New Book Release: The School with a Heart

The School with a Heart: Henderson State University at 125 by David Sesser

The story of how a small, south Arkansas college evolved into a thriving, regional university is chronicled in the new book The School with a Heart: Henderson State University at 125. The limited edition highlights the history of Henderson State through photos, memories and stories of key moments along with recollections from alumni and friends. It is the first book published about Henderson’s history in almost 30 years. “The story of how Henderson got to where it is today is a fascinating one,” said Jennifer Boyett, vice president for university advancement.  “This book highlights key events and milestones over the course of the University’s 125-year history. It contains chapters using the alma mater as an outline to tell of the incredible people and events that transformed Arkadelphia Methodist College to Henderson State University. “This proud history – and our vision to look beyond the horizon – has been chronicled in a beautiful 111-page book commemorating our anniversary. We are excited to share these memories and stories with our alumni and friends.”

New Book Release: The Illuminati

The Illuminati: The Secret Society That Hijacked the World by Jim Marrs

Chilling initiations. Big banks and money manipulations. Possible links to the Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Adamses, and Bushes. Reviewing the evidence, documents, and connections, The Illuminati: The Secret Society That Hijacked the World by award-winning journalist and author Jim Marrs shines a light on the history, workings, continuing influence, and pernicious and hidden power of this secret order.

Surveying experts—from those who dismiss the Illuminati as a short-lived group of little consequence to skeptics who dare question the government's accounts and pronouncements—Marrs cuts through the wild speculation and the attempts to silence critical thinkers to tell the true story of this secret cabal. He investigates their origin as “The Ancient and Illuminated Seers of Bavaria,” the depiction on the United States one-dollar bill of an all-seeing eye and pyramid on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States, the Protocols—or procedures—for usurping national governments and gaining world domination, the symbolism found in today's international corporate logos, Knights Templar, assassins, Skull and Bones, whistle blowers, the revolutions in France, Russia, and America, and much, much more. Wealth, power, and intrigue come together in this in-depth exposé on the Illuminati, their history, connections to powerful people, and their place in modern America.

New Release: My Story

My Story: Personal Encounters With the Lubavitcher Rebbe

From a first-time mother to a commander in Israel's Air Force; the struggling dentist to the community rabbi, My Story features forty-one inspirational true stories of the Rebbe from the My Encounter with the Rebbe oral history project, complemented by family photos and documents, as well as a stunning selection of portraits of the Rebbe from the Living Archive picture collection.

Many of these stories are published here for the first time, while others are more complete versions of the popular weekly Here's My Story publication.

With incredible insight and sensitivity, the rebbe's wisdom and compassion serve as an unexpected ray of hope in the fact of challenge and adversity. The outcomes have a transformational impact on the lives of the storytellers, as they are sure to have on yours.

New Book Release: Handy New York City

The Handy New York City Answer Book by Chris Barsanti

New York, the self-proclaimed capital of the world, the largest city in the United States, and is known as a melting pot of immigrants, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Central Park, Wall Street, Broadway, bridges, bodegas, restaurants, museums, and so much more. The “city that never sleeps” is bustling with people, cultural and sporting events, world-class shopping and high fashion, and other tourist attractions that draw in millions visitors from all over the world. The Handy New York City Answer Book explores the fascinating history, people, myths, culture, and trivia, taking an in-depth look at the city so nice, they named it twice. Illustrating the unique character of the city through a combination of facts, stats, and history, and the unusual and quirky, it answers more than 850 intriguing questions about people, events, government, and places of interest, including Who were the first New Yorkers? Why are Manhattan’s streets laid out in a grid? Why is there a windmill on the New York seal? How did New York help elect Abraham Lincoln president? What were “sweatshops”? Who started the gossip column? What is “stop and frisk”? How many trees are there in New York?

New Book Release: Tiferet Yisrael

Tiferet Yisrael by Ramon Widmonte

The famed Maharal of Prague, a 16th-century mystic, is known for the legend of the Golem, but his Torah scholarship has remained a closed book to English speakers for far too long. While several attempts have been made to translate or abridge the Maharal’s Torah, the complexity of his thought has defied standard translation methodologies. This edition of the Tiferet Yisrael (the Splendor of Israel) seeks to present the Maharal’s thought in all its majesty and to enable beginners and scholars alike to grasp the overall structure of the Maharal’s concepts through the addition of innovative summaries and graphical aids. In the work, the Maharal contemplates questions of Jewish life, such as How can there be ritually observant Jews who behave immorally? What is the reason for performing Mitzvot (commandments)? Is there any relevance or meaning to performing Mitzvot if one doesn’t understand God’s reasons for commanding them? What is the path to self-fulfillment? The translation is lucid and faithful, with in-line comments to guide the reader in exploring the Maharal’s depths.

New Book Release: An Obsession With Rings

An Obsession With Rings: How Rowing Became an Olympic Sport for Women in the United States by Joanne Wright Iverson

Joanne Wright wanted to go the Olympics. An amateur athlete, she had taken up the sport of rowing those long skinny boats and found that she was good at it. She also quickly learned that there were no rowing events for women in the Olympics. Why? Because the governing body for rowing in the United States viewed it as a man s sport and they would not sanction U.S. women to compete in international competitions. When the International Olympic Committee considered the addition of women's rowing to the Olympic program the various countries were asked if they would send a women's rowing team. The response from the US governing body for rowing had always been No because the men thought that women not only could not, but should not row. Joanne set about changing their minds. In 1963 she, Ted Nash an Olympic Gold Medalist training in Seattle Washington, and Edwin Lickiss, a dedicated coach of young rowers in Oakland California teamed up to form the National Womens Rowing Association (NWRA) to literally become their own governing body for women s rowing. By 1966 they organized and ran the first regatta to pick national champions even though at the time there were less than nine clubs and colleges available to race. This is Joanne s story of how three people communicating without the help of the Internet started new rowing programs, encouraged colleges to add women s crew programs, provided a venue for those colleges with intramural women's crews to start competing against one another, and proved to existing men's clubs that they should welcome women to their ranks of competitors. The 1976 Olympics in Montreal held the first rowing events for women. The United States team came home with a Bronze and Silver medal. The Second edition is now fully annotated and contains the official National Association of Amateur Oarsmen race results for women prior to the formation of the National Women's Rowing Association.

New Book Release: Handy Communication

The Handy Communication Answer Book by Lauren Sergy

Powerful oratory. Persuasive arguments. Succinct business pitches. Speeches and emails. From cave walls to the printing press, and from Cicero to TED talks, The Handy Communication Answer Book traces the history, explains the concepts, and examines the skills needed to master effective and efficient communication for every occasion. Providing insights and advice, this useful primer looks at how to improve verbal, nonverbal, and written communications.

Communication is a subject that fascinates and frustrates people. It varies by context, audience, purpose, and form. From speeches to body language and from legalese and technical writing to how the Internet changed everything, this informative book brings the intricacies of speaking, writing, listening, and reading into focus through its well-researched answers to nearly 800 common communication questions, such as What are some common barriers to communication? How did early radio affect American politics? What was Aristotle’s influence on rhetoric? How should I deal with a social media troll? How can I stop saying things like “um” and “ah”? How can I project authority without being overbearing? How can I better communicate up the corporate ladder? What clichés and common gaffes are easily avoided? Why are Ikea instructions an example of genius?