Pollster Mark Penn argues that the biggest trends in America are microtrends, the smaller trends that go unnoticed or ignored. One million people can create new market for a business, spark a social movement, or effect political change. In 1996, a microtrend identified by Penn ("soccer moms") helped re-elect Clinton. Now, Penn identifies the new microtrends sweeping the world, from Extreme Commuters and Working Retired to Old New Dads, from Bourgeois...

Decades before the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin lamented that English settlers were constantly fleeing over to the Indians -- but Indians almost never did the same. Tribal society has been exerting an almost gravitational pull on Westerners for hundreds of years, and the reason lies deep in our evolutionary past as a communal species. The most recent example of that attraction is combat veterans who come home to find themselves missing the...

"Something strange happened on an unremarkable day just before the season changed. beautiful book that describes the impact of COVID-19 on communities and why some essential workers could not quarantine. Everybody who was outside . . . went inside. Outside, it was quieter, wilder, and different. Inside, we laughed, we cried, and we grew. We remembered to protect the ones we love and love the ones who protect us. While the world changed outside, we...

"Daraya lies on the fringe of Damascus, just southwest of the Syrian capital. Yet for four years it lived in another world. Besieged by government forces early in the Syrian Civil War, its people were deprived of food, bombarded by heavy artillery, and under the constant fire of snipers. But deep beneath this scene of frightening devastation lay a hidden library. While the streets above echoed with shelling and rifle fire, the secret world below was...

"LEGO® Heroes is a collection of twelve remarkable stories about everyday heroes using the LEGO® system in unique ways to solve some of life's greatest challenges"--

"Any decent wine book will tell you what goes with a rib eye. But what pairs best with a blind date? Or to pour for your girlfriends when settling in to watch the Oscars? What goes with a lame class reunion? A job promotion? Your next Netflix binge? Matching beers and wines to moments instead of meals, this inspired guide has a drink for every situation, mile-stone, or mood. It's how to drink like an adult, even if you don't always behave like one"--...

"The bestselling author of Dog Sense and Cat Sense explains why living with animals has always been a fundamental aspect of being human. Pets have never been more popular. Over half of American households share their home with either a cat or a dog, and many contain both. This is a huge change from only a century ago, when the majority of domestic cats and dogs were working animals, keeping rodents at bay, guarding property, herding sheep. Nowadays,...