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The Year of the Buttered Cat: A Mostly True Story
by Lexi Haas Susan HaasA funny and empowering memoir from a girl with a severe form of cerebral palsy, for fans of Wonder and Out of My Mind. Includes 30 full color photos and a discussion guide, in print for the first time! When she was just a tiny baby, something terrible happened to Lexi. It left her with an out-of-control body and without a voice. Now, as a precocious, superhero-obsessed thirteen-year-old, Lexi is counting down the final 24 hours to a risky brain surgery that might help her talk or—dare she dream it?—to walk and use her hands. As surgery grows closer, Lexi finds an urgent, relentless need to share the story of the year in her life she calls The Year of the Buttered Cat. That year, on the verge of shutting out the rest of the world, Lexi began a gutsy and solitary quest to find her "missing" body… and she learns new ways to reach out to the world to save her friendships and uncover the startling truth about what happened to her as a baby. In the spirit of Wonder by R.J. Palacio and Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper, here is a riveting story that offers empowering messages of friendship, family, and the art of redefining ourselves.
Down with the System: A Memoir (of Sorts)
by Serj TankianAn exhilarating, thoughtful, and beautifully written memoir by musician, songwriter, and lead singer-lyricist of Grammy award-winning metal band, System Of A Down, Serj Tankian. Serj Tankian will be the first to admit that his band, System Of A Down, was &“unlikely a chart-topper as had ever existed in modern music history: a band of Armenian-Americans playing a practically unclassifiable clash of wildly aggressive metal riffs, unconventional tempo-twisting rhythms, and Armenian folk melodies, with me alternately growling, screaming, and crooning lyrics that could pivot from avant-garde silliness to raging socio-political rants in the space of a single line.&” After all, as Serj concedes, &“it&’s not easy listening.&” Even so, there&’s no doubt that System&’s music had struck a chord with millions of listeners across the globe ever since they burst on the scene in the mid-1990s. With nearly 40 million album sales, three albums topping the Billboard charts, and a devoted legion of fans, the band dominated the alt-rock and metal scenes just as the world hurtled into a new millennium, redefining the very idea of what rockstars could and couldn&’t talk about, could and couldn&’t do, could and couldn&’t represent. In DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM, Serj presents readers with a memoir that is far more than just a rock 'n' roll fable. It's an immigrant's tale, it&’s an activist's awakening, and it's a spiritual journey from darkness toward light. And all of this comes down to the fact that Serj himself has had the chance to live an extraordinary life—thanks to a combination of luck, circumstance, struggle, talent, and spiritual awakening. Born to Armenian parents in Beirut, Serj grows up hearing bombs drop outside his childhood home during the country&’s civil war, before moving to Los Angeles at the age of seven. As a young man, he is immersed in the SoCal community of &“Little Armenia,&” learning more and more about the brutal genocide faced by his ancestors while helping his parents adapt to the constraints and contradictions of the American Dream. Then, during a pivotal drive home from an LSAT class, Serj decides to turn away from a promising future in business and law to make music instead—a decision that leads him to touring five continents as the lead singer of a hugely popular rock band, hitting number #1 on the Billboard album charts the morning of 9/11, and then having the hit single from the same album banned from radio two days later. In the years that follow, his uniquely singular story continues, as he evades glass bottles hurled at a cancelled show by angry Slayer fans, teams up with Tom Morello to push social justice causes on unsuspecting metalheads, argues with LAPD officers over the best way to quell rioting fans, and defines new sounds and singing tactics with Rick Rubin. Braiding together Serj&’s thought-provoking insight with heartfelt and poetic prose, DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM retraces Serj&’s remarkable and unlikely journey, and explores what it&’s taught him—about music, about art, about activism, and about himself. It&’s an unforgettable ride that will leave you breathless—and an absolute delight for new fans and old ones alike.
