with far too many bad examples, Kirk is a bright light of hope, inspiration, and leadership for a new generation. —Bill Huizenga, United States Congressman, Michigan What’s it really like for a person of strong character to live in the spotlight of pressure and fame? Sit down with Kirk Cousins, record-setting Michigan State quarterback and 2012 draft pick of the NFL’s Washington Redskins. In Game Changer, Cousins gives readers an inside look at his life—as experienced under the bright lights ofcollege and professional football—and how he put his faith and values into action, both on and off the field. Featuring: Personal stories and struggles of a competitive Christian athlete Truthful discussion of media hype and modern sports culture Reflections on honesty, humility, hard work, privilege, and responsibility Life principles for winning choices on and off the field
Traces the history of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., discussing its plan and structures, and considering how the concept of memorials and memorial space has changed since the nineteenth century.
"I'm not running. I'm not hiding. I'm just going. There's a difference." That's how Nigel Logan would explain it. A Navy Chief Petty Officer, he is compelled to retire from the only life he's ever known to escape a past and a violent crime, he knows will one day catch up to him. He slipped out of Norfolk, Virginia in the dead and silence of night. He and MisChief, his 32 foot Pearson Vanguard sailboat, set sail for destinations unknown and is ultimately drawn to Port St. Joe on Florida's beautiful Forgotten Coast. There, he stumbles into the lap of some of the craziest and lovable people which help him to forget his past as he tries to start a new life. And while a new home and friends help distract him from his darker side, Nigel Logan will never get to completely erase it from his mind. These are the stories and episodes of his life.
