- Table View
- List View
My Appetite for Destruction: Sex & Drugs & Guns N' Roses
by Steven Adler Lawrence J. SpagnolaFrom the original Guns N’ Roses drummer comes a tale of sex, drugs, excess, hairspray, and an intense 20-year struggle with addiction.Guns N’ Roses is one of the world’s most successful rock bands, with estimated sales of 90 million albums worldwide. Steven Adler is the original drummer, with an infamous past of sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll that led to his removal from the band.And here, for the first time, Steven Adler tells it all. In My Appetite for Destruction, he reveals with wit and candour his personal struggles with drug addiction, including the financial ruin he faced after being kicked out of Guns N’ Roses and the health problems that almost claimed his life several times—two heart attacks, a suicide attempt, and a debilitating stroke, as well as an epic 20-year addiction to crack and heroin.Now clean and sober, Steven sets the record straight on his life and his time with Guns N’ Roses, during the rise and collapse of one of the greatest rock bands of all time.“Great for the die-hard GNR fan . . . This is a cautionary tale, all the way.” —Penthouse
My Argument with the Gestapo: Autobiographical novel
by Thomas MertonOf the full-length prose works that Thomas Merton wrote before he entered the Cistercian Order in 1941, only My Argument with the Gestapo has survived--perhaps in part because it was a book that Merton never ceased wanting to see in print. Although it first appeared after his death in 1968, he had arranged for its publication, written a foreword for it, and was delighted with the prospect of its at last becoming a part of his published works. My Argument with the Gestapo tells of the adventures of a young man, clearly identified by the name Thomas Merton, who travels from America to Europe to report on the war with Germany from the viewpoint of a poet. He hates the war, yet is driven to come to terms with it. There is a pervading sense of dreamworld or hallucination, heightened by the device of passages written in a macaronic language, invented from multilingual roots, to satirize and parody political propaganda speeches dealing with the war. A work of imagination (Merton did not in fact return to England after the start of World War II in Europe), it nevertheless contains much that is autobiographical and revealing of the young Merton. Most clearly visible are the seeds of his never-forsaken concern with peace and nonviolence and his abhorrence of war. Indeed, his outspoken criticism of Britain at a time when all the emphasis was on ''the brave little island standing alone" foreshadows his devotion to truth as he saw it, no matter what the cost. And students of Merton will find scenes in the book that are straight autobiography, amplifying and perhaps filling in gaps in what later was to be the beginning of Merton's great literary success, The Seven Storey Mountain (1948).
My Army Life and the Fort Phil. Kearney Massacre: The Classic Account of an Infantry Lieutenant's Wife on the Great Plains During the Indian Wars
by Frances C Carrington"My Army Life and the Fort Phil. Kearney Massacre" by Frances C. Carrington is a poignant and gripping firsthand account of life on the American frontier during one of its most tumultuous periods. Carrington, the wife of Lieutenant Colonel Henry B. Carrington, offers a vivid and personal narrative of her experiences living at Fort Phil Kearny, a remote outpost in Wyoming during the mid-19th century.Through her detailed and evocative writing, Carrington provides an intimate glimpse into the daily challenges, hardships, and triumphs faced by military families stationed in the western territories. She describes the rugged beauty of the frontier, the constant threat of attack from hostile forces, and the camaraderie among the soldiers and their families. Her observations are enriched by her unique perspective as a woman in a predominantly male environment, offering valuable insights into the social dynamics and domestic life at the fort.The centerpiece of Carrington's memoir is her harrowing account of the Fort Phil Kearny Massacre, also known as the Fetterman Massacre, which occurred on December 21, 1866. She recounts the events leading up to the tragic conflict between the U.S. Army and the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors, resulting in the loss of 81 soldiers and civilians, including her husband's close colleagues. Carrington's personal connection to the events and her emotional narrative bring a profound depth to this historical episode."My Army Life and the Fort Phil. Kearney Massacre" is not only a compelling historical document but also a testament to the resilience and strength of those who lived through the trials of frontier life. Frances C. Carrington's memoir offers a unique and valuable perspective on a significant chapter of American history, making it an essential read for historians, enthusiasts of the Old West, and anyone interested in the human stories behind historical events.This book stands as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices and struggles of military families and the enduring impact of historical events on individual lives.
