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It's OK to be Gay: Celebrity Coming Out Stories
by Alison StokesLaunched to coincide with National Coming Out Day, It's OK to be Gay is a collection of inspirational coming out stories from well-known figures from the LGBT community, who talk frankly about their own experiences and how their sexuality has shaped their character and success.Contributors include: Sue Perkins; rugby star Gareth Thomas; best-selling crime writer Val McDermid; Coronation Street star Charlie Condou; Strictly Come Dancing star Robin Windsor; Evan Davis, presenter of Dragon’s Den and Radio 4′s Today programme; Alice Arnold, former BBC newsreader and partner of Clare Balding; Edd Kimber, winner of the first ever Great British Bake Off; Reggae/soul singer Diana King; Lord Waheed Alli, Labour peer and entrepreneur; Award-winning writer Stella Duffy; X Factor finalist Jade Ellis; Author Paul Burston; Paralympian Claire Harvey; Actress Sophie Ward; Jane Czyzselska, editor of Diva magazine; Hip-hop artist Q Boy; Playwright Shelley Silas; Former Brookside actor Stifyn Parri; International rugby referee Nigel Owens; BBC Radio presenter Chris Needs; Rosie Wilby, comedienne and writer; Phyllis Opoku-Gyimah, Director UK Black Pride; Darren Scott, editor of GT magazine;It's OK to be Gay is a raising money for the charity Diversity Role Models and its work to stop homophobic bullying in schools.
It's OK to be Gay: Celebrity Coming Out Stories
by Alison StokesLaunched to coincide with National Coming Out Day, It's OK to be Gay is a collection of inspirational coming out stories from well-known figures from the LGBT community, who talk frankly about their own experiences and how their sexuality has shaped their character and success.Contributors include: Sue Perkins; rugby star Gareth Thomas; best-selling crime writer Val McDermid; Coronation Street star Charlie Condou; Strictly Come Dancing star Robin Windsor; Evan Davis, presenter of Dragon’s Den and Radio 4′s Today programme; Alice Arnold, former BBC newsreader and partner of Clare Balding; Edd Kimber, winner of the first ever Great British Bake Off; Reggae/soul singer Diana King; Lord Waheed Alli, Labour peer and entrepreneur; Award-winning writer Stella Duffy; X Factor finalist Jade Ellis; Author Paul Burston; Paralympian Claire Harvey; Actress Sophie Ward; Jane Czyzselska, editor of Diva magazine; Hip-hop artist Q Boy; Playwright Shelley Silas; Former Brookside actor Stifyn Parri; International rugby referee Nigel Owens; BBC Radio presenter Chris Needs; Rosie Wilby, comedienne and writer; Phyllis Opoku-Gyimah, Director UK Black Pride; Darren Scott, editor of GT magazine;It's OK to be Gay is a raising money for the charity Diversity Role Models and its work to stop homophobic bullying in schools.
It's OK to Miss the Bed on the First Jump
by John O'hurleyCharming and hilarious, IT'S OK TO MISS THE BED ON THE FIRST JUMP is more than a mere celebration of man's best friend. In this lighthearted and reflective exploration of how dogs have served as some of our most valuable and enlightened teachers, well-known and well-loved actor John O'Hurley (Seinfeld, Dancing with the Stars) shares lessons learned from his life with canine companions, including: Every 15 Minutes Is a New Day; When One Person Stops Petting You, Move On; and You're Only as Big as You Think You Are, to name a few. 'Dogs, after all, have pure hearts, trusting natures, a zest for living, noble characters, and an ability to take things in stride,' writes O'Hurley in the book's introduction. 'They can be counted on, and are pleasant companions. They know what's important, always. How many humans do you know about which you could say the same?' Both poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, IT'S OK TO MISS THE BED ON THE FIRST JUMP is an ideal gift for the dog lover in your life.
