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Merle Haggard: The Running Kind
by David CantwellMerle Haggard has enjoyed artistic and professional triumphs few can match. He's charted more than a hundred country hits, including thirty-eight number ones. He's released dozens of studio albums and another half dozen or more live ones, performed upwards of ten thousand concerts, been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and seen his songs performed by artists as diverse as Lynryd Skynyrd, Elvis Costello, Tammy Wynette, Willie Nelson, the Grateful Dead, and Bob Dylan. In 2011 he was feted as a Kennedy Center Honoree. But until now, no one has taken an in-depth look at his career and body of work. In Merle Haggard: The Running Kind, David Cantwell takes us on a revelatory journey through Haggard's music and the life and times out of which it came. Covering the entire breadth of his career, Cantwell focuses especially on the 1960s and 1970s, when Haggard created some of his best-known and most influential music, which helped invent the America we live in today. Listening closely to a masterpiece-crowded catalogue (including songs such as "Okie from Muskogee," "Sing Me Back Home," "Mama Tried," "Working Man Blues," "Kern River," "White Line Fever," "Today I Started Loving You Again," and "If We Make It through December," among many more), Cantwell explores the fascinating contradictions-most of all, the desire for freedom in the face of limits set by the world or self-imposed-that define not only Haggard's music and public persona but the very heart of American culture.
Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog
by Ted KerasoteWhile on a camping trip, Ted Kerasote met a dog—a Labrador mix—who was living on his own in the wild. They became attached to each other, and Kerasote decided to name the dog Merle and bring him home. There, he realized that Merle’s native intelligence would be diminished by living exclusively in the human world. He put a dog door in his house so Merle could live both outside and in. A deeply touching portrait of a remarkable dog and his relationship with the author, Merle’s Door explores the issues that all animals and their human companions face as their lives intertwine, bringing to bear the latest research into animal consciousness and behavior as well as insights into the origins and evolution of the human-dog partnership. Merle showed Kerasote how dogs might live if they were allowed to make more of their own decisions, and Kerasote suggests how these lessons can be applied universally.
Merlin: Knowledge and Power through the Ages
by Stephen KnightMerlin, the wizard of Arthurian legend, has been a source of enduring fascination for centuries. In this authoritative, entertaining, and generously illustrated book, Stephen Knight traces the myth of Merlin back to its earliest roots in the early Welsh figure of Myrddin. He then follows Merlin as he is imagined and reimagined through centuries of literature and art, beginning with Geoffrey of Monmouth, whose immensely popular History of the Kings of Britain (1138) transmitted the story of Merlin to Europe at large. He covers French and German as well as Anglophone elements of the myth and brings the story up to the present with discussions of a globalized Merlin who finds his way into popular literature, film, television, and New Age philosophy. Knight argues that Merlin in all his guises represents a conflict basic to Western societies-the clash between knowledge and power. While the Merlin story varies over time, the underlying structural tension remains the same whether it takes the form of bard versus lord, magician versus monarch, scientist versus capitalist, or academic versus politician. As Knight sees it, Merlin embodies the contentious duality inherent to organized societies. In tracing the applied meanings of knowledge in a range of social contexts, Knight reveals the four main stages of the Merlin myth: Wisdom (early Celtic British), Advice (medieval European), Cleverness (early modern English), and Education (worldwide since the nineteenth century). If a wizard can be captured within the pages of a book, Knight has accomplished the feat.
