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Master of Arts: A Life in Dance
by Tulsi BadrinathV.P. Dhananjayan was one of the first men to make a successful career as a Bharata Natyam dancer. In the late sixties, when he made this choice, Bharata Natyam ? the classic dance form that Rukmini Devi helped evolve from the dance of the devadasis ? was almost exclusively the domain of women. In making Bharata Natyam his profession, Dhananjayan had to create a space for his dance where none existed. It is only recently, in the relatively short span of the past seventy years, and to a great extent because of the creative efforts of versatile and innovative dancers like Dhananjayan, that greater number of men have performed Bharata Natyam as men, without needing to dress as women to appear on stage. As Dhananjayan?s student for nearly forty years now, and a trained dancer herself, the author, Tulsi Badrinath, chronicles the story of his brilliant life in dance with the insight of one who understands each nuance of it. Weaving her own life-long passion for Bharata Natyam with his remarkable story, she brings to light the difficulties faced by a male dancer in establishing himself in what was thought to be a somewhat unrespectable profession, and tells the compelling story of his life with empathy and understanding. Writing of his years in Kalakshetra and his departure from it; of the deep love that blossomed between him and his wife, Shanta, and the incredible dance partnership they forged, making them famous as The Dhananjayans; of his international collaborations with Ravi Shankar; and of his ability, as guru and teacher, to impart his passion for dance to his disciples, she explores her own understanding of what the dance, and her guru, have meant to her. Interspersing this remarkable tale of guru and shishya with the stories of other young male dancers in the realm of Bharata Natyam, she pays tribute to their extraordinary commitment, their talent and their courage.
Master of Ceremonies: A Memoir
by Joel GreyJoel Grey, the Tony and Academy Award-winning Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret finally tells his remarkable life story. Born Joel David Katz to a wild and wooly Jewish American family in Cleveland, Ohio in 1932, Joel began his life in the theater at the age of 9, starting in children’s theater and then moving to the main stage. He was hooked, and his seven decades long career charts the evolution of American entertainment - from Vaudeville performances with his father, Mickey Katz to the seedy gangster filled nightclubs of the forties, the bright lights of Broadway and dizzying glamour of Hollywood, to juggernaut musicals like Cabaret, Chicago, and Wicked. Master of Ceremonies is a memoir of a life lived in and out of the limelight, but it is also the story of the man behind the stage makeup. Coming of age in a time when being yourself tended to be not only difficult but also dangerous, Joel has to act both on and off the stage. He spends his high school years sleeping with the girls-next-door while carrying on a scandalous affair with an older man. Romances with to-die-for Vegas Showgirls are balanced with late night liaisons with like-minded guys, until finally Joel falls in love and marries a talented and beautiful woman, starts a family, and has a pretty much picture perfect life. But 24 years later when the marriage dissolves, Joel has to once again find his place in a world that has radically changed. Drawing back the curtain on a career filled with show-stopping numbers, larger-than-life stars and even singing in the shower with Bjork, Master of Ceremonies is also a portrait of an artist coming to terms with his evolving identity. When an actor plays a character, he has to find out what makes them who they are; their needs, dreams, and fears. It’s a difficult thing to do, but sometimes the hardest role in an actor’s life is that of himself. Deftly capturing the joy of performing as well as the pain and secrets of an era we have only just started to leave behind, Joel’s story is one of love, loss, hard-won honesty, redemption, and success.
Master of Deceit: J. Edgar Hoover and America in the Age of Lies
by Marc AronsonIn this unsparing exploration of one of the most powerful Americans of the 20th century, accomplished historian Marc Aronson unmasks the man behind the FBI - his tangled family history and personal relationships; his own need for secrecy, deceit, and control; and the broad trends in American society that shaped his world.
