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The Family of Abraham
by Carol BakhosThe term "Abrahamic religions" has gained considerable currency in both scholarly and ecumenical circles as a way of referring to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In The Family of Abraham, Carol Bakhos steps back from this convention to ask a frequently overlooked question: What, in fact, is Abrahamic about these three faiths? Exploring diverse stories and interpretations relating to the portrayal of Abraham, she reveals how he is venerated in these different scriptural traditions and how scriptural narratives have been pressed into service for nonreligious purposes. Grounding her study in a close examination of ancient Jewish textual practices, primarily midrash, as well as medieval Muslim Stories of the Prophets and the writings of the early Church Fathers, Bakhos demonstrates that ancient and early-medieval readers often embellished the image of Abraham and his family--Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, and Isaac. Her analysis dismantles pernicious misrepresentations of Abraham's firstborn son, Ishmael, and provocatively challenges contemporary references to Judaism and Islam as sibling religions. As Bakhos points out, an uncritical adoption of the term "Abrahamic religions" not only blinds us to the diverse interpretations and traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam but also artificially separates these faiths from their historical contexts. In correcting mistaken assumptions about the narrative and theological significance of Abraham, The Family of Abraham sheds new light on key figures of three world religions.
The Family on Beartown Road
by Elizabeth CohenANew York Times Notable Book The Family on Beartown Roadis Elizabeth Cohen’s true and moving portrait of love and courage. Elizabeth, a member of the “sandwich generation”—those caught in the middle, simultaneously caring for their children and for their aging parents—is the mother of baby Ava and the daughter of Daddy, and responsible for both. In this story full of everyday triumphs, first steps, and an elder’s confusion, Ava finds each new picture, each new word, each new song, something to learn greedily, joyfully. Daddy is a man in his twilight years, for whom time moves slowly and lessons are not learned but quietly, frustratingly forgotten. Elizabeth, a suddenly single mother with a career and a mortgage and a hamperful of laundry, finds her world spiraling out of control. Faced with mounting disasters, she chooses to confront life head-on, and to see the unique beauty in each and every moment. Imbued with an unquenchable spirit,The Family on Beartown Roadtakes us on a journey through the remarkable landscape that is family. From the Trade Paperback edition.
The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty
by Kitty KelleyFor the first time, the most secretive and powerful dynasty in American history has all of its secrets revealed. This is the book the Bush family do not want you to read. Over the past one hundred years, the Bush family have made millions of dollars, dominated the US government, and created a legacy unlike any other American family. Prescott Bush was a two-time Senator from Connecticut who had the ear of Dwight D. Eisenhower and tangled with Joe McCarthy. His son, George H. W. was a congressman, the head of the CIA, Vice-President under Ronald Reagan and then the 41st President of the United States. One of his sons, Jeb, is governor of Florida and almost certainly a future presidential candidate. The eldest son, George W., is the 43rd president - possibly the most polarizing and controversial head of state in American history. How did these men - backed and often controlled by strong and single-minded women - rise to power? How did they maneuver their way from Yale and the secretive Skull and Bones through back door politics, the CIA, and the White House to have so much control over international politics? The answers are startling. Kitty Kelley has written a compelling portrait of a family addicted to wealth and power. From Prescott Bush's lies about his heroism during the First World War, and George Bush senior's relationship with his wife Barbara, his unsuccessful campaign for Texas senator and his actions as the head of the CIA, the Vice-President and President of the United States, to his sons' current positions of power and influence in US politics. George Bush junior's successes and failures have had closer public scrutiny than any other member of the family, but Kitty Kelley leaves no stone unturned in her examination of his childhood, his relationship with his parents, his party days at Andover and Yale, his business dealings, his rise to political power and his performance as the 43rd President of the United States.
