Biographies & Memoirs - Books

A Girl's Story

Biographies & Memoirs

WINNER OF THE 2022 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATUREAnother masterpiece of remembering from Annie Ernaux, the Man Booker International Prize–shortlisted author of The Years. In A Girl’s Story, Annie Ernaux revisits the season 50 years earlier when she found herself overpowered by another’s will and desire. In the summer of 1958, 18-year-old Ernaux submits her will to a man’s, and then he moves on, leaving her without a “master,” bereft. Now, 50 years later, she realizes she can obliterate the intervening years and return to consider this young woman that she wanted to forget completely. And to discover that here, submerged in shame, humiliation, and betrayal, but also in self-discovery and self-reliance, lies the origin of her writing life.

Anthony Bourdain: The Last Interview

Biographies & Memoirs

The New York Times Bestseller The brilliant intellect and candor of Anthony Bourdain is on full display in this collection of interviews from throughout his remarkable career, with an introduction from The New Yorker's Helen Rosner. Anthony Bourdain always downplayed his skills as a chef (many disagreed). But despite his modesty, one thing even he agreed with was that he was a born raconteur—as he makes clear in this collection of sparkling conversations. His wit, passion, and deep intelligence shine through all manner of discussion here, from heart-to-hearts with bloggers, to on-stage talks before massive crowds, to intense interviews with major television programs. Without fail, Bourdain is always blisteringly honest—such as when he talks about his battles with addiction, or when detailing his thoughts on restaurant critics. He regularly dispenses arresting insight about how what’s on your plate reveals much of history and politics. And perhaps best of all, the heartfelt empathy he developed travelling the world for his TV shows is always in the fore, as these talks make the “Hemingway of gastronomy,” as chef Marco Pierre White called him, live again.

Recovered

Biographies & Memoirs

Robby Gallaty is not who you think he is. In Recovered, pastor and author Robby Gallaty tells the story of how God radically saved him from his addictions and called him into a life of discipleship. Robby grew up in a very religious Catholic family who attended church every Sunday and confession on Saturday if needed. Very rarely did he miss a Saturday night dinner and a movie with his parents and sister Lori. You can imagine how devastated they were when Robby stole $15,000 from them to fuel his drug addiction. Two years earlier, he was rear-ended on his way home from work by an 18-wheeler. Two herniated discs in his neck and back forced him to rely on pharmaceutical drugs to cope with the pain. Within three months, he transitioned to street drugs, heroine, and cocaine, after blowing through his thirty-day prescription in two weeks. Robbing his parents was the only option to prolong his drug habit. Shortly thereafter, Robby hit rock bottom. But God wasn’t done with him. After a trip to rehab followed by a relapse and a second rehab visit, Robby surrendered his life to Christ, and nothing has ever been the same. This story—a story of salvation and new life—is for any reader who: • wonders if God is done with them • has messed up time and time again • is battling drug or alcohol addiction or other destructive behaviors • has a loved one in the throes of addiction • needs to be reminded of the miraculous salvation found in the gospel 

Le Français d'Europe

Biographies & Memoirs

Quand cet ouvrage fut imprimé le 20 juillet 1944, aux Éditions Balzac (nom pris par les Éditions Calmann-Levy sous administration allemande à partir de 1943), les troupes anglo-américaines avaient déjà libéré les principales villes de Normandie. Deux mois plus tard, elles entraient dans Paris. Ce livre eut donc une vie commerciale courte et son tirage fut, en très grande partie, pilonné. Dernier recueil d'articles de Pierre Drieu La Rochelle, il réunit une série de textes mi-politiques mi-littéraires qui parurent de 1940 à 1943 dans les colonnes de La Nouvelle Revue Française ainsi que tous ceux que publia l'hebdomadaire de Lucien Combelle La Révolution Nationale où s'exprimaient les partisans d'un collaborationnisme sans concessions. Parfois datés, ces écrits restent cependant toujours passionnants pour tous les amateurs d'histoire et pour tous ceux qui s'intéressent au grand écrivain que fut Pierre Drieu La Rochelle.

