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The Sorrow of War: A Novel of North Vietnam
by Bao NinhDuring the Vietnam War Bao Ninh served with the Glorious 27th Youth Brigade. Of the five hundred men who went to war with the brigade in 1969, he is one of only ten who survived. The Sorrow of War is his autobiographical novel. Kien works in a unit that recovers soldiers' corpses. Revisiting the sites of battles raises emotional ghosts for him and the memory of war scenes are juxtaposed with dreams and remembrances of his childhood sweetheart. The Sorrow of War burns the tragedy of war in our minds.
The Los Angeles Sugar Ring: Inside the World of Old Money, Bootleggers & Gambling Barons (True Crime Ser.)
by Michael NiottaIn this intimate true crime biography, the author recounts his great grandfather&’s journey from local grocer to Prohibition-era crime boss. Sicilian immigrant &“Big George&” Niotta did exceptionally well for a grocery wholesaler. That&’s because his biggest clients were bootleggers. He delivered hundreds of pounds of sugar to illegal liquor operations across California, supplying an essential ingredient and making sweet profits. But his criminal operations didn&’t end there. Niotta rose to prominence thanks to his magnetic charm, collaborating with infamous bootlegger Frank Borgia and influential gambling baron Jack Dragna. Dogged by the IRS, Niotta expanded his enterprise into ringer horses, a multimillion-dollar lottery, and a notorious gambling parlor. Through extensive research and interviews with family members, J. Michael Niotta explores three decades of L.A. crime, including a rare insider's look at the Eagle Brewing Company and other survivors of Prohibition.
Nabih Berri and Lebanese Politics
by Omri NirNabih Barri is a key figure in the Lebanese and Shi'ite politics for the last three decades. As the leader of the Shi'ite Amal movement since 1980 and as the Lebanese Speaker since 1992, Barri played a major role in all political events and processes in Lebanon between the early 1980's and today, including the current severe Lebanese crisis.
The Lost Childhood: The Complete Memoir
by Yehuda NirThis compelling memoir takes readers through the eyes of a child surviving World War II in Nazi-occupied Poland. As a nine-year-old, the author witnessed his father being herded into a truck—never to be seen again. He, his mother, and sister fled to Warsaw to live in disguise as Catholics under the noses of the Nazi SS, constantly fearful of discovery and persecution. A sobering reminder of the personal toll of the Holocaust on Jews during World War II, this book is a harrowing portrait of one child's loss of innocence. This edition contains previously unpublished content from the original text.
Thomas Edison (Cornerstones of Freedom)
by Nicholas NirgiotisChildren's biography of the famous American inventor of the practical electric light.
The Quest for Community: A Study In The Ethics Of Order And Freedom (Ics Series In Self-governance Ser.)
by Robert NisbetOne of the leading thinkers to emerge in the postwar conservative intellectual revival was the sociologist Robert Nisbet. His book The Quest for Community, published in 1953, stands as one of the most persuasive accounts of the dilemmas confronting modern society.Nearly a half century before Robert Putnam documented the atomization of society in Bowling Alone, Nisbet argued that the rise of the powerful modern state had eroded the sources of community--the family, the neighborhood, the church, the guild. Alienation and loneliness inevitably resulted. But as the traditional ties that bind fell away, the human impulse toward community led people to turn even more to the government itself, allowing statism--even totalitarianism--to flourish.ISI Books is proud to present this new edition of Nisbet's magnum opus, featuring a brilliant introduction by New York Times columnist Ross Douthat and three critical essays. Published at a time when our communal life has only grown weaker and when many Americans display cultish enthusiasm for a charismatic president, this new edition of The Quest for Community shows that Nisbet's insights are as relevant today as ever.
Open Sky
by Eric NisensonSonny Rollins is arguably the most influential tenor saxophonist that jazz has produced. He began his musical career at the tender age of eleven, and within five short years he was playing with the legendary Thelonius Monk. In the late forties (before his twenty-first birthday), Rollins was in full swing, recording with jazz luminaries such as Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Miles Davis, and Fats Navarro. He was hailed as the best jazz tenor saxophonist alive during the years 1955 to 1959, when he was credited with pioneering the use of 3/4-time in bop music.Today, forty years later, Rollins's onstage appearances are eagerly anticipated events, where his compelling sound reaches a whole new generation of listeners. Renowned jazz writer Eric Nisenson has penned a long-overdue look at one of jazz music's brightest and most enduring stars.