The Fantastic Adventures of Krishna
by DemiThe Fantastic Adventures of Krishna tells the enchanting tale of the child Krishna, who is sent by the God Vishnu to aid humanity. Hidden amongst the poor cowherds, Krishna uses his miraculous powers to fight an evil demon king who has overthrown the peaceful kingdom of Mathura. The story of Krishna, dating to the 8th century BCE, and forming an integral part of Hinduism, is beautifully brought to life by award-winning author and illustrator, Demi.
The Fantastic Jungles Of Henri Rousseau
by Amanda Hall Michelle MarkelHenri Rousseau wanted to be an artist. But he had no formal training. Instead, he taught himself to paint. He painted until the jungles and animals and distant lands in his head came alive on the space of his canvases.<P> Henri Rousseau endured the harsh critics of his day and created the brilliant paintings that now hang in museums around the world. Michelle Markel's vivid text, complemented by the vibrant illustrations of Amanda Hall, artfully introduces young readers to the beloved painter and encourages all readers to persevere despite all odds.
The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau (Incredible Lives for Young Readers)
by Michelle MarkelHenri Rousseau wanted to be an artist. But he had no formal training. Instead, he taught himself to paint. He painted until the jungles and animals and distant lands in his head came alive on the space of his canvases. Henri Rousseau endured the harsh critics of his day and created the brilliant paintings that now hang in museums around the world. Michelle Markel's vivid text, complemented by the vibrant illustrations of Amanda Hall, artfully introduces young readers to the beloved painter and encourages all readers to persevere despite all odds.Watch the trailer:
The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau
by Dan YaccarinoJacques Cousteau was the world's ambassador of the oceans. His popular TV series brought whales, otters, and dolphins right into people's living rooms. Now, in this exciting picturebook biography, Dan Yaccarino introduces young readers to the man behind the snorkel.From the first moment he got a glimpse of what lived under the ocean's waves, Cousteau was hooked. And so he set sail aboard the Calypso to see the sea. He and his team of scientists invented diving equipment and waterproof cameras. They made films and televisions shows and wrote books so they could share what they learned. The oceans were a vast unexplored world, and Cousteau became our guide. And when he saw that pollution was taking its toll on the seas, Cousteau became our guide in how to protect the oceans as well.
The Far Away Brothers: Two Teenage Immigrants Making a Life in America
by Lauren MarkhamThe inspiring true story about identical twin teenage brothers who escape El Salvador's violence to build new lives in California as undocumented immigrants, perfect for fans of Enrique's Journey and anyone interested in learning about the issues that underlie today's conversations about DACA and immigration reform. <P><P>Ernesto and Raúl Flores are identical twins, used to being mistaken for each other. As seventeen-year-olds living in rural El Salvador, they think the United States is just a far-off dream--it's too risky, too expensive to start a life there. But when Ernesto ends up on the wrong side of MS-13, one of El Salvador's brutal gangs, he flees the country for his own safety. Raúl, fearing that he will be mistaken for his brother, follows close behind. Running from one danger to the next, the Flores twins make the harrowing journey north, crossing the Rio Grande and the Texas desert only to fall into the hands of immigration authorities. When they finally make it to the custody of their older brother in Oakland, California, the difficulties don't end. While navigating a new school in a new language, struggling to pay off their mounting coyote debt, and anxiously waiting for their day in immigration court, Raul and Ernesto are also trying to lead normal teenage lives--dealing with girls, social media, and fitting in. With only each other for support, they begin the process of carving out a life for themselves, one full of hope and possibility. <P><P>Adapted for young adults from the award-winning adult edition, The Far Away Brothers is the inspiring true story of two teens making their way in America, a personal look at U.S. immigration policy, and a powerful account of contemporary immigration.
