The bestselling author of The Orchid Thief and The Library Book is back with this delightfully entertaining collection of her best and brightest profiles. Acclaimed New Yorker writer Susan Orlean brings her wry sensibility, exuberant voice, and peculiar curiosities to a fascinating range of subjects—from the well known (Bill Blass) to the unknown (a typical ten-year-old boy) to the formerly known (the 1960s girl group the Shaggs). Passionate people. Famous people. Short people. And one championship show dog named Biff, who from a certain angle looks a lot like Bill Clinton. Orlean transports us into the lives of eccentric and extraordinary characters—like Cristina Sánchez, the eponymous bullfighter, the first female matador of Spain—and writes with such insight and candor that readers will feel as if they’ve met each and every one of them. The result is a luminous and joyful tour of the human condition as seen through the eyes of the writer heralded by the Chicago Tribune as a “journalist dynamo.”

Longtime readers have come to understand that Outside’s true gift is in chronicling misadventure. That’s the common thread among the stories found in Out There—those memorable tales that begin with the promise that, even if no one’s life is necessarily hanging in the balance, something may go horribly awry at any moment, and that documenting this misfortune will inevitably yield rich comedic material or a surprisingly poignant moment. Or sometimes both. Out There chronicles fringe athletes, fitness freaks, and others obsessed by ill-advised dreams. It takes us to far-flung places no sane person would want to go. What ties this collection together are the incredible voices of legendary Outside contributors such as David Quammen, Tim Cahill, Susan Orlean, Wells Tower, Christopher Solomon, Patrick Symmes, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Nick Paumgarten, and many others, who turn their subjects into literary gold and have helped to keep Outside in business for more than forty years.

A terrorist group planned to contaminate a large shipment of drugs and distribute it across the United States. They were attempting to wipe out the entire addict population along with thousands of casual users. Special Agent Ken Riley, who worked for the DEA, went undercover to infiltrate the Columbian cartel after his sister was killed in a drug raid. He vowed to avenge his sister's death only to discover the terrorists deadly plot. Can he stop the first biochemical attack on US soil or be captured by the terrorist and be forced to consume the very drug he put his life on the line to save others from?

"Strap on your seat belts for a thrilling ride. Leonard Goldberg pulls out all the stops in this action-packed tale that's sure to keep you flipping the pages."?—Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Girl Leonard Goldberg, bestselling master of medical suspense, plunges into the nightmare scenario of terrorism in the ER After poisoning a state dinner in Los Angeles, Chechen terrorists have infiltrated a prestigious medical center and taken several world dignitaries hostage, including the President of the United States. Undetected by the terrorists, David Ballineau—emergency room doctor and former Special Forces operative—keeps the patients alive with help from dauntless nurse Carolyn Ross. As the Vice President and top security officials plan a response in the Situation Room, the terrorists threaten to methodically kill the hostages until their demands are met. When hidden allegiances and political maneuvering undermine the rescue operation, it's up to Ballineau and Ross to stop the terrorists before their violent actions create worldwide chaos. Praise: [Goldberg] has the expertise to provide an exciting medical thriller. This fast-paced departure from his Joanna Blalock series provides all the excitement, intrigue and danger you could ask for."—Kirkus Reviews "Patient One is among the tightest, best written thrillers I have read in a long time. This is the knuckle-whitening suspense at which Leonard Goldberg has always been a master. Explosive and deftly plotted."?—Michael Palmer, New York Times bestselling author of Oath of Office "Patient One is a real nail-biter skillfully melding political intrigue and medical mystery with action enough to satisfy even the most diehard thriller fan."?—Mystery Lover's Bookshop News

Willie Cuesta, former Miami Police Department detective turned private investigator, is relaxing at a beachfront hotel when he receives a call from an immigration attorney about a case. He’s reluctant to leave the view—of the sea and several bathing beauties—but Willie can’t afford to turn down work. He agrees to travel to central Florida to search for Ernesto Perez, an undocumented farmworker who has disappeared. His family is worried sick because, though he had been calling and sending money home regularly to Mexico for years, he hasn’t been heard from in three months. In Cane County, Willie discovers a healthy agricultural industry, a large migrant population picking the crops and a heavily armed, anti-government militia. Willie quickly discovers Perez isn’t the only undocumented worker to go missing; several have disappeared, though their illegal status means no one has bothered to investigate. As he digs into the case, several suspicious characters surface: Narciso Cruz, who is responsible for smuggling in the undocumented workers willing to do the backbreaking labor for minimal pay; Quincy Vetter, a local landowner who has imposed his anti-government sentiment county wide; and Dusty Powell, a drug dealer who has contributed to several heroin overdoses in the area. And there’s the very beautiful daughter of a farm owner who wants salsa lessons … is someone setting him up? When people he talked to start turning up dead, Willie knows he’s onto something big—and dangerous. But is it related to the local drug business? Or the anti-government lunatics? When his investigation leads to a piece of property near the Everglades, Willie Cuesta finds himself playing cat-and-mouse with several armed men intent on putting an end to the case—and him!

This book investigates the popularity and success of contemporary women performers in bullfighting culture, which has been framed by a discourse of 'traditionalist' masculinity. This examination of the changing situation of women in the bullfighting world is used to explore the ways in which gender is represented, enacted and negotiated in contemporary Spain. The bullfight in the 1990s is in an ambiguous position: it is a 'traditional' performance in a changing consumer society. In order to survive, it needs to adapt itself to a wider social context and, in particular, to international media coverage. It is in this context that the current success of women performers is located. However, women performers are a contested phenomenon in the bullfighting world: there is heated debate over their acceptability, much of which focuses on the body. Moreover, the entry of women into the bullfight questions existing definitions of the sport's ritual structure and of gender relations in Spain. Thoroughly researched and compelling to read, Women and Bullfighting addresses these issues and argues that existing traditionalist approaches to gender, bullfighting and ritual in Spain need to be revised in order to locate women bullfighters in the context of a richly varied culture which is increasingly affected by the media and contemporary patterns of consumption. This provocative book will be of interest to researchers and students of anthropology, gender studies, sociology, cultural studies, media studies and Spanish studies.