- Table View
- List View
Pistoleros!: Volume 1: 1918
by Farquhar McHargIn Farquhar McHarg's autobiography, a young boy from Glasgow finds himself in the middle of Barcelona's revolutionary underworld at the tail end of World War I. Volume One chronicles McHarg's liaisons between the British Secret Service Bureau and the Spanish anarchists. McHarg tells of a corrupt Spanish regime bent on crushing a rebellious working class and the generous and recklessly idealistic men and women who struggled to transform it after rejecting traditional party politics. When a lifelong friend and fellow anarchist was gunned down, McHarg raced to write this epic history before he too could be silenced. This unique, first-person account of revolutionary activities in 20th-century Europe gives rare perspective and insight into modern revolutionary history.
Pitchforks and Torches: The Worst of the Worst, From Beck, Bill, and Bush to Palin and Other Posturing Republicans
by Keith OlbermannAn irresistible new collection from the New York Times bestselling author and host of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann. In his particular wit and style, Keith Olbermann skewers politicians, celebrities, and people behaving badly every weeknight on MSNBC's increasingly popular Countdown with Keith Olbermann. This book starts right after President Obama's election and collects all of Olbermann's acclaimed "Special Comments," a few of his "Quick Comments," all but one of his feature "WTF," selections of "Bushed" and "Still Bushed," and, of course, a healthy dose of "The Worst Person in the World." Covers everything from gay marriage to Sarah Palin, John Edwards' love child, and the Bush legacy--plus Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, and, of course, Bill-O. Olbermann is a frequent poster to the popular website DailyKos, where his audience has shown itself as fervid and highly supportive. New from the New York Times bestselling author of The Worst Person of the World and Truth and Consequences Showcasing Olbermann at his most controversial, outspoken, and entertaining, Keith Olbermann's Hall of Shame cuts to the truth in a world of lies.
Planting Dandelions
by Kyran Pittman"[Pittman's] tales of modern motherhood are fearless and addictive" (People, four stars) A regular contributor to Good Housekeeping, Kyran Pittman has won the hearts of readers with her keen eye, wicked tongue, and deep affection for the vagaries of family life. In these eighteen linked essays, she covers the first twelve years of starting a family, writing candidly and hilariously about things like learning to maintain a marriage over time, the challenges of sex after childbirth, saying goodbye to her younger self and embracing the still attractive forty- four-year-old version, and trying to "recession proof " her family by downsizing to avoid foreclosure. .
Play like You Mean It: Passion, Laughs, and Leadership in the World's Most Beautiful Game
by Rex RyanNo football fan will want to be without the book that delivers pure, unfiltered Rex Ryan--head coach of the New York Jets and one of the most popular, outspoken, well-liked, and widely respected personalities in the National Football League. Rex Ryan is known for his exuberance . . . and Play Like You Mean It explores every aspect of Ryan's amazing passion for the game of football, plus the lessons he has learned in leadership and motivation during his years in and around the game. In his own words, Ryan takes readers behind the scenes of the NFL as he shares colorful football stories from his experiences with the Jets and the Ravens as well as his years recruiting players, coaching college football, and growing up as a child of legendary NFL coach Buddy Ryan. Rex's unique brand of enthusiasm and motivation comes through on every page. Most of all, fans will get insider access to Ryan's headline-grabbing, brutally honest, and undeniably entertaining views on the NFL . . . and the very human side of the larger-than-life athletes who devote their lives to the game of football. From Ryan's acceptance of the Jets head coaching job to his success in turning around a team that has long been number two in New York, from his drafting and believing in Mark Sanchez to kicking off the 2010 season with massive expectations (and a target on his back)--this book goes deep, and entertains on every level.
