Books by
David Ritchey
How Some Stuff Works ISBN 9781951556525, 5.5 x 8.5, 120 pgs, pb, Retail $12.95 Different people have different levels of curiosity. Some people are generally curious (about anything and everything), some are personally curious (about things that pertain specifically to themselves), and some are incurious (just taking things as they come without thinking much about them). This book, which is composed of generalpurpose “how” questions and their answers, is written primarily for those who are insatiably curious. Purchase Here
Fabulous Felines by David Richey, ISBN 9781951556488, 64 pgs 5.5 x 8.5 Retail $12.95 In the United States, 47.1 million households own a total of 94.2 million cats. In a 2017 survey, almost half the respondents identified themselves as “dog people,” but just 12% said they were “cat people.” Relative to dog people, cat people are less extroverted, more openminded and sensitive, more anxious, and more intelligent. Purchase Here
What Everyone Should Know About Cults by David Ritchey, ISBN 9781951556471, 5.5 x 8.5, 208 pgs, RetaIl $16.95 Cults are generally secretive, so most people know very little about them. Those people are, therefore, potential victims of cults' blandishments, manipulations, and deceits. Cults, however, have many characteristics in common with one another, as do cult leaders and cult followers.
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Smitten with Shellfish ISBN 9781951556259, 5.5 x 8.5, pb, 112 pages, Retail $12.95
Sagacious Sayings ISBN 9781951556341, 5.5 x 8.5, pb, 112 pgs, Retail $12.95
Shellfish play an important role in the world economy and in the human diet. This book covers their characteristics, their harvesting and farming, their preparation and eating, and their conservation status.
"Sayings," more precisely spoken of as "adages," are concise, memorable expressions that communicate an important truth derived from experience, custom, or both, and that many people consider true and credible because of their long existence. Most adages are likely to be metaphorical rather than literal, having hidden meanings.
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Popular Primary Pets ISBN 9781946664723, 5.5 x 8.5, PB, 112 pgs, Retail $12.95 Generally, when people think of pets, they are most likely to first think of dogs, cats, and horses. It is about these three types of animals that this book is written. Whether you are a "dog person," a "cat person," a "horse person," or just a person who has a passing interest in one or more of these animals,
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Interesting Numbers for Interested Folks ISBN 9781946664761, 128 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, Retail $14.95 Why is the length of a mile 5,280 feet? What is the "Golden Ratio?" Why is time based on units of 60 rather than on units of 10? What is the largest meaningful number that exists? Why is the number 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 important? If questions such as these stimulate your interest, this book is for you. Purchase Here
26 Card Tricks ISBN 9780929915524, 96 pgs, 5.5 x 8.5, pb, Retail $12.95 Keep it simple, yet keep it mystifying is what this book is all about. Here are offered 26 easy tricks that are effectively mystifying when performed for the layperson but don't require great skill or considerable training. All of these tricks can be performed using standard card decks. None require gimmicked decks, multiple props, or extensive preparation. Sale Price $6.49 Purchase Here
Looking For A Few Good Critters, ISBN 9781946664846, 5.5 x 8.5, 6 x 9, pb, 96 pgs, Retail $12.95 Most people, when asked to name ten mammals off the top of their head, are likely to list only terrestrial mammals and don't think to include marine mammals. This is a book about all the marine mammals.
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From Aardvarks to Zyzzyvas ISBN 9781882658459, 112 pgs, 5.5 x 8.5, Retail $16.95 WINNER Southern California Book Festival-Best How-To Book Basic introduction to a broad spectrum of popular word games.
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There's something about SCRABBLE™ ISBN 9780938467267, 112 pgs, 5.5 x 8.5, pb Retail $12.95 There's something about SCRABBLE™ that creates a willingness in certain individuals to voluntarily undertake the study of materials that can, at times, be quite dry. You are, presumably, one of those individuals, and that “something” is, presumably, why you are checking out this web page. Purchase Here
A Sense of Betrayal: Recollections of Vietnam 5.5 x 8.5, 148 pages, paperback, ISBN 9780938467519, Retail Price $14.95
Presidents in the Crosshairs ISBN 9780938467694, 5.5 x 8.5, 176 pages, Retail $18.95
David Ritchey's narrative about the Kafkaesque nature of his own experiences as a young naval officer in Vietnam vividly illustrate how the dynamics of war can shake anyone's faith in civilization and civilized man.
