- Table View
- List View
The Futilitarians: Our Year of Thinking, Drinking, Grieving, and Reading
by Anne GislesonRecommended Summer Reading -- Louise Erdrich, New York TimesA memoir of friendship and literature chronicling a search for meaning and comfort in great books, and a beautiful path out of griefAnne Gisleson had lost her twin sisters, had been forced to flee her home during Hurricane Katrina, and had witnessed cancer take her beloved father. Before she met her husband, Brad, he had suffered his own trauma, losing his partner and the mother of his son to cancer in her young thirties. "How do we keep moving forward," Anne asks, "amid all this loss and threat?" The answer: "We do it together." Anne and Brad, in the midst of forging their happiness, found that their friends had been suffering their own losses and crises as well: loved ones gone, rocky marriages, tricky childrearing, jobs lost or gained, financial insecurities or unexpected windfalls. Together these resilient New Orleanians formed what they called the Existential Crisis Reading Group, jokingly dubbed "The Futilitarians." From Epicurus to Tolstoy, from Cheever to Amis to Lispector, each month they read and talked about identity, parenting, love, mortality, and life in post-Katrina New Orleans, gatherings that increasingly fortified Anne and helped her blaze a trail out of her well-worn grief. Written with wisdom, soul, and a playful sense of humor, The Futilitarians is a guide to living curiously and fully, and a testament to the way that even from the toughest soil of sorrow, beauty and wonder can bloom.
A Future for Amazonia: Randy Borman and Cofán Environmental Politics
by Michael CepekBlending ethnography with a fascinating personal story, A Future for Amazonia is an account of a political movement that arose in the early 1990s in response to decades of attacks on the lands and peoples of eastern Ecuador, one of the world's most culturally and biologically diverse places. <P><P>After generations of ruin at the hands of colonizing farmers, transnational oil companies, and Colombian armed factions, the indigenous Cofán people and their rain forest territory faced imminent jeopardy. In a surprising turn of events, the Cofán chose Randy Borman, a man of Euro-American descent, to lead their efforts to overcome the crisis that confronted them.
The Future of Conservatism: Conflict and Consensus in the Post-Reagan Era
by Charles DunnOnce on the wings of the American political stage, conservatism now plays a leading role in public life, thanks largely to the dynamic legacy of Ronald Reagan. But despite conservatism&’s emergence as a powerful political force in the last several decades, misunderstandings abound about its meaning and nature—economically, internationally, philosophically, politically, religiously, and socially. In examining these misunderstandings, The Future of American Conservatism: Consensus and Conflict in the Post-Reagan Era reveals the forces that unite, and the tensions that divide, conservatives today.Edited by noted Reagan scholar Charles W. Dunn, this collection casts conservatism as a collage of complexity that defies easy characterization. Although it is commonly considered an ideology, many of conservatism&’s foremost intellectuals dispute this notion. Although it is thought to embody a standard set of principles, its principles frequently conflict. Although many leading intellectuals, liberal and conservative, believe that conservatism lacks a significant tradition in America, it has contributed more to American life than the credit lines indicate. And although it is usually thought to create homogeneity among its adherents, in truth conservatism is marked by a great deal of heterogeneity in both its adherents and its ideas.In fact, conservatism&’s complexity may well be its strength—or so the essays gathered here suggest. In painting a bright picture of the prospects for conservatives, The Future of American Conservatism is a timely and thought-provoking volume.
The Future of Tennis: A Photographic Celebration of the Men's Tour
by Philip Slayton Peter FiguraAt the heart of the men’s tennis game for some years have been the Big Four: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal. Since 2006, only three other players have won a Grand Slam Tournament, and no one else has been ranked world No. 1. But since 2013, the dominance of the Big Four has come under sustained and increasing pressure. New players are challenging Djokovic, Federer, Murray, and Nadal. The rivalry between the old guard and (mostly) young contenders makes this the golden age of tennis. Nick Kyrgios beat Nadal in the fourth round of 2014 Wimbledon. In 2017, David Goffin beat Djokovic in Monte Carlo; Dominic Thiem beat Murray in Barcelona; Sascha Zverev beat Federer in Montreal; and Denis Shapovalov beat Nadal, also in Montreal. In The Future of Tennis Philip Slayton and Peter Figura examine a selection of the players outside of the Big Four and introduce the reader to the great depth of field in the men’s game and the personalities that enliven the sport. Complete with stunning photography by Figura, this book will answer questions about who some of the other players on the tour are, what drives them, their foibles and eccentricities, and more. The perfect gift for tennis aficionados!
