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Promise and Peril: Justin Trudeau in Power
by Aaron WherryAn inside, in-depth look at the leadership of Justin Trudeau, by a veteran political journalist A must-read for all Canadians before the next federal electionJustin Trudeau came to power on the promise of “hope and hard work” and a pledge to seek a common good for all Canadians. From the outset, his critics called him naive, inexperienced and a danger to the economy. His proponents have touted his intentions for the middle class, the environment and refugees, which they argue have moved forward real change despite challenges and criticism. Veteran political journalist Aaron Wherry has extensively interviewed decision-makers, influencers and political insiders, from the prime minister’s closest advisors to cabinet ministers to the prime minister himself, to provide the most in-depth, inside examination—beyond the headlines and the tweets—of how Justin Trudeau has performed on his promises for Canada.Promise and Peril: Justin Trudeau in Power explores how the Trudeau government has succeeded or failed in its biggest commitments—resource development, immigration, climate change, trade, reconciliation—against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, global political tumult and the roar of populist revolt. It reveals what was happening behind the scenes during the government’s most crucial and public moments, including:· the NAFTA negotiations· the infamous Trump tweets at the G7 summit· that island vacation· the SNC-Lavalin affairPromise and Peril is a must-read for all voters before the next election. It examines whether a politician who came to office with immense potential has measured up to expectations—and what is at stake for Canada’s future at home and abroad.
Promise and Power: The Life and Times of Robert McNamara
by Deborah ShapelyA comprehensive biography of Robert S. McNamara follows his road to Secretary of Defense, where, during the 1960s, he shaped nuclear policy and orchestrated U. S. involvement in Vietnam.
Promise at Dawn
by Romain GaryA romantic, thrilling memoir that has become a French classic. Promise at Dawn by Romain Gary (1914-80), a classic of modern French literature, has all the earmarks of a richly romantic novel. It is all the more thrilling, therefore, to read it and know that this is not fiction but a real-life story. As a young child, Romain Gary's mother told him that a day would come when he would have to challenge and conquer the evil demons of submission and defeat. After all, he was to be a French military hero, ambassador, noted writer, and ladies' man . . . . Thus anticipating battle, by the time of his death he had won the Cross of the Liberation, the Croix de Guerre, the Legion of Honor, the Prix Goncourt (the last rather a comedown, as his mother had mentioned the Nobel Prize); and he had been the French consul-general in Los Angeles. Promise at Dawn begins as the story of a mother's sacrifice. Alone and poor she fights fiercely to give her son the very best. Gary chronicles his childhood with her in Russia, Poland, and on the French Riveria. And he recounts his adventurous life as a young man fighting for France in World War II. But above all he tells the story of the love for his mother that was his very life, their secret and private planet, their wonderland "born out of a mother's murmur into a child's ear, a promise whispered at dawn of future triumphs and greatness, of justice and love."
Promise of a Dream: Remembering the Sixties
by Sheila RowbothamPromise of a Dream is a moving, witty and poignant recollection of a time when young women were breaking all the rules about sex, politics and their place in the world. Sheila Rowbotham, best known for A Century of Women, Threads Through Time and Hidden From History, turns her hand here to memoir. The result is a wryly amusing account of her younger self, and a sparkling portrait of the exhilaration and enthusiasm of the sixties.
Promised by Heaven
by Mary Helen HensleyA moving and inspirational memoir of love, loss, and renewal, Promised by Heaven tells the amazing story of how one woman's near-death experience and glimpse of heaven led her to discover her gifts of healing and share them with the world.In December of 1991, Mary Helen Hensley was involved in a car accident that changed her life forever. Upon impact, traveling at more than seventy-five miles per hour, she felt time stall and temporarily left her body. In those moments, Mary Helen was consumed with a sudden clarity. She realized she had the choice to either remain in her body or exit from the earth, allowing the remainder of the scene to unfold without feeling any pain. She chose to depart from her body--and enter heaven. In heaven, Mary Helen was welcomed by two angels who walked her through the place of light and encouraged her to go back to earth and help others. When she returned to earth, Mary Helen was suddenly struck with a desire to live a life of service and quickly set out on a journey into metaphysical healing. Her adventures took her to Ireland, where she went on to become a chiropractor, find love and new friendships, become a mother, and help numerous people with her gifts of communicating with the dead and seeing into the future. Promised by Heaven is a remarkable spiritual journey that questions everything we understand to be true. Describing in great detail her experience in heaven, meeting angels, and returning to earth a changed woman, Mary Helen Hensley offers an unforgettable account of her path to find her true calling.
