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Summary and Analysis of Hidden Figures: Based on the Book by Margot Lee Shetterly (Smart Summaries)
by Worth BooksSo much to read, so little time? Get an overview of Hidden Figures, the true story about the African American female mathematicians who helped NASA win the space race. Margot Lee Shetterly&’s Hidden Figures tells the incredible real-life account of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden—who, in a time when black women faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles, went to work as &“calculators&” at NASA. With pencils, paper, and slide rules, they transformed airplane, rocket, and satellite designs—and ensured a World War II victory. Despite the social and political climate at the height of Jim Crow, these women rose up and became integral to the project that put the first man on the moon. From World War II to the Cold War to the civil rights movement to the space race, Hidden Figures tells the story of four remarkable women whose contributions to science led to some of NASA&’s greatest successes. The book has become a New York Times bestseller as well as a Screen Actors Guild Award–winning and Academy Award–nominated picture starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Kirsten Dunst, and Kevin Costner. With historical context, important quotes, fascinating trivia, a glossary of terms, and other features, this summary and analysis of Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race is intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.
Summary and Analysis of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks: Based on the Book by Rebecca Skloot
by Worth BooksSo much to read, so little time? This brief overview of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks tells you what you need to know—before or after you read the original book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and gives you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This short summary and analysis of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot includes: Historical contextPart-by-part summaryContext and analysisDetailed timeline of key eventsCast of charactersImportant quotesFascinating triviaSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot: For decades, scientists have been using “HeLa” cells in biological research, from the polio vaccine and the nature of cancer to studying how human cells behave in outer space. This famous cell line began as a sample of cells taken from a poor African American mother of five named Henrietta Lacks. Henrietta died of cervical cancer in 1951 without before ever knowing that medical professionals from Johns Hopkins had taken these cells without her consent. When her family finds out that Henrietta’s cells are being bought and sold in labs around the world, they unwittingly find themselves at the intersection of a debate on science, race, and medical ethics. In her New York Times #1 bestseller, science journalist Rebecca Skloot tells the story of the woman behind the cells and her family’s struggle with the medical institutions that failed to acknowledge the human cost of scientific advancement. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.
Summary and Analysis of In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences
by Worth BooksSo much to read, so little time? This brief overview of In Cold Blood tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Truman Capote’s book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This short summary and analysis of In Cold Blood by Truman Capote includes: Historical context, Chapter-by-chapter summaries, Detailed timeline of important events, Important quotes, Fascinating trivia, Supporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work. About Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood: A masterpiece of true crime and literary nonfiction, Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood is the story of a 1959 multiple murder in rural Kansas. Combining journalistic research with masterful storytelling, Capote reconstructs the events surrounding the killing of the Clutter family and the crime’s aftermath—from the last day of the Clutters’ lives to the day their murderers are executed. Gripping, chilling, and suspenseful, In Cold Blood is a pioneering work of nonfiction and a highly acclaimed modern American classic. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.
Summary and Analysis of Love Warrior: Based on the Book by Glennon Doyle Melton
by Worth BooksSo much to read, so little time? This brief overview of Love Warrior tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Glennon Doyle Melton’s book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This short summary and analysis of Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton includes: Historical contextChapter-by-chapter summariesCharacter analysisImportant quotesFascinating triviaSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton: Written with unflinching honesty and hard-earned wisdom, Glennon Doyle Melton’s memoir, Love Warrior, is the story of one woman’s journey from devastating heartbreak after her husband’s infidelity to a new understanding of what it means to love, to marry, and to be a woman. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to great work of nonfiction.
Summary and Analysis of Man's Search for Meaning: Based on the Book by Victor E. Frankl (Smart Summaries)
by Worth BooksSo much to read, so little time? This brief overview of Man&’s Search for Meaning tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Viktor E. Frankl&’s book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This short summary and analysis of Man&’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl includes: Historical contextChapter-by-chapter summariesImportant quotesFascinating triviaGlossary of termsSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About Man&’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl: Written just after World War II, Viktor Frankl&’s international bestseller Man&’s Search for Meaning is both a heartbreaking memoir and a source of inspiration for millions of readers. Dr. Frankl&’s description of his time in a string of Nazi concentration camps is a fascinating, mandatory read for anyone wanting a better understanding of the Holocaust. A highly respected psychotherapist, his ideas on human emotion, the mind, mental health, tragic optimism, and the day-to-day neuroses of common people in the modern world provide spiritual guidance as each of us searches for meaning in our own lives. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.