Donald Harvey, l'ange de la mort

Biographies & Memoirs

Né en 1952, cet infirmier modèle assassine vingt-quatre patients, pour la plupart des personnes âgées, dans deux hôpitaux de Cincinnati. Homosexuel et passionné d'occultisme, Donald Harvey, suite à sa condamnation pour les meurtres de Cincinnati, avoue douze crimes supplémentaires commis à London, dans le Kentucky, en 1970 et 1971. Il est reconnu coupable pour neuf d'entre eux, le 7 septembre 1987. De retour en prison à Cincinnati, Harvey avoue trois assassinats de plus en février 1988.Avec trente-neuf victimes reconnues de manière officielle, Donald Harvey est le serial killer américain le plus prolifique, devant John Wayne Gacy, jusqu'à la condamnation de Gary Ridgway, mais les enquêteurs le soupçonnent de dizaines d'autres assassinats. Il est tué dans la prison de Toledo par un autre détenu le 30 mars 2017.En 2009, Stéphane Bourgoin mène un long entretien avec Donald Harvey où le tueur conclut qu'il est « un mauvais ange, mais qu'il ne se considère pas comme un serial killer », un entretien qui « fait froid dans le dos » pour le journal Le Monde.

There Are No Grown-ups

Biographies & Memoirs

The best-selling author of BRINGING UP BÉBÉ investigates life in her forties, and wonders whether her mind will ever catch up with her face.When Pamela Druckerman turns 40, waiters start calling her "Madame," and she detects a new message in mens' gazes: I would sleep with her, but only if doing so required no effort whatsoever. Yet forty isn't even technically middle-aged anymore. And there are upsides: After a lifetime of being clueless, Druckerman can finally grasp the subtext of conversations, maintain (somewhat) healthy relationships and spot narcissists before they ruin her life. What are the modern forties? What do we know once we reach them? What makes someone a "grown-up" anyway? And why didn't anyone warn us that we'd get cellulite on our arms? Part frank memoir, part hilarious investigation of daily life, There Are No Grown-Ups diagnoses the in-between decade when... • Everyone you meet looks a little bit familiar. • You're matter-of-fact about chin hair. • You can no longer wear anything ironically. • There's at least one sport your doctor forbids you to play. • You become impatient while scrolling down to your year of birth. • Your parents have stopped trying to change you. • You don't want to be with the cool people anymore; you want to be with your people. • You realize that everyone is winging it, some just do it more confidently. • You know that it's ok if you don't like jazz. Internationally best-selling author and New York Times contributor Pamela Druckerman leads us on a quest for wisdom, self-knowledge and the right pair of pants. A witty dispatch from the front lines of the forties, THERE ARE NO GROWN-UPS is a (midlife) coming-of-age story--and a book for anyone trying to find their place in the world.

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners

Biographies & Memoirs

Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he has done unto my soul. (Psalm 66:16) This is a short and honest account of how God demonstrated His exceeding great mercy to His unworthy servant, John Bunyan. This story specifically tells how Bunyan was converted. John Bunyan was a companion of sin and was troubled by sin. He fought temptation and sin in his own strength and lost, and in despair he gave up hope of ever finding God’s mercy; but the Lord Jesus Christ at last delivered him from the guilt and terror that so often and so viciously troubled him. In addition to this, a short account of Bunyan’s call to the work of the ministry is told, along with the trials and trouble he encountered – including some of the difficulties he faced while in prison. This is all taken from his writings and is now published for the encouragement and support of others who are weak and tempted and need strength and hope and victory in Jesus. About the Author John Bunyan was born in November 1628, in Elstow, England. A celebrated English minister and preacher, he wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678), the book that was the most characteristic expression of the Puritan religious outlook. His other works include doctrinal and controversial writings; a spiritual autobiography, Grace Abounding (1666); and the allegory, The Holy War (1682).