Being President of the United States can be hazardous to one's health and longevity. Of the 44 presidents who have served this country, 4 have been shot and killed while in office that's one in eleven. Clearly, protection of the President has been a monumental challenge.
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Tales From The Depths ISBN 97801882658077, 128 pgs, 5.5 x 8.5, Retail $16.95
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The Deadliest Pandemic ISBN 9781882658268, 112 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, pb, retail $16.95
Runner Up Florida Book Festival History Great Lakes Shipwrecks
London Book Festival Honorable Mention History of the 1918 avian influenza pandemic plus an appendix of the recent ebola outbreak.
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They Say It's Impossible: But is That Really So? ISBN 9781946664402, 164 pages, 5.5 x 7.5, Retail $15.95 This book looks at mistaken beliefs scientific possibilities and things that are currently considered impossible and speculates about ways in which they might be proven to be otherwise.
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Keep the Colors Flying: The United States Navy on America's Inland Seas ISBN 9781882658251 6 x 9, 192 pgs, pb, Retail $16.95 WINNER San Francisco Book Festival “…a must for any American History fan's library. Concisely and intelligently written, Mr. Ritchey covers America's battles on the Great Lakes or as he corrects, inland seas, from the early 1700's to 1945.”
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One At A Time Or All At Once: American Serial Killers, Spree Killers, and Mass Murderers ISBN 9781882658923, 112 pgs, 5.5 x 8.5, Retail $14.95 Because of the media frenzies that surround serial killers, spree killers, and mass murderers that have operated in our midst in recent history. This book profiles some of the more infamous perpetrators in each category and delineates their actions forthrightly and concisely so that the reader can fully understand what was involved in each situation. Purchase Here
Spies Uncovered ISBN 9781882658985, 5.5 x 8.5, pb, 80 pages, Retail $14.95 In this book, eight uncovered spies have been profiled, each with his own unique story. However, because they have been uncovered, and because of the omnipresent deception and misinformation in the field, they should not be perceived as being representative of spies in general.
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A Tetralogy of Enduring American Mysteries ISBN 9781882658770, 5.5 x8.5, 80 pages, Retail $12.95 Just about everyone loves a good mystery. Mysteries set the stage for endless hours of inquiry, rumination, and speculation. Countless mysteries are available to us and, if we choose, we can become quite engrossed in trying to figure out some of them. This book provides four such mysteries for your perusal: Purchase Here
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A Brief History of Hurricanes ISBN 9781946664174, 5.5 x 8.5, 160 pages, pb, Retail $14.95 Between 1900 and 2016, there were 633 hurricanes in the North Atlantic Basin that collectively caused 103,000+ fatalities and were responsible for $392+ billion (USD not adjusted for inflation) in damages. Twenty-four of the most noteworthy of those hurricanes are profiled in this book. Those 24, combined, caused 65,000+ fatalities and were responsible for $492+ billion (adjusted for inflation to 2016 USD) in damages. Purchase Here
Pumped Up: An Explication of Inflatable Objects ISBN 9781946664143, 5.5 x 8.5, 88 pages, pb, Retail $12.95 Just about anything that is inflatable can qualify as a "balloon." "Inflatables" can be utilized for a broad variety of purposes.Examples of all of these are discussed in this book, and you are likely to find the subject matter fascinating, as did I. Purchase Here
Transportation Disasters ISBN 9781946664228, 168 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, Retail $14.95 With the scale of transportation rising, the sizes of airplanes, ships, and other means of carrying people and cargo from one point to another escalating, the likelihood of significant disasters continues to increase with the numbers. In this book, a number of disasters in each major transportation category are profiled.
