Ever since Newton Minow taught us sophisticates to bemoan the descent of television into a vast wasteland, the dyspeptic chorus of jeremiahs who insist that television news in particular has gone from gold to dross gets noisier and noisier. Charles Ponce de Leon says here, in effect, that this is misleading, if not simply fatuous. He argues in this well-paced, lively, readable book that TV news has changed in response to broader changes in the TV industry and American culture. It is pointless to bewail its decline. "That s the Way It Is "gives us the very first history of American television news, spanning more than six decades, from Camel News Caravan to Countdown with Keith Oberman and The Daily Show. Starting in the latter 1940s, television news featured a succession of broadcasters who became household names, even presences: Eric Sevareid, Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley, Peter Jennings, Brian Williams, Katie Couric, and, with cable expansion, people like Glenn Beck, Jon Stewart, and Bill O Reilly. But behind the scenes, the parallel story is just as interesting, involving executives, producers, and journalists who were responsible for the field s most important innovations. Included with mainstream network news programs is an engaging treatment of news magazines like "60 Minutes" and "20/20, " as well as morning news shows like "Today" and "Good Morning America." Ponce de Leon gives ample attention to the establishment of cable networks (CNN, and the later competitors, Fox News and MSNBC), mixing in colorful anecdotes about the likes of Roger Ailes and Roone Arledge. Frothy features and other kinds of entertainment have been part and parcel of TV news from the start; viewer preferences have always played a role in the evolution of programming, although the disintegration of a national culture since the 1970s means that most of us no longer follow the news as a civic obligation. Throughout, Ponce de Leon places his history in a broader cultural context, emphasizing tensions between the public service mission of TV news and the quest for profitability and broad appeal."

And That's the Way it Was is a legacy to her family (daughter, son, and three grandsons and many nieces and nephews) as told by Florence Baltimore McDaniels. The intent is to tell how a family that had little material things and wealth functioned and worked together to make a happy home. The family was poor but the children didn't realize that they were because they had the most important necessity-love. There were a lot of family-oriented activities, fun and games, and wholesome activities that stimulated a desire to learn and excel in everything that was done. Lessons learned are instilled in behaviors such as trustworthiness, obedience versus disobedience, doing one's part, sharing the responsibilities, caring for each other, and respecting one's parents and siblings. It is very important that every individual knows how to spend one's spare time. One should have a hobby or develop a skill to hone in on when alone or when you need time to one's self and to reflect on one's inner strength. Continue to take on new skills and acquire new knowledge that will enhance and stimulate the mind. Try to keep up with current events and be aware of how changes in government and community will affect you. When making decisions always try to make choices with which you can live. It's all right to take chances, but remember that you must live with the consequences. And remember that no one is perfect. We all make mistakes; but once we make a mistake, try not to repeat that same mistake again. An intelligent person learns from his/her mistakes. That is how we grow and gain self confidence.

In this book, I lovingly recount the unyielding love and encouragement of my parents, who instilled a deep sense of responsibility and unshakeable confidence in me as well as my four brothers and sisters. My story illustrates a family bound by tradition, loyalty, and love. As the son of a freed slave, my father saw first-hand the daily challenges and obstacles for African Americans in post-slavery America. Both he and my mother implanted in us a clear work ethic, family values, and commitment to education, foundations that have remained with and propelled me throughout life. Thats the Way It Was weaves anecdotal accounts of my educational, athletic, and professional experiences, often with humorous details and sometimes tainted with racial biases as was commonplace in a cotton-farming community deep in segregated, post-depression Mississippi. I share many examples of both throughout the book to provide a realistic view of the world I encountered and somehow navigated relatively unscathed. I would later go on to make history as the first African American graduate of the University of Kentuckys Dental School and as the first African American intern and orthodontic resident at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I have been fortunate enough to have had a remarkable forty-five-plus-year career in private practice, always fueled and driven by the unconditional love and support of my family and my small-town community. I hope my story can serve as an inspiration for the younger generations to stay committed to their goals, never give up, and always strive to make the most of their talents.

Memories flood my mind as I reminisce how my journey has been a lifetime of happenings that speak to my soul with lessons that can be applied to our daily lives. These memories are conjured up at odd and, sometimes, inconvenient times. As I sat in church last Sunday and the pastor began his message, my mind captured a thought of bygone days that spoke loud and clear to my mind, and I scrambled in my bag for a pen and paper to put my thoughts down. Brother Tim must have thought he had really said something profound, and he did, but I did not write that down. It is my hope that all who read my memories and the lessons that I glean from them will take them to heart and identify with them and feel happiness, insight, and perhaps laughter as they share my memories and truths.

All of my life, I have heard the saying that people aren't who they pretend to be. I have found that in the rhelm of love, lust, lies and free will, we can all find our place. This is Maria's story and she finds her place in this rhelm and wants to rise above it. Can she find what she's looking for? Will she learn to love and trust?

Are we tired of hearing that fall is a season, sick of being offered fries and told about the latest movie? Yeah. Have we noticed the sly interpolation of Americanisms into our everyday speech? You betcha. And are we outraged? Hell, yes. But do we do anything? Too much hassle. Until now. In That's The Way It Crumbles Matthew Engel presents a call to arms against the linguistic impoverishment that happens when one language dominates another. With dismay and wry amusement, he traces the American invasion of our language from the early days of the New World, via the influence of Edison, the dance hall and the talkies, right up to the Apple and Microsoft-dominated present day, and explores the fate of other languages trying to fend off linguistic takeover bids. It is not the Americans' fault, more the result of their talent for innovation and our own indifference. He explains how America's cultural supremacy affects British gestures, celebrations and way of life, and how every paragraph and conversation includes words the British no longer even think of as Americanisms. Part battle cry, part love song, part elegy, this book celebrates the strange, the banal, the precious and the endangered parts of our uncommon common language.

Newly divorced and relieved of her position as head pastry chef in the restaurant she had slaved over for the last seven years, Ella Templeton was headed to the Sunshine Coast to lick her wounds and decide what to do with the rest of her life. This wasn’t the dreamy Christmas holiday that it sounded like. Ella hated Christmas and she was only going to the Sunshine Coast because that was where her parents lived and they’d offered her a place to stay. Thirty-four year old women shouldn’t be going home to their mothers—especially not Ella’s mother—even if her parents lived in a multimillion dollar mansion right on the beach and Ella could probably avoid her mother all together. No one told her she would be expected to take part in a bake-off on her mother’s YouTube channel, nor did they tell her about her fellow competitor. Michelin starred chef, Jake Collins. Please note: This story takes place in the sub-tropical area of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. It’s a Christmas story that takes place in Summer because…that’s how it happens down under. There is no snow, but there is plenty of heat…and I don’t just mean the temperature *wink wink* *This book uses UK/Australian English