Biographies & Memoirs - Books

What You Might Not Know

Biographies & Memoirs

Jen Smith lives with a murderer. This killer has ruthlessly taken many of her friends, and always leaves her wondering if she'll be next. Her fear for her life is trumped only by her overwhelming concern for her beautiful young son. But she has no choice. Jen has Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer. In this book, Jen follows up on the triumphs in Learning to Live Legendary with a candid look at the life in between. She pulls back the curtain on what it's like to live day-to-day with a terminal diagnosis. You'll share her fear, her heartbreak, her uncertainty -- even her guilt. You'll even feel the impact of Jen's disease on her friends and family, as they express their feelings in their own words. From mothering to grieving to simply freaking out, Jen and her loved ones provide a raw and unflinching look at What You Might Not Know.

Freedom in the Family

Biographies & Memoirs

Patricia Stephens Due fought for justice during the height of the Civil Rights era. Her daughter, Tananarive, grew up deeply enmeshed in the values of a family committed to making right whatever they saw as wrong. Together, in alternating chapters, they have written a paean to the movement—its hardships, its nameless foot soldiers, and its achievements—and an incisive examination of the future of justice in this country. Their mother-daughter journey spanning two generations of struggles is an unforgettable story.

Picasso

Biographies & Memoirs

Antonina Vallentin, scrittrice e intellettuale cosmopolita, ha raccontato la vita di Pablo Picasso quando l’artista era ancora in vita, affrontando a viso aperto la sua personalità debordante e seguendo le traiettorie della sua opera multiforme. Dalla nascita nel 1881 fino al gennaio 1956, la biografia racconta quello che è stato «il fenomeno forse più tumultuoso di vitalità artistica della nostra epoca»: la precoce passione per il disegno e l’influenza paterna, Parigi e il decisivo incontro con Gertrude Stein, la rivalità con Matisse, la genesi delle Demoiselles d’Avignon e di Guernica, il cubismo e l’impegno politico. L’autrice entra nei quadri, scende nell’intimità, si confronta con la perentoria potenza seduttiva dell’uomo e del pittore. Ci mostra così, in pagine dense di passione scandite dalle diverse donne della sua vita, come alla febbre creativa di Picasso corrispondesse un’analoga, estrema frenesia esistenziale.

Lives of the Poets

Biographies & Memoirs

National Book Critics Circle Award FinalistIn this stunning volume of epic breadth, Michael Schmidt connects the lives and works of more than 300 poets over the last 700 years--spanning distant shores from Scotland to Australia to the Caribbean, all sharing the English language. Schmidt reveals how each poet has transformed "a common language of poetry" into the rustic rhythms and elegiac ballads, love sonnets, and experimental postmodern verse that make up our lyrical canon.A comprehensive guided tour that is lively and always accessible, Lives of the Poets illuminates our most transcendent literary tradition.

Si ahora no, ¿cuándo?

Biographies & Memoirs

En las postrimerías de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, durante el verano de 1945, llegó a Italia una riada de refugiados y supervivientes de la persecución nazi, entre los que se encontraban grupos de partisanos judíos procedentes del este de Europa. Sobre este hecho real, Si ahora no, ¿cuándo? construye la apasionante historia de una banda de partisanos que emprende una larga marcha con la firme voluntad de salvarse. Acosados por la muerte y haciendo frente a la incertidumbre, el hambre y el frío; unidos, en ocasiones, a otros resistentes y participando en sabotajes, los protagonistas de esta novela épica atraviesan Polonia y Alemania con la esperanza de alcanzar una nueva tierra prometida.«En la partisanka, cada día era una aventura distinta; en la estepa helada, en la nieve y el barro, habían hallado una libertad nueva, desconocida para sus padres y abuelos, un contacto con hombres amigos y enemigos, con la naturaleza y la acción. Y eso les intoxicaba como el vino de Purim».

