Of mixed race and cultures, Barack Obama struggled for years with his identity and place in society. Having found his niche in public service, he has made history as the fifth African American U.S. senator ever to be elected. Now “the skinny kid” continues his political journey and strives to become the nation’s first black president. From Hawaii to Chicago to Washington, D.C., Senator Obama’s life has been interesting and inspiring.

The Pickwick Papers is Dickens’first novel and widely regarded as one of the major classics of comic writing in English. Originally serialJsed in monthly instalments, it quickly became a huge popular success with sales reaching 40,000 by the final number. In the century and a half since its first appearance, the characters of Mr Pickwick,Sam Weller and the whole Pickwickian crew have entered the consciousness of all who love English literature in general, and the works of Dickens in particular.

The Story of My Life is Helen Keller's own account of how she miraculously triumphed over blindness and deafness-and became one of the most inspiring and intriguing figures of our time. "I recall my surprise on discovering that a mysterious hand had stripped the trees and bushes, leaving only here and there a wrinkled leaf. The birds had flown, and their empty nests in the bare trees were filled with snow. Winter was on hill and field. The earth seemed benumbed by his icy touch, and the very spirits of the trees had withdrawn to their roots, and there, curled up in the dark, lay fast asleep. All life seemed to have ebbed away, and even when the sun shone the day was. "

This Bantam Classic edition presents us with a new,wide-ranging selection of Benjamin Franklin's writings that illuminates the complex and appealing character of that quintessential American, who rose to fame as a publisher, inventor, educator, bon vivant, and statesman.

THIS ENRICHED CLASSIC EDITION INCLUDES: An introduction that gives readers important background information Critical analysis, illuminating the main ideas of each work A list of recommended related books to broaden the reader's experience Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential.

Climb into the saddle of one of Marco Polo's pack-horses,and begin an epic journey across the wilds of Central Asia. Brave jagged mountains,deep ravines,haunted deserts,bandits and high way men as you travel along the ancient silk road. Pay homage at the court of Mongol emperor Kublai Khan,the greatest rulet in the world. Follow Marco Polo's expedition stage by stage,and read about his many true-life adventures.

The Pickwick Club was founded by the most learned minds in London for the purpose of making a scientific tour of the world. Its distinguished members include Mr. Samuel Pickwick, Esq., G.C.M.P.C., presiding; Augustus Snodgrass; Nathaniel Winkle; and Tracy Tupman,Esq. Yet no sooner have these gentlemen begun their historic journey than they are set upon by a charming but notorious con man, Alfred Jingle.So begins a series of hilarious misadventures that takes the incorrigibly innocent Pickwicks wandering around England, coming in contact with some of the most colorful and comical characters in all fiction, including Dr. Slammer,Dismal Jemmy Hutley, Job Trotter, Wilkins Flasher, and Mr. Serjeant Buzfuz.

Ernest Shackleton led two Antarctic expeditions, and diedshortly after the beginning of the third. His first expedition wasnot a total success (they did not reach the South Pole), and thesecond was, in some senses, a total failure (they never reached theAntarctic mainland at all). Yet it is the second for which he isremembered. His expedition ship Endurance was trapped, then crushedin the ice, before his party could be landed, leaving his men in ahopeless situation. For months Shackleton held his party togetherbefore taking to boats and bringing everyone to safety to ElephantIsland. His open-boat journey to South Georgia, and the eventualrescue of the party left behind, are now legendary. Visitors toShackleton s grave in South Georgia, stepping over the loungingelephant seals that keep the dead company, pay homage to the manwho had the vision, bravery and strength to open up Antarctica forall who followed. Shackleton showed the flame of leadership as fewin the history of exploration have done, and nowhere do

The 22-year old James Boswell first met Johnson, who was then aged 54, in 1763. Nine years later he wrote in his journal of his 'constant plan to write the life of Mr Johnson'. Boswell was tireless in his search for authenticated proof, and his training as a lawyer helped him sift the evidence of friends and to operate forensically on Johnson himself. Boswell drew him out as no one else could, and although three-quarters of the book concerns the last twenty years of Johnson's life, his skill in constructing the early years is remarkable. The text of this complete and unabridged edition is that of the 1791 first edition, and it remains, by common consent, the greatest biography in the English language. Johnson's centrality in 18th century letters is established not only by Boswell's record of his life and conversations, but also by the success of the work in placing him in a literary and cultural context. James Boswell (1740-95) was educated at Edinburgh and Glasgow universities as a lawyer. He moved to

It's history with the nasty bits left in! Want to know: Whatvile Victorian parents called their children? Who had a gruesomeglass eye for every occasion? When the first public loo wasflushed? Discover all the foul facts about the Vile Victorians -all the gore and more.

one of the most photographed people on the planet, david beckham is a constant source of fascination for celebrity watchers and sports fans all over the world, his ever-changing array of clothes, hairstyles, and companions Js never missed by the waiting photographers whenever he comes or goes.

An immediate best-seller on publication,Ben Hur remains a dazzling achievement by any standards.A thoroughly xhilarating tale of betrayal,revenge and salvation,it is the only novel that ranks with Uncle Tom's Cabin as a genuine American folk possession. This was the book that finally overcame the inherent suspicion of fiction that still prevailed in much of America in the late nineteenth century. Wallace writes with a freshness and immediacy that brings every action-packed scene to life and illuminates the eography,ethnology and customs of the ancient world.

Amaze your friends with your awesome knowledge of the world's greatest soccer players! Super stats andd freaky facts!Amaxing activities! Q!uirky quizzes!Stupendous stickers! Plus FREE collectable cards!

'She lists like Hornby. She talks dirty like Amis. She examines the finer points of sexual technique as if she is adjusting the torque on a beloved but temperamental old E-type' Belle de Jour is the nora de plume of a high-class call girl working in London. This is her story. From the summer of 2003 to the autumn of 2004 Belle charted her day-to-day adventures on and off the field in a frank, funny and award-winning web diary. Now, in her Intimate Adventures, Belle elaborates on those diary entries, revealing' (among other things) how she became a working girl, what it feels like to do it for money, and where to buy the best knickers for the job. From debating the literary merits of Martin Amis with naked clients to smuggling whips into luxury hotels, this is a no-holds-barred account of the high-class sex trade, and an insight into the secret life of an extraordinary woman.

This engraved portrait of Shakespeare,taken from the title page of one of the seventy-nine copies of the First Folio of 1623 in the Folger Shakespeare Library,Washington,D.C.,is the only pictorial likeness that has any authenticity.It was engraved by Martin Droeshout at the request of Shakespeare's colleagues,John Heminges and Henry Condell,for the first collected edition of the poet's works that they brought together.Droeshout may have made the engraving from a painting that is now lost. 作者简介： VIRGINIA A.LaMAR，Assistant Editor.A member of the staff of the Folger Shakespeare Library from 1946 until her death in 1968,Miss LaMar served as research assistant to the Director and as Exective Secretary.Prior to 1946 Miss LaMar had been a secretary in the British Admiralty Delegation in Washington,D.C.,receiving the King's Medal in 1945 for her services.She was coeditor of the Historie of Travell into Virginia Britania by William Strachey,published by The Hakluyt Society in 1958,and author of En