Most Popular Books by Hal Marcovitz

What are the defining characteristics of the sprawling era known as the Middle Ages? What sets ancient Egypt apart from other ancient civilizations? And what is the legacy of the twentieth-century genocide known as the Holocaust? These are some of the ideas explored in Understanding World History, a series that surveys the political, social, and cultural trends of major periods and events in world history. Primary and secondary source quotes bring historical events to life. Source notes, a bibliography for further research, and index provide additional tools for student researchers. Book jacket.

Presents a biography of the eighteenth-century printer, inventor, and statesman who played an influential role in the early history of the United States.

Presents a biography of United States congresswoman Nancy Pelosi of California who, in 2007, became the first woman Speaker of the House.

This title examines one of the worlds critical issues, gangs. Readers will learn the historical background of this issue, leading up to its current and future impact on society. Early U.S. gangs, such as the Mafia, are discussed, as well as the formation of large gangs throughout the country, in both urban and rural areas. Violent gang rivalry is discussed, as well as law enforcement related to gang activity. Reasons young people join gangs are addressed, and programs for at-risk youth are covered. Engaging text, informative sidebars, and color photographs present information realistically, leaving readers with a thorough, honest interpretation of gangs. Features include a timeline, facts, additional resources, Web sites, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. Essential Issues is a series in Essential Library, an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.

When synthetic opioids were developed a quarter-century ago, many physicians believed the drugs would help alleviate the pain caused by severe injuries and debilitating diseases. But while the drugs do deaden pain, they can lead to devastating addiction as well as death through overdose. Meanwhile, the natural opioid heroin continues to be a much-abused illegal drug that threatens the lives of its users.

About 1 in 10 people has a Personality Disorder, but many of these disorders will not be severe. If you have a personality disorder, parts of your personality make it hard for you to live with yourself, or may make it difficult for you to be around other people. Added stressors include if you''re worried that you''re going to upset or harm other people or yourself. This essential guidebook offers young readers and researchers a means of understanding Personality Disorders and their ramifications. Readers will learn about causes, effects, treatments, and medical advances.

This book gives readers a balanced look at the issue of extremist groups and its surrounding arguments. Extremist Groups familiarizes readers with the history of extremism in the United States, as well as the First Amendment. Topics include the rights of extremists, determining when actions cross the line, and deciding when force is justified. Also addressed is extremism as it relates specifically to abortion opposition, eco-terrorists, and jihadists in the United States. Color photos and informative sidebars accompany easy-to-follow text. Features include a timeline, facts, additional resources, web sites, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index.

Profiles Washington, D.C.''s member of the United States House of Representatives who, in a previous position as head of the Equal Employment Opportunity Council, wrote the guidelines on sexual harassment in the workplace.

The issue of slavery had divided the nation for decades, but problems came to a head after the election of Abraham Lincoln as president in 1860. Fearing that Lincoln would attempt to abolish slavery, the legislatures of 11 southern states voted to withdraw from the United States and create a new nation, the Confederate States of America. This would result in four bloody years of Civil War in which more than 600,000 Americans were killed. The Confederacy adopted several flags between 1861 and 1865; the best known today is the battle flag, which featured a blue saltire cross on a red background. To some people, the Confederate flag is a proud symbol of Southern heritage and bravery. Others, however, view the Confederate flag as a symbol that represents the enslavement and oppression of African Americans. As a result, the Confederate flag is among the most controversial of American symbols.

This title examines dictatorships in world history from early Rome to more modern dictatorships in France, Russia, Germany, Italy, Japan, China, North Korea, Cuba, Swaziland, and Serbia. How dictatorships work, the political systems in which they thrive, and the methods dictators use to gain and maintain control are discussed. Also covered are methods to depose dictators, and life for citizens both during and after dictatorship. Important dictators are covered, including both those of ancient civilizations such as Lucius Cornelius Sulla, and Julius Caesar, as well as more modern dictators such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Fulgencio Batista, Hideki Tojo, and Mao Zedong, Kim Jung-il, Muammar al-Qaddafi, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Saddam Hussein, King Mswati III, Haile Selassie, Pol Pot, and Omar al-Bashir. Critics of dictatorships such as Alexander Solzhenitsyn are also introduced. Exploring World Governments is a series in Essential Library, an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.

