An irreverent and charming collection of deeply personal essays about the joys of low pop culture and bad taste, exploring coming of age in the 2000s in the age of Hot Topic, Creed, and frosted lip gloss—from the James Beard Award-nominated writer of the Catapult column "Store-Bought Is Fine” Tacky is about the power of pop culture—like any art—to imprint itself on our lives and shape our experiences, no matter one's commitment to "good" taste. These fourteen essays are a nostalgia-soaked antidote to the millennial generation's obsession with irony, putting the aesthetics we hate to love—snakeskin pants, Sex and the City, Cheesecake Factory's gargantuan menu—into kinder and sharper perspective. Each essay revolves around a different maligned (and yet, Rax would argue, vital) cultural artifact, providing thoughtful, even romantic meditations on desire, love, and the power of nostalgia. An essay about the gym-tan-laundry exuberance of Jersey Shore morphs into an excavation of grief over the death of her father; in "You Wanna Be On Top," Rax writes about friendship and early aughts girlhood; in another, Guy Fieri helps her heal from an abusive relationship. The result is a collection that captures the personal and generational experience of finding joy in caring just a little too much with clarity, heartfelt honesty, and Rax King's trademark humor. A VINTAGE ORIGINAL

WHAT IF... one man decided to answer all the unanswerable questions, using science. The Sunday Times-bestselling author and xkcd creator, Randall Munroe is here to provide the best answers yet to the important questions you probably never thought to ask The millions of people around the world who read and loved What If? still have questions, and those questions are getting stranger. Planning to ride a fire pole from the moon back to Earth? The hardest part is sticking the landing. Hoping to cool the atmosphere by opening everyone's freezer doors at the same time? Maybe it's time for a brief introduction to thermodynamics. Want to know what would happen if you rode a helicopter blade, built a billion-storey building, made a lava lamp out of lava, or jumped on a geyser as it erupted? Okay, if you insist. Welcome (back) to the mind-blowing world of What If? Unfazed by absurdity, Randall consults the latest research on everything from swing-set physics to airplane-catapult design to clearly and concisely answer his readers' questions. As he consistently demonstrates, you can learn a lot from examining how the world might work in very specific extreme circumstances. Filled with bonkers science, boundless curiosity, and Randall's signature stick-figure comics, What If? 2 is sure to be another instant classic adored by inquisitive readers of all ages.

Crow Lake is that rare find, a first novel so quietly assured, so emotionally pitch perfect, you know from the opening page that this is the real thing—a literary experience in which to lose yourself, by an author of immense talent. Here is a gorgeous, slow-burning story set in the rural "badlands” of northern Ontario, where heartbreak and hardship are mirrored in the landscape. For the farming Pye family, life is a Greek tragedy where the sins of the fathers are visited on the sons, and terrible events occur—offstage. Centerstage are the Morrisons, whose tragedy looks more immediate if less brutal, but is, in reality, insidious and divisive. Orphaned young, Kate Morrison was her older brother Matt's protegee, her fascination for pond life fed by his passionate interest in the natural world. Now a zoologist, she can identify organisms under a microscope but seems blind to the state of her own emotional life. And she thinks she's outgrown her siblings—Luke; Matt, and Bo—who were once her entire world. In this universal drama of family love and misunderstandings, of resentments harbored and driven underground, Lawson ratchets up the tension with heartbreaking humor and consummate control, continually overturning one's expectations right to the very end. Tragic, funny, unforgettable, Crow Lake is a quiet tour de force that will catapult Mary Lawson to the forefront of fiction writers today.

In an age where technologies such as AI threaten to supplant human intelligence, an award-winning scientist offers a radical new view of our innate human technology and what we're truly capable of. There are rare moments in time when we make choices that irreversibly change the world, and our lives, forever. Today is one of those moments. Scientists, engineers and philosophers alike warn us that without a radical shift in our thinking, we are on track to be the last generation of pure humans that the world will know. Within a single generation we will devolve into a hybrid species of synthetic bodies, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and computer chips that limit our ability to think, to love, and to adapt to the conditions of the emerging world in a healthy way. In doing so we will also lose our capacity for emotion, empathy, intimacy, and forgiveness—the very qualities that we value and cherish in our humanness. The question that we face is simple: Do we love ourselves enough to preserve the gift of our humanness? Our answer is based upon the way we’ve been taught to think of ourselves. This book is a compelling journey of self-discovery that will catapult you beyond conventional thinking when it comes to your origins, your limits and, most importantly, the abilities that have been hidden from you for centuries, and the extraordinary potential that awaits as you embrace them.