Artists Who Changed History

Biographies & Memoirs

This visual celebration of the world's most celebrated thinkers tells the fascinating stories of their lives and pioneering ideas.Artists Who Changed History places well-known artists in their historical and cultural context, showing you how they came to influence Art as we know it today. This illustrated guide is ideal for those interested in art, sculptures, and the history of art or who would like to broaden their general understanding of art and the lives of artists.Inside this book on artists, you’ll find:-An overview of the lives and works of around 80 of the world's most influential artists - Middle Ages to the present day-Eight pages of brand-new content with 12 new entries, including Judith Leyster and Frank Bowling-Lavishly illustrated portraits of each artist alongside photographs of their homes and studios, original sketches, notebooks, lettersIn this Art guide, each artist is introduced with a realistic portrait and biographical entries that trace the friendships, loves, and rivalries that inspired and influenced them. Entries explore each individual's key ideas and working methods and set their ideas in context, conveying a powerful sense of the place and the period of history in which they lived. Artists Who Changed History provides revealing insights into what drove each individual to develop new ways of understanding the world.

L'esprit de M. de Talleyrand

Biographies & Memoirs

Avertissement : Libre à vous de choisir des fac-similés de piètre qualité ; le présent ouvrage a été entièrement recomposé, revu, corrigé et annoté, l'orthographe modernisée, car déchiffrer et interpréter ralentit et gâche le plaisir de lire ; bref, tout a été fait pour rendre votre lecture plus accessible et agréable, et à un prix équivalent, sinon moins cher par rapport à l'existant. L'ouvrage originel de Louis Thomas a été complètement revu et augmenté d'environ 130 citations et anecdotes. Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord est un homme qui a vécu plusieurs vies, à une période cruciale de l'Histoire de France : l'Ancien Régime, la Révolution, le Directoire, le Consulat, l'Empire, puis la Restauration. Ordonné prêtre, puis évêque d'Autun, il jette le froc aux orties, mène une vie dissolue, se marie. Tour à tour député, ministre, grand chambellan, bombardé Prince de Bénévent par Napoléon, il reste dans la diplomatie, dans les allées du pouvoir, et jouera un rôle déterminant pour le retour de Louis XVIII. On dit qu'il a trahi tout le monde ; mais jamais une certaine idée de la France. Esprit très fin, il rayonnait dans les salons, et dans les coeurs féminins.

Morgana

Biographies & Memoirs

Controcorrente, strane, pericolose, esagerate, difficili da collocare. E rivoluzionarie. Sono le dieci donne raccontate in questo libro e battezzate da una madrina d'eccezione, la Morgana del ciclo arturiano, sorella potente e pericolosa del ben più rassicurante re dalla spada magica. Moana Pozzi, Santa Caterina, Grace Jones, le sorelle Brontë, Moira Orfei, Tonya Harding, Marina Abramovic, Shirley Temple, Vivienne Westwood, Zaha Hadid. Morgana non è un catalogo di donne esemplari; al contrario, sono streghe per le donne stesse, irriducibili anche agli schemi della donna emancipata e femminista che oggi, in piena affermazione del pink power, nessuno ha in fondo più timore a raccontare. Il nemico simbolico di questa antologia è la "sindrome di Ginger Rogers", l'idea - sofisticatamente misogina - che le donne siano migliori in quanto tali e dunque, per stare sullo stesso palcoscenico degli uomini, debbano sapere fare tutto quello che fanno loro, ma all'indietro e sui tacchi a spillo. In una narrazione simile non c'è posto per la dimensione oscura, aggressiva, vendicativa, caotica ed egoistica che invece appartiene alle donne tanto quanto agli uomini. Le Morgane di questo libro sono efficaci ciascuna a suo modo nello smontare il pregiudizio della natura gentile e sacrificale del femminile. Le loro storie sono educative, non edificanti, disegnano parabole individuali più che percorsi collettivi, ma finiscono paradossalmente per spostare i margini del possibile anche per tutte le altre donne. Nelle pagine di questo libro è nascosta silenziosamente una speranza: ogni volta che la società ridefinisce i termini della libertà femminile, arriva una Morgana a spostarli ancora e ancora, finché il confine e l'orizzonte non saranno diventati la stessa cosa.

