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Very Much a Lady: The Untold Story of Jean Harris and Dr. Herman Tarnower
by Shana AlexanderJean Harris belonged to the last generation of American women brought up to believe that all good girls get married. But instead she embarked upon a fourteen-year affair with Dr. Herman Tarnower, the charismatic man behind the famous Scarsdale Diet. One night in 1980, this prim headmistress of the exclusive Madeira girls school shot Dr. Tarnower to death in a case that shocked the nation.
Very Special Agents: The Inside Story of America's Most Controversial Law Enforcement Agency--The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
by James MooreWhen James Moore joined the ATF in 1960, it was an arm of the Internal Revenue Service with one job: to catch the Mafia bootleggers whose distilleries cheated Uncle Sam of millions in tax revenue. During his twenty-five years of service, Moore saw the organization shift to enforcing of gun laws, be reborn as a separate bureau, and take on bombings and arson cases that most law officers wrote off as impossible to solve. Moore's personal, from-the-hip history spans the long-running war against dons and drug dealers and covers agents' daring infiltration of the Ku Klux Klan, Hell's Angels, and other violent groups. He reveals the cutting-edge forensics work that helped crack the World Trade Center and Oklahoma City bombings and also provides an insider account of the raid on the Branch Davidians at Waco. Finally, Moore discusses the ATF's rivalry with the FBI and the political power games that impede the government's ability to fight crime.
Verás el cielo abierto
by Manuel VicentEl rumor de los recuerdos, los perfumes del fondo de la memoria, la música que nos transporta a una estancia íntima... un relato sentimental en el que Vicent reconstruye una habitación confortable aprovechando los materiales de su propio derribo. «Me gustaría que se leyera este libro como se entra en una habitación íntima, en una tarde de lluvia, y uno se pone cómodo, se sirve un té o una copa y se siente a gusto sin necesidad de ir a otra parte. Esta habitación unas veces será luminosa con la ventana abierta por donde llegan los perfumes desde el fondo de la memoria; otras, podrá ser cálida y confortable, y bastará con observar el pavimento de madera, los cuadros, los muebles, las fotos amarillas que se guardan en el álbum, mientras suena una música de jazz. Si el lector, al terminar el libro, cree que ha pasado la tarde en el mejor lugar de la propia casa que le duele abandonar, podré imaginar que he escrito lo que quería. Vendería el alma al diablo antes que refugiarme en la nostalgia. Éste sólo es un espejo interior donde se refleja el tiempo vivido.»Manuel Vicent
Vesper Flights
by Helen MacdonaldFrom the bestselling author of H is for Hawk, a brilliant and insightful work about our relationship to the natural worldOur world is a fascinating place, teeming not only with natural wonders that defy description, but complex interactions that create layers of meaning. <P><P>Helen Macdonald is gifted with a special lens that seems to peer right through it all, and she shares her insights--at times startling, nostalgic, weighty, or simply entertaining--in this masterful collection of essays. From reflections on science fiction to the true story of an Iranian refugee's flight to the UK, Macdonald has a truly omnivorous taste when it comes to observations of both the banal and sublime. <P><P>Peppered throughout are reminisces of her own life, from her strange childhood in an estate owned by the Theosophical Society to watching total eclipses of the sun, visits to Uzbek solar power plants, eccentric English country shows, and desert hunting camps in the Gulf States. These essays move from personal experiences into wider meditations about love and loss and how we build the world around us. Whether more journalistic in tone, or literary--even formally experimental--each piece is generous, lyrical, and speaks to one another. <P><P>Macdonald creates a strong thematic undertow that quietly takes the reader along piece to piece and sets them down, finally, at a place they've never been before. <P><P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
Vesper Flights
by Helen MacdonaldThe New York Times–bestselling author of H is for Hawk explores the human relationship to the natural world in this “dazzling” essay collection (Wall Street Journal).In Vesper Flights, Helen Macdonald brings together a collection of her best loved essays, along with new pieces on topics ranging from nostalgia for a vanishing countryside to the tribulations of farming ostriches to her own private vespers while trying to fall asleep.Meditating on notions of captivity and freedom, immigration and flight, Helen invites us into her most intimate experiences: observing the massive migration of songbirds from the top of the Empire State Building, watching tens of thousands of cranes in Hungary, seeking the last golden orioles in Suffolk’s poplar forests. She writes with heart-tugging clarity about wild boar, swifts, mushroom hunting, migraines, the strangeness of birds’ nests, and the unexpected guidance and comfort we find when watching wildlife.
