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Diosas de Hollywood: Las vidas de Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly, Rita Hayworth y Elizabeth Taylor más allá del glamour
by Cristina MoratóLas actrices de la época dorada del cine toman el relevo a las Divas Rebeldes y Reinas Malditas de Cristina Morató. Las historias de estas cuatro grandes estrellas de cine nos trasladan a la época dorada de Hollywood. Tenían el mundo a sus pies, contaban con una legión de admiradores y protagonizaron sonados romances con los galanes más atractivos. Verdaderas diosas a los ojos del público, fueron las más deseadas y fotografiadas del mundo. La temperamental e indomable Ava Gardner, la deslumbrante sex symbol Rita Hayworth, la elegante y sensual Grace Kelly o la gran diva de los ojos violeta Elizabeth Taylor hicieron soñar a millones de espectadores. Más allá del lujo y el glamour, fueron mujeres de carne y hueso, vulnerables, tímidas e inseguras que solo deseaban ser amadas. Pero el amor les fue esquivo y sus vidas estuvieron marcadas por la soledad, los divorcios, las adicciones, los malostratos y los desengaños. Todas pagaron un elevado precio por llegar a lo más alto. Cristina Morató nos descubre el lado más humano de estas inolvidables estrellas del siglo XX, protagonistas de una vida mucho más intensa y dramática que la de cualquiera de los personajes que interpretaron en la gran pantalla. «En Hollywood, a las actrices nos trataban como si no tuviéramos alma».Ava Gardner
Diosas y heroínas (Ancient Myths)
by Jean MenziesAdéntrate en el mundo mágico de la mitología y conoce la historia de las diosas y mujeres más poderosas de todos los tiempos: ¡desde sirenas y hadas hasta aguerridas guerreras y divinidades de la antigua Grecia!¿Sabes cómo la hechicera Medea ayudó a dormir al dragón que cuidaba del vellocino de oro, o cómo la diosa japonesa Ame-No-uzume salvó al mundo de la oscuridad eterna? ¿Quieres conocer la historia de Hua Mulan, la guerrera que inspiró la peli de Disney?Una fantástica recopilación de relatos, mitos y leyendas protagonizadas por intrépidas heroínas, diosas, criaturas mágicas y otros apasionantes personajes femeninos, narrados como cuentos y extraordinariamente ilustrados.- Un regalo perfecto para niños de 7 a 9 años con interés por la mitología clásica y universal.- Incluye más de 30 increíbles relatos: clásicos populares e historias menos conocidas.- Retrata más de 80 mujeres de leyenda de todas las culturas del mundo.- Con originales ilustraciones a todo color en cada página.Un precioso libro ilustrado que despertará la curiosidad de los más pequeños y hará las delicias de toda la familia.-----------------------------Discover the stories of goddesses and other powerful women shared throughout the ages in this beautifully illustrated compendium for children.With profiles of over 80 goddesses, heroines, and legendary women featured, this is a must-have introduction to the key female figures from cultures all over the world. More than 30 beloved stories are retold by award-winning author Jean Menzies, with striking illustrations bringing these magical myths and tales to life.Find out how Japanese goddess of the dawn Ame-no-Uzume saved the day by dancing; how ancient Greek witch Medea helped to defeat a dragon; and how legendary Celtic warrior Scáthachtrained the hero Cú Chulainn to fight.Inside the pages of this mythical book for kids, you can find: - More than 80 profiles of women - combining the appeal of narrative stories with core-reference material.- A wide selection of stories - some well-known myths and legends and, some less well-known- Foil on the front jacket and spine make this book an attractive gift to be treasured. Goddesses and Heroines is the ideal book for children aged 7-9 with foil on the cover and stunning illustrations throughout. Children will love exploring the tales by themselves or as bedtime stories.
Diplomacy (Política Y Derecho Ser.)
by Henry KissingerTHE SEMINAL WORK ON FOREIGN POLICY AND THE ART OF DIPLOMACY Moving from a sweeping overview of history to blow-by-blow accounts of his negotiations with world leaders, Henry Kissinger describes how the art of diplomacy has created the world in which we live, and how America's approach to foreign affairs has always differed vastly from that of other nations. Brilliant, controversial, and profoundly incisive, Diplomacy stands as the culmination of a lifetime of diplomatic service and scholarship. It is vital reading for anyone concerned with the forces that have shaped our world today and will impact upon it tomorrow.
