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Perpetuating Power: How Mexican Presidents Were Chosen
by Jorge G. Castaneda Padraic Arthur SmithiesA remarkably candid account of Mexican presidential politics, "destined to become the most important political book of the decade" (Foreign Policy). In Perpetuating Power, Jorge Castaneda lays bare the often mystifying workings of power in Mexico, offering readers a guided tour through the maze that leads to the Mexican presidential palace. Since the 1920s, Mexico has conducted presidential elections every six years, electing each time the handpicked successor to the sitting president. To outside observers, especially Americans accustomed to a fractious and relatively unpredictable political process, what stands out about the Mexican system is its odd mixture of democratic pretensions and inevitability: there are always elections, but everyone knows the next president will be the candidate of the appropriately named Party of the Institutional Revolution, which has governed Mexico throughout most of the last century and remains in power today. In six penetrating essays combined with interviews with each of the living Mexican ex-presidents, Castaneda provides a remarkably candid account of the political machinery of Mexican presidential politics--and a view, startling to political outsiders, of how power really operates.
The Perraults: A Family of Letters in Early Modern France
by Oded RabinovitchIn The Perraults, Oded Rabinovitch takes the fascinating eponymous literary and scientific family as an entry point into the complex and rapidly changing world of early modern France. Today, the Perraults are best remembered for their canonical fairy tales, such as "Cinderella" and "Puss in Boots," most often attributed to Charles Perrault, one of the brothers. While the writing of fairy tales may seem a frivolous enterprise, it was, in fact, linked to the cultural revolution of the seventeenth century, which paved the way for the scientific revolution, the rise of "national literatures," and the early Enlightenment. Rabinovitch argues that kinship networks played a crucial, yet unexamined, role in shaping the cultural and intellectual ferment of the day, which in turn shaped kinship and the social history of the family.Through skillful reconstruction of the Perraults’ careers and networks, Rabinovitch portrays the world of letters as a means of social mobility. He complicates our understanding of prominent institutions, such as the Academy of Sciences, Versailles, and the salons, as well as the very notions of authorship and court capitalism. The Perraults shows us that institutions were not simply rigid entities, embodying or defining intellectual or literary styles such as Cartesianism, empiricism, or the purity of the French language. Rather, they emerge as nodes that connect actors, intellectual projects, family strategies, and practices of writing.
The Persecution of Sarah Palin
by Matthew ContinettiThe real story of the Republican vice presidential nominee and her collision with the elite liberal media As the second woman ever nominated as a candidate for vice president, Alaska governor Sarah Palin became an instant phenomenon. Americans were enthralled by a woman with charm, ambition, natural political talent and a passion for conservative values. But the fascination of ordinary people quickly drew an unprecedented attack from the media elite and liberal activists. Far beyond the normal bounds of tough questions and challenges, Palin's enemies decided that nothing was too personal to attack-including her marriage, her children, her faith, and her wardrobe. The media distorted Palin's positions and beliefs beyond recognition. Consequently, almost every word out of her mouth was spun as a "flub. " Weekly Standard writer Matthew Continetti reveals the true story of the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee and her persecution by the elites who tried to hide their bias with solemn declarations of objectivity. Continetti offers fresh examples of malicious spin and deceit and shows how liberal snobbery has become a driving force in American politics. Palin's ordeal has become a rallying cry for the GOP in the Obama era. This perceptive book is a must-read for conservatives who want to understand what really happened, and how to avoid a repeat.