Master of His Fate: Roosevelt's Rise from Polio to the Presidency
by James TobinMaster of His Fate by James Tobin is an inspiring middle-grade biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, with a focus on his battle with polio and how his disease set him on the course to become president.In 1921, FDR contracted polio. Just as he began to set his sights on the New York governorship—and, with great hope, the presidency—FDR became paralyzed from the waist down. FDR faced a radical choice: give up politics or reenter the arena with a disability, something never seen before. With the help of Eleanor and close friends, Roosevelt made valiant strides toward rehabilitation and became even more focused on becoming president, proving that misfortune sometimes turns out to be a portal to unexpected opportunities and rewards—even to greatness. This groundbreaking political biography richly weaves together medicine, disability narratives, and presidential history.Christy Ottaviano Books
Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative
by Keke PalmerINSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER <p>From the award-winning, multihyphenate global entertainer Keke Palmer comes the inspiring true story of her journey to understanding her genuine value. A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF FALL 2024: Bookshop, Apple Books, People, BookRiot, and more!! Keke Palmer thought she knew who she was. What it means to be a good person and what it takes to be a success. It all seemed so simple, until she realized the challenges she would have to face to prove to herself who she wanted to be. From feeling alienated to having to restart her career after ten years in to becoming a single mother just months after her son was born—everything she worked for in life that she felt granted her what she wanted now also reminded her that “life is going to life” and throw curveballs regardless of what you deserve. She found herself asking, Where do I find my power? How do I master myself? In her own raw and intimate words, Keke talks about everything from her struggles with boundaries to unconditional love, forgiveness, and worthiness. “Don’t block your blessings and potential opportunities by allowing the voices of other people to influence your actions,” she says. “How you’re choosing to set yourself up for success is between you and the person looking back at you in the mirror.” Throughout the book, Keke also poses readers with the questions needed to get them through their own challenging times by sharing personal stories and lessons she’s learned along the way. She gets candid about the tools she’s developed to take the reins, harness her vulnerability, and recognize ownership in the narrative of her life—which allowed her to turn personal power into major power. In this exhilarating, deeply poignant, and often laugh-out-loud book, Lauren Keyana Palmer gets real about life, work, love, and belief. These pages will encourage readers to empower themselves with the truth, leverage their currency, and find the keys to master themselves and the art of alchemy. Keke writes, “You are not on anyone else’s timeline, only your own.” The result is a tour de force. They said, “Jack of all Trades, Master of None.” She said, “No, I am the Master. Of Me.” <br><b>New York Times Bestseller</b></br>
Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative from Award-Winning Actress and Entertainer
by Keke PalmerFrom the award-winning, multihyphenate global entertainer Keke Palmer comes the inspiring true story of her journey to understanding her genuine value.A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF AUTUMN 2024: Bookshop, Apple Books, and more!!Keke Palmer thought she knew who she was. What it means to be a good person and what it takes to be a success. It all seemed so simple, until she realized the challenges she would have to face to prove to herself who she wanted to be. From feeling alienated to having to restart her career after ten years in to becoming a single mother just months after her son was born―everything she worked for in life that she felt granted her what she wanted now also reminded her that "life is going to life" and throw curveballs regardless of what you deserve. She found herself asking, Where do I find my power? How do I master myself?In her own raw and intimate words, Keke talks about everything from her struggles with boundaries to unconditional love, forgiveness, and worthiness. "Don't block your blessings and potential opportunities by allowing the voices of other people to influence your actions," she says. "How you're choosing to set yourself up for success is between you and the person looking back at you in the mirror."Throughout the book, Keke also poses readers with the questions needed to get them through their own challenging times by sharing personal stories and lessons she's learned along the way. She gets candid about the tools she's developed to take the reins, harness her vulnerability, and recognize ownership in the narrative of her life―which allowed her to turn personal power