Discusses Japan's triumphs and troubles--including the pressure Japanese society places on its youth and workers--and explodes the Western myths and misconceptions about the country.

A study of the relationship between humankind and animals discusses the history of animal domestication and explains how, through selective breeding, humans created various animals to suit their purposes.

Pays tribute to the African-American activist who eventually became an advisor to President Lincoln after risking his life to learn to read as a slave and who escaped to the North to educate people about the injustices of slavery. Original.