Protesters called it an act of war when the U.S. Coast Guard sank a Canadian-flagged vessel in the Gulf of Mexico in 1929. It took a cool-headed codebreaker solving a "trunk-full" of smugglers' encrypted messages to get Uncle Sam out of the mess: Elizebeth Smith Friedman's groundbreaking work helped prove the boat was owned by American gangsters.This book traces the career of a legendary U.S. law enforcement agent, from her work for the Allies during World War I through Prohibition...

The traditional model of video news reporting has always had two separate roles: reporting and videography. For years, however, small-market news outlets have relied on “one-man bands”—individual reporters who shoot and edit their own video—for stories and footage. Lately, as the journalism landscape has evolved, this controversial practice has grown more and more popular. With the use of video constantly expanding, many large-market TV stations, networks, and newspaper Web sites are relyi...

National BestsellerNPR Best Book of the Year“Not all superheroes wear capes, and Elizebeth Smith Friedman should be the subject of a future Wonder Woman movie.” —The New York TimesJoining the ranks of Hidden Figures and In the Garden of Beasts, the incredible true story of the greatest codebreaking duo that ever lived, an American woman and her husband who invented the modern science of cry...

Walter Isaacson’s “enthralling” (The New Yorker) worldwide bestselling biography of Apple cofounder Steve Jobs.Based on more than forty interviews with Steve Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than 100 family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and...

The secret history of the American women who served as codebreakers during World War II is revealed in this New York Times bestseller.**"Prodigiously researched and engrossing." —**New York TimesRecruited by the U.S. Army and Navy from small towns and elite colleges, more than ten thousand women served as codebreakers during World War II. While their brothers and boyfriends took up arms, t...

The National Security Agency is the world’s most powerful, most far-reaching espionage. Now with a new afterword describing the security lapses that preceded the attacks of September 11, 2001, Body of Secrets takes us to the inner sanctum of America’s spy world. In the follow-up to his bestselling Puzzle Palace, James Banford reveals the NSA’s hidden role in the most volatile world events of the past, and its desperate scramble to meet the frightening challenges of today ...

A Guardian Best Book of the Year“A gripping study of white power…Explosive.”—New York Times“Helps explain how we got to today’s alt-right.”—Terry Gross, Fresh AirThe white power movement in America wants a revolution.Returning to a country ripped apart by a war they felt they were not allowed to win, a small group of Vietnam veterans and disgruntled civilians who shar...

Award-winning author David Morrell created the character of Rambo in his 1972 novel, First Blood, which has been called the father of the modern action novel. Rambo went on to become one of the five most recognized thriller icons, along with Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, James Bond, and Harry Potter. In this in-depth essay, for the first time Morrell tells the full story about how the novel and Rambo were created. Among his new revelations, Morrell discusses how Audie Murphy, Americas most-deco...

In this hilarious and highly practical book, author and professional speaker Scott Berkun reveals the techniques behind what great communicators do, and shows how anyone can learn to use them well. For managers and teachers -- and anyone else who talks and expects someone to listen -- Confessions of a Public Speaker provides an insider's perspective on how to effectively present ideas to anyone. It's a unique, entertaining, and instructional romp through the embarrassments and tri...

Bestselling author and historian John Toland’s expertise and skill as a narrator were awarded with the Pulitzer Prize for his sweeping Rising Sun. In Infamy, Toland extends and corrects his account of the events leading up to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, addressing persistent questions: Could FDR have engineered a conspiracy to get the US into the War? Did high-level military and civilian leaders lie under oath? Were the wrong men held culpable in order to protect Wash...

Discover the riveting story of Steve Jobs, the visionary who revolutionized the worlds of computing, music, filmmaking, and more in this award-winning biography."Your time is limited. . . . have the courage to follow your heart and intuition." —Steve JobsFrom his humble beginnings as an adopted child to his rise as a technological genius, Steve Jobs' path was never predictable. After dropping out of college, he created Apple in his parents' garage with frie...

Forget all you think you know about the Kennedy years. With narrative flair and sparkling storytelling, acclaimed historian John Boyko explores the crucial period when America and its allies were fighting the Cold War's most treacherous battles, Canadians were trading sovereignty for security, and everyone feared a nuclear holocaust.At the centre of this story are three leaders. President John F. Kennedy pledged to pay any price to advance his vision for America's ...