My Journey with Parkinson’s Disease

Biographies & Memoirs

My book is about an eight-year journey of getting a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. I have ten to eleven years of experience working as a physical therapist assistant. I have experience in water, hospital, and nursing home while battling this condition. I have had to plead my own disability case and, after being awarded my back pay, found the treatment of choice, which is stem cell. I am the first person in West Tennessee to have this treatment. The stem cell treatment stops the progression of the disease and the symptoms. While waiting to get the stem cell treatment, I used my experience as a physical therapist assistant to help control my symptoms such as line dancing, playing cards, and swimming that stopped the tremor. My hope is that my journey and experiences will help other people who are dealing with Parkinson’s disease and similar conditions and to get the awareness out to the community.

Dolga pot do svobode

Biographies & Memoirs

Dolga pot do svobode je avtobiografsko delo Nelsona Mandele, v katerem živo opisuje dramatične izkušnje, ki so oblikovale njegovo usodo – leta podtalnega delovanja, ko ga je država tako rekoč razglasila za terorista, presenetljivo živahna leta za rešetkami, svojo predanost ciljem, ki ga je povzdignila v položaj mučenika, ikone in navdiha, in neverjetno dogajanje, ki je vodilo v praktično popolno zmago Afriškega nacionalnega kongresa na prebojnih večrasnih volitvah aprila 1994, ko je Mandela postal prvi črni predsednik Južnoafriške republike. Mandela je za knjigo prejel številne nagrade, vključno z nagrado Alana Patona (1995).

The Reckoning

Biographies & Memoirs

The instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller America is suffering from PTSD—The Reckoning diagnoses its core causes and helps us begin the healing process.For four years, Donald J. Trump inflicted an onslaught of overlapping and interconnected traumas upon the American people, targeting anyone he perceived as being an “other” or an enemy. Women were discounted and derided, the sick were dismissed as weak and unworthy of help, immigrants and minorities were demonized and discriminated against, and money was elevated above all else. In short, he transformed our country into a macro version of his malignantly dysfunctional family.How can we make sense of the degree to which our institutions and leaders have let us down? How can we negotiate a world in which all sense of safety and justice seems to have been destroyed? How can we—as individuals and as a nation—confront, process, and overcome this loss of trust and the ways we have been forever altered by chaos, division, and cruelty? And when the dust finally settles, how can we begin to heal, in the midst of ongoing health and economic crises and the greatest political divide since the Civil War?Mary L. Trump is uniquely positioned to answer these difficult questions. She holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology specializing in trauma, has herself been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and happens to be Donald J. Trump’s only niece. In The Reckoning, she applies her unique expertise to the task of helping us confront an all-encompassing trauma, one that has taken an immense toll on our nation’s health and well-being.A new leader alone cannot fix us. Donald J. Trump is only the latest symptom of a disease that has existed within the body politic since America’s inception—from the original sin of slavery through our unceasing, organized commitment to inequality. Our failure to acknowledge this, let alone root it out, has allowed it to metastasize. Now, we are confronted with the limits of our own agency on a daily basis. Whether it manifests itself in rising levels of rage and hatred, or hopelessness and apathy, the unspeakable stress of living in a country we no longer recognize has affected all of us for a long time, in ways we may not fully understand. An enormous amount of healing must be done to rebuild our lives, our faith in leadership, and our hope for this nation. It starts with The Reckoning.

Alistair Cooke at the Movies

Biographies & Memoirs

A wonderful entertainment that reflects Alistair Cooke’s love affair with cinema, from his early days as a film critic to his iconic role as the host of Masterpiece Theatre Humphrey Bogart, Fred Astaire, Lauren Bacall, Marlene Dietrich, and Marilyn Monroe are just a few of the stars profiled, along with many directors, in this sparkling and comprehensive collection of reviews, interviews, and essays. Alistair Cooke’s first radio talk at the BBC was in October 1934, and the subject was cinema. He had begun reviewing films in the 1920s as a Cambridge undergraduate. This anthology of his best film criticism and essays includes his many favorite subjects. In “The Symbol Called Garbo,” Cooke reveals the woman behind the enigmatic screen goddess. James Cagney is identified as “one of the few technically perfect actors,” while Charlie Chaplin was “the funniest clown alive.” Shirley Temple’s multi-million-dollar appeal is explained, as is the subtlety underpinning the slapstick humor of the Marx Brothers. Directors such as Frank Capra, Fritz Lang, and Cecil B. DeMille meet with Cooke’s high praise, while Alfred Hitchcock evokes a more complicated reaction. Full of glamorous stars, provocative opinions, and fond memories, Alistair Cooke at the Movies is a very personal and captivating guide to the golden age of Hollywood and beyond.