Mermaid: A Memoir of Resilience
by Eileen Cronin"Extraordinarily courageous; [Cronin] chronicles her journey to fit in and thrive with bravery and wit."--O, The Oprah Magazine At the age of three, Eileen Cronin first realized that only she did not have legs. Her boisterous Catholic family accepted her situation as "God's will," treating her no differently than her ten siblings, as she "squiddled" through their 1960s Cincinnati home. But starting school, even wearing prosthetics, Cronin had to brave bullying and embarrassing questions. Thanks to her older brother's coaching, she handled a classmate's playground taunts with a smack from her lunchbox. As a teen, thrilled when boys asked her out, she was confused about what sexuality meant for her. She felt most comfortable and happiest relaxing and skinny dipping with her girlfriends, imagining herself "an elusive mermaid." The cause of her disability remained taboo, however, even as she looked toward the future and the possibility of her own family. In later years, as her mother battled mental illness and denied having taken the drug thalidomide--known to cause birth defects--Cronin felt apart from her family. After the death of a close brother, she turned to alcohol. Eventually, however, she found the strength to set out on her own, volunteering at hospitals and earning a PhD in clinical psychology. Reflecting with humor and grace on her youth, search for love, and quest for answers, Cronin spins a shimmering story of self-discovery and transformation.
Mermaids and Ikons: A Greek Summer
by Gwendolyn MacEwenAward-winning poet and novelist Gwendolyn MacEwen explores her strongly personal responses to the landscape, culture, and people of Greece in this exquisitely written travel diary, which was originally published in 1978.Originally published in 1978, beloved poet and novelist Gwendolyn MacEwen’s first work of nonfiction explores her strongly personal responses to a complex civilization. Partly written during a trip to Greece in 1971, MacEwen moves from the urban tumult of Athens to the radiant simplicity of an island in the Aegean. In this intimate and exquisitely written travel diary, she evokes the very spirit of Greece — the exuberance of the people, the sun-drenched landscape, and the shaping power of ancient traditions and myths in modern Mediterranean life.
Merriman Smith's Book of Presidents: A White House Memoir
by Timothy Smith"Espying him waiting with other reporters at the Hyannis Armory, [John F.] Kennedy said, 'If you're here, Smitty, I guess I've really been elected!'" In the foreword, Robert Donovan tells this story about his old friend, and continues: "For a president, in other words, Merriman Smith came with the job. What was unique about Smith was that through skill, opportunity, prodigal exertion, gall, aggressiveness, and showmanship he made himself all but an unofficial appurtenance of the presidency through parts of six administrations: those of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard M. Nixon." No other man knew these six modern presidents as well. No other man lived with each of them on such a close and continuing basis. No other man could have collected such a fund of anecdotes about the modern presidency. What the book does is describe the presidency and six presidents in very human terms—what it's like to be president, to live in the White House, to "belong" to the first family either by birth or by duty. Here the son of a great reporter compiles the best of his father’s writings, half from unpublished notes and half from Smith's famous writings, such as the book Thank You, Mr. President, and his Pulitzer Prize coverage of the John Kennedy assassination. The book includes story, tragedy, and humor.
Merv: Making The Good Life Last
by Merv Griffin David BenderMerv Griffin will always be remembered as one of America's most beloved show business figures. With his trademark charm and business savvy, Merv built a life that defined success. From his start as a band singer, to his twenty-three years on television as host of the Emmy Award-winning Merv Griffin Show, and through his entrepreneurial years, Merv lived the American Dream. Perhaps his most enduring legacy, though, is his creation of the two most successful syndicated game shows in television history, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. Merv: Making the Good Life Last is the quintessential Horatio Alger story of a young man born into modest circumstances who, through hard work, unshakable self-confidence, and an unfailingly positive attitude, dreams his way to the top. Only to retire and do it again. In this brilliant, funny, and revealing memoir, full of great stories and even better advice, one of America's most beloved and popular show business figures tells the story of his "retirement" years, in which he made billions and became a bigger celebrity than ever. Merv: Making the Good Life Last is a great American success story, a tribute to a wonderful life, and great entertainment for Griffin's many generations of fans, who will never forget him or his legacy.
