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Houdini: The Elusive American (Jewish Lives)
by Adam BegleyFrom the prizewinning Jewish Lives series, an exuberant biography of the world&’s greatest escape artist In 1916, the war in Europe having prevented a tour abroad, Harry Houdini wrote a film treatment for a rollicking motion picture. Though the movie was never made, its title, &“The Marvelous Adventures of Houdini: The Justly Celebrated Elusive American,&” provides a succinct summary of the Master Mystifier&’s life. Born Erik Weisz in Budapest in 1874, Houdini grew up an impoverished Jewish immigrant in the Midwest and became world-famous thanks to talent, industry, and ferocious determination. He concealed as a matter of temperament and professional ethics the secrets of his sensational success. Nobody knows how Houdini performed some of his dazzling, death-defying tricks, and nobody knows, finally, why he felt compelled to punish and imprison himself over and over again. Must a self-liberator also be a self-torturer? Tracking the restless Houdini&’s wide-ranging exploits, acclaimed biographer Adam Begley asks the essential question: What kind of man was this?About Jewish Lives: Jewish Lives is a prizewinning series of interpretative biography designed to explore the many facets of Jewish identity. Individual volumes illuminate the imprint of Jewish figures upon literature, religion, philosophy, politics, cultural and economic life, and the arts and sciences. Subjects are paired with authors to elicit lively, deeply informed books that explore the range and depth of the Jewish experience from antiquity to the present. In 2014, the Jewish Book Council named Jewish Lives the winner of its Jewish Book of the Year Award, the first series ever to receive this award.More praise for Jewish Lives: &“Excellent.&” – New York times &“Exemplary.&” – Wall St. Journal &“Distinguished.&” – New Yorker &“Superb.&” – The Guardian
Houdini: The Handcuff King (The Center for Cartoon Studies Presents)
by Jason Lutes"I have escaped out of more handcuffs, manacles, and leg shackles than any other human being living."Harry Houdini mesmerized a generation of Americans when he was alive, and continues to do so over ninety years since his death. This is a snapshot of Houdini's life, centering on one of his most famous feats. As Houdini prepares for a death-defying leap into the icy Charles River in Boston, biographer Jason Lutes and artist Nick Bertozzi reveal Houdini's life and influence: from the anti-Semitism Houdini fought all his life, to the adulation of the American public; from his hounding by the press, to his loving relationship with his wife Bess; from his egoism to his insecurity; from his public persona--to the secret behind his most amazing trick! And it's all in graphic form, so it's fresh, original, and unlike anything previously published about this most fascinating of American showmen.
Houdini: The Man Who Walked Through Walls
by William Lindsay GreshamFirst published in 1959, this is a fascinating look at the life and career of magician and escape-artist Harry Houdini (1874-1926). Author William Gresham interviewed many people who knew Houdini personally, adding greatly to the book's accuracy and authoritativeness, and he also reviewed all of the available books, and newspaper and magazine articles on the magician. Gresham explains many of Houdini's illusions, and debunks some of the many myths surrounding the performer. Houdini's interest in the supernatural is examined, as are his efforts to expose the many fraudulent mediums and spiritualists of the time. Included are 8 pages of photographs.
Houdini: The Ultimate Spellbinder
by Tom LalickiOriginally published as: SPELLBINDER: The Life of Harry Houdini.He was born Ehrich Weiss but, at an early age, he chose another name for himself. He wanted a name to suit his career of magic and entertainment and he chose a name that paid homage to one of the legendary magicians of all time: Robert Houdin. His illusions and escapes were more astonishing and more challenging than anyone had ever done before and he eclipsed the names of all other magicians as his fame reached around the world, made him famous and made him the most famous illusionist ever.Houdini disappeared through brick walls. He escaped from straitjackets and then straitjackets immersed in water. He performed escapes in public places and from jail cells in major cities--and the crowds flocked to his performances.Tom Lalicki tells Houdini's story with a fascinating mix of text and images, revealing the facts and juxtaposing them with startling images of a master entertainer performing masterfully and mysteriously, mesmerizing his audiences and mystifying experts with his skill and his invention.
