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Ann Landers in Her Own Words: Personal Letters to Her Daughter
by Margo HowardAmerica's most beloved columnist shares 40 years of advice through letters to her only child, published here for the first time. In this witty, wise, and intensely personal collection of letters to her daughter Margo, Ann Landers delivers her own unintentional memoir.
Against Medical Advice: A True Story
by James Patterson Hal FriedmanCory Friedman woke up one morning when he was five years old with the uncontrollable urge to twitch his neck. From that day forward his life became a hell of irrepressible tics and involuntary utterances, and Cory embarked on an excruciating journey from specialist to specialist to discover the cause of his disease. Soon it became unclear what tics were symptoms of his disease and what were side effects of the countless combinations of drugs. The only certainty is that it kept getting worse. Simply put: Cory Friedman's life was a living hell.AGAINST MEDICAL ADVICE is the true story of Cory and his family's decades-long battle for survival in the face of extraordinary difficulties and a maddening medical establishment. It is a heart-rending story of struggle and triumph with a climax as dramatic as any James Patterson thriller.
Return to Glory: Inside Tyrone Willingham's Amazing First Season at Notre Dame
by Alan GrantWith a new afterword, the insider's story of Notre Dame's first black football coach and his amazing debut with the Fighting Irish
Great Tales from English History: The Truth About King Arthur, Lady Godiva, Richard the Lionheart, and More
by Robert LaceyFrom ancient times to the present day, the story of England has been laced with drama, intrigue, courage, and passion-a rich and vibrant narrative of heroes and villains, kings and rebels, artists and highwaymen, bishops and scientists. Now, in Great Tales from English History, Robert Lacey tells those remarkable stories as only a great writer can: combining impeccable accuracy with the timeless drama that has made these stories live for centuries.This volume begins in 7150 BC with the life and death of Cheddar Man and ends in 1381 with Wat Tyler and the Peasants' Revolt. We meet the Greek navigator Pytheas, whose description of the woad-painted Celts yielded pretanniki ("the land of the painted people"), which became the Latin word Britannia. We learn what the storytellers really meant when they described Lady Godiva's "naked" ride through town. And we discover the truth behind the tales of King Arthur and the infamous Hobbehod, later known as Robin Hood.With insight, humor, and fascinating detail, Robert Lacey brings brilliantly to life the stories that made England. From Ethelred the Unready to Richard the Lionheart, the Venerable
This Land Is Your Land: Woody Guthrie and the Journey of an American Folk Song
by Robert Santelli"This Land Is Your Land" is the most iconic folk song in American history, and is the masterwork of one of America's greatest artists, Woody Guthrie. Written in 1940 and first recorded in 1944, the song became an instant hit, and then a point of controversy, and finally a cross-generation anthem. It's been co-opted and rewritten in many other countries. Praised for its heartfelt lyrics and accompanying pride and spirit, no folk song has made such a lasting impression on American culture--or stirred as much controversy. The book will publish to coincide with "Woody at 100"-- a partnership between the Grammy Museum and the Guthrie Archives to stage numerous celebratory events throughout 2012 nationwide and beyond. This Land Is Your Land is a remarkably detailed account of the journey of America's most celebrated folk song. It also details Guthrie's legendary journey from Oklahoma across the Heartland to New York City, where he wrote many of his works including "This Land Is Your Land. " With more than forty rare black-and-white photographs from the Woody Guthrie archives, a removable poster, plus original interviews with Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, Pete Seeger, John Mellencamp, and more, This Land Is Your Land delivers a revealing portrait of an American treasure.
Ten Points
by Bill StricklandOf the eight million dedicated cyclists in this country, just 32,044 own amateur racing licenses. There's a reason for that: Racing is not only incredibly difficult, it's downright excruciating, with the possibility for public humiliation never more than one pedal away. So when Natalie, Bill Strickland's preschool-aged daughter, asked him if he could win ten points during one racing season--the bicycling equivalent of taking an at-bat against Randy Johnson or going one-on-one with Lebron James--a sensible man would've just said no and moved on. Instead, Strickland decided to try. In the process, he discovered that he was racing toward the loving home life he cherished and, at the same time, trying to get away from something far worse--his legacy of horrific childhood abuse. Strickland's memoir is filled with lyrical insights on training and dedication, racing scenes packed with nail-biting suspense, and powerful reflections on the meaning of family. Because for Strickland, it's definitely not about the bike.