It's OK to Miss the Bed on the First Jump
by John O'HurleyCharming and hilarious, IT'S OK TO MISS THE BED ON THE FIRST JUMP is more than a mere celebration of man's best friend. In this lighthearted and reflective exploration of how dogs have served as some of our most valuable and enlightened teachers, well-known and well-loved actor John O'Hurley (Seinfeld, Dancing with the Stars) shares lessons learned from his life with canine companions, including: Every 15 Minutes Is a New Day; When One Person Stops Petting You, Move On; and You're Only as Big as You Think You Are, to name a few. 'Dogs, after all, have pure hearts, trusting natures, a zest for living, noble characters, and an ability to take things in stride,' writes O'Hurley in the book's introduction. 'They can be counted on, and are pleasant companions. They know what's important, always. How many humans do you know about which you could say the same?' Both poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, IT'S OK TO MISS THE BED ON THE FIRST JUMP is an ideal gift for the dog lover in your life.
It's Okay to Laugh: (Crying Is Cool Too)
by Nora McInerny Purmort“Thank you for the perfect blend of nostalgia-drenched humor, wit, and heartbreak, Nora.” — Mandy Moorecomedy = tragedy + time/roséTwenty-seven-year-old Nora McInerny Purmort bounced from boyfriend to dopey “boyfriend” until she met Aaron—a charismatic art director and comic-book nerd who once made Nora laugh so hard she pulled a muscle. When Aaron was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer, they refused to let it limit their love. They got engaged on Aaron’s hospital bed and had a baby boy while he was on chemo. In the period that followed, Nora and Aaron packed fifty years of marriage into the three they got, spending their time on what really matters: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, each other, and Beyoncé. A few months later, Aaron died in Nora’s arms. The obituary they wrote during Aaron’s hospice care revealing his true identity as Spider-Man touched the nation. With It’s Okay to Laugh, Nora puts a young, fresh twist on the subjects of mortality and resilience. What does it actually mean to live your “one wild and precious life” to the fullest? How can a joyful marriage contain more sickness than health? How do you keep going when life kicks you in the junk? In this deeply felt and deeply funny memoir, Nora gives her readers a true gift—permission to struggle, permission to laugh, permission to tell the truth and know that everything will be okay. It’s Okay to Laugh is a love letter to life, in all its messy glory; it reads like a conversation with a close friend, and leaves a trail of glitter in its wake.This book is for people who have been through some shit.This is for people who aren’t sure if they’re saying or doing the right thing (you’re not, but nobody is). This is for people who had their life turned upside down and just learned to live that way. For people who have laughed at a funeral or cried in a grocery store. This is for everyone who wondered what exactly they’re supposed to be doing with their one wild and precious life. I don’t actually have the answer, but if you find out, will you text me?
It's Okay to Laugh (Crying is Cool Too): A memoir about loving madly and letting go
by Nora McInerny Purmort'Thank you for the perfect blend of nostalgia-drenched humour, wit, and heartbreak, Nora' Mandy Moore'This story will compel you to both laugh and cry, just as the title promises. May we all bring Nora's honesty, passion and hope to our lives' Lena Dunham'It is funny, and it is sad, and it is real, and if you've ever been through anything in your life . . . you are going to love this book' Jennifer Weiner, New York Times Bestselling author of Who Do You Lovecomedy = tragedy + time/roséTwenty-seven-year-old Nora McInerny Purmort bounced from boyfriend to dopey 'boyfriend' until she met Aaron - a charismatic art director and comic-book nerd who once made Nora laugh so hard she pulled a muscle. When Aaron was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer, they refused to let it limit their love. They got engaged on Aaron's hospital bed and had a baby boy while he was on chemo. In the period that followed, Nora and Aaron packed fifty years of marriage into the three they got, spending their time on what really matters: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, each other and Beyoncé. A few months later, Aaron died in Nora's arms. The obituary they wrote during Aaron's hospice care revealing his true identity as Spider-Man touched the nation. With It's Okay to Laugh, Nora puts a young, fresh twist on the subjects of mortality and resilience. What does it actually mean to live your 'one wild and precious life' to the fullest? How can a joyful marriage contain more sickness than health? How do you keep going when life kicks you in the junk? In this deeply felt and deeply funny memoir, Nora gives her readers a true gift - permission to struggle, permission to laugh, permission to tell the truth and know that everything will be okay. It's Okay to Laugh is a love letter to life, in all its messy glory; it reads like a conversation with a close friend and leaves a trail of glitter in its wake.
