World Human Geography

Nick Neely chronicles his 650-mile trek on foot from San Diego to San Francisco, following the route of the first overland Spanish expedition into what was soon called Alta California. Led by Gaspar de Portolá in 1769, the expedition sketched a route that would become, in part, the famous El Camino Real. It laid the foundation for the Golden State we know today, a place that remains as mythical and captivating as any in the world.

What is a country? While certain basic tenets - such as the clear demarcation of a country's borders, and the acknowledgment of its sovereignty by other countries and by international governing bodies like the United Nations - seem applicable, journalist Joshua Keating's book explores exceptions to these rules. Through stories about these countries' efforts at self-determination, as well as their respective challenges, Keating reveals that there is no universal legal authority determining what we consider a country.

The Big Ratchet is the story of the ratchets: the technologies and innovations, big and small, that propelled our species from hunters and gatherers on the savannahs of Africa to shoppers in the aisles of the supermarket. Our species long lived on the edge of starvation. Now we produce enough food for all 7 billion of us to eat nearly 3,000 calories every day. This is such an astonishing thing in the history of life as to verge on the miraculous. The Big Ratchet is the story of how it happened.

Why I Hate Israel: A Candid Account is a fresh look at the Jewish-Arabic Conflict in light of current trends in human rights laws and ethics. Priya Gandhi-Ganesh is particularly insightful in identifying troubling elements that are impediments to peace and human progress in the Middle East and on the global scene. Gandhi-Ganesh effortlessly draws together examples and anecdotes to highlight her points.

El Criollito es un cuento de los hermosos llanos de Venezuela. Un relato de estilo costumbrista que se enmarca en las preciosas y alejadas sabanas de llano venezolano, donde nace el sol al son de las coplas y del humeante cafecito negro recien colado. Fieles a las tradiciones de la region, los personajes nos recuerdan la grandeza de nuestras mas sentidas expresiones autoctonas.