Books with author Zachary Chastain

In rough frontier cabins, tidy farmhouses, and elegant townhouses, Americans in the 1800s were dedicated to living as well and as comfortably as their circumstances allowed. The American home was a sacred institution, the seat of family life where the patriarch ruled with Mother at his side as guardian of the home, and the children were raised with strict discipline and strong values. Changes in taste and fashion, improvements in technology (indoor plumbing and a host of new labor-saving devices), and social change transformed home and family life in the 1800s, as opportunities for leisure activities and commercially produced consumer goods came within reach of the average American. But the strong American tradition of the sanctity of the home, consumerism, and the importance of a happy family life has its roots in the homes of nineteenth-century Americans.

The farmers, workers, and pioneers of America in the 1800s were nourished by a tradition of hearty, down-home cooking that is still a part of our national cuisine—New England baked beans, roast beef, turkey, corn on the cob, and pumpkin pies. With roots in the British Isles, and with important contributions from Native American food plants and cooking techniques, American food and drink quality and seasonal variety was vastly improved during the 1800s by new technologies in transportation, food storage, hygiene, and preservation, growing national and world markets, and—not least—the delicious ethnic cuisines of new immigrant groups. Hungry for innovation, quality, and economy, Americans in the 1800s became the best-fed nation in the history of the world!

Rockets, from fireworks to elementary school science experiments, are fascinating things. We've all seen the burst of fire as a rocket shoots skyward–but few of us truly understand how rockets work. Discover the history and science behind the rockets that have helped people explore the stars. Learn how ancient technology made space exploration possible–and how scientists will build technology to travel even deeper into space.

With a six-day workweek, long hours on the job, and the hard labor required to keep house, leisure time was precious in the 1800s. Without recorded music, radio, movies, TV, video games, or the Internet, Americans had to make their own fun, and most of it was simple and very low tech—singing around the family piano, visiting with neighbors, or picnicking in the woods. In the bigger towns and cities, theaters offered live, professional entertainment ranging from classic plays to raucous minstrel shows. In the smaller towns and rural areas, people waited anxiously for those few times a year when a traveling show or circus might come through the area. As the 1800s progressed, leisure time and economic resources increased for many Americans and a more sophisticated public demanded new and more exciting amusements. Read all about America at play in the 1800s!

America in the 1800s was a very hard-working society. Early in the century, farmers, craftsmen, and housewives worked very much the way they had for centuries—by their own physical labor and "the sweat of their brow." The growing industrial economy brought millions of workers—people leaving their farms and new immigrants—into the factories and workshops of America, where the work was hard, the hours were long, and the pay was low. Women and children made up a large percentage of the industrial workforce, and conditions were often miserable and dangerous. Meanwhile, a small class of industrialists built vast fortunes. As the century progressed, improved technology, worker's rights legislation, and the rise of trade unions helped to alleviate some of the misery of American workers, but for much of the 1800s, the lives of an average working-class person was one of hard toil, limited opportunities, and the constant threat of poverty.

Have you ever dreamed of exploring the stars? For most of us, taking a trip in a spacecraft is just a fantasy. A few extraordinary people, however, actually make this amazing voyage. For them, it’s all in a day’s work. Learn more about the incredible world of astronauts and space travel. Discover the history of people traveling to space and what these brave explorers must go through to become an astronaut. Find out what it takes to become an astronaut—and how you, too, can shoot for the stars!

We're all here because of people who met and fell in love in the past! In the 1800s, most young men and women were bound by powerful traditions of family, church, and society that limited their choices in romance and marriage. As an economic and community-building institution, marriage options were traditionally controlled by the older generation. Marriages were often arranged by families, and the bride and groom's personal feelings for each other were much less important than they are today. But as in so many other ways, America was a new and more open society. Communities of people from different and diverse backgrounds were established in a new land, and young people came together in a freer, more open environment. Romantic love flourished in the America of the 1800s as it never had before, with a whole variety of courting and marriage customs, many of which we still cherish today.

With the principles of democracy firmly established after the War for Independence, Americans in the 1800s took their politics very seriously. As more and more male citizens gained the right to vote, elections became very public, hotly contested, and sometimes even violent. In the cities and towns of America, politicians courted political power and influence among new immigrant communities; buying votes and stuffing ballot boxes was shockingly common. While the major national political issues of foreign policy, taxation, the abolition of slavery, and states' rights took center stage in Congress, Americans split along regional and party lines that still exist in the twenty-first century. Scandals over greed and corruption caused whole city governments to fall, but America also produced some of the greatest statesman and political leaders in its history. Former slaves, poor immigrants, and women demanded their right to vote.

Blow, snow, crack . . . Whatever you call it, cocaine is a big problem in the United States and Canada. More than a million individuals in the United States can be classified as being addicted to cocaine. Cocaine: The Rush to Destruction tells the story of cocaine, its history and role in medicine, religion, and even soda production. Learn about the biology behind the highs—and lows—of the drug's use. You will also discover the long- and short-term effects of cocaine abuse and addiction, and you'll get information on kicking the cocaine habit. First-person stories of individuals with cocaine addiction—and some who are fighting the addiction—provide cautionary tales as well as stories of hope.

America's love of sports goes back a long way. Baseball, basketball, and football all came of age in America of the 1800s. While men like Abner Doubleday may not have invented these sports, they did much to popularize them as rules were officially standardized and national-level organizations were founded. Amateur (and, later, professional) teams sprang up in towns, factories, and schools across America and "rooting for the home team" built strong community bonds and stimulated (usually) friendly rivalries. From horse racing to boxing to competitive target shooting, Americans would watch, cheer for, and bet on just about any contest of strength and skill. The growing class of Americans with leisure and money to spare discovered tennis and golf and polo, and women for the first time participated in competitive sports. Long before the World Series and the Super Bowl, Americans were idolizing their favorite athletes, while they played and watched sports with enthusiasm.

Kids just want to be kids. They want to spend time with their friends and enjoy life. When a kid has a chronic illness, though, it can be a lot more difficult to do those things. Depending on which illness a person has, she might feel too tired to play or be in too much pain to be able to have a good time. With an illness like epilepsy, a person might feel fine most of the time but still have to restrict his life because of the illness. Even when their illness gets in the way of the things they want to do, though, kids with chronic illness are still kids, and they will find ways to enjoy life however they can.

It has been used in sacred ceremonies, in medicine, and as a life-saving cash crop in the New World. But today, tobacco is a problem—a big problem. It is one of the first substances to which young people become addicted, and it contains thousands of chemicals that are dangerous to smokers and to those who are simply in the proximity of the smoke. In Tobacco: Through the Smoke Screen, you’ll learn the story of tobacco, its history, its role in culture, and its dangers. You will also learn about the power of tobacco over smokers and chewers, and how cigarette makers help increase its hold—and make it more difficult to live without it. Last of all, you’ll find suggestions on how to kick the tobacco habit and reverse its ill effects.