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Next Events
Noah Feldman - Cool War: The Future of Global Competition
May 23 2013 7:00 pmMay 23 2013 7:59 pmCompetitive yet interdependent, one a superpower and one an ever-stronger economic power, the U.S. and China have a unique relationship, one that Feldman, Harvard professor of international law and author most recently of Scorpions, calls a “cool war.” Unlike the zero-sum geopolitical stalemate of the Cold War, this new dynamic is characterized by wariness as well as opportunity-competition could spur a leaner America and a more democratic China.
Khaled Hosseini - And the Mountains Echoed — at Sixth & I
May 23 2013 7:00 pmMay 23 2013 8:00 pm
at Sixth & I
600 I Street NW
Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown
Khaled HosseiniAnd the Mountains Echoed (Riverhead, $28.95), the third novel from the best-selling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns focuses on one extended family and its long memory, charting its complicated history of love and loss as the cousins and caretakers move from Kabul to San Francisco to a Greek island. Hosseini will be in conversation with NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell.
This event is sold out.And the Mountains Echoed: a novel by the bestselling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns (Hardcover)
$28.95ISBN-13: 9781594631764
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Riverhead Hardcover, 5/2013
Eliot Schrefer - Endangered — in the Children and Teens Department *FOR TEENS
May 23 2013 7:00 pmMay 23 2013 8:00 pmWhen one girl has to follow her mother to her sancuary for bonobos, she's not thrilled to be there. It's her mother's passion, and she'd rather have nothing to do with it. But when revolution breaks out and their sanctuary is attacked, she must rescue the bonobos and hide in the jungle. Together, they will fight to keep safe, to eat, and to survive.
Endangered (Hardcover)
$17.99ISBN-13: 9780545165761
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Scholastic Press, 10/2012
Richard Breitman and Allan J. Lichtman - FDR and the Jews
May 24 2013 4:00 pmMay 24 2013 5:00 pmThe debate continues: did FDR do everything possible to save European Jews during the Second World War? The authors, both American University history professors, examine the public debate as well as consult newly available primary sources, finding that the president was both compassionate and pragmatic, doing what he could on behalf of the Nazis’ victims.
FDR and the Jews (Hardcover)
$29.95ISBN-13: 9780674050266
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Belknap Press, 3/2013
Ken Kalfus - Equilateral
May 24 2013 7:00 pmMay 24 2013 8:00 pmCombining sly invention with historical fact, Kalfus, a National Book Award finalist for A Disorder Peculiar to the Country, takes a deft look at human folly. The story centers on Thayer, a British astronomer who’s found evidence of life on Mars. He also announces that these Martians will contact Earth—if he can get a monumental triangle constructed in Egypt in time, which he will do unless his own personal romantic triangle proves too distracting.
Equilateral (Hardcover)
$24.00ISBN-13: 9781620400067
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Bloomsbury USA, 4/2013
E-Book and Kobo Training
May 25 2013 3:30 pmMay 25 2013 5:00 pmInterested in purchasing e-books from Politics & Prose Bookstore, but haven’t gotten around to signing up for an account? Join us for a Kobo sign-up and training session this Saturday, May 25, from 3:30 - 5 p.m. Our staff will be on hand to help customers open Kobo accounts, register devices, and answer any other questions you may have about Kobo. No registration necessary—just stop by!
NERDS! An Evening of Trivia
May 25 2013 7:00 pmMay 25 2013 9:00 pm
co-presented with Modern Times Coffeehouse
How many rings were forged by Sauron in J.R.R. Tolkein’s Middle Earth? Excluding monuments, what is the tallest building in D.C.? Put on your thinking cap, grab a drink, and join us for our monthly trivia night! Enjoy the grilled cheese sandwich special at MTC from 7-8 p.m., grab a latte (with a lid!) and trek upstairs to four rounds of mind-bending trivia questions. Prizes will be awarded. Trivia night is open to all ages and runs until 9 p.m.
So U Think U Can Spell?
May 28 2013 7:00 pmMay 28 2013 9:00 pm
Join Politics & Prose and SPACIOUS for our second S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G B-E-E.
