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Moments of Happiness: A Wisconsin Band Story
by Doug Moe Mike LeckroneWhen Mike Leckrone retired as director of bands at the University of Wisconsin in 2019, he had served in that role for an astonishing fifty years. A brilliant showman, he became known for aerial stunts and sequined outfits. He created the Fifth Quarter celebration that follows all home football games, removed barriers for women to march in the band, and established regular appearances at Camp Randall by special-needs high school musicians. Above all, Leckrone always sought joy in life—which, along with his sixty-year love affair with his late wife, UW “band mom” Phyllis Leckrone, was perhaps the secret to his remarkable career. A consummate musician, as both a trumpeter and an arranger, Leckrone is also an outstanding raconteur—a talent beautifully on display in his long-awaited memoir. This book is the next best thing to sitting down with this master storyteller. Coauthor Doug Moe captures the joys of performing—whether at Camp Randall, in the Kohl Center, or along the Rose Bowl Parade route. Reading Leckrone’s story, one comes to understand the mix of discipline, showmanship, work ethic, warmth, toughness, wit, and musical skill that make him a Wisconsin treasure. Even for people who know Leckrone, Moments of Happiness details the stories behind the highlights and the unglamorous work that made his accomplishments possible. It both cements his legend and offers unprecedented insights into a career that will never be equaled.
Moments of Knowing: A Memoir
by Mary Helen FeinA woman born into the baby boomer generation uses writing and creativity from the age of five to help her to survive a broken family and child-molesting stepfather, resulting in a spiritual journey to a successful, healed adulthood. Born into the baby boomer generation, Mary Helen Fein&’s values and choices often typified the time. At age five, she identified what she calls &“Moments of knowing&”: moments of knowing more about love and creativity. As a child, her father was a loving successful New Yorker who left her mother to remarry another woman. Fein&’s own mother was very beautiful, but desperately poor and an alcoholic, living in the projects on welfare. To get by, she remarried—but the man was evil, a child molester and a cruel stepfather. Fein traveled back and forth from coast to coast, spending school years with her mother and stepfather, and summers with her father, loving grandmother, and new stepmother. At age thirteen her mother dies, and Fein embarked on a new life in an upper-class New York suburb. Over the next thirty years she journeys through careers and healing, embracing the &“spark&” when it arrives over and over throughout her life, affecting her life choices and putting her on a spiritual path to Buddhism. With themes of spiritual practices, mental illness, poverty, and the power of psychotherapy, this book will appeal to self-help and memoir readers, showing how to find happiness, peace, and enduring love despite a traumatic childhood.
Moments of Stillness
by Stanislaus KennedyIn her long-awaited book, Sister Stan draws upon her memories of childhood and the special moments of awareness and mystery which have nourished and enriched her life. As she offers simple reflections to help us focus on the many gifts and blessings that surround us each day, she helps us to connect to our inner world, and the deep, nurturing silence that lies within.
Moments with Martin Luther: 95 Daily Devotions
by Donald K. McKim"Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that the believer would stake his life on it a thousand times. This knowledge of and confidence in God's grace makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and with all creatures" (Martin Luther, Prefaces to the New Testament, LW 35:370). <P><P>In time for the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, this book is a devotion for readers to use to engage with the writing and thoughts of Martin Luther, the founder of the Protestant Reformation. Each of the ninety-five entries includes a passage of writing from Luther followed by a reflection on that passage by Reformed theologian and writer Donald K. McKim. Readers will be able to gain familiarity with the writings of Luther in an accessible, devotional format. A brief bibliography is included for those who want to further study Luther's writings.
Mommie Dearest
by Christina CrawfordBiography of Joan Crawford's eldest daughter, who was loved and adored by her mother in public, but treated like a slave and prisoner in private.