The Future of Us: What the Dreams of Children Mean for Twenty-First-Century America
by Irwin RedlenerRaymond is a talented young artist who carries his work from homeless shelter to homeless shelter in a tattered bag but has never even been inside a museum. He is emblematic of the children that the renowned pediatrician and children’s advocate Irwin Redlener has met over the course of his long and colorful career. Inadequate education, barriers to health care, and crushing poverty make it overwhelmingly difficult for many children to realize their dreams. In this memoir, Redlener draws on poignant personal experiences to investigate the nation’s healthcare safety net and special programs that are designed to protect and nurture our most vulnerable kids, but that too often fail to do so. The book follows Redlener’s winding career, from his work as a pediatrician in the Arkansas delta, to treating child abuse in a Miami hospital, to helping children in the aftermath of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. The reader accompanies him to the board of USA for Africa, to cofounding the Children’s Health Fund with Paul Simon, as he persuades Joan Baez to play a benefit concert for his clinic in rural Arkansas, and to dinner with Fidel Castro. But what has motivated him most powerfully are the children who struggle with terrible adversities yet dream of becoming paleontologists, artists, and marine biologists. These stories are his springboard for discussing larger policy issues that hinder us from effectively eradicating childhood poverty and overcoming barriers to accessible health care. Persistent deprivation and the avoidable problems that accompany poverty ensnare millions of children, with rippling effects that harm the health, prosperity, and creativity of the adults they become. Redlener argues that we must drastically change our approach to meeting the needs of children—for their sake and to ensure America’s resiliency and influence in an increasingly complex and challenging world.
The Future Tense of Joy: A Memoir
by Jessica Teich"'No one was less likely to take her own life.’ That’s what her Oxford thesis advisor wrote. From the moment I stumbled across the obituary, late at night when I couldn’t sleep, I was captivated, and it wasn’t the terrible details of her death: That she leapt from the balcony of a high rise in Century City. That she was 27, and a newlywed.” So begins Jessica Teich’s quest to unravel a mystery: the suicide of someone she never met. Bright and accomplished, with a loving family, Jessica knows she should be happy. But a violent childhood has left its mark. Jessica fears she will never be free of her past-until she discovers the obituary of a young woman, whose life is a ghostly echo of her own. Can Jessica discover what drove this brilliant young woman to kill herself? And will discovering the truth save Jessica from the fissures tearing apart her own life? A deeply intimate psychological memoir, The Future Tense of Joy is the luminous account of one woman’s efforts to free herself, and her family, from the demons of the past. Witty, brave and suspenseful, the book has been hailed by Meryl Streep as "beautiful, compassionately imagined.” Steve Martin called it "a daring and intimate journey into the soul of motherhood.”
FutureChefs: Recipes by Tomorrow#s Cooks Across the Nation and the World
by Ramin Ganeshram Jean Paul VellottiA 2015 IACP Cookbook Awards Winner: Children, Youth and FamilyA curated collection of 150 recipes drawn from the experience and kitchens of young cooks all over America, FutureChefs brings real, cooking-obsessed tweens and teens to the page as relatable characters who span a diverse social and cultural experience. Here, in rich, inspiring detail, is the ethnoculinary America of the future. Veteran journalist and trained chef Ramin Ganeshram has crafted profiles of serious young cooks who run the gamut of experience, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds to create an inspiring prism through which readers might see what's ahead in America's food culture. Whether they've taken to it because of necessity, inspiration, or sheer passion, these are kids, teens, and tweens who are very serious about food. Featuring recipes from young celebrity chefs Logan Guleff, winner FOX's MasterChef Jr, and Kid Chef Eliana de Las Casas, Daniel Hamilton, Alessandra Ciuffo, and Jack Witherspoon from Food Network's Rachael versus Guy, as well as the White House's Healthy Lunchtime Challenge winners Sydney Michael Brown and Haile Thomas.This is a generation more interested in hands-on cooking than ever, but they're lacking material that treats them as a serious part of cooking culture; FutureChefs is the perfect vehicle.