Please Stop Laughing at Me . . .: One Woman's Inspirational Story
by Jodee BlancoDiscover how beloved author and activist Jodee Blanco ignited a grassroots movement in the nation&’s schools to fight against bullying in this timely update of the seminal classic Please Stop Laughing at Me. In this timely update of the seminal classic, author and activist Jodee Blanco reveals how she simply set out to share her story—and ended up igniting a grassroots movement in the nation&’s schools. The first survivor of school bullying to look back on those experiences as an adult, Jodee brings you up to speed on her life and work since the book&’s initial release with a new chapter, all-new Letter to My Readers, and Reader&’s Guide. She also offers the latest information on digital and cyberbullying, the Adult Survivor of Peer Abuse, her in-school antibullying program, INJJA (It&’s NOT Just Joking Around!™), and provides discussion questions for schools.While other children were daydreaming about dances, first kisses, and college, Jodee Blanco was trying to figure out how to go from homeroom to study hall without being taunted or spit upon as she walked through the halls.This powerful, unforgettable memoir chronicles how one child was shunned—and even physically abused—by her classmates from elementary school through high school. It is an unflinching look at what it means to be the outcast, how even the most loving parents can get it all wrong, why schools are often unable to prevent disaster, and how bullying has been misunderstood and mishandled by the mental health community.You will be shocked, moved, and ultimately inspired by this harrowing tale of survival against insurmountable odds. This vivid story will open your eyes to the harsh realities and long-term consequences of bullying—and how all of us can make a difference in the lives of teens today.
The Pocket Guide to Poets and Poetry (Pocket Guides)
by Andrew TaylorContinuing the success of the Pocket Guide series, Andrew Taylors Pocket Guide to Poets and Poetry starts with a history of poetry, setting the poets and their work in the context of their time and the influence of their work including political agenda, festivities and historical celebrations and their chosen genre. The poets are reviewed with their individual biographies, including their genre and best works. A must for everyone interested in poetry, those looking for more information about their favorite poets, as well as seeking to discover new favorites. It will also appeal to collectors of the Pocket Guide series by Remember When which includes The Pocket Guide to the Classics and The Pocket Guide to Plays and Playwrights.
The Pocket Guide to Royal Scandals
by Andy HughesA must-buy book for everyone interested in history and skeletons in the regal cupboards. Discover fascinating facts about lust, greed, murder, envy and just plain stupidity. Read King Henry VIIIs scurrilous letters to Anne Boleyn (thought he was interested in her mind? Think again). Whilst King Charles II was known as the Merry Monarch and Queen Elizabeth Is nickname, the Virgin Queen was rumored to be a misnomer, there was a darker side to the royal family, including murder and regicide was Queen Victorias son really Jack the Ripper or did her surgeon do it? History will come alive with this fact-filled book.
Poe: Beyond Gothicism (Willie Morris Books in Memoir and Biography)
by James M. HutchissonEdgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) was an American original—a luminous literary theorist, an erratic genius, and an analyst par excellence of human obsession and compulsion. The scope of his literary achievements and the dramatic character of Poe’s life have drawn readers and critics to him in droves. And yet, upon his death, one obituary penned by a literary enemy in the New York Daily Tribune cascaded into a lasting stain on Poe’s character, leaving a historic misunderstanding. Many remember Poe as a difficult, self-pitying, troubled drunkard often incapable of caring for himself. Poe reclaims the Baltimore and Virginia writer’s reputation and power, retracing Poe’s life and career. Biographer and critic James M. Hutchisson captures the boisterous worlds of literary New York and Philadelphia in the 1800s to understand why Poe wrote the way he did and why his achievement was so important to American literature. The biography presents a critical overview of Poe’s major works and his main themes, techniques, and imaginative preoccupations. This portrait of the writer emphasizes Poe’s southern identity; his existence as a workaday journalist in the burgeoning magazine era; his authority as a literary critic and cultural arbiter; his courtly demeanor and sense of social propriety; his advocacy of women writers; his adaptation of art forms as diverse as the so-called “gutter press” and the haunting rhythms of African American spirituals; his borrowing of imagery from such popular social movements as temperance and freemasonry; and his far-reaching, posthumous influence.
