Readers of this fascinating addition to the Working Life series will find out what qualities made for success as a samurai, learn the basics of the samurai code, and understand the duties a samurai warrior was expected to fulfill....

Commissioned by King Francois I of France to claim new lands for the country, Jacques Cartier arrived in Newfoundland in 1534. Seeking a Northwest Passage to the riches of India, he continued on and discovered the St. Lawrence River, a natural border existing between present-day Canada and New England. Cartier briefly explored the area and sailed back to France, only to return to the St. Lawrence with two American Indians as guides. His findings contributed to the founding of Montreal and Quebec and the creation of a lucrative trading network between the French and the American Indians. "Jacques Cartier" is a biography about the first explorer to establish a French presence in North America, an accomplishment that allowed the next generation of French sailors to create the first settlements in Canada....

Godzilla, the king of the Japanese movie monsters, has been an enduring pop-culture icon for fifty years. His on-screen presence has evolved from the relatively crude portrayal of a giant rampaging beast in his initial 1954 appearance to his more recent high-tech image, as a defender of humans and an ecological savior. Throughout, Godzilla has been both exciting and terrifying....

Nicknamed 'Joe Cool' for his ability to remain calm under pressure, Joe Montana's career highlights are staples of NFL highlight films. When Montana retired, his career passing rating was 92.3, the highest at the time. Although his record has since been surpassed by Steve Young, Peyton Manning, and Kurt Warner, he will forever be remembered for one of the most notable plays in NFL history that is now simply known as 'The Catch' - the winning touchdown reception in the 1982 NFC Championship game against the Dallas Cowboys. The only player ever to win three Super Bowl MVP awards, Montana was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000. Now retired, he donates his time to charity and produces wine under the Montagia label....

Mirror Image is a Capstone Press publication.

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Known to millions as J.Lo, Jennifer Lopez is one of the most prominent Latin American performers in the world. She has been called the most influential Hispanic entertainer in the United States by People en Espanol. As an actress, singer, songwriter, dancer, and fashion designer, Lopez has a reputation for being a perfectionist and a demanding diva. But this dedication has paid off financially. According to "Forbes", she is the richest Latino performer in the United States (and ninth on "Forbes' 2007" list of the richest women in entertainment) with an estimated $110 million in wealth. Read about this one-woman entertainment powerhouse in this full-color biography....

In 1863, during the Civil War that had torn the United States apart, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all slaves would be freed in the Confederate states at war. Considered Lincoln's most direct action to hasten the end of slavery, the proclamation promised that slavery would effectively end at the conclusion of the war - and also allowed African Americans to serve in the Union army. Though the Emancipation Proclamation could not be enforced in the Confederate states until after the war, its issuance linked the Union's fight for the country's unity with the moral cause of freeing the slaves. In "The Emancipation Proclamation", read about the groundbreaking document that was a precursor to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution that effectively ended slavery in the United States....

One of the greatest all-around running backs in NFL history, Walter Payton set several league records, including career rushing yards (16,726), most games rushing for 100 or more yards (77), and rushing touchdowns (110), during his 13-year career. Nicknamed "Sweetness" by his Chicago Bears teammates because of his friendly disposition, Payton was a nine-time Pro Bowler and three-time NFL MVP, and helped lead the Bears to their only Super Bowl win, dominating the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. Tragically, Payton was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in February 1999 and died that November. His philanthropic work continues through organizations such as the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation, which helps abused, neglected, or underprivileged children in Illinois....

The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, known locally as the Ballard Locks, are an integral part of Seattle's extensive waterways. The busiest facility of their kind in America, the Ballard Locks form the heart of the channel connecting Puget Sound's saltwater with Seattle's main freshwater lakes. When completed in 1917, the locks were second only in size to the Panama Canal and the first of their kind on the West Coast. They function primarily to maintain the lakes' levels and allow the movement of vessels between them and the sea. The Ballard Locks are among Seattle's top tourist attractions; more than one million people visit annually. They watch salmon and other fish migrate through the fish ladder, visit the botanical gardens, and watch the nonstop parade of ships from working vessels to pleasure craft as they rise and fall in the locks....