Summary and Analysis of The Professor and the Madman: Based on the book by Simon Winchester
by Worth BooksSo much to read, so little time? This brief overview of The Professor and the Madman tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Simon Winchester’s book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This short summary and analysis of The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester includes:Historical contextChapter-by-chapter summariesDetailed timeline of key eventsImportant quotesFascinating triviaSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester: Simon Winchester’s The Professor and the Madman is the remarkable tale of two Victorian-era scholars, the English language, and the making of the Oxford English Dictionary. Recounting the unlikely bond between a criminally insane American Civil War veteran and the renowned Scottish editor of the OED, the enchanting story of their relationship illuminates the decades of the dictionary’s compilation—from A to Z. Wittily eloquent and historically incisive, The Professor and the Madman is the portrait of a friendship and, by extension, of the greatest dictionary ever created in the English language. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.
Summary and Analysis of The Romanovs: Based on the Book by Simon Sebag Montefiore
by Worth BooksSo much to read, so little time? This brief overview of The Romanovs tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Simon Sebag Montefiore’s book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This short summary and analysis of The Romanovs: 1613–1918 includes: Historical contextChapter-by-chapter overviewsImportant quotesFascinating triviaGlossary of termsSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original workAbout The Romanovs by Simon Sebag Montefiore: Award-winning historian Simon Sebag Montefiore’s The Romanovs delves into the reign of the Romanovs, Russia’s most infamous ruling family, showing how the formidable clan rose to power and held on to it for more than three hundred years. In a sweeping chronological narrative of tsars and tsarinas, Sebag Montefiore’s well-researched biography details the drama that characterized Russia’s greatest dynasty, shedding light on the monarchs’ lives and actions. Beginning with Michael’s accession in 1613—marking the end of the Time of Troubles—and ending with the family’s tragic massacre in 1918, The Romanovs shows how generations of Russian tsars ruled autocratically, through violence, greed, and intrigue. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.
Summary and Analysis of The Stranger Beside Me: Based on the Book by Ann Rule
by Worth BooksSo much to read, so little time? This brief overview of The Stranger Beside Me tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Ann Rule’s book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This short summary and analysis of The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule includes: Historical contextSection-by-section summariesDetailed timeline of important eventsImportant quotesFascinating triviaSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule: Among American serial killers, Ted Bundy is infamous not just for his crimes, but for the way he was able to charm his victims. Bundy’s friendly demeanor fooled many, including Ann Rule, bestselling true crime author and former law enforcement officer. Rule and Bundy met while working together at a suicide hotline. The two remained friends throughout the period of Bundy’s crimes, trials, and fight against execution. This friendship gives the reader an intimate window into a man countless psychiatrists struggle to explain. Get to know Ted Bundy, a true sociopath, and learn about his reign of terror in the Pacific Northwest, Florida, and perhaps beyond. Rule’s police background adds compelling perspective to one of the most popular, detailed, and personal books written about Ted Bundy. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.
Summary and Analysis of Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: Based on the Book by Brian Kilmeade & Don Yaeger (Smart Summaries)
by Worth BooksSo much to read, so little time? This brief overview of Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger&’s book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This short summary and analysis of Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger includes: Historical contextChapter-by-chapter summariesImportant quotesFascinating triviaGlossary of termsSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original workAbout Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger: In 1785, US merchant ships that sailed the Mediterranean Sea began to face an unexpected threat: pirates from the North African coast. American sailors were subjected to pillage and enslavement while their government tried to negotiate tributes and ransom prices with the Islamic rulers of the Barbary nations. As the Barbary conflict intensified, Thomas Jefferson saw that negotiations could only proceed if the United States showed its military strength through a naval presence and the use of force in the Mediterranean. Jefferson committed himself to this cause as he rose to the position of secretary of state and later, president of the United States. In Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War that Changed American History, authors Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger trace the exciting tale of how these kidnappings led to the First Barbary War, what transpired between the warring nations, and how Thomas Jefferson&’s decisions helped shape US policy today. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.