Persephone's Children: A Life in Fragments
by Rowan McCandlessAfter years of secrecy and silence, Rowan McCandless leaves an abusive relationship and rediscovers her voice and identity through writing.She was never to lie to him. She was never to leave him; and she was never supposed to tell.Persephone’s Children chronicles Rowan McCandless’s odyssey as a Black, biracial woman escaping the stranglehold of a long-term abusive relationship. Through a series of thematically linked and structurally inventive essays, McCandless explores the fraught and fragmented relationship between memory and trauma. Multiple mythologies emerge to bind legacy and loss, motherhood and daughterhood, racism and intergenerational trauma, mental illness and resiliency.It is only in the aftermath that she can begin to see the patterns in her history, hear the echoes of oppression passed down from unknown, unnamed ancestors, and discover her worth and right to exist in the world.A RARE MACHINES BOOK
Perseverance: The Seven Skills You Need to Survive, Thrive, and Accomplish More Than You Ever Imagined
by Tim HagueAn inspiring story of beating the odds and learning to overcome--no matter what life hands you.After starting a family and flourishing in his career, Tim Hague was struck by misfortune. The irritating tremor in his foot turned out to be early onset Parkinson's disease. He was only 46 years old. But what seemed to be an end became a new beginning. Just three years later, Hague won the inaugural The Amazing Race Canada (with his son, Tim Jr., as his teammate). His remarkable life story shows that perseverance is not just a matter of willpower: it is a skill that can be learned and honed. And perseverance is the theme of his life. From the day he was born, Hague has gone from one struggle to another. Yet, remarkably, he doesn't have a trace of self-pity. In fact, he feels blessed. From his tough start in life as an unwanted mixed-race baby born in Texas in 1964, to his eventual move to the unforgiving climate of Winnipeg, Canada, to start a family under difficult circumstances, and his continuing battle with Parkinson's--Hague's life is a roadmap of perseverance. Parkinson's has forced him to retire early from the work he loves as a registered nurse. But as a healthcare professional, and now suffering from a challenging disease himself, Hague discusses living with Parkinson's like no one else could. He now works with charities to help promote Parkinson's awareness and his "Live Your Best" message. Drawing on his experience winning The Amazing Race, and referencing cutting-edge research and studies, Hague weaves a moving story of failure and success, outlining the elements of his philosophy that anyone can apply to their own lives, including: * The nature of luck: Luck comes to those who keep trying until the end--never stop until the race is over. * Find community: As a nurse, a husband and father, and a man living with Parkinson's, Hague knows better than most that we all need to ask for help sometimes, and that's a good thing. * Accept limits: By focusing on what we can do, we accomplish more than we ever thought possible. * Cease striving: We think of striving as a positive attribute, but all we end up doing is banging our heads against the wall. Have goals, but have fun. Do not create anxiety out of nothing and maintain perspective. * Live Your Best: No such thing as giving 110%--can only do your best. Inspirational and entertaining, Hague's message is both simple and profound: perseverance isn't just something a person has, or a trait we admire in others. Hague's book, like his life, is a guide to how we can all learn to persevere in the face of daily struggles--or even life-changing illness.
Persevered: How Hibernian Smashed the Biggest Curse in Football
by Aidan SmithA &“delightfully quirky, witty and exquisitely rendered&” account of the Edinburgh football team that won the Scottish Cup—after a 114-year dry spell (Sunday Herald). One hundred and fourteen years and no Scottish Cup for Hibernian. It could be considered the biggest curse in football. Cock-up after near-miss after not-a-hope. Over the years, fans of the rival team Hearts have even tried to get the term &“Hibsing it&”—to chuck away a vital game from a favorable position—included in the dictionary. Every year would come the mention of 1902, the last time Hibs had won the cup. 1902, when Buffalo Bill was still alive and the bra was newly invented. And then came 2016 and a run all the way to the final at Hampden. Hibs couldn&’t finally, at long, long last, win the infernal, blasted thing . . . could they? Aidan Smith takes us on the turbulent journey that was Hibs&’ 2016 Scottish Cup Campaign, through a season of peaks and troughs that, despite everything, finally delivered that elusive Cup victory Hibs fans craved for so long.
