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Trans-Atlantic Passenger Ships, Past and Present
by Eugene Waldo SmithTrans-Atlantic Passenger Ships, Past and Present by Eugene Waldo Smith offers a captivating journey through the rich history of ocean liners that bridged continents and shaped an era. This meticulously researched volume delves into the evolution of passenger ships, from their modest beginnings to their golden age as floating palaces of luxury, and ultimately to their transformation into modern vessels.The book chronicles the technical innovations, architectural splendor, and the cultural significance of these iconic ships, offering vivid portraits of celebrated liners like the Mauretania, Titanic, Queen Mary, and many others. Through detailed accounts and illustrations, Smith brings to life the experiences of passengers—whether emigrants seeking a new life or affluent travelers indulging in opulence—and the heroic crews who manned the vessels.Rich with anecdotes and historical insights, the book also explores the challenges faced by trans-Atlantic travel, from fierce competition among shipping lines to the trials of wartime service.A treasure trove for maritime enthusiasts, historians, and those captivated by the romance of the sea, Trans-Atlantic Passenger Ships, Past and Present celebrates the legacy of these legendary ships while reflecting on their enduring impact on global travel and commerce.
Trans-atlantic Passages
by Jon Ceander MitchellPhilip Hale (1854-1934) helped put Boston on the Transatlantic map through his music writing. He was one of the most frequently read American writers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In Trans-Atlantic Passages: Philip Hale on the Boston Symphony Orchestra 1889-1933 John Ceander Mitchell reconstructs Hale's oeuvre to produce an authoritative account of the role the Boston Symphony played in the international world of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century music.
TransElectric: My Life as a Cosmic Rock Star
by Cidny Bullens Sir Elton JohnFrom the depths of the '70s rock 'n' roll excesses through unimaginable personal losses to an inspiring late-life transformation, Cidny Bullens's story is an utterly compelling journey about living and singing with your authentic voice. An androgynous gender-bending musician from the get-go, Bullens toured extensively with Sir Elton John and performed with Bob Dylan, undergoing a complete immersion in the drug-fueled excesses of 1970s rock 'n' roll. Despite getting sober, climbing the charts with the Grammy-nominated Survivor, as well as a Grammy nomination for his lead vocals in the soundtrack for the movie Grease, Bullens was unable to break out as a solo star in a world that allowed its artists to cross the gender line, but had much more narrow expectations about how women could behave and perform. Retreating into the conventional lifestyle of a suburban mom, Bullens felt like she was living in an alternate universe. Then whatever world she had was shattered by the tragic death of her younger daughter from cancer. Out of the ashes of despair, Bullens brought forth an award-winning album, Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth, that relaunched the musician's career. Finally, nine years ago, Cidny claimed his own healing and transitioned from female to male—finding unexpected love, becoming a new stepfather and a grandfather.What he found, too, was his true voice and true power as a performer.