This book can catapult you into living fully the life that is yours to live while you have the chance' Jon Kabat-Zinn 'A must-read for our distracted times' Dan Goleman 'A must-have guide to experiencing every moment of our lives' Goldie Hawn 'A treasure trove of insights and exercises to enrich our lives' Dan Siegel Stop for a moment. Are you here right now? Is your focus on the words in front of you? Or is it roaming elsewhere, to the past or future, to a worry, to your to-do list, or to your phone? The good news: There's nothing wrong with you - your brain isn't broken. The human brain was built to be distractible. The even better news: You can train your brain to pay attention more effectively. Acclaimed neuroscientist Dr Amishi Jha has dedicated her life's work to understanding the science of attention at every level - from brain imaging studies in the lab to field testing soldiers, firefighters and athletes. Her mission has been to scientifically determine how we can harness the full power of our attention to better meet all that life demands. In Peak Mind, Dr Jha expertly guides readers through fascinating research, debunking common assumptions about focus and attention, and offers remarkably easy-to-adapt flexible twelve minute-a-day exercises to lift the mental fog, declutter the mind, and strengthen focus so that you can experience more of your life.

"Huge applause... women have always been in science-despite those who would pretend otherwise." --Bonnie Garmus, New York Times bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry She gave up everything - and changed the world. A riveting novel based on the true story of the woman who stopped a pandemic, from the bestselling author of Mrs. Poe. In 1940s and '50s America, polio is as dreaded as the atomic bomb. No one's life is untouched by this disease that kills or paralyzes its victims, particularly children. Outbreaks of the virus across the country regularly put American cities in lockdown. Some of the world's best minds are engaged in the race to find a vaccine. The man who succeeds will be a god. But Dorothy Horstmann is not focused on beating her colleagues to the vaccine. She just wants the world to have a cure. Applying the same determination that lifted her from a humble background as the daughter of immigrants, to becoming a doctor -often the only woman in the room--she hunts down the monster where it lurks: in the blood. This discovery of hers, and an error by a competitor, catapults her closest colleague to a lead in the race. When his chance to win comes on a worldwide scale, she is asked to sink or validate his vaccine-and to decide what is forgivable, and how much should be sacrificed, in pursuit of the cure.

An irreverent and charming collection of deeply personal essays about the joys of low pop culture and bad taste, exploring coming of age in the 2000s in the age of Hot Topic, Creed, and frosted lip gloss—from the James Beard Award-nominated writer of the Catapult column "Store-Bought Is Fine” Tacky is about the power of pop culture—like any art—to imprint itself on our lives and shape our experiences, no matter one's commitment to "good" taste. These fourteen essays are a nostalgia-soaked antidote to the millennial generation's obsession with irony, putting the aesthetics we hate to love—snakeskin pants, Sex and the City, Cheesecake Factory's gargantuan menu—into kinder and sharper perspective. Each essay revolves around a different maligned (and yet, Rax would argue, vital) cultural artifact, providing thoughtful, even romantic meditations on desire, love, and the power of nostalgia. An essay about the gym-tan-laundry exuberance of Jersey Shore morphs into an excavation of grief over the death of her father; in "You Wanna Be On Top," Rax writes about friendship and early aughts girlhood; in another, Guy Fieri helps her heal from an abusive relationship. The result is a collection that captures the personal and generational experience of finding joy in caring just a little too much with clarity, heartfelt honesty, and Rax King's trademark humor. A VINTAGE ORIGINAL

In an age where technologies such as AI threaten to supplant human intelligence, an award-winning scientist offers a radical new view of our innate human technology and what we're truly capable of. There are rare moments in time when we make choices that irreversibly change the world, and our lives, forever. Today is one of those moments. Scientists, engineers, and philosophers alike warn us that without a radical shift in our thinking, we are on track to be the last generation of pure humans that the world will know. Within a single generation we will devolve into a hybrid species of synthetic bodies, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and computer chips that limit our ability to think, love, and adapt to the conditions of the emerging world in a healthy way. In doing so we will also lose our capacity for emotion, empathy, intimacy, and forgiveness-the very qualities that we value and cherish in our humanness. The question that we face is simple: Do we love ourselves enough to preserve the gift of our humanness? Our answer is based on the way we've been taught to think of ourselves. Now available in paperback, Pure Human is a compelling journey of self-discovery that will catapult you beyond conventional thinking when it comes to your origins, your limits and, most importantly, the abilities that have been hidden from you for centuries, and the extraordinary potential that awaits as you embrace them.

