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Taboo: Conversations we never had about sex, body image, work and relationships
by Hannah FergusonA vulnerable exploration of modern womanhood that weaves deeply personal stories with opinions and advice on sex, friendship, family, career and beyond.
Taboo: Why Black Athletes Dominate Sports And Why We're Afraid To Talk About It
by Jon EntineDrawing on the latest scientific research, journalist Jon Entine makes an irrefutable case for black athletic superiority. We learn how scientists have used numerous, bogus scientific methods to prove that blacks were either more or less superior physically, and how racist scientists have often equated physical prowess with intellectual deficiency. Entine recalls the long, hard road to integration, both on the field and in society. And he shows why it isn't just being black that matters?it makes a huge difference as to where in Africa your ancestors are from.
Tackling Life
by Jonny WilkinsonJonny Wilkinson's impact on global sport has been extraordinary. Yet Jonny has faced a battle all his life to achieve success and, crucially, happiness. A crippling fear of failure, the targets he set himself and a string of injuries have caused Jonny to question his attitude to life. In this startling new book, writing with Steve Black, Jonny opens up for the very first time, revealing his darkest moments and explaining in a practical way the steps and techniques he has taken to ensure success in all aspects of his life. He still wants to be the best, but he now enjoys the journey. With never-before-told stories from his life and rugby career, this book will act as a powerful inspiration for anyone wanting to bring to the field of play - be it business, personal or sport - the very best they have to offer.
Tackling Life
by Jonny WilkinsonJonny Wilkinson's impact on global sport has been extraordinary. Yet Jonny has faced a battle all his life to achieve success and, crucially, happiness. A crippling fear of failure, the targets he set himself and a string of injuries have caused Jonny to question his attitude to life. In this startling new book, writing with Steve Black, Jonny opens up for the very first time, revealing his darkest moments and explaining in a practical way the steps and techniques he has taken to ensure success in all aspects of his life. He still wants to be the best, but he now enjoys the journey. With never-before-told stories from his life and rugby career, this book will act as a powerful inspiration for anyone wanting to bring to the field of play - be it business, personal or sport - the very best they have to offer.
Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer
by Rax KingAn irreverent and charming collection of deeply personal essays about the joys of low pop culture and bad taste, exploring coming of age in the 2000s in the age of Hot Topic, Creed, and frosted lip gloss. <p><p> Tacky is about the power of pop culture—like any art—to imprint itself on our lives and shape our experiences, no matter one's commitment to "good" taste. These fourteen essays are a nostalgia-soaked antidote to the millennial generation's obsession with irony, putting the aesthetics we hate to love—snakeskin pants, Sex and the City, Cheesecake Factory's gargantuan menu—into kinder and sharper perspective. Each essay revolves around a different maligned (and yet, Rax would argue, vital) cultural artifact, providing thoughtful, even romantic meditations on desire, love, and the power of nostalgia. An essay about the gym-tan-laundry exuberance of Jersey Shore morphs into an excavation of grief over the death of her father; in "You Wanna Be On Top," Rax writes about friendship and early aughts girlhood; in another, Guy Fieri helps her heal from an abusive relationship. The result is a collection that captures the personal and generational experience of finding joy in caring just a little too much with clarity, heartfelt honesty, and Rax King's trademark humor.
Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America
by Gustavo ArellanoNationally syndicated columnist and bestselling author of ¡Ask a Mexican! Gustavo Arellano presents an entertaining, tasty trip through the history and culture of Mexican food in this country, uncovering great stories and charting the cuisine's tremendous popularity in el Norte. In the tradition of Bill Buford's Heat and Calvin Trillin's The Tummy Trilogy, Arellano's fascinating narrative combines history, cultural criticism, personal anecdotes, and Jesus on a tortilla. When salsa overtook ketchup as this country's favorite condiment in the 1990s, America's century-long love affair with Mexican food reached yet another milestone. In seemingly every decade since the 1880s, America has tried new food trends from south of the border--chili, tamales, tacos, enchiladas, tequila, bacon-wrapped hot dogs, and so many more--loved them, and demanded the next great thing. As a result, Mexican food dominates American palates to the tune of billions of dollars in sales per year, from canned refried beans to frozen margaritas and ballpark nachos. It's a little-known history, one that's crept up on this country like your Mexican neighbors--and left us better for it. Now, Taco USA addresses the all-important questions: What exactly constitutes "Mexican" food in the United States? How did it get here? What's "authentic" and what's "Taco Bell," and does it matter? What's so cosmic about a burrito? And why do Americans love Mexican food so darn much? Tacos, alas, sold separately.
Tacoma's Theater District
by Kimberly M. DavenportThe history of Tacoma's Theater District is nearly as long as that of the city of Tacoma itself, spanning from the opening of the Tacoma Theater in 1890 to the present day, with restored historical facilities anchoring a renewed cultural district. This telling of the district's history reflects a range of engaging topics, including the boundless enthusiasm of the initial residents of Tacoma (the "City of Destiny"), the changing ways in which culture was shared and experienced over the decades of the 20th century, and a community working together through difficult times to save and restore historical buildings as gathering spaces for the benefit of future generations. The story is told through historical photographs of the theater venues themselves, as well as images capturing a myriad of cultural and community events taking place in those facilities and in the surrounding district.
Tad Lincoln's Restless Wriggle: Pandemonium and Patience in the President's House
by Beth AndersonBank Street College of Education Best Book of the YearTad Lincoln's restless wriggle just wouldn&’t quit, much to the delight of his father, President Abraham Lincoln—if not so much to anybody else! This picture book brings to life the famous first son who coped with a disability and other challenges while showing compassion, intelligence, and wisdom beyond his years. Tad Lincoln's boundless energy annoyed almost everyone but his father, President Abraham Lincoln. But Tad put that energy to good use during the tough times of the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln guided Tad's wriggle on visits to hospitals, to the telegraph office, and to army camps. Tad greeted visitors, raised money for bandages, and kept his father company late into the night. This special and patient bond between father and son was plain to see, and before long, Tad had wriggled his way into the hearts of others as well. Beth Anderson and S.D. Schindler follow Tad's antics during the Civil War to uncover the generous heart and joyful spirit that powered Tad's restless wriggle.
Tagore and Nationalism
by K. L. Tuteja Kaustav ChakrabortyThis volume brings together eminent Tagore scholars and younger writers to revisit the concepts of nation, nationalism, identity and selfhood, civilization, culture and homeland in Tagore's writings. As these ideas take up the centre-stage of politics in the subcontinent as also elsewhere in the world in the 21st century, it becomes extremely relevant to revisit his works in this context. Tagore's ambivalence towards nationalism as an ideology was apparent in the responses in his discussions with Indians and non-Indians alike. Tagore developed the concept of 'syncretic' civilization as a basis of nationalist civilizational unity, where society was central, unlike the European model of state-centric civilization. However, as the subterranean tensions of communalism became clear in the early 20th century, Tagore reflexively critiqued his own political position in society. He thus emerged as the critic of the nation/nation-state and in this he shared his deep unease with other thinkers like Romain Rolland and Albert Einstein. This volume for the first time covers the socio-political, historical, literary and cultural concerns relating to Tagore's efforts towards the 'de-colonization' of the Self. The volume begins with various perspectives on Tagore's 'ambivalence' about nationalism. It encompasses critical examinations of Tagore's literary works and other art forms as well as adaptations of his works on film. It also reads Tagore's nationalism in a comparative mode with contemporary thinkers in India and abroad who were engaged in similar debates.