It's On the Meter: Traveling the World by London Taxi
by Paul Archer Johno Ellison Leigh PurnellWhen three friends, fueled by an alcohol-induced dream to travel the world, clicked ?buy” on an iconic London cab they name Hannah, little did they know what they were getting themselves into. Leaving the Big Smoke in their vintage taxi, Paul, Johno, and Leigh began a 43,000-mile trip that would take them off the beaten track to some of the most dangerous and deadly places on earth. By the time they arrived home, they would manage, against all the odds, to circumnavigate the globe, and in doing so, break two World Records.It’s On the Meter is an honest account of what it’s like to drive a Black Cab around the world. From altercations with the Iranian Secret Police to narrowly escaping the Taliban, the trio’s adventure is filled with hair-raising escapades. The traveling trio will give an impression of each country the taxi passed through and its people and will help readers understand how to survive fifteen months on the road. Feel the fear, frolic in the fun, and meet the hundred passengers the taxi picked up along the way, as the authors take you on their action-packed journey.
It's on the Meter: One Taxi, Three Mates and 43,000 Miles of Misadventures around the World
by Johno Ellison Paul ArcherWhen Paul, Johno and Leigh bought an iconic London cab called Hannah, little did they know what they were letting themselves in for. Leaving the Big Smoke in their taxi, the lads began a 43,000-mile trip that would take them off the beaten track to some of the most dangerous and deadly places on the earth.
It's Only a Game
by David Fisher Terry BradshawThis is the absolutely guaranteed 100% mostly true story of Terry Bradshaw: the man who gained sports immortality as the first quarterback to win four Super Bowls -- and the man who later became America's most popular sports broadcaster. IT'S ONLY A GAME "I had a real job once," begins a memoir as honest, unexpected, and downright hysterical as Bradshaw himself. From his humble beginnings in Shreveport, Louisiana, to his success as the centerpiece of the highest-rated football studio show in television history, Terry has always understood the importance of hard work. A veritable jack-of-all-trades, he has probably held more jobs than any other football Hall of Famer ever: pipeline worker, youth minister, professional singer, actor, television and radio talk show host, and now one of the nation's most popular speakers. But let's not forget one of the reasons why so many people know and love Terry Bradshaw: he won four Super Bowls! In It's Only A Game, Terry brings the reader right into the huddle and describes the game from the bottom of a two-ton pile to the top of the sports world. You'll sit right on the fifty-yard line and watch as Terry earns the title world's greatest benchwarmer. And you'll also hear about the single greatest play in pro football -- the Immaculate Reception -- as he never saw it. It's Only A Game is much more than a collection of Terry Bradshaw's favorite and funniest stories, it is the personal account of a great man's search for life before and after football...as only Terry could tell it.
It's Only a Game
by David Fisher Terry BradshawThis is the absolutely guaranteed 100% mostly true story of Terry Bradshaw: the man who gained sports immortality as the first quarterback to win four Super Bowls -- and the man who later became America's most popular sports broadcaster. IT'S ONLY A GAME "I had a real job once," begins a memoir as honest, unexpected, and downright hysterical as Bradshaw himself. From his humble beginnings in Shreveport, Louisiana, to his success as the centerpiece of the highest-rated football studio show in television history, Terry has always understood the importance of hard work. A veritable jack-of-all-trades, he has probably held more jobs than any other football Hall of Famer ever: pipeline worker, youth minister, professional singer, actor, television and radio talk show host, and now one of the nation's most popular speakers. But let's not forget one of the reasons why so many people know and love Terry Bradshaw: he won four Super Bowls! In It's Only A Game, Terry brings the reader right into the huddle and describes the game from the bottom of a two-ton pile to the top of the sports world. You'll sit right on the fifty-yard line and watch as Terry earns the title world's greatest benchwarmer. And you'll also hear about the single greatest play in pro football -- the Immaculate Reception -- as he never saw it. It's Only A Game is much more than a collection of Terry Bradshaw's favorite and funniest stories, it is the personal account of a great man's search for life before and after football...as only Terry could tell it.