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Up to the Eaves: A Look at Some Major Snowstorms, ISBN 9781946664242, 120 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, Retail $14.95 Snow affects such human activities as agriculture, transportation, winter sports, and warfare. It is also an important factor for consideration of loads on structures. Over the years, and across the country, there have been any number of "big ones," and this book profiles 20 of those that objectively seem to merit the appellation. Purchase Here
ON CONFLICT: Why People Fight ISBN 9781882658138, 160 pgs, 5.5 x 8.5, pb, Retail $16.95 A look at how conflict generally manifests in the different stages (age groups) of a person's life.
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The Automobile: An American Cultural Icon ISBN 9781946664310, 112 pgs, 5.5 x 8.5, pb, Retail $12.95 Runner Up New York Book Festival Best Compilation/Anthology A look at the development of cars since 1896 and speculates about the nature of the automobiles of the future.
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Locked and Loaded ISBN 9781882658374, 5.5 x 8.5, 112 pgs, pb, Retail $12.95 Southern California Book Festival Honorable MentionBest Non-Fiction The Battle Over U.S. Gun Control
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Invitations to War ISBN 9781882658725, 128 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, pg, Retail $14.95
Geniuses Among Us ISBN 9781946664013, 5.5 x 8.5, 88 pages, pb, Retail $12.95
When war is likely to break out, most civilized countries try to make it appear they are not the aggressor, but rather the innocent victim. In that role, the country is more likely to garner support from its populace and the rest of the world. A brief synopsis of each of those wars is presented so the reader can comprehend the context and become reasonably wellinformed.
Most geniuses are introverted intuitives with a high level of creativity and a high level of mental illness, particularly mood disorders. In this book a number of geniuses are profiled: 8 with mental disorders, 11 from the historical past, and 12 contemporary.
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Those Who Know the Wyrd: Neo-Shamans in Contemporary Society ISBN 9780938467946, 112 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, pb, retail $16.95 The roots of Western shamanism are said to lie in the practices of the “wise women,” the priestesses of early Anglo-Saxon times. They helped their people to understand, the framework of a worldview that was called “wyrd.” Today's neo-shamans can also be guides. Instead of separation, conflict, alienation, and chaos, the human experience could be one of unity, harmony, cooperation, order, meaning, purpose, and value.
Pyramidal Mystique ISBN 9781882658558, pb, 5.5 x 8.5, Retail $14.95 Paris Book Festival Honorable Mention Best General Nonfiction A Look at Pyramids Around the World
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Sale Price $8.49 Pyramids of Fire: The World's Greatest Volcanoes ISBN 9781882658862, 80 pgs, 5.5 x 8.5, pb, Retail $12.95 London Book Festival Runner Up This book looks at the origins of volcanoes, the nature and history of significant eruptions, the world's most famous and the world's most dangerous volcanoes, the USA's most dangerous volcanoes, and the super volcano, the Yellowstone Caldera.
Noteworthy UFO Cases ISBN 9781882658886, 160 pgs, 5.5 x 8.5, pb, $14.95 The presence of Extraterrestrials on Earth has enormous socio-economic implications for our future, and this is discussed in some depth.
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What is Truth ISBN 9781946664211, 5.5 x8.5, 80 pages, Retail $12.95
Noble New Nation ISBN 9781946664549, 96 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, retail $12.95
This book examines the historic perception of truths, fallacies, and untruths; it looks at the tenuous status of truth in today's US political environment; and it explores the underpinnings of the current "post-truth" environment.
This book is a dystopian political satire along the lines of Aldous Huxley's 1984 and George Orwell's Brave New World.
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Are We Ready for Artificial Intelligence ISBN 9781946664365, 5.5 x 8.5, 96 pages, pb, Retail $12.95 The contemporary field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) research was founded in 1956. From then on, ever more sophisticated AI agents have been developed, and today Artificial Intelligence is a part of many aspects of our everyday lives. In all likelihood, humanlevel artificial intelligence will be achieved before the end of the 21st century, and once such a level is attained, a super intelligent system is likely to follow very quickly thereafter.
