Before Their Time

in this memoir of his experiences as a teenage infantryman in the US Third Army during World War II, Kotlowitz brings to life the harrowing story of the massacre of his platoon in northeastern France, in which he--by playing dead--was the only one to survive. 208 pp. 15,000 print.

Women have been struggling for thousands of years for equality in their many relationships. “Before Their Time – Women Who. Dared” takes an historical look at the secondary roles women have played throughout history. The female half of the human race was expected to lead subservient lives to the men of their times. Those who sought equality were vilified and mistreated. There have always been those females who refused the stereotypical demands of their patriarchal societies. Through their decisions and actions, those individuals lived lives of power and daring. I have highlighted seven of those female heroines who provide inspiration for future generations.

Step Back in Time to Discover the Future Imagine a world where Da Vinci's robots roamed the Renaissance, where ancient skies were cut by wings far before the Wright brothers took flight, and where the hum of electricity powered cities long before it was a reality. "Before Their Time: 200 Inventions That Were Too Early" opens a captivating window into the audacious human spirit--the dreamers and thinkers who dared to envision beyond the limitations of their epochs. Dive into tales of flush toilets that arrived before their sewers, high-speed travel concepts that outpaced society's pace, and mechanical wonders that forecasted the digital age in an era of iron and steam. Each chapter in this mesmerizing book explores the breadth of human ingenuity through the lens of those whose visions were so advanced, they sparked transformations far beyond their lifetimes. Chapter by chapter, witness the fates of these visionary inventions: from telecommunications that nearly preempted the age of the smartphone to medical breakthroughs that could have rewritten history itself. You'll be transported into the lives of legendary and lesser-known inventors alike, whose forward-thinking creations posed questions society wasn't ready to answer. Through the accounts of the "Prophets of the Practical" and "Visionaries of Velocity," experience the exhilarating rush of ideas that could have propelled our ancestors into a different modern age--if only they had succeeded. What could our world have been if the practical application had met their pioneering potential? This is the question that lingers in the echoes of each "what if" scenario presented within the pages of this compelling narrative. With stunning detail and a storyteller's touch, "Before Their Time: 200 Inventions That Were Too Early" is not merely a historical account but a journey through an alternate reality of technological advancement. It's a call to the curious, the inventors, and the dreamers of today to leap boldly towards the future. Uncover where we've come from to envision where we could go next--your ticket to the past, rewriting the present, awaits.

"This 82-page report documents the routine arrest of children for such 'offenses' as begging, running away from home, or being alone with a member of the opposite sex. Prosecutors can hold children, like adults, for up to six months before referring them to a judge. In the case of girls, authorities can detain them indefinitely, without judicial review, for what they say is 'guidance.' Detention centers mix children under investigation or trial with children convicted of a crime and sometimes with adults. Judges regularly try children without the presence of lawyers or sometimes even guardians, even for crimes punishable by death, flogging, or amputation."--Publisher website.

In "Before Their Times" a young black woman, her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother tell us in their own words of their childhood, their sex lives, their school and work lives -- and why they all became teenage mothers. Their stories form an unforgettable four-generation history illuminating the influence of one generation on another and leading to a better understanding of why the cycle of teenage pregnancy so often repeats itself in both black and white families. In his foreword the noted psychiatrist and author Robert Coles sets the book in a larger social and historical context, and in her afterword the author offers recommendations for breaking the cycle of teenage pregnancy. -- From publisher's description.

Although numerous international treaties and organizations worktirelessly to improve conditions for children, there are still 320million children under the age of sixteen working around the world-- 150 million of those in the most harmful industries, such asprostitution and forced military service. This is their story, inwords and photographs. Physician and photographer David L. Parker takes us beyond theheadlines and into the textile factories, stone quarries, andgarbage dumps where children are forced -- by unscrupulous adultsor by lack of any other economic opportunity -- into the desperatecycle of child labor. His haunting and sensitive portrayal of thesechildren preserves their dignity and humanity while exposing theiroften tragic circumstances. The hazards of harsh working conditions are visitedexponentially on still-growing bodies and minds, whether they arecleaning elephant stables in India, picking cotton in Turkey, orextracting gold from Nicaraguan mines. Mercury used in miningcauses brain damage; stone dust destroys young lungs; circuscontortions cause serious muscular harm. But even beyond thedisastrous physical consequences of child labor, simply having towork means that children are deprived of the education, nurturing,and socialization that are the necessary foundations of lastinghealth, development, and progress. Dr. Parker\'s riveting portraits of children continues in thebrave documentary tradition of Lewis Hine, Milton Rogovin, andSebasti¿o Salgado, who have contributed to the legal andhumanitarian advances of previous generations. We can only hope, asHine said in the early twentieth century, that one day soonheartbreaking images like these will simply be "records of thepast." Until then, Before Their Time is an essential call toaction. 135 duotone photographs.

Once upon a time in a small Westchester community named Laurelville, 71-year-old David Goldstein is called out of retirement to direct and piano accompany the high school production of "Fiddler on the Roof." A disgruntled former Laurelville High School student named Michael LaDonna, enters the auditorium during rehearsal, shooting down students left and right. To stop further carnage, an injured Goldstein crawls over to the shooter and engages him in talk. It seems the previous school theater director molested LaDonna's sister, and he is out for revenge. Goldstein's brave and delaying tactic gives the police time to act, and they storm the auditorium, killing the shooter. In this horrific shooting, three students and the shooter lie dead, and many others are injured. Although a novel, this story is a scary reminder of the times we live in, and what happens all too often in differing scenarios throughout the country.