Transatlantic: Based on a true story, utterly gripping and heartbreaking World War 2 historical fiction
by Julie OrringerSoon to be a major Netflix series1940, France. In the middle of a devastating war, how many lives can you save?Varian Fry, a young American journalist, arrives in Marseille armed only with three thousand dollars and a list of writers, thinkers and artists he hopes to rescue - so long as the Nazis don't get to them first.With borders closing around him, Varian tries to track down those on his list; renowned artists like Marc Chagall, who cannot believe that he will ever be unsafe in the country he loves. He smuggles them over the Pyrenees mountains and across the sea hidden in boats, but every day hundreds of ordinary Jewish refugees beg him for help. Does Varian have the right to choose who to save?At home in New York, making a list seemed hard, but in the middle of humanity's darkest hour, Varian must do all he can to help. And as the Nazis begin to get word of Varian's secret operation, he must dig deep and find the courage to rescue as many innocents as he can.Even though his own life may be in terrible danger.An incredibly compelling and heart-wrenching historical novel, inspired by a powerful true story, about the extraordinary courage and friendships forged during humanity's darkest hour. If you loved Schindler's List, All the Light We Cannot See or The Tattooist of Auschwitz, you'll adore Transatlantic, previously published as The Flight Portfolio.(P) 2019 Recorded Books
Transcend Fear: A Blueprint for Mindful Leadership in Public Health
by Joseph LadapoA fascinating look into the life of a state surgeon general and how his public health decisions provide a blueprint for fearless leadership and better national health policy. Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo shares the inspiring story of how he came to be who he is. After experiencing abuse as a child, Dr. Ladapo was incapable of connecting emotionally with other people. He was dissociated from virtually everything in his life and numbly powered through college, medical school, and residency to become a doctor and university professor. It wasn&’t until he fell in love with his wife that he was forced to come face-to-face with the enormous emotional and spiritual disruption caused by his deeply buried trauma. Just before the pandemic, Dr. Ladapo worked with a former Navy Seal who used a mix of ancient disciplines and modern techniques to help free him from this trauma—and subsequently, his fear. When the pandemic hit Los Angeles, Dr. Ladapo found himself well-equipped to observe the panic and fear that overtook the hospital where he was working—and the country—without becoming part of it. From this state of emotional clarity, he recognized that it was too late to take any public health measures that would significantly change the deadliness of the pandemic, and that it was more important to face the challenge squarely and focus on building capacity to treat patients without destroying society in the process. His message that panic, fear, and politics were fueling harmful decisions—like disavowing the possibility that hydroxychloroquine could effectively treat COVID-19—made him the target of fierce criticism. In Transcend Fear: A Blueprint for Mindful Leadership in Public Health, Dr. Ladapo describes his views on public health restrictions, early home treatment, and COVID-19 vaccines, along with how Florida officials made public health decisions that set it apart from other states—and nations. Based on this experience, Dr. Ladapo explains how states can make better public health decisions in the future, recommending that health officials obtain training in decision analysis and expand their consciousness of how fear can shape perspectives and create dangerous outcomes—particularly during a crisis.
Transcendentalist Hermeneutics: Institutional Authority and the Higher Criticism of the Bible
by Richard A. GrusinAmerican literary historians have viewed Ralph Waldo Emerson's resignation from the Unitarian ministry in 1832 in favor of a literary career as emblematic of a main current in American literature. That current is directed toward the possession of a self that is independent and fundamentally opposed to the "accoutrements of society and civilization" and expresses a Transcendentalist antipathy toward all institutionalized forms of religious observance. In the ongoing revision of American literary history, this traditional reading of the supposed anti-institutionalism of the Transcendentalists has been duly detailed and continually supported. Richard A. Grusin challenges both traditional and revisionist interpretations with detailed contextual studies of the hermeneutics of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Theodore Parker. Informed by the past two decades of critical theory, Grusin examines the influence of the higher criticism of the Bible--which focuses on authorship, date, place of origin, circumstances of composition, and the historical credibility of biblical writings--on these writers. The author argues that the Transcendentalist appeal to the authority of the "self" is not an appeal to a source of authority independent of institutions, but to an authority fundamentally innate.
Transculturing Auto/Biography: Forms of Life Writing
by Rosalia BaenaRosalia Baena’s theoretically challenging, analytical volume of essays, explores the diversity of shapes that transcultural life writing takes, demonstrating how it has become one of the most dynamic and productive literary forms of self-inscription and self-representation. Expanding much of the contemporary criticism on life writing, which tends to centre on content, the essays highlight that reading contemporary forms of life writing from a literary perspective is a rich field of critical intervention that has been overlooked because of recent cultural studies’ concerns with material issues. To read life writing as primarily cultural texts undercuts much of its value as a complex dynamic of cultural production, where aesthetic concerns and the choice and manipulation of form serve as signifying aspects to experiences and subjectivities. This book was previously published as a special issue of Prose Studies.
