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My Remarkable Journey: A Memoir
by Katherine Johnson Katherine Moore Joylette HylickThe remarkable woman at heart of the smash New York Times bestseller and Oscar-winning film Hidden Figures tells the full story of her life, including what it took to work at NASA, help land the first man on the moon, and live through a century of turmoil and change.In 2015, at the age of 97, Katherine Johnson became a global celebrity. President Barack Obama awarded her the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation’s highest civilian honor—for her pioneering work as a mathematician on NASA’s first flights into space. Her contributions to America’s space program were celebrated in a blockbuster and Academy-award nominated movie.In this memoir, Katherine shares her personal journey from child prodigy in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia to NASA human computer. In her life after retirement, she served as a beacon of light for her family and community alike. Her story is centered around the basic tenets of her life—no one is better than you, education is paramount, and asking questions can break barriers. The memoir captures the many facets of this unique woman: the curious “daddy’s girl,” pioneering professional, and sage elder. This multidimensional portrait is also the record of a century of racial history that reveals the influential role educators at segregated schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities played in nurturing the dreams of trailblazers like Katherine. The author pays homage to her mentor—the African American professor who inspired her to become a research mathematician despite having his own dream crushed by racism. Infused with the uplifting wisdom of a woman who handled great fame with genuine humility and great tragedy with enduring hope, My Remarkable Journey ultimately brings into focus a determined woman who navigated tough racial terrain with soft-spoken grace—and the unrelenting grit required to make history and inspire future generations.
My Remarkable Journey (Playaway Adult Nonfiction Ser.)
by Larry KingThe definitive autobiography of one of the most legendary and beloved personalities in television history
My Rendezvous with Life
by Mary PickfordFirst published in 1935, this book by famous film actress Mary Pickford is an essay on death and her belief in an afterlife and the undying human spirit.“When we stop to consider that all of life, as we understand it, springs from a little seed, then a progression of life beyond this present experience should not seem such a miraculous thing.“The development of a Sequoia tree growing two hundred and fifty feet into the air and living five thousand years is, to me, more amazing than the transition we call death.“And so why do we humans in this world think of our progression out of it as such a great mystery when the wise ones through the ages have assured us that the only part of us that really can be destroyed is our false and limited conception of life?”—Mary Pickford
My Rescue Dog Rescued Me: Amazing True Stories of Adopted Canine Heroes
by Sharon Ward KeebleMeet the inspirational dogs who went from being rescued to becoming rescuer, in these incredible true stories. You’ll read all about the canine heroes who came to their owner’s aid – whether it was saving them from physical threats, or helping them to recover from mental illness, PTSD and bereavement.
My Right Hand to Goodness: The Life and Times of Crazy Dale Varnam
by Lynn Cook BetzMost wonder how Dale Varnam stayed alive. Dale wonders why.Back in the eighties, the quaint fishing village of Varnamtown, North Carolina—full of zany Southern characters—got rich, and so did town clown Dale Varnam, who perfected his own brand of crazy. Dale rose to the top of the heap in the drug smuggling biz, helping the town&’s livelihood of shrimping go to pot. Although it&’s not big enough to be on most maps, Varnamtown became the second busiest port of entry for illegal drugs on the Eastern Seaboard. Dale Varnam&’s misfit persona contradicts any preconceived notions of an international drug smuggler. His &“good ol&’ southern redneck persona&” belies his past…and oh, what a past! During the 1980s, Dale Varnam was newspaper fodder. He was depicted as a &“show-off,&” &“hot dog,&” and &“homicidal nut case,&” until &“armed career criminal&” became the headline. The prankster extraordinaire now lives in a junkyard morphing into a grandiose roadside attraction of sorts called Ft. Apache, where a sign reads &“A crazy place blessed by God&’s Grace.&” How did Dale get here from what he was? It took two Dales—not just one. &“New Dale&” dusts off &“Old Dale,&” who danced with the devil for over twenty years. Between the Dales were ten years he considers a &“vacation.&” As an informant, he helped bring more than one hundred and fifty of those involved to grand juries resulting in over eighty indictments. Many in Varnamtown succumbed to smuggling. This story does not leave them out; secrets are replaced by revelations, forgiveness, and healing. Forever changed, these God-fearing southern folks got caught up in crime, then caught, before eventually returning to their lives. The widespread corruption of law enforcement and politicians unfurls its tentacles through Dale&’s tales. From courting Manuel Noriega and Pablo Escobar to selling cocaine to Disney characters, from Playboy Bunnies mowing his yard to jungle labs where preserved tongues rested in jars, jaw-dropping events punctuate Dale&’s story from beginning to end.