Promised the Moon: The Untold Story of the First Women in the Space Race
by Stephanie NolenA female world-record-setting pilot, Jerrie Cobb was recruited in 1959 to take the astronaut tests. She excelled, so the doctor who supervised the selection of NASA's Mercury astronauts recruited additional female pilots. Twelve performed exceptionally. Stephanie Nolen tracked down eleven of the surviving "Fellow Lady Astronaut Trainees" and learned the story of those early days of the space race and the disappointment when, in 1961, the women were grounded.
Promises I Made My Mother
by Sam Haskell David RensinWhat would my mother say? How would she want me to handle this situation? How can I make this tough decision and stay true to myself? What would my mother say? Sam Haskell still asks himself these questions every day. When Haskell was young, his devoted mother, Mary, instilled in her son the values of character, faith, and honor by setting an example and asking him to promise to live his life according to her lessons. He did, and those promises have served Haskell consistently from his Mississippi boyhood to his long career at the venerable William Morris Agency in Beverly Hills. In this inspiring memoir full of touching stories and amusing anecdotes, Haskell reveals how he kept his pledge to his mother to live a decent life - even in the shark-infested waters of Hollywood, where he handled the hottest stars and packaged the highest-rated shows - by refusing to become the cliché of an amoral agent. Here is Haskell as a child in Amory, Mississippi (pop. 7,000), discovering the power of hope as he waits for an unlikely visit from the "Cheer Man" (a representative of the detergent company who gave ten dollars to anyone using the brand), learning humility after pursuing an eighth-grade "Good Citizenship" award he cockily assumed he'd win, confronting the complications of human character when a near-fatal car crash exposed his judgmental father's true nature. Years later, in Hollywood, Haskell would rely on his mother's teachings - honesty, self-reliance, and belief in God - as he swiftly rose from the William Morris mailroom to eventually become the company's Worldwide Head of Television. His capacity for friendship and his insistence on living his version of the Golden Rule (being "thoughtfully political") allowed him to handle various client crises and the tense negotiations that nearly scuttled the last years of Everybody Loves Raymond and the entire existence of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Haskell has achieved success through self-respect, and from his story we learn how we, too, can maintain our dignity when faced with life's challenges. This stirring memoir is a testament to mothers everywhere who instill in their sons the lasting values they need to become good men and devoted fathers. From the Hardcover edition.
Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America
by Sharon RobinsonA warm, intimate portrait of Jackie Robinson, America's sports icon, told from the unique perspective of a unique insider: his only daughter. Sharon Robinson shares memories of her famous father in this warm loving biography of the man who broke the color barrier in baseball. Jackie Robinson was an outstanding athlete, a devoted family man and a dedicated civil rights activist. The author explores the fascinating circumstances surrounding Jackie Robinson's breakthrough. She also tells the off-the-field story of Robinson's hard-won victories and the inspiring effect he had on his family, his community. . . his country! Includes never-before-published letters by Jackie Robinson, as well as photos from the Robinson family archives.
Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America
by Sharon RobinsonThe bestselling classic biography of Jackie Robinson, America's legendary baseball player and civil rights activist, told from the unique perspective of an insider: his only daughter.Sharon Robinson shares memories of her famous father in this warm loving biography of the man who broke the color barrier in baseball -- and taught his children that the only measure of life is the impact you have on others lives'.Promises to Keep is the story of Jackie Robinson's hard-won victories in baseball, business, politics, and civil rights. It looks at the inspiring effect the legendary Brooklyn Dodger had on his family, his community ... his country. Told from the unique perspective of Robinson's only daughter, this intimate and uplifting book includes photos from the Robinson family archives and family letters never published before.Jackie Robinson is one our great national heroes. Promises to Keep reminds us what made him a champion -- on and off the field!
Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics
by Joe Biden"Nearly forty years after I first got involved, I remain captivated by the possibilities of politics and public service. In fact, I believe that my chosen profession is a noble calling. That's why I wanted to be a part of it."-Joe BidenAs a United States senator from Delaware since 1973, Joe Biden has been an intimate witness to the major events of the past four decades and a relentless actor in trying to shape recent American history. He has seen up close the tragic mistake of the Vietnam War, the Watergate and Iran-contra scandals, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the reunification of Germany, the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, a presidential impeachment, a presidential resignation, and a presidential election decided by the Supreme Court. He's observed Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and two Bushes wrestling with the presidency; he's traveled to war zones in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa and seen firsthand the devastation of genocide. He played a vital role by standing up to Ronald Reagan's effort to seat Judge Robert Bork on the Supreme Court, fighting for legislation that protects women against domestic violence, and galvanizing America's response (and the world's) to Slobodan Milosevic's genocidal march in the Balkans. In Promises to Keep, Biden reveals what these experiences taught him about himself, his colleagues, and the institutions of government.With his customary candor, Biden movingly recounts growing up in a staunchly Catholic multigenerational household in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, Delaware; overcoming a demoralizing stutter; marriage, fatherhood, and the tragic death of his wife Neilia and infant daughter Naomi; remarriage and re-forming a family with his second wife, Jill; success and failure in the Senate and on the campaign trail; two life-threatening aneurysms; his relations with fellow lawmakers on both sides of the aisle; and his leadership of powerful Senate committees.Through these and other recollections, Biden shows us how the guiding principles he learned early in life-the obligation to work to make people's lives better, to honor family and faith, to get up and do the right thing no matter how hard you've been knocked down, to be honest and straightforward, and, above all, to keep your promises-are the foundations on which he has based his life's work as husband, father, and public servant. Promises to Keep is the story of a man who faced down personal challenges and tragedy to become one of our most effective leaders. It is also an intimate series of reflections from a public servant who refuses to be cynical about political leadership, and a testament to the promise of the United States.From the Hardcover edition.
Prompt and Utter Destruction: Truman and the use of Atomic Bombs Against Japan,Revised Edition
by J. Samuel WalkerIn this concise account of why America used atomic bombs against Japan in 1945, J. Samuel Walker analyzes the reasons behind President Truman's most controversial decision.
Proof Of Conspiracy: How Trump's International Collusion Is Threatening American Democracy
by Seth AbramsonIn late 2015, convicted pedophile, international dealmaker, and cooperating witness in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation George Nader convened a secret meeting aboard a massive luxury yacht in the Red Sea. Nader pitched Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and other Middle Eastern leaders a plan for a new pro-U.S., pro-Israel alliance of Arab nations that would fundamentally alter the geopolitics of the Middle East while marginalizing Iran, Qatar, and Turkey. To succeed, the plan would need a highly placed American politician willing to drop sanctions on Russia so that Vladimir Putin would in turn agree to end his support for Iran. They agreed the perfect American partner was Donald Trump, who had benefited immensely from his Saudi, Emirati, and Russian dealings for many years, and who, in 2015, became the only U.S. presidential candidate to argue for a unilateral end to Russian sanctions and a far more hostile approach to Iran. So begins New York Times bestselling author Seth Abramson’s explosive new book Proof of Conspiracy: How Trump's International Collusion Threatens American Democracy, a story of international intrigue whose massive cast of characters includes Israeli intelligence operatives, Russian oligarchs, Saudi death squads, American mercenary companies, Trump’s innermost circle, and several members of the Trump family as well as Trump himself—all part of a clandestine multinational narrative that takes us from Washington, D.C. and Moscow to the Middle Eastern capitals of Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Jerusalem, Cairo, Tehran, and Doha. Proof of Conspiracy is a chilling and unforgettable depiction of the dangers America and the world now face.
Proof of Angels: The Definitive Book on the Reality of Angels and the Surprising Role They Play in Each of Our Lives
by Ptolemy Tompkins Tyler BeddoesFrom the collaborator of the blockbuster bestseller Proof of Heaven comes the definitive book proving angels are real, all around us, and interacting in our lives every day.In March 2015, millions worldwide were captivated by news reports of the dramatic rescue of an eighteen month old girl, Lily Groesbeck, who’d somehow survived fourteen hours in an overturned car partially submerged in an icy-cold Utah river after her mother apparently lost control of the vehicle. A voice the four responding officers assumed was the child’s mother still trapped inside spurred them on: “Help me, help me.” Yet, once the two victims were recovered, it was clear that the voice could not have come from Lily’s mother: she’d been killed on impact. New York Times bestselling author Ptolemy Tompkins, with the help of Tyler Beddoes, one of the responding officers who helped rescue Lily, will explain this modern-day miracle and the existence of angels in our world. Proof of Angels weaves real-life stories into a rich narrative, exploring the history, nature, and significance of angels in our lives. With an introduction by Colleen Hughes, the editor-in-chief of Angels on Earth magazine, Proof of Angels proves that the barrier between the spiritual and the scientific is less certain than we often think. Not only does Tompkins offer a highly entertaining look into a universally fascinating topic, but he also delivers a fresh and deeply reassuring message: we are not alone.