Transfigured: Patricia Sandoval's Escape from Drugs, Homelessness, and the Back Doors of Planned Parenthood
by Christine Watkins Patricia SandovalThe authors present the true story of Patricia Sandoval's journey from a secure, happy child to an unstable, tormented person who becames a homeless drug addict who had three abortions. It also describes her journey from this disturbed state to a drug-free, productive citizen. and sort-after church and public speaker who has dedicated her life to helping others, especially the unborn. According to Dr. Theresa Burke, "Authors Christine Watkins and Patricia Sandoval do an outstanding job of helping the reader follow each thread of Patricia Sandoval's powerful, moving, tumultuous life, as it twists into knots and circles back to find disconnected threads. Pursued and decorated by God's unrelenting mercy, the frayed and broken web of her story is untangled into a richly textured tapestry, perfectly ordered into His divine will. As Patricia comes close to Him and tries to flee His gaze, the reader will identify with the anxiety of laying down our common human fears to risk crossing the turbulent bridge of trusting God. This book is an adventure of surrender that will give you hope and reshape your ideas about what life is all about." Further, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone says: "Patricia Sandoval has a truly amazing story, one of sin and suffering, but also of grace and redemption. Above all, it is a reminder of how much God loves us, walks with us even when we stumble, and 'works all things to the good for those who love Him.' This well-written book is always engaging and has something to challenge and inspire each of us, particularly in support of God's littlest ones, the unborn." Not only is this book encapsulated with drama and pathos, the authors give factual information and provide the readers with insightful resources.
Transformation at ING (A): Agile
by Emer Moloney William R. Kerr Federica Gabrieli"In December 2017, Vincent van den Boogert, CEO of ING’s operations in the Netherlands (“ING NL”), was looking for a work space at the company’s local headquarters in Amsterdam. Notwithstanding his current executive role, he had not had a private office for over four years—a deliberate move in preparation for what would be the company’s “agile” transformation. This reorganization of work had been critical for ING NL responding to and exceeding rapidly changing customer expectations. <P> Van den Boogert still remembered that Monday, June 15, 2015 when agile launched in true “big bang” fashion. All of ING NL’s headquarters employees had gathered in the Amsterdam Arena and jumped up at thesame moment for a picture that would immortalize the important inflection point in the company’s history. It was a powerful and symbolic moment. To be included in the new ING NL, all employees had had to reapply for a position, with selections based upon employees having the right mindset for the new way of working at ING NL in addition to skills and competencies. Meanwhile the building was transformed into an office bearing no resemblance to the old bank—open spaces, glass walls, and colorful couches provided new scenery for their new way of working."
Transformation at ING (B): Innovation
by Emer Moloney William R. Kerr Federica Gabrieli"Together with the agile methodology, innovation at ING was an enabler for the company’s purpose of empowering people to stay a step ahead in life and business. Strong in the belief that innovation had to happen close to the customer, ING had created the position of chief innovation officer (CInO), whose mandate was to enable the bank to be innovative and make sure that they started working on the future of the company."
Transformation der Kernexekutive
by Martin FlorackRegieren braucht Organisation und Institutionen. Eine herausragende Rolle spielt hierbei die Kernexekutive, die Regierungshandeln koordiniert und steuert. Wie verändern sich diese formalen und informellen Institutionen nach einem Regierungswechsel? Welche Institutionen bleiben stabil, welche unterliegen grundlegendem Wandel? Wie groß ist der Einfluss politischer Akteure auf die Regierungsorganisation und welche Mechanismen liegen dem Wechselspiel institutioneller Stabilisierung und Veränderung zugrunde? Über die Beantwortung dieser Fragen hinaus verfolgt die vorliegende Studie drei weiterführende Ziele: Erstens geht es um eine empirische Analyse der Kernexekutive in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Damit rückt zugleich die bislang oftmals vernachlässigte Ebene der deutschen Länder ins Zentrum des Erkenntnisinteresses. Zweitens zielt die Studie auf eine methodische Erweiterung der Zugänge der Regierungsforschung durch die Methode der teilnehmenden Beobachtung. Die hiermit gewonnenen Innenansichten ermöglichen sowohl neue empirische als auch theoretische Perspektiven. Drittens geht es um den Anschluss des Themenfeldes an institutionalistische Theorieansätze. Die Studie zielt folglich auf einen Beitrag zu weiteren Theoriebildung im Feld der Regierungsforschung.