My Art, My Life: An Autobiography
by Diego Rivera Gladys March"Engrossing as a novel … throws a clear white light on one of the most spectacular artists of our time." — Chicago Sunday TribuneThis remarkable autobiography began with a newspaper interview the artist gave journalist Gladys March in 1944. From then until the artist's death in 1957, she spent several months each year with Rivera, eventually filling 2,000 pages with his recollections and interpretations of his art and life. Written in the first person, this book is a richly revealing document of the painter who revolutionized modern mural painting, was a principal figure in launching the "Mexican Renaissance," and is ranked among the most influential artists of the twentieth century.As the colorful narrative unfolds, Diego Rivera seems always to be in the midst of political, artistic, and romantic turmoil. As the reviewer for The New Republic observed, "Rivera reveals a keen appreciation of this prowess in art, sex, and politics, and the record seems to be complete on the series of spectacular rows he got into over all three."The book details his bold confrontations with dictators and presidents, the battles that erupted over his murals in Rockefeller Center and the Hotel del Prado, his tempestuous marriages to Lupe Marin and artist Frida Kahlo, and much, much more. "There is no lack of exciting material. A lover at nine, a cannibal at 18, by his own account, Rivera was prodigiously productive of art and controversy." — San Francisco Chronicle. 21 halftones.
My Asakusa
by Sadako Sawamura Norman E. Stafford Yasuhiro KawamuraWritten near the end of Sadako Sawamura's remarkable life, My Asakusa (Watashi co Asakusa) is a charming collection of autobiographical essays by a truly self-made woman. Recalling Japan at a time of great political turmoil and rapid cultural change, Sawamura shares with us her vignettes of growing up in Asakusa--one of the last of the old downtown Shitamachi neighborhoods of incessantly modernizing Tokyo--and her keen insight into the characters of those who populated her world.
My Asakusa
by Sadako Sawamura Norman E. Stafford Yasuhiro KawamuraWritten near the end of Sadako Sawamura's remarkable life, My Asakusa (Watashi co Asakusa) is a charming collection of autobiographical essays by a truly self-made woman. Recalling Japan at a time of great political turmoil and rapid cultural change, Sawamura shares with us her vignettes of growing up in Asakusa--one of the last of the old downtown Shitamachi neighborhoods of incessantly modernizing Tokyo--and her keen insight into the characters of those who populated her world.
My Autobiography
by A. P. McCoyThe fully updated autobiography of Tony 'A.P.' McCoy, Grand National and BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR winner and unquestionably the greatest jump jockey ever.Tony 'A.P.' McCoy is without doubt the greatest and most successful jump jockey of all time. He has collected a record 16 consecutive jump-jockey titles to date, since 1992 he has ridden more than 3,000 winners, saying 'I never stop dreaming of the day I'll reach 4,000', and in 2002 he beat Sir Gordon Richards's record of 269 winners in a season by riding 289. In April 2010, A.P. achieved his lifelong ambition when he won the Grand National at Aintree on Don't Push It. It was his 15th attempt to win the race, a victory that captured the public's imagination and further enhanced a glittering career in which he had seemingly won all there was to win. It was the missing piece in the racing jigsaw for a champion jockey who had already had famous victories in the King George VI Chase, Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup.This powerfully honest autobiography looks at life at the very top in National Hunt racing, and includes the highs and lows of A.P. winning his second Gold Cup, in 2012 on Synchronised, fifteen years after his first, only to see the horse put down after a fall in that year's Grand National.These are the memoirs of a true champion, an icon of sport, whose astonishing achievements are unlikely to be surpassed. It is a great story of courage and modesty, pain and professional setbacks, strong family values and sporting triumphs, the good guy coming first - and staying there.
