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The Olympics: Behind the Scenes at the Olympics
by Nick HunterFrom the winning bid to the Olympic village and stadiums, this book looks beyond the sports and into all aspects, such as the costs involved, the media and where events will take place around the country.
Omar Al-Bashir and Africa's Longest War
by Paul MoorcraftPresident Omar al-Bashir is Africa's and arguably Arabia's most controversial leader. In power since 1989, he is the first sitting head of state to be issued with an arrest warrant, for war crimes, by International Criminal Court.He has been a central personality in Islamic and African politics, as well as a love-to-hate figure for the US in the 'war on terror'.For military history readers, Al-Bashir is a field marshal who has fought possibly the world's longest conflict. Modern Sudan has been embroiled in war since 1955.No proper biography has been written on him before. Nor has there been a comprehensive military history of Sudan. The book briefly covers the military background until independence. Then it dissects the long north-south civil war until Bashir's Islamist military coup in 1989. Thereafter it narrates the wars in the east, south, west (in Darfur), International political and military intervention is also factored in.The author draws on in-depth one-on-one interviews with Bashir himself and his family and close political, military and intelligence colleagues.
Omar Bradley
by Steven Zaloga Steve NoonGeneral Omar Bradley was the premier US Army tactical commander in the European Theater of Operations in 1944-45. A West Point classmate of Dwight Eisenhower, Bradley was the quintessential US field commander of World War II, elevated to high command with little combat experience but a solid track record as a skilled planner and organizer. Bradley was part of a small cadre of highly skilled young officers groomed for higher command in the austere and bankrupt 1930s. Bradley began World War II in creating the new 82nd Division which would go on to fame as one of the US Army's premier airborne divisions. Bradley spent most of the early years of the war in George Patton's shadow, first as an assistant corps commander under Patton in Tunisia in early 1943, then as a corps commander under Patton on Sicily in July 1943. Patton's social blunders pushed him out of contention for the coveted spot leading the First US Army on D-Day, and Bradley's sterling performance on Sicily won him the position.Bradley was at the center of nearly all the major US Army victories in 1944-45 from D-Day through the final push into Germany. After commanding the US First Army in Normandy, Bradley was elevated to the command of the 12th Army Group, which contained the three main American field armies in the autumn of 1944. Along with that combat record came a string of controversies. Bradley's great victories like Operation Cobra in July-August 1944 were brought in to question by more dubious campaigns such as the miserable battles for the Hurtgen forest and the lesser-known Operation Queen in the autumn of 1944. Bradley's greatest blunder, failing to anticipate the German offensive in the Ardennes, was counter-balanced by a vigorous and skilled response which fatally injured the German army in the West. Beyond the performance of the US Army in the ETO, Bradley was also intimately wrapped up in other controversies, especially the internecine squabbles with his British counterpart, Bernard Montgomery.
Omar Khayyam: On the Value of Time (Peacemakers)
by Nick M. LoghmaniThis book explores the life and work of Omar Khayyam as a provocateur of peace. While Khayyam is known for his poetry, he was foremost a prominent mathematician who looked at the world from a unique perspective. Using the transformative power of mathematics, he brought together seemingly irreconcilable concepts in his work. Through his art, philosophy, and mathematics, Khayyam sought to create harmony between what on the surface looks like a clash between his scientific view, romantic and often provocative poetry, and philosophy. The book sheds light on his spiritual and philosophical journey through a cross-sectional account of his poetry, philosophical view, and mathematics and science. It explores the complex inner life of a multidimensional scholar as he negotiated between faith and science, constructing a framework for peace by looking at the world as it presents itself to us, contemplating the temporality of life and enriching it with wisdom and joy. Historically and culturally informed, this book will be indispensable to readers of Omar Khayyam’s poetry and philosophy. It will also be of interest to students and researchers of peace and conflict studies, mathematics, science, Middle East literature, history, and popular culture.
