The Houghton family brought the Industrial Revolution to Corning, New York, with a hot-glass factory and his friend's cut-glass industry. Although his friend's cut-glass industry failed during the first half of the 1900s, the Houghtons built the hot-glass factory into a Fortune 500 company over five generations. Thomas P. Dimitroff traces the history of the Houghton family, glass making in the United States, and life in Corning, New York, in this scholarly book. With the cooperation of Corning Inc. and Houghton family members, the author shares a trove of photographs and draws on his extensive research to give a rich portrayal of the city and the family that played a critical role in its development. The story begins in1635 when John and Ralph Houghton arrived in America from England and takes a decisive turn with the birth of Amory in 1813, who wasn't satisfied being a New England farmer. Deep inside, he was an entrepreneur - although he struggled in his early attempts. Discover the rich history of Corning Inc., and the amazing family that contributed to life-changing glassmaking developments in America and throughout the world.

Wichita, aka “Doo-Dah,” is a midsize city with attractions that easily rival the nation’s largest metropolises in entertainment value. Fun awaits for all who come to discover it! 100 Things to Do in Wichita Before You Die is a bucket-list book filled cover to cover with timeless destinations and lesser known places. Dig into the burgeoning arts scene with tips for the First Friday Gallery Crawl or the Tallgrass Film Festival. Find out the story behind the 44-foot-tall Keeper of the Plains statue in downtown. Root, root, root for the home team, the Wichita Wind Surge at Riverfront Stadium. Outdoor activities, delicious dining, shopping, concerts, and a thriving arts scene scratch the surface. As they say, “Wichita is what you make it,” and around every corner is an experience waiting for you. Wichita native and travel writer Vanessa Whiteside is your personal guide to her favorite places in her much beloved hometown. Crack the spine on this book and choose an adventure in the city!

A sampling of glass work by 196 artists from 28 countries.

"The author makes an eloquent plea for marine biodiversity conservation."—Library Journal "Harvell seems to channel the devotion that motivated the Blaschkas."—The Guardian Winner of the 2016 National Outdoor Book Award, Environment Category It started with a glass octopus. Dusty, broken, and all but forgotten, it caught Drew Harvell’s eye. Fashioned in intricate detail by the father-son glassmaking team of Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, the octopus belonged to a menagerie of unusual marine creatures that had been packed away for decades in a storage unit. More than 150 years earlier, the Blaschkas had been captivated by marine invertebrates and spun their likenesses into glass, documenting the life of oceans untouched by climate change and human impacts. Inspired by the Blaschkas’ uncanny replicas, Harvell set out in search of their living counterparts. In A Sea of Glass, she recounts this journey of a lifetime, taking readers along as she dives beneath the ocean's surface to a rarely seen world, revealing the surprising and unusual biology of some of the most ancient animals on the tree of life. On the way, we glimpse a century of change in our ocean ecosystems and learn which of the living matches for the Blaschkas’ creations are, indeed, as fragile as glass. Drew Harvell and the Blaschka menagerie are the subjects of the documentary Fragile Legacy, which won the Best Short Film award at the 2015 Blue Ocean Film Festival & Conservation Summit. Learn more about the film and check out the trailer here.