Houdini: World's Greatest Mystery Man And Escape King
by Kathleen Krull Eric VelasquezIntroducing the astonishing, the unforgettable ... HOUDINI! He made himself a living legend and became the most famous name in magic. But Harry Houdini, like his acts, was fascinating and mysterious. As a child, he was often on the edge of homelessness, so he would charge crowds to watch him perform tricks he knew no one else could do. After leaving home to seek his fortune, Houdini mastered every form of magic available-- card tricks, juggling, illusions-- and travelled the world over to make a name for himself. But true stardom came to him only when he began to focus his act around daring, heart-stopping escapes. By sheer force of will, Houdini trained his body to withstand the torturous demands of the elaborate acts he created. How did he do it? Magicians never tell. Yet acclaimed author Kathleen Krull and award-winning illustrator Eric Velasquez combine their talents to reveal the remarkable story of the World's Greatest Mystery Man and Escape King.
Hound Dog: The Leiber & Stoller Autobiography
by Jerry Leiber Mike StollerThe hitmakers behind Elvis Presley&’s &“Hound Dog&” and &“Jailhouse Rock&” recount their rise to songwriting stardom while authoring the classic American R&B sound of countless chart-topping singles.In 1950 a couple of rhythm and blues–loving teenagers named Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller met for the first time. They discovered their mutual affection for R&B and, as Jerry and Mike put it in this fascinating autobiography, began an argument that has been going on for over fifty years with no resolution in sight. Leiber and Stoller were still in their teens when they started working with some of the pioneers of rock and roll, writing such hits as "Hound Dog," which eventually became a #1 record for Elvis Presley. Jerry and Mike became the King&’s favorite songwriters, giving him "Jailhouse Rock" and other #1 songs. Their string of hits with the Coasters, including "Yakety Yak," "Poison Ivy," and "Charlie Brown," is a part of rock &’n&’ roll history. They founded their own music label and introduced novel instrumentation into their hits for the Drifters and Ben E. King, including "On Broadway" and "Stand by Me." They worked with everyone from Phil Spector to Burt Bacharach and Peggy Lee. Their smash musical Smokey Joe&’s Café became the longest-running musical revue in Broadway history. Lively, colorful, and irreverent, Hound Dog describes how two youngsters with an insatiable love of good old American R&B created the soundtrack for a generation.
Hound of the Sea
by Leonard WibberleyEager to compete in Transpac, an ocean race for sailing yachts from California to Hawaii, Leonard Wibberly bought a beautiful new fiberglass Morgan 34 and prepared to enter the 1965 event. But the boat was technically too small for Transpac so he decided to follow the others as a non-competitor. Of course, he would keep his time just to see how Cu Na Mara (Hound of the Sea) showed up with others in its class. It was an exciting trip, and a splendid introduction to ocean racing. Determined to compete in such a race, Mr. Wibberley put Cu Na Mara into a boatyard to get rid of some of its bugs, entered her in a race from Vancouver to Hawaii for which she qualified, rounded up an able crew of young men, and set off again toward Hawaii. Such a 2,000-mile ocean race offers challenging weather and varied adventures. It calls for stamina, ingenuity , and consummate sailing skill. All of these elements operated on Cu Na Mara's two voyages, as did also Murphy’s Law: Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. Landlubber or sailing enthusiast will be fascinated by the chance to sail with this skipper as he offers sailing lore and tips, plus high adventure.
Hound of the Sea: Wild Man. Wild Waves. Wild Wisdom.
by Karen Karbo Garrett McnamaraIn this thrilling and candid memoir, world record-holding and controversial Big Wave surfer Garrett McNamara chronicles his emotional quest to ride the most formidable waves on earth.Garrett McNamara--affectionately known as GMac--set the world record for the sport, surfing a seventy-eight-foot wave in Nazaré, Portugal in 2011, a record he smashed two years later at the same break. Propelled by the challenge and promise of bigger, more difficult waves, this adrenaline-fueled loner and polarizing figure travels the globe to ride the most dangerous swells the oceans have to offer, from calving glaciers to hurricane swells. But what motivates McNamara to go to such extremes--to risk everything for one thrilling ride? Is riding giant waves the ultimate exercise in control or surrender?Personal and emotional, readers will know GMac as never before, seeing for the first time the personal alongside the professional in an exciting, intimate look at what drives this inventive, iconoclastic man. Surfing awesome giants isn't just thrill seeking, he explains--it's about vanquishing fears and defeating obstacles past and present. Surfers and non-surfers alike will embrace McNamara's story--as they have William Finnegan's Barbarian Days--an its intimate look at the enigmatic pursuit of riding waves, big and small.Hound of the Sea is a record of perseverance, passion, and healing. Thoughtful, suspenseful, and spiritually profound, McNamara reveals the beautiful soul of surfing through the eyes of one of its most daring and devoted disciples.
