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Relationships form the fundamental pillars of our emotional life. Yet, as US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has declared, we are facing an epidemic of loneliness and isolation that is harming human health and well-being. In our divided society, fraught with high rates of anxiety, the stressors of over-busy personal and work responsibilities, the isolating effects of technology, and more people are struggling to connect. Kindness and empathy are in short supply, and relationships face unprecedented challenges. Yet happy and healthy relationships are more necessary now than ever to help people have a sense of belonging and to live healthy, happy, and fulfilling lives.

Drawing on her decades of work as a family therapist and early childhood education specialist, Dr. Kathryn Smerling's Learning to Play Again offers a blueprint for establishing meaningful connection first at home with loved ones, and then with extended family, friends, and colleagues.

From reminding ourselves about the value of "Please" and "Thank you" to learning the joy of parallel play, to building a support system through kindness and empathic communication skills, Dr. Smerling's new book invites readers to focus on personal attunement and how things like individual self-esteem can lead to greater resilience and success in relationships.

Dinosaurs have captivated the world since Megalosaurus was the first one named in 1824, and A History of Dinosaurs in 50 Fossils features fifty of the most momentous dinosaur findings from the fossil record. From rare fossil embryos that provide a glimpse into the early stage of dinosaur growth and development, to the claw of a Deinonychus, the dinosaur that served as a template for Jurassic Park’s terrorizing raptors, the book illustrates the enthralling evolutionary history of animals that ruled the Earth for more than 150 million years with 75 full-color illustrations. Each stunning fossil photograph, magnified for optimal detail, includes an entry explaining the importance of the discovery and the fossil’s significance in the larger evolutionary timeline. Themed chapters build off each other to depict a full and incredible story.
The book provides insight on what fossils tell us about dinosaur relationships, movement, diet, skin, teeth, and frills, and so much more. A History of Dinosaurs in 50 Fossils compiles centuries’ of the most exciting fossil findings that helped earn dinosaurs an enduring place in the public imagination. This authoritative and visually beautiful book will delight and inspire readers young and old, and help them understand the rise and fall of some of the most amazing creatures to roam Earth.

We all take for granted the idea that being in nature makes us feel better. But if you were a skeptical scientist—or indeed any kind of skeptic—who wanted hard scientific evidence for this idea, where would you look? And how would that evidence be gathered?

It wasn’t until Dr. Kathy Willis was asked to contribute to an international project looking for the societal benefits we gain from plants that she stumbled across a study that radically changed the way she saw the natural world. In the study there was clear proof that patients recovering from gall bladder operations recovered more quickly if they were looking at trees.

In fact, in the last decade there has been an explosion of “proof" that incredible things happen to our bodies and our minds when our senses interact with the natural world. In Good Nature, Kathy Willis takes the reader on a journey with her to dig out all the experiments around the world that are looking for this evidence—experiments made easier by the new kinds of data being collected from satellites and big-data biobanks. Having a vase of roses on your desk or a green wall in your office makes a measurable difference to your well-being; certain scents in room diffusers genuinely can boost your immune system; and, in a chapter that Kathy calls "Hidden Sense," we learn that touching organic soil has a significant effect on the healthiness of your microbiome.

What is remarkable about this book is how its revelations should be commonsense—schools should let children play in nature to improve their health and concentration; urban streets should have trees—and yet it reveals just how difficult it is to prove this to businesses and governments. As Kathy Willis says in her narrative, "We now know enough to self-prescribe in our homes, offices or working spaces, gardens, and when out walking. However small these individual actions might be, overall they have the potential to provide a large number of health benefits. And we need to be encouraging others to do the same. Nature is far more than just something that is useful for our health. It is not a dispensable commodity. It is an inherent part of us."

