Books published by Open Road Media

"We called it THE VUE, and without a doubt, that was the most complimentary nickname Bellevue Hospital ever had." So begins The View from the Vue, an "entertaining, colorful recall" (Publishers Weekly) of life a half-century ago at New York City's medical court of last resort. Between 1959 and 1965, Dr. Larry Karp served as medical student, intern, and resident physician at Bellevue. During these six years, he came to know and understand the people who wended their way through the dingy hallways and roach-infested subterranean passages, and inhabited the sparsely furnished wards of the fabulous hospital whose origins date back to 1811. It's not surprising that Dr. Karp has never been able to forget The Vue. Writing in a style both human and humorous, he recalls some of the astonishingly funny and dramatic events he lived through, involving bizarre patients and grotesque working conditions. In the process, he gives us a clear picture of what it was like at Bellevue in the early sixties . . . for both doctors and patients.

"Brand X and his fellow coyotes . . . are meticulously observed in the desert environment that Ms. Popham seems to know like her backyard. And so are the people of this fable-old Hallie and Albert . . . and the several varmint-hunters, callous or alcoholic or both. There is a parable of how we might relate to the creatures that share the world with us; and a parable of dreams versus realty; and a parable of home, of known territory with its comparative safety; and a parable of making the best of a world short of everything. The people and the creatures of Ms. Popham's fable are right, they belong, and they mean." -Wallace Stegner "This spare and affecting novel has the precision and the stinging sweetness of a fable. A wonderful book." -Thomas McGuane "Refreshing . . . Life-affirming . . . The first book I've read in a long time that left me with teary eyes at the end."-The San Diego Tribune "Captivating . . . The animals' arduous westward journey down the Colorado River to the Gulf suggests a coyote world view that is subtly sustained by their mysterious ways." -Publishers Weekly "With dramatic urgency and imaginative tenderness, Melinda Popham has given the world a painful, poetic, and delightfully unpredictable story that pulsates with hope and healing meaning." -Al Young, California Poet Laureate Emeritus "Rich with poetic resonance." -Los Angeles Times Book Review "Evoking a rich sense of place and animal behavior, [Popham] lets us see through very different eyes." -The Seattle Times "A daring and visionary tale. [Popham] dares to tell us what a coyote thinks and sees and feels and dreams. . . . A hero of the classic kind-a furry, howling, water-seeking version of the Hero with a Thousand Faces." -James D. Houston "Masterful . . . Astonishing . . . Remarkable . . . Put down the latest technothriller and bask awhile in the descriptive prose of Skywater." -L.A. Life

So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of Grit tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Angela Duckworth’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 Grit by Angela Duckworth includes: Historical contextChapter-by-chapter summariesImportant quotesFascinating triviaGlossary of termsSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About Angela Duckworth’s Grit: Psychologist Angela Duckworth blows the lid off of theories that suggest IQ and socioeconomic status are the sole predictors of success. Not intellectually gifted, according to her traditional, Asian-American father, Duckworth nevertheless became a MacArthur “Genius.” Winning the award led her to reflect upon the qualities that got her there: perseverance and passion. Interviewing dozens of the world’s winners, Duckworth ventures into the playing fields of achievement, speaking with CEOs and coaches, and visits West Point, competitive swim teams, and even the National Spelling Bee to discover the common threads. Pulling from history, as well as cutting-edge neuroscience and behavioral science, Grit offers tips and advice for everyone—from parents to athletes to entrepreneurs—about how getting gritty can help you to succeed. 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 an in-depth summary of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, the #1 bestseller about science, race, and medical ethics. For decades, scientists have been using “HeLa” cells in biological research, from developing the polio vaccine and studying the nature of cancer to observing how human biology behaves in outer space. This famous cell line began as a sample taken from a poor African American mother of five named Henrietta Lacks. A cancer patient, Henrietta Lacks went through medical testing but never gave consent for the use of her cells. She died of cervical cancer in 1951, without ever knowing that the samples were intended for extensive medical research. This summary of the #1 New York Times bestseller by Rebecca Skloot tells Henrietta’s story and reveals what happened when her family found out that her cells were being bought and sold in labs around the world. With historical context, character profiles, a timeline of key events, and other features, this summary and analysis of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.

