Find out how this one-time American hero became the country's most notorious traitor. As a young child, Benedict Arnold never shied away from a fight. So when the French and Indian War began in 1754, Benedict was eager to join the militia and fight for the British colonies in America. And when he was eighteen years old, he got his chance. Arnold had no idea that less than twenty years later, he would be fighting against the British in the Revolutionary War. Now the captain of his own militia, Benedict won the admiration of his troops and George Washington when he captured a major British fort. He continued fighting for the colonies and was even considered a patriotic war hero after being wounded in battle. But in 1780, Benedict made a decision that no one could anticipate. He betrayed his fellow Americans and joined the British army. Author James Buckley Jr. takes us through Benedict's life and explains the events that led him to switch sides and become the most famous turncoat in American history.

Basements have been cribbed about places for long time now. They have always represented creepy corners, hubs for investigation, and hideouts for all bad things including the poor cobwebs of unsuspecting spiders and what not! Have you ever wondered that basement could be a place you would be proud to talk about, write on, parade about, advocate for; a place to learn, live, lead and pursue all things bright and beautiful. Well, there was one basement that happened to be a haven for me for a couple of years - the place I worked at from dawn to dusk and all the other permutations and combinations of times that fall in this periphery. A place for learning, probing into the unknown, assisting confused researchers, understanding people and what tips or ticks them off, cultivating relationships, culturing the bubbling hub of research and new ventures - that is The Basement of the Research Tower for you.At the end of every dark tunnel, a little glimpse of light is all we hope for. In The Basement of the Research Tower, I hoped to advance the dreams of an Ivy education, a flourishing career, and a sustainable life that promotes self-efficacy while giving me an opportunity to help others. These are some of the reasons why the basement of the research tower was a prized melody for me. It was dark some evenings, for the mind and body got tired of working hard, thinking hard, problem-solving hard; but my spirit never dampened since the basement always indicated that there was a world out there to look out for; a world that needs everybody's help to be a better place; and this very spirit was the caffeine that drove my adrenaline (and a cup or 2 of JAVA from Java City).

For a long time, the main role of First Ladies was to act as hostesses of the White House...until Eleanor Roosevelt. Born in 1884, Eleanor was not satisfied to just be a glorified hostess for her husband, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Eleanor had a voice, and she used it to speak up against poverty and racism. She had experience and knowledge of many issues, and fought for laws to help the less fortunate. She had passion, energy, and a way of speaking that made people listen, and she used these gifts to campaign for her husband and get him elected president-four times! A fascinating historical figure in her own right, Eleanor Roosevelt changed the role of First Lady forever.

Though she grew up in rural Pennsylvania, Rachel Carson dreamed of the sea. In 1936 she began work with the Bureau of Fisheries and soon after published Under the Sea Wind, her first of many nature books. Her 1962 bestseller, Silent Spring, sent shockwaves through the country and warned of the dangers of DDT and other pesticides. A pioneering environmentalist, Rachel Carson helped awaken the global consciousness for conservation and preservation.

When Portuguese sailor Ferdinand Magellan set sail from Spain in 1519, he believed he could get to the Spice Islands by sailing west through or around the New World. He was right, but what he didn't know was that the treacherous voyage would take him three years and cost him his life. Black-and-white line drawings illustrate Magellan's life and voyage, with sidebars and a time line that enhance readers' understanding of the period.