From interior designer and style maven Lorna Gross, Entertaining by Design is a collection of accessible gatherings, organized by season, from a small dinner to post-Christmas breakfast celebration. Each gathering is designed to be instructional, inspirational, and doable for anyone by using tableware and decorations you may already have along with carefully chosen decorative items like place cards or serving platters that can cost as little or as much as your budget allows.

Each gathering includes suggestions for the best way to invite your guests—sometimes, that’s just a well-thought-out email—types of tableware, music suggestions to set the mood, and a color scheme to tie everything together. Lorna has shared a few of her favorite recipes that are satisfying, delicious, and certain to get the party started.

In a world where we’re constantly busy, it’s easy to think there is no time to plan a party, but Lorna proves that with her simple instructions, streamlined tips, and a little planning, any of these gatherings can be accomplished. Whether you believe you don’t know how to create a gathering or you just think you don't have the time, gorgeous photos throughout the book encourage readers by showing how easy it can all be.

Erin Clarke’s hugely popular food blog and her bestselling debut cookbook have brought her easy, flavor-packed, “just happens to be healthy” approach to cooking to the masses. Now Erin offers a collection of recipes that can be on regular rotation and excite us every day. Dependable, but also special, the recipes in this save-you-every-time cookbook showcase Erin’s mastery of dishes that are just a little lighter but pack the same punch, flavor combos that will surprise and delight family and friends, and cooking techniques that save steps and effort. Well Plated Every Day will inspire you to cook, because they are the recipes that you and your family will want to eat. Every day.
Most of the recipes in this essential cookbook are all-in-one, ready-in-less-than-an-hour main dishes. Need a fast, quick meal everyone will love? Sheet Pan Honey Orange Pistachio Salmon is the answer. Making crispy Chicken Schnitzel? Erin will help you roast cabbage right along with it so you can check off those veggies. Love pasta? Try the Creamy Harvest Chicken Pasta, which sneaks in butternut squash and whole grains. Who can say no to dessert? With simple, throw-them-in-the-oven treats like Blueberry Cornmeal Crisp and Pumpkin Gingerbread Squares, satisfying your sweet tooth is a snap. When you have a little more time, no one will know that your Cheater’s Cassoulet took a fraction of the time.
Complete with tips for healthy swaps and “next level” flavor boosts that make each dish even more delicious and company-worthy, Well Plated Every Day is your roadmap to great food on the daily.

The authors of The Bright Ages return with a real-life Game of Thrones--the story of the Carolingian Civil War, a bloody, protracted battle pitting brother against brother, father against son, that would end an empire, upend a continent, and redefine the future of Europe

By the early ninth century, the Carolingian empire was at the height of its power. The Franks, led by Charlemagne, had built the largest European domain since Rome in its heyday. Though they jockeyed for power, prestige, and profit, the Frankish elites enjoyed political and cultural consensus. But just two generations later, their world was in shambles. Civil war, once an unthinkable threat, had erupted after Louis the Pious's sons tried to overthrow him--and then placed their knives at the other's neck. Families who had once charged into battle together now drew each other's blood.

The Carolingian Civil War would rage for years as kings fought kings, brother faced off against brother, and sons challenged fathers. Oathbreakers is the dramatic history of this brutal, turbulent time. Medieval historians David M. Perry and Matthew Gabriele illuminate what happens when a once unshakeable political and cultural order breaks down and long suppressed tensions flare into deadly violence. Drawn from rich primary sources, featuring a wide cast of characters, packed with dramatic twists and turns, this is history that rivals the greatest fictional epics--with consequences that continue to shape our own world.

Oathbreakers offers lessons of what deep cracks in a once-stable social and political fabric might reveal, and the bloody consequences of disagreeing on facts and reality. The Civil War at the heart of this tale asks: who is "in" and who is "out"? And what happens when things fall apart?

Catch a glimpse of the world's rarest whales, hike through lush forests, or wander around quaint historic towns: the very best of the northeast is yours with Moon Nova Scotia & Atlantic Canada.

