Beth Hoffman was living the good life: she had a successful career as a journalist and professor, a comfortable home in San Francisco, and plenty of close friends and family. Yet in her late 40s, she and her husband decided to leave the big city and move to his family ranch in Iowa—all for the dream of becoming a farmer, to put into practice everything she had learned over decades of reporting on food and agriculture. There was just one problem: money.

Half of America's two million farms made less than $300 in 2019. Between rising land costs, ever-more expensive equipment, the growing uncertainty of the climate, and few options for health care, farming today is a risky business. For many, simply staying afloat is a constant struggle.

Bet the Farm chronicles this struggle through Beth’s eyes as a beginning farmer. She must contend with her father-in-law, who is reluctant to hand over control of the land. Growing oats is good for the environment but ends up being very bad for the wallet. And finding somewhere, in the midst of COVID-19, to slaughter grass-finished beef is a nightmare. The couple also must balance the books, hoping that farming isn’t a romantic fantasy that takes every cent of their savings.

Even with a decent nest egg and access to land, making ends meet at times seems impossible. And Beth knows full well that she is among the privileged. If Beth can’t make it, how can farmers who confront racism, lack access to land, or don’t have other jobs to fall back on? Bet the Farm is a first-hand account of the perils of farming today and a personal exploration of more just and sustainable ways of producing food.

Added by Ann R. 

William Morris's interests were wide-ranging: he was a poet, writer, political and social activist, conservationist, and businessman, as well as a brilliant and original designer and manufacturer. This book explores the balance between Morris's various spheres of activity, places his art in the context of its time, and examines his ongoing and far-reaching legacy.

A pioneer of the Arts & Crafts Movement, William Morris (1834-1896) is one of the most influential designers of all time. Morris turned the tide of Victorian England against an increasingly industrialized manufacturing process toward a rediscovered respect for the skill of the maker. Morris's whole approach still resonates today, and his designs are popular and much admired.

Published to mark the 125th anniversary of Morris's death, this book includes contributions from a wide range of Morris experts, with chapters on painting, church decoration and stained glass, interior decoration, furniture, tiles and tableware, wallpaper, textiles, calligraphy, and publishing. Additional materials include a contextualized chronology of Morris's life and a list of public collections around the world where examples of Morris's work may be seen today. This study is a wide- ranging, fully illustrated exploration of a great thinker and artist, and essential reading for anyone interested in the history of design.

Edited by Kate 

From the bestselling and Booker Prize-winning author of Girl, Woman, Other, Bernardine Evaristo's memoir of her own life and writing, and her manifesto on unstoppability, creativity, and activism

Bernardine Evaristo's 2019 Booker Prize win was a historic and revolutionary occasion, with Evaristo being the first Black woman and first Black British person ever to win the prize in its fifty-year history. Girl, Woman, Other was named a favorite book of the year by President Obama and Roxane Gay, was translated into thirty-five languages, and has now reached more than a million readers.

Evaristo's astonishing nonfiction debut, Manifesto, is a vibrant and inspirational account of Evaristo's life and career as she rebelled against the mainstream and fought over several decades to bring her creative work into the world. With her characteristic humor, Evaristo describes her childhood as one of eight siblings, with a Nigerian father and white Catholic mother, tells the story of how she helped set up Britain's first Black women's theatre company, remembers the queer relationships of her twenties, and recounts her determination to write books that were absent in the literary world around her. She provides a hugely powerful perspective to contemporary conversations around race, class, feminism, sexuality, and aging. She reminds us of how far we have come, and how far we still have to go. In Manifesto, Evaristo charts her theory of unstoppability, showing creative people how they too can visualize and find success in their work, ignoring the naysayers.

Both unconventional memoir and inspirational text, Manifesto is a unique reminder to us all to persist in doing work we believe in, even when we might feel overlooked or discounted. Evaristo shows us how we too can follow in her footsteps, from first vision, to insistent perseverance, to eventual triumph.

Edited by Kate 

Smart communication strategies to help professional women break into the C-suite—and thrive when they arrive!

