Books published by Open Road Media

In October 1871, a massive forest fire incinerated the town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin. It was the deadliest fire in North American history, an event so intense that its release of energy was not approximated until the advent of thermo-nuclear weapons. At least 1,200 people perished-some in bizarre and disturbing ways-and the actual number of fatalities is unknown, perhaps as many as 1,500 were lost. Since the Great Chicago Fire occurred at the same time, Peshtigo was overshadowed and almost forgotten. In 2000, veteran wild-land firefighter Peter Leschak was faced with a hot and challenging fire season, tasked with the leadership of a helitack crew-an airborne fire team expected to be the "tip of the spear" on wildfire initial attacks. During that long summer he studied Father Peter Pernon's eyewitness account of the Pehstigo holocaust, and using his knowledge and experience as a firefighter, Leschak placed himself in Pernin's shoes, as much as possible being transported to the firestorm of 1871. Ghosts of the Fireground tells both tales: the horrific saga of Peshtigo, and the modern battles of a wildfire helicopter crew, seamlessly intertwining the stories to enhance them both.

The complexities and storms of the Telnarian Histories are brought to their unexpected and rousing climax. Following a palace coup, in the midst of intrigue and turmoil, Otto, the blond barbarian giant, King of the Otungs, a tribe of the Vandal Nation, has set aside the boy emperor, Aesilesius, and seized the throne of the vast, unstable, threatened Telnarian Empire. A raging torrent of complex, perilous events ensues. Can the throne be held? Can the empire survive? In The Emperor, we meet again fierce Abrogastes, the Far Grasper, lord of the Drisriaks, hegemonic tribe of the dreaded Aatii Nation, enemy to the Vandal Nation; his envious, treacherous son, Ingeld, aspirer to the High Seat of the Drisriaks; Sidonicus, devious, unscrupulous exarch of Telnar, seeker of power through the perversion of religion; envious Fulvius, his ambitious subordinate; a corrupt senate, an unruly citizenry, and private armies; Atalana, superstitious and cunning Empress Mother; her son, the reclusive boy emperor, Aesilesius; his lovely sisters, Alacida and Viviana, one of whom will learn chains and the whip; Julian, of the Aureliani, scion of an embittered and divided aristocracy; and many other players in the games of betrayal, blood, and power.

"A fascinating story." -LeVar BurtonThe thrilling adventures of a slave who became known worldwide for his explorations of Mammoth Cave. If you toured Mammoth Cave in Kentucky in the year 1838, you would have been led by candlelight through dark, winding tunnels to the edge of a terrifying bottomless pit. Your guide would have been seventeen-year-old Stephen Bishop, an African American slave who became known around the world for his knowledge of Mammoth Cave. Bishop needed bravery, intelligence, and curiosity to explore the vast cavern. Using only a lantern, rope, and other basic caving equipment, he found a way to cross the bottomless pit and discover many more miles of incredible grottoes and tunnels. For the rest of his life he guided visitors through the cave, showing them how to stoop, bend, and crawl through passageways that were sometimes far from the traditional tour route. Based on the narratives of those who toured the cave with him, Journey to the Bottomless Pit is the first book for young readers ever written about Stephen Bishop. New to this edition: A free teacher's guide to this book, as well as an interview with current-day Mammoth Cave guide Jerry Bransford, great-great-grandson of Stephen Bishop's fellow guide, Mat Bransford.

The "intensely logical" master sleuth discovers a crowded coffin in one of his earliest and most puzzling cases (The New York Times). The scion of a famous New York art-dealing family, Georg Khalkis spent his final years housebound with blindness until he died of a heart attack. After his funeral, his will mysteriously vanishes. Following a thorough search, Inspector Richard Queen's son, Ellery, suggests checking the coffin, where they discover not one, but two corpses. When the second body is identified as an ex-convict, it becomes clear they have a murder case on their hands with links to the art world and a da Vinci forgery. It's up to young Ellery Queen to solve the case in "a lively and well-constructed yarn containing unusual setting, ingenuity of plot, a surprise solution and legitimate use of the analytico-deductive method" (New York Herald Tribune Book Review).

