In June, 1977, Clare Francis set out from Plymouth in her 38-foot boat 'Robertons's Golly', in one of the most gruelling singlehanded boat races, the Observer Royal Western Transatlantic Race. Twenty-nine days later she reached Newport, Rhode Island, to become the women's record holder and the smallest person ever to sail the Atlantic alone. This is Clare Francis's remarkab;e story of those four solitary weeks at sea.

This text captures the indomitable spirit of one of America's oldest and best-preserved cities. The collection of 168 black and white photographs depicts Charleston from the advent of photography in the 1840s through the late 20th century.

What Hurricane Katrina reveals about the fault lines of race and poverty in America-and what lessons we must take from the flood-from best-selling ''hip-hop intellectual'' Michael Eric Dyson Does George W. Bush care about black people? Does the rest of America? When Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, hundreds of thousands were left behind to suffer the ravages of destruction, disease, and even death. The majority of these people were black; nearly all were poor. The federal government's slow response to local appeals for help is by now notorious. Yet despite the cries of outrage that have mounted since the levees broke, we have failed to confront the disaster's true lesson; to be poor, or black, in today's ownership society, is to be left behind. Displaying the intellectual rigor, political passion, and personal empathy that have won him fans across the color line, Michael Eric Dyson offers a searing assessment of the meaning of Hurricane Katrina. Combining interviews with survivors of the disaster with his deep knowledge of black migrations and government policy over decades, Dyson provides the historical context that has been sorely missing from public conversation. He explores the legacy of black suffering in America since slavery, including the shocking ways that black people are framed in the national consciousness even today. With this call-to-action, Dyson warns us that we can only find redemption as a society if we acknowledge that Katrina was more than an engineering or emergency response failure. From the TV newsroom to the Capitol Building to the backyard, we must change the ways we relate to the black and the poor among us. What's at stake is no less than the future of democracy.

An Urban Fantasy Thriller Father Eli is like a badass Moses with a sword. Father Eli was born with the Sight, the ability to see the world as it really is. When an unnatural storm strikes New Orleans bringing with it aquatic nightmares, Eli strives to protect his city from the horrors that seek to destroy it. Arrested for murder and hounded by the cops, Father Eli attempts to stop an insane god from escaping Hell. Will he discover the true purpose behind the plot before the world is plunged into darkness?

Michelle Wilson has the world by the tail. Cale loves her and she loves him. Storm is happy and healthy. To top it off, Michelle has qualified for the Calgary Stampede. She can’t wait to barrel race for a chance at $100,000 on Showdown Sunday. All her dreams are coming true; nothing could possibly spoil her happiness. Could it? Shelly, her brother’s new girlfriend seems a tad too interested in her old friend Cale Benjamin. And what’s with Michelle’s ex-fiancé Rob who keeps popping up in the most unexpected places. Why can’t his brand new wife Kayla keep a tighter rein on that cowboy?

• Which explorer found the lost site of Jesus' first miracle? • Who was first to the top of the highest mountain in Peru? • Who was the first Westerner to visit the Ottoman harem in Constantinople? • Who held the world record as the only person to fly from Britain to Australia for 44 years? You'll find the answers to these questions and more in Mick Conefrey's charming new book (a hint: none of them had beards). In 1870, New York mountaineer Meta Brevoort climbed Mt. Blanc in a hoop skirt. Pausing at the summit only long enough to drink a glass of champagne and dance the quadrille with her alpine guides, she marched back down the mountain and into history as one of the first female mountain explorers. Here, Mick Conefrey weaves together tips, how-tos, anecdotes, and eccentric lists to tell the amazing stories of history's great female explorers—women who were just as fascinating and inspiring as all the Shackletons, Mallorys, and Livingstones. Most were brave, some were reckless, and all were fascinating. From Fanny Bullock Workman, who was photographed on top of a mountain pass in the Karakoram, holding up a banner calling for "Votes for Women" to Mary Hall, the Victorian world traveler, whose motto was, "take every precaution and abandon all fear," How to Climb Mt. Blanc in a Skirt is uproariously funny and occasionally downright strange.

One Man, One Canoe, Nineteen Friends, One Majestic River! Pass the Paddle: Mississippi Dreamin’ Come Hell or High Water is Jerry Schumm’s (aka the Paddlin’ Pastor) memoir of his journey down the Mississippi River. It was an excursion like no other. Jerry never paddled alone. Friends and family members signed up for “legs” of the river. A ceremonial paddle was passed from one canoeist to the next—a giant relay. For fellow adventurers, the book provides a day-by-day documentation of the Mississippi River voyage from the headwaters at Lake Itasca to New Orleans. It also is the story of family, friendship, spirituality, and the goodness of folks met along the way. More importantly, it is the tale of a man who has the qualities needed to actualize a life-long dream: positive attitude, persistence, and patience.