Biography: arts and entertainment Books

Book SynopsisTHE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, NOW WITH AN EXTRA CHAPTER!Essential reading' Guardian''A joyful read'' Sunday Times''Disarmingly honest'' Daily MirrorBravely revealing' Bernardine Evaristo''Filled with relatable insights'' Daily MailFunny, moving, helpful and true' Sathnam Sanghera''A generous guide to a part of life every bit as crucial as romance'' Observer?As a society, there is a tendency to elevate romantic love. But what about friendships? Aren''t they just as if not more important? So why is it hard to find the right words to express what these uniquely complex bonds mean to us?In this fascinating, insightful and uniquely moving book, Elizabeth Day embarks on a journey to find out. Friendaholic unpacks the significance and evolution of friendship from the ancient wisdom of Cicero to the modern curse of ghosting. How and why do we make friends? Is friendship an antidote to loneliness? How should we deal with a frenemy? And is it ok to end a friendship that has gone awry?Friendaholic examines what makes a good' friend and asks us what kind of friend we want to be to each other but also to ourselves.

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Book Synopsis'An absolutely masterly work' Stephen FryAlex Ross, renowned author of the international bestseller The Rest Is Noise, reveals how Richard Wagner became the proving ground for modern art and politicsan aesthetic war zone where the Western world wrestled with its capacity for beauty and violence.For better or worse, Wagner is the most widely influential figure in the history of music. Around 1900, the phenomenon known as Wagnerism saturated European and American culture. Such colossal creations as The Ring of the Nibelung, Tristan und Isolde, and Parsifal were models of formal daring, mythmaking, erotic freedom, and mystical speculation. A mighty procession of writers, artists, and thinkers, including Charles Baudelaire, Virginia Woolf, Isadora Duncan, Vasily Kandinsky, and Luis Buñuel, felt his impact. Anarchists, occultists, feminists, and gay-rights pioneers saw him as a kindred spirit. Then Adolf Hitler incorporated Wagner into the soundtrack of Nazi Germany, and the composer came to be defined by his ferocious anti-Semitism. His name is now almost synonymous with artistic evil.Wagnerism restores the magnificent confusion of what it means to be a Wagnerian. A pandemonium of geniuses, madmen, charlatans, and prophets do battle over Wagner's many-sided legacy. The narrative ranges across artistic disciplines, from architecture to the novels of Philip K. Dick, from the Zionist writings of Theodor Herzl to the civil-rights essays of W. E. B. Du Bois, from O Pioneers! to Apocalypse Now. In many ways,Wagnerism tells a tragic tale. An artist who might have rivalled Shakespeare in universal reach is implicated in an ideology of hate. Still, his shadow lingers over twenty-first century culture, his mythic motifs coursing through superhero films and fantasy fiction. Neither apologia nor condemnation, Wagnerism is a work of intellectual passion, urging us toward a more honest idea of how art acts in the world.Trade Review‘Ross does a good and very full job in tracing the obsession of different times and places, and the intellectual flavour each wave took … excellent, and extraordinarily thorough’ Philip Hensher, Spectator ‘An absolutely masterly work … A miraculous synthesis. Ross’s writing is an art that conceals art, propelling the reader on and on’ Stephen Fry “Wagnerism is as magnificently realized as it is monumentally ambitious, a cultural history of the modern world that Richard ‘Wagner and his protean art helped mightily to create … Ross is the ideal guide: lucid, astoundingly erudite, scrupulous, generous, profound, objective and engaged, and enormously entertaining’ Tony Kushner, playwright of Angels in America ‘With rhetorical flourishes and an eye for detail Ross extols the art made by Wagnerians who were able to meet “the Meister” on their own terms’ The Times ‘Wagnerism is a hugely exhilarating read, and a virtuoso feat of scholarship and supple writing: Ross is such a companionable guide, connecting ideas so casually and unspooling stories so fluidly that you can almost lose sight of the ferocious erudition that undergirds every page. I can’t think of a better or more profound work about the long, complicated shadow of cultural influence’ Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Say Nothing ‘Goes far beyond the man himself, using its subject to springboard into a breathlessly entertaining and dizzyingly diverse survey of art, politics and culture over the past century and a half. Ultimately, it’s a book about how humans are inspired by art, and like all of Alex Ross’s writing, it bottles that strange lightning and inspires us in turn’ Rian Johnson, director of The Last Jedi and Knives Out ‘Love him or hate him, Wagner has been unavoidable … By presenting an honest assessment of the problem, Wagnerism supplies, if not answers, then at least the right questions.’ Economist

