Diversion Books – serie

2025 Readers' Favorite Book Awards Gold Medal-winner 2025 American Book Fest Best Book Award Finalist A breakneck adventure of war, romance, and politics in the golden age of piracy.Captain William Kidd stands as one of the most notorious “pirate” outlaws ever, but his legend is tainted by a bed of lies. Having captivated imaginations for more than three hundred years and inspired many stories about pirates, troubling questions remain. Was he really a criminal or is the truth more inconvenient: that he was a buccaneer’s worst nightmare, a revered pirate hunter turned fall guy for scheming politicians? In Captain Kidd, his ninth-great-grandson, bestselling author Samuel Marquis, reveals the real story. Kidd was an English American privateer and leading New York husband and father. The King of England himself dubbed Kidd “trusty and well-beloved,” and some historians describe him as a “worthy, honest-hearted, steadfast, much -enduring sailor” who was the “victim of a deliberate travesty of justice.” With honors far more esteemed than the menacing Blackbeard, or any other sea rover at the turn of the seventeenth century, how can Kidd be considered both gentleman and pirate, both hero and villain? Marquis’ biography recreates Kidd’s perilous world of explosive naval warfare and the daring integrity he exemplified as a pirate hunter, as well as the political scandal that entangled Kidd in British–American history, rocking the New World and the Old, and threatening England’s valuable trade with India. Captain Kidd is both thrilling and tragic. Behind the legend is a real man woven into the tapestry of early America, rendering him a unique colonial hero and scapegoat whose life story was fascinating, exciting, bizarre, and heartrending.

A mind-bending journey through some of the most weird and wonderful facts about our universe, vividly illuminating the hidden truths that govern our everyday lives. Fact: You could fit the whole human race in the volume of a sugar cube. Fact: The electrical energy in a single mosquito is enough to cause a global mass extinction.Fact: You age more quickly on the top floor than on the ground floor. So much of our world seems to make perfect sense, and scientific breakthroughs have helped us understand ourselves, our planet, and our place in the universe in fascinating detail. But our adventures in space, our deepening understanding of the quantum world, and our leaps in technology have also revealed a universe far stranger than we ever imagined. With brilliant clarity and wit, bestselling author Marcus Chown examines the profound science behind fifty remarkable scientific facts that help explain the vast complexities of our existence.

The definitive biography of the last living link to the Chicago blues titans, and the man who shaped the sound of modern rock—revealing how a sharecropper’s son from Louisiana became the mentor, muse, and musical north star for generations of blues and rock stars, while dedicating his life to keeping the blues alive for the futureBuddy Guy is the final living bridge between the Chicago blues and the global explosion of rock music that followed. When Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Little Walter ruled Chess Records, Buddy was there—absorbing and pushing the music forward. And he would become the blues oracle to some of the greatest guitarists in history, directly influencing Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and countless others. Drawing on years of research, interviews, and deep access to Buddy’s inner circle—including Clapton, George Benson, Elvin Bishop, Greg Guy, and more—acclaimed music biographer Sandra B. Tooze delivers the most complete portrait ever written of this towering figure. Readers step into London in 1965, where Buddy’s performances changed the trajectory of British rock overnight; into Chicago clubs where his fearless playing redefined the electric blues; and onto global stages where, even in his late eighties, Buddy continues to perform with full-throttle intensity. Tooze also captures Buddy’s struggles with racism and industry indifference, alongside his humor and relentless commitment to mentoring younger musicians. At the heart of the book is Buddy’s lifelong promise to Muddy Waters: that the blues would not die on his watch. Through his club, Buddy Guy’s Legends; his collaborations and his tireless advocacy, Buddy Guy has spent decades honoring that vow. Buddy Guy: The Life of "The Legend" and the Story of the Blues is an intimate biography and a sweeping history of American music, showing how the blues shaped rock, and how one man became its greatest living guardian.