The real story behind the murder of a Manhattan schoolteacher that became a symbol of the dangers of casual sex: "A first-rate achievement" (Truman Capote). In 1973, Roseann Quinn, an Irish-Catholic teacher at a school for deaf children, was killed in New York City after bringing a man home to her apartment from an Upper West Side pub. The crime made headlines and the ensuing case quickly evolved into a cultural phenomenon, spawning both a #1 New York Times-bestselling novel and a film adaptation starring Diane Keaton and Richard Gere, and sparking debates about the sexual revolution and the perils of the "pickup scene" at what were popularly known as singles bars. In this groundbreaking true crime tale, Lacey Fosburgh, the New York Times reporter first assigned to the story, utilizes an inventive dramatization technique, in which she gives the victim a different name, to veer between the chilling, suspenseful personal interactions leading up to the brutal stabbing and the gritty details of its aftermath, including the NYPD investigation and the arrest of John Wayne Wilson. An Edgar Award finalist for Best Fact Crime, this classic of the genre is "more riveting, and more tragic, than the Judith Rossner novel-and 1977 movie Looking for Mr. Goodbar" (Men's Journal).

This classic New York Times bestseller is an illuminating portrait of JFK—from his thrilling rise to his tragic fall—by two of the men who knew him best. As a politician, John Fitzgerald Kennedy crafted a persona that fascinated and inspired millions—and left an outsize legacy in the wake of his murder on November 22, 1963. But only a select few were privy to the complicated man behind the Camelot image.   Two such confidants were Kenneth P. O’Donnell, Kennedy’s top political aide, and David F. Powers, a special assistant in the White House. They were among the president’s closest friends, part of an exclusive inner circle that came to be known as the “Irish Mafia.” In Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye, O’Donnell and Powers share memories of Kennedy, his extraordinary political career, and his iconic family—memories that could come only from intimate access to the man himself.   As they recount the full scope of Kennedy’s journey—from his charismatic first campaign for Congress to his rapid rise to national standing, culminating on that haunting day in Dallas—O’Donnell and Powers lay bare the inner workings of a leader who is cherished and mourned to this day, in a memoir that spent over five months on the New York Times bestseller list.

When a flaming object from space lands in the lake near the home of Brin's Five, the last thing the family expects to find is an alien from another planet. The alien is Scott Gale, member of a four-person team send from Earth to the planet Torin to research its environment. Separated from the rest of the crew before landing, Scott is rescued by members of Brin's Five. He quickly learns their language and becomes part of the family. However, he and Brin's Five are forced to flee their home when the cruel leader of Torin, Tiath Pentroy, arrives, searching for Scott. Tiath views Scott and the powerful technology of the ship that brought him from beyond the stars as a threat to his rule... but also potential assets that could make him invincible. Tiath will stop at nothing until both are in his grasp. On the run from Tiath and his spies, Scott and his adoptive family have only one hope for survival: If they can reach the fabulous city of Rintoul, Scott might be able to use his Earth technology to prove himself worthy of protection. But with their pursuers never far behind, Scott and the rest of Brin's Five are in a race against time to reach their hoped-for sanctuary before the dread ruler can catch them... and end the alien threat for good.

“[James Munves] has the gift of finding the particular detail that illuminates the whole. . . . The narrative comes out to be more than the sum of its parts.” —Emily Maxwell, The New Yorker “The struggle for independence, the creation of a new government, westward expansion, regional differences, Civil War, social and economic change, Depression and world wars—all described and related the one to another in a smooth and knowledgeable narrative.” —Nash K. Burger, The New York Times “The best short history that I have ever read.” —Thurman Arnold “A model volume of its kind . . . Deserves wide acceptance.” —Allan Nevins

The three most important documents in American history--expanded and explained. In the centuries since the creation of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States, as well as its Bill of the Rights, the liberties set forth within these documents have faced many challenges, including war, unrest, political debate, and legal disputes. Such trials persist today, but the initial strength of our founding papers--shining as beacons of hope and freedom to America and beyond--continues to stand the test of time. Now, The American Reader provides a brief summary and analysis of these landmark documents: examining constitutional interpretation, specifically originalism vs. living Constitution; exploring the Declaration's "saving principles," expressed by Frederick Douglass, one of many influential leaders referenced in this concise guide; and more. Also included are noteworthy facts about the founding fathers, a detailed timeline of events, and other fascinating trivia. At a time when our understanding of individual liberties in America is especially imperative, this essential reference puts our country's foundational beliefs into much-needed modern perspective.