Mommie Dearest: Two Memoirs Of Survival
by Christina CrawfordThe fortieth anniversary edition of the &“shocking&” #1 New York Times bestseller with a bonus story by the author, &“Never Got to Say Goodbye&” (Los Angeles Times). When Christina Crawford&’s harrowing chronicle of child abuse was first published in 1978, it brought global attention to the previously closeted subject. It also shed light on the guarded world of Hollywood and stripped away the façade of Christina&’s relentless, alcoholic abuser: her adoptive mother, movie star Joan Crawford. Christina was a young girl shown off to the world as a fortunate little princess. But at home, her lonely, controlling, even ruthless mother made her life a nightmare. A fierce battle of wills, their relationship could be characterized as an ultimately successful, for Christina, struggle for independence. She endured and survived, becoming the voice of so many other victims who suffered in silence, and giving them the courage to forge a productive life out of chaos. This book features an exclusive introduction by Christina Crawford, rare photographs from her personal collection, revealing material not found in the original manuscript, and her bonus story, &“Never Got to Say Goodbye,&” which attempts to bring a healthy close her traumatic childhood.
Mommies Who Drink: Sex, Drugs, and Other Distant Memories of an Ordinary Mom
by Brett PaeselBrett Paesel's story of hip motherhood will have you bent over laughing while reaching for your martini glass. From her encounters with a celebrity pre-natal yoga guru to her obsession (since giving birth) with her own and everyone else's ass, she explores motherhood as lived by the "formerly fabulous." Wickedly funny and irreverent, yet deeply honest and touching, MOMMIES WHO DRINK confronts a brave new world of motherhood, and dares to ask the question "What time of day is too early to start drinking?"
Mommy Can't Fix It: Coping With Type One Diabetes
by Rhonda W. FuselierReceiving a diagnosis for an incurable disease is difficult for a parent. Having a child diagnosed with Type One Diabetes hurls a mother onto a roller-coaster of emotions. Read one mother's story into learning, growing and accepting the diagnosis of Type One Diabetes for her sons.
Mommy Man: How I Went from Mild-mannered Geek to Gay Superdad
by Jerry MahoneyAs a teenager growing up in the 1980s, all Jerry Mahoney wanted was a nice, normal sham marriage: 2. 5 kids and a frustrated, dissatisfied wife living in denial of her husband's sexuality. Hey, why not? It seemed much more attainable and fulfilling than the alternative--coming out of the closet and making peace with the fact that he'd never have a family at all. Twenty years later, Jerry is living with his long-term boyfriend, Drew, and they're ready to take the plunge into parenthood. But how? Adoption? Foster parenting? Kidnapping? What they want most of all is a great story to tell their future kid about where he or she came from. Their search leads them to gestational surrogacy, a road less traveled where they'll be borrowing a stranger's ladyparts for nine months. Thus begins Jerry and Drew's hilarious and unexpected journey to daddyhood. From then on, they're in uncharted waters. They're forced to face down homophobic baby store clerks, a hospital that doesn't know what to do with them, even members of their own family who think what they're doing is a little nutty. One thing's for sure. If this all works out, they're going to have an incredible birth story to tell their kid. With honesty, emotion, and laugh-out-loud humor, Jerry Mahoney ponders what it means to become a Mommy Man . . . and discovers that the answer is as varied and beautiful as the concept of family itself.
Mommy Memoirs: A Hilarious and Heartwarming Look at the Trials and Triumphs of Being a Mom (Mj Faith Ser.)