Stock Market Mein Maine Zero Se 10 Crore Rupaye Kaise Kamaye (Hindi translation of How I Made $2,000,000 in The Stock Market)

Biographies & Memoirs

आधे मिलियन डॉलर की खबर ने मुझे बहुत आत्मविश्वास दिया। मेरे पास एक बहुत स्पष्ट अवधारणा थी कि मैंने यह कैसे किया था और मुझे इस बात का भी यकीन था कि मैं यह फिर से कर सकता था। मुझे इसमें कोई संदेह नहीं था कि मैंने अपनी कला में महारत हासिल कर ली थी। अपने टेलीग्रामों के साथ काम करते हुए मैंने एक तरह की छठी इंद्रिय विकसित कर ली थी। मैं अपने शेयरों को महसूस कर सकता था। मैं लगभग बता सकता था कि स्टॉक क्या करेंगे। यदि एक आठ अंक की बढ़त के बाद एक शेयर चार अंक पीछे आ जाता था तो मैं चिंतित नहीं होता था। मैं उससे ऐसा ही करने की अपेक्षा करता था। यदि कोई शेयर मजबूत होने लगता था तो मैं अकसर अनुमान लगा लेता था कि उसका बढ़ना किस दिन शुरू होगा। यह एक रहस्यमयी, समझाई न जा सकनेवाली वृत्ति थी; लेकिन मेरे मन में कोई संदेह नहीं था कि यह मेरे पास थी। इसने मुझे एक जबरदस्त शक्ति की भावना से भर दिया था। —इसी पुस्तक से यह पुस्तक निकोलस डरवास की असफलता, संघर्ष और अंततः अभूतपूर्व सफलता की यात्रा के बारे में है, जहाँ वह 6.5 वर्षों के दौरान 10 करोड़ रुपए से अधिक कमाते हैं। ध्यान रहे, यह 1950 के दशक के 2 मिलियन हैं। स्टॉक मार्केट में असामान्य और अद्वितीय सफलता की कहानी, जो निवेशकों को आत्मविश्वास देगी और सही निवेश करके अपनी कमाई को बढ़ाने के व्यावहारिक सूत्र बताएगी।

The Life Fortune of Vincent Van Gogh

Biographies & Memoirs

Vincent Van Gogh once wrote when his paintings weren't selling; 'I cannot help it that my paintings do not sell. The time will come when people will see that they are worth more than the price of the paint.'I wish they would take me as I am. - Vincent Van Gogh.Jean-Paul Sartre voiced, if victory is told in detail, one can no longer distinguish it from a defeat. What we all want from life! That's the question we should ask ourselves every day as when we earn all the wealth and prosperity of this world then we try focusing on our soul satisfaction but how ravishing it would be if we felt peaceful even in the devastating storm! That even if everything is getting apart and broken around you but a deep solitude is having a permanent home in your soul; and you are so lost that you have no other desires and greed to make you feel satisfied. Vincent William Van Gogh, a Dutch Post-Impressionist Painter, is the most famous and influential figure in the history of modern art but inside he was just a broken artist, combating everything in agony & loneliness but improving himself with his actions. Most people are aware of this genius personality but he held a deep gloominess in his heart. While researching, I asked myself multiple times, Vincent Van Gogh died penniless, in depression, agony, in asylum, & intense loneliness but without any support, food or love, he created the marvellous paintings of all time; so what made him go for so long.Have you ever thought about whether destiny really exists or not? Everything is uncertain then what is fixed. What truly made him Vincent Van Gogh even despite everything that was against him, he created his world's best work even with nothing and we are still complaining because we don't have perfect resources for our work. What made him genius! What fortune he created even with nothing! That's astounding and loving to know! Our research was on Vincent Van Gogh because when everyone is blaming they have less resources, Vincent carved his fortune with nothing and what he weaved in his heart, is a matter of secret to be opened to the entire world and that's a proud moment because if he could accomplish perfection with nothing then why we can't even with something. Time is an illusion as it makes you realise you have more and you have it but you don't have it until you claim it by utilizing it well. It's damn true and practical that everything is out of control, except your soul. So, if everything around is a mess and you are still at tranquillity then you are with your soul.Your profession is not what brings home your weekly pay check, your profession is. What you're put here on earth to do, with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling. - Vincent Van Gogh.

