Building America

The completion of the transcontinental railroad in May 1869 is usually told as a story of national triumph and a key moment for American Manifest Destiny. The Railroad made it possible to cross the country in a matter of days instead of months, paved the way for new settlers to come out west, and helped speed America's entry onto the world stage as a modern nation that spanned a full continent. It also created vast wealth for its four owners, including the fortune with which Leland Stanford would found Stanford University some two decades later.

Gurus like Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman, and others have amassed followers by the millions because of their paint-by-the-numbers financial strategies that are easy to digest and implement. And while they have helped many Americans eliminate debt and take their first steps toward financial freedom, their dumbed-down financial advice is inadequate and incomplete for those looking to maximize their savings. In The Guru Gap, David McKnight closes the gap between what mainstream media personalities advise and the sophisticated, math-based approach your retirement plan requires.

The music of 1966 doesn’t have the cachet of some of the other years of that incredible decade. It’s not 1964 with The British Invasion, and the thrill of hearing The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks for the first time, and it’s not 1967 with hippies, Flower Power, ‘All You Need Is Love’ and the psychedelic music explosion, or 1969 with Woodstock, The Rolling Stones’ infamous concert at Altamont or The Beatles’ last live performance on the rooftop of their Apple offices. Maybe nothing in particular about the music of 1966 stands out to you, but I bet you remember many...

Since they were born, Generation Z (also known as "zoomers")—those born from the late 1990s to early 2000s—have been faced with an onslaught of turmoil, destruction, and instability unprecedented in modern history. But Gen Z has not buckled under this tremendous weight. In Fight: How Gen Z Is Channeling Their Passion and Fear to Save America, Della Volpe draws on his vast experience to show the largest forces shaping zoomers' lives, the issues they care most about, and how they are rising to the unprecedented challenges of their time to take control.

Booker Taliaferro Washington (1856-1915) was an educator, author, intellectual and orator, who founded Tuskegee University in 1881. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the most prominent leader in the African American community.

When journalist Ted Botha moved from South Africa to New York, it was to broaden his horizons. But soon he found himself focusing on just one thing – a crazy building. To start with, luck was on his side. He landed a job at a hip new magazine, and then found a cheap rental in an old tenement in Harlem. When it came up for sale, he couldn’t believe the price. Several blocks away, apartments were selling for $1million or more, but his was priced at a fraction of that – $10,000. Then Botha’s luck ran out. A chance to fi x up the dilapidated building laid bare a world of chaos, lies, ...

The British Invasion of the Hot 100 in 1964 really was an invasion of the American pop chart by British acts that no one could have foreseen. In 1963, only one British act reached #1 on the American singles chart. It was The Tornados with their instrumental hit, ‘Telstar’. It was released in 1962 and spent a single week in 1963 at #1. Many #1 records in 1963 don’t even seem like pop records, at least not the kind you would find on the Hot 100 a scant few months into 1964. You were more likely to find a lot of these records in the parents’ record collections than with America’s ...

In Divided Highways, Tom Lewis offers an encompassing account of highway development in the United States. In the early twentieth century Congress created the Bureau of Public Roads to improve roads and the lives of rural Americans. The Bureau was the forerunner of the Interstate Highway System of 1956, which promoted a technocratic approach to modern road building sometimes at the expense of individual lives, regional characteristics, and the landscape.

Conceived in the early 1800s and completed in 1825, the Erie Canal was the boldest and biggest American engineering project of its century, with enduring political, social, and economic effects. It was the Erie Canal that first opened up the West to American enterprise and imagination, bringing vast riches and a far-reaching vision to a rapidly expanding nation.In this compelling narrative, author Gerard Koeppel tells the complete, sweeping story of the creation of the canal.

Buildings are more like us than we realize. They can be born into wealth or poverty, enjoying every privilege or struggling to make ends meet. They have parents - gods, kings and emperors, governments, visionaries and madmen - as well as friends and enemies. They have duties and responsibilities. They can endure crises of faith and purpose. They can succeed or fail. They can live. And, sooner or later, they die.

Why the American Revolution, of all the great revolutions, was the only enduring success. Through the Founders' own voices - and in the homes they designed and built to embody the ideal of domestic happiness they fought to achieve - we come to understand why the American Revolution, of all great revolutions, was the only enduring success. The Founders were vivid, energetic men, with sophisticated worldviews, and this magnificent reckoning of their successes draws liberally from their own eloquent writings on their actions and well-considered intentions.

Perhaps America's most innovative and prolific architect, the works of Frank Lloyd Wright are almost too vast and diverse to list. Recognized for designing unique churches and distinctive commercial buildings, and admired for his geometric style house designs, Wright has been widely imitated, and his work continues to influence architecture not only in the United States but around the world.

Colette writes to her cousin, Philip, in the United States about the development of the Statue of Liberty.

The Lost History of the Capitol is an account of the many bizarre, tragic, and violent episodes that have occurred in and around the Capitol Building, from the founding of the federal capital city in 1790 up to contemporary times, including the events of January 6, 2021.

Dare to venture into "The New Frontier," an enthralling revelation of a post-apocalyptic world that beckons the fearless, the resilient, and the hopeful. This compelling narrative captures the resolute human spirit in the wake of World War III, inviting you to delve deeper into uncensored repercussions and the unswerving emergence of a new society. Encounter the remnants of devastation transformed into the building blocks of a rising existence. Learn how the societal order navigates the labyrinth of chaos, painting an uncompromising picture of truth. Witness the everyday heroes whose ...

Miami was never a town, not even a village; it sprang to life out of the tropical wilderness, as a fully formed magical city. London, Paris, and Rome are just three of the world’s cities that are crammed full of history; events, personalities, stories that never fail to fascinate and entertain. But they have had two-thousand years to evolve those stories. Miami is barely one-hundred years old but is already as full of history as any place else on the planet.

If you're an adventurer with a love for the outdoors, you'll know that the Basin and Range Province is a beautiful yet perilous place. The terrain is varied, the climate is extreme, and the wildlife is unique. If you find yourself hiking, camping, or exploring this region, you'll need Surviving the Basin and Range to guide you through every step of your journey. This comprehensive eBook is packed with knowledge and advice that can make the difference between life and death. The book begins with an introduction to the Basin and Range Province, its unique geological features, and wildlife. ...

Brian Phillips Murphy follows the collaborations between political leaders and a group of unelected political entrepreneurs, including Robert R. Livingston and Alexander Hamilton, who persuaded legislative powers to grant monopolies corporate status in order to finance and manage civic institutions.

For some of the world's most powerful people, the Empire State Building is the ultimate prize. In a riveting chronicle of betrayal, revenge, family rivalry, and raw greed, Wall Street Journal columnist Pacelle tells the compelling tale of the Empire State Building ownership battle of the 1980s and '90s, bringing to life a colorful cast of characters that includes Donald Trump, Leona Helmsley, and the eccentric Japanese billionaire Hideki Yokoi.

Explore the many facets of your identity through hundreds of big and small questions. In this affirmations audiobook created for Black girls, M. J. Fievre tackles topics such as family and friends, school and careers, body image, and stereotypes. By reflecting on these themes, you confront the issues that can hold you back from discovering your inner Black joy. Embrace authenticity and celebrate who you are. Finding the courage to live as you are is not easy, so Badass Black Girl is designed to help you nurture creativity and positive self-awareness.