My Rival, The Sky
by Margo Kurtz Swoosie KurtzIn a compelling memoir as timely and important today as it was when it was first published 70 years ago, a spirited young girl takes to the skies with the love of her life and returns to earth a worldly, wise and self-determined woman.<P><P> Margo Rogers is a poetically inclined college student from a salt-of-the-earth Midwestern family. Frankie Kurtz is a wiry Olympic high-diver who left home at ten and raised himself on the streets. From its beginning, their love story is a soaring adventure. He teaches her to fly; she teaches him to trust. She becomes a wife; he becomes a soldier. <P><P> As Japanese bombs rain down on Frank's position at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines in the terrifying days that follow the attack on Pearl Harbor, from her base in the American prairie, Margo gathers enough strength of will to see them both through these dark days. Blackout curtains fall and wartime censors stand between her and any peace she might find in hearing Frankie's voice. But Margo sets a course for her own fight, armed with imagination, courage, understanding, and a quiet insistence that waiting must be turned into living, lest separation become an abyss too deep to cross. <P> By turns hopeful and heart-warming, poignant and funny, My Rival, the Sky is a riveting personal history of Colonel Frank Kurtz, the most decorated Army Air Corps pilot of World War II. It is also a chronicle of The Swoose--an unstoppable Flying Fortress said to be "part swan, part goose."* It is the story of Margo Kurtz, the force of nature who kept them both from falling. It is a story about the life we create when the world takes away the life we hope for: a powerful message for every military family, every spouse and parent held hostage by their love for brave men and women gone to war. It speaks for all who, from the home front, wage those inner battles through which a peacetime home is once again made whole. <P> *In the late 1940's the Smithsonian Institution accepted possession of The Swoose, where it remained in storage until the National Museum of the United States Air Force acquired it in 2008. After a complete restoration, The Swoose will be placed on display at the museum
My River Chronicles: Rediscovering the Work That Built America - A Personal and Historical Journey
by Jessica DulongFrom dot-com desk job to the hull of an antique fireboat, this unique memoir tells how DuLong discovered the meaning of work on America's first river.
My Russian Grandmother and Her American Vacuum Cleaner
by Meir Shalev Evan FallenbergFrom the author of the acclaimed novel A Pigeon and a Boy comes a charming tale of family ties, over-the-top housekeeping, and the sport of storytelling in Nahalal, the village of Meir Shalev's birth. Here we meet Shalev's amazing Grandma Tonia, who arrived in Palestine by boat from Russia in 1923 and lived in a constant state of battle with what she viewed as the family's biggest enemy in their new land: dirt. Grandma Tonia was never seen without a cleaning rag over her shoulder. She received visitors outdoors. She allowed only the most privileged guests to enter her spotless house. Hilarious and touching, Grandma Tonia and her regulations come richly to life in a narrative that circles around the arrival into the family's dusty agricultural midst of the big, shiny American sweeper sent as a gift by Great-uncle Yeshayahu (he who had shockingly emigrated to the sinful capitalist heaven of Los Angeles!). America, to little Meir and to his forebears, was a land of hedonism and enchanting progress; of tempting luxuries, dangerous music, and degenerate gum-chewing; and of women with painted fingernails. The sweeper, a stealth weapon from Grandpa Aharon's American brother meant to beguile the hardworking socialist household with a bit of American ease, was symbolic of the conflicts and visions of the family in every respect. The fate of Tonia's "svieeperrr"--hidden away for decades in a spotless closed-off bathroom after its initial use--is a family mystery that Shalev determines to solve. The result, in this cheerful translation by Evan Fallenberg, is pure delight, as Shalev brings to life the obsessive but loving Tonia, the pioneers who gave his childhood its spirit of wonder, and the grit and humor of people building ever-new lives.From the Hardcover edition.
