New Releases by Brendan January

In January 2009, a mysterious software developer, Satoshi Nakamoto, exchanged a specially designed code with another developer. The code was a digital currency that Nakamoto had proposed several months before in a paper titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.” This was the first Bitcoin transaction. Since then, Bitcoin has become the face of a tech revolution in digital cryptocurrencies based on blockchain technology. Its success has sparked a tech revolution that could fundamentally change global economics. Author Brendan January delves into the world of coders, libertarians, criminals, financial regulators, and crypto-detectives to understand what digital cryptocurrencies have to offer, their limitations and potential pitfalls, security issues, and how they may affect government and financial regulations in the future.

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, emerged in the Middle East during the first decade of the 2000s. The group vows to wage violent jihad, or holy war, on those who do not adhere to its extremist interpretation of Islamic law. ISIS conquers territory and rules savagely. ISIS terrorists manipulate social media brilliantly, shocking viewers around the globe with brutal video footage. Government leaders and agencies all over the world are working to prevent the next ISIS attack. How can nations combat ISIS? Can it be defeated with military force? This in-depth investigation tackles these and other thorny issues related to the twenty-first-century face of global terrorism.

The Internet gives us information, communication options, shopping opportunities, entertainment, and much more—all at the touch of a fingertip and much of it for free. But in exchange for these benefits, we may be losing a basic right: the right to privacy. By clicking to accept website user agreements, we often allow companies to track our activities online and to share our data with outside groups. In addition, the police and government agencies can also track people online—and this tracking is sometimes done secretly, without user agreements or search warrants. Privacy laws and the US Constitution are supposed to protect privacy in the United States, as are laws and conventions in other parts of the world. But judicial and legal systems have not kept pace with technology. And until laws catch up, users enter a legal gray area when they communicate digitally—an arena in which their most private conversations might not be protected from intrusion. Such intrusion can be dangerous: government agencies can use information obtained via digital spying to harass, arrest, or imprison citizens. Other groups can use private digital data to discriminate in banking, housing, and other businesses. Around the world, critics are sounding the alarm about digital privacy. Many have called for stricter controls on data tracking. What rights do you have when it comes to privacy online? How can you be a smart cyber citizen and protect your personal digital data? These questions are at the heart of the Internet privacy debate.

Can one man’s religious experience change the whole world? In the A.D. 600s, in the Arabian city of Mecca, a merchant named Muhammad began to receive and share messages from God. Muhammad attracted many followers. Eventually the revelations formed the basis for a new religion, Islam. By the time of Muhammad’s death, the Islamic religion had spread across the Arabian Peninsula. Muhammad’s successors continued to bring Islam to surrounding lands. Often, they used peaceful means to win converts. Other times, they imposed the religion through forceful conquests. Within one hundred years of Muhammad’s death, Arab Muslim armies had achieved stunning victories over two major empires, the Persians and the Byzantines. By the mid-700s, Islam was established from India to North Africa and Spain. Converts adopted the Arabic language, studied Arab poets and scholars, and built grand mosques for worship. Today more than one billion people worldwide practice Islam. The Arab conquests of the Middle East, which introduced a new world religion across geography and cultures, is one of world history’s pivotal moments.

Examines the first "small war" in US history and its consequences.

Examines how the Iranian Revolution became a showdown between the ideas and values of Islam and those of the West and how it recast the face of the Middle East.

Looks at genocides of six different peoples--the Armenians of the Ottoman Empire, the Jews of Europe, the Cambodians, the Tutsis of Rwanda, the Muslims of Bosnia, and Darfur tribes of Sudan.

Native American art is tied closely to its culture. This title examines what art reveals about history and simultaneously how history explains the art. It explores past civilizations through both the images it produced and cultural artifacts that remain. The title focuses on how art and architecture from the Native Americans reflect life at the time, and how we can use the surviving art to understand how people used to live.

Describes the causes of the Civil War, the generals involved involved in the Battle of Gettysburg, the course of the fighting, and the battle''s aftermath.

Once known as "Custer''s Last Stand," the battle of Little Bighorn was the last triumph of the Plains Indians over Federal troops. Yet, the story of the battle is not simply one of Native Americans triumphing over Federal forces. Rather it is a gripping and poignant story of how the winners-the Native Americans in this case-became the ultimate losers of everything they held dear as a result of an overwhelming and unanticipated victory that served only to accelerate the use of military force against them. Little Bighorn presents a balanced view of the battle and its context in a clear, informative and engaging way. It does this not only by covering the battle''s background, course and aftermath, but also by setting the scene, describing the way of life of the Lakota and Cheyenne Indians, the movement of white settlers West, and how their actions and attitudes quickly began to erode the Indian way of life. The battle of Little Bighorn continues to fascinate people today, both because the battlefield itself continues to yield secrets and because it stands as a rare Native American victory in their struggle to preserve their way of life. Numerous illustrations, maps and relevant quotations enrich the substantial text of Little Bighorn. The book ends with a section on the battlefield today, which includes information on recent archaeological finds, along with a timeline, a glossary, and lists of books to read and places to visit.--

Dramatic and defining moments in American history come vividly the life in the Cornerstones of Freedom series.

Presents a study of the civil rights movement in the United States.

Recounts events of September 11, 2001, when terrorists flew into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, discusses what is known of the terrorists, and relates how America has responded to the tragedy.

Presents a biography of George Washington

Surveys globalization through an examination of the groups that both support and protest this political and economic movement.

This is an account of the first permanent English settlement in North America, which was established in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia.

Ideal for today''s young investigative reader, each A True Book includes lively sidebars, a glossary and index, plus a comprehensive "To Find Out More" section listing books, organizations, and Internet sites. A staple of library collections since the 1950s, the new A True Book series is the definitive nonfiction series for elementary school readers.

Dramatic and defining moments in American history come vividly the life in the Cornerstones of Freedom series.

Dramatic and defining moments in American history come vividly the life in the Cornerstones of Freedom series.

Using colorful illustrations and interesting text, this book describes the culture, geography, and history of Ireland.