Do-over! In Which a Forty-eight-year-old Father of Three Returns to Kindergarten, Summer Camp, the Prom, and Other Embarrassments: In which a forty-eight-year-old father of three returns to kindergarten, summer camp, the prom, and other embarrassments
by Robin HemleyRobin Hemley's childhood made a wedgie of his memory, leaving him sore and embarrassed for over forty years. He was the most pitiful kindergartner, the least spirited summer camper, and dateless for prom. In fact, there's nary an event from his youth that couldn't use improvement. If only he could do them all over a few decades later, with an adult's wisdom, perspective, and giant-like height... In the spirit of cult film classics like Billy Madison and Wet Hot American Summer, in DO-OVER! Hemley re-encounters papier mache, revisits his childhood home, and finally attends the prom--bringing readers the thrill of recapturing a misspent youth and discovering what's most important: simple pleasures, second chances, and the forgotten joys of recess.
Ronnie & Nancy: Their Path to the White House--1911 to 1980
by Bob ColacelloSix years in the making--with unprecedented access to Nancy Reagan and the couple's closest friends--here is the first volume in the definitive portrait of the remarkable, career-building partnership between Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis.
On the Court with...Venus and Serena Williams
by Matthew F ChristopherThis sports biography details the dual careers of the famous tennis playing sisters Venus and Serena Williams. in 2002, Serena won the Wimbledon singles title by defeating her sister. As partners, Venus and Serena won the 2002 doubles championship. This biography details the ways in which the sisters have succeeded as competitive athletes, but have also remained true to each other.
When I Left Home: My Story
by David Ritz Buddy GuyAccording to Eric Clapton, John Mayer, and the late Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Guy is the greatest blues guitarist of all time. An enormous influence on these musicians as well as Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck, he is the living embodiment of Chicago blues. Guy’s epic story stands at the absolute nexus of modern blues. He came to Chicago from rural Louisiana in the fifties#151;the very moment when urban blues were electrifying our culture. He was a regular session player at Chess Records. Willie Dixon was his mentor. He was a sideman in the bands of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. He and Junior Wells formed a band of their own. In the sixties, he became a recording star in his own right. When I Left Home tells Guy’s picaresque story in his own unique voice, that of a storyteller who remembers everything, including blues masters in their prime and the exploding, evolving culture of music that happened all around him.
Rebel Souls: Walt Whitman and America's First Bohemians (A Merloyd Lawrence Book)
by Justin MartinIn the shadow of the Civil War, a circle of radicals in a rowdy saloon changed American society and helped set Walt Whitman on the path to poetic immortality.<P><P> Rebel Souls is the first book ever written about the colorful group of artists-- regulars at Pfaff's Saloon in Manhattan--rightly considered America's original Bohemians. Besides a young Whitman, the circle included actor Edwin Booth; trailblazing stand-up comic Artemus Ward; psychedelic drug pioneer and author Fitz Hugh Ludlow; and brazen performer Adah Menken, famous for her Naked Lady routine. Central to their times, the artists managed to forge connections with Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mark Twain, and even Abraham Lincoln. This vibrant tale, packed with original research, offers the pleasures of a great group biography like The Banquet Years or The Metaphysical Club. Justin Martin shows how this first bohemian culture--imported from Paris to a dingy Broadway saloon--seeded and nurtured an American tradition of rebel art that thrives to this day.
