The debate over affirmative action has raged for over four decades, with little give on either side. Most agree that it began as noble effort to jump-start racial integration; many believe it devolved into a patently unfair system of quotas and concealment. Now, with the Supreme Court set to rule on a case that could sharply curtail the use of racial preferences in American universities, law professor Richard Sander and legal journalist Stuart Taylor offer a definitive account of what affirmative action has become, showing that while the objective is laudable, the effects have been anything but. Sander and Taylor have long admired affirmative action's original goals, but after many years of studying racial preferences, they have reached a controversial but undeniable conclusion: that preferences hurt underrepresented minorities far more than they help them. At the heart of affirmative action's failure is a simple phenomenon called mismatch. Using dramatic new data and numerous interviews with affected former students and university officials of color, the authors show how racial preferences often put students in competition with far better-prepared classmates, dooming many to fall so far behind that they can never catch up. Mismatch largely explains why, even though black applicants are more likely to enter college than whites with similar backgrounds, they are far less likely to finish; why there are so few black and Hispanic professionals with science and engineering degrees and doctorates; why black law graduates fail bar exams at four times the rate of whites; and why universities accept relatively affluent minorities over working class and poor people of all races. Sander and Taylor believe it is possible to achieve the goal of racial equality in higher education, but they argue that alternative policies -- such as full public disclosure of all preferential admission policies, a focused commitment to improving socioeconomic diversity on campuses, outreach to minority communities, and a renewed focus on K-12 schooling -- will go farther in achieving that goal than preferences, while also allowing applicants to make informed decisions. Bold, controversial, and deeply researched, Mismatch calls for a renewed examination of this most divisive of social programs -- and for reforms that will help realize the ultimate goal of racial equality.

'A sweet, genuinely funny, banter-filled delight of a rom-com. I absolutely loved this modern day You've Got Mail' Kerry Winfrey, author of Waiting for Tom Hanks Love can happen when you least expect it . . . Dumped by his fiancée, Miles is reduced to couch-surfing across Manhattan and using a local café as his office. Also, he no longer believes in love - not exactly a good look in his line of work. Zoey's eccentric L.A. boss sent her to New York to 'grow'. But beneath her chill Cali exterior, Zoey's terrified to venture beyond the café across the street. Miles and Zoey have absolutely nothing in common. The only thing they share is their daily battle for the café's day-old biscotti. They don't know they're both ghost-writing 'authentic' profiles for rival online dating services. Until they meet online, pretending to be other people . . . As their clients head for dating disaster, Miles and Zoey spend their virtual time falling for one another, but will their online connection turn into a perfect match when they realise who they are IRL? The perfect love letter to Nora Ephron, Carrie Fisher and all the wonderful rom-coms that act as a pick-me-up when we most need it. 'Skilton puts a multicultural millennial spin on You've Got Mail in this laugh-out-loud romance. Rom-com fans will find this one well worth their time' Publishers Weekly 'An energetic romance that would make Nora Ephron proud' Kirkus Reviews *Mismatched in Manhattan is alternatively titled Ghosting: A Love Story in the US