Stefan Fatsis (author of Word Freak) and Peter Sokolowski (lexicographer at Merriam-Webster) emcee a night of competitive spelling glory. From appoggiatura to serrefine, show off your nerd credit to all of your friends. The competition is free but arrive early to guarantee your spot. Can’t spell? Neither can half the U.S. population! Sit in the audience and watch your friends struggle with the spelling of euonym. This event is co-sponsored by SPACIOUS, www.spacious.me.
Competition starts at 7:30 p.m.
Competition is 18+ only.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Americanah
May 29 2013 7:00 pmMay 29 2013 8:00 pmChildhood sweethearts in Lagos, Ifemelu and Obinze envision a life for themselves free of Nigeria’s military dictatorship. Ifemelu goes to study in America, but Obinze is denied entrance after 9/11. As their paths diverge for many years, Adichie, a MacArthur “Genius” and winner of the Orange Prize for Half of a Yellow Sun, depicts the changing times of multi-ethnic London, racist America, and a democratic Nigeria.
Americanah (Hardcover)
$26.95ISBN-13: 9780307271082
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Knopf, 5/2013
Ralph Nader - Told You So: The Big Book of Weekly Columns
May 30 2013 7:00 pmMay 30 2013 8:00 pmNader is perhaps this country’s best-known consumer advocate, and for some forty-five years he has worked to establish tougher safety standards, calling for greater corporate accountability and galvanizing citizens to do likewise. He’s also been a tireless writer, and this volume offers a representative sample of his many columns.
Told You So: The Big Book of Weekly Columns (Paperback)
$29.95ISBN-13: 9781609804749
Availability: Coming Soon - Available for Pre-Order Now
Published: Seven Stories Press, 3/2013
Scott C. Johnson - The Wolf and the Watchman: A Father, a Son, and the CIA
May 31 2013 7:00 pmMay 31 2013 8:00 pmWhat’s the difference between a foreign correspondent and a spy? Johnson, the journalist, gains people’s trust to write stories. His father, a CIA operative, gains it for—well, that’s classified. Johnson’s memoir about growing up with secrets is also a meditation on the nature of truth, loyalty, and their opposites.
$26.95ISBN-13: 9780393239805
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: W. W. Norton & Company, 5/2013
Cate Lineberry - The Secret Rescue: An Untold Story of American Nurses and Medics Behind Nazi Lines
Jun 1 2013 1:00 pmAfter crashing in Albania in November 1943, the surviving members of the 807th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron fought blizzards and enemy fire as they struggled to escape Nazi-occupied territory. Lineberry, former National Geographic Magazine Europe editor, tells a story of war and rescue.Jun 1 2013 2:00 pm$27.00ISBN-13: 9780316220224
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Little, Brown and Company, 5/2013
Jennifer O'Connell - The Eye of the Whale — at Bethesda Library
Jun 1 2013 2:00 pmWhen a humpback whale became tangled in crab trap lines off the San Francisco coast, a team of volunteers mobilized to try and save her. OConnell's detailed picture book recounts the successful effort and poses questions about the emotional capability of animals. Ages 6 - 8.Jun 1 2013 3:00 pmEye of the Whale (Hardcover)
$16.95ISBN-13: 9780884483359
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Tilbury House Publishers, 5/2013
Michael Levi - The Power Surge: Energy, Opportunity, and the Battle for America's Future
Jun 1 2013 3:30 pmJun 1 2013 4:30 pmWhile some see fracking as the key to a secure energy future, others look to green technologies and renewable sources. Both sides make big claims; what‘s the truth? Levi, senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations, has fully investigated old and new visions of energy and finds that some combination of the two may offer the best solution.
$27.95ISBN-13: 9780199986163
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Oxford University Press, USA, 4/2013
Peter Carlson - Junius and Albert's Adventures in the Confederacy: A Civil War Odyssey
Jun 1 2013 6:00 pmJun 1 2013 7:00 pmWhile covering the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, two New York Tribune reporters were captured and held in a Confederate prison for twenty months until they escaped. Carlson, Washington Post reporter and author of K Blows Top, retraces the arduous 340 miles the pair traveled—mostly on foot, aided by unpredictable allies, from covert pro-Union groups to guerilla leaders—to reach safety
$26.99ISBN-13: 9781610391542
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: PublicAffairs, 5/2013
Rabbi Sidney Schwarz - Jewish Megatrends: Charting the Course of the American Jewish Future
Jun 2 2013 1:00 pmJun 2 2013 2:00 pmA social entrepreneur and activist, Schwarz is the founding rabbi of Adat Shalom and the author of Finding a Spiritual Home and Judaism and Justice. In his new book the rabbi, working with prominent figures from throughout the Jewish community, considers how Jewish institutions and norms formed in the past century can be adapted to meet the needs of coming generations.