Author Hal Marcovitz examines the enormous popularity of e-books in the 21st century. Readers will learn about the evolution of the e-book concept from Project Gutenberg to dedicated e-readers such as Kindle and Nook, as well as the adaptation of e-books for tablet computers. Later chapters delve into how e-readers are changing the way people read, how e-books are impacting the publishing industry and libraries, and how the e-book may change in the future.

Born in 1928, Maurice Sendak was a sickly child who passed the time by sketching the children who were able to play in the street below his window. Sendak excelled in art during high school and found a job decorating store windows. When a book editor discovered his talent, Sendak’s skill was much in demand as a storybook illustrator. Once he started writing books as well as illustrating them, Sendak’s stories allowed children to experience places and journeys not often found in other books, including a magic land in Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen’s noisy adventure, and a land in Outside Over There where a young girl must save her baby sister from goblins. Sendak continued to write and illustrate stories throughout his life, finding ways to introduce socially important themes to young readers. In a one-volume reference, Maurice Sendak details the life and real-life influences of this famous author, revealing the person behind the words, and the author behind the literature we love.

As a young girl growing up in El Paso, Texas, Pat Mora felt as though she belonged to two worlds.

The first official music videos aired in the 1970s, but the seeds for making music something more than a pleasure for the ears were planted decades earlier. This book covers the birth of the music video, starting in the 1920s and 1930s when the first great movie musicals were produced, then details how MTV revolutionized the industry by making the film production as important as song production. Author Hal Marcovitz explains the various music video styles and differences in production value. Concluding chapters highlight the Internet video sensations of today and the interactive features that will likely characterize the genre tomorrow.

Statistics show that 3,200 couples file for divorce every day in the United States, which clearly has an impact on the strength of families. Young people feel the painthe Gallup Organization has found that 75 percent of teenagers between 13 and 17 believe divorce is too easy to get. This volume examines the influences parents and families play in the lives of young people in the United States.

A reversible book covering issues common to both boys and girls provides helpful tips and advice to teens in dealing with feelings of anger and potentially explosive scenarios in a positive, constructive, and healthy manner.

Rome, the eternal city, boasts a long and rich literary history with strong connections to the English Romantic poets Keats and Shelley, as well as Stendhal, Goether and Henry James.

Most young people in the United States today are willing to give something back to their communities. A recent report showed that each year an estimated 13 million teenagers donate more than 2.4 billion hours of their time to charitable causes, and the Gallup Youth Survey has found that roughly one-third of all teens participate in volunteer work. This volume examines the opportunities young people have for volunteering, and explores the issue of school-mandated community service.

Playing sports can improve fitness and coordination and boost self-discipline and self-esteem, but these benefits sometimes come at a price; sports injuries. This detailed examination covers the causes, diagnoses, current treatments and rehabilitation for the different types of sports injuries. Since many of them are preventable, author Hal Marcovitz includes a discussion of training and safety techniques as well as changes to equipment that have been instituted as a result of common athletic injuries.

Author of the Magic Shop series and The Unicorn Chronicles, Bruce Coville has captured the imaginations of young readers for more than 20 years with tales of talking toads, Shakespearean spouting skulls, and dragon hatchlings.

You want something your best friend has... but you can''t have it. Suddenly, you find yourself absolutely burning with jealousy. How can you stop this from turning to anger? What can you do to make sure it doesn''t ruin a good friendship? This fun and reversible book offers direct and easy-to-follow strategies that can help you take the sting out of jealousy. Then you can flip the book over and see how your guy or girl friends deal with it!

Examines the life and work of nineteenth-century explorer and mapmaker John C. Frémont, focusing on his accomplishments as leader of several expeditions into the largely uncharted American West.

Bipolar disorders manifest themselves in wild mood swings that affect some 5.7 million Americans, causing many to lapse into deep states of depression or manic episodes featuring out of control behavior and overwhelming euphoria. Through objective overviews, primary sources, and full color illustrations this title examines What are Bipolar Disorders and What are the Symptoms? What Causes Bipolar Disorders? How Do Bipolar Disorders Affect People? and What Treatments are Available for Bipolar Disorders?