This Monk Wears Heels: Be Who You Are
by Kodo NishimuraKodo Nishimura rose to fame following his appearance in Queer Eye: We're in Japan. Now this celebrity make-up artist and ordained Buddhist monk shares his unique and practical guide to positivity and self-acceptance. Readers will learn from the author's path to self-love and resilience and modern take on Buddhist teachings.IT&’S TIME TO BE TRUE TO YOU This book is for anyone who&’s ever felt like they don&’t fit in. And for all those who dare to be different. Do you show who you truly are? Do you say what you really think? Or do you hide your heart&’s desire and camouflage yourself to look like others? It is too easy to limit ourselves for fear of what other people will think. The message of this book is that we can choose to love our uniqueness—and that our diversity offers hope for the world. This Monk Wears Heels is a guide to self-love, self-acceptance, and taking a Buddhist approach to life. Kodo Nishimura reveals how inclusive the Buddhist teachings really are—and that, yes, it is possible to be a Buddhist monk and do makeup and wear sparkly earrings. This book is about being who you really are, totally unapologetically and with full conviction. It will show you how to shine in your own colors and be celebrated for yourself.
Conversations with Tim Gautreaux (Literary Conversations Series)
by Lamar NislyLouisiana writer Tim Gautreaux (b. 1947) writes fiction that mixes equal parts dry humor, tall tales, and deep tragedy. His stories and novels of working-class Acadiana portray lives of inimitably poignant love, loss, and longing. The depth and complexity of Gautreaux's writing invite scholarly appraisals as well, as critics mine the richness of his moral vision. These interviews reveal the intensity of his sense of place, his deep connection to the mechanical and working world, his commitment to the craft of writing, and his Catholic view that has been shaped by Flannery O'Connor and Walker Percy. Conversations with Tim Gautreaux collects interviews from 1993 to 2009 with the author of The Missing, The Clearing, Welding with Children, and many other vital works of fiction. Readers who have been engaged with the themes in his stories and novels will find themselves equally taken with the kind and thoughtful voice they discover in interviews.
The Broke Diaries: The Completely True and Hilarious Misadventures of a Good Girl Gone Broke
by Angela Nissel"People always say I'm going to look back on these days and laugh -- why put it off?"When Angela Nissel found herself struggling financially while in college, instead of sulking, she decided to entertain herself by creating an online journal that chronicled her day-to-day trials and tribulations. Written with humor and intelligence, her "Broke Diary" quickly found an audience as people wrote to Angela to empathize with, console, and laugh with her about her experiences and even share their own. The Broke Diaries is the first complete compilation of her experiences, written in a voice that is funny, unique, and dead-on.On buying ramen noodles: I am sooooooo embarassed. I only have 33 cents. I (please don't laugh) put the money on the counter and quickly attempt to dash out with my Chicken Flavored Salt Noodles. The guy calls me back! I look up instinctively, I should have run . . . Why didn't I run???!! He tells me the noodles are 35 cents. I try to apologize sincerely. I thought the sign said 33 cents yesterday, so that's all I brought with me. Could he wait while I ran home and get the 2 cents? I show him my student I.D. to let him know I am not a thief. He shakes his head and motions either for me to get the hell out of his store and never come back again or get the money as do come back. I don't know. He said something like "Nyeh" and swiped his hand in my direction. I can't translate hand motions well.The noodles: tasty!!!
The Broke Diaries
by Angela Nissel“People always say I’m going to look back on these days and laugh — why put it off?” When Angela Nissel found herself struggling financially while in college, instead of sulking, she decided to entertain herself by creating an online journal that chronicled her day-to-day trials and tribulations. Written with humor and intelligence, her “Broke Diary” quickly found an audience as people wrote to Angela to empathize with, console, and laugh with her about her experiences and even share their own. The Bro...
