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Faery Tale: One Woman's Search for Enchantment in a Modern World
by Signe PikeBurdened by the woes of a workaday life, the end of any good news, and the loss of her formidable father, Signe Pike, a 20-something editor at Penguin in New York, found herself needing something – anything – to believe in again. Her disenchantment made her long for the magical stories of her youth – the faeries that had enchanted her as a child. Her voyage of discovery takes her all over the world, tracking evidence and folklore of 'little people'. Travelling to Mexico, Ireland and Scotland, she learns of the rich variety of tales about these creatures, and what they say about the cultures from which they originate. Laced with research as well as local legend, her own family history, and a healthy dose of scepticism, Pike's Faery Tale is a memoir of the search for a long-buried spark of wonder, and something to believe in. Faery Tale is for anyone who has dared to believe in magic and who knows there is a world beyond the one that meets the eye.
Faery Tale
by Signe PikeIn search of something to believe in once more, Signe Pike left behind a career in Manhattan to undertake a magical journey - literally. In a sweeping tour of Mexico, England, Ireland, Scotland and beyond, she takes readers to dark glens and abandoned forests, ancient sacred sites and local pubs, seeking people who might still believe in the elusive beings we call faeries. As Pike attempts to connect with the spirit world - and reconnect with her sense of wonder and purpose - she comes to view both herself and the world around her in a profoundly new light. Captivating, full of heart and unabashedly whimsical, Faery Tale is more than a memoir - it's the story of rekindling that spark of belief that makes even the most sceptical among us feel like a child again.
An Indian among Los Indígenas: A Native Travel Memoir
by Ursula PikeA gripping, witty memoir about indigeneity, travel, and colonialism When she was twenty-five, Ursula Pike boarded a plane to Bolivia and began her term of service in the Peace Corps. A member of the Karuk Tribe, Pike sought to make meaningful connections with Indigenous people halfway around the world. But she arrived in La Paz with trepidation as well as excitement, &“knowing I followed in the footsteps of Western colonizers and missionaries who had also claimed they were there to help.&” In the following two years, as a series of dramatic episodes brought that tension to boiling point, she began to ask: what does it mean to have experienced the effects of colonialism firsthand, and yet to risk becoming a colonizing force in turn? An Indian among los Indígenas, Pike’s memoir of this experience, upends a canon of travel memoirs that has historically been dominated by white writers. It is a sharp, honest, and unnerving examination of the shadows that colonial history casts over even the most well-intentioned attempts at cross-cultural aid. It is also the debut of an exceptionally astute writer with a mastery of deadpan wit. It signals a shift in travel writing that is long overdue.
The Four Deaths of Acorn Whistler: Telling Stories in Colonial America
by Joshua PikerWho was Acorn Whistler, and why did he have to die? A deeply researched analysis of a bloody eighteenth-century conflict and its tangled aftermath, The Four Deaths of Acorn Whistler unearths competing accounts of the events surrounding the death of this Creek Indian. Told from the perspectives of a colonial governor, a Creek Nation military leader, local Native Americans, and British colonists, each story speaks to issues that transcend the condemned man’s fate: the collision of European and Native American cultures, the struggle of Indians to preserve traditional ways of life, and tensions within the British Empire as the American Revolution approached. At the hand of his own nephew, Acorn Whistler was executed in the summer of 1752 for the crime of murdering five Cherokee men. War had just broken out between the Creeks and the Cherokees to the north. To the east, colonists in South Carolina and Georgia watched the growing conflict with alarm, while British imperial officials kept an eye on both the Indians’ war and the volatile politics of the colonists themselves. They all interpreted the single calamitous event of Acorn Whistler’s death through their own uncertainty about the future. Joshua Piker uses their diverging accounts to uncover the larger truth of an early America rife with violence and insecurity but also transformative possibility.
Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas (Bestseller Oro Ser.)
by Nicholas PileggiThe true story behind the Martin Scorsese film: A "riveting . . . account of how organized crime looted the casinos they controlled" (Kirkus Reviews). Focusing on Chicago bookie Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal and his partner, Anthony Spilotro, and drawing on extensive, in-depth interviews, the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of the Mafia classic Wiseguy--basis for the film Goodfellas--Nicholas Pileggi reveals how the pair worked together to oversee Las Vegas casino operations for the mob. He unearths how Teamster pension funds were used to take control of the Stardust and Tropicana and how Spilotro simultaneously ran a crew of jewel thieves nicknamed the "Hole in the Wall Gang." For years, these gangsters kept a stranglehold on Sin City's brightly lit nightspots, skimming millions in cash for their bosses. But the elaborate scheme began to crumble when Rosenthal's disproportionate ambitions drove him to make mistakes. Spilotro made an error of his own, falling for his partner's wife, a troubled showgirl named Geri. It would all lead to betrayal, a wide-ranging FBI investigation, multiple convictions, and the end of the Mafia's longstanding grip on the multibillion-dollar gaming oasis in the midst of the Nevada desert. Casino is a journey into 1970s Las Vegas and a riveting nonfiction account of the world portrayed in the Martin Scorsese film of the same name, starring Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone. A story of adultery, murder, infighting, and revenge, this "fascinating true-crime Mob history" is a high-stakes page-turner (Booklist).
Wiseguy: The 25th Anniversary Edition
by Nicholas PileggiNicholas Pileggi&’s vivid, unvarnished, journalistic chronicle of the life of Henry Hill—the working-class Brooklyn kid who knew from age twelve that &“to be a wiseguy was to own the world,&” who grew up to live the highs and lows of the mafia gangster&’s life—has been hailed as &“the best book ever written on organized crime&” (Cosmopolitan).This is the true-crime bestseller that was the basis for Martin Scorsese&’s film masterpiece GoodFellas, which brought to life the violence, the excess, the families, the wives and girlfriends, the drugs, the payoffs, the paybacks, the jail time, and the Feds…with Henry Hill&’s crackling narration drawn straight out of Wiseguy and overseeing all the unforgettable action. &“Nonstop...absolutely engrossing&” (The New York Times Book Review). Read it and experience the secret life inside the mob—from one who&’s lived it.
Grandma Says: The Wisdom, Wit, Advice, and Stories of “Grandma Aggie”
by Agnes Baker PilgrimAgnes Baker Pilgrim, known to most as Grandma Aggie, is in her nineties and is the oldest living member of the Takelma Tribe, one of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz.A descendant of both spiritual and political tribal leaders, Grandma Aggie travels tirelessly around the world to keep traditions alive, to help those in need, and to be a voice for the voiceless, helping everyone to remember to preserve our Earth for animals and each other in a spiritual environment.Considered an excellent speaker, she has mesmerized her audience wherever she appears, and now her wit, wisdom, memories, advice, stories and spirituality have been captured for all to hear.Honored as a “Living Cultural Legend” by the Oregon Council of the Arts, Grandma Aggie here speaks about her childhood memories, about her tribe and her life as a child growing up in an area that often didn’t allow Indians and dogs into many public places, as well as about such contemporary issues as bullying, teen suicide, drugs and alcohol, Pope Francis, President Obama, water conservation, climate change, and much more. This is an amazing recording of one of the oldest and most important voices of the First Nation and of the world. Her stories and advice will mesmerize and captivate you, as well as provide a blueprint for how all the inhabitants of the earth can live together in harmony, spirituality, and peace.
Rabbit-Proof Fence
by Doris Pilkington Nugi GarimaraTHE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF THREE YOUNG GIRLS WHO CROSS THE HARSH AUSTRALIAN DESERT ON FOOT TO RETURN TO THEIR HOME. Following an Australian government edict in 1931, black aboriginal children and children of mixed marriages were gathered up by whites and taken to settlements to be assimilated. In Rabbit-Proof Fence, award-winning author Doris Pilkington traces the captivating story of her mother, Molly, one of three young girls uprooted from her community in Southwestern Australia and taken to the Moore River Native Settlement. At the settlement, Molly and her relatives Gracie and Daisy were forbidden to speak their native language, forced to abandon their aboriginal heritage, and taught to be culturally white. After regular stays in solitary confinement, the three girls-scared and homesick-planned and executed a daring escape from the grim camp, with its harsh life of padlocks, barred windows, and hard cold beds. The girls headed for the nearby rabbit-proof fence that stretched over 1000 miles through the desert toward their home. Their journey lasted over a month, and they survived on everything from emus to feral cats, while narrowly avoiding the police, professional trackers, and hostile white settlers. Their story is a truly moving tale of defiance and resilience.