The Persian Boy: A Novel Of Alexander The Great: A Virago Modern Classic (The Novels of Alexander the Great #2)
by Mary RenaultA New York Times–bestselling novel of the ancient king of Macedon and his lover by the author Hilary Mantel calls &“a shining light.&”The Persian Boy centers on the most tempestuous years of Alexander the Great&’s life, as seen through the eyes of his lover and most faithful attendant, Bagoas. When Bagoas is very young, his father is murdered and he is sold as a slave to King Darius of Persia. Then, when Alexander conquers the land, he is given Bagoas as a gift, and the boy is besotted. This passion comes at a time when much is at stake—Alexander has two wives, conflicts are ablaze, and plots on the Macedon king&’s life abound. The result is a riveting account of a great conqueror&’s years of triumph and, ultimately, heartbreak.The Persian Boy is the second volume of the Novels of Alexander the Great trilogy, which also includes Fire from Heaven and Funeral Games.This ebook features an illustrated biography of Mary Renault including rare images of the author.&“Mary Renault is a shining light to both historical novelists and their readers. She does not pretend the past is like the present, or that the people of ancient Greece were just like us. She shows us their strangeness; discerning, sure-footed, challenging our values, piquing our curiosity, she leads us through an alien landscape that moves and delights us.&” —Hilary Mantel
The Persian Expedition
by XenophonIn "The Persian Expedition", Xenophon, a young Athenian noble who sought his destiny abroad, provides an enthralling eyewitness account of the attempt by a Greek mercenary army - the Ten Thousand - to help Prince Cyrus overthrow his brother and take the Persian throne. When the Greeks were then betrayed by their Persian employers, they were forced to march home through hundreds of miles of difficult terrain - adrift in a hostile country and under constant attack from the unforgiving Persians and warlike tribes. In this outstanding description of endurance and individual bravery, Xenophon, one of those chosen to lead the retreating army, provides a vivid narrative of the campaign and its aftermath, and his account remains one of the best pictures we have of Greeks confronting a 'barbarian' world.
Persian Girls
by Nahid RachlinFor many years, heartache prevented Nahid Rachlin from turning her sharp novelist's eye inward: to tell the story of how her own life diverged from that of her closest confidante and beloved sister, Pari. Growing up in Iran, both refused to accept traditional Muslim mores, and dreamed of careers in literature and on the stage. Their lives changed abruptly when Pari was coerced by their father into marrying a wealthy and cruel suitor. Nahid narrowly avoided a similar fate, and instead negotiated with him to pursue her studies in America. When Nahid received the unsettling and mysterious news that Pari had died after falling down a light of stairs, she traveled back to Iran-now under the Islamic regime-to find out what happened to her truest friend, confront her past, and evaluate what the future holds for the heartbroken in a tale of crushing sorrow, sisterhood, and ultimately, hope. .
Persiguiendo el sol
by Juanes"Yo, por mi lado, cumplo con hacer lo que creo que he venido a hacer al mundo: tocar y componer música buscando con ello despertar conciencias, renovar corazones y generar un cambio. Seguiré mirando las estrellas y viajando por el mundo hasta que Dios me lo permita. Ojalá pueda seguir por muchos años más conectando vidas a través del arte, tocando mi guitarra y persiguiendo el sol". --Juanes En Persiguiendo el sol el ícono humanitario y estrella internacional de la música comparte la increíble historia de su vida y de cómo la música y la fe lo han guiado en su camino. En sus propias palabras y con deslumbrantes fotografías --algunas nunca antes vistas-- Juanes habla de sus momentos más definitivos, desde su infancia hasta el presente, reflexionando acerca de su camino espiritual y musical y sobre las experiencias personales y profesionales que lo han convertido en el hombre que es hoy. Juanes nació y se crió en Colombia. De su familia heredó un gran amor por la música y aprendió a tocar la guitarra desde pequeño. A los dieciséis años se convirtió en miembro fundador, cantante, guitarrista y compositor de Ekhymosis, que llegó a ser uno de los grupos de rock más famosos de Colombia. Sin embargo, fue su carrera como solista la que lo propulsó al estrellato internacional. Con gran honestidad, Juanes cuenta cómo sus momentos de gloria estuvieron muchas veces plagados de incertidumbre e introspección, y cómo el hecho de mantenerse fiel a sus creencias y apasionado por su arte le dio la fuerza y la visión para reinventarse. Mientras que su vida como artista ha sido ampliamente documentada, el Juanes más privado jamás se ha revelado en sus propias palabras... hasta ahora.