Transformation on the Southern Ukrainian Steppe
by Harvey L. Dyck Ingrid I. Epp John R. StaplesIn the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Russian empire opened the grasslands of southern Ukraine to agricultural settlement. Among the immigrants who arrived were communities of Prussian Mennonites, recruited as "model colonists" to bring progressive agricultural methods to the east. Transformation on the Southern Ukrainian Steppe documents the Tsarist Mennonite experience through the papers of Johann Cornies (1789-1848), an ambitious and energetic leader of the Mennonite colony of Molochna.Cornies was well connected in the imperial government, and his papers offer a window not just into the world of the Molochna Mennonites but also into the Tsarist state's relationship with the national minorities of the frontier: Mennonites, Doukhbors, Nogai Tartars, and Jews. This selection of his letters and reports, translated into English, is an invaluable resource for scholars of all aspects of life in Tsarist Ukraine and for those interested in Mennonite history.
Transformation on the Southern Ukrainian Steppe: Letters and Papers of Johann Cornies, Volume II: 1836–1842 (Tsarist and Soviet Mennonite Studies)
by Ingrid I. EppIn the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Russian empire opened the grasslands of southern Ukraine to agricultural settlement. Among the immigrants who arrived were communities of Prussian Mennonites, recruited as "model colonists" to bring progressive agricultural methods to the east. Transformation on the Southern Ukrainian Steppe documents the Tsarist Mennonite experience through the papers of Johann Cornies (1789–1848), an ambitious and energetic leader of the Mennonite colony of Molochna. Cornies was well connected in the imperial government, and his papers offer a window not just into the world of the Molochna Mennonites, but also into the Tsarist state’s relationship with the national minorities of the frontier: Mennonites, Doukhobors, Nogai Tatars, and Jews. This selection of his letters and reports, translated into English, is an invaluable resource for scholars of all aspects of life in Tsarist Ukraine and for those interested in Mennonite history.
Transformative Political Leadership: Making a Difference in the Developing World
by Rotberg Robert I.Accomplished political leaders have a clear strategy for turning political visions into reality. Through well-honed analytical, political, and emotional intelligence, leaders chart paths to promising futures that include economic growth, material prosperity, and human well-being. Alas, such leaders are rare in the developing world, where often institutions are weak and greed and corruption strong--and where responsible leadership therefore has the potential to effect the greatest change. In Transformative Political Leadership, Robert I. Rotberg focuses on the role of leadership in politics and argues that accomplished leaders demonstrate a particular set of skills. Through illustrative case studies of leaders who have performed ably in the developing world--among them Nelson Mandela in South Africa, Seretse Khama in Botswana, Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore, and Kemal Ataturk in Turkey--Rotberg examines how these leaders transformed their respective countries. The importance of capable leadership is woefully understudied in political science, and this book will be an important tool in exploring how leaders lead and how nations and institutions are built.