Paulo Freire and Transformative Education: Changing Lives And Transforming Communities
by Ruth Pilkington Alethea MellingThis book brings together a range of global and local themes inspired by the work of Paulo Freire. Freire believed in the possibility of change, rejecting the neoliberal discourse that presents poverty as inevitable: his core principle emphasised the prerogative of transforming the world, rather than adapting to an unethical world order. This responsibility to intervene in reality as educators is explored in detail in this edited collection. Including such diverse themes as pedagogical approaches to globalisation, social mobility, empowerment and valuing diversity within communities, the volume is highly relevant to pedagogical practice. Sharing the transformative power of ‘being’ through popular education and the solidarity economy, this innovative book will be of interest to scholars of Paulo Freire, transformative education and diversity in education.
C. N. Sreekantan Nair (Vision and Mission of a Theatre Activist)
by Abhilash PillaiLife and works of C. N. Sreekantan Nair and his achievements.
Off the Record: Untold Stories from a Reporter's Diary
by Ajith Pillai`[Ajith?s book] is the first full account I have seen between hard covers which is exclusively about a journalist?s adventures and journeys in the field... An extraordinary first ?rough draft of history?, a portrait of India from the 80s to the present time.? ? Vinod Mehta `Ajith Pillai?s account of his journalistic odyssey covers the period of India?s Great Transformation from the 1980s to the present. He does so with incisive wit and insight into a breathtaking range of issues. This ought to be a handbook for all aspiring journalists, since Pillai is an enemy of sycophantic corporate ideology and craven submissiveness to wealth and power which characterize most of today?s celebritywriters.? ? Jeremy Seabrook, British author and columnist In a journalist?s career, the best stories can seldom be published? Veteran journalist Ajith Pillai?s colourful career spanning nearly three decades has taken him from the murky underworld of Bombay to the icy heights of Kargil; yet, the reports he has written are only half the story. Now, for the first time, the `off-the-record? experiences that never found their way to print are presented in this witty and engaging memoir. Beginning with a call from a furious Chota Shakeel, Dawood Ibrahim?s right-hand man, asking him to retract a story on `Bhai? or face the consequence, Ajith takes the reader on a journey that sees him guide V.S. Naipaul to meet the `boys? from the underworld; follow the sensuous Silk Smitha around Bombay on a New Year?s eve; witness the first shots of Operation Vijay during the Kargil War; track, along with a colleague, a Brigadier accused of high treason across the country; stumble upon embarrassed Congressmen in Kamathipura, Bombay?s red-light district; discover who was actually pulling the strings during Vajpayee?s tenure as PM; and coordinate the coverage of the multimillion dollar Scorpene submarine scam and the sensational Radia tapes. Written with Ajith?s trademark wry humour, these real stories, often more entertaining than fiction, are a testament to a journalist?s life, as well as a comment on the changing nature of the effervescent Indian media.'
Broken Brain, Fortified Faith: Lessons of Hope through a Child's Mental Illness
by Virginia PillarsThe terms "mental illness” and “mental health” are often used casually, but many don’t believe mental illness is relevant to their lives. However, studies show that more people live with mental illness than heart disease, lung disease, and cancer combined. Broken Brain, Fortified Faith is the story of one family’s journey through schizophrenia, navigating the uncharted waters of mental illness to find help for their daughter, Amber, and support for their family. This memoir is an honest look at the stress, anger, education, and finally, hope experienced through eyes of a mother. Along the way, she questions her trust in God as their family encounters setbacks, inadequate treatments, and additional family health crises, but with the help of trusted family, friends, education, and support groups, author Virginia Pillars learns to rely on her faith as she faces the challenges that often accompany mental illness.