Persist
by Elizabeth WarrenThe inspiring, influential senator and bestselling author mixes vivid personal stories with a passionate plea for political transformation.Elizabeth Warren is a beacon for everyone who believes that real change can improve the lives of all Americans. Committed, fearless, and famously persistent, she brings her best game to every battle she wages. <P><P>In Persist, Warren writes about six perspectives that have influenced her life and advocacy. She’s a mother who learned from wrenching personal experience why child care is so essential. She’s a teacher who has known since grade school the value of a good and affordable education. She’s a planner who understands that every complex problem requires a comprehensive response. She’s a fighter who discovered the hard way that nobody gives up power willingly. She’s a learner who thinks, listens, and works to fight racism in America. And she’s a woman who has proven over and over that women are just as capable as men. <P><P>Candid and compelling, Persist is both a deeply personal book and a powerful call to action. Elizabeth Warren—one of our nation’s most visionary leaders—will inspire everyone to believe that if we’re willing to fight for it, profound change is well within our reach. <P><P><b>A New York Times Best Seller</b>
Person-Centered Studies in Psychology of Science: Examining the Active Person
by Lisa M Osbeck Stephen L. AntczakThis unique collection examines "the acting person" as an important unit of analysis for science studies, using an integrative approach of in-depth case studies to explore the cognitive, social, cultural, and personal dimensions of a series of key figures in the sciences, from Goethe to Kepler to Rachel Carson. Opening up key questions about what science is, and what comprises a scientist, the volume offers an accessible introductory approach to psychology of science, a growing area in Science and Technology Studies (STS). Case studies focus on the psychological contexts of the contributions for which the scientist is known. Without diminishing its epistemic authority, science is presented as a psychologically saturated human activity, one that is especially illustrative of the way social, cognitive, and personal processes intermingle to both facilitate and impede scientific accomplishment. Each case study ends with a set of discussion questions, providing a valuable resource for student reflection and discussion, inviting analysis of similarities and differences in science in the context of very different lives and different projects. Person-Centered Studies in Psychology of Science is essential reading for scholars and graduates interested in the psychology of science, personality theory, social, or cognitive psychology, general psychologists, and theoretical psychologists.
The Person Who Changed My Life: Prominent People Recall Their Mentors
by Matilda CuomoAt some point in our lives, most of us have been affected by caring adults whose advice, guidance, and example made a difference. In The Person Who Changed My Life, individuals who have distinguished themselves in their fields write about the men and women who served as their mentors. Among the contributors in this updated and expanded edition of Matilda Raffa Cuomo's first book are Hillary Rodham Clinton, Joe Torre, Rosie O'Donnell, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Nora Ephron, General Colin Powell, and many others. The contributors evoke the people who had a lasting influence on their personal and professional lives and, in the process, show how profoundly a mentor can impact the life of a young, or not so young, person.The book includes a resource section for readers who are inspired to get involved and become mentors or help start mentoring organizations in their own communities. These moving stories by people who have excelled in their professions through hard work, perseverance, and, most important, the helpful assistance of others, demonstrate the long-lasting impact a mentor can have--and emphasize the importance of passing on the gifts our mentors give us.
Persona
by Naoki Inose Hiroaki SatoYukio Mishima (b. 1925) was a brilliant writer and intellectual whose relentless obsession with beauty, purity, and patriotism ended in his astonishing self-disembowelment and decapitation in downtown Tokyo in 1970. Nominated for the Nobel Prize, Mishima was the best-known novelist of his time (works like Confessions of a Mask and The Temple of the Golden Pavilion are still in print in English), and his legacy--his persona--is still honored and puzzled over. Who was Yukio Mishima really? This, the first full biography to appear in English in almost forty years, traces Mishima's trajectory from a sickly boy named Kimitake Hiraoka to a hard-bodied student of martial arts. In detail it examines his family life, the wartime years, and his emergence, then fame, as a writer and advocate for traditional values. Revealed here are all the personalities and conflicts and sometimes petty backbiting that shaped the culture of postwar literary Japan. Working entirely from primary sources and material unavailable to other biographers, author Naoki Inose and translator Hiroaki Sato together have produced a monumental work that covers much new ground in unprecedented depth. Using interviews, social and psychological analysis, and close reading of novels and essays, Persona removes the mask that Mishima so artfully created to disguise his true self. Naoki Inose, currently vice governor of Tokyo, has also written biographies of writers Kikuchi Kan and Osamu Dazai. New York-based Hiroaki Sato is an award-winning translator of classical and modern Japanese poetry, and also translated Mishima's novel Silk and Insight.