What Happened

Biographies & Memoirs

“An engaging, beautifully synthesized page-turner” (Slate). The #1 New York Times bestseller and Time #1 Nonfiction Book of the Year: Hillary Rodham Clinton’s most personal memoir yet, about the 2016 presidential election.In this “candid and blackly funny” (The New York Times) memoir, Hillary Rodham Clinton reveals what she was thinking and feeling during one of the most controversial and unpredictable presidential elections in history. She takes us inside the intense personal experience of becoming the first woman nominated for president by a major party in an election marked by rage, sexism, exhilarating highs and infuriating lows, stranger-than-fiction twists, Russian interference, and an opponent who broke all the rules.“At her most emotionally raw” (People), Hillary describes what it was like to run against Donald Trump, the mistakes she made, how she has coped with a shocking and devastating loss, and how she found the strength to pick herself back up afterward. She tells readers what it took to get back on her feet—the rituals, relationships, and reading that got her through, and what the experience has taught her about life. In this “feminist manifesto” (The New York Times), she speaks to the challenges of being a strong woman in the public eye, the criticism over her voice, age, and appearance, and the double standard confronting women in politics.Offering a “bracing... guide to our political arena” (The Washington Post), What Happened lays out how the 2016 election was marked by an unprecedented assault on our democracy by a foreign adversary. By analyzing the evidence and connecting the dots, Hillary shows just how dangerous the forces are that shaped the outcome, and why Americans need to understand them to protect our values and our democracy in the future.The election of 2016 was unprecedented and historic. What Happened is the story of that campaign, now with a new epilogue showing how Hillary grappled with many of her worst fears coming true in the Trump Era, while finding new hope in a surge of civic activism, women running for office, and young people marching in the streets.

Je me souviens du cinéma

Biographies & Memoirs

La cinéphilie est par excellence le champ de la mémoire : ce ne sont pas les films que nous vénérons, ce sont les traces qu’ils ont laissées en nous. Or, rien n’est plus aléatoire que le processus du souvenir. Reprenant à son compte le principe du « Je me souviens », Gérard Lenne, journaliste, critique et historien du cinéma, se livre ici à un jeu de l’écriture et du hasard qui reconstitue, en filigrane, sa vie de spectateur. Mais la « règle du je », la singularité délibérée de ces résurgences du passé, renvoie à une pluralité, celle du grand puzzle de la mémoire collective. De sorte que la contagion du souvenir gagnera insidieusement le lecteur. Comme elle a gagné, ici, dix dessinateurs dont la vocation est déjà, à travers la B.D., de jongler avec les phantasmes, et tout simplement avec la nostalgie.

Conversations avec moi-même

Biographies & Memoirs

Nelson Mandela dit qu'il faut écrire tous les jours de sa vie. Voici pour la première fois le recueil de ses propres notes et correspondances. La publication mondiale des Conversations avec moi-même, de Nelson Mandela, est un évènement historique. Ce document inédit nous livre la face inconnue, personnelle, de l'un des plus grands héros du 20ème siècle. Madiba - comme l'appellent ses compatriotes - nous ouvre ses carnets tenus pendant les années de la lutte contre l'apartheid au début des années 1960; ses journaux intimes et ses lettres écrites depuis Robben Island et d'autres prisons au cours de ses 27 années d'incarcération; ses carnets de notes de la période de transition post-apartheid; les retranscriptions de ses conversations privées; les brouillons de ses discours et les correspondances écrites sous sa présidence... Présentés sous une forme narrative profonde et intense, ces documents illustrent la vie de Nelson Mandela, depuis son éveil à la conscience politique et jusqu'à son rôle galvanisant sur la scène mondiale. LesConversations avec moi-même, de Nelson Mandela, sont une véritable leçon de vie.