They Were Good Germans Once: My Jewish Émigré Family
by Evelyn Toynton&“This priceless recapturing of darkened history . . . [is] stunningly intelligent and elegantly written . . . Utterly engrossing.&” —Phillip Lopate, author of To Show and to Tell: The Craft of Literary Nonfiction In this moving collection of essays, Evelyn Toynton, &“a wordsmith of the highest order&” traces her family history, from her mother who left Germany as Hitler came to power to her relatives who escaped after suffering persecution and internment at the hands of the Nazis (Library Journal, starred review). Toynton only fully understood her harrowing genealogy as an adult living in New York, where she first came to terms with her connection to other Jews in America. Growing up, her family was German first, retaining the attitudes and the characteristics of the homeland they still loved and longed for, even as they built new lives in America, Israel, and England. Some, like her father, appeared to assimilate easily, while others never lost the feeling that they were living in exile. Powerfully rendered by an acclaimed author, They Were Good Germans Once is a remarkable account of survival, starting over, and the search for meaning and hope in a world forever altered. &“A poignant memoir . . . The author&’s tone is often elegiac. . . . A thoughtful, notable addition to the literature of the Holocaust.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“With Toynton&’s signature intelligence, subtlety and wit, she describes members of her family—deracinated through no fault of their own—in portraits that are by turns surprising, hilarious and heartbreaking.&” —Lynn Freed, author of The Romance of Elsewhere &“[A] tragic, comic, sharply observed memoir.&” —Carole Angier, author of Speak, Silence: In Search of W.G. Sebald
The Golden Dream: Suburbia in the 1970s
by Stephen BirminghamThe #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Our Crowd offers an anecdote-filled tour of the most exclusive suburbs of 1970s America. In this charming and insightful inquiry, Stephen Birmingham investigates the nesting habits, enjoyments, and frustrations of American suburban life in the seventies. He explores the social organism that is the American suburb—from Scottsdale, Arizona, to New York&’s Westchester County, along with the tawny suburbs surrounding the mighty industrial cities that fringe the Great Lakes. Birmingham spoke with householders great and small, gleaning their private views of the suburban experience. Almost all of them arrived in the suburbs with a dream. The reality they found was often less than they envisioned. Along with swimming pools and manicured lawns come soaring property taxes, status contests, and old-world prejudices colliding with new neighbors. &“Gossipy, chatty [Stephen Birmingham] thrusts his line into the waters of suburban social life, catching a lot of trivia about country clubs and trends.&” —The Christian Science Monitor
America's Secret Aristocracy: The Families that Built the United States
by Stephen BirminghamAn &“entertaining and perceptive&” history of America&’s most exclusive families, from the Brahmins of New England to the Grandees of California (The Washington Post). America has always been a constitutionally classless society, yet an American aristocracy emerged anyway—a private club whose members run in the same circles and observe the same unwritten rules. Here, renowned social historian Stephen Birmingham reveals the inner workings of this aristocracy. He identifies which families in which cities have always mattered, and how they&’ve defined America.America&’s Secret Aristocracy offers an inside look at the estates, marriages, and financial empires of America&’s most powerful families—from the Randolphs of Virginia and the Roosevelts of New York to the Carillos and Ortegas of California. With countless anecdotes about our nation&’s elite, including interviews with their modern-day descendants, Birmingham presents colorful portraits that capture the true definition, essence, and customs of America&’s aristocracy.
California Rich
by Stephen Birmingham&“[A] downright intriguing history . . . chronicling of the creation of the Californian Dream.&” —Los Angeles Times Since the Gold Rush, California has represented a land of opportunity for a special breed of American. Heading west in pursuit of sunshine, riches, and elusive dreams, the early mavericks of California set out to make their fortunes—and often succeeded beyond their wildest imaginations. Prospectors became oil tycoons, squatters became cattle barons, and farmers&’ wives became grandees of a new rough-hewn society. In California Rich, Stephen Birmingham explores this fascinating social history, showing how the ruling class of California was born and how it evolved a lifestyle that continues to fascinate the world. Its colorful array of characters include: the despotic media mogul William Randolph Hearst; governor and railroad baron Leland Stanford; and real estate magnate James Irvine, who attended business meetings with an entire pack of hunting dogs. In exploring how these self-made millionaires acquired their money—and what they did with it—Birmingham sheds light on the customs and quirks of California wealth, and how the state came to symbolize the easy, opulent life that still entices seekers of fame and fortune today.
