Most Popular Books by Hal Marcovitz

Offers a history of medical care in the United States, along with statistical charts of past and present attitudes about the issue and a discussion of such current health topics as health insurance, malpractice, legal decisions on the right to die, and unhealthy lifestyles.

A biography of the second president of the United States, focusing on his childhood and young adulthood.

A lot of people believe in ghosts; many of them believe they can also communicate with the spirits of the dead. Others believe fortune tellers can predict the future, witches cast magical spells and that Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, vampires, and other eerie creatures are real. People's fascination with the strange and spooky shows how a belief in the supernatural has become part of the culture of the modern world.

A guide to the most important people and places in Islam discusses the lives and contributions of the Prophet Muhammad, Saladin, Malcolm X and other leaders and the role of Mecca and other sacred sites.

People have harbored beliefs in ghosts since the eras of the ancient Greeks and Romans. In recent years paranormal investigators have developed many scientific methods to detect evidence of the spirit world. But many skeptics are convinced there is no scientific proof that the dead walk among us, sparking the debate: Do ghosts exist?

Dream Big: American Idol Superstars shares with the reader the bright and colorful journeys made from the ordinary to the realm of superstar.

Discusses the geography, history, economy, government, religion, people, foreign relations, and major cities of the United Arab Emirates.

Members of the LGBTQ community have suffered through a particularly ugly form of bias for decades--many have been the victims of violent acts. In the 1990s the brutal murder of a gay man, Matthew Shepard, brought attention to the violence faced by LGBTQ individuals. Since then, lawmakers and prosecutors have stepped up efforts to bring perpetrators to justice; nevertheless, violence against the LGBTQ community continues to persist in American society.

The period of history known as the Renaissance helped Europe break away from the dismal medieval era. The conditions that led to the Renaissance as well as the work of the writers, artists, dramatists and scientists who emerged during the era will be examined in this social history.

"Scientists have been warning about the catastrophes that could be caused by climate change for several decades, governmental leaders have done relatively little to address the problem. Many governmental leaders fear that reigning in the industries and lifestyles responsible for warming the planet's atmosphere would severely impact the economies of their nations, leading to job loss, poverty and other ills. In the face of this inaction, Thunberg's activism to combat global warming has ignited a spark-particularly among teens and other young people"--

Details the events surrounding the 1995 terrorist bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City, as well as the investigation and trial of those responsible for the blast and the execution of Timothy McVeigh.

For nearly four years the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) spread war and terror across the Middle East. ISIS saw itself as the ruler of the world's 1.8 billion Muslims, who would be forced to live under a caliphate based on seventh-century beliefs and laws. In 2015 the United States and some forty other nations launched a war against ISIS, making a stand against one of the world's most brutal terrorist groups.

The In Controversy series examines the complex, controversial issues of the day by breaking them into smaller pieces. By studying a specific issue, for example the ethics of embryonic stem cell research, rather than the entire stem cell research debate, students gain a more solid and focused understanding of a topic as a whole. Each book in the series provides a clear, insightful discussion of the issues, integrating facts and a variety of contrasting opinions for a solid, balanced perspective. Personal accounts and direct quotes from academic and professional experts, advocacy groups, politicians, and others enhance the narrative. Sidebars add depth to the discussion by expanding on important ideas and events. For quick reference, a list of key facts concludes every chapter. Source notes, an annotated organizations list, bibliography, and index provide student researchers with additional tools for papers and class discussion. Book jacket.

Life in Nazi Germany represented one of the darkest chapters in human history as the regime of Adolf Hitler took dictatorial control while leading the country into war. Among the topics discussed in this social history are the powers of the Gestapo, which arrested and tortured ordinary citizens, domination of the news media by Hitler's propaganda machine, the schooling of young people in Nazi ideology, and the persecution of the Jews who were stripped of their citizenship and property and eventually shipped off to Hitler's notorious death camps.

A public works project that exploded into protests, mass arrests and political upheaval. A decades-long feud between two of the region's best-known elected officials. Judges who feared their own constitutional rights were being ignored. The travels and travails of two candidates who went on to win statewide office, albeit with more than a few nervous moments along the way. Controversies that were sparked by such diverse issues as the drugging of racehorses, a nuclear freeze resolution and who exactly was it that spilled water on First Lady Barbara Bush. And, of course, a look at the 2020 election. These are among the issues authors Andy Warren and Hal Marcovitz examine in Notes on Bucks County. At one time, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was known for its lush farmlands, charming small towns, covered bridges and as a home to authors, artists and other celebrities. Over the past 75 years, the county has emerged as a sprawling suburban community that has found itself playing an important role in regional, state and national politics. Indeed, readers of Notes on Bucks County will learn that politics in Bucks County can be two-fisted, as local elected officials spar over issues that affect the quality of life for the county's more than 600,000 citizens. Andy Warren has been involved in Bucks County politics since the 1970s, most notably serving for 15 years as an elected county commissioner. Hal Marcovitz spent 30 years in daily journalism, and for much of that time was assigned to cover the tumultuous politics of Bucks County. They have combined their expertise to analyze the major political events that have occurred in Bucks County over the past 75 years, providing insight for readers who are likely to agree that Bucks County is Pennsylvania's most curious and captivating collar county.

This timely volume examines the use and abuse of marijuana, the effects of the drug on the body and on society as a whole, its medical uses, and the debate over legalization. Readers are given a concise understanding into pot culture, and what this drug has meant to humans throughout the ages.

In the early 19th cent. Lewis & Clark led an expedition through an unexplored region of N. Amer. while seeking a route to the Pacific Ocean. However, the Expedition might not have been successful were it not for the help of their Native Amer. guide, a woman named Sacagawea. She helped Lewis & Clark find the safest paths through the region that Pres. Jefferson had acquired from France in the Louisiana Purchase. Beginning in 1804, the Corps of Discovery traveled more than 8,000 miles, crossed the Rocky Mountains, reached the Pacific, & then returned. Along the way Sacagawea helped the explorers communicate with the Native Amer. they met, & helped teach the men how the Indians survived in the wild. This book tells her story. Illustrations.

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among adolescents in the United States; in a recent study by the Gallup Youth Survey, 47 percent of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 said they know someone who has tried to take their own lives. This volume examines the cause of teenage suicide and explores such issues as teens and guns as well as suicide rates among minorities.