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Cortés. La biografía más reveladora
by Christian DuvergerEsta biografía de Hernán Cortés muestra que nada en esta historia se escribe lineal o serenamente, necesitamos sumergirnos en la complejidad que gira alrededor de un hombre y de su concepción independentista de la Nueva España. De Christian Duverger el autor de El origen de los aztecas. Cortés, el primer independentista, creador del mundo en el que quería vivir. La Conquista de México toca una fibra muy sensible y arroja una cruda luz sobre la compleja mezcla de la civilización humana. En este encuentro del Viejo y el Nuevo Mundo, choque de una inconmensurable violencia, cada uno ve la barbarie en el otro campo. ¿Cómo leer una cultura en la que se yuxtaponen las hogueras de la Inquisición y el espíritu libre del Renacimiento? ¿Cómo comprender el refinamiento de los aztecas y su práctica del sacrificio humano? ¿Se debe renunciar, por ello, a tratar serenamente la historia de Cortés? No,en absoluto. Por eso el conquistador no puede ser reducido a su negativa leyenda. Su itinerario personal no se limita a los dos años de la Conquista de México, ese lacónico 1519-1521 de los diccionarios. Cortés tiene infancia, deseos, ambiciones, voluntad e inteligencia; conoce tanto el éxito como el fracaso; posee familia, amigos y se debate entre amores complicados; envejece; sus reflexiones profundas chocan con sus preocupaciones más terrenas y cuando ve venir la muerte juzga su época. Christian Duverger perfila en esta biografía a un conquistador nada ordinario. En ruptura con su cultura de origen, Cortés sueña con fundar otro mundo a partir del mestizaje. Sutil, letrado, seductor y refinado; prefiere el gobierno de las mentes a la fuerza bruta que, no obstante, sabe manejar; aprovecha impunemente la debilidad de sus compañeros por la fiebre de oro; sabe analizar y anticipar. La memoria colectiva concibe con dificultad a Cortés como el introductor de la caña de azúcar y el gusano de seda en México o como el explorador del Pacífico que descubre California, que comercia con el Perú, que llega hasta las Filipinas y las ofrece a Carlos V en 1528.
La cosa nostra en México (1938-1950): Los negocios de Lucky Luciano y la mujer que corrompió al gobierno mexicano
by Juan Alberto CedilloEl mejor libro jamás escrito sobre la mafia siciliana desde sus orígenes hasta nuestros días que desvela las tramas ocultas y el funcionamiento de esta organización criminal. Una reveladora investigación histórica que documenta cómo se infiltró la mafia italiana en el gobierno mexicano, durante los años cuarenta. Un antecedente directo de los cárteles de la droga. En La Cosa Nostra en México, Juan Alberto Cedillo, autor del bestseller Los nazis en México, narra la historia de una camarera que se convirtió en la mujer más poderosa de la mafia y corrompió al gobierno mexicano: Virginia Hill. Esta hermosa e inteligente pelirroja comenzó a trabajar a los 17 años para aquella organización criminal, en 1933. Fue apostadora profesional, experta en lavado de dinero y mensajera de los capos. Conoció al poderoso gángster Benjamin Bugsy Siegel, con quien se casó. Ella lo ayudó a establecer las conexiones necesarias para traficar marihuana, opio yheroína desde México hacia los Estados Unidos. Tras el sangriento asesinato de Siegel en 1947, la plana mayor de la mafia, Lucky Luciano, Frank Costello y Meyer Lansky, la envió de nuevo a México con una misión: comprar funcionarios mexicanos del más alto nivel, con el propósito de establecer un casino en el puerto de Acapulco y asegurar su naciente industria de narcotráfico. Entre suntuosas fiestas a las que acudían importantes personajes del gobierno, hermosas mujeres y miembros de la mafia, numerosos servidores públicos fueron seducidos por el dinero y el lujo La Cosa Nostra en México es un espléndido retrato de época con revelaciones inéditas sobre los lazos entre el poder y la mafia, donde todos los hombres pueden ser comprados, con dólares o con mujeres.
