Describes the daily life and customs of the Vikings and examines their many roles as farmers, traders, explorers. raiders, colonizers, and mercenaries.

Tim Flannery, scientist and author of the bestselling The Weather Makers What enabled us to go from simple stone tools to smartphones? How did bands of hunter-gatherers evolve into multinational empires? Readers of Sapiens will say a cognitive revolution -- a dramatic evolutionary change that altered our brains, turning primitive humans into modern ones -- caused a cultural explosion. In Transcendence , Gaia Vince argues instead that modern humans...

Cutting through the myths about the white trade, this is the story of cocaine as it's never been told before. Cocaine is big business and getting bigger. Governments spend millions on a losing war against it, yet it's still the drug of choice in the West. In Cocaine Nation, Tom Feiling travels the trade routes from Colombia via Miami, Kingston, and Tijuana to London and New York. Cutting through the myths about the white trade, this is the story...

A study of the downfall of some of history's greatest civilizations discusses the Anasazi, the Maya, and the Viking colony on Greenland, tracing patterns of environmental damage, poor political choices, and other factors in their demise.

Reveals how successful nations recover from crises while adopting selective changes - a coping mechanism more commonly associated with individuals recovering from personal crises. Diamond compares how six countries have survived recent upheavals - ranging from the forced opening of Japan by U.S. Commodore Perry's fleet, to the Soviet Union's attack on Finland, to a murderous coup or countercoup in Chile and Indonesia, to the transformations of Germany...

The ethic of a people determines how they act in life situations, requiring right and wrong behavior. It can be seen in their daily activities, by the words they say-whether spoken or written, and by the things they do, both publicly and privately. The English are no exception to this means of understanding why a people act the way they do, whether at home or abroad, in their own company or in the company of strangers. A now-retired Bishop of London...

Durante buena parte de los siglos XIX y XX, Caño de Loro (Bolívar), Contratación (Santander) y Agua de Dios (Cundinamarca) constituyeron lazaretos nacionales para la separación y el aislamiento de las personas afectadas por la lepra en Colombia. Sin embargo, estas instituciones fracasaron en su propósito profiláctico, ya que la segregación nunca fue absoluta, pues los enfermos llegaron a convivir en "completa promiscuidad" con sus familiares...

Based on in-depth oral interviews with local residents, and rich archival sources, We Lived A Life and Then Some relates the common person's struggle to overcome harsh working conditions and government neglect. The unique culture of the hard-rock mining town of Cobalt is exposed through the eyes of retired miners, young welfare mothers, and grade-school children. Angus and Griffin reveal why, in spite of great adversity, Cobalt remains a distinctive...

LAST CHANCE FOR JUSTICE Inside the History of the United States Supreme Court Presented in a popular and accessible style, this story of the powerful United States Supreme Court highlights the Court's political and social impact on American life. It emphasizes the Court's historical role in the areas of civil rights, minority relations, freedom of speech and religion on everyday Americans. The cruel, and sometimes heartless decisions, and occasional...