Oprah Winfrey (born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American television host, actress, producer, and philanthropist, best known for her self-titled, multi-award winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history. She has been ranked the richest African American of the 20th century, the greatest black philanthropist in American history, and was once the world's only black billionaire. She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world.

Winfrey was born into poverty in rural Mississippi to a teenage single mother and later raised in an inner-city Milwaukee neighborhood. She experienced considerable hardship during her childhood, including being raped at the age of nine and becoming pregnant at 14; her son died in infancy. Sent to live with the man she calls her father, a barber in Tennessee, Winfrey landed a job in radio while still in high school and began co-anchoring the local evening news at the age of 19. Her emotional ad-lib delivery eventually got her transferred to the daytime talk show arena, and after boosting a third-rated local Chicago talk show to first place she launched her own production company and became internationally syndicated.

Credited with creating a more intimate confessional form of media communication, she is thought to have popularized and revolutionized the tabloid talk show genre pioneered by Phil Donahue, which a Yale study claims broke 20th century taboos and allowed LGBT people to enter the mainstream. By the mid 1990s, she had reinvented her show with a focus on literature, self-improvement, and spirituality. Though criticized for unleashing confession culture and promoting controversial self-help aids, she is often praised for overcoming adversity to become a benefactor to others. From 2006 to 2008, her support of Barack Obama, by one estimate, delivered over a million votes in the close 2008 Democrati

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Black Americans of Achievement - Sherry Beck Papro cki - Oprah Winfrey, Talk Show Host and Media Magn ate (2006).pdf

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Black Americans of Achievement - Vicki Cox - Maya Angelou, Poet (2006).jpg

Maya Angelou (pronounced /ˈmaɪ.ə ˈændʒəloʊ/; born Marguerite Ann Johnson on April 4, 1928)[2] is an American autobiographer and poet who has been called "America's most visible black female autobiographer" by scholar Joanne M. Braxton. She is best known for her series of six autobiographical volumes, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first and most highly acclaimed, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her first seventeen years. It brought her international recognition, and was nominated for a National Book Award. She has been awarded over 30 honorary degrees and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for her 1971 volume of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Diiie.

Angelou was a member of the Harlem Writers Guild in the late 1950s, was active in the Civil Rights movement, and served as Northern Coordinator of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Since 1991, she has taught at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where she holds the first lifetime Reynolds Professorship of American Studies. Since the 1990s she has made around eighty appearances a year on the lecture circuit. In 1993, Angelou recited her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at President Bill Clinton's inauguration, the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost at John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961. In 1995, she was recognized for having the longest-running record (two years) on The New York Times Paperback Nonfiction Bestseller List.

With the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou was heralded as a new kind of memoirist, one of the first African American women who was able to publicly discuss her personal life. She is highly respected as a spokesperson for Black people and women. Angelou's work is often characterized as autobiographical fiction. She has, however, made a deliberate attempt to challenge the common structure of the autobiography by critiquing, changing, and expanding the genre. Her books, centered on themes such as identity, family, and racism, are often used as set texts in schools and universities internationally. Some of her more controversial work has been challenged or banned in US schools and libraries.

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Black Americans of Achievement - Vicki Cox - Maya Angelou, Poet (2006).pdf

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Black Americans of Achievement - Warren Brown - Co lin Powell, Soldier And Statesman (2005).jpg

Colin Luther Powell (pronounced /ˈkoʊlɨn/; born April 5, 1937) is a United States statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State (2001–2005), serving under President George W. Bush. He was the first African American appointed to that position. During his military career, Powell also served as National Security Advisor (1987–1989), as Commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command (1989) and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989–1993), holding the latter position during the Gulf War. He was the first, and so far the only, African American to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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Black Americans of Achievement - Warren Brown - Co lin Powell, Soldier And Statesman (2005).pdf

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Irene Taviss Thomson - Culture Wars and Enduring A merican Dilemmas (2010).jpg

"Irene Taviss Thomson gives us a nuanced portrait of American social politics that helps explain both why we are drawn to the idea of a 'culture war' and why that misrepresents what is actually going on."
---Rhys H. Williams, Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology, Loyola University Chicago

