Search Results: Authors starting with A from Book Nook

The modern human animal spends upwards of 11 hours out of every 24 in a state of constant consumption. Not eating but gorging on information ceaselessly spewed from the screens and speakers we hold dear. Just as we have grown morbidly obese on sugar, fat, and flour—so, too, have we become gluttons for texts, instant messages, emails, RSS feeds, downloads, videos, status updates, and tweets.
We're all battling a storm of distractions, buffeted with notifications and tempted by tasty tidbits of information. And just as too much junk food can lead to obesity, too much junk information can lead to cluelessness. The Information Diet shows you how to thrive in this information glut—what to look for, what to avoid, and how to be selective. In the process, author Clay Johnson explains the role information has played throughout history and why following his prescribed diet is essential for everyone who strives to be smart, productive, and sane.
In The Information Diet, you will:

Discover why eminent… Read More

The biggest science fiction series of the decade comes to an incredible conclusion in the ninth and final novel in James S.A. Corey's Hugo-award winning space opera that inspired the Prime Original series. "An all-time genre classic." –Publishers Weekly (starred review)Hugo Award Winner for Best SeriesThe Laconian Empire has fallen, setting the thirteen hundred solar systems free from the rule of Winston Duarte. But the ancient enemy that killed the gate builders is awake, and the war against our universe has begun again.In the dead system of Adro, Elvi Okoye leads a desperate scientific mission to understand what the gate builders were and what destroyed them, even if it means compromising herself and the half-alien children who bear the weight of her investigation. Through the wide-flung systems of humanity, Colonel Aliana Tanaka hunts for Duarte's missing daughter. . . and the shattered emperor himself. And on the Rocinante, James Holden and his crew struggle to build a future for humanity out of… Read More

Please see photos for condition. The fifth book in the NYT bestselling Expanse series, Nemesis Games drives the crew of the Rocinante apart, and as they struggle to survive, the inner planets fall victim to an enemy's catastrophic plan. Now a Prime Original series. HUGO AWARD WINNER FOR BEST SERIESA thousand worlds have opened, and the greatest land rush in human history has begun. As wave after wave of colonists leave, the power structures of the old solar system begin to buckle.Ships are disappearing without a trace. Private armies are being secretly formed. The sole remaining protomolecule sample is stolen. Terrorist attacks previously considered impossible bring the inner planets to their knees. The sins of the past are returning to exact a terrible price.And as a new human order is struggling to be born in blood and fire, James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante must struggle to survive and get back to the only home they have left.Nemesis Games is a breakneck science fiction adventure following… Read More

First edition, first printing hardcover.
Please see photos for condition. Seller will carefully wrap book in bubble wrap, box it, and ship it with tracking.April 14, 1865. A famous actor pulls a trigger in the presidential balcony, leaps to the stage and escapes, as the president lies fatally wounded. In the panic that follows, forty-six terrified people scatter in and around Ford's Theater as soldiers take up stations by the doors and the audience surges into the streets chanting, "Burn the place down!"This is the untold story of Lincoln's assassination: the forty-six stage hands, actors, and theater workers on hand for the bewildering events in the theater that night, and what each of them witnessed in the chaos-streaked hours before John Wilkes Booth was discovered to be the culprit. In Backstage at the Lincoln Assassination, historian Thomas A. Bogar delves into previously unpublished sources to tell the story of Lincoln's assassination from behind the curtain, and the tale is shocking. Police… Read More

Frayn's unpredictable except as regards quality. Readers of his hypnotic book will be in no doubt from the 6th word on that they're in the hands of a master-sorcerer: "Once upon a time there will be a little girl called Uncumber." His heroine lives in a distant future when humans are divided. "Some people are on the inside, some are on the outside. That's just the way the world is, Cumby," explains her father, Aelfric. Of course the insiders who are privileged, their needs catered to by somatic drugs, 3D holovision, piped sustenance--everything, even increasingly prolonged lifespans. Outsiders grub along as best they can, except when needed to help sustain inhabitants of the windowless houses. This isn't enough for Uncumber. She's haunted by a restlessly inquisitive spirit, driven by Angst that refuses to be satisfied by such devices as a love introduced & supplied by holovision. Dialing a wrong number, she espies a crude fellow speaking an unknown tongue. Smitten by love, she sets out to find him.… Read More

