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Power: A Novel
by Howard FastHoward Fast&’s thrilling story of Benjamin Holt, mineworker and hero of the modern labor movementBenjamin R. Holt, the tough-as-nails leader of the International Miners Union, has a grand and controversial plan: to unite American coal miners in a major strike. His goal is not to advance any political cause, but simply to grab as much power as he can for the miners, and by any means necessary. Based on the life story of John L. Lewis, who for forty years served as president of the United Mine Workers of America, Power is an unforgettable portrait of one man whose courage changed the lives of countless others. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Howard Fast including rare photos from the author&’s estate.
Power: The 50 Truths
by Douglas E. SchoenA Simon & Schuster eBook. Simon & Schuster has a great book for every reader.
Powerful Like a Dragon
by Christopher ChengIn this life-affirming picture book, acclaimed author Christopher Cheng weaves the true story of his family’s search for safety in the midst of war, demonstrating the strength of children in the face of the impossible.Young Shu Lok didn’t know there was a war until it appeared on his doorstep.Overnight, everything changes. His parents send him away, tucking him into a basket alongside his cousins to be carried to safety.They travel in search of a place the war does not reach, over cloud-wreathed clifftops, and through cold, hungry nights where a rocky bed and cold bean curd cake are all that await him.But Shu Lok comes to find that war does not define him. He remembers his parents’ words: be powerful like a dragon. Even if food and comfort are scarce, strength, resilience, and kindness can always be found. Even in the harshest times, dragons can learn to fly.Based on author Christopher Cheng’s true family story and with breathtaking, sweeping illustrations by Jacqueline Tam, Powerful Like a Dragon is an honest and heartfelt invitation into one child’s experience during the Imperial Japanese invasion of Hong Kong in 1941.
Powerhouse: Arrington from Illinois
by Taylor PensoneauW. Russell Arrington's name may not have been a household word across the country, but everything about him was classic American - from his proud immigrant ancestry and auspicious birthdate (July 4th) - to his rise from poverty to wealth and consummate legal, business, and political careers. Growing up in modest circumstances, Arrington became an attorney and headed for Chicago. He combined a successful law practice with major accomplishments in the business world, and later emerged as a civic leader. From his days of "citizen legislator" to "powerhouse" politician, the twenty-six year political career of Illinois State Senator W. Russell Arrington characterized the evolution of a quintessential legislator perhaps as no other in the twentieth century.
Powerhouse: The Untold Story of Hollywood's Creative Artists Agency
by James Andrew Miller<P>An astonishing--and astonishingly entertaining--history of Hollywood's transformation over the past five decades as seen through the agency at the heart of it all, from the #1 bestselling co-author of Live from New York and Those Guys Have All the Fun. <P>The movies you watch, the TV shows you adore, the concerts and sporting events you attend--behind the curtain of nearly all of these is an immensely powerful and secretive corporation known as Creative Artists Agency. Started in 1975, when five bright and brash employees of a creaky William Morris office left to open their own, strikingly innovative talent agency, CAA would come to revolutionize the entertainment industry, and over the next several decades its tentacles would spread aggressively throughout the worlds of movies, television, music, advertising, and investment banking. <P>Powerhouse is the fascinating, no-holds-barred saga of that ascent. Drawing on unprecedented and exclusive access to the men and women who built and battled with CAA, as well as financial information never before made public, author James Andrew Miller spins a tale of boundless ambition, ruthless egomania, ceaseless empire building, greed, and personal betrayal. It is also a story of prophetic brilliance, magnificent artistry, singular genius, entrepreneurial courage, strategic daring, foxhole brotherhood, and how one firm utterly transformed the entertainment business. <P>Here are the real Star Wars--complete with a Death Star--told through the voices of those who were there. Packed with scores of stars from movies, television, music, and sports, as well as a tremendously compelling cast of agents, studio executives, network chiefs, league commissioners, private equity partners, tech CEOs, and media tycoons, Powerhouse is itself a Hollywood blockbuster of the most spectacular sort. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
Powers Of Imagining: Ignatius De Loyola - A Philosophical Hermeneutic Of Imagining Through The Collected Works Of Ignatius De Loyola
by Antonio T. de NicolasThis book presents a new translation of the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius de Loyola, of his Spiritual Diary, of his Autobiography, and some of his letters. These translations are introduced by a hermeneutical commentary laying out the theory and practices of the decision-making power of imagining. Ignatius proposed in his Spiritual Exercises a form of decision-oriented mysticism, and through their use, gathered around him a group of associates who became the firs members of the Jesuit Order. Under the control of later, doctrinally oriented theologians, the practical, decision-oriented mystical character of the original Exercises was gradually replaced by a more theoretical and devotional character. Antonio T. de Nicolas recovers in his translations and through his critical apparatus, the original decision-oriented thrust of Ignatius.