The Late John Marquand
by Stephen BirminghamThe acclaimed social historian and author of Our Crowd presents a colorful portrait of the Pulitzer Prize–winning writer. John Marquand, the great literary satirist and chronicler of New England elites, could have been a character in one of his own beloved novels. Here, Stephen Birmingham presents a lively narrative of Marquand&’s life, drawing on personal interviews with friends and family. Raised in Newburyport, Massachusetts, Marquand was both an insider and outcast of the old money set. After attending Harvard and serving overseas in World War I, he began writing stories that captured the lives, manners, and morals of wealthy families confined by their own privilege. Marquand himself joined the ranks of these exclusive families by marrying into them—twice. In The Late John Marquand, Birmingham provides an intimate portrait of the man behind such works as H. M. Pulham, Esquire, and The Late George Apley, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1938.
Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space
by Adam Higginbotham&“Vivid…A true-life thriller.&” —The New York Times • &“Gripping history.&” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) • &“Dramatic…[A] moving narrative.&” —The Wall Street Journal • &“One of this generation&’s best nonfiction writers working at the top of his game.&” —Garrett M. Graff From the New York Times bestselling author of Midnight in Chernobyl comes the definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger disaster, based on fascinating in-depth reporting and new archival research—a riveting history that reads like a thriller.On January 28, 1986, just seventy-three seconds into flight, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions of Americans witnessed the tragic deaths of the crew, which included New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. Like the assassination of JFK, the Challenger disaster is a defining moment in twentieth-century history—one that forever changed the way America thought of itself and its optimistic view of the future. Yet the full story of what happened, and why, has never been told. Based on extensive archival research and meticulous, original reporting, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space follows a handful of central protagonists—including each of the seven members of the doomed crew—through the years leading up to the accident, and offers a detailed account of the tragedy itself and the investigation afterward. It&’s a compelling tale of ambition and ingenuity undermined by political cynicism and cost-cutting in the interests of burnishing national prestige; of hubris and heroism; and of an investigation driven by leakers and whistleblowers determined to bring the truth to light. Throughout, there are the ominous warning signs of a tragedy to come, recognized but then ignored, and later hidden from the public. Higginbotham reveals the history of the shuttle program and the lives of men and women whose stories have been overshadowed by the disaster, as well as the designers, engineers, and test pilots who struggled against the odds to get the first shuttle into space. A masterful blend of riveting human drama and fascinating and absorbing science, Challenger identifies a turning point in history—and brings to life an even more complex and astonishing story than we remember.
Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World
by Craig Foster“An important book that will transform how we think about being human. … that will inspire hope.”—Jane GoodallHow can we reclaim the soul-deepening wildness that grounds us and energizes us when so much of the modern world seems designed to tame us?In this thrilling memoir of a life spent exploring the most incredible places on Earth—from the Great African Seaforest to the crocodile lairs of the Okavango Delta—Craig Foster reveals how we can attend to the earthly beauty around us and deepen our love for all living things, whether we make our homes in the country, the city, or anywhere in between.Foster explores his struggles to remain present to life when a disconnection from nature and the demands of his professional life begin to deaden his senses. And his own reliance on nature’s rejuvenating spiritual power is put to the test when catastrophe strikes close to home.Foster’s lyrical, riveting Amphibious Soul draws on his decades of daily ocean dives, wisdom from Indigenous teachers, and leading-edge science.
Artists Who Changed History (DK History Changers)
by DKThis visual celebration of the world's most celebrated thinkers tells the fascinating stories of their lives and pioneering ideas.Artists Who Changed History places well-known artists in their historical and cultural context, showing you how they came to influence Art as we know it today. This illustrated guide is ideal for those interested in art, sculptures, and the history of art or who would like to broaden their general understanding of art and the lives of artists.Inside this book on artists, you’ll find:-An overview of the lives and works of around 80 of the world's most influential artists - Middle Ages to the present day-Eight pages of brand-new content with 12 new entries, including Judith Leyster and Frank Bowling-Lavishly illustrated portraits of each artist alongside photographs of their homes and studios, original sketches, notebooks, lettersIn this Art guide, each artist is introduced with a realistic portrait and biographical entries that trace the friendships, loves, and rivalries that inspired and influenced them. Entries explore each individual's key ideas and working methods and set their ideas in context, conveying a powerful sense of the place and the period of history in which they lived. Artists Who Changed History provides revealing insights into what drove each individual to develop new ways of understanding the world.
