American Work Culture

The first ever, first-person story of America's private, paramilitary contractors at work around the world-from a man who performed these missions himself and has decades of stories to tell. This is a fascinating tale-and potentially the first-to describe the work of American contractors, men...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The acclaimed author of The Other Wes Moore and governor of Maryland continues his inspirational quest for a meaningful life and shares the powerful lessons—about self-discovery, service, and risk-taking—that led him to a new definition of success for our times...

From the internationally bestselling author of The Mountains Sing, a suspenseful and moving saga about family secrets, hidden trauma, and the overriding power of forgiveness, set during the war and in present-day Việt Nam. In 1969, sisters Trang and Quỳnh, desperate to help their parents pay...

A fun and fascinating social history of the famed Katharine Gibbs School, which from the 1910s to the 1960s, trained women for executive secretary positions but surreptitiously was instilling the self-confidence and strategic know-how necessary for them to claim equality, power, and authority in...

A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF 2024 A fascinating first history of the Yuppie phenomenon, chronicling the roots, rise, triumph and (seeming) fall of the young urban professionals who radically altered American life between 1980 and 1987. "Entertaining and insightful." —Ben Mezrich, New York Times...

In the tradition of bestselling classics such as Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed and Benjamin Lorr’s The Secret Life of Groceries comes a character-driven exploration of the modern supermarket, unpacking what works and what doesn’t, and delivering a blueprint for a better way to shop...

For half a century, Michael Jackson’s music has been an indelible part of our cultural consciousness. Landmark albums such as Off the Wall and Thriller shattered records, broke racial barriers, amassed awards, and set a new standard for popular music. While his songs continue to be played in...

"Remarkable . . . this is the book that Hillbilly Elegy should have been." --Kirkus Reviews A vivid window into the world of working class men set during the Bakken fracking boom in North Dakota Like thousands of restless men left unmoored in the wake of the 2008 economic crash, Michael...

Whiting award-winning poet and Distinguished Chair of Humanities at MIT, Dr. Joshua Bennett creates a masterful synthesis of personal narrative and history that illuminates the promises and perils of being labelled a Black prodigy. If our gifts aren’t earned, but given, then what do they...

Everything you need to know to survive in the greatest place on Earth Have you ever had a goodbye lasting more than four hours? Do you lack the emotional capacity to say “I love you” so you just tell your loved ones to “watch out for deer”? Have you apologized to a stranger because she...

Five hundred feet underground, Jeanne Marie Laskas asked a coal miner named Smitty, “Do you think it’s weird that people know so little about you?” He replied, “I don’t think people know too much about the way the whole damn country works.” Hidden America intends to fix that. Like...

Cultural Awareness: Navigating American Culture, Work, and Social Success With Cultural Awareness, you’ll have the tools to thrive in every American setting. America is a nation of many cultures woven into one. For newcomers arriving to study, work, or live, the challenge isn’t just learning English—it’s understanding the unspoken rules of American life. From workplace etiquette to social customs, fitting in can feel daunting. This empowering guide unlocks the keys to confidence and success across cultures. Packed with practical advice, suggested homework, and real-world examples, ...

Newsroom Sparks Fly in the Heart of Cleveland... ...Will they break the story, or will the story break them? In the bustling heart of Cleveland, Tyler Washington, a relentless reporter for the revered Cleveland Chronicle, thrives on exposing the city's most hidden stories. His path often intersects with Andrea Hart, the newspaper's iron-willed managing editor—a formidable and tenacious black woman who orchestrates the newsroom like a maestro. In their intense world of journalism, an undeniable chemistry smolders between them. Both are haunted by past heartbreaks and harbor reservations ...

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was known as the Sage of Concord, i.e., Concord, Massachusetts, outside Boston and site of "the shot heard round the world” made famous by Emerson in his Concord Hymn commemorating the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. Scholars speak of Emerson and his associates sparking a second and cultural American Revolution giving rise to an independent American way of thinking. Emerson began as a Unitarian minister but eventually abandoned any remaining traditional Christian beliefs. Having received a legacy from the estate of his first wife, Emerson was ...

Bestselling author, leading sociologist and economist Juliet Schor makes the case for a four-day work week, persuasively showing how this model can address major challenges such as burnout, AI and the climate crisis, and how employees, companies, and governments can work together to make it a...

A leading sociologist reveals why racial inequality persists in the workplace despite today’s multi-billion-dollar diversity industry—and provides actional solutions for creating a truly equitable, multiracial future. Labor and race have shared a complex, interconnected history in America...

New York Times bestselling author Dan Lyons exposes how the "new oligarchs" of Silicon Valley have turned technology into a tool for oppressing workers in this "passionate" (Kirkus) and "darkly funny" (Publishers Weekly) examination of workplace culture. At a time of soaring corporate profits...

In the tradition of Barbara Ehrenreich and David Graeber, journalist Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein exposes the hidden authoritarianism of the American workplace—where employers hold near-total power, and workers navigate a daily landscape of surveillance, silencing, and control—arguing that work...

A groundbreaking study of the journalism startups that are solving the local news crisis one community at a time A must-read for activists, entrepreneurs, and journalists who want to start local news outlets in their communities Local news is essential to democracy. Meaningful participation in...

Bestselling author and economist Jay W. Richards makes the definitive case for how the free market and individual responsibility can save the American Dream in an age of automation and mass disruption. For two and a half centuries, America has been held together by the belief that if you work...