Omega Farm: A Memoir
by Martha McPhee*A New Yorker and Vogue Best Book of 2023* &“Compelling... [McPhee] positions herself neither as victim nor saint but as someone who, she says, only wants to be good.&” —The Washington Post A moving memoir from an award-winning novelist—a riveting account of her complicated, bohemian childhood and her return home to care for her ailing mother.In March 2020, Martha McPhee, her husband, and their two children set out for her childhood home in New Jersey, where she finds herself grappling simultaneously with a mother slipping into severe dementia and a house that&’s fallen into neglect. As Martha works to manage her mother&’s care and the sprawling, ramshackle property—a broken septic system, invasive bamboo, dying ash trees—she is swept back, unwillingly, into memories of her fraught, dysfunctional childhood. In this masterful exploration of a complicated family legacy, McPhee &“makes no effort to spare her own flaws even as she searches for the roots of her mature turmoil in the shortcomings of adults who failed in the fundamental task of protecting her younger self&” (BookPage). Omega Farm is an &“expansive&” (New Yorker) testament to hope in the face of suffering, and a courageous tale about how returning home can offer a new way to understand the past.
Omer Pasha Latas: Marshal to the Sultan
by Ivo Andric Celia Hawkesworth William T. VollmannA sweeping epic by Nobel Prize-winner Ivo Andrić about power, identity, and Islam set in 19th-century Ottoman Bosnia and Istanbul.Omer Pasha Latas is set in nineteenth-century Sarajevo, where Muslims and Christians live in uneasy proximity while entertaining a common resentment of faraway Ottoman rule. Omer is the seraskier, commander in chief of the Sultan’s armies, and as the book begins he arrives from Istanbul, dispatched to bring Sarajevo’s landowners to heel, a task that he accomplishes with his usual ferocityand efficiency. And yet the seraskier’s expedition to Bosnia is a time of reckoning for him as well: he was born in the Balkans, a Serb and a subject of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a bright boy who escaped his father’s financial disgrace by running away and converting to Islam. Now, at the height of his power, he heads an army of misfits, adventurers, and outcasts from across Europe and Asia, and yet wherever he goes he remains a stranger. Ivo Andrić, who won the Nobel Prize in 1961, is a spellbinding storyteller and a magnificent stylist, and here, in his final novel, he surrounds his enigmatic central figure with many vivid and fascinating minor characters, lost souls and hopeless dreamers all, in a world that is slowly sliding towards disaster. Omer Pasha Latas combines the leisurely melancholy of Joseph Roth’s The Radetzky March with the stark fatalism of an old ballad.
On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein
by Jennifer Berne Vladimir RadunskyA boy rides a bicycle down a dusty road. But in his mind, he envisions himself traveling at a speed beyond imagining, on a beam of light. This brilliant mind will one day offer up some of the most revolutionary ideas ever conceived. From a boy endlessly fascinated by the wonders around him, Albert Einstein ultimately grows into a man of genius recognized the world over for profoundly illuminating our understanding of the universe. Jennifer Berne and Vladimir Radunsky invite the reader to travel along with Einstein on a journey full of curiosity, laughter, and scientific discovery. Parents and children alike will appreciate this moving story of the powerful difference imagination can make in any life.
On a Farther Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson
by William SouderPublished on the fiftieth anniversary of her seminal book, Silent Spring, here is an indelible new portrait of Rachel Carson, founder of the environmental movement. She loved the ocean and wrote three books about its mysteries, including the international bestseller The Sea Around Us. But it was with her fourth book, Silent Spring, that this unassuming biologist transformed our relationship with the natural world. Rachel Carson began work on Silent Spring in the late 1950s, when a dizzying array of synthetic pesticides had come into use. Leading this chemical onslaught was the insecticide DDT, whose inventor had won a Nobel Prize for its discovery. Effective against crop pests as well as insects that transmitted human diseases such as typhus and malaria, DDT had at first appeared safe. But as its use expanded, alarming reports surfaced of collateral damage to fish, birds, and other wildlife. Silent Spring was a chilling indictment of DDT and its effects, which were lasting, widespread, and lethal.Published in 1962, Silent Spring shocked the public and forced the government to take action-despite a withering attack on Carson from the chemicals industry. The book awakened the world to the heedless contamination of the environment and eventually led to the establishment of the EPA and to the banning of DDT and a host of related pesticides. By drawing frightening parallels between dangerous chemicals and the then-pervasive fallout from nuclear testing, Carson opened a fault line between the gentle ideal of conservation and the more urgent new concept of environmentalism.Elegantly written and meticulously researched, On a Farther Shore reveals a shy yet passionate woman more at home in the natural world than in the literary one that embraced her. William Souder also writes sensitively of Carson's romantic friendship with Dorothy Freeman, and of her death from cancer in 1964. This extraordinary new biography captures the essence of one of the great reformers of the twentieth century.