Proof of God: The Shocking True Answer to the World's Most Important Question
by Bernard Haisch Ptolemy TompkinsA Seeker, a Scientist, and the Stunning Answer to the World&’s Oldest Question Ptolemy Tompkins, collaborator on the New York Times bestselling Proof of Heaven and Proof of Angels, is at his lowest point, personally and professionally, when he meets with an astrophysicist with a message for the world: God is real, and science proves it.Proof of God is the unlikely story of how this serious scientist and this broken writer, in a series of conversations stretching over several months, come to understand that the universe—from the smallest sub-atomic particles that make up everything in existence to the farthest reaches of the universe—bears evidence of a creator. In short, God not only exists, but science gives us tools to know this. Proof of God shows how science and religion both point to the same stunning and world-changing truth: God is real.
Proof of Life: Twenty Days on the Hunt for a Missing Person in the Middle East
by Daniel Levin&“Riveting . . . Well-written and highly compelling."—Wall Street Journal&“Truly thrilling. Daniel Levin brilliantly conveys both the menace and the evil of Middle Eastern intrigue, and some victories of human kindness over cruelty and despair.&”—Daniel Kahneman, New York Times bestselling author of Thinking, Fast and Slow Daniel Levin was in his New York office when he got a call from an acquaintance with an urgent, cryptic request to meet in Paris. A young man had gone missing in Syria. No government, embassy, or intelligence agency would help. Could he? Would he? So begins a suspenseful, shocking, and at times brutal true story of one man&’s search to find a missing person in Syria over twenty tense days. Levin, a lawyer turned armed-conflict negotiator, chases leads throughout the Middle East, meeting with powerful sheikhs, drug lords, and sex traffickers in his pursuit of the truth. In Proof of Life, Levin dives deep into the shadows—an underground industry of war where everything is for sale, including arms, drugs, and even people. He offers a fascinating study of how people use leverage to get what they want from one another and of a place where no one does a favor without wanting something in return, whether it&’s immediately or years down the road. A fast-paced thriller wrapped in a memoir, Proof of Life is a cinematic must-read by an author with access to a world that usually remains hidden.
Property Of Folsom Wolf
by Don LasseterA 1980s ex-con takes an unhappy housewife as his sex slave and becomes a cross-country serial killer in this true crime story by the author of Die for Me. Veteran investigative reporter Lasseter delivers the incredible true story of Cynthia Coffman, the St. Louis housewife who abandoned her family and became the sex-slave of ex-Folsom Prison convict James Gregory Marlow, known to his fellow inmates as &“Folsom Wolf.&” Together, the pair went on a cross-country spree of sex, torture and murder that ended with their convictions and death sentences.
Property of the Revolution: From a Cuban Barrio to a New Hampshire Mill Town—A Memoir
by Ana Hebra Flaster&“Written with the vividness of a poet and the reflexivity of an auto-ethnographer . . . a classic story about displacement, resilience, and triumph, Property of the Revolution offers fresh perspectives and a deeper understanding of the intersectional meanings of home, country, and family.&”—Richard Blanco, 2013 Presidential Inaugural Poet, author of The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood. In this sweeping, historical, yet intimate memoir, the author details her family&’s transformation from pro-Castro revolutionaries in a scrappy Havana barrio to refugees in a New Hampshire mill town—a timeless and timely tale of loss and reinvention.Ana Hebra Flaster was six years old when her working-class family was kicked out of their Havana barrio for opposing communism. Once devoted revolutionaries themselves but disillusioned by the Castro government&’s repressive tactics, they fled to the US. The permanent losses they suffered—of home, country, and loved ones, all within forty-eight hours—haunted her multigenerational family as they reclaimed their lives and freedom in 1967 New Hampshire. There, they fed each other stories of their scrappy barrio—some of which Hebra Flaster has shared on All Things Considered—to resurrect their lost world and fortify themselves for a daunting task: building a new life in a foreign land. Weaving pivotal events in Cuba–US history with her viejos&’—elders&’—stories of surviving political upheaval, impossible choices, and &“refugeedom,&” Property of the Revolution celebrates the indomitable spirit and wisdom of the women warriors who led the family out of Cuba, shaped its rebirth as Cuban Americans, and helped Ana grow up hopeful, future-facing—American. But what happens when deeply buried childhood memories resurface, demanding an adult&’s reckoning? Here&’s how the fiercest love, the most stubborn will, and the power of family put nine new Americans back on their feet.