Cosas bonitas
by Hunter Biden«Provengo de una familia forjada por tragedias y unida por un amor extraordinario e inquebrantable», escribe Hunter Biden en estas memorias profundamente conmovedoras sobre la adicción, la pérdida y la supervivencia. A la edad de dos años, Hunter Biden resultó gravemente herido en un accidente de coche que acabó con la vida de su madre y de su hermana pequeña. En 2015, sufrió la devastadora pérdida de Beau, su hermano mayor, fallecido de un cáncer cerebral a los cuarenta y seis años. Durante la administración de Trump, Hunter fue objeto de incesantes ataques e insultos por parte del presidente y sus secuaces. Estas dificultades se agravaron a causa del final de su matrimonio y de una larga batalla contra la adicción a las drogas y el alcohol. En Cosas bonitas, Hunter narra su caída en la drogodependencia y el tortuoso camino hacia la sobriedad. La historia termina donde se encuentra hoy, como hombre sobrio y casado, con un nuevo bebé y un padre convertido en el cuadragésimo sexto presidente de Estados Unidos; un hombre que por fin es capaz de apreciar las cosas bonitas de la vida. Reseñas:«En sus desgarradoras y apasionantes memorias, Hunter Biden vuelve a demostrar que cualquiera, incluso el hijo de un presidente de Estados Unidos, puede enfilar un horripilante callejón a lomos del caballo rosa. Existen muchas memorias sobre las Tres Erres (ron, ruina y redención), pero en estas hay fragmentos que destacan con evocadora claridad. Biden lo recuerda todo y lo cuenta con una valentía que es a un tiempo desoladora y hermosa.»Stephen King «Este es un libro asombrosamente sincero y valiente sobre la pérdida, la fragilidad humana, las almas descarriadas y una sufrida redención. Cosas bonitas es tan conciso, resuelto y dinámico que, aparte de pasar las páginas y quedarme boquiabierto alguna que otra vez, no me moví desde la primera página hasta la última.»Dave Eggers, autor de El círculo «Hunter Biden escribe con gran belleza sobre una pérdida a la que casi no sobrevivió y sobre la increíble bendición que es el amor familiar. Sus padres, Jill y Joe; su hermana pequeña y su madre, que fallecieron cuando él era niño; sus queridas hermanas y Beau, el amor de su vida: todos están aquí, absolutamente vivos. Escribe sobre su infancia, los años que pasó su padre con Obama, sus propios éxitos y fracasos, su labor en el Programa Mundial de Alimentos y en Burisma y sus visitas a campos de refugiados y fumaderos de crack. Escribe sobre su brutal alcoholismo y su adicción con inusual honestidad, y sobre su recuperación con estupefacta gratitud, sobre corazones rotos, resurrección y cosas bonitas.»Anne Lamott, autora de Pájaro a pájaro «Cosas bonitas, las devastadoras memorias de Hunter Biden, abarcan muchos temas, pero su esencia es el viaje de un adicto, desde los primeros sorbos de alcohol a escondidas durante una infancia marcada por una gran pérdida hasta el sórdido purgatorio y la desesperación letal de las últimas fases de la adicción al crack. Con cautivadora humildad y franqueza, el audaz relato de Hunter pone al descubierto el sustento que ofrecen el amor y la familia y los duros límites que ambos plantean.»Bili Clegg, autor de Retrato de un joven adicto a todo
Cosas de tetras: Aprendiendo a volar sin alas
by Alan El RuedasQue se te rompan las alas no es motivo suficiente para dejar de volar. A Alan le encantaban el deporte y las piruetas aéreas. Pero un buen día de 2018, la vida decidió ponerle un enorme obstáculo: una mala caída le produjo una lesión medular y las piernas dejaron de responderle. Ahora es tetrapléjico. Y también un modelo de superación, de no rendirse, de darle a su vida una nueva perspectiva para continuar adelante, experiencias que cuenta en sus redes sociales. En este libro, Alan nos demuestra que la vida es un alud imparable y que, a pesar de los obstáculos, puede seguir siendo él mismo.
