"His admirers called him the "Barnum of Books" and the "Voltaire of Kansas" because of his ability to bring culture and education to the people. R. Alton Lee brings to life Emanuel Haldeman-Julius (1889-1951), a writer-publisher-entrepreneur who was one of America's most significant publishers and editorialists of the twentieth century, if not all time. His company published a record 500,000,000 copies of 2,580 titles and was second only to the U.S. Government Printing Office in the quantity of publications it produced. Lee details Haldeman-Julius's family origins in Russia and his formative years in Philadelphia, where he learned the book trade. As a writer and editor for the Social Democrat, Sunday Call, and Western Comrade, Haldeman-Julius was already well known by the time he launched his own publishing company. Haldeman-Julius knew, was nurtured by, and published writers such as Jack London, Upton Sinclair, Jane Addams, Emma Goldman, H. L. Mencken, Carl Sandburg, Eugene V. Debs, Clarence Darrow, Job Harriman, Will Durant, and Bertrand Russell, among others. Based in Girard, Kansas, his company, Haldeman-Julius Publications, covered socialist politics, the philosophy of free thought, and both new and classic books marketed to ordinary Americans, including the Little Blue Book series of classics in Western thought and literature. This biography of the enigmatic and energetic Haldeman-Julius opens a window into the fascinating world of early twentieth-century radical politics and publishing"--

Every publisher dreams of selling 100 million books. E. Haldeman Julius made it happen. Year after year, publishers go under before they even see a fraction of that number. The reason is simple. Few publishers truly know what the American public wants to read. Fewer still know what key words in a title can trigger a buying frenzy. Be different and gain control of your publishing success by applying the results of E. Haldeman Julius's amazing, scientific experiment. He published thousands of books, all with the same cover design, size and price. The only thing that set them apart was the title. He discovered that a change of a single word literally could mean thousands more in sales. Gain an insight into the American public's buying habits without breaking the bank. Apply key words that trigger your buyers' insatiable appetites and be the next publishing success. Don't hesitate, because your competitors sure won't.

"Story of an unsuccessful marriage against a background of Kansas farm life." Cf. Hanna, A. Mirror for the nation.

Winner of the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction Winner of the Freedom to Read Award Winner of the Hubert Evans Prize In the midst of an unfolding international crisis, renowned journalist Deborah Campbell finds herself swept up in the mysterious disappearance of Ahlam, her guide and friend. Campbell’s frank, personal account of a journey through fear and the triumph of friendship and courage is as riveting as it is illuminating. The story begins in 2007, when Deborah Campbell travels undercover to Damascus to report on the exodus of Iraqis into Syria, following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. There she meets and hires Ahlam, a refugee working as a “fixer”—providing Western media with trustworthy information and contacts to help get the news out. Ahlam has fled her home in Iraq after being kidnapped while running a humanitarian center. She supports her husband and two children while working to set up a makeshift school for displaced girls. Strong and charismatic, she has become an unofficial leader of the refugee community. Campbell is inspired by Ahlam’s determination to create something good amid so much suffering, and the two women become close friends. But one morning, Ahlam is seized from her home in front of Campbell’s eyes. Haunted by the prospect that their work together has led to her friend’s arrest, Campbell spends the months that follow desperately trying to find Ahlam—all the while fearing she could be next. The compelling story of two women caught up in the shadowy politics behind today’s most searing conflict, A Disappearance in Damascus reminds us of the courage of those who risk their lives to bring us the world’s news.

Including Sadistic Impulses, Religion, Superstition, Envy, Economic Nationalism, Pride, Racism, Sex Superiority, Creeds, And Other Evil Things.