Property: The True Story of a Polygamous Church Wife
by Carol Christie John ChristieThe true story of a brave woman’s nearly 40 years in a polygamous cult, her eventual escape, and her struggle to integrate into a world she barely knew. In the early 1970s an innocent teenager who had led a sheltered life was forced to leave her family and enter into a polygamous, abusive, and deviant relationship with a man called the Prophet. In 2008, nearly 40 years later, she fled his religious sect. Property is not a misnomer. It accurately depicts how the women in the sect were treated. Carol Christie reveals the degradation, abuse, and brainwashing that the Church Wives endured. She exposes the physical abuse, the mental cruelty, the slave labour, and the sexual deviance that took place near Owen Sound, a small community just a few hours north of Toronto, as well as at other locations. She describes the many opportunities that officials had to investigate but walked away from, swayed by the charismatic Prophet. Carol is building a new life, one of freedom and options. With no money and no job she started again and is now dedicated to helping others who have escaped while raising awareness about the dangers of the cult.
Prophecy
by Sandro VeronesiFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE HUMMINGBIRD'The dawn will still be far away, and you will lift your eyes to the sky, and the sky will be as black as sackcloth and ashes'Addressed to a 'you' that encompasses the author, the reader and all of us at once, narrated in the future tense of apocalyptic texts and inspired by Sandro Veronesi's own experience of caring for his elderly parents, Prophecy is a powerful and unforgettable story of immense grief and infinite love.A visionary take on life by one of today's most remarkable writers.PRAISE FOR SANDRO VERONESI'S THE HUMMINGBIRDWinner of the Premio Strega | A Guardian and Spectator Book of the Year'Magnificent'GUARDIAN'A towering achievement'FINANCIAL TIMES'Inventive, bold, unexpected'SUNDAY TIMES'Masterly'IAN MCEWAN'Extraordinary'HOWARD JACOBSON'A real masterpiece'LEILA SLIMANI
Prophecy
by Sandro VeronesiFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE HUMMINGBIRD'The dawn will still be far away, and you will lift your eyes to the sky, and the sky will be as black as sackcloth and ashes'Addressed to a 'you' that encompasses the author, the reader and all of us at once, narrated in the future tense of apocalyptic texts and inspired by Sandro Veronesi's own experience of caring for his elderly parents, Prophecy is a powerful and unforgettable story of immense grief and infinite love.A visionary take on life by one of today's most remarkable writers.PRAISE FOR SANDRO VERONESI'S THE HUMMINGBIRDWinner of the Premio Strega | A Guardian and Spectator Book of the Year'Magnificent'GUARDIAN'A towering achievement'FINANCIAL TIMES'Inventive, bold, unexpected'SUNDAY TIMES'Masterly'IAN MCEWAN'Extraordinary'HOWARD JACOBSON'A real masterpiece'LEILA SLIMANI
Prophet Against Slavery: Benjamin Lay, A Graphic Novel
by David LesterThe revolutionary life of an 18th-century dwarf activist who was among the first to fight against slavery and animal cruelty.Prophet Against Slavery is an action-packed chronicle of the remarkable and radical Benjamin Lay, based on the award-winning biography by Marcus Rediker that sparked the Quaker community to re-embrace Lay after 280 years of disownment. Graphic novelist David Lester brings the full scope of Lay&’s activism and ideas to life.Born in 1682 to a humble Quaker family in Essex, England, Lay was a forceful and prescient visionary. Understanding the fundamental evil that slavery represented, he would unflinchingly use guerrilla theatre tactics and direct action to shame slave owners and traders in his community. The prejudice that Lay suffered as a dwarf and a hunchback, as well as his devout faith, informed his passion for human and animal liberation. Exhibiting stamina, fortitude, and integrity in the face of the cruelties practiced against what he called his &“fellow creatures,&” he was often a lonely voice that spoke truth to power.Lester&’s beautiful imagery and storytelling, accompanied by afterwords from Rediker and Paul Buhle, capture the radicalism, the humor, and the humanity of this truly modern figure. A testament to the impact each of us can make, Prophet Against Slavery brings Lay&’s prophetic vision to a new generation of young activists who today echo his call of 300 years ago: &“No justice, no peace!&”
Prophet Muhammad: The Beloved Messenger of Allah
by Mustafa ErdoganThis book is a short summary of Prophet Muhammad's life for the younger readers. It presents major milestones in the life of the Prophet with an easy to understand style in line with the mainstream Islamic tradition. It is also a great bedtime story book for interested families who want to read from the life of the Prophet.
