Best Selling Books by Michael Lee

This book is another testimony of how God continuously provides for me; it is about some of the experiences I’ve had here in Mayberry, not to forget how I found my true love here.

The Byrd Machine ran Virginia politics for more than half a century. This political organization rose to power during the era of Jim Crow, wielding power and influence over everything from who got the nod to be governor to how the state maintained racial segregation. Inheriting its tactics from two previous political machines, the Byrd organization operated with a pathological hatred of debt spending, crushing the power of labor unions and forcing its will on Black schoolchildren protesting separate and unequal facilities. The nadir of its era was massive resistance, a move to close public schools rather than integrate them. Journalist and author Michael Lee Pope details the rise and fall of the last great political machine in Virginia.

La Valentia, el valor, la bravura. Since the creation of the Medal of Honor by the United States Congress in 1861, sixty Americans of Hispanic heritage have been awarded the nation’s highest decoration for bravery and self-sacrifice in combat. In this important new work, Michael Lee Lanning documents what one reader describes as “some of the most extraordinary battlefield exploits ever performed in an American military uniform.” Based on meticulous research, Lanning has assembled authoritative accounts of these heroic individuals and their deeds of valor, from the American Civil War through the current campaign in the Middle East. This clear and vigorous narrative—derived from enlistment records and other public documents, newspaper accounts, archival sources, and interviews with the families of the honorees—presents brief biographies that include details of the recipients’ lives before and—in the case of those who survived—after their active-duty service. Lanning also includes the text of the citation from each recipients’ Medal of Honor ceremonies and gripping accounts of the battlefield heroics that earned them the ultimate military honor from a grateful nation. Hispanic Medal of Honor Recipients: American Heroes provides the most thorough documentation to date of these courageous Americans and their service to our nation. The work offers a fitting commemoration of their remarkable actions under the direst circumstances, often performed under conditions of discrimination and prejudice, providing inspiration and encouragement for years to come.

Texas, home to more than 1.7 million living veterans (the second largest number of any state), is also home to six nationally run and four state-run veterans cemeteries. Each year, more than 12,000 veterans are laid to rest in these hallowed grounds. The Veterans Cemeteries of Texas recounts the stories of these ten official final resting places for Texas veterans, creating—for the first time—a complete guide to these solemn bivouacs of the dead. Author Michael Lee Lanning, a US Army veteran, has not only reconstructed the history of these cemeteries as a tribute to the fallen but has also compiled a useful resource for the living. Lanning details the exact locations, eligibility requirements, and contact information throughout the state for those veterans and their families who might choose to make use of these important public services. Richly illustrated, the book also provides moving descriptions of military burial traditions, such as “Taps” and the 21-gun salute, as well as information about the various types of military headstones (including sixty authorized religious symbols). In the author’s words, “A walk through these burial grounds is a journey across the history of Texas and of the United States.” Lanning’s use of more than 100 captivating photographs, along with his compelling text, allows readers to take that walk through veterans cemeteries in Texas. For lovers of Texas history and military history, The Veterans Cemeteries of Texas is a gripping tribute to past, present, and future Texas veterans and the solemn places where they rest in their last formation and final parade.

Eleven years before Rosa Parks resisted going to the back of the bus, a young black second lieutenant, hungry to fight Nazis in Europe, refused to move to the back of a U.S. Army bus in Texas and found himself court-martialed. The defiant soldier was Jack Roosevelt Robinson, already in 1944 a celebrated athlete in track and football and in a few years the man who would break Major League Baseball’s color barrier. This was the pivotal moment in Jackie Robinson’s pre-MLB career. Had he been found guilty, he would not have been the man who broke baseball’s color barrier. Had the incident never happened, he would’ve gone overseas with the Black Panther tank battalion—and who knows what after that. Having survived this crucible of unjust prosecution as an American soldier, Robinson—already a talented multisport athlete—became the ideal player to integrate baseball. This is a dramatic story, deeply engaging and enraging. It’s a Jackie Robinson story and a baseball story, but it is also an army story as well as an American story.

No detailed description available for "Proto-Romance and Sicilian".