into major power.In this exhilarating, deeply poignant, and often laugh-out-loud book, Lauren Keyana Palmer gets real about life, work, love, and belief. These pages will encourage readers to empower themselves with the truth, leverage their currency, and find the keys to master themselves and the art of alchemy. Keke writes, "You are not on anyone else's timeline, only your own."The result is a tour de force.They said, "Jack of all Trades, Master of None."She said, "No, I am the Master. Of Me.""Imposter" was produced by: Kenneth "KP" Paige & B HAM. It was written by Kenneth Dickerson Taylor, Jr., Lauren Palmer, Marcus Lomax, Nathalia Marshall, and Brandon Hamlin. Musicians: Kenneth "KP" Paige (keyboards, synth bass); B HAM (drum programming) Mixed by: Gela Akhalaia Recording Engineer: Kory Welty Mastered by: Sing Mastering
Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative from Award-Winning Actress and Entertainer
by Keke PalmerFrom the award-winning, multihyphenate global entertainer Keke Palmer comes the inspiring true story of her journey to understanding her genuine value.A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF AUTUMN 2024: Bookshop, Apple Books, and more!!Keke Palmer thought she knew who she was. What it means to be a good person and what it takes to be a success. It all seemed so simple, until she realized the challenges she would have to face to prove to herself who she wanted to be. From feeling alienated to having to restart her career after ten years in to becoming a single mother just months after her son was born―everything she worked for in life that she felt granted her what she wanted now also reminded her that "life is going to life" and throw curveballs regardless of what you deserve. She found herself asking, Where do I find my power? How do I master myself?In her own raw and intimate words, Keke talks about everything from her struggles with boundaries to unconditional love, forgiveness, and worthiness. "Don't block your blessings and potential opportunities by allowing the voices of other people to influence your actions," she says. "How you're choosing to set yourself up for success is between you and the person looking back at you in the mirror."Throughout the book, Keke also poses readers with the questions needed to get them through their own challenging times by sharing personal stories and lessons she's learned along the way. She gets candid about the tools she's developed to take the reins, harness her vulnerability, and recognize ownership in the narrative of her life―which allowed her to turn personal power into major power.In this exhilarating, deeply poignant, and often laugh-out-loud book, Lauren Keyana Palmer gets real about life, work, love, and belief. These pages will encourage readers to empower themselves with the truth, leverage their currency, and find the keys to master themselves and the art of alchemy. Keke writes, "You are not on anyone else's timeline, only your own."The result is a tour de force.They said, "Jack of all Trades, Master of None."She said, "No, I am the Master. Of Me."
Master of None: How a Jack-of-All-Trades Can Still Reach the Top
by Clifford HudsonIn this revelatory memoir, the former CEO of Sonic challenges established thinking, offering counterintuitive career advice essential for every professional at all levels, whether you're just starting out or in the middle of your career.In his bestselling Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell introduced readers to the 10,000-hour rule—the foundation of success in any endeavor. But as Clifford Hudson reveals, there are serious pitfalls to this rule. What happens to those who spend years trying to achieve something that doesn’t quite pan out? Do you really have to grind down the same path for many years, sacrificing priorities to become successful? In Master of None, Hudson turns expertise on its head and shows that by embracing variety and becoming more versatile, anyone can succeed and become more open to different opportunities in life. To do so, he provides three basic rules that will see any professional through: Don't plan, exploreDon't specialize, generalizeDon't keep your head down, turn it up toward opportunity In this thought-provoking memoir, Hudson asks whether or not mastery is even necessary to succeed. Most people don't need to be experts in their field. Yes, the successful know more than the average person about a particular topic, and they often possess a better-than-average ability with a particular skillset; but not everyone who is successful is an expert, he makes clear.More importantly, in today’s technology-driven environment, change is the only constant, including the nature of work and the skills required to do it. Over-investing in expertise is often riskier than learning to be adaptive and open to new knowledge, ideas, and skills. Experience can also lead to overconfidence. And yet we continue to deeply value the expertise ideal. Groundbreaking and thought provoking, Master of None is a new way forward to help businesses and professionals at all levels thrive.