Hour of the Heart: Connecting in the Here and Now
by Irvin Yalom Benjamin YalomA deeply moving and revealing chronicle, from one of the most prominent psychotherapists of our time, of working under wholly new circumstances, and the challenges and breakthroughs he's made as he takes on patients for one hour, one time only.Facing memory loss at age 93, as well as the fallout from a pandemic that moved much of daily life online, legendary psychotherapist and bestselling author Irvin Yalom was forced to vastly reconsider the shape of his sessions with patients. But rather than throw in the towel in the face of change, Dr Yalom considered the limitations imposed by these new realities head on, and revolutionized his practice. Dr Yalom wondered if perhaps his own practice could focus deeply on the work that could be achieved in a one-hour, one-time meeting between patient and practitioner-employing an even more concerted use of his "here and now" approach. As he began these one-time sessions, the beloved veteran therapist found himself freed to reach ever deeper places with new patients on a shortened timeline, without the buffer of future appointments.In HOUR OF THE HEART, Yalom recounts some of these intense, life-changing consultations, exploring an array of human predicaments, and his own late-career development as a therapist. In recounting these consultations, he shows how a therapist's willingness to be open themselves helps the patient let down their own guard, leading to a deeper and more immediate connection-one necessary to achieve profound realizations in just sixty minutes.Life is precious and our time together short. HOUR OF THE HEART shows us how to relate to each other better in the moment, with more honesty and vulnerability. That hour of connection, occurring during a time of isolation and grief for so many, helped to sustain both patient and therapist, and enriched Yalom's vision of what psychotherapy can do. This transformative account of a new way of connecting and sharing is for all of us looking to build relationships with greater immediacy, authenticity, and openness-in every area of life.
Hour of the Heart: Connecting in the Here and Now
by Irvin Yalom Benjamin YalomA deeply moving and revealing chronicle, from one of the most prominent psychotherapists of our time, of working under wholly new circumstances, and the challenges and breakthroughs he's made as he takes on patients for one hour, one time only.Facing memory loss at age 93, as well as the fallout from a pandemic that moved much of daily life online, legendary psychotherapist and bestselling author Irvin Yalom was forced to vastly reconsider the shape of his sessions with patients. But rather than throw in the towel in the face of change, Dr Yalom considered the limitations imposed by these new realities head on, and revolutionized his practice. Dr Yalom wondered if perhaps his own practice could focus deeply on the work that could be achieved in a one-hour, one-time meeting between patient and practitioner-employing an even more concerted use of his "here and now" approach. As he began these one-time sessions, the beloved veteran therapist found himself freed to reach ever deeper places with new patients on a shortened timeline, without the buffer of future appointments.In HOUR OF THE HEART, Yalom recounts some of these intense, life-changing consultations, exploring an array of human predicaments, and his own late-career development as a therapist. In recounting these consultations, he shows how a therapist's willingness to be open themselves helps the patient let down their own guard, leading to a deeper and more immediate connection-one necessary to achieve profound realizations in just sixty minutes.Life is precious and our time together short. HOUR OF THE HEART shows us how to relate to each other better in the moment, with more honesty and vulnerability. That hour of connection, occurring during a time of isolation and grief for so many, helped to sustain both patient and therapist, and enriched Yalom's vision of what psychotherapy can do. This transformative account of a new way of connecting and sharing is for all of us looking to build relationships with greater immediacy, authenticity, and openness-in every area of life.
Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage
by Dani ShapiroThe best-selling novelist and memoirist delivers her most intimate and powerful work: a piercing, life-affirming memoir about marriage and memory, about the frailty and elasticity of our most essential bonds, and about the accretion, over time, of both sorrow and love. Hourglass is an inquiry into how marriage is transformed by time--abraded, strengthened, shaped in miraculous and sometimes terrifying ways by accident and experience. With courage and relentless honesty, Dani Shapiro opens the door to her house, her marriage, and her heart, and invites us to witness her own marital reckoning--a reckoning in which she confronts both the life she dreamed of and the life she made, and struggles to reconcile the girl she was with the woman she has become. What are the forces that shape our most elemental bonds? How do we make lifelong commitments in the face of identities that are continuously shifting, and commit ourselves for all time when the self is so often in flux? What happens to love in the face of the unexpected, in the face of disappointment and compromise--how do we wrest beauty from imperfection, find grace in the ordinary, desire what we have rather than what we lack? Drawing on literature, poetry, philosophy, and theology, Shapiro writes gloriously of the joys and challenges of matrimonial life, in a luminous narrative that unfurls with urgent immediacy and sharp intelligence. Artful, intensely emotional work from one of our finest writers.From the Hardcover edition.