Vessel: A Memoir
by Cai Chongda“Essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary life in China, and highly recommended for memoir enthusiasts in general.” -- Library Journal (starred review)"Chongda paints a tantalizing portrait of a changing China in his dazzling English-language debut. [Vessel] shines with the bright talent of an excellent storyteller." -- Publishers WeeklyAn unprecedented and heartfelt memoir that illuminates the lives of rural Chinese workers, offering a portrait of generational strife, family, love, and loss that crosses cultures and time.Cai Chongda spent his childhood in a rural fishing village in Fujian province. When his father—a former communist gang leader turned gas station owner—has a stroke that partially paralyzes him, his responsibilities fall to Cai, his only son. Assuming his new role as head of the family, Cai toils alongside his mother and older sister to pay the medical bills that have become a part of a rapidly changing Chinese society. As Cai works his way through university and moves to Beijing, eventually becoming the editorial director of GQ China, he finds his life increasingly at odds with the family he supports but has left behind.Like The Glass Castle and Hillbilly Elegy, Vessel neither romanticizes nor condemns the people and circumstances that shaped a young man’s life, but instead offers a way forward, revealing how tradition can enrich modern life. Translated from the Chinese by Dylan Levi King
Vessels: A Love Story
by Daniel RaeburnAn unforgettable portrait of a marriage tested to its limits. When Dan, a writer with a passion for underground comics, and his wife Bekah, a potter dedicated to traditional Japanese ceramics, met through a mutual friend, they swiftly fell in love. “Of all the women I’ve ever met,” Dan told a friend, “she’s the first one who felt like family.” But at Christmas, as they prepared for the birth of their first child, tragedy struck. Based on Daniel Raeburn’s acclaimed New Yorker essay, Vessels: A Love Story is the story of how he and Bekah clashed and clung to each other through a series of unsuccessful pregnancies before finally, joyfully, becoming parents. In prose as handsomely unadorned as his wife’s pottery, Raeburn recounts a marriage cemented by the same events that nearly broke it. Vessels is an unflinching, enormously moving account of intimacy, endurance, and love.
Vessels: A Memoir of What Wasn't
by Daniel RaeburnAn unforgettable portrait of a marriage tested to its limits.When Dan, a writer with a passion for underground comics, and his wife Bekah, a potter dedicated to traditional Japanese ceramics, met through a mutual friend, they swiftly fell in love. "Of all the women I've ever met," Dan told a friend, "she's the first one who felt like family." But at Christmas, as they prepared for the birth of their first child, tragedy struck.Based on Daniel Raeburn's acclaimed New Yorker essay, Vessels: A Memoir of What Wasn't is the story of how the couple clashed and clung to each other through a series of unsuccessful pregnancies before finally, joyfully, becoming parents. In prose as handsomely unadorned as his wife's pottery, Raeburn recounts a marriage cemented by the same events that nearly broke it.Vessels is an unflinching, enormously moving account of intimacy, endurance and love.
Vet In A Spin
by James HerriotJames Herriot, strapped into the cockpit of a Tiger Moth trainer, feels rather out of place, but he hasn't found a new profession and it surely won't be long before the RAF come round to his point of view. James Herriot's sixth volume of unforgettable memoirs sees him dreaming of the day when he can rejoin his wife, Helen, little son, Jimmy, veterinary partner, Siegfried, the eternal student Tristan - and all the old Darrowby crows, both two-legged and four.
Vet In Harness
by James HerriotThe Yorkshire dales have never seemed more beautiful for James - now he has a lovely wife by his side, a partner's plate on the gate and the usual menagerie of farm animals, pets and owners demanding his constant attention and teaching him a few lessons along the way. All of the old Darrowby friends are on top form - Siegfried thrashes round the practice, Tristan occasionally buckles down for finals, and James is signed up for a local cricket team.