Generation X cult classics Our Noise and Geniuses of Crack chronicled a group of friends just out of college who lived in a small town, cared more about their record collections than their careers, and never imagined they'd have to grow up. Losing Our Edge-the sequel to both books-revisits a number of the characters, seeing where they are twenty years later and discovering what's happened with their lives. There's Charles and Randy, two old friends and former roommates who reconnect only to discover they now have nothing in common. There's Craig and Ashley, ex-lovers who contemplate getting back together, even if it means breaking up a marriage. And then there's the band Bottlecap, reuniting for one last gig and another shot at the dream that was derailed the first time around. For everyone in Losing Our Edge, it's a second chance to get things right. A tough and honest look at what the passing of time does to romance, friendship, and dreams, Losing Our Edge shows that you can go home again-you just might not like what you find when you get there.

So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of Helter Skelter tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Genry’s book.Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This summary of Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi with Curt Gentry includes: Historical contextSection-by-section overviewsDetailed timeline of eventsAnalysis of the main charactersFascinating triviaGlossary of termsSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry’s Helter Skelter: In the bestselling true crime book Helter Skelter, lead prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi provides a meticulously detailed account of the murders committed by the Manson family and their trial—one of the most sensational criminal cases of the century. From the police investigation of the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca and Sharon Tate, to the arrests, the courtroom antics, and the personalities and motivations of Charles Manson and his followers, Helter Skelter offers a haunting look into the horrific repercussions of cult mentality on a violent rampage. The summary and analysis in this book are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.

A Christmas scrooge discovers a murdered librarian in this holiday novel from an Edgar Award finalist known for her "witty, literate, and charming" mysteries (Publishers Weekly). Each December, the faculty of Balaclava Agricultural College goes wild with holiday decorations. The entire campus glitters with Christmas lights, save for one dark spot: the home of professor Peter Shandy. But after years of resisting the school's Illumination festival, Shandy suddenly snaps, installing a million-watt display of flashing lights and blaring music perfectly calculated to drive his neighbors mad. Then the horticulturalist flees town, planning to spend Christmas on a tramp steamer. It's not long before he feels guilty about his prank and returns home to find his lights extinguished-and a dead librarian in his living room. Hoping to avoid a scandal, the school's head asks Shandy, sometimes detective, to investigate the matter quietly. After all, Christmas is big business, and the town needs the cash infusion that typically comes with the Illumination. But as Shandy will soon find out, there's a dark side to even the whitest of white Christmases.

A copycat crime on Groundhog Day brings out Professor Peter Shandy's inner sleuth in this Edgar Award finalist from the international bestselling author. The rural town of Balaclava greets Groundhog Day as an excuse for one last cold-weather fling. The students and faculty of the local agricultural college drink cocoa, throw snowballs, and when the temperature allows, ice skate. But Oozak's Pond is not quite frozen this year, and as the celebrations reach their peak, the students see someone bobbing through the ice. Long past help, the drowning victim is badly decomposed and dressed in an old-fashioned frock coat with a heavy rock in each pocket. First on the scene is Peter Shandy, horticulturalist and-when the college requires it-detective. But solving this nineteenth-century murder mystery will take more than Shandy's knack for growing rutabagas. Relying on his wife's expertise in local history, the professor dives headfirst into a gilded-age whodunit that cloaks secrets potent enough to kill.

An aging stripper's fresh corpse turns up in an old family tomb at Boston Common in this "first-rate suspense whodunit" (The Cincinnati Post). Like many old New England families, the Kellings live to die. Although their family vault is spacious and comfortable, it will not do for Sarah Kelling's Great-Uncle Frederick. In his will, he demands to be buried inside the ancient family tomb at Boston Common, which hasn't admitted a new member in over a century. But when the Kellings crack the old vault's door, they find a recently built brick wall-and behind it lays a surprisingly fresh corpse, a skeleton with rubies in its teeth. Her name was Ruby Redd, and many years ago she was the toast of Boston's burlesque scene. Her murder case is ice cold, but when Sarah begins investigating it, she finds that the fiery passions behind Ruby's death still burn white hot. With the help of art-fraud investigator Max Bittersohn, Sarah will solve the mystery of the stripper's murder-or take her own place in the family vault.