30 Lessons for Loving
by Karl PillemerFrom the author of the beloved 30 Lessons for Living Karl Pillemer's 30 Lessons for Living first became a hit and then became a classic. Readers loved the sage advice and great stories from extraordinary older Americans who shared what they wish they had known when they were starting out. Now, Pillemer returns with lessons on one of the mosttalked- about parts of that book--love, relationships, and marriage. Based on the most detailed survey of longmarried people ever conducted, 30 Lessons for Loving shows the way to lifelong, fulfilling relationships. The author, an internationally renowned gerontologist at Cornell University, offers sage advice from the oldest and wisest Americans on everything from finding a partner, to deciding to commit, to growing old together. Along the way, the book answers questions like these: How do you know if the person you love is the right one? What are the secrets for improving communication and reducing conflict? What gets you through the major stresses of marriage, such as child-rearing, work, money issues, and inlaws? From interviews with 700 elders, 30 Lessons for Loving offers unique wisdom that will enrich anyone's relationship life, from people searching for the right partner to those working to keep the spark alive after decades together. Filled with great stories, wise observations, and useful advice, 30 Lessons for Loving is destined to become another classic.
Clean Living Under Difficult Circumstances: A Life In Mod – From the Revival to Acid Jazz
by Eddie Piller***'Eddie was there very early doors. His story is of the many.' Paul Weller'A total riot! Takes me right back to the 70s. A Superb book' Mani, The Stone Roses'What a wonderful book. Mod isn't about what decade you lived in, it's about your attitude, and this book has tons of it' Kenney Jones, The Small Faces'A charismatic storyteller, witty and unpretentious, he is at once an engaging protagonist and an indisputable authority, giving a live-wire, visceral perspective on mod life in that short flash of time. He manages to create a welcoming space in this rather exclusive world while never losing his formidable edge as a narrator' - The Big Issue'Buy it on sight. You won't be disappointed' - Louder Than War'Eddie's book is really good!' - Robert Elms'Akin to being in the company of someone with plenty of entertaining tales to tell.... the comradery and spirit of like-minded souls is inspiring.' - Paul Ritchie, Shindig! MagazineWITH A FOREWORD BY PAUL WELLERThis is the memoir of a teenage mod from the East End of London.A journey of discovery for a schoolboy dabbling with punk, funk, record shops, discos and clothes, and then... WHAAAM! An unstoppable wave of like-minded kids fall headlong in love with 60s mod culture, revived and reformatted for the 70s and 80s generation.Eddie Piller was one such kid. His life was changed forever. Written with humour, passion and attention to detail, CLEAN LIVING UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES is perhaps the ultimate mod memoir, taking us from meeting the Small Faces as a toddler, to the 1979 Mod revival, through the more purist 1980s mod scene and eventually to Acid Jazz.A born storyteller, Eddie takes us evocatively into a world of scooters, clothes, and music. We run with the crowd to decaying seaside towns, East End backstreet boozers and sweaty teenage gigs, all fizzing with an uncontainable excitement and often exploding into violence.Once mod touched your soul it changed the way you looked at life, unexpectedly broadening your horizons. In Eddie it awakens a can-do attitude that sees him setting up a fanzine, putting on club nights, hustling jobs in the music industry, and eventually setting up a record label. It even takes him to Ireland at the height of the troubles and to Australia where the local mods take him on a military exercise...Visceral and always entertaining, CLEAN LIVING UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES is a stand-out memoir that relives the thrill of the 70s and 80s, and the movement that helped make mod the most enduring and successful British youth culture of all time.
