Why did Thomas Jefferson write that he would be happy if all dogs went extinct? What economic opportunity did attorney John Lord Hayes envision for the newly emancipated during Reconstruction? What American workers were mocked by Theodore Roosevelt as “morose, melancholy men”? What problems with revenue collection did Congressman James Beauchamp Clark mention when proposing an income tax? Why did Harley O. Gable of Armour & Company recommend that his meat-packing business manufacture violin strings? Why was Senator Lyndon Johnson angry at the Army and Navy Munitions Board at the start of the Korean War? The answers to all these questions involve sheep. From the colonial era through the mid-twentieth century, America’s flocks played a key role in the nation’s development. Furthermore, much consternation centered around the sheep the United States lacked, so that dependency on foreign wool—a headache in times of peace—became a full-blown crisis in wartime. But more than just providers of wool, sheep were valued for their meat, for their byproducts after slaughter, and even for their efficiency at lawn maintenance. Here is the story of the complex and fascinating relationship between Americans and their sheep. Brett Bannor explains how sheep have significantly impacted the broader growth and development of the United States. The history of America’s sheep encompasses topics that touch on many cornerstones of the American experience, such as enslavement, warfare, western expansion, industrialization, taxation, feminism, conservation, and labor relations, among others.

"The raffish epigraphs of a comic, George Carlin, and a poet, W.B. Yeats, set the tone for this exciting, revelatory and altogether important work. The question: Why are there so many no-shows on Election Day? Thirty thoughtful Americans-as good a cross section as you can get-tell us in a varied and astonishing manner." -Studs Terkel, author "So much has been said (with so little knowledge) about America′s nonvoting majority. This intriguing book at last introduces us to the people who do not vote, dispels many of the myths about them, and shows us the depth of their disconnection from the political process. Through their revealing interviews and compelling conclusions, Jack C. Doppelt and Ellen Shearer illuminate the varied reasons that so many Americans find so little meaning in politics. Nonvoters shows us the futility of current efforts to woo nonvoters; it also enables us for the first time to understand how complex and deep-seated this important issue is." -Geneva Overholser, Washington Post syndicated columnist "Fascinating and important. This book gives us new and significant insights." -Paul Simon, Former United States Senator "Jack C. Doppelt and Ellen Shearer have brought the energy and open minds that mark the best reporters to look at the other half, at the 51% majority of the electorate who chose to stay away from the polls in 1996. They found "a Pandora′s box of dueling realities" that call into question the easy assumptions about nonvoters—that they′re low-income, poorly educated, and generally uninformed. The reality turns out to be considerably more complicated. The authors and their dispersed across the country to talk to the nonvoters themselves. Their voices ring through this thoughtful book." -Susan Page, White House Bureau Chief, USA TODAY, and President, White House Correspondents′ Association In Nonvoters: America′s No-Shows, Doppelt and Shearer reveal the findings of their national survey and interviews with nonvoting Americans. Though they discovered a diverse array of opinions and reasons for not voting, they also found that nonvoters clustered into five types: "doers," "unpluggeds," "irritables," "don′t knows," and "alienateds." This book contains the stories of the people who don′t vote as well as the authors′ analyses of this troubling phenomenon in American politics. The authors consider voting behavior in local, off-year, and presidential elections, debunking the myths of why the majority of Americans decide to be "no shows" on election day. This groundbreaking study and insightful perspectives of 30 representative nonvoters will prove fascinating to anyone interested in politics and human behavior, whether as part of a campaign′s dialogue, a classroom study, or a living room discussion.

Australia's wool growing industry descended into chaos during the early 1980s when a small group of 'rebel' shearers started advocating for a seemingly minor change. The rebels, led by gun shearer Robert White, wanted 13-tooth shearing combs legalised. Wide combs, as they were known, had been banned from use in Australia for more than 50 years. But White and his supporters argued they were more efficient and productive than the standard gauge 10-tooth shearing combs and wanted the ban overturned. Standing in the way was the powerful Australian Workers' Union. The ensuing David and Goliath like clash produced four years of industrial turmoil, bitterness, intimidation and some outlandish violence, as the AWU went all out to try to stop the introduction of wide combs. This is the first detailed account of an industrial dispute that revolutionised Australia's iconic shearing industry and led to the total demise of the AWU in the industry after it stubbornly refused to embrace technological change. 'Three Steel Teeth has been meticulously researched and provides a fascinating portrait of the economic landscape of the time and a salutary set of insights for those tasked with guiding Australia's future prosperity. I congratulate Mark on this readable and timely addition to our understanding of an important chapter in Australian history.' - Professor Phil Dolan, La Trobe University

This is a well-researched, detailed and compelling story.'?Defender Magazine??Billy Sing was a small, dark man _ and a deadly killer. When, as a member of the Australian Imperial Force 5th Light Horse, he was thrust onto the narrow strip of land held by the Australians on Gallipoli, he witnessed the terrible effects of the Turkish snipers and decided to fight fire with fire. Using a simple Lee Enfield .303 rifle, Sing began to pick off unwary Turks who exposed themselves. Assisted by a 'spotter' who would single out targets for him, Sing acquired an unrivalled reputation as he killed increasing numbers of enemy soldiers.??He became known as the 'Anzac Angel of Death' and the 'Assassin of Gallipoli' and was considered to be the most successful sniper and most feared man in Gallipoli.?The Turks, aware of his reputation decided to target the Sing with their own marksman. In a deadly duel, Sing fired first and killed 'Abdul the Terrible'.??This a vivid account of the merciless nature of the fighting in the Gallipoli Campaign from an award-winning journalist and best-selling author.