Michael V. Uschan – författare

Before his breakout role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will Smith embarked on a rap career with friend Jeff Townes.​ ​The duo performed under the name of "DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince." In the late 1990s, Smith began to focus his attention on acting and was soon cast in cult movie favorites such as Independence Day and Men in Black. His performance in The Pursuit of Happyness earned him an Oscar nomination in 2006. Supporting biography, history, and social studies assignments, this compelling edition provides readers with a profile of rapper and actor Will Smith. Chapters discuss his life as a child and teen, his career paths in music and acting, and his life as a family man.

In 2015, approximately 5,818 hate crime incidents were reported, and 59.2 percent of those reported hate crimes were race or ethnicity based. Hate crimes fall under federal jurisdiction and can include gender identity bias, disability bias, gender bias, sexual orientation bias, religious bias, and race or ethnicity bias. According to the FBI, fighting hate crimes is a number one priority under the civil rights program. This thought-provoking resource investigates and analyzes issues surrounding hate crimes. A thorough and balanced examination of related topics such as the scope of hate crimes, the types of perpetrators, and how to fight hate crimes provides readers with an expansive view of the issue at hand.

After his victory in the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama became the first African-American President of the United States. The following year, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Obama''s life has not always been one of pomp and circumstance, however. This volume conveys a balanced biographical survey of Barack Obama. Chapters discuss his presidency, his complicated childhood, living and working in the mean streets of Chicago, and his tenure as a U.S. senator for the state of Illinois.

Michelle Robinson Obama was born on Chicago''s South Side, one of two children of Fraser and Marian Robinson. From Chicago public schools she went on to Princeton, eventually earning a law degree from Harvard. After a stint at the law firm where she met Barack Obama, Michelle''s interests turned toward community service. Already juggling marriage, children, and career, she was drawn onto the national stage by Barack''s political career. This profile offers insights into the life of Michelle Obama and her role as America''s First Lady.

Best known as the Barack Obama''s vice president, Joe Biden has had a long career in politics. Biden served as the U.S. Senator for the state of Delaware from 1973 to 2​009. Tragically, he lost his son Beau to brain cancer in 2015 and has since become a vocal advocate for cancer research, ​even ​leading a bipartisan “Cancer Moonshot” agenda, according to CNN. This book provides a balanced biography of Joe Biden. Chapters ​discuss his childhood in a loving family, his start in politics, raising his own family, the 2008 presidential campaign, and ​his experience ​being vice president.

Tyler Perry has been writing plays since the age of eighteen. His popular Madea franchise has grossed over 450 billion dollars worldwide. This informative biography discusses the life of actor, playwright, screenwriter, theater director, film director, television director, film producer, and television producer Tyler Perry. Chapters cover his early years, life in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the evolution of the Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

Perhaps one of the best tennis players in history, Serena Williams has dominated women''s tennis since her first Wimbledon Championship win in 2002. The Women''s Tennis Association has ranked her the number one singles player in the world seven times from 2002 to 2017. This informative book provides a balanced biographical survey of Serena Williams. Chapters describe the life and career of the famous tennis player, from her rise to the top of the tennis world, to her competitive spirit against her sister Venus, and her return to professional tennis.

Alex Rodriquez is widely considered one of the greatest baseball players in history. In his twenty-two-year career as a professional third baseman and shortstop, Rodriquez has hit 696 home runs and scored over 2,000 runs. This compelling edition follows the spectacular and often controversial life of baseball player Alex Rodriguez, or A-Rod. Beginning with a brief account of Rodriguez''s difficult childhood and early athletic achievements, the book then focuses on his major league positions with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, and New York Yankees. It covers his multiple record-breaking seasons as well as the controversies surrounding his steroid use and romantic life.

In 1965, a series of historic marches took place on the fifty-four-mile highway stretching from Selma, Alabama to the state capital of Montgomery. Nonviolent activists and demonstrators rallied together to protest the racial injustices that prevented the African American community from exercising their constitutional right to vote. This compelling edition describes the demonstrations that took place in Selma and the violence that met the protesters in their attempt to march to the state capitol building in Montgomery. The book also explores the reforms that occurred as a result of the protests, as well as the impact of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Credited as the face of American speed skating, Apolo Anton Ohno has done much to bring the sport out of obscurity. According to the United States Olympic Committee, Ohno holds the record for most medals won by a U.S. Winter Olympian: two golds, two silvers, and four bronze. This compelling edition provides a balanced biographical overview of Apolo Anton Ohno. Chapters discuss his childhood being raised by a single father, his decision to pursue speed skating, and his appearances at the 2002, 2006, and 2010 Winter Olympic games.

This volume traces the life of divisive political figure, Sarah Palin, and relates her childhood in rural Alaska, her interest in basketball and journalism as a teen and young adult, her devotion to her family and her faith, and her unusual entrance into politics. The focus is on Palin''s role as a controversial figure as well as her ability to ignite conservative supporters through her charisma and fiery speeches. Topics covered include the 2008 vice-presidential campaign, Troopergate, the Tea Party Movement, and Palin''s association with the 2011 Arizona shooting of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords.