Now in paperback—Tiffany Haddish's I Curse You With Joy, digging deeper with both hilarious and poignant essays on not just fame and success but personal and family trouble.It’s been a minute. Readers last sat down with Tiffany in her bestselling debut The Last Black Unicorn. Since then, Haddish has catapulted to A-list fame as the breakout star of Girls Trip. She’s walked the Oscars red carpet, released a stand-up special with Netflix, and made history as the first Black female comedian to host Saturday Night Live and Shark Week.  But it hasn’t been all VIP parties and free diving with apex predators. In these humorous and heartfelt essays, Tiffany gets real about the highs and lows of life. Believe it or not, there was a time when Tiffany didn’t totally know who Tiffany was. Before she found her groove, she was on stage dressed like her snobby airline coworkers telling halfhearted dick jokes. She tanked.  It took a fake penis, some help from friends, and a little encouragement from Bob Saget, but eventually Tiffany figured out Tiffany. I Curse You With Joy celebrates all the lessons she learned along the way—the joy and the pain. Tiffany reckons with the legacy of her childhood trauma, the challenges of being a Black woman in the entertainment industry, and her bittersweet reunion with her estranged father after twenty years apart. Don’t worry, she’s got plenty of advice, too.  I Curse You With Joy is Tiffany Haddish unfiltered. (We know what you’re thinking…how much more unfiltered can she get?) These essays lay it all bare, bringing readers into Tiffany’s inner circle where joy, honesty, humor, and heart are the order of the day.

The story behind Dr. Gerta Keller’s world-shattering scientific discovery that dinosaur extinction was NOT caused by asteroid impact, but rather by volcanic eruptions on the Indian peninsula, a discovery that highlights today’s existential threat of greenhouse gasses and climate change—and one that sparked an all-out war waged by the scientific establishment. Part scientific detective story, part personal odyssey, The Last Extinction is the definitive account of a radical theory that has reshaped how we understand our planet’s past and, as we face the possibility of a sixth extinction, how we might survive its future. For decades, the dominant theory held that an asteroid impact caused the dinosaurs’ extinction. But Princeton Geologist Dr. Gerta Keller followed the evidence to the truth: Deccan volcanism, a series of massive volcanic eruptions in India, triggered a long-term climate catastrophe and Earth’s fifth mass extinction. Her findings upended the field and ignited a bitter feud in modern science—what became known as the “Dinosaur Wars.” Raised in poverty on a Swiss farm and told she could never be a scientist, Keller defied expectations, earning her PhD at Stanford and battling her way into the highest ranks of Geology, eventually becoming a Professor of Paleontology and Geology at Princeton University. Her refusal to back down in the face of ridicule, sabotage, and sexism makes her story as thrilling as her science, which offers urgent insight into today’s climate crisis: Sustained planetary upheaval—not a single cataclysmic event—can plunge the planet into an age of death.

An unflinching, all-access look at the friendship between Mickey Mantle and Billy Martin—two beloved Yankees and flawed heroes who embodied both triumph and self-destructionThrough meticulous research and exclusive interviews with the late Mantle and Martin—and those who knew them best—journalist and historian Tony Castro reveals the double-edged sword of their friendship: how the New York Yankees legends, an inseparable duo, epitomized the swagger and spirit of their era while paying the price for fame’s excesses. Mantle, the golden boy blessed with power, speed, and charm. Martin, the fiery underdog whose grit made him indispensable. While leading a 1950s Yankees dynasty, they lived life at full throttle: wild partying, barroom brawls, and runins with the law. As the years wore on, the very traits that made Mantle and Martin extraordinary figures exacted a heavy price, but in Mickey & Billy, we see that their friendship was the saving grace. Only together could Mickey and Billy face life’s next difficult pitch.

"This book isn't merely for debaters or even truth seekers. It is for all of us. A Mind of Your Own is a blueprint for authenticity and a sovereign mind." —from the Foreword by PETER BOGHOSSIAN, coauthor of How to Have Impossible ConversationsA Mind of Your Own reveals a simple but transformative truth: Logic is a skill, but most people have never been taught how to use it. This book is more than memorizing facts or winning arguments. It's about learning how to: Spot flawed reasoning instantly—in others and in yourself. Ask the right questions that expose truth and dismantle weak arguments.Separate emotions from logic to make better decisions in any situation.Stay composed under pressure, whether in a debate, negotiation, or conflict. Think independently in a world that constantly pressures you to conform. At the core of Smith's method is a radical shift: Stop trying to prove you're right—and start pursuing what's true. When you detach your identity from your opinions and follow logic wherever it leads, you become far more effective, persuasive, and resilient.