Diplomacy and Diamonds: My Wars from the Ballroom to the Battlefield
by Joanne King Herring Nancy Dorman-HicksonShe's been dirt poor; she's been filthy rich. Rich was more fun. She married three times, divorced twice, found her true love, and lost him to cancer. At twenty-one, she was told she would soon die. She lived. Doctors said she'd never be able to have children. She had 'em. She's bargained with God, dictators, and Democrats. She's partied with princes, presidents, premiers, Barbara Walters, Anwar Sadat, Margaret Thatcher, Tom Hanks, and Francisco Franco . . . though not all at the same time. She captivated powerful men with her feminine charm, and then persuaded them toward unlikely political alliances through her formidable intelligence. She waltzed with Prince Philip in Buckingham Palace, dressed in men's clothes and smuggled herself in a barrel across the Pakistani border, threw a Roman-themed party so extravagant it was featured in Life magazine, and survived a Soviet gunship attack in the mountains of Afghanistan. Joanne Herring, the Houston socialite portrayed by Julia Roberts in the film Charlie Wilson's War, is far more colorful, funny, and likable than any screenwriter could have guessed. The former Texas television anchor is known for her improbable fight with the mujahideen against the former Soviet Union. But her full story-with all its God, guns, and Gucci glory-has never been told. Born in the man's world of Texas in a time when women had limited choices, Joanne Herring blazed a trail with allies as unlikely as Charlie Wilson, Pierre Cardin, and President Ronald Reagan . . . and in so doing forged new paths for women in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and America.
Diplomatic Baggage: The Adventures Of A Trailing Spouse
by Brigid KeenanWhen Sunday Times fashion journalist Brigid Keenan married the love of her life in the late Sixties, little idea did she have of the rollercoaster journey they would make around the world together - with most things going horribly awry while being obliged to keep the straightest face and put their best feet forward. For he was a diplomat - and Brigid found herself the smiling face of the European Union in locales ranging from Kazakhstan to Trinidad. Finding herself miserable for the first time in a career into which many would have long ago thrown the towel, she found herself asking (during a farewell party for the Papal Nuncio): was it worth it? As this stream of it-really-happened-to-me stories shows, it most certainly was - if only for our vicarious bewilderment at how exactly you throw a buffet dinner during a public mourning period in Syria, remain viable as a fashion journalist when taste-wise you are three seasons out of it and geographically a world away, make people believe that there are actually terrible things going on in paradise, be a good mother and save some of the finest architecture in Damascus and Brussels from demolition - seemingly all simultaneously.
Diplomatic Incidents: Memoirs Of An (un)diplomatic Wife
by Cherry DenmanCherry Denman has spent her life trailing husband Charlie round some of the world's most remote outposts and can ask for the lavatory in eleven languages. While some aspects of living abroad will always puzzle her - saunas, tofu and circumcision, to name just three - she wouldn't have missed it for anything. Lessons learnt range from the practical (possessions belong either in the suitcase or the skip: storage is for wimps), to the truly useful (how to avoid the drinks party bore) and the truly bizarre (the episode with the goat . . .). Charming and witty, these hilarious tales of global misunderstsanding are illustrated with over seventy original line drawings.
Diplomatic Passport: More Undiplomatic Diaries, 1946-1962
by Charles RitchieIn his first book, The Siren Years, the public was introduced to Charles Ritchie as a young diplomat serving with the Canadian Embassy in wartime London. In Diplomatic Passport, we follow his career as he climbs the rungs of the diplomatic-service ladder – as an advisor to the Canadian Delegation to the Paris Peace Conference in 1946; as a Counsellor at the Canadian Embassy in Paris, where his friends celebrate Ritchie Week – to the city’s surprise; as Assistant, Deputy, and Acting Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs in Ottawa; as Canadian Ambassador to Bonn, where he finds himself reciting Little Red Riding Hood in German at a state dinner; and as Permanent Ambassador of Canada to the United Nations.