It's Only a Mountain: Dick and Rick Hoyt, Men of Iron
by Samuel E. NallIn Dick Hoyt's world the only difference between and hill and mountain is something called attitude, and along with their courage and determination, the Hoyt family has conquered many mountains the past forty years, literally and figuratively. They were devastated when their first son was born with cerebral palsy, a non-vocal quadriplegic but they accepted the challenge. Rather than put Rick in an institution and forget him - as was suggested by the doctors - they gave him a life unlike any other. ESPN, ABC, and NBC brought national attention to Team Hoyt when they conquered the Ironman Hawaii and again they traversed the Rocky Mountains on a bicycle. Dick a novice swimmer tethers himself to a rubber dinghy and tows his adult son 2.4 miles in the Pacific Ocean. He straps Rick to a seat on the front of a custom built bicycle and pedals 112 miles. Together they then complete the Ironman events by running a marathon 26.2 miles, with Rick seated in a running chair. 'These are tremendous accomplishments, of course, but they represent only couple of the rungs in Team Hoyt's inspirational ladder. If you are expecting a simple sports biography, or only a story about a man competing in triathlons and marathons, you are in for a pleasant surprise. That is not what you will din between the covers of this book. Instead, prepare for and emotional saga about the tremendous accomplishments of a handicapped person surrounded by a family motivated by love for one another and for humanity in general!
It's Only a Movie: Alfred Hitchcock, a Personal Biography
by Charlotte ChandlerIn his films, Alfred Hitchcock found the perfect expression for his fantasies, and he shared those fantasies with the world in such classics asThe 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, Rebecca, Shadow of a Doubt, Notorious, Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, Long Synopsis: In his films, Alfred Hitchcock found the perfect expression for his fantasies, and he shared those fantasies with the world in such classics asThe 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, Rebecca, Shadow of a Doubt, Notorious, Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much, To Catch a Thief, North by Northwest, Vertigo, Psycho,andThe Birds. In It's Only a Movie, Charlotte Chandler draws from her extensive conversations with Hitchcock, frequently revealing unknown facts and unexpected insights into the man, the director, and his films. Author of acclaimed biographies of Groucho Marx, Federico Fellini, and Billy Wilder, Charlotte Chandler spent several years with Hitchcock discussing his life and his amazing career. She also talked with his wife, Alma, and daughter, Pat, as well as many of the screen legends who appeared in his films, including Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier, Michael Redgrave, John Gielgud, Gregory Peck, Henry Fonda, Tippi Hedren, James Mason, Eva Marie Saint, Kim Novak, Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, and others. The result is an intimate yet expansive portrait of a unique artist who, from the 1920s through the 1970s, created many of history's most memorable films. A quarter-century after his death, Hitchcock's distinctive profile remains an instantly recognizable icon to millions, while his films continue to grow in popular appeal and critical esteem. Chandler introduces us to the real Hitchcock: a devoted family man, practical joker, and Englishman of Edwardian sensibilities who was one of the great masters of cinematic art.
It's Only a Movie: Reel Life Adventures of a Film Obsessive
by Mark KermodeIn It's Only a Movie, the incomparable Mark Kermode takes us into the weird world of a life lived in widescreen. Join him as he gets lost in Russia on the trail of a low-budget horror flick, gasp as he's shot at in Hollywood while interviewing Bavarian director Werner Herzog, cheer as he gets thrown out of the Cannes film festival for heckling in very bad French, and cringe as he's handbagged by Helen Mirren at London's glitzy BAFTA Awards. Written with sardonic wit and wry good humour, this compelling cinematic memoir is genuinely 'inspired by real events'.