Reviewing the Montauk Legend ISBN 9780938467632, 112 pages, Retail $12.95 Fact can be stranger than fiction because fiction generally needs to stay within the realm of what is possible; fact does not. The Montauk Legend is sufficiently bizarre that it seems to lie outside the realm of possibilities, and therefore it just might be fact. Purchase Here
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Understanding the Anomalously Sensitive Person ISBN 9780938467847, 7 x 10, 176 pgs, pb, Retail $18.95 San Francisco Book Festival Honorable Mention Los Angeles Book Festival Honorable Mention Are you‌ experienced? You or someone you know may be anomalously sensitive if you have experienced: deja vu, synchronicity, telepathy, precognition, psychic dreams, clairvoyance, healing, psychokinesis, contact with spirit guides, out-of-body experiences, past life recall,
Descended from the Gods? ISBN 9780938467939, 5.5 x 8.5, 112 pgs, pb, Retail $16.95 Los Angeles Book Festival Honorable Mention San Francisco Book Festival Honorable Mention Paris Book Festival Honorable Mention New York Book Festival Honorable Mention An Inquiry into the Origins of the Anomalously Sensitive Person Purchase Here
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Everybody Loves Conspiracy Theories ISBN 9781946664273, 5.5 x 8.5, 256 pages, pb, Retail $16.95 Winner San Francisco Book Festival
Whereas conspiracy theories have always been part of American politics, they've tended to appeal only to fringe audiences, but they now seem to dominate the mainstream debate, and they have the potential to do considerable harm by creating feelings of hopelessness and alienation. It may be only a matter of time before paranoia becomes a national mental health crisis. Purchase Here
The Enigma of Baalbek ISBN 9781882658619, 96 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, pb, Retail $14.95 In Baalbek, Lebanon, the ruins of the monumental temple complex are one of the most extraordinary and enigmatic holy places of ancient times. This book explores the alternative theories about Baalbek's pre-history, which, in most instances, seem to make more sense than do the conventional ones.
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Coming To Our Senses ISBN 9781946664686, 5.5 x 8.5, 96 pages, pb, Retail $12.95
Sailing Through the Ages, ISBN 9781946664990, 5.5 x 8.5, 136 pgs, pb, Retail $14.95
There are five primary senses that are traditionally recognized by western science: sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. In some Asian cultures, a sixth sense, that of the mind and the mind objects it perceives is also recognized. Other sensory modalities are known to exist-including temperature, kinesthesia, pain, balance, and vibration--but are not widely recognized.
Austronesians were probably the first to invent ocean-going sailing technologies. Ancient Egyptians and Phoenicians, about 3,000 years ago, were also among the earliest sailors. With today's trailerable small boats, sailing is no longer exclusively a rich man's sport. “Weekend sailors” regularly engage in both recreational sailing and the racing of dinghies and sailboats.
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Why We Are Fascinated by Dogs ISBN 9780938467366, 5.5 x 7, $12.95, 112 pages, PB An inquiry into canine consciousness, intelligence, temperament, and extraordinary abilities.
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Metaphysical Experiences: Are They Real? ISBN 9781946664969, 5.5 x 8.5, pb, 128 pgs, Retail $14.95 Metaphysical experiences are the source of considerable controversy. Laypeople usually accept something as being real if it can be perceived by their senses. In common practice, “reality” is generally determined by consensus, and metaphysical experiences are not commonplace. Purchase Here
The H.I.S.S. of the A.S.P. ISBN 9780929915296 8.5 x 11, 400 pgs, hc, Retail $19.95
American Demagogues ISBN 9781882658671, 5.5 x 7, 40 pgs, pb, Retail $8.95
Understanding the Anomalously Sensitive Person
A demagogue is person, especially an orator or a political leader, who gains power by arousing people's emotions, passions, and prejudices rather than by using rational arguments. This is a look at some demagogues, past
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ZAP! The Story of Electricity ISBN 9781951556099 5.5 x 8.5, 112 pages, pb, Retail $12.95 The earliest humans were introduced to electricity by way of lightning strikes, which occur worldwide about 100 times per second. From lightning, they got fire, and the control of fire proved to be a turning point in the cultural aspects of human evolution.