A gorgeous collector's edition of the critically acclaimed debut novel by John Green, #1 bestselling author of Turtles All the Way Down and The Fault in Our Stars A perfect gift for every fan, this deluxe hardcover features a stunning special edition jacket and 50 pages of all-new exclusive content, including: - An introduction by John Green - Extensive Q&A: John Green answers readers’ most frequently asked questions - Deleted scenes from the original manuscript ★ Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award ★ A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist ★ A New York Times Bestseller • A USA Today Bestseller ★ NPR’s Top Ten Best-Ever Teen Novels ★ TIME magazine’s 100 Best Young Adult Novels of All Time ★ A PBS Great American Read Selection NOW A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES! Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words—and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps.” Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young, who will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps. Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another. A modern classic, this stunning debut marked #1 bestselling author John Green’s arrival as a groundbreaking new voice in contemporary fiction.

Wake up and take control of your life! Too many people stay where they are, and end up wasting weeks, months, or even years. And no matter how dissatisfied they are, they don't change their situation. Every change — be it private or personal — has to come from the individual. With humor, wit, and pointed insight, change expert Patrick Lynen exposes our patterns of avoiding change and offers proven strategies for starting anew — strategies that are founded in science and never judgmental. If you're seeking new solutions to old problems, or are finally ready to overcome your fears, frustrations, and dependencies, you've found the right audiobook! It'll catapult you from intention to implementation. It arms you with the information and insights you need to achieve success and significance in your life. **** CHANGE YOUR THINKING - CHANGE YOUR LIFE # "Your horse is dead? Patrick Lynen explains in a wonderful way how to start mastering change in your life." (Cyriak Roeding, Investor, Silicon Valley) # "Patrick Lynen is the european authority on showing you how to dramatically improve your life. I've learned so much from this guy that I can't thank him enough!" (Prof. Dr. Detlef Beeker, University of Applied Sciences) # "An incredible audiobook which shows individuals how to identify realistic goals and develop a plan on how to achieve these goals." (Martin Sacht, RTL, Leading German Media Group)

In an age where technologies such as AI threaten to supplant human intelligence, an award-winning scientist offers a radical new view of our innate human technology and what we're truly capable of. There are rare moments in time when we make choices that irreversibly change the world, and our lives, forever. Today is one of those moments. Scientists, engineers and philosophers alike warn us that without a radical shift in our thinking, we are on track to be the last generation of pure humans that the world will know. Within a single generation we will devolve into a hybrid species of synthetic bodies, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and computer chips that limit our ability to think, to love, and to adapt to the conditions of the emerging world in a healthy way. In doing so we will also lose our capacity for emotion, empathy, intimacy, and forgiveness—the very qualities that we value and cherish in our humanness. The question that we face is simple: Do we love ourselves enough to preserve the gift of our humanness? Our answer is based upon the way we’ve been taught to think of ourselves. This book is a compelling journey of self-discovery that will catapult you beyond conventional thinking when it comes to your origins, your limits and, most importantly, the abilities that have been hidden from you for centuries, and the extraordinary potential that awaits as you embrace them.

This book can catapult you into living fully the life that is yours to live while you have the chance' Jon Kabat-Zinn 'A must-read for our distracted times' Dan Goleman 'A must-have guide to experiencing every moment of our lives' Goldie Hawn 'A treasure trove of insights and exercises to enrich our lives' Dan Siegel Stop for a moment. Are you here right now? Is your focus on the words in front of you? Or is it roaming elsewhere, to the past or future, to a worry, to your to-do list, or to your phone? The good news: There's nothing wrong with you - your brain isn't broken. The human brain was built to be distractible. The even better news: You can train your brain to pay attention more effectively. Acclaimed neuroscientist Dr Amishi Jha has dedicated her life's work to understanding the science of attention at every level - from brain imaging studies in the lab to field testing soldiers, firefighters and athletes. Her mission has been to scientifically determine how we can harness the full power of our attention to better meet all that life demands. In Peak Mind, Dr Jha expertly guides readers through fascinating research, debunking common assumptions about focus and attention, and offers remarkably easy-to-adapt flexible twelve minute-a-day exercises to lift the mental fog, declutter the mind, and strengthen focus so that you can experience more of your life.

