"Join gaming luminary William Collis as he charts the rise of this exciting new industry, for the first time ever crafting a comprehensive overview of esports and its implications for human competition-and even the future of humanity itself. Almost overnight, esports-or competitive video games-have exploded into the largest entertainment and sporting phenomenon in human history. But what exactly are esports? How did they become so popular so quickly?...

"For thousands of years one animal has contributed to human survival more than any other. It has been a source of food, a means of transportation, a provider of physical labor and an instrument of war. This extraordinary creature is the horse. Throughout human history people have loved, owned and ridden horses. Horses fascinate us; they silently speak to our hearts. Young and old, rich or poor we are drawn; whether to books like The Horse Whisperer,...

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer, yet her cells--taken without her knowledge--became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first "immortal" human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer and viruses; helped lead to in vitro...

"One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one--homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us? Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition."--

"Taking readers on a rollicking ride through history, a master storyteller and reporter, whose legend began in journalism, presents a paradigm-shifting argument that speech, not evolution, is responsible for humanity's complex societies and achievements"--NoveList. "Tom Wolfe, whose legend began in journalism, takes us on an eye-opening journey that is sure to arouse widespread debate. THE KINGDOM OF SPEECH is a captivating, paradigm-shifting argument...

Mann shows how a new generation of researchers equipped with novel scientific techniques have come to previously unheard-of conclusions about the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans: In 1491 there were probably more people living in the Americas than in Europe. Certain cities--such as Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital--were greater in population than any European city. Tenochtitlan, unlike any capital in Europe at that time, had running water,...

"'I am most grateful for two things: that I was born in North Korea, and that I escaped from North Korea.' Yeonmi Park was not dreaming of freedom when she escaped from North Korea. She didn't even know what it meant to be free. All she knew was that she was running for her life, that if she and her family stayed behind they would die--from starvation, or disease, or even execution. This book is the story of Park's struggle to survive in the darkest,...

"Most dog lovers know Fido and Laika, but how about Martha, Paul McCartney's Old English Sheepdog? Or Peritas, Alexander the Great's trusted canine companion? As long as there have been humans, those humans have had beloved companions--their dogs. From the ancient Egyptians mummifying their pups, to the Indian legend of the king who refused to enter the afterlife unless his dog was allowed there too, to the modern meme and popularity of terms like...