Poesía completa
by Jorge Luis BorgesAdemás de extraordinario narrador y ensayista, Borges fue un excelente poeta. De hecho, puede decirse que la poesía es el alma de su obra. Indisociable de sus cuentos y ensayos, estos poemas son parte indispensable del universo borgiano y constituyen una indagación paralela a los asuntos que siempre le apasionaron: los libros, la memoria, los laberintos, los espejos, Inglaterra, el amor o la eternidad.Dueño de un fino oído y una deslumbrante capacidad para crear imágenes memorables, Borges revive en sus grandes poemas la intensidad que recorre la gran tradición occidental desde Homero hasta Eliot.Antes que el sueño (o el terror) tejieraMitologías y cosmogonías,Antes que el tiempo se acuñara en días,El mar, el siempre mar, ya estaba y era.¿Quién es el mar? ¿Quién es aquel violentoY antiguo ser que roe los pilaresDe la tierra y es uno y muchos maresY abismo y resplandor y azar y viento?Quien lo mira lo ve por vez primera,Siempre. Con el asombro que las cosasElementales dejan, las hermosasTardes, la luna, el fuego de una hoguera.¿Quién es el mar, quién soy? Lo sabré el díaUlterior que sucede a la agonía.
Policy Entrepreneurship and Elections in Japan: A Political Biogaphy of Ozawa Ichirō (Nissan Institute/Routledge Japanese Studies)
by Takashi OkaOzawa Ichirō is one of the most important figures in Japanese politics, having held the positions of Chief Secretary of the Liberal Democrat Party and, after defection from the LDP, President of the Democratic Party of Japan. Ozawa has distinctive ideas that set him apart from the average Japanese politician, he believes in the concept of the independence of the individual, as opposed to the importance of the group, and as a policy entrepreneur he has had a huge impact on political change not only advocating but precipitating institutional change in a key political area – the election system. Using extensive interview data from key players in the political arena, this book examines Ozawa's struggle to normalize alternation in office between two competingpolitical parties – particularly significant given the results of the 2009 election which handed over power to the Democratic Party of Japan – and how he has used his entrepreneurial talents to precipitate and carry out institutional change. Not only a political biography, but also an in-depth analysis of the Japanese political and electoral systems, this book will be of huge interest to anyone interested in Japanese politics and electoral systems.
The Political and Social Thought of Kwame Nkrumah
by Ama BineyInspired by Gandhi's non-violent campaign of civil disobedience to achieve political ends, Kwame Nkrumah led present-day Ghana to independence. This analysis of his political, social and economic thought centres on his own writings, and re-examines his life and thought by focusing on the political discourse and controversies surrounding him.
Politics and Pasta: How I Prosecuted Mobsters, Rebuilt a Dying City, Dined with Sinatra, Spent Five Years in a Federally Funded Gated Community, and Lived to Tell the Tale
by David Fisher Vincent "Buddy" Cianci Jr.The story behind the podcast Crimetown, as told by the notorious Buddy Cianci himself.An election is a war and "to the victor belongs the spoils." That’s the real democratic process. After all, you'll never see a victorious politician tell his supporters, "I want to thank all of you who worked so hard for my election. However, in the interest of good government, I've decided to give all the jobs to those people who voted against me." This belief became Buddy Cianci’s mantra. Following his own rules, Cianci spent almost three decades as mayor of Providence, RI... before leaving for an enforced vacation in a federally funded gated community. Providence was a dying industrial city when he first took office, but he helped turn it into one of the most desirable places to live in America. He did it by playing the game of hardball politics as well as it has ever been played, living up to his favorite Sinatra lyric "I did it my way"—because that's the only way a mayor can run a city. If you want to know the truth about how politics is played, you picked the right book. This is the behind-the-locked-door story of how politics in America really works. Here is a man who has been called many things: "America's Most Innovative Mayor," a "colorful character," and a convicted felon. But no one has ever called him shy. Here, he serves it all up.