A chart-driven, practical guide from award-winning tech-finance expert Igor Pejic that shows investors how to beat the market by mastering the cycles of technology.Technology has redefined the global economy and created trillion-dollar companies at breakneck speed. From AI and blockchain to crypto and Big Tech, fortunes are being made—and lost—every day. But for most investors, figuring out how to ride the next wave remains a mystery. In Tech Money, Igor Pejic—internationally recognized expert on the intersection of technology and finance—provides a clear, evidence-based roadmap. Through 100 carefully curated charts, Pejic explains how to recognize and realize “technology alpha”: the outsized returns generated by tech-driven investments. He demonstrates how to distinguish winners from hype, identify the sweet spot in the technology life cycle, and manage the risks of volatile sectors. Pejic combines rigorous research with insights from top investors, entrepreneurs, and technologists to reveal the rules of the new investment game. From spotting asymmetric opportunities in crypto to timing entries into frontier tech, readers will learn to harness the very cycles that confound even Wall Street veterans. Whether you’re a retail investor, financial advisor, or executive deciding where to place tech dollars, Tech Money offers the systematic framework to grow wealth in the innovation economy.

“An all-time surfing classic with lessons uncovered from a lifetime on the waves.” —KELLY SLATER, eleven-time World Surfing ChampionNow featuring a new introduction, Surfer’s Code shares the life lessons that world champion surfer Shaun Tomsom gathered from decades of surfing—from his boyhood in South Africa, to the world pro surfing tour in the 1970s and ’80s, to the business world today. For Tomson, surfing is a sport, a religion, an obsession, a teacher, and more—it is a way of life. Tomson’s life lessons have guided his career to the top of both professional competition and the world of business. These lessons are born of the collective wisdom of the surf community and are a powerful source of inspiration in the face of extraordinary challenges of everyday life: 1. I Will Never Turn My Back on the Ocean 2. I Will Paddle Around the Impact Zone 3. I Will Take the Drop with Commitment 4. I Will Never Fight a Riptide 5. I Will Paddle Back Out 6. I Will Watch Out for Other Surfers 7. There Will Always be Another Wave 8. I Will Always Ride Into Shore 9. I Will Pass Along My Stoke 10. I Will Catch a Wave Every Day 11. All Surfers Are Joined by One Ocean 12. I Will Honor the Sport of Kings

2025 Readers' Favorite Book Awards Gold Medal-winner 2025 American Book Fest Best Book Award Finalist A breakneck adventure of war, romance, and politics in the golden age of piracy.Captain William Kidd stands as one of the most notorious “pirate” outlaws ever, but his legend is tainted by a bed of lies. Having captivated imaginations for more than three hundred years and inspired many stories about pirates, troubling questions remain. Was he really a criminal or is the truth more inconvenient: that he was a buccaneer’s worst nightmare, a revered pirate hunter turned fall guy for scheming politicians? In Captain Kidd, his ninth-great-grandson, bestselling author Samuel Marquis, reveals the real story. Kidd was an English American privateer and leading New York husband and father. The King of England himself dubbed Kidd “trusty and well-beloved,” and some historians describe him as a “worthy, honest-hearted, steadfast, much -enduring sailor” who was the “victim of a deliberate travesty of justice.” With honors far more esteemed than the menacing Blackbeard, or any other sea rover at the turn of the seventeenth century, how can Kidd be considered both gentleman and pirate, both hero and villain? Marquis’ biography recreates Kidd’s perilous world of explosive naval warfare and the daring integrity he exemplified as a pirate hunter, as well as the political scandal that entangled Kidd in British–American history, rocking the New World and the Old, and threatening England’s valuable trade with India. Captain Kidd is both thrilling and tragic. Behind the legend is a real man woven into the tapestry of early America, rendering him a unique colonial hero and scapegoat whose life story was fascinating, exciting, bizarre, and heartrending.