Mixed
by Angela Nissel"Tell anyone who asks that you're half-black and half-white, just like David Hasselhoff from Knight Rider."-Angela's mother"Love has no color," insist Angela Nissel's parents, but does it have a clue? In this candid, funny, and poignant memoir, Angela recounts growing up biracial in Philadelphia-moving back and forth between black inner-city schools and white prep schools-where her racial ambiguity and doomed attempts to blend in dog her teen years. Once in college, Angela experiments with black activism (hoping to find clarity in extremism), capitalizes on her "exotic" look at a strip club, and ends up with a major case of the blues (aka, a racial identity problem). Yet Angela is never down for the count. After moving to Los Angeles, she discovers that being multiracial is anything but simple, especially in terms of dating and romance.By turns a comedy of errors and a moving coming-of-age chronicle, Mixed traces one woman's unforgettable journey to self-acceptance and belonging.Praise for Mixed"I love Angela Nissel's writing. Reading Mixed was like getting a letter from a best friend I forgot I had. How ironic that a book written by someone who felt like no one "got" her will surely be one of those rare books everyone gets- black, white, both, neither. Hilarious, sweet, and honest, Mixed is the perfect read if you've ever felt like the one standing on the outside-- and let's face it, who hasn't? - -Jill Soloway, author of Tiny Ladies in Shiny Pants"Nissel is humorous, poignant, and proud yet also empathetic and generous as she recounts her constant struggle to answer the perennial question persons of mixed race seem required to ask of themselves in our society-where do I fit in?.... All readers stand to learn from her account." -- Booklist"Colorful anecdotes, marvelous dialogue and a thoughtful narrative make this memoir a delight."-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"If David Sedaris was a straight biracial female, this is the book he'd write. This book is so funny I've already started telling people I helped Angela write it." -- Bill Lawrence, creator of Scrubs"Growing up black and white, I always felt I had the best of both worlds. I feel the same way about Mixed. It's the perfect blend of hilarious comedy and sometimes tragic reality." -- Yvette Lee Bowser, creator of Living Single and executive producer of Half and Half"Mixed is a hilarious must-read for anyone searching for the enchanting path to self-discovery. Angela Nissel's precise account of living the mixed race experience not only hit home with me, but the journey is deliciously enlightening and heart-rending at the same time. It's a journey well worth taking." --Halle BerryFrom the Trade Paperback edition.
Caleidoscopio: Facetas & flashbacks
by Brian NissenUn divertido y perspicaz retrato de lugares y de gente encontrados en el camino del renombrado artista Brian Nissen. En este libro, el renombrado artista Brian Nissen cuenta sus andanzas en el mundo del arte. Un divertido y perspicaz retrato de lugares y de gente encontrados en su camino #entre otros, deambulan personajes como Nicanor Parra, Rufino Tamayo, Octavio Paz, Leonora Carrington y Dore Ashton. Caleidoscopio también nos regala agudas observaciones del autor acerca del arte contemporáneo, así como ensayos sobre arte y ciencia y el arte erótico. Pintor y escultor, Nissen ha expuesto su obra en museos y galerías por el mundo. Ha trabajado en el cine, realizado coreografías y pintado murales. Entre sus libros publicados se encuentran Expuesto, Limulus, Voluptuario, Farándula y Brian Nissen, una extensa monografía de su obra. Sus códices -reinterpretaciones de los antiguos libros mexicas realizados en el contexto del arte actual-, se encuentran en las bibliotecas de las universidades de Princeton y Harvard, el Museo de Arte Moderno de Nueva York y el Museo de Brooklyn. La crítica ha dicho... «Estamos ante un libro conversado que se beneficia del espontáneo witticism británico y la picardía mexicana. El título no puede ser más certero: en su papel de memorialista, Nissen no brinda las dilatadas secuencias de una vida; se concentra en escenas fundamentales, los vidrios de colores de un paisaje en movimiento.» Juan Villoro «Brian Nissen nos ofrece una visión múltiple del deseo. La perfección de su forma es su imperfección. Su arte no aspira conscientemente a la permanencia si ésta es el signo de la permanencia. Por eso, permanecerá» Carlos Fuentes «Nissen es un inventor de formas sólidas que de pronto, arrebatadas por un soplo entusiasta, se echan a volar: súbito polen multicolor» Octavio Paz «Brian Nissen ha establecido diálogos con los movimientos modernistas de mayor envergadura y ha encontrado inspiración estilística en todo aquello que pudiera haber congeniado con esa visión inconfundiblemente suya» Arthur Danto «Nissen diversifica entonces su tarea para establecer una fuente antropológica de gente, lugares y costumbres tradicionales. Y así como los artistas prehispánicos se refieren a todo lo concerniente a su existencia -la cocina, la medicina, el comercio, los cultos, el tiempo del calendario y el tiempo cósmico-, Nissen inventa una existencia» Dore Ashton
Sex, Love, and Money
by Gerald Nissenbaum John SedgwickOne of the nation's top divorce lawyers opens his case files to share true stories that rival the most outrageous fiction Gerald Nissenbaum knows everything about his clients-how much is in their bank accounts, what kind of sex their spouses like, if they married for money or power, and who cheated with whom. For the first time in his long career, Nissenbaum gives the lowdown on all the antics he's experienced in dealing with clients who have money to burn. From a C-note hooker-turned-trophy-wife who put her dying husband into a nursing home and drained his bank accounts, to the dad who spent millions to recover the kids his wife kidnapped, this memoir is by turns dark, cathartic, vengeful, and hilarious as it describes the high-end, high-conflict divorces that ruin the lives of everyone involved. Currently commanding $700 per hour, Nissenbaum sees firsthand how neurotic, unrealistic, status-hungry, manipulative, and sex-crazed his multimillion-dollar clients can be. In the style of Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, Nissenbaum and Sedgwick blow the doors off the dark side of marriage, making this outrageous and compelling memoir a truly guilty pleasure.