So much to read, so little time? Get the key points of The Lean Startup—the bestseller about creativity, efficiency, and building a sustainable business. Through successes and failures with tech companies, Eric Ries began to realize there was a better way to develop a startup. Using his experiences, as well as valuable lessons learned from other industries, Ries identifies the difficulties a startup faces and how to build a more efficient—and successful—business. In the end, all of his advice comes down to saving the most important resource of all: time. This summary of that bestselling business book covers such topics as: How to shorten project-development cyclesValidated learning and rapid scientific experimentationMeasuring progress accuratelyIdentifying your customers’ desiresHow to adapt to changing circumstances quickly With chapter-by-chapter overviews, definitions of key terms, context and analysis, important quotes, and other features, this summary and analysis of The Lean Startup is intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.

So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of Outliers tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Malcolm Gladwell’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 Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell includes: Historical contextChapter-by-chapter summariesProfiles of the main charactersImportant quotesFascinating triviaGlossary of termsSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell: What makes high achievers, like Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and members of the Beatles so successful? Is it pure talent? Personal drive? An off-the-charts IQ? In Outliers, bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell explores the subject of success and argues that there is more to the story than individual exceptionalism. In addition to inherent talent or intelligence, there are other factors that have come into play for the innovators, artists, athletes, and prodigies who have become household names. Many who have attained rock-star status in their fields may have education, culture, access to a specific technology or opportunity, and ten thousand hours of practice to thank for their reaching their goals. Through a wide range of examples and anecdotes, learn what makes outliers so extraordinary. The summary and analysis in this book are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.

This refreshing handbookequally useful in the boardroom, the classroom, and the living roomcaptures insightful lessons from personal encounters with diversity. Award-winning author Dr. Joan Lester is a talented storyteller. Her generous voice sheds keen insight, humor and practical advise on the polarizing dilemmas of living with diversity.

Steeling himself against the agonies of returning to his hometown where memories of his lost family can no longer be buried, Matt McKendrick spends a tumultuous summer working on a guest ranch with four of his closest friends and one of his oldest enemies. By summers’ end, each of them will be forced to make an impossible choice.Cutting Loose is the fourth book in the series.

So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of Alexander Hamilton tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Ron Chernow’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 Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow includes: Historical contextChapter-by-chapter summariesDetailed timeline of key eventsImportant quotesFascinating triviaGlossary of termsSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow: Ron Chernow’s New York Times–bestselling biography of Alexander Hamilton sets the record straight on the often-misunderstood founding father. Beginning with a thoroughly researched investigation of Hamilton’s controversial origins, the book takes an immersive look at the man who authored the Federalist Papers, fought in the Revolutionary War, crafted the nation’s financial system, and served as George Washington’s right-hand man before being killed in an infamous duel with Aaron Burr. More than a portrait of one man, Alexander Hamilton is the story of America’s birth—and the inspiration for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Pulitzer Prize–winning Broadway musical. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.

A Finnish-born American entrepreneur builds his dream ship, the first modern sailing cruise ship, with a team of shipping business men, naval architects, and engineers, wise shipbuilders, a temperamental designer and an essential woman. Thirty years later, the ship and her sisters are still in service on the world’s oceans.

