New Materials

How did the jaguar get his spots? What happened to the four suns that came before our own? Where was Aztlan, mythical homeland of the Aztecs? For decades, the popular image of the Mexica people - better known today as the Aztecs - has been defined by the Spaniards who conquered them. Their salacious stories of pet snakes, human sacrifice and towering skull racks have masked a complex world of religious belief. To reveal the rich mythic tapestry of the Aztecs, Camilla Townsend returns to the original tales, told at the fireside by generations of Indigenous Nahuatl-speakers. Through their voices we learn the contested histories of the Mexica and their neighbours in the Valley of Mexico - the foundations of great cities, the making and breaking of political alliances, the meddling of sometimes bloodthirsty gods - and understand more clearly how they saw their world and their place in it.

A groundbreaking, important recovery of history; the overlooked story--fully explored--of the critical aspect of America's Revolutionary War that was fought in the South, showing that the British surrender at Yorktown was the direct result of the southern campaign, and that the battles that emerged south of the Mason-Dixon line between loyalists to the Crown and patriots who fought for independence were, in fact, America's first civil war. The famous battles that form the backbone of the story put forth of American independence--at Lexington and Concord, Brandywine, Germantown, Saratoga, and Monmouth-- while crucial, did not lead to the surrender at Yorktown. It was in the three-plus years between Monmouth and Yorktown that the war was won. "This Fierce People" tells the story of these missing three years, long ignored by historians, and of the fierce battles fought in the south that made up the central theater of military operations in the latter years of the Revolutionary War, upending the essential American myth that the War of Independence was fought primarily in the North.

By the time their obituary was being written in the late 1980s, Yuppies--the elite, uber educated faction of the Baby Boom generation--had become a cultural punchline. But amidst the Yuppies' preoccupation with money, work, and the latest status symbols, something serious was happening, too, something that continues to have profound ramifications on American culture four decades later. Brimming with lively and nostalgic details (think Jane Fonda, The Sharper Image, and over-the-top fashion), Triumph of the Yuppies charts Boomers' transformation from hippy idealists in the late 1960s to careerists in the early 1980s, and details how marketers, the media, and politicians pivoted to appeal to this influential new group. Most significantly, the me first mindset typical of Yuppieness helped create the largest income inequality in a century. This is the origin story of the fractured country we live in today.

D-Day is one of history's greatest and most unbelievable military and human triumphs. Though the full campaign lasted just over a month, the surprise landing of over 150,000 Allied troops on the morning of June 6, 1944, is understood to be the moment that turned the tide for the Allied forces and ultimately led to the defeat of the Axis powers in World War II. Now, a new book from bestselling author and historian Garrett M. Graff explores the full impact of this world-changing event--from the secret creation of landing plans by top government and military officials and organization of troops, to the moment the boat doors opened to reveal the beach where men fought for their lives and the future of the free world.

We think we know what an autocratic state looks like: There is an all-powerful leader at the top. He controls the police. The police threaten the people with violence. There are evil collaborators, and maybe some brave dissidents. But in the 21st century, that bears little resemblance to reality. Nowadays, autocracies are underpinned not by one dictator, but by sophisticated networks composed of kleptocratic financial structures, surveillance technologies, and professional propagandists, all of which operate across multiple regimes, from China to Russia to Iran. Corrupt companies in one country do business with corrupt companies in another. The police in one country can arm and train the police in another, and propagandists share resources and themes, pounding home the same messages about the weakness of democracy and the evil of America.

Of all the mental illnesses, schizophrenia eludes us the most. No matter the strides scientists have made in neurological research nor doctors have made in psychiatric treatment, schizophrenia remains misunderstood, almost complacently mythologized. Without a reason for the illness, patients feel even more alienated than they already do, families are left hopeless, and doctors struggle to provide accurate care. Steven Lesk, though, after a medical career dedicated to those affected by schizophrenia and a determination to find the answer to its existence, presents a groundbreaking theory that will forever change the lives of the mentally ill.