Clean Living Under Difficult Circumstances: A Life In Mod – From the Revival to Acid Jazz
by Eddie Piller***'Eddie was there very early doors. His story is of the many.' Paul Weller'A total riot! Takes me right back to the 70s. A Superb book' Mani, The Stone Roses'What a wonderful book. Mod isn't about what decade you lived in, it's about your attitude, and this book has tons of it' Kenney Jones, The Small Faces'A charismatic storyteller, witty and unpretentious, he is at once an engaging protagonist and an indisputable authority, giving a live-wire, visceral perspective on mod life in that short flash of time. He manages to create a welcoming space in this rather exclusive world while never losing his formidable edge as a narrator' - The Big Issue'Buy it on sight. You won't be disappointed' - Louder Than War'Eddie's book is really good!' - Robert Elms'Akin to being in the company of someone with plenty of entertaining tales to tell.... the comradery and spirit of like-minded souls is inspiring.' - Paul Ritchie, Shindig! MagazineWITH A FOREWORD BY PAUL WELLERThis is the memoir of a teenage mod from the East End of London.A journey of discovery for a schoolboy dabbling with punk, funk, record shops, discos and clothes, and then... WHAAAM! An unstoppable wave of like-minded kids fall headlong in love with 60s mod culture, revived and reformatted for the 70s and 80s generation.Eddie Piller was one such kid. His life was changed forever. Written with humour, passion and attention to detail, CLEAN LIVING UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES is perhaps the ultimate mod memoir, taking us from meeting the Small Faces as a toddler, to the 1979 Mod revival, through the more purist 1980s mod scene and eventually to Acid Jazz.A born storyteller, Eddie takes us evocatively into a world of scooters, clothes, and music. We run with the crowd to decaying seaside towns, East End backstreet boozers and sweaty teenage gigs, all fizzing with an uncontainable excitement and often exploding into violence.Once mod touched your soul it changed the way you looked at life, unexpectedly broadening your horizons. In Eddie it awakens a can-do attitude that sees him setting up a fanzine, putting on club nights, hustling jobs in the music industry, and eventually setting up a record label. It even takes him to Ireland at the height of the troubles and to Australia where the local mods take him on a military exercise...Visceral and always entertaining, CLEAN LIVING UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES is a stand-out memoir that relives the thrill of the 70s and 80s, and the movement that helped make mod the most enduring and successful British youth culture of all time.
Clean Living Under Difficult Circumstances: A Life In Mod – From the Revival to Acid Jazz
by Eddie Piller***'Eddie was there very early doors. His story is of the many.' Paul Weller'A total riot! Takes me right back to the 70s. A Superb book' Mani, The Stone Roses'What a wonderful book. Mod isn't about what decade you lived in, it's about your attitude, and this book has tons of it' Kenney Jones, The Small Faces'A charismatic storyteller, witty and unpretentious, he is at once an engaging protagonist and an indisputable authority, giving a live-wire, visceral perspective on mod life in that short flash of time. He manages to create a welcoming space in this rather exclusive world while never losing his formidable edge as a narrator' - The Big Issue'Buy it on sight. You won't be disappointed' - Louder Than War'Eddie's book is really good!' - Robert Elms'Akin to being in the company of someone with plenty of entertaining tales to tell.... the comradery and spirit of like-minded souls is inspiring.' - Paul Ritchie, Shindig! MagazineWITH A FOREWORD BY PAUL WELLERThis is the memoir of a teenage mod from the East End of London.A journey of discovery for a schoolboy dabbling with punk, funk, record shops, discos and clothes, and then... WHAAAM! An unstoppable wave of like-minded kids fall headlong in love with 60s mod culture, revived and reformatted for the 70s and 80s generation.Eddie Piller was one such kid. His life was changed forever. Written with humour, passion and attention to detail, CLEAN LIVING UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES is perhaps the ultimate mod memoir, taking us from meeting the Small Faces as a toddler, to the 1979 Mod revival, through the more purist 1980s mod scene and eventually to Acid Jazz.A born storyteller, Eddie takes us evocatively into a world of scooters, clothes, and music. We run with the crowd to decaying seaside towns, East End backstreet boozers and sweaty teenage gigs, all fizzing with an uncontainable excitement and often exploding into violence.Once mod touched your soul it changed the way you looked at life, unexpectedly broadening your horizons. In Eddie it awakens a can-do attitude that sees him setting up a fanzine, putting on club nights, hustling jobs in the music industry, and eventually setting up a record label. It even takes him to Ireland at the height of the troubles and to Australia where the local mods take him on a military exercise...Visceral and always entertaining, CLEAN LIVING UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES is a stand-out memoir that relives the thrill of the 70s and 80s, and the movement that helped make mod the most enduring and successful British youth culture of all time.