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERThese rollicking gabfests bring together nearly everyone who made the series a creative and cultural landmark' New York TimesEssential for fans, with a revelation on every page' KirkusWelcome to the Family.Michael Imperioli, who played the inimitable Christopher, and Steve Schirripa, the lovable Bobby Bacala who together host the hit podcast Talking Sopranos lay bare the secrets of The Sopranos. In these pages you'll find where all the bodies are buried: the stories behind the stories, the backstage gossip, and, most important, the love, trust, camaraderie and friendship that a group of actors and their crew discovered together.Woke Up This Morning is the essential companion to the seminal series, whether you're a first-time viewer or a longtime fan. Read it and you'll become a member of the family.You got a problem with that? A spectacular tell-all about the making of the Emmy-winning hit television series' Publishers WeeklyFor Sopranos fans this one iTrade Review‘I will be reading and rereading Woke Up This Morning ….These rollicking gabfests… bring together nearly everyone, on screen and off, who made the series a creative and cultural landmark. The freely offered admiration expressed by so many for their missing comrade and unofficial cast captain, Gandolfini, makes these stories about playing tough guys all the more tender’ New York Times ‘Ever wished you could hang out with the cast and crew of The Sopranos and just listen to them trade stories? … There are plenty of tantalizing bits of trivia—Tony was Tommy Soprano in the pilot script; producers wanted Lorraine Bracco to play Tony’s wife, but she said she would only consider playing Melfi, the psychiatrist—but this isn’t just a trivia collection. Mostly it’s about friends and colleagues getting together to pay tribute to one another and to a series that rewrote many of the rules of television. Love and respect for the show’s star, the late James Gandolfini, permeates the book, as does admiration for the show’s creator, David Chase, who started with a vague idea about a crook and his mother and built it into something that’s almost Shakespearean in its thematic scope. For Sopranos fans this one is an absolute must-read’ Booklist ‘Essential for fans, with a revelation on every page … Devotees will revel in the stroll into series minutiae’ Kirkus Reviews ‘A spectacular tell-all about the making of the Emmy-winning hit television series … What makes this sing is the passion and energy brought by Imperioli and Schirripa and its indelible tribute to the late James Gandolfini. As Aida Turturro (Janice Soprano) recalls, 'He was there for you no matter what.' This is the ultimate book on The Sopranos, made by the people who lived it’ Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisAn intimate exploration of the life, craft, and legacy of one of the most revered and influential writers, an artist who continues to inspire fans and creatives to cultivate practices of deep attention, rigourous interrogation and beautiful style.Joan Didion was a writer's writer; not only a groundbreaking journalist, essayist, novelist and screenwriter, but a keen observer who honed her sights on life's telling details. Her insights continue to influence creatives and admirers, encouraging them to become close observers of the world, unsentimental critics, and meticulous stylists.An antidote to a global view that narrows our vision to the smallest screens, The World According To Joan Didion is a meditation on the people, places, and objects that propelled Didion's prose and an invitation to journalists, storytellers, and life adventurers to throw themselves into the convulsions of the world, as she once said.Evelyn McDonnell, the acclaimed journalist, essayist, critic, feminist, nativ

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Book SynopsisMaria Trapp recalls the events that brought her talented family from Austria to the hills of New England.

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Book SynopsisNew York Times BestsellerEnter Audrey Hepburn?s private world in this unique New York Times bestselling biography compiled by her son that combines recollections, anecdotes, excerpts from her personal correspondence, drawings, and recipes for her favorite dishes written in her own hand, and more than 250 previously unpublished personal family photographs.Audrey at Home offers fans an unprecedented look at the legendary star, bringing together the varied aspects of her life through the food she loved?from her childhood in Holland during World War II, to her time in Hollywood as an actress and in Rome as a wife and mother, to her final years as a philanthropist traveling the world for UNICEF.Here are fifty recipes that reflect Audrey?s life, set in the context of a specific time, including Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream?a celebration of liberation in Holland at the end of the war; Penne alla Vodka?a favorite home-away-from-home dish in Hollywood; Turkish-style Sea Bass?her romance with and subsequent marriage to Andrea Dotti; Boeuf à la Cuillère?Givenchy?s favorite dish, which she?d prepare when he?d visit her in Switzerland; and Mousse au Chocolat?dinner at the White House. Audrey also loved the basics: Spaghetti al Pomodoro was an all-time favorite, particularly when returning home from her travels, as was a dish of good vanilla ice cream. Each recipe is accompanied by step-by-step instructions, including variations and preparation tips, anecdotes about Audrey and her life, and a poignant collection of photographs and memorabilia.Audrey at Home is a personal scrapbook of Audrey?s world and the things she loved best?her children, her friends, her pets. It is a life that unfolds through food, photographs, and intimate vignettes in a sophisticated and lovely book that is a must for Audrey Hepburn fans and food lovers.Trade Review"Dotti's book offers a unique view of the star's personal life through the lens of her food philosophies, including a love of growing vegetables in the garden and sourcing from local farmer's markets." -- Redbook.com "Home cooks are offered a taste of Hepburn's life beyond the sound stages, red carpets and magazine covers." -- Yahoo! Food

