This sprawling and often brutal novel, set in the rich farmlands of California's Salinas Valley, follows the intertwined destinies of two families--the Trasks' and the Hamilton's--whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. The story of two brothers, Aron is a clean-cut model student, engaged to be married, the pride of his hardworking father. Cal is a rebellious loner, sternly rejected...

The dangerous streets of Nanjing throw together a group of opposites, a flock of shell-shocked schoolchildren, a dozen seductive courtesans, and a renegade American posing as a priest to save his own skin, or so he thinks, all seeking safety behind a walled cathedral. Trapped by marauding soldiers, over the next few days the prejudices and divides between them will fall away as they unite around a last ditch plan to protect the children from impending...

"Based on the spellbinding world of the Walt Disney Studios film, Tomorrowland, this original prequel novel features a 20-page comic book and unlocks a place of unfathomable science and technology and the famous people behind it. The year is 1939. A secret society of extraordinary geniuses is about to share an incredible discovery with the world. A misguided enemy - half man, half machine - will stop at nothing to prevent the group from giving this...

"It's 1914, and twelve-year old Darleen Darling has the most exciting job in the world--she gets to dangle from cliffs and stop moving trains and soar through the sky in runaway balloons! Yes, that's right: Darleen is a hero and a star--in the make-believe world of the movies ... But Darleen's fictional adventures collide with reality when a fake kidnapping intended as a publicity stunt becomes all too real. Now she is in the hands of the dastardly...

In the intersection of history and legend lies the story of William Wallace, who led his nation into battle against the English in the years around 1300. King Edward, popularly known as "Longshanks" has allowed the English barons who hold Scotland for him to claim the 'Prima Nocta.' Wallace and his love Murron marry secretly, but his guerrilla activities bring Murron to the attention of the English. They set a trap for Wallace, and the failure...

Through Professor Hale's vibrant commentary and extensive field footage, you discover monumental ancient cities, classical ruins, temples, shrines, fortresses, stadiums, theaters, churches, and palaces. In each site, you explore the critical history and culture that defined them and the ways in which they influenced our modern world. In their compelling historical and visual detail, the lectures offer both a rich resource for travelers preparing to...

"Between the fall of the Roman Empire and the brief, brilliant cultural phenomenon we call the Renaissance lay the Middle Ages - fully 1,000 years of artistic, philosophical, political, and religious turmoil and treasures. This course offers an interdisciplinary look at medieval society and culture, with an emphasis on literature, the arts, and the tumultuous historical forces at work from A.D. 500 through A.D. 1500. Medieval Europe was the world...

"Do you like history, perhaps investigating where your family came from or learning what challenges your ancestry met and where they called home? This course traces some of the wanderings of our wider family, the biosphere, from its first appearance on Earth around 4 billion years ago through to the present day. This journey has been a fantastic one, whit many interesting twists and turns along the way, many high points and more than a few crises."--page...

Taught by acclaimed linguist, author, and Professor John McWhorter of Columbia University, Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths of Language Usage dispels the cloud of confusion that clings to English, giving you a crystal-clear view of why we use it the way we do and where it fits into the diverse languages of the world. After completing these 24 lectures, you will think about how you use English in a new way, listen to others with discernment and fascination,...

A young man discovers his family's history during the Holocaust.