Transformative Practices in Archaeology: Empowering Communities and Shaping Sustainable Futures
by Claire Smith Nishaant Choksi Alok Kumar KanungoThe volume introduces a diverse range of themes and practices relating to sustainable heritage management. Each paper delves into the challenges, successes, and failures of preserving precious cultural heritage. It discusses various strategies, such as the early inclusion of archaeology in UNESCO frameworks to leveraging archaeological findings and indigenous knowledge for sustainable development goals. The chapters explore the evolution of autoarchaeology as a tool for empowering Indigenous communities to assert their human rights and integrating oral histories and local ecological knowledge to interpret ancient remains. Additionally, it highlights the value of archaeologists working more closely with Indigenous peoples, local communities, and other disciplines in identifying, preserving, conserving and managing heritage sites. It appeals to archaeologists, anthropologists, cultural geographers, cultural heritage professionals and others seeking new ways to protect cultural heritage.
Transformed: A Navy SEAL’s Unlikely Journey from the Throne of Africa, to the Streets of the Bronx, to Defying All Odds
by Remi AdelekeWhat are the odds? Statistics tell us that African American males who grow up in a single-parent household are nine times more likely to drop out of high school and twenty times more likely to end up in prison than any other demographic. But what would it take for one young man not only to rise above those statistics but also become a Navy SEAL, actor, entrepreneur, writer, and successful husband and father?In Transformed, Remi Adeleke takes you back to stories from his childhood, from living as Nigerian royalty to losing his father early in life and being stripped financially of everything by the Nigerian government. He delves into being raised by a single mother in the Bronx and doesn’t shy away from his illegal activities as a young man that threatened to derail his future. At every turn, including throughout his naval career, Adeleke found a way to overcome the odds, even when it didn’t make sense. His is an inspiring story of true personal transformation.
Transformer: A Story of Glitter, Glam Rock, and Loving Lou Reed
by Simon DoonanSimon Doonan’s memoir pays homage to Lou Reed’s groundbreaking glam rock album Transformer, recalling its influence on his coming of age and coming out.In November 1972, Lou Reed released Transformer because it was “dreary for gay people to have to listen to straight people’s love songs.” That same year, Sweden was the first country to legalize gender-affirming surgery, and San Francisco struck down employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.Sometimes an artistic creation perfectly aligns with a broader social and political history, and Transformer—with the songs “Walk on the Wild Side,” “Perfect Day,” and “Vicious”—perfectly captured its time. “Walk on the Wild Side” was banned on radio but became a massive hit when young people threatened to boycott stations that would not play it. The album’s cover depcited Lou in high-contrast, flaunting a new mascara’d glam rock incarnation, shot by legend Mick Rock, underscoring his intention to create “a gay album.”This is the story of how Lou Reed came to make Transformer with the help of David Bowie, placing its creation within the course of Reed’s life. Offering first-hand testimony of the album’s impact on the LGBTQ+ community, Simon Doonan shares how it transformed his own life as a 20-year-old working class kid from Reading, England, who had just discovered the joys of London Glam Rock and was sparked by the artistic freedom of Warhol’s The Factory. Transformer was a revelation—hearing Reed’s songs, Doonan understood how the world was changing for him and his friends.A poignant, personal addition to modern music and LGBTQ+ history, Transformer captures a pivotal moment when those long silenced were finally given a voice.
Transforming Author Museums: From Sites of Pilgrimage to Cultural Hubs (Museums and Collections #13)
by Thea Aarbakke Ulrike Spring, Johan SchimanskiLiterary museums today must respond to new challenges; the traditional image of the author’s home museum as a sacred place of literary pilgrimage centered around a national hero has been questioned, and literary museums have begun to develop new strategies centered not only on biography, but also literary texts, imagined spaces, different readers, historical contexts, architectural concepts, and artistic interventions. As this volume shows, the changing of spaces asks how literary museums create new ways of interlinking real and literary spaces, texts, objects, readers, and tourists.
