Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea
A concise and appealing look at the strangest number in the universe and its continuing role as one of the great paradoxes of human thought
The Babylonians invented it, the Greeks banned it, the Hindus worshiped it, and the Church used it to fend off heretics. Now, as Y2K fever rages, it threatens a technological apocalypse. For centuries the power of zero savored of the demonic; once harnessed, it became the most important tool in mathematics. For zero, infinity’s twin, is not like other numbers. It is both nothing and everything.
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Oprah: A Biography
For the past twenty-five years, no one has been better at revealing secrets than Oprah Winfrey. On what is arguably the most influential show in television history, she has gotten her guests—often the biggest celebrities in the world—to bare their love lives, explore their painful pasts, admit their transgressions, reveal their pleasures, and explore their demons. In turn, Oprah has repeatedly allowed her audience to share in her own life story, opening up about the sexual abuse in her past and discussing her romantic relationships, her weight problems, her spiritual beliefs, her charitable donations, and her strongly held views on the state of the world.
After a quarter of a century of the Oprah-ization of America, can there be any more secrets left to reveal? Yes. Because Oprah has met her match.
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Leona Lewis (Blue Banner Biographies)
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In just under a year since winning England s X Factor talent show, British pop star Leona Lewis established herself as an international superstar. Her debut album Spirit, released in England in November 2007, set world records for sales. Twenty-something Leona even cracked the tough U.S. market when her single Bleeding Love became the number-one song in America in spring 2008. When Spirit topped the U.S. album chart at the same time, Leona became the first British female solo artist to ever have both a song and an album at the top of the U.S. charts. This former receptionist and waitress from London has taken her music across the globe, appeared on magazine covers, and performed at the Beijing Olympics. Still, she is determined to remember where she came from and help others along the way.
Gandhi (DK Biography)
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Perfect for book reports or summer reading, DK’s acclaimed Biography series tackles two of history’s most inspiring human rights figures: Mohandas Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.
Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World
A delightful romp through history with all its economic forces laid bare, Cod is the biography of a single species of fish, but it may as well be a world history with this humble fish as its recurring main character. Cod, it turns out, is the reason Europeans set sail across the Atlantic, and it is the only reason they could. What did the Vikings eat in icy Greenland and on the five expeditions to America recorded in the Icelandic sagas? Cod–frozen and dried in the frosty air, then broken into pieces and eaten like hardtack. What was the staple of the medieval diet? Cod again, sold salted by the Basques, an enigmatic people with a mysterious, unlimited supply of cod. As we make our way through the centuries of cod history, we also find a delicious legacy of recipes, and the tragic story of environmental failure, of depleted fishing stocks where once their numbers were te fate of the universe. Here–for scientist and layperson alike, for philosopher, science-fiction reader, biologist, and computer expert–is a startlingly complete and rational synthesis of disciplines, and a new, optimistic message about existence.
Dare To Dream!: 25 Extraordinary Lives
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Magical heroes like Harry Potter, Spiderman, or Catwoman provide plenty of entertainment for kids, but in real life heroes are made of sterner stuff than celluloid fantasies. In this inspiring collection of biographies, critically acclaimed writer and psychologist Sandra McLeod Humphrey teaches young people that heroes were once ordinary people whose strength of character helped them to achieve extraordinary things. Starting with only their dreams, they worked hard and overcame obstacles to make their dreams come true. Some overcame physical handicaps, others psychological barriers like extreme shyness or feelings of inferiority; some faced racial discrimination or educational disadvantage, others financial burdens. In spite of these frustrations and discouragements, all of these people discovered in themselves the patience, perseverance, and determination to pursue their dreams beyond every obstacle. The message is clear: No matter who you are or where you come from, you too can accomplish extraordinary things, as long as you dare to dream and never, never, never give up!