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Katherine Johnson (DK Life Stories)
by Ebony Joy Wilkins Charlotte AgerIn this kids' biography, discover the inspiring story of Katherine Johnson, famed NASA mathematician and one of the subjects of the best-selling book and movie Hidden Figures. <p><p> It was an incredible accomplishment when the United States first put a person on the moon--but without the incredible behind-the-scenes work of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, such a feat could not have been possible. In this biography for kids ages 8-12, follow Katherine's remarkable journey from growing up in West Virginia, to becoming a teacher, to breaking barriers at NASA and receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. <p> DK Life Stories go beyond the basic facts to tell the true life stories of history's most interesting people. Full-color photographs and hand-drawn illustrations complement thoughtfully written, age-appropriate text to create an engaging book children will enjoy reading. Definition boxes, information sidebars, fun facts, maps, inspiring quotes, and other nonfiction text features add depth, and a handy reference section at the back makes this series perfect for school reports and projects. Each book also includes an author's introduction letter, a glossary, and an index.
The Mountain and the Fathers: Growing Up on The Big Dry
by Joe WilkinsThe Mountain and The Fathers explores the life of boys and men in the unforgiving, harsh world north of the Bull Mountains of eastern Montana in a drought afflicted area called the Big Dry, a land that chews up old and young alike. Joe Wilkins was born into this world, raised by a young mother and elderly grandfather following the untimely death of his father. That early loss stretches out across the Big Dry, and Wilkins uses his own story and those of the young boys and men growing up around him to examine the violence, confusion, and rural poverty found in this distinctly American landscape. Ultimately, these lives put forth a new examination of myth and manhood in the American west and cast a journalistic eye on how young men seek to transcend their surroundings in the search for a better life. Rather than dwell on grief or ruin, Wilkins' memoir posits that it is our stories that sustain us, and The Mountain and The Fathers, much like the work of Norman MacClean or Jim Harrison, heralds the arrival of an instant literary classic.
Cape Cod's Oldest Shipwreck: The Desperate Crossing of the Sparrow-Hawk (Maritime Ser.)
by Mark C. Wilkins&“Wilkins&’ flowing text carries readers along on a marvelous journey, offering greater insight . . . into the challenges of 17th century travel&” (The Barnstable Patriot). In 1626–27, the Sparrow-Hawk began her final journey across the brutal winter waves of the Atlantic Ocean, departing from the southern coast of England with America as her goal. As cases of scurvy and whispers of mutiny rose, the hopes of those aboard the small vessel began to fade. The ever-changing coastline of Cape Cod caused the Sparrow-Hawk to run aground. Desperate to repair their ship and attain their goal of becoming wealthy Virginia tobacco planters, the passengers wrecked her again, forcing them to abandon their beloved ship and take up residence in Plymouth Colony. Revealed by the tides over two hundred years later, the wreckage was pillaged by local scavengers and put on display in Boston. Join Mark Wilkins as he delves into the secrets of the Sparrow-Hawk. Includes photos!
Terry Pratchett: The Official Biography
by Rob WilkinsWINNER OF THE 2023 LOCUS AWARD FOR NON-FICTIONWINNER OF THE BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION AWARD FOR BEST NON-FICTIONFINALIST FOR THE HUGO AWARD FOR BEST RELATED WORKSHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH FANTASY AWARD FOR BEST NON-FICTION'Always readable, illuminating and honest. It made me miss the real Terry.' - Neil Gaiman'Sometimes joyfully, sometimes painfully, intimate . . . it is wonderful to have this closeup picture of the writer's working life.' - Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Observer--------At the time of his death in 2015, award-winning and bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett was working on his finest story yet - his own.The creator of the phenomenally bestselling Discworld series, Terry Pratchett was known and loved around the world for his hugely popular books, his smart satirical humour and the humanity of his campaign work. But that's only part of the picture.Before his untimely death, Terry was writing a memoir: the story of a boy who aged six was told by his teacher that he would never amount to anything and spent the rest of his life proving him wrong. For Terry lived a life full of astonishing achievements: becoming one of the UK's bestselling and most beloved writers, winning the prestigious Carnegie Medal and being awarded a knighthood.Now, the book Terry sadly couldn't finish has been written by Rob Wilkins, his former assistant, friend and now head of the Pratchett literary estate. Drawing on his own extensive memories, along with those of the author's family, friends and colleagues, Rob unveils the full picture of Terry's life - from childhood to his astonishing writing career, and how he met and coped with what he called the 'Embuggerance' of Alzheimer's disease.A deeply moving and personal portrait of the extraordinary life of Sir Terry Pratchett, written with unparalleled insight and filled with funny anecdotes, this is the only official biography of one of our finest authors.--------'Spins magic from mundanity in precisely the way Pratchett himself did.' - Telegraph'As frank, funny and unsentimental as anything its subject might have produced himself.' - Mail on Sunday
Martin Luther King (Famous People, Great Events #6)
by Verna WilkinsMartin is a clever, happy child born in the south of the United States of America. As he grows up he becomes angry at the way black people are treated. Find out all about Martin Luther King and his "I have a dream" speech in Washington DC in 1963 with this story that is packed with all the facts and colourful pictures.This book is part of a series of picture books, Famous People, Great Events, which are suitable for ages 6-12. They tell the stories of famous men and women and great events in history and can be used to study the primary history curriculum. Written by successful authors, they are enjoyable reads which are packed with facts and colourful illustrations.Each book includes a timeline of key dates, a quiz and index.
