Books published by publisher Three Rivers

Gives parents and other adult readers the help they need to share the joy of reading. Contains 42 stories, poems, and excerpts from novels and plays, divided into 3 listening levels. "Even better than the first edition--and I loved that. A must book for every reading parent and teacher!"--Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook Line drawings.

“Saudi Arabia is more and more an irrational state—a place that spawns global terrorism even as it succumbs to an ancient and deeply seated isolationism, a kingdom led by a royal family that can’t get out of the way of its own greed. Is this the fulcrum we want the global economy to balance on?”In his explosive New York Times bestseller, See No Evil, former CIA operative Robert Baer exposed how Washington politics drastically compromised the CIA’s efforts to fight global terrorism. Now in his powerful new book, Sleeping with the Devil, Baer turns his attention to Saudi Arabia, revealing how our government’s cynical relationship with our Middle Eastern ally and America’ s dependence on Saudi oil make us increasingly vulnerable to economic disaster and put us at risk for further acts of terrorism.For decades, the United States and Saudi Arabia have been locked in a “harmony of interests.” America counted on the Saudis for cheap oil, political stability in the Middle East, and lucrative business relationships for the United States, while providing a voracious market for the kingdom’ s vast oil reserves. With money and oil flowing freely between Washington and Riyadh, the United States has felt secure in its relationship with the Saudis and the ruling Al Sa’ud family. But the rot at the core of our “friendship” with the Saudis was dramatically revealed when it became apparent that fifteen of the nineteen September 11 hijackers proved to be Saudi citizens.In Sleeping with the Devil, Baer documents with chilling clarity how our addiction to cheap oil and Saudi petrodollars caused us to turn a blind eye to the Al Sa’ud’s culture of bribery, its abysmal human rights record, and its financial support of fundamentalist Islamic groups that have been directly linked to international acts of terror, including those against the United States. Drawing on his experience as a field operative who was on the ground in the Middle East for much of his twenty years with the agency, as well as the large network of sources he has cultivated in the region and in the U.S. intelligence community, Baer vividly portrays our decades-old relationship with the increasingly dysfunctional and corrupt Al Sa’ud family, the fierce anti-Western sentiment that is sweeping the kingdom, and the desperate link between the two. In hopes of saving its own neck, the royal family has been shoveling money as fast as it can to mosque schools that preach hatred of America and to militant fundamentalist groups—an end game just waiting to play out.Baer not only reveals the outrageous excesses of a Saudi royal family completely out of touch with the people of its kingdom, he also takes readers on a highly personal search for the deeper roots of modern terrorism, a journey that returns time again and again to Saudi Arabia: to the Wahhabis, the powerful Islamic sect that rules the Saudi street; to the Taliban and al Qaeda, both of which Saudi Arabia helped to underwrite; and to the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the most active and effective terrorist groups in existence, which the Al Sa’ud have sheltered and funded. The money and arms that we send to Saudi Arabia are, in effect, being used to cut our own throat, Baer writes, but America might have only itself to blame. So long as we continue to encourage the highly volatile Saudi state to bank our oil under its sand—and so long as we continue to grab at the Al Sa’ud’s money—we are laying the groundwork for a potential global economic catastrophe.

Pharaohs and Kings reveals the Old Testament to be a true account of the history of the Jewish people. Illustrated throughout, it will appeal to the vast audience for revisionist archaeology and history as well as to the many Christian and Jewish readers who accept the historical validity of the Bible. Pharaohs and Kings was made into a highly acclaimed television series produced by The Learning Channel.

Thinking about moving to mars?Well, why not? Mars, after all, is the planet that holds the greatest promise for human colonization. But why speculate about the possibilities when you can get the real scientific scoop from someone who’s been happily living and working there for years? Straight from the not-so-distant future, this intrepid pioneer’s tips for physical, financial, and social survival on the Red Planet cover:• How to get to Mars (Cycling spacecraft offer cheap rides, but the smell is not for everyone.)• Choosing a spacesuit (The old-fashioned but reliable pneumatic Neil Armstrong style versus the sleek new—but anatomically unforgiving—elastic “skinsuit.”)• Selecting a habitat (Just like on Earth: location, location, location.)• Finding a job that pays well and doesn’t kill you (This is not a metaphor on Mars.)• How to meet the opposite sex (Master more than forty Mars-centric pickup lines.)With more than twenty original illustrations by Michael Carroll, Robert Murray, and other renowned space artists, How to Live on Mars seamlessly blends humor and real science, and is a practical and exhilarating guide to life on our first extraterrestrial home.

It’s time to stand up, take notice, and give props to the women who have made their mark on hip hop culture. Although superstars like Lauryn Hill, Mary J. Blige, and TLC are some of the most popular entertainers in the world today—each having sold some 20 million albums apiece—the dramatic rise of women to the top of the hip hop industry has never been chronicled before. The revolution was decades in the making, with the female pioneers fighting for a place in the hip hop boy’s club, confronting sexist attitudes, and grabbing their piece of the commercial pie while taking hip hop to new creative heights. Now VIBE, the preeminent hip hop magazine, celebrates this pop culture explosion with a book of thoughtful essays, stunning photographs, and informative timelines and sidebars.Some of the best writers on hip hop profile the grassroots efforts of hip hop’s first ladies to the hottest stars of the moment. Emil Wilbekin, editor in chief of VIBE, Mimi Valdés, Danyel Smith, dream hampton, Greg Tate, Sacha Jenkins, Harry Allen, Selwyn Hinds, Cristina Verán, and many others come together to reveal how these women continue to play a powerful and integral role in the hip hop world.