Merze Tate: The Global Odyssey of a Black Woman Scholar
by Barbara D. SavageA powerful and inspiring biography of Merze Tate, a trailblazing Black woman scholar and intrepid world traveler Born in rural Michigan during the Jim Crow era, the bold and irrepressible Merze Tate (1905–1996) refused to limit her intellectual ambitions, despite living in what she called a &“sex and race discriminating world.&” Against all odds, the brilliant and hardworking Tate earned degrees in international relations from Oxford University in 1935 and a doctorate in government from Harvard in 1941. She then joined the faculty of Howard University, where she taught for three decades of her long life spanning the tumultuous twentieth century. This book revives and critiques Tate&’s prolific and prescient body of scholarship, with topics ranging from nuclear arms limitations to race and imperialism in India, Asia, the Pacific, and Africa. Tate credited her success to other women, Black and white, who helped her realize her dream of becoming a scholar. Her quest for research and adventure took her around the world twice, traveling solo with her cameras. Barbara Savage&’s skilled rendering of Tate&’s story is built on more than a decade of research. Tate&’s life and work challenge provincial approaches to African American and American history, women&’s history, the history of education, diplomatic history, and international thought.
Mes campagnes (1792-1815) - Notes et correspondance du colonel d'artillerie Pion des Loches (1792-1815) - Notes et correspondance du colonel d'artillerie Pion des Loches: mises en ordre et publiées par Maurice Chipon et Léonce Pingaud.
by Colonel Antoine-Augustin Pion des Loches« PION DES LOCHES (Antoine-Augustin), 1770-1819.Mes campagnes (1792-1815). Notes et correspondance du colonel d'artillerie Pion des Loches, mises en ordre et publiées par Maurice Chipon et Léonce Pingaud. Paris, Firmin-Didot, 1889, in-16, XXVIII-520 p., portr., index.Vingt-neuf cahiers de notes et une correspondance avec une épouse forment la trame de ces souvenirs de Pion des Loches. Attachants mémoires, surtout sur la campagne de Russie (ch. V) qui présentent un type d'officier écartelé entre l'attrait de la gloire militaire et les plaisirs de la vie conjugale. Bonne édition critique. » p 135 - Professeur Jean Tulard, Bibliographie Critique Des Mémoires Sur Le Consulat Et L'Empire, Droz, Genève, 1971
Mescalito
by Hunter S. ThompsonFilled with disoriented thoughts, Hunter is high on drugs as he cannot face the chaos of the world where they keep undercutting the hills to make house sites, and the hills keep falling; where fires burn the vegetation in summer; and rains make mud-slides in winter. Hunter's suicidal tendencies are seen as he hangs from the eleventh floor balcony of the Continental Hotel, but doesn't have the courage to jump. Now, locked in his room, Hunter sees his head twenty feet higher than his feet, wonders why the charwoman is sucking at his doorknob, and why the marijuana seeds lying on his rug aren't watered? An insightful look into the hopeless world of certified addicts, this deep, psychological work signifies the actual chaos in the opium world.
Meshi: A personal history of Japanese food
by Katherine Tamiko ArguileFor Katherine Tamiko Arguile, the Japanese food her mother cooked was a portal to a part of her that sometimes felt lost in the past. In Japan, food is never just food: it expresses a complex and fascinating history, and is tied to tradition and spirituality intrinsic to Japanese culture.Exploring the meals of her childhood through Japan's twenty-four sekki (seasons), Katherine untangles the threads of meaning, memory and ritual woven through every glistening bowl of rice, every tender slice of sashimi and each steaming cup of green tea. With rich, visceral prose, vivid insight and searing emotional honesty, Meshi ('rice' or 'meal') reveals the culture and spirit of one of the world's most beloved cuisines.