"An important work showing---beneath surface conflict---a deep consensus on a number of ideals by social elites."
---John H. Evans, Department of Sociology, University of California, San Diego

The idea of a culture war, or wars, has existed in America since the 1960s---an underlying ideological schism in our country that is responsible for the polarizing debates on everything from the separation of church and state, to abortion, to gay marriage, to affirmative action. Irene Taviss Thomson explores this notion by analyzing hundreds of articles addressing hot-button issues over two decades from four magazines: National Review, Time, The New Republic, and The Nation, as well as a wide array of other writings and statements from a substantial number of public intellectuals.

What Thomson finds might surprise you: based on her research, there is no single cultural divide or cultural source that can account for the positions that have been adopted. While issues such as religion, homosexuality, sexual conduct, and abortion have figured prominently in public discussion, in fact there is no single thread that unifies responses to each of these cultural dilemmas for any of the writers.

Irene Taviss Thomson is Professor Emeritus of Sociology, having taught in the Department of Social Sciences and History at Fairleigh Dickinson University for more than 30 years. Previously, she taught in the Department of Sociology at Harvard University.

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Irene Taviss Thomson - Culture Wars and Enduring A merican Dilemmas (2010).pdf

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John J. Kirton, Peter I. Hajnal - Sustainability, Civil Society And International Governance, Local, North American and Global Contributions (2006).jpg

USA Books1 - John J. Kirton, Peter I. Hajnal - Sustainability, Civ..., Local, North American and Global Contributions 2006.jpg

How can civil society and global governors come together in new ways to improve links among trade, environmental and social values? In this important and wide-ranging volume, an unparalleled array of contributors examine the many new processes of civil society engagement that have been introduced at the local, regional and global levels. Assessing what more can be done to strengthen the productive partnerships between civil society and global governance, the book draws on the extensive inventory of existing practices and community-based alternatives to demonstrate how particular mechanisms for civil society participation in global governance have enhanced or impeded the specific economic, environmental and political outcomes that many want.

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John J. Kirton, Peter I. Hajnal - Sustainability, Civil Society And International Governance, Local, North American and Global Contributions (2006).pdf

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Patrick M. Jenlink - Dewey's Democracy and Educati on Revisited (2009).jpg

This book presents a collection of contemporary discourses that reconsider the relationship of democracy as a political ideology and American ideal (i.e., Dewey's progressivist ideas) and education as the foundation of preparing democratic citizens in America.

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Patrick M. Jenlink - Dewey's Democracy and Educati on Revisited (2009).pdf

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Johan Norberg - Financial Fiasco, How America's In fatuation with Home Ownership and Easy Money Creat ed the Economic Crisis (2009).jpg

USA Books1 - Johan Norberg - Financial Fiasco, How Americas Infatua...rship and Easy Money Created the Economic Crisis 2009.jpg

Financial Fiasco digs deep into the foundation of the economic meltdown, revealing how it was the product of conscious actions by decision makers in companies, government agencies, political institutions, and consumers. An easily accessible work written for general readers, Financial Fiasco tells the compelling story of how rate cutting by the Federal Reserve inflated the real estate market and fueled increased risk-taking in the financial markets; how new government policies to promote home ownership blasted air into the credit bubble; how new financial instruments, credit-rating requirements, and accounting rules intended to prevent cheating backfired; and much more. Financial Fiasco guides readers through a world of irresponsible behavior, warns that many of the solutions being implemented are repeating the mistakes that caused the crisis, and offers guidance on how to move forward.

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Johan Norberg - Financial Fiasco, How America's In fatuation with Home Ownership and Easy Money Creat ed the Economic Crisis (2009).pdf

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Anne C. Bailey - African Voices of the Atlantic Sl ave Trade, Beyond the Silence and the Shame (2006).jpg

Focusing on the stories passed down from generation to generation among the Anlo Ewe community in southern Ghana—an area once known as the Slave Coast—Spelman College historian Bailey offers a noteworthy, carefully researched contribution to the study of the African slave trade. Few accounts in the copious literature have adequately addressed the African viewpoint, says Bailey, and the oral histories she offers are designed to correct that silence. Examples include "the incident at Atorkor": sometime in the 1850s, a breakdown in the working (though unequal) relationship between white slave traders and a coastal African chief—the chief's kin were taken along with inland, "approved" captives—heralded a new phase in the slave trade, one in which African slave traders became nearly as vulnerable as their African captives.

