The Contemporary Reader

Table of Contents

Volume 1, Number 1

• "Larger Than Life"
  What sets Fernando Botero apart from other artists of today?
• "What is Color?"
  How do we see color? To see color, we first must have light.
• "A-Haunting We Will Go"
  How do ghosts choose a place to haunt?
• "How Sweet It Is!"
  Where do maple syrup and maple sugar come from?
• "The Cave of the Boas"
  Why is the Puerto Rican boa constrictor different from others?
• "Egypt's Wonders"
  Have you ever wondered why the pyramids were built? Or why the kings of Egypt were made into mummies?
• "Building a Budget"
  Do you know where your money really goes?
• "Ellis Island"
  Why was Ellis Island called "The Island of Tears"?
• "A Home in the North"
  Why is a snow house the right kind of house for the Arctic?
• "Who Wears the Pants?"
  When did people start wearing pants and why?

Volume 1, Number 2

• "All Kinds of Cats"
  Why were cats once burned alive?
• "Electric Cars"
  Are you getting choked up over gas fumes? Perhaps it's time for another kind of car.
• "The Day of the Dead"
  How would you feel if you received a candy skull with your name on it?
• "The Great Depression"
  How did President Franklin Delano Roosevelt make sure that people would have some money for their old age?
• "Great Names in Dance"
  Which famous ballet dancer was called the "god of the dance"?
• "Pride of the Giants"
  Why did Chief Meyers quit his studies - all expenses paid - at one of the best schools in the country?
• "Dark Days"
  Would you like to live in a land with dark days and "white nights"?
• "The Fabulous Miss Bly"
  Why would a newspaper reporter want to stay at a home for the mentally ill?
• "A Good Cup of Coffee"
  Why do we feel more alert when we drink coffee?
• "Tales for a Stormy Night"
  What would make you believe in ghosts?

Volume 1, Number 3

• "Wall of Wonder"
  The Great Wall of China is that country's main attraction. Who built it and why?
• "The Black Death"
  From which country came the horror that swept through old Europe like wildfire?
• "A Walk Through the Rain Forest"
  How is a rain forest different from any other forest?
• "The Long Journey Home"
  The Cajun people of Louisiana once lived much farther north. How did they get to Louisiana?
• "Whale Watch"
  Why do some whales swim up on the beach and die?
• "Lady Day"
  Billie Holliday sang jazz with great feeling. What made her put such emotion into her songs?
• "Do You Have the Time?"
  How did people run their lives before there were clocks?
• "Trapped by Fear"
  Maybe you know someone with a fear of heights. Where does this fear come from?
• "The History of Money"
  Which world leader was the first to have his picture stamped on each new coin made?

Volume 1, Number 4

• "The Roots of Rock 'n' Roll"
  You know rock 'n' roll when you hear it. But how did the many different sounds we call rock get their start?
• "Gold Fever"
  What is gold, and why do people lust after it?
• "Landing the Eagle"
  What was it like for the first men who walked on the Moon?
• "America's Natural Wonders"
  Which of America's national parks has some of the oldest and tallest trees in the world?
• "We're Having Our Say"
  Two sisters are each over 100 years old. What can we learn from them about life?
• "Food for All"
  In our land of plenty, people go hungry. How can we help change this?
• "Let the Games Begin"
  Why are the Olympics important, and what has kept them going for so many years?
• "Visions of the Nights"
  Is there meaning to our dreams? Or are our brains just working overtime?

Volume 1, Number 5

• "The 2,000 Mile Ride"
  If you had lived in the 1860s, do you think you would have wanted to ride for the Pony Express?
• "Classic Art and Modern Rock"
  Does classic art mix with rock 'n' roll? How does a famous architect bring them together?
• "When the Earth Erupts"
  What is inside a volcano? Is there a way to warn people about volcanoes' danger?
• "Someone Shot the President!"
  What deep anger causes a man to take another's life? What four U.S. presidents were the victims of such anger?
• "Gardening on the Edge"
  What is it like to have a garden in Alaska?
• "Made for the Desert"
  Camels can go for days without water. How can they do it? And what is really inside those humps?
• "Ready for High Speeds"
  What does it take to be a race car driver? Are driving skills enough, or is there more to it than that?
• "The Trade-Off"
  How did tenants of a San Francisco apartment building help turn a dangerous place to live into a safe one?
• "A Monument Like No Other"
  Was the Taj Mahal worth the cost and time it took to build?