Futureface: A Family Mystery, an Epic Quest, and the Secret to Belonging
by Alex Wagner<P>An acclaimed journalist travels the globe to solve the mystery of her ancestry, confronting the question at the heart of the American experience of immigration, race, and identity: Who are my people? <P>Alex Wagner has always been fascinated by stories of exile and migration. Her father’s ancestors immigrated to the United States from Ireland and Luxembourg. Her mother fled Rangoon in the 1960s, escaping Burma’s military dictatorship. <P>In her professional life, Wagner reported from the Arizona-Mexico border, where agents, drones, cameras, and military hardware guarded the line between two nations. She listened to debates about whether the United States should be a melting pot or a salad bowl. <P>She knew that moving from one land to another—and the accompanying recombination of individual and tribal identities—was the story of America. And she was happy that her own mixed-race ancestry and late twentieth-century education had taught her that identity is mutable and meaningless, a thing we make rather than a thing we are. <P>When a cousin’s offhand comment threw a mystery into her personal story–introducing the possibility of an exciting new twist in her already complex family history—Wagner was suddenly awakened to her own deep hunger to be something, to belong, to have an identity that mattered, a tribe of her own. <P>Intoxicated by the possibility, she became determined to investigate her genealogy. So she set off on a quest to find the truth about her family history. <P>The journey takes Wagner from Burma to Luxembourg, from ruined colonial capitals with records written on banana leaves to Mormon databases and high-tech genetic labs. <P>As she gets closer to solving the mystery of her own ancestry, she begins to grapple with a deeper question: Does it matter? Is our enduring obsession with blood and land, race and identity, worth all the trouble it’s caused us? <P>The answers can be found in this deeply personal account of her search for belonging, a meditation on the things that define us as insiders and outsiders and make us think in terms of “us” and “them.” <P>In this time of conflict over who we are as a country, when so much emphasis is placed on ethnic, religious, and national divisions, Futureface constructs a narrative where we all belong.
Futureface (Adapted for Young Readers): A Family Mystery, a Search for Identity, and the Truth About Belonging
by Alex WagnerFor anyone who is interested in genealogy and DNA profiling, this is the story of a journalist who travels the world to solve the mystery of her ancestry, facing questions about American identity and what it means to belong. Now adapted for young readers from the acclaimed adult memoir.Who are my people? Where am I from? With a Burmese mother and a white American father, Alex Wagner grew up thinking of herself as a "futureface"--an example of what the mixed-race future of America would look like. Her father's ancestors immigrated to the United States from Ireland and Luxembourg. Her mother fled Burma--now Myanmar--with her family in the 1960s.When Alex learns that her ancestry might be more mysterious than she believed, she becomes obsessed with learning everything there is to know about her ethnic and racial history. Her journey takes her from Burma to Luxembourg, from birth records written on banana leaves to high-tech genetic labs and online ancestry profiles.Through a blend of history, science, and sociology, Alex tries to solve the mysteries of her family and what it means to be American. What makes us think of certain people as "us" and others as "them"? In a time of conflict over who we are as a country, she tries to find the story where we all belong.Praise for the adult edition of Futureface"A thoughtful, beautiful meditation on what makes us who we are." --Barack Obama"Smart, timely, and moving." --Eddie Huang, bestselling author of Fresh Off the Boat"A rich and revealing memoir." --The New York Times
The Futurist: The Life and Films of James Cameron
by Rebecca KeeganWith the release of Avatar in December 2009, James Cameron cements his reputation as king of sci-fi and blockbuster filmmaking. It's a distinction he's long been building, through a directing career that includes such cinematic landmarks as The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, and the highest grossing movie of all time, Titanic. The Futurist is the first in-depth look at every aspect of this audacious creative genius-culminating in an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse of the making of Avatar, the movie that promises to utterly transform the way motion pictures are created and perceived. As decisive a break with the past as the transition from silents to talkies, Avatar pushes 3-D, live action, and photo-realistic CGI to a new level. It rips through the emotional barrier of the screen to transport the audience to a fabulous new virtual world. With cooperation from the often reclusive Cameron, author Rebecca Keegan has crafted a singularly revealing portrait of the director's life and work. We meet the young truck driver who sees Star Wars and sets out to learn how to make even better movies himself-starting by taking apart the first 35mm camera he rented to see how it works. We