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Anne C. Bailey - African Voices of the Atlantic Sl ave Trade, Beyond the Silence and the Shame (2006).pdf

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Phillip Brown - The Global Auction, The Broken Pro mises of Education, Jobs, and Incomes (2010).jpg

For decades, the idea that more education will lead to greater individual and national prosperity has been a cornerstone of developed economies. Indeed, it is almost universally believed that college diplomas give Americans and Europeans a competitive advantage in the global knowledge wars.
Challenging this conventional wisdom, The Global Auction forces us to reconsider our deeply held and mistaken views about how the global economy really works and how to thrive in it. Drawing on cutting-edge research based on a major international study, the authors show that the competition for good, middle-class jobs is now a worldwide competition--an auction for cut-priced brainpower--fueled by an explosion of higher education across the world. They highlight a fundamental power shift in favor of corporate bosses and emerging economies such as China and India, a change that is driving the new global high-skill, low-wage workforce. Fighting for a dwindling supply of good jobs will compel the middle classes to devote more time, money, and effort to set themselves apart in a bare-knuckle competition that will leave many disappointed. The authors urge a new conversation about the kind of society we want to live in and about the kind of global economy that can benefit workers, but without condemning millions in emerging economies to a life of poverty.
The Global Auction is a radical rethinking of the ideas that stand at the heart of the American Dream. It offers a timely exposé of the realities of the global struggle for middle class jobs, a competition that threatens the livelihoods of millions of American and European workers and their families.

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Phillip Brown - The Global Auction, The Broken Pro mises of Education, Jobs, and Incomes (2010).pdf

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Carl E. Van Horn, Herbert A. Schaffner - Work in A merica, An Encyclopedia of History, Policy, and So ciety (2003).jpg

USA Books1 - Carl E. Van Horn, Herbert A. Schaffner - Work in Ameri... An Encyclopedia of History, Policy, and Society 2003.jpg

Grade 9 Up–In this comprehensive overview of the evolution of labor, more than 250 succinct entries, ranging in length from a paragraph to several pages, discuss the cultural, economic, and political aspects of work and its impact on society. Although the 60-page index is only available in volume two, each book begins with an alphabetical and a topical listing of entries. Included are discussions of major social movements, such as capitalism, communism, and democratic socialism, and how they helped to shape our view of work; profiles of individuals; and some surprises such as the article on the comic strip "Dilbert." How technology has and continues to change work is demonstrated with exemplary entries on Amazon.com, the dot-com revolution, and e-commerce. The intent to include all aspects of work is established with discussions as varied as the mommy track, work in film, and cowboys. Each signed entry includes see-also references and suggestions for further reading. Pertinent black-and-white photos and illustrations enhance the clear text. This well-documented resource concludes with a five-page time line, charts, and other useful material. For a more personalized perspective and firsthand accounts, use Catherine Reef's fine Working in America
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Carl E. Van Horn, Herbert A. Schaffner - Work in A merica, An Encyclopedia of History, Policy, and So ciety (2003).pdf

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Carole Bell Ford - The Women of CourtWatch, Refor ming a Corrupt Family Court System (2005).jpg

'The women of CourtWatch did what they were told couldn't be done. They drove a group of powerful and entrenched family court judges off the bench - someone called them 'the babes who slew the Goliath.' It was quite a victory' - Carole Bell Ford, from the Introduction. Houston was a terrible place to divorce or seek child custody in the 1980s and early 1990s. Family court judges routinely rendered verdicts that damaged the interests of women and children. In some especially shocking cases, they even granted custody to fathers who had been accused of molesting their own children. Yet despite persistent allegations of cronyism, incompetence, sexism, racism, bribery, and fraud, the judges wielded such political power and influence that removing them seemed all but impossible.