My Saber is Bent
by Alexander King Jack Paar John ReddyJack Paar, America’s midnight maverick, has become the most talked-about, most controversial personality in television by speaking out frankly and frequently—and letting the ratings fall where they may. As a result he has been denounced in Washington, attacked in the press, investigated by the Harris committee and sued by Jimmy Hoffa. Yet, withal, he has hobnobbed with presidents and premiers, corralled sponsors and honors galore, discovered more fine new talent than anyone in television history and written a best seller.Much blood has gone over the dam since Mr. Paar’s best-selling I KID YOU NOT. Since then he has found his fun, feuds and frustrations in far-flung corners of the globe. He fought a bull in Spain, outraged Hawaii and created an international furor in Berlin. All this he ascribes to the inscrutable working of Paar’s Law, which formulates the hypothesis that when Paar comes, can trouble be far behind?Here he gives a colorful account of his travels and travails, including his experiences with President Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Willy Brandt and assorted other famous friends and enemies.We give you then the victim of Paar’s Law; a man who seems to possess two left feet; the electronic Jack the Giant Killer who—after years of tilting with windmills and windbags—stands with saber bent but head unbowed.
My Salinger Year
by Joanna RakoffPoignant, keenly observed, and irresistibly funny: a memoir about literary New York in the late nineties, a pre-digital world on the cusp of vanishing, where a young woman finds herself entangled with one of the last great figures of the century. At twenty-three, after leaving graduate school to pursue her dreams of becoming a poet, Joanna Rakoff moves to New York City and takes a job as assistant to the storied literary agent for J. D. Salinger. She spends her days in a plush, wood-paneled office, where Dictaphones and typewriters still reign and old-time agents doze at their desks after martini lunches. At night she goes home to the tiny, threadbare Williamsburg apartment she shares with her socialist boyfriend. Precariously balanced between glamour and poverty, surrounded by titanic personalities, and struggling to trust her own artistic instinct, Rakoff is tasked with answering Salinger's voluminous fan mail. But as she reads the candid, heart-wrenching letters from his readers around the world, she finds herself unable to type out the agency's decades-old form response. Instead, drawn inexorably into the emotional world of Salinger's devotees, she abandons the template and begins writing back. Over the course of the year, she finds her own voice by acting as Salinger's, on her own dangerous and liberating terms. Rakoff paints a vibrant portrait of a bright, hungry young woman navigating a heady and longed-for world, trying to square romantic aspirations with burgeoning self-awareness, the idea of a life with life itself. Charming and deeply moving, filled with electrifying glimpses of an American literary icon, My Salinger Year is the coming-of-age story of a talented writer. Above all, it is a testament to the universal power of books to shape our lives and awaken our true selves. From the Hardcover edition.
My Search for Bill W: Biography
by Mel B.This book is a fascinating, in depth look at who Bill W. really was and how, from his own painful past and a strong bent for anonymity, he emerged as a powerful presence on the American scene.On a cold night in February 1951, Mel B. set out from Pontiac, Michigan, to hear a talk by Bill W., cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Like many who had found strength and sobriety an A.A., Mel felt a great debt of gratitude to Bill W., as well as a deep curiosity about the sort of man who had helped bring about such a vast personal and social movement. After nearly fifty years, during which time Life magazine named Bill W. one of the century's most important Americans. Mel B.'s search for Bill W. culminates in this book: a fascinating, in depth look at who Bill W. really was and how, from his own painful past and a strong bent for anonymity, he emerged as a powerful presence on the American scene. Over the years, through interviews with Bill W. and with Bill W.'s friends, colleagues, and family, Mel B. discovered not just one Bill W., but seven: the power-driving achiever, the fixer, the individualist, the entrepreneur, the communicator, the peacemaker, and the founder/statesman. All of these facets of Bill W. come together in this portrait of a remarkable man, which is also the story of his profound effect on not only the author but also countless others caught up in the search for a better life.