Transforming Paris
by David P. JordanThe Paris we know today, with its grand boulevards, its bridges and parks, its monumental beauty, was essentially built in only seventeen years, in the middle of the nineteenth century. In this brief period, whole neighborhoods of medieval and revolutionary Paris -- over-crowded, dangerous, and filthy -- were razed, and from the rubble a modern city of light and air emerged. This triumphant rebuilding was chiefly the work of one man, Baron Georges Haussmann, Napoleon III's Prefect of the Seine. It was Haussmann's task to assert, in stone, the power and permanence of Paris, to show the world that it was the seat of an empire of mythic proportions. To this end, he imposed grand visual perspectives, as when he transformed Napoleon I's Arc de Triomphe into a magnificent twelve-armed star from which radiated the broadest boulevards of Europe. Below ground, his modern sewer system became one of the wonders of the civilized world, eagerly toured by royalty and commoners alike. Haussmann's mandate was not only to create an impression of grandeur but to secure the city for better control by government. By creating formal spaces where there had previously been a maze of chaotic streets, Haussmann opened Paris to effective police control and thwarted the recurrent demonstration of its well-known revolutionary fervor. The determined and autocratic Haussmann imprinted rational order and bourgeois civility on the unruly city which had for so long simmered with riot and insurrection. Though he planted chestnut trees, installed gas lights, rebuilt the water supply, and improved transportation and housing, Haussmann's labors were (and remain) controversial. He forced tens of thousands of the poor from the center of the city, and destroyed significant parts of old Paris. But in this important new biography David Jordan reminds us that Haussmann was not immune to the charms of the old city. By leaving some areas intact, the Baron achieved the grand effect of implanting a modern city boldly within an ancient one. Here, at last, Haussmann's labors are given the aesthetic as well as the historical appreciation they deserve.
Transforming Rights
by Maxwell YaldenMaxwell Yalden began his career in the Department of External Affairs; he was posted to Moscow and Paris, and later as ambassador to Belguim. As Canada's Language Commissioner from 1977-1984, he worked to reinforce the Official Languages Act, and language equality, encouraging Canadians to become more inclusive in their attitudes towards both official languages. Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission from 1987-1996, he also served for eight years as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. Transforming Rights draws on Yalden's extensive experience in rights work to provide a personal assessment of how issues of human rights and language rights have evolved over the past forty years, both within Canada and internationally.Transforming Rights contends that Canadian rights principles reflect a unique history and character and examines the interplay of historical and contemporary Canadian standards with comparable international norms. Yalden argues that Canada's rights achievements demonstrate that though it may not be possible to change beliefs and attitudes through policy and legislation, it is certainly possible to change behaviour - facilitating the expansion of rights. Authoritative and anecdotal, Yalden offers an informed insider's opinion on continuously evolving human rights norms and the impact they have had on the way that people live their lives.
Transforming the Faiths of Our Fathers: Women Who Changed American Religion
by Ann BraudePundits on both the right and the left often portray religion and feminism as inherently incompatible, as opposing forces in American culture. Transforming the Faiths of Our Fathers seeks to dispel that notion by asking sixteen well-known religious figures to tell the story of how they became involved in the women's movement. Their work-much of it ongoing-has helped transform the way religion is practiced in this country. They have worked for the ordination of women, for inclusive language and liturgy, for new interpretations of scripture, theology, and religious law, and for an end to religious teachings that contributed to destructive gender stereotypes. Authors include Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, Evangelical, and goddess feminists. The personal stories of the fascinating contributors include watershed events in American religion and society over the last forty years. Each one of the women inTransforming the Faiths of Our Fathers has made history and seen it made, and gives her own version of what she has witnessed and experienced. They demonstrate the roots of their feminist activism in religious commitments, and the significance of struggles within religious arenas for expanding women's possibilities in society and culture.