observe the neophyte director deciding over lunch with Arnold Schwarzenegger that the ex-body builder turned actor is wrong in every way for the Terminator role as written, but perfect regardless. After the success of The Terminator, Cameron refines his special-effects wizardry with a big-time Hollywood budget in the creation of the relentlessly exciting Aliens. He builds an immense underwater set for The Abyss in the massive containment vessel of an abandoned nuclear power plant-where he pushes his scuba-breathing cast to and sometimes past their physical and emotional breaking points (including a white rat that Cameron saved from drowning by performing CPR). And on the set of Titanic, the director struggles to stay in charge when someone maliciously spikes craft services' mussel chowder with a massive dose of PCP, rendering most of the cast and crew temporarily psychotic. Now, after his movies have earned over $5 billion at the box office, James Cameron is astounding the world with the most expensive, innovative, and ambitious movie of his career. For decades the moviemaker has been ready to tell the Avatar story but was forced to hold off his ambitions until technology caught up with his vision. Going beyond the technical ingenuity and narrative power that Cameron has long demonstrated, Avatar shatters old cinematic paradigms and ushers in a new era of storytelling.
Un Futuro Emocionante: La historia de Lek, una chica de bar en Pattaya (Detrás de la Sonrisa #2)
by Owen JonesUn Futuro Emocionante La historia de Lek, una chica de bar en Pattaya Detrás de la sonrisa La historia de Lek, una chica de bar en Pattaya, Tailandia Libro dos: un futuro emocionante Este segundo libro continúa la historia de Lek desde donde la dejó el libro uno y cubre los próximos años de su vida. Brinda más información sobre la vida en una aldea rural tailandesa y lo que es vivir allí para una mujer como Lek, cuya mente se ha expandido al trabajar en una popular ciudad turística durante diez años y conocer extranjeros de todo el mundo. La pregunta que plantea este libro es si Lek podría volver a meterse en la rígida sociedad de la aldea que alguna vez amó tanto y si los demás la aceptarán después de lo que ha estado haciendo.
El futuro es ahora: Un viaje a través de la realidad virtual
by Jaron LanierEl padre de la realidad virtual nos explica sus infinitas posibilidades a través de su experiencia con la tecnología. A través del fascinante recorrido de una vida dedicada a la tecnología, Jaron Lanier expone la capacidad de la realidad virtual para iluminar y amplificar la comprensión que tenemos de nuestra especie y ofrece a los lectores una nueva perspectiva sobre cómo el cerebro y el cuerpo humano se conectan al mundo. Al entender la realidad virtual como una aventura tanto científica como cultural, Lanier demuestra el componente humanístico que esta aporta a la tecnología. Si bien sus libros anteriores ofrecían una visión más crítica de las redes sociales y de otras manifestaciones de la tecnología, en El futuro es ahora el autor argumenta que la realidad virtual puede hacer que nuestra vida sea más rica y más completa. Una obra que no solo nos muestra qué significa ser humano en esta era de posibilidades tecnológicas sin precedentes, sino que también une la dimensión tecnológica con nuestra experiencia corporal. Reseñas:«Una historia maravillosa, profundamente humana y sumamente personal.»Dave Eggers «Es el padre de la realidad virtual y un genio de la tecnología punta.»Sunday Times «Una mente tan ilimitada como internet.»Evening Standard «Íntimo e idiosincrásico [...] peculiar y fascinante [...] La vívida imaginación de Lanier se convierte en un personaje más. Su visión es humanista e insiste en que el objetivo más importante del desarrollo de la realidad virtual debe ser la conexión humana.»The New York Times Book Review «Una lectura esencial, no solo para los conocedores de la realidad virtual, sino para cualquiera interesado en comprender cómo la sociedad ha llegado a convertirse en lo que es hoy en día y en qué podría convertirse en un futuro no tan lejano.»The Economist «Brillante e inspirador.»Publishers Weekly
Fyodor Dostoevsky (Christian Encounters)
by Peter J. LeithartIn his twenties, Fydor Dostoevsky, son of a Moscow doctor, graduate of a military academy, and rising star of Russian literature, found himself standing in front of a firing squad, accused of subversive activities against the Russian Tsar. Then the drums rolled, signaling that instead he was to be exiled to the living death of Siberia. Siberia was so cold the mercury froze in the thermometer. In prison, Dostoevsky was surrounded by murderers, thieves, parricides, and brigands who drank heavily, quarreled incessantly, and fought with horrible brutality. However, while "prisoners were piled on top of each other in the barracks, and the floor was matted with an inch of filth," Dostoevsky learned a great deal about the human condition that was to impact his writing as nothing had before. To absorb Dostoevsky's remarkable life in these pages is to encounter a man who not only examined the quest of God, the problem of evil, and the suffering of innocents in his writing but also drew inspiration from his own deep Christian faith in giving voice to the common people of his nation... and ultimately the world.