Pop Song Piracy: Disobedient Music Distribution since 1929
by Barry KernfeldThe music industry’s ongoing battle against digital piracy is just the latest skirmish in a long conflict over who has the right to distribute music. Starting with music publishers’ efforts to stamp out bootleg compilations of lyric sheets in 1929, Barry Kernfeld’s Pop Song Piracy details nearly a century of disobedient music distribution from song sheets to MP3s. In the 1940s and ’50s, Kernfeld reveals, song sheets were succeeded by fake books, unofficial volumes of melodies and lyrics for popular songs that were a key tool for musicians. Music publishers attempted to wipe out fake books, but after their efforts proved unsuccessful they published their own. Pop Song Piracy shows that this pattern of disobedience, prohibition, and assimilation recurred in each conflict over unauthorized music distribution, from European pirate radio stations to bootlegged live shows. Beneath this pattern, Kernfeld argues, there exists a complex give and take between distribution methods that merely copy existing songs (such as counterfeit CDs) and ones that transform songs into new products (such as file sharing). Ultimately, he contends, it was the music industry’s persistent lagging behind in creating innovative products that led to the very piracy it sought to eliminate.
Pope John Paul II
by Editors of Reader's DigestFrom his survival of Nazi-occupied Poland to his joining the priesthood and ascension to the papacy, this account of Pope John Paul II offers unique insight to the man who would be pope with personal stories from not only those who new him from the church, but classmates and friends as well. Discover the athletic, the political, and most recently, the beatified, Pope John Paul II. In this ebook you will discover: Personal stories written by friends and classmates, teachers, and fellow clergy An account of his death and details of his funeral as the world mourned, including Cardinal Ratzinger's emotional homily. Details on the miracle - chosen out of hundreds attributed to him - that sent on him on the road to sainthood A full update of his life that includes his May 2011 beatification and the rigorous process of sainthood. Discover an athletic Karol Wotjyla, who hiked, biked, skied, and kayaked in his long life His efforts for Poland's freedom involving Solidarity, the Vatican, the Polish government, the White House, and the Kremlin
Por los caminos de cien años de soledad
by Satoko KawamuraPor los caminos de Cien años de soledad es un recorrido emocionante porlos sitios que sirvieron como base creativa para la novela más celebradade Gabriel García Márquez. Aderezado con anécdotas deliciosas de la vidadel nobel colombiano, con entrevistas a sus parientes y a sus amigoscercanos, con pasajes memorables de su infancia y de su adolescencia,este libro entreteje literatura y realidad para entregarnos un homenajea la vez ágil, sagaz y conmovedor.
¿Por qué ser feliz cuando puedes ser normal?
by Jeanette WintersonUn libro de memorias destinado a convertirse en un clásico de la literatura contemporánea. ¿Por qué ser feliz cuando puedes ser normal?, preguntó la señora Winterson a su hija Jeanette cuando ella, recién cumplidos los dieciséis años, le confesó haberse enamorado de otra chica. Extraña pregunta, pero poco más podía esperarse de una mujer que había adoptado a una niña para hacer de ella una aliada en su misión religiosa, y en cambio se las tuvo que ver con un ser extraño que pedía a gritos su porción de felicidad. Armada con dos juegos de dentadura postiza y una pistola escondida bajo los trapos de cocina, la señora Winterson hizo lo que pudo para disciplinar a Jeanette: en casa los libros estaban prohibidos, las amistades eran mal vistas, los besos y abrazos eran gestos extravagantes, y cualquier falta se castigaba con noches enteras al raso, pero de nada sirvió. Esa chica pelirroja que parecía hija del mismo diablo se rebeló, buscando el placer en la piel de otras mujeres y encontrando en la biblioteca del barrio novelas y poemas que la ayudaran a crecer. Eso y mucho más es lo que ofrecen estas páginas excepcionales, donde alegría y rabia andan de la mano: un libro de memorias destinado a convertirse en un clásico de la literatura contemporánea. «Necesitaba palabras porque todas las familias infelices sellan unpacto de silencio. Quien rompa ese silencio jamás será perdonado. Él o ella tendrá que aprender a perdonarse a sí mismo.»Jeanette Winterson La autora ha dicho:«He escrito muchas obras de ficción, pero ¿Por qué ser feliz cuando puedes ser normal?... ¿qué es en realidad? ¿Unas memorias? Tal vez. ¿Una autobiografía? Quizá. Para mí es un experimento con las vivencias. Un relato de mi vida aunque deje de lado los veinticinco años del medio. La historia de cómo fui a caer con unos padres evangélicos pentecostales, que me adoptaron y se empeñaron en que fuera misionera y salvara almas en países tropicales, y de lo que sucedió cuando me enamoré de una chica, cuando los libros entraron en mi vida, cuando me marché a Oxford, cómo me convertí en escritora y cómo sobreviví a todas las cosas extrañas que han constituido mi vida. No son unas memorias tristes: es un libro sobre la esperanza, sobre los cambios, sobre la buena suerte y las oportunidades, y te reconfortará.» La crítica ha dicho sobre el libro...