On a Hoof and a Prayer: Around Argentina at a Gallop
by Polly EvansAt the age of thirty-four, Polly Evans finally fulfilled a childhood dream -- to learn how to ride a horse. But rather than do so conveniently close to home, she decided to travel to Argentina and saddle up among the gauchos. Overcoming battered limbs, a steed hell-bent on bolting, and an encounter with the teeth of one very savage dog, Polly cantered through Andean vineyards and galloped beneath snow-capped Patagonian peaks. She survived a hair-raising game of polo and a back-breaking day herding cattle. Taking a break from riding, she delved into Argentina's tumultuous history: the Europeans' first terrifying acquaintances with the native 'giants'; the sanguinary demise of the early missionaries; and the gruesome drama of Evita's wandering corpse. On a Hoof and Prayer is the stampeding story of Polly's journey from timorous equestrian novice to wildly whooping cowgirl. It's a tale of ponies, painkillers and peregrinations -- not just around present-day Argentina, but also into the country's glorious and turbulent past.
On a Mexican Mustang, Through Texas, From the Gulf to the Rio Grande
by Alexander Edwin Sweet"On a Mexican Mustang, Through Texas, From the Gulf to the Rio Grande" by Alexander Edwin Sweet is a captivating and humorous travelogue that takes readers on a vibrant journey across the vast and diverse landscapes of Texas in the late 19th century. Sweet, an accomplished writer and journalist, along with co-author J. Armoy Knox, offers an engaging and richly detailed account of their adventurous expedition on horseback from the Gulf of Mexico to the Rio Grande.This classic work captures the essence of Texas with its vivid descriptions of the state's varied terrain, from lush coastal regions to arid deserts and bustling towns. Sweet's keen eye for detail and his talent for storytelling bring to life the unique character of each locale they visit, as well as the colorful personalities they encounter along the way. The book is filled with lively anecdotes and humorous observations, making it an entertaining read from start to finish.Throughout their journey, Sweet and Knox provide insightful commentary on the social, economic, and cultural aspects of Texas life during this period. They explore the complexities of Texan identity, the impact of Mexican and Native American influences, and the rugged spirit of the frontier. Their interactions with a diverse array of people, from ranchers and cowboys to farmers and townsfolk, offer a multifaceted view of the state and its inhabitants."On a Mexican Mustang" is more than just a travel narrative; it is a valuable historical document that captures a pivotal time in Texas history. Sweet's humorous and often satirical writing style adds a unique flavor to the narrative, making it a delightful read for anyone interested in the history and culture of Texas.This book is an essential addition to the library of history buffs, travel enthusiasts, and anyone who enjoys a well-told tale of adventure and exploration. Alexander Edwin Sweet's "On a Mexican Mustang, Through Texas, From the Gulf to the Rio Grande" remains a timeless and engaging journey through one of America's most iconic states, offering readers a glimpse into the rich tapestry of Texas life.