Vet at the End of the Earth: Adventures with Animals in the South Atlantic
by Jonathan HollinsThe passionate story of a vet&’s care for all creatures great and small in the colorful, diverse, and distinctive South Atlantic islands.The role of a resident vet in the remote islands of the Falklands, St. Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha encompasses many wonderful complexities: caring for the world&’s oldest living land animal (a 200-year-old giant tortoise, denizen of the St. Helena governor&’s lawn); pursuing mystery creatures and invasive microorganisms; relocating herds of reindeer; and rescuing animals in extraordinarily rugged landscapes, from subtropical cloud forests to volcanic cliff faces. Hugely entertaining and affectionate, Jonathan Hollins&’s tales of island vet life are not only full of ingenuity and astounding fauna—they are also steeped in the unique local cultures, history, and peoples of the islands, far from the hustle of continental life. Come join Jonathan on his daily adventures with these alluring and fascinating creatures.
Vet on Call: My First Year as an Out-of-Hours Vet
by Marc AbrahamWhen his father sat him down and told him to 'make something' of himself, young vet Marc Abraham decided to do it the hard way - by setting up an emergency 'out of hours' clinic. If getting used to the long night shifts wasn't bad enough, emergency cases are rarely straightforward. Whether it was dog who swallowed golf balls, or a gerbil in urgent need of a caesarean, every case had the potential for heartbreak. But animals and their owners could also be hilarious, such as the breeder who unwittingly gave his German Shepherd four testicles. . .Over the course of twelve tough months, the clinic began to flourish. Would Marc finally make something of himself after all?Marc Abraham writes guilelessly about his early mistakes, and the terror and joy involved in saving an animal's life. His memoir is a heart-warming, compelling and thoroughly entertaining look at the life of a vet on call.
Veteran Volunteer: Memoir of the Trenches, Tanks & Captivity, 1914–1919
by Jamie VansFrank Vans Agnew left America in 1914 and claiming to be 40 (rather than 46) enlisted in 2nd King Edward's Horse. He arrived in France in 1915 at Festubert and was given a commission. After attending the Machine Gun School he was at the Somme before volunteering for the Tank Corps. In 1917 he was wounded at Messines, where he won his MC. He demonstrated his tank for King George. He fought at 3rd Ypres and was wounded and captured at Cambrai in November 1917. Over the next 12 months he was held as a POW at Hanover, Karlsruhe, Heidelberg and Fstenberg.His extraordinary and varied experiences are superbly recorded in this memoir.As featured in Isle of Wight County Press and on BBC Radio Bristol.
Veterinarian (Cool Helping Careers)
by William David ThomasKeeping animals healthy is no easy job. Unlike people, animals have different bodies. Besides dogs and cats, vets need to know how to treat diseases that affect all kinds of pets-from hamsters and ferrets to lizards and snakes! Some vets work in farming areas and care for larger animals, such as horses and cows. Others care for animals in zoos and animal parks. If you love animals, find out if a career as a vet or a vet tech is right for you!
Vets Might Fly
by James HerriotThis book by James Herriot finds the young vet from Glasgow thrown into another new environment as he joins the RAF to serve in World War II. He tells a bit of his experiences in air force blue, looking at service life with characteristic dry humour, but his heart is still in the green hills of Yorkshire, with his newly-married wife and his animal patients. The book is mostly about those things and the eternal fascinating challenge of veterinary work. As James Herriot’s thoughts wander back over the rich memories from his life as a veterinary surgeon, a host of new characters and old friends, animal and human, march across the pages, all revealing Herriot himself with his dedication to the job and his unequalled capacity for seeing the silly side of things. The doctoring of animals is interwoven with triumph and failure, humour and sadness. And behind it all there is a constant awareness of the countryside, the stark beauty of the high Yorkshire dales. This is a book for those who love animals, the country and laughter.
Vets Might Fly
by James HerriotA few months of married bliss, a lovers' nest in Darrowby and the wonders of home cooking are rudely interrupted for James Herriot by the Second World War. James Herriot's fifth volume of memoirs relocates him to a training camp somewhere in England. And in between square pounding and digging for victory, he dreams of the people and livestock he left behind him.