Hardcover in fine condition, which is a first edition and signed by both authors. Seller will bubble wrap book prior to shipping it to the purchaser. A fascinating study of America's first national burial ground, with photos: "It's stunning to realize what a who's who exists in that space." —Howard Gillette, Professor Emeritus, Rutgers University at CamdenThis study explores the multiple ways in which Congressional Cemetery has been positioned for some two hundred years in "the shadow" of the U.S. Capitol. The narrative proceeds chronologically, discussing the burial ground during three periods: the antebellum years; the years from the end of the Civil War to approximately 1970, when the site progressively deteriorated; and the period from the early 1970s to 2007, when both public and private organizations worked to preserve the physical site and the memory of what it has been and continues to represent.This monograph focuses on the dominant narrative associated with the site: its legacy as the… Read More

First edition, first printing hardcover, which is in fine condition and signed and inscribed by the author. Please see photos for condition. Pamphlet from National Archives event at which author signed book included. Seller will carefully wrap book in bubble wrap, box it, and ship it with tracking.
How the three inaugural First Ladies defined the role for future generations, and carved a space for women in AmericaAmerica's first First Ladies―Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, and Dolley Madison―had the challenging task of playing a pivotal role in defining the nature of the American presidency to a fledgling nation and to the world. In First Ladies of the Republic, Jeanne Abrams breaks new ground by examining their lives as a group. From their visions for the future of the burgeoning new nation and its political structure, to ideas about family life and matrimony, these three women had a profound influence on one another's views as they created the new role of presidential spouse.Martha, Abigail… Read More

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • A gripping, complexly plotted thriller set within the halls of the U.S. Supreme Court, where a young law clerk finds herself embroiled in a shocking mystery crafted by one of the most preeminent judges in America—from celebrated national leader and bestselling author Stacey Abrams."Abrams follows in Dan Brown's footprint with this masterfully plotted thriller that unfolds like the ultimate chess match—bold move to bolder move with lives hanging in the balance."—Lisa Gardner, author of Before She Disappeared"A first-class legal thriller, favorably compared to many of the best, starting with The Pelican Brief, which it brings to mind. It's fast-paced and full of surprises—a terrific read."—Scott Turow, author of Presumed InnocentAvery Keene, a brilliant young law clerk for the legendary Justice Howard Wynn, is doing her best to hold her life together—excelling in an arduous job with the court while also dealing with a troubled family. When the shocking news… Read More

First edition, first printing hardcover, which is in fine condition and signed and inscribed by the author. Please see photos for condition. There is a black remainder mark along the bottom. Seller will carefully wrap book in bubble wrap, box it, and ship it with tracking.It was a technological crisis in an alien realm: a blown-out oil well in mile-deep water in the Gulf of Mexico. For the engineers who had to kill the well, this was like Apollo 13, a crisis no one saw coming, and one of untold danger and challenge.A suspense story, a mystery, a technological thriller: This is Joel Achenbach's groundbreaking account of the Deepwater Horizon disaster and what came after. The tragic explosion on the huge drilling rig in April 2010 killed eleven men and triggered an environmental disaster. As a gusher of crude surged into the Gulf's waters, BP engineers and government scientists—awkwardly teamed in Houston—raced to devise ways to plug the Macondo well.Achenbach, a veteran reporter for The Washington… Read More

First edition, first printing hardcover, which is in very good condition and signed and inscribed by the author. Please see photos for condition. Seller will carefully wrap book in bubble wrap, box it, and ship it with tracking.
Chronicles retired general George Washington's adventurous 680-mile trek down the Potomac River, a journey during which he endeavored to prevent disunion, collected key frontier and real-estate data, tangled with squatters and the natural elements, and inspired engineering achievements.