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Courageous and passionate enough to always embrace change, Linda has infused her life, love, and creativity with spirituality and a truly open heart." -- Jane Seymour, actress "Linda and Elvis sitting in bed doing [Monty] Python sketches in shrilt middle-aged women's voices was something I found hard to believe. I love this woman. You will too." -- Eric Idle, comedian "Linda has led an extraordinary life filled with both blessings and challenges, but she has met them both with grace and kindness." -- Roma Downey, actress "From Graceland's Jungle Room to the beaches of Malibu, my dear friend Linda shares her incredibly interesting and emotional journey, where she never once lost her sense of humor or maiden name." -- Kevin Nealon, comedian "Once in a while a memoir comes along that will change your life. This is not that book, but it is a fascinating inside look at pop-culture history from the nicest, most beautiful woman in the world." -- Jon Lovitz, comedian "Linda Thompson has had quite a life, and she's quite a woman. She is sweet, gentle, articulate, and loving. She's glamorous, so fun-and she's a mom. As her song says, this is all 'a little thing called life' but her life was no little thing." -- Tony Danza, actor "A funny thing happened on the way to Linda's life, namely Elvis, Bruce/Caitlyn, David Foster, and a rock star son. I was mesmerized by the front row seat 'behind the curtain.' A must-read!" -- Sela Ward, actress "Linda is loving, full of spirit, and always makes you feel as if you are the most important person in the room." -- Tim Allen, comedian "Words are the voice of the heart, and with Linda's Southern grace, she speaks with the tenderness, strength, and resilience of a true Steel Magnolia." -- Billy Ray Cyrus, musician "What amazes me about Linda goes far beyond her ridiculous talents for writing lyrics-it is that amidst the interesting and seemingly overwhelming and unique life she's led, she has remained the same beautiful human being she has always been." -- Brooke Shields, actress

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Book SynopsisSOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE from director Ridley Scott, starring Lady Gaga and Adam DriverThe sensational true story of murder, madness, glamour, and greed that shook the Gucci dynasty, now fully updated with a new afterwordOn March 27, 1995, Maurizio Gucci, heir to the fabulous fashion dynasty, was slain by an unknown gunman as he approached his Milan office. In 1998, his ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani Martinelli--nicknamed The Black Widow by the press--was sentenced to 29 years in prison, for arranging his murder. Did Patrizia murder her ex-husband because his spending was wildly out of control? Did she do it because her glamorous ex was preparing to marry his mistress, Paola Franchi? Or is there a possibility she didn''t do it at all?The Gucci story is one of glitz, glamour, intrigue, the rise, near fall and subsequent resurgence of a fashion dynasty. Beautifully written, impeccably researched, andTrade Review“This gripping book about the empire and murder of Maurizio Gucci ... reveals the ugly truth behind fashion's most fabulous family.” — Glamour “A business book you will zip through like a novel. ... Forden has whipped up a mixture of family drama and high finance into a tasty and complex narrative.” — The Economist, "A Best Book of the Year" “Racy, fast-paced. … Reads like a movie script. … Hard to put down. ... Forden gets that famous Gucci bar-and-bit between her teeth —and gallops along.” — International Herald Tribune “A penetrating chronicle of the rise and fall of a family business. ... Even by the Borgia-like standards of the fashion industry, the operatic Guccis were special. Not content with the usual familial stew of love, jealousy and greed, they added tax evasion, bigamy and, yes, murder to the mix.” — Wall Street Journal "Riveting reading." — Cosmopolitan “A riveting account of the talent and creative chaos that built one of the world's great luxury-goods empires--and the egotism, bitter family conflict, and incompetence that nearly destroyed it." — Bloomberg "Fashion has never been so dramatic—and dangerous. The saga of three generations of the Gucci family opens with an execution-style murder in Milan and penetrates the world of one of the hottest fashion labels of our time. Fashion insider Sara Forden spins the tale of how a bunch of greedy, bickering Guccis lost control of the empire that made GG synonymous with loafers." — Teri Agins, author of The End of Fashion "Glamour, greed, sex, style, and very, very good leather goods -- what more can you ask for (besides a 30 percent discount)?" — Michael Gross, bestselling author of Model and 740 Park