Meshi: A personal history of Japanese food
by Katherine Tamiko ArguileFor Katherine Tamiko Arguile, the Japanese food her mother cooked was a portal to a part of her that sometimes felt lost in the past. In Japan, food is never just food: it expresses a complex and fascinating history, and is tied to tradition and spirituality intrinsic to Japanese culture.Exploring the meals of her childhood through Japan's twenty-four sekki (seasons), Katherine untangles the threads of meaning, memory and ritual woven through every glistening bowl of rice, every tender slice of sashimi and each steaming cup of green tea. With rich, visceral prose, vivid insight and searing emotional honesty, Meshi ('rice' or 'meal') reveals the culture and spirit of one of the world's most beloved cuisines.
Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved A Mystery That Baffled All Of France
by Mara Rockliff Iacopo BrunoDiscover how Benjamin Franklin’s scientific method challenged a certain Dr. Mesmer’s mysterious powers in a whimsical look at a true moment in history. The day Ben Franklin first set foot in Paris, France, he found the city all abuzz. Everyone was talking about something new—remarkable, thrilling, and strange. Something called... Science! But soon the straightforward American inventor Benjamin Franklin is upstaged by a compelling and enigmatic figure: Dr. Mesmer. In elaborately staged shows, Mesmer, wearing a fancy coat of purple silk and carrying an iron wand, convinces the people of Paris that he controls a magic force that can make water taste like a hundred different things, cure illness, and control thoughts! But Ben Franklin is not convinced. Will his practical approach of observing, hypothesizing, and testing get to the bottom of the mysterious Mesmer’s tricks? A rip-roaring, lavishly illustrated peek into a fascinating moment in history shows the development and practice of the scientific method—and reveals the amazing power of the human mind.
Mess: One Man's Struggle to Clean Up His House and His Act
by Barry YourgrauHilarious and poignant, a glimpse into the mind of someone who is both a sufferer from and an investigator of clutter. Millions of Americans struggle with severe clutter and hoarding. New York writer and bohemian Barry Yourgrau is one of them. Behind the door of his Queens apartment, Yourgrau's life is, quite literally, chaos. Confronted by his exasperated girlfriend, a globe-trotting food critic, he embarks on a heartfelt, wide-ranging, and too often uproarious project--part Larry David, part Janet Malcolm--to take control of his crammed, disorderly apartment and life, and to explore the wider world of collecting, clutter, and extreme hoarding. Encounters with a professional declutterer, a Lacanian shrink, and Clutterers Anonymous--not to mention England's most excessive hoarder--as well as explorations of the bewildering universe of new therapies and brain science, help Yourgrau navigate uncharted territory: clearing shelves, boxes, and bags; throwing out a nostalgic cracked pasta bowl; and sorting through a lifetime of messy relationships. Mess is the story of one man's efforts to learn to let go, to clean up his space (physical and emotional), and to save his relationship.
Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother
by XinranFollowing her internationally bestselling book The Good Women of China, Xinran has written one of the most powerful accounts of the lives of Chinese women. Her searing stories of mothers who have been driven to abandon their daughters or give them up for adoption is a masterful and significant work of literary reportage and oral history. Xinran has gained entrance to the most pained, secret chambers in the hearts of Chinese mothers—students, successful businesswomen, midwives, peasants—who have given up their daughters. Whether as a consequence of the single-child policy, destructive age-old traditions, or hideous economic necessity, these women had to give up their daughters for adoption; others even had to watch as their baby daughters were taken away at birth and drowned. Xinran beautifully portrays the “extra-birth guerrillas” who travel the roads and the railways, evading the system, trying to hold on to more than one baby; naïve young girl students who have made life-wrecking mistakes; the “pebble mother” on the banks of the Yangzte River still looking into the depths for her stolen daughter; peasant women rejected by their families because they can’t produce a male heir; and Little Snow, the orphaned baby fostered by Xinran but confiscated by the state. For parents of adopted Chinese children and for the children themselves, this is an indispensable, powerful, and intensely moving book. Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother is powered by love and by heartbreak and will stay with readers long after they have turned the final page.