House Calls and Hitching Posts: Stories From Dr. Elton Lehman's Career Among The Amish
by Dorcas HooverMedical technology meets rural values of simplicity, home health remedies, and unwavering faith in divine providence when a country-boy-turned-country-doctor returns to his roots. House Calls and Hitching Posts is a sometimes humorous and often intimate account of Dr. Elton Lehman's 36 years practicing medicine among the Amish of Wayne, Holmes, and surrounding counties in Ohio, for which he was named Country Doctor of the Year. Now you can witness house calls and private moments between doctors and patients. Joe brings his dismembered fingers to the office in a coffee can filled with kerosene. Katie delivers a boy for the doctor's first home-birth. And three-year-old Davy rallies to overcome a life-threatening illness at birth only to be crushed under a tractor wheel. Hoover captures in sometimes local vernacular the joys and dilemmas of a family practitioner among a rural and predominantly-Amish community. Includes two galleries of photographs from Dr. Lehman's distinguished career.
House Calls and Hitching Posts: Stories from Dr. Elton Lehman's Career Among the Amish
by Dorcas Sharp HooverStories from the life of a doctor to the Amish.
House Calls and Hitching Posts: Stories from Dr. Elton Lehman's Career among the Amish
by Dorcas Sharp HooverMedical technology meets rural, Amish values of simplicity, home health remedies, and unwavering faith in divine providence when a country-boy-turned-country doctor returns to his roots in Ohio.**This new edition is updated with a new preface and never-before-shared details about the tragedy of the Nickel Mines school shooting as well as the incredible forgiveness displayed by the Amish community.**House Calls and Hitching Posts is a sometimes humorous and often intimate account of Dr. Elton Lehman's thirty-six years practicing medicine among the Amish of Wayne, Holmes, and surrounding counties in Ohio, for which he was named Country Doctor of the Year.Now you can witness house calls and private moments between doctors and patients. Joe brings his dismembered fingers to the office in a coffee can filled with kerosene. Katie delivers a boy for the doctor's first home-birth. And Davy rallies to overcome a life-threatening illness at birth only to be crushed under a tractor wheel at three years old. Hoover captures in sometimes local vernacular the joys and dilemmas of a family practitioner among a rural and predominantly-Amish community. Includes a gallery of photographs from Dr. Lehman's distinguished career.
House Fires
by Connor FrantaThe New York Times bestselling author of A Work in Progress and Note to Self moves fully into adulthood with his illuminating, soulful, bleeding collection of narrative, poetry, and original film photography.Humanitarian, entrepreneur, and content creator Connor Franta first captivated readers with A Work In Progress, ruminating on his Midwestern roots to his early start as a visionary and online thought-leader. He continued his soul-searching-through-a-broken-heart with Note to Self, challenging readers—and himself—to ponder the spectrum of humanity and their place within it. Now as Franta approaches thirty, life is no less confusing, but he finds this journey endlessly fascinating. Writing about confusion and clarity, loneliness and whirlwind romances, despair and elation—and everything in between—Franta invites readers back into the intimacy of his mind. House Fires magnifies a young man&’s emotional warfare with his past, the daze of wandering through modern times in search of purpose, and the electricity flying from tomorrow&’s potential.
House Hold
by Ann PetersLike the house built by Ann Peters's father on a hill in eastern Wisconsin, House Hold offers many views: cornfields and glacial lakes, fast food parking lots and rural highways, Manhattan apartments and Brooklyn brownstones. Peters revisits the modern split-level where she grew up in Wisconsin, remembering her architect father. Against the background of this formative space, she charts her roaming story through two decades of New York City apartments, before traveling to a cabin in the mountains of Colorado and finally purchasing an old farmhouse in upstate New York. More than a memoir of remembered landscapes, House Hold is also an expansive contemplation of America, a meditation on place and property, and an exploration of how literature shapes our thinking about the places we live. A gifted prose stylist, Peters seamlessly combines her love of buildings with her love of books. She wanders through the rooms of her past but also through what Henry James called "the house of fiction," interweaving personal narrative with musings on James, Willa Cather, William Dean Howells, Paule Marshall, William Maxwell, and others. Peters reflects on the romance of pastoral retreat, the hazards of nostalgia, America's history of expansion and land ownership, and the conflicted desires to put down roots and to hit the road. Throughout House Hold, she asks how places make us who we are.
