Stephanie Sammartino McPherson

According to a UN tally, more than 1 million people fled violence and persecution in 2015. Of these, more than half were children. Thousands died along the way. The Syrian civil war as well as armed conflicts in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, and the Central African Republic contributed to the continuing exodus of people into Europe and North America. Learn more about these modern mass exoduses, what is fueling them in the 21st century, how...

"Artificial intelligence promises to make our lives easier and better. Learn about the accelerated pace of technology as things that were once science fiction become science fact"--

In the early 1880's, only a few wealthy people had electric lighting in their homes. Everyone else had use more dangerous lighting, such as gas lamps. Eager companies wanted to be the first to supply electricity to more Americans. The early providers would set the standards-and reap great profits. Inventor Thomas Edison already had a leading role in the industry: he had invented the first reliable electrical lightbulb. By 1882 his Edison Electric...

Behind the fame of big-time sports lies a complex web of controversy and deceit. Doping-the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) to gain a competitive athletic edge-is common in many sports. While doping can improve performance, it poses huge risks for athletes' health and careers. Some of the world's top athletes, from cyclist Lance Armstrong to professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez, have seen their images tarnished by doping scandals....

Between standardized tests, extra-curricular activities, pressure from parents, and the strain of getting into college, school is more stressful than ever. Relieve some of that stress by learning techniques to deal with the mounting pressure felt by students every day.

This book traces the life of the wife of first president George Washington from her childhood in Virginia, to her marriage to Daniel Parke Custis and her years as a wealthy widow, through her marriage to Washington. It highlights her role in supporting Washington through the years of the American Revolution, showing how she set standards to be followed by future First Ladies throughout American history.

Did you know that not all Brooklyn Dodgers fans and players welcomed Jackie Robinson to the team in 1947? Some fans and teammates weren't welcoming to a black player at first. But Jackie's great playing soon won them over.

It was a clear autumn night in 1847. Maria Mitchell stood on the roof of her parents' house on the island of Nantucket, focusing her telescope on a faraway star. Suddenly she realized that the faint, blurry light wasn't a star at all-it was a comet! Maria Mitchell's discovery changed her life. She became famous as the first acknowledged woman astronomer in the United States. During her many travels, Maria came to realize that most women did not have...

Sisters against Slavery recounts the lives of Sarah Grimke and Angelica Grimke Weld. These daughters of wealthy Southern planters and slave owners renounced slavery in the 1830's. Through their writings and through a series of lectures delivered in the North, the sisters became famous for their views on slavery and women's rights. Although the sisters were active as speakers and essayists for a relatively short time in the 1830's and 1840's, they...

Traces the life of the wife of the first president of the United States, from her childhood in Virginia through her marriage to George Washington to her role in the American Revolution and the early years of the new country's history