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Engrossing…a rigorously researched look at how labels targeted bands and fought to sign them.” — Jim Ruland, Los Angeles Times “[Ozzi] looked at the major label debuts of different bands in this genre, tracing a music industry in flux, fans betrayed by their idols, and bands trying to navigate the machine.” — NPR’s All Things Considered “A forensic and uniquely sympathetic dive into one of the most uncouth actions for an artist—selling out, baby.” — Jeff Rosenstock “Fascinating… When it comes to the topic of punk, or more specifically, the iteration of the genre that existed during the last era of the traditional music industry, Dan Ozzi’s Sellout is poised to serve as a definitive text.” — San Francisco Chronicle “Based on a trove of original interviews and personal stories from band members and other crucial players, Ozzi examines how 11 groups grappled with the tension between punk’s core tenets and major label possibilities, and parses what success and failure looked like in this fraught realm.” — Rolling Stone

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Book Synopsis“Drag embodies the queer possibility that exists within each of us—the infinite ways in which gender, good taste, and art can be lived.” –Sasha VelourThis book is a quilt, piecing together memoir, history, and theory into a living portrait of an artist and an art.Trade Review“Spellbinding. Sasha Velour’s intellect and imagination transcend genre and gender: blending critical theory, LGBTQ+ history, and memoir leaving readers engrossed and verklempt. This book a treatise on the gravitas of glamor, a love letter to drag and queer culture, and one manicured middle finger to the world that shows that we’ve always been and are here to stay. The Big Reveal is canonical camp.” — Alok, author of Beyond the Gender Binary and Your Wound/My Garden "In this showstopping debut...Velour seamlessly mixes rigorous scholarship with inspirational aphorisms and heartfelt anecdotes about finding community and navigating the pitfalls of mainstream success, while enriching the narrative with copious photographs and illustrations. This is a rousing tribute to a revolutionary art form and its practitioners." — Publishers Weekly "Colorful Sasha Velour is redefining drag for a new generation with this knowledgeable book. You go, They!” — John "Lypsinka" Epperson “With a mind as sharp as her eyeliner, Sasha Velour vamps her way across the entire cultural landscape. The Big Reveal is sweeping and seriously entertaining.” — Simon Doonan, author of Drag: The Complete Story and Transformer: A Story of Glitter, Glam Rock & Loving Lou Reed. “From the moment I met Sasha, I immediately I sensed her grasp of creative expression and queer history. The Big Reveal gives us a chance to learn something new about our community, about the world, about art, literature, history, and subsequently maybe even ourselves—all while being entertained. A vibrant and insightful read!” — Miss Peppermint "Sasha Velour's memoir is a must-read for fans of drag, advocates of the LGBTQ community, and anyone looking for a path to revealing their truest self." — Booklist “A unique blending of memoir, personal theory, and well-researched history...Break out the champagne and get ready to celebrate as it is a guaranteed showstopper!” — Book Trib.

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Book Synopsis''To Richter (no first name necessary), warm greetings to the best pianist in the Soviet Union - indeed in the whole world.'' ProkofievThroughout a life dedicated to music, Richter maintained a stubborn silence about his own ideals and aspirations. Here at last he opens up his heart in these exceptional interviews with Bruno Monsaingeon, who became close to Richter not long before the pianist''s death in 1995. These conversations take us on a journey which begins with Richter''s childhood memories, follows his early career and his development into ''an artist of the people'', and finally charts his rise to international acclaim.Richter''s personal notebooks, kept for nearly thirty years, constitute an unparalleled witness to the music of our time. The pianist writes with precision, humour and clarity and is uninhibitedly himself. These are the private thoughts of a nonconformist, one of the greatest performers of the century, yet one whose life was inextricably bound to the history of the USSR.Trade Review"'This book is almost impossible to put down.' Financial Times; 'For anybody interested in 20th-century musical life [the Notebooks and Conversations] make fascinating reading, because Richter met everybody from Britten to Karajan, and had an opinion (usually scathing) about them all. But you don't have to be an aficionado to enjoy this rant: a genius on the rampage is always great entertainment.' Richard Morrison, The Times; 'Though most of the [notebook] entries are brief, they are vivid in their immediacy, and Richter's remarks about opera productions, conductors (he despised von Karajan and thought that Carlos Kleiber was the greatest) and individual works are constantly engaging.' Economist"