Master of Persuasion: Brian Mulroney's Global Legacy
by James A. Baker Fen Osler HampsonBased on unprecedented access--interviews with key players, diaries, memos, etc.--the first book to document Brian Mulroney's impressive foreign policy record, from NAFTA to the collapse of the Soviet Union, climate change to the release of Nelson Mandela.Brian Mulroney led and lifted Canada's voice and influence in world affairs to unprecedented heights. Through negotiation and the deliberate cultivation of close personal links with other world leaders, there were significant achievements that serve Canadian interests to this day. Mulroney's bold initiatives on trade, the environment, and human rights turned the tradition and history of his party on its head and gave distinct emphasis to the "progressive" adjective in the party name. The pursuit of Free Trade ran completely counter to his party's history. Efforts to combat acid rain, repair the ozone layer, and to champion climate change long before it became fashionable, surprised and satisfied many of the most ardent advocates on the environment. In an even more turbulent world, Mulroney's determination to act for Canada and his strong record of achievement offer compelling lessons for the Canadian public and, especially, for Canadian leaders as they struggle to punch above their weight and make their voices heard in a world which is not necessarily waiting for "more Canada." Prime Minister Brian Mulroney understood better than many of his predecessors that Canada's power and influence derive from a solid grasp of Canada's vital national interests and a purposeful commitment to pursuing those interests and values on the world stage. This book will tell valuable stories about how Canada succeeded in advancing its national interests on trade, the environment, national security, and the advancement of democracy and human rights under Brian Mulroney's leadership. It will explore how he built "teams of rivals" both at home and abroad in pursuit of those interests, and a more prosperous, stable, and just international order, while underscoring the importance of his personal interventions and the trust and respect these reflected. Perhaps, most important of all, Brian Mulroney put to bed that long standing myth that Canada could not be a respected international player if it was seen as being too close to the United States. He showed that a "special relationship" with Washington was in fact the sine qua non to project Canada's interests and global influence. In sharp contrast to his predecessor, the path for global influence for Canada began with a principled and trusted dialogue with Washington, one that other world leaders noticed. As Canada's new Liberal government navigates its own course in choppy international waters, there is much to be learned from Canada's finest hour on the international stage some three decades ago under Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.
Master of Thin Air: Life and Death on the World's Highest Peaks
by Andrew Lock Peter HillaryNamed one of the "Five Adventure Books You Need to Read This Summer” by Backpacker MagazineFor readers of Into Thin Air, riveting high-altitude drama and the passion and drive that inspire outsized mountaineering achievements.Master of Thin Air opens with a fall that the author very nearly could not stop down an almost vertical rock ramp leading to a three-thousand-foot drop. The qualities that saved him then on K2-in addition to his mountaineering know-how and sheer good luck-drove his sixteen-year journey to summit all of the world's eight-thousanders, the fourteen peaks that exceed 8,000 meters (26,000-plus feet) and take climbers into the death zone. Incredibly, he accomplished that feat without the aid of bottled oxygen for every mountain but one. By preference, he climbed solo or in small teams, without Sherpas. During twenty-three expeditions, he spent a total of three years clinging to the sides of dangerous mountains. He lost more than twenty climbing friends and, in April 2014, witnessed Everest's deadliest avalanche.His book is a riveting, often thrilling account of what it takes to challenge the Earth's highest peaks and survive. It tells of death-defying ascents and even riskier descents, the gut-dropping consequences of the smallest mistakes or even just bad luck, the camaraderie and human drama of expeditions, the exhilaration of altitude. It is also the inspiring story of what motivates a person to achieve an extraordinary dream, a story of passion, resourcefulness, self-motivation, and hope-even in the most dire moments.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports-books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team.In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Master of War: Blackwater USA's Erik Prince and the Business of War