On a Move: Philadelphia's Notorious Bombing and a Native Son's Lifelong Battle for Justice
by Mike Africa Jr.The incredible story of MOVE, the revolutionary Black civil liberties group that Philadelphia police bombed in 1985, killing 11 civilians—by one of the few people born into the organization, raised during the bombing's tumultuous aftermath, and entrusted with repairing what was left of his family."As necessary and powerful as it is captivating." – Michael Harriot, New York Times bestselling author of Black AF History"Searing and urgent." – Bakari Sellers, New York Times bestselling author of My Vanishing Country and The MomentBefore police dropped a bomb on a residential neighborhood on May 13, 1985, few people outside Philadelphia were aware that a Black-led civil liberties organization had taken root there. Founded in 1972 by a charismatic ideologue called John Africa, MOVE’s mission was to protect all forms of life from systemic oppression. They drew their ideology from the Black Panther Party and pre-dated animal and environmental rights groups like PETA and Earth First. MOVE emerged in an era when Black Philadelphians suffered under devastating policies brought by the long, doomed war in Vietnam, Mayor Frank Rizzo’s overtly racist police surveillance, and, eventually, President Ronald Reagan's War on Drugs. MOVE members lived together in a collection of West Philadelphia row houses and took the surname Africa out of admiration for the group's founder.But in MOVE's lifestyle, city officials saw threats to their status quo. Their bombing of MOVE homes shocked the nation and made international news. Eleven people were killed, including five children. And the City of Brotherly Love became known as the City That Bombed Itself.Among the children most affected by the bombing was Mike Africa Jr. Born in jail following a police attack on MOVE that led to his parents’ decades-long incarcerations, Mike was six years old and living with his grandmother when MOVE was bombed. In the ensuing years, Mike sought purpose in the ashes left behind. He began learning about the law as a teenager and became adept at speaking and inspiring public support with the help of other MOVE members. In 2018, at age 40, he finally succeeded in getting his parents released from prison.On a Move is one of the most unimaginable stories of injustice and resilience in recent American history. But it is not only one of tragedy. It is about coming-of-age for a young activist, the strong ties of family, and, against all odds, learning how to take indignities on the chin and to work within the very system that created them. At once a harrowing personal account and an impassioned examination of racism and police violence, On a Move testifies to the power of love and hope, in the face of astonishing wrongdoing.
On a Positive Note: Her Joyous Faith, Her Life in Music, and Her Everyday Blessings
by Renita Weems Cece WinansFrom a childhood of humble beginnings to her current status as one of the most sought-after performers in Christian music, CeCe Winans tells her uplifting story. Forthright and honest, CeCe takes the reader into her life, detailing a career that began in the early 1980's and continues to the present. Once a shy girl who preferred the church choir loft to the spotlight, this talented and vivacious woman details the journey of her musical career and the faith that has guided her every step of the way.
On a Scale that Competes with the World: The Art of Edward and Nancy Reddin Kienholz
by Robert L. PincusThis title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1990.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived</DIV
On a Shoestring to Coorg: A Travel Memoir of India (Isis Large Print Ser.)
by Dervla MurphyA “lively travel memoir” by a woman who journeyed to India in 1973 with her five-year-old daughter (Publishers Weekly). “Irish travel writer and memoirist Murphy has in the past bicycled from Ireland to India and traveled Ethiopia by mule. Here, she recounts a perhaps more daunting adventure—taking her five-year-old daughter wandering through southern India with little money and only what they can carry on their backs . . . Leaving behind the vividly described poverty of Bombay, the pair head south. Inland from the Malabar Coast, they come upon the lush, remote, comparatively prosperous region of Coorg: local people are curious and hospitable despite the danger of pollution by associating with casteless foreigners . . . Engaging writing and interesting view of rural India.” —Kirkus Reviews “She is the best kind of traveler: observant, high-spirited, and impervious to discomfort.” —The Sunday Telegraph
On a Stormy Primeval Shore: Canadian Historical Brides (Canadian Historical Brides #9)
by Nancy M Bell Diane Scott LewisIn 1784, Englishwoman Amelia Latimer sails to the new colony of New Brunswick in faraway Canada. She’s to marry a man chosen by her soldier father. Amelia is repulsed by her betrothed, refuses to marry, then meets the handsome Acadian trader, Gilbert, a man beneath her in status. Gilbert must protect his mother who was attacked by an English soldier. He fights to hold on to their property, to keep it from the Loyalists who have flooded the colony, desperate men chased from the south after the American Revolution. In a land fraught with hardship, Amelia and Gilbert struggle to overcome prejudice and political upheaval, while forging a life in a remote country where events seek to destroy their love and lives.
