One Nation Under Goods

Loved and hated, visited and avoided, seemingly everywhere yet endlessly the same, malls occupy a special place in American life. What, then, is this invention that evokes such strong and contradictory emotions in Americans? In many ways malls represent the apotheosis of American consumerism, and this synthetic and wide-ranging investigation is an eye-popping tour of American culture's values and beliefs. Like your favorite mall, One Nation under Goods is a browser's paradise, and in order to understand America's culture of consumption you need to make a trip to the mall with Farrell. This lively, fast-paced history of the hidden secrets of the shopping mall explains how retail designers make shopping and goods “irresistible.” Architects, chain stores, and mall owners relax and beguile us into shopping through water fountains, ficus trees, mirrors, and covert security cameras. From food courts and fountains to Santa and security, Farrell explains how malls control their patrons and convince us that shopping is always an enjoyable activity. And most importantly, One Nation Under Goods shows why the mall's ultimate promise of happiness through consumption is largely an illusion. It's all here—for one low price, of course.

From one of today's most respected historians and cultural critics comes a new book examining the gulf in American society--a division that cuts across class, racial, ethnic, political and sexual lines. One side originated in the tradition of republican virtue, the other in the counterculture of the late 1960s. Himmelfarb argues that, while the latter generated the dominant culture of today-particularly in universities, journalism, television, and film--a "dissident culture" continues to promote the values of family, a civil society, sexual morality, privacy, and patriotism. Proposing democratic remedies for our moral and cultural diseases, Himmelfarb concludes that it is a tribute to Americans that we remain "one nation" even as we are divided into "two cultures."

The United States holds the dubious distinction of experiencing more civilian gun deaths than any industrialized nation on Earth--nearly 30,000 per year. In this hard-hitting book, Grossman examines the scope of gun violence in this country, its causes, its dangers, and its possible solutions.

A provocative book that shows us why we must put American history firmly in a global context–from 1492 to today. Immerse yourself in an insightful exploration of American history in A Nation Among Nations. This compelling book by renowned author Thomas Bender paints a different picture of the nation's history by placing it within the broader canvas of global events and developments. Events like the American Revolution, the Civil War, and subsequent imperialism are examined in a new light, revealing fundamental correlations with simultaneous global rebellions, national redefinitions, and competitive imperial ambitions. Intricacies of industrialization, urbanization, laissez-faire economics, capitalism, socialism, and technological advancements become globally interconnected phenomena, altering the solitary perception of these being unique American experiences. A Nation Among Nations isn’t just a history book–it's a thought-provoking journey that transcends geographical boundaries, encouraging us to delve deeper into the globally intertwined series of events that spun the American historical narrative.

One Nation Under Which God? Especially with the advent of the Tea Party in 2010, we more and more frequently hear conservative Christians expressing wishes that America could return to its founding values. Wake up, people! We now experience the inevitable fruit of the seeds we planted upon this nation's inception. Face the facts! We put Anti-Truth, aka self-evident truth, in Christ's place, Satan, aka, Nature's God, in the Father's place, my will be done, aka democracy, in place of Thy will be done, service to Mammon, aka the Profit Motive, in place of service to God, and religious freedom, aka idolatry, in place of piety! How must we answer our title question? We believe that question will grow increasingly pertinent as the pace of American secularization continues to increase. Ironically, a good deal of that secularization is guised as spiritual, again just as we would expect from an Adversary who "has deceived the nations". This is the nature of the Great Apostasy, and look who we find heading the charge!