The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life
by Lauren MarkhamThe deeply reported story of identical twin brothers who escape El Salvador's violence to build new lives in California—fighting to survive, to stay, and to belong.Growing up in rural El Salvador in the wake of the civil war, Ernesto Flores had always had a fascination with the United States, the distant land of skyscrapers and Nikes, while his identical twin, Raul, never felt that northbound tug. But when Ernesto ends up on the wrong side of the region's brutal gangs he is forced to flee the country, and Raul, because he looks just like his brother, follows close behind—away from one danger and toward the great American unknown.In this urgent chronicle of contemporary immigration, journalist Lauren Markham follows the seventeen-year-old Flores twins as they make their harrowing journey across the Rio Grande and the Texas desert, into the hands of immigration authorities, and from there to their estranged older brother's custody in Oakland, CA. Soon these unaccompanied minors are navigating a new school in a new language, working to pay down their mounting coyote debt, and facing their day in immigration court, while also encountering the triumphs and pitfalls of life as American teenagers—girls, grades, Facebook—with only each other for support. With intimate access and breathtaking range, Markham offers a coming of age tale that is also a nuanced portrait of Central America's child exodus, an investigation of U.S. immigration policy, and an unforgettable testament to the migrant experience.
The Far Traveler: Voyages of a Viking Woman
by Nancy Marie BrownFive hundred years before Columbus, a Viking woman named Gudrid sailed off the edge of the known world. She landed in the New World and lived there for three years, giving birth to a baby before sailing home. Or so the Icelandic sagas say. Even after archaeologists found a Viking longhouse in Newfoundland, no one believed that the details of Gudrid's story were true. Then, in 2001, a team of scientists discovered what may have been this pioneering woman's last house, buried under a hay field in Iceland, just where the sagas suggested it could be. Joining scientists experimenting with cutting-edge technology and the latest archaeological techniques, and tracing Gudrid's steps on land and in the sagas, Nancy Marie Brown reconstructs a life that spanned-and expanded-the bounds of the then-known world. She also sheds new light on the society that gave rise to a woman even more extraordinary than legend has painted her and illuminates the reasons for its collapse. Includes references, notes, sources.
The Faraway Nearby
by Rebecca SolnitThis personal, lyrical narrative about storytelling and empathy from award winner Rebecca Solnit is a fitting companion to her beloved A Field Guide for Getting Lost In this exquisitely written new book by the author of A Paradise Built in Hell, Rebecca Solnit explores the ways we make our lives out of stories, and how we are connected by empathy, by narrative, by imagination. In the course of unpacking some of her own stories—of her mother and her decline from memory loss, of a trip to Iceland, of an illness—Solnit revisits fairytales and entertains other stories: about arctic explorers, Che Guevara among the leper colonies, and Mary Shelley’s Dr. Frankenstein, about warmth and coldness, pain and kindness, decay and transformation, making art and making self. Woven together, these stories create a map which charts the boundaries and territories of storytelling, reframing who each of us is and how we might tell our story. .
The Farm in the Green Mountains
by Elisa Albert Alice Herdan-Zuckmayer Carol E. Washington Ida H. WashingtonThe Farm in the Green Mountains is a story of a refugee family finding its true home—thousands of miles from its homeland.Alice and Carl Zuckmayer lived at the center of Weimarera Berlin. She was a former actor turned medical student, he was a playwright, and their circle of friends included Stefan Zweig, Alma Mahler, and Bertolt Brecht. But then the Nazis took over and Carl’s most recent success, a play satirizing German militarism, impressed them in all the wrong ways. The couple and their two daughters were forced to flee, first to Austria, then to Switzerland, and finally to the United States. Los Angeles didn’t suit them, neither did New York, but a chance stroll in the Vermont woods led them to Backwoods Farm and the eighteenth-century farmhouse where they would spend the next five years. In Europe, the Zuckmayers were accustomed to servants; in Vermont, they found themselves building chicken coops, refereeing fights between fractious ducks, and caring for temperamental water pipes “like babies.” But in spite of the endless work and the brutal, depressing winters, Alice found that in America she had at last discovered her “native land.” This generous, surprising, and witty memoir, a best seller in postwar Germany, has all the charm of an unlikely romantic comedy.