Tagore y la India
by Amartya SenUna apasionante semblanza del Premio Nobel de Literatura más desconocido. Premio Princesa de Asturias de las Ciencias Sociales 2021 Premio Nobel de Economía 1998 Existe un auténtico contraste entre la presencia intelectual de Rabindranath Tagore en la literatura, la política y la sociedad bengalíes y su imagen de gurú espiritual que llegó hasta Occidente. Entre ambas facetas se abre un amplio espacio surcado por numerosos debates en torno a la religiosidad, el sistema de castas y la independencia que llevaron a considerarlo en India una de las personalidades más polifacéticas y preeminentes del siglo XXI. Amartya Sen recorre en esta breve semblanza las piedras angulares del argumentario del pensador bengalí, un escritor de elegante prosa y mágica poesía, y redescubre a los lectores occidentales al Tagore más oculto: el concienciado activista, el pintor de enorme talento y el gran estratega político. «Rabindranath sabía que no habría podido brindarle a la India el liderazgo político que Gandhi le confirió, y nunca hubo ironía en su reconocimiento de lo que Gandhi hizo por la nación (de hecho, fue Tagore quien popularizó el tratamiento de Mahatma —alma grande— para Gandhi)».
Taiko: An Epic Novel of War and Glory in Feudal Japan (Taiko Ser.)
by Eiji Yoshikawa William Scott WilsonIn the tempestuous closing decades of the sixteenth century, the Empire of Japan writhes in chaos as the shogunate crumbles and rival warlords battle for supremacy. Warrior monks in their armed citadels block the road to the capital; castles are destroyed, villages plundered, fields put to the torch.Amid this devastation, three men dream of uniting the nation. At one extreme is the charismatic but brutal Nobunaga, whose ruthless ambition crushes all before him. At the opposite pole is the cold, deliberate Ieyasu, wise in counsel, brave in battle, mature beyond his years. But the keystone of this triumvirate is the most memorable of all, Hideyoshi, who rises from the menial post of sandal bearer to become Taiko--absolute ruler of Japan in the Emperor's name.When Nobunaga emerges from obscurity by destroying an army ten times the size of his own, he allies himself with Ieyasu, whose province is weak, but whose canniness and loyalty make him invaluable. Yet it is the scrawny, monkey-faced Hideyoshi--brash, impulsive, and utterly fearless--who becomes the unlikely savior of this ravaged land. Born the son of a farmer, he takes on the world with nothing but his bare hands and his wits, turning doubters into loyal servants, rivals into faithful friends, and enemies into allies. In all this he uses a piercing insight into human nature that unlocks castle gates, opens men's minds, and captures women's hearts. For Hideyoshi's passions are not limited to war and intrigue-his faithful wife, Nene, holds his love dear, even when she must share it; the chaste Oyu, sister of Hideyoshi's chief strategist, falls prey to his desires; and the seductive Chacha, whom he rescues from the fiery destruction of her father's castle, tempts his weakness.As recounted by Eiji Yoshikawa, author of the international best-seller Musashi, Taiko tells many stories: of the fury of Nobunaga and the fatal arrogance of the black-toothed Yoshimoto; of the pathetic downfall of the House of Takeda; how the scorned Mitsuhide betrayed his master; how once impregnable ramparts fell as their defenders died gloriously. Most of all, though, Taiko is the story of how one man transformed a nation through the force of his will and the depth of his humanity. Filled with scenes of pageantry and violence, acts of treachery and self-sacrifice, tenderness and savagery, Taiko combines the panoramic spectacle of a Kurosawa epic with a vivid evocation of feudal Japan.