Los personajes más productivos de la historia
by Michael Rank Aurora Ramírez GagoNunca se supo cómo lo hizo. Pocos compositores escriben más de una o dos sinfonías durante su vida. Beethoven dedicó un año para componer sus sinfonías más cortas sin embargo necesitó más de seis años para su novena sinfonía. Pero Georg Philipp Telemann compuso al menos 200 oberturas en un periodo de dos años. A lo largo de su vida, Telemann completó más de 3000 piezas, aunque sólo 800 han sobrevivido hasta nuestros días. No fue el único cuya productividad desafió todo límite de la razón. El científico griego Arquímedes descubrió fenómenos matemáticos que no fueron confirmados hasta 17 siglos después. Isaac Newton creó la física clásica, y fue uno de los inventores del cálculo. Benjamin Franklin escribió, publicó, polemizó, inventó, experimentó y bromeó. Y en ocasiones lo hacía todo a la vez. Theodore Roosevelt fue el primer estadounidense que ganó un cinturón de judo, que cazó, que escribió varios libros y que leía cuatro horas al día, incluso en los momentos más difíciles de su vida política. Este libro explora las vidas de los 18 personajes más productivos de la historia. Analizaremos las culturas en las que nacieron y los métodos que utilizaron para conseguir unos resultados tan arrolladores. Puede que incluso hasta tengamos tiempo de concentrarnos en los quehaceres de nuestras vidas que son realmente significativos.
Personal Best: From Rock Bottom to the Top of the World by Adele Roberts
by Adele Roberts'Adele's inner strength is truly remarkable. Personal Best will light a fire of hope and determination in us all.' -Lorraine KellyAward-winning BBC broadcaster, TV personality and DJ, Adele Roberts, was diagnosed with bowel cancer on the first of October 2021. In the months that followed, with her partner Kate Holderness alongside her, she fought very publicly through the challenges of chemotherapy and life with a stoma, whom she named Audrey. Adele's legions of fans avidly followed this remarkable journey, struck by her determination, her stoicism, and above all the resolute positivity that she and Kate demonstrated despite the many hurdles they faced along the way. 18 months on - she ran across the finish line of the London Marathon, setting a new Guinness World Record as the fastest female with an ileostomy.Personal Best is the story of those months but it's also a tremendously valuable, life-enhancing guide to surviving and thriving through life's challenges and setbacks, illuminating a path that anyone can follow to get back on track, go further than they thought and achieve their personal best in the marathon of life - punctured with inspirational quotes and playlists along the way. Personal Best will help you to take on whatever challenge you may be facing with enough resolution to give yourself the strongest possible chance of success.
Personal Best: From Rock Bottom to the Top of the World
by Adele Roberts'Adele's inner strength is truly remarkable. Personal Best will light a fire of hope and determination in us all.' -Lorraine KellyAward-winning BBC broadcaster, TV personality and DJ, Adele Roberts, was diagnosed with bowel cancer on the first of October 2021. In the months that followed, with her partner Kate Holderness alongside her, she fought very publicly through the challenges of chemotherapy and life with a stoma, whom she named Audrey. Adele's legions of fans avidly followed this remarkable journey, struck by her determination, her stoicism, and above all the resolute positivity that she and Kate demonstrated despite the many hurdles they faced along the way. 18 months on - she ran across the finish line of the London Marathon, setting a new Guinness World Record as the fastest female with an ileostomy.Personal Best is the story of those months but it's also a tremendously valuable, life-enhancing guide to surviving and thriving through life's challenges and setbacks, illuminating a path that anyone can follow to get back on track, go further than they thought and achieve their personal best in the marathon of life - punctured with inspirational quotes and playlists along the way. Personal Best will help you to take on whatever challenge you may be facing with enough resolution to give yourself the strongest possible chance of success.
Personal Best: From Rock Bottom to the Top of the World
by Adele Roberts'Adele's inner strength is truly remarkable. Personal Best will light a fire of hope and determination in us all.' -Lorraine KellyAward-winning BBC broadcaster, TV personality and DJ, Adele Roberts, was diagnosed with bowel cancer on the first of October 2021. In the months that followed, with her partner Kate Holderness alongside her, she fought very publicly through the challenges of chemotherapy and life with a stoma, whom she named Audrey. Adele's legions of fans avidly followed this remarkable journey, struck by her determination, her stoicism, and above all the resolute positivity that she and Kate demonstrated despite the many hurdles they faced along the way. 18 months on - she ran across the finish line of the London Marathon, setting a new Guinness World Record as the fastest female with an ileostomy.Personal Best is the story of those months but it's also a tremendously valuable, life-enhancing guide to surviving and thriving through life's challenges and setbacks, illuminating a path that anyone can follow to get back on track, go further than they thought and achieve their personal best in the marathon of life - punctured with inspirational quotes and playlists along the way. Personal Best will help you to take on whatever challenge you may be facing with enough resolution to give yourself the strongest possible chance of success.