The Farm: The Story of One Family and the English Countryside
by Richard BensonAfter two hundred years of farming in Yorkshire, the Benson family were forced to sell up. They found - like so many other farmers - that big business was wiping out a way of life they had known for generations.Farming had not come naturally to Richard Benson - he had fled to London long ago. But when he returned to help, he found himself caught up in memories of his childhood in the countryside. Recalling a lost world of pigs digging up the neighbour's lawn, love affairs among haystacks and men who wrestled bulls to prove a point, he tells of othe changing English landscape, of the people affected - and how his family adapt to a new life after being forced to give up their birthright.(p) 2006 Orion Publishing Group
The Farmer From Merna: A Biography Of George J. Mecherle And A History Of The State Farm Insurance Companies Of Bloomington, Illinois
by Mecherle Karl SchriftgeisserThis is the biography of George J. Mecherle, an Illinois farmer who conceived of a plan to bring low-cost honest auto insurance to the farming people of his home state. It tells of his struggle to get the business established and the growth of his venture.
The Farmer's Son: Calving Season on a Family Farm
by John ConnellFor fans of The Shepherd&’s Life, a poignant memoir—and #1 Irish bestseller—about a wayward son&’s return home to his family&’s farm, and how he found a new beginning in an age-old world Farming has been in John Connell's family for generations, but he never intended to follow in his father's footsteps. Until, one winter, after more than a decade away, he finds himself back on the farm. Connell records the hypnotic rhythm of the farming day—cleaning the barns, caring for the herd, tending to sickly lambs, helping the cows give birth. Alongside the routine events, there are the unforeseen moments when things go wrong: when a calf fails to thrive, when a sheep goes missing, when illness breaks out, when an argument between father and son erupts and things are said that cannot be unsaid.The Farmer&’s Son is the story of a calving season, and the story of a man who emerges from depression to find hope in the place he least expected to find it. It is the story of Connell's life as a farmer, and of his relationship with the community of County Longford, with his faith, with the animals he tends, and, above all, with his father.
The Farmer's Wife: My Life in Days
by Helen RebanksAn honest portrait of rural life and an authentic exploration of both the hard work and reward of keeping a home and raising a family.Helen Rebanks&’s beautifully written memoir takes place across a single day on her working farm in the Lake District of England. Weaving past and present, through a journey of self-discovery, the book takes us from the farmhouse table of her Grandmother, and into the home she now shares with her husband, four kids and an abundance of animals.Helen shares, with rare truthfulness, her life in days, sometimes a wonder and a joy but others a grind to be survived. It&’s a story about food and love; the need we all have for simple, honest, nourishing dishes and relationships. A heartfelt, unvarnished meditation on the power of domestic life, the book includes recipes, lists and gentle wisdom to help us get through our days, whatever they throw at us.Along with her husband, farmer/author James Rebanks (The Shepherd&’s Life), Helen and her family work as a tight-knit team. Their farm has become globally important through their nature-friendly farming practices. They host events regularly at the farm to share their expertise and encourage others to farm sustainably.This is Helen Rebanks&’s debut.
The Farmer, the Gastronome, and the Chef: In Pursuit of the Ideal Meal
by Daniel J. PhilipponThe role of food writing in the sustainable food movement At turns heartfelt and witty, accessible and engaging, The Farmer, the Gastronome, and the Chef explores how Wendell Berry, Carlo Petrini, and Alice Waters have changed America&’s relationship with food over the past fifty years. Daniel Philippon weighs the legacy of each of these writers and activists while planting and harvesting vegetables in central Wisconsin, speaking with growers and food producers in northern Italy, and visiting with chefs and restaurateurs in southeastern France. Following Berry, Petrini, and Waters in pursuit of his own &“ideal meal,&” Philippon considers what a sustainable food system might look like and what role writing can play in making it a reality. Warning of the dangers of &“agristalgia,&” Philippon instead advocates for a diverse set of practices he calls &“elemental cooking,&” which would define sustainable food from farm to table, while also acknowledging the importance of seeking social justice throughout the food system. A rigorous yet generous appraisal of three central figures in the sustainable food movement, The Farmer, the Gastronome, and the Chef demonstrates how the written word has the power to change our world for the better, one ideal meal at a time.