House Lessons: Renovating a Life
by Erica BauermeisterFROM NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ERICA BAUERMEISTER COMES A MEMOIR ABOUT THE POWER OF HOME—AND THE TRANSFORMATIVE ACT OF RESTORING ONE HOUSE IN PARTICULAR. &“I think anyone who saves an old house has to be a caretaker at heart, a believer in underdogs, someone whose imagination is inspired by limitations, not endless options.&” In this mesmerizing memoir-in-essays, Erica Bauermeister renovates a trash-filled house in eccentric Port Townsend, Washington, and in the process takes readers on a journey to discover the ways our spaces subliminally affect us. A personal, accessible, and literary exploration of the psychology of architecture, as well as a loving tribute to the connections we forge with the homes we care for and live in, this book is designed for anyone who&’s ever fallen head over heels for a house. It is also a story of a marriage, of family, and of the kind of roots that settle deep into your heart. Discover what happens when a house has its own lessons to teach in this moving and insightful memoir that ultimately shows us how to make our own homes (and lives) better.
House Rules: A Memoir
by Rachel SontagA memoir of a father obsessed with control and the daughter who fights his suffocating grasp, House Rules explores the complexities of their compelling and destructive relationship as Rachel fights to escape, and, later, to make sense of what remains of her family.
House at Royal Oak: Starting Over & Rebuilding a Life One Room at a Time
by Carol Eron RizzoliIn the spring of 2001, Carol Eron Rizzoli and her husband Hugo bought a dilapidated farmhouse in the tiny village of Royal Oak, Maryland, on the edge of the Chesapeake Bay. They spent two years transforming it into a bed and breakfast, which took them twice as long and cost three times as much as they had originally estimated (on the back of a napkin). As they struggled to restore the house and open the B&B, Carol and Hugo were also slowly acquainting themselves with the rural community of Royal Oak, rich in custom and culinary traditions, and populated by neighbors with particular views on politics, hunting, wildlife, and of course, newcomers from the big city. Written with honesty and humor, The House at Royal Oak is a journey to the heart of what it means to start over and chase a dream. Part inspirational account of reinventing yourself at mid-life, part love story about learning what matters most in a relationship, it is above all a book about home?what it means, and the unexpected places we find it.
House of Cards
by David Ellis DickersonA hilarious and honest memoir by an ex-greeting card writer, ex- virgin fundamentalist, and current This American Life contributor. When David Dickerson landed his dream job-at Hallmark writing greeting cards-he discovered his limited life experience as a fundamentalist- raised, 26-year-old virgin left him woefully unprepared for the worldly sentiments he was expected to deliver. Here, Dickerson chronicles his bumpy and hilarious journey to (relatively) modern single guy, confronting his past, his beliefs, his relationships, and his virginity. .
House of David (A Bible Study): An Interactive Journey toward God's Own Heart
by Greg LaurieNow an Original Series on Prime VideoInspired by the Prime Video Original Series House of David, this Bible study unpacks timeless lessons from King David&’s life to help you build a faith that endures life&’s greatest challenges. Step into the world of King David, the shepherd boy destined to become Israel&’s greatest king. This seven-session Bible study from Pastor Greg Laurie explores David&’s ascent from obscurity to the throne, uncovering powerful lessons about faith, perseverance, and God&’s unwavering grace. Whether David was defeating Goliath, navigating the treachery of Saul&’s court, or seeking redemption after failure, his journey reveals a God who is faithful in every season and beckons us to Him. House of David Bible Study includes: Character introductions, maps, charts, and photos related to David&’s life and times Scripture sections showing how David foreshadowed Jesus Contemplative reading experiences of David&’s psalms Guidance for creating your own psalms Thought-provoking questions, personal application ideas, and prayer prompts More than a Bible study, this is an invitation to reflect, create, and talk with God about crafting your own legacy to transform your home and community with the love of Jesus.
House of David (A Devotional): 30 Days with the Man after God's Own Heart
by Greg LaurieNow an original series on Prime Video.A 30-day devotional by Harvest Ministries founder Greg Laurie based on the life of King David and the Prime Video Original Series House of David. Spend 30 days gaining biblical and spiritual insights into one of the Bible&’s most complex and relatable figures. David was an outcast and a hero, a warrior and a poet, an adulterer, a murderer, a songwriter, and a king. He was an imperfect person who time and time again turned to God for strength, wisdom, help, and forgiveness. In House of David, Pastor Greg Laurie invites you to reflect on your own life through the lens of David&’s story. This devotional offers you: Scripture readings from and about David to help you cultivate a deeper relationship with God Transformative reflections that equip you to walk with the Lord in today&’s world Guidance on how to seek God with your whole heart This captivating devotional will deepen your knowledge of David as well as your desire to follow God with renewed passion. Enrich your spiritual journey as you learn from a man of second chances who points us to the greatness and grace of a faithful God.