With only 5.8% of CEO positions in the S&P 500 held by women, it’s clear that there are more women who deserve a seat at the table than actually have one. In No Explanation Required!, Carol Sankar gives you the strategies you need to create the success you deserve―today. As founder of the global leadership firm, The Confidence Factor for Women, her goal is to ensure you deliver decisions and other communications with confidence―no “explanations” required!

Loaded with real-life examples and backed by proprietary research, No Explanation Required! coaches you on how to speak up for yourself, stop debating your decisions, and eliminate “limiting” language. In example after example, it becomes clear how these too-frequent expressions (“I’m sorry,” “Excuse me,” “I’ll get back to you”) can strip you of your authority and credibility.

Instead, you’ll discover positive, practical ways to assert your confidence and master communication at work, with chapters that include “The Self Promotion Gap,” “Perception and Performance,” “What’s Like Got to Do with It?,” and “The 8-Minute Rule”—how to create 8-minute micro conversations and connections. Every chapter offers key takeaways you’ll want to put into effect immediately—and keep in mind always.

With the tactics in No Explanation Required! mastered, you’ll be better equipped to stop explaining and start negotiating―for gender parity, better compensation, opportunities, and so much more.

Edited by Kate

Discover art that dared to be different, risked reputations and put careers in jeopardy. This is what happens when artists take tradition and rip it up.
 
ArtQuake tells the stories of 50 pivotal works that shook the world, telling the fascinating stories behind their creation, reception and legacy.

The books begin with the rebels who struck out against Victorian conformism, daring painters and sculptors like Manet and Rodin, Van Gogh and Courbet, who experimented with expressionist and realist art styles as well as controversial subjects.

Moving into the fin de siècle and the 20th century, we study the truly iconic works and turbulent lives of artists like Munch and Klimt, Picasso and Egon Schiele, whose work into abstraction, surrealism and cubism shocked and scandalized, but ultimately changed the course of western art forever.

Moving into the second half of the 20th Century, we see spectacular works of conceptual rebellion, absurdity and political protest, from Andy Warhol and the Pop Art movement to Marina Abramovic, whose often visceral and violent works of performance art laid bare the savagery of the patriarchy and the human condition.

In the 21st century, we see how iconoclastic creators have pushed the boundaries of art even further, from Banksy to Louise Bourgeoise, from self-destructing paintings to experimental works of computerized art.

Complete with beautiful reproductions of their iconic works, as well as a glossary of terms and movements at the back, meet the huge egos, uncompromising feminists, gifted recluses, spiritualists, anti-consumerists, activists and satirists who have irrevocably carved their names into the history of art around the world.

In telling the history of modern and contemporary art through the works that were truly disruptive, and explaining the context in which each was created, ArtQuake demonstrates the heart of modern art, which is to constantly question and challenge expectation. 

This book is from the Culture Quake series, which looks into iconic moments of culture which truly created paradigm shifts in their respective fields. Also available is FilmQuake, which tells the stories of 50 key films that consciously questioned the boundaries, challenged the status quo and made shockwaves we are still feeling today.

Edited by Kate 

The Rough Guide to the 100 Best Places on Earth 2022 is a celebration of the year's most extraordinary places.

From iconic favourites like Monument Valley to up-and-coming destinations like the Azores, Portugal, this updated edition of the Rough Guide to the 100 Best Places on Earth will inspire even the most intrepid traveller. With fifty brand new entries, this stunning photography collection spans dramatic mountainscapes, buzzing cities and the atmospheric ruins of past civilizations. Over 150 high-quality images bring the 100 places to life, while lively descriptive text accompanies each entry, capturing the destination's spirit and exactly what makes it so special. Organized geographically by region, the book reaches every corner of the world, with each place carefully selected by Rough Guides' experienced team of authors and editors.'