A reversible book covering issues common to both boys and girls provides helpful tips and advice to teens in dealing with feelings of loneliness in a positive, constructive, and healthy manner.

" Critically acclaimed biographies of history''s most notable African Americans" Straightforward and objective writing" Lavishly illustrated with photographs and memorabilia" Essential for multicultural studies

For more than 200 years, U.S. presidents have lived and worked in the executive mansion at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.—commonly known as the White House. The executive mansion received its nickname in 1798, when its stone exterior was painted white to seal it from moisture and prevent cracking. As the official home of the president, the White House has come to symbolize the power and authority of the U.S. government. Within its walls, decisions are made that affect the lives of all Americans and, very often, the lives of millions of people around the world. Today, many people view the White House as a symbol of leadership and democracy.

For more than six decades, Rock ''n'' Roll music has been a voice of youth. This uniquely American style of music has had an enormous impact on the fashion, lifestyles, and attitudes of young people, both in the United States and elsewhere around the world. During the 1960s, rock music helped to change attitudes toward civil rights for African Americans. In the 1980s, rock helped to subvert the governments of the Soviet Union and its Eastern Bloc satellites, leading to the collapse of Communism. Major rock concert events like the Concert for Bangladesh (1971), Live Aid (1985), and Live 8 (2005) have raised awareness, and money, for worthwhile causes. Rock ''n'' Roll music continues to evolve, as well as to influence self-expression in young people today.

This book describes in detail terrorist attacks of the twentieth century and discusses the steps society takes to avoid terrorism in the future.

The life of the Civil War general whose controversial fame rests chiefly on the disaster at the Little Big Horn in 1876.

A biography of the union activist who led the struggle of migrant farm workers for better working conditions.

No issue seems to divide Americans as much as race. Nearly five decades after the adoption of federal civil rights laws, Americans are still wrestling with such issues as interracial marriage and affirmative action. Statistics show that teenagers are just as unsure of where they stand on such issues as adults. The role of race in the lives of young people is explored in this book.

You can''t control what other people do, but you can control how you react. This guidebook uses real-life examples and quotations to illustrate the causes of jealousy and envy and how they affect the body and emotions. Readers take a quiz to discover if their jealousy is taking over their life, and learn what to do, and what not to do, to deal with it.

Some of the most important documents in American history were composed and debated within the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. In 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted to approve the Declaration of Independence, which said that the American colonies would no longer be subject to the British rule. In 1787, Independence Hall hosted discussions for a new Constitution, which even today remains the foundation of government for the United States. The Liberty Bell, which once hung in the steeple of Independence Hall, has also become an important American symbol. Today, millions of people visit Independence Hall each year to celebrate the origins of America.

In 1836, a small group of Texan settlers fighting for their freedom from Mexico fortified an old Spanish mission near the village of San Antonio de Béxar. Surrounded and badly outnumbered by a larger Mexican army, the defenders of the Alamo vowed to fight rather than surrender. Their sacrifice allowed other Texans the opportunity to organize and prepare their army to face the Mexicans, and win freedom for Texas at the Battle of San Jacinto six weeks later. Today the Alamo remains a shrine to liberty, and a symbol of courage and determination in the face of overwhelming odds.

The issue of slavery had divided the nation for decades, but problems came to a head after the election of Abraham Lincoln as president in 1860. Fearing that Lincoln would attempt to abolish slavery, the legislatures of 11 southern states voted to withdraw from the United States and create a new nation, the Confederate States of America. This would result in four bloody years of Civil War in which more than 600,000 Americans were killed. The Confederacy adopted several flags between 1861 and 1865; the best known today is the battle flag, which featured a blue saltire cross on a red background. To some people, the Confederate flag is a proud symbol of Southern heritage and bravery. Others, however, view the Confederate flag as a symbol that represents the enslavement and oppression of African Americans. As a result, the Confederate flag is among the most controversial of American symbols.