My Second Life: Living with Parkinson's Disease
by William A. HarshawAt the age of 37, Bill Harshaw was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. The news changed his life forever,bringing forth a saga that will give hope to not only Parkinsonians, but to people with chronic disease everywhere. My Second Life is not a detailed road map or a set of instructions. Instead, it is an account of his changing state of mind over the two decades that he has had Parkinson’s Disease.Beginning with his diagnosis at the age of 37, this twenty-year journey covers diagnosis, denial, coping with work, early retirement, experimental neurosurgery, and taking a major leadership role in The Parkinson Foundation of Canada. Bill’s account of the two neurosurgical procedures is the first by a patient of the operations that gave him a second chance at life."They say adversity draws out our deepest human qualities. To read Bill Harshaw’s story is to confirm that truth. From the scrap heap of neurogeneration at the same age as Michael J. Fox, to guinea pig for risky brain surgery and then to resurgence and rejoicing, Bill’s exemplary journey is a metaphor for the vast and positive capabilities of the human spirit." -David C. Simmonds, Chair, Parkinson Foundation of Canada
My Secret Brothers: Separated at Birth and Worlds Apart, the Powerful and Inspiring Story of One Family's Discovery
by Sally HerbertA daughter’s search for her mother’s hidden past reveals long-kept secrets and lies that change both their lives forever Born out of wedlock in Dublin in 1937, Phyllis grows up in a brutal, church-run orphanage. She thinks that if she fulfils her dream of becoming a nurse in England, her life might change for the better. But the feelings of worthlessness instilled by the orphanage perpetuate a series of poor choices. Predisposed by her loveless childhood to a loveless marriage, Phyllis sees her life spiralling out of control, and her daughter, Sally, suffers the repercussions. As her mother’s health deteriorates, Sally tries to understand why it seemed inevitable that her mother’s life and her own would go so spectacularly wrong. Confronted by doubts, she asks questions about Phyllis’s true identity. Who was she? Why was she abandoned? Sally needs to find the answers before it’s too late.After a mission that lasts nearly a decade, searching archives and contacting countless organizations and anyone who will listen, Sally finally uncovers the truth and opens the door to a world so many of us take for granted.
My Secret History
by Paul Theroux"Theroux's best novel in years."CHICAGO TRIBUNEMY SECRET HISTORY is Paul Theroux's tour de force. It is the story of Andre Parent, a writer, a world traveler, a lover of every kind of woman he chances to meet in a life as varied as a man can lead. From his days as an altar boy, to his job as a teenaged lifeguard, and then as a youth caught between the attentions of a beautiful young student and an amorous older woman. And as the boy becomes a man he turns his attention to writing, which brings him fame, and a wife, who may finally bring him to know himself. But not before he sets up his most dangerous secret life, one that any man might envy, but that could cost Andre Parent the delicate balance that makes him who he is....From the Paperback edition.
My Secret Service, Vienna-Sophia-Constantinople-Nish-Belgrade-Asia Minor
by Anon.In 1914, the anonymous author, a journalist by profession with no pretensions to military training, embarked on one of the most outrageous escapades of the First World War as he travelled behind German lines, collecting information on the German war machine. Across Germany, the Balkans and even so far as Turkey, meeting heads of states, ministers and even the Kaiser himself! His story may seem far-fetched, but included in his book (and reproduced with this edition) are a Vienna bread ticket of 1915, the calling card of Halil Bey, and other documents to prove his tale. However, in the modest yet dashing spirit of the times, the author was at pains to point out that "I AM not a spy, that I wish to make abundantly clear; I am a journalist, and I love my profession. Equally well I love adventure and sport, the greatest sport in the world, in which the stake is the player's life."A jaunty read.