It's Only Rock 'n' Roll: Thirty Years Married to a Rolling Stone
by Jo WoodIn this wild, behind-the-scenes portrait of one of the biggest rock bands in history, Jo Wood comes clean about her three decades as the girlfriend and eventually the wife of Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. This startlingly honest, laugh-out-loud memoir vividly describes life on tour, in the studio, at the legendary parties—and every raucous moment in between. From teenage model to hard-partying rock 'n' roll devotee, through motherhood, marriage, breakdown, and the challenge of starting over again, Jo Wood has had a roller-coaster ride of a life. At the age of sixteen, Jo burst onto the British modeling scene and became a fixture at London's most glamorous parties. A few years later, just twenty-two years old and a single mom, she met Ronnie Wood and her life changed forever. Holding nothing back, Jo paints an astonishing picture of the sex, drugs, booze, groupies, and—above all—the fun that filled her thirty years as a member of the Stones' inner circle. Telling never-before-heard stories about what life on the road with the Stones was really like, she offers intimate portraits of the band's legendary cast of characters, including Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Jerry Hall, and Patti Hansen. She recalls the excitement of getting to know international A-list celebrities like Kate Moss, Andy Warhol, Johnny Depp, and Slash. Jo also opens up about her family life with Ronnie: their passionate love affair, the demands of being a mother by day and a wild child by night, and eventually coping with Ronnie's increasingly difficult behavior as his addictions consumed him. For the first time, she reveals her heartbreaking account of what happened when Ronnie left her for an eighteen-year-old waitress, explaining how she was able to forgive, live without bitterness or regret, and find new happiness as an entrepreneur and organic beauty expert. Including never-before-seen photographs from Jo's personal collection, It's Only Rock 'n' Roll is a compelling piece of rock 'n' roll history from a woman with a backstage pass and front-row seat. Enchanting, candid, and moving, this page-turning fairy tale of fame and fortune has the best of the era's many euphoric and reckless moments within its pages.
It's Only Temporary
by Evan HandlerWhat if you were supposed to die, but you didn't? And what if, years later, your precious second chance didn't turn out anything like you thought it would? That's the journey Evan Handler experiences, and the one he explores in It's Only Temporary: The Good News and the Bad News of Being Alive. In a collection of funny, offbeat, and poignant autobiographical essays, Handler moves beyond the supposedly "incurable" illness he triumphed over in his mid-twenties--only to tumble through his thirties and forties in search of ever elusive love and happiness.From bold attempts to rekindle his acting career to hapless efforts to run faster around New York's Central Park reservoir, from bizarre Internet dates to twenty-seven breakups (involving only ten women), Handler careens through his against-all-odds existence. Always searching for meaning in his unlikely survival, he shares stories of sadistic junior high school gym teachers, bullying wannabe Hollywood moguls, returned engagement rings, and Europeans' fascination with American bathroom habits.Picking up ten years after his first book, Time on Fire, Handler again uses what the New York Times calls his "laceratingly funny and revealing" storytelling skills to weave twenty-one new tales into a defiantly unconventional memoir. Consistently witty and insightful, Handler's stories shift effortlessly from the comedic to the profound, musing with equal intensity on the existence of God and his experiences with TV stardom. Then, just when it seems he's failed to make the most of his astonishing second chance, Handler finds his way to miracles even greater than the ones that saved his life. His memoir describes his journey from darkness to light, from yearning to gratitude, and in so doing succeeds as both a stirring love story and a classic coming-of-age tale. It's Only Temporary celebrates the transformation of a boy to man--even if it look Handler more than forty years to get there.