From the author of Mad Girls in Love comes this lively multigenerational tale of six charming, unforgettable Southern women -- a novel of love and laughter, pain and redemption. Though she was born in Tennessee, Miss Gussie is no country fool. A woman who can handle any situation, she has her hands full with two headstrong daughters who happen to be complete opposites -- dour Dorothy and sweet Clancy Jane. Hoping money will heal childhood wounds, Dorothy marries the owner of a five-and-dime, while Clancy Jane gets into a mess of trouble, running off with a randy tomcat who pumps gas at the Esso stand. And then there are Gussie''s granddaughters, the smart but plain Violet and fancy-talking Bitsy -- a new generation whose lives will reflect a nation''s tumultuous times. From Tennessee to New Orleans, from psychedelic San Francisco to a remote Southwestern desert ranch, this funny, poignant novel spans more than four decades as it vividly recounts the universal loves, sorrows, and joys of women''s lives.

It is a collection of poetry written by the poet, mindful of the epic proportions of poetry, the musicality of language, the seasons, and the evolution of America. The seasons forever form the structural sky, earth, and people of this poetry collection. Part I: Autumn In America, epic in tone, sweep, setting, scope, language and myth relates the history of the Goddess of Autumn (autumn itself), as the season introduces the climate and induces cultural and social, religious customs- especially annual Thanksgiving, as well as Halloween. Throughout the poem, the Goddess of Autumn will be given credit as she gradually, day to day, generates our annual storms, frost, ice snow and winds, in the various regions of the Americas. Thanksgiving describes the Pilgrims and their arrival on the Mayflower from Plymouth England to Plymouth Rock and the resulting gardens grown in their plantation. Even prior to that event, Thanksgiving in Autumn in America: Introduction imagines and describes this resonating, resilient event as its practiced in many parts of the world. The poet celebrates and interprets its customs world-wide, conscious of emerging allusions to classical, biblical and primitive myth. As to its structure, in the main body of this long poem, organized into ten, measured chapters (in the manner of a novel, due to its length and the familiarity of the educated reader with novels), the poet imagines the original scenes and values of Thanksgiving, as compared and contrasted now, with citizens annual remembrance celebrations. So the Native Americans generously shared their hunted, fished and grown food and some of their artistically crafted wares with the Pilgrims. They intended to assist and help these first immigrants to prevail the harsh New England winters and to exchange, as well as respect each ones culture and set of beliefs. In contrast and comparison, the poet describes what Thanksgiving has now evolved into and why those original values have today been synthesized, due to accelerated materialism and technology, and so lost to many of us. The short poem, Autumn& Music In theWorld, attempts to enhance my theme of the seasons, within the differing regions of the U.S. and the Americas, and any links to the international community, throughout the repertoire of classical and popular music in general. The long poem, A Hymn to the Different Colors And Forms of Autumn Leaves (Une Hyme `a les Couleurs et les Formes de les Feuilles de lAutumn),expresses the aesthetic colors and forms of the autumn leaves found on the grounds of a Florida tourist resort. The poem, a reverie into the aesthetic autumn in its profusion, also poses the irony and question of a possible imagined future of all this beauty, in the discursive narrative terms of what that beauty might decay into with Time set in the future. What might archaeologists surmise, who might excavate the sight of the resort and its human artifacts and flora then? 3 Spenserian Sonnets on a Halloween Theme relates the personal narrative of a struggling employee at he same resort, who, gets off work on Halloween eve, and returning home, realizes the eerie hyperbole of darkened, bizarre images, that he associates with that night: green tree frogs, dark clouds, passing a crescent moon, and an orange-masked, giant moth on his trailer door screen. All of Nature there appears odd, and the sense of a Halloween by himself resonates with scary and freakish overtones. Yet he feels himself like Lazarus the next morning, awakening, realizing at he poems close that its now All Saints Day as well, when souls are resurrected. Part II: Winter In America introduces the subsequent, mythical Goddess of Winter, who follows on the harvesting and decaying footsteps of her sister, Goddess of autumn. Who ushers in winters freezing and drying climate, as well as it marks the start of activities and celebrations- commercial as well as national, ethnic and religious. The an