My Selma: True Stories of a Southern Childhood at the Height of the Civil Rights Movement
by Willie Mae BrownCombining family stories of the everyday and the extraordinary as seen through the eyes of her twelve-year-old self, Willie Mae Brown gives readers an unforgettable portrayal of her coming of age in a town at the crossroads of history. As the civil rights movement and the fight for voter rights unfold in Selma, Alabama, many things happen inside and outside the Brown family’s home that do not have anything to do with the landmark 1965 march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Yet the famous outrages which unfold on that span form an inescapable backdrop in this collection of stories. In one, Willie Mae takes it upon herself to offer summer babysitting services to a glamorous single white mother—a secret she keeps from her parents that unravels with shocking results. In another, Willie Mae reluctantly joins her mother at a church rally, and is forever changed after hearing Martin Luther King Jr. deliver a defiant speech in spite of a court injunction. Infused with the vernacular of her Southern upbringing, My Selma captures the voice and vision of a fascinating young person—perspicacious, impetuous, resourceful, and even mystical in her ways of seeing the world around her—who gifts us with a loving portrayal of her hometown while also delivering a no-holds-barred indictment of the time and place.
My Senator and Me: A Dog's-eye View of Washington, D.C.
by Edward M. KennedyThere's an old saying: "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." A few years ago, Senator Ted Kennedy decided to do just that. Now his dog, Champion Amigo's Seventh Wave (also known as Splash), is the most famous canine on Capitol Hill. Come follow Senator Kennedy and Splash through one whirlwind day in D.C.-from a press conference to a lunchtime game of fetch to a meeting with a school group to a vote on the Senate floor-as they work to pass an important law that will help schools across the United States. The warm, witty illustrations by Caldecott Medalist David Small offer a wonderful tour of the sights of Washington as well as an endearing portrait of the affection between man and dog. The result is a unique behind-the- scenes look at the life of one of the most energetic figures in American politics--and, of course, his very important owner.
My Sense of Silence: Memoirs of a Childhood with Deafness
by Lennard J. DavisLennard J. Davis grew up as the hearing child of deaf parents. In this candid, affecting, and often funny memoir, he recalls the joys and confusions of this special world, especially his complex and sometimes difficult relationships with his working-class Jewish immigrant parents. Gracefully slipping through memory, regret, longing, and redemption, My Sense of Silence is an eloquent remembrance of human ties and human failings.
My Sergei: A Love Story
by E. M. Swift Ekaterina GordeevaThrown together as children by the Soviet regime and told to skate for the good of the state, Sergei Grinkov and Katia Gordeeva became the most celebrated pairs skaters in the world--falling madly in love, marrying, and having a beautiful baby daughter. But after winning two Olympic gold medals and four World Championships, Katia's world collapsed when Sergei suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 28. A deeply moving, heartfelt memoir of their remarkable lives, this is Katia's final love letter to her beloved Sergei. This edition will contain an epilogue written by Ekaterina Gordeeva.