Diplomats at War: Friendship and Betrayal on the Brink of the Vietnam Conflict (Miller Center Studies on the Presidency)
by Charles TrueheartFor two Americans in Saigon in 1963, the personal and the political combine to spark the drama of a lifetime Before it spread into a tragic war that defined a generation, the conflict in Vietnam smoldered as a guerrilla insurgency and a diplomatic nightmare. Into this volatile country stepped Frederick &“Fritz&” Nolting, the US ambassador, and his second-in-command, William &“Bill&” Trueheart, immortalized in David Halberstam&’s landmark work The Best and the Brightest and accidental players in a pivotal juncture in modern US history.Diplomats at War is a personal memoir by former Washington Post reporter Charles Trueheart—Bill&’s son and Nolting&’s godson—who grew up amid the events that traumatized two families and an entire nation. The book embeds the reader at the US embassy and dissects the fateful rift between Nolting and Trueheart over their divergent assessments of the South Vietnamese regime under Ngo Dinh Diem, who would ultimately be assassinated in a coup backed by the United States. Charles Trueheart retells the story of the United States&’ headlong plunge into war from an entirely new vantage point—that of a son piecing together how his father and godfather participated in, and were deeply damaged by, this historic flashpoint. Their critical rupture, which also destroyed their close friendship, served as a dramatic preface to the United States&’ disastrous involvement in the Vietnam conflict.Winner of the American Academy of Diplomacy Douglas Dillon Award
Direct Action: Memoirs of an Urban Guerrilla
by Ann HansenAnn Hansen stood trial as one of the so-called “Squamish Five.” Sentenced to life in prison, she served seven years. Now she tells her story for the first time. Direct Action captures the excitement and indignation of the counterculture of the early ’80s. Missile tests were fuelling a new arms race. Reckless megaprojects threatened the global environment. Alienation, punk rock, and militancy were on the rise. Hansen and her fellow urban guerrillas believed that sabotaging government and corporate property could help turn things around. To prove their point, they bombed the Litton Systems plant in Toronto, where components for Cruise Missiles were being made. Hansen’s book poses unresolved ethical dilemmas. In light of the recent explosion of anti-globalization protests, Direct Action mirrors the resurgence of militant activity around the world.
Direct Hit!
by Caroline Margaret SutherlandShe's a well-known author. He's a handsome, educated medical professional. How does a storybook romance turn into a Facebook nightmare of shattered trust, defamation, and even identity theft?Direct Hit! How Facebook Destroyed My Marriage and How I Healed is a harrowing account of what can and does happen on Facebook and other social media sites with alarming regularity. When Caroline Sutherland made the shocking discovery that her husband was romancing other women on Facebook-using her online profile-she didn't know that that was just the tip of the iceberg. In this riveting exposé, she charts the steps she took to uncover his criminal activities online and the legal channels she followed to seek justice.As inspiring as it is page-turning, this book is a wake-up call for readers who wonder what their spouses are really doing on the Internet. Sutherland offers straight talk about the uses and misuses of social media, practical ways for families to stay safe on Facebook, and the spiritual wisdom that can lead to healing after a betrayal of epic proportions.
Direct Red: A Surgeon's View of Her Life-or-Death Profession
by Gabriel Weston“What a terrific book….[Weston] leaves you feeling that if push came to shove you’d want to be operated on by her.”—Nicholas Shakespeare, author of Bruce Chatwin: A BiographyThe continuing popularity of doctor shows on TV—from Scrubs, House, and Grey’s Anatomy to the television phenomenon ER—indicates a widespread fascination with all things medical. Direct Red, by practicing ear, nose, and throat surgical specialist Gabriel Weston, takes readers behind the scenes and into the operating room for a fascinating look at what really goes on on the other side of the hospital doors. “A Surgeon’s View of her Life-and-Death Profession,” Weston’s Direct Red is written not only with knowledge and insight, but with compassion, honesty, and literary flair.