Practical Electronics For Inventors, Fourth Edition
by Simon Monk Paul ScherzA Fully Updated, No Nonsense Guide to Electronics Advance your electronics knowledge and gain the skills necessary to develop and construct your own functioning gadgets. Written by a pair of experienced engineers and dedicated hobbyists, Practical Electronics for Inventors, Fourth Edition, lays out the essentials and provides step by step instructions, schematics, and illustrations. Discover how to select the right components, design and build circuits, use microcontrollers and ICs, work with the latest software tools, and test and tweak your creations. This easy to follow book features new instruction on programmable logic, semiconductors, operational amplifiers, voltage regulators, power supplies, digital electronics, and more.
Practical Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategies Based on the Legacy of Dr. Joseph L. White
by Bedford Palmer IIPractical Social Justice brings together the mentorship experiences of a diverse group of leaders across business, academia, and the public sector. They relay the lessons they learned from Dr. Joseph L. White through personal narratives, providing a critical analysis of their experience, and share their best practices and recommendations for those who want to truly live up to their potential as leaders and mentors. As one of the founding members of the Association of Black Psychologists, the Equal Opportunity Program, and the ‘Freedom Train’ this book focuses on celebrating Dr. White’s legacy, and translating real world experience in promoting social justice change. Experiential narratives from contributors offer a framework for both the mentee and the mentor, and readers will learn how to develop people and infrastructure strategically to build a sustainable legacy of social justice change. They will be presented with ways to pragmatically focus social justice efforts, favoring results over ego. This is a unique and highly accessible book that will be useful across disciplines and generations, in which the authors illustrate how to build relationships, inspire buy-in, and develop mutually beneficial partnerships that move people and systems towards a more equitable, inclusive, and just future. Providing a personal guide to developing an infrastructure for institutional change, Practical Social Justice is based on over half a century of triumph, translated through the lenses of leaders who have used these lessons to measurable and repeatable success. This book will be essential reading for undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of Psychology, Social Work, Ethnic Studies, Sociology, Public Policy, Leadership, Communications, Business, and Educational Administration. It is also important reading for professionals including leaders and policy makers in organisations dealing with issues around diversity, equity, and inclusion, and anyone interested in promoting social justice.
Practical Vedanta
by Swami VivekanandaIn this concise series of lectures, famed Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda answers the important question: how can Vedanta be made practical in our daily lives? Though intended for Western audiences, Vivekananda's idea of sacralizing every moment has transformed the lives of generations of spiritual seekers.
Practically Divine
by Becca StevensThere is no secret formula to experiencing the sacred in our lives--it just takes practice and practicality. No matter where we are—on a walk in the woods, in a sacred building, or in a dusty refugee camp—signs of love abound. When we allow ourselves to embrace both ordinary and extraordinary experiences, we can feel the divine anywhere.You&’re invited to search this path with Becca Stevens, as she explores what it means to be practically divine. Woven throughout the narrative strands are poetry and rants, as well as ruminations on her mother&’s wit and wisdom—and the passion she instilled in Becca for creating something from nothing.Embracing the practically divine compels us to do something, anything, to share in the feast of love together. When we start from wherever we are, we can recognize the potential for humor, wonder, and freedom. Experience is nine-tenths of love.Standing in a geranium field, smelling dark soil fertilized by rabbit poop is different from reading about the healing properties of geraniums. Walking beside a woman in a refugee camp as she covers her baby&’s face from the dry, red dust is different than imagining how hard it is for moms in camps. Our senses transform information into holy compassion. When we open our hearts to it, we can experience the divine anywhere - like sacred breadcrumbs marking our path. This path is filled with humor, humility, and honesty.We can all learn to live a life that&’s practically divine by:Redefining old lies and stories, to learn from the past Appreciating the gifts that come from imperfections or traumaUsing creativity to spark new revolutions Accepting the chaos of the unknown before us with courage Sharing in a feast of love, knowing there&’s enough mercy and forgiveness
Practically Perfect in Every Way
by Jennifer NiessleinFrom Dr. Phil to the Fly Lady??A level-headed, laugh-out-loud tour of the loopy world of self-help.?( Ann Crittenden, author of The Price of Motherhood and If You?ve Raised Kids, You Can Manage Anything) Jennifer Niesslein has an okay life. But, dogged by a sense of dissatisfaction and a yearning for something she can?t quite name, she embarks on a two-year experiment, taking all manner of self-help advice? from housecleaning to marital to spiritual?in an effort to become a better, happier person. What Niesslein learns is that the road to self-help Nirvana is fraught with peril. She also discovers that there is such a thing as the good life?it?s just a question of how perfect you have to be to get it.