Inheriting Magic is about how grief, being a mom of three, having a deep love for party planning, and being passionate about the holidays turned what could have been an ordinary life into something enchanting. Through it, Jennifer inspires all readers to add more love, light, and the making of core memories into their everyday lives.

For many kids growing up in the 2000s, there was no cultural touchstone more powerful than Disney Channel, the most-watched cable channel in primetime at its peak. Today, it might best be known for introducing the world to talents like Hilary Duff, Raven-Symoné, Zac Efron, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, and Zendaya.

It wasn't always destined for greatness: when The Disney Channel launched in 1983, it was a forgotten stepchild within the Walt Disney Company, forever in the shadow of Disney’s more profitable movies and theme parks. But after letting the stars of their Mickey Mouse Club revival—among them Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Ryan Gosling—slip through their fingers, Disney Channel reinvented itself as a powerhouse tween network. In the new millennium, it churned out billions of dollars in original content and triple-threat stars whose careers were almost entirely controlled by the corporation. Suddenly, everyone wanted a piece of the pie—and there were constant clashes between the studio, network, labels, and creatives as Disney Channel became a pressure cooker of perfection for its stars.

From private feuds and on-set disasters, to fanfare that swept the nation and the realities of child stardom, culture journalist Ashley Spencer offers the inside story of the heyday of TV’s House of Mouse, featuring hundreds of exclusive new interviews with former Disney executives, creatives, and celebrities to explore the highs, lows, and everything in between.

From Josh Brolin, a unique and decidedly un-celebrity memoir, by turns affecting, funny, uncanny, and unforgettable.

Weaving a latticework of different strands, moving back and forth through time, Josh Brolin captures a life marked by curiosity, pain, devotion, kindness, humor. He recounts an unconventional childhood far from Hollywood. Raised on a ranch in Paso Robles, California, he was surrounded as a child by the wolves, cougars, and other wild animals gathered by his fearless and explosive mother, Jane Agee Brolin. Her tragic, early death haunts this book, and the force of her unforgettable personality is felt throughout. Brolin also brings to life his career in the film industry--from his breakout role in The Goonies to the set of No Country for Old Men--and the professional and personal ups and downs in between and since. With unflinching honesty but also great humor, he shares insights into relationships, addiction, love, and fatherhood, while letting the white space in between words speak for itself. Grappling with the mysteries of life and death in a way that will catch readers by surprise, From Under the Truck is an audacious and riveting memoir from a born writer.

George Frideric Handel's Messiah is arguably the greatest piece of participatory art ever created. Adored by millions, it is performed each year by renowned choirs and orchestras, as well as by audiences singing along with the words on their cell phones.

But this work of triumphant joy was born in a worried age. Britain in the early Enlightenment was a place of astonishing creativity but also the seat of an empire mired in war, enslavement, and conflicts over everything from the legitimacy of government to the meaning of truth. Against this turbulent background, prize-winning author Charles King has crafted a cinematic drama of the troubled lives that shaped a masterpiece of hope.

Every Valley presents a depressive dissenter stirred to action by an ancient prophecy; an actress plagued by an abusive husband and public scorn; an Atlantic sea captain and penniless philanthropist; and an African Muslim man held captive in the American colonies and hatching a dangerous plan for getting back home. At center stage is Handel himself, composer to kings but, at midlife, in ill health and straining to keep an audience's attention. Set amid royal intrigue, theater scandals, and political conspiracy, Every Valley is entertaining, inspiring, unforgettable.

From Betty Crocker, the brand beloved by generations of Americans, a carefully curated treasure trove of more than 100 favorite vintage recipes found in the Betty Crocker archives, dusted off and so delicious you'll love them on today's table.

