Books in Extraordinary series

What makes Hillary Clinton extraordinary? Read this book to find out. This title explores her childhood in Chicago and her education up to her time studying law at Yale. We see her success in law and politics, first as a lawyer, then later as First Lady of the United States, and finally attaining political office on her own terms. Read about others’ perspectives on her life, how her life is different to women in the past, and how she has broken boundaries as a lawyer, a First Lady, and a politician.

As if history and nature had not provided wonders enough, through the ages humans themselves have contrived more marvels to deceive one another. Sometimes they have concocted evidence when none was available to prove pet theories; sometimes their intention has been to impress or defraud; sometimes they have acted merely for sport. Robert Silverberg tells the stories of a baker's dozen of these scientific hoaxers in a lively, good-humored book that ranges through time and across continents. Here are perpetual-motion machines and space rockets, men on the moon and serpents in the sea. The rogues’ gallery is a varied one: Dr. Mesmer, who cast his hypnotic spell on eighteenth-century Paris; Charles Dawson, whose Piltdown Man challenged evolution; Dr. Cook, with his tale of “discovering” the North Pole; and many others. These are fascinating stories and more than just entertainment. The author explains the scientific background against which the hoaxes appeared and the detective work that led to their exposure. The schemers teach us to be alert, to challenge the evidence, and to appreciate the healthy skepticism that characterizes the scientific method.