Fyodor Dostoevsky—The Gathering Storm: A Life in Letters, Memoirs, and Criticism (NIU Series in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies)
by Thomas Gaiton MarulloThis second book in a three-volume work on the young Fyodor Dostoevsky is a diary-portrait of his early years drawn from letters, memoirs, and criticism of the writer, as well as from the testimony and witness of family and friends, readers and reviewers, and observers and participants in his life. The result of an exhaustive search of published materials on Dostoevsky, this volume sheds crucial light on the many unexplored corners of Dostoevsky's life in the time between the success of his first novel, Poor Folk, and the failure of his next four works. <P><P>Thomas Gaiton Marullo lets the original writers speak for themselves—the good and the bad, the truth and the lies—and adds extensive notes with correctives, counterarguments, and other pertinent information.Marullo looks closely at Dostoevsky's increasingly tense ties with Vissarion Belinsky, Nikolai Nekrasov, Ivan Turgenev, and other figures of the Russian literary world. He then turns to the individuals who afforded Dostoevsky security and peace amid the often negative reception from fellow writers and readers of his early fiction. Finally, Marullo shows us Dostoevsky's break with the Belinsky circle; his struggle to stay afloat emotionally and financially; and his determination to succeed as a writer while staying true to his vision, most notably, his insights into human psychology that would become a hallmark of his later fiction. This clear and comprehensive portrait of one of the world's greatest writers provides a window into his younger years in a way no other biography has to date.
Fyodor Dostoevsky—In the Beginning: A Life in Letters, Memoirs, and Criticism (NIU Series in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies)
by Thomas MarulloMore than a century after his death in 1881, Fyodor Dostoevsky continues to fascinate readers and reviewers. Countless studies of his writing have been published—more than a dozen in the past few years alone. In this important new work, Thomas Marullo provides a diary-portrait of Dostoevsky's early years drawn from the letters, memoirs, and criticism of the writer, as well as from the testimony and witness of family and friends, readers and reviewers, and observers and participants in his life. Marullo's exhaustive search of published materials on Dostoevsky sheds light on many unexplored corners of Dostoevsky's childhood, adolescence, and youth. Speakers of excerpts are given maximum freedom: Anything they said about the writer—the good and the bad, the truth and the lies—are included, with extensive footnotes providing correctives, counter-arguments, and other pertinent information. The first part of this volume, "All in the Family," focuses on Dostoevsky's early formation and schooling, i.e., his time in city and country, and his ties to his family, particularly his parents. The second section, "To Petersburg!," features Dostoevsky's early days in Russia's imperial city, his years at the Main Engineering Academy, and the death of his father. The third part, "Darkness before Dawn," deals with the writer's youthful struggles and strivings, culminating in the success of his work, Poor Folk. This clear and comprehensive portrait of one of the world's greatest writers will appeal to students, teachers, and scholars of Dostoevsky's early life, as well as general readers interested in Dostoevsky, literature, and history.
