Interpreter Of Maladies
Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore

The Way Things Work

As seen on CBS News Sunday Morning.

Explainer-in-Chief David Macaulay updates his worldwide bestseller to capture the latest developments in the technology that most impacts our lives. What possible link could there be between parking meters and meat grinders, jumbo jets and jackhammers, remote control and rockets, electric guitars and egg beaters? Macaulay explains them all!

Famously packed with information on the inner workings of everything from windmills to Wi-Fi, this extraordinary and humorous book both guides readers through the fundamental principles of machines and shows how the developments of the past are building blocks of the world of tomorrow. This sweepingly revised edition embraces recent technological developments, from touchscreens to 3D printers. Each scientific principle is brilliantly explained, with the help of a charming, if rather slow-witted, woolly mammoth.

An illustrated survey of significant inventions closes the book, along with a glossary of technical terms and an index.

More Non-Juvenile, YA Books

  • In The Golem of Brooklyn, Len Bronstein, an art teacher with little knowledge of Judaism, accidentally brings a golem to life after stealing clay and getting high. As this nine-foot-six, Yiddish-speaking creature learns about contemporary crises, including the rise of white nationalism, it embodies the weight of Jewish history and trauma, prompting profound questions about humanity and identity.
  • In The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride explores the intertwined lives of the residents of Chicken Hill, a neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans coexist amid struggles and secrets. As the community rallies to protect a deaf boy from institutionalization, the narrative reveals the deep bonds of love and resilience that sustain them, even in the face of adversity and the oppressive forces of society.
  • The House on Mango Street is a poignant coming-of-age novel that follows Esperanza Cordero as she navigates her childhood in Chicago, exploring her identity and aspirations. Through a series of beautifully crafted vignettes, Sandra Cisneros captures the essence of self-discovery and the importance of telling one's story, making it a cherished classic in American literature.
  • The Hunter unfolds in a small Irish village where former Chicago PD officer Cal Hooper seeks peace but finds himself entangled in a conflict involving a reappearing father and a gold-seeking scheme. As Cal and his partner Lena strive to protect a troubled teenager from the looming threat, the lines between safeguarding and revenge blur, challenging their relationships and their morals.