Over the last century, Betty Crocker has created thousands of well-tested, wonderful recipes, some especially that spark fond memories today, whether they were made by a grandparent, served at holiday meals, or were part of a trend of the time. In Betty Crocker Found Recipes, you'll find these rediscovered vintage but timeless favorites. Some of these rare recipes were most frequently requested by lifelong Betty Crocker fans, which you'll see in the Found Lost Recipe features throughout the book. Others are ones that rose to the top of the Betty Crocker Test Kitchens recipe boxes over the years. And, during the search for favorite recipes to be included in this book, Betty Crocker fans shared stories of favorite recipes they've lost and couldn't find--so the Betty Crocker Kitchens recreated them for the Recreated Lost Recipes features, along with the fans' heartwarming memories behind them.

The comprehensive chapters are organized by occasion and course, from Holiday Celebrations, Memorable Main Dishes, and Warm from the Oven Breads, to Irresistible Cookies & Bars, and Better than Ever Desserts, and the specially curated recipes include nostalgic favorites.

Betty Crocker Found Recipes shares these timeless, rediscovered recipes, with full nutritional information, for the next generation of home cooks and bakers to enjoy for years to come. These tasty dishes are lost no more!

Using pens, markers, paints, brushes, and the simple lessons in this book, you'll be able to turn stones into gorgeous works of art that everyone will love. Design expert Christine Rechl provides all the information you'll need to get started, including a few simple tips and techniques and over 50 inspiring designs in 225 color photographs. Create a colorful rock display in your home or send an inspiring message to a friend. Painted rocks make perfect gifts and keepsakes to treasure forever!

In The Art of Small Business Social Media, social media expert Peg Fitzpatrick offers a comprehensive guide tailored specifically for small business owners. Recognizing that social media isn't a one-size-fits-all tool, Fitzpatrick provides a roadmap for entrepreneurs to navigate the digital landscape effectively. Drawing from her extensive experience working with brands big and small, she demystifies choosing the right platforms, crafting a robust social media plan, and engaging with communities online. Real-world examples from various industries serve as case studies, offering actionable insights that can be applied to any small business setting.

Whether you're a solo entrepreneur or part of a small team, The Art of Small Business Social Media is your key to unlocking the full potential of social media marketing. It's not just about being online; it's about being online effectively. This book equips you with the skills to participate in the digital world and thrive in it, giving your business a competitive edge in today's marketplace.

The brain and the gut are neurologically and biochemically connected via millions of nerves and the trillions of microbes that populate the intestines. Known as the gut-brain axis, this communication network between the two systems is vast and complex. Although scientists have known about this axis for some time, the assumption was that the gut needed the brain in order to function. Only recently has science given the gut its due credit in this relationship. Researchers are learning that the gut microbiome can influence certain physiological processes in the brain. Our microbiome can affect how we think and function-cognition, memory, motor control-for better or worse. More and more, poor gut health is being linked to a decline in brain health, opening up possibilities for exciting new and effective treatments to prevent and even help to heal disease states associated with poor brain health. Much of the research is focused on three leading causes of neurodegeneration that doctors have been struggling to treat effectively: stroke, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's. Much of the recent research highlights the connection between well-known risk factors for these disorders-including genetics, environmental toxins, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease-and poor gut health, reinforcing that the connection between gut and brain health we're seeing isn't coincidental. As a gastroenterologist with a personal and professional interest in understanding the role the gut plays in brain health and in employing targeted treatments that can prevent cognitive decline, Dr. Nandi is poised to deliver this information to consumers. Heal Your Gut, Save Your Brain explains the emerging science, including the pathophysiology between the gut and these disorders, in lay terms. It also shows readers how simple changes to improve gut health-most of which are not currently part of a neurologist's standard treatment protocol-can help them to achieve excellent brain health; preserve brain health to help prevent neurological disease; and dramatically improve recovery from devastating neurological disorders such as: stroke, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's Dr. Nandi's accessible and simple program is based on five pillars, which include nutrition, movement, purpose, spirituality, and community, and offers an holistic approach to helping prevent and mitigate cognitive decline.