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Book Synopsis''A terrifying and unhappy book...'' The GuardianThis astounding self-portrait covering the whole of Shostakovich''s life (1906-1975) was prepared in collaboration with the distinguished Soviet musicologist Solomon Volkov. With the composer''s consent, the manuscript was smuggled out of Soviet Russia - but Shostakovich, fearing reprisals, stipulated that the book should not appear until after his death. Ever since its publication in 1979 it has been the subject of controversy, some suggesting that Volkov invented parts of it, but most affirming that it revealed a profoundly ambivalent Shostakovich which the world had never seen before - his life at once triumphant and tragic.Either way, it remains indispensible to an understanding of Shostakovich''s life and work. Testimony is intense and fiercely ironic, both plain-spoken and outspoken.Trade Review"'I do not know of a musician who will not read it with compassion and admiration' Andre Previn"

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Book SynopsisTHE TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLERA GUARDIAN, TELEGRAPH, THE TIMES, IRISH TIMES, SUNDAY EXPRESS, ROUGH TRADE, MOJO, CLASH, ROLLING STONE, UNCUT BOOK OF THE YEARFrom award-winning musician and composer Warren Ellis comes the unexpected and inspiring story of a piece of chewing gum. FEATURING AN INTRODUCTION BY NICK CAVEI hadn't opened the towel that contained her gum since 2013. The last person to touch it was Nina Simone, her saliva and fingerprints unsullied. The idea that it was still in her towel was something I had drawn strength from. I thought each time I opened it some of Nina Simone's spirit would vanish. In many ways that thought was more important than the gum itself.On Thursday 1 July, 1999, Dr Nina Simone gave a rare performance as part of Nick Cave''s Meltdown Festival. After the show, in a state of awe, Warre

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Book SynopsisThe enigmatic and elusive filmmaker Stanley Kubrick has not been treated to a full-length biography in over twenty years. Stanley Kubrick: An Odyssey fills that gap. It is based on access to the latest research, especially into his archive at the University of the Arts, London, and other papers as well as new interviews with family members and those who worked with him. It offers comprehensive and in-depth coverage of Kubrick's personal, private, public, and working life. We discuss not only the making of his films, but also about those he wanted but failed to make like Burning Secret, Napoleon, Aryan Papers, and A.I. We discover what he was doing when he was not making films. This biography will puncture a few myths about this allegedly reclusive filmmaker, who created some of the most important works of art of the twentieth century

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[Isabella Stewart Gardner] shed[s] light on this complex woman and cut[s] through the misconceptions that have grown up around her."---Michael Patrick Brady, WBUR"A fascinating life story of a woman who defied convention to create an enduring legacy."---Sarah Cascone, ArtNet"Nathaniel Silver and Diana Seave Greenwald...have drawn on the personal archive of the celebrated philanthropist and collector, bringing to light new details about her art tastes and collecting activities along with her vision for her palazzo-style museum."---Gareth Harris, The Art Newspaper ​​​​​​​"As befits an official biography, Silver and Greenwald approach their subject with decorum and respect: they neither hide nor emphasize potentially controversial elements, carefully outlining the sources of money in Isabella’s family and the old Boston Brahmin fortune of her devoted husband."---Peter Walsh, Arts Fuse

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Book SynopsisThe first full-length biography of the legendary photographer Lee MillerTrade Review‘Lee Miller was an astounding woman, brought memorably to life in this astounding book' * Daily Telegraph *‘Lee Miller "the Surrealist icon turned wartime heroine behind the lens" attracts a serious, and gripping biography from Carolyn Burke' * Boyd Tonkin, Independent *‘Lee Miller does its perplexingly complicated subject more than justice, adding welcome depths and nuances to the familiar legend' * Sunday Times *‘Burke opens up the story of Lee's life. She offers many incredible stories and passages of considerable insight' * Daily Mail *

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Book Synopsis An attractive new hardcover edition of the classic biography of Tamara de Lempicka, whose paintings defined Art Deco and whose life epitomised the Jazz Age. As F. Scott Fitzgerald portrayed the mad glories of the 1920s on the printed page, Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980) captured them on canvas. A seductive Garbo-esque beauty with an irresistible force of personality, this refugee of the Russian Revolution successively conquered Paris, Hollywood, and New York with coruscating portraits of the world''s rich and famous. Her Art Deco paintings earned for her a life more fabulously excessive than anything Fitzgerald dreamed of. Passion by Design, authored by Tamara de Lempicka''s own daughter, is an intimate look at a fascinating personality, and remains the best account of her life and work. This new edition is illustrated with vibrant colour reproductions of her finest paintings, as well as exclusive photographs from family albums. An additional chapter by Victoria de Lempicka, the artist''s granddaughter, explores the ever-evolving legacy of Tamara de Lempicka, from the record eight-figure price fetched by her painting La Tunique Rose in November 2019 to the new musical based on her life.