"As a member of EWF during its heyday, Johnson was arguably the band’s most important member...A gentle reminiscence about a hard-driving pop act."—Kirkus Reviews Just as Questlove's 2026 HBO documentary Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That's the Weight of the World) has reignited the band's fandom, EWF founding percussionist and vocalist Ralph Johnson shares his profound story of their rise to fame through uplifting music, the challenges of the music industry, and the iconic mega band’s mission to ascend themselves and listeners to greater heights. With 30 color photos inside!Rhythm & Fire is a roadmap of music, resilience, and reflection as Ralph Johnson digs deep to tell the motivational story of Earth, Wind & Fire, from humble roots to worldwide fame and success. Ralph began his drumming craft absorbing the vibrant energy of the ’60s and ’70s Los Angeles music culture where family and faith built the band’s strong foundation. With the aid of founding vocalist Maurice White, they swear off the era’s vices of excessive drugs and sex, instead aspiring to create powerful music of spirituality, hope, and soulfulness. Through this artistic exploration and their goal of spreading positive influence, their music propelled them around the world. While the band was as strong as Earth and ascended like the Wind, they faced their share of Fire as Ralph provides real insight into the band’s struggles (such as Maurice’s abrupt hiatus, leaving their future uncertain) and the years of personal evolution needed to reclaim their triumphs. As Ralph and the other bandmates learned to persevere individually, they found a renewed purpose and reignited the band, keeping their shining star ever bright. Ralph Johnson’s genuine and inspiring stories delve into the deeper meanings of fame, success, faith, and community, proving why, even after fifty years of Earth, Wind & Fire, the band and its message still resonates with fans around the world today.

An inspirational memoir by the former IndyCar driver turned entrepreneur, race team owner and philanthropist, No Finish Line is Sam Schmidt’s account of leading the charge to find cures and treatments for spinal cord injuries after a racing accident left him paralyzed. On January 6, 2000, Sam Schmidt, who had just won his first Indy Racing League competition in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, backed into a wall at the Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Florida. He did so at around two hundred miles per hour, and as a result, Sam broke his neck. Airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center before being transferred to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, where he spent six months in rehabilitation before going home to his new life with his loving wife Sheila and two young children, Savannah and Spencer. For over 25 years, Sam has learned to live paralyzed. But being a quadriplegic has not slowed him down. Almost immediately after his accident, he started a foundation that has raised millions of dollars for spinal cord injury and rehabilitation. He founded a racing team that’s won dozens of races and competed for championships. He’s driven cars again thanks to cutting-edge technology. His children have grown. He spoke at his son’s college graduation and danced on two legs with his daughter at her wedding. Sam’s philosophy is you either get busy doing the work or you get busy waiting to die. For him, the latter is not an option. Indeed, Sam says he has done much more after (and because of) his accident than he would have otherwise. A former control freak, he has learned to delegate. A once-singularly-minded, self-described egocentric racer, he now lives to help others. The son of a driver who was also paralyzed from the sport, Sam has lived an astonishing, driven life. This is his journey.

A vivid, propulsive Revolutionary-era thriller with the spy-craft verve of the streaming hit TURN: Washington’s Spies and the electricity of 1776’s New York that Hamilton lovers will recognize, this story is inspired by the lone female operative in Washington’s spy ring.In occupied New York, a schoolteacher with everything to lose turns information into a weapon, threading between Redcoats and rebels as plots against Washington gather steam.  After rogue Redcoats assault her and strip her family’s Long Island farm, Abigail Trench fights to survive in New York City—tutoring in a high-ranking British officer’s Water Street household by day, navigating taverns, informants, and soldiers by night. Through Abigail’s keen eyes—and a counter-narrative following a principled British major—the novel renders the moral gray zones of occupation with gritty intimacy. As rumors swirl of a strike at General Washington, Abigail’s vantage inside upper-crust parlors and rough waterfront rooms makes her an ideal courier—and a target.  This historical thriller delivers high tension, textured world-building, and a captivating heroine who put it all on the line for freedom.