by Ann Van WaterHow a wannabe perfect mom hit the wall of reality—hard. A funny, relatable, and spiritual look at the unforgettable journey of motherhood. Mommy Memoirs is a delightful journey from pregnancies and births to marriages and a hysterectomy! There are few stones left unturned as author Ann Van De Water describes her hectic life as a mother of three boys in short read-it-and-run stories that will have her audience laughing out loud one minute and grabbing tissues the next. These true-to-life experiences filled with humor, tenderness, practicality, and joy, written by a been-there-done-that mom, will have other moms and grandmothers reminiscing and expectant moms anticipating their own adventures. All will come away knowing they are not alone on their journey through motherhood. &“Reading Ann&’s book was like dipping my cup into a well of stories filled with the authentic trials and triumphs of motherhood.&” —Jill Kelly, author of Without a Word &“I have been laughing my head off as I read Ann&’s anecdotes about raising her three sons . . . I found so many stories that I could relate to, from &‘letting down&’ in public (breastfeeding moms know exactly what I mean) to struggling to find a last-minute Halloween costume. I encourage all mothers and moms-to-be to read Ann Van De Water&’s Mommy Memoirs. You&’ll learn that you don&’t have to be perfect to be the best mom for your kids!&” —Susan M. Heim, parenting author and Chicken Soup for the Soul editor, susanheim.blogspot.com
Mommy Wars: Stay-at-Home and Career Moms Face Off on Their Choices, Their Lives, Their Families
by Leslie Morgan SteinerWith motherhood comes one of the toughest decisions of a woman’s life: Stay at home or pursue a career? The dilemma not only divides mothers into hostile, defensive camps but pits individual mothers against themselves. Leslie Morgan Steiner has been there. As an executive at The Washington Post, a writer, and mother of three, she has lived and breathed every side of the “mommy wars.” Rather than just watch the battles rage, Steiner decided to do something about it. She commissioned twenty-six outspoken mothers to write about their lives, their families, and the choices that have worked for them. The result is a frank, surprising, and utterly refreshing look at American motherhood. Ranging in age from twenty-five to seventy-two and scattered across the country from New Hampshire to California, these mothers reflect the full spectrum of lifestyle choices. Women who have been home with the kids from day one, moms who shuttle from full-time office jobs to part-time at-home work, hard-driving executives who put in seventy-hour-plus weeks: they all get a turn. The one thing these women have in common, aside from having kids, is that they’re all terrific writers. Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley vividly recounts how her generation stormed the American workplace–only to take refuge at home when the workplace drove them out. Lizzie McGuire creator Terri Minsky describes what it felt like to hear her kids scream “I hope you never come back!” when she flew to L.A. to launch the show that made her career. Susan Cheever, novelist, biographer, and New York Newsday columnist, reports on the furious battles between the stroller pushers and the briefcase bearers on the streets of Manhattan. Lois R. Shea traded the journalistic fast track for a house in the country where she could raise her daughter in peace. Ann Misiaszek Sarnoff, chief operating officer of the Women’s National Basketball Association, argues fiercely that you can combine ambition and motherhood–and have a blast in the process. Candid, engaging, by turns unflinchingly honest and painfully funny, the essays collected here offer an astonishingly intimate portrait of the state of motherhood today. Mommy Wars is a book by and for and about the real experts on motherhood and hard work: the women at home, in the office, on the job every day of their lives.
Moms Who Drink and Swear
by Nicole KnepperIf you feel like your kids are killing you, you've come to the right place. Attention all potty-mouthed, cheap-wine-drinking mothers: Prepare to meet your match. Any bad thought you've had about your kids, Nicole Knepper has had worse. Much worse. It's not that she doesn't love her kids. It's that she understands what a mind-f*?% it can be to try to civilize those wild little beasts. Based on her hugely popular Facebook page, "Moms Who Drink and Swear," this book reveals why family dinners are like herpes, how to avoid smashing toys that are being fought over, and the joy of hearing that your son has murdered his imaginary friend. As Nicole rants and raves about caring for children (without crushing their souls), family togetherness (without too many tears), the saving grace of girlfriends (and vodka), and love and marriage (and all the baggage that goes with them), she gets to the heart of what every exasperated mom is thinking, just much funnier.
Mona Lisa
by Dianne HalesEverybody knows her smile, but no one knows her story: Meet the flesh-and-blood woman who became one of the most famous artistic subjects of all time--Mona Lisa.A genius immortalized her. A French king paid a fortune for her. An emperor coveted her. Every year more than 9 million visitors trek to view her portrait in the Louvre.Yet while everyone recognizes her smile, hardly anyone knows her story. Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered, a blend of biography, history, and memoir, truly is a book of discovery--about the world's most recognized face, most revered artist, and most praised and parodied painting. Who was she, this ordinary woman who rose to such extraordinary fame? Why did the most renowned painter of her time choose her as his model? What became of her? And why does her smile enchant us still? Lisa Gherardini (1479-1542) was a quintessential woman of her times, caught in a whirl of political upheavals, family dramas, and public scandals. Her life spanned the most tumultuous chapters in the history of Florence--and of the greatest artistic outpouring the world has ever seen. Her story creates an extraordinary tapestry of Renaissance Florence, with larger-than-legend figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Machiavelli. Dianne Hales, author of La Bella Lingua, became obsessed with finding the real Mona Lisa on repeated trips to Florence. In Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered, she takes readers with her to meet Lisa's descendants; uncover her family's long and colorful history; and explore the neighborhoods where she lived as a girl, a wife, and a mother. In the process, we can participate in Lisa's daily rituals; understand her personal relationships; and see, hear, smell, and taste "her" Florence. Hales brings to life a time poised between the medieval and the modern, a vibrant city bursting into fullest bloom, and a culture that redefined the possibilities of man--and of woman.