My Autobiography
by A.P. McCoyThe fully updated autobiography of Tony 'A.P.' McCoy, Grand National and BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR winner and unquestionably the greatest jump jockey ever.Tony 'A.P.' McCoy is without doubt the greatest and most successful jump jockey of all time. He has collected a record 16 consecutive jump-jockey titles to date, since 1992 he has ridden more than 3,000 winners, saying 'I never stop dreaming of the day I'll reach 4,000', and in 2002 he beat Sir Gordon Richards's record of 269 winners in a season by riding 289. In April 2010, A.P. achieved his lifelong ambition when he won the Grand National at Aintree on Don't Push It. It was his 15th attempt to win the race, a victory that captured the public's imagination and further enhanced a glittering career in which he had seemingly won all there was to win. It was the missing piece in the racing jigsaw for a champion jockey who had already had famous victories in the King George VI Chase, Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup.This powerfully honest autobiography looks at life at the very top in National Hunt racing, and includes the highs and lows of A.P. winning his second Gold Cup, in 2012 on Synchronised, fifteen years after his first, only to see the horse put down after a fall in that year's Grand National.These are the memoirs of a true champion, an icon of sport, whose astonishing achievements are unlikely to be surpassed. It is a great story of courage and modesty, pain and professional setbacks, strong family values and sporting triumphs, the good guy coming first - and staying there.
My Autobiography
by David Robinson Charlie Chaplin"The best autobiography ever written by an actor. An astonishing work." --Chicago TribuneChaplin's heartfelt and hilarious autobiography tells the story of his childhood, the challenge of identifying and perfecting his talent, his subsequent film career and worldwide celebrity. In this, one of the very first celebrity memoirs, Chaplin displays all the charms, peculiarities and deeply-held beliefs that made him such an endearing and lasting character.Re-issued as part of Melville House's Neversink Library, My Autobiography offers dedicated Chaplin fans and casual admirers alike an astonishing glimpse into the the heart and the mind of Hollywood's original genius maverick.Take this unforgettable journey with the man George Bernard Shaw called "the only genius to come out of the movie industry" as he moves from his impoverished South London childhood to the heights of Hollywood wealth and fame; from the McCarthy-era investigations to his founding of United Artists to his "reverse migration" back to Europe, My Autobiography is a reading experience not to be missed.
My Autobiography
by Charlie Chaplin"The best autobiography ever written by an actor. An astonishing work." --Chicago Tribune Chaplin's heartfelt and hilarious autobiography tells the story of his childhood, the challenge of identifying and perfecting his talent, his subsequent film career and worldwide celebrity. In this, one of the very first celebrity memoirs, Chaplin displays all the charms, peculiarities and deeply-held beliefs that made him such an endearing and lasting character. Re-issued as part of Melville House's Neversink Library, My Autobiography offers dedicated Chaplin fans and casual admirers alike an astonishing glimpse into the the heart and the mind of Hollywood's original genius maverick. Take this unforgettable journey with the man George Bernard Shaw called "the only genius to come out of the movie industry" as he moves from his impoverished South London childhood to the heights of Hollywood wealth and fame; from the McCarthy-era investigations to his founding of United Artists to his "reverse migration" back to Europe, My Autobiography is a reading experience not to be missed.