Writers Who Changed History (DK History Changers)
by DKExplore the fascinating lives and loves of the greatest novelists, poets, and playwrights.Lavishly illustrated with photographs and paintings of writers’ homes, studies, and personal artifacts—along with pages from original manuscripts, first editions, and their correspondence—Writers Who Changed History introduces the key ideas, themes, and literary techniques of each writer, revealing the imaginations and personalities behind some of the world’s greatest novels, short stories, poems, and plays.Introduced with a stunning portrait of each featured novelist, playwright, or poet, biographical entries trace the friendships, loves, and rivalries that inspired each individual and influenced their work, revealing insights into the larger-than-life characters, plots, and evocative settings that they created. Each entry explains how the person’s writing developed during their lifetime and sets it in context, conveying a powerful sense of the place and the period of history in which they lived.Covering an eclectic range of authors from the Middle Ages to the present day, Writers Who Changed History provides a compelling glimpse of the lives and loves of each great writer.
More Richly in Earth: A Poet’s Search for Mary MacLeod
by Marilyn BoweringMary MacLeod (Màiri nighean Alasdair Ruaidh) was a rarity: a female bard in seventeenth-century Scotland. While her lyrics were honoured, she was also marginalized, denigrated as a witch, and exiled, both for being a writer and for what she wrote.Presented as a chronicle of journeys through the Scottish Hebrides, More Richly in Earth explores MacLeod’s legacy, preserved within landscape, memory, and identity. In an act of recovery and restoration, Canadian poet and novelist Marilyn Bowering pieces together the puzzle of radically different accounts of MacLeod’s life, returning to the places the bard once lived with the help of contemporary Scottish Gaelic poets and scholars. Through investigation and imagination, Bowering forms a connection with MacLeod despite vast differences of culture and language, time and place. Their connection deepens as Bowering twines MacLeod’s story with accounts of the people and places that shaped her own life, a connection that ultimately reveals the foundations of Bowering’s artistic vocation to herself.MacLeod’s life and writing, little known today beyond the Gaelic world, harbours cultural truths about a transformative era of war and colonization in Gaelic Scotland. Bringing a poetic sensibility to investigative scholarship, More Richly in Earth offers a profound reflection on the necessity of art in all forms.
Indian Winter
by Kazim AliCBC BOOKS: 2024 SPRING FICTION PREVIEWA queer writer travelling through India can't escape the regrets of his past, nor the impending ruin of his present. "I am leaving for the winter – I have to get away from this small town and all its dangers – to write, read, think, all the most important things in the world but which are thought the least important, the most expendable."Thus begins the Indian winter of our narrator, a queer writer and translator much like the author, a winter that includes a meandering journey through India, trying to write about a long-ago lover whose death he has just learned of. While on this journey into memory, he flees his current faltering relationship in search of new friendships and intimacies. Inspired by Antonio Tabucchi's Indian Nocturne, and by the writings of Anaïs Nin, Rachel Cusk, and Carole Maso, among others, Indian Winter finds itself where the travel diary, the künstlerroman, poetry, and autofiction meet. But the heartbreak brought on by his unravelling relationship and his family's inability to accept his queerness cannot be outrun; as he traverses India, our narrator can't help but repeatedly encounter himself and the range of love and alienation he has within.
Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black Conservative
by Glenn LouryA shockingly frank memoir from a prize-winning economist, reflecting on his remarkable personal odyssey and his changing positions on identity, race, and belief. Economist Glenn C. Loury is one of the most prominent public intellectuals of our time: he’s often radically opposed to the political mainstream, and delights in upending what’s expected of a Black public figure. But more so than the arguments themselves—on affirmative action, institutional racism, Trumpism—his public life has been characterized by fearlessness and a willingness to recalibrate strongly held and forcefully argued beliefs. Loury grew up on the south side of Chicago, earned a PhD in MIT’s economics program, and became the first Black tenured professor of economics at Harvard at the age of thirty-three. He has been, at turns, a young father, a drug addict, an adulterer, a psychiatric patient, a born-again Christian, a lapsed born-again Christian, a Black Reaganite who has swung from the right to the left and back again. In Late Admissions, Loury examines what it means to chart a sense of self over the course of a tempestuous, but well-considered, life.
Road Home
by Rex OgleThis final, essential chapter in Rex Ogle’s memoir trilogy recounts being forced from his home and living on the streets after his father discovered he was gay. When Rex was outed the summer after he graduated high school, his father gave him a choice: he could stay at home, find a girlfriend, and attend church twice a week, or he could be gay—and leave. Rex left, driving toward the only other gay man he knew and a toxic relationship that would ultimately leave him homeless and desperate on the streets of New Orleans. Here, Rex tells the story of his coming out and his father’s rejection of his identity, navigating abuse and survival on the streets. Road Home is a devastating and incandescent reflection on Rex’s hunger—for food, for love, and for a place to call home—completing the trilogy of memoirs that began with the award-winning Free Lunch.
Down with the System: The highly-awaited memoir from the System Of A Down legend
by Serj TankianThe incredible first memoir by System Of A Down frontman Serj TankianWith nearly 40 million record sales, three albums topping the Billboard charts, a Grammy win and a legion of fans, System Of A Down are one of the biggest metal bands on the planet. At their core has always been Serj Tankian, whose journey from the streets of Beirut to rock superstardom is as remarkable and unlikely as you'll get. By dint of luck, circumstance, struggle, and more than a little talent, Serj has had the chance to live an extraordinary life. In Down With the System, he retraces this remarkable and unlikely journey, and explores what it's taught him - about music, about art, about activism, and about himself. From teaming up with Tom Morello to push social justice causes on unsuspecting metalheads, arguing with LAPD officers over the best way to quell his rioting fans, and traveling with Anthony Bourdain through Armenia one meal at a time, Down With the System is an immigrant's tale, an activist's awakening, and rock memoir unlike any other.
Mary Anning and Paleontology for Kids: Her Life and Discoveries, with 21 Activities (For Kids series)
by Stephanie BearceMary Anning was only 12 years old when she excavated the skeleton of an unknown animal. The discovery of the ichthyosaur was the dawn of a new age of science called paleontology, and Anning became one of the leading experts in the study of dinosaurs. Her discoveries helped lay the groundwork for Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and changed the way scientists understood the past. Unfortunately, as a woman of the 1800s, Anning received almost no recognition for her contributions, which were instead credited to the male naturalists who had purchased her specimens. Author Stephanie Bearce brings Anning's remarkable work to life for young readers with research and projects that allow children to experience hands‑on science as Anning did.Kids will create fossil models in plaster and use tools to extract them, build a Mesozoic diorama of a dinosaur habitat, grow crystals in an eggshell to observe how geodes are formed, and much more!
Forces of Nature: A Memoir of Family, Loss, and Finding Home
by Gina DeMillo WagnerFORCES OF NATURE explores the intersections of disability and loss, nature and nurture, families of origin and families of choice. It begins with the moment the author, Gina DeMillo Wagner, finds out her brother Alan, who had a complicated genetic disorder, is dead. From there, she takes readers along as she is pulled away from the safety of her friends, away from her husband and kids, and thrust back into a family she has been estranged from for nearly ten years. The memoir documents this rewinding and revisiting of the past, plus Alan' s Christmas-themed funeral, an investigation into Alan' s cause of death, Wagner's unraveling in the face of complicated grief, and finally the day – ten months later – when her parents divide his cremated remains and bury him in separate states. Within this framework, Wagner weaves in scenes from her childhood that illustrate what it' s like to be a sister and caregiver to a sibling with disabilities, the daughter of a mentally ill parent, and how she forges her own path and find peace by creating a family of choice.
