Edited by Andrew Blauvelt. Text by John Archer, David Brooks, Robert Bruegmann, Beatriz Colomina, Malcolm Gladwell.

How is it that, half a century after Brown v. Board of Education, educational opportunities remain so unequal for black and white students, not to mention poor and wealthy ones? In his important new book, Five Miles Away, A World Apart, James E. Ryan answers this question by tracing the fortunes of two schools in Richmond, Virginia--one in the city and the other in the suburbs. Ryan shows how court rulings in the 1970s, limiting the scope of desegregation, laid the groundwork for the sharp disparities between urban and suburban public schools that persist to this day. The Supreme Court, in accord with the wishes of the Nixon administration, allowed the suburbs to lock nonresidents out of their school systems. City schools, whose student bodies were becoming increasingly poor and black, simply received more funding, a measure that has proven largely ineffective, while the independence (and superiority) of suburban schools remained sacrosanct. Weaving together court opinions, social science research, and compelling interviews with students, teachers, and principals, Ryan explains why all the major education reforms since the 1970s--including school finance litigation, school choice, and the No Child Left Behind Act--have failed to bridge the gap between urban and suburban schools and have unintentionally entrenched segregation by race and class. As long as that segregation continues, Ryan forcefully argues, so too will educational inequality. Ryan closes by suggesting innovative ways to promote school integration, which would take advantage of unprecedented demographic shifts and an embrace of diversity among young adults. Exhaustively researched and elegantly written by one of the nation's leading education law scholars, Five Miles Away, A World Apart ties together, like no other book, a half-century's worth of education law and politics into a coherent, if disturbing, whole. It will be of interest to anyone who has ever wondered why our schools are so unequal and whether there is anything to be done about it.

Alan Sakowitz, a whistleblower of a Madoff-like Ponzi scheme masterminded by Scott Rothstein, fraudster extraordinaire, tells of the story of his decision to turn in Rothstein regardless of the possible dangerous ramifications of such a decision. The saga of Rothstein's rise and fall which included a Warren Yacht, two Bugattis, Governor Crist, the former Versace mansion, The Eagles, and even the murder of a law partner, is the stuff that Hollywood movies are made from. Instead of the mere accounting of such a scandal, Sakowitz uses the Rothstein scheme as a cautionary tale in stark contrast to the stories of humble, ethical individuals living within Sakowitz's neighborhood in North Miami Beach, Florida, Sakowitz's neighbors are people who have spent their lives trying to assist others, not line their pockets, and through these stories Sakowitz creates a sharp dichotomy between the greed, of a Rothstein and its mainstream culture of consumption and the charity, kindness and selflessness of a principle-oriented community. Indeed, Sakowitz speaks to the symptoms of a culture that could create a Scott Rothstein, and, though acknowledging that the easy way out is not simple to dismiss, offers remedies to the growing ills of our entitlement society. The answer, Sakowitz says, lies in thinking first of others, and how one's actions should benefit the lives of friends, not one's short-term gratifications.

"I set this down in case they do not come." Tamriss is a prisoner of the Dark on Chellan, with a fearful end in store. The twins, Gavran and Jilia, sent there on a strange, unknown mission, struggle for their lives, and hers, as they try to avoid a horrific fate. On Serrin, the twins share another desperate challenge, when Jilia comes face to face with the Dark Lord himself. Wounded, they turn to each other in their pain, and are forced into exile, but when the Dark forces threaten Aventar itself, somehow they must find the strength and courage to return.

The barbarian She-Devil with a Sword faces a whole different world - New York City - in this new adventure written by Amy Chu (Poison Ivy, Kiss) and drawn by Carlos Gomez (The Dresden Files). Somewhere deep underground, strange and powerful demons clad in metal armor attack and roust Red Sonja from a deep magical sleep. Confused and weaponless, she must find a way to defeat these mysterious creatures, escape from her solitary prison, and make her way to the surface to discover where she is, and why the evil Kulan Gath summoned her there!

Returning to Earth was no honeymoon The exciting THREE WORLDS superhero romance saga continues! After the interstellar chaos of the past few weeks, Lina Starhart thinks she now has time to catch her breath and get used to the idea of not only being a bride but of being married to the galaxy’s most powerful man. But she has yet to learn what the job fully entails. Her Cinderella happily-ever-after is all too brief. ˃˃˃ Enemies all around Not only does her famous husband Valiant have to bear the constant scrutiny of celebrity-watching networks, but he has enemies whose attention now turns toward Lina, whom they see as the hero’s primary weakness. Can Lina step up to her new responsibilities and show herself to be a mega-level champion?

Two women worlds apart... one secret that changes everything. Erin and Laura are cousins and best friends who share a love of languages and travel. Erin, a French teacher in Dublin, reaches crisis point and drops everything to move to Australia. In Sydney, not only does she land the perfect job, but she meets the perfect man. Finally, her life is falling into place. Except Sydney isn't home, and never can be. Back in Ireland, Laura is struggling. Her husband appears distant, her work life is spinning out of control and her daughter's strange new nanny is undermining her at every turn. She longs to travel in Erin's footsteps, to drop everything and run far away. But these are dangerous thoughts for a mother and wife. As Erin and Laura desperately try to find their place in the world, a shocking family secret comes to light, and nothing will ever be the same again. 'Ber Carroll has given us a cast of warm, engaging characters in a sparkling story that crosses the globe between Ireland and Australia. I enjoyed every page of this touching, authentic novel.' - Liane Moriarty. 'This novel is a wonderful full-bodied read. Ber Carroll has a clever eye for characterisation and story.' - Cathy Kelly 'With all the humour and empathy of Binchy... Carroll captures the conflicts and compromises women make.' - Daily Telegraph

Beth Richards writes: "My poetry probably reflects the inside image of my thoughts-sometimes very deep thoughts. I write from the heart and sometimes when I'm in a reflective mood my poetry is serious and somewhat philosophical " This collection of poems is a result of Beth's suggestion to Charles Muller that they produce a book that combines their gifts. Beth says: "Charles and I have led two very different lives, and it shows in our writing-hence the title Worlds Apart. Apart from having been born in different hemispheres, we are two very different people, but we appear to be kindred spirits in many ways. (Both born under the star sign of Leo!)" The poems by Charles Muller are perhaps more startling, with jagged images and sentences that cut like broken glass, sometimes exposing the raw nerves of life. Many of these were composed in the context of Apartheid South Africa and recall the violence and injustices of those times. Beth and Charles are also artists, and the cover depicts a painting by each of the poet-paintings that highlight their contrasting worlds.