Called “a nail-biting thrill ride for techies and armchair engineers” by Kirkus Reviews, The New Cool, by veteran journalist and bestselling author Neal Bascomb is the astonishing and inspiring story of a team of high school seniors and their mentor who come together not only to exercise their athletic prowess but to build a machine that will compete in the most heated, sophisticated robotics competition in the world. The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, sponsored by genius inventor Dean Kamen in hopes of jump-starting American innovation for the next generation, has become a worldwide phenomenon—and regularly spurs students and teachers to accomplishments they never dreamed possible. The New Cool chronicles the students’ efforts in creating their robot—overcoming their lack of experience, resources, and time (not to mention the Bad News Bears quality of their team). The New Cool is also a guide to what the future of education needs to be and how the United States can marshal its young in the fields of science, technology, math, and engineering. n Contact Neal via his website www.nealbascomb.com. Book publicist is Jill Browning at jibrowning@randomhouse.com and 212-572-6182.