"In this richly narrated and authoritative work--combining environmental and societal history--Giulio Boccaletti begins with the earliest civilizations of sedentary farmers on the banks of the Nile, the Tigris, and the Euphrates. He describes how these societies were made possible by sea level changes from the last glacial melt. He examines how this sedentary farming led to irrigation and multiple cropping, which, in turn, resulted in an explosion...

A collection of essays, biographical profiles, and critical analyses by one of the twentieth century's leading jazz writers includes commentary on the work of jazz entertainers and an assessment of the role of jazz in contemporary culture and its influence on modern music.

"From the author of Crossing--a National Book Award finalist--comes a dazzling tale full of fury, tenderness, longing, and lust. April 1995. Arsim is a twenty-two-year-old, recently-married student at the University of Pristina, keeping his head down to gain a university degree in a time and place deeply hostile to Albanians. In a cafae he meets a young man named Milos, a Serb. Before the day is out, everything has changed for both of them, and within...

Traces the history of California as a largely desert area that has become the most populated state in the country in spite of water supply problems and the certainty of devastating earthquakes.

Nobel Laureate and founder of the Green Belt Movement, Wangari Maathai has campaigned for environmental activism in Africa for more than three decades. In The Challenge for Africa, Maathai delivers an insightful call to action, presenting a realistic look at the diverse problems facing Africans. Maathai's ability to dissect cultural problems and pose solutions individuals can follow has made her one of the most respected women in Africa today.

Explores the circumstances and events that contributed to the rise of Adolf Hitler, noting his early character flaws and how he rallied a small group of like-minded political and social outcasts in history-shaping ways.