$24.99ISBN-13: 9781580236676
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2/2013
Allen C. Guelzo - Gettysburg: The Last Invasion
Jun 2 2013 5:00 pmJun 2 2013 6:00 pmFor the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, Guelzo, Henry R. Luce Professor of the Civil War Era at Gettysburg College, director of its Civil War Era Studies program and author of numerous works on Lincoln, has written a fresh and authoritative account of the legendary three days. His study considers the complex interactions of topography, weapons, personalities, and politics, and delivers a wealth of insight.
Gettysburg: The Last Invasion (Hardcover)
$35.00ISBN-13: 9780307594082
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Knopf, 5/2013
Joseph S. Nye - Presidential Leadership and the Creation of the American Era
Jun 3 2013 7:00 pmJun 3 2013 8:00 pmBased on his 2012 Richard Ullman Lectures, Nye’s book is a comparative look at the leadership styles and foreign policies of seven presidents, from Theodore Roosevelt to George H.W. Bush. Nye, author of Soft Power, The Future of Power, and other studies, assesses which chief executives were truly “transformational,” and which only managed the status quo.
$27.95ISBN-13: 9780691158365
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Princeton University Press, 5/2013
Jen Bryant - A Splash of Red
Jun 4 2013 10:30 amJun 4 2013 11:30 amHorace Pippin loved drawing. Throughout childhood and adulthood, he made art with whatever leftover materials he could find. After sustaining a debilitating shoulder injury during World War I, Pippin persevered and became a world-famous artist whose paintings are still displayed in museums including The Phillips Collection. Ages 7-10.
$17.99ISBN-13: 9780375867125
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1/2013
Sarah Dessen - The Moon and More — at MLK Library **FOR TEENS AND ADULTS
Jun 4 2013 7:00 pmJun 4 2013 8:00 pmThe Moon and More (Hardcover)
$19.99ISBN-13: 9780670785605
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Viking Juvenile, 6/2013
Melissa Mohr - Holy Shit: A Brief History of Swearing
Jun 4 2013 7:00 pmJun 4 2013 8:00 pmThere are two modes of swearing: oaths and obscenities. Both reflect deep cultural values, signaling what’s sacred and what’s taboo. Mohr’s history of swearing looks back to ancient Rome, considering how “swear” came by its dual meanings, examining both the psychological and physiological effects of swearing, and pondering whether we swear more now than people did in the past.
Holy Shit: A Brief History of Swearing (Hardcover)
$24.95ISBN-13: 9780199742677
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Oxford University Press, USA, 4/2013
A X. Ahmad - The Caretaker
Jun 5 2013 7:00 pmJun 5 2013 8:00 pmThe first novel by the noted essayist and short-story writer (under the name of Amin Ahmad) is both a thriller and a deft exploration of status, class, and identity. Ranjit is a caretaker on Martha’s Vineyard, but he was once an Indian Army captain. He works for an African-American senator who struggled up from poverty. But when Ranjit betrays his employer’s trust, he finds himself entangled in an underworld of secrets and deceits.
The Caretaker (Hardcover)
$24.99ISBN-13: 9781250016843
Availability: Not currently in the store – Usually ships in 1-5 days
Published: Minotaur Books, 5/2013
Daniel James Brown - The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
Jun 6 2013 7:00 pmJun 6 2013 8:00 pmTo sports legends like Jessie Owens and John Beresford, add the University of Washington eight-oar crew that rowed to victory in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Brown’s third book draws on the young athletes’ diaries and letters, giving a vivid sense of their camaraderie, dedication, and the long odds they faced in going for the gold.
