These descriptions of leisure-time activities for Victorian girls were designed to cultivate their curiosity and inventiveness, and to help them gain self-confidence regarding their competence and talents.

Each summer, millions of children complain, "There's nothing to do." Originally published in 1888, The American Boy's Handy Book resoundingly challenges this age-old dilemma by providing a huge number of ideas for fun and instructional projects for young boys. Everything from camping and kite building to raising dogs and building boats is detailed for the would-be adventurer and do-it your-selfer.

The American Girl's Handy Book was one of the earliest works written primarily for girls' amusement and enjoyment. It introduced original and novel ideas to open new routes for enterprise and entertainment for girls. The main goal was to engrave upon the girls' minds that they all have talent and the ability to achieve more than what they think is possible. During the time of this book's publication, it was unusual to promote girls to be inventive. But the writer desired to awaken this creative side in them by giving detailed methods of new tasks and amusements, to put them on the road they could travel and explore alone. Anyone curious about knowing the initiatives taken for girls' empowerment in the olden days will find this work beneficial.

After relentless suffering, a woman decides to end her life—until a few real-life angels start showing up . . . A model-turned-wife-and-mother, Willow Adair lives with her husband and kids in Bexley, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Columbus, Ohio. On the outside, she has everything. On the inside, she struggles with her self worth. Spurned by her neglectful husband and defied by her rebellious teen daughter, Willow never feels she’s good enough, and fears everyone she loves will leave. Piece by piece, the cornerstones of Willow’s life begin to crumble. A routine operation goes horribly wrong, requiring a long recovery. A yoga injury leads to pain, surgeries, and misdiagnoses, ending in a permanent loss of motion in her arm. Then, as if she hasn’t suffered enough, Willow is diagnosed with breast cancer. Convinced no one will stand by her for one more day of sickness and depression, she prepares to end her life. But Willow’s friends go with her to chemo. They sleep over at her house. They lift her spirits when she’s sad, and weep with her when she’s hurting. They walk beside her literally, on sidewalks from Cleveland to Miami. And they walk beside her spiritually and emotionally, soothing her heartache, healing her self-esteem, and reminding her that every single minute of her life is abundantly worth living. Walk Beside Me is a tale of sickness and triumph, of being comfortable in your own skin, of valuing the things that have true value, and of learning to fight for yourself and what you truly want. It’s the story of a woman who peels away the layers to find her inner warrior, a woman who faces insurmountable odds and—thanks to her earthly Angels—learns to treasure the gift of God’s infinite light and love.

A manual of past times, which includes instructions for making kites, fishing poles, a blow gun, boats, and theatrical costumes, and for raising dogs, stuffing animals, stocking an aquarium, and camping. Contains small sections on recreational mind-reading and fortune-telling.

An irresistible, nostalgic, insightful—and totally original—ramble through classic children’s literature from Vanity Fair contributing editor (and father) Bruce Handy. “Consistently intelligent and funny…The book succeeds wonderfully.” —The New York Times Book Review “A delightful excursion…Engaging and full of genuine feeling.” —The Wall Street Journal “Pure pleasure.” —Vanity Fair “Witty and engaging…Deeply satisfying.” —Christian Science Monitor In 1690, the dour New England Primer, thought to be the first American children’s book, was published in Boston. Offering children gems of advice such as “Strive to learn” and “Be not a dunce,” it was no fun at all. So how did we get from there to “Let the wild rumpus start”? And now that we’re living in a golden age of children’s literature, what can adults get out of reading Where the Wild Things Are and Goodnight Moon, or Charlotte’s Web and Little House on the Prairie? In Wild Things, Bruce Handy revisits the classics of American childhood, from fairy tales to The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and explores the backstories of their creators, using context and biography to understand how some of the most insightful, creative, and witty authors and illustrators of their times created their often deeply personal masterpieces. Along the way, Handy learns what The Cat in the Hat says about anarchy and absentee parenting, which themes link The Runaway Bunny and Portnoy’s Complaint, and why Ramona Quimby is as true an American icon as Tom Sawyer or Jay Gatsby. It’s a profound, eye-opening experience to reencounter books that you once treasured after decades apart. A clear-eyed love letter to the greatest children’s books and authors, from Louisa May Alcott and L. Frank Baum to Eric Carle, Dr. Seuss, Mildred D. Taylor, and E.B. White, Wild Things will bring back fond memories for readers of all ages, along with a few surprises.

Illustrates essential skills that self-sufficient men should have, including how to build a fire, how to survive a tornado, and how to change a tire.

A brilliantly written and groundbreaking book about Dylan's music – now the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature 2016 – and its musical, political and cultural roots in early 20th-century America Growing up in Greenwich Village in the 1960s Sean Wilentz discovered the music of Bob Dylan as a young teenager. Almost half a century later, now a distinguished professor of American history, he revisits Dylan's work with the critical skills of a scholar and the passion of a fan. Drawing partly on his work as the current historian-in-residence on Dylan's official website, Sean Wilentz provides a unique blend of biography, memoir and analysis in a book which, much like its subject, shifts gears and changes shape as the occasion demands.