Practicing Catholic
by James CarrollA personal examination of the Catholic faith, its leaders, and its complicated history by a National Book Award–winning, New York Times-bestselling author.James Carroll turns to the notion of practice—both as a way to learn and a means of improvement—as a lens for this thoughtful and frank look at what it means to be Catholic. He acknowledges the slow and steady transformation of the Church from its darker medieval roots to a more pluralist and inclusive institution, charting along the way stories of powerful Catholic leaders (Pope John XXIII, Thomas Merton, John F. Kennedy) and historical milestones like Vatican II.These individuals and events represent progress for Carroll, a former priest, and as he considers the new meaning of belief in a world that is increasingly as secular as it is fundamentalist, he shows why the world needs a Church that is committed to faith and renewal.“Carroll, a former Catholic priest who wrote of his conflict with his father over the Vietnam War in An American Requiem, revisits and expands on that tension in this spiritual memoir infused with church history . . . Readers who, like Carroll, remain Catholic but wrestle with their church’s positions on moral issues will most appreciate his story.” —Publishers Weekly“Thought-provoking.” —San Francisco Chronicle“[An] engrossing faith memoir . . . a page-turner.” —Kirkus Reviews
Practicing Professional Ethics in Economics and Public Policy
by Elizabeth A.M. Searing Donald R. SearingThis volume explores the professional ethics of addresses the varied ethical needs of the professional economists and public policy professionals. Using terms and methods familiar to the reader, the book goes beyond the typical narrative of economics and morality to walk the professional through the process of ethical decision-making. Designed to be easy to navigate and applicable to everyday practice, this book includes a step-by-step illustrated guide through an ethical decision-making process using a methodology specifically tailored to economists and policy professionals. It describes numerous unique ethical tests and resolution methods which are utilized in a portfolio structure. The book also includes a brief and convenient catalogue of important figures in philosophy and ethics, translated into their policy applications; it concludes with candid advice from experts in different subfields on how ethics impacts their professional lives. This volume provides a foundation and framework for those in economics and public policy to implement a relevant practice of professional ethics both at and in their work.
Practicing: A Musician's Return to Music
by Glenn KurtzThe remarkable odyssey of a classical guitar prodigy who abandons his beloved instrument in defeat at the age of twenty-five, but comes back to it years later with a new kind of passion. With insight and humor, Glenn Kurtz takes us from his first lessons at a small Long Island guitar school at the age of eight, to a national television appearance backing jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie, to his acceptance at the elite New England Conservatory of Music. He makes bittersweet and vivid a young man's struggle to forge an artist's life--and to become the next Segovia. And we see him after graduation, pursuing a solo career in Vienna but realizing that he has neither the ego nor the talent required to succeed at the upper reaches of the world of classical guitar--and giving up the instrument, and his dream, entirely. Or so he thought. For, returning to the guitar, Kurtz weaves into the larger narrative the rich experience of a single practice session, demonstrating how practicing--the rigor, attention, and commitment it requires--becomes its own reward, an almost spiritual experience that redefines the meaning of "success. " Along the way, he traces the evolution of the guitar and reminds us why it has retained its singular popularity through the ages. Complete with a guide to selected musical recordings and methods,Practicingtakes us on a revelatory, inspiring journey: a love affair with music.