Burned Alive: A Victim of the Law of Men (A Sharon McCone Mystery #25)
by SouadWhen Souad was seventeen she fell in love. In her West Bank village, as in so many other villages, sex before marriage is considered a grave dishonor to one's family and is punishable by death. This was her crime. Her brother-in-law was given the task of meting out her punishment. One morning while Souad was washing the family's clothes, he poured gasoline over her and set her on fire." "In the eyes of the community he was a hero. An execution for a "crime of honor" is a duty, and Souad's brother-in-law had the full support of her parents." "Miraculously she survived, rescued by women of her village, who put out the flames and took her to a local hospital. Horribly burned over ninety percent of her body and still denounced by her family - who strived to "finish the job" even as she lay suffering in the clinic - Souad was able to receive the care she needed only after the intervention of a European aid worker. Now in permanent exile from her homeland, she has decided to tell her story and reveal the barbarity of a practice that continues to this day." "More than five thousand honor killings are reported every year; many more go unreported. Burned Alive is both the testimony of one young woman's resolve to survive and build a new life - and a call to action to end a heinous tradition.
Nailed!: The Improbable Rise and Spectacular Fall of Lenny Dykstra
by Christopher FrankieNailed! is a dramatic biography of Lenny Dykstra-the heroic center fielder for the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies in the ’80s and ’90s whose gritty play earned him the nickname "Nails. ” Dykstra’s unlikely post-baseball rise in the business world is a success story that is only matched by the sordid tale of his ultimate downfall. From famously receiving financial guru Jim Cramer’s ringing endorsement as "one of the best” stock prognosticators, to hanging out with Charlie Sheen and numerous prostitutes, to holding court in his $15 million California home, Dykstra lived a highflying lifestyle. He was the toast of the business world before his litany of crimes were detected and his empire began to unravel in 2009, leading to a conviction and prison sentence in 2012 with more charges pending. Through compelling storytelling supported by extensive research and documentation-including interviews with many of Dykstra’s friends, family, and business associates-Nailed! Peels back the layers of this onion to reveal that the criminal charges of grand theft auto, identity theft, vandalism, lewd behavior, sexual assault, and more are just the tip of the iceberg. This is an engaging read of a sports and business hero gone bad.
Corked: Everything My Father Ever Taught Me about Wine But I Was Too Intoxicated To Notice
by Kathryn BorelMeet Kathryn Borel, bon vivant and undutiful daughter. Now meet her father, Philippe, former chef, eccentric genius, and wine aficionado extraordinaire. Kathryn is like her father in every way but one: she's totally ignorant when it comes to wine. And although Philippe has devoted untold parenting hours to delivering impassioned oenological orations, she has managed to remain unenlightened. But after an accident and a death, Kathryn realizes that by shutting herself off to her father's greatest passion, she will never really know him. Accordingly, she proposes a drunken father-daughter road trip. Corked is the uncensored account of their tour through the great wine regions of France. Uproarious, poignant, painfully introspective, and filled with cunning little details about wine, this is a book for any reader who has sought a connection with a complex family member or wanted to overcome the paralyzing terror of being faced with a restaurant wine list.
Chief of Station, Congo: Fighting the Cold War in a Hot Zone
by Lawrence DevlinLarry Devlin arrived as the new chief of station for the CIA in the Congo five days after the country had declared its independence, the army had mutinied, and governmental authority had collapsed. As he crossed the Congo River in an almost empty ferry boat, all he could see were lines of people trying to travel the other way-out of the Congo. Within his first two weeks he found himself on the wrong end of a revolver as militiamen played Russian-roulette, Congo style, with him. During his first year, the charismatic and reckless political leader, Patrice Lumumba, was murdered and Devlin was widely thought to have been entrusted with (he was) and to have carried out (he didn't) the assassination. Then he saved the life of Joseph Desire Mobutu, who carried out the military coup that presaged his own rise to political power. Devlin found himself at the heart of Africa, fighting for the future of perhaps the most strategically influential country on the continent, its borders shared with eight other nations. He met every significant political figure, from presidents to mercenaries, as he took the Cold War to one of the world's hottest zones. This is a classic political memoir from a master spy who lived in wildly dramatic times.