With wit, humor, and a delightfully fresh voice, from the inimitable duo Tash Skilton, author of Ghosting: A Love Story, comes this friends-to-lovers rom-com that explores the hilarious highs and lows of adulting, Hollywood, and what happens when BFFs are forced to take a hard second look at their favorite fandoms—and at each other. ONE PERECT FRIENDSHIP—ABRUPTLY CANCELED All through college, Nina and Sebastian were sentence-finishing, secret-sharing BFFs, and absolute super fans of Castles of Rust and Bone. It was the kind of show—and the kind of friendship—that demands you’re all in, for the plot twists, the unresolved sexual tension, the weekly coup d’etat—and ultimately, the heartbreak. At least until the big cliffhanger . . . But when Castles’ season finale turned into the unceremoniously axed show’s awkward farewell, Nina and Sebastian’s friendship ended just as suddenly—and just as awkwardly. And Sebastian’s longed-for chance to woo Nina into something more than friendship was written out of their story. In Hollywood, there’s always a comeback. Five years later, Nina and Sebastian are living their best lives in L.A.—and Castles is being rebooted. Nina’s a social media coordinator for the streaming service that will air the show, and Sebastian is a PA for the production company. What could be more perfect? How about running into each other on set . . . ? Fingers crossed for a happy ending . . . Turns out even the most dedicated fans are due for a wake-up call when they get to peek behind-the-scenes. And suddenly Nina and Sebastian are remembering when they were super fans of each other instead. Will flipping the script from buddy comedy to real romance ruin everything—or deliver the happily-ever-after they both crave? Praise for Ghosting: A Love Story “I absolutely loved this modern-day You've Got Mail.” —Kerry Winfrey, author of Waiting for Tom Hanks “An energetic romance that would make Nora Ephron proud.” —Kirkus Reviews “A multicultural millennial spin on You’ve Got Mail in this laugh out loud romance.” —Publishers Weekly

A Brooklyn love story, set to music. “Kings County crystallizes how it feels to be young and in love in New York City.” —Stephanie Danler “A true and continual delight...Goodwillie captures the rapturous soul of a bygone Brooklyn.” —Joshua Ferris It’s the early 2000s and like generations of ambitious young people before her, Audrey Benton arrives in New York City on a bus from nowhere. Broke but resourceful, she soon finds a home for herself amid the burgeoning music scene in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. But the city’s freedom comes with risks, and Audrey makes compromises to survive. As she becomes a minor celebrity in indie rock circles, she finds an unlikely match in Theo Gorski, a shy but idealistic mill-town kid who’s struggling to establish himself in the still-patrician world of books. But then an old acquaintance of Audrey’s disappears under mysterious circumstances, sparking a series of escalating crises that force the couple to confront a dangerous secret from her past. From the raucous heights of Occupy Wall Street to the comical lows of the publishing industry, from million-dollar art auctions to Bushwick drug dens, Kings County captures New York City at a moment of cultural reckoning. Grappling with the resonant issues and themes of our time—sex and violence, art and commerce, friendship and family—it is an epic coming-of-age tale about love, consequences, bravery, and fighting for one’s place in an ever-changing world.

A stunning star-crossed love story set against the glitz and grit of 1980s New York City When Elise Perez meets Jamey Hyde on a desolate winter afternoon, fate implodes, and neither of their lives will ever be the same. Although they are next-door neighbors in New Haven, they come from different worlds. Elise grew up in a housing project without a father and didn’t graduate from high school; Jamey is a junior at Yale, heir to a private investment bank fortune and beholden to high family expectations. Nevertheless, the attraction is instant, and what starts out as sexual obsession turns into something greater, stranger, and impossible to ignore. The couple moves to Manhattan in search of a new life, and White Fur follows them as they wander through Newport mansions and East Village dives, WASP-establishment yacht clubs and the grimy streets below Canal Street, fighting the forces determined to keep them apart. White Fur combines the electricity of Less Than Zero with the timeless intensity of Romeo and Juliet in this searing, gorgeously written novel that perfectly captures the ferocity of young love.

“Witty and insightful…at once utterly contemporary and totally timeless.” —Samira Ahmed, New York Times bestselling author of Love, Hate & Other Filters and Internment Modern love plus online anonymity is a recipe for romantic disaster in this lighthearted new romance from the author of The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love. How bad can one little virtual lie be? NYU freshman Mariam Vakilian hasn’t dated anyone in five months, not since her high school sweetheart Caleb broke up with her. So, when she decides to take advantage of an expiring coupon and try out a new virtual reality dating service, it’s sort of a big deal. It’s an even bigger deal when it chooses as one of her three matches none other than Caleb himself. That has to be a sign, right? Except that her other match, Jeremy, just happens to be her new best friend IRL. Mariam’s heart is telling her one thing, but the app is telling her another. So, which should she trust? Is all fair in modern love?