Volume 1, Number 6

• "Setting the Sky on Fire"
  What’s behind a great show of fireworks?
• "Faith, Family, and Farming"
  What can we learn from the Amish people? Can their way of life survive in the modern world?
• "Fiddler with a Smile"
  How did a boy who was seriously disabled become a world-famous violinist?
• "Stairways to Heaven"
  In which lands are some of the world's most beautiful churches? Why were these huge structures built?
• "Can the Dead Talk?"
  How did a Chicago stabbing victim help solve her own murder?
• "The True World Champion"
  Why is soccer the most popular game in the world?
• "A Man with a Vision"
  Can one person make a difference? What is special about a man who put his country first?
• "The Difference a Day Makes"
  Why was there no October 5 in the year 1582?
• "A New Kind of Company"
  Can a company make a lot of money and do good at the same time?

Volume 2, Number 1

• "Bamboo Can Do!"
  Have you ever thought of building a home out of bamboo?
• "Armchair Shopping"
  Is the ease of buying through the mail worth the risks?
• "Life Beneath a Blanket of Snow"
  How does snow act as a blanket for animals?
• "The Pride of Paris"
  Why is the Eiffel Tower a world-famous landmark?
• "The Trail of Tears"
  What made the Trail of Tears such a tragic event in American history?
• "Water from the Heavens"
  Why was the world's most fabulous waterfall a well-kept secret?
• "The Silent Art of Mime"
  How much can you say if you don't say a word?
• "Pirates of the Past"
  Why were people afraid of the Vikings?
• "Laugh Your Way to Health"
  Why do we feel happy after a good laugh?

Volume 2, Number 2

• "Diamonds: Stars from Earth"
  Why do diamonds hold such power over people?
• "The Great Seal of the United States"
  Why did Americans choose the eagle as a national symbol?
• "The Courage of Harry Wu"
  Why do Chinese communists hate Harry Wu?
• "Six-Legged Wonders"
  What makes a glow worm glow?
• "Tea: To Your Health"
  Is tea just a refreshing drink, or is it something more?
• "Cool Customers"
  Is there a way to live forever - or at least not die?
• "The Holy City of Mecca"
  Why is Mecca a holy city?
• "Long Live Verdi!"
  Why was Giuseppe Verdi? Why do people still listen to his music?
• "Dogs Who 'Think'"
  Police dogs and guide dogs for the blind are working dogs. Why are they most often German shepherds?

Volume 2, Number 3

• "The Chunnel Under the Sea"
  Why build a tunnel under the English Channel?
• "Chicago's Killer Heat Wave"
  How can heat be deadlier than fire?
• "Black Soldiers: Unsung Heroes"
  How did black soldiers help save the Union during the Civil War?
• "The Threat of Mount Ranier"
  What danger hides in Mount Ranier?
• "Louis Braille's Magic Dots"
  How do blind people read and write?
• “A One-Sided War”
  Why did the United States go to war in the Persian Gulf in 1991?
• "What We Know About Memory"
  Can a person's memory improve?
• "Danger in the Water: The Sea Wasp"
  What makes a sea wasp so dangerous?
• "Coretta Scott King: The Dream Lives On"
  Why has Coretta Scott King won a place the hearts of many Americans?
• "How to Survive Anything"
  Can you keep your cool in the face of danger?