Features of the Rough Guide to the 100 Best Places on Earth
- Uncovers the top places to visit in 2022
- Stylish coffee-table book with more than 150 inspiring photographs
- Employs Rough Guides' tell it like it is ethos
- Organised geographically by region
- Carefully curated by Rough Guides' team of expert authors and editors

About Rough Guides: Rough Guides have been inspiring travellers for over 35 years, with over 30 million copies sold. Synonymous with practical travel tips, quality writing and a trustworthy tell it like it is ethos, the Rough Guides list includes more than 260 travel guides to 120+ destinations, gift-books and phrasebooks.

Edited by Kate 

Mastering the Art of French Cooking meets Dinner: Changing the Game in a beautifully photographed, fresh approach to French cooking and gathering, with 125 simple recipes.

Voilà! Here is an alluring, delicious invitation to the French table. At once a repertoire-building cookbook and a stylish guide to easy gathering over food and drink, À Table features 125 simple, elegant recipes that reflect a modern, multicultural French table.

Paris-based American food writer Rebekah Peppler includes classics, regional specialties, and dishes with a strong international influence. Here are recipes for all the courses, from snacks to desserts, organized into before, during, and after-dinner chapters.

Recipes include: Croque Madame and Crème Brûlée; Basque Chicken and Niçoise (for a Crowd); Green Shakshuka; Lamb Tagine; and Bamboo Tonic.

Information on shopping and stocking your pantry, helpful tips on having people over, and stories on French food culture make this not just a recipe-driven cookbook but also a chic guide to French living.

In a photo-rich package that features aspirational photography from Paris and Provence--charming apartments overlooking the rooftops of Paris, picnics along the Seine, Provencal markets overflowing with fresh produce--À Table is an inviting and accessible cookbook from a fresh voice in the food world.

MAKES HIGHBROW CUISINE ACCESSIBLE: French cuisine is traditionally seen as highbrow, technical, and intimidating. This book breaks down those barriers and presents a collection of approachable recipes that reflect how French people cook at home today. With dishes that are easy to whip up on a weeknight but impressive enough to serve at a party, À Table gives you the tools you need to recreate the magic of a French evening anywhere in the world.

MODERNIZES A CLASSIC SUBJECT: Classic French cookbooks no longer reflect what cooking looks like in France today. France has evolved into a diverse, multicultural melting pot-an identity that is reflected in its food. À Table modernizes the traditional perception of French cooking with a more global and representative collection of recipes.

COMPELLING PACKAGE: This book is full of evocative photography of rustic French kitchens, chic Parisian apartments, charming alleyways, Provencal markets, and more. With approachable recipes, an informal tone, and aspirational photography, readers will feel as if they are traveling through France with their best friend.

FRENCH IS FOREVER CHIC: French food and the French lifestyle will never go out of style. Whether in regard to hosting, cooking, fashion, beauty, or health, the French seem to have all the secrets. À Table offers a window into an enviable way of life and is filled with inspiring, useful tips--perfect for Francophiles and anyone who likes to host or cook French food.

Edited by Kate 

SHORTLISTED FOR THE T S ELIOT PRIZE 2021

The female body is a political space.

C+nto enters the private lives of women from the butch counterculture, telling the inside story of the protests they led in the '90s to reclaim their bodies as their own - their difficult balance between survival and self-expression. History, magic, rebellion, party and sermon vibrate through Joelle Taylor's cantos to uncover these underground communities forged by women.

Part-memoir and part-conjecture, Taylor explores sexuality and gender in poetry that is lyrical, expansive, imagistic, epic and intimate. C+nto is a love poem, a riot, a late night, and an honouring.

Edited by Kate 

A brilliantly original, landmark retelling of Greek myths, recounted as if they were actual scenes being woven into textiles by the women who feature prominently in them--including Athena, Helen, Circe and Penelope

"Greek myths were full of powerful witches, unpredictable gods and sword-wielding slayers. They were also extreme: about families who turn murderously on each other; impossible tasks set by cruel kings; love that goes wrong; wars and journeys and terrible loss. There was magic, there was shape-shifting, there were monsters, there were descents to the land of the dead. Humans and immortals inhabited the same world, which was sometimes perilous, sometimes exciting.