Messages of God's Abundance
by Corrie Ten BoomAt the height of Nazi power, amid the horrors of a concentration camp, the seeds of faith and forgiveness grew to fruition in the heart of a young Dutch woman named Corrie ten Boom. Outlasting Ravensbrück and Hitler's regime, Ms. ten Boom went on to accomplish what brute power never could: conquer hearts across the world with healing words of hope, forgiveness, and trust in God. Broadcast across Europe using the very radio equipment the Nazis had built to spread their propaganda, the inspirational messages of Corrie ten Boom appear at last in print. As in this book's predecessor, Reflections of God's Glory, the twenty-six sermonettes in Messages of God's Abundance are first-ever English translations of the scripts for Ms. ten Boom's Trans World Radio broadcasts from the Netherlands. Emerging after many years, these jewel-like writings reflect the broad experiences of a woman who preached the gospel around the world, yet who found her greatest adventure exploring the endless riches of God's Word. In 1983, Corrie ten Boom went to be with her beloved Jesus, but the timeless truths of Scripture spoken through the lips of this remarkable woman remain alive, vibrant, and as able as ever to touch, convict, and encourage our hearts.
Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama Bin Laden
by James Howarth Osama Bin Laden Bruce LawrenceAs a rule, Americans have very little understanding of the motivations of Osama Bin Laden and his followers, a situation that is not helped by President Bush's mendacious bromides about how "they hate our freedoms." Yet without understanding Bin Laden (a rational, if immoral, political actor) how is one expected to confront the terrorism of his movement? This volume is the first to collect the major statements of Bin Laden in English translation. The statements date from 1994 to 2004 and are presented in chronological order. Editor Lawrence (humanities, Duke U.) provides an introductory essay placing Bin Laden and the statements in historical context. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Messages: Signs, Visits, and Premonitions from Loved Ones Lost on 9/11
by Bonnie MceneaneyWhen Bonnie McEneaney's husband, Eamon, died in the attacks on the World Trade Center, she thought she had lost him forever. And then something unexpected happened that would shake her to the core and reassure her that her husband was still with her. As Bonnie reveals in this groundbreaking book, she began to have experiences that convinced her that her husband, in spirit, was sending her signs, indeed messages, that he was still present and watching over his family. A mother and former business executive, Bonnie was always the rational one, and quite skeptical of the spiritual world and all that it represents, but after talking to a number of other families and friends of loved ones lost on 9/11, she realized she was not alone. Numerous others connected to the tragedy-from financial executives to stay-at-home moms-described their own experiences: premonitions, signs, dreams, visitations, and communications through mediums and psychics. Bonnie began recording their compelling stories in a groundbreaking four-year-long project, illuminating the power of love and the unbreakable bond love creates. Now, in Messages, she shares these miraculous spiritual stories while weaving in her own heartfelt message of comfort and hope for all those who are searching for their own deeper connections, proving that love and relationships can continue after death.
Messalina: Empress, Adulteress, Libertine: The Story of the Most Notorious Woman of the Roman World
by Honor Cargill-MartinThe shocking and scandalous story of Messalina—the third wife of Emperor Claudius—one of the most controversial women to have inhabited the Roman world.The lubricious image of the Empress Messalina as a ruthless, predatory, and sexually insatiable schemer—derived from the work of male historians such as Tacitus and Suetonius—has taken deep root in the Western imagination. Here, the classicist Honor Cargill-Martin puts this traditional narrative of Messalina to the test. She looks first at Messalina's life as it is recounted in the primary sources, before using material and circumstantial evidence to reconstruct each aspect of Messalina's character: politician, wife, adulteress, and prostitute. Finally, she explores how posterity has memorialized Messalina, whether as artist's muse, epitome of depraved pagan womanhood, or as libertine icon portrayed in literature and film. Cargill-Martin sets out not to entirely rewrite Messalina's history, or to salvage her reputation, but to look at her life in the context of her time and to reclaim the humanity of a life story previously defined by currents of high politics and patriarchy.