The Farrows of Hollywood: Their Dark Side of Paradise
by Marilyn Ann MossThe first intimate look at the cracked fairytale life of Hollywood's first family, the Farrows. John Farrow was Hollywood royalty. An Academy Award-winning director and screenwriter, he was married to the talented and beautiful actress Maureen O'Sullivan, best known for playing Jane in Tarzan films with Johnny Weissmuller. Together they had seven children, including esteemed actress Mia Farrow, mother of journalist Ronan Farrow. From the outside, they were a fairytale Hollywood family. But all was not as it seemed.The Farrows of Hollywood: Their Dark Side of Paradise reveals that Mia Farrow's allegations of sexual molestation by Woody Allen of their seven-year-old adopted daughter, Dylan, has roots in Farrow&’s childhood relationship with her father, John Farrow. John was often an abusive father to his children, his wife, and to his co-workers in Hollywood. Called the most disliked man in Hollywood, John Farrow was a tortured, tragic artist and father. He left his children a legacy of trauma and pain that the family kept hidden. It erupted only years later when Mia Farrow unknowingly revealed her pain through her words and behavior in her allegations aimed at Allen.The book includes new research, never-before-revealed interviews with actors who worked with John Farrow, and an original theory from author, biographer, and documentarian Marilyn Ann Moss.
The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
by Daniel DefoeYears after being rescued, Robinson Crusoe is drawn back to the island he was shipwrecked on, and when his nephew offers to take him on board his trading vessel, Crusoe cannot refuse the opportunity to return to the seas, where new adventures await.
The Farthest Home Is in an Empire of Fire: A Tejano Elegy
by John Phillip Santos"Wonderful...a book that connects us to the global story of ourselves." -Sandra Cisneros In this beautifully written, highly original work, John Phillip Santos- the author of Places Left Unfinished at the Time of Creation-creates a virtuosic meditation on ancestry and origins. Weaving together a poetic mix of family remembrance, personal odyssey, conquest history, and magical realism, Santos recounts his quest to find the missing chronicle of his mother's family, who arrived in southern Texas in the 1620s. As Santos traces their roots to northern Spain, he re-imagines the way we think about identity. The result is a uniquely engaging adventure in the frontier between self and family, past and present, at a time when breakthroughs in genetics are changing our window on history.
The Fashion Chronicles: The style stories of history’s best dressed
by Amber ButchartFrom BBC television and radio presenter Amber Butchart, The Fashion Chronicles is an exploration of 100 of the most fascinating style stories ever told.From Eve's fig leaf to Hilary Clinton's pantsuit, the way we choose to clothe our bodies can carry layer upon layer of meaning. Across cultures and throughout history people have used clothing to signify power and status, to adorn and beautify, even to prop up or dismantle regimes.Here, explore the best-dressed figures in history, from Cleopatra to Beyoncé, Joan of Arc to RuPaul. Some have influenced the fashion of today, while some have used their clothing to change the world. But all have a sartorial story to tell. Entries include:TutankhamunBoudiccaEleanor of AcquitaneGenghis KhanKing Philip II of SpainKing Louis XIV of FranceCatherine the GreatMarie AntoinetteKarl MarxAmelia EarhartJosephine BakerFrida KahloMalcolm XMarsha HuntBeyoncéChimamanda Ngozi Adichie...and many more
The Fast Times of Albert Champion
by Peter Joffre NyeRACER. INNOVATOR. CELEBRITY. MOGUL. CHAMPION.This is the first biography of the short but exciting life of Albert Champion--record-setting bicyclist and motorcyclist, daredevil racecar driver, early automobile innovator, charismatic ladies' man, and celebrity of the Jazz Age. Though most Americans have heard of the companies Albert Champion founded--ACDelco and Champion Spark Plug--few know much about the charismatic man behind them. Like a Richard Branson of the early 20th century, or an Evel Knievel with a business degree, Champion was a powerhouse whose life was defined by both speed and success. Champion rose from poverty in Paris to great wealth and fame in both his native France and the United States. As a bicycle racer, Champion set more than a hundred world records. When the urban speed limit was 8 mph, he was the first ever to drive a motorcycle a mile under a minute. A car-racing crash snapped a leg bone that kept him in traction for eleven weeks. Undeterred, he hobbled out of the hospital on crutches and recovered to win the French national cycling championship. Champion invested his prize money to become a tycoon in the new and revolutionary American auto industry, working closely with the leading players and amassing thirty US. His contemporaries included Charles Lindbergh, who endorsed Champion's product by saying, "AC Spark Plugs kept my engine running perfectly."; Louis Chevrolet, whom Champion backed financially until it came out that he was trying to seduce Chevrolet's wife, which led to a fight and the end of their friendship; and William Durant, founder of a "new holding company" called General Motors. A notorious ladies' man, Champion's many dalliances were fodder for the papers and finally ended in a love triangle that resulted in his death under mysterious circumstances.From the Hardcover edition.