So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of The Underground Railroad tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Colson Whitehead’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 Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead includes: Historical contextChapter-by-chapter summariesAnalysis of the main charactersThemes and symbolsImportant quotesFascinating triviaGlossary of termsSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead: Colson Whitehead’s National Book Award–winning The Underground Railroad is a bold, original, and unflinchingly brutal portrait of slavery during the darkest period in American history. On the cusp of womanhood, Cora is a runaway slave, pursued by her memories of abuse and abandonment, and by the implacable and notoriously cruel slave hunter known as Ridgeway. Her journey on the Underground Railroad—in Whitehead’s conceit, a literal, subterranean railway—propels her journey across a dangerous landscape in search of freedom. 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 Euro tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Joseph E. Stiglitz’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 Euro by Joseph E. Stiglitz includes: Historical contextChapter-by-chapter summariesProfiles of the main charactersImportant quotesFascinating triviaGlossary of termsSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About The Euro by Joseph E. Stiglitz: In The Euro, Columbia Business School professor and Nobel Prize–winning economist author Joseph E. Stiglitz argues that the fundamental cause of the Eurozone’s recent economic difficulties was the creation of a single currency without the institutions to support it. The euro bound 19 countries with very different economies—and very different views about economics—together, but it did not include the institutions or rules to make such a union succeed. The results of this union are clear: although the United States has experienced growth since the financial crisis, Europe is stagnant and Eurozone unemployment remains over 10%. New York Times–bestselling author Joseph Stiglitz outlines three possible ways forward: fundamental reforms to the current system, an end to the single currency experiment, or a new system entirely. The Euro is required reading for all citizens of today’s globalized world. The summary and analysis in this book are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.

In this biographical novel, Gladys Malvern shares the incredible story of Anna Pavlova, one of the most revered and celebrated ballerinas of all time. Malvern presents Pavlova's life in enchanting prose, allowing the reader to experience Pavlova's inspirational first exposure to a performance of Sleeping Beauty, the origination of her defining dance The Dying Swan, her illustrious rise to fame as a prima ballerina, and her extensive world tours. You don't have to be a fan of the ballet to enjoy this captivating tale, available for the first time in ebook.

The winner of the 1943 Julia Ellsworth Ford Foundation Award, Valiant Minstrel tells the life story of beloved Scottish entertainer Harry Lauder, presented as a biographical novel. Gladys Malvern's intimate account of Lauder's humble beginnings in mills and coalmines and incredible thirty-year career, which saw him knighted, makes it clear why he was the highest paid theatrical performer of his time. Malvern uses her gift for enthralling prose to recreate Lauder's experiences in this page-turner, available for the first time in ebook.

Curtain Going Up! is the engaging novelization of Katharine Cornell's life up to the book's writing in 1943. The First Lady of the Theatre, as Cornell was known, entertained countless audiences on Broadway and on tour. With her husband, Guthrie McClintic, she produced and starred in many renowned performances, such as Candida and The Barretts of Wimpole Street, and gave endlessly to both audiences and the acting community. The fascinating story of one of the most influential figures in 20th century theatre is available for the first time in ebook.

On May 4, 1970, two platoons of Ohio National Guardsmen fired on a crowd of students at Kent State University, killing four and wounding nine. Neither the federal government nor the state of Ohio took any responsibility for the guardsmen’s actions. Through the account of the subsequent civil trial, we follow the events of that tragic day, as experienced by the victims and their families, and share their frustration as they try to discover the truth.

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults, an ALA Quick Pick, and an ALA Recommended Book for Reluctant Young Readers Nancy and Katie are best friends with one big thing in common-they both cut themselves: "Not by accident, we do it purposely-and regularly-because physical pain is comforting, and because now it has become a habit." Crosses was the first novel for young adults to deal with an increasingly widespread disorder, and "graphically describes the cry for help of many adolescents and how far they have to fall before they are even noticed" (Voice of Young Adults).