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. In the bitter Christmas cold of a Maryland winter, Delaino Riodan, orphaned heir to the Conlan family fortune, finally decides that enough is enough and flees the clutches of his abusive family. With him are the only two friends he’s ever known—Tucker, a family slave, and Raj, an exquisitely-trained stallion Del stole from his grandfather’s stables. Together they head west in search of Delaino’s long-lost father, Daniel, and the promise of life and liberty on the far end of the famed Oregon Trail. Drunk on the hope and enthusiasm of newfound freedom, none of them understand the dangers that haunt their every step. Ahead lay the vast and wild frontier, filled with untold wonders as awe-inspiring as they are lethal. Behind stalks the murderous rage of Del’s psychotic uncle, Beaux Conlan. Left penniless by his nephew’s birth, Beaux looks to remedy that problem once and for all and retrieve his property—Tucker and Raj—at all costs. Can Del and Tucker find their way across the lawless plains, or will they join the thousands of unlucky souls who came before them filling unmarked graves on the trail to the promised land of Oregon? An epic and realistic story of life on the edge of civilization, debut author Michael Lee captures perfectly the gritty essence of America’s great eighteenth-century journey into the West—a journey toward the kind of destiny, freedom, and manhood only the American frontier can forge.

Had Lieutenant George S. Patton not served on the southern border during the Mexican Expedition of 1916, there might never have been a General George S. Patton who took the world by storm as a bold and daring commander during World War II. Relying on Patton’s detailed personal journals of his eight months in Mexico, Michael Lee Lanning describes the young officer’s exploits during the hunt for Pancho Villa. As an aide to General John Pershing, Patton learned leadership and logistics from the man who would soon command American forces in World War I. Begging for a field command, he received it—and led the first motorized attack in U.S. military history and may or may not have killed two of Villa’s lieutenants. The press ate it up, and Patton learned not only how much he loved attention, but how to promote himself. In Mexico are the roots of Patton the World War II general, and Lanning tells the story deftly, focusing on Patton the man as well Patton the commander, and always casting an eye forward to Patton’s future career. This is how Patton became Patton.

SAT with CD-ROM - The Very Best Coaching & Study Course. 본 SAT 시험 대비서에서는 핵심적인 주제별 리뷰를 통해 고득점에 도움이 되도록 하였으며, 강점과 약점을 정확하게 짚어낼 수 있는 진단 평가를 수록하였다. 본 시험대비서는 수험생들이 원하는 점수를 얻는데 큰 도움이 되어줄 것이다. CD-ROM 1장 포함. (Paperback/영어원서/가로 21cm x 세로 27.5cm)

Gangar the Golden dragon, Guardian of the world of Bremaria, is dying. Before meeting death, all Guardians choose an apprentice to be their successor, to carry on their life and powers. But Trantyricus the Black misused his master´s teachings, and was cast from his side...but not before he had seized most of the world in a last-ditch effort to control all people, everywhere. Now, Ganagr chooses a mismatched group of heroes to stop his former student form destroying the world he loves...if he can keep them from destroying one another first! But they´d better hurry, for the Guardian´s time is running out!

When Dwight Eisenhower graduated from West Point in 1915, few would have predicted he was destined for greatness. A middling student, he was denied his first choice of posting, missed overseas service in World War I, spent a dozen years as a major, and never commanded a unit larger than a battalion. Yet the young officer made the most of the opportunities he was given, made a lasting impression on superiors including George Marshall, and eventually gained a reputation as an excellent staff officer with a knack for administration, loyalty, and “getting along.” Eisenhower was promoted to colonel in March 1941 and, sixteen months later, was a lieutenant general in command of the European Theater of Operations. His rise through the ranks was first painfully slow, then meteoric. It is one of the great, and most important, stories in military history, and Michael Lee Lanning tells it vividly, with an eye for the dramatic turning points in Eisenhower’s rise. The West Point class of 1915 was “the class the stars fell on.” Fifty-nine graduates became generals during World War II, but none of that was clear at the time, especially not for the young Dwight Eisenhower, who graduated 61st in a class of 164. He failed to make the baseball team, but made the football team, only to see an injury end his playing career, and was known as a card player and prankster. Denied his request for service in the Philippines, Eisenhower was sent to Texas, where he spent a good bit of his time coaching football. Later denied his request to fight in France, he spent World War I training a tank unit near Gettysburg. During the 1920s into the early 1930s—lean years for the army during which promotions came slowly and many officers quit the service—Eisenhower started to catch the eye of superiors and earned positions under the U.S. Army’s leading lights, including Fox Conner, John Pershing, and Douglas MacArthur, whom he served under during pivotal years in the 1930s, from the Bonus March to the Philippines. By the late 1930s, as war broke out in Europe, Eisenhower’s star was on the rise. After serving in a series of staff positions—regimental executive officer, then corps and army chief of staff—Eisenhower joined the General Staff in Washington, DC, where he helped develop war plans and eventually became deputy chief of staff under George Marshall. When the time came to appoint a commander to execute the plans, Eisenhower recommended another officer, but Marshall knew Eisenhower was the man for the job. Becoming Eisenhower is the story of a young man who first pursued the army for its free education but ultimately found his calling as an officer, the story of an officer who was initially overlooked but was motivated by this frustration to make himself the army’s indispensable man, the story of how General Eisenhower carried these experiences not only into Supreme Command but also the presidency. This book will be essential reading for World War II buffs, people interested in American presidents, and readers looking for the leadership lessons of history.