Martin Luther King: Famous People, Great Events
by Verna WilkinsMartin is a clever, happy child born in the south of the United States of America. As he grows up he becomes angry at the way black people are treated. Find out all about Martin Luther King and his "I have a dream" speech in Washington DC in 1963 with this story that is packed with all the facts and colourful pictures.This book is part of a series of picture books, Famous People, Great Events, which are suitable for ages 6-12. They tell the stories of famous men and women and great events in history and can be used to study the primary history curriculum. Written by successful authors, they are enjoyable reads which are packed with facts and colourful illustrations.Each book includes a timeline of key dates, a quiz and index.
Martin Luther King (Famous People, Famous Lives #19)
by Verna Wilkins Verna WilliamsEach title in this series tells the story of a man or woman whose dedication to their chosen cause led to changes that affect all our lives today. Each includes a vivid description of the world in which the famous person lived. Martin Luther King's life is vividly described through detailed text and illustrations, from his humble beginnings in America's Deep South to black Americans' civil rights campaigner in the 1960s. The story of his rise to fame is also the story of black emancipation, giving the young reader an insight into how races treated each other in the very recent past. His death also shows them how deep these divisions were, but Luther King's legacy helps them understand the changed that have come about because of people like him.
A Divine Language: Learning Algebra, Geometry, and Calculus at the Edge of Old Age
by Alec WilkinsonA New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice"Wilkinson has accomplished something more moving and original, braiding his stumbling attempts to get better at math with his deepening awareness that there’s an entire universe of understanding that will, in some fundamental sense, forever lie outside his reach." —Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times "There is almost no writer I admire as much as I do Alec Wilkinson. His work has enduring brilliance and humanity.” —Susan Orlean, author of The Library Book A spirited, metaphysical exploration into math's deepest mysteries and conundrums at the crux of middle age.Decades after struggling to understand math as a boy, Alec Wilkinson decides to embark on a journey to learn it as a middle-aged man. What begins as a personal challenge—and it's challenging—soon transforms into something greater than a belabored effort to learn math. Despite his incompetence, Wilkinson encounters a universe of unexpected mysteries in his pursuit of mathematical knowledge and quickly becomes fascinated; soon, his exercise in personal growth (and torture) morphs into an intellectually expansive exploration.In A Divine Language, Wilkinson, a contributor to The New Yorker for over forty years, journeys into the heart of the divine aspect of mathematics—its mysteries, challenges, and revelations—since antiquity. As he submits himself to the lure of deep mathematics, he takes the reader through his investigations into the subject’s big questions—number theory and the creation of numbers, the debate over math’s human or otherworldly origins, problems and equations that remain unsolved after centuries, the conundrum of prime numbers. Writing with warm humor and sharp observation as he traverses practical math’s endless frustrations and rewards, Wilkinson provides an awe-inspiring account of an adventure from a land of strange sights. Part memoir, part metaphysical travel book, and part journey in self-improvement, A Divine Language is one man’s second attempt at understanding the numbers in front of him, and the world beyond.