Personal Effects: What Recovering the Dead Teaches Me About Caring for the Living
by Robert A. JensenThe owner of the world’s leading disaster management company chronicles the unseen world behind the yellow tape, and explores what it means to be human after a lifetime of caring for the dead.You have seen Robert A. Jensen—you just never knew it. As the owner of the world’s largest disaster management company, he has spent most of his adult life responding to tragedy. From the Oklahoma City bombing, 9/11, and the Bali bombings, to the 2004 South Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the 2010 Haitian Earthquake, and the Grenfell Tower Fire, Jensen has been at the practical level of international incidents, assisting with the recovery of bodies, identifying victims, and repatriating and returning their personal effects to the surviving family members. He is also, crucially, involved in the emotional recovery that comes after a disaster: helping guide the families, governments, and companies involved, telling them what to expect and managing the unmanageable. As he explains, “If journalists write the first rough draft of history, I put the punctuation on the past.”Personal Effects is an unsparing, up-close look at the difficult work Jensen does behind the yellow tape and the lessons he learned there. The chronicle of an almost impossible and grim job, Personal Effects also tells Jensen’s own story—how he came to this line of work, how he manages the chaos that is his life, and the personal toll the repeated exposure to mass death brings, in becoming what GQ called “the best at the worst job in the world.” A rare glimpse into a world we all see but many know nothing about, Personal Effects is an inspiring and heartwarming story of survival and the importance of moving forward, Jensen allows his readers to see over his shoulder as he responds to disaster sites, uncovers the deceased, and cares for families to show how a strong will and desire to do good can become a path through the worst the world can throw at us.
Personal Foul
by Tim Donaghy Phil ScalaThe media has often speculated and sports fans have debated, but until now no one has known the real story. Personal Foul takes an in-depth look at former NBA referee Tim Donaghy and the betting scandal that rocked professional basketball. This is the decisive book that reveals exactly what was done and how it all happened. Which games were affected and how? Did referees target particular players or teams? Just how much did the NBA know and when? How did the mafia get involved? The book answers all of these questions and more. Thrilling and poignant, Personal Foul takes readers on the journey of one man wrestling his own demons and shines a light on a culture of gambling and "directive" officiating in the NBA that promises to change the way sports fans view the game forever. The book also includes a foreword by Phil Scala, the FBI Special Agent who worked the Gambino case.
Personal History (WOMEN IN HISTORY)
by Katharine GrahamAs seen in the new movie The Post, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Meryl Streep, here is the captivating, inside story of the woman who piloted the Washington Post during one of the most turbulent periods in the history of American media.In this bestselling and widely acclaimed memoir, Katharine Graham, the woman who piloted the Washington Post through the scandals of the Pentagon Papers and Watergate, tells her story - one that is extraordinary both for the events it encompasses and for the courage, candour and dignity of its telling. Here is the awkward child who grew up amid material wealth and emotional isolation; the young bride who watched her brilliant, charismatic husband - a confidant to John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson - plunge into the mental illness that would culminate in his suicide. And here is the widow who shook off her grief and insecurity to take on a president and a pressman's union as she entered the profane boys' club of the newspaper business.As timely now as ever, Personal History is an exemplary record of our history and of the woman who played such a shaping role within them, discovering her own strength and sense of self as she confronted - and mastered - the personal and professional crises of her fascinating life.