COSAS POR SU NOMBRE, LAS (EBOOK)
by Enrique PintiEnrique Pinti es uno de los mejores artistas que ha dado la Argentina. Creativo e inconformista, no se resigna a recetas fáciles: camina por la cornisa de la exigencia, asalta por el asombro y conmueve por la búsqueda incansable. Su gran talento y aguda observación lo posicionaron como un intérprete de la argentinidad. En un país donde los sucesos se agolpan sin mediar respiro, Pinti es la pausa, la palabra justa e inteligente que nos permite levantar la vista y desentrañar enigmas. Con ese espíritu nacieron las columnas reunidas en este libro y publicadas originalmente en la revista dominical del diario La Nación. La política y los políticos, nuestras costumbres, la esperanza y el pesimismo, la risa y la lágrima, la sátira y la diatriba, y las memorias, resumen el espíritu que transita esta exquisita selección de artículos. Las cosas por su nombre define su sello sincero y crítico, sin dejar de lado el humor y la calidez. Y aquello que más nos seduce de Enrique Pinti: no hay nada que pueda derrumbarle su utopía de un país mejor. Como él mismo afirma, # Por qué no esbozar una pequeña esperanza al saber que, como dice la canción: quién dijo que todo está perdido?#.
Las cosas que me salvaron la vida: Soy una pringada
by Soy Una PringadaEl esperado nuevo libro de Esty Quesada, la persona más ácida y real de las redes. Los días y días que en el pasado Esty Quesada -Soy una Pringada- pasó sola entre las cuatro paredes de su habitación, hicieron que conociera muchas cosas: el underground, lo kitsch, lo trash, el rock alternativo, el grunge, el mundo club kid, la cultura drag queen..., y todo el musgo que se escondía detrás de las chicas guapas que veía en la tele. Este libro recoge esos referentes que le sirvieron a Esty para salvarle la vida y, de paso, darle una nueva, que falta le hacía. Las cosas que me salvaron la vida es una suerte de autobiografía, repleta de irreverencia, oscuridad, pensamientos de una niña abandonada y, también, esperanza. Esty Quesada aka Soy Una Pringada es, como indica su seudónimo, una pringada. Pero también es una freak, una rockstar, una niña muda, una personalidad de internet, un ser amoral y una fan de The Smiths. También hace radio, pincha en discotecas, escribe libros y es directora, guionista y protagonista de Looser, su propia serie.
Cosas que no caben en una maleta
by Enrique CriadoLas vivencias intensas, peculiares y humanas de un joven diplomático en el Congo. Una memoir que te llenará de sensaciones encontradas: entrañable, divertida, inspiradora y real. Este libro no es un relato de viajes pero te hace viajar.Este libro se lee como una novela pero es una historia real.Este libro cuenta cosas serias pero te arranca una sonrisa.Este libro querrás compartirlo. Si un país representa la esencia de África, ese es sin duda el Congo. Con un territorio del tamaño de Europa Continental, sin apenas carreteras y en gran parte selvático, la impresión que produce en el viajero que lo visita por primera vez es deslumbrante y abrumadora, inquietante y -sí- aterradora. Por motivos de trabajo, el diplomático Enrique Criado vivió tres años en Kinshasa, la capital de la República Democrática del Congo. Fruto de ese periodo es Cosas que no caben en una maleta, un compendio de anécdotas y vivencias, delirantes y divertidas -la asistencia del autor a una boda congoleña, las situaciones cómicas vividas por la calle o en la selva profunda, donde un grupo de rebeldes secuestró casi por error a un médico español que acabó montando una clínica para sus captores-, de experiencias y sobre todo de sensaciones. Una obra imprescindible no solo para los amantes de los viajes, sino para todos aquellos que abandonan su país y terminan viviendo en otro totalmente ajeno que acaba por conquistar su corazón. Un cuadro impresionista lleno de matices y detalles que se lee como una novela. Una historia real llena de hilaridad, una nueva forma de enfrentarse a lo diferente, un viaje apasionante al corazón de África. Reseñas:«Este apasionado relato de viajes me ha hecho recobrar sensaciones vividas en el Congo; tiene dramatismo y es divertido y real.»Javier Reverte «Descubrimos el Congo como realmente es: vibrante, divertido, peligroso, humano, terrible y también absolutamente surrealista. Enrique Criado se convierte con este libro en uno de los autores imprescindibles para conocer el África de hoy.»Miquel Silvestre
Cosas que no quiero saber