by Suzanne Simons“Suzanne Simons is a masterful storyteller. But make no mistake—Master of War is not a work of fiction….A powerful and true account.”—Wolf Blitzer, anchor, CNN’s The Situation RoomMaster of War is the riveting true story of Eric Prince, the ex-Navy SEAL who founded Blackwater and built the world’s largest military contractor, privatizing war for client nations around the world. A CNN producer and anchor, Suzanne Simons is the first journalist to get deep inside Blackwater—and, as a result of her unprecedented access, Master of War provides the most complete and revelatory account of the rise of this powerful corporate army and the remarkable entrepreneur who brought it into being, while offering an eye-opening, behind-the-scenes look at the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Master of War: The Life of General George H. Thomas
by Benson BobrickIn this revelatory, dynamic biography, one of our finest historians, Benson Bobrick, profiles George H. Thomas, arguing that he was the greatest and most successful general of the Civil War. Because Thomas didn't live to write his memoirs, his reputation has been largely shaped by others, most notably Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman, two generals with whom Thomas served and who, Bobrick says, diminished his successes in their favor in their own memoirs. Born in Virginia, Thomas survived Nat Turner's rebellion as a boy, then studied at West Point, where Sherman was a classmate. Thomas distinguished himself in the Mexican War and then returned to West Point as an instructor. When the Civil War broke out, Thomas remained loyal to the Union, unlike fellow Virginia-born officer Robert E. Lee (among others). He compiled an outstanding record as an officer in battles at Mill Springs, Perryville, and Stones River. At the Battle of Chickamauga, Thomas, at the time a corps commander, held the center of the Union line under a ferocious assault, then rallied the troops on Horseshoe Ridge to prevent a Confederate rout of the Union army. His extraordinary performance there earned him the nickname "The Rock of Chickamauga." Promoted to command of the Army of the Cumberland, he led his army in a stunning Union victory at the Battle of Chattanooga. Thomas supported Sherman on his march through Georgia in the spring of 1864, winning an important victory at the Battle of Peachtree Creek. As Sherman continued on his March to the Sea, Thomas returned to Tennessee and in the battle of Nashville destroyed the army of Confederate General John Bell Hood. It was one of the most decisive victories of the war, and Thomas won it even as Grant was on his way to remove Thomas from his command. (When Grant discovered the magnitude of Thomas's victory, he quickly changed his mind.) Thomas died of a stroke in 1870 while still on active duty. In the entire Civil War, he never lost a battle or a movement. Throughout his career, Thomas was methodical and careful, and always prepared. Unlike Grant at Shiloh, he was never surprised by an enemy. Unlike Sherman, he never panicked in battle but always remained calm and focused. He was derided by both men as "Slow Trot Thomas," but as Bobrick shows in this brilliant biography, he was quick to analyze every situation and always knew what to do and when to do it. He was not colorful like Grant and Sherman, but he was widely admired by his peers, and some, such as Grant's favorite cavalry commander, General James H. Wilson, thought Thomas the peer of any general in either army. He was the only Union commander to destroy two Confederate armies in the field. Although historians of the Civil War have always regarded Thomas highly, he has never captured the public imagination, perhaps because he has lacked an outstanding biographer -- until now. This informed, judicious, and lucid biography at last gives Thomas his due.
Master of the Crossroads
by Madison Smartt BellWith the publication of All Souls' Rising, Madison Smartt Bell was immediately acclaimed as being "as remarkable a historical novelist as we have in this country" (Harold Bloom). The novel was a finalist for the National Book Award and was praised by writers as "a triumph of storytelling and inspired historical analysis" (Robert Stone) and by reviewers as "one of the year's most substantial literary accomplishments" (The New Yorker). Now, with Master of the Crossroads, Bell achieves an even greater accomplishment: he brings to life the rise to power of the great Haitian military general Toussaint Louverture and the story of the only successful slave revolution in history. Beginning in 1794, Toussaint led his troops to victory over English and Spanish invaders, over the French political establishment, and in a civil uprising for control of the infant island republic. He extended the ideological triumph of the French and American revolutions by offering universal liberty and human rights to all races. In chronicling Toussaint's victory and its aftermath, Bell gives us a kaleidoscopic portrait of this extraordinary figure as seen through the eyes of the men and women whose paths he crossed. English, French, Spanish, and African--the intersection of peoples who inhabited this war-torn island creates a rich social canvas against which the astonishing story of Toussaint Louverture--his beliefs, passions, and compulsions--unfolds over the course of nine tumultuous years.