«¿Por qué ser feliz cuando puedes ser normal? se envuelve con el celofán del humor, que disfraza su vida dickensiana de digerible aventura literaria. Winterson ha escrito su autobiografía como la más subyugante de sus novelas.»Tereixa Constenla, El País «El libro más conmovedor de Winterson. Y además, de un humor vibrante. Deslumbrante en muchos sentidos, pero lo que más impresiona es la profunda simpatía que nos inspiran quienes lo protagonizan.»Zoe Williams, The Guardian Y sobre la autora...«Winterson [...] a través de la heterodoxia de sus textos, dinamita categorías, vocabularios y convenciones tristes. Una escritora maravillosa.»Marta Sanz, Babelia «Jeanette Winterson es una fuerza desatada de la naturaleza. Ella sola es el cambio climático entero.»Carmen Morán Breña, El País «Mientras la mayoría de autores y autoras se limitan a regurgitar la imaginación de sus antecesores, [...] esta inglesa rebelde se pone la literatura por montera y la reinventa.»M. Ángeles Cabré, Babelia «Una autora de extraordinaria sensibilidad cuya obra es devota de Virginia Woolf.»Jacinto Antón, El País «Una escritora outsider de referencia en Inglaterra.»Esther L. Calderón, Divinity «Lo que es seguro es que Jeanette Winterson siempre podrá seguir evolucionando; evocar nuevos paisajes, nuevos cuerpos, nuevas personalidades, es pa
Portraits of Old Russia: Imagined Lives of Ordinary People, 1300-1745
by Marshall T. Poe Donald OstrowskiThis book introduces readers to a little-known place and time in world history – early modern Russia, from its beginnings as Muscovy, in the fourteenth century, through the reign of Peter I (1689-1725) – by portraying the lives of representative individuals from the major levels of the society of that era. The portraits, written by professional historians, are imaginative reconstructions or composites of individual lives, rather than biographies. The portraits are arranged into socio-political categories, and include members of ruling families, government servitors, clerks, military personnel, church prelates, monks, provincial landowners, townspeople and artisans, Siberian explorers and traders, free peasants, serfs, slaves and holy fools. Using these portraits, the book brings old Russian society to life in an interesting way.
Poser: My Life in Twenty-three Yoga Poses
by Claire DedererThe studio was decorated in the style of "Don't Be Afraid, We're Not a Cult." All was white and blond and clean, as though the room had been designed for surgery, or Swedish people. The only spot of color came from the Tibetan prayer flags strung over the doorway into the studio. In flagrant defiance of my longtime policy of never entering a structure adorned with Tibetan prayer flags, I removed my shoes, paid my ten bucks, and walked in . . .Ten years ago, Claire Dederer threw her back out breastfeeding her baby daughter. Told to try yoga by everyone from the woman behind the counter at the co-op to the homeless guy on the corner, she signed up for her first class. She fell madly in love.Over the next decade, she would tackle triangle, wheel, and the dreaded crow, becoming fast friends with some poses and developing long-standing feuds with others. At the same time, she found herself confronting the forces that shaped her generation. Daughters of women who ran away to find themselves and made a few messes along the way, Dederer and her peers grew up determined to be good, good, good—even if this meant feeling hemmed in by the smugness of their organic-buying, attachment-parenting, anxiously conscientious little world. Yoga seemed to fit right into this virtuous program, but to her surprise, Dederer found that the deeper she went into the poses, the more they tested her most basic ideas of what makes a good mother, daughter, friend, wife—and the more they made her want something a little less tidy, a little more improvisational. Less goodness, more joy.Poser is unlike any other book about yoga you will read—because it is actually a book about life. Witty and heartfelt, sharp and irreverent, Poser is for anyone who has ever tried to stand on their head while keeping both feet on the ground.