On a Wave: A Surfer Boyhood
by Thad ZiolkowskiIn this prizewinning poet's wry and exhilarating coming-of-age story, Thad Ziolkowski's On a Wave poignantly looks back at adolescence in a memoir of his surfing years. As a disenchanted, unemployed English professor, Thad decides one day to sneak away from his temp job in Manhattan and catch a wave off a dingy Queens shoreline. In the meager cold waves, he contemplates how he could have possibly become a semidepressed, chain-smoking, aimless man when for a few shining years of his boyhood, he was invincible. His lapsed love affair with the ocean begins amid the late-sixties counterculture in coastal Florida. After his parents' divorce, nine-year-old Thad escapes from his difficult family — notably a new brooding and explosive stepfather — by heading for the thrilling, uncharted waters of the local beach. In the embrace of the surf, he is able to stay offshore for years, until his life is upended once again, this time by a double tragedy that deposits him at a crossroads between a life in the waves and a life on land. Lyrical and disarmingly funny, On a Wave is a glorious portrait of youth that reminds readers of Tobias Wolff's This Boy's Life and Frank Conroy's Stop-Time.
On Air: My 50-year Love Affair With Radio
by Stephen White Peter Casey Jordan RichIn his book, ON AIR: My 50-Year Love Affair with Radio, Jordan Rich talks candidly about his experiences behind the microphone, from his college days to his years with WBZ. We meet those who mentored him as he touches on his love of theatre and music, the mercurial world of radio employment (and unemployment), the support and love of his family, and one key friendship as rock-solid as Mt. Rushmore. He talks about creating a small voice-over recording business, entertaining for years on the road, and valuable life lessons learned in and out of the studio. There is also a revealing look at what it’s been like to interview some of the biggest stars to come through Boston over the years. At times, the story becomes personal. Jordan shares insight into the demons that nearly derailed his career, as well as personal tragedies he was forced to overcome. But in the end, those challenges only helped to strengthen his love affair with radio that still exists today. He hopes this short memoir will offer a lesson or two and some inspiration for any up and coming broadcaster out there!
On All Fronts: The Education of a Journalist
by Clarissa Ward&“On All Fronts takes the reader on a riveting journey of storytelling. . . From Russia to China to Syria, [she] navigate[s] the most intense of human experiences while finding the tools to stay emotional.&”—Lynsey Addario, author of It&’s What I Do: A Photographer&’s Life of Love and WarThe recipient of multiple Peabody and Murrow awards, Clarissa Ward is a world-renowned conflict reporter. In this strange age of crisis where there really is no front line, she has moved from one hot zone to the next. With multiple assignments in Syria, Egypt, and Afghanistan, Ward, who speaks seven languages, has been based in Baghdad, Beirut, Beijing, and Moscow. She has seen and documented the violent remaking of the world at close range. With her deep empathy, Ward finds a way to tell the hardest stories. On All Fronts is the riveting account of Ward&’s singular career and of journalism in this age of extremism.Following a privileged but lonely childhood, Ward found her calling as an international war correspondent in the aftermath of 9/11. From her early days in the field, she was embedding with marines at the height of the Iraq War and was soon on assignment all over the globe. But nowhere does Ward make her mark more than in war-torn Syria, which she has covered extensively with courage and compassion. From her multiple stints entrenched with Syrian rebels to her deep investigations into the Western extremists who are drawn to ISIS, Ward has covered Bashar al-Assad&’s reign of terror without fear. In 2018, Ward rose to new heights at CNN and had a son. Suddenly, she was doing this hardest of jobs with a whole new perspective.On All Fronts is the unforgettable story of one extraordinary journalist—and of a changing world.