Vets and Pets: Wounded Warriors and the Animals That Help Them Heal
by Barbara Bush Dava Guerin Kevin Ferris Andrea ArdenExperience firsthand the inspiring and heartwarming bonds between wounded veterans and their service and companion animals."Vets and Pets tells fifteen emotional and entertaining stories of the incredible bonds between wounded warriors, veterans, and other service members and their service and companion animals. Whether these special relationships are with dogs, cats, horses, pigs, or even birds of prey, readers will discover how these remarkable animals help veterans return to civilian life and live independently while simultaneously bringing joy and confidence into their lives. Tyler struggled to adjust to civilian life after losing both of his legs in Afghanistan, until he met his intelligent and willfully disobedient red European Doberman pinscher, Apollo. Vietnam veteran Patrick regained a sense of well-being and hope through the study of birds of prey. Max the horse has helped numerous veterans learn to trust, improve their communication, and increase their self-confidence and self-esteem. Mandi discovered that the intelligence and unconditional love of pigs were exactly what she needed to heal from an abusive past and a disappointing army-training injury. These are just a few of the uplifting stories that are featured in this striking collection. In addition to exploring the unique, lifelong bonds that can develop between veterans and their animal companions, Vets and Pets spotlights extraordinary nonprofits that unite wounded warriors with service and companion animals, including Pets for Patriots, Hooves Marching for Mercy, Horses Helping Heroes, and Avian Veteran Alliance, among others. A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to Pets for Patriots.
Viaje al centro de mi cerebro: Las anécdotas más ácidas y salvajes del icónico batería de Lagartija Nick y Los Planetas.
by Eric JiménezTras Cuatro millones de golpes, el mejor batería español de pop-rock relata sus historias más ácidas y salvajes de sus giras con Los Planetas y Lagartija Nick. Leer este libro es como viajar durante una semana en el motor de un autobús. Un libro que mediante kilómetros de historias dentro de la furgoneta en la que van de gira Los Planetas o Lagartija Nick, a pie por las calles de Granada o incluso en disolución por el efecto de algún psicotrópico nos descubre el centro del cerebro del batería más legendario de este país. Un recorrido divertido y surrealista que podría ser el viaje iniciático de un héroe y, sin embargo, es el de un rockero (que quizá sea lo mismo). Reseñas:«Eric escribe para poner negro sobre blanco una aventura que por momentos se le antoja inconcebible, la de estar vivo.»Eldiario.es «Un libro divertido, sincero, revelador de la escena musical de los noventa y dos mil, estupendamente narrado.»El País «Hará pasar un buen rato a todos esos que veneran, y con más razón que un santo granadino, a uno de los tipos más peculiares, geniales y de verdad del mejor tinglado indie de por aquí.»Mondosonoro «Escribe, como él dice, porque lo ha pasado de puta madre, pero también las ha pasado putas.»El Español Los lectores han dicho...«Todo lo que puedas imaginar se queda corto, tienes que leerlo.» «¡Bienvenido a la locura elevada a la máxima potencia!» «Divertido, honesto, tierno y desgarrador.»
Viaje al país de los blancos
by Ousman UmarLa odisea de un joven que arriesgó su vida por un futuro mejor. Mi nombre es Ousman Umar. Sé que nací un martes, no sé de qué mes ni de qué año porque en mi tribu eso no importa. Crecí en la sabana africana. Caminaba siete kilómetros para ir a la escuela. Mi vida era feliz y sencilla, hasta que un día, entre juegos, vi un avión volar. Desde ese momento quise ser piloto, ingeniero, todo, menos negro. La curiosidad por conocer el mundo me empujó a hacer un viaje sin retorno hacia el País de los Blancos. A los trece años crucé el Sahara a pie, el mar en patera y vi morir en el camino a la mayoría de mis compañeros de viaje, entre ellos a mi mejor amigo. Cuatro años después de comenzar esa hazaña, logré llegar a España y, tras varios meses durmiendo en la calle, me acogió una familia. La primera noche que dormí en su casa, pese a las comodidades y el confort, me puse a llorar como un niño. ¿Por qué había sufrido tanto? ¿Por qué tanta lucha? ¿Qué había hecho mal? Ahora, necesito contar esta historia, hasta que no haya más historias como esta que contar.