Summary and Analysis of Victoria: Based on the Book by Julia Baird (Smart Summaries)
by Worth BooksSo much to read, so little time? This brief overview of Victoria: The Queen tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Julia Baird&’s book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and gives you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This short summary and analysis of Victoria: The Queen includes: Historical contextChapter-by-chapter overviewsProfiles of the main charactersDetailed timeline of key eventsImportant quotesFascinating triviaGlossary of termsSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original workAbout Victoria:The Queen by Julia Baird: Julia Baird explores and unpacks the legend of Victoria: long-reigning monarch, wife, mother, and symbol of the British Empire. Rather than contributing to the myths surrounding this fascinating and complex woman, Baird describes Victoria as she really was: passionate, strong-willed, hot-tempered, hard-working, and desperate to hold on to power and govern her nation while remaining the loyal wife to her beloved Prince Albert. Baird&’s biography takes readers through Queen Victoria&’s life and long reign, giving a clear and lucid analysis of often complex political events and relationships, as well as the personal dynamics of her household, and providing a thorough understanding of a transformative era in British history. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.
Summary and Analysis of The Wright Brothers: Based on the Book by David McCullough
by Worth BooksSo much to read, so little time? This brief overview of The Wright Brothers tells you what you need to know--before or after you read David McCullough's book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This short summary and analysis of The Wright Brothers by David McCullough includes: Historical contextChapter-by-chapter summariesDetailed timeline of key eventsImportant quotesFascinating triviaGlossary of termsSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About David McCullough's The Wright Brothers: Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner David McCullough's biography is a fresh, personal account of Wilbur and Orville Wright: two young men from the American Midwest who, armed with dedication, ingenuity, and the skills they acquired as bicycle mechanics, invented the first practical airplane in history. Based on extensive research--including the brothers' personal correspondence and diaries--The Wright Brothers brings these two iconic American heroes to life as never before. More than the chronicle of an invention, The Wright Brothers is the story of an American family whose belief in the values of hard work and perseverance made all things seem possible--even the conquest of the skies. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.
The Summer Guest: A Novel of Chekhov
by Alison AndersonWhat if Anton Chekhov, undisputed master of the short story, actually wrote a novel—and the manuscript still existed? This tantalizing possibility drives The Summer Guest, a spellbinding narrative that draws together, across two centuries, the lives of three women through the discovery of a diary.During the long, hot summer of 1888, an extraordinary friendship blossoms between Anton Chekhov and Zinaida Lintvaryova, a young doctor. Recently blinded by illness, Zinaida has retreated to her family’s estate in the lush countryside of Eastern Ukraine, where she is keeping a diary to record her memories of her earlier life. But when the Chekhov family arrives to spend the summer at a dacha on the estate, and she meets the middle son Anton Pavlovich, her quiet existence is transformed by the connection they share. What begins as a journal kept simply to pass the time becomes an intimate, introspective narrative of Zinaida’s singular relationship with this doctor and writer of growing fame.More than a century later, in 2014, the unexpected discovery of this diary represents Katya Kendall’s last chance to save her struggling London publishing house. Zinaida’s description of a gifted young man still coming to terms with his talent offers profound insight into a literary legend, but it also raises a tantalizing question: Did Chekhov, known only as a short story writer and playwright, write a novel over the course of their friendship that has since disappeared? The answer could change history, and finding it proves an irresistible challenge for Ana Harding, the translator Katya hires. Increasingly drawn into Zinaida and Chekhov’s world, Ana is consumed by her desire to find the “lost” book. As she delves deeper into the moving account of two lives changed by a meeting on a warm May night, she discovers that the manuscript is not the only mystery contained within the diary’s pages.Inspired by the real friendship between Chekhov and the Lintvaryov family, landowners in the Ukraine, The Summer Guest is a masterful and utterly compelling literary novel that breathes life into a vanished world, while exploring the transformative power of art and the complexity of love and friendship.