On All Sides Nowhere: Building a Life in Rural Idaho (Bakeless Prize Ser.)
by William GruberWhen Bill Gruber left Philadelphia for graduate school in Idaho, he and his wife decided to experience true rural living. His longing for the solitude and natural beauty that Thoreau found on Walden Pond led him to buy an abandoned log cabin and its surrounding forty acres in Alder Creek, a town considered small even by Idaho standards. But farm living was far from the bucolic wonderland he expected: he now had to rise with the sun to finish strenuous chores, cope with the lack of modern conveniences, and shed his urban pretensions to become a real local. Despite the initial hardships, he came to realize that reality was far better than his wistful fantasies. Instead of solitude, he found a warm, welcoming community; instead of rural stolidity, he found intelligence and wisdom; instead of relaxation, he found satisfaction in working the land. What began as a two-year experiment became a seven-year love affair with a town he'll always consider home.
On and Off the Flight Deck: Reflections of a Naval Fighter Pilot in World War II
by Henry "Hank" AdlamHank Adlam began his naval flying career in 1941, his first operational posting was to the newly formed No. 890 Squadron. When 890 was disbanded he joined 1839 Squadron flying the new Grumman Hellcat.
On Animals
by Susan OrleanNATIONAL BESTSELLER &“Magnificent.&” —The New York Times * &“Beguiling, observant, and howlingly funny.&” —San Francisco Chronicle * &“Spectacular.&” —Star Tribune (Minneapolis) * &“Full of astonishments.&” —The Boston Globe Susan Orlean—the beloved New Yorker staff writer hailed as &“a national treasure&” by The Washington Post and the author of the New York Times bestseller The Library Book—gathers a lifetime of musings, meditations, and in-depth profiles about animals.&“How we interact with animals has preoccupied philosophers, poets, and naturalists for ages,&” writes Susan Orlean. Since the age of six, when Orlean wrote and illustrated a book called Herbert the Near-Sighted Pigeon, she&’s been drawn to stories about how we live with animals, and how they abide by us. Now, in On Animals, she examines animal-human relationships through the compelling tales she has written over the course of her celebrated career. These stories consider a range of creatures—the household pets we dote on, the animals we raise to end up as meat on our plates, the creatures who could eat us for dinner, the various tamed and untamed animals we share our planet with who are central to human life. In her own backyard, Orlean discovers the delights of keeping chickens. In a different backyard, in New Jersey, she meets a woman who has twenty-three pet tigers—something none of her neighbors knew about until one of the tigers escapes. In Iceland, the world&’s most famous whale resists the efforts to set him free; in Morocco, the world&’s hardest-working donkeys find respite at a special clinic. We meet a show dog and a lost dog and a pigeon who knows exactly how to get home. Equal parts delightful and profound, enriched by Orlean&’s stylish prose and precise research, these stories celebrate the meaningful cross-species connections that grace our collective existence.
On Any Given Sunday: A Life of Bert Bell
by Robert S. LyonsBert Bell, a native of Philadelphia, has been called the most powerful executive figure in the history of professional football. He was responsible for helping to transform the game from a circus sideshow into what has become the most popular spectator sport in America. In On Any Given Sunday, the first biography of this important sports figure, historian Robert Lyons recounts the remarkable story of how de Benneville "Bert" Bell rejected the gentility of a high society lifestyle in favor of the tougher gridiron, and rose to become the founder of the Philadelphia Eagles and Commissioner of the National Football League. Bell, who arguably saved the league from bankruptcy by conceiving the idea for the annual player draft, later made the historic decision to introduce "sudden death" overtime-a move that propelled professional football into the national consciousness. He coined the phrase "on any given sunday" and negotiated the league's first national TV contract. Lyons also describes in fascinating detail Bell's relationships with leading figures ranging from such Philadelphia icons as Walter Annenberg and John B. Kelly to national celebrities and U. S. Presidents. He also provides insight into Bell's colorful personal life-including his hell-raising early years and his secret marriage to Frances Upton, a golden name in show business. On Any Given Sunday is being published on the 50th anniversary of Bell's death.