Chaser: Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows a Thousand Words
by John W. Pilley Hilary Hinzmann“This marvelous blend of good science and heartwarming dog story will inspire all of us to reexamine our canine friends.” —Booklist, starred reviewThe New York Times–bestselling story of a very smart Border collie who redefined animal intelligence. A joyous explanation of behavior, learning, and perception—any pet owner, parent, teacher, or psychologist will be enriched by this book.When retired psychology professor John Pilley first got his new Border collie puppy, Chaser, he wanted to explore the boundaries of language learning and communication between humans and man’s best friend. Exhibiting intelligence previously thought impossible in dogs, Chaser soon learned the names of more than a thousand toys and sentences with multiple elements of grammar.Chaser’s accomplishments are revolutionizing the way we think about the intelligence of animals. John and Chaser’s inspiring journey demonstrates the power of learning through play and opens our eyes to the boundless potential in the animals we love.“The most scientifically important dog in over a century.” —Brian Hare, founder of the Duke Canine Cognition Center and coauthor of The Genius of Dogs“After you read Chaser, you will realize that you may have underestimated the intelligence of your dog. Marvelous insights into a dog’s mind.” —Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation and Animals Make Us Human“Dogs and those of us who love them owe to debt of gratitude to the brilliant, courageous author and his equally heroic subject.” —Jennifer Arnold, author of Through a Dog’s Eyes“An engrossing and remarkable tale.” —The Bark “A delightful memoir that offers a challenge to behavioral psychologists and inspiration for pet lovers.” —Kirkus Reviews
Red Sniper on the Eastern Front: The Memoirs of Joseph Pilyushin
by Joseph PilyushinA gripping memoir of a Soviet sniper who fought against the Nazis during the siege of Leningrad and throughout World War II. Joseph Pilyushin, a top Red Army sniper in the ruthless fight against the Germans on the Eastern Front, was an exceptional soldier. His first-hand account of his wartime service gives a graphic insight into his lethal skill with a rifle and into the desperate fight put up by Soviet forces to defend Leningrad. Pilyushin, who lived in Leningrad with his family, was already 35 years-old when the war broke out and he was drafted. He started in the Red Army as a scout, but once he had demonstrated his marksmanship and steady nerve, he became a sniper. He served throughout the Leningrad siege, from the late 1941 when the Wehrmacht&’s advance was halted just short of the city to its liberation during the Soviet offensive of 1944. His descriptions of grueling front-line life, of his fellow soldiers, and of his sniping missions are balanced by his vivid recollections of the protracted suffering of Leningrad&’s imprisoned population and of the grief that was visited upon him and his family. His narrative will be fascinating reading for anyone eager to learn about the role and technique of the sniper during the Second World War. It is also a memorable eyewitness account of one man&’s experience on the Eastern Front.
Loving my lying, dying, cheating husband: A memoir of a whirlwind romance gone wrong
by Kerstin PilzKerstin is childless by choice and married to her job when Gianni, a charming Italian, turns her life into a champagne-coloured fairy tale.Soon after their runaway wedding, Gianni is diagnosed with cancer and Kerstin becomes his dedicated carer. But when she discovers that he has been cheating on her all through their relationship, she is faced with a difficult choice: walk away, or continue to care for the man who betrayed her. She turns first to wine and then to therapy, eventually ending up in a Buddhist monastery. There she realises that finding a new way of loving her lying, dying husband might offer a chance to grow from her pain rather than be crushed by it - and to avoid liver damage.Written with wisdom, humour and unfailing kindness, this is a life-affirming tale of one woman's search for better ways to love, grieve and forgive.
Duty of Care: 'This is the book everyone should read about COVID-19' Kate Mosse