Messenger
by Jeni StepanekBy Jeni Stepanek (author) with Larry Lindner (collaborator) An inspiring look at a young man who embodied the best of human nature, touched millions, and worked tirelessly for peace-told through the eyes of the woman who raised him. Oprah Winfrey has called him "an inspiration," Maya Angelou saw him as a kindred sprit and fellow poet, and Jimmy Carter described Mattie Stepanek as "the most remarkable person I have ever known. " When Jerry Lewis received his lifetime achievement award at the Oscars, footage of Mattie played behind him. Five years after his death from a rare neuromuscular disease, Mattie is still being celebrated for his indomitable spirit and message of hope. Now the world will get to know the full story of the poet, the peacemaker, the philosopher, and New York Times bestselling author in the first book to share all of the intimate details of his incredible life. In Messenger, Mattie's mother, Jeni Stepanek, recounts the years before Mattie got sick; how he handled the loss of his siblings from the same disease he had; his decision to spread the message of peace and hope; and how, when he became a celebrity, Jeni helped to keep him grounded, and remember to embrace being a kid. Including never-before- seen poems, journal entries, photos, and correspondence with famous friends, Messengeris an inspirational book about a life lived to the fullest. "Not a day goes by when I don't receive e-mails and letters saying that Mattie's poetry and speeches are not enough-people want to know about him directly and intimately. I am thrilled to have joined with Dutton so that I can now tell all his fans the full story behind my son. " - Jeni Stepanek Good Morning America.
Messenger of Death: Captain Nolan & The Charge of the Light Brigade
by David ButteryA biography of the British Army officer and his role in the Crimean War at the Charge at Balaklava.Captain Louis Nolan delivered the order that produced one of the most famous blunders in all military history—the Charge of the Light Brigade. Nolan’s conduct and the Charge itself have been the subject of intense, sometimes bitter debate ever since. Yet there has been no recent biography of Nolan. He remains an ambiguous, controversial figure to this day. In this fresh and perceptive study, David Buttery attempts to set the record straight. He reassesses the man and looks at his military career, for there was much more to Louis Nolan than his fatal role in the Charge. This sympathetic account of his life throws new light on the Victorian army and its officer class, and on the conduct of the war in the Crimea. It also offers the reader an inside view of the most notorious episode of that war, the Charge at Balaklava on 25 October 1854.
Messenger of the Lord: The Prophetic Ministry of Ellen G. White
by Herbert E. DouglassComprehensively focuses on the life work and ministry Ellen G. White with the sole purpose of educating Seventh-day Adventist colleges on the gift of prophecy.
Messenger: The Legacy of Mattie J. T. Stepanek and Heartsongs
by Jeni Stepanek Larry LindnerIn Messenger, Jeni Stepanek shares the inspiring story of her son's life. Mattie was born with a rare disorder called Dysautonomic Mitochondrial Myopathy, and Jeni was advised to institutionalize him. Instead, she nurtured a child who transformed his hardships into a worldwide message of peace and hope.
Messenger: The Legend of Muhammad Ali
by Marc Bernardin“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” Muhammad Ali, one of the most revered—and controversial—figures of the twentieth century, immortalized those words with the beauty, strength, and originality of his boxing style. Now, his epic story is retold in this gorgeous, striking graphic novel Messenger that showcases exactly why he became celebrated worldwide as “The Greatest.”Muhammad Ali was one of the most photographed—and photogenic—figures in the history of sports. He demanded to be looked at, to be seen, and this epic captures his meteoric rise from Cassius Clay to Olympian and heavyweight champion of the world with stunning illustrations befitting his storied legacy. Bringing readers through major moments of his life—his first meeting with civil rights leader Malcolm X, his interview with sports broadcaster Howard Cosell about his reasons for opposing the Vietnam War, and his titanic bout with then-undefeated heavyweight champion George Foreman, among others—this graphic biography will be a crucial and instantly popular resource on The Greatest.