Personal History
by Katharine GrahamWinner of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for BiographyAn extraordinarily frank, honest, and generous book by one of America's most famous and admired women, Personal History is, as its title suggests, a book composed of both personal memoir and history.It is the story of Graham's parents: the multimillionaire father who left private business and government service to buy and restore the down-and-out Washington Post, and the formidable, self-absorbed mother who was more interested in her political and charity work, and her passionate friendships with men like Thomas Mann and Adlai Stevenson, than in her children.It is the story of how The Washington Post struggled to succeed -- a fascinating and instructive business history as told from the inside (the paper has been run by Graham herself, her father, her husband, and now her son).It is the story of Phil Graham -- Kay's brilliant, charismatic husband (he clerked for two Supreme Court justices) -- whose plunge into manic-depression, betrayal, and eventual suicide is movingly and charitably recounted. Best of all, it is the story of Kay Graham herself. She was brought up in a family of great wealth, yet she learned and understood nothing about money. She is half-Jewish, yet -- incredibly -- remained unaware of it for many years.She describes herself as having been naive and awkward, yet intelligent and energetic. She married a man she worshipped, and he fascinated and educated her, and then, in his illness, turned from her and abused her. This destruction of her confidence and happiness is a drama in itself, followed by the even more intense drama of her new life as the head of a great newspaper and a great company, a famous (and even feared) woman in her own right. Hers is a life that came into its own with a vengeance -- a success story on every level.Graham's book is populated with a cast of fascinating characters, from fifty years of presidents (and their wives), to Steichen, Brancusi, Felix Frankfurter, Warren Buffett (her great advisor and protector), Robert McNamara, George Schultz (her regular tennis partner), and, of course, the great names from the Post: Woodward, Bernstein, and Graham's editorpartner, Ben Bradlee. She writes of them, and of the most dramatic moments of her stewardship of the Post (including the Pentagon Papers, Watergate, and the pressmen's strike), with acuity, humor, and good judgment. Her book is about learning by doing, about growing and growing up, about Washington, and about a woman liberated by both circumstance and her own great strengths.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Personal Impressions: Updated Edition
by Isaiah BerlinIn this collection of remarkable biographical portraits, the great essayist and intellectual historian Isaiah Berlin brings to life a wide range of prominent twentieth-century thinkers, politicians, and writers. These include Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Chaim Weizmann, Albert Einstein, Virginia Woolf, Aldous Huxley, Boris Pasternak, and Anna Akhmatova. With the exception of Roosevelt, Berlin met them all, and he knew many of them well. Other figures recalled here include the Zionist Yitzhak Sadeh, the U.S. Supreme Court judge Felix Frankfurter, the classicist and wit Maurice Bowra, the philosopher J. L. Austin, and the literary critic Edmund Wilson. For this edition, ten new pieces have been added, including portraits of David Ben-Gurion, Maynard and Lydia Keynes, and Stephen Spender, as well as Berlin's autobiographical reflections on Jewish Oxford and his Oxford undergraduate years. Rich and enlightening, Personal Impressions is a vibrant demonstration of Berlin’s belief that ideas truly live only through people.
Personal Impressions
by Isaiah BerlinThis enthusiastically received collection contains Isaiah Berlin's appreciation of seventeen people of unusual distinction in the intellectual or political world - sometimes in both. The names of many of them are familiar - Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Chaim Weizmann, Albert Einstein, L. B. Namier, J. L. Austin, Maurice Bowra. With the exception of Roosevelt he met them all, and he knew many of them well. For this new edition four new portraits have been added, including recollections of Virginia Woolf and Edmund Wilson. The volume ends with a vivid and moving account of Berlin's meetings in Russia with Boris Pasternak and Anna Akhmatova in 1945 and 1956.
The Personal Journal of an Ordinary Person
by Katharine Taylor Brennan Elizabeth Parsons KirchnerAn ordinary person, Katharine Brennan calls herself. An ordinary person perhaps, but with an extraordinary gift for turning the prosaic into poetry, and for distilling the moments of joy in he often painful days. I write from the inside of myself; I save the spoken word for acquaintances. We are privileged to share Katharine’s very personal journal; she teaches us as much about the meaning of courage, and poignantly reminds us of all that life holds. Interspersed with her own writings are brief sayings that appealed to Katharine, words of wit and wisdom from such thinkers as Dolly Parton, George Gurdjieff, William Blake, her mother, her husband, Carl Jung, and a novel called Dudley found lying in the washroom. Losing her sigh, she sees the beauty of life clearly. Confined to a wheelchair and with her leg amputated, her world opens. In facing her approaching death, Katharine finds pleasure in the ordinary; sunrises and summer storms, conversation with friends and strangers, the satisfaction of chores and crafts. Through pain and depression her joie de vivre shines.