This painstakingly researched book by Douglas J. Gladstone examines the plight of 874 Major League Baseball players who played between 1947 and 1979, all with brief trials in the majors, careers figuratively "just long enough to drink a cup of coffee." Since 1980, Major League Baseball players have needed one day of service credit for health benefits and 43 days of service credit to be eligible for a retirement allowance, but those former ballplayers who played during the 1947-1979 seasons were not included retroactively in the amended vesting requirement, and so receive no pensions for the time they gave to our national pastime. These men, the author suggests, have gulped bitter cups of coffee. In his careful examination of this issue, which includes many interviews with former players and some poignant stories of their plight, Gladstone asks his readers to examine our national relationship to sports and its heroes, as well as our relationships with those who precede us in the game of life. A lifelong baseball fan, DOUGLAS J. GLADSTONE is a journalist by training, whose published articles have appeared in the Chicago Sun Times, Baseball Digest and the San Diego Jewish World, among others. This is his first book. DAVE MARASH (Foreword) has been a working journalist for more than 50 years. Best known for his 16 years as a correspondent for ABC News Nightline, Marash won Emmy Awards for his coverage of the wars in Nicaragua and Bosnia, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the explosion that downed TWA Flight 800. He anchored the opening season of Baseball Tonight on ESPN and did play-by-play coverage of the New York Knicks and Rangers.

Andrew Rand of Wyland, Ohio, is a freshman Democratic representative at the start of the Obama administration. Deep in the corridors of political power, he will find a broken system: a liberal party in power and out of control, passing legislation that its constituents neither desire nor need, with its members under constant political and personal pressure to "fundamentally transform the nation." Soon, Andrew will struggle with the question of what he's willing to sacrifice in order to win reelection. Meanwhile, his wife, Carolyn-a brilliant, apolitical woman from a family of radical academics-will struggle not only with the emotional fallout of her husband's choices, but with her own awakening conservative conscience as well. Weaving contemporary political satire with an emotionally devastating plot, novelist Tim McDaniel imagines the rise of the conservative Tea Party to national prominence, a rise seen through the eyes of characters from all walks of American life: a housewife who decides to challenge the powers that be in her home district, a Texan radio host with a gift for caustic political insight, a campaign manager concealing a secret romantic ambition, student radicals, disenchanted factory workers, and more. A Bitter Cup of Tea serves up a bitterly funny vision of contemporary America: a land whose leaders have betrayed its people, and whose people are beginning to fight back.

Ready to expand her coffee empire, Lana Bitterman does what any smart and fierce CEO would do-- she decides to promote the highest selling barista in her company. Joe Coffee. But Joe Coffee isn't just a handsome barista with a great name. He also inexplicably has an engineering degree from MIT and an almost-degree from Harvard Law.The more Lana researches Joe, the deeper into his past she falls. And from the moment he walks into her office, she knows she wants him.Not just as an employee.As more.But little does she know, Joe has more secrets than a few unexplained degrees. He's there because he was sent there.

Though -- or perhaps because -- it spawned Starbucks, the Pacific Northwest remains fiercely loyal to its independent coffeehouses. Numbering in the thousands, these incredibly diverse establishments have become community centers and cultural institutions, each with its own personality. And at the heart of them all are the baristas, the men and women who pull the drinks, pick the art and music, and create the atmosphere that sets their coffeehouse apart from all the others. Here, baristas from around the Northwest describe life through their unique perspective, offering testimony, music recommendations, advice on coffee, overheard conversations, drawings and photos, latte art, nightmare stories, and just about everything else. Compiled by Dani Cone, a local barista superstar, and graphic designer (and former barista) Chris Munson, "Tall Skinny Bitter" celebrates not just the Northwest's best coffee shops, but the music, fashion, attitude, and art that embody its indie culture.

The champion of uncelebrated foods including fat, offal, and bones, Jennifer McLagan turns her attention to a fascinating, underappreciated, and trending topic: bitterness. What do coffee, IPA beer, dark chocolate, and radicchio all have in common? They’re bitter. While some culinary cultures, such as in Italy and parts of Asia, have an inherent appreciation for bitter flavors (think Campari and Chinese bitter melon), little attention has been given to bitterness in North America: we’re much more likely to reach for salty or sweet. However, with a surge in the popularity of craft beers; dark chocolate; coffee; greens like arugula, dandelion, radicchio, and frisée; high-quality olive oil; and cocktails made with Campari and absinthe—all foods and drinks with elements of bitterness—bitter is finally getting its due. In this deep and fascinating exploration of bitter through science, culture, history, and 100 deliciously idiosyncratic recipes—like Cardoon Beef Tagine, White Asparagus with Blood Orange Sauce, and Campari Granita—award-winning author Jennifer McLagan makes a case for this misunderstood flavor and explains how adding a touch of bitter to a dish creates an exciting taste dimension that will bring your cooking to life.