Praeterita: Introduction by Timothy Hilton
by John RuskinAs a memoir elevated to the level of fine art, John Ruskin&’s Praeterita stands alongside The Education of Henry Adams and the confessions of Augustine, Rousseau, and Tolstoy. A luminous account of his childhood and youth, Praeterita is the last major work of the revolutionary nineteenth-century critic. Written in the lucid intervals between the bouts of dementia that haunted his final years, Praeterita tells the story of Ruskin&’s early life—the formation of his taste and intellect through education, travels in Europe, and encounters with great works of art and artists. In abandoning the traditional linear mode of autobiography, Ruskin opened up the form and was an important influence on Proust. He also provided a vivid, detailed portrait of pre-Victorian and Victorian England that is as indispensable an account of its era as Samuel Pepys&’s diary is of England in the seventeenth century. This edition of Praeterita is accompanied by Dilecta, Ruskin&’s own selection from his letters, diaries, and other writings. In these more private writings we get a fascinating glimpse of genius as it flickers in and out of madness. Together these two works illuminate the life and mind of a towering intellect who left an extraordinary mark on the history of aesthetics and culture, and on the very course of autobiography. With a new Introduction by Tim Hilton
Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948
by Madeleine AlbrightBefore Madeleine Albright turned twelve, her life was shaken by the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia-the country where she was born-the Battle of Britain, the near total destruction of European Jewry, the Allied victory in World War II, the rise of communism, and the onset of the Cold War. Albright's experiences, and those of her family, provide a lens through which to view the most tumultuous dozen years in modern history. Drawing on her memory, her parents' written reflections, interviews with contemporaries, and newly available documents, Albright recounts a tale that is by turns harrowing and inspiring. Prague Winter is an exploration of the past with timeless dilemmas in mind and, simultaneously, a journey with universal lessons that is intensely personal. The book takes readers from the Bohemian capital's thousand-year-old castle to the bomb shelters of London, from the desolate prison ghetto of TerezÍn to the highest councils of European and American government. Albright reflects on her discovery of her family's Jewish heritage many decades after the war, on her Czech homeland's tangled history, and on the stark moral choices faced by her parents and their generation. Often relying on eyewitness descriptions, she tells the story of how millions of ordinary citizens were ripped from familiar surroundings and forced into new roles as exiled leaders and freedom fighters, resistance organizers and collaborators, victims and killers. These events of enormous complexity are nevertheless shaped by concepts familiar to any growing child: fear, trust, adaptation, the search for identity, the pressure to conform, the quest for independence, and the difference between right and wrong. "No one who lived through the years of 1937 to 1948," Albright writes, "was a stranger to profound sadness. Millions of innocents did not survive, and their deaths must never be forgotten. Today we lack the power to reclaim lost lives, but we have a duty to learn all that we can about what happened and why." At once a deeply personal memoir and an incisive work of history, Prague Winter serves as a guide to the future through the lessons of the past-as seen through the eyes of one of the international community's most respected and fascinating figures.
Prairie Boy: Frank Lloyd Wright Turns The Heartland Into A Home
by Barb RosenstockA Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People * A NSTA/CBC Best STEM BookFrank Lloyd Wright, a young boy from the prairie, becomes America's first world-famous architect in this inspirational nonfiction picture book introducing organic architecture -- a style he created based on the relationship between buildings and the natural world -- which transformed the American home.Frank Lloyd Wright loved the Wisconsin prairie where he was born, with its wide-open sky and waves of tall grass. As his family moved across the United States, young Frank found his own home in shapes: rectangles, triangles, half-moons, and circles. When he returned to his beloved prairie, Frank pursued a career in architecture. But he didn't think the Victorian-era homes found there fit the prairie landscape. Using his knowledge and love of shapes, Frank created houses more organic to the land. He redesigned the American home inside and out, developing a truly unique architecture style that celebrated the country's landscape and lifestyle. Author Barb Rosenstock and artist Christopher Silas Neal explore the early life and creative genius of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, highlighting his passion, imagination, and ingenuity.
Prairie Fires: The American Dreams Of Laura Ingalls Wilder
by Caroline FraserMillions of readers of Little House on the Prairie believe they know Laura Ingalls—the pioneer girl who survived blizzards and near-starvation on the Great Plains, and the woman who wrote the famous autobiographical books. But the true saga of her life has never been fully told. Now, drawing on unpublished manuscripts, letters, diaries, and land and financial records, Caroline Fraser—the editor of the Library of America edition of the Little House series—masterfully fills in the gaps in Wilder’s biography. Revealing the grown-up story behind the most influential childhood epic of pioneer life, she also chronicles Wilder's tumultuous relationship with her journalist daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, setting the record straight regarding charges of ghostwriting that have swirled around the books. <p><p> The Little House books, for all the hardships they describe, are paeans to the pioneer spirit, portraying it as triumphant against all odds. But Wilder’s real life was harder and grittier than that, a story of relentless struggle, rootlessness, and poverty. It was only in her sixties, after losing nearly everything in the Great Depression, that she turned to children’s books, recasting her hardscrabble childhood as a celebratory vision of homesteading—and achieving fame and fortune in the process, in one of the most astonishing rags-to-riches episodes in American letters. <p> Spanning nearly a century of epochal change, from the Indian Wars to the Dust Bowl, Wilder’s dramatic life provides a unique perspective on American history and our national mythology of self-reliance. With fresh insights and new discoveries, Prairie Fires reveals the complex woman whose classic stories grip us to this day.
Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder
by Caroline FraserWINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZEWINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDSHORTLISTED FOR THE CUNDILL HISTORY PRIZE'Just as gripping as the original novels . . . As pacy and vivid as one of Wilder's own narratives, this surprising biography is immensely revealing both about Wilder and about America's founding myths' Sunday Times'"Little House" devotees will appreciate the extraordinary care and energy Fraser devotes to uncovering the details of a life that has been expertly veiled by myth' New York Times Book ReviewMillions of readers of the 'Little House' books believe they know Laura Ingalls Wilder - the pioneer girl who survived blizzards and near-starvation on the Great Plains as her family chased their American dream. But the true story of her life has never been fully told.Drawing on unpublished manuscripts, letters, diaries and public records, Caroline Fraser masterfully fills in the gaps in Wilder's biography, uncovering the grown-up story behind the best-loved childhood epic of pioneer life.Set against nearly a century of unimaginable change, from the Homestead Act and the Indian Wars to the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, Wilder's life was full of drama and adversity. Settling on the frontier amid land-rush speculation, her family endured Biblical tribulations of locusts and drought, poverty and want, before she left at the age of eighteen to marry Almanzo. This is where the books end, but there is so much more to tell; deep in debt after a series of personal tragedies, Laura and Almanzo uprooted themselves once again, crisscrossing the country, taking menial jobs to support the family. In middle age, she began writing a farm advice column, prodded by her journalist daughter Rose. And at the age of sixty, fearing the loss of almost everything in the Depression, she turned to children's books, recasting her extraordinarily difficult childhood as a triumphal vision of homesteading - achieving fame and fortune in the process. Laura Ingalls Wilder's life is one of the most astonishing rags-to-riches stories in American letters. Offering fresh insight and new discoveries, Prairie Fires reveals the complex woman who defined the American pioneer character, and whose artful blend of fact and fiction grips us to this day.
Prairie Girl: The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder
by William Anderson Renee GraefLaura Ingalls Wilder's beloved Little House books chronicle her childhood in the late 1800s on the American frontier. Now readers can learn about the real Laura, including events she did not write about in her classic stories, in this engaging and accessible chapter-book biography.
Prairie Man: My Little House Life & Beyond
by Dean ButlerUSA TODAY BestsellerPUBLISHERS WEEKLY BestsellerAn illuminating, insider&’s journey through the world of Little House on the Prairie and beyond, from Dean Butler, who starred as Almanzo Wilder, the man Laura &“Half Pint&” Ingalls married—on the iconic show still beloved by millions of fans as it reaches its 50th anniversary.With a foreword from Melissa Gilbert (Laura) and Alison Arngrim (Nellie)! Cast just before his twenty-third birthday, Dean Butler joined Little House on the Prairie halfway through its run, gaining instant celebrity and fans&’ enduring affection. Ironically, when the late, great Michael Landon remarked that Little House would outlive everyone involved in making it, Butler deemed it unlikely. Yet for four decades and counting, Butler has been defined in the public eye as Almanzo Wilder—a role he views as the great gift of his life. Butler had been cast as a romantic lead before, notably in the made-for-TV movie of Judy Blume&’s Forever, opposite Stephanie Zimbalist. But Little House was, and remains, one of the most treasured shows in television history. As the eventual husband of Laura &“Half-pint&” Ingalls—and the man who would share actress Melissa Gilbert&’s first real-life romantic kiss—Butler landed as a central figure for the show&’s devoted fans. Now, with wit and candor, Butler recounts his passage through the Prairie, sharing stories and anecdotes of the remarkable cast who were his on-screen family. But that was merely the beginning of a diverse career that includes Broadway runs and roles on two other classic shows—Moondoggie in The New Gidget and Buffy&’s ne&’er-do-well father, Hank, in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Coming of age during a golden era of entertainment, Butler has evolved along with it, and today enjoys success and fulfillment as a director and producer—notably of NBC Golf&’s Feherty—while remaining deeply loyal to Little House. The warmth, heart, and decency that fans of Laura and Almanzo fell in love with on Little House echo through this uplifting memoir, a story, in Butler&’s words, about &“good luck, good television, and the very good—if gloriously imperfect—people who made it so.&”
Prairie People: A Celebration of My Homeland