by Dominic Pimenta'Beautifully written, passionate and moving, this is the book everyone should read about COVID-19' Kate Mosse'Hard to put down' Rachel Clarke'Gripping, humane, eye-opening and seriously tense' Ian DuntThe first book to tell the full story of the COVID-19 pandemic from a doctor on the frontline.ALL ROYALTIES FROM SALES GO TO HEROES, A CHARITY PROTECTING AND SUPPORTING HEALTHCARE WORKERS. On the 8th of February, Dr Dominic Pimenta encountered his first suspected case of coronavirus. Within a week, he began wearing a mask on the tube, and within a month, he moved over to the Intensive Care Unit to help fight the virus.From the initial whispers coming out of China and the collective hesitation to class this as a pandemic to full lockdown and the continued battle to treat whoever came through the doors, Dr Pimenta tells the heroic stories of how the entire system shifted to tackle this outbreak and how, ultimately, the staff managed to save lives.This incredible account captures the shock and surprise, the panic and power of an unprecedented time, and how, at this moment of despair, human generosity and kindness prevailed.'A startlingly personal account ... It can be described as a memoir, a thriller or a horror story, but it is really all at once' Observer'Reads like a thriller – a first-hand account of a group of individuals facing a terrible adversary – but it also moved me sometimes to tears because it communicates the humanity of the patients, as well as the NHS staff. As with all great writing, its honesty shines out' Tim Walker'An excellent book ... Moving and fascinating in equal measure' Xand van Tulleken
Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook Up the National Park Service
by Annette Bay PimentelThe true story of a Chinese American mountain man who fed thirty people for ten days in the wilderness--and helped inspire the creation of the National Park Service. Tie Sing was born in the mountains. The mountains were in his blood. But because he was of Chinese descent at a time in America when to be Chinese meant working in restaurants or laundries, Tie Sing&’s prospects were limited. But he had bigger plans. He began cooking for mapmakers and soon built a reputation as the best trail cook in California. When millionaire Stephen Mather began his quest to create a national park service in 1915, he invited a group of influential men—writers, tycoons, members of Congress, and even a movie star—to go camping in the Sierras. Tie Sing was hired to cook. Tie Sing planned diligently. He understood the importance of this trip. But when disaster struck—twice!—and Tie Sing&’s supplies were lost, it was his creative spirit and quick mind that saved the day. His sumptuous menus had to be struck and Tie Sing had to start over in order to feed the thirty people in the group for ten whole days. His skills were tested and Tie Sing rose to the challenge. On the last night, he fed not just the campers' bodies, but also their minds, reminding them to remember and protect the mountains. 2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, created by Congress on August 25, 1916. Today, you can hike to Sing Peak, named for Tie Sing, in Yosemite National Park.
The Dark Side of Samuel Pepys: Society's First Sex Offender
by Geoffrey PimmThis historical biography reveals how the famous diarist of Restoration England used his professional position to act as a sexual predator. Samuel Pepys is popularly known as the founder of the modern navy, a member of the Royal Society and, most of all, as a unique and frank diarist. Less well known is that he was a serial sexual offender by modern standards; a voyeur, a groper, and a rapist. Set against the London society of Charles II&’s restoration, and extensively using Pepys&’ own words, this book concerns his numerous extramarital affairs. It demonstrates how he used his position of power and influence to advance the careers of his subordinates—in return for the sexual favors of their wives. With his own descriptions, translated from the strange mix of languages and the seventeenth-century shorthand he used to camouflage the content, the reader witnesses in graphic detail how Pepys set about achieving his lascivious objectives – on occasion resorting to physical force where persuasion or bribery failed. Whether she be wife, daughter, mother, or humble maidservant, no woman was safe from his rapacious sexual appetite.
Alejandra Pizarnik. Biografía de un mito
by Cristina Piña Patricia VentiLa biografía definitiva de Alejandra Pizarnik, con nuevos materiales, documentos y entrevistados. Versión actualizada, ampliada y revisada de la única biografía de autora argentina sobre la poeta más disruptiva en idioma castellano del siglo XX. La obra y la influencia de Alejandra Pizarnik no dejan de crecer. Numerosos lectores en todo el mundo mantienen viva su literatura y cada vez más investigadores se dedican a estudiar a la aún hoy enigmática poeta. Cristina Piña escribió una primera versión de esta biografía hace treinta años y ahora, en colaboración con Patricia Venti, publican esta edición ampliada con una enorme cantidad de documentación nueva. Las autoras consultaron los diarios completos de la escritora, depositados en la Biblioteca de la Universidad de Princeton, junto con sus cuadernos, borradores, correspondencia y trabajos plásticos; mantuvieron largas conversaciones con amigos de la poeta y, sobre todo, con su hermana, Myriam; viajaron a París para entrevistar a la familia de los hermanos del padre, Elías Pizarnik, uno de los cuales, Simón, alojó a Alejandra en varias ocasiones en la casa de Chatenay-Malabry durante su estadía de casi cuatro años en la ciudad. También