by Deborah LevyPrimera parte de la «autobiografía en construcción» de Deborah Levy, un relato de la feminidad como libertad y no como castigo. Deborah Levy arranca estas memorias recordando la etapa de su vida en que rompía a llorar cuando subía unas escaleras mecánicas. Ese movimiento inocuo la llevaba a rincones de su memoria a los que no quería volver. Son esos recuerdos los que forman Cosas que no quiero saber, el inicio de su «autobiografía en construcción». Esta primera parte de lo que será un tríptico sobre la condición de ser mujer nace como respuesta al ensayo «Por qué escribo», de George Orwell. Sin embargo, Levy no viene a dar respuestas. Viene a abrir interrogantes que deja flotando en una atmósfera formada por toda la fuerza poética de su escritura. Su magia no es otra que la de las conexiones impredecibles de la memoria: el primer mordisco a un albaricoque la traslada a la salida de sus hijos de la escuela, observando a las otras madres, «jóvenes convertidas en sombras de lo que habían sido»; el llanto de una mujer le devuelve la nieve cayendo sobre su padre en el Johannesburgo del apartheid, poco antes de ser encarcelado; el olor del curry la lleva a su adolescencia en Londres, escribiendo en servilletas de bares y soñando con una habitación propia. Leer a Levy es querer entrar en sus recuerdos y dejarse llevar por la calma y el aplomo de quien ha aprendido todo lo que sabe (y todo lo que no querría saber) a fuerza de buscar su propia voz. Reseñas:«Imprescindible. Leerla es como encontrar un oasis.»The Guardian «El punto fuerte de Levy es su originalidad de pensamiento y expresión.»Jeanette Winterson «Una narración vivaz y brillante sobre cómo los detalles más inocentes de la vida personal de una escritora pueden alcanzar el poder en la ficción.»The New York Times Book Review «Un relato vívido y sorprendente de la vida de la escritora, que feminiza y personaliza las contundentes a afirmaciones de Orwell.»The Spectator «Levy es una escritora hábil y crea un despliegue de emociones intensas en una prosa precisa y controlada.»The Independent «Una versión actualizada de Una habitación propia [...]. Sospecho que será citado durante muchos años.»The Irish Examiner
Cosas que pasan. Historias de un psicoanalista
by Jorge BaficoEs un libro para todo aquel que alguna vez haya sentido desánimo,confusión o incluso ese dolor que de tan fuerte se parece a la locura. Y es también para los que solo buscan un momento de buena yfascinante lectura. Lo que es seguro es que, tanto para unos como para otros, este no será un libro más. El psicoanalista Jorge Bafico se desnuda en un libro que atraviesa lasbarreras de los géneros y se instala entre la literatura y elpsicoanálisis.Los protagonistas son él y sus pacientes, esos montevideanos que noscruzamos todos los días por las calles sin notarlos siquiera. Baficolleva sus historias al papel con un estilo narrativo fresco y atrapante,que sumergirá al lector en mundos de amor, soledad, dolor y hastademencia absoluta.
Cosby: His Life and Times
by Mark WhitakerThe first major biography of an American icon, comedian Bill Cosby. Based on extensive research and in-depth interviews with Cosby and more than sixty of his closest friends and associates, it is a frank, fun and fascinating account of his life and historic legacy.Far from the gentle worlds of his routines or TV shows, Cosby grew up in a Philadelphia housing project, the son of an alcoholic, largely absent father and a loving but overworked mother. With novelistic detail, award winning journalist Mark Whitaker tells the story of how, after dropping out of high school, Cosby turned his life around by joining the Navy, talking his way into college, and seizing his first breaks as a stand-up comedian. Published on the 30th anniversary of The Cosby Show, the book reveals the behind-the-scenes story of that groundbreaking sitcom as well as Cosby's bestselling albums, breakout role on I Spy, and pioneering place in children's TV. But it also deals with professional setbacks and personal dramas, from an affair that sparked public scandal to the murder of his only son, and the private influence of his wife of fifty years, Camille Cosby. Whitaker explores the roots of Cosby's controversial stands on race, as well as "the Cosby effect" that helped pave the way for a black president. For any fan of Bill Cosby's work, and any student of American television, comedy, or social history, Cosby: His Life and Times is an essential read.