In the early twentieth century, blues music was developed by African Americans in the Deep South. With roots in spirituals, folk music, work songs, and native music, blues contains a medley of influences that create a distinctive culture and sound. Blues moved north with the Great Migration and influenced many popular forms of music such as bluegrass, rock and roll, and country. This compelling volume details the history of blues music and the careers of major performers. It examines the ways the genre reflects the lives and conditions of African Americans during each period of its development and considers the evolution and resurgence of blues in the present day.

This volume explores the life and career of film and martial arts star Jet Li. The book describes Li''s childhood and later career; reveals his reasons for becoming an actor; and talks about his philanthropic efforts, which were motivated at least in part by a first-hand experience with a tsunami in the Maldives. The breadth of biographical information on Li makes this an especially interesting volume.

According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 7.7 million Americans between the ages of 12 and 20 admit to consuming alcohol. However, overall rates of past month consumption, binge drinking, and heavy alcohol use have declined significantly between 2006 and 2015. This compelling resource offers a comprehensive and balanced discussion of teen alcohol consumption. The book takes a critical look at the many reasons teens drink, the history of drinking age laws, the emergence of hosting laws, and the punishment of parents who supply alcohol to their teenager.

This volume provides readers with a balanced biographical overview of actress Halle Berry. Chapters discuss her early life experiences as a biracial child, her first acting roles, and her rise to stardom as an Oscar winner. The book also discusses Berry''s public relationships and divorces, and her experiences as a mother.

This expansive volume introduces students to civil rights organizer James Forman and the SNCC organization. It offers biographical details of Forman''s life from birth to death including his role as a key member of the SNCC. It talks about the goals, activities, and the accomplishments of both Forman and the SNCC.

This compelling volume describes physical landmarks in African American history and discusses the history associated with those places. The book is organized around thematic chapters that take readers on a virtual tour of landmarks associated with the theme while also describing the people and events that inspired the landmarks. Thematic chapters include: The Slavery Era, African Americans Resist Slavery, The Civil War, Education for Blacks, The Civil Rights Movement, and African American Achievers.

This volume offers a deep look into the Blues. Author Michael V. Uschan describes this quintessentially American music, charting its evolution out of African American field hollers, slave songs, and spirituals in the late nineteenth century, its emergence from the South and spreading through the U.S. in the early twentieth century, and its influence on later forms of music, including R and B and Rock-and-Roll.

This diagram-loaded volume explains the history of the game of golf before delving into the science of the sport. The book explores how physics, biomechanics, psychology, and technology all play a part in how a person plays the sport. Author Michael V. Uschan concludes with training and conditioning techniques that can be used by golfers.

This compelling and thorough volume discusses the life and career of Selena Gomez. It details her difficult childhood as the only child of a single mother, becoming a Disney star, and her evolution into an international celebrity. Readers will learn all about her current celebrity lifestyle too.

Readers are introduced to the elaborate mythology of ancient China. This book provides detailed discussion of the mythology''s importance to its own culture and the impact it had on subsequent cultures. The numerous deities worshipped by the ancient Chinese are described and their importance to different groups and in different regions within the empire are explained. Stories are retold along with explanation of how they reflect the values and concerns of Chinese culture.

This informative biography describes the life and career of Pope Francis. The book details the Pope''s humble beginnings, how he became a priest and bishop, and eventually Pope of the Catholic Church. It discusses his family and what he is doing to change the image of the Catholic Church.

This colorful and easy-to-read volume presents background of the Transcontinental railroad, including the increasing demand for land and the partnership between government and wealthy individuals. It tells the tale of how more than 1,700 miles of track were built through mountains and deserts by using mere shovels and picks. The book explains the impact of the railroad on the nation''s settlement and how Native Americans lost their land to white homesteaders. Readers will learn about the technical challenges and huge scale of the task overcome by the hard labor of thousands of workers to connect the nation across itself.

Readers will learn about one of the most shocking and scandalous events in American history. A preliminary chapter is dedicated to biographically presenting the man, Richard M. Nixon. This book then details the break-in, the cover-up, the siege that Nixon faced, the hearings, tapes, and impeachment. Lastly, readers learn the aftermath of an event that rocked American politics to its core.

Author Michael V. Uschan looks at the Civil Rights Movement in the United States as a four-century struggle that began with as early as the Revolutionary War and continued with slave rebellions in the years leading up to the Civil War. This book presents rights that were gained during Reconstruction, but then lost again as southern states used violence to disenfranchise and oppress blacks. Examines early 20th century efforts to improve the lives of African Americans, encouraged by black leaders such as W.E.B. DuBois and Ida B. Wells-Barnett. These efforts led to what many call the modern Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. This book chronicles the journey that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the milestone election of President Barack Obama, as well as the continuing struggle for true equality.

While no official constitution directly grants the right to protest, it is an exercise that citizens of all nations are granted to express discontent. Readers will evaluate this powerful tool, its strengths, and its weaknesses. They will look at antigovernment events, workers'' rights, racial, gender, sexual orientation, and war riots and protests. Lastly, they will evaluate urban unrest.

Many people know that Serena Williams has triumphed on the tennis court, challenging racist and sexist attitudes as she rose to the top of her sport. However, it may surprise readers to discover that she is also a humanitarian, an actress, and a fashion icon. With motivational quotes from Williams and a timeline of her milestones thus far, readers will enjoy learning more about this inspiring woman who is more than just a sports star.