What is it really like being a superstar shortstop with four World Series rings, MVP awards from the All-Star Game and the World Series, and a long-term contract playing for the best team in baseball? In Game Day, New York Yankee Derek Jeter takes you behind the scenes for an intimate look at his life on and off the field during spring training, the regular season, and the 2000 World Series.With never-before-seen photographs that capture private moments at home and public moments at home plate, Game Day is a unique look at how a world-class athlete like Derek Jeter is able to push himself to win, whether it is the 50th game of the 162-game season or Game 5 of the World Series. Divided into three parts, Game Day invites Derek ’s fans to see how he gets ready every year for spring training, how he makes it through grueling regular-season games, and how he tackles each game in the postseason, where every run scored and every play made is the difference between going home in victory or in defeat.Beautifully designed and full of exclusive, candid shots, Game Day is a true insider ’s peek into Derek ’s life. Fans can see Derek warming up with fellow Yankees at spring training and before games, goofing off with Bernie Williams, sharing a meal with Tino Martinez, relaxing at his home in Tampa, getting his hair cut at his apartment in New York, working out to stay in shape all season, walking the streets of the Big Apple, hugging his parents and sister after winning the World Series, and making the big plays that have made him one of the most thrilling baseball players in the major leagues today. And fans can read about how Derek approaches each game, hones his skills, sharpens his mental focus, and stays competitive throughout the entire season, leading up to the biggest game days of all: the championship play-offs and the World Series.Game Day goes beyond the roped-off sections of the stadiums and gives fans a perfect picture of what it ’s like to be baseball ’s most popular rising star.

What was your favorite childhood toy? Do you have fond memories of fighting unseen enemies with your G.I. Joe action figures, demolishing fleets of vehicles with your Tonka Toy Trucks, or Karate-chopping imaginary street thugs with your Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? What about carefree summer afternoons counting ticks on your Skip-It, scooting around the neighborhood on your Big Wheel, or soaring down your backyard Slip 'n Slide? Still a little bitter that your parents never let you have a Nerf Super Soaker, or a Barbie Dream House? Did you prefer to unleash your inner artist with your Etch a Sketch, or your inner chef with your Easy-Bake Oven? Did you like to challenge your friends to a rousing game of Mousetrap, or did you prefer to get tied up in knots over a round of Twister? In Toy Time! you’ll be reunited with all these classic toys and more. No matter when you grew up, or what types of play ignited your imagination, Toy Time! will take you on a journey of rediscovery, allowing you to relive those carefree, innocent, and fun-filled days of childhood.Charming, playful, and full of photos of vintage toys, Toy Time! is an exploration and celebration of the toys that roused our imaginations, shaped our memories, and touched our lives.

Illicit love, madness, betrayal--it isn't always good to be the queen Marie Antoinette, Anne Boleyn, and Mary, Queen of Scots. What did they have in common? For a while they were crowned in gold, cosseted in silk, and flattered by courtiers. But in the end, they spent long nights in dark prison towers and were marched to the scaffold where they surrendered their heads to the executioner. And they are hardly alone in their undignified demises. Throughout history, royal women have had a distressing way of meeting bad ends--dying of starvation, being burned at the stake, or expiring in childbirth while trying desperately to produce an heir. They always had to be on their toes and all too often even devious plotting, miraculous pregnancies, and selling out their sisters was not enough to keep them from forcible consignment to religious orders. From Cleopatra (suicide by asp), to Princess Caroline (suspiciously poisoned on her coronation day), there's a gory downside to being blue-blooded w

Have you ever wondered what it feels like:to be stuck in a tornado?“[It] is exactly the feel of a freight train approaching—that low, ever-louder howl and the shuddering ground.”to participate in an orgy?“And all the while, the thought that keeps going through your mind (and through the cab ride home, and into breakfast the next day): ‘I’m at an orgy! I’m at an orgy!’”to have a severe stutter?“The thing is, there’s a disconnect thing between my mind and my tongue. My mind’s processing a thousand words a minute, and the tongue is only squeezing out ten or twelve.”to be a mob hitman?“It’s nerve-racking. Don’t let anyone tell you any different. Anybody who’s any good at this is concentrating with every nerve in their body, trying to get it done right and trying not to get caught.”to be 105 years old?“I was born in 1897 and I’ve seen a lot in the world. I’ve seen everything there is to see. You look back and tell yourself, ‘What have I been doing all these years?’”If these tidbits whet your appetite for real, first-person accounts of some of life’s most exhilarating, harrowing, or downright strange experiences, then you’ll be sucked in by Esquire Presents: What It Feels Like. Collected by the ever-curious editors of Esquire magazine, here are more than fifty gripping tales—straight from the mouths of the people who’ve lived them.

Do Less, Live More, Get Accepted What if getting into your reach schools didn’t require four years of excessive A.P. classes, overwhelming activity schedules, and constant stress? In How to Be a High School Superstar, Cal Newport explores the world of relaxed superstars—students who scored spots at the nation’s top colleges by leading uncluttered, low stress, and authentic lives. Drawing from extensive interviews and cutting-edge science, Newport explains the surprising truths behind these superstars’ mixture of happiness and admissions success, including: · Why doing less is the foundation for becoming more impressive.· Why demonstrating passion is meaningless, but being interesting is crucial.· Why accomplishments that are hard to explain are better than accomplishments that are hard to do. These insights are accompanied by step-by-step instructions to help any student adopt the relaxed superstar lifestyle—proving that getting into college doesn’t have to be a chore to survive, but instead can be the reward for living a genuinely interesting life.