The Sun & The Moon & The Rolling Stones
by Rich CohenA panoramic narrative history that will give readers a new understanding of the Rolling Stones, viewed through the impassioned and opinionated lens of the Vanity Fair contributor--and co-creator of HBO's Vinyl--who was along for the ride as a young reporter on the road with the band in the 1990s Rich Cohen enters the Stones epic as a young journalist on the road with the band and quickly falls under their sway--privy to the jokes, the camaraderie, the bitchiness, the hard living. Inspired by a lifelong appreciation of the music that borders on obsession, Cohen's chronicle of the band is informed by the rigorous views of a kid who grew up on the music and for whom the Stones will always be the greatest rock 'n' roll band of all time.The story begins at the beginning: the fateful meeting of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards on a train platform in 1961--and goes on to span decades, with a focus on the golden run--from the albums Beggars Banquet (1968) to Exile on Main Street (1972)--when the Stones were prolific and innovative and at the height of their powers. Cohen is equally as good on the low points as the highs, and he puts his finger on the moments that not only defined the Stones as gifted musicians schooled in the blues and arguably the most innovative songwriters of their generation, but as the avatars of so much in our modern culture. In the end, though, after the drugs and the girlfriends and the rows, there is the music. The Sun & The Moon & The Rolling Stones makes you want to listen to every song in your library anew and search out the obscure gems that you've yet to hear. The music, together with Cohen's fresh and galvanizing consideration of the band, will define, once and forever, why the Stones will always matter.
The Sun & the Moon & the Rolling Stones
by Rich CohenRich Cohen enters the Stones epic as a young journalist on the road with the band and quickly falls under their sway - privy to the jokes, the camaraderie, the bitchiness, the hard living. Inspired by a lifelong appreciation of the music that borders on obsession, Cohen's chronicle of the band is informed by the rigorous views of a kid who grew up on the music and for whom the Stones will always be the greatest rock 'n' roll band of all time.This is a non-fiction book that reads like a novel filled with the greatest musicians, agents and artists of the most indelible age in pop culture. It's a book only Rich, with his unique access, experience and love of the band could write.
The Sun & the Moon & the Rolling Stones
by Rich CohenRich Cohen enters the Stones epic as a young journalist on the road with the band and quickly falls under their sway - privy to the jokes, the camaraderie, the bitchiness, the hard living. Inspired by a lifelong appreciation of the music that borders on obsession, Cohen's chronicle of the band is informed by the rigorous views of a kid who grew up on the music and for whom the Stones will always be the greatest rock 'n' roll band of all time.(P)2016 Random House Audio
Sunny's Nights
by Tim SultanImagine that Alice had walked into a bar instead of falling down the rabbit hole. In the tradition of J. R. Moehringer's The Tender Bar and the classic reportage of Joseph Mitchell, here is an indelible portrait of what is quite possibly the greatest bar in the world--and the mercurial, magnificent man behind it. The first time he saw Sunny's Bar, in 1995, Tim Sultan was lost, thirsty for a drink, and intrigued by the single bar sign among the forlorn warehouses lining the Brooklyn waterfront. Inside, he found a dimly lit room crammed with maritime artifacts, a dozen well-seasoned drinkers, and, strangely, a projector playing a classic Martha Graham dance performance. Sultan knew he had stumbled upon someplace special. What he didn't know was that he had just found his new home. Soon enough, Sultan has quit his office job to bartend full-time for Sunny Balzano, the bar's owner. A wild-haired Tony Bennett lookalike with a fondness for quoting Shakespeare and Samuel Beckett, Sunny is truly one of a kind. Born next to the saloon that has been in his family for one hundred years, Sunny has over the years partied with Andy Warhol, spent time in India at the feet of a guru, and painted abstract expressionist originals. But his masterpiece is the bar itself, a place where a sublime mix of artists, mobsters, honky-tonk musicians, neighborhood drunks, nuns, longshoremen, and assorted eccentrics rub elbows. Set against the backdrop of a rapidly transforming city, Sunny's Nights is a loving and singular portrait of the dream experience we're all searching for every time we walk into a bar, and an enchanting memoir of an unlikely and abiding friendship. Advance praise for Sunny's Nights "Sunny's Nights is more than an elegy for a bar and a neighborhood--it's also a vivid and loving portrait of the larger-than-life eccentric who gave the bar its name and its spirit, and a moving memoir about friendship and finding a home. Tim Sultan is a wonderful writer, wry and observant, with a sly sense of humor and a big heart."--Tom Perrotta, author of The Leftovers"Tim Sultan tells the terrific story of how one dark and raggedy waterfront bar changed his life. It is a wonderfully drawn portrait of the artist as barkeep."--Robert Sullivan, author of My American Revolution "This beautifully written chronicle of a disappearing place and its unforgettable people reveals how, sometimes, friendship endures when everything else, except perhaps the memories, is gone."--Howard Frank Mosher, author of God's Kingdom"[A] polished, affecting look at remarkable barkeep Sunny Balzano . . . In elegant prose, Sultan deploys laconic humor, an instinct for telling details, a taste for eccentricity, and above all, clear-eyed compassion for our all-too-human failings."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Beautifully wrought, evocative . . . an indelible portrait of an unusual man and a nearly forgotten part of NYC."--BooklistFrom the Hardcover edition.
Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries
by Andy CohenThe star-studded and sidesplitting follow up to The Andy Cohen Diaries<P><P> The megapopular host of Watch What Happens: Live and executive producer of The Real Housewives franchise is back, better than ever, and telling stories that will keep his publicist up at night.<P> Since the publication of his last book, Andy has toured the country with his sidekick Anderson Cooper, hit the radio waves with his own Sirius station, Radio Andy, appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher despite his mother’s conviction he was not intellectually prepared, hosted NBC’s Primetime New Year’s Eve special, guest edited Entertainment Weekly, starred in Bravo’s Then & Now with Andy Cohen, offended celebrities with his ongoing case of foot-in-mouth disease, and welcomed home Teresa “Namaste” Giudice, from a brief stint in jail. Hopping from the Hamptons to the Manhattan dating world, the dog park to the red carpet, Cardinals superfan and mama’s boy Andy Cohen, with Wacha in tow, is the kind of star that fans are dying to be friends with. This book gives them that chance.<P> If The Andy Cohen Diaries was deemed “the literary equivalent of a Fresca and tequila” by Jimmy Fallon, Superficial is a double: dishier, juicier, and friskier. In this account of his escapades―personal, professional, and behind-the-scenes―Andy tells us not only what goes down, but exactly what he thinks of it.
Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries
by Andy CohenThe megapopular host of Watch What Happens: Live and executive producer of The Real Housewives franchise is back, better than ever, and telling stories that will keep his publicist up at night. Since the publication of his last book, Andy has toured the country with his sidekick Anderson Cooper, hit the radio waves with his own Sirius station, Radio Andy, appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher despite his mother’s conviction he was not intellectually prepared, hosted NBC’s Primetime New Year’s Eve special, guest edited Entertainment Weekly, starred in Bravo’s Then & Now with Andy Cohen, offended celebrities with his ongoing case of foot-in-mouth disease, and welcomed home Teresa “Namaste” Giudice, from a brief stint in jail. Hopping from the Hamptons to the Manhattan dating world, the dog park to the red carpet, Cardinals superfan and mama’s boy Andy Cohen, with Wacha in tow, is the kind of star that fans are dying to be friends with. This book gives them that chance.
Superman: The Man of Tomorrow
by Daniel WallaceHow did a child from another planet named Kal-El become farm boy Clark Kent? What happened to his planet and family? What powers does he possess and what are his weaknesses? Who are his most trusted allies and fearsome foes? In this biography--complete with black-and-white illustrations, timelines, and fact boxes--young readers will delight in learning the complete history of Metropolis's fearless protector.
Supreme Sacrifice: A Small Village and the Great War
by Walter Reid Paul Birch Gordon MastertonA unique book that follows the story of World War I through the lives and deaths of seventy-two soldiers in one small Scottish village. The war memorial in the Scottish village of Bridge of Weir lists seventy-two men who died during the First World War. Their deaths occurred in almost every theater of the war. They were awarded very few medals, and their military careers were not remarkable—except in the important respect that they, like countless other peaceful civilians, answered their country&’s call in its time of need. This book follows the lives of these sons of Bridge of Weir, not just as soldiers, sailors, and airmen, but as husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, and members of a small community that felt their loss intensely. At the same time, it also paints a larger picture of the war, of the politicians and generals and military campaigns that shaped it. The brave men of Bridge of Weir knew little of the wider context—their experience was of the smaller histories in which they fought and died. Readers of this book will understand what the seventy-two never knew: why and how the war that claimed their lives was fought.