Directed by James Burrows: Five Decades of Stories from the Legendary Director of Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, Friends, Will & Grace, and More
by James Burrows&“Being directed by the Jimmy Burrows, while on Friends, was like hitting the jackpot. I&’m delighted that everyone can now share in his incredible insight with this book.&”—JENNIFER ANISTONFrom the director of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, Friends, and Will & Grace comes an insightful and nostalgic memoir that offers a bounty of behind-the-scenes moments from our favorite shows, peeling away the layers behind how a successful sitcom comes together—and stays that way.Legendary sitcom director James Burrows has spent five decades making America laugh. Here readers will find never-revealed stories behind the casting of the dozens of great sitcoms he directed, as well as details as to how these memorable shows were created, how they got on the air, and how the cast and crew continued to develop and grow. Burrows also examines his own challenges, career victories, and defeats, and provides advice for aspiring directors, writers, and actors. All this from the man who helped launch the careers of Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Woody Harrelson, Jennifer Aniston, Debra Messing, and Melissa McCarthy, to name a few. Burrows talks fondly about the inspiration he found during his childhood and young adult years, including his father, legendary playwright and Broadway director Abe Burrows. From there he goes on to explain his rigorous work ethic, forged in his early years in theater, where he did everything from stage managing to building sets to, finally, directing. Transitioning to television, Burrows locked into a coveted job with The Mary Tyler Moore Show, where he first observed and then started to apply his craft. Directing most of the episodes of Taxi came next, where he worked closely with writers/producers Glen and Les Charles. The three formed a remarkable creative partnership that helped Burrows achieve his much sought-after goal of ownership and agency over a project, which came with the creating and directing of the seminal and beloved hit Cheers. Burrows has directed more than seventy-five pilots that have gone to series and over a thousand episodes, more than any other director in history.Directed by James Burrows is a heart-and-soul master class in sitcom, revealing what it truly takes to get a laugh.
Directing the Tunnellers' War: The Tunnelling Memoirs of Captain H Dixon MC RE
by Nigel Cave and Phillip RobinsonA first-hand account of the underground work of the First World War—from the firing of mines to constructing subways to bureaucratic mishaps.With a background in mining and tunneling, Major H. R. Dixon was transferred to GHQ in Montreuil to handle mining plans and records. In due course he was appointed to a small group of Royal Engineers’ officers who operated as the eyes and ears of the Inspector of Mines. His activity in this role is particularly important for the period after the June 1917 Messines Offensive, when the use of mining for blows against the enemy substantially diminished—indeed, all but disappeared—and the tunneling companies were reallocated to a new range of tasks.Dixon was at the centre of staff activity that set about countering the effects of the German Kaiserslacht offensives in March, April and May 1918, and the preparations for a possible German breakthrough to the channel ports. Subsequently, with the allied advances of the ‘Last Hundred Days’, he became considerably occupied by the hazards of dealing with delayed action mines and booby traps.His manuscript, produced in 1933, remained no more than a draft until it was rescued some time ago by one of the editors from the Royal Engineers’ archives at Chatham. It recounts, by means of numerous humorous anecdotes, the personalities and work of the staff at GHQ, ranging from humble clerks and the misdemeanors of his batman to senior officers. He brings to life the exceptional endeavours of the often maligned senior staff and the individual characteristics of many senior staff officers who are otherwise but shadows in accounts of the Great War.
Directing: Behind The Silver Screen: A Modern History Of Filmmaking (Behind the Silver Screen Series)
by Sarah Kozloff William Luhr J. D. Connor Professor Charlie Keil Virginia Wright Wexman Daniel LangfordWhen a film is acclaimed, the director usually gets the lion’s share of the credit. Yet the movie director’s job—especially the collaborations and compromises it involves—remains little understood. The latest volume in the Behind the Silver Screen series, this collection provides the first comprehensive overview of how directing, as both an art and profession, has evolved in tandem with changing film industry practices. Each chapter is written by an expert on a different period of Hollywood, from the silent film era to today’s digital filmmaking, providing in-depth examinations of key trends like the emergence of independent production after World War II and the rise of auteurism in the 1970s. Challenging the myth of the lone director, these studies demonstrate how directors work with a multitude of other talented creative professionals, including actors, writers, producers, editors, and cinematographers. Directing examines a diverse range of classic and contemporary directors, including Orson Welles, Tim Burton, Cecil B. DeMille, Steven Soderbergh, Spike Lee, and Ida Lupino, offering a rich composite picture of how they have negotiated industry constraints, utilized new technologies, and harnessed the creative contributions of their many collaborators throughout a century of Hollywood filmmaking.