Mona Lisa in Camelot: How Jacqueline Kennedy and Da Vinci's Masterpiece Charmed and Captivated a Nation
by Margaret Leslie DavisThis book tells the fascinating true story of the world's most famous painting-and the cultural ambassador who helped bring her to America. In December 1962, "Mona Mania" swept the country as Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa set sail from Paris to New York for what many knew would be the riskiest art exhibition ever mounted. <P><P>The driving force behind the famous painting's high-profile visit was First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who convinced French Cultural Minister André Malraux and National Gallery Director John Walker to share the masterpiece with the American people. The White House Historical Association presents an enhanced and expanded publication of Mona Lisa in Camelot with archives drawn from the National Gallery of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. <P><P>Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association, writes, "Margaret Leslie Davis's captivating account of the loan of the Mona Lisa by France is of special interest to the White House Historical Association because the circumstances that brought the masterpiece to the United States are the same circumstances that gave birth to the White House Historical Association. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was determined to share the greatest painting in the world with the American people, and just as determined to make the White House a "living museum" accessible to the nation..."
Mona Parsons: From Privilege to Prison, From Nova Scotia to Nazi Europe
by Andria Hill-LehrThe biography reveals the thrilling life story of a Canadian actress who went from dancing on Broadway to daring acts of survival in WWII. Even as a young girl, Mona Louise Parsons stood out for her elegance and theatrical flair. But despite the many roles she&’s played on the stage, the epic story of her real life always stole the show. After growing up in Nova Scotia, she was a chorus girl in 1920s New York City, a Depression-era nurse, a member of the Dutch resistance during World War II, and—after being taken prisoner by the Nazis—she became an escaped fugitive who walked across Germany in the war&’s final months. The process of uncovering the story of Mona Parsons took almost as many twists and turns as the life it was piecing together. This book traces the author's own journey as she follows clues from Wolfville, Canada, to New York, Europe and back, leaping across oceans and decades with imagination and grace.
Monarch: The Life and Reign of Elizabeth II
by Robert LaceyFor more than fifty years, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor-- who became Elizabeth II, Queen of England on February 6, 1952-- has been loved and loathed, revered and feared, applauded and criticized by her people. till she endures as a captivating figure in the world's most durable symbol of political authority: the British monarchy. In Monarch, a meticulously detailed portrait of Elizabeth II as both a human being and an institution, bestselling author Robert Lacey brings the queen to life as never before: as baby "Lilibet" learning to wave to a crowd in the Royal Mews; as a child "ardently praying for a brother" so as to avoid her fate; as a young woman falling in love with and marrying her cousin Philip; and as the mother-in-law of the most complicated royal of all, Princess Diana. Updated with new material to reflect the 2002 Golden Jubilee and the passing of the Queen Mum -- and featuring dozens of photographs, a family tree of the Hanoverian-Windsor-Mountbatten families, and a map that charts the location of royal castles-- Monarch is an engaging, critical, and celebratory account of Elizabeth's half-century reign that no reader of popular history should be without.
Monarchs of England: 59 Royal Flashcards
by Daniel ChalkeRoyal portraits and fast historical facts on rulers from King Athelstan to Queen Elizabeth II. Whether famed like Queen Victoria or a bit more obscure like King Sweyn Forkbeard, this collection tells a story that spans more than a thousand years, showcasing the fifty-nine English monarchs who preceded King Charles. It features portraits from prestigious galleries like the National Portrait Gallery in London, each a beautiful, miniature work of art set in an elegant gilt frame, paired with fascinating details of the monarch&’s reign. Perfect for reference, study, or an entertaining browse through history, Monarchs of England makes learning about the English monarchy a visual treat.
