WINNER OF THE THURBER PRIZE

The compelling, inspiring, (often comic) coming-of-age story of Trevor Noah, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.

One of the comedy world's brightest new voices, Trevor Noah is a light-footed but sharp-minded observer of the absurdities of politics, race and identity, sharing jokes and insights drawn from the wealth of experience acquired in his relatively young life. As host of the US hit show The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, he provides viewers around the globe with their nightly dose of biting satire, but here Noah turns his focus inward, giving readers a deeply personal, heartfelt and humorous look at the world that shaped him.

Noah was born a crime, son of a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother, at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the first years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, take him away.

A collection of eighteen personal stories, Born a Crime tells the story of a mischievous young boy growing into a restless young man as he struggles to find his place in a world where he was never supposed to exist. Born a Crime is equally the story of that young man's fearless, rebellious and fervently religious mother - a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence and abuse that ultimately threatens her own life.

Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Noah illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and an unflinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a personal portrait of an unlikely childhood in a dangerous time, as moving and unforgettable as the very best memoirs and as funny as Noah's own hilarious stand-up. Born a Crime is a must read.

Prepare yourself for a journey through the world of Patton Oswalt, one of the most creative, insightful, and hysterical voices on the entertain-ment scene today. Widely known for his roles in the films "Big Fan "and "Ratatouille, "as well as the television hit "The King of Queens, "Patton Oswalt--a staple of Comedy Central--has been amusing audiences for decades. Now, with "Zombie Spaceship Wasteland, "he offers a fascinating look into his most unusual, and lovable, mindscape.
Oswalt combines memoir with uproarious humor, from snow forts to Dungeons & Dragons to gifts from Grandma that had to be explained. He remem-bers his teen summers spent working in a movie Cineplex and his early years doing stand-up. Readers are also treated to several graphic elements, includ-ing a vampire tale for the rest of us and some greeting cards with a special touch. Then there's the book's centerpiece, which posits that before all young creative minds have anything to write about, they will home in on one of three story lines: zom-bies, spaceships, or wastelands.
Oswalt chose wastelands, and ever since he has been mining our society's wasteland for perversion and excess, pop culture and fatty foods, indie rock and single-malt scotch. "Zombie Spaceship Wasteland "is an inventive account of the evolution of Patton Oswalt's wildly insightful worldview, sure to indulge his legion of fans and lure many new admirers to his very entertaining "wasteland."

Brain Candy for expectant parents
Pregnancy is an adventure.
Lots of books tell you the basics--"the baby is the size of insert fruit here]." But pregnant science writer Jena Pincott began to wonder just how a baby might tinker with her body--and vice versa--and chased down answers to the questions she wouldn't ask her doctor, such as:
- Does stress sharpen your baby's mind--or dull it?
- Can you predict your baby's temperament?
- Why are babies born in the darker months of the year more likely to grow up to be novelty-loving risk takers?
- Are bossy, dominant women more likely to have boys?
- How can the cells left behind by your baby affect you years later?
This is a different kind of pregnancy book--thoughtful, fun, and filled with information you won't find anywhere else.

The latest installment in the popular, bestselling Useless Information series contains all the fun and fascinating facts no child needs to know, but would love to show off.

A happy heart doeth good, like a medicine. Everyone needs to laugh????????????????????????laugh more often, laugh at ourselves, and laugh at the nonsensical circumstances and situations we face every day. So go ahead; let that giggle out and feel the tension leaving you and making you feel better as it goes. Humor strengthens the immune system, enabling the body to fight sickness and disease. Drawing from two lifetimes of joyful ministry, Charles and Frances Hunter have compiled some fabulous jokes, anecdotes, musings, and mind twisters to make your heart merry and speed healing to your body and soul. Join the Hunters in some healthy fun!

This book of humorous, philosophical, allegorical and nature-loving poetry with its beautiful original illustrations came about through a son's love for his mother. The poems in this book should paint meaningful pictures in your mind. As you read them I hope you are prompted to think deeply and explore their resonance for you, but also to laugh out loud.