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics (Hardcover)
$28.95ISBN-13: 9780670025817
Availability: Coming Soon - Available for Pre-Order Now
Published: Viking Adult, 6/2013
Jenn Crovato - Olive Oil, Sea Salt & Pepper
Jun 7 2013 4:00 pmSauté, blanch, grill, roast: these four basic methods are all you have to know to prepare satisfying meals, and if the three ingredients of Crovato’s title aren’t quite the only ones you’ll need, they’re the foundations of a healthful and tasty diet. Crovato, a private chef and owner of Healing with Fresh Foods, has designed a cookbook that will free you from both processed foods and unnecessarily complicated home cooking.Jun 7 2013 5:00 pm
Steve Vogel - Through the Perilous Fight: Six Weeks That Saved the Nation
Jun 7 2013 7:00 pmJun 7 2013 8:00 pmBefore 9/11, before Pearl Harbor, there was the burning of Washington in 1814. Led by British Admiral Cockburn, English soldiers looted the capital, forcing President Madison to flee. For six weeks the fate of the nation hung in the balance. Vogel, a Washington Post reporter specializing in military affairs and author of The Pentagon, recounts in vivid detail how the U.S. emerged victorious, with a renewed sense of purpose—and a national anthem.
$30.00ISBN-13: 9781400069132
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Random House, 5/2013
Susan Sachs Goldman - Friends in Deed
Jun 8 2013 1:00 pmGuided by the three fundamental principles, or Testimonies, of equality, simplicity, and peace, the American Quakers have advocated on behalf of groups—from Native Americans to immigrants to the mentally ill—for some three hundred years. Goldman’s detailed account of the group shows how deeply it has affected the nation’s history.Jun 8 2013 2:00 pm$23.00Model: 9780615589572
Gary Anthes - The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Jun 8 2013 3:30 pmJun 8 2013 4:30 pm“One falls in love with a 184-mile ditch slowly, unaware,” Anthes says. The award-winning photographer and writer spent two years studying the C&O canal, both on-site, with his camera, and in archives, researching the canal’s history. The result is a beautiful set of nature and architecture pictures matched with informative essays.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (Hardcover)
$45.00ISBN-13: 9780764343100
Availability: Not currently in the store – Usually ships in 1-5 days
Published: Schiffer Publishing, 4/2013
Elliott Holt - You Are One of Them
Jun 8 2013 6:00 pmJun 8 2013 7:00 pmFor Sarah Zuckerman, growing up in 1980s D.C., the Cold War may not have ended with the fall of the Soviet Union. Was her best friend, who had visited the USSR at Andropov’s invitation, really killed in a plane crash in 1985? Ten years later, Sarah goes to Russia to get answers. Holt’s debut novel is a powerful evocation of a time and of the timeless sting of the loss of a friendship.
You Are One of Them (Hardcover)
$26.95ISBN-13: 9781594205286
Availability: Coming Soon - Available for Pre-Order Now
Published: Penguin Press HC, The, 5/2013
Kenneth T. Walsh - Prisoners of the White House: The Isolation of America's Presidents and the Crisis of Leadership
Jun 9 2013 1:00 pmJun 9 2013 2:00 pmTighter security may ensure a president’s safety, but it also exacerbates the chief executive’s already heightened isolation. In his sixth book, the veteran White House correspondent looks at the White House “bubble,” considering its effect on the lives and job performances of residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Prisoners of the White House: The Isolation of America's Presidents and the Crisis of Leadership (Hardcover)
$27.95ISBN-13: 9781612051604
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Paradigm Publishers, 5/2013
Kerry L. Malawista - Therapist in Mourning: From the Faraway Nearby
Jun 9 2013 5:00 pmJun 9 2013 6:00 pmWhile a therapist is trained to help a client through grief, how do therapists cope with their own pain at a patient’s death, especially while maintaining a professional distance? Malawista and co-author Anne J. Adelman, who also collaborated on Wearing My Tutu to Analysis, consider the complications of bereavement in the therapeutic setting.
Therapist in Mourning: From the Faraway Nearby (Paperback)
$36.88ISBN-13: 9780231156998
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Columbia University Press, 5/2013
All our in-store events are free and open to the public. All event titles are 20% off for members during the month in which the author appears at the store. Click here for directions. There is ample parking available in the lot behind the store and in the surrounding neighborhood.
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All event-related inquiries can be sent to our Events Coordinator, Sarah Baline, at events@politics-prose.com. For Children and Teens' Events, contact Kerri Poore at kpoore@politics-prose.com.