The story of a man whose music changed the world. Farrokh Bulsara was a young boy who loved music and was known for being quiet and kind, even when people made fun of his unusual teeth. Farrokh grew up to be Freddie Mercury, an incredible musician who could command audiences with his charisma and talent, and who would one day say that those teeth were the very reason he was able to sing with such amazing range. From his childhood in Zanzibar to the formation of rock band Queen, to their record-breaking Live Aid performance, discover the journey Freddie Mercury took to becoming one of the world''s most influential musicians. Collect them all! Packed full of incredible stories, fantastic facts and dynamic illustrations, Extraordinary Lives shines a light on important modern and historical figures from all over the world. The Extraordinary Life of Michelle Obama The Extraordinary Life of Malala Yousafzai The Extraordinary Life of Anne Frank The Extraordinary Life of Mahatma Gandhi The Extraordinary Life of Alan Turing The Extraordinary Life of Serena Williams The Extraordinary Life of Greta Thunberg

In a highly readable blend of analysis and interviews, Cohen shows how today''s "twenty-something" generation thinks, examines what their concerns are for themselves and for society, and debunks much of the media hype that portrays this group negatively.

These are the stories Vietnam vets tell over beers at Legion halls and VFW posts—stories of young men tangled up in the chaos of landing zones and nameless jungle hills, in the boredom of base camps, in the confusion of a controversial war. Raw, often gut-wrenching, sometimes funny, these war stories describe slices of individual tours of duty, from the firefights to the friendships, and capture the kaleidoscope of the American experience in Vietnam.

Vasu analyzes the attitudes of a national sample of both public and private planners, using a questionnaire he devised and administered, and contrasts the results with a nationwide sample of the American public. He finds that planners are a distinct interest group with ideological orientations, political party affiliations, and political participation that differ significantly from those of the American public. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.

The world has rehearsed many stories, fables and secrets since the fall of man, in an attempt to teach some moral lesson or ethical grace. However, the greatest mystery ever revealed was first hidden by God, Himself, in Himself, long before the first Adam was formed from the dust of the earth. This mystery, having been kept secret since the world began was revealed only after the last Adam, Jesus Christ, died, rose, ascended and returned as the Comforter on the day of Pentecost. This Book 1 begins the four volume journey revealing that Will of God that was made a mystery, concluding that Adam and Eve possessed the indwelling Spirit of God.

Michael Lee West''s indomitable G.R.I.T.S. (Girls Raised in the South) are back -- enduring rough times with all the grace and outrageous flair expected of true Southern heroines. Bitsy Wentworth -- fleeing yet another relationship nightmare in a “borrowed” red Corvette, with her baby daughter and a recently acquired “demon child” -- has an APB out on her for attempted murder (she broke her ex-husband''s nose with a frozen slab of ribs that she purchased at the Piggly Wiggly). Her mama, Dorothy, is writing letters to First Ladies from inside the Central State Asylum, while Aunt Clancy Jane has completed her inevitable progression from hippie to local Crazy Cat Lady. Three generations of unforgettable Crystal Falls, Tennessee, women -- and the men they attract, enrage, and confound -- are courageously plowing through tumultuous lives of compound disaster . . . and hoping the chaos the next wrong step leads to won''t be insurmountable.