My Autobiography
by Rory Best'Extraordinary... great fun' Barry Egan, Irish Sunday Independent'A wonderful story . . . vivid and comprehensive.' Stephen Jones, Sunday Times''Throughout it all though there is a feeling of warmth for the sport and for others. Above all there is a sense of achievement... Best was never one of the glamour boys, but he deserves star billing.' Daily TelegraphRory Best is widely-regarded as one of Ireland's greatest ever captains. Entrusted by Joe Schmidt to lead the side that looked on the wane following the 2015 World Cup, Best's inspirational leadership skills and abrasive qualities proved to be the foundation stones for the most successful period in Ireland's history.His first year in charge saw Ireland complete a hat-trick of victories against the southern hemisphere 'Big Three', including leading his side to a first ever victory over world champions New Zealand in Chicago, a feat that etched Best's place in Irish sporting folklore and ended the All Blacks' record-winning streak of 18 Test victories.Ireland's annus mirabilis under Best's captaincy would come in 2018 however, when he led the side to only their third Grand Slam title, culminating with a famous victory over England at Twickenham, and a record-breaking run of 12 successive Test victories.When he stepped down as Ireland captain at the age of 37 following the World Cup in Japan, his fourth tournament, history will no doubt also judge Best to be one of their greatest forwards.A hugely-popular figure across the game, Best finished his career as Ireland's most capped forward, behind only Brian O'Driscoll and Ronan O'Gara in the all-time records, and also made over 200 appearances for his province Ulster.
My Autobiography
by Rory Best'Extraordinary . . . great fun' Barry Egan, Irish Sunday Independent'A wonderful story . . . vivid and comprehensive.' Stephen Jones, Sunday Times''Throughout it all though there is a feeling of warmth for the sport and for others. Above all there is a sense of achievement . . . Best was never one of the glamour boys, but he deserves star billing.' Daily TelegraphRory Best is widely-regarded as one of Ireland's greatest ever captains. Entrusted by Joe Schmidt to lead the side that looked on the wane following the 2015 World Cup, Best's inspirational leadership skills and abrasive qualities proved to be the foundation stones for the most successful period in Ireland's history.His first year in charge saw Ireland complete a hat-trick of victories against the southern hemisphere 'Big Three', including leading his side to a first ever victory over world champions New Zealand in Chicago, a feat that etched Best's place in Irish sporting folklore and ended the All Blacks' record-winning streak of 18 Test victories.Ireland's annus mirabilis under Best's captaincy would come in 2018 however, when he led the side to only their third Grand Slam title, culminating with a famous victory over England at Twickenham, and a record-breaking run of 12 successive Test victories.When he stepped down as Ireland captain at the age of 37 following the World Cup in Japan, his fourth tournament, history will no doubt also judge Best to be one of their greatest forwards.A hugely-popular figure across the game, Best finished his career as Ireland's most capped forward, behind only Brian O'Driscoll and Ronan O'Gara in the all-time records, and also made over 200 appearances for his province Ulster.
My Autobiography
by Rory BestRory Best is widely-regarded as one of Ireland's greatest ever captains. Entrusted by Joe Schmidt to lead the side that looked on the wane following the 2015 World Cup, Best's inspirational leadership skills and abrasive qualities proved to be the foundation stones for the most successful period in Ireland's history.His first year in charge saw Ireland complete a hat-trick of victories against the southern hemisphere 'Big Three', including leading his side to a first ever victory over world champions New Zealand in Chicago, a feat that etched Best's place in Irish sporting folklore and ended the All Blacks' record-winning streak of 18 Test victories.Ireland's annus mirabilis under Best's captaincy would come in 2018 however, when he led the side to only their third Grand Slam title, culminating with a famous victory over England at Twickenham, and a record-breaking run of 12 successive Test victories.When he steps down as Ireland captain at the age of 37 following the World Cup in Japan, his fourth tournament, history will no doubt also judge Best to be one of their greatest forwards.A hugely-popular figure across the game, Best will finish his career as Ireland's most capped forward, behind only Brian O'Driscoll and Ronan O'Gara in the all-time records, and also made over 200 appearances for his province Ulster.(P) 2020 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
My Autobiography of Carson McCullers: A Memoir
by Jenn Shapland“Gorgeous, symphonic, tender, and brilliant, My Autobiography of Carson McCullers is a monumental achievement." -Carmen Maria Machado While working as an intern in the archives at the Harry Ransom Center, Jenn Shapland encounters the love letters of Carson and a woman named Annemarie—letters are that are tender, intimate, and unabashed in their feelings. Shapland recognizes herself in the letters’ language—but does not see Carson as history has portrayed her. And so, Shapland is compelled to undertake a recovery of the full narrative and language of Carson's life: She wades through the therapy transcripts; she stays at Carson’s childhood home, where she lounges in her bathtub and eats delivery pizza; she relives Carson’s days at her beloved Yaddo. As Shapland reckons with the expanding and collapsing distance between her and Carson, she sees the way Carson’s story has become a way to articulate something about herself. The results articulate something entirely new not only about this one remarkable, walleyed life, but about the way we tell queer love stories. In genre-defying vignettes, Jenn Shapland interweaves her own story with Carson McCullers’s to create a vital new portrait of one of America’s most beloved writers, and shows us how the writers we love and the stories we tell about ourselves make us who we are.