¿'A scorching second-chance romance between a talented screenwriter and a phenomenal musician from "a fantastic storyteller and superb writer' NPR You never forget your first love. Isn't that what they say? Verity Hill knows this truth intimately. She didn't simply miss Wright "Monk" Bellamy when they parted ways in college. She's haunted by his touch. Every kiss, any lover since-a shadow of what they had. Time heals all wounds. Isn't that what they say? Monk doesn't believe that for a second. He wasn't simply betrayed when he and Verity split. He was devastated, with parts of him left behind in the ruins of all that was destroyed. More than a decade after their disastrous break up, Verity and Monk must work together on the set of an epic Harlem Renaissance biopic. With Monk, now a world-class musician creating the score, and Verity, an award-winning screenwriter penning the script, there's Oscar buzz before shooting even begins. This once-in-a-lifetime project could catapult them both to new heights, but can they can put the past behind them for the sake of the film...for the sake of something more? WHY READERS LOVE KENNEDY RYAN . . . 'Breathtaking, gut-wrenching, viscerally romantic' TALIA HIBBERT 'SPECTACULAR!'' CHRISTINA LAUREN 'A gorgeously poignant story of healing, family and love' HELEN HOANG 'Every page is perfection' FARRAH ROCHON 'Real, raw, magnificent' COLLEEN HOOVER

In an age where technologies such as AI threaten to supplant human intelligence, an award-winning scientist offers a radical new view of our innate human technology and what we're truly capable of. There are rare moments in time when we make choices that irreversibly change the world, and our lives, forever. Today is one of those moments. Scientists, engineers, and philosophers alike warn us that without a radical shift in our thinking, we are on track to be the last generation of pure humans that the world will know. Within a single generation we will devolve into a hybrid species of synthetic bodies, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and computer chips that limit our ability to think, love, and adapt to the conditions of the emerging world in a healthy way. In doing so we will also lose our capacity for emotion, empathy, intimacy, and forgiveness-the very qualities that we value and cherish in our humanness. The question that we face is simple: Do we love ourselves enough to preserve the gift of our humanness? Our answer is based on the way we've been taught to think of ourselves. Now available in paperback, Pure Human is a compelling journey of self-discovery that will catapult you beyond conventional thinking when it comes to your origins, your limits and, most importantly, the abilities that have been hidden from you for centuries, and the extraordinary potential that awaits as you embrace them.

WHAT IF... one man decided to answer all the unanswerable questions, using science. The Sunday Times-bestselling author and xkcd creator, Randall Munroe is here to provide the best answers yet to the important questions you probably never thought to ask. The millions of people around the world who read and loved What If? still have questions, and those questions are getting stranger. Planning to ride a fire pole from the moon back to Earth? The hardest part is sticking the landing. Hoping to cool the atmosphere by opening everyone's freezer doors at the same time? Maybe it's time for a brief introduction to thermodynamics. Want to know what would happen if you rode a helicopter blade, built a billion-storey building, made a lava lamp out of lava, or jumped on a geyser as it erupted? Okay, if you insist. Welcome (back) to the mind-blowing world of What If? Unfazed by absurdity, Randall consults the latest research on everything from swing-set physics to airplane-catapult design to clearly and concisely answer his readers' questions. As he consistently demonstrates, you can learn a lot from examining how the world might work in very specific extreme circumstances. Filled with bonkers science, boundless curiosity, and Randall's signature stick-figure comics, What If? 2 is sure to be another instant classic adored by inquisitive readers of all ages.

¿'A scorching second-chance romance between a talented screenwriter and a phenomenal musician from "a fantastic storyteller and superb writer' NPR You never forget your first love. Isn't that what they say? Verity Hill knows this truth intimately. She didn't simply miss Wright "Monk" Bellamy when they parted ways in college. She's haunted by his touch. Every kiss, any lover since-a shadow of what they had. Time heals all wounds. Isn't that what they say? Monk doesn't believe that for a second. He wasn't simply betrayed when he and Verity split. He was devastated, with parts of him left behind in the ruins of all that was destroyed. More than a decade after their disastrous break up, Verity and Monk must work together on the set of an epic Harlem Renaissance biopic. With Monk, now a world-class musician creating the score, and Verity, an award-winning screenwriter penning the script, there's Oscar buzz before shooting even begins. This once-in-a-lifetime project could catapult them both to new heights, but can they can put the past behind them for the sake of the film...for the sake of something more? WHY READERS LOVE KENNEDY RYAN . . . 'Breathtaking, gut-wrenching, viscerally romantic' TALIA HIBBERT 'SPECTACULAR!'' CHRISTINA LAUREN 'A gorgeously poignant story of healing, family and love' HELEN HOANG 'Every page is perfection' FARRAH ROCHON 'Real, raw, magnificent' COLLEEN HOOVER