Cosima Wagner: The Lady of Bayreuth
by Oliver HilmesIn this meticulously researched book, Oliver Hilmes paints a fascinating and revealing picture of the extraordinary Cosima Wagner--illegitimate daughter of Franz Liszt, wife of the conductor Hans von Bülow, then mistress and subsequently wife of Richard Wagner. After Wagner's death in 1883 Cosima played a crucial role in the promulgation and politicization of his works, assuming control of the Bayreuth Festival and transforming it into a shrine to German nationalism. The High Priestess of the Wagnerian cult, Cosima lived on for almost fifty years, crafting the image of Richard Wagner through her organizational ability and ideological tenacity. The first book to make use of the available documentation at Bayreuth, this biography explores the achievements of this remarkable and obsessive woman while illuminating a still-hidden chapter of European cultural history.
Cosmetic Surgery Narratives
by Debra GimlinThis book examines British and American women's narratives of cosmetic surgery, exploring what those narratives say about the contemporary status of cosmetic surgery and 'local' ideas about its legitimate and illegitimate uses.
Cosmic Scholar: The Life and Times of Harry Smith
by John SzwedNamed one of the Best Books of 2023 by the New Yorker and The New York Times' Dwight Garner“The first comprehensive biography of this hipster magus . . . [John Szwed] allows different sides of Smith’s personality to catch blades of sun. He brings the right mixture of reverence and comic incredulity to his task.” —Dwight Garner, The New York TimesGrammy Award–winning music scholar and celebrated biographer John Szwed presents the first biography of Harry Smith, the brilliant eccentric who transformed twentieth century art and culture.He was an anthropologist, filmmaker, painter, folklorist, mystic, and walking encyclopedia. He taught Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe about the occult, swapped drugs with Timothy Leary, had a front-row seat to a young Thelonious Monk, lived with (and tortured) Allen Ginsberg, was admired by Susan Sontag, and was one of the first artists funded by Guggenheim Foundation. He was always broke, generally intoxicated, compulsively irascible, and unimpeachably authentic. Harry Smith was, in the words of Robert Frank, “the only person I met in my life that transcended everything.”In Cosmic Scholar, the Grammy Award-winning music scholar and celebrated biographer John Szwed patches together, for the first time, the life of one of the twentieth century’s most overlooked cultural figures. From his time recording the customs of Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest and Florida to his life in Greenwich Village in its heyday, Smith was consumed by an unceasing desire to create a unified theory of culture. He was an insatiable creator and collector, responsible for the influential Anthology of American Folk Music and several pioneering experimental films, but was also an insufferable and destructive eccentric who was unable to survive in regular society, or keep himself healthy or sober.Exhaustively researched, energetically told, and complete with a trove of images, Cosmic Scholar is a feat of biographical restoration and the long overdue canonization of an American icon.Includes black-and-white and color images
The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge
by Jeremy NarbyThis adventure in science and imagination, which the Medical Tribune said might herald "a Copernican revolution for the life sciences," leads the reader through unexplored jungles and uncharted aspects of mind to the heart of knowledge. In a first-person narrative of scientific discovery that opens new perspectives on biology, anthropology, and the limits of rationalism, The Cosmic Serpent reveals how startlingly different the world around us appears when we open our minds to it.