Post-it Note Diaries
by Arthur JonesPersonal stories from an all-star lineup-immortalized in beautiful, black Sharpie(r). When Arthur Jones cocreated a reading series centered around ubiquitous Post-Its(r), the series struck a chord. It grew in popularity and was ultimately featured on a This American Life live simulcast broadcast across the nation.Inspired by the series and spanning a wide and weird range of topics from an A-list roster of contributors, Post-It(r) Note Diaries captures everyday occurrences from a job interview gone hilariously awry and a nude run-in with a neighbor to hair-raising events like an overnight encounter at Nicholas Cage's house (it's not what you think!), and nearly drowning while trying to paddle across the East River in a homemade canoe. Post-It(r) Note Diaries is perfect for NPR addicts and fans of unique graphic favorites like Postsecret and Blankets.Diarists include: John Hodgman, David Rakoff, Hanna Tinti, Arthur Bradford, Chuck Klosterman, Andrew Solomon, Starlee Kine, Kristen Schaal, Mary Roach and Andrew Bird.
The Post Office Lady with the Dragon Tattoo: An Essay
by Laurie Notaro"I had been dreading this day for more than a year." Everyone's favorite Idiot Girl, Laurie Notaro, is very close to wearing out her welcome in her hometown of Eugene, Oregon. Just a year ago, she was eighty-sixed from the local satellite post office for buying too many two-cent stamps ("The post office lady looked at me like I had just asked her if she wanted to buy my sex tape"). Now Notaro, needing to send an important care package to her nephew, returns to the scene of the non-crime--which is located inside a drugstore that is stocked with everything from Hello Kitty trinkets to fake poo to "the largest collection of aging candy on the West Coast." Will the post office lady who banned her the first time around kick her to the curb, or will Laurie use her Idiot Girl wiles to work her way back into the Mean Lady's good graces? In this hilarious short story, New York Times bestselling author Laurie Notaro's signature pluck and irresistible candor are on full display and will have you laughing out loud.
Potomac Fever
by William J. Middendorf IIAfter a highly successful career in investment banking with his own firm and a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, J. William Middendorf became restive and looked for new challenges. Having "learned how to make money," he writes in this memoir, he "wanted to learn how to make a difference." Thus he became actively involved in politics, first at the local level in Connecticut and then with the presidential campaign of Senator Barry Goldwater in 1964 and as treasurer of the Republican National Committee. There followed a series of challenging public service appointments: ambassador to the Netherlands, Under Secretary and later Secretary of the Navy, ambassador to the Organization of American States, and ambassador to the European Community.Middendorf is a first-rate storyteller and has many tales to share--from his World War II Navy service, to his first job wearing a string of pearls in a bank vault, to a failed effort to bring a U.S.-style constitution to post-Soviet Russia. He recounts tales of villains and heroes, of narrow legislative victories on vital programs, of efforts to forestall war in the Falklands and to counter growing Communist control of the island of Grenada, as well as how the Navy won narrow but vital victories on such important programs as the Aegis missile system and the Trident submarine. Writing with the authority of someone who held a number of key government positions, his lively and revealing memoir is filled with many behind-the-scenes stories of critical events of the Cold War.