Louise Nevelson, one of the most important American sculptors of the twentieth century, was a beautiful woman who lived so audacious a life that by the time of her death she was a legend both inside and outside the art world. Born Leah Berliawsky in Czarist Russia in 1899, she grew up in Maine, ostracized as a Jew and a foreigner. At twenty she escaped to Manhattan as Mrs. Charles Nevelson, eventually leaving her husband for a life devoted to art. She lived and loved with lusty abandon, often in poverty and obscurity, until she finally achieved fame and fortune at sixty. "This biography of a monstre sacre is a tale of hard-tacks heroism and heedless swipes at those who dared to love her," said Interview magazine. Nevelson found inspiration in cubism, primitive art, and her own unconscious, creating a rich iconography of images. With black, white, or gold paint and perfect placement, she transformed old pieces of wood picked up on the street into powerful sculptures. In later years she appeared in mink eyelashes and flamboyant costumes, all the while going to her studio every day before dawn to add to the astonishing body of work now in collections of museums around the world. Laurie Lisle interviewed Nevelson before the artist's death in 1988, as well as her lovers, family members, artist friends, and many others. This biography provides fascinating insights and information discovered in archives and public records, letters and diaries, and the artist's own prose and poetry. Now in a revised e-book edition, Louise Nevelson: A Passionate Life is the only biography of this important American sculptor. It is "impressive in its thoroughness, which nonetheless results in 'good reading' by virtue of its interweaving of personal and professional information, its eclectic introduction of psychological analysis, and a phraseology that appreciates both the pain and the joy surrounding Nevelson's eccentric behavior," according to Woman's Art Journal.

Why are those devastated by war or other military experiences called mentally ill? The standard treatment of therapy and drugs can actually be harmful, and huge numbers of suffering veterans from earlier eras demonstrate its inadequacy.   Most of us are both war-illiterate and military-illiterate. Caplan proposes that we welcome veterans back into our communities and listen to their experiences, one-on-one. Beginning a long overdue national discussion about the realities of war and the military will help us bridge the dangerous chasms between veterans and nonveterans.

When Eric’s Body was published in l993, it became an overnight sensation and has sold steadily through the present day. Hailed as “powerful . . . unforgettable . . . phenomenal,” it launched the writing powerhouse of Southern author Jery Tillotson, a former prize-winning journalist. The 25 stories deal with everything from heartbreak (“Barbed Wire”) and humor (“The Bastard of the County”) to the haunting (“The Last of the Seven Beauties”) and present a dazzling gallery of complex men you won’t forget. Jocks, convicts, bad boys, and evangelists—they’re all here. Read Eric’s Body and discover why tens of thousands of readers around the world have hailed it as one of gay literature’s most enduring classics!

When The Rope Above, the Bed Below first appeared in 1994, Jason Fury’s memoirs of a wild, sexually free Manhattan of 1980 before the AIDS epidemic became an overnight bestseller—first in America, and then around the world. Although beset with censorship problems, critics and fans quickly hailed the novel for its “feverish writing,” its breathless plot of a mad killer stalking New York’s male strippers, and its hypnotic remembrance of a sex-filled world now vanished. Fury’s memoir is recognized today as a parable of the “Plague Years” that soon swept the world.

Lily Cassidy’s childhood happiness is shattered when her father is murdered by political opponents. Powerless to act against her father’s killer, she consents to a loveless marriage with Emmett Moss in exchange for his promise of vengeance. What follows this bitter deal leaves Lily standing on her own as the matriarch of a legend. When Emmett’s niece arrives at his ranch, the lady-like Claire presents a cool contrast to tomboy Lily. Known for her common sense more than her beauty, Lily forges a friendship with the delicate Claire that outlasts everything in their lives except the land itself. Set in New Mexico Territory in the 1870s, Texas Lily is the story of Lily’s courage and fortitude to save her family, Claire’s love of an outlaw that sends her into and out of madness, and the profoundly intertwined fates of their offspring.

Winner of the California Young Reader Medal in the high school category and an ALA Best Book of the Year. Following the death of his parents in a car accident, fifteen-year-old Matt McKendrick runs away from his hometown with his small, deaf sister, Katie, to prevent her from being placed in an institution. Reaching Los Angeles exhausted and hungry, they take refuge in an abandoned theater. When Matt returns to the theater after an unsuccessful day hunting for work, he finds Katie gone and the police waiting to accuse him of murder. Alone in a city of strangers, Matt sets out on a desperate quest-fighting suspicion, hatred, and his own unbearable remorse and self-doubt-to prove to himself and to the Homicide detective who despises him that he is who he says he is. The Truth Trap is the first book in the series.