WHAT IF... one man decided to answer all the unanswerable questions, using science. The Sunday Times-bestselling author and xkcd creator, Randall Munroe is here to provide the best answers yet to the important questions you probably never thought to ask The millions of people around the world who read and loved What If? still have questions, and those questions are getting stranger. Planning to ride a fire pole from the moon back to Earth? The hardest part is sticking the landing. Hoping to cool the atmosphere by opening everyone's freezer doors at the same time? Maybe it's time for a brief introduction to thermodynamics. Want to know what would happen if you rode a helicopter blade, built a billion-storey building, made a lava lamp out of lava, or jumped on a geyser as it erupted? Okay, if you insist. Welcome (back) to the mind-blowing world of What If? Unfazed by absurdity, Randall consults the latest research on everything from swing-set physics to airplane-catapult design to clearly and concisely answer his readers' questions. As he consistently demonstrates, you can learn a lot from examining how the world might work in very specific extreme circumstances. Filled with bonkers science, boundless curiosity, and Randall's signature stick-figure comics, What If? 2 is sure to be another instant classic adored by inquisitive readers of all ages.

¿'A scorching second-chance romance between a talented screenwriter and a phenomenal musician from "a fantastic storyteller and superb writer' NPR You never forget your first love. Isn't that what they say? Verity Hill knows this truth intimately. She didn't simply miss Wright "Monk" Bellamy when they parted ways in college. She's haunted by his touch. Every kiss, any lover since-a shadow of what they had. Time heals all wounds. Isn't that what they say? Monk doesn't believe that for a second. He wasn't simply betrayed when he and Verity split. He was devastated, with parts of him left behind in the ruins of all that was destroyed. More than a decade after their disastrous break up, Verity and Monk must work together on the set of an epic Harlem Renaissance biopic. With Monk, now a world-class musician creating the score, and Verity, an award-winning screenwriter penning the script, there's Oscar buzz before shooting even begins. This once-in-a-lifetime project could catapult them both to new heights, but can they can put the past behind them for the sake of the film...for the sake of something more? WHY READERS LOVE KENNEDY RYAN . . . 'Breathtaking, gut-wrenching, viscerally romantic' TALIA HIBBERT 'SPECTACULAR!'' CHRISTINA LAUREN 'A gorgeously poignant story of healing, family and love' HELEN HOANG 'Every page is perfection' FARRAH ROCHON 'Real, raw, magnificent' COLLEEN HOOVER

Crow Lake is that rare find, a first novel so quietly assured, so emotionally pitch perfect, you know from the opening page that this is the real thing—a literary experience in which to lose yourself, by an author of immense talent. Here is a gorgeous, slow-burning story set in the rural "badlands” of northern Ontario, where heartbreak and hardship are mirrored in the landscape. For the farming Pye family, life is a Greek tragedy where the sins of the fathers are visited on the sons, and terrible events occur—offstage. Centerstage are the Morrisons, whose tragedy looks more immediate if less brutal, but is, in reality, insidious and divisive. Orphaned young, Kate Morrison was her older brother Matt's protegee, her fascination for pond life fed by his passionate interest in the natural world. Now a zoologist, she can identify organisms under a microscope but seems blind to the state of her own emotional life. And she thinks she's outgrown her siblings—Luke; Matt, and Bo—who were once her entire world. In this universal drama of family love and misunderstandings, of resentments harbored and driven underground, Lawson ratchets up the tension with heartbreaking humor and consummate control, continually overturning one's expectations right to the very end. Tragic, funny, unforgettable, Crow Lake is a quiet tour de force that will catapult Mary Lawson to the forefront of fiction writers today.

"Huge applause... women have always been in science—despite those who would pretend otherwise.” --Bonnie Garmus, New York Times bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry She gave up everything — and changed the world. A riveting novel based on the true story of the woman who stopped a pandemic, from the bestselling author of Mrs. Poe. In 1940s and ’50s America, polio is as dreaded as the atomic bomb. No one’s life is untouched by this disease that kills or paralyzes its victims, particularly children. Outbreaks of the virus across the country regularly put American cities in lockdown. Some of the world’s best minds are engaged in the race to find a vaccine. The man who succeeds will be a god. But Dorothy Horstmann is not focused on beating her colleagues to the vaccine. She just wants the world to have a cure. Applying the same determination that lifted her from a humble background as the daughter of immigrants, to becoming a doctor –often the only woman in the room--she hunts down the monster where it lurks: in the blood. This discovery of hers, and an error by a competitor, catapults her closest colleague to a lead in the race. When his chance to win comes on a worldwide scale, she is asked to sink or validate his vaccine—and to decide what is forgivable, and how much should be sacrificed, in pursuit of the cure.