G. Evelyn Hutchinson and the Invention of Modern Ecology
by Nancy G. SlackStephen J. Gould declared G. Evelyn Hutchinson the most important ecologist of the twentieth century. E.O. Wilson pronounced him "one of the few scientists who could unabashedly be called a genius." In this fascinating book, Nancy G. Slack presents for the first time the full life story of this brilliant scientist who was also a master teacher, a polymath, and a delightful friend and correspondent. Based on full access to Hutchinson's archives and extensive interviews with him and many who knew him, the author evaluates his important contributions to modern ecology and his profound influence as a mentor. Filled with information available nowhere else, the book draws a vibrant portrait of an original scientific thinker who was also a man of remarkable personal appeal.
G.F. Stout and the Psychological Origins of Analytic Philosophy
by Maria van der SchaarAn investigatation of the influence of psychology and early phenomenology on the origins of analytic philosophy. This book is also of value for those interested in judgement, proposition, psychologism, logical realism, the problem of error, Gestalt theories, and tropes.
G. H. Q. (Montreuil-Sur-Mer) [Illustrated Edition]
by G.S.O. – Major Sir Frank Fox O.B.E.Includes the First World War Illustrations Pack - 73 battle plans and diagrams and 198 photosAccount of the work at G.H.Q. by an officer (Australian Sir Frank Fox) who served there attached to the Quartermaster-General's Branch. "His account of the conditions in which a junior administrative staff officer lived & worked is valuable, especially as there are few records of this sort." - Falls
G.l.s. Shackle
by Peter E. Earl Bruce Littleboy Michael JeffersonThis is an intellectual biography of G. L. S. Shackle, economic theorist, philosopher, and historian of economic theory. It explores how Shackle challenged the aims, methods and assumptions of mainstream economics. He stressed macroeconomic instability, and developed a radically subjectivist theory for behavioural economics and business planning.
G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century
by Beverly GageWhen he became director of the FBI in 1924, J. Edgar Hoover was a dazzling wunderkind buzzing with big ideas for reform. He transformed a failing law-enforcement backwater, riddled with scandal, into a modern machine. He believed in the power of the federal government to do great things for the nation and its citizens. He also believed that certain people – many of them communists or racial minorities – did not deserve to be included in that American project. In her nuanced and definitive portrait, Beverly Gage charts Hoover&’s rise to power, as he used the tools of state to create a personal fiefdom unrivalled in U.S. history. Hoover was not above blackmail and intimidation, and his conservative values ranged from white supremacy to a crusading and politicized interpretation of Christianity. But he was more than a one-dimensional tyrant who strong-armed the country into submission. As FBI director for almost fifty years, he was a confidant, counsellor, and adversary to eight U.S. presidents, four Republicans and four Democrats. His conservative values won him the admiration of millions of Americans. He stayed in office for so long because many people, from the highest reaches of government down to the grassroots, wanted him there. And he has done more to shape the political right today than many presidents. G-Man places Hoover back where he once stood: at the centre of American political history. In telling his story, Gage shines a light on great social and political changes in 20th century America, from policing and civil rights to political culture and ideology.