Volume 2, Number 4

• "Josephine Baker: The Toast of Paris"
  What made Josephine Baker one of the most popular entertainers in history?
• "Mystery Monument"
  What is there about Stonehenge that has led people around the world to copy it?
• "The Death of Smallpox"
  How was one of the world's deadliest diseases wiped out?
• "The Run for the Roses"
  Which horse was the fastest ever to run in the Kentucky Derby?
• "A Rabbit's Foot and a Piece of Wood"
  Why do people do some of those "funny" things?
• "Outfitters of the West"
  How did two small Missouri towns open up the great American West?
• "The Bermuda Triangle"
  Would you set sail for the Devil's Triangle?
• "Secrets from the Desert"
  What are the Dead Sea Scrolls? Why are they important?
• "A Matter of Taste"
  What makes a person like some flavors and hate others?
• "The Scoop on Lotteries"
  How can a state lottery make you a sure winner?

Volume 2, Number 5

• "Doomed to Disaster"
  What caused the 1975 shipwreck on Lake Superior?
• "The Art of Acupuncture"
  What is acupuncture? Can it ease pain and cure disease?
• "The Boston Marathon"
  Why is the Boston Marathon such a famous sporting event?
• "NAFTA: Boon or Bust?"
  What does the North American Free Trade Agreement mean for the United States' economy?
• "Ruins of a People"
  Who were the Maya? What can be learned from the ruins they left behind?
• "Women at War"
  What role did women play in the Vietnam War? How des the United States view their contribution today?
• "The Cold Facts"
  What is fact and what is myth about fighting the common cold?
• "Flying: The Dream Come True"
  Have you ever wished for a pair of wings? Will you settle for an airplane?
• "The Woman Behind the Lens"
  How did Dorothea Lange change history with a picture?
• "Hong Kong: An Uncertain Future"
  How does Hong Kong - with its impressive past - face an uncertain future?

Volume 2, Number 6

• "The World's Longest Railway"
  What region of the world takes more than a week to cross by train?
• "Habitat for Humanity"
  How does Habitat for Humanity help people in need?
• "The Birth of the Modern Olympics"
  Why were the Olympic Games revived?
• "Battle for the Ballot"
  How would you feel if you had lived at a time when women couldn't vote?
• "Mount Washington: Small but Deadly"
  Why is Mount Washington often called the most dangerous small mountain in the world?
• "Fighting for Minimum Wage"
  Why have people always disagreed about the minimum wage law?
• "Works from the Heart"
  Who was Horace Pippin? What is special about his art?
• "A Tarantula: Big Hairy Deal"
  Are tarantulas really as dangerous as they look?
• "Cambodia's Grand Temple"
  What makes Angkor Wat one of the world's great treasures?
• "Business Leader: Remedios Diaz-Oliver"
  How did Remedios Diaz-Oliver go from prisoner to top business leader?
• "Exploring the Last Frontier"
  What are the risks and rewards of exploring the ocean's depths?

Volume 3, Number 1

• "Maggie Walker and the Penny Savings Bank"
  How did Maggie Walker's hard work help African Americans help themselves?
• "Discovering Secrets Under the Earth"
  What calls explorers down into the dark world of caves?
• "Hummingbirds: Flying Jewels"
  How are hummingbirds different from all other birds?
• "Here Come the Clowns"
  How have clowns entertained people for centuries?
• "Photographing History"
  Who took some of the most famous photographs of Abraham Lincoln?
• "A Voice for the Environment"
  How did one woman and the book she wrote change the way Americans treat the environment?
• "Everybody's Doing It!"
  What crazy fads have swept the country over the last 100 years?
• "The Roman Colosseum"
  What's the story behind one of the most famous buildings in the world?
• "Island of Mystery"
  What makes Easter Island such a mysterious place?

Volume 3, Number 2

• "Magnificent Mustard"
  Why is mustard the spice of choice all around the world?
• "Exploring the Great Barrier Reef"
  What is the Great Barrier Reef, and what makes it remarkable?
• "The Art of Quilting"
  Why do we feel such affection for the humble quilt?
• "Marsalis Makes Music"
  How has trumpeter Wynton Marsalis spread the good word about jazz?
• "Hidden in the Dark"
  How did two discoveries change our view of prehistoric cave societies?
• "Royalty on the Wing"
  Where and why does this beautiful butterfly migrate?
• "Clara Barton and the American Red Cross"
  How did the American Red Cross begin?
• "Working with Genes"
  Why can't a cornstalk grow apples? Or can it?
• "America's City"
  What lesser-known attractions lure visitors to our nation's capital city?

