The man who invented it hated it and wouldn’t have one in his house; alarmists predicted it would ruin our eyes, corrupt our morals, and probably rot our teeth. The great educator and philosopher Robert Hutchins, tongue firmly in... Read More

“‘Truly, through the process of alchemy, many miracles shall be wrought.’” Emilia Serafina, the heroine of Nonna’s Book of Mysteries, clings to these words from her great-great-great grandmother’s strange book, A Manual to... Read More

For much of his life, Richard J. Reynolds, Jr. was dogged by publicity, most of it bad. Even his death produced lurid speculation and rumors. People paid attention because the man was filthy rich. Yes, that’s Dick Reynolds, the son of... Read More

"52 Loaves" is not really about the pursuit of truth, meaning, and a perfect crust, as the subtitle claims—but readers can indulge the author his bit of literary embellishment. This book, a breezy, captivating account of the author’s... Read More

Recent headlines have all but screamed for attention, announcing heartbreaking unemployment figures, stock market downfalls, and corporate bankruptcies. "Confidence Game" tells the story of one man who may have predicted it all. Some... Read More

To the question, “What makes a poet’s language distinctive?” Avison once ad-libbed, “Not just affection for words, which is common to all good writers; not necessarily a matter of cadence, formal structures, rhythmÂ…[but the... Read More

It just goes to show, you should never say never. Amazin’ things can happen in a regular life, if you let it. So declares red-haired no-nonsense Donetta Bradford, a woman who embodies the friendly, hard-working nature of Daily, Texas,... Read More

Even though they claim to support ideas for change, people often resist innovations that might disrupt their professional lives. This contradiction seems especially prevalent in public education, where those who try to implement new... Read More