Unmasked is the story of what happened in Okoboji, a small Iowan tourist town, when a collective turn from the coronavirus to the economy occurred in the COVID summer of 2020. State political failures, local negotiations among political and public health leaders, and community (dis)belief about the virus resulted in Okoboji being declared a hotspot just before the Independence Day weekend, when an influx of half a million people visit the town. The story is both personal and political. Author Emily Mendenhall, an anthropologist at Georgetown University, grew up in Okoboji, and her family still lives there. As the events unfolded, Mendenhall was in Okoboji, where she spoke formally with over 100 people and observed a community that rejected public health guidance, revealing deep-seated mistrust in outsiders and strong commitments to local thinking. Unmasked is a fascinating and heartbreaking account of where people put their trust, and how isolationist popular beliefs can be in America's small communities. This book is the recipient of the 2022 Norman L. and Roselea J. Goldberg Prize from Vanderbilt University Press for the best book in the area of art or medicine.

Race, while drawn from the visual cues of human diversity, is an idea with a measurable past, an identifiable present, and an uncertain future. The concept of race has been at the center of both triumphs and tragedies in American history and has had a profound effect on the human experience. Race Unmasked revisits the origins of commonly held beliefs about the scientific nature of racial differences, examines the roots of the modern idea of race, and explains why race continues to generate controversy as a tool of classification even in our genomic age. Surveying the work of some of the twentieth century's most notable scientists, Race Unmasked reveals how genetics and related biological disciplines formed and preserved ideas of race and, at times, racism. A gripping history of science and scientists, Race Unmasked elucidates the limitations of a racial worldview and throws the contours of our current and evolving understanding of human diversity into sharp relief.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was the first global pandemic of the twenty-first century, spreading within weeks from southern China to over thirty-seven countries around the world. In Canada intense news media coverage had a profound impact on how the disease was perceived, with frontline health care workers, despite their heroic efforts, stigmatized due to their contact with patients.

Outlines twenty years of human rights abuses in Syria under the rule of President Hafez Asad, providing details of imprisonment without trial, torture, and other forms of opression.

Why do we still tolerate stereotypes and discrimination based on age? This bold account of the history and present-day realities of ageism by a nationally recognized gerontologist and speaker uncovers ageism's roots, impact, and how each of us can create a new reality of elderhood. Ageism Unmasked shifts the lens, enabling us to see that we tolerate, and sometimes actively promote, attitudes and behaviors toward differently aged people that we would reject and condemn if applied to any other group. It peels back the layers to expose how cultural norms and unconscious prejudices have seeped into our lives, silently shaping our treatment of others based on their age and our own misconceptions about aging—and about ourselves. Offering an all-inclusive approach, Dr. Tracey Gendron reveals the biases behind our false understanding of aging, sharing powerful opportunities for personal growth along with strategies to help create an anti-ageist society. Ageism Unmasked will help readers let go of our desperate need to stay young… exposing how we personally, systematically, structurally, and institutionally stigmatize being old. Ageism Unmasked will help readers appreciate both the challenges and opportunities of how we all age… showing how ageism is prejudice towards both younger and older people. Ageism Unmasked will help readers reset our expectations for getting old… providing the tools to anticipate and experience elderhood as a time of renewed meaning and purpose, empowering each of us to create our own definition of successful aging. Ageism Unmasked continues Dr. Gendron's transformative work inspiring people of all ages to embrace aging as our universal and lifelong process of developing over time — biologically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually.