My Seven Black Fathers: A Young Activist's Memoir of Race, Family, and the Mentors Who Made Him Whole
by Will Jawando"Will Jawando's account of mentorship, service, and healing lays waste to the racist stereotype of the absent Black father. By arguing that Black fathers are not just found in individual families, but are indeed the treasure of entire Black communities, Will makes the case for a bold idea: that Black men can counter racist ideas and policies by virtue of their presence in the lives of Black boys and young men. This is a story we need to hear." —Ibram X. Kendi, New York Times–bestselling author of How to be an AntiracistWill Jawando tells a deeply affirmative story of hope and respect for men of color at a time when Black men are routinely stigmatized. As a boy growing up outside DC, Will, who went by his Nigerian name, Yemi, was shunted from school to school, never quite fitting in. He was a Black kid with a divorced white mother, a frayed relationship with his biological father, and teachers who scolded him for being disruptive in class and on the playground. Eventually, he became close to Kalfani, a kid he looked up to on the basketball court. Years after he got the call telling him that Kalfani was dead, another sickening casualty of gun violence, Will looks back on the relationships with an extraordinary series of mentors that enabled him to thrive.Among them were Mr. Williams, the rare Black male grade school teacher, who found a way to bolster Will’s self-esteem when he discovered he was being bullied; Jay Fletcher, the openly gay colleague of his mother who got him off junk food and took him to his first play; Mr. Holmes, the high school coach and chorus director who saw him through a crushing disappointment; Deen Sanwoola, the businessman who helped him bridge the gap between his American upbringing and his Nigerian heritage, eventually leading to a dramatic reconciliation with his biological father; and President Barack Obama, who made Will his associate director of public engagement at the White House—and who invited him to play basketball on more than one occasion. Without the influence of these men, Will knows he would not be who he is today: a civil rights and education policy attorney, a civic leader, a husband, and a father.Drawing on Will’s inspiring personal story and involvement in My Brother’s Keeper, President Obama’s national initiative to address persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color, My Seven Black Fathers offers a transformative way for Black men to shape the next generation.
My Seven Sons and How We Raised Each Other: (They Only Drive Me Crazy 30% of the Time)
by Don DiamontSoap star Don Diamont's most interesting storyline to date is being the real-life father and ringleader of his seven rambunctious boys.Called a "daytime deity" by Soap Opera Digest, Don Diamont is best known as the dashing publishing titan with steel abs, "Dollar Bill Spencer," on the most-watched daytime drama in the world, The Bold and the Beautiful. But all of that takes second place to his most important role to date: father to seven boys. By turns hilarious and poignant, MY SEVEN SONS AND HOW WE RAISED EACH OTHER is a family memoir for our time. Don writes with openness and courage about the ways his family came together: by marriage, divorce, the death of his sister, and marriage again. Today's blended families might look different from the households of even a few decades ago, but the first dates, first cars, busting curfew, talking back, grounding, broken hearts, laughs, tears, and the love are the same. From his childhood growing up in LA, to his Zoolander phase as a model in both Paris and Los Angeles, to the iconic place he now occupies in daytime television, Don also gives us a glimpse into a life that at times could have been scripted for a soap opera. And, with brutal honesty, he tells of the personal devastation he suffered after the deaths of his father, brother, and sister. MY SEVEN SONS is required reading for everyone who is a parent, and all those who have one.
My Several Worlds: A Personal Record
by Pearl S. BuckThe extraordinary and eventful personal account of the life of Pearl S. Buck, the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize for LiteratureOften regarded as one of Pearl S. Buck's most significant works, My Several Worlds is the memoir of a major novelist and one of the key American chroniclers of China. Buck, who was born to missionary parents in 1892, spent much of the first portion of her life in China, experiencing the Boxer Rebellion first hand and becoming involved with the society with an intimacy available to few outside observers. The book is not only an important reflection on that nation's modern history, but also an account of her re-engagement with America and the intense activity that characterized her life there, from her prolific novel-writing to her loves and friendships to her work for abandoned children and other humanitarian causes. As alive with incident as it is illuminating in its philosophy, My Several Worlds is essential reading for travelers and readers alike. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Pearl S. Buck including rare images from the author's estate.
My Share of the Task: A Memoir
by General Stanley Mcchrystal'General McChrystal is a legendary warrior with a fine eye for enduring lessons about leadership, courage, and consequence' -Tom Brokaw General Stanley McChrystal is widely admired for his hunger to know the truth, his courage to find it, and his humility to listen to those around him. Even as the commanding officer of all U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, he stationed himself forward and frequently went on patrols with his troops to experience their challenges firsthand. In this illuminating New York Times bestseller, McChrystal frankly explores the major episodes and controversies of his career. He describes the many outstanding leaders he served with and the handful of bad leaders he learned not to emulate. And he paints a vivid portrait of how the military establishment turned itself, in one generation, into the adaptive, resilient force that would soon be tested in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the wider War on Terror. 'A compelling account of his impressive career' -The Wall Street Journal 'This is a brilliant book about leadership wrapped inside a fascinating personal narrative' -Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs Stanley McChrystal retired in July 2010 as a four-star general in the U.S. Army. His last assignment was as the commander of the International Security Assistance Force and as the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. He is currently a senior fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and cofounder of the McChrystal Group, a leadership consulting firm. He and his wife, Annie, live in Virginia.