Ordinary Light

Biographies & Memoirs

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • This dazzling memoir from the former U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Life on Mars is the story of a young artist struggling to fashion her own understanding of belief, loss, history, and what it means to be black in America."Engrossing in its spare, simple understatement.... Evocative ... luminous." —The Washington PostIn Ordinary Light, Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Tracy K. Smith tells her remarkable story, giving us a quietly potent memoir that explores her coming-of-age and the meaning of home against a complex backdrop of race, faith, and the unbreakable bond between a mother and daughter.

Le Curé de Nazareth

Biographies & Memoirs

« Que peut-il sortir de bon de Nazareth ? » demandait déjà Nathanaël, dubitatif, dans l'Évangile de Jean. Et aujourd'hui ? Qui pourrait croire que, dans cette ville de Galilée essentiellement peuplée d'Arabes israéliens, l'expérience d'un humble curé palestinien puisse ressusciter l'espoir malgré toutes les haines prétendument héréditaires ? Pourtant, depuis plus de vingt-cinq ans, Émile Shoufani a réussi, sur les lieux mêmes où vécut Jésus, à redonner vie au message évangélique de réconciliation. Hubert Prolongeau retrace l'itinéraire hors du commun de cet homme de parole, qui a su unifier en lui des solidarités apparemment contradictoires : patriotisme arabe affirmé haut et fort ; loyauté vis-à-vis de l'État hébreu dont il pos-sède la nationalité et maîtrise la langue ; attachement à la tradition chrétienne orientale et au rite byzantin ; fidélité à l'Église catholique dont sa communauté melkite fait partie ; affinité de coeur avec la France et sa tradition de liberté. Dans les villages de Galilée comme dans l'école modèle qu'il dirige, le curé de Nazareth s'est fait l'ami des Druzes, des musulmans, des juifs, et le prophète infatigable de la paix auprès des jeunes générations. À travers son combat, c'est toute une aventure spirituelle qui nous est contée : celle d'une résistance concrète à l'injustice et à la violence, fondée sur la foi en l'Évangile.

Cartas a Cristina

Biographies & Memoirs

Publicado originalmente em 1994, Cartas a Cristina recapitula a experiência de vida e de prática transformadora de Paulo Freire. Paulo Freire vivia no exílio, em Genebra, quando recebeu a carta de uma sobrinha pedindo que lhe contasse como tinha se tornado um educador famoso. Ela começava os estudos universitários e queria conectar melhor o tio cortês e amoroso de sua infância com o educador que se distinguia no mundo pelas veementes denúncias contra as condições de opressão e contra as relações opressoras que caracterizavam as sociedades. Paulo prometeu a ela algumas cartas, que, diante da vida atribulada de viagens e trabalhos, jamais foram escritas. Somente mais de uma década depois, após 1988, já vivendo no Brasil, a promessa nunca esquecida começou a tomar corpo num livro. Com seu texto prazerosamente próximo ao leitor, Freire construiu um livro de memória e de análise de sua trajetória como homem e pensador do e no mundo.

One Man's Meat

Biographies & Memoirs

The Pulitzer Prize–winning writer and author of Charlotte’s Web documents his move from Manhattan to a saltwater farm in New England: “Superb reading.” —The New Yorker Called “a mid-20th–century Thoreau” by Notre Dame Magazine, E. B. White’s desire to live a simple life caused him to sell half his worldly goods, give up his job writing the New Yorker’s “Notes and Comment” editorial page, and move with his family to a saltwater farm in North Brooklin, Maine. There, White got into the nuts-and-bolts of rural life—not without a lot of self-reflection—and surrounded himself with barnyard characters, some of whom would later appear in Charlotte’s Web.One Man’s Meat is White’s collection of pithy and unpretentious essays on such topics as living with hay fever (“I understand so well the incomparable itch of eye and nose for which the only relief is to write to the President of the United States”), World War II (“I stayed on the barn, steadily laying shingles, all during the days when Mr. Chamberlain, M. Daladier, the Duce, and the Führer were arranging their horse trade”), and even dog training (“Being the owner of dachshunds, to me a book on dog discipline becomes a volume of inspired humor”). Though first published in 1942, this book delivers timeless lessons on the value of living close to nature in our quest for self-discovery. With each subject broached and reflected upon, it “becomes an ardent and sobering guidebook for those of us trying to live our day-to-day lives now” (Pif magazine). “The most succinct, graceful and witty of essayists.” —San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle “A lively record of an active inquiring mind.” —Kirkus Reviews

Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Biographies & Memoirs

The bestselling author of Encyclopedia an Ordinary Life returns with a literary experience that is unprecedented, unforgettable, and explosively human. Ten years after her beloved, groundbreaking Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, #1 New York Times bestselling author Amy Krouse Rosenthal delivers a book full of her distinct blend of nonlinear narrative, wistful reflections, and insightful wit. It is a mighty, life-affirming work that sheds light on all the ordinary and extraordinary ways we are connected. Like she did with Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, Amy Krouse Rosenthal ingeniously adapts a standard format—a textbook, this time—to explore life’s lessons and experiences into a funny, wise, and poignant work of art. Not exactly a memoir, not just a collection of observations, Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal is a beautiful exploration into the many ways we are connected on this planet and speaks to the awe, bewilderment, and poignancy of being alive. “…a groundbreaking new twist on the traditional literary experience… Textbook is a delightful collection of interesting scenarios that directly point to life lessons. Rosenthal manages to spotlight grand moments and everyday moments with equal curiosity, proving that it can be both a privilege — and petrifying — to peek into one’s humanity.”—Associated Press “Rosenthal is a marvel… a talented storyteller with an experimental flair for formatting… This engaging, playful, and clever glimpse into one woman’s life offers lots of photographs, graphic illustrations, and diagrams, resulting in a book that will make readers smile as their notions of story delivery expand.” —Booklist

Plutarch's Lives: Life of Theseus

Biographies & Memoirs

Plutarch's best-known work is the Parallel Lives, a series of biographies of famous Greeks and Romans, arranged in pairs to illuminate their common moral virtues and vices. The surviving Lives contain 23 pairs, each with one Greek Life and one Roman Life, as well as four unpaired single Lives. Some of the Lives, such as those of Heracles, Philip II of Macedon and Scipio Africanus, no longer exist; many of the remaining Lives are truncated, contain obvious lacunae or have been tampered with by later writers. Extant Lives include those on Aristides, Pericles, Pompey, Julius Caesar, Cicero, Cato the Younger, Mark Antony, and Marcus Junius Brutus. Plutarch also wrote a series of biographies, including the biographies of Demetrius, Pyrrhus, Agis and Cleomenes, Aratus and Artaxerxes, Philopoemen, Camillus, Marcellus, Flamininus, Aemilius Paulus, Galba and Otho. This biography of Theseus covers the life of the mythical Greek hero, best known for slaying the Minotaur. This edition includes pictures and a Table of Contents.