"The stories were obviously fantastical. All the same, brothers really do war with each other. People tell the truth but aren't believed. Wars destroy the innocent. Lovers are parted. Parents endure the grief of losing children. Women suffer violence at the hands of men. The cleverest of people can be blind to what is really going on. The law of the land can contradict what you know to be just. Mysterious diseases devastate cities. Floods and fire tear lives apart.

"For the Greeks, the word muthos simply meant a traditional tale. In the twenty-first century, we have long left behind the political and religious framework in which these stories first circulated--but their power endures. Greek myths remain true for us because they excavate the very extremes of human experience: sudden, inexplicable catastrophe; radical reversals of fortune; and seemingly arbitrary events that transform lives. They deal, in short, in the hard, basic facts of the human condition."

--from the Introduction

Edited by Kate

"Gorgeous" --The Washington Post

Whether you are a longtime host of weekly Shabbat dinners or new to this global Jewish tradition, 52 Shabbats will spice up your Friday night in one way or another. This book offers a holistic scope of the Shabbat tradition for every reader, Jewish or otherwise. In it you'll find:

Over fifty primary recipes to anchor your menu More than twenty recipes for side dishes, accompaniments, and desserts Short essays that detail global foodways and histories Explanation of the Shabbat ritual

Faith Kramer outlines recipe pairings in a mix-and-match friendly format, incorporating easy substitutes throughout the cookbook to make Shabbat accessible for all lifestyles. From gefilte fish to challah, berbere lentils to cardamom cheesecakes, these seasonally organized recipes will never fail to inspire your weekly dinner menu.

Edited by Kate 

Have your cake and eat it too without any leftovers or waste with these 175 essential, delicious, and decadent baking recipes perfectly crafted for one.

Baking for one is harder than it may seem. It’s tricky to make sure you have the right measurements and ingredients to recreate a more manageable amount of your favorite treats. The good news is that it’s now possible to prepare single-serving recipes that are full of flavor, easy to make, and economical with The Ultimate Baking for One Cookbook.

This cookbook allows you to make fresh, homemade baked goods for one without having an entire cake, dozens of cookies, or a full tray of brownies leftover. Each of the 175 single-serving recipes are quick and simple to make and will save you both time and money. And while the common ingredients can be found in everyone’s pantry, the results are anything but ordinary. From mug cakes to muffin recipes, you’ll be able to enjoy delicious versions of all your favorite desserts, no matter what the occasion.

Whether you live alone or are just searching for the perfect sweet treat, baking solo never needs to be challenging (or overwhelming) again!

Edited by Kate 

In a world increasingly ruled by numbers and algorithms, award-winning journalist Chris Jones makes a compelling case for a more personal approach to analytical thinking​.

THE EYE TEST is a necessary course correction, a call for a more balanced, personal approach to problem-solving. Award-winning journalist Chris Jones makes the case for the human element--for what smart, practiced, devoted people can bring to situations that have proved resistant to analytics. Jones shares what he's learned from an army of extraordinary talents, including some of the best doctors, executives, athletes, meteorologists, magicians, designers, astrophysicists, and detectives in the world. There are lessons in their mastery.

Of course, there is a place for numbers in decision-making. No baseball player should be judged by his jawline. But the analytics revolution sparked by Michael Lewis's Moneyball now threatens to replace one kind of absurdity with another. We have developed a blind faith in the machine, the way a driver overly reliant on his GPS might be led off the edge of a cliff. Not all statistical analysis is sound. Algorithms aren't infallible, and spreadsheets aren't testaments. Trust in them too much, and they risk becoming instruments of destruction rather than understanding.

Worse, data's supremacy in our daily lives has led to a dangerous strain of anti-expertise: the belief that every problem is a math problem, and anyone given access to the right information will find the right answer. That taste doesn't matter, experience doesn't matter, creativity doesn't matter. That we can't believe our eyes, no matter how much they've seen.

THE EYE TEST serves as a reminder that if beauty is less of a virtue in the age of analytics, a good eye still is. This book is a celebration of our greatest beholders--and an absorbing, inspiring guide for how you might become one, too.