Hitler and Film: The Führer's Hidden Passion
by Bill NivenAn exposé of Hitler’s relationship with film and his influence on the film industry A presence in Third Reich cinema, Adolf Hitler also personally financed, ordered, and censored films and newsreels and engaged in complex relationships with their stars and directors. Here, Bill Niven offers a powerful argument for reconsidering Hitler’s fascination with film as a means to further the Nazi agenda. In this first English-language work to fully explore Hitler’s influence on and relationship with film in Nazi Germany, the author calls on a broad array of archival sources. Arguing that Hitler was as central to the Nazi film industry as Goebbels, Niven also explores Hitler’s representation in Third Reich cinema, personally and through films focusing on historical figures with whom he was associated, and how Hitler’s vision for the medium went far beyond “straight propaganda.” He aimed to raise documentary film to a powerful art form rivaling architecture in its ability to reach the masses.
Bring On the Empty Horses
by David NivenHollywood was Lotus Land between 1935 and 1960 and bore little relationship to the rest of the world, but it was vastly exciting to be part of a thriving, thrusting "first growth" industry-- the greatest form of mass entertainment so far invented-- and if exaggeration became the norm, it was hard to recognize the fact, when a "great star" could confidently expect to receive 20,000 letters a week and newspapers all over the world daily set aside several pages for the news and gossip pumped out by the Hollywood self-adulation machines.
Bring on the Empty Horses
by David NivenDavid Niven is remembered as one of Britain's best-loved actors. The archetypal English gentleman, he starred in over ninety films. He is also one of Hollywood's finest chroniclers.In this second volume, David Niven turns his attention to 'The Great Days of Hollywood' between 1935 and 1960. These were times of legendary film stars and despotic producers, of tycoons, of oddballs, and of classic movies.Rich in anecdote, and written in his inimitable humorous style, BRING ON THE EMPTY HORSES is perhaps the most acclaimed sequel to an autobiography ever written.(P)2012 Headline Digital
The Moon's a Balloon
by David NivenDavid Niven is remembered as one of Britain's best-loved actors. The archetypal English gentleman, he starred in over ninety films. He is equally remembered as the author of this classic autobiography.In his first volume, he remembers his childhood and school days, his time at Sandhurst and his early army service. He recalls America during the prohibition era and days in Hollywood before the Second World War. Of the war itself, he tells of family life back in Britain and his time on the front line in France and Germany.THE MOON'S A BALLOON is a wonderful record of a truly remarkable and warm-hearted man, told in his inimitable style.(P)2005 Headline Digital
Ada Blackjack: A True Story of Survival in the Arctic
by Jennifer Nivenfrom the bookjacket "Ada Blackjack was an unlikely hero-an unskilled 23-year-old Inuit woman with no knowledge of the world outside Nome, Alaska. Divorced, impoverished, and despondent, she had one focus in her life-to care for her sickly young son. In September 1921, in search of money and a husband, she signed on as seamstress for a top-secret expedition into the unknown Arctic. It was controversial explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson who sent four young men and Ada Blackjack into the far North to colonize desolate, uninhabited Wrangel Island. Only two of the men had set foot in the Arctic before. They took with them six months' worth of supplies on Stefansson's theory that this would be enough to sustain them for a year while they lived off the land itself. But as winter set in, they were struck by hardship and tragedy. As months went by and they began to starve, they were forced to ration their few remaining provisions. When three of the men made a desperate attempt to seek help, Ada was left to care for the fourth, who was too sick to travel. Soon after, she found herself totally alone. Upon Ada's miraculous return after two years on the island, the international press heralded her as the female Robinson Crusoe. Journalists hunted her down, but she refused to talk to anyone about her harrowing experiences. Only on one occasion-after being accused of a horrible crime she did not commit-did she speak up for herself. All the while, she was tricked and exploited by those who should have been her champions."