An exciting figure among the avant-garde of Paris in the 1920s, Caresse Crosby is little known today. She and her husband Harry founded the Black Sun Press, early publishers of such titans as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, D. H. Lawrence, Ezra Pound, and James Joyce. This flamboyant chapter of her life ended when Harry and his lover shot themselves in a sensational suicide pact. Caresse was thirty-six. Ever resilient, Caresse lived and loved another forty years, consorted with some two hundred lovers, married again, and established a refuge in Virginia for uprooted artists like Salvador Dali and Henry Miller. In response to the atom bomb, she declared herself a citizen-of-the-world and organized Women Against War, furthering a worldwide peace movement. In her later years, she bought a feudal castle in Italy—“Castello de Rocca Sinibalda”—to provide a home for artists and pacifists. She died there in 1970.

"The great hurricane that devastated Galveston in 1900 is the centerpiece of [this] tightly knit novel. The writing is powerful. A fine work, integrating nature with character." -The Horn Book, starred review "Nelson's strong sense of place, poetic style and inspired characterization make this far more than just an enthralling adventure." -Kirkus Reviews

The Alexandria Project is the true story of how researchers from five universities and organizations went to Egypt to put the claims of a psychic ability known as Remote Viewing to the ultimate test. Was it possible, under rigorously controlled conditions, for some part of the human mind to locate and describe ancient sites known to exist, but now lost to history? How good was Remote Viewing when compared with electronic remote sensing technologies traditionally used by archaeologists? This book, and the research papers and film that accompany it, provides the surprising answers.

Secret Vaults of Time is the acknowledged classic in its field. As described by Publishers Weekly: “Schwartz’s compelling and cogent book is new evidence that the thinking and writing on things psychic has . . . attained a maturity that commands the most serious attention.” It covers 100 years of research around the world involving the use of remote viewing in archaeology.

So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of 1984 tells you what you need to know—before or after you read George Orwell’s book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This short summary and analysis of 1984 includes:Historical contextChapter-by-chapter overviewsCharacter analysisImportant quotesFascinating triviaGlossary of termsSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About 1984 by George Orwell: George Orwell’s classic novel 1984 is a cautionary tale about a dystopian society under the crushing and watchful eye of a tyrannical regime led by Big Brother. The dark story revolves around Winston Smith, an everyman who is tired of the government’s lies and relentless persecution of people who dare think for themselves. He manages to find the strength to stand up to a totalitarian system and, in the process, finds love and affection in a world where both have been deemed obsolete. Originally published in 1949, Orwell’s 1984 is a masterpiece of modern fiction and one of the most enduring and influential books of the twentieth century. The summary and analysis in this book are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of fiction.

So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of The Sixth Extinction tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Elizabeth Kolbert’s book.Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This short summary and analysis of The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert includes:Historical contextChapter-by-chapter overviewsDetailed timeline of key eventsImportant quotesFascinating triviaGlossary of termsSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert: Our planet has endured five events of mass extinction, from centuries of catastrophic heating and cooling to the asteroid that fell to earth and ended the Cretaceous Period. We are currently facing the sixth extinction, and this time the human species is to blame. Elizabeth Kolbert travels the world and meets with scientists who are grappling with the ecological outcomes of human activity. Her Pulitzer Prize–winning modern science classic tells the stories of thirteen different species that have already disappeared or are on the brink of extinction as a result of human activity. A captivating blend of research and historical anecdotes enlightens readers about the unintentional consequences of our behaviors, from climate change and global warming to invasive species and overexploitation. The summary and analysis in this book are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.

So much to read, so little time? Get a brief overview of The Innovator’s Dilemma—the bestselling business book about disruption and how companies adapt. Named one of the most important business books ever written by the Economist and the winner of the Global Business Book Award, The Innovator’s Dilemma uses true stories of the successes and failures of prominent companies to analyze why great firms fail when faced with critical market and technological innovation. In this summary of Clayton Christensen’s book for entrepreneurs, managers, CEOs, and business leaders, you’ll learn: Why sometimes “doing the right thing” can be the wrong thing, especially when faced with disruptive technologyWhy most companies, even good ones, struggle to adapt their business practicesWhat executives can do to ensure both the short-term health and long-term survival of their organizations With historical context, chapter-by-chapter overviews, important quotes, definitions of key terms, and other features, this summary and analysis of The Innovator’s Dilemma is intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.

The Eudaemonic Pie is the bizarre true story of how a band of physicists and computer wizards took on Las Vegas.

