In this, the first in-depth study of the most American of holidays, James Baker sweeps away lingering myths and misconceptions to show how this celebration day was born and grew to be an essential part of our national spirit. Thanksgiving: The Biography of an American Holiday opens with an overview of the popular mythos of the holiday before discussing its possible religious and cultural precedents. This classic Yankee holiday is examined in historical and contemporary detail that embraces everything from proclamations, sermons, and local and regional traditions to family reunions, turkey dinners, and recipes. Thanksgiving's evolving face is illustrated with charming and often revealing period prints that chart our changing attitudes: the influence of Victorian sentiment in Thanksgiving's development, Progressive utilitarianism, intellectual "debunking," patriotic wartime reclamation, and 1960s-era protest. Thanksgiving remains controversial up to the present day, as Mayflower descendants, Native Americans, and commercial exploiters compete for the American public's opinion of the holiday's contemporary significance and its future status. This is an intelligent and illuminating introduction to a beloved holiday and a fascinating cultural history of America and Americana.

EDITORIAL REVIEW: On the first anniversary of the murder of Lehman, Joseph Tibman, a 20-year veteran and senior investment banker, reveals in plain English, the people and forces that share responsibility for this catastrophe. His shattering account is told as only a true Lehman insider's account could be told, by someone who spent two decades at the firm. Writing under pseudonym, Joseph Tibman, the author explains the feud that erupted, soon after the death of the last Lehman Family CEO, between the two "houses" of Lehman--the investment bankers and the sales and trading group. He provides the most detailed account on record of the rise of Dick Fuld from junior trader to CEO who rose above his legendary inarticulateness nickname just once, but profoundly, at the seminal, game-changing moment of the 9/11 attacks. The Murder of Lehman Brothers is the story of greed run amok. The story is told in the words of someone who was there when Lehman, post 9/11, became the firm that always outperformed; someone who was a witness to what a small handful of people inside Lehman did to crush it with the assistance of misguided, inept politicians and a dysfunctional, antiquated regulatory infrastructure. The Murder of Lehman Brothers is not only for those who earn their livings (or used to) working in the financial markets. It is written simply for anyone who wants to understand the perfect storm of screw-ups that has led to the current crisis. It is a primer that explains why action must be taken to ensure no one is ever again in a position to dismantle the system or bet the bank, bringing down major institutions and threatening the entire global economy.