My Autobiography of Carson McCullers: A Memoir
by Jenn ShaplandFINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARDLonglisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Non-fictionHow do you tell the real story of someone misremembered - an icon and idol - alongside your own? Jenn Shapland's celebrated debut is both question and answer: an immersive, surprising exploration of one of America's most beloved writers, alongside a genre-defying examination of identity, queerness, memory, obsession, and love.Shapland is a graduate student when she first uncovers letters written to Carson McCullers by a woman named Annemarie. Though Shapland recognizes herself in the letters, which are intimate and unabashed in their feelings, she does not see McCullers as history has portrayed her. Her curiosity gives way to fixation, not just with this newly discovered side of McCullers's life, but with how we tell queer love stories. Why, Shapland asks, are the stories of women paved over by others' narratives? What happens when constant revision is required of queer women trying to navigate and self-actualize in straight spaces? And what might the tracing of McCullers's life?her history, her secrets, her legacy?reveal to Shapland about herself?In smart, illuminating prose, Shapland interweaves her own story with McCullers's to create a vital new portrait of one of our nation's greatest literary treasures, and shows us how the writers we love and the stories we tell about ourselves make us who we are.
My Autobiography: "Chapters" from the North American Review
by Mark TwainFamed author's plain-spoken words -- recorded as character sketches, essays, diary entries, letters and more -- recall his boisterous boyhood in Hannibal, Missouri, life as a riverboat pilot, as a young adult in rough Nevada mining towns, years spent as an author, plus somber passages noting the death of his wife and their three children.
My Autobiography: With "The Political and Social Doctrine of Fascism"
by Benito MussoliniUrged by American Ambassador to Rome Richard Washburn Child to write his autobiography, Benito Mussolini hesitated only slightly before he dictated thoughts on his private and public life. This volume reprints the Italian dictator's extraordinary comments, capturing the spirit and personality of Il Duce as no other book does. Included are Mussolini's views on Italian politics, descriptions of his years as an agitator, journalist, and soldier, the formation of the Fascist Party, the "March on Rome," and his early years in power. The text also contains some of his most famous speeches in the Italian Parliament, his vision of Italy's return to glory, and his definitive statement on the doctrine of Fascism and its political justification.Essential reading for students of history and political science, this frank, and frequently arrogant, revelation of the Italian leader's life produced mixed reactions when first published in 1928. "Like him or not," wrote the reviewer for the Saturday Review of Literature, "here he is, Mussolini the man, the patriot, the leader."
My Avant-Garde Education: A Memoir
by Bernard CooperA wry and beautifully observed memoir about coming of age in the era of conceptual art. Growing up in the suburbs--confused about his sexuality, about his consumer-oriented world, about the death of his older brother--Bernard Cooper falls in love with Pop art and sets off for the California Institute of the Arts, the center of the burgeoning field of conceptual art, in this beguiling memoir. The most famous, and infamous, artists of the time drift through the place, including Allan Kaprow and John Baldessari, not to mention the student who phones the Identi-Kit division of the Los Angeles Police Department and has them make a composite drawing of the Mona Lisa. My Avant-Garde Education is at once an artist's coming-of-age story and a personal chronicle of the era of conceptual art, from a writer "of uncommon subtlety and nuance" (David Ulin, Los Angeles Times). It is a record of the wonders and follies of a certain era in art history, always aware that awakening to art is, for a young person, inseparable from awakening to the ever-shifting nature of the self.
