Thundersticks

David Silverman argues against the notion that Indians prized flintlock muskets more for their pyrotechnics than for their efficiency as tools of war. Native peoples fully recognized the potential of firearms to assist them in their struggles against colonial forces, and mostly against one another, as arms races erupted across North America.

Gas grills. Riding lawn mowers. Pop-top beer cans. Forget fire and arrowheads and the wheel. The best tools invented by man are such wonders as beer, bikinis, and ESPN. And there's more where they came from, in this hilarious look at the stuff real men are made of: Chow and Suds (microwaves, vending machines, Tabasco sauce) Sports and Recreation (golf carts, cleats, shin guards) Household Gadgets (superglue, Swiss Army knives, Duct tape) Fun and Games (Pong, fantasy football, Wii) Out and About (drive-through restaurants, roller coasters, ATM machines) And More! With fun Man-tastic Facts (bits of trivia) and Man-Dates (important dates in manvention history), this book will remind you why it's great being a man!

It is impossible to contain Henry Cowell within the boundaries of the consistencies of forms, styles, ensembles, and genres of Western art music. John Cage once described Cowell as the open sesame for new music in America. Of the thousand or so works catalogued by William Lichtenwanger, the majority are formally innovative single movement vocal or instrumental pieces, although there are 20 symphonies, five string quartets, and 8 suites of various kinds. Cowell was also innovative in his use of instruments from different cultures (jalatarang, dragonmouths, Japanese wind glasses, the shakuhachi flute) and in this book, Lou Harrison writes of Cowell's adventurous promotion of automobile junkyards for the finding of new sounds. In addition, Cowell was a tireless advocate of new music in the West, and Musics from other cultures worldwide, as a teacher, lecturer, publisher, and performer. He founded New Music Quarterly in 1927, wrote the influential book Ne In this major book of articles

“I should have known if there were snow demons out there, you’d find one.” Arlen Bales is an apprentice Messenger, hired to transport a dangerous shipment of thundersticks to a distant mining town. Abandoned by his partner, Arlen must travel alone, braving demon-infested nights and mountain passes full of bandits, all along hunted by the one-armed rock demon he crippled as a child, still thirsting for revenge. When he reaches the isolated village, Arlen finds his professionalism tested when he’s offered his heart’s desire—a potential way to kill the demon hunting him—to get involved in a dispute between his employers and their only daughter. A short adventure set during the events of Peter V. Brett’s internationally bestselling novel The Warded Man, Brayan’s Gold can be enjoyed both as a standalone and part of the larger Demon Cycle series, which has sold over 4M copies in 27 languages worldwide. Also included is “Holiday in Tibbet’s Brook,” a Demon Cycle short story, set two years before the beginning of The Warded Man. Praise for Brayan's Gold: “A fun adventure.” — Locus “Brayan’s Gold is a highly enjoyable episode in Brett’s greater tale that will be enjoyed by his existing fans and could serve to draw in new readers... Strong recommendation.” — SFFWorld “An important read [...] DO NOT MISS IT!” — Fantasy Faction “The quality was awesome, the art excellent, and the story it contained was well worth the money [...] A thoroughly enjoyable read, and works perfectly [...] awesome.” — Walker of Worlds

Joel Sachs offers the first complete biography of one of the most influential figures in twentieth-century American music. Henry Cowell, a major musical innovator of the first half of the century, left a rich body of compositions spanning a wide range of styles. But as Sachs shows, Cowell's legacy extends far beyond his music. He worked tirelessly to create organizations such as the highly influential New Music Quarterly, New Music Recordings, and the Pan-American Association of Composers, through which great talents like Ruth Crawford Seeger and Charles Ives first became known in the US and abroad. As one of the first Western advocates for World Music, he used lectures, articles, and recordings to bring other musical cultures to myriad listeners and students including John Cage and Lou Harrison, who attributed their life work to Cowell's influence. Finally, Sachs describes the tragedy of Cowell's life, being sentenced to fifteen years in San Quentin -- of which he served four -- after pleading guilty to a morals charge that even the prosecutor felt was trivial. Providing a wealth of insight into Cowell's ideas and philosophy, Joel Sachs lays out a much-needed perspective on one of the giants of twentieth-century American music.

Join the gang in the Old Wild West as tales unfold about the best gunslinger in the territory, lawmen, kidnappers, Indians, renegades, bounty hunters, and outlaws. Meet characters of all types as action and adventure ensue in each story. A creative mix of fiction and fact, Short Tales of the Old Wild West brings to life the good, the bad, the courageous, and the cowardly. "Up from the cold gray depths of the Canyon River they came, men wearing eerie fish-mask heads. Night st

The improbable story of the birth of modern-day pro basketball in Toronto In just over 25 years, the Toronto Raptors have evolved from an intrepid expansion team to an NBA champion. But for all the triumphs of the past decade, the beginning looked a bit different. When the franchise began its first season in 1995, a pro basketball team in Toronto was viewed as an experiment. There was no playbook to follow, and very few people gave them a chance to succeed. In Prehistoric, irreverent Raptors voice and culture writer Alex Wong explores the franchise's fascinating and unconventional inception through 140 original interviews with those involved with the team's very beginning, examining the process of how the team came up with their name and logo inspired by the blockbuster film Jurassic Park, taking a behind-the-scenes look at the drafting of star point guard Damon Stoudamire, telling the backstories of a group of misfits who formed the first-year roster, and providing an in-depth look at the team's opening night victory at the SkyDome and the expansion franchise's signature win over Michael Jordan and a 72-win Chicago Bulls team. The Raptors boldly and intentionally pursued a much different audience in a hockey-first town. The result is a team who went through the necessary growing pains and eventually captured the heart of a city, as told in this essential origin story through the lens of the people who were there to help lay the foundation for a thriving modern-day basketball franchise in Toronto.