Amanda Montell

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

North Carolina

The Language of Fanaticism

The author of the widely praised Wordslut analyzes the social science of cult influence: how cultish groups from Jonestown and Scientology to SoulCycle and social media gurus use language as the ultimate form of power. What makes "cults" so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we're looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join--and more importantly, stay in--extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell's argument is that, on some level, it already has . . . Our culture tends to provide pretty lame answers to questions of cult influence, mostly having to do with vague talk of "brainwashing." But the true answer has nothing to do with freaky mind-control wizardry or Kool-Aid. In Cultish, Montell argues that the key to manufacturing intense ideology, community, and us/them attitudes all comes down to language. In both positive ways and shadowy ones, cultish language is something we hear--and are influenced by--every single day. Through juicy storytelling and cutting original research, Montell exposes the verbal elements that make a wide spectrum of communities "cultish," revealing how they affect followers of groups as notorious as Heaven's Gate, but also how they pervade our modern start-ups, Peloton leaderboards, and Instagram feeds. Incisive and darkly funny, this enrapturing take on the curious social science of power and belief will make you hear the fanatical language of "cultish" everywhere.

Cultish

Coinneach Macleod

Heavy Hardcover (2 to 4 lbs)

The Hebridean Baker: My Scottish Island Kitchen

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Kelsey Miller

Great nonfiction book about the making of the great TV show.

The One about Friends

SIX FRIENDS THAT BECAME A FAMILY. A TELEVISION SHOW THAT BECAME A PHENOMENON. Today, Friends is remembered as an icon of Ô90s comedy and the Must See TV years. But when the series debuted in 1994, no one anticipated the sensation it would become. From the first wave of Friends mania to the backlash and renaissance that followed, the show maintained an uncanny connection to its audience, who saw it both as a reflection of their own lives and an aspirational escape from reality. In the years since, Friends has evolved from prime-time megahit to nostalgic novelty, and finally, to certified classic. Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe have entered the pantheon of great television characters, and yet their stories remain relevant still. I'll Be There for You is a deep dive into Friends history and lore, exploring all aspects of the show, from its unlikely origins to the societal conditions that amplified its success. Journalist and pop culture expert Kelsey Miller relives the show's most powerful moments, sheds light on its sometimes dated and problematic elements, and examines the worldwide trends that Friends catalyzed, from contemporary coffee culture to the wildly popular Ô90s haircut The Rachel. Taking readers behind the scenes, Miller traces the cast's rise to fame and untangles the complex relationship between the actors and their characters. Weaving in revelatory interviews and personal stories, she investigates the role of celebrity media, world-changing events and the dawning of the digital age--all of which influenced both the series and its viewers. I'll Be There for You is the definitive retrospective of Friends, not only for fans of the series, but for anyone who's ever wondered what it is about this show--and television comedy--that resonates so powerfully.

I'll Be There for You

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A collection of essays, literary nonfiction and journalism about food.

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

Writing that stirs the pot

Food Stories

Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky's first book on syntactic structures is one of the first serious attempts on the part of a linguist to construct within the tradition of scientific theory-construction a comprehensive theory of language which may be understood in the same sense that a chemical, biological theory is understood by experts in those fields. It is not a mere reorganization of the data into a new kind of library catalogue, nor another specualtive philosophy about the nature of man and language, but rather a rigorus explication of our intuitions about our language in terms of an overt axiom system, the theorems derivable from it, explicit results which may be compared with new data and other intuitions, all based plainly on an overt theory of the internal structure of languages; and it may well provide an opportunity for the application of explicity measures of simplicity to decide preference of one form over another form of grammar.

Syntactic Structures

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Sayaka

Sayaka

@sayaka565946

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Amanda Montell

Cultish

Coinneach Macleod

The Hebridean Baker: My Scottish Island Kitchen

Kelsey Miller

I'll Be There for You

The Bitter Southerner

Food Stories

Noam Chomsky

Syntactic Structures

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Amanda Montell

Cultish

Coinneach Macleod

The Hebridean Baker: My Scottish Island Kitchen

Kelsey Miller

I'll Be There for You

The Bitter Southerner

Food Stories

Noam Chomsky

Syntactic Structures

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