During our nation's most trying times, it has been LIFE that has provided the images that help us understand, remember, and in the process, renew. Now the editors of LIFE have assembled a moving, brilliantly illustrated account of tragedy and triumph. This is about firemen going in amidst the rubble, but it is also about a Frenchman in Paris holding up a sign that says, "We are all Americans." This is about our leaders taking charge, but it is also about schoolchildren in Iowa hanging an American flag on a tree in their backyard. Beginning with the history of lower Manhattan, the book explains what happened on September 11, profiles many of the heroes, victims and rescuers (fireman, police, doctors, and rescue dogs among them), and paints an inspiring portrait if a nation and world coming together in sadness, pride and resolve.The book is more than photographs. Explanatory text runs throughout, and the book also includes a selection of original essays about America and September 11, written by such notables as Maya Angelou, Thomas Keneally (Schindler's List), Stephen Ambrose, Melissa Fay Greene (The Temple Bombing), AndreiCodrescu, Gordon Parks, Doug Stanton (In Harm's Way), Bob Greene (Duty), James Bradley (Flags of Our Fathers), and others. All profits from the sales of this book will be donated to American Red Cross, September 11th Fund, International Association of Fire Fighters, New York Fraternal Order of Police WTC Fund, The National Organization for Victim Assistance, and The Twin Towers Fund. When Americans think of photographic journalism at its finest, they think of LIFE magazine. This book will draw upon the best photographers employed by TIME, LIFE, PEOPLE and other magazines. Many of the photographers have had their own collections published in book form.

This book is a true story of survival and valor that was written by William P. Chad during the second part of the 20th Century A.D. He has dedicated it to his mother Makroohi. Together they emigrated to The United States of America from Lebanon at the end of WWI after been exiled from Malatya, their homeland of Western Turkey, former Armenian territories. William spent most of his adult life writing it. He did a great job in describing the WWI Era events with the accuracy and confidence of someone who was both directly involved and afflicted by them like a war correspondent. He lived through those horrific events. In his tedious work, William strived for perfection and has achieved it. Then he passed away and the work has passed on to us. The content of this book is a time window into WWI Era when tragedy has struck not only the Armenian but also the Greek, Nestorian and Syrian Peoples for their Christian belief. Millions have perished at the hands of Ottoman Turks and their proxies, Kurd mercenaries. It is estimated that 3.5 Million people have lost their lives during this era. These events are considered to be the first Holocaust of the 20th Century. Is it easy to kill, to shed blood? Hakim asked. There is nothing to it, nothing at all. After the first kill, all the others are. Hakim interrupted him nervously, I have robbed, but I have never killed, not even a sheep." You will, the Chieftain said. I will have to murder? Hakim questioned. To kill Armenians is not murder. It is legalized execution. We Kurds are not guilty of murdering the Giaourji. We are merely the instruments performing a service. We do not slay, we execute. Is the knife that stabs the life out of a sheep guilty of murder? Enough nonsense! Now go and pass the word to our men of what we are supposed to engage in by Executive Permission: Kill, Kill, and Kill! Hakim stood up for a second then sat down again. How will I know a Turk from an Armenian, hah? They all dress alike Hakim insisted. Pull their pants down; a Christian is never circumcised. It is our hope that such tragedies can be prevented if we strive to raise the awareness of all Peoples on Earth no matter their religious belief Amen! All truth passes through three stages: First it is ridiculed; second, it is violently opposed; and third, it is accepted as self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer (17781860)

Between 1933 and 1935, Lorena Hickok traveled across thirty-two states as a "confidential investigator" for Harry Hopkins, head of FDR's Federal Emergency Relief Administration. Her assignment was to gather information about the day-to-day toll the Depression was exacting on individual citizens. One Third of a Nation is her record, underscored by the eloquent photographs of Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, and others, of the shocking plight of millions of unemployed and dispossessed Americans.

Stately oaks, ivy-covered walls, the opposite sex — these are the things that likely come to mind for most Americans when they think about the "nature" of college. But the real nature of college is hidden in plain sight: it’s flowing out of the keg, it’s woven into the mascots on our T-shirts. Engaging in a deep and richly entertaining study of "campus ecology," The Nature of College explores one day in the life of the average student, questioning what "natural" is and what "common sense" is really good for and weighing the collective impacts of the everyday. In the end, this fascinating, highly original book rediscovers and repurposes the great and timeless opportunity presented by college: to study the American way of life, and to develop a more sustainable, better way to live.

Emphasizing the role of kinship, labor, and networks in the African American community, the author retraces six generations of black struggles since the end of the Civil War, revealing a "nation" under construction.