"Zinn For Beginners" describes the life and work of the most vital historian of our time. Howard Zinn led a revolution in the writing of history by telling the story not from the standpoint of conquerors and rulers, but from the side of the ordinary people who always bear the brunt of the ambitions of tyrants.

Zinn tells the story of Columbus' discovery of America from the standpoint of the native people whose hands Columbus cut off to terrorize them into giving him gold. He tells the story of the Civil War not from the point of view of the great generals who directed the slaughter, but from that of the slaves and from the ordinary people who gave up their lives in the struggle. It tells of the Spanish-American War from the point of view of Mark Twain, who wrote, "When the smoke was over, the dead buried, and the cost of the war came back to the people... it suddenly dawned on us that the cause of the Spanish-American war was the price of sugar... that the lives, blood, and money of the American people were used to protect the interest of the American capitalists."

Howard Zinn's fresh look at history has earned him a devoted following. "Zinn For Beginners" tells the story of where Zinn came from, what events shaped his life, and walks through the main points of his major works.

Noam Chomsky has written over 30 books, he is the most-quoted author on earth, the "New York Times" calls him "arguably the most important intellectual alive" -- yet most people have no idea who he is or what he's about.
"Chomsky For Beginners" tells you what he's about: Chomsky is known for his work in two distinct areas -- Linguistics and... "gadflying." ("Gadfly," the word applied to Socrates. comes closest to the constant social irritant that Chomsky has become.) It is Chomsky's work as Political Gadfly and Media Critic that has given passion and hope to the general public -- and alienated the Major Media -- which, of course, is why you don't know more about him.
Chomsky's message is very simple: Huge corporations run our country, the world, both political parties, and Major Media. (You suspected it; Chomsky proves it.) If enough people open their minds to what he has to say, the whole gingerbread fantasy we've been fed about America might vanish like the Emperor's clothes...and America might turn into a real Democracy.
What's so special about "Chomsky For Beginners"? The few existing intros to Chomsky cover either Chomsky-the-Linguist of Chomsky-the-Political-Gadfly. "Chomsky For Beginners" covers both -- plus an exclusive interview with the maverick genius. The clarity of David Cogswell's text and the wit of Paul Gordon's illustrations make Chomsky as easy to understand as the genius next door. Words and art combine to clarify (but not oversimplify) the work and to "humorize" the man who may very well be what one savvy interviewer called him -- "the smartest man on earth."

Do you appreciate your forty-hour, five-day workweek? Appreciate having a safe working environment? Unions made this all possible in one way or another. Unions bring value to all sectors of a society. As the champion of people power versus corporate power, unions help to spread the benefits of production throughout a society. Regardless of the state of the economy, there is the timeless struggle of workers trying to gain or retain their rights. However, a vast amount of Americans (including union members) are unaware of the full history of unions and how they have impacted the American workplace today. "Unions For Beginners" provides an introduction to that essential history.

Written and illustrated in the user-friendly, accessible style of the "For Beginners" series, "Unions For Beginners" presents the epic story of the labor movement in a simple, memorable way. The role of unions in empowering working people to rise above unfair payment and work conditions to become full-fledged participants in the American dream they helped to build is told in vibrant detail. "Unions For Beginners" presents the history of unions and the labor movement, the principles underlying union organizing, the decline of unions in the shadow of the rising corporate state, and the resurgence in the 21st century of union activism.

"Existentialism For Beginners" is a lighthearted romp through the history of a philosophical movement that had broad-reaching influence on Western culture, politics and the arts during the period of mid-19th century through the late 20th century, and still exerts influence in the 21st century. Tracing its beginning with close-up views of seminal 19th century writers like Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky and Nietzsche, "Existentialism For Beginners" follows the trail of existential thought and literature through 20th century German philosophers Jaspers and Heidegger, and finally through to the flowering of the movement in Postwar France brought forth by Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Simone de Beauvoir and beyond.
With dazzling, gritty illustrations "Existentialism For Beginners" takes an affectionate, good-humored look at a style of thinking that, while pervasive in influence, has often been seen as obscure, difficult, cryptic and dark. "Existentialism For Beginners" helps to draw the movement's many diverse elements together to create a palatable introduction for people who have always had difficulty defining or understanding existentialism, and an enjoyable historical review packed with richly fascinating quotes from existentialism's most notable purveyors for those who are already appreciators of existentialism.