The Happiest Man in the World
by Alec WilkinsonPoppa Neutrino has been a vagabond his whole life. He has improvised an existence far outside the boundaries of what most of us consider to be normality. He has been a successful street musician, a San Francisco beatnik, a raft man in the tradition of Thor Heyerdahl, and a football enthusiast who believes he has invented a foolproof offensive play. He may be right - we have to wait and see. Alec Wilkinson has spent the last few years of his life following the erratic trail and exploits of Poppa Neutr...
The Protest Singer: An Intimate Portrait of Pete Seeger
by Alec WilkinsonA spirited and intimate look at American icon and activist Pete Seeger, and his life and his accomplishments. Pete Seeger transformed a classic American musical style into a form of peaceful protest against war, segregation, and nuclear weapons. Drawing on his extensive talks with Seeger, Alec Wilkinson delivers a first hand look at Seeger's unique blend of independence and commitment, charm, courage, energy, and belief in human equality and American democracy. We see Seeger, the child, instilled with a love of music by his parents; Seeger, the teenager, hearing real folk music for the first time; Seeger, the young adult, singing with Woody Guthrie. And finally, Seeger the man marching with the Rev. Martin Luther King in Selma, standing up to McCarthyism, and fighting for his beloved Hudson River. The gigantic life captured in this slender volume is truly an American anthem.
The Zeal of the Convert: The Life of Erskine Childers
by Burke Wilkinson"Erskine Childers, one of the unsung heroes of Ireland's struggle for independence, was born in England, spent his boyhood in Ireland, then went to Cambridge University. He fought for England in the Boer War and as an aviator in World War I, publishing his widely praised novel The Riddle of the Sands in 1903. He became involved in Irish politics in 1908 as an advocate of home rule, smuggled guns to Irish liberationists, and in 1919 joined Sinn Fein, the extreme wing of the freedom fighters. His martyrdom is stirringly related by Wilkinson". -- Publishers Weekly
Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks
by Crystal WilkinsonA lyrical culinary journey that explores the hidden legacy of Black Appalachians, through powerful storytelling alongside nearly forty comforting recipes, from the former poet laureate of Kentucky.&“With Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts, Crystal Wilkinson cements herself as one of the most dynamic book makers in our generation and a literary giant. Utter genius tastes like this.&”—Kiese Laymon, author of the Carnegie Medal-winning HeavyPeople are always surprised that Black people reside in the hills of Appalachia. Those not surprised that we were there, are surprised that we stayed.Years ago, when O. Henry Prize-winning writer Crystal Wilkinson was baking a jam cake, she felt her late grandmother&’s presence. She soon realized that she was not the only cook in her kitchen; there were her ancestors, too, stirring, measuring, and braising alongside her. These are her kitchen ghosts, five generations of Black women who settled in Appalachia and made a life, a legacy, and a cuisine.An expert cook, Wilkinson shares nearly forty family recipes rooted deep in the past, full of flavor—delicious favorites including Corn Pudding, Chicken and Dumplings, Granny Christine&’s Jam Cake, and Praisesong Biscuits, brought to vivid life through stunning photography. Together, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts honors the mothers who came before, the land that provided for generations of her family, and the untold heritage of Black Appalachia.As the keeper of her family&’s stories and treasured dishes, Wilkinson shares her inheritance in Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts. She found their stories in her apron pockets, floating inside the steam of hot mustard greens and tucked into the sweet scent of clove and cinnamon in her kitchen. Part memoir, part cookbook, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts weaves those stories together with recipes, family photos, and a lyrical imagination to present a culinary portrait of a family that has lived and worked the earth of the mountains for over a century.
One Mountain Thousand Summits: The Untold Story of Tragedy and True Heroism on K2
by Freddie WilkinsonAn insider's account of one of the deadliest and most controversial tragedies in mountaineering history-the 2008 K2 disaster. When eleven men perished on the slopes of K2 in August 2008, it was one of the deadliest single events in Himalayan climbing and made headlines around the world. Yet non of the surviving western climbers could explain precisely what happened. Their memories were self-admittedly fogged by exhaustion, hypoxia, and hallucinations. The truth of what happened lies with four Sherpa guides who were largely ignored by the mainstream media in the aftermath of the tragedy, who lost two of their own during the incident, and whose heroic efforts saved the lives of at least four climbers. Based on his numerous trips to Nepal and in-depth interviews he conducted with these unacknowledged heroes, the other survivors, and the families of the lost climbers, alpinist and veteran climbing writer Freddie Wilkinson presents the true story of what actually occurred on the "savage" mountain. This work combines a criticism of the mainstream press's less-than-complete coverage of the tragedy and an insightful portrait of the lives of 21st-century Sherpas into an intelligent, white-knuckled adventure narrative. .
