Very Special Episodes explores various examples of the "very special episode" to chart the history of American television and its self-identified status as an arbiter of culture. Through the study of this unique television format, this anthology traces the history of television's engagement with many of the most important political, aesthetic, economic, and social movements that continue to challenge our society today.

The 90210 superfan’s companion to the lives and loves of West Beverly’s in-crowd From the creators of the hit podcast Again With This comes a hilarious and substantive 90210 book that is perfect for celebrating the 30th anniversary of the show’s first episode. Join Tara Ariano and Sarah D. Bunting as they journey through the top 100 episodes of the series, covering everything from episode rankings to season overviews, character spotlights, and listicles. You’ll rediscover what you’ve forgotten and perhaps learn what you never knew. A Very Special 90210 Book is the perfect keepsake for every former teen fan (we know you’re out there) who wants to relive the good ol’ days at West Beverly.

James Salley is turning sixteen, and it’s not going well. His family’s too busy to care, the local bully creates new tortures daily, someone appears to be following him, and he’s just learned that he’s the Antichrist. All James ever wanted out of life was for Dorian Delaney — the operatically trained and suicidal girl of his dreams — to fall as in love with him as he is with her. But once he’s told of his bloody destiny, he finds himself fighting between who he thought he was and who he’s supposed to be. With the school librarian pushing him to begin the Apocalypse, an irritable homunculus watching his back, and a murderous cabal of Catholics following him everywhere, James must discover how to navigate a world in which everything he’s ever believed is wrong — and if it’s possible to be the hero of a story when you’ve already been cast as the villain.

From popular TV correspondent and writer Rocca comes a charmingly irreverent and rigorously researched book that celebrates the dead people who made life worth living.

Television history was made on April 30, 1997, when comedian Ellen DeGeneres and her sitcom alter-ego Ellen Morgan, “came out” to her close friends and 36 million viewers. This groundbreaking episode represented a significant milestone in Amerian television. For the first time, a TV series centered around a lesbian character who was portrayed by an openly gay actor. The millions of viewers who tuned in that historic night were witnesses to a new era in television. The Prime Time Closet offers an entertaining and in-depth glimpse into homosexuality on television from the 1950s through today. Divided into four sections, each devoted to a major television genre, this unique book explores how gay men and lesbians have been depicted in over three hundred television episodes and made-for-TV films. These include medical series, police/detective shows, situation comedies and TV dramas. The Prime Time Closet also reveals how television's treatement of homosexuality has reflected and reinforced society's ignorance about and fear of gay men and lesbians. At the same time, it celebrates programs like Ellen and Will & Grace that have broken new ground in their sensitive and enlightened approach to homosexuality and gay-related themes. This book is witty and insightful, accessible and illuminating, a look into what has become an integral part of American media culture.

When you read a book from an author who writes comedy, it’s a pretty good assumption you’re looking to laugh, not cry. Sometimes in life, though, there are far more tears than there is laughter. That’s true in the life of a comedy writer, too. In A “Very Special” Tale of Faith, Hope, & Hand Sanitizer, author Brandon Boswell writes about the personal struggles in his life. From the hilarious to the heartbreaking, Boswell strives to encourage his readers to not only trust in God, but to laugh when they can, cry when they need to, and say “I love you” to all the special people in their lives today ... because there may not be a tomorrow.

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why am I here?” Recognize your calling, find your place of service, and follow God to a life of purpose. This 40-day journey is for you—and it might surprise you. What if God hasn’t hidden His purposes for your life from you? That life doesn’t have to be so exhausting and heavy and confusing all the time? That God has given you everything you need to live out the calling He has placed on your life right this minute as you read this? In Made for This, a beautiful blend of bestselling books Anything and Restless, join Bible teacher Jennie Allen on a 40-day interactive journey that takes you through a step-by-step process to guide you in answering life’s ultimate question. This unique book will help you: Stop living afraid and insecure by discovering how God can use your dreams and passions for a greater purpose Identify the threads in your life and how they intentionally weave together Trade control and safety for a life of God-honoring adventure by praying one prayer Discover how to fully surrender to God and identify the threads of gifts, passions, places, relationships, and sufferings in your life—not to get what you want, but to find what God wants of you.

How can you define a decade? Through television, of course. The 1990s featured many memorable TV moments, providing a fascinating picture of the decade. In this book, 99 episodes across all major television genres are discussed--from police procedurals, hangout sitcoms, and cartoons to game shows and much more. Some of these episodes became iconic and helped define the '90s; other episodes reflect events in the world at the time.

A #1 New York Times Bestseller! Based on their #1 kids podcast, Wow in the World, hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz take readers on a hilarious, fact-filled, and highly illustrated journey through the human body—covering everything from our toes to our tongues to our brains and our lungs! WHY in the world do I have a belly button? And WHAT in the world does it do? WHEN in the world will my nose stop growing? And HOW in the world does my pee keep flowing? The human body is a fascinating piece of machinery. It's full of mystery, and wonder, and WOW. And it turns out, every single human on the planet has one! Join Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz, hosts of the mega-popular Wow in the World podcast, as they take you on a fact-filled adventure from your toes and your tongues to your brain and your lungs. Featuring hilarious illustrations and filled with facts, jokes, photos, quizzes, and Wow-To experiments, The How and Wow of the Human Body has everything you need to better understand your own walking, talking, barfing, breathing, pooping body of WOW!

"Susan Burton is ready to come clean. Happily married with two children, working at her dream job, she has lived a secret life of compulsive eating and starving for twenty-five years. This is a relentlessly honest ... narrative of living with binge-eating disorder"--