Praying For Money
by Russell H. ConwellIn "Praying for Money," Russell H. Conwell, the esteemed Baptist minister, lawyer, and founder of Temple University, explores the transformative power of prayer in achieving financial prosperity. This insightful book delves into the spiritual principles and ethical considerations of seeking wealth through prayer, offering readers a balanced perspective on integrating faith with financial success.Conwell argues that praying for money is not inherently materialistic when approached with the right intentions. Instead, it can be a powerful tool for aligning one's financial goals with a higher purpose, fostering both personal growth and the ability to contribute positively to the world.Key themes include:The Power of Positive Prayer: Conwell explains how sincere, focused prayer can align one’s intentions with divine will, opening doors to opportunities and financial blessings. He offers practical tips on cultivating a prayerful mindset and approaching financial goals with faith and confidence.Aligning Wealth with Purpose: Emphasizing the importance of ethical wealth creation, Conwell encourages readers to seek financial success not for selfish reasons but to fulfill their potential and help others. He argues that wealth gained through integrity and hard work is more fulfilling and sustainable.Overcoming Limiting Beliefs: The book addresses common misconceptions about money and spirituality, urging readers to overcome mental barriers and embrace the idea that financial success and spiritual growth can coexist harmoniously.Whether you are a person of faith looking to enhance your financial situation, a seeker of spiritual growth, or simply interested in the intersection of wealth and spirituality, "Praying for Money" provides practical wisdom and inspiration. Conwell’s timeless teachings encourage readers to view financial success as a means to achieve greater good and fulfill their divine purpose.
Precious Objects: A Story of Diamonds, Family, and a Way of Life
by Alicia OltuskiIn the middle of New York City lies a neighborhood where all secrets are valuable, all assets are liquid, and all deals are sealed with a blessing rather than a contract. Welcome to the diamond district. Ninety percent of all diamonds that enter America pass through these few blocks, but the inner workings of this mysterious world are known only to the people who inhabit it. In Precious Objects, twenty-six-year-old journalist Alicia Oltuski, the daughter and granddaughter of diamond dealers, seamlessly blends family narrative with literary reportage to reveal the fascinating secrets of the diamond industry and its madcap characters: an Elvis-impersonating dealer, a duo of diamond-detective brothers, and her own eccentric father. With insight and drama, Oltuski limns her family's diamond-paved move from communist Siberia to a displaced persons camp in post-World War II Germany to New York's diamond district, exploring the connections among Jews and the industry, the gem and its lore, and the exotic citizens of this secluded world. Entertaining and illuminating, Precious Objects offers an insider's look at the history, business, and society behind one of the world's most coveted natural resources, providing an unforgettable backstage pass to an extraordinary and timeless show.
Precious Objects
by Alicia OltuskiIn the middle of New York City lies a neighborhood where all secrets are valuable, all assets are liquid, and all deals are sealed with a blessing rather than a contract. Welcome to the diamond district. Ninety percent of all diamonds that enter America pass through these few blocks, but the inner workings of this mysterious world are known only to the people who inhabit it. In Precious Objects, twenty-six-year-old journalist Alicia Oltuski, the daughter and granddaughter of diamond dealers, seamlessly blends family narrative with literary reportage to reveal the fascinating secrets of the diamond industry and its madcap characters: an Elvis-impersonating dealer, a duo of diamond-detective brothers, and her own eccentric father. With insight and drama, Oltuski limns her family's diamond-paved move from communist Siberia to a displaced persons camp in post-World War II Germany to New York's diamond district, exploring the connections among Jews and the industry, the gem and its lore, and the exotic citizens of this secluded world. Entertaining and illuminating, Precious Objects offers an insider's look at the history, business, and society behind one of the world's most coveted natural resources, providing an unforgettable backstage pass to an extraordinary and timeless show.
Predators I Have Known
by Alan Dean FosterAn adrenaline-fueled travel memoir of life in the wild among the planet&’s most ferocious and fascinating predators.Over the last forty years, New York Times–bestselling author Alan Dean Foster has journeyed around the globe to encounter nature&’s most fearsome creatures. His travels have taken him into the heart of the Amazon rain forest on the trail of deadly tangarana ants, on an elephant ride across the sweeping green plains of central India in search of the elusive Bengal tiger, and into the waters of the Australian coast to come face-to-face with great white sharks. Packed with pulse-pounding adventure and spiked with rapier wit, Predators I Have Known is a thrilling look at life and death in the wild.