Transgender Profiles: Time for a Change
by Linda DeFruscio“A comprehensive and enlightening must-read primer for anyone who is beginning their transition from male to female or female to male.” —Jeanette Renee, TLC’s I Am JazzTransgender Profiles: Time for a Change is an inspirational volume from Linda DeFruscio about the courage it takes to become the person you have always felt you were inside—to shirk off the mask that you have worn for your whole life until this moment. As an electrologist, Linda sees clients every day who are in the process of transitioning to a different gender, and she is there to help them in their journey of self-expression and the claiming of their identity.Filled with twenty unique stories of bravery from all different walks of life, this book is a tribute to all the courageous people who take their identity in their own hands and go forth to find the body that fits the soul and mind within. For those considering transitioning, for those looking for perspective and guidance in supporting loved ones, or for those who are curious and want to understand the struggles and triumphs of transgender individuals, Transgender Profiles is an invaluable resource.“Not only does this work open one’s eyes and mind to the transgender community, it goes beyond that to remind us of the importance of loving and caring for one another. Thanks to people like Linda DeFruscio, our world is becoming a more accepting and safer place.” —Andrew J. Safioleas, PharmD, MBA, PRS, RPh, inpatient pharmacist and music instructor“This clear, helpful collection tells many of our stories in the irreplaceable and accessible form of brief oral histories.” —Stephanie Burt, Professor of English, Harvard University
Transient Apostle
by Timothy Luckritz MarquisIn a significant reevaluation of Paulâ TMs place in the early Christian story, Timothy Luckritz Marquis explores the theme of travel in the apostleâ TMs correspondence. He casts Paulâ TMs rhetorical strategies against the background of Augustusâ TMs age, when Romeâ TMs wealth depended on conquests abroad, the international commerce they facilitated, and the incursion of foreign customs and peoples they brought about. In so doing, Luckritz Marquis provides an explanation for how Paul created, maintained, and expanded his local communities in the larger, international Jesus movement and shows how Paul was a product of the material forces of his day.â œThis is the single most sophisticated book on Paul to be written within the paradigms of contemporary critical thought. By integrating its extensive, erudite, and compelling citations of the Greco-Roman world in which Paul was writing with post-colonial and post-Marxist thinking, it makes real progress in understanding Paulâ TMs letters.â ?â "Daniel Boyarin
Transient and Strange: Notes on the Science of Life
by Nell GreenfieldboyceAn astonishing debut from the beloved NPR science correspondent: intimate essays about the intersection of science and everyday life. In her career as a science reporter, Nell Greenfieldboyce has reported from inside a space shuttle, the bottom of a coal mine, and the control room of a particle collider; she’s presented news on the color of dinosaur eggs, ice worms that live on mountaintop glaciers, and signs of life on Venus. In this, her debut book, she delivers a wholly original collection of powerful, emotionally raw, and unforgettable personal essays that probe the places where science touches our lives most intimately. Expertly weaving her own experiences of motherhood and marriage with an almost devotional attention to the natural world, Greenfieldboyce grapples with the weighty dualities of life: birth and death, constancy and impermanence, memory and doubt, love and aging. She looks for a connection to the universe by embarking on a search for the otherworldly glint of a micrometeorite in the dust, consults meteorologists and storm chasers on the eerie power of tornadoes to soothe her children’s anxieties, and processes her adolescent oblivion through the startling discovery of black holes. Inspired throughout by Walt Whitman’s invocation to the “transient and strange,” she remains attuned to the wildest workings of our world, reflecting on the incredible leap of the humble flea or the echoing truth of a fetal heartbeat. A beautiful blend of explanatory science, original reporting, and personal experience, Transient and Strange captures the ache of ordinary life, offering resonant insights into both the world around us and the worlds within us.
Transition: Becoming Who I Was Always Meant to Be
by Billie Fitzpatrick Chaz BonoThe world first met Chaz Bono as Sonny and Cher's cherubic blonde daughter. But Chaz feels no connection with that little girl. Instead, he remembers growing up in the public eye feeling that his whole existence was a lie. Even after coming out as a lesbian, Chaz still felt unfulfilled. Finally, after struggling with gender confusion, failed relationships, the loss of a parent, drug addiction and a slow journey towards sobriety, Chaz began taking hormones to begin his transition from female to male. An inspirational and riveting tale.