Master of the Game: Steve Ross and the Creation of Time Warner
by Connie BruckFrom the best-selling author of The Predators' Ball comes the story of the most flamboyant businessman and dealmaker of his generation, Steve Ross. When Steven Spielberg first heard Steve Ross tell his life story, it was such a dramatic rags-to-riches narrative that he thought it was a movie. In a career that started in Brooklyn and spanned Wall Street, Hollywood, and the Mafia, Steve Ross took his father-in-law's funeral business and a parking lot company and grew them into the largest media and entertainment company in the world, Time Warner. In the upper strata of American business that Ross reached before his death, he was an anomaly. Outrageous, glamorous, charismatic, he presided over an enterprise that was more medieval fiefdom than corporate bureaucracy. He negotiated his enormous and complicated deals, from movies and records to cable and publishing, with shrewdness and brilliance. He rewarded his favorite aides and sidekicks extravagantly; he courted Hollywood stars like Barbra Streisand and Steven Spielberg with luxurious gifts; he charmed and outsmarted his rivals. Ross used whateveror whomever - it took to romance someone into making a deal. He saved himself and let his best friend, Jay Emmett, take the fall in the government's Westchester Premier Theatre investigation. While Atari was hemorrhaging money in the early '80s, Ross announced a stock buy-in to boost the price, and then sold off his own stock for a gross of more than $20 million before announcing the company's failure. The principles upon which Ross built his domain would not be taught in any business school, and many of his peers were convinced that Ross's ways would lead to his, and his company's undoing. But it was those very attributes - combined with mathematical wizardry and vision (or what one friend called "the ability to see around corners") - that enabled Ross to best most adversaries, outnegotiate every dealmaker, confound his critics, and ultimately create the Time Warner empire.
Master of the Mysteries
by Louis Sahagun"And for anyone wishing to learn more about Manly Hall, Louis Sahagun's gripping biography is an insightful look at the life and times of one of the last century's most important mystical thinkers."--The Fortean TimesIn 1919, a Canadian teenager with a sixth grade education arrived by train to the wilds of Los Angeles. Within a decade he had transformed himself into a world-renowned occult scholar.His name was Manly Palmer Hall, author of the landmark publication The Secret Teachings of All Ages, regarded as the best introduction to Western esoteric ideas, and the founder of the Philosophical Research Society, which houses one of the biggest occult libraries in the United States.Hall became the twentieth century's most prolific writer and speaker on ancient philosophies, mysticism, and magic, and a confidant of Hollywood celebrities and politicians. In 1990, he died--some say he was strangled--in what remains an open-ended Hollywood murder mystery worthy of Raymond Chandler.Master of The Mysteries: The Life of Manly Palmer Hall offers an intimate portrait of this elusive luminary who set as his life's work the daunting task of reconciling scientific reason with ancient wisdom--issues that seekers and scientists still struggle with today.Author Louis Sahagun draws from Hall's massive archives and a wealth of interviews to provide an insider's view of the birth of a metaphysical subculture that continues to have a profound influence on movies, television, music, books, art, and thought.
Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson III (The Years of Lyndon Johnson #3)
by Robert A. CaroThe most riveting political biography of our time, Robert A. Caro's life of Lyndon B. Johnson, continues. Master of the Senate takes Johnson's story through one of its most remarkable periods: his twelve years, from 1949 through 1960, in the United States Senate. Once the most august and revered body in politics, by the time Johnson arrived the Senate had become a parody of itself and an obstacle that for decades had blocked desperately needed liberal legislation. Caro shows how Johnson's brilliance, charm, and ruthlessness enabled him to become the youngest and most powerful Majority Leader in history and how he used his incomparable legislative genius--seducing both Northern liberals and Southern conservatives--to pass the first Civil Rights legislation since Reconstruction. Brilliantly weaving rich detail into a gripping narrative, Caro gives us both a galvanizing portrait of Johnson himself and a definitive and revelatory study of the workings of legislative power.<P><P> Winner of the National Book Award<P> Winner of the Pulitzer Prize
Mastering Sadhana: On Retreat with Anthony de Mello
by Carlos VallesA close friend and associate of Anthony de Mello shares for the first time not only personal conversations and reminiscences, but also de Mello's own words as recorded during a 15-day retreat in India.
