A newly translated collection of stories. His desire to remain faithful to his Jewish roots and yet to be free of them gives Babel a duality of vision,... which infuses his work with a powerful energy, from the earliest tales.

Winner of the Donald Hall Prize in PoetryBarbara Hamby's poems drift across histories and continents, from early writing and culture in Mesopotamia... through the motion-picture heaven that seems so much like Paris, to odes on such thoroughly American subjects as hardware stores, bubblegum, barbecue, and sharp-tongued cocktail waitresses giving mandatory pre-date quizzes to lawyers.

Fresh from his foray into Hollywood stardom, Babe gets a new cover for the Knopf Paperbacks line. An ALA Notable Book A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor... Book A Horn Book Fanfare Honor Book An IRA/CBC Children's ChoiceAn NCTE Teachers' Choice  

"I swing big, with everything I've got. I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can." -- Babe Ruth Babe Ruth is without a doubt the most... famous character ever produced by the sport of baseball. A legendary player, world-famous for his hitting prowess, he transcended the sport to enter the mainstream of American life as an authentic folk hero. In this extraordinary biography, noted sportswriter Robert W. Creamer reveals the complex man behind the sports legend. From Ruth's early days in a Baltimore orphanage, to the glory days with the Yankees, to his later years, Creamer has drawn a classic portrait of an American original.

One of the most gifted athletes of all time, Babe Didrikson Zaharias dominated track and field, winning two Olympic gold medals and a controversial... silver in 1932 before going on to compete in baseball, bowling, basketball, tennis, and particularly in golf. An American public smitten with her wit, frankness, and "unladylike" bravado helped her become an American legend. In Babe, Susan Cayleff offers a comprehensive, in-depth biography of a woman who was a great athlete at a time when women's roles and opportunities were severely limited. Through interviews with Babe's friends and family, golf peers, and medical personnel, Cayleff sensitively reveals the life and probes the legend of this unusual American hero. Included is a for-the-record discussion of the remarkable love Babe shared with Betty Dodd, the young golfer who was her constant companion in her last years. Stricken with cancer in her prime, Babe went public as a self-help role model able to beat the disease. Her bravery further endeared her to the American public.

In the classic "Babette's Feast," a mysterious Frenchwoman prepares a sumptuous feast for a gathering of religious ascetics and, in doing so,... introduces them to the true essence of grace. In "The Immortal Story," a miserly old tea-trader living in Canton wishes for power and finds redemption as he turns an oft-told sailors' tale into reality for a young man and woman. And in the magnificent novella Ehrengard, Dinesen tells of the powerful yet restrained rapport between a noble Wagnerian beauty and a rakish artist. Hauntingly evoked and sensuously realized, the five stories read and novella collected here have the hold of "fairy stories read in childhood . . . of dreams . . . and of our life as dreams" (The New York Times).

We stand on the brink of unprecedented growth in our ability to understand and change the human genome. New reproductive technologies now enable parents... to select some genetic traits for their children, and soon it will be possible to begin to shape ourselves as a species. Despite the loud cries of alarm that such a prospect inspires, Ronald Green argues that we will—and we should—undertake the direction of our own evolution. A leader in the bioethics community, Green offers a scientifically and ethically informed view of human genetic self-modification and the possibilities it opens up for a better future. Fears of a terrible Brave New World or a new eugenics movement are overblown, he maintains, and in the more likely future, genetic modifications may improve parents’ ability to enhance children’s lives and may even promote social justice. The author outlines the new capabilities of genomic science, addresses urgent questions of safety that genetic interventions pose, and explores questions of parenting and justice. He also examines the religious implications of gene modification. Babies by design are assuredly in the future, Green concludes, and by making responsible choices as we enter that future, we can incorporate gene technology in a new age of human adventure. 

There are many ways parents and caregivers can help children thrive in their earliest years of life. Babies in the Rain explains the theories behind the... best practices for infant and toddler care as well as preferred methods for doing so. In a personable, humorous voice, Jeff A. Johnson shares his own stories about the amazing ways infants and toddlers learn. He offers valuable information on how to spend quality time with young children by building strong emotional environments, nurturing meaningful relationships, and promoting child-centered, age-appropriate learning.

In 1838 Charles Darwin jotted in a notebook, “He who understands baboon would do more towards metaphysics than Locke.” Baboon Metaphysics is... Dorothy L. Cheney and Robert M. Seyfarth’s fascinating response to Darwin’s challenge.           Cheney and Seyfarth set up camp in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, where they could intimately observe baboons and their social world. Baboons live in groups of up to 150, including a handful of males and eight or nine matrilineal families of females. Such numbers force baboons to form a complicated mix of short-term bonds for mating and longer-term friendships based on careful calculations of status and individual need.           But Baboon Metaphysics is concerned with much more than just baboons’ social organization—Cheney and Seyfarth aim to fully comprehend the intelligence that underlies it. Using innovative field experiments, the authors learn that for baboons, just as for humans, family and friends hold the key to mitigating the ill effects of grief, stress, and anxiety.           Written with a scientist’s precision and a nature-lover’s eye, Baboon Metaphysics gives us an unprecedented and compelling glimpse into the mind of another species. “The vivid narrative is like a bush detective story.”—Steven Poole, Guardian “Baboon Metaphysics is a distillation of a big chunk of academic lives. . . . It is exactly what such a book should be—full of imaginative experiments, meticulous scholarship, limpid literary style, and above all, truly important questions.”—Alison Jolly, Science “Cheney and Seyfarth found that for a baboon to get on in life involves a complicated blend of short-term relationships, friendships, and careful status calculations. . . . Needless to say, the ensuing political machinations and convenient romantic dalliances in the quest to become numero uno rival the bard himself.”—Science News “Cheney and Seyfarth’s enthusiasm is obvious, and their knowledge is vast and expressed with great clarity. All this makes Baboon Metaphysics a captivating read. It will get you thinking—and maybe spur you to travel to Africa to see it all for yourself.”—Asif A. Ghazanfar, Nature “Through ingenious playback experiments . . . Cheney and Seyfarth have worked out many aspects of what baboons used their minds for, along with their limitations. Reading a baboon’s mind affords an excellent grasp of the dynamics of baboon society. But more than that, it bears on the evolution of the human mind and the nature of human existence.”—Nicholas Wade, New York Times

Loosely based on the Haitian slave insurrection of 1791, Babouk is a biting account of colonialism at its peak. By using the imagination of the novelist... to fill in the gaps in the historical record, Endore is able to show us how slavery felt to the slaves who experienced it. His novel is rare for its depiction of the shared history of the slaves and its attention to the variety of the slave experience. It provides the reader with a vivid history of Haiti and a compelling account of slavery and rebellion.

Finally, it's all in one book! Parents used to need an entire bookshelf to feed one baby and now everything you need to know about feeding your infant... and toddler is available in one book. This unique book -- part nutritional guide, part recipe book -- helps parents understand their baby's nutritional needs and prepare tasty food that encourages healthy eating habits. This helpful guide includes: -Detailed information on both breastfeeding and formula-feeding -A chapter explaining how a baby's digestion works, including tips for dealing with digestive challenges like illness, allergies, intolerances, and reflux -Steps parents can take to keep their baby's food safe -Tips to help caregivers maintain baby's healthy diet when parents return to work -"Nutrition 101" for parents -- everything they need to know about a baby's nutritional needs -Advice on starting solid foods, including recognizing readiness, introducing new foods and textures, and keeping mealtimes positive -How to make your own baby food -Comprehensive information and advice organized by stages of a baby's development -Nutrition and feeding strategies for parents -Recipe ideas for finger and table foods your toddler will love