Edited by Kate 

How does a nation recover from fascism and turn toward a free society once more? This internationally acclaimed revelatory history of the transformational decade that followed World War II illustrates how Germany raised itself out of the ashes of defeat and reckoned with the corruption of its soul and the horrors of the Holocaust--and features over 40 eye-opening black-and-white photographs and posters from the period.

The years 1945 to 1955 were a raw, wild decade that found many Germans politically, economically, and morally bankrupt. Victorious Allied forces occupied the four zones that make up present-day Germany. More than half the population was displaced; 10 million newly released forced laborers and several million prisoners of war returned to an uncertain existence. Cities lay in ruins--no mail, no trains, no traffic--with bodies yet to be found beneath the towering rubble.

Aftermath received wide acclaim and spent forty-eight weeks on the best-seller list in Germany when it was published there in 2019. It is the first history of Germany's national mentality in the immediate postwar years. Using major global political developments as a backdrop, Harald Jähner weaves a series of life stories into a nuanced panorama of a nation undergoing monumental change. Poised between two eras, this decade is portrayed by Jähner as a period that proved decisive for Germany's future--and one starkly different from how most of us imagine it today.

Edited by Kate 

Bring the magic of Disney to your knitting needles with the first official book of knitting patterns inspired by classic characters like Mickey Mouse and Cinderella and films like Alice in Wonderland, The Little Mermaid, Moana, and more.

Featuring 28 beautiful knits pictured in gorgeous full-color photography, Knitting with Disney includes patterns for toys, apparel, and decor pulled straight from and inspired by favorite Disney movies. Take a trip to Neverland with an adorable amigurumi Tinker Bell. Celebrate the circle of life with a vibrant sweater based on The Lion King. Or make an authentic Disney costume replica of one of the Seven Dwarfs’ caps or Kuzco’s poncho.

Projects range from simple patterns to more complex projects for knitters of all skill levels and include sizing from extra small through 6XL. Filled with classic quotes and fun facts from beloved films, Knitting with Disney will have fans everywhere bundling up to rewatch their favorite movies, and knit fun projects for themselves, friends, and family.

INCLUDES 28 PROJECTS: Perfect patterns for every fan and every skill level.
SWEATERS TO SOCKS AND MORE: Knit a gorgeous Beauty and the Beast sweater, Mickey & Minnie cowl, Magic Carpet blanket, and many more clever creations.
ALL-STAR DESIGNERS: Projects created by some of the most popular knitting influencers on Ravelry and Instagram.
FOR EVERY KNITTER: Start with easy projects and level up to more complex creations.
INSPIRING IMAGES: Beautiful full-color photos of every project.

Includes patterns featuring:
Mickey Mouse
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Cinderella
Alice in Wonderland
Peter Pan
Sleeping Beauty
The Little Mermaid
Beauty and the Beast
Aladdin
The Lion King
Pocahontas
Mulan
The Princess and the Frog
Tangled
Brave
Moana

Edited by Kate 

In her debut cookbook, acclaimed chef Angela Dimayuga shares her passion for Filipino food with home cooks.

Filipinx offers 100 deeply personal recipes--many of them dishes that define home for Angela Dimayuga and the more than four million people of Filipino descent in the United States. The book tells the story of how Dimayuga grew up in an immigrant family in northern California, trained in restaurant kitchens in New York City--learning to make everything from bistro fare to Asian-American cuisine--then returned to her roots, discovering in her family's home cooking the same intense attention to detail and technique she'd found in fine dining.

In this book, Dimayuga puts a fresh spin on classics: adobo, perhaps the Filipino dish best known outside the Philippines, is traditionally built on a trinity of soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic--all pantry staples--but add coconut milk, vinegar, and oil, and it turns lush and silky; ribeye steaks bring extra richness to bistek, gilded with butter and a bright splash of lemon and orange juice. These are the punches of flavor and inspired recipes that home cooks have been longing for.

A modern, welcoming resource for this essential cuisine, Filipinx shares exciting and approachable recipes everyone will wholeheartedly embrace in their own kitchens.

Edited by Kate