Ocean State Libraries

"Award-winning poet and critic Kevin Young traces the history of the hoax as a peculiarly American phenomenon--the legacy of P.T. Barnum's 'humbug' culminating with the currency of Donald J. Trump's 'fake news'. Disturbingly, Young finds that fakery is woven from stereotype and suspicion, with race being the most insidious American hoax of all. He chronicles how Barnum came to fame by displaying figures like Joice Heth, a black woman whom he pretended...

Photographs and text explore such inventions as the wheel, gears, levers, clocks, telephones, and rocket engines.

"From historian and author of the popular daily newsletter Letters From An American, a vital narrative that explains how America, once a beacon of democracy, now teeters on the brink of autocracy -- and how we can turn back. In the midst of the impeachment crisis of 2019, Heather Cox Richardson launched a daily Facebook essay providing the historical background of the daily torrent of news. The essays soon turned into a newsletter and, spread by word...

Acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Winchester illuminates the men who toiled fearlessly to discover, connect, and bond the citizenry and geography of the U.S.A. from its beginnings and ponders whether the historic work of uniting the States has succeeded, and to what degree.

"A lively and endlessly fascinating deep-dive into nature and the many groundbreaking human inventions inspired by the wild. When astronomers wanted a telescope that could capture X-rays from celestial bodies, they looked to the lobster. When doctors wanted a medication that could stabilize Type II diabetic patients, they found their muse in a lizard. When scientists wanted to drastically reduce emissions in cement manufacturing, they observed how...

"A twelve-year-old boy, worried that his parents may divorce, discovers that an island in the middle of the lake where he is spending the summer is the testing grounds of the mysterious Dr. Libris, who may have invented a way to make the characters in books come alive." --

From the award-winning Web site visited by more than 2.5 million people every month comes How Stuff Works, the definitive guide to the inner workings of everyday items. In this fun and infinitely informative guide, Marshall Brain and staff of "stuff" experts at How Stuff Works, Inc. unravel the mysteries of more than 135 intriguing topics. You'll be fascinated by the world around you! In Marshall Brain's trademark easy-to-understand language, complemented...

Did you know that President Thomas Jefferson used a copier? Or that one of the world's fastest computers is the size of a two-story house? Get ready to learn the strange stories behind technology inventions you use every day. From the teenager who first imagined the television to a $900 smartphone named Simon, you'll find out how we got the technological wonders that help us connect, create, and keep up.

Presents inventions that people use every day. This volume covers tea bags, the telephone, television, thermometers, Thermos, toasters, toilets, umbrellas, vacuum cleaners, Velcro, the World Wide Web, x-rays, yo-yos, and zippers.

"Discover the stories behind the world's most important inventions, from everyday essentials to major scientific discoveries. Find out how inventors made dramatic breakthroughs in everything from batteries and microchips to magnetism and rocket power. Packed with facts, illustrations, infographics, and photos." --