Tail-End Charlies: The Last Battles of the Bomber War, 1944–45
by John Nichol Tony Rennell“A breathtakingly intimate look at the lives, loves, and deaths of the brave airmen” who flew the controversial last battles of WWII over Germany (Walter J. Boyne, bestselling author of Beyond the Wild Blue).Night after night they flew through packs of enemy fighters to drop the bombs that would demolish the Third Reich. The American and British airmen of Bomber Command were among the greatest heroes of the Second World War, defying Hitler in the darkest early days of the war and taking the battle to the German homeland when no one else would.Toward the end of the conflict, too, they continued to sacrifice their lives to shatter an enemy sworn never to surrender. Blasted out of the sky in an instant or bailing out from burning aircraft to drop helplessly into hostile hands, they would die in their tens of thousands to ensure the enemy’s defeat. Especially vulnerable were the “tail-end Charlies”—which, for the Americans, meant the last bomber in a formation, and for the British, meant a bomber’s rear-gunner who flew operations in a Plexiglas bubble.Following their groundbreaking revelations about the ordeals suffered by Allied prisoners of war in their bestselling book, The Last Escape, John Nichol and Tony Rennell tell the astonishing and deeply moving story of the controversial last battles in the skies of Germany through the eyes of the forgotten heroes who fought them.
Tails Up!
by Colonel John Buchan Edgar Charles MiddletonThe battle in the air above the trenches has held an enduring fascination for generations; the plane itself was only a new development when the First World War started and the pioneers sought to gain any advantage in the skies over their opponents. Edgar Middleton wrote copiously on the subject as well as active air service was involved with the Aeronautical Institute of Great Britain, in this book he records in sketches and anecdotes the reality of the air-war.The author was a well-respected and long-serving war correspondent of the air war for such papers and magazines as Cassell’s Magazine, Daily Chronicle, Daily Express, Evening News, Flying, New York Sun, and The Star.Author — Middleton, Edgar Charles, 1894-1939.Foreword— Colonel Buchan, John, 1875-1940.Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, 1918Original Page Count – 314 pages
Tainted Love
by Morag Livingstone Hope DanielsIn her previous book,Hackney Child, Hope Daniels told her powerful story of survival as a child of alcoholic parents. In Tainted Love, she brings together the stories of some of the kids who lived with her in children's homes - kids who fought against the odds in their struggle to find love. We meet Robert, who tries to protect his mum from the brutal rages of his drunken father - but he's only eight and is powerless to stop the violence. There's Debbie and her sister, who are placed at the mercy of a paedophile babysitter with their mum's approval, and Abby, who shaves her head, cuts her arms, and rages against the system.These and many other true stories tells of lives fractured, endured and, in most cases, saved and turned around by social workers who fight impossible workloads to bring security and safety to children who live in chaos.
Take Another Little Piece of My Heart: A Groupie Grows Up
by Pamela Des Barres Michael Des BarresUpdated to include the escapades of the last 16 years of the "queen of the groupies," this rollicking, piquant, and sometimes heartbreaking follow-up to I'm With the Band documents Pamela Des Barres' struggles with postmodern marriage and motherhood. Covering the middle-passage years of the baby-boom generation, this biography portrays a hilarious, inspiring tussle with life's adventures and adversities, from acting with Sylvester Stallone and dancing with Bob Dylan to making ends meet by rooming with struggling celebrities and selling cosmetics. For all its famous names and insider lore, this is a survivor's story--about the anguish of coping with loved ones' addictions, suffering divorce and loss, and the joys and terrors of raising a gifted son--told with grace, charm, and a generous sense of humor.