Elon Musk (Edición mexicana)

Biographies & Memoirs

Esta es una mirada compleja a un hombre complejo, una moderna combinación de Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Howard Hughes y Steve Jobs. Su nombre es Elon Musk, y es el empresario que está detrás de Tesla Motors, SpaceX y SolarCity, empresas innovadoras en sus respectivos campos —la automovilística, la aeronáutica y la energía— con las que Musk está consiguiendo hacer realidad lo que hasta hace poco no era más que ciencia ficción Nacido en Sudáfrica, Musk tuvo una infancia difícil de niño prodigio con la mirada puesta en Estados Unidos. En cuanto pudo, cruzó medio mundo para estudiar en Pennsylvania. Vendió la primera empresa que creó, Zip2, por 300 millones de dólares, y la segunda PayPal, por 1,500. A partir de ese momento, empezó a soñar a lo grande: coches eléctricos a precios asequibles, cohetes espaciales, colonias en Marte, un tren capaz de circular a 1,200 kilómetros por hora, baterías de litio en las que almacenar energía y poder prescindir de las eléctricas… Esta es la verdadera historia de la tumultuosa ascensión a las cumbres del mundo empresarial de Musk, un hombre que ha revolucionado la industria americana y ha roto todos los límites de la innovación, ganándose inevitablemente unos cuantos enemigos por el camino. Más que un inventor, más que un pensador, más que un genio, Musk es el perfecto ejemplo del emprendedor que persigue cambiar nuestra vida cotidiana hasta extremos que todavía no somos capaces de imaginar.

Tumult

Biographies & Memoirs

Hans Magnus Enzensberger er ikke kendt for at strø om sig med interviews eller udtalelser om personlige forhold i det hele taget. Tværtimod. Derfor vakte det opsigt i Tyskland, da ”Tumult” udkom sidste efterår og det stod klart, at Enzensberger havde skrevet en selvbiografi. ”Tumult” er et resultat af, at Enzensberger i sin kælder fandt en kasse med gamle notater, der bl.a. omhandler hans besøg i Krustjovs feriehus i 1963.Turene til U.S.S.R. blev også anledningen til skilsmissen fra hans første kone, da han mødte den russiske forfatter Maria Makarova, som han forelskede sig i og senere giftede sig med. I "Tumult" møder den ældre Enzensberger møder sig selv, som han var for 50 år siden, og læseren får indblik i tidens (60’ernes) politiske landskab samt forfatterens holdning til den unge Enzensberger.

Demonios íntimos

Biographies & Memoirs

En este libro, Xavier Rubert de Ventós trata de cumplir el propósito anunciado en Oficio de Semana Santa (1979): el de explicar sólo aquello que experimenta a flor de piel, hablar desvergonzadamente de sus vergüenzas, cándidamente de sus manías y pasiones, envolver mentiras y verdades hasta hacerlas inextricables.«Yo sólo escribo», dice el autor, «cuando las sensaciones o ideas se me hacen demonios íntimos que trato de ahuyentar con la literatura. Pero no resulta fácil expresarse con naturalidad y seguridad, superar los propios vértigos y censuras, dejar avanzar el pensamiento con la confianza de que hallará lo que busca, la misma confianza con que el rey se sienta sin mirar atrás, seguro de que va a encontrar la silla que alguien le habrá acercado. » «Un entorno razonablemente sensual e incluso una relativa gimnasia sexual ayudan sin duda al espíritu: lo que éste no admite es ninguna atadura sentimental. Al cerebro no le roba energía el amueblamiento sensual o el erotismo profiláctico, es decir, todo lo que apacigua a un cuerpo que debe funcionar al mismo tiempo como su fuente de energía y su instrumento. El pensamiento nos permite, pues, aquello que nos estabiliza pero no lo que nos moviliza; tolera lo que nos gratifica pero no lo que nos seduce. Más que en la represión, el pensamiento y la cultura se basan en la frialdad, se levantan sobre el egoísmo y se mantienen a fuerza de narcisismo. Nos perdonan quizá los placeres, pero nunca los amores.»