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Book SynopsisNon-fans regard Celine Dion as ersatz and plastic, yet to those who love her, no one could be more real, with her impoverished childhood, her manager-husband's struggle with cancer, her knack for howling out raw emotion. This book documents author's brave and unprecedented year-long quest to find his inner Celine Dion fan.Trade Review"Let's Talk" about one of the most interesting music books you'll read this year... The always critical and erudite Mr. Wilson actually approached Let's Talk About Love as a non-fan grappling with questions of "good" and "bad" taste... It's almost certainly the only installment in the series to discuss French-Canadian race relations, rockism, and Milan Kundera's thoughts on kitsch. * Idolator.com *This could be the best book of the series...razor-sharp and unerringly intelligent. -- John Wenzel * The Denver Post *This book seriously explores the wide divide between mainstream pop that is mass-marketed and purchased, and the critics who usually sneer at it for those very reasons. It's a heady work that examines everything from 'reductive Marxist theories of culture' to why critics value restrained singing while 'American Idol' fans embrace 'show-offy' technical power. -- Mike Weatherfork * Las Vegas Review Journal *A book pondering the aesthetics of Céline risks going wrong in about 3,000 different ways...Instead, this book goes very deeply right. -- Sam Anderson * New York Magazine *Let's Talk About Love is a rigorous, perceptive and very funny meditation on what happens when you realize that there's more to life than being hip, and begin to grapple with just what that "more" might be. * Montreal Gazette *A bit of a departure for Continuum's 33 1/3 series exploring classic records...readers of the dizzingly dweeby intellectualizing that often makes Wilson's blog an exhausting pleasure to read will not be surprised that, for him, a discussion of the love theme from Titanic must encompass an examination of Quebecois culture, the history of parlour entertainment as it relates to the immigrant experience, the philosophies of Hume and Kant and the sociological experiments of Pierre Bordieu. -- Edward Keenan * Eye Weekly *Blending pop culture, cultural history, music criticism with Wilson's eclectic sensibility, the book is a fascinating look at how highbrow, middlebrow and nobrow rub meaningful observations along the way, moving on to the next without ever belabouring a point. The book is clever without the writer himself ever coming across as trying to be clever...It's like having an interesting conversation with a friend whose opinions you respect. * Toronto Star Online, November 2009 *This erudite and eye-opening book attempts to explore not only Dion's polarizing appeal but also the very concept of "taste." Along the way, Wilson traces his loathing for Dion back to her Oscars performance alongside Elliott Smith, examines the meaning of "schmaltz" and Dion's French-Canadian roots, meets her adoring fans, sees her Vegas show, reviews the album (it's the one with that Titanic song), and analyzes theories on taste from David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Pierre Bourdieu (turns out social distinction plays a big part). By the end, Wilson has set the blueprint for a kind of music criticism that "might put less stock in defending its choices and more in depicting its enjoyment, with all its messiness and private soul tremors-- to show what it is like for me to like it, and invite you to compare." In other words, let's talk about love. * Pitchfork feature "Our 60 Favorite Music Books" *Erudite and eye-opening. * Pitchfork's "Our 60 Favorite Music Books" feature *I teach in a university drama programme and I plan to integrate the book into our first-year Critical Theories course as a way to introduce students to principles of aesthetics, and to the discourse around pop/high culture. It's difficult to make Kantian aesthetics accessible to 18 year olds. Let's Talk About Love is a rare instance of the transmission of complex and sophisticated ideas in language that is accessible without being dumbed-down. -- Karen Fricker, Lecturer in Contemporary Theatre, Royal Holloway, University of LondonLet's Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste offers a rare combination of compelling research and enormously entertaining writing, a real find for students of popular culture. It's a compact little volume packed with keen insights into the ideologies that have shaped music criticism and scholarship, thought-provoking commentary on problems of aesthetics, and sensitive reflexive analysis. That reflexivity, along with a careful balance of critical theory and field research, makes this work particularly appropriate for courses with an ethnomusicological angle. And as ethnomusicologists continue to cultivate a growing sub-field in popular music studies, Let's Talk About Love is a timely and valuable resource. -- Katherine Meizel, Lecturer in Ethnomusicology,University of California, Santa BarbaraWritten keenly and with great generosity. * Idolator, 24 December 2008 *The book [is] an engaging and intelligent study of taste and critiism framed by Celine Dion's tragic music. * EyeWeekly, 24 February 2009 *...a brilliant read and a total eye-opener. Unlike other contributors, Wilson doesn't shore up another crumbling wall of the canon but dives into a world of kitsch to ask what makes us hate music. How can we know that 'bad' music really is bad, and what is taste anyway? It'll shake all your critical certainties, which is not a very good idea when you're in my line of work. * The Word Magazine *Mention in Today's Books * BookweekThe A-List *Wilson covers a lot of ground in his 161-page quest; the second half of the book reads like a Cultural Studies power ballad, invoking Roland Barthes, Theodor Adorno, Immanuel Kant, Clement Greenberg, Arthur C. Danto, and scores of other contemporary critics in rapid succession. Perhaps most impressively, Wilson condenses French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu's mammoth (and seminal) tome Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste into one spry little chapter. * Rain Taxi *It's said there's no accounting for taste, but Canadian music