Take Back the Magic: Conversations with the Unseen World
by Perdita FinnRenowned spiritual teacher and co-founder of The Way of the Rose Perdita Finn teaches the art and healing power of connecting with the dead, as she guides readers through the magical process of conversing with the unseen world."Finn weaves a spellbinding meditation . . . an affecting ode to the power of the unseen." —Publisher's Weekly What if you could live in a world where the guidance of those who were gone was available, right at your very fingertips? It's possible, if we are open to it. Anyone can reclaim the forgotten guidance of the dead, and anyone can return to the realm of magic and miracles. In Take Back the Magic: Conversations with the Unseen World, author, spiritual teacher, and co-founder of The Way of the Rose Perdita Finn reveals that life is beginningless, love is endless, and those who have passed don&’t truly go anywhere when they die. Weaving together memoir, history, and a non-denominational spirituality based in ecology, Finn invites readers to live the experience that the stories of our lives are much older, bigger, and more merciful than we have been led to believe.Take Back the Magic takes the reader on a journey of healing, possibility, and love, as the story of how Finn healed her relationship with her bitter, patriarchal father long after his death unfolds over the course of thirteen moving chapters. Along the way, readers will learn how they, too, can reconnect with the generous guidance of the soul&’s long story through deep time, recovering their lost relationships with their ancestors and the Earth itself. Throughout, Finn shares guidance, tips, and practical advice that will aid readers in forging their own relationships with those who have passed, as she invites every reader to reconnect with their own inner knowing and to call forth magic from the most ancient parts of humanity. An inspiring invitation to healing in this life, and to experience that we are never alone, Take Back the Magic shows that the whole world is simply souls reaching out to and finding each other—and no one is ever truly lost to us, if we allow ourselves to begin our own conversations with the unseen world.
Take Big Bites: Adventures Around the World and Across the Table
by Linda EllerbeeThe celebrated journalist, producer, and bestselling author takes us on a remarkable culinary journey through "a life lived interestingly, if not especially intelligently." Linda Ellerbee's first two books were instant classics: And So It Goes, a hilarious, unblinking look at television journalism that spent months as a bestseller; and Move On, a wry, intimate look at a woman in her time that became a milestone in autobiographical writing. Now she takes us both farther afield and closer to home in a memoir of travel, food, and personal (mis)adventure that brims with warmth, wit, uncommon honesty, inspired storytelling... and a few recipes as well. In Vietnam, preconceptions collide with the soup.... In France, lust flares with the pâté and dies with the dessert....In Bolivia, a very young missionary finds her food flavored with hypocrisy... while at the bottom of the Grand Canyon an older woman discovers gorp is good, fear is your friend, and Thai chicken tastes best when you're soaked by rain and the Colorado River. From Italy to Afghanistan, from Mexico to Massachusetts, Ellerbee leads us on a journey of revelation, humor, and heart. "What can you say about Linda Ellerbee?" Ted Koppel once wrote. "The woman is raucous and irreverent and writes like a dream." Take Big Bites proves it again.
Take Care of Them Like My Own: Faith, Fortitude, and a Surgeon's Fight for Health Justice
by Ala StanfordThe founder of the Black Doctors Consortium highlights the devastating racial injustices in our healthcare system in this inspirational memoir and empowering call to action.Dr. Ala Stanford knew she wanted to be a doctor by the time she was eight years old. But role models were few and far between in her working-class North Philly neighborhood. Her teachers were dismissive, and the realities of racism, sexism, and poverty threatened to derail her at every turn. Nevertheless, thanks to her faith, family, and the sheer strength of her will, today she is one of the vanishingly small number of Black women surgeons in America—and an unrelenting force in the fight for health justice. In Take Care of Them Like My Own, Dr. Stanford shares an unflinching account of her story, explaining how her experiences on both sides of the scalpel have informed her understanding of America&’s racial health gap, an insidious and lethal form of inequality that exacts a devastating toll on Black communities across the country, affluent and underserved alike. When Covid-19 arrived in her hometown of Philadelphia, she knew it would disproportionately affect the Black population. As the city stood idly by, unwilling or unable to protect its most vulnerable citizens, Dr. Stanford took matters into her own hands. She rented a van, made some calls, and began administering tests in church parking lots. Soon, she found herself at the helm of a powerful grassroots campaign that successfully vaccinated tens of thousands of Philadelphians. She and her movement are living proof that by drawing on faith, community, and inner strength, everyday people can affect tremendous change. Part memoir, part manifesto for health equality and justice, Take Care of Them Like My Own offers urgent lessons about the power of communities working together to take care of one another and the importance of fighting for a healthcare system that truly fulfills its promise to all Americans.