The Cosmic Serpent
by Jeremy NarbyWhile living among Peruvian Indians, anthropologist Jeremy Narby became intrigued by their claim that their phenomenal knowledge of plants and biochemistry was communicated to them directly while under the influence of hallucinogens. Despite his initial scepticism, Narby found himself engaged in an increasingly obsessive personal quest. The evidence he collected - on subjects as diverse as molecular biology, shamanism, neurology and ancient mythology - led inexorably to the conclusion that the Indians' claims were literally true: to a consciousness prepared with drugs, specific biochemical knowledge could indeed be directly transmitted through DNA itself. A gripping investigation that opens fresh perspectives on biology, anthropology and the limits of rationalism, The Cosmic Serpent is new science of the most exhilarating kind.
The Cosmonaut Who Couldn't Stop Smiling: The Life And Legend Of Yuri Gagarin
by Andrew Jenks"Let’s go!" With that, the boyish, grinning Yuri Gagarin launched into space on April 12, 1961, becoming the first human being to exit Earth’s orbit. The twenty-seven-year-old lieutenant colonel departed for the stars from within the shadowy world of the Soviet military-industrial complex. Barbed wires, no-entry placards, armed guards, false identities, mendacious maps, and a myriad of secret signs had hidden Gagarin from prying outsiders not even his friends or family knew what he had been up to. Coming less than four years after the Russians launched Sputnik into orbit, Gagarin’s voyage was cause for another round of capitalist shock and Soviet rejoicing. The Cosmonaut Who Couldn’t Stop Smiling relates this twentieth-century icon’s remarkable life while exploring the fascinating world of Soviet culture.
The Cosmonaut Who Couldn’t Stop Smiling: The Life and Legend of Yuri Gagarin (NIU Series in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies)
by Andrew L. Jenks“Let's go!” With that, the boyish, grinning Yuri Gagarin launched into space on April 12, 1961, becoming the first human being to exit Earth's orbit. The twenty-seven-year-old lieutenant colonel departed for the stars from within the shadowy world of the Soviet military-industrial complex. Barbed wires, no-entry placards, armed guards, false identities, mendacious maps, and a myriad of secret signs had hidden Gagarin from prying outsiders—not even his friends or family knew what he had been up to. Coming less than four years after the Russians launched Sputnik into orbit, Gagarin's voyage was cause for another round of capitalist shock and Soviet rejoicing. The Cosmonaut Who Couldn't Stop Smiling relates this twentieth-century icon's remarkable life while exploring the fascinating world of Soviet culture. Gagarin's flight brought him massive international fame—in the early 1960s, he was possibly the most photographed person in the world, flashing his trademark smile while rubbing elbows with the varied likes of Nehru, Castro, Queen Elizabeth II, and Italian sex symbol Gina Lollobrigida. Outside of the spotlight, Andrew L. Jenks reveals, his tragic and mysterious death in a jet crash became fodder for morality tales and conspiracy theories in his home country, and, long after his demise, his life continues to provide grist for the Russian popular-culture mill. This is the story of a legend, both the official one and the one of myth, which reflected the fantasies, perversions, hopes and dreams of Gagarin's fellow Russians. With this rich, lively chronicle of Gagarin's life and times, Jenks recreates the elaborately secretive world of space-age Russia while providing insights into Soviet history that will captivate a range of readers.
Cosmopolitan: Bartender's Life
by Toby CecchiniCosmopolitan: A Bartender's Life is a memoir of the bartending life structured as a day in the life at Passerby, the bar owned and run by Toby Cecchini. It is, as well, a rich study of human nature—of the sometimes annoying, sometimes outlandish behavior of the human animal under the influence of alcohol, lust, and the sheer desire to bust loose and party. It's not a pretty picture, but it's always compelling through the gimlet-eyed gaze of the author. As his typical day progresses, from the almost pastoral quiet of opening the bar and setting up to the gathering rush of customers dropping in after work to the sheer madness of catering to a crazed crush of funseekers, Toby Cecchini muses over a life spent in the service industry and the fascinating particulars of his chosen profession. Topics touched on include dealing with regulars, both welcome and not; sex and the bartender; cocktail connoisseurs (and drinks he refuses to make); learning the bartending ropes of the Odeon when young and newly arrived in New York; the sheer man-killing pace of keeping those drinks coming at flood tide; and the manifold varieties of weirdness and bad behavior that every bartender has to learn how to manage.Cosmopolitan: A Bartender's Life is the hip, behind-the-scenes look at the frenzied yet undeniably fun atmosphere of that great establishment—the bar—and Toby Cecchini is, by turns, witty, acute, mordant, and lyrical in dealing with the realities of his job, shedding plenty of light on the hidden corners of what people do when they go out at night.