Viaje de Londres a Génova a través de Inglaterra, Portugal, España y Francia
by Giuseppe BarettiLos mejores libros jamás escritos. «Pero a pesar de estas desventajas, Madrid es una ciudad muy opulenta, como imaginaréis fácilmente si pensáis que ha sido durante varios siglos la residencia constante de poderosos monarcas y el domicilio habitual de casi toda la nobleza más rica y los caballeros de este reino... »En una ciudad así constituida, donde el trabajo penoso está de alguna manera casi excluido, no es difícil comprender que muchos de sus habitantes no tengan casi otro quehacer que idear cómo pasar el tiempo agradablemente. De una situación tan singular han surgido necesariamente costumbres singulares, y como la relación entre los sexos es el principal modo de placer entre la humanidad, son muchas las invenciones a las que este pueblo ha recurrido para facilitar esa relación. »El deseo que los hombres y las mujeres tienen aquí de pasar el tiempo en mutua compañía es tan ardiente que no parece distinto del furor, especialmente a quien ha vivido largo tiempo en Inglaterra, donde los hombres de todo rango parecen en cierto modo avergonzados de estar mucho tiempo alrededor del bello sexo, y donde la mayoría se priva todos los días de su compañía durante varias horas simplemente para hablar de política o hacer circular la botella. »Muchos son los métodos que ambos sexos han ideado aquí para pasar el mayor tiempo posible juntos, y esta carta os informará de algunos de ellos.» De la Carta LVIII del Viaje de Giuseppe Baretti
Viajeras intrépidas y aventureras
by Cristina MoratóViajeras intrépidas y aventureras nos aporta una lectura deliciosa y el reconocimiento histórico a muchas mujeres olvidadas que, con su imaginación y coraje, hicieron posible el milagro de la aventura en un mundo de hombres. Mujeres intrépidas y aventureras han existido desde los tiempos más remotos, aunque la inmensa mayoría han sido silenciadas y olvidadas por una historia escrita por los hombres. Cuando miramos hacia atrás resulta difícil encontrar testimonios de mujeres viajeras anteriores a los siglos XVII y XIX, época de las grandes expediciones. Pero ¿cuándo empezaron a viajar las mujeres? ¿Cómo y por qué viajaban? Sabemos que muchas mujeres, incluso amas de casa llevadas por la curiosidad, hartas de su papel social, se lanzaron a la aventura de viajar allá donde los mapas estaban en blanco y, en ocasiones, mucho antes que los grandes viajeros, aunque ni una triste placa recuerde sus hazañas. A lo largo de las páginas conoceremos a estas auténticas pioneras: monjas de armas tomar, piratas, conquistadoras, ladies viajeras o las olvidadas esposas de los famosos exploradores que contribuyeron al éxito de sus expediciones... Damas victorianas que viajan a la selva africana o a los desiertos de Arabia vestidas con apretados corsés, enaguas, botines y sombrillas. Que no renuncian a algunos caprichos: May Sheldon viaja en un enorme palanquín de mimbre y con su inseparable bañera de zinc, Gertrude Bell cena en el desierto con su vajilla de porcelana, cristalería y cubertería de plata... Y así, sin importarles el riesgo, se enfrentan a caníbales, fieras salvajes y una naturaleza hostil. Algunas se visten de hombre para pasar inadvertidas, aprenden a manejar el fusil, montan a caballo como expertas amazonas o escalan montañas para mantenerse en forma. Cristina Morató nos cuenta la apasionante vida de muchas de estas mujeres, desde Egeria, la primera viajera, a las misioneras del Tíbet, las mujeres pirata, la primera Almiranta, las damas del desierto, las pioneras de la aviación... Aventureras que han pasado ya a la historia como Mary Kingsley, Isabelle Eberhardt o Alexandra David-Néel. Reseña:«Un relato limpio, rápido, de veloz y atenta mirada, sin adornos innecesarios.»Viajar
Viajes, fábulas y otras travesías
by Manuel VicentViajar consiste en poner el alma en el camino para recordar después los sueños. «Desde que estos viajes fueron realizados ha pasado el tiempo suficiente para que los hechos, las emociones e historias que en este libro se cuentan se hayan transformado en literatura. Gracias a la distorsión que los años realizan sobre las vidas, las ciudades y las cosas estos relatos, que en su momento eran muy precisos, ahora pueden leerse como ficción. En 1985, cuando nuestro país acababa de ser admitido en el Mercado Común, traté de explorar el corazón de Europa. En 1990 visité ciudades de todo el mundo, que después se convirtieron en humo de la memoria. Y de Siracusa a Olimpia fue el trayecto de un verano reciente que aún humea en medio de los sentidos. Viajar consiste en poner el alma en el camino para recordar después los sueños que hayas vivido si has conseguido encontrarla en algún bello lugar, muy lejos de tu propia vida. De esta forma me gustaría que se leyera este libro.» Manuel Vicent