Everyone loved Lucy, the scheming, madcap redhead who ruled television for more than twenty years. In life, however, Lucille Ball presented a far more complex and contradictory personality than was ever embodied by the television Lucy. In Lucille: The Life of Lucille Ball Kathleen Brady presents the actress as a fully rounded human being, often at odds with the image she presented as an entertainment icon. Brady has gone far beyond the typical celebrity biography to present a funny, unflinching and ultimately moving portrait of Lucille Ball as a performing artist, daughter, mother, friend, colleague, and television mogul. Many think they know the story of Lucille Ball's life, but Brady provides new details and a fresh perspective on this complex woman through a wealth of anecdotes and firsthand accounts. Lucille Ball is revealed not only as a television archetype and influential icon of postwar American culture, but as a driven yet fragile human being who spent her life struggling to create of life of normalcy, but ultimately failed-even as she succeeded in bringing laughter of millions of fans. In researching Lucille, Brady interviewed more than 150 people from her hometown to Hollywood. She spoke with her grade school classmates, and those like Katherine Hepburn and Ginger Rodgers who met her when she arrived in Hollywood in the 1930s. She gained insights from those who knew her before her fame and from those she loved throughout her life. Film, radio and television history come to life with the appearances on these pages of such greats as The Marx Brothers, Buster Keaton, Louis B. Mayer, and of course Desi Arnaz, who march and pratfall through the pages of this outstanding biography.

The Big Tour is an authentic, behind-the-ropes tale of a young golfer’s arduous quest to become, and succeed, as a professional golfer.

Reentering the normal world of track and school and strangers, and dreading the unanswerable accusation, “Aren’t you the one who killed a little girl and got away with it?”, sixteen-year-old Matt McKendrick finds hostility and friendship in unexpected places.  Aren’t You the One Who . . . ? is the second book in the series.

1948 is a leap year and a good one for Harry S. Truman. The second-hand book dealers on Manhattan’s Fourth Avenue are in full swing. Howard inherits his father’s shabby bookshop, but Howard isn’t a true bookman, and he knows how little money there is in the business—until a seemingly priceless manuscript falls into his lap. But there’s something odd about it. Howard decides to check out his treasure with an acerbic fellow in Baltimore, a man Howard’s late father believed could solve all literary problems: H. L. Mencken. The results are deadly.

Gingersnaps: A Novel weaves together the lives of six African-American women in an emotional, humorous, and realistic tale that focuses on their romantic relationships. These six baby boomersAletha, Desiree, Veronica, Debra, Janeen, and Louisecross each other's paths, adding more interesting twists and turns into the story. This novel not only has romance but an element of mystery mixed into the story. This is a must for those who enjoy reading about characters who remain strong regardless of the situation or challenges.

From the over-scheduled, the inexperienced, and the fully prepared to the devoted camper/boater/tail-gater—anyone can have dinner on the table in no time with the flip of a lid. Following the success of Laura Karr’s The Can Opener Gourmet®, she offers 200 more quick, delicious and nutritious worry-free recipes in her second cookbook, Pop It, Stir It, Fix It, Serve It.  With the new digital version of the book, all those delicious, timesaving meals and treats are right at your fingertips. It’s the perfect cookbook for busy people who like to maximize their time with minimum effort. Reminding us that canned foods are preservative-free, retain peak nutritional value from time of harvest, and are already washed, cooked, chopped and ready for use, Karr has developed recipes from starters to desserts based on these facts to shorten prep time for some of your favorites—all from the convenience of your cabinet. 

Men lived and grew old and died in a few weeks in Vietnam. A lot of them didn’t live that long. This is the story of one young soldier’s coming of age in hell. What he saw, how he felt, the way he reacted when friends were blasted to bits right in front of him. This is a story of a few men, but it will stand for all of them. War brought out the best and worst in men, the killers and the guys who just wanted to get home. They were there and they fought a merciless enemy, killing to stay alive. This is a brutal, shocking, nightmarish book—one that you will never forget.