The American Pipe Dream

"The American Pipe Dream examines the representational history of addiction on the U.S. stage from 1890 to the start of the nation's involvement in the second World War in 1941. Through intensive archival work, textual and performance analysis, and by considering related literary, legislative, and medical histories, this work argues that performance was essential in the creation of the drug addict in the U.S. cultural imagination. Though little attention has been paid to the figure of the stage-addict, this conventionalized figure was a major presence in U.S. popular entertainment through the Progressive Era into the Roaring Twenties, and through the Great Depression. The aim of this study is to trace this complex history, establish the stage-addict's place in U.S. theatre studies, and, by doing so, provide a new lens for examining the history of drug addiction and drug use in the U.S"--

The lawyer turned on the tape recorder, handed his client a cigarette, and lit it for him. Black drew hard, squinting as the smoke rushed into his lungs. "Where do you want to start?"the lawyer said, lighting a cigarette of his own. "I guess there’s only one place to start; at Broad and Erie." Johnny Podres, a politician whose record against corruption had been propelling him straight to the mayor’s office, is found murdered in a North Philly crack house. Enter Samuel Jackson, a.k.a. Black, a drug addict who knows better, a man embittered by the fact that he can’t seem to escape from his addiction to crack cocaine or, for that matter, from himself. Though he was once a family man with a wife and son, Black’s only concern these days is getting his next high, that is, until he stumbles across a friend and fellow addict, Leroy, and both become prime suspects in the Podres murder. Black and Leroy hook up with two female pipers: Clarisse, a registered nurse who is slowly losing to crack any semblance of a respectable life, and Pookie, who already has lost it. Soon the hunt is on for all four as they try to stay one step ahead of a police department under tremendous pressure to solve the case—because if a killer isn’t found soon, this could blow up into one of the biggest scandals in Philadelphia history. Solomon Jones weaves a suspenseful story against the backdrop of corruption in the Philadelphia police department and centers it on a group of drug addicts who, in the process of fleeing the law, come to terms with their own addiction, leading to some devastating consequences.

Darrell Dennis is a stereotype-busting, politically incorrect Native American/Aboriginal/Shuswap (Only he’s allowed to call himself an “Indian.” Maybe. Under some circumstances). With a large dose of humour and irreverence, he untangles some of the truths and myths about First Nations: Why do people think Natives get free trucks, and why didn’t he ever get one? Why does the length of your hair determine whether you’re good or bad? By what ratio does the amount of rain in a year depend on the amount of cactus liquor you consume? In addition to answering these burning questions, Dennis tackles some tougher subjects. He looks at European-Native interactions in North America from the moment of first contact, discussing the fur trade, treaty-signing and the implementation of residential schools. Addressing misconceptions still widely believed today, Dennis explains why Native people aren’t genetically any more predisposed to become alcoholics than Caucasians; that Native religion doesn’t consist of worshipping rocks, disappearing into thin air, or conversing with animals; and that tax exemptions are so limited and confusing that many people don’t even bother. Employing pop culture examples, personal anecdote and a cutting wit, Darrell Dennis deftly weaves history with current events to entertain, inform and provide a convincing, readable overview of First Nations issues and why they matter today.

A long environmental history of the Aral Sea region, focusing on colonization and development in Russian and Soviet Central Asia.

After the shocking collapse of Enron in fall, 2001 came an equally shocking series of disclosures about how America's seventh-largest company had destroyed itself. There were unethical deals, offshore accounts, and accounting irregularities. There were Wall Street analysts who seemed to have been asleep on the job. There were the lies top executives told so that they could line their own pockets while workers and shareholders lost billions. But after all these disclosures, the question remains: Why? Why did a thriving, innovative company with rock-solid cash flow and reliable earnings suddenly flame out in a maelstrom of corruption, fraud and skulduggery? The answer, Texas business journalist Robert Bryce reveals in this incisive and entertaining book, is that bad business practices begin with human beings. Pipe Dreams traces Enron's astounding transformation from a small regional gas pipeline company into an energy Goliath...and then tracks step-by-step, business decision by business decision, extra-marital affair by extra-marital affair, how, when and why the culture of Enron began to go rotten, and who was responsible. The story of Enron's fall isn't just a story about accounting procedures; it's a story about people. Bryce tells that story with all the personality, passion, humor, and inside dope you'd hope for, and the result is an un-putdownable read in the tradition of Barbarians at the Gate and The Predators' Ball.

This one-of-a-kind book focuses on the impact of crack on inner-city populations, targeting such issues/groups as crime, women, the homeless, HIV, race/ethnicity, and juveniles.

Growing up on a farm in Wyoming taught Susan Miller perseverance. Her parents, hard-working and inspiring, taught her that life is full of obstacles-and one has to choose how she will overcome them. History of a Pipe Dream is the story of her struggle to overcome the prejudice that existed (and to a certain degree, continues to exist) regarding women in the field of industrial construction. She started out as a common laborer and worked her way up to journeyman, and along the way, she got to know people from all walks of life. Some amused her, some inspired her, but most just stood in her way. And then there was Jack, one of the most helpful men she ever met-who was also, at the same time, the most destructive force she'd ever know in her life. Through it all, she fought hard to stay focused on her goal: to be accepted as an equal. She chose to pursue a career that challenged her as fiercely as it challenged the perceptions and prejudices of others. The art of survival she learned so well as a child and young woman would soon be the key to her success. Hers is a journey into a world that few women have known, but all women can relate to.

Professor Bill Thayer's solution to world energy problems takes him from underground caves to exotic places through Baptism by Fire into the world of BIG Business and International Manipulations.