My Share of the Task: A Memoir
by Stanley Mcchrystal"Never shall I fail my comrades. ... I will shoulder more than my share of the task, whatever it may be, one hundred percent and then some." --from the Ranger Creed. In early March 2010, General Stanley McChrystal, the commanding officer of all U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, walked with President Hamid Karzai through a small rural bazaar. As Afghan townspeople crowded around them, a Taliban rocket loudly thudded into the ground some distance away. Karzai looked to McChrystal, who shrugged. The two leaders continued greeting the townspeople and listening to their views. That trip was typical of McChrystal's entire career, from his first day as a West Point plebe to his last day as a four-star general. The values he has come to be widely admired for were evident: a hunger to know the truth on the ground, the courage to find it, and the humility to listen to those around him. Even as a senior commander, McChrystal stationed himself forward, and frequently went on patrols with his troops to experience their challenges firsthand. In this illuminating memoir, McChrystal frankly explores the major episodes and controversies of his eventful career. He delves candidly into the intersection of history, leadership, and his own experience to produce a book of enduring value. Joining the troubled post-Vietnam army as a young officer, McChrystal witnessed and participated in some of our military's most difficult struggles. He describes the many outstanding leaders he served with and the handful of bad leaders he learned not to emulate. He paints a vivid portrait of the traditional military establishment that turned itself, in one generation, into the adaptive, resilient force that would soon be tested in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the wider War on Terror. McChrystal spent much of his early career in the world of special operations, at a time when these elite forces became increasingly effective--and necessary. He writes of a fight waged in the shadows by the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), which he led from 2003 to 2008. JSOC became one of our most effective counterterrorism weapons, facing off against Al Qaeda in Iraq. Over time, JSOC gathered staggering amounts of intelligence in order to find and remove the most influential and dangerous terrorists, including the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The hunt for Zarqawi drives some of the most gripping scenes in this book, as McChrystal's team grappled with tricky interrogations, advanced but scarce technology, weeks of unbroken surveillance, and agonizing decisions. McChrystal brought the same energy to the war in Afghanistan, where the challenges loomed even larger. His revealing account draws on his close relationships with Afghan leaders, giving readers a unique window into the war and the country. Ultimately, My Share of the Task is about much more than war and peace, terrorism and counterinsurgency. As McChrystal writes, "More by luck than design, I'd been a part of some events, organizations, and efforts that will loom large in history, and more that will not. I saw selfless commitment, petty politics, unspeakable cruelty, and quiet courage in places and quantities that I'd never have imagined. But what I will remember most are the leaders."
My Shot: Balancing It All and Standing Tall
by Elena Delle DonneElena Delle Donne, 2015 WNBA MVP and 2016 Olympic gold medalist, shares her inspirational story of being a young basketball prodigy who gave up an impressive basketball scholarship for family and self-discovery. <P><P>Elena Delle Donne has always forged her own path. During her first year of college, she walked away from a scholarship and chance to play for Geno Aurriema at UConn—the most prestigious women’s college basketball program—so she could stay in her home state of Delaware and be close to her older sister, Lizzie, who has several disabilities and can only communicate through hand-over-hand signing. Burned out and questioning her passion for basketball, she attended the University of Delaware and took up volleyball for a year. Eventually she found her way back to her first love, playing basketball for the Blue Hens, ultimately leading them, a mid-major team, to the Sweet Sixteen. She went on to become the second overall selection during the 2013 WNBA draft and the WNBA’s 2015 MVP. <P><P>Elena Delle Donne delivers a powerful and motivational story of overcoming the challenges of competitive sports through balancing hard work and the support of a loving family.