Monarchs, Murders and Mistresses: A Book of Royal Days
by David HilliamWhich 'ill-prepared' monarch was on the English throne at the turn of the last millenium? How many English monarchs have been crowned on St George's Day? When, how and why did England 'lose' eleven days? "Monarchs, Murders & Mistresses" answers these questions and many more, presenting a royal event for each day of the calendar year in vivid detail with close-ups of the personalities involved. The book reveals the recurring occupational difficulties faced by the royal family over the centuries: as Shakespeare's Henry VI so memorably concludes. 'Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown'. Today the royal family is plagued by the press, but even 300 years ago Charles II felt the need to apologise to a crowd of onlookers for taking so long to die. this book contains topics ranging from the death of William III, who was killed by a mole to the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots. These, and over 400 other tales of royal days, bring alive the drama of what it was, and is, to be a king or a queen.
Monarchy and Exile
by Philip Mansel Torsten RiotteUsing detailed studies of fifteen exiled royal figures, the role of Exile in European Society and in the evolution of national cultures is examined. From the Jacobite court to the exiled Kings' of Hanover, the book provides an alternative history of monarchical power from the 16th to 20th century.
Monash's Masterpiece: The battle of Le Hamel and the 93 minutes that changed the world
by Peter FitzSimonsThe Battle of Le Hamel on 4 July 1918 was an Allied triumph, and strategically very important in the closing stages of WWI. A largely Australian force, commanded by the brilliant Sir John Monash, fought what has been described as the first modern battle - where infantry, tanks, artillery and planes operated together as a coordinated force.Monash planned every detail meticulously, with nothing left to chance. Integrated use of tanks, planes, infantry, wireless (and even carrier pigeons!) was the basis, and it went on from there, down to the details: everyone used the same maps, with updated versions delivered by motorbike despatch riders to senior commanders, including Monash. Each infantry battalion was allocated to a tank group, and they advanced together. Supplies and ammunition were dropped as needed from planes. The losses were relatively few. In the words of Monash: 'A perfected modern battle plan is like nothing so much as a score for an orchestral composition, where the various arms and units are the instruments, and the tasks they perform are their respective musical phrases.'Monash planned for the battle to last for 90 minutes - in the end it went for 93. What happened in those minutes changed for the rest of the war the way the British fought battles, and the tactics and strategies used by the Allies.Peter FitzSimons brings this Allied triumph to life, and tells this magnificent story as it should be told.
Mondrian: His Life, His Art, His Quest for the Absolute
by Nicholas Fox WeberThe extraordinary and surprising life of Piet Mondrian, whose unprecedented geometric art revolutionized modern painting, architecture, graphic art, fashion design, and more—from acclaimed cultural historian Nicholas Fox Weber"As fastidiously passionate as his subject's paintings. How wonderful it is to read of Mondrian's gaiety and zest. . . as well as his rigour and unrelenting commitment to his own, absolutely his own, view of art and the world." —John Banville, national bestselling author of The Lock-UpIn the early 1920s, surrounded by the roaring streets of avant-garde Paris, Piet Mondrian began creating what would become some of the most recognizable abstract paintings of the 20th century. With rectangles of primary colors against a dazzling white background, this was geometric abstraction in its purest form. These revolutionary compositions exhilarated, intoxicated, confused, and enraged the international public—and changed the course of modern art forever.Now, for the first time, Mondrian emerges alongside his thrilling art. Here is the life of an elusive modern master: from his youth in a religious household in the Netherlands where he first began painting Dutch farmhouses and sand dunes, to his move to Paris where he embraced the work of Pablo Picasso, Georges Seurat, and Cézanne, to the 1920s and onward where, surviving the turmoil of two world wars and embracing a rapidly shifting culture, Mondrian challenged the concept of art and invented a new world of undiluted colors and rhythmic straight lines. His work would go on to affect painting, architecture, fashion, and design in decades to come.Here is also an intimate portrait of a complex artist, his solitude and avoidance of intimacy, his eccentricities and his philosophy, his passion for ballroom dancing, and his unwavering belief in art as a vehicle to reveal universal truths.