First edition, first printing hardcover, which is in very good condition. Please see photos for condition. Seller will carefully wrap book in bubble wrap, box it, and ship it with tracking.Peter Ackroyd at his most magical and magisterial—a glittering, evocative, fascinating, story-filled portrait of Venice, the ultimate city.The Venetians' language and way of thinking set them aside from the rest of Italy. They are an island people, linked to the sea and to the tides rather than the land. This lat­est work from the incomparable Peter Ackroyd, like a magic gondola, transports its readers to that sensual and surprising city.His account embraces facts and romance, conjuring up the atmosphere of the canals, bridges, and sunlit squares, the churches and the markets, the festivals and the flowers. He leads us through the history of the city, from the first refugees arriving in the mists of the lagoon in the fourth century to the rise of a great mercantile state and its trading empire, the wars against… Read More

Control is a book about eugenics, what geneticist Adam Rutherford calls "a defining idea of the twentieth century." Inspired by Darwin's ideas about evolution, eugenics arose in Victorian England as a theory for improving the British population, and quickly spread to America, where it was embraced by presidents, funded by Gilded Age monopolists, and enshrined into racist American laws that became the ideological cornerstone of the Third Reich. Despite this horrific legacy, eugenics looms large today as the advances in genetics in the last thirty years―from the sequencing of the human genome to modern gene editing techniques―have brought the idea of population purification back into the mainstream.
Eugenics has "a short history, but a long past," Rutherford writes. The first half of Control is the history of an idea, from its roots in key philosophical texts of the classical world all the way into their genocidal enactment in the twentieth century. The second part of the book explores how eugenics… Read More

First edition hardcover, which is signed and inscribed by the author. Book and dust jacket shows slight signs of shelf wear, and there is a remainder mark on the bottom of the book (see photos). Binding is clean and tight other than that.The definitive biography of the internationally adored author of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and A Perfect Spy—arguably one of the most important and influential writers of the post-World War II period—by the National Book Critics Circle Award-winning biographer Adam Sisman.
In this definitive biography—blessed by John le Carré himself—Adam Sisman reveals the man behind the bestselling persona. In John le Carré, Sisman shines a spotlight on David Cornwell, an expert at hiding in plain sight—"born to lying," he wrote in 2002, "bred to it, trained to it by an industry that lies for a living, practiced in it as a novelist."
Of course, the pseudonym "John le Carré" has helped to keep the public at a distance. Sisman probes… Read More

First edition paperback, which is in very good condition. Please see photos for condition. Seller will carefully wrap book in bubble wrap, box it, and ship it with tracking.
The Sunday Times bestselling account of Napoleon's invasion of Russia and eventual retreat from Moscow, events that had a profound effect on the subsequent course of Russian and European history. Moscow has both fascinated military historians and captured the imagination of millions on an emotional and human level. 1812 tells the story of how the most powerful man on earth met his doom, and how the greatest fighting force ever assembled was wiped out. Over 400,000 French and Allied troops died on the disastrous Russian campaign, with the vast majority of the casualties occuring during the frigid winter retreat. Adam Zamoyski tells their story with incredible detail and sympathy, drawing on a wealth of first-hand accounts of the tragedy to create a vivid portrait of an unimaginable catastrophe. power. His intention was to destroy… Read More

One of the most tense, gripping thrillers you will ever read. From UK and US bestselling author Taylor Adams.

A KIDNAPPED LITTLE GIRL LOCKED IN A STRANGER'S VAN. NO HELP FOR MILES. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Darby Thorne is a college student stranded by a blizzard at a highway rest stop in the middle of nowhere. She's on the way home to see her sick mother. She'll have to spend the night in the rest stop with four complete strangers. Then she stumbles across a little girl locked inside one of their parked cars.

There is no cell phone reception, no telephone, no way out because of the snow, and she doesn't know which one of the other travelers is the kidnapper.

Who is the little girl? Why has she been taken? And how can Darby save her?

