Landon Y. Jones Knihy

A former People magazine editor reveals how our cult of celebrity has shaped politics, culture, and personal lives—both positively and negatively. The author, who coined the term “baby boomer,” explores how fame has shifted from heroic achievements to being defined by “likes” and shares, and what this means for American culture. Drawing on decades spent in “celebrityland,” he offers a personal perspective on fame's complexities, especially in the age of the internet and social media. With insights from his time as managing editor of People magazine, he profiles celebrities he encountered, including Malcolm X and Princess Diana, while also commenting on contemporary figures like Kim Kardashian and the virtual influencer Miquela, a self-described “19-year-old Robot living in LA.” Analyzing over 75 celebrity stories across decades and industries, he illustrates how celebrity can serve as a weapon of mass distraction, fostering narcissism, harm, and loneliness. Yet, he also highlights figures like Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa and environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who effect meaningful change by engaging their communities rather than seeking personal glorification. This lively analysis reveals the pervasive impact of celebrity culture on our lives and helps us understand the mechanisms of fame.

The journals of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark remain the single most important document in the history of American exploration. This compact volume of their journals, compiled by American Book Awaard nominee Landon Y. Jones, includes all of the most riveting tales of their adventure.Here is a concise, breathtaking record of Lewis and Clark's legendary journey to the Pacific, written by the two captains--under unspeakable stress and the threat of constant danger--with an immediacy that startles to this day. Through these tales of adventure we see the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains and western rivers the way Lewis and Clark first observed them--majestic, pristine, uncharted, and awe-inspiring. We are in moccasins of Lewis and Clark as they witness other wonders no European-Americans had ever seen before: new creatures such as antelope, prairie dogs, and, most memorably, grizzly bears. Also included are the explorers' encounters with Native Americans, featuring the amazing reunion between Sacagawea and her brother, a Shoshone chief who secured the expedition's safe passage over the Continental Divide.Landon Jones has selected the most memorable journal entries left behind by Lewis and Clark, and then edited and annotated them for all readers--those steeped in lore of the expedition, and newcomers to this unforgettable journey. From this raw material springs every book ever written about Lewis and Clark.