G-Man (Pulitzer Prize Winner): J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century
by Beverly GageWinner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in BiographyWinner of the 2022 National Book Critics Circle Award in Biography, the 2023 Bancroft Prize in American History and Diplomacy, and the 43rd LA Times Book Prize in Biography | Finalist for the 2023 PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for BiographyNamed a Best Book of 2022 by The Atlantic, The Washington Post and Smithsonian Magazine and a New York Times Top 100 Notable Books of 2022 &“Masterful…This book is an enduring, formidable accomplishment, a monument to the power of biography [that] now becomes the definitive work&”—The Washington Post&“A nuanced portrait in a league with the best of Ron Chernow and David McCullough.&”—The Wall Street JournalA major new biography of J Edgar Hoover that draws from never-before-seen sources to create a groundbreaking portrait of a colossus who dominated half a century of American history and planted the seeds for much of today's conservative political landscape.We remember him as a bulldog--squat frame, bulging wide-set eyes, fearsome jowls--but in 1924, when he became director of the FBI, he had been the trim, dazzling wunderkind of the administrative state, buzzing with energy and big ideas for reform. He transformed a failing law-enforcement backwater, riddled with scandal, into a modern machine. He believed in the power of the federal government to do great things for the nation and its citizens. He also believed that certain people--many of them communists or racial minorities or both-- did not deserve to be included in that American project. Hoover rose to power and then stayed there, decade after decade, using the tools of state to create a personal fiefdom unrivaled in U.S. history. Beverly Gage&’s monumental work explores the full sweep of Hoover&’s life and career, from his birth in 1895 to a modest Washington civil-service family through his death in 1972. In her nuanced and definitive portrait, Gage shows how Hoover was more than a one-dimensional tyrant and schemer who strong-armed the rest of the country into submission. As FBI director from 1924 through his death in 1972, he was a confidant, counselor, and adversary to eight U.S. presidents, four Republicans and four Democrats. Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson did the most to empower him, yet his closest friend among the eight was fellow anticommunist warrior Richard Nixon. Hoover was not above blackmail and intimidation, but he also embodied conservative values ranging from anticommunism to white supremacy to a crusading and politicized interpretation of Christianity. This garnered him the admiration of millions of Americans. He stayed in office for so long because many people, from the highest reaches of government down to the grassroots, wanted him there and supported what he was doing, thus creating the template that the political right has followed to transform its party.G-Man places Hoover back where he once stood in American political history--not at the fringes, but at the center--and uses his story to explain the trajectories of governance, policing, race, ideology, political culture, and federal power as they evolved over the course of the 20th century.
G. P. Taylor: Sin, Salvation and Shadowmancer
by Bob Smietana Graham P. TaylorBooted out of school for trying to set fire to a teacher’s desk, Graham Taylor became a roadie for the Sex Pistols and other punk rock bands. It’s unlikely that someone savoring a life of sex, drugs, and rock music would end up on a police force, but it happened. After a decade on the force, Taylor was attacked and beaten, and his injuries forced him out of service. So Taylor topped one surprise twist in his life with another: he became an Anglican priest. Assigned to a church on the northeast coast of England, Taylor delved into the fascinating history of the region—tales of smugglers, storms at sea and people lost out on the moors. This curiosity would propel him in yet another new direction, as the landscape started to inspire him with ideas for settings and stories of his own. When he gave a speech about his concern over a growing occult presence in children’s literature, someone asked Taylor why he didn’t write a children’s book himself. The seed was planted, and soon Taylor was hard at work on Shadowmancer, a breathtaking tale of the battle between good and evil. It was a safe bet that when Taylor sold his motorcycle to print his first novel, the self-published book would sell only to friends and relatives. But once again, Taylor’s course roared away from the predictable. Shadowmancer rocketed to the top of the bestseller lists on both sides of the Atlantic. But then, what had been predictable about Taylor’s life? Laced with humor and filled with incredible twists and turns, the life story of G. P. Taylor is equal to the plot of any one of his bestselling novels. This entertaining, inspiring, and engaging autobiography is a book you won’t want to put down.
G. V. Chalam
by R. S. SudarshanamThe biography and writings of Telugu author G. V. Chalam (1894-1979.)
Gabacho: Drugs Landed Me In Mexican Prison, Theater Saved Me
by Brian Whitney Richard JewkesA young man&’s rebellion lands him in a Mexican prison, where theater becomes a lifeline in this memoir of angst, crime, friendship and redemption. Richard Jewkes was in his senior year as a University of Utah theater student when he became disenchanted with his strict Mormon upbringing. Over Christmas break, he and a college friend took off for Mexico seeking adventure. If the adventure hadn&’t included smuggling drugs, it might have just been another college road trip. But after a disastrous encounter with a drug cartel, the two young men ended up arrested by Mexican Federales while trying to make it to the US border. When Jewkes and his friend are tossed into a Mexican prison, they anticipate torture, assault, and even death. After a fight with a notorious killer and struggles with tormenting guards, they make a disastrous escape attempt. But ultimately, Jewkes finds his path to survival when he starts a theatre group with a rag-tag bunch of fellow convicts.