The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World: The Story Of A Colored Boy's Indomitable Courage And Success Against Great Odds (Belt Revivals)
by Marshall W. TaylorThis autobiography by the sport&’s first African American world champion is &“a compelling story for any cycling fan&” (Outside). More than a century ago, Marshall &“Major&” Taylor overcame racial prejudice to become one of the most dominant cyclists in history. The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World, which Taylor self-published in 1928, gives a riveting first-person account of his rise to the highest echelons of professional cycling. Born in Indianapolis, he eventually became the first African American cycling world champion, going on to set seven world records in the sport. Here he recounts his exploits as an athlete, including his early taste of success in a grueling six-day race, his unparalleled dominance as a sprinter, and some of his most bitter defeats. But the man who achieved international fame as the &“Black Cyclone&” also details the extreme prejudice he faced both on and off the track. This is a story about one of the greatest athletes in American history, but also a moving testament to Taylor&’s resilience and determination in the face of overt racism and seemingly impossible odds. &“Taylor paints vivid a picture of bike racing in the United States at the turn of the [twentieth] century, and highlights his mental process in dealing with racism . . . all while becoming, indeed, the fastest bike racer in the world.&” —Outside Includes an introduction by Zito Madu
The Fastest Girl on Earth!: Meet Kitty O'Neil, Daredevil Driver!
by Dean RobbinsGear up for this high-powered picture book biography about Kitty O'Neil, the stuntwoman and racecar driver who broke the women's land speed record!Kitty O'Neil was a force to be reckoned with. She became deaf as a child, and grew up loving sports and action. Kitty jumped, ran, raced, and swam, all while learning to read lips and communicating through sign language. Eventually, Kitty took a job as a stuntwoman, doing the most dangerous job on set and even filming stunts for films like Wonder Woman! Still, Kitty wanted more thrills. She became a racecar driver and sought to do what no woman had done before. She chose the aptly named Motivator and trained like a true champion. In 1976, Kitty and the Motivator broke the land speed record, racing at over 600 miles per hour! Kitty was a hero to fans everywhere, and proved that she was truly unstoppable.
The Fastest Man Alive: The True Story of Usain Bolt
by Usain Bolt Shaun CustisA skinny kid from the Jamaican parish of Trelawny, Usain Bolt's life changed in August 2008 when the Olympic men's 100-meter starter pistol was followed just 9. 69 seconds later by his streak across the finish line and the first of his three gold medals was placed around his neck. In this illustrated celebration of his influences, background, and career trajectory, Bolt shares his story of growing up playing cricket and soccer, and discovering that he could run fast--very fast. He shares stories of his family, friends, and the laidback Jamaican culture, and reveals what makes him tick, where he gets his motivation, and where he takes his inspiration. He tells of the dedication and sacrifices required to get to the top, and also discusses fast food, partying, music, fast cars, and that signature lightning bolt pose.