Gedanken und Erkenntnisse großer Denker

Biographies & Memoirs

Tauchen Sie ein in die Lebensgeschichten der visionärsten Denker der Geschichte und erkennen Sie, wie sie unsere Sicht auf die Welt geprägt haben. Diese Sammlung enthält die Lebensgeschichten von: Sokrates (Platon und Xenophon) Markus Aurelius: Selbstbetrachtungen (Autobiographie) Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (Egmont Colerus) Spinoza (Fritz Mauthner) Voltaire (Emil Ludwig) Jean Jacques Rousseau: Biographie (Paul Hensel) Autobiographie: Die Bekenntnisse Immanuel Kant (Karl Vorländer) Nietzsche (Theodor Lessing)

L’amico scrittore

Biographies & Memoirs

Un libro in forma d’intervista in cui Daniel Pennac ripercorre la sua carriera di scrittore, dai primi noir della serie di Benjamin Malaussène fino a "Storia di un corpo", passando per "Come un romanzo", "Ecco la storia" e "Diario di scuola". Un’incursione nell’officina del popolare romanziere, tra ricordi e riflessioni, in cui Pennac si esprime – oltre che sulla genesi e i caratteri delle sue opere – sul mestiere dello scrittore, la lingua, il teatro, la lettura, la scuola, la cultura, la famiglia, la politica e l’Europa. E dopo i famosi “dieci diritti del lettore”, prova a tracciare la mappa dei possibili diritti dello scrittore, a cominciare da quello fondamentale della libertà di scrittura. Dietro le quinte di un grande scrittore.

Les belles Poésies de Donald Trump

Biographies & Memoirs

“Je suis le plus grand écrivain du monde en 140 signes” déclarait Donald Trump le 21 Juillet 2014. Vous en doutiez ? C'est en s'emparant de Twitter et de ses contraintes formelles que Trump fait éclore son art. En virtuose du clavier, il nous offre ses pensées les plus profondes, tantôt méditatives : une poésie immédiate, authentique et sans filtre. Face à des attaques virulentes, et un monde qui ne saurait pas répondre à ses aspiration, les mots sont le dernier refuge d'une âme sensible. Rob Sears a su déceler le potentiel poétique du président américain et en a compilé les meilleurs morceaux dans un recueil inédit.

Works of John Bunyan — Complete

Biographies & Memoirs

A woman that was ‘a loose and ungodly wretch’ hearing a tinker lad most awfully cursing and swearing, protested to him that ‘he swore and cursed at that most fearful rate that it made her tremble to hear him,’ ‘that he was the ungodliest fellow for swearing that ever she heard in all her life,’ and ‘that he was able to spoil all the youth in a whole town, if they came in his company.’ This blow at the young reprobate made that indelible impression which all the sermons yet he had heard had failed to make. Satan, by one of his own slaves, wounded a conscience which had resisted all the overtures of mercy. The youth pondered her words in his heart; they were good seed strangely sown, and their working formed one of those mysterious steps which led the foul-mouthed blasphemer to bitter repentance; who, when he had received mercy and pardon, felt impelled to bless and magnify the Divine grace with shining, burning thoughts and words. The poor profligate, swearing tinker became transformed into the most ardent preacher of the love of Christ—the well-trained author of The Jerusalem Sinner Saved, or Good News to the Vilest of Men.

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