It's Our Ship: The No-Nonsense Guide to Leadership
by Captain D. AbrashoffCaptain D. Michael Abrashoff, legendary commander of the USS Benfold, continues in the same vein of his bestselling book IT'S YOUR SHIP with the knowledge he's gained from his speaking to and advising some of the top business minds in the world. The story of Captain Abrashoff and his command of USS Benfold has become legendary inside and outside the Navy. By governing his ship with his unique management techniques, Abrashoff turned the Benfold into a model of naval efficiency, with amazing cost savings, the highest gunnery score in the Pacific Fleet, and a highly motivated and top performing crew. In IT'S YOUR SHIP, he first demonstrated how to bring his successful management techniques from the ship to the boardroom. Now, in his newest book IT'S OUR SHIP, in the same rugged, can-do voice, Abrashoff will focus on the leadership, motivational, and management insights and tips that he has learned from his last six years of addressing business and corporate audiences. Abrashoff's timely advice will be eminently prescriptive, and will feature anecdotes and insights from leaders of businesses large and small and from public and non-profit sectors.
It's Our Turn to Eat: The Story of a Kenyan Whistle-Blower
by Michela WrongThe true story of one man&’s fight against corruption: "like a John Le Carré novel&” that shows &“how and why Kenya descended into political violence&” (Washington Post). In January 2003, Kenya was hailed as a model of democracy after the peaceful election of President Mwai Kibaki. By appointing respected longtime reformer John Githongo as anticorruption czar, the new Kikuyu government signaled its determination to end the shady practices that had tainted the previous regime. Yet only two years later, Githongo himself was on the run, having secretly compiled evidence of official malfeasance throughout the new administration. Unable to remain silent, Githongo, at great personal risk, made the painful choice to go public. The result was a Kenyan Watergate. Michela Wrong&’s account of how a pillar of the establishment turned whistle-blower—instantly becoming one of the most hated and admired men in Kenya—grips like a political thriller while probing the very roots of the nation&’s predicament.&“A fast-paced political thriller. . . . Wrong&’s gripping, thoughtful book stands as both a tribute to Githongo&’s courage and a cautionary tale.&” —New York Times Book Review
It's Probably Nothing
by Beach CongerIt's Probably Nothing continues the tale woven by Dr. Beach Conger in his first book, Bag Balm and Duct Tape. This new collection sees Conger and his wife yearning for new challenges and relocating to the suburbs of Philadelphia after 25 years in mythical Dumster, Vermont. Conger gamely takes a job in a teaching hospital in the poorest part of the city and gets to experience urban bureaucratized medicine and its trials-a far cry from the more idiosyncratic and hands-on version he practiced in Vermont. After 5 years Conger and his wife move back to Dumster, where he rediscovers more about his patients' capacity to both cope and cherish one another than he expected. Each of the tightly constructed chapters is centered around a particular patient or particular theme in medicine. It's Probably Nothing is both funny and poignant, and showcases both Conger's irreverent view into medicine and his profound empathy for the characters he encounters along the way. His experience highlights how medicine-and problems with our current medical system-can remain the same and yet be vastly different across class, race, and region. Among the people the reader meets are urban drag queens, small-town farmers and other heroes, Vermont celebrities, and the occasional reclusive author.
It's Probably Nothing...*
by Micki MyersDaring, sly, and unlike any other book you've read, this memoir-in-poems tackles cancer with a bawdy wit guaranteed to make you laugh your wig off.As a vibrant woman in her early forties, mother of two, poet, artist, and teacher, Micki Myers decided to confront her cancer diagnosis head on with the sharpest tools in her arsenal: namely, her sense of humor and unbridled poetic license. The result is a charming, poignant, laugh-out-loud collection that hits all the highs (morphine) and lows (everything else) of being a cancer patient and surviving with your spirit intact (even if your boobs are not). It's Probably Nothing... is the perfect gift for a friend in crisis, providing laughter, wisdom, and much-needed perspective. From losing your hair (even, ahem, down there) and gaining two bouncy silicone strangers, to the pitfalls of marijuana therapy and the endless chemo-room muzak "that makes you think/survival might be overrrated," Myers reminds you that you're not alone and that it's okay to laugh.
