Been There Done That

A rollicking, myth-busting history of sex that sets the record straight on subjects ranging from contraception and STIs to courtship and reproduction, pushing back against plenty of present-day taboos and urban legends along the way. With curiosity and irreverent insight, science writer Rachel Feltman breaks down the long, weird, illustrious history of sex. She guides readers through the kaleidoscopic archives of centuries-old porn and erotica, as well as the bizarre history of treatments for erectile dysfunction, including radium suppositories and goat testicle transplants. Feltman provides the history of huge scientific questions--e.g., How are babies made?--and considers the ancient from a modern perspective: What was it like to have herpes several millennia ago? Even from unlikely sources like Hildegard von Bingen's treatise on the female orgasm, there's a lot we can learn about our modern-day sexual proclivities and practices from the historical record. And these figures from the past, from gay cowboys to polyamorous Vikings, prove that when it comes to how we have sex and who we do it with, there's no such thing as normal.

School is in session as celebrated authors share their real-life academic experiences and turn them into fiction! To some kids, school means homework, bus rides, or band practice. To others it means bullies, tough teachers, or pranking the substitute. In this second collection in the Been There, Done That series, authors describe a standout story from their school days. As with the first anthology, each author will contribute a narrative nonfiction account that serves as the inspiration for an original fictional short story. The contributing award-winning and best-selling middle-grade authors include Holly Goldberg Sloan, Kelly Starling Lyons, Tommy Greenwald, Wendy Mass, Bruce Hale, Jacqueline West, Ellen Yeomans, Vince Evans, Nate Evans, Sarah Prineas, Steve Sheinkin, Shaun David Hutchinson, Don Tate, Varian Johnson, Howard Cruse, Meg Medina, C. Alexander London, and Bruce Coville.

Award-winning and bestselling authors turn their own real-life experiences into captivating works of fiction! Where do authors get their ideas? And how do they turn those ideas into stories? This anthology looks at the process of taking real-life experiences and turning them into works of engaging fiction. The collection features award-winning and bestselling middle-grade authors who provide both original fictional short stories as well as the nonfiction accounts that inspired them. The contributing authors include Julia Alvarez, Karen Cushman, Margarita Engle, Dee Garretson, Nathan Hale, Matthew Kirby, Claire Legrand, Grace Lin, Kate Messner, Linda Sue Park, Adam Rex, Gary Schmidt, Alan Sitomer, Caroline Starr Rose, Heidi Stemple, Rita Williams-Garcia, Tracy Edward Wymer, Lisa Yee, and Jane Yolen.

Life lessons from New York Times bestselling author and Today show personality Al Roker and his wife, globetrotting ABC news journalist Deborah Roberts. Al Roker and Deborah Roberts have sixteen Emmy Awards between them. They have covered everything from the Olympics and the Gulf War to natural disasters and the AIDS crisis in Africa. Now these two married journalists and parents have collaborated on the most personal and important “story” of their lives. Been There, Done That is a funny, heartfelt, and empowering collection of life lessons, hard-won wisdom, and instructive family anecdotes from Al and Deborah’s lives, from their parents and grandparents, and from dear friends, famous and not. Here, Al and Deborah candidly share childhood obstacles like obesity and growing up in the segregated south; the challenges and blessings that come from raising very different kids; hard-won truths about marriage and career; the illuminating “little things” that adults can learn from children; and the genuine wisdom that the elderly can share with a younger generation. These are real-life stories told from every perspective—from parent, spouse, daughter, son, and friend, stories that every reader can relate to, appreciate, and share.

If you only buy one book to improve your life this year, make it this one. Temple Grandin, Liane Holliday Willey, Anita Lesko, Stephen M. Shore, and many other Aspie mentors, offer their personal guidance on coping with the daily stressors that Aspies have identified as being the most significant, in order of urgency - anxiety, self-esteem, change, meltdowns, depression, friendship, love, and much, much more. Based on years of personal experience, this book is packed with advice from Aspie mentors who have all been there and done that! World expert Dr. Tony Attwood rounds up each chapter with professional analysis and extensive recommendations. He includes essential information on destructive strategies that may look attractive, but that have counter-productive effects. Including full color artwork from Aspie artists showing visually how they interpret each stressor, this is THE inspirational guide to life for young adults, the newly diagnosed, and as a life-long reference for anyone on the spectrum - written by Aspies for Aspies.

In Darrien Lee's sequel to All That and a Bag of Chips, readers meet up again with Craig Bennett, who is still wary of love even years after his affair with Venice Taylor. This compelling continuation of the Craig Bennett and Venice Taylor saga reveals Craig to be still smarting from Venice's decision to marry her high school sweetheart despite the passion she and Craig shared during their college romance. Devastated by the loss, Craig has dedicated himself to building his company, Bennett Architectural, Inc., into a multimillion-dollar empire and rising to career success. Unfortunately, his personal life is not quite as fruitful—even though he has had several meaningless flings with beautiful, intelligent women—due to the impenetrable wall of regret preventing him from reaching out to another woman. As fate would have it, Craig finds himself faced with a challenge that tests his will, trust, and capacity to love and forces him to confront the issues that have been plaguing him for the past seven years. In Been There, Done That, Darrien Lee crafts a fascinating novel complete with intricate relationships, life-changing decisions, and painful matters of the heart.

Hypothermia in the Arctic, a forest fire in Alberta, a silverback in the jungles of Congo, a terrorist attack in Sri Lanka: Stephen Fenech has survived them all, and with over 180 countries under his belt he has a lot of mileage on him. Earth: Been there, Done that, Got the T-shirt is a must-read for anyone whose considered hoisting a backpack and setting out for the open road. Even if not, this unbroken account of his three-year backpacking trip through some of the most far flung places on the planet will put you in the scene. Join him as he shares his most hair-raising misadventures down an unbeaten path. Hang on: sharp turns ahead...

Yearning to be taken more seriously, journalist Kathy Hopkins is forced to use her youthful appearance to go undercover as a freshman at a small liberal arts college rumored to be the home of a secret prostitution ring, and finds herself dealing with a Clay Aiken-obsessed roommate, late-night parties, and a crush on a guy who has just turned legal. A first novel. Original. 25,000 first printing.