Deviance Management examines how individuals and subcultures manage the stigma of being labeled socially deviant. Exploring high-tension religious groups, white power movements, paranormal subcultures, LGBTQ groups, drifters, recreational drug and alcohol users, and more, the authors identify how and when people combat, defy, hide from, or run from being stigmatized as “deviant.” While most texts emphasize the criminological features of deviance, the authors’ coverage here showcas...

An "engrossing and intellectually stimulating" portrait of the countless Americans who believe in paranormal phenomena ( Journal of Religion and Culture).Popular culture makes clear that there's a seemingly insatiable public appetite for information and entertainment about what we call the paranormal, supernatural, or mystical. But how many Americans believe in the paranormal, and who are they? Based on extensive research and their own unique experiences, ...

An antidote to the culture of fear that dominates modern lifeFrom moral panics about immigration and gun control to anxiety about terrorism and natural disasters, Americans live in a culture of fear. While fear is typically discussed in emotional or poetic terms—as the opposite of courage, or as an obstacle to be overcome—it nevertheless has very real consequences in everyday life. Persistent fear negatively effects individuals’ decision-making abilities and causes...

Despite all the hype surrounding the "New Atheism," the United States remains one of the most religious nations on Earth. In fact, 95% of Americans believe in God--a level of agreement rarely seen in American life. The greatest divisions in America are not between atheists and believers, or even between people of different faiths. What divides us, this groundbreaking book shows, is how we conceive of God and the role He plays in our daily lives. America's Four Gods draws on the mo...

A venture into the art and science of measuring religion in everyday lifeIn an era of rapid technological advances, the measures and methods used to generate data about religion have undergone remarkably little change. Faithful Measures pushes the study of religion into the 21st century by evaluating new and existing measures of religion and introducing new methods for tapping into religious behaviors and beliefs.This book offers a global and innov...

From moral panics about immigration and gun control to anxiety about terrorism and natural disasters, Americans live in a culture of fear. While fear is typically discussed in emotional or poetic terms—as the opposite of courage or an obstacle to be overcome—it nevertheless has very real consequences in everyday life. Persistent fear negatively affects individuals’ decision-making abilities and causes anxiety, depression, and poor physical health. Furthermore, fear harms communities and so...

This definitive collection of beloved Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's finest speeches covers topics as varied as the law, faith, virtue, pastimes, and his heroes and friends. Featuring a foreword by longtime friend Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and an intimate introduction by his youngest son, this volume includes dozens of speeches, some deeply personal, that have never before been published. Christopher J. Scalia and the Justice's former law clerk Edward Whelan selected the ...

This definitive collection of beloved Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's finest speeches covers topics as varied as the law, faith, virtue, pastimes, and his heroes and friends. Featuring a foreword written and narrated by longtime friend Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and an intimate introduction by his youngest son, this volume includes dozens of speeches, some deeply personal, that have never before been published. Christopher J. Scalia and the Justice's former law clerk Edward...

""Larson's elegantly written dual biography reveals that the partnership of Franklin and Washington was indispensable to the success of the Revolution."" —Gordon S. WoodFrom the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian comes a masterful, first-of-its-kind dual biography of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, illuminating their partnership's enduring importance.One of USA Today’s “Must-Read Books"" of Winter 2020 • One of P...

New York Times bestseller: A "gripping" true story of late-night comedy and behind-the-scenes drama (Los Angeles Times).When beloved host Johnny Carson announced his retirement after thirty years on The Tonight Show, millions of Americans mourned. But inside the television industry, the news ignited a battle between two amazing talents—Jay Leno and David Letterman—who both yearned to occupy the departing legend's chair. For NBC, it would ...

An epic novel of nineteenth-century France, Les Miserables tells the story of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict who works to redeem his past. Popularized by the film and musical, the novel is a sweeping masterpiece of character, adventure and emotion.

From bestselling author and provocateur Christopher Hitchens, the classic guide to the art of principled dissent and disagreement.**“Hitchens is, first and last, a writer, an always exciting, often exacting, furious polemicist.” -**The Boston GlobeIn Letters to a Young Contrarian, Christopher Hitchens inspires the radicals, gadflies, mavericks, rebels, and angry young people of tomorrow. Exploring the entire range of “cont...