For Mr. and Mrs. North, there's no vacation from murder In a remote cabin far from New York City, Jerry and Pamela North are getting killed. On the brink of annihilation, they grit their teeth and battle back. In a minute, the fight is finished-and the Norths are named mixed doubles champions. It's a happy moment during a splendid vacation, but off the tennis court, all is not well. Following an afternoon of fun and games, the evening's entertainment will be murder. Mr. and Mrs. North have invited their closest friends-an ex-aviator, a mysterious doctor, and NYPD's own Lt. William Weigand-to join them on this glittering retreat, but the joviality ends when Weigand finds Helen Wilson lying across the path, a knife buried in her neck. A member of the group surely killed her, and unless the Norths act quickly, the murderer will strike again.

Published in 1959, this book is what Vincent Price called his “visual autobiography” — the story of his life through his 48th year as seen through the lens of his greatest passion, the visual arts. Peppered with lively stories about both his art collecting and advocacy as well as his career as an actor, I Like What I Know is written in an approachable and entertaining style, capturing what has drawn fans to Vincent Price throughout his distinguished 65-year-career and in the two decades since his death in 1993.

In his senior year, forced at every track meet to face the hatred of strangers who think he killed a little girl and got away with it, Matt McKendrick is determined to earn the Runner of the Year Award and to prove that no matter what they do, they can''t make him quit. His strongest rival is a black athlete as outstanding as he is. Only one of them can win the award, and only one does. Losers and Winners is the third book in the series.

What is it like today for the woman with a drinking problem? How does she know when she has crossed the fine line between social drinking and addiction? What can she do to help herself, and what can her family do to help her? Through an extensive and intimate series of interviews in halfway houses, women’s groups, and with individuals across the country, Edith Lynn Hornik-Beer has uncovered the social dynamics that create problem-drinking among women. She has also visited with spouses and children who have suffered because of a wife’s and/or a mother’s addiction. She has gathered a list of resources which will help a woman with a drinking problem pick up the pieces. Visit www.answersforthedrinkingwoman.com as well as www.answersforteens.com for more information and to sign up for the blogs.

Winner of the Washington Irving Children’s Choice Award A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year A Selection of the Junior Library Guild Star light, star bright . . . Elvira wishes for a mother and finds instead the father she scarcely knew she had. 

In this reflective and enjoyable India travel memoir, “hooks of fears” claw at author Claire Krulikowski on her first morning’s awakening in India, a land she’d never planned to visit. However, in Rishikesh she hears the call of Ma Ganga, the sacred Ganges River, and accepts its enticing invitation to leave everything she knows behind. Diving into the river of life teeming around her, including meetings with lepers, wounded monkeys, swamis, stalkers, pilgrims, shopkeepers, holy cows, and more, Krulikowski steps outside her beliefs of how things “should be,” trusting life and everything in it! She comes to know happiness and peace moment-by-moment. Presented in exquisite vignettes, enjoy these tales of spirit that are seemingly channeled by the sacred river.

Healing provides readers with the power to utilize the mind’s ability to create physiological changes in their bodies in combination with western medicine to reverse life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, depression, diabetes, AIDS, and more. This book includes numerous transforming images, which enable readers to tap into their mind’s subconscious, of positive emotional states including Hope, Self-love, Happiness, and Courage, and thereby reverse immune suppressive states of anxiety. Healing also contains inspiring quotes from the Dalai Lama, Buddha, and William Wordsworth; suggestions for specific actions including forgiving someone who has hurt them and feeling a sense of peace; and supporting facts, studies, and science, including gene therapy and quantum physics.

Fifty-two years after the pink-headed duck was last seen in the wild, Rory Nugent set off for India in search of this exceptionally rare bird. In Calcutta he prowled the fowl market, where a few of the ducks used to appear during the Raj. Traveling on to Delhi, he was befriended by a Cambridge-educated smuggler, and he learned of remote regions to the north where the duck might be found. In Sikkim, following the trail of a Yeti, he became lost in the Valley of Bliss and nearly imprisoned inside a forest of rhododendrons, each the size of a ranch house. Making his way to Assam, he bought a 13-foot skiff and paddled the Brahmaputra River from Burma to Bangladesh, with stops on an island, considered to be Kali’s left breast, and at a Tantrist temple, where he stumbled on a grisly ritual in a graveyard. In a secluded marsh along the river he may have spotted the world’s rarest duck.