critic Carl Wilson certainly makes a Herculean effort in this latest entry in Continuum's 33 1/3 series...En route, Wilson finds plenty of fellow detractors, generously hashes out a lengthy definition of "schmaltz," and drags Elliott Smith, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Clement Greenberg, Pierre Bourdieu, and a gaggle of shameless starry-eyed Dion fanatics into his intellectual and aesthetic morass. -- Raymond Cummings * Baltimore City Paper *'Morally you could fairly ask', Wilson writes, 'what is more laudable about excess in the name of rage and resentment than immoderation in thrall to love and connection?' That is, indeed, a fair and moral question, and it leads Wilson to wonder 'if anyone's tastes stand on solid ground, starting with mine.' He doesn't reach any definite conclusions, but the conversation he carries on through the centuries with everyone from philosophers David Hume and Immanuel Kant to sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, is by turns enlightening, provocative and unexpectedly moving. Wilson aptly calls Let's Talk About Love 'an experiment in taste,' and maybe as much as anything else, the book argues that such an experiment is one we'd all do well to conduct. -- David Cantwell * No Depression *The 33 1/3 of pocket books ... are superb little volumes devoted to classic albums. What unites them is not so much their subject as the standard of the writing and imagination that the authors have brought to their task... every one I've read has been well worth the attention. Wilson's approach to Celine Dione, however, stands out ... Clever and witty. -- Keith Bruce * The Herald (Glasgow), Saturday 8th March 2008. *Let's Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste is Canadian journalist Carl Wilson's Celine Dion contribution to Continuum's inspired 33 1/3 series of short books ... Music criticism is often just guy-world. Wilson is the real thing. I can't praise this small book enough. Smart, but humane. -- Heather Wilson * CBC, Monday 25th February 2008. *It's fascinating stuff...By turns hilarious and heartwarming. -- Dave Stelfox * Guardian Unlimited Arts blog *Mention on Offbeat.com -- Alex RawlsCarl Wilson was interviewed by The Onion's A.V. Club -- Steven HydenFramed by an irresistible concept...Wilson turns the [33 1/3] series on its head by seriously considering a blockbuster hit by Celine Dion. -- Christopher Gray * Portland Phoenix *Wilson's approach to Celine Dion...stands out. Wilson examines why he loathes it, its creator and everything about her-- and what inspires devotion in her bast army of followers around the world...Clever and witty, it almost make me seek out the album. But not quite. -- Keith Bruce * The Herald, Glasgow *Constantly interesting and thought-provoking...and I think he can teach us a few valuable things about criticism, for what it's worth. -- John Mulvey * Uncut, UK *I still don't like what I know of Dion's music and probably never will. But Wilson's efforts to examine the rote critical assumption that Celine Dion's music blows digs up all kinds of fascinating issues about the nature of taste and the hierarchy of pop culture. * Bohemian.com *An insightful, engaging and unexpectedly moving book. -- Jason Anderson * Globe and Mail *Brilliant. -- Alex Ross, author of The Rest is NoiseConsistently thought provoking. -- Matthew Siblo * Express: A Publication of The Washington Post *This book is especially interesting on Dion's background... His book is intelligent and often moving. * The Daily Telegraph *In perhaps the most erudite and humane book of criticism ever written, Let’s Talk About Love, the music journalist Carl Wilson brilliantly used Celine Dion’s album of the same name to discuss the subjective nature of good taste and to try to understand what makes Dion so world-dominatingly popular. * The Daily Beast *Music criticism is often just guy-world. Wilson's the real thing. I can't praise this small book enough. Smart, but humane. -- Heather Mallick * CBC News: Analysis and Viewpoint *By exploring taste, kitsch, culture, fans, the state of contemporary criticism, Quebec nationalism, and economics in Celine Dion's Let's Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste, Carl Wilson manages to produce one of the most interesting and erudite books on why people love and hate certain kinds of art...Readers will find themselves evaluating their views on arts with added scrutiny after reading this surprising and provocative book. * Hipster Book Club *A wide-ranging book, one predicated on the possibility that what repels us may say more about us than what attracts us...[an] insightful, engaging, and unexpectedly moving book. -- Jason Anderson * The Globe and Mail *An important study- not just of Dion and pop music but also of the changing nature of criticism in the popular realm. -- Andy Battaglia * Bookforum *As refreshing a music book I have read in a long time. -- David Gutowski * Largehearted Boy, Book Notes *An illustration of the best side of music criticism. * Erasing Clouds *Wilson uses Dion's record as a crowbar, and pries open the assumptions and prejudices which shape our tastes in the first place. Despite our preconceptions surrounding Wilson's ostensible subject (or perhaps, because of them), the results are subtle, and startling enough to give the most jaded of readers pause. -- Alex Abramovich * Flavorpill NYC *The ironic subtitle attached to Wilson’s tome signaled the departure it marked from the series’ usual fare. His subject, Celine Dion, was in the eyes music criticism’s orthodoxy, the antithesis of the celebrated artist, and, accordingly, Wilson presented his work as a challenge, to himself and others, to approach her with fresh ears. -- Leela Ginelle * PQ Monthly *The most unlikely album made the best 33 1/3: Celine Dion isn’t usually afforded the same respect as a Bob Dylan or a Joni Mitchell, but Carl Wilson uses her populist art and personal history to ask questions about class, taste, and race in an effort to figure out how one of the most popular singers in the world could be loved and hated in equal measure. The answers he finds aren’t always comfortable, but that only makes them more important and crucial to criticism in the 21st century. -- Stephen M. Deusner * Pitchfork *