Surf City
by Dean Torrence Foreword by Mike LoveAmid the tourist bustle in the biggest beach city in Orange County, hometown personalities and their stories are Chris Epting's business. As a widely published author and columnist for the Huntington Beach Independent," Epting has covered the famous and not-so-famous, the local people, places and events of Surf City's beachscapes and street scenes with a reporter's curiosity, a historian's exactitude and an ambassador's pride. "Huntington Beach Chronicles" offers a diverse collection of stories about the everyday people and extraordinary events that have woven together a community with a charm and character unlike any other. "
Surf City: The Jan and Dean Story
by Mike Love Dean TorrenceThe Jan and Dean Story is a personal story of the iconic musician and entrepreneur Dean Torrence. As a memoir The Jan and Dean Story has elements of humor, tragedy and redemption. It tells their story from the early high school friendship struck up between Jan Berry and Dean Torrence and their ascent to the dizzying heights of stardom riding the crest of the "surf" craze. The Jan and Dean Story is as much about the culture of the 1960s as it is about music. Dean has lived an incredible life and continues to promote a lifestyle and surf culture that is now universally admired and followed throughout the world.The story also recounts Jan's tragic car accident and his ability to recover enough to continue to perform will be inspiring to many readers even those not familiar with surf music. For pop culture addicts and music buffs alike this book is indispensable. As early teen icons, Jan and Dean left an indelible mark on the music of the 60's and the American psyche.Dean Torrence is still touring and creating music and often appears with the Beach Boys and other groups from the heyday of surf music.
Surfacing: From the Depths of Self-Doubt to Winning Big & Living Fearlessly
by Lindley SiriIn Surfacing, Siri Lindley opens up about her unique celebrity-dappled early life. When and NFL superstar notices her beautiful mother, her idyllic childhood is upended. Glitzy dinner parties and world travel pull her mother away, and Lindley grows up feeling alone and out of place. As her intense loneliness grows into anger, she lashes out against her New England life of privilege. Shy and painfully self-aware, Lindley finds solace in sports, playing field hockey, ice hockey, and lacrosse at Brown University. But when she misses the cut for the US lacrosse team after college, she is left directionless - until a friend invites her to watch a triathlon. Lindley's dream is reignited and she never looks back. Success doesn't come easily. Lindley fails early and often - brutal swim starts, bike equipment failures at key races, grueling workouts - but it's debilitating anxiety that still haunts her. She turns to unconventional Australian coach, Brett Sutton, who helps her tear up her script of self-doubt and transforms her into a world champion. Lindley retires from the sport at the peak of her success, intent on helping athletes realize their own dreams, and finally finds the courage to step out into her true self and find love as a gay woman. Surfacing is the breathtakingly honest book that shares Lindley's daring journey. She is proof that it's never too late to rewrite your own story and change the thoughts, habits and behaviors that hold you back. Surfacing will inspire you as it shows you how to stop being your own worst enemy and start uncovering your potential.
Surge of Piety: Norman Vincent Peale and the Remaking of American Religious Life
by Christopher LaneThe dramatic untold story of how Norman Vincent Peale and a handful of conservative allies fueled the massive rise of religiosity in the United States during the 1950s Near the height of Cold War hysteria, when the threat of all-out nuclear war felt real and perilous, Presbyterian minister Norman Vincent Peale published The Power of Positive Thinking. Selling millions of copies worldwide, the book offered a gospel of self-assurance in an age of mass anxiety. Despite Peale's success and his ties to powerful conservatives such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, J. Edgar Hoover, and Joseph McCarthy, the full story of his movement has never been told. Christopher Lane shows how the famed minister's brand of Christian psychology inflamed the nation's religious revival by promoting the concept that belief in God was essential to the health and harmony of all Americans. We learn in vivid detail how Peale and his powerful supporters orchestrated major changes in a nation newly defined as living "under God. " This blurring of the lines between religion and medicine would reshape religion as we know it in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Surviving the Death Railway: A POW's Memoir and Letters from Home
by Hilary Custance GreenThe ordeals of the POWs put to slave labour by their Japanese masters on the Burma Railway have been well documented yet never cease to shock. It is impossible not to be horrified and moved by their stoic courage in the face of inhuman brutality, appalling hardship and ever-present death.While Barry Custance Baker was enduring his 1000 days of captivity, his young wife Phyllis was attempting to correspond with him and the families of Barrys unit. Fortunately these moving letters have been preserved and appear, edited by their daughter Hilary, in this book along with Barrys graphic memoir written after the War. Surviving the Death Railways combination of first-hand account, correspondence and comment provide a unique insight into the long nightmare experienced by those in the Far East and at home. The result is a powerful and inspiring account of one of the most shameful chapters in the history of mankind which makes for compelling reading.