The Aqua Net Diaries
by Jennifer NivenFor anyone who has ever endured the insufferable pain, the soaring excitement, and the relentless shame of adolescence, critically acclaimed author Jennifer Niven shares her own hilarious and touching tales of teenage life at a Midwestern high school in the 1980s. If you had found Jennifer Niven in the looming halls of Richmond, Indiana's lone high school in 1985, she would have had enormous hair and been wearing her favorite yellow Esprit shirt. She would have been flirting with Tommy Wissel, and passing notes to her best friend Joey about whether Dean Waldemar was going to ask her to the dance. And her last name would have been McJunkin, because Niven is the pen name she planned to use whenever she finally graduated and became a famous writer/actress in some big city far, far away from farms, tractors, mullets, and food festivals. In her entertaining and heartfelt memoir, Jennifer takes readers back to that thrilling, excruciating, amazing, unnerving, awkward, and unforgettable time -- high school -- when life's greatest problems revolved around saying and doing the right thing, wrestling with geometric theorems, fretting over a bad hair day, waiting for the weekend's parties, trying not to die of boredom, and dying to be noticed by the most popular boy in school. It was a time of feeling fearless and invincible, with miles of firsts still to come. From meeting her best friend for life in Mr. Foos's first-period geometry class to partying one last time before college -- when not just the cool kids but the hoods, the geeks, and the normal kids gathered together to say good-bye -- Jennifer shares the funny, poignant, and silly stories of a simpler time and place. Irresistibly charming and utterly true, The Aqua Net Diaries is one girl's unique yet undeniably universal survival story of the best years of her life.
Thornton Wilder: A Life
by Penelope Niven"Thornton Wilder: A Life brings readers face to face with the extraordinary man who made words come alive around the world, on the stage and on the page." —James Earl Jones, actor"Comprehensive and wisely fashioned….A splendid and long needed work." —Edward Albee, playwrightThornton Wilder—three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, creator of such enduring stage works as Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth, and beloved novels like Bridge of San Luis Ray and Theophilus North—was much more than a pivotal figure in twentieth century American theater and literature. He was a world-traveler, a student, a teacher, a soldier, an actor, a son, a brother, and a complex, intensely private man who kept his personal life a secret. In Thornton Wilder: A Life, author Penelope Niven pulls back the curtain to present a fascinating, three-dimensional portrait one of America's greatest playwrights, novelists, and literary icons.
Life In The Ocean: The Story Of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle
by Claire A. NivolaSylvia Earle first lost her heart to the ocean as a young girl when she discovered the wonders of the Gulf of Mexico in her backyard. As an adult, she dives even deeper. Whether she's designing submersibles, swimming with the whales, or taking deep-water walks, Sylvia Earle has dedicated her life to learning more about what she calls "the blue heart of the planet." With stunningly detailed pictures of the wonders of the sea, Life in the Ocean tells the story of Sylvia's growing passion and how her ocean exploration and advocacy have made her known around the world. This picture book biography also includes an informative author's note that will motivate young environmentalists.
Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai
by Claire A. NivolaWangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and founder of the Green Belt Movement, grew up in the highlands of Kenya, where fig trees cloaked the hills, fish filled the streams, and the people tended their bountiful gardens. But over many years, as more and more land was cleared, Kenya was transformed. When Wangari returned home from college in America, she found the village gardens dry, the people malnourished, and the trees gone. How could she alone bring back the trees and restore the gardens and the people? Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature, says: “Wangari Maathai’s epic story has never been told better—-everyone who reads this book will want to plant a tree!” With glowing watercolor illustrations and lyrical prose, Claire Nivola tells the remarkable story of one woman’s effort to change the fate of her land by teaching many to care for it. An author’s note provides further information about Wangari Maathai and the Green Belt Movement. In keeping with the theme of the story, the book is printed on recycled paper.
Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai
by Claire A. NivolaWith glowing watercolor illustrations and lyrical prose, Claire Nivola tells the remarkable story of one woman's effort to change the fate of her land by teaching many to care for it. An author's note provides further information about Wangari Maathai and the Green Belt Movement. In keeping with the theme of the story, the book is printed on recycled paper.