Entertainment Science

In this eloquent and persuasive book, Neil Postman examines the deep and broad effects of television culture on the manner in which we conduct our public affairs, and how "entertainment values" have corrupted the very way we think. As politics, news, religion, education, and commerce are given less and less expression in the form of the printed word, they are rapidly being reshaped to suit the requirements of television.

A tip from the enigmatic Man God leads to the Shirone Kingdom, where Lilia and Aisha are being held captive in the palace. Rudeus and company head to the rescue--only to get swept up in some nasty, unfinished business Roxy left in her wake! Family reunions are one thing, but can Dead End deal with saying goodbye to one of their own?

Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal—including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world. Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want. But what Lyra doesn't know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other.

When journalist Steve Lopez sees Nathaniel Ayers playing his heart out on a two-string violin on Los Angeles' skid row, he finds it impossible to walk away. More than 30 years ago, Ayers was a promising classical bass student at Juilliard - ambitious, charming, and also one of the few African-Americans there - until he gradually lost his ability to function, overcome by schizophrenia.

Over time, the two men form a bond and Lopez imagines that he might be able to change Ayers' life. The Soloist is a beautifully told story of devotion in the face of seemingly unbeatable challenges.

Every night, Adachi transforms into a nightmarish creature--and every morning, he reverts to human form. When he encounters his ostracized classmate Yano Satsuki in his monstrous state, the two develop a peculiar bond. But daylight brings its own form of terrors. Which is worse, the monsters at night, or the cruel realities of the classroom by day?

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets 16-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

Presenting the book World of Warcraft fans have been clamoring for - the true story behind one of the Warcraft universe’s most terrifying villains, Arthas the Lich King.

Zoey Donovan-Quinn is growing restless. After months of searching, her crew hasn’t been able to locate the resting place of the one man who could save Daniel. While they frantically continue their quest, Zoey is still struggling to recover from the devastating losses she suffered in Faery. In the midst of her grief and worry, Louis Marini appears and demands the Blood Stone he forced Zoey to steal. Zoey has no choice but to hand it over. When the giant ruby’s true nature is revealed, Zoey discovers she has given their greatest enemy a weapon of unimaginable power.

Fran and Teacher finally make it to Ulmutt, where they hear rumor of someone who might know how to unlock a Black Cat's evolution. The catch? She lives at the very bottom of a dangerous dungeon. Meanwhile, the city prepares for the arrival of the formidable Beast King--supreme leader of all the beastmen tribes. With so many key players converging in one place, can Fran find her answers without attracting the wrong kind of attention?

Kanata is making his way in the wider world of Locklore, despite the lich Lunaere's warnings about its dangers. But after Lunaere's intensive training, everyone he runs into seems strangely...weak? Still, you can't be too careful, so Kanata and his new friends make their way toward the city of Manaloch to get some alchemy ingredients. But danger lurks nearby in the form of an infestation of giant spider monsters! And somewhere in the world, Lunaere is slowly making her way back to Kanata...

It is now year 16 of the Meiji era (1883 AD). 43 years have passed since Jinya left all he knew in Kadono and set off on a journey to grow stronger. In that time, he's forged a somewhat peaceful life for himself at Demon Soba with his daughter and friends. But if Jinya's many years have taught him anything, it's that nothing lasts forever—a lesson made all too clear as he once again crosses paths with Suzune, his sister who is determined to become the Demon God.

EarthCore is the company with the technology, the resources, and the guts to go after the mother lode. Young executive Connell Kirkland is the company's driving force, pushing himself and those around him to uncover the massive treasure. But at three miles below the surface, where the rocks are so hot they burn bare skin, something has been waiting for centuries. Waiting...and guarding. Kirkland and EarthCore are about to find out first-hand why this treasure has never been unearthed.

Jinta's path is set: in one hundred and seventy years, he will face the Demon God and attempt to prevent a catastrophe. He has changed his name to Jinya and left his adopted home behind. It is the Bakumatsu period, and the city of Edo is bristling with unease. As a demon hunter in the city, Jinya encounters a warrior in search of his missing brother and finds demons hiding among the people. Among these meetings and partings, he seeks a reason to wield his blade.

Alanna of Trebond is no ordinary girl: her dream is to become a knight. So she disguises herself as a boy and begins training at the palace of King Roald. Alanna quickly finds out that the road to knighthood is not an easy one, but her skills and stubborness help her become friends with Prince Jonathan and his followers. At the same time, Alanna makes an enemy of the prince's uncle, the overly charming Duke Roger.

The year is 1877. Automatons and steam-powered dirigible gunships have transformed the nation in the aftermath of the Civil War. Everything on the other side of the Mississippi has been claimed for Russia. Lincoln is still president, having never been assassinated, but the former secretary of war Edwin Stanton is now the head of the Department of Public Safety, ruling with an iron fist as head of the country's military.

Are you the trivia buff in your friend group? Maybe you're just always hoping to learn more random facts to keep up your sleeve. Whether you're a regular trivia fanatic or someone looking for a fun audiobook to listen to, this audiobook goes beyond the scope of general knowledge into some of the most interesting facts and intriguing trivia tidbits out there.

Following her retirement from Princeton University, celebrated historian Dr. Nell Irvin Painter surprised everyone in her life by returning to school - in her 60s - to earn a BFA and MFA in painting. In Old in Art School, she travels from her beloved Newark to the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design; finds meaning in the artists she loves, even as she comes to understand how they may be undervalued; and struggles with the unstable balance between the pursuit of art and the inevitable, sometimes painful, demands of a life fully lived.

It's been 10 years since The Collapse. The survivors live off what they can grow, find or steal. A man known as Ryker is among the survivors, a family man with a mysterious past. When his family's relative safety is taken, he's forced to join what's left of civilization to care for his wife and children. But will his newfound allegiance to the government of The Tennessee Zone save them or plunge them into darker peril, and will the powers-that-be use Ryker for their own nefarious needs?

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive. Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them - not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain.

It's 1872, year five of the Meiji era, and the world is rapidly changing, long leaving the samurai behind--but some things aren't content to remain a memory of the past. Now in Kyoto with his daughter Nomari, Jinya runs a soba restaurant by day and patrols the streets at night hunting demons, which have strangely been increasing in number.