The fifth title in our provincial histories series, Mavericks is an idiosyncratic and episodic history of what is arguably Canada's most unconventional province. From mapmakers to ranchers, Stampede Wrestling to Stockwell Day, acclaimed writer Aritha van Herk brings the drama and combative beauty of this irascible province to stunning life. van Herk's portrait of her home province embraces all its extremes, from deadly and spectacular weather to dinosaur graveyards, and from oil gushers and geysers to barnstorming social reformers and political haymakers. Bronc-riders of boom and bust, Alberta's people are a beguiling mixture of opinionated extremists, hardy pioneers and gentle sinners. Alberta is a province that most Canadians simply don't understand, the province most Canadians love to hate. It is regarded as a land of reckless, redneck and ignorant individualists. But it is also the province where the Famous Five fought the landmark Person's Case, giving Canadian women the same status as men in the eyes of the law, a province that truly believes in free speech. Albertans tolerate in their midst people whose extreme views on any manner of subjects would make them outcasts elsewhere. And Albertans practice the creed of western neighbourliness, giving assiduously to charity and always lending a hand where help is needed. They are a tough, tender bunch, squinting into the wind of determined difference. If you're an Albertan, you'll recognize yourself and your home in this book. If you're not an Albertan, this book will be an education for you. Mavericks will open your eyes to the real Alberta, as she was and is.

OH, BABIES! Rust Creek Ramblings We here at The Gazette just love a happy ending, and if anyone needs a little Christmas, it's Jamie Stockton. The stoic rancher has been raising his triplet babies alone since his wife died. Thanks to Rust Creek Falls's volunteer "baby chain," Jamie has had many helping hands. But his bed is still empty, and so is his heart. Could family friend Fallon O'Reilly be the one to brighten his holiday? Babies Henry, Jared and Kate surely love having Fallon around, but their lonely dad may take a little more convincing. Hang the holly, dear readers, and deck the halls as our cautious cowboy rediscovers his Christmas spirit—and the "girl next door" gets a present she will never forget!

Kraus examines the role played by minor league baseball in hundreds of cities and towns across the United States.

In this officially licensed and stunningly illustrated volume, get a thrilling, up-close-and-personal look at NASCAR’s mavericks and key moments from the dawn of the sport to present day. In every sport there are mavericks—trailblazers, risk-takers, hell-raisers, forward-thinkers—who drive the breakthroughs and advances that shape and define the sport. Written by longtime motorsports journalists H.A. Branham and Holly Cain, NASCAR Mavericks covers the NASCAR story in chronological order, focusing on key movers and shakers—the men and women key to the sport’s evolution—often related through first-hand stories. Racing great Tony Stewart’s foreword sets the scene. Accompanied by exceptional images sourced from NASCAR’s archives plus other top photographers, the profiles include such NASCAR legends as: Bill France Sr. and Bill France Jr. The Flock Brothers Lee and Richard Petty Smokey Yunick Janet Guthrie The Earnhardts Humpy Wheeler Tony Stewart Interspersed with the maverick profiles are sidebars highlighting legendary races, machines, and events like the first Daytona 500, Plymouth’s Hemi Superbird, record-setting pit stops, Jeff Gordon’s T-Rex car, and more. NASCAR Mavericks proves that racing always improves the breed!

Mallory Quinn is just your everyday witch. Badass, honorable, and able to go toe to toe with the best whiskey drinker this side of Tennessee, but when NASA comes to recruit her for a daring space rescue, she'll find herself among a motley crew of the supernatural world. Their goal is simple, keep the evil lord Zug of space planet Maverick from acquiring the Gideon cube and using its immense power to rain down destruction on earth. Sounds easy right? Well, it would be if not for the niggling thirty-six hour timeline that started yesterday...

Provides a survey of the hotels, restaurants, historical sites, cultural activities, and other attractions in Chicago and includes special information for the business traveler

In Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean, writer, sailor, and surfer Jonathan White takes readers across the globe to discover the science and spirit of ocean tides. In the Arctic, White shimmies under the ice with an Inuit elder to hunt for mussels in the dark cavities left behind at low tide; in China, he races the Silver Dragon, a twenty-five-foot tidal bore that crashes eighty miles up the Qiantang River; in France, he interviews the monks that live in the tide-wrapped monastery of Mont Saint-Michel; in Chile and Scotland, he investigates the growth of tidal power generation; and in Panama and Venice, he delves into how the threat of sea level rise is changing human culture—the very old and very new. Tides combines lyrical prose, colorful adventure travel, and provocative scientific inquiry into the elemental, mysterious paradox that keeps our planet’s waters in constant motion. Photographs, scientific figures, line drawings, and sixteen color photos dramatically illustrate this engaging, expert tour of the tides.