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Carole Bell Ford - The Women of CourtWatch, Refor ming a Corrupt Family Court System (2005).pdf

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Colonial Leaders - Karen T. Westermann - John Pete r Zenge, Free Press Advocate (2001).jpg

Grade 5-7-These slim volumes contain much information about their subjects and the times in which they lived. In both, the politics and conflicts of the period and other, related key figures are also discussed. A few boxed texts within each book provide additional background information. Framed and captioned, color and black-and-white photos of sites and reproductions of portraits and scenes of daily life complement the texts. Unfortunately, the picture credits note the sources of the illustrations but not artists or dates. In Roger Williams a modern-day reenactment scene is included but not identified as such and the same illustration of a Quaker couple appears in both books. Nonintimi-dating additional purchases.

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Colonial Leaders - Karen T. Westermann - John Pete r Zenge, Free Press Advocate (2001).pdf

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Colonial Leaders - Tara Baukus Mello, Arthur Meier Schlesinger - John Smith, English Explorer and Co lonist (2000).jpg

USA Books1 - Colonial Leaders - Tara Baukus Mello, Arthur Meier Sc...nger - John Smith, English Explorer and Colonist 2000.jpg

A biography of the colonist and explorer who led the struggling Jamestown colony through its early years and helped found Virginia.

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Colonial Leaders - Tara Baukus Mello, Arthur Meier Schlesinger - John Smith, English Explorer and Co lonist (2000).pdf

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Richard L. Wilson - American Biographies - America n Political Leaders (2002).jpg

Part of Facts On File's American Biographies series, American Political Leaders concentrates on 250 of the most influential leaders who directed the nation's political life from colonial times to present. Each entry considers the subject's life, presenting both personal details and historical context and discussing the person's importance to U.S. history. Each entry also includes further reading suggestions and, in some cases, Web sites.

The scope encompasses presidents, major party candidates, third-party presidential candidates, Supreme Court justices, Speakers of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congress, cabinet officers, diplomats, and three First Ladies. Among examples are Shirley Chisholm, Henry Clay, John Foster Dulles, Horace Greeley, Newt Gingrich, John McCain, and Earl Warren. Inclusion was based on frequency of mention in secondary and college textbooks in U.S. history and political science. For those recent leaders not yet elevated to the status of the college textbook, the author used newspaper and other media sources, relying on Internet resources only when they were considered authoritative. Colonial and Revolutionary War personages are included as well as leaders of the Confederate States of America.

Of great importance for a reference book such as this one are the indexes. In addition to a general name and subject index, entries are indexed by "Offices Held or Sought" and year of birth. "Offices Held or Sought" has categories such as "Unsuccessful Candidate for President or Vice President," "Subcabinet Official," and "Diplomat." This readable volume is recommended for high-school, public, and undergraduate libraries, especially those that have found other titles in the American Biographies series useful.

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Richard L. Wilson - American Biographies - America n Political Leaders (2002).pdf

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Scott DeVeaux, Gary Giddins - Jazz (2009).jpg

The difficulties of writing cogently about jazz—of discerning musical regularities in a genre built around improvisatory jams, and a narrative thread that transcends haphazard biography—are admirably addressed in this history. Critic Giddins (Bing Crosby) and historian DeVeaux (The Birth of Bebop) have an easier task in the book's first half, which traces jazz's coalescence in New Orleans out of varied strands of black music, its shaping by Armstrong, Ellington and other giants and its efflorescence in the big band era as the soundtrack of the American century. The tune grows unavoidably less catchy as postwar bebop and successor avant-garde tendencies transform jazz into a self-conscious art music epitomized by John Coltrane's existential squawk. (The authors maintain a cordial respect for every strain of modern jazz except Kenny G: There are many things to dislike about smooth jazz—for example, everything, they sputter.) The multimedia work contains moment-by-moment exegeses of classic recordings (2:13: [Artie] Shaw's line climaxes on a dramatic high note) that readers can find on the publisher's Web site, along with study aids. The authors' fluent, engaging treatment mixes scholarly lore and sociocultural analysis with piquant character studies and rapt evocations of musical artistry; the result is a treasure-trove for fans and students alike.

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