Directions to Myself: A Memoir of Four Years
by Heidi JulavitsA sharply observed memoir of motherhood and the self, and a love letter to Maine, by a writer Eula Biss calls &“witty, sly, critical, inventive&” and whose mind Leslie Jamison calls &“electric.&”&“An absolute stunner: frank, funny, self-aware, constantly surprising.&”—George SaundersThat night, in his bed, I spread my son&’s palm wide and tried to read it. If the hand was a map that led to a future person, was there any changing the destination? One summer Heidi Julavits sees her son silhouetted by the sun and notices he is at the threshold of what she calls &“the end times of childhood.&” When did this happen, she asks herself. Who is my son becoming—and what qualifies me to be his guide?The next four years feel like uncharted waters. Rape allegations rock the university campus where Julavits teaches, unleashing questions of justice and accountability, as well as education and prevention. She begins to wonder how to prepare her son to be the best possible citizen of the world he&’s about to enter. And what she must learn about herself to responsibly steer him.Looking back to her childhood in Maine, where she and her family often navigated the tricky coastline in a small boat, relying on a decades-old nautical guide, Julavits takes us on an intellectual navigation of the self. Throughout, she intertwines her internal analysis with a wide-ranging exploration of what it means to raise a child in a time full of contradictions and moral complexity. Using the past and present as points of orientation, Directions to Myself examines the messy minutiae of family life alongside knottier questions of politics and gender. Through it all, Julavits discovers the beauty and the peril of telling stories as a way to locate ourselves and help others find us.Intimate, rigorous, and refreshingly unsentimental, Directions to Myself cements Julavits&’s reputation as one of the most shrewdly innovative nonfiction writers at work today.
Director's Cut: My Life in Film
by Josh Young Ted KotcheffFrom Weekend at Bernie’s to First Blood andLaw & Order: SVU, the legendary director recounts his journey and wide-ranging career in this intimate memoir. Born to immigrant parents and raised in the slums of Toronto during the Depression, Ted Kotcheff learned storytelling on the streets before taking a stagehand job at CBC Television. Kotcheff went on to direct some of the greatest films of the freewheeling 1970s, including The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Wake in Fright, and North Dallas Forty. After directing the 1980s blockbusters First Blood and Weekend at Bernie’s, Kotcheff helped produce the groundbreaking TV show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. During his career, he was declared a communist by the US government, banned from the Royal Albert Hall in London, and coped with assassination threats on one of his lead actors. With his seminal films enjoying a critical renaissance, including praise from Martin Scorsese and Nick Cave, Kotcheff now turns the lens on himself. Director’s Cut is not just a memoir, but a close-up on life and craft, with stories of his long friendship with Mordecai Richler and working with stars like Sylvester Stallone, James Mason, Gregory Peck, Ingrid Bergman, Gene Hackman, Jane Fonda, and Richard Dreyfuss, as well as advice on how to survive the slings and arrows of Hollywood. “As he explains why music matters, how Gene Hackman gets into character, and how shooting a nighttime kangaroo slaughter resulted in a change in Australian hunting policy, Kotcheff’s love of the whole process of filmmaking shines through.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Dirichlet: A Mathematical Biography
by Uta C. MerzbachThis is the first extensive biography of the influential German mathematician, Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet (1805 – 1859). Dirichlet made major contributions to number theory in addition to clarifying concepts such as the representation of functions as series, the theory of convergence, and potential theory. His mathematical methodology was explicitly based on a thorough knowledge of the work of his predecessors and his belief in the underlying unity of the branches of mathematics. This unified approach is exemplified in a paper that effectively launched the field of analytic number theory. The same orientation pervaded his teaching, which had a profound influence on the work of many mathematicians of subsequent generations. Chapters dealing with his mathematical work alternate with biographical chapters that place Dirichlet’s life and those of some of his notable associates in the context of the political, social, and artistic culture of the period. This book will appeal not only to mathematicians but also to historians of mathematics and sciences, and readers interested in the cultural and intellectual history of the nineteenth century.