by Robert CollinsAn intimate look at the people of the prairies in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta–who they are, how they live, what makes them a breed apart The prairies are Robert Collins’s spiritual home. He was born and raised on a Saskatchewan farm, but spent most of his adult life living elsewhere. Now he returns to his homeland to pay homage to the special character of the people who live in this unique region of Canada. Prairie Peopleis an absorbing combination of stories, anecdotes, and touches of history told in the voices of ordinary people and linked by the author’s own narrative and memories. It explores the characteristics that define these people to themselves and to the rest of Canada. Prairie people are clearly not all alike: city and town dwellers differ from farmers, farmers from ranchers, ranchers and cowboys from oilmen. But many of the stereotypes are true. They are defiantly pessimistic. They believe they are tougher than everybody else. They are uncommonly independent and self-reliant. In this sympathetic yet realistic portrait, Collins looks at where the original settlers of the prairies came from. He describes how nature shaped them, and how hard work through good times and bad toughened them. He finds evidence of their legendary friendliness and neighbourliness. And he seeks to understand their deep attachment either to the left and right in politics and their unifying distrust of “Central Canada. ” From the Hardcover edition.
Prairie Silence: A Memoir
by Melanie HoffertA rural expatriate's struggle to reconcile family, home, love, and faith with the silence of the prairie land and its people Melanie Hoffert longs for her North Dakota childhood home, with its grain trucks and empty main streets. A land where she imagines standing at the bottom of the ancient lake that preceded the prairie: crop rows become the patterned sand ripples of the lake floor; trees are the large alien plants reaching for the light; and the sky is the water's vast surface, reflecting the sun. Like most rural kids, she followed the out-migration pattern to a better life. The prairie is a hard place to stay--particularly if you are gay, and your home state is the last to know. For Hoffert, returning home has not been easy. When the farmers ask if she's found a "fella," rather than explain that--actually--she dates women, she stops breathing and changes the subject. Meanwhile, as time passes, her hometown continues to lose more buildings to decay, growing to resemble the mouth of an old woman missing teeth. This loss prompts Hoffert to take a break from the city and spend a harvest season at her family's farm. While home, working alongside her dad in the shop and listening to her mom warn, "Honey, you do not want to be a farmer," Hoffert meets the people of the prairie. Her stories about returning home and exploring abandoned towns are woven into a coming-of-age tale about falling in love, making peace with faith, and belonging to a place where neighbors are as close as blood but are often unable to share their deepest truths. In this evocative memoir, Hoffert offers a deeply personal and poignant meditation on land and community, taking readers on a journey of self-acceptance and reconciliation.
Prairie Tale: A Memoir
by Melissa GilbertA fascinating, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting tale of self-discovery from the beloved actress who earned a permanent place in the hearts of millions when she was just a child. To fans of the hugely successful television series Little House on the Prairie, Melissa Gilbert grew up in a fantasy world with a larger-than-life father, friends and family she could count on, and plenty of animals to play with. Children across the country dreamed of the Ingalls' idyllic life--and so did Melissa. She was a natural on camera, but behind the scenes, life was more complicated. Adopted as a baby into a legendary show business family, Melissa wrestled with questions about her identity and struggled to maintain an image of perfection her mother created and enforced. Only after years of substance abuse, dysfunctional relationships, and made-for-television movies did she begin to figure out who she really was. With candor and humor, the cherished actress traces her complicated journey from buck-toothed Laura "Half-pint" Ingalls to Hollywood starlet, wife, and mother. She partied with the Brat Pack, dated heartthrobs like Rob Lowe and bad boys like Billy Idol, and began a self-destructive pattern of addiction and co-dependence. Left in debt after her first marriage, and struggling to create some sense of stability, she eventually realized that her career on television had earned her popularity, admiration, and love from everyone but herself. Through hard work, tenacity, sobriety, and the blessings of a solid marriage, Melissa has accepted her many different identities and learned to laugh, cry, and forgive in new ways. Women everywhere may have idolized her charming life on Little House on the Prairie, but Melissa's own unexpectedly honest, imperfect, and down-to-earth story is an inspiration.