Basketball Biographies for Kids: Stories of Basketball's Most Inspiring Players (Sports Biographies for Kids)
by Matt ChandlerGet to know the game with inspiring basketball player biographies for ages 8 to 12Basketball is filled with inspiring stories of world-class athletes working hard and overcoming challenges to shine on the court. Discover the most talented players from each position with Basketball Biographies for Kids! This lineup shows you what it takes to be a WNBA or NBA superstar with the amazing stories, stats, and achievements of the best players from the last 60 years.Legends of the leagues — Learn about the players who changed the game, like Lebron James, Kawhi Leonard, and Sue Bird.Key career stats — Each biography covers the player's history, as well as important info like games played, points, rebounds, assists, and blocks.Draft your own all-star team — Evaluate the statistics and create your fantasy team by filling out the blank sheet at the back of the book.Brush up on your basketball knowledge with the ultimate, slam-dunk collection of sports biographies!
The Right Places
by Stephen BirminghamThe acclaimed chronicler of America&’s upper classes reveals their preferred enclaves and secret hideaways across the country. Where are the &“Right Places,&” those exclusive locations where the privileged live and play? You may be in for a surprise. For as Stephen Birmingham shows, in the same witty, penetrating style that characterizes his other studies of the elite, the right places could be just about anywhere, from exclusive chalets in Sun Valley, Idaho, to the traditionally swank estates of Fairfield County, Connecticut, to the nascent avant-garde art scene in Kansas City, Missouri. Birmingham goes to great lengths to unveil these privileged locales: the secret hideaway of Maria Callas after Aristotle Onassis deserted her for Jacqueline Kennedy; Elizabeth Taylor&’s habits at home, including her favorite recipe for chili; and more. With colorful anecdotes and intimate details, Birmingham gives us a glimpse into the private worlds of the very rich.
The Grandes Dames
by Stephen BirminghamThe acclaimed social historian provides an in-depth look at eight society women who shaped upper class culture from the Gilded Age to WWII. Astor. Rockefeller. McCormick. Belmont. Family names that still adorn buildings, streets, and charity foundations. While their men blazed across America with their oil, industry, and railways, the matriarchs founded art museums, opera houses, and symphonies that functioned almost as private clubs. Linked by money, marriage, privilege, and power, these women formed a grand American matriarchy—and they ruled American society with a style and impact that make today&’s socialites seem pale reflections of their forbears. Stephen Birmingham takes us into the drawing rooms of these powerful women, providing keen insights into an American society that no longer exists. Caroline Astor, who, when asked for her fare boarding a streetcar, responded, &“No thank you, I have my own favorite charities.&” Edith &“Effie&” Stern deciding that no existing school would do for her child, so she had a new one built. And the legendary Isabella Stewart Gardner replying to a contemporary who was overly taken with their Mayflower ancestors: &“Of course, immigration laws are much more strict nowadays.&” These women had looks, manner, and style, but more than that, they had presence—a sense that when one of them entered a room, something momentous was about to occur; Birmingham opens a window to the highest levels of American society with these profiles of American &“royalty.&”
Certain People: America's Black Elite
by Stephen BirminghamThe #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Our Crowd shares an intimate social history of America&’s elite Black society in the 1970s. From New York to Chicago, Atlanta, and Washington, DC, Stephen Birmingham met with members of Black America&’s upper crust—those old families of money and lineage who send their children to boarding schools and make business alliances over charity dinners. Invited into their homes, he became acquainted with their private world: their traditions and customs, their networks and conflicts, and, of course, their many stories. In Certain People, Birmingham presents a panoramic social history of upper-class Black society, one full of anecdotes and telling observations. From the Palmer Memorial Institute of North Carolina, where the best families sent their children, to the halls of the Johnson Publishing Company, creator of Ebony and Jet magazines, Birmingham provides an intimate glimpse of this exclusive crowd.