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Book SynopsisThe definitive guide to the life and work of Marina Abramovic, the world's most famous performance artist. Combining brand-new interviews, never-before-seen images and fascinating ephemera, this book is a testament to the extraordinary life and work of one of our most courageous and groundbreaking artists, and is published to coincide with the opening of Abramovic's Royal Academy exhibition - the first major show by a female artist in the Academy's 255-year history. Agreeing to answer any question that was posed, Abramovic embarked on 17 months of candid interviews conducted by her friend and confidante, Katya Tylevich. The result is a monolithic retrospective that takes us from the humble beginnings of a shy child sitting at the back of the class, to fearless pioneer, conquering and subverting the art world with boundary-pushing performances, and concluding with her most profound personal experience to date. Over 600 images from Abramovic's personal archives set these captivating memories alight, creating a fascinating, visual landscape and demonstrating the inextricably intertwined nature of her life and work. A breathtakingly intimate journey, we are led across deserts, oceans and cities to explore extreme highs and lows, all the while marvelling at how Abramovic approaches every success and setback with her signature humour and wit. Never shying away from the truth, no stone is left unturned, and Abramovic's fearlessness imbues every page.

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Book SynopsisDescribed as 'the one authentic masterpiece of rock 'n' roll writing' by Peter Guralnick, this portrait of the 60s has cemented itself in the literary and musical canonTrade ReviewStanley Booth's book is the only one I can read and say, 'Yeah, that's how it was' -- KEITH RICHARDSIf you've never bought a book about rock and roll, no matter - this is the one you've been waiting for * * Playboy * *The most brutally compelling book about rock'n'roll and its casualties ever written * * Guardian * *An epic, behind-the-scenes record of life with the greatest rock band in the world, capturing both the carnivalesque excess and the mundane grind of the rock tour * * Observer * *Stanley Booth's affection for the band did not keep him from writing about the seamy underside of the Stones' world in the Sixties . . . It is the only book about the Stones that I would recommend both to the general reader and to the most devoted fan. Booth will find an epiphany on almost every page * * New York Times Book Review * *By far the best book on its subject (including Richards's own well received effort), Booth's book is also easily the most convincing account of life inside the monster created by the rock revolution of the 1960s * * Guardian * *Shattering . . . Booth has found his voice and momentum with a pitch and passion I've never seen equalled in pop journalism . . . His book outdistances anything the Stones have wrought since Let It Bleed * * Los Angeles Herald Examiner * *Remains one of the most gripping accounts ever written about the band . . . so awash with tumult and drