July Classic of the Month: The Constitution of the United States

As we are celebrating Fourth of July this month, Cosimo would like to present, in honor of our country's independence, our July Classic of the Month: The Constitution of the United States and Other Historical American Documents.

Included in our Classic of the Month is The Declaration of Independence, The Articles of Confederation, The Constitution, and The Constitution of the Confederate States, created after the attempt to secede from the Union. Together, these four documents offer a firsthand perspective on the political history of the United States.

Celebrate our founding month with the paperback, hardcover or ebook version in your hands!

World UFO Day

This past weekend on July 2nd, World UFO day was celebrated all around the globe! World UFO day was created as a day dedicated to the existence of Unidentified Flying Objects. Whether you'd like to find others to compare sightings with, find new friends to watch UFO themed movies, or simply spend the evenings star gazing in a group, honor World UFO Day all month long!

The first World UFO Day was observed in 2001. For more information about World UFO Day, news and research on UFOS, or UFO organizations and events near you, please visit World UFO Day.

If you would like to spend your World UFO Day reading about everything unidentified, unexplained, or unanswered, Cosimo has just the books for you. Cosimo offers a wide array of rare and hard-to-find UFO books with titles like Flying Saucers over the White House: The Inside Story of Captain Edward J. Ruppelt and His Official U.S. Airforce Investigation of UFOs by Colin Bennett, Left at East Gate: A First-Hand Account of the Rendlesham Forest UFO Incident, Its Cover-up, and Investigation by Larry Warren, Hair of the Alien: DNA and Other Forensic Evidence of Alien Abductions by Bill Chalker, and Body Snatchers in the Desert: The Horrible Truth at the Heart of the Roswell Story by Nick Redfern.

For a complete list, please browse all of our UFO titles here. You can also visit our website dedicated solely to UFOs and UFO titles at ufobookshelf.com.

Happy Independence Day from Cosimo

Today is the Fourth of July, the day the United States became independent from Britain. In celebration of the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers, and the struggles and bravery of those who came before us, Cosimo is highlighting some great titles about this holiday. In between fireworks, cookouts, family reunions, and baseball games, relax with one of these great books.

The Works of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. II by Thomas Jefferson

The works in this volume take place during the years 1771 to 1779, which include the drafts of numerous bills, correspondence to George Washington, notes on rules for the Continental Congress, as well as many drafts of the Declaration of Independence.

The Constitution of the United States and Other Historical American Documents

Presented in this book are the three founding documents of the United States and another that altered and divided the Union for a brief moment in history: The Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, United States Constitution, and Constitution of the Confederate States. Together, these four documents offer a firsthand perspective on the political history of the United States.

John Adams, Vol.1 by John Quincy Adams

One of the most complete biographies ever written about an American president, this is a remarkable effort examining the life and career of the great Revolutionary leader and the second man to take the oath of office, John Adams. This volume covers everything from Adams's school days up to his landmark term in the Congress of 1774 straight through to the advent of the Declaration of Independence.

The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton

The Federalist papers -- 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison in support of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution -- began appearing in New York newspapers beginning in the autumn of 1787. As masterful examinations of the fundamental principals of the U.S. system of government, they are unrivaled -- as works of political philosophy, they have moved and influenced peoples and nations around the world in their battles toward freedom and democracy. This edition also includes The Articles of Confederation of the United States, and The Declaration of Independence. 

For a complete list of American history titles published by Cosimo, please visit our website.

Happy Fourth of July from all of us at Cosimo!

Upcoming Dream Events with the International Association For The Study of Dreams

Be sure to check out these upcoming events hosted by the International Association For The Study of Dreams!

What: 33rd Annual International Dream Conference
When: June 24 - 28, 2016
Where: Kerkrade, The Netherlands
Tickets: members - $525, non-member - $600
Subject(s): Research and Theory; Clinical Approaches; Dreamwork Practices; PSI and Lucid Dreams; Dreams and Health; Culture and History; Mental Imagery, and much more!

What: Tuning in to the Frequency
When: September 25 - October 9, 2016
Where: online
Tickets: free if you become a member
Subject(s): When we turn down our noisy thoughts and slip into dreams, do we tune in to another frequency?

What: First Online Dream Research Conference
When: November 11 - 13, 2016
Where: online
Tickets: members - $125, non-member - $150
Subject(s): New discoveries in dream research





Interested in reading more about dreaming and dreams before an event? We recommend Appreciating Dreams by M.D. Montague Ullman and Understanding Dreams: The Gateway to Dreams Without Dream Interpretation by Markku Siivola. For more titles, please visit Cosimo's Body, Mind, & Spirit page, or our Meanings of Dreams page.

Author Stanton Friedman at Upcoming Live Stage Show with George Noory

Fans of UFO expert, nuclear physicist and Cosimo author Stanton Friedman, be sure to see him live on June 18, 2016 at 7:00 p.m to hear his interview on George Noory Comes Home.

George Noory, the host of Coast to Coast AM (one of the most popular paranormal news shows on the radio) will interview Friedman along with Rock Historian R. Gary Patterson, Mark Klose from FM NewsTalk 97.1, and Mark Farley from the St. Louis Paranormal Society to discuss all things extra terrestrial, UFO related, and paranormal.

For those who live near Lindenwood University or Saint Charles, Missouri, be sure to see the event at The Lindenwood Theater. Tickets start at $30 and be sure to stay after the event for a Meet and Greet at 10pm. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the box office website.

About the Author

Stanton T. Friedman is a nuclear physicist who has worked for General Electric, General Motors, Westinghouse, and other corporations. He is the author of Crash at Corona and wrote introductions to The Roswell Report: Case Closed and The Roswell Report: Fact versus Fiction. He has appeared on Larry King, Unsolved Mysteries, and Nightline, and was involved with the documentaries UFOs Are Real and Flying Saucers Are Real. He was the final speaker at the fiftieth anniversary conference at the International UFO Museum and Research Center at Roswell, and has given more than 700 lectures on the subject of UFOs.

Left at East Gate is our June Book of the Month

We at Cosimo are happy to present Left at East Gate by Larry Warren and Peter Robbins as our Book of the Month this June in celebration of a few upcoming author events!

2016 MUFON of Ohio Conference
June 18, 2016, 11 am to 6 pm
Ashland County Sheriff's Office, 1205 E. Main Street, Ashland, Ohio 44805
Price: $25 members, $28 non members
For tickets and more information, visit: mufonohio.com

Scottish UFO and Paranormal Conference
June 25, 2016, 10 am - 8pm
Glasgow University Union, Debates Chamber, 32 University Avenue, G12 8LK
Price: £10
For tickets and more information, visit: scottishufoandparanormalconference.wordpress.com

Contact with Space Conference

July 2 - 3, 2016

Hotel Amalia, 10 Amalias Avenue, Athens, Greece 105 57
Price: €30 for students, €50 for adults

For tickets and more information, visit: 

http://www.contactwithspace-ea.com/event2016.html

About the Book
In December 1980, Larry Warren was a member of the Air Force security police stationed at RAF Bentwaters, a NATO base in Great Britain. On the night of the 28th he was on guard duty when he was taken by truck to join other Air Force personnel to investigate a disturbance in a Rendlesham Forest about five miles away, which turned out to be a landed UFO.

This was the third night of UFO activity in the area and by far the most profound. When the men were debriefed the next day, they were warned to tell no one about what they had seen-as "bullets are cheap." And so began what would turn out to be the best documented and most significant military-UFO incident in history.

This remarkable story, told with the help of investigative writer Peter Robbins, was the basis of the Sci Fi Channel's documentary UFO Invasion at Rendlesham.

About the Authors
Peter Robbins is one of the most respected and best-known investigative writers on the serious study of UFOs. He's been involved with extraterrestrial phenomena for more than thirty years as a researcher, investigator, writer, lecturer, activist, consultant, author, and conference organizer. Peter is a regular fixture on radio shows around the country and in the United Kingdom. He is also co-host of the monthly program "Encounters" on GRA Network Radio. He is often a guest on and consultant to numerous television shows and documentaries. Robbins' articles, essays, commentaries, and columns have appeared online and in numerous print publications. He is a popular lecturer at colleges, universities, and conferences both here and abroad

Peter Robbins is the co-author of the British bestseller Left At East Gate: A First Hand Account of the Rendlesham Forest UFO Incident, Its Cover-up and Investigation. Cosimo is proud to present this title in paperback, hardcover, and eBook editions.

Celebrate Our June Series of the Month with Alice Through the Looking Glass!

All of us at Cosimo are celebrating the release of Alice Through the Looking Glass this June by reading Lewis Carroll's classic books!

In 1865, English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-1898), aka Lewis Carroll, wrote a fantastical adventure story for the young daughters of a friend. The adventures of Alice-named for one of the little girls to whom the book was dedicated-who journeys down a rabbit hole and into a whimsical underworld realm instantly struck a chord with the British public, and then with readers around the world.

Here, in one volume, you'll find both Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the 1872 sequel, Through the Looking-Glass. Together, this is a masterwork of playful prose in which the author has invented some of the most memorable characters in literature: the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and the Red Queen.

Alice Through the Looking Glass is produced by Tim Burton and is loosely based on the Lewis Carroll classic. The film stars Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska, Rhys Ifans, Matt Lucas, Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen, and is the sequel to the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland.

Cosimo is proud to offer Alice's Adventures in Wonderland as well as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass in both hardcover and paperback. These titles are all unabridged replica editions which feature the original illustrations by English artist Sir John Tenniel.

Cosimo also offers a facsimile of the original 1864 Author's Manuscript, Alice's Adventures Under Ground. This edition of Alice's Adventures under Ground is the second recorded version of Alice's tales, and a treasure for collectors and Alice in Wonderland fans.

June Classic of the Month: The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects

Cosimo is proud to present the June Classic of the Month, The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects: The Original 1956 Edition by Edward J. Ruppelt with an introduction by UFO expert and investigative writer Colin Bennett. It was in June of 1947 that the phrase "flying saucer" gained national attention when a pilot named Kenneth Arnold reported seeing nine unidentified objects flying in formation near Mount Rainier in Washington State.

The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects was the first serious, unbiased account written about UFOs by anyone connected with the official government investigations of UFO phenomena. Ruppelt, who coined the term "unidentified flying objects" and headed Project Blue Book from 1951 to 1953, includes his personal investigations and findings in his extensive research on UFOs. He discusses both well-publicized UFO sightings and lesser-known accounts, as well as the inner workings of Air Force UFO research.

About the Author
Edward J. Ruppelt (1923-1960) served at the Air Technical Intelligence Center, where he took over Project Grudge, a formal investigation by the U.S. military with the goal of debunking extraterrestrial and UFO activity. Under Ruppelt's supervision, the project, later named Blue Book, experienced its most fruitful years, when investigations were properly conducted without judgment or disdain.

For more books by Colin Bennett or other UFO titles, please visit our UFO webpage or our UFO bookshelf.

Cosimo Author Lexa Roséan Speaks this Weekend at New Orleans' Most Haunted Hotel

Cosimo is happy to announce that author Lexa Roséan will be leading several workshops and discussing her books at the upcoming HexFest!

Hexfest will be held June 3 to June 5, 2016 at the Bourbon Orleans Hotel (New Orleans' most haunted hotel!) in New Orleans, Louisiana. For schedule information and ticket purchases, please visit HexFest.com.

Lexa will lead two workshops over the course of the weekend:

Supermarket Sorcery: Using Everyday Ingredients to Make Your Wishes Come True

 - Lexa will discuss quick-fix spells using supermarket ingredients to meet your magickal needs.
 - Bring your favorite food item or food you constantly crave and Lexa will reveal what magick you are unconsciously working to create.
 - Learn how to create your own effective spells using Supermarket ingredients
 - Learn when to use internal (ingesting spell ingredients) versus external (incense, candles, etc) ingredients

and Astrology and Tarot Clasp Hands: Joining Divination Techniques

 - Bring your natal chart if you have it - if not, Lexa will be able to draw up select student's charts to illustrate to the class providing the birth time is known
 - If you have a Tarot deck - bring it!
 - Discover how to predict accurate timing through astrological knowledge of the Tarot.

 - Learn how to do health readings with both Tarot and Astrology

About the Supermarket Sorceress, Spells, Charms, and Enchantments Using Everyday Ingredients to Make Your Wishes Come True

In this enchanting book, experienced psychic, witch, and high priestess Lexa Roséan offers spells for every occasion in an amusing, magically effective, and easy-to-follow guide. Formulating spells based on history and legend, Lexa tailors tried-and-true Ancient Magick to the modern reader, substituting hard-to-find wild ingredients with their supermarket counterparts, resulting in spells that are simple and inexpensive. By following some simple rules--performing spells at a certain time of month, using fresh ingredients, with a specific intent--Lexa makes it possible for even the most inexperienced spell caster to successfully perform magick and get results. Lexa's philosophy is based on using your wishes and her spells to make positive things happen in your life, whether it's attracting success or improving your love life.

The Supermarket Sorceress was the first in a series of four books offering spells and enchantments using simple grocery-store ingredients. Originally published in 1996, this updated version includes new and revised spells and an introduction looking back 20 years and reflecting on the circumstances that inspired the original publication and launched the "Supermarket Sorceress" identity.

The Supermarket Sorceress is available in paperback at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and in various eBook formats. For attendees wishing to buy the book at the festival, be sure to visit Hex Old World Witchery Bookstore, where her books will be on sale during HexFest.

About the Author
Lexa Roséan is a Wiccan High Priestess and has been counseling clients for more than thirty years through the medium of psychic Tarot and astrology. She also holds a master's degree in psychoanalysis. A leading pagan author, Lexa has published eight books on magick and the occult. She wrote the astrology column for CosmoGirl and worked as an astrology consultant for Seventeen magazine. The Village Voice named Lexa NYC's Best Witch and she has made numerous television appearances, including CNN, Fox News, and MTV. She has been written about in various news media including the New York Times, USA Today, and Entertainment Weekly, among others. For more information see her website.

Exploring Extraterrestial Life with Stanton Friedman and Nick Redfern at Contact in the Desert Conference

The Contact in the Desert Conference will keep those interested in extraterrestrials in the know with lectures, workshops, and intensives, and will be featuring a wide array of panelists, experts, researchers and celebrities, including two of our very own authors, Nick Redfern and Stanton Friedman.

Redfern will be hosting a lecture entitled "New Revelations on the Men in Black" and leading a workshop called "UFO's and Government Surveillance: How to know if you are being Watched." He will discuss never-before-seen data on classic cases as well as how to identify if your experiences and research have made you a person of interest to the government.

Friedman will be hosting the "Star Travel? Yes!!" lecture and "The UFO Why Questions" workshop. He will also be holding an intensive course called "Debunking the UFO Debunkers."

Additionally, Travis Walton, the famous logger who claims to have been abducted by UFOs will also be a speaker this year. For more information about Travis and the documentary based on his experience, check out Cosimo's past blog post from September.

The conference boasts a packed weekend of information and details on:
- exploration into ancient astronauts
- extraterrestrial life
- human origins
- crop circles
- UFO sightings
- contact experiences, and much more

The conference will be held at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center in California from June 3 - 6, 2016. Discounted advanced passes for the conference and workshops are currently for sale. For more information about the schedule, speakers, location, and tickets, please visit Contact in the Desert.

About the Authors
Nick Redfern is the author of more than twenty books on UFOs, Bigfoot, lake-monsters, the Chupacabras, and Hollywood scandal, including A Covert Agenda, Strange Secrets, Body Snatchers in the Desert, and Three Men Seeking Monsters. Nick has appeared on more than seventy TV shows, including: Fox News; the BBC’s Out of This World; the SyFy Channel’s Proof Positive; the History Channel’s Monster Quest, America’s Book of Secrets, Ancient Aliens, and UFO Hunters; the National Geographic Channel’s Paranatural; and MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann.

Stanton Friedman is a nuclear physicist who has worked for General Electric, General Motors, Westinghouse, and other corporations. He is also the author of Crash at Corona and wrote introductions to the Cosimo editions of two U.S. airforce reports, The Roswell Report: Fact Versus Fiction in the New Mexico Desert and The Roswell Report: Case Closed . Friedman has appeared on Larry King, Unsolved Mysteries, and Nightline, and was involved with the documentaries UFOs Are Real and Flying Saucers Are Real. He was the final speaker at the fiftieth anniversary conference at the International UFO Museum and Research Center at Roswell, and has given more than 700 lectures on the subject of UFOs.

May Series of the Month: The Conquests of Mexico and Peru

In honor of Cinco de Mayo and the celebration of Mexican culture, Cosimo is happy to announce The Conquests of Mexico and Peru as our Series of the Month for May!

With its vivid language and bold strokes, the magnificent The Conquests of Mexico and Peru two volume set, first published in 1847, is one of historian William Prescott's landmark works. A masterly study of Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro's overthrow of the Inca Empire, this astonishing chronicle is considered a classic of Latin American history. 

Perhaps the most important work of Latin American history, it is "one of the most brilliant examples which the English language possesses of literary art applied to historical narration," raves Prescott biographer Harry Thurston Peck. "All the chief actors of his great historic drama not only live and breathe, but they are as distinctly differentiated as they must have been in life."

Also available from Cosimo Classics: History of the Conquest of Peru, Prescott's companion volume about Pizarro's subjugation of the Incans.

About the Author

Historian, writer, and scholar William Hickling Prescott (1796-1859) was born in Salem, Massachusetts. A regular contributor to the prestigious Boston literary journal North American Review, he also authored numerous books of history, including 1837's The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic, a critical and popular success in both America and Europe.

The paperback retail list price for this two-volume set is: $31.98, but our current price is: $24.99 (you save $6.99 or a 22 percent discount) and for a limited time, enjoy free shipping!

Cosimo offers this Classic series by individual volume at various online bookstores or as a full set in paperback.

May Classic of the Month: Old Time Recipes by Helen Wright

In happy celebration of spring (finally!), farmer's markets, flowers blooming, and fresh fruit, we at Cosimo are happy to present Old Time Recipes by Helen Wright as our May Classic of the Month.

Old Time Recipes For Home Made Wines, Cordials and Liqueurs from Fruits, Flowers, Vegetables and Shrubs, originally published in 1909, is a descriptive, charming cookbook for those who want to make their own wines and liqueurs from any and all available ingredients, including fruits, flowers, vegetables, and shrubs. It includes an introduction from the author and the ingredients and instructions for making and fermenting your own spirits, from wine and ale to sherry, brandy, cordials, and even soda. Not only is this book interesting for those who want access to recipes from the old country, it's also good for those looking for a laugh: cock ale, cowslip wine, koumiss (a tartar wine that uses fresh mare's milk), and elephant's milk recipes are all included.

About the Author
Helen Saunders Wright is the author of two books, The New England Cookbook (1912) and Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wines (1909).

Cosimo is proud to present this title in paperback. Available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or your favorite bookstore. Happy cooking!

May Book of the Month: Founding a Movement by Michaela Walsh

In celebration of all of those graduating all across the country this month, Cosimo's Book of the Month for May is Founding a Movement: Women's World Banking, 1975-1990, a detailed history of the first global women's microfinance organizations, run by women, for women. Its history is told by founder Michaela Walsh, who was president and CEO of the company from its inception at 1975 until 1990. Chock full of interviews from the organization's first board members and participants, it follows the difficult path WWB took to recognize its dream and make small businesses a reality for so many women around the world.

Founding a Movement shows how hard work and perseverance, not to mention a helping hand from fellow entrepreneurs and business owners, can help anyone take control of their economic destinies. In the words of Michaela Walsh, this book "shines a light on the value that women contribute through work, and when they support one another, to become full participants in the economy through access to financial institutions and services, and everything that goes with that access."

The book has received numerous praises from key business leaders, economists, and international icons. You can read more about it in the official press release, or on the author's website at michaelawalsh.com.

"The power of women teaching one another is profound. Women's World Banking was one of the first movements to realize and trust this truth at a global scale. This is what made it a transforming movement."
-The Honorable Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia and Nobel Laureate

"At last, the full inside story of the founding mothers of microfinance... by one of its key leaders! Indispensable reading!"
-Hazel Henderson, president of Ethical Markets Media and Creator of the Green Transition Scoreboard

"Women's access to finance, including microcredit, is crucial. Michaela Walsh and Women's World Banking have broken new ground. Those who wish to follow in their footsteps should read this story."
-Jan Pronk, former Minister for International Development Cooperation of the Netherlands

About the Author

Michaela Walsh is an activist, scholar, mentor, educator, and author. She has been a pioneer female manager for Merrill Lynch, the first female partner at Boettcher, and the founding president of Women's World Banking. She has taught at Manhattanville College, served on the Boards of several institutions, and was the chairperson of the 59th United Nations DPI/NGO Conference in 2006.She has received numerous awards,including in honor an honor in 2012 from Women's Funding Network for changing the face of philanthropy.

The Paradigm Symposium with Cosimo Author Peter Robbins and Nick Redfern

If you are a fan of Peter Robbins, one of the authors of Left At East Gate: A First Hand Account of the Rendlesham Forest UFO Incident, Its Cover-up and Investigation, or Nick Redfern, the author of Strange Secrets, A Covert Agenda, and many other books, be sure to check out the following event to hear (and maybe even meet!) the Cosimo authors themselves at this convention hosted by Intrepid Magazine.

The Paradigm Symposium Redux
May 12 - 15 2016
Templar Lodge, 6509 Walker St, Minneapolis, MN 55426
Price: $280 full weekend, $110 Saturday only
For tickets and more information, visit: paradigmsymposium.com

About the Authors
Peter Robbins is one of the most respected and best-known investigative writers on the serious study of UFOs. He's been involved with extraterrestrial phenomena for more than thirty years as a researcher, investigator, writer, lecturer, activist, consultant, author, and conference organizer. Peter is a regular fixture on radio shows around the country and in the United Kingdom. He is also co-host of the monthly program "Encounters" on GRA Network Radio. He is often a guest on and consultant to numerous television shows and documentaries. Robbins' articles, essays, commentaries, and columns have appeared online and in numerous print publications. He is a popular lecturer at colleges, universities, and conferences both here and abroad. Peter Robbins is the co-author of the British bestseller Left At East Gate: A First Hand Account of the Rendlesham Forest UFO Incident, Its Cover-up and Investigation. He also helped create the documentary "Travis" which will be shown during the event as well.

Nick Redfern is the author of more than twenty books on UFOs, Bigfoot, lake-monsters, the Chupacabras, and Hollywood scandal, including A Covert Agenda, Strange Secrets, Body Snatchers in the Desert, and Three Men Seeking Monsters. Nick has appeared on more than seventy TV shows, including: Fox News; the BBC’s Out of This World; the SyFy Channel’s Proof Positive; the History Channel’s Monster Quest, America’s Book of Secrets, Ancient Aliens, and UFO Hunters; the National Geographic Channel’s Paranatural; and MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann.

New Cosimo Classics Now Available!

All of us at Cosimo are excited to announce these new releases, now available wherever books are sold!

Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex by Owen Chase (also available as an eBook)

Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-ship Essex is an account by first mate Owen Chase of the Essex, a whale ship from Nantucket, Massachusetts, that was sunk by a sperm whale in the Pacific Ocean near South America in 1820. Of the twenty-man crew, only eight survived the horrific ordeal; some men were stranded on an island, all remaining crew were forced to eat food tainted by seawater and drink their own urine, and finally, when members of the crew started dying, those still alive resorted to cannibalism until they were rescued. Narrative of the Whale-ship Essex inspired Herman Melville to write his enduring classic Moby-Dick in 1851; it also inspired the 2015 movie In the Heart of the Sea based on the 2000 best-selling book of the same name.



Moby-Dick; Or, The Whale by Herman Melville (also available as an eBook)

"Call me Ishmael." So begins the famous opening chapter of Moby-Dick; or, The Whale. Young sailor Ishmael is hired as a crew member of a whaler named Pequod, captained by a man named Ahab. In between lengthy chapters on whale biology and descriptions of the crew and the whaling trade, readers are slowly introduced to a captivating tale. Ahab is out for revenge on the great white whale that stole his leg, leaving him with a whale-bone prosthesis and a withering hatred for the beast. Known as Moby Dick, the whale is infamous for his encounters and escapes with whale ships, and Ahab offers a gold coin, nailed to the Pequod's mast, as a reward for whoever sights him first. Beginning on a cold Christmas morning, the crew embarks on a journey to find the whale and make their fortunes. An exciting staple of American literature, Moby-Dick is a must-read for anyone interested in the classics. Herman Melville was inspired to write Moby Dick by the 1821 biographical account Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex, which in turn inspired the 2000 novel and 2015 movie, In the Heart of the Sea.

The Life of a Racehorse by John Mills (also available as an eBook)

The Life of a Racehorse is a fictional biography detailing the life of a British racehorse from the horse's point of view. This book was republished by Cosimo late last year in honor of American race horsing, which got a shot in the arm when American Pharaoh became the first horse to win the "Grand Slam" of American horse racing (the Triple Crown, for the first time since 1978, and the Breeders' Cup Classic.) In this book, the horse, Sheet Anchor, narrates his life, from his time as a colt, through his training and racing days, to his sale as a stud from Tattersall's and his retirement. The story is revealed through Sheet Anchor's experiences and the dialogue of the humans he interacts with, including trainers, grooms, jockeys, and his master, Sir Digby. The Life of a Racehorse was highlighted in a 2015 New York Times article bringing attention to the use of the riding crop; it was cited as one of the only references to how horses might feel about its use. As such, horse lovers and race enthusiasts alike can look to this book for better insight into how horse racing has developed over the ages.