Drive: Scraping By in Uber's America, One Ride at a Time
by Jonathan RigsbyOne father, three years, and thousands of rides Poverty, By America meets Maid in this dad&’s darkly humorous yet humanizing story of working long hours and late nights behind the wheel as a rideshare driverJonathan Rigsby spends his days as a crime intelligence analyst and his nights as an Uber driver. Reeling from his divorce and struggling to pay rent while caring for his autistic son, Rigsby became a rideshare driver, joining the millions of people with a side hustle just to make ends meet.With a compelling blend of honesty and sardonic wit, Rigsby invites readers into his car to reveal the harsh reality of gig work for so many: grueling hours, living paycheck to paycheck, and hoping to avoid disaster long enough to prepare for the next bill. Along the way, he showcases the humor and humanity in the private moments of vulnerability that happen when people are left alone with a stranger — from the amusing tales of drunk college students to a passenger getting sick on the dashboard, a mother expressing distress about her son&’s addiction, and a violent encounter on the job.Unflinching and raw, Drive exposes an ugly truth that hides in the gaudy background of the American dream: you can do everything right and still fail. Buckle up.
Evocación: Mi vida al lado del Che (The Che Guevara Library)
by Aleida MarchIn this Spanish-language edition, Che Guevara&’s widow remembers a great revolutionary romance tragically cut short by Che&’s assassination in Bolivia. La viuda del Che Guevara recuerda el gran romance revolucionario trágicamente acortado por el asesinato del Che en Bolivia.When Aleida March first met Che Guevara, she was a twenty-year-old combatant from the provinces of Cuba, he an already legendary revolutionary and larger-than-life leader. And yet there was another, more human side to Che, one Aleida was given special access to, first as his trusted compañera and later as the love of his life.With great immediacy and poignancy, Aleida recounts the story of their epic romance—their fitful courtship against the backdrop of the Cuban revolutionary war, their marriage at the war&’s end and the birth of their four children, up through Che&’s tragic assassination in Bolivia less than ten years later. Featuring excerpts from their letters, nearly one hundred never-before-seen photographs from their private collection, and a moving short story Che wrote for Aleida, here is an intimate look at the man behind the legend and the tenacious, courageous woman who knew him best—a story of passionate love, wrenching sacrifice, and unwavering heroism.Cuando Aleida March primero conoció al Che Guevara, ella era una combatiente de veinte años del interior de Cuba, él era un ya legendario revolucionario y un exuberante líder. Pero había una faceta más humana del Che a la cual Aleida accedió exclusivamente, primero como su compañera de confianza y luego como el amor de su vida. Con gran inmediatez y agudez, Aleida relata la historia de su romance épico —su cortejo intermitente contra el trasfondo de la guerra revolucionaria cubana, su casamiento cuando terminó la guerra y el nacimiento de sus cuatro hijos, hasta el asesinato trágico del Che en Bolivia menos de diez años después. Incluye fragmentos de sus cartas, casi cien fotografías nunca antes vistas de la colección privada y un conmovedor cuento corto sobre el Che escrito por Aleida, este libro es un retrato íntimo del hombre detrás de la leyenda y la mujer tenaz y valiente que más lo conocía —un cuento sobre amor apasionado, sacrificio desgarrador y firme heroísmo.
Down with the System: The highly-awaited memoir from the System Of A Down legend
by Serj TankianThe incredible first memoir by System Of A Down frontman Serj TankianWith nearly 40 million record sales, three albums topping the Billboard charts, a Grammy win and a legion of fans, System Of A Down are one of the biggest metal bands on the planet. At their core has always been Serj Tankian, whose journey from the streets of Beirut to rock superstardom is as remarkable and unlikely as you'll get. By dint of luck, circumstance, struggle, and more than a little talent, Serj has had the chance to live an extraordinary life. In Down With the System, he retraces this remarkable and unlikely journey, and explores what it's taught him - about music, about art, about activism, and about himself. From teaming up with Tom Morello to push social justice causes on unsuspecting metalheads, arguing with LAPD officers over the best way to quell his rioting fans, and traveling with Anthony Bourdain through Armenia one meal at a time, Down With the System is an immigrant's tale, an activist's awakening, and rock memoir unlike any other.