Dirk Bogarde: The Authorised Biography
by John Coldstream'Biographies only tend to be definitive until the next one comes along, but there's no danger of Coldstream's erudite, moving analysis ever being superseded' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY. As an actor Dirk Bogarde was a Rank contract artist and matinee idol who became a giant of the intellectual cinema, working on films such as Death in Venice, The Servant and Providence. Fiercely protective of his privacy, and that of his partner of 40 years, he left England in the 1960s to live abroad, where he carved a second career for himself as a bestselling author. Although Bogarde destroyed many of his papers, John Coldstream has had unique access to his personal archives and to friends and family who knew him well. The result is a fascinating biography of a complex and intriguing personality.
Dirk Bogarde: The authorised biography
by John Coldstream'Biographies only tend to be definitive until the next one comes along, but there's no danger of Coldstream's erudite, moving analysis ever being superseded' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY.As an actor Dirk Bogarde was a Rank contract artist and matinee idol who became a giant of the intellectual cinema, working on films such as Death in Venice, The Servant and Providence. Fiercely protective of his privacy, and that of his partner of 40 years, he left England in the 1960s to live abroad, where he carved a second career for himself as a bestselling author. Although Bogarde destroyed many of his papers, John Coldstream has had unique access to his personal archives and to friends and family who knew him well. The result is a fascinating biography of a complex and intriguing personality.
Dirk Nowitzki
by Jeffrey ZuehlkeAt the towering height of 7' 0", forward Dirk Nowitzki is one of the tallest players in the NBA. But Dirk also has a light touch and is one of the best shooters in the league. Born in Germany where soccer is king, Dirk didn't begin playing basketball until he was almost a teenager. In his short time in the game, Dirk has proven himself to be one of the best players in the world. Learn more about this athlete's life and amazing career.
Dirt Work: An Education in the Woods
by Christine BylA lively and lyrical account of one woman's unlikely apprenticeship on a national-park trail crew and what she discovers about nature, gender, and the value of hard work Christine Byl first encountered the national parks the way most of us do: on vacation. But after she graduated from college, broke and ready for a new challenge, she joined a Glacier National Park trail crew as a seasonal "traildog" maintaining mountain trails for the millions of visitors Glacier draws every year. Byl first thought of the job as a paycheck, a summer diversion, a welcome break from "the real world" before going on to graduate school. She came to find out that work in the woods on a trail crew was more demanding, more rewarding--more real--than she ever imagined. During her first season, Byl embraces the backbreaking difficulty of the work, learning how to clear trees, move boulders, and build stairs in the backcountry. Her first mentors are the colorful characters with whom she works--the packers, sawyers, and traildogs from all walks of life--along with the tools in her hands: axe, shovel, chainsaw, rock bar. As she invests herself deeply in new work, the mountains, rivers, animals, and weather become teachers as well. While Byl expected that her tenure at the parks would be temporary, she ends up turning this summer gig into a decades-long job, moving from Montana to Alaska, breaking expectations--including her own--that she would follow a "professional" career path. Returning season after season, she eventually leads her own crews, mentoring other trail dogs along the way. In Dirt Work, Byl probes common assumptions about the division between mental and physical labor, "women's work" and "men's work," white collars and blue collars. The supposedly simple work of digging holes, dropping trees, and blasting snowdrifts in fact offers her an education of the hands and the head, as well as membership in an utterly unique subculture. Dirt Work is a contemplative but unsentimental look at the pleasures of labor, the challenges of apprenticeship, and the way a place becomes a home.
Dirt: Adventures in Lyon as a Chef in Training, Father, and Sleuth Looking for the Secret of French Cooking
by Bill BufordThe hugely anticipated follow up to Heat--Bill Buford's hilariously self-deprecating, highly obsessive adventures in the world of French haute cuisine. <P><P>In Dirt, Bill Buford--author of the best-selling, now-classic, Heat--moves his attention from Italian cuisine to the food of France. Baffled by the language, determined that he can master the art of French cooking--or at least get to the bottom of why it is so revered--Buford begins what will become a five-year odyssey by shadowing the revered French chef Michel Richard in Washington, D.C. <P><P>He soon realizes, however, that a stage in France is necessary, and so he goes--this time with his wife and three-year-old twin sons in tow--to Lyon, the gastronomic capital of France. Studying at l'Institut Bocuse, cooking at the storied, Michelin-starred Mère Brazier, Buford becomes a man obsessed--to prove that French cooking actually derives from the Italian, to prove himself on the line, to prove that he is worthy of these gastronomic secrets. <P><P>With his signature humor, sense of adventure, and masterful ability to immerse himself in his surroundings, Bill Buford has written what is sure to be the food-lover's book of the year.