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The Book of Noteworthy 'Why' Questions ISBN 9781951556136, 5.5 x8.5, 136 pgs, pb, Retail $14.95 Different people have different levels of curiosity. Some people are generally curious (about anything and everything). This book, which is comprised of generalinterest "why" questions and their answers, is written primarily for those who are insatiably curious.
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Dig This! Moving the Earth One Bit at a Time ISBN 9781951556204, 5.5 x 8.5, pb Retail $12.95 Humans have been moving earth around for a long time--since well before the beginning of recorded history. This is a brief history - from the Great Pyramid of Khufu, Great Wall of China, Panama Canal to the Kola Superdeep Borehole.
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A Frog's Life ISBN 9781951556174, 5.5 x 8.5, pb, 88 pages, Retail $12.95 Amphibians, including frogs, are said to be bellwethers of broader ecosystem health. More than one-third of frog species are considered to be threatened with extinction, and more than 120 species are believed to have become extinct since the 1980s. And then there's Kermit ‌
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Unlikely Heroes of All Sorts 5.5 x 8.5, 96 pages, pb, ISBN 9781951556181, Retail $12.95
Dirty Words: A Compendium of the Vulgar, the Profane, and the Obscene ISBN 9781951556235, 80 pgs, 5.5 x 8.5, pb, Retail $12.95
Most animals lack the intelligence and intentionality necessary to qualify as heroes, but there are some, including chimpanzees, gorillas, dolphins, whales, dogs, cats, elephants, pigs, horses, and parrots, who have filled that role and whose stories are most interesting.
Historically, the use of dirty words has ebbed and flowed with the eras, but during the 1960s, the floodgates holding back a deluge of offensive words opened wide. This was the era of the Vietnam War, sexual liberation, and the Hippies. These days, the use of dirty words seems to be on the increase. The more we hear them, the less offensive they seem, and hence the more likely we are to use them. Purchase Here
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Rising to the Challenge of Space Flight ISBN 9781951556075, 5.5 x 8.5, 112 pages, pb, Retail $12.95 History of space flight from 5th century BC. To plans for interstellar exploration.
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Seeking the Earth's Treasures ISBN 9781946664792, 5.5 x 8.5, pb, 224 pages, Retail $17.95 The Earth has a story to tell. Actually, it has many stories to tell, and those stories have come to light over the ages as humans have explored the planet. Humans' innate drive to explore is now leading us beyond Earth and into space. What will be discovered there is anybody's guess. Purchase Here
Confronting the Earth's Tribulations ISBN 9781946664617, 352 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, pb, retail $17.95 Over the eons of its existence, the Earth has been subjected to a host of different tribulations including cosmic collisions, ice ages, earthquakes, floods and tsunamis, wildfires, and manmade pollution. Each of these is a very interesting subject in its own right and this collection is covers them all. Purchase Here
The Magic of Digital Fine Art Photography ISBN:
About the Author After being educated in economics at Yale University, David Ritchey served five years as an officer in the U.S. Navy, including a year in Vietnam. Back in civilian life, he initially became a businessman as he had been trained but, suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, he dropped out, got a divorce, moved to a remote old stone farmhouse and took up fine art photography as his vocation, winning over 60 awards during the next fifteen years.
It's About Time: A Temporal Exploration, ISBN 9781946664877, 5.5 x 8.5, 80 pages, pb, Retail $12.95
9780929915579, 112 pgs, hc, 11 x 14, Retail $49.95 In his color-rich photographs, [Mr. Ritchey] crops his subjects tightly, causing the subjects themselves to disappear. I found myself referring to the photographs as paintings, perhaps because of the richness of the color --Art Matters Purchase Here
When did people start keeping track of time and why? By what means have people measured time? When did time begin? What exactly is spacetime? What role does the human mind play in time? Is time travel possible? Perhaps the most important question of all is, "What exactly is time?" These and other questions about time are addressed in this book. Purchase Here