If you love someone who has suicidal thoughts, you may struggle with profound fear of saying or doing the wrong thing. You desperately want to help, but you're unsure of where to start. This book can guide you as you support your loved one--without sacrificing your own needs and well-being. You'll find the answers to some of your most urgent questions, including: What are signs and clues of suicide risk? How do I talk with my loved one about their suicidal thoughts? When should I call the police? What do I say and do after a suicide attempt? What treatments for suicidality are available? How can I help the person I care about stay safe? Written by a psychotherapist with decades of clinical experience in suicidology, this compassionate guide offers essential communication techniques you can use to help your loved one, as well as strategies for navigating your own stress, worry, fear, and anxiety.

Empower yourself. There is a wealth of information available about HIV and AIDS, but it is difficult to determine what is factual and reliable. Whether you are a newly diagnosed patient or a friend or relative of someone living with HIV or AIDS, this book can help. Offering both doctor and patient perspectives, 100 Questions & Answers About HIV and AIDS, Sixth Edition provides authoritative and practical answers to the most commonly asked questions by patients and their loved ones. What is the difference between HIV and AIDS? How can HIV infection be prevented? How do I find the right medical care? Along with the answers to these and other questions, this book provides information on diagnosis, treatment, living with HIV and more.

Country music emerged from the American South, where people sang to themselves and to their families at home and in church, and where they danced to fiddle tunes on Saturday nights. With the birth of radio in the 1920s the songs moved from small towns, mountain hollers, and the wide-open West to become the music of an entire nation-- a diverse range of sounds and styles from honky tonk to gospel to bluegrass to rockabilly, leading up through the decades to the music's massive commercial success today. But above all, it is the story of the musicians: Hank Williams's tragic honky tonk life; Dolly Parton rising to fame from a dirt-poor childhood; Loretta Lynn turning her experiences into songs that spoke to women everywhere, and many more.

Making the Supreme Court: The Politics of Appointments 1930--2020 tells the story of 90 years of Supreme Court appointments. It examines what happened, why it happened, the consequences for the Supreme Court, the future of appointments, and the prospects for reform. Based on massive data combined with rich qualitative evidence, Making the Supreme Court employs new theories, cutting-edge technique, and a novel perspective on political institutions. Finally, it provides a sharp lens on the social and political transformations that created a new American politics. It will appeal not only to students of the Supreme Court but to anyone concerned with the origins and future of American politics.

Author Brenda Dziedzic noticed that there were far fewer butterflies around today than she saw in her childhood. Starting in her own garden she set out to learn why and what she could do to fix this. Raising Butterflies and Moths in the Garden is the outcome of what she learned about these fascinating insects and the native plants they depend on. This outstanding guidebook is for butterfly lovers and gardeners who not only want to create a butterfly-friendly garden, but also want to support butterflies and moths in order to maintain healthy populations.

Get ready to close on your new career as a real estate agent. Real Estate License Exams For Dummies is packed with all the information you need to know to get your license and begin your lucrative and rewarding real estate career. With four practice tests and 525 flashcards online, you'll be well on your way to launching the real estate career of your dreams.

Created and edited by the leading authority on CompTIA A+ certification and training, this four-color guide will help you pass CompTIA A+ exams 220-1101 and 220-1102 and become a certified IT professional with proven expertise in hardware and software. This Seventh Edition offers complete coverage of the latest exam objectives, on-the-job tips, end-of-chapter review questions, and hundreds of photographs and illustrations.

When hip-hop first emerged in the 1970s, it wasn’t expected to become the cultural force it is today. But for a young Black kid growing up in a musical family in Philadelphia, it was everything. He stayed up late to hear the newest songs on the radio. He saved his money to buy vinyl as soon as it landed. He even started to try to make his own songs. That kid was Questlove, and decades later, he is a six-time Grammy Award–winning musician, an Academy Award–winning filmmaker, a New York Times bestselling author, a producer, an entrepreneur, a cofounder of one of hip-hop’s defining acts (the Roots), and the genre’s unofficial in-house historian. In this landmark book, Hip-Hop Is History, Questlove skillfully traces the creative and cultural forces that made and shaped hip-hop, highlighting both the forgotten but influential gems and the undeniable chart-topping hits―and weaves it all together with the stories no one else knows.