My Backyard Jungle: The Adventures of an Urban Wildlife Lover Who Turned His Yard into Habitat and Learned to Live with It
by James BarillaFor James Barilla and his family, the dream of transforming their Columbia, South Carolina, backyard into a haven for wildlife evoked images of kids catching grasshoppers by day and fireflies at night, of digging up potatoes and picking strawberries. When they signed up with the National Wildlife Federation to certify their yard as a wildlife habitat, it felt like pushing back, in however small a way, against the tide of bad news about vanishing species, changing climate, dying coral reefs. Then the animals started to arrive, and Barilla soon discovered the complexities (and possible mayhem) of merging human with animal habitats. What are the limits of coexistence, he wondered? To find out, Barilla set out across continents to explore cities where populations of bears, monkeys, marmosets, and honeybees live alongside human residents. My Backyard Jungle brings these unique stories together, making Barillaâ TMs yard the centerpiece of a meditation on possibilities for coexistence with animals in an increasingly urban world. Not since Gerald Durrell penned My Family and Other Animals have readers encountered a naturalist with such a gift for storytelling and such an open heart toward all things wild.
My Bass and Other Animals
by Guy PrattGuy Pratt's life as bass player to the stars. The book behind the successful comedy show.Guy Pratt came of age just as playing bass became cool, with the likes of Paul Simonon and Bruce Foxton. Having dallied with Funkapolitan, Pratt suddenly found himself on Top of the Pops and supporting David Bowie with smooth Australian outfit Icehouse. At a ludicrously young age Guy Pratt became a sought after bass player to the stars, finding himself crawling from studio to bar, from hotel to stadium portacabin with Robert Palmer, Womack & Womack, Bernard Edwards, Bryan Ferry and David Crosby, etc. The eighties were in their prime, and with a number of Crolla-suited appearances in windswept videos behind him, he was invited to join Pink Floyd for a series of stadium of extravaganzas to make Bono & co look fairly modest. Pratt has recorded with Madonna, and spent time in the studio with Michael Jackson. He was in The Smiths for a week, has travelled through customs in a wheelchair after a flight with Jimmy Page, and has lived to tell all. MY BASS AND OTHER ANIMALS emerges from the successful stand-up tour of the same name. It charts his journey from a Mod band in Southend to playing with Roxy Music at Live 8.
My Bass and Other Animals
by Guy PrattGuy Pratt's life as bass player to the stars. The book behind the successful comedy show.Guy Pratt came of age just as playing bass became cool, with the likes of Paul Simonon and Bruce Foxton. Having dallied with Funkapolitan, Pratt suddenly found himself on Top of the Pops and supporting David Bowie with smooth Australian outfit Icehouse. At a ludicrously young age Guy Pratt became a sought after bass player to the stars, finding himself crawling from studio to bar, from hotel to stadium portacabin with Robert Palmer, Womack & Womack, Bernard Edwards, Bryan Ferry and David Crosby, etc. The eighties were in their prime, and with a number of Crolla-suited appearances in windswept videos behind him, he was invited to join Pink Floyd for a series of stadium of extravaganzas to make Bono & co look fairly modest. Pratt has recorded with Madonna, and spent time in the studio with Michael Jackson. He was in The Smiths for a week, has travelled through customs in a wheelchair after a flight with Jimmy Page, and has lived to tell all. MY BASS AND OTHER ANIMALS emerges from the successful stand-up tour of the same name. It charts his journey from a Mod band in Southend to playing with Roxy Music at Live 8.