On Assignment: Memoir of a National Geographic Filmmaker
by James R. LarisonAn exciting adventure story with personal drama and high stakes, as well as a glimpse behind the scenes of the highly regarded National Geographic brand Jim and Elaine Larison spent years studying, exploring, and living in wild places, making more than thirty environmental films, most for the National Geographic Society. These films won more than forty international awards from leading environmental and broadcast organizations. This memoir tells the story behind the adventure and describes the rather substantial personal costs of this career. While shooting film in Alaska, Jim Larison narrowly survived a devastating airplane crash in the Bering Sea. Later, while filming on the Great Barrier Reef, the Larisons fought off an aggressive twelve-foot tiger shark. Midway through their careers, the Larisons were nearly swept to their deaths by an icefall while filming on Mount Robson. A thrilling adventure story, full of risk and personal conflict, On Assignment is also a touching look at the tender bonds that held the married couple together while they struggled to complete their many film assignments. The Larisons were changed by what they saw and what they captured on film: the destruction of forests, the death of coral reefs, and global warming.In the beginning, the Larisons wanted nothing more than to spend time in the wilderness. By the end, they were fighting for its very survival.
On Being 40(ish)
by Lindsey MeadIn the vein of The Bitch in the House, fifteen powerful women offer captivating, intimate, and candid explorations about what it’s really like turning forty—and life beyond. The big 4-0. Like eighteen and twenty-one, this is a major and meaningful milestone our lives—especially for women. Turning forty is a poignant doorway between youth and…what comes after; a crossroads to reflect on the roads taken and not and the paths yet before you. And the decade that follows is one that is especially ripe for nostalgia, inspiration, wisdom, and personal growth. In this dazzling collection, fifteen writers explore this rich phase in essays that are profound and moving and above all, brimming with joie de vivre. This diverse array of voices—including Veronica Chambers, Meghan Daum, Kate Bolick, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Sloane Crosley, KJ Dell’Antonia, Julie Klam, Jessica Lahey, Catherine Newman, Sujean Rim, Jena Schwartz, Sophfronia Scott, Allison Winn Scotch, Lee Woodruff, and Jill Kargman—offer exciting, deeply personal, and poignant perspectives across a range of universal themes—friendship, independence, sex, beauty, aging, wisdom, and the passage of time. Beautifully designed to make the perfect gift, and to be a treasure to turn to time and time again, On Being 40(ish) reflects the hopes, fears, challenges and opportunities of a generation. It will leave you inspired, entertained, and comforted that the best is truly yet to come.
On Being Human: A Memoir of Waking Up, Living Real, and Listening Hard
by Jennifer PastiloffAn inspirational memoir about how Jennifer Pastiloff's years of waitressing taught her to seek out unexpected beauty, how hearing loss taught her to listen fiercely, how being vulnerable allowed her to find love, and how imperfections can lead to a life full of wild happiness. Centered around the touchstone stories Jen tells in her popular workshops, On Being Human is the story of how a starved person grew into the exuberant woman she was meant to be all along by battling the demons within and winning. Jen did not intend to become a yoga teacher, but when she was given the opportunity to host her own retreats, she left her thirteen-year waitressing job and said “yes,” despite crippling fears of her inexperience and her own potential. After years of feeling depressed, anxious, and hopeless, in a life that seemed to have no escape, she healed her own heart by caring for others. She has learned to fiercely listen despite being nearly deaf, to banish shame attached to a body mass index, and to rebuild a family after the debilitating loss of her father when she was eight. Through her journey, Jen conveys the experience most of us are missing in our lives: being heard and being told, “I got you.” Exuberant, triumphantly messy, and brave, On Being Human is a celebration of happiness and self-realization over darkness and doubt. Her complicated yet imperfectly perfect life path is an inspiration to live outside the box and to reject the all-too-common belief of “I am not enough.” Jen will help readers find, accept, and embrace their own vulnerability, bravery, and humanness.