Mastering the Art of French Eating: From Paris Bistros to Farmhouse Kitchens, Lessons in Food and Love
by Ann MahThe memoir of a young diplomat's wife who must reinvent her dream of living in Paris--one dish at a time When journalist Ann Mah's diplomat husband is given a three-year assignment in Paris, Ann is overjoyed. A lifelong foodie and Francophile, she immediately begins plotting gastronomic adventures a deux. Then her husband is called away to Iraq on a year-long post--alone. Suddenly, Ann's vision of a romantic sojourn in the City of Light is turned upside down. So, not unlike another diplomatic wife, Julia Child, Ann must find a life for herself in a new city. Journeying through Paris and the surrounding regions of France, Ann combats her loneliness by seeking out the perfect pain au chocolat and learning the way the andouillette sausage is really made. She explores the history and taste of everything from boeuf Bourguignon to soupe au pistou to the crispiest of buckwheat crepes. And somewhere between Paris and the south of France, she uncovers a few of life's truths. Like Sarah Turnbull's "Almost French" and Julie Powell's "New York Times" bestseller "Julie and Julia," " Mastering the Art of French Eating" is interwoven with the lively characters Ann meets and the traditional recipes she samples. Both funny and intelligent, this is a story about love--of food, family, and France.
Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing
by Anya Von BremzenA James Beard Award-winning writer captures life under the Red socialist banner in this wildly inventive, tragicomic memoir of feasts, famines, and three generations Born in 1963, in an era of bread shortages, Anya grew up in a communal Moscow apartment where eighteen families shared one kitchen. She sang odes to Lenin, black-marketeered Juicy Fruit gum at school, watched her father brew moonshine, and, like most Soviet citizens, longed for a taste of the mythical West. It was a life by turns absurd, naively joyous, and melancholy--and ultimately intolerable to her anti-Soviet mother, Larisa. When Anya was ten, she and Larisa fled the political repression of Brezhnev-era Russia, arriving in Philadelphia with no winter coats and no right of return. Now Anya occupies two parallel food universes: one where she writes about four-star restaurants, the other where a taste of humble kolbasa transports her back to her scarlet-blazed socialist past. To bring that past to life, Anya and her mother decide to eat and cook their way through every decade of the Soviet experience. Through these meals, and through the tales of three generations of her family, Anya tells the intimate yet epic story of life in the USSR. Wildly inventive and slyly witty, Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking is that rare book that stirs our souls and our senses.
Mastering the Metal: The Story of James Watson and Eddie Bravo
by James Watson Zack MooreOver the last two decades, Eddie Bravo has been at the forefront of revolutions we&’ve seen in the arts of fighting, comedy, and podcasting. But he wasn&’t alone in his journey.For just over a decade, James Watson and Eddie Bravo were inseparable: musical partners, work colleagues, roommates, and best friends. From metal to rap, our protagonists worked to master the art of music together. Through the story of these past experiences in the pursuit of musical mastery, the reader will get to intimately understand Eddie Bravo and see how those experiences in his youth spent in music made him the man and martial artist he is today. Through the narration of our author, we get the complete picture of the private man behind the Eddie Bravo public persona.
Masterminds: Profiles of Eleven Indian Scientists
by Enakshi ChatterjeeAn introduction to the life and work of eleven Indian scientists is told against the background of political and scientific developments over the last hundred and fifty years. Their interesting personal experiences are also revealed.