It's A Snap! George Eastman's First Photograph
by Monica KullingIn 1877 in Rochester, New York, George Eastman couldn't understand why picture-taking was so difficult. Having left school at fourteen to support his mother and two sisters, George decided to find out by making photography his hobby. He packed up glass plates, a plate holder, a tent, a heavy tripod, a thick piece of black cloth, a water jug, and chemicals and set off to take his first photograph. George realized that not many people could own a camera -- they were too expensive and the size of today's microwave ovens! But how could he make picture-taking easier? Eventually, George created dry plates, and they were such a success that he opened his own dry-plate company in 1881. But this was only the beginning -- George went on to invent film and the Brownie camera. The rest is history.
It's So Easy: and other lies
by Duff MckaganIn his New York Times bestseller, Duff McKagan, founding member of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver, shares the story of his rise to fame and fortune, his struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction, his personal crash and burn, and his life-saving transformation via a unique path to sobriety.In 1984, at the age of twenty, Duff McKagan left his native Seattle--partly to pursue music but mainly to get away from a host of heroin overdoses then decimating his closest group of friends in the local punk scene. In LA only a few weeks and still living in his car, he answered a want ad for a bass player placed by someone who identified himself only as "Slash." Soon after, the most dangerous band in the world was born. Guns N' Roses went on to sell more than 100 million albums worldwide. In It's So Easy, Duff recounts Guns' unlikely trajectory to a string of multiplatinum albums, sold-out stadium concerts, and global acclaim. But that kind of glory can take its toll, and it did--ultimately--on Duff, as well as on the band itself. As Guns began to splinter, Duff felt that he himself was done, too. But his near death as a direct result of alcoholism proved to be his watershed, the turning point that sent him on a unique path to sobriety and the unexpected choices he has made for himself since. In a voice that is as honest as it is indelibly his own, Duff--one of rock's smartest and most articulate personalities--takes readers on a harrowing journey through the dark heart of one of the most notorious bands in rock-and-roll history and out the other side.
It's So Easy
by Duff MckaganIn his New York Times bestseller, Duff McKagan, founding member of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver, shares the story of his rise to fame and fortune, his struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction, his personal crash and burn, and his life-saving transformation via a unique path to sobriety.In 1984, at the age of twenty, Duff McKagan left his native Seattle--partly to pursue music but mainly to get away from a host of heroin overdoses then decimating his closest group of friends in the local punk scene. In LA only a few weeks and still living in his car, he answered a want ad for a bass player placed by someone who identified himself only as "Slash." Soon after, the most dangerous band in the world was born. Guns N' Roses went on to sell more than 100 million albums worldwide. In It's So Easy, Duff recounts Guns' unlikely trajectory to a string of multiplatinum albums, sold-out stadium concerts, and global acclaim. But that kind of glory can take its toll, and it did--ultimately--on Duff, as well as on the band itself. As Guns began to splinter, Duff felt that he himself was done, too. But his near death as a direct result of alcoholism proved to be his watershed, the turning point that sent him on a unique path to sobriety and the unexpected choices he has made for himself since. In a voice that is as honest as it is indelibly his own, Duff--one of rock's smartest and most articulate personalities--takes readers on a harrowing journey through the dark heart of one of the most notorious bands in rock-and-roll history and out the other side.
