15 Years of the best photography from the creators of LelandReport.com, a photo-a-day diary from Leelanau County, Michigan

A New York Times Bestseller! An extraordinary look at what it means to grow old and a heartening guide to well-being, Happiness Is a Choice You Make weaves together the stories and wisdom of six New Yorkers who number among the “oldest old”— those eighty-five and up. In 2015, when the award-winning journalist John Leland set out on behalf of The New York Times to meet members of America’s fastest-growing age group, he anticipated learning of challenges, of loneliness, and of the deterioration of body, mind, and quality of life. But the elders he met took him in an entirely different direction. Despite disparate backgrounds and circumstances, they each lived with a surprising lightness and contentment. The reality Leland encountered upended contemporary notions of aging, revealing the late stages of life as unexpectedly rich and the elderly as incomparably wise. Happiness Is a Choice You Make is an enduring collection of lessons that emphasizes, above all, the extraordinary influence we wield over the quality of our lives. With humility, heart, and wit, Leland has crafted a sophisticated and necessary reflection on how to “live better”—informed by those who have mastered the art.

Vintage postcards, messages from yesterday, and photographs capture the splendor of one of Michigan's most beautiful counties.

Master of Precision is the fascinating firsthand account of Henry Martyn Leland's life and work during the early days of the automobile industry.

Fishtown, in Leland, Michigan, is a rare and vibrant maritime landscape of weathered fishing shanties and fish tugs, tucked in along the Lake Michigan shoreline in view of the Manitou Islands. Fishtown has witnessed the heyday of fishing and the trials of the changing Great Lakes. It remains an active place for commercial fishing, where every year thousands of visitors experience one of Michigan's founding industries and its Great Lakes. In Fishtown: Leland, Michigan's Historic Fishery, author Laurie Kay Sommers tells the story of this beloved place's past and present. Although people throughout the Midwest know and love Fishtown, this book sheds light on a Fishtown that few but the fishermen and ferry captains have seen. It provides a deeper understanding of a historic and endangered way of life that has profoundly shaped shoreline communities in Michigan. Sommers also shares the story of a community determined not to lose this historic and picturesque attraction, and the triumphant efforts of a non-profit organization to purchase and care for a key portion of Fishtown. Above all, the book's stories and images underscore why Fishtown matters and why it is important that it continues as a living legacy of Michigan's maritime history. "Fishtown is such a special place with so many incredible stories," said Sommers. "In writing and researching this book, I especially enjoyed the opportunity to sit on the Fishtown docks or at kitchen tables throughout the community as people shared their remembrances and experiences. So many people are natural storytellers, and their tales ranged from funny to fascinating to poignant. I hope this book will serve as a tribute to those whose stories it tells."

The rags-to-riches story of Silicon Valley's original disruptor. American Disruptor is the untold story of Leland Stanford – from his birth in a backwoods bar to the founding of the world-class university that became and remains the nucleus of Silicon Valley. The life of this robber baron, politician, and historic influencer is the astonishing tale of how one supremely ambitious man became this country's original "disruptor" – reshaping industry and engineering one of the greatest raids on the public treasury for America’s transcontinental railroad, all while living more opulently than maharajas, kings, and emperors. It is also the saga of how Stanford, once a serial failure, overcame all obstacles to become one of America’s most powerful and wealthiest men, using his high elective office to enrich himself before losing the one thing that mattered most to him—his only child and son. Scandal and intrigue would follow Stanford through his life, and even after his death, when his widow was murdered in a Honolulu hotel—a crime quickly covered up by the almost stillborn university she had saved. Richly detailed and deeply researched, American Disruptor restores Leland Stanford’s rightful place as a revolutionary force and architect of modern America.

While Americans are generally aware of China's ambitions as a global economic and military superpower, few understand just how deeply and assertively that country has already sought to influence American society. As the authors of this volume write, it is time for a wake-up call. In documenting the extent of Beijing's expanding influence operations inside the United States, they aim to raise awareness of China's efforts to penetrate and sway a range of American institutions: state and local governments, academic institutions, think tanks, media, and businesses. And they highlight other aspects of the propagandistic “discourse war” waged by the Chinese government and Communist Party leaders that are less expected and more alarming, such as their view of Chinese Americans as members of a worldwide Chinese diaspora that owes undefined allegiance to the so-called Motherland.Featuring ideas and policy proposals from leading China specialists, China's Influence and American Interests argues that a successful future relationship requires a rebalancing toward greater transparency, reciprocity, and fairness. Throughout, the authors also strongly state the importance of avoiding casting aspersions on Chinese and on Chinese Americans, who constitute a vital portion of American society. But if the United States is to fare well in this increasingly adversarial relationship with China, Americans must have a far better sense of that country's ambitions and methods than they do now.

Unlock the secrets to gorgeous, expressive, unforgettable color! Finding color combinations that not only work but excite the eye is one of the greatest challenges artists face. This updated and expanded 30th anniversary edition of the North Light classic Exploring Color teaches artists of all mediums and skill levels how to use and control color in their artwork and shows how exhilarating and enjoyable the ride can be. Popular art instructor and best-selling author Nita Leland will help you take any artwork you make to new color heights. Memorable paintings from more than 30 contributing artists are inside towill inspire you, along with 75+ hands-on exercises, 8 step-by-step demonstrations and countless nuggets of color knowledge--all in your own private workshop! Learn how to master color mixing, assemble the perfect palette for your artistic goals, select just the right color scheme, and communicate color in a way that elevates your designs way beyond the ordinary. Start a handy journal to keep track of your discoveries, with customized mixtures, color wheels, reference charts and other tools designed to uncover your color personality and help you work with color more efficiently. Nita knows that the quest for perfect color can be fun, and it can be yours. So stop guessing, and start exploring! "Beautiful color is no happy accident. Color can be learned." --Nita Leland

A photo journey for the American People through the eyes of the camera.