Take Command
by Jake WoodWhat do elite members of the military, first responders in the disaster zone, and high-performing leaders in fast-paced, high-pressure, modern day organizations have in common?The ability to have clarity of mind and purpose when surrounded by chaos. To operate at peak performance under risk. To be able to see clearly when others are blinded by fear, and act when others are paralyzed. To craft plans even with incomplete information, then execute those plans decisively -while still being nimble and adaptable enough to iterate as the terrain changes. To deliver in the clutch. To build teams with high impact, and then inspire those teams to follow you into the fire.In this groundbreaking book on high-stakes leadership, Co-founder and CEO of Team Rubicon and former Marine Sniper Jake Wood, shows how to apply hard-learned lessons in leadership and teamwork from the battlefield and disaster zone to your professional life. While most of our jobs don't involve leading a tour of Marines through an ambush, or rushing into a relief zone just decimated by a hurricane, in today's fast-paced, hyper-competitive business environment, we are ALL on the front lines. And in an entrepreneurially-minded world where technology is constantly reinventing how we work, global competition is fierce, and industries are being disrupted overnight, success requires a new kind of leadership. This book is about how to become the kind of leader who gets results when the stakes are at their highest--how to Take Command.
Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs: A True Story of Bad Breaks and Small Miracles
by Heather LendeThe Alaskan landscape—so vast, dramatic, and unbelievable—may be the reason the people in Haines, Alaska (population 2,400), so often discuss the meaning of life. Heather Lende thinks it helps make life mean more. Since her bestselling first book, If You Lived Here, I’d Know Your Name, a near-fatal bicycle accident has given Lende a few more reasons to consider matters both spiritual and temporal. Her idea of spirituality is rooted in community, and here she explores faith and forgiveness, loss and devotion—as well as raising totem poles, canning salmon, and other distinctly Alaskan adventures. Lende’s irrepressible spirit, her wry humor, and her commitment to living a life on the edge of the world resonate on every page. Like her own mother’s last wish—take good care of the garden and dogs—Lende’s writing, so honest and unadorned, deepens our understanding of what links all humanity.
Take Heart: A Story for Modern Stepfamilies
by Chloe ShortenThese days, families come in all shapes and sizes. They move from one state to create a family in another. They combine into new homes, take holidays with blends of children and parents from different households. They invent routines and rituals to establish their own rhythms. And don't forget the double sets of school uniforms and pyjamas under different roofs.Welcome to the new normal of family life for many Australians.It is a path Chloe Shorten has walked. Chloe was surprised at the lack of helpful information and unexpected tripwires for those not fitting the traditional cookie-cutter model. She was also heartened by the sensible advice she unearthed, the resilience of her children and the joy of watching her husband become a father three times over.Chloe tells of her own quest to create a new normal. Honest, sincere and warm hearted, this is a story of the modern household and explores the idea of who qualifies as 'a family' in the twenty-first century.
Take Less. Do More.: Surprising Life Lessons in Generosity, Gratitude, and Curiosity from an Ultralight Backpacker
by Glen Van PeskiIn this personal journey, ultra-light backpacker and sought-after speaker Glen Van Peski shares the life lessons he has learned through years of lightening his pack and helping others.Adventures provide the richness and texture to a life well lived. So remain open. Keep saying yes to life's opportunities. Glen Van Peski helped revolutionize backpacking by creating ultralight equipment, which allows people to take less so they can do more in the wilderness. During decades of championing ultralight backpacking, Glen became aware that &“take less, do more&” is more than just a hiking slogan. As he reduced his pack weight, he realized that the lessons learned applied to all areas of life. Now he wants to share the lessons he learned to help others live full and vibrant lives—lives characterized by purpose, meaning, and joy. In this book, you will discover transformative life lessons, which may go against the grain of popular thought but have been proven to change lives for the better. You'll learn that: Often the best strategy for achieving goals comes from subtracting rather than adding. When your first instinct is generosity, the long-term dividends will be greater than if you strive to gain your own advantage. Revising the stories you tell yourself about situations will reframe your life and increase gratitude. By investing creatively in relationships, you will generate more joy in your life. Making friends with failure will cause you to grow and improve. take less. do more. It's a revolutionary idea that will transform your life and free your soul to find your purpose—and maybe a little bit of adventure too.