Masterpiece in Progress
by Jeff SteinbergThey called his condition Phocomelia, probably the result of Thalidomide or some medication prescribed for his mother. Born with tiny scissored legs, only one arm, and that tiny stump, Jeff spent his first years in a welfare center and then later in a Shriners' Hospital, where he learned to walk in braces, feed himself with a hook, and fight for survival. Later he went to live in a home for the severely disabled, where he would have spent the rest of his life. But God had other plans. The Master Artist was at work putting together the materials that He would use to create another masterpiece. Jeff Steinberg's story is about a masterpiece in progress - living proof of what a person can become when willing to be shaped by the hands of the Master Artist. Someone once described Jeff as having "a face like B.J. Thomas and a voice like Neil Diamond." He now travels around the country, singing about what God has done with his life and encouraging others to be "the best YOU - you can be". Masterpiece in Progresswas written for people who are giving up on themselves, thinking their situation is too hard, that they don't have enough to work with, that life has dealt them a bad hand. Jeff Steinberg's story will inspire anyone to see that their lives, too, can become something beautiful - a masterpiece in progress! Jeff Steinberg's story is an incredible, inspiring demonstration of the eternal and invincible nature of God's Spirit in each of us. Jeff is the Rocky of the "handicapable". -Pat Boone Tough and tenacious, Jeff Steinberg is a survivor. Breaking through into a life for himself and his family, he left behind the crumbled walls of fear, ignorance, and pity. The journey, tough as it has been, is not over. Jeff Steinberg's masterpiece is still in progress. -Joni Eareckson Tada Jeff Steinberg teaches how to make it on grit, gumption, God, and an indomitable will to overcome severe physical limitations. - Zig Ziglar .
Masters and Commanders: How Four Titans Won the War in the West, 1941–1945
by Andrew RobertsThis joint WWII biography of Roosevelt, Churchill, Marshall, and Brooke “is a triumph of vivid description, telling anecdotes, and informed analysis” (The New York Review of Books).Masters and Commanders explores the degree to which the course of the Second World War turned on the relationships and temperaments of four of the strongest personalities of the twentieth century: political masters Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt and the commanders of their armed forces, General Sir Alan Brooke and General George C. Marshall.Each was exceptionally tough-willed and strong-minded, and each was certain that only he knew best how to win the war. Andrew Roberts, “Britain's finest contemporary military historian” (The Economist), traces the mutual suspicion and admiration, the rebuffs and the charm, the often-explosive disagreements and wary reconciliations, and he helps us to appreciate the motives and imperatives of these key leaders as they worked tirelessly in the monumental struggle to destroy Nazism.
Masters and Servants
by Wyatt Mason Pierre MichonOne of Pierre Michon's most powerful works, this book imagines decisive moments in the lives of five artists of different times and places: Vincent van Gogh, Francisco Goya, Antoine Watteau, Claude Lorrain, and Lorentino, a little-remembered disciple of Piero della Francesca. Michon focuses on particular moments when artist and model collide, whether that model is a person or a landscape, inner or outer. In the five separate tales he evokes the full passion of the artist's struggle to capture the world in images even as the world resists capture. Each story is a small masterpiece that transcends national boundaries and earns its place among the essential works of world literature.
Masters of Crime: Fiction's Finest Villains and Their Real-Life Inspirations
by Adam NightingaleThis fascinating volume reveals the real men – and women – behind some of the most infamous London villains ever to appear in fiction. Fagin, Professor Moriarty, Moll Cutpurse and the notorious 'cracksman' A.J. Raffles were all rooted in the lives and deaths of a litany of real-life criminals, agitators and activists. With a special emphasis on the city that spawned them, this book brings together their stories for the first time, and shows how they were woven into fiction by some of Britain’s greatest writers, including Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle. Containing prison escapes, sensational trials, daring art thefts, vicious attacks, roaring boys, black magicians and private detectives, Masters of Crime explores both the real underworld of British crime history, and its fictional counter-parts. It will delight fans of true crime and crime fiction alike.