Volume 3, Number 3

• "The Storm That Changed New York City"
  How did disaster lead to progress in New York City?
• "Iditarod: The Last Great Race"
  What could inspire people to race 1,200 miles across Alaska in the dead of winter?
• "A Monument to America"
  How did Gutzon Borglum honor his beloved country?
• "Three Cheers for the Fed!"
  Why is the Federal Reserve System so important to our nation's money?
• "Turtles in Trouble"
  Is it too late to save the sea turtles?
• "A Silent Army of Clay"
  Why was a vast clay army buried near the grave of the first emperor of China?
• "Lighthouses: Sentinels by the Sea"
  How have lighthouses helped sailors for centuries?
• "Blame It on Poltergeists"
  Are poltergeists to blame when things go bump in the night?
• "The Last Queen of Hawaii"
  Which is stronger, a kingdom or a song?

Volume 3, Number 4

• "The Strange World of Urban Legends"
  Did you hear what happened to a friend of a friend of my cousin?
• "The Mystery of the Nazca Lines"
  What is the meaning behind these huge pictures on the desert floor in Peru?
• "Tai Chi: The Gentle Martial Art"
  How can movements designed for fighting help lead to improved physical and mental health?
• "Farming the Waters"
  What is aquaculture? Why might it be an important food source in the future?
• "Every American Counts"
  What is a census, and why does the United States have one?
• "Georgia O'Keeffe: Desert Artist"
  What made Georgia O'Keeffe one of America's Favorite artists?
• "Amazing Animals of Australia"
  Why are Australian animals so different from those found elsewhere?
• "The Legendary City of Timbuktu"
  Why was Timbuktu called "the Pearl of Africa"?
• "Home, Sweet Mansion"
  What kinds of homes have wealthy Americans built for themselves?
• "Sealand"
  How can a single building out at sea be its own country?

Volume 3, Number 5

• "Early American High-Rises"
  What makes a visit to this national park a unique experience?
• "Take a Hike"
  What do America's scenic hiking trails offer to nature lovers?
• "Curious Collections"
  Are there museums for everything?
• "Hurricane!"
  Why do people on the coasts fear hurricanes?
• "The Shakers: Living the Simple Life"
  Who made the simple, beautiful Shaker furniture that is so popular today?
• "Teen Titans of Business"
  How did three teenagers make their marks on the business world?
• "Strange Stories of the Sea"
  When is a fish tale more than a myth?
• "Learning About You"
  How can you learn more about that fascinating topic - yourself?
• "Kaleidoscopes"
  How can two mirrors, a cardboard tube, and some tape make the world beautiful?
• "The First First Ladies"
  How did the wives of the early U.S. presidents act in their roles as First Ladies?

Volume 3, Number 6

• "Here's the Scoop"
  What's the latest on this awesome dessert?
• "Building the Brooklyn Bridge"
  Why was the Brooklyn Bridge once called "the eighth wonder of the world"?
• "Hello, Euro"
  What major change has transformed Europe's money?
• "Hooray for Bollywood!"
  How do millions of India's moviegoers escape to a fantasy world?
• "Creatures of the Deep-Sea Vents"
  Where can you see the most unusual animals on this planet?
• "Sequoyah's Talking Leaves"
  How did Sequoyah's invention help the Cherokee nation?
• "Who Are Today's Astronauts?"
  How have American astronauts changed over the years?
• "Ice Through the Ages"
  Are we living in an ice age?
• "Miami Sound Sensation"
  How has Gloria Estefan changed the face of music in America?
• "Last One In Is a Loser"
  What are some surefire ways to lose money?

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