tuvieron acceso a los papeles de Manuel Mujica Lainez y Silvina Ocampo en Princeton, y a los de Djuna Barnes, en la Universidad de Maryland, vinculados con la poeta. Alejandra Pizarnik. Biografía de un mito se suma a la edición de toda la obra de la escritora en el sello Lumen, junto a los volúmenes Poesía completa, Prosa completa y Diarios. Sobre la obra de Pizarnik se ha dicho... Alejandra Pizarnik llega a la poesía argentina como una suerte de meteorito con luz propia, de esos que aparecen a veces en las hermosas noches del sur. Es hoy una poeta famosa -justamente famosa- y a la vez desconocida, porque como todos los grandes escritores no vive ni habita una sola voz, sino muchas voces, y muchas de esas voces han sido nubladas y silenciadas debido a la trayectoria dramática de su vida.Ivonne Bordelois Vos, ¿te das realmente cuenta de todo lo que me escribís? Sí, desde luego te das cuenta, y sin embargo no te acepto así, no te quiero así, yo te quiero viva, burra, y date cuenta que te estoy hablando del lenguaje mismo del cariño y la confianza -y todo eso, carajo, está del lado de la vida y no de la muerte. Quiero otra carta tuya, pronto, una carta tuya. (...) El poder poético es tuyo, lo sabés, lo sabemos todos los que te leemos; y ya no vivimos los tiempos en que ese poder era el antagonista frente a la vida, y esta el verdugo del poeta (...). Solo te acepto viva, solo te quiero Alejandra.Julio Cortázar Si nos despedimos de Alejandra Pizarnik en el momento en que esté a punto de comenzar su viaje, que es casi permanente, la veremos vestida de pequeña sonámbula, lúcidamente atenta a la menor señal. El andén tiene la forma de un cuarto acolchado por la fiebre, las alucinaciones, los asombros, los terrores y las nostalgias extremas. Su equipaje es el ojo de la cerradura hacia dentro, un prisma para volver a componer la descomposición de la luz en una semilla de fuego, un documento de identificación con los rostros de sus rostros inasibles y un telescopio al revés para completar la órbita del sueño. No son armas de combate, ni siquiera de defensa, son instrumentos de delicada, de finísima precisión para todos sus trabajos de viajera de la noche.Olga Orozco "Tú querías una escritura total, sin límites, un naufragio en tus propias aguas, oh avara", escribió Pizarnik en Extracción de la piedra de locura. Su obra
AMLO: Con los pies en la tierra
by José Agustín PinchettiUn libro revelador que desmonta los mitos que se han construido en torno al candidato puntero para las elecciones presidenciales de 2018. El autor del libro es una de las personas que conoce más de cerca a AMLO, por lo que cuenta con información de primera mano. El libro cuenta con un epílogo escrito especialmente para este libro, por el propio López Obrador. Una obra de completa actualidad e impacto mediático garantizado, que será de referencia necesaria en el ambiente político y electoral durante 2018.
Come Back in September: A Literary Education on West Sixty-Seventh Street, Manhattan
by Darryl PinckneyCritic and writer Darryl Pinckney recalls his friendship and apprenticeship with Elizabeth Hardwick and Barbara Epstein and the introduction they offered him to the New York literary world.At the start of the 1970s, Darryl Pinckney arrived in New York City and at Columbia University and enrolled in Elizabeth Hardwick's writing class at Barnard. After he graduated, he was welcomed into her home as a friend and mentee, and he became close with Hardwick and her best friend, neighbor, and fellow founder of The New York Review of Books, Barbara Epstein. Pinckney found himself at the heart of the New York literary world. He was surrounded by the great writers of the time, like Susan Sontag, Robert Lowell, and Mary McCarthy, as well as the overlapping cultural revolutions and communities that swept New York: the New Wave in film, rock, and writing; the art of Felice Rosser, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Lucy Sante, Howard Brookner, and Nan Goldin; the influence of feminism on American culture and literature; the black arts movement confronted by black feminism; and New Negro veterans experiencing the return of their youth as history. Pinckney filtered the avant-garde life he was exposed to downtown and the radical intellectual tradition of The Review through the moral values he inherited and adapted from abolitionist and Reconstruction black culture.In Come Back in September, Pinckney recalls his introduction to New York and the writing life. The critic and novelist intimately captures this revolutionary, brilliant, and troubled period in American letters. Elizabeth Hardwick was not only the link to the intellectual heart of New York, but also a source of continual support and inspiration-the way she worked, her artistry, and the beauty of her voice. Through his memories of the city and of Hardwick, we see the emergence and evolution of Pinckney himself: as a young man, as a New Yorker, and as one of the essential intellectuals of our time.