It's So Easy
by Duff MckaganA founding member of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver shares the story of his rise to the pinnacle of fame and fortune, his struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction, his personal crash and burn, and his phoenix-like transformation via a unique path to sobriety. In 1984, at the age of twenty, Duff McKagan left his native Seattle--partly to pursue music but mainly to get away from a host of heroin overdoses then decimating his closest group of friends in the local punk scene. In L.A. only a few weeks and still living in his car, he answered a want ad for a bass player placed by someone who identified himself only as "Slash." Soon after, the most dangerous band in the world was born. Guns N' Roses went on to sell more than 100 million albums worldwide. In It's So Easy, Duff recounts GN'R's unlikely trajectory to a string of multiplatinum albums, sold-out stadium concerts, and global acclaim. But that kind of glory can take its toll, and it did--ultimately--on Duff, as well as on the band itself. As GN'R began to splinter, Duff felt that he himself was done, too. But his near death as a direct result of alcoholism proved to be his watershed, the turning point that led to his unique path to sobriety and the unexpected choices he has made for himself since. In a voice that is as honest as it is indelibly his own, Duff--one of rock's smartest and most articulate personalities--takes readers on his harrowing journey through the dark heart of one of the most notorious bands in rock-and-roll history and out the other side.
It's So Easy (and other lies): The Autobiography
by Duff McKaganExplosive autobiography of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver bass guitarist Duff McKaganDuff McKagan was a co-founder of Guns N' Roses, with a 13-year tenure on bass in what was at the time the biggest band on earth. As well as pulling together the classic line-up (Slash on guitar, Steven Adler on drums, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin and vocalist Axl Rose), Duff was the unofficial musical director of the band and the most experienced musician, and played bass, drums and guitar, as well as co-writing many of the songs. Over the years, Guns N' Roses have broken many records in rock history - APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION is the most successful debut album in the history of recorded music; the band's 1991 records, USE YOUR ILLUSION parts 1 and 2, debuted at one and two on the album charts, a feat never achieve before or since; and their 28-month ILLUSION world tour is still the longest running concert tour in history.Duff charts the rise of the group, and his own fall, as with success came heavy drinking and drug use, culminating in his hospitalisation for acute pancreatitis in 1994. Forced to sober up, Duff started taking an interest in business, eventually completing a degree in economics and making a killing on the stock market. He has since worked with Slash in another band, Velvet Revolver, and has continued to play with various artists over the last 15 years.IT'S SO EASY (AND OTHER LIES) is the explosive memoir of a great rock musician who, against the odds, has lived to tell the tale.
"It's the Pictures That Got Small": Charles Brackett on Billy Wilder and Hollywood's Golden Age (Film and Culture Series)
by Charles Brackett&“Brackett&’s diaries read like a funnier, better-paced version of Barton Fink.&” —Newsweek Screenwriter Charles Brackett is best remembered as the writing partner of director Billy Wilder, who once referred to the pair as &“the happiest couple in Hollywood,&” collaborating on such classics as The Lost Weekend and Sunset Boulevard. He was also a perceptive chronicler of the entertainment industry, and in this annotated collection of writings from dozens of Brackett&’s unpublished diaries, film historian Anthony Slide clarifies Brackett's critical contribution to Wilder&’s films and enriches our knowledge of Wilder&’s achievements in writing, direction, and style. Brackett&’s diaries re-create the initial meetings of the talent responsible for Ninotchka, Hold Back the Dawn, Ball of Fire, The Major and the Minor, Five Graves to Cairo, The Lost Weekend, and Sunset Boulevard, recounting the breakthroughs and the breakdowns that ultimately forced these collaborators to part ways. In addition to a portrait of Wilder, this is rare view of a producer who was a president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Screen Writers Guild, a New Yorker drama critic, and a member of the Algonquin Round Table. With insight into the dealings of Paramount, Universal, MGM, and RKO, and legendary figures such as Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne, Edna Ferber, and Dorothy Parker, this book reveals the political and creative intrigue at the heart of Hollywood&’s most significant films. &“A fascinating look at Hollywood in its classic period, and a unique and indispensable must-have for any movie buff.&” —Chicago Tribune &“This feels as close as we can get to being in the presence of Wilder&’s genius, and he emerges as the cruelest as well as the wittiest of men.&” —The Guardian &“Not only rare insight into their often-stormy partnership but also an insider&’s view of Hollywood during that era.&” —Los Angeles Times &“Very entertaining.&” —Library Journal