When the Apricots Bloom: A Novel of Riveting and Evocative Fiction
by Gina WilkinsonIn this moving, suspenseful debut novel, three courageous women confront the complexities of trust, friendship, motherhood, and betrayal under the rule of a ruthless dictator and his brutal secret police. Former foreign correspondent Gina Wilkinson draws on her own experiences to take readers inside a haunting story of Iraq at the turn of the millennium and the impossible choices faced by families under a deadly regime. At night, in Huda&’s fragrant garden, a breeze sweeps in from the desert encircling Baghdad, rustling the leaves of her apricot trees and carrying warning of visitors at her gate. Huda, a secretary at the Australian embassy, lives in fear of the mukhabarat—the secret police who watch and listen for any scrap of information that can be used against America and its allies. They have ordered her to befriend Ally Wilson, the deputy ambassador&’s wife. Huda has no wish to be an informant, but fears for her teenaged son, who may be forced to join a deadly militia. Nor does she know that Ally has dangerous secrets of her own. Huda&’s former friend, Rania, enjoyed a privileged upbringing as the daughter of a sheikh. Now her family&’s wealth is gone, and Rania too is battling to keep her child safe and a roof over their heads. As the women&’s lives intersect, their hidden pasts spill into the present. Facing possible betrayal at every turn, all three must trust in a fragile, newfound loyalty, even as they discover how much they are willing to sacrifice to protect their families. &“Vivid…secrets and lies mingle as easily as the scent of apricot blossoms and nargilah smoke. Wilkinson weaves in the miasma of fear and distrust that characterized Hussein&’s regime with convincing detail. Richly drawn characters and high-stakes plot.&” —Publishers Weekly
All Falling Faiths: Reflections on the Promise and Failure of the 1960s
by J. Harvie Wilkinson IIIIn this warm and intimate memoir Judge Wilkinson delivers a chilling message. The 1960s inflicted enormous damage on our country; even at this very hour we see the decade’s imprint in so much of what we say and do. The chapters reveal the harm done to the true meaning of education, to our capacity for lasting personal commitments, to our respect for the rule of law, to our sense of rootedness and home, to our desire for service, to our capacity for national unity, to our need for the sustenance of faith. Judge Wilkinson does not seek to lecture but to share in the most personal sense what life was like in the 1960s, and to describe the influence of those frighteningly eventful years upon the present day.Judge Wilkinson acknowledges the good things accomplished by the Sixties and nourishes the belief that we can learn from that decade ways to build a better future. But he asks his own generation to recognize its youthful mistakes and pleads with future generations not to repeat them. The author’s voice is one of love and hope for America. But our national prospects depend on facing honestly the full magnitude of all we lost during one momentous decade and of all we must now recover.
Jonny: My Autobiography
by Jonny WilkinsonJonny Wilkinson's career has crossed three decades and four World Cups. He has accumulated phenomenal achievements, world points records, an impressive list of broken body parts, and a drop goal that will be remembered for ever. But the peculiar calmness with which he played the game masked a very different reality. In JONNY, he reveals the extraordinary psychology that he had to tame in order to be able to dominate his sport. For most of his life, he was driven by a quest for perfection and an obsession to be the best player in the world; here he shows how these two facets of his competitive mind took such a hold of him that they sent him to the top of the world, then swept him up and dragged him down into a spiral of despair. Jonny's career has spanned the far reaches: amazing highs and iconic moments, then a fight against injury that culminated in a battle with depression. Here he tells of the physical toll he knew his body was taking from rugby, even from his youth; he tells of how he never wanted to be a kicking fly-half but learned to adapt his natural game to play the style that Clive Woodward believed necessary to win a World Cup, and how he nearly walked out on Martin Johnson's England team 13 years later.