During World War II, some 10,000 American bombers and fighters were shot down over Europe. Of the crews aboard, 26,000 men were killed, while 30,000 survived being shot down only to be captured and made prisoners of war. Against the longest of odds, nearly 3,000 airmen made it to the ground alive, evaded capture, and escaped to safety. These men proudly called themselves the Blister Club. Drawing on tens of thousands of pages of mostly untapped documents in the National Archives, Michael Lee Lanning tells the story of these courageous airmen. They had received escape-and-evasion (E & E) training, and some were lucky enough to land with their E-&-E kits—but all bets were off once they hit the ground. They landed after an air catastrophe. The geography was usually unfamiliar. Civilians might or might not be trustworthy. German soldiers and Gestapo agents hunted down airmen as well as civilians who dared help them. If an airman abandoned his uniform for civilian garb, he forfeited Geneva Convention protections. Most faced the daunting task of escaping on foot across hundreds of miles. The fortunate connected with one of the established escape routes to Spain or Switzerland or across the English Channel, or they hooked up with the underground resistance or friendly civilians. Upon return to friendly lines, these men were often able to provide valuable intelligence about enemy troop dispositions and civilian morale. Many volunteered to fly again even though regulations prohibited it. The Blister Club is history with a punch. With a historian’s eye, Lanning covers the hows and whys of escape-and-evasion and aerial combat in the European theater, but the book also vividly captures the stories of the airmen who did the escaping and evading, including that of a young pilot named Chuck Yeager, who, during his own escape, aided the French Resistance and helped another downed airman to safety—and then begged to fly again, eventually securing Eisenhower’s approval to return to the air, where he achieved ace status. Stories of escape are popular, especially those set during World War II, as are stories of the war in the air. Combining both of these, The Blister Club should find an enthusiastic audience.

In The Brothers'' Chronicles, a new general from the dark began his assault on mankind. The Beastmaster, a relentless creature, uses his dominion over beasts to create an army that even the brothers might find unstoppable. Join Jason and Sam as they battle for the survival of humanity. Can they stop this new dark force?

Three generations of a family are affected in some way by the life and deaths of children in the town of Fleming. And how each generation handles the responsibility is totally unique. Grandma Winny returned from her world of freedom to be protected by the man she loves. She never realized that her man, Grandpa Roan, took his responsibility as a husband and father serious and then end up dying during the Gunfight in Rails. Mother, Grandma Winnys daughter, helped the poor citizens of Fleming, she helped birth their babies, but she could not control her emotions when she found herself believing that she was responsible for someone elses untimely death, on a mountain road, to a hit and run deer. Malcolm and Taylor each grew up taking over a part of their mothers persona. One through finance and the other through medical treatment, but no one could imagine to what lengths Taylor, a non-licensed Veterinarian, would go to protect the women and babies of Fleming. And if you go to Taylors to play Poker, stay away from the Rum Fizzes.

Remote Sensing from a New Perspective The idea for this book began many years ago, when I was asked to teach a course on remote sensing. Not long before that time, I had been part of the effort to develop the first database for planetary data with a common digital array format and interactive processing capabilities to correlate those data easily: the lunar consortium. All the available lunar remote sensing data were included, orbital and ground-based, ranging across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. I had used this powerful tool extensively, and, in that spirit, I was determined to create a course which covered the entire spectrum and a variety of targets. As I looked around for the equivalent of a textbook, which I was willing to pull together from several sources, I realized that available material was very heavily focused on the visual and near visual spectrum and on the Earth as a target. Even The Surveillant Science, edited by Edward Holz and published in 1973, which broke new ground in having diverse articles on most of the spectrum when it was created, focused entirely on the Earth. My personal favorite, the exceedingly well written book on remote sensing by Floyd Sabins first published in 1978, covered the visual, infrared, and microwave portions of the spectrum beautifully but focused on the Earth as well. Unhindered, I developed what I called ‘packets’ of material for each part of the spectrum.

Go inside the long-forgotten 19th century period when Alexandria left Virginia and incorporated itself into the fledging Distric of Columbia. This groundbreaking history uncovers the time in the 19th century when Alexandria left the commonwealth of Virginia and became incorporated into the emerging District of Columbia. It was an experiment that failed after half a century of neglect and a growing animosity between North and South. However, it was a fascinating time when cannon were dragged onto city streets for political rallies, candidates plied their voters with liquor and devastating fires ravaged the city.

Dive deep into the world of Jim Carrey, the comedic genius who redefined laughter for a generation. This captivating biography goes beyond the rubber faces and exaggerated antics to reveal the complex and multi-layered artist behind the mask. From his humble beginnings in Canada to his rise as a Hollywood icon, this book chronicles his extraordinary journey. Uncover the influences that shaped his unique style, the challenges he overcame, and the triumphs that cemented his place in comedic history. Explore the evolution of his acting range, from slapstick to dramatic roles, and the impact of his performances on both the screen and stage. This insightful exploration delves into the private life of the man behind the mask, examining his struggles with fame, mental health, and the search for meaning in a chaotic world. Discover his artistic passions beyond acting, his commitment to social activism, and his enduring legacy as a cultural icon. More than just a biography, this book offers a deeply personal portrait of a man who has touched the hearts and minds of millions. It''s a celebration of laughter, a testament to resilience, and a reminder that even the most outrageous personalities harbor a deep humanity. Prepare to be entertained, moved, and inspired by the remarkable story of Jim Carrey, a true comedy legend who continues to challenge and delight audiences worldwide.