My Battle Against Hitler: Faith, Truth, and Defiance in the Shadow of the Third Reich
by John Henry Crosby Dietrich Von HildebrandHow does a person become Hitler's enemy number one? Not through espionage or violence, it turns out, but by striking fearlessly at the intellectual and spiritual roots of National Socialism. Dietrich von Hildebrand was a German Catholic thinker and teacher who devoted the full force of his intellect to breaking the deadly spell of Nazism that ensnared so many of his beloved countrymen. His story might well have been lost to us were it not for this memoir he penned in the last decades of his life at the request of his wife, Alice von Hildebrand. In My Battle Against Hitler, covering the years from 1921 to 1938, von Hildebrand tells of the scorn and ridicule he endured for sounding the alarm when many still viewed Hitler as a positive and inevitable force. He expresses the sorrow of having to leave behind his home, friends, and family in Germany to conduct his fight against the Nazis from Austria. He recounts how he defiantly challenged Nazism in the public square, prompting the German ambassador in Vienna to describe him to Hitler as "the architect of the intellectual resistance in Austria." And in the midst of all the danger he faced, he conveys his unwavering trust in God, even during his harrowing escape from Vienna and his desperate flight across Europe, with the Nazis always just one step behind. Dietrich von Hildebrand belongs to the very earliest anti-Nazi resistance. His public statements led the Nazis to blacklist him already in 1921, long before the horrors of the Third Reich and more than twenty-three years before the famous assassination attempt on Hitler in July 1944. His battle would culminate in the countless articles he published in Vienna, a selection of which are featured in this volume. "It is an immense privilege," writes editor John Henry Crosby, founder of the Hildebrand Project, "to present to the world the shining witness of one man who risked everything to follow his conscience and stand in defiance of tyranny."From the Hardcover edition.
My Beautiful Disaster: My Brain Injury, My Gift, My Life
by Derek AmatoDerek Amato's reflections in My Beautiful Disaster provide rare insight into what people with extraordinary gifts see, think, feel and do; pose questions about the potential to tap into previously undetected abilities and spotlight the 'silent epidemic' of head trauma. His experiences also make vivid some the challenges faced by those living with autism and other neurological disorders and hint at the possibility we all have more in common than we think. Readers enchanted by autistic savant, Daniel Tammet's eloquent Born On A Blue Day, will welcome another multi-layered, first person account of what is to live with a remarkable condition. Uniquely, having spent his life as a "neurotypical" Amato's tale relates the before and after of 'the gift'; his voice at times resonating with incredulity at what has happened and what the eventual cost may be.
My Beautiful Genome: Exposing Our Genetic Future, One Quirk at a Time
by Lone FrankWhat if you could predict your future - which political party you will vote for, what kind of person you will marry, which disease will end your life, whether your blue mood will fester into something more troubling, even debilitating. Would you want to know? Taking a uniquely intimate and cheeky approach to the personal genomics revolution, internationally acclaimed science writer Lone Frank swabs up her genetic code to explore who any of us are in the days when a catalogue of your full six billion DNA building blocks is available for $10,000 and the local Walgreens offers genetic screening tests to anyone. She challenges the august Nobel Prize winners and the hyperactive business mavericks who are pushing to map and decipher every fetus's genome within the next decade. She tests the potential to detect diseases early, as well as our capacity to develop chronic anxieties when our DNA is seen as a death sentence. She ponders whether personality, including her own above-average irritability and non-conformity, can really be reduced to biochemistry. And she prods the psychologists who hope to uncover just how much or how little our environment will matter in the new genetic century - a quest made all the more gripping as Frank considers her family's and her own struggles with depression. At turns compellingly candid and irreverently insightful, Frank provides the first truly personal account of the new science of consumer-led genomics - and to what extent our genes determine our destiny. Lone Frank is the author of The Neurotourist: Postcards from the Edge of Brain Science (ISBN 9781851687961). She holds a PhD in neurobiology and was previously a research scientist working in the biotechnology industry in the United States. An award-winning science journalist and TV documentary presenter, she has written for such publicationsn as Scientific American, Science, and Nature Biotechnology and is a frequent speaker at venues including Harvard Medical School, the Library of Congress, the Royal Society, and TED.