Take Me Home: An Autobiography
by John Denver Arthur TobierIn a career that has spanned twenty-five years, John Denver has earned international acclaim as a singer, songwriter, actor, and environmental activist. Songs like "Take Me Home, Country Roads," "Rocky Mountain High," and "Annie's Song" have entered the canon of universal anthems, but less than three decades ago, John Denver was a young man with little more than a fine voice, a guitar, and a dream. Growing up in a conservative military family, he was not expected to drop out of college and head to Los Angeles, where the music scene was flourishing. Nor was he expected to succeed. In Take Me Home, John Denver chronicles the experiences that shaped his life, while unraveling the rich, inner journey of a shy Midwestern boy whose uneasy partnership with fame has been one of the defining forces of his first fifty years. With candor and wit, John writes about his childhood, the experience of hitting L.A. as the Sixties roared into full swing, his first breaks, his years with the Mitchell Trio, his first songwriting success with "Leaving on a Jet Plane," and finally a career that made his a global household name. He also explores his relationships with the women in his life--particularly his first wife, Annie Martell, and his second wife, Cassandra Delaney--as well as his parents, his children, his partners through his life, and his friends. Honest, insightful and rich in anecdotes that only a natural-born storyteller could tell so well, Take Me Home is a highly charged and fascinating book from beginning to end. It's like spending a couple of days with a good friend.
Take Me to the River
by Peter AlsonMEET PETER ALSON An overeducated underachiever, he's spent his postcollege decades doing his best not to grow up. Now, having just turned the incomprehensible (to him) age of fifty, and staring down his own mortality, this rambling- gambling bachelor decides it's time to settle down. After years of equivocating, he pops the question to his longtime girlfriend. A wedding date is set for just after Labor Day, and to pay for it, a plan is hatched involving poker and a trip to Vegas. Alson boards a plane bound for the neon desert on his way to the biggest game in town, the 2005 World Series of Poker. Thus begins Take Me to the River, a first-person account of one inveterate gambler and bad boy's quest to grow up while at the same time compete with more than 5,000 players vying for over $56 million in prize money during a scorching Vegas summer. Take Me to the River is a hilarious, heart-wrenching tale of Las Vegas and an exploration of what it means to be part of one of the fastest-growing and most popular sports in the United States, at the moment of its apogee, and of the lessons that poker has to teach about probability and luck, good and bad fortune, patience, perseverance, and -- most fitting for a man with marriage in his near future -- commitment.
Take Me with You
by Carlos FrasCarlos Frías, an award-winning journalist and the American-born son of Cuban exiles, grew up hearing about his parents' homeland only in parables. Their Cuba, the one they left behind four decades ago, was ethereal. It existed, for him, only in their anecdotes, and in the family that remained in Cuba -- merely ghosts on the other end of a telephone. Until Fidel Castro fell ill. Sent to Cuba by his newspaper as the country began closing to foreign journalists in August 2006, Frías begins the secret journey of a lifetime -- twelve days in the land of his parents. That experience led to this evocative, spectacular, and unforgettable memoir. Take Me With You is written through the unique eyes of a first-generation Cuban-American seeing the forbidden country of his ancestry for the first time. Take Me With You provides a fresh view of Cuba, devoid of overt political commentary, focusing instead on the gritty, tangible lives of the people living in Castro's Cuba. Frías takes in the island nation of today and attempts to reconstruct what the past was like for his parents, retracing their footsteps, searching for his roots, and discovering his history. The book creates lasting and unexpected ripples within his family on both sides of the Florida Straits -- and on the author himself.