In this hilarious follow-up to GONE WITH A HANDSOMER MAN, Charleston pastry chef Teeny Templeton witnesses a murder and discovers that her laywer-boyfriend, Coop O''Malley, has been keeping secrets. It''s not every day that I bake a dozen Red Velvet cakes, learn my boyfriend may have a love child, and I witness a murder. After Charleston pastry chef, Teeny Templeton, witnesses a murder, she discovers that her lawyer-boyfriend, Coop O''Malley, has been keeping secrets: the victim''s ten-year-old daughter may be his child. As more lies explode, Teeny finds herself trapped in Bonaventure, Georgia, a zany"little Savannah," where she must deal with her commitment phobia, gather DNA from a ten-year old child genius, outwit a stalker, decode an encrypted diary, and fend off advances of an ex-beau, a handsome plastic surgeon who''s crazy-in-love with her. Teeny''s life gets maddeningly complicated by a series of not-so-teeny troubles: an uneasy love triangle, a gossip-mongering tarantula breeder, an wise-cracking Southern Belle with early Alzheimer''s, Coop''s loveable Chihuahua-toting granny, and clues that point to the illegal trafficking of human organs. But when a suspect is arrested, the bodies keep piling up and Teeny doesn''t know who to trust. As the murderers close in, Teeny unearths a revelation that becomes a game-changer and flips her world upside-down.

For the past two centuries, the great power sitting atop the international global financial system has enjoyed outsized rewards. As the saying goes, however, all good things come to an end. Providing insights into the evolution of the global political economy, From Malaise to Meltdown identifies the main instigators behind the global financial crises we’ve seen in the last two hundred years. Michael Lee shows that, in time, power diffuses from the leading economy to others, creating an intensely competitive push for global financial leadership. Hungry for the benefits of global leadership, declining leaders and aspiring challengers alike roll back long-standing regulatory safeguards in an effort to spark growth. Risks to global financial stability mount as a result of this rollback and waves of severe financial crises soon follow. As Lee deftly shows, the Long Depression of 1873–1896, the Great Depression of 1929–1939, and the financial crisis of 2008 are part of the same recurrent pattern: global competition disrupts the longstanding political equilibria, prompting a search for new, risky ideas among the most powerful states. From Malaise to Meltdown presents a sweeping but accessible historical narrative about the coevolution of power, ideas, and domestic politics, supported by archival research into the risky decisions that ushered in the worst financial crises in history.

This book is an insightful four-part story that begins with how America arrived at our current divide over the contentious issue of abortion and the turbulence that has rolled across America for generations. It touches upon faith, religion, law, the clergy, and the conflict over sex and female coercion. The second theme is an ongoing defense of women and their challenges in the shadow of past and present patriarchy. It powerfully depicts the amazing progress and revolutionary changes over the past century by women. It is about their desired goal to demand respect, opportunity, fairness and free agency. The third theme is a clarion call to do more for babies and children without voice, choice, agency, or voting power. It vividly demonstrates a lack of support for many innocent children in struggling or dysfunctional homes. The fourth theme is a crystal ball look into what may come next. A concise epilogue crystallizes where America stands.

Consuming Passions is Michael Lee West''s delightfully quirky memoir of an adventurous life centered around food and family—the story of how she went from non-cook to gourmet of words and victuals by watching a multitude of relatives squabble, prepare sumptuous repasts, and carry on honored traditions. Laced with delicious secret recipes passed from generation to generation, West''s irresistible chronicle recalls good times and wild times—mothers swinging from chandeliers, elderly aunts brewing up love potions, a South American nymphomaniac stirring up trouble at a Louisiana barbeque joint, and the spooky hauntings of a cabbage-eating ghost—all in the pursuit of good dining. Thoroughly entertaining, alive with West''s distinctive humor and sharp, irrepressible insight, here are incomparable American kitchen tales as warm and tasty as freshly baked bread.