Prophet With Honor, Kids Edition: The Billy Graham Story (ZonderKidz Biography)
by William C. MartinHis Message Would Be Heard Around The WorldNo one guessed he would change the world. A simple country farm boy once prayed that God would use him…and prayed…and prayed. And God did use him, beyond what he ever imagined. He grew into a man who would lead millions of people to Christ, a man who would be known as the greatest evangelist of our time. Come read the story of Billy Graham and follow his life from his days as a boy, who wasn’t so great in school, to a man who would teach the world the greatest lesson of all: how to know and live for Christ.
Prophet of Purpose: The Inside Story of Rick Warren and His Rise to Global Prominence
by Jeffrey L. ShelerRick Warren is arguably the most influential man in American religion today. Megachurch pastor, friend of world leaders, and trend-setting spiritual entrepreneur, he is widely recognized as the new public face of evangelical Christianity in America. No other modern churchman has matched his success as a leader and motivator of Christians. His book, The Purpose-Driven Life, is the bestselling nonfiction hardcover of all time, with more than 25 million copies sold. At a time when evangelicalism stands at a political and cultural crossroads, his stature continues to rise.But who is Rick Warren? What can be learned from the story of the man behind the message? And what does his life say about the state of Christianity today?Prophet of Purpose: The Life of Rick Warren traces the road Warren has traveled, the influences in his life, his trials and temptations, and the opposition he has encountered along the way. Honest, thorough, and insightful, it explores his spiritual coming of age during the turbulent 1960s, his principled determination to sit out the divisive battles between fundamentalists and moderates in the Southern Baptist Convention in the late 1970s, and his audacious endeavor in the 1980s to build a "church for people who hate church" in the suburbs of Los Angeles. From a handful of worshippers meeting in a tiny apartment, he grew a vibrant congregation of over 22,000 and a global network of pastors who follow his strategies for building churches and transforming lives. In this unofficial biography, Jeffery L. Sheler, who had unfettered access to Warren and those closest to him, presents an intimate portrait of Warren as a man of faith and vision but also of flesh and blood and human foibles-a pastor, communicator, philanthropist, and family man who is driven by a sense of divine purpose to complete the course his God has set before him.Prophet of Purpose brings Warren and his mission to life and provides a provocative glimpse into the potential future of Christianity in America.From the Hardcover edition.
Prophet: The Life and Times of Kahlil Gibran
by Robin WaterfieldBorn in the mountains of northern Lebanon, Kahlil Girbran (1883-1931) - mystic, society philosopher, author of one of the most enduring works of the 20th century, The Prophet - immigrated to the United States in 1895. A gifted artist, who specialized in painting for some years before he turned to writing, Gibran - although initially spurned by those whose approval he sought - was in time beloved by a number of prominent avant-gardists and hobnobbed with the rich and famous of Henry James's turn-of-the-century Boston. He then set his sights on the bohemian world of Greenwich Village in its early heyday before World War I.Gibran is known for the peace and optimism that permeates his work. Paradoxically, however, his life was littered with personal tragedies, conflicted sexuality, and deep heartache. Robin Waterfield skillfully traces Gibran's development from wounded Romantic and angry young man to his final metamorphosis as the Prophet of New York and shows what influences - psychological, social, and literary - led to these various phases. In fact, the road to the extraordinary success of The Prophet was not smooth or peaceful and tragically, Gibran himself did not live to see the phenomenal sales the book subsequently achieved. A complete reappraisal of all the remaining primary sources on Gibran's life and character, PROPHET is a brilliant work that reveals this Svengali-like guru of the New Age as a deeply unhappy, even tortured man.