In March of 2020, feelings of loss, isolation and anxiety overtook us as the world came to a most surreal halt. New York City, one of the largest and most vibrant cities in the world, was now characterized by empty streets, restaurants and retail shops forced to close their doors, and a population that had sheltered in place. To no surprise, the topic of mental health grabbed the spotlight as suicide and depression rates increased exponentially. Although my battle with depression, anxiety and mental health started long before the spring of 2020, the conditions of the pandemic made them flare to levels I had never experienced before. To overcome my isolation and distract my mind, I quickly took my camera to the streets as an excuse to travel to new locations to regain control of my thoughts. I had no expectations or long-term goals with this endeavor other than to document my experience and create lasting memories. With each picture I took, there seemed to be a connection, a strong energy, from the people in the photos. I could feel their pain, their joy, their laughter, their struggles. I began journaling my thoughts about the impact those pictures had on me at that moment. From those impressions, this book – “Unmasked” – was born. UNMASKED, uses powerful imagery, taken throughout the 5 boroughs of New York, coupled with my thoughts presented in a Dr. Suess-like poetic cadence to bring awareness to mental health, equality, self-advocacy, emotional intelligence, and love which is God's highest power of all. UNMASKED, follows the main character “the Self” (the self represents the spirit or subconscious being with in all of us), on its journey from hopelessness to happiness. The Self travels through age, gender, race and a range of emotions and experiences throughout the pages of the book. Hidden among the pages are a couple of metaphorical motifs and thematic elements that bring a deeper meaning to the words on the page and enhance the reader’s experience. Motifs: The “MASK” (a playful poke at the COVID-19 pandemic) is a reference to the “mask” we wear to cover our authentic conscious self, to protect our vulnerabilities or to fit in with society. Masks often lie, hiding our true feelings and anxieties. The “INNER CHILD”. This inner child is defined as a part of your subconscious that has been receiving and storing messages (mentally and emotionally) since birth. It holds emotions, memories, and beliefs from the past as well as hopes and dreams for the future and are represented through the pictures of children in the book. Thematic Elements: Duality: (shows how obviously opposite or contrary forces may be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the real world, and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another) o Blackvs.White o Black & White vs. Color o Reality vs. Dream o Adult vs. Child o Mind vs. Body o Smile vs. Frown o Suffering vs. Fulfillment Color: The book's pictures start in black and white and then slowly introduce colors one at a time until the book is in full color, which represents a transition darkness and isolation to an optimistic perspective. Textures: (i.e. graffiti, bricks, leaves, concrete, etc.) can change mood, conjure connections to our memories. It can even challenge our awareness of reality. Statues: represent The Self - The conscious part of our being that makes us unique. The self is always with us, whether surrounded by people or all alone. The self is silent, resilient to nature’s course, and yet still grounded and secure no matter where we travel. Regardless of the time of day or the amount of attention given to them, statues stand in silence; a reminder of the potential for peace we all possess – but struggle to attain. Graffiti: used throughout to show individuality and represents emotion and speaking out on political, cultural social and economic issues. The narrator could be seen as God or a higher power, articulating thoughts of the main character.

Jesus Christ is the most famous man in human history, but exactly who was He? Some say a fable; others think just one option among many good teachers, or even a nice guy who taught morals. Do any of these descriptions capture the totality of who He was? Jesus Unmasked goes directly to the world’s greatest expert on Jesus Christ, Jesus Himself: Who Jesus said He was and why He said it the way He did What historical accounts and Biblical details reveal versus what we assume Why 4000 years of history, prophecy and chronology force every human being to render their verdict about this one man. When you encounter Jesus Unmasked, you will not be ambivalent. Jesus gives us clarity and insight into the nature of God. Interact with what Jesus taught about Himself and draw your own conclusions to the world’s most important question: “Who is the real Jesus?”

In this #1 national bestseller, a journalist who's been attacked by Antifa writes a deeply researched and reported account of the group's history and tactics. When Andy Ngo was attacked in the streets by Antifa in the summer of 2019, most people assumed it was an isolated incident. But those who'd been following Ngo's reporting in outlets like the New York Post and Quillette knew that the attack was only the latest in a long line of crimes perpetrated by Antifa. In Unmasked, Andy Ngo tells the story of this violent extremist movement from the very beginning. He includes interviews with former followers of the group, people who've been attacked by them, and incorporates stories from his own life. This book contains a trove of documents obtained by the author, published for the first time ever.