Dirt: Adventures in Lyon as a Chef in Training, Father, and Sleuth Looking for the Secret of French Cooking (Granta Ser.)
by Bill Buford&“You can almost taste the food in Bill Buford&’s Dirt, an engrossing, beautifully written memoir about his life as a cook in France.&” —The Wall Street JournalWhat does it take to master French cooking? This is the question that drives Bill Buford to abandon his perfectly happy life in New York City and pack up and (with a wife and three-year-old twin sons in tow) move to Lyon, the so-called gastronomic capital of France. But what was meant to be six months in a new and very foreign city turns into a wild five-year digression from normal life, as Buford apprentices at Lyon&’s best boulangerie, studies at a legendary culinary school, and cooks at a storied Michelin-starred restaurant, where he discovers the exacting (and incomprehensibly punishing) rigueur of the professional kitchen. With his signature humor, sense of adventure, and masterful ability to bring an exotic and unknown world to life, Buford has written the definitive insider story of a city and its great culinary culture.
Dirtbag Queen
by Andy CorrenIn this "utterly unhinged, hilarious" memoir, a son pays tribute to his larger than life 'zaftig good time gal' mother and his unusual childhood (Jenny Lawson, New York Times bestselling author).&“Because she was my mother, the death of zaftig good-time gal Renay Corren is newsworthy to me, and I treat it with the same respect and reverence she had for, well, nothing. A more disrespectful, trash talking woman was not to be found.&” So began Andy Corren's unforgettable obituary for his mother, Renay Mandel Corren, a tribute that went on to touch the hearts of millions around the globe. In his brief telling of the life and legend that was Renay, a &“loud, filthy‑minded (and filthy‑mouthed) Jewish lady redneck who birthed six kids,&” Andy captured only a slice of his loving and fabulously unconventional mother. In this uproariously funny, deeply moving family portrait, readers meet the rest of his absurd clan: his brothers, affectionately nicknamed Asshole, Twin, and Rabbi; his one-eyed pirate queen of a sister, Cathy Sue; and then there&’s Bonus, who Andy isn&’t aware of until later in life since this mysterious oldest brother grew up at the Green Valley School for Emotionally Disturbed and Delinquent Children. A story of love and forgiveness, as well as a celebration of a woman who was &“great at dyeing her red roots, weekly manicures, filthy jokes, pier fishing, rolling joints and buying dirty magazines," Dirtbag Queen is an entertaining and poignant portrayal of the complex and heartfelt humanity that unites us all—especially family.
Dirtbag, Massachusetts: A Confessional
by Isaac FitzgeraldIsaac Fitzgerald has lived many lives. He's been an altar boy, a bartender, a fat kid, a smuggler, a biker, a prince of New England. But before all that, he was a bomb that exploded his parents' lives—or so he was told. <p><p>In Dirtbag, Massachusetts, Fitzgerald, with warmth and humor, recounts his ongoing search for forgiveness, a more far-reaching vision of masculinity, and a more expansive definition of family and self. Fitzgerald's memoir-in-essays begins with a childhood that moves at breakneck speed from safety to violence, recounting an extraordinary pilgrimage through trauma to self-understanding and, ultimately, acceptance. From growing up in a Boston homeless shelter to bartending in San Francisco, from smuggling medical supplies into Burma to his lifelong struggle to make peace with his body, Fitzgerald strives to take control of his own story: one that aims to put aside anger, isolation, and entitlement to embrace the idea that one can be generous to oneself by being generous to others. <p><p>Gritty and clear-eyed, loud-hearted and beautiful, Dirtbag, Massachusetts is a rollicking book that might also be a lifeline.