Monet (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)
by Mike VeneziaThis biography designed for younger readers tells some fascinating facts about Claude Monet's life, as well as giving descriptions of his Impressionist painting style and famous paintings he has painted.
Monet: The Restless Vision
by Jackie WullschlägerA groundbreaking look at the life and art of one of the most influential, modern painters of the late nineteenth century and founder of the Impressionist movement &“Wullschläger emerges with a strikingly different picture of the artist. Passionate, prickly, edgy and unstable, her Monet, the unrecognizable Monet, is a powerful new character in art.&” —The Sunday Times (London)Drawing on thousands of never-before-translated letters and unpublished sources, this biography reveals dramatic new information about the life and work of one of the late nineteenth century&’s most important painters. Despite being mocked at the beginning of his career, and living hand to mouth, Monet risked all to pursue his vision, and his early work along the banks of the Seine in the 1860s and &’70s would come to be revered as Impressionism. In the following decades, he emerged as its celebrated leader in one of the most exciting cultural moments in Paris, before withdrawing to his house and garden to paint the late Water Lilies, which were ignored during his lifetime and would later have a major influence on all twentieth-century painters both figurative and abstract.This is the first time we see the turbulent life of this volatile and voracious man, who was as obsessed by his love affairs as he was by nature. He changed his art decisively three times when the woman at the center of his life changed; Wullschläger brings these unknown, passionate, and passionately committed women to the foreground. Monet's closest friend was Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau; strong intellectual currents connected him to writers from Zola to Proust, as well as to his friends Manet, Renoir, and Pissarro. Brilliant and absorbing, this biography will forever change our understanding of Monet's life and work.
Monetary Policy And The Onset Of The Great Depression The Myth Of Benjamin Strong As Decisive Leader
by Mark TomaMonetary Policy and the Onset of the Great Depression challenges Milton Friedman and Anna Schwartz's now consensus view that the high tide of the Federal Reserve System in the 1920s was due to the leadership skills of Benjamin Strong, head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Money Men: A Hot Startup, A Billion Dollar Fraud, A Fight for the Truth
by Dan McCrum'The financial investigation of the decade... Money Men instantly enters the canon of great financial crime books' Bradley Hope, author of The Billion Dollar Whale'A rip-roaring ride into the underworld of the global economy' Tom Burgis, author of Kleptopia'Required reading' The Economist'A cross between the Enron scandal and Rosemary's Baby' John Lanchester, London Review of Books'Reads like a crime drama' New Statesman'The culmination of years of careful investigative work... Gripping' Evening Standard'A thrilling, head-spinning book' Irish Times'A rollercoaster read that reveals everything that's wrong with our financial system' Catherine BeltonNow adapted as the Netflix documentary Skandal!, this is the stranger-than-fiction story of Wirecard, once a $30 billion tech darling, now a smouldering wreck, by the journalist who brought it crashing down - perfect for those who loved Bad Blood and Empire of Pain.When journalist Dan McCrum followed a tip to investigate the hot new tech company challenging Silicon Valley, everything about Wirecard looked a little too good to be true: offices were sprouting up around the world, it was reporting runaway growth and the CEO even wore a black turtleneck in tribute to Steve Jobs. In the space of a few short years, the company had come from nowhere to overtake industry giants like Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank on the stock market.As McCrum dug deeper, he encountered a story stranger and more dangerous than he ever imagined: a world of short sellers and whistleblowers, pornographers and private militias, hackers and spies. Before long he realised that he wasn't the only one in pursuit. Shadowy figures were following him through the streets of London, high-flying lawyers were sending ominous letters to his boss, and he was named as the prime suspect in a criminal inquiry. The race was on to prove his suspicions and clear his name.Money Men is the astonishing true story of Wirecard's multi-billion-dollar fraud, Europe's biggest new tech darling revealed as a house of cards.Uncovering fake bank accounts, fake offices and possibly even a fake death, McCrum offers a searing exposé that will finally lay bare the truth.