Play Modern World

From the New York Times best-selling author of How We Got to Now and Extra Life, a look at the world-changing innovations we made while keeping ourselves entertained. This history of popular entertainment takes a long-zoom approach, contending that the pursuit of novelty and wonder is a powerful driver of world-shaping technological change. Steven Johnson argues that, throughout history, the cutting edge of innovation lies wherever people are working the hardest to keep themselves and others amused.

In Masters of Modern Soccer, Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl asks: How do some of the game's smartest figures master the craft of soccer? By profiling players in every key position (American phenomenon Christian Pulisic, Mexican superstar Javier "Chicharito" Hernández, Belgium's Vincent Kompany, Spain's Xabi Alonso, Germany's Manuel Neuer) and management (Belgium coach Roberto Martínez and Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc), Wahl reveals how elite players and coaches strategize on and off the field and execute in high pressure game situations.

In book six of this true crime series, someone is knocking off the homeless of NYC. There don't appear to be any motives: what could a bum have that anyone would want? Their lifestyle affords the killer plenty of opportunity, who would care what happened to these shadow people? O'Roarke and Garcia quickly realize that they have another serial killer on their hands as more bodies are found at an alarming rate. 

A murder occurs every day in the Big Apple. It follows that homicide detectives carry a case load of three to seven cases at all times. In this new thriller, Video of Murder, NYPD homicide Detectives O’Roarke and Garcia investigate seven killings. They must enter the unknown world of the Tongs, the Chinese Mafia, when one of its members is beaten to death, sparking a string of retaliation-type homicides. At the same time, they investigate the random murder of a cross-country trucker only to be interrupted by a domestic-disturbance case gone horribly wrong.