Jonny: My Autobiography
by Jonny WilkinsonJonny Wilkinson's career has crossed three decades and four World Cups. He has accumulated phenomenal achievements, world points records, an impressive list of broken body parts, and a drop goal that will be remembered for ever. But the peculiar calmness with which he played the game masked a very different reality. In JONNY, he reveals the extraordinary psychology that he had to tame in order to be able to dominate his sport. For most of his life, he was driven by a quest for perfection and an obsession to be the best player in the world; here he shows how these two facets of his competitive mind took such a hold of him that they sent him to the top of the world, then swept him up and dragged him down into a spiral of despair. Jonny's career has spanned the far reaches: amazing highs and iconic moments, then a fight against injury that culminated in a battle with depression. Here he tells of the physical toll he knew his body was taking from rugby, even from his youth; he tells of how he never wanted to be a kicking fly-half but learned to adapt his natural game to play the style that Clive Woodward believed necessary to win a World Cup, and how he nearly walked out on Martin Johnson's England team 13 years later.
Tackling Life
by Jonny WilkinsonJonny Wilkinson's impact on global sport has been extraordinary. Yet Jonny has faced a battle all his life to achieve success and, crucially, happiness. A crippling fear of failure, the targets he set himself and a string of injuries have caused Jonny to question his attitude to life. In this startling new book, writing with Steve Black, Jonny opens up for the very first time, revealing his darkest moments and explaining in a practical way the steps and techniques he has taken to ensure success in all aspects of his life. He still wants to be the best, but he now enjoys the journey. With never-before-told stories from his life and rugby career, this book will act as a powerful inspiration for anyone wanting to bring to the field of play - be it business, personal or sport - the very best they have to offer.
Tackling Life
by Jonny WilkinsonJonny Wilkinson's impact on global sport has been extraordinary. Yet Jonny has faced a battle all his life to achieve success and, crucially, happiness. A crippling fear of failure, the targets he set himself and a string of injuries have caused Jonny to question his attitude to life. In this startling new book, writing with Steve Black, Jonny opens up for the very first time, revealing his darkest moments and explaining in a practical way the steps and techniques he has taken to ensure success in all aspects of his life. He still wants to be the best, but he now enjoys the journey. With never-before-told stories from his life and rugby career, this book will act as a powerful inspiration for anyone wanting to bring to the field of play - be it business, personal or sport - the very best they have to offer.
Louis XIV: The Gift From God
by Josephine WilkinsonAn intelligent, authoritative, and often surprising biography of the most famous of French monarchs, by an acclaimed biographer and historian. This stylish and incisive narrative presents readers with a fresh perspective on one of the most fascinating kings in European history. Louis XIV’s story has all the ingredients of a Dumas classic: legendary beginnings, beguiling women, court intrigue, a mysterious prisoner in an iron mask, lavish court entertainments, the scandal of a mistress who was immersed in the dark arts, and a central character who is handsome and romantic, but with a frighteningly dark side to his character. Louis believed himself to be semi-divine. His self-identification as the Sun King, which was reflected in iconography by the sun god, Apollo, influenced every aspect of Louis’s life: his political philosophy, his wars, and his relationships with courtiers and subjects. As a military strategist, Louis’s capacity was ambiguous, but he was an astute politician who led his country to the heights of sophistication and power—and then had the misfortune to live long enough to see it all crumble away. As the sun began to set upon this most glorious of reigns, it brought a gathering darkness filled with the anguish of dead heirs, threatened borders, and a populace that was dangerously dependent upon—but greatly distanced from—its king.
Being Kendra: Cribs, Cocktails, & Getting My Sexy Back
by Kendra WilkinsonThe reality star talks about managing marriage, motherhood and her celebrity career in this sequel to her bestselling memoir.In the intimate follow up to her New York Times–bestselling memoir Sliding Into Home, Kendra Wilkinson reveals the naked truth about her life after Playboy—the secrets behind regaining her trademark sexy body, the trials of her life as a new mother, the tricks of sustaining her long-distance romance with Hank, and her busy adventures juggling the needs of her husband and baby with the demands of her hit TV career. As fans of Dancing with the Stars and Girls Next Door know, Kendra is able to tell it like it is, baring everything she’s learned about love, hardship, body image, and perseverance, all with the infectious optimism that the world loves her for.
Sliding Into Home
by Kendra Wilkinson Jon WarechThe breakout star of the E hit shows The Girls Next Door and Kendra. Playboy cover model Kendra Wilkinson opens up about life, love, and living with Hugh Hefner in this entertaining and candid new memoir.