Viatge al país dels blancs
by Ousman UmarL'odissea d'un jove que va arriscar la seva vida per un futur millor. Em dic Ousman Umar. Sé que vaig néixer un dimarts, no sé de quin mes ni de quin any, perquè això a la meva tribu tant se val. Vaig créixer a la sabana africana. Cada dia caminava set quilòmetres per anar a l'escola. Tenia una vida feliç i senzilla, fins que un dia mentre jugava vaig veure un avió al cel. Des d'aquell moment vaig voler ser pilot, enginyer, tot menys negre. La curiositat per conèixer el món em va empènyer a iniciar un viatge sense retorn cap al País dels Blancs. Quan tenia tretze anys vaig travessar el Sàhara a peu i el mar en patera. I vaig veure morir pel camí la majoria dels meus companys de viatge, entre ells el meu millor amic. Al cap de quatre anys d'haver iniciat aquella gesta, vaig arribar finalment a Espanya i, després de passar uns quants mesos dormint al carrer, una família em va acollir. La primera nit que vaig dormir a casa seva, tot i les comoditats i el benestar que sentia, em vaig posar a plorar com un nen. Per què havia patit tant? Per què tanta lluita? Què havia fet malament? Ara necessito explicar aquesta història, fins que ja no hi hagi més històries com aquesta per explicar.
Vibrate Higher: A Rap Story
by Talib KweliFrom one of the most lyrically gifted, socially conscious rappers of the past twenty years, Vibrate Higher is a firsthand account of hip-hop as a political forceBefore Talib Kweli became a world-renowned hip-hop artist, he was a Brooklyn kid who liked to cut class, spit rhymes, and wander the streets of Greenwich Village with a motley crew of artists, rappers, and DJs who found hip-hop more inspiring than their textbooks (much to the chagrin of the educator parents who had given their son an Afrocentric name in hope of securing for him a more traditional sense of pride and purpose). Kweli’s was the first generation to grow up with hip-hop as established culture—a genre of music that has expanded to include its own pantheon of heroes, rich history and politics, and distinct worldview.Eventually, childhood friendships turned into collaborations, and Kweli gained notoriety as a rapper in his own right. From collaborating with some of hip-hop’s greatest—including Mos Def, Common, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, and Kendrick Lamar—to selling books out of the oldest African-American bookstore in Brooklyn, ultimately leaving his record label, and taking control of his own recording career, Kweli tells the winding, always compelling story of the people and events that shaped his own life as well as the culture of hip-hop that informs American culture at large.Vibrate Higher illuminates Talib Kweli’s upbringing and artistic success, but so too does it give life to hip-hop as a political force—one that galvanized the Movement for Black Lives and serves a continual channel for resistance against the rising tide of white nationalism.
Vice President Kamala Harris: Her Path to the White House
by Malaika AderoThe first fully illustrated book on Kamala Harris&’s life and work, a retrospective that celebrates and honors her barrier-breaking achievements.When Kamala Harris became vice president of the United States, she made history as the first woman, first Black person, first South Asian American, and first Caribbean American to hold the office. This stunning book covers Harris&’s life from her childhood in Berkeley to her Howard College years, charting the many firsts she has carried with her throughout her legal and senatorial careers. It also explores Harris&’s presidential campaign, her family (her husband, Doug Emhoff, is the first Second Gentleman and the first Jewish vice presidential spouse), the inauguration and her first months in the White House, and includes sidebars giving historical context to Black and female representation in government. Harris&’s inspiring journey is brought to life with 120 photographs, quotes, highlights from notable speeches, and insightful commentary from Malaika Adero.