House of Fields: Memories of a Rural Education
by Anne-Marie OomenThe follow-up to Pulling Down the Barn, House of Fields is a collection of evocative personal essays that recall the many facets of a young girl's formal and informal education in rural Michigan.
House of Glass: The Story and Secrets of a Twentieth-Century Jewish Family
by Hadley FreemanWriter Hadley Freeman investigates her family&’s secret history in this &“exceptional&” (The Washington Post) &“masterpiece&” (The Daily Telegraph) uncovering a story that spans a century, two World Wars, and three generations.Hadley Freeman knew her grandmother Sara lived in France just as Hitler started to gain power, but rarely did anyone in her family talk about it. Long after her grandmother&’s death, she found a shoebox tucked in the closet containing photographs of her grandmother with a mysterious stranger, a cryptic telegram from the Red Cross, and a drawing signed by Picasso. This discovery sent Freeman on a decade-long quest to uncover the significance of these keepsakes, taking her from Picasso&’s archives in Paris to a secret room in a farmhouse in Auvergne to Long Island to Auschwitz. Freeman pieces together the puzzle of her family&’s past, discovering more about the lives of her grandmother and her three brothers, Jacques, Henri, and Alex. Their stories sometimes typical, sometimes astonishing—reveal the broad range of experiences of Eastern European Jews during the Holocaust. This &“frightening, inspiring, and cautionary&” (Kirkus Reviews) family saga is filled with extraordinary twists, vivid characters, and famous cameos, illuminating the Jewish and immigrant experience in the World War II era. Reviewers have asked: &“is there a better book about being Jewish?&” (The Daily Telegraph) Addressing themes of assimilation, identity, and home, House of Glass is &“a triumph&” (The Bookseller) and a powerful story about the past that echoes issues that remain relevant today.
House of Hilton
by Jerry OppenheimerThis intimate, shocking—and thoroughly unauthorized—portrait of the Hiltons chronicles the family’s amazing odyssey from poverty and obscurity to glory and glamour. From Conrad Hilton, the eccentric “innkeeper to the world” who built a global empire beginning with a fleabag in a dusty Texas backwater, to Paris Hilton, his great-granddaughter, whose fame took off with a sex video, House of Hilton is the unauthorized, eye-popping portrait of one of America’s most outrageous dynasties. If you want to know how Paris Hilton became who she is, you have to know where she came from. From scores of candid and exclusive interviews, from private documents and public records, New York Times bestselling author Jerry Oppenheimer has dug deeply into her paternal and maternal family roots to reveal the often shocking, tragic, and comic lives that helped shape the world’s most famous and fabulous “celebutante. ” The cast of characters includes Paris’s maternal grandmother, a materialistic “stage mother from hell. ” There is Paris’s maternal grandfather, who became an alcoholic housepainter. The life of Paris’s mother, Kathy Hilton, groomed by her mother to be a star and marry rich, is candidly revealed, too, as is that of Paris’s father, Rick, Conrad’s grandson. Paris’s tabloid antics are truly in the Hilton tradition. Set against a glittery Hollywood backdrop—with appearances by stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Natalie Wood, and Joan Collins—House of Hilton brings to light a cornucopia of closely held Hilton family secrets and sexual peccadilloes, such as the many affairs and the nightclub-brawling, boozing, and pill-popping life of Paris’s great-uncle, Nick Hilton. The story of his hellish marriage to Liz Taylor alone rivals any of today’s Hollywood breakups. Behind it all was Conrad Hilton, who built his worldwide empire through the Great Depression while others were jumping out of windows. A devout Catholic publicly, his personal life was that of an unrepentant sinner. His first marriage was to Mary Barron Hilton, a sexy, hard-drinking, gambling Kentucky teenager half Conrad’s age. Wife number two was the gorgeous Zsa Zsa, who, like Paris, was famous for being famous. Their tumultuous marriage and headline-making divorce are revealed here in all their juicy glory. In all,House of Hiltonis a gripping American saga, from the fire and passions that built a business empire to the debauchery and amorality passed on from one generation to the next. From the Hardcover edition.