Sliding Into Home
by Kendra Wilkinson Jon WarechKENDRA BARES ALL Fans of the E! smash hit series The Girls Next Door fell in love with sporty Playboy beauty Kendra Wilkinson’s care- free spirit, infectious laugh, and down-to-earth nature. Now that she’s moved out of the world’s most famous bachelor pad and into her own delightfully chaotic world on Kendra as wife to NFL star Hank Baskett and mother to their newborn son, we’ve watched her hilarious antics as she adjusts to domestic life. But how much do we really know about the fun-loving star? In this humorous and optimistic, sometimes heartbreaking, but always unfailingly honest memoir, Kendra reveals the highs and lows of her extraordinary journey. She wasn’t always the quintessential girl next door. Before she was a reality television superstar, Hugh Hefner’s girlfriend, or one of the most popular Playboy cover models ever, Kendra was an athletic tomboy whose father walked out on her family when she was a little girl. She grew into a rebellious teenager with a serious drug habit before she quit cold turkey and beat the odds to graduate from a high school that almost didn’t give her a second (or third, or fourth) chance. Following her rocky teenage years, an out-of-the- blue phone call from Hugh Hefner changed everything. Kendra dishes candidly about life in the Playboy Mansion: the sex, the parties, the show, and even her relationships with her Girls Next Door costars—Hef, Holly, and Bridget. She tells the true story about how she and Hank met and built a relationship in secret while she was still Hef’s girl- friend and a public face of Playboy. Finally, she reflects on the slew of unexpected changes in the short space of a year that have brought her sliding into home from Playboy party girl to wife and mother with a blooming Hollywood career. If you think you’ve seen all of Kendra, think again. She’s only warming up. . . .
A Child Through Time: The Book of Children's History (DK Panorama)
by Phil WilkinsonWe know all about history through the eyes of adults, but what about children? Journey through the lives of 30 everyday children from the Ice Age to modern times.A history book that helps kids today understand the lives of someone their age in the past - what they wore, the food they ate, and the games they played. You will meet and discover the lives of the Aztecs, Romans, and Vikings in their ancient empires and medieval castles, and many more! This educational book explores the often-overlooked lives of children in the past. This history of children's book is filled with fun facts and includes specially commissioned illustrations of the children and maps of the places they lived. This educational book also explores the historic moments that children witnessed. A Child Through Time also includes visually stunning maps, timelines, and illustrations. Collections of archaeological objects have been thoroughly researched to make this book as historically accurate as possible. This history book for kids will provide an immersive reading experience and shape their perspective on the often-ignored topic of family life through the ages. A Child Through Time covers key curriculum topics in a new light. This visually stunning learning tool is perfect for children ages 7 and up.History Through the Eyes of Children Have you ever wondered how children lived in the past? A Child Through Time takes you on a historical journey through the eyes of children. Stunning illustrations by Steve Moon bring each child to life. The book is packed full of maps, timelines, and photographs revealing fascinating facts about kids who lived in the past.Inside the pages of this history book, you&’ll find: • Get to know 30 children from early civilizations through to the modern period. • Read all about the childhoods of famous historical figures like Tutankhamun, Pocahontas, and Marie Antionette. • Explore the toys, games, and food of everyday kids in the past.
Dossier K: A Memoir
by Tim Wilkinson Imre KerteszThe first and only memoir from the Nobel Prize-winning author, in the form of an illuminating, often funny, and often combative interview--conducted by the author of himself. Dossier K is Imre Kertész's response to the hasty biographies and profiles that followed his 2002 Nobel Prize, an attempt to set the record straight. But, as befits Kertész, it's a beautifully roundabout way of going straight: Kertész faces and interrogates himself about the issues and events that have long preoccupied him, while also dealing with the questions that really annoy him (such as, "Is your work autobiographical?"). The result is an extraordinary self-portrait, in which Kertész recounts memories of his childhood in Budapest; the years that lead up to the Second World War and his first encounters with anti-Semitism; the incredible forged record of his death in Buchenwald that may in fact have saved his life; his release from the camps and his return to his family; Hungary's Rákosi and Kádár regimes and the terror, hypocrisy, and absurdity they entailed; his thoughts about what other writers have written about the Holocaust; his two marriages; and his long development as a writer. This is a surprising and provocative autobiography that delves into questions about the legacy of the Holocaust, fiction and reality, and what Kertész calls "the wonderful burden of being responsible for yourself.