With over 80,000 copies sold since its first appearance in 1959, The Age of Improvement has every right to claim the status of a classic of modern historical writing. Asa Briggs' masterly study of the period stresses the underlying unity of the age. In the background are the new economic powers based on the development of a coal and iron technology, in the foreground, the problems posed by the world's first industrial revolution.

The Education of Little Tree has been embedded in controversy since the revelation that the autobiographical story told by Forrest Carter was a complete fabrication. The touching novel, which has entranced readers since it was first published in 1976, has since raised questions, many unanswered, about how this quaint and engaging tale of a young, orphaned boy could have been written by a man whose life was so overtly rooted in hatred. How can this story, now discovered to be fictitious, fill our hearts with so much emotion as we champion Little Tree’s childhood lessons and future successes? The Education of Little Tree tells with poignant grace the story of a boy who is adopted by his Cherokee grandmother and half-Cherokee grandfather in the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee during the Great Depression. “Little Tree,” as his grandparents call him, is shown how to hunt and survive in the mountains and taught to respect nature in the Cherokee Way—taking only what is needed, leaving the rest for nature to run its course. Little Tree also learns the often callous ways of white businessmen, sharecroppers, Christians, and politicians. Each vignette, whether frightening, funny, heartwarming, or sad, teaches our protagonist about life, love, nature, work, friendship, and family. A classic of its era and an enduring book for all ages, The Education of Little Tree continues to share important lessons. Little Tree’s story allows us to reflect on the past and look toward the future. It offers us an opportunity to ask ourselves what we have learned and where it will take us.

The world knows her as a porn star. . . but it's her way with words that will touch you again and again. Asa Akira's perceptive, funny, and straightforward writings on love, sex, death, marriage and celebrity come together in a surprising book of essays. Personally revealing as well as universal, Dirty Thirty marks the coming of age of a new literary star.

Recipient of a 1993 Newbery Honor, this novel is an achingly beautiful, powerfully rendered journey through childhood that is not to be missed, now available in a new edition with a striking new cover. “From an outstandingly perceptive writer, a moving portrait of a boy, observed at four revealing turning points.” -- Pointer Review/Kirkus Reviews “Combines fast, exciting action with an astonishing ending that proves the power of the individual imagination.” -- Starred Review/ALA Booklist "Asa—possessed of rare sweetness, humor, and inner strength—survives intact cruel tests of his integrity, intellect, and sense of decency. From an outstandingly perceptive writer, a moving portrait of a boy, observed at four revealing turning points." —K. "Told with controlled imagery, insightful illumination of motive and the needs of his characters, Brooks has proven himself once again a master of language." —BL. 1993 Newbery Honor Book Notable Children's Books of 1993 (ALA) 1993 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA) 1993 Fanfare Honor List (The Horn Book) 1993 Teachers' Choices (IRA) 1993 Books for the Teen Age (NY Public Library)

Sailing Made Easy is the first step in a voyage that will last you the rest of your life. It is a gift from a group of dedicated sailing professionals who have committed their lives to sharing their art, their skill, and their passion for this wonderful activity. This book, which Sailing Magazine called "best in class" upon its release in 2010, is the most comprehensive education and boating safety learn-to-sail guide to date. It is also the official textbook for the ASA Basic Keelboat Standard (ASA 101). Incorporated in the textbook are useful illustrations and exceptional photographs of complex sailing concepts. The text’s most distinguishing feature is its user friendly "spreads" in which instructional topics are self-contained on opposing pages throughout the book. There are also chapter end quizzes and a glossary to help those new to sailing to navigate their way through the extensive nautical terminology.

Dinah Sachs and Asa Thayer have had a love affair, conducted in afternoons stolen from the office of the magazine where they work. But now that the affair is over, Dinah, in an act of lingering passion, invents a narrative of Asa's youth, imagining the events that shaped the "happy, handsome man" who, in her words, "was born to stomp on my heart." Witty and sexy, funny and immediate, Asa, As I Knew Him is a a seductive dialogue between love and memory, obsession and illusion.