Confessione

Biographies & Memoirs

La “Confessione” occupa un posto di rilievo fra gli scritti autobiografici di Tolstoi. La pubblicazione del libro sconvolse l’opinione pubblica sia in Russia che all’estero suscitando notevole ammirazione dovuta non solo alla carica polemica e accusatrice dell’opera, ma anche alle sue qualità artistiche che Stasov definì niente meno che “mirabili”. Una parola-chiave molto importante e ricorrente è il pronome personale “io” che è la parola più frequente: appare 766 volte e si trova in una posizione forte (è la prima parola del testo). Questo a sottolineare sia l’importanza della soggettività nell’universo artistico della “Confessione”, sia il ruolo predominante dell’atteggiamento introverso nel tipo psicologico dell’autore. Tolstoj afferma che: “Non avendo trovato la spiegazione nella conoscenza, ho cominciato a cercarla nella vita.” In altre parole l’autore passa all’analisi di casi concreti per risalire alle leggi generali dell’universo.Nel testo si racchiude e sintetizza l’intero pensiero tolstoiano in tema di fede, a partire dalla formazione di quel quesito che attanaglia tutti gli uomini, alle riflessioni da questo scaturite, agli studi ed alle possibili soluzioni. Lo scrittore ripercorre le strade che prima di lui sono state tracciate dai passati filosofi e, come alcuni di essi, pensa anch’egli al suicidio. Tuttavia, non è in quest’ultima strada che Tolstoj troverà conforto. Infatti, è solo avvicinandosi alla vita di campagna, alla semplicità ed all’amore verso il prossimo che lo stesso riuscirà a placare le proprie inquietudini. Egli sceglie e trova la fede e, nella sua versione più autentica, la risoluzione alle proprie domande, alla propria crisi spirituale nonché la fonte della propria conversione morale.Il testo è estremamente intenso e complesso: la parte finale della “Confessione” spicca per chiarezza, lucidità e soprattutto coerenza logica e narrativa, piuttosto che per il tenebroso simbolismo onirico a cui è stato spesso associato: pare ragionevole assimilarla ad un’allegoria che riassume in forma figurativa il messaggio principale dell’opera, il quale, senza pretendere qui di dare un’interpretazione esaustiva, risiede nel passaggio dall’instabilità all’equilibrio.

The Bolivian Diary

Biographies & Memoirs

The last diary of revolutionary Che Guevara with entries up until two days before his murder.This new edition of Che Guevara's diary of the last year of his life describes Che's efforts to launch a guerrilla insurrection against the military government of Bolivia. It was found in his backpack when he was captured by the Bolivian Army in October 1967.This edition includes Fidel Castro's "A Necessary Introduction," exposing the lies of an earlier, pre-emptive edition prepared by the C.I.A. to discredit Che and the Bolivian expedition, as well as the Cuban Revolution itself. The Bolivian Diary reveals an older, more time-tested, and health-compromised Che than either the exuberant The Motorcycle Diaries or the mature and implacable Congo Diary. There is rich irony here as he recounts the daily challenges faced by his small guerrilla band, the pronouncements of the military government, and the actions of the large military force attacking them. The last entry describes the day before Che's capture, two days before his murder.

The Accountant's Story

Biographies & Memoirs

"I have many scars. Some of them are physical, but many more are scars on my soul. A bomb sent to kill me while I was in a maximum security prison has made me blind, yet now I see the world more clearly than I have ever seen it before. I have lived an incredible adventure. I watched as my brother, Pablo Escobar, became the most successful criminal in history, but also a hero to many of the people of Colombia. My brother was loved and he was feared. Hundreds of thousands of people marched in his funeral procession, and certainly as many people celebrated his death." These are the words of Roberto Escobar-the top accountant for the notorious and deadly Medellen Cartel, and brother of Pablo Escobar, the most famous drug lord in history. At the height of his reign, Pablo's multibillion-dollar operation smuggled tons of cocaine each week into countries all over the world. Roberto and his ten accountants kept track of all the money. Only Pablo and Roberto knew where it was stashed-and what it bought. And the amounts of money were simply staggering. According to Roberto, it cost $2,500 every month just to purchase the rubber bands needed to wrap the stacks of cash. The biggest problem was finding a place to store it: from secret compartments in walls and beneath swimming pools to banks and warehouses everywhere. There was so much money that Roberto would sometimes write off ten percent as "spoilage," meaning either rats had chewed up the bills or dampness had ruined the cash. Roberto writes about the incredible violence of the cartel, but he also writes of the humanitarian side of his brother. Pablo built entire towns, gave away thousands of houses, paid people's medical expenses, and built schools and hospitals. Yet he was responsible for the horrible deaths of thousands of people. In short, this is the story of a world of riches almost beyond mortal imagination, and in his own words, Roberto Escobar tells all: building a magnificent zoo at Pablo's opulent home, the brothers' many escapes into the jungles of Colombia, devising ingenious methods to smuggle tons of cocaine into the United States, bribing officials with literally millions of dollars-and building a personal army to protect the Escobar family against an array of enemies sworn to kill them. Few men in history have been more beloved-or despised-than Pablo Escobar. Now, for the first time, his story is told by the man who knew him best: his brother, Roberto.

Biographies & Memoirs Books