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An aronists guide to writer's homes in new england by brock clarkeBrook Clarke: An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers Homes in New England  (Algonquin)

 A lot of remarkable things have happened in the life of Sam Pulsifer, the hapless hero of this incendiary novel, beginning with the ten years he spent in prison for accidentally burning down Emily Dickinson's house and unwittingly killing two people. emerging at age twenty-eight, he creates a new life and identity as a husband and father. But when the homes of other famous New England writers suddenly go up in smoke, he must prove his innocence by uncovering the identity of this literary-minded arsonist.

In the league of such contemporary classics as A Confederacy of Dunces and The World According to Garp, An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England is an utterly original story about truth and honesty, life and the imagination.

Also mentioned:
The Second Civil War: How Extreme Partisanship Has Paralyzed Washington and Polarized America by
Ronald Brownstein (Penguin)  With this intelligent and expansive book,
Los Angeles Times political correspondent and columnist Brownstein dissects the hyperpartisanship that he believes has
unnecessarily inflamed our differences and impeded progress against our most pressing challenges. The first half of the book examines the roots of this hyperpartisanship, beginning with the 1896 election of William McKinley, which the author argues ushered in four decades of fierce partisan division. The 1938 resurgence of the Republican Party marked the start of the age of bargaining, with presidents and legislators crossing party lines to govern through consensus. The author believes both parties
became more ideologically consistent during the 1960s,
resulting in a sorting out of the electorate that eventually led to today's partisan divisiveness. This thorough history lays the groundwork for Brownstein's incisive analysis of the
contemporary Republican and Democratic parties. He resists
blaming any one party or president for the state of contemporary American politics, instead attributing partisan divisions to interest groups, changes in congressional rules and practices and the realignment of the parties and electorate. This sophisticated though lengthy book lays out a complex history with
lucid precision, painting a damning portrait of contemporary politics that's sure to provoke and captivate readers interested in American politics and history.

Empowering Online Learning: 100+ Activities for Reading, Reflecting, Displaying, and Doing by Curtis J. Bonk and Ke Zhang (Jossey-Bass) This is an essential resource for anyone designing or facilitating online learning. It introduces an easy, practical model (R2D2: read, reflect, display, and do) that will show online educators how to deliver content in ways that benefit all types of learners (visual, auditory, observational, and kinesthetic) from a wide variety of backgrounds and skill levels. With a solid theoretical foundation and concrete guidance and examples, this book can be used as a handy reference, a professional guidebook, or a course text. The authors intend for it to help online instructors and instructional designers as well as those contemplating such positions design, develop, and deliver
learner-centered online instruction.