The Cost: My Life on a Terrorist Hit List
by Ali Husnain J. ChesterBorn into a prominent Shia Muslim family in Pakistan, Ali had it all—prestige, security, wealth, social status. The Cost is the extraordinary story of his dramatic encounter with Jesus that would change everything.That life-altering choice to follow Jesus would turn Ali from a typical teenager into a target of a terrorist organization based in his hometown—a target they would soon act on.The Cost is the riveting and remarkable journey of a young man who left everything behind to follow the one thing he knew to be true. Through excommunication from his home and family, near-death experience, a miraculous healing, and a cross-continental chase for his life, Ali&’s faith sustained him while also compelling him to bring the gospel to Muslims—no matter the cost. This modern epic is a must-read for anyone who wants to be informed about the state of Christian-Muslim relations today, and inspired by just how much a single light in the darkness can make a difference.
The Cost of Free Land: Jews, Lakota, and an American Inheritance
by Rebecca ClarrenA Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2023"Sharply insightful . . . A monumental piece of work."—The Boston GlobeAn award-winning author investigates the entangled history of her Jewish ancestors' land in South Dakota and the Lakota, who were forced off that land by the United States governmentGrowing up, Rebecca Clarren only knew the major plot points of her tenacious immigrant family&’s origins. Her great-great-grandparents, the Sinykins, and their six children fled antisemitism in Russia and arrived in the United States at the turn of the 20th century, ultimately settling on a 160-acre homestead in South Dakota. Over the next few decades, despite tough years on a merciless prairie and multiple setbacks, the Sinykins became an American immigrant success story.What none of Clarren&’s ancestors ever mentioned was that their land, the foundation for much of their wealth, had been cruelly taken from the Lakota by the United States government. By the time the Sinykins moved to South Dakota, America had broken hundreds of treaties with hundreds of Indigenous nations across the continent, and the land that had once been reserved for the seven bands of the Lakota had been diminished, splintered, and handed for free, or practically free, to white settlers. In The Cost of Free Land, Clarren melds investigative reporting with personal family history to reveal the intertwined stories of her family and the Lakota, and the devastating cycle of loss of Indigenous land, culture, and resources that continues today.With deep empathy and clarity of purpose, Clarren grapples with the personal and national consequences of this legacy of violence and dispossession. What does it mean to survive oppression only to perpetuate and benefit from the oppression of others? By shining a light on the people and families tangled up in this country&’s difficult history, The Cost of Free Land invites readers to consider their own culpability and what, now, can be done.
The Cost of Hope
by Amanda BennettFrom Pulitzer Prize winner Amanda Bennett comes a moving, eye-opening, and beautifully written memoir--a love story of two unusual people, their complex marriage and deep devotion, and finally, Bennett's quest to save her husband's life. When Wall Street Journal reporter Amanda Bennett meets the eccentric, infuriating, yet somehow irresistible Terence Bryan Foley while on assignment in China, the last thing she expects is to marry him. They are so different--classic and bohemian, bow ties and batik, quirky and sensible. But Terence is persistent. "You are going to be somebody," he tells her. "You're going to need somebody to take care of you." Though initially as combative as their courtship, their marriage brings with it stormy passion, deep love and respect, two beloved children, and a life together over two decades. Then comes illness, and the fight to win a longer life for Terence. The Cost of Hope chronicles the extraordinary measures Amanda and Terence take to preserve not only Terence's life but also the life of their family. After his death, Bennett uses her skills as a veteran investigative reporter to determine the cost of their mission of hope. What she discovers raises important questions many people face, and vital issues about the intricacies of America's healthcare system. Rich in humor, insight, and candor, The Cost of Hope is an unforgettable memoir, an inspiring personal story that sheds light on one of the most important turning points in life.From the Hardcover edition.