Sarah from Alaska: The Sudden Rise and Brutal Education of a New Conservative Superstar
by Scott Conroy Walshe ShushannahSarah Palin is still the most dynamic yet polarizing Republican in America. In "Sarah from Alaska" Scott Conroy and Shushannah Walshe draw on their experiences as embedded reporters on PalinOCOs campaign, exclusive on-scene coverage of PalinOCOs post-election struggles in Alaska, and revealing interviews with former McCain/Palin staffers, top political minds, and PalinOCOs family, friends, and foes in Alaska to tell the remarkable behind-the-scenes story of her improbable riseuand its complicated aftermath. The result is a fair and fascinating portrait of Sarah Palin and of the American political process.
One Magical Sunday (But Winning Isn't Everything): (But Winning Isn't Everything)
by Donald T. Phillips Phil MickelsonFor years Phil Mickelson symbolized the classic runnerup in the golf world, always placing near the top of every tournament, always near the top of the money list, but never reaching the pinnacle of winning one of the Majors. Then finally, on one magical Sunday, Phil's dream came true as he sank an 18-foot putt on the 18th hole to win the 2004 Masters. Mickelson leapt into the air in total celebration--and an entire nation of golfing fans leapt in joy with him. ONE MAGICAL SUNDAY journeys hole-by-hole with Phil on that fateful day, weaving the story of his life into the game--from his introduction to golf at the age of three to starting a family and pro golf career.
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
by Vicki Myron Bret WitterHow much of an impact can an animal have? How many lives can one cat touch? How is it possible for an abandoned kitten to transform a small library, save a classic American town, and eventually become famous around the world? You can't even begin to answer those questions until you hear the charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa. <p><p> Dewey's story starts in the worst possible way. Only a few weeks old, on the coldest night of the year, he was stuffed into the returned book slot at the Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by library director, Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. Dewey won her heart, and the hearts of the staff, by pulling himself up and hobbling on frostbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of thanks and love. <p> For the next nineteen years, he never stopped charming the people of Spencer with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility, (for a cat) and, above all, his sixth sense about who needed him most. As his fame grew from town to town, then state to state, and finally, amazingly, worldwide, Dewey became more than just a friend; he became a source of pride for an extraordinary Heartland farming town pulling its way slowly back from the greatest crisis in its long history.
At the Plate with...Marc McGwire (At the Plate with…)
by Matthew F ChristopherAt the start of the 1998 major league baseball season, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire hit a home run. In the games that followed, he did it again. And again. And again. And again. By the end of the season, in late September, he had done the hardest thing in baseball an earth-shattering seventy times. He didn't just break the decades-old single-season home-run record set by Roger Maris in 1961-he shattered it. And by doing so, he not only set a new benchmark for players to strive for, but also reminded people that baseball is fun, a game to be enjoyed, with heroes who play for the love of the sport, not for the love of money. In this powerful biography of the most talked-about man in baseball, Matt Christopher, the number one sports series for kids, explores the slugger's childhood days on the diamond as well as the ups and downs of his college and professional career.
I Want To Be Left Behind: Finding Rapture Here on Earth
by Brenda PetersonGrowing up between Baptist Endtimers and apocalyptic Greensua rollicking tale of survival
A Thousand Hills to Heaven
by Josh RuxinOne couple's inspiring memoir of healing a Rwandan village, raising a family near the old killing fields, and building a restaurant named Heaven. Newlyweds Josh and Alissa were at a party and received a challenge that shook them to the core: do you think you can really make a difference? Especially in a place like Rwanda, where the scars of genocide linger and poverty is rampant?While Josh worked hard bringing food and health care to the country's rural villages, Alissa was determined to put their foodie expertise to work. The couple opened Heaven, a gourmet restaurant overlooking Kigali, which became an instant success. Remarkably, they found that between helping youth marry their own local ingredients with gourmet recipes (and mix up "the best guacamole in Africa") and teaching them how to help themselves, they created much-needed jobs while showing that genocide's survivors really could work together. While first a memoir of love, adventure, and family, A THOUSAND HILLS TO HEAVEN also provides a remarkable view of how, through health, jobs, and economic growth, our foreign aid programs can be quickly remodeled and work to end poverty worldwide.