Full of shocking twists and turns, this beautifully written novel will have you on the edge of your sea

First edition hardcover, which is signed and inscribed by the author (not personalized) and in fine condition. Exterior of book has a crease in one corner and dust jacket has three small creases on the front (see photos). Seller will carefully wrap book in bubble wrap, box it, and ship it via USPS Priority with tracking.Entertaining and informative, Quimper Pottery: A Guide to Origins, Styles, and Values provides a comprehensive look at this centuries-old French folk art and its history. More than simply a guide, this book is a sharing of knowledge that actually teaches how to assess the age, authenticity, and value of Quimper pottery. Painstakingly researched, this new work boldly corrects several long-standing misconceptions about Quimper pottery and is destined to become the definitive book on the subject. Beginning with a thorough briefing of the background and traditions that make each piece so unique, this outstanding book features over 500 color photographs showing the development of Quimper… Read More

First edition hardcover, which is in as new condition and signed and inscribed by the author. Please see photos for condition. Seller will carefully wrap book in bubble wrap, box it, and ship it with tracking.
When William Henry Hunt married Ida Alexander Gibbs in the spring of 1904, their wedding was a dazzling Washington social event that joined an Oberlin-educated diplomat's daughter and a Wall Street veteran who could trace his lineage to Jamestown. Their union took place in a world of refinement and privilege, but both William and Ida had mixed-race backgrounds, and their country therefore placed severe restrictions on their lives because at that time, "one drop of colored blood" classified anyone as a Negro. This "stain" of melanin pushed the couple's achievements to the margins of American society. Nonetheless, as William followed a career in the foreign service, Ida (whose grandfather was probably Richard Malcolm Johnson, a vice president of the United States) moved in intellectual and… Read More

"Brimming with adventure, tenacity, and magic."―Kirkus Reviews, starred review
This exhilarating and playful middle grade novel rockets through space on an epic quest to protect the galaxy.
Zero Adedji dreams of joining one of the Saba guilds―groups of intergalactic travelers who explore space, retrieve lost treasures, and hunt down criminals. Instead, he must scrape by as a guide to travelers stranded on his home planet of Anansi 12. Then he meets Wanderblatch, a strange creature with an even stranger object: a golden pyramid that houses a legendary Kobasticker called the Jupiter. When the Jupiter chooses Zero as its next host, he is recruited by a top Saba guild so he can harness his newfound powers.
But the stakes are rising, and Zero and his friends Camih and Ladi are tasked with recovering an artifact known as the Mask of the Shaman King, which can grant wishes at a terrible price. And they're not the only ones on the hunt―Space Mafia head Rozan Leombre is desperate to use the Mask to break… Read More

First edition hardcover, which is signed and inscribed by two of the authors and in fine condition. One of the back corners of the books is bumped on the back top corner, and top edge of the dust jacket shows very light shelf wear (see photos). Seller will carefully wrap book in bubble wrap, box it, and ship it via USPS Priority with tracking.A landmark exploration of the engaging network of relationships among genre painters of the Dutch Golden Age The genre painting of the Dutch Golden Age between 1650 and 1675 ranks among the highest pinnacles of Western European art. The virtuosity of these works, as this book demonstrates, was achieved in part thanks to a vibrant artistic rivalry among numerous first-rate genre painters working in different cities across the Dutch Republic. They drew inspiration from each other's painting, and then tried to surpass each other in technical prowess and aesthetic appeal. The Delft master Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675) is now the most renowned of these painters of… Read More

First edition, first printing hardcover, which is in fine condition and signed and inscribed by the author. There top and bottom edges of the book have very slight signs of shelf wear, but binding is tight and pages are clean and crisp (see photos).Seller will carefully wrap book in bubble wrap, box it, and ship it with tracking.A proud and boisterous Negro League team owner, Alex Pompez rose to prominence during Latino baseball's earliest glory days. As a passionate and steadfast advocate for Latino players, he helped bring baseball into the modern age. But like many in the era of segregated baseball, Pompez also found that the game alone could never make all ends meet, and he delved headlong into the seedier side of the sport—gambling—to help finance his beloved team, the New York Cubans. He built one of the most infamous numbers rackets in Harlem, rubbing shoulders with titans of the underworld such as Dutch Schultz and eventually arousing the ire of the famed prosecutor Thomas Dewey. He also… Read More