Tod Olson

This is an unprecedented report from the front line of the war on terror by the President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf. The text tells the full story of the events that brought Musharraf to power in 1999; and provides insights into the Muslim world in the 21st century.

We all know them: politicians' books that read as ifthey've been cobbled together from old speeches. TheGood Fight is as far from that as it is possible to get.In a voice that is flinty, real, and passion-filled, SenatorHarry Reid tells the tale of two places, intertwining his own story,particularly his early life of deep poverty in the tiny mining townof Searchlight, Nevada—"a place that boasted of thirteen brothelsand no churches"—with the cautionary tale of Washington,D.C.: "If I can do nothing greater in this book than explain thosetwo places to each other, then I will have done something important."Reid is inspired by obstacles. Brought up in a cabin withoutindoor plumbing, he hitchhiked forty-five miles across opendesert to high school. He worked full-time as a Capitol Hillpoliceman to get through law school, after the school refusedhim financial aid, telling him he wasn't cut out to be a lawyer. Ashead of the Nevada Gaming Commission, he led an unrelentingfight to clean up Las Vegas, despite four years of death threats—and much worse. And in Congress, Reid's spent more thantwenty-five years battling those who would take the country inthe wrong direction: "The radical ideologues degrade our government,so much so that when they are in charge of it, they donot know how to run it."And, always, it all comes back to Searchlight: "Who I amnow, and what I am doing now, began in that town, with thosepeople, in those mines." This book is the story of a man whoknows what a good fight is, because he has had to fight like hellfor everything his whole life. It is populated by a rich and raucouscast of great and failed men, eccentrics, visionaries, gangsters,and presidents who make up his life and times. And it is for allthose who not only like a good story, but wonder what we shoulddo now in America.

In 1846, twelve-year-old Virginia and her family travel west towards California as part of a group called the Donner Party. The group runs out of food and gets stuck in the snow. Will Virginia and her family make it to California alive?

It comes to the south of France in 1348. And it proves it doesn't play favorites. It takes strong men as easily as it takes innocent children. It is the Plague. As the horrible disease spreads from family to family, people look for someone to blame. many blame the Jews. But a wise doctor and his student find the courage to stand up for the truth.

This whimsical recounting of one family's journey to their new homestead will give readers an appreciation of the hardships faced by all those who signed up for the great migration. These include hunger, thirst, sickness, hostile American Indians, and even deceit and thievery on the part of fellow travelers. The book also shows the ingenuity, skill, and trickery used to overcome such challenges.

It's Christmas Eve, 1970, and 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke has been looking forward to traveling from Lima, Peru to her parents' research station in the Amazon. But when the plane flies into a storm, disaster strikes: lightning hits the plane, the fuselage rips apart, and Juliane finds herself falling thousands of feet to the forest floor, still strapped into her seat. The next morning, she wakes up, shocked to discover she's alive — and not too badly hurt. Still, she's stranded in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, far from home. Juliane's scientist parents have taught her how to survive there, but does she know enough to get herself to safety? This stand-alone addition to the Lost series tells the gripping real-life story of Koepcke's experience as the only survivor of a plane crash in the middle of the Amazon.

Recounts the life of Leopold II of Belgium, including his childhood and rise to the Belgian throne, his bloody conquest of the Congo, and his death.

How to Get Rich on a Texas Cattle Drive follows the adventures of a 15-year-old cowhand on the famous Chisholm Trail through Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, as he battles stampedes, rustlers, angry Comanche braves, territorial Kansas farmers, and half a continent’s worth of dust. With a combination of tongue-in-cheek humor and actual historical detail, this fictional account draws from the personal accounts of cowhands who drove cattle from the plains of Texas to the railheads of the Midwest in the 1800’s to capture the American drive towards success and riches.

How to Get Rich in the California Gold Rush follows the adventures of the charming, witty, fictitious Thomas Hartley as a way of offering a fascinating and fully historical portrait of life in the California gold fields. Archival imagery pairs with delightful and humorous artwork to produce a visual feast for the eyes. The inimitable Mr. Hartley’s guide is a unique snapshot of a key period in the economic development of our country—and a fun romp through time.

World War II, October 21, 1942. A B-17 bomber drones high over the Pacific Ocean, sending a desperate SOS into the air. The crew is carrying America's greatest living war hero on a secret mission deep into the battle zone. But the plane is lost, burning through its final gallons of fuel.

The Backyard Detectives solve the case of the missing strawberry!

On April 11, 1970, the Apollo 13 space shuttle set off for the third intended American moon landing. Two days later and 200,000 miles from Earth, disaster struck when an oxygen tank exploded onboard the spacecraft, leaving three astronauts with only one goal: to make it home alive. From "Houston, we've had a problem" to the final tense moments at Mission Control, Lost in Outer Space takes us along on the unbelievable journey of Apollo 13 and inside the minds of its famous and heroic astronauts, including legendary Commander Jim Lovell. This is an up close and personal look at one of the most thrilling survival stories of all time.

Blue y sus amigos cuentan los días que faltan para la gran sorpresa. Blue and her friends count down the days to a big surprise.