The Honeymoon's Over: True Stories of Love, Marriage, and Divorce
by Andrea Chapin Sally Wofford-GirandIn this anthology, 24 women writers describe the turning points they reached in their own marriages and reveal how they decided to either stay with or leave their spouses. Contributors include well-known authors such as Betsy Israel, Terry McMillan, Joyce Maynard, Ann Hood, Daniela Kuper, and Alice Randall. Editor Chapin teaches writing at New York U., and Wofford-Girand is a literary agent. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff
by Rosemary MahoneyRosemary Mahoney was determined to take a solo trip down the Egyptian Nile in a small boat, even though civil unrest and vexing local traditions conspired to create obstacles every step of the way. Starting off in the south, she gained the unlikely sympathy and respect of a Muslim sailor, who provided her with both a seven-foot skiff and a window into the culturally and materially impoverished lives of rural Egyptians. Egyptian women don't row on the Nile, and tourists aren't allowed to for safety's sake. Mahoney endures extreme heat during the day, and a terror of crocodiles while alone in her boat at night. Whether she's confronting deeply held beliefs about non-Muslim women, finding connections to past chroniclers of the Nile, or coming to the dramatic realization that fear can engender unwarranted violence, Rosemary Mahoney's informed curiosity about the world, her glorious prose, and her wit never fail to captivate.
Pill Head: The Secret Life of a Painkiller Addict
by Joshua LyonThis compelling, honest book investigates the growing epidemic of prescription painkiller abuse among today's Generation Rx. Through gripping profiles and heartbreaking confessions, this memoir dares to uncover the reality--the addiction, the withdrawal, and the recovery--of this newest generation of pill poppers.Joshua Lyon was no stranger to substance abuse. By the time he was seventeen, he had already found sanctuary in pot, cocaine, Ecstasy, and mushrooms--just to name a few. Ten years later, on assignment for Jane magazine, he found himself with a two-inch-thick bottle of Vicodin in his hands and only one decision to make: dispose of the bottle or give in to his curiosity. He chose the latter. In a matter of weeks he'd found his perfect drug. In the early half of this decade, purchasing painkillers without a doctor was as easy as going online and checking the spam filter in your inbox. The accessibility of these drugs--paired with a false perception of their safety--contributed to their epidemic-like spread throughout America's twenty-something youth, a group dubbed Generation Rx. Pill Head is Joshua Lyon's harrowing and bold account of this generation, and it's also a memoir about his own struggle to recover from his addiction to painkillers. The story of so many who have shared this experience--from discovery to addiction to rehabilitation--Pill Head follows the lives of several young people much like Joshua and dares to blow open the cultural phenomena of America's newest pill-popping generation. Marrying the journalist's eye with the addict's mind, Joshua takes readers through the shocking and often painful profiles of recreational users and suffering addicts as they fight to recover. Pill Head is not only a memoir of descent, but of endurance and of determination. Ultimately, it is a story of encouragement for anyone who is wrestling to overcome addiction, and anyone who is looking for the strength to heal.
Golden Lads: Sir Francis Bacon, Anthony Bacon, and Their Friends
by Daphne Du Maurier"Daphne du Maurier has no equal." --Sunday TelegraphPrior to the publication of Golden Lads, Anthony Bacon was viewed as a footnote in the history of his younger brother, Francis. A fascinating historical figure in his own right, Anthony Bacon was a contemporary of the brilliant band of gallants who gathered around the court of Elizabeth I, was closely connected to the Earl of Essex, and worked in France as a spy for Sir Francis Walsingham. While living in France he became acquainted with Henri IV and the essayist Michel de Montaigne, and it was there that Daphne du Maurier discovered a secret that, if disclosed during Bacon's lifetime, could have put an end to his political career. Du Maurier did much to uncover the truth behind matters that had long puzzled Elizabethan historians, while telling a strange and fascinating tale.