The Cost of Labour: How we are all trapped by the politics of pregnancy and parenting
by Natalie Kon-yuNatalie Kon-yu was nine weeks pregnant when the trembling began. Two weeks later she checked herself into a mental health unit. Rather than a woman with a health concern, the doctors saw Natalie as a vessel carrying precious cargo. This loss of agency carried on through childbirth and into her early years as a mother. Natalie discovered that she was far from alone.In fact, her experience typifies the inequalities that weigh heavily on child-bearing women, as well as the devaluation of what is still perceived as 'women's work'. With bracing clarity and verve, Kon-yu tackles the outdated institutions, expectations and ideologies that hold us hostage as parents. The pressure is building and the cost on families is stacking up. Something has to give.
The Cost of Liberty: The Life of John Dickinson (Lives Of The Founders Ser.)
by William Murchison"Makes a powerful and convincing case for restoring John Dickinson to his rightful place in the first rank of the Founders." --The Washington Times The Cost of Liberty offers a sorely needed reassessment of a great patriot and misunderstood Founder. It has been more than a half century since a biography of John Dickinson appeared. Author William Murchison rectifies this mistake, bringing to life one of the most influential figures of the entire Founding period, a principled man whose gifts as writer, speaker, and philosopher only Jefferson came near to matching. In the process, Murchison destroys the caricature of Dickinson that has emerged from such popular treatments as HBO's John Adams miniseries and the Broadway musical 1776. Dickinson is remembered mostly for his reluctance to sign the Declaration of Independence. But that reluctance, Murchison shows, had nothing to do with a lack of patriotism. In fact, Dickinson immediately took up arms to serve the colonial cause--something only one signer of the Declaration did. He stood on principle to oppose declaring independence at that moment, even when he knew that doing so would deal the "finishing blow" to his once-great reputation. Dubbed the "Penman of the Revolution," Dickinson was not just a scribe but also a shaper of mighty events. From the 1760s through the late 1780s he was present at, and played a significant role in, every major assemblage where the Founders charted America's path--a claim few others could make. Author of the landmark essays Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, delegate to the Continental Congress, key figure behind the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution, chief executive of both Pennsylvania and Delaware: Dickinson was, as one esteemed historian aptly put it, "the most underrated of all the Founders." This lively biography gives a great Founder his long-overdue measure of honor.
The Cost of Liberty: The Life of John Dickinson
by William MurchisonThe Cost of Liberty offers a sorely needed reassessment of a great patriot and misunderstood Founder. It has been more than a half century since a biography of John Dickinson appeared. Author William Murchison rectifies this mistake, bringing to life one of the most influential figures of the entire Founding period, a principled man whose gifts as writer, speaker, and philosopher only Jefferson came near to matching. In the process, Murchison destroys the caricature of Dickinson that has emerged from such popular treatments as HBO&’s John Adams miniseries and the Broadway musical 1776. Dickinson is remembered mostly for his reluctance to sign the Declaration of Independence. But that reluctance, Murchison shows, had nothing to do with a lack of patriotism. In fact, Dickinson immediately took up arms to serve the colonial cause—something only one signer of the Declaration did. He stood on principle to oppose declaring independence at that moment, even when he knew that doing so would deal the &“finishing blow&” to his once-great reputation. Dubbed the &“Penman of the Revolution,&” Dickinson was not just a scribe but also a shaper of mighty events. From the 1760s through the late 1780s he was present at, and played a significant role in, every major assemblage where the Founders charted America&’s path—a claim few others could make. Author of the landmark essays Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, delegate to the Continental Congress, key figure behind the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution, chief executive of both Pennsylvania and Delaware: Dickinson was, as one esteemed historian aptly put it, &“the most underrated of all the Founders.&” This lively biography gives a great Founder his long-overdue measure of honor. It also broadens our understanding of the Founding period, challenging many modern assumptions about the events of 1776 and 1787.