A deadlier sequel to 9/11—and the race inside the CIA, FBI, and pentagon to stop it.In 2003, US intelligence uncovered evidence that al Qaeda had acquired nuclear materials, plotting to smuggle them into American ports. The “Second Wave” threat triggered one of the most urgent and secretive manhunts in US history. With the cinematic intensity of Zero Dark Thirty and the investigative depth of The Looming Tower, Michael Lebowitz captures post-9/11 chaos and drama: agents risking everything to prevent another catastrophe, families torn apart, and the ethical fault lines still dividing US intelligence. Readers meet Pakistani-American industrialist Saifullah Paracha, whose import- export business concealed ties to al Qaeda; Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, architect of 9/11; Majid Khan, a Baltimore gas-station clerk turned jihadist who mapped US targets; an FBI interrogator who broke suspects faster than any waterboard; and an Orthodox Jewish garment importer whose betrayal helped avert disaster. On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Lebowitz’s account reveals a global pursuit that tested America’s moral limits and asks: Are we as prepared today as we were then?

Read the international sensation already translated into 9 languages and named a Jabuti Prize finalist! Unearthing the network that hid the Angel of Death, the infamous Nazi doctor who escaped justice for more than three decades.In 1985, six-year old Betina Anton watched Brazilian authorities apprehend her kindergarten teacher for allegedly using documents to bury in secrecy the remains of Josef Mengele, known worldwide for cruel human experiments and for sending thousands to the Auschwitz gas chambers. Decades later, as an experienced journalist disturbed by the mysteries surrounding the departure of Austrian expat Liselotte Bossert, Anton set out to find her and see if the rumors were true. She could not imagine how deeply into Mengele's life-on-the-run her investigation would take her. Josef Mengele was a fugitive in South America for thirty-four years after World War II, sought by the Israeli secret service and Nazi Hunters. Hidden for half that time in Brazil, thanks to a small group of expatriate Europeans, Mengele created his own paradise where he could speak German with new friends, maintain his beliefs, stay one step ahead of the global manhunt, and avoid answering for his crimes. Translated from the Brazilian Tropical Bavaria edition and based on extensive research, including revelatory interviews and never-before-seen letters and photos, Hiding Mengele is a suspenseful narrative not only haunted by the doctor's horrific actions but also by the motivations driving a community to protect an evil man.

On America’s 250th anniversary comes the story of our nation’s fiercest ideological struggle—over the Declaration’s true meaning— fought by the Founders, enslaved people, suffragists, civil rights leaders, and more, an enduring battle that has tested and reaffirmed the unifying principles of our democracy. As America celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the nation remains divided over the true meaning of its most resonant words—equality, liberty, and unalienable rights. Alongside the historical figures who forged the most powerful interpretations of the Declaration’s ideals, readers enter the rooms, streets, battlefields, churches, and courtrooms where these meanings were questioned, defended, and redefined. They encounter Thomas Jefferson drafting the Declaration under impossible pressure, Abigail Adams urging the nation to “remember the ladies,” Frederick Douglass insisting that America honor the universal promise of equality, and more. From the nation’s founding through abolition, suffrage, anti-imperialism, civil rights, and beyond, here is the story of an evolving document that has inspired movements, fueled resistance, and sparked conflict from 1776 to today. Yet it is also the story of the Declaration’s greatest strength: the power to unite.

A provocative, deeply researched wake-up call that exposes how modern convenience is quietly eroding our physical, cognitive, and social capabilities—and offers a practical blueprint for reclaiming strength, resilience, and agency in an AI-driven world. Welcome to the most convenient era in human history—right now. And yet we are weaker, more anxious, and less capable than ever. In The Convenience Trap, physicians and researchers Dr. Robert Carter III and Dr. Kirti Salwe Carter reveal the hidden cost of frictionless living, from GPS-dependent brains and atrophied bodies to outsourced thinking, fragile health systems, and vanishing community bonds. Blending neuroscience, behavioral economics, medical research, and unforgettable real-world stories, the authors show how small, invisible trade-offs—automatic payments, algorithmic decision-making, over-automation, and digital dependency—compound into large-scale human vulnerability. But this is not a book about rejecting technology. It is a book about strategic inconvenience—choosing small, intentional friction to rebuild lost capabilities. Through the A.L.I.V.E. framework, readers learn how to reclaim physical competence, cognitive resilience, financial awareness, and meaningful connection without rejecting modern life. Urgent, accessible, and galvanizing, The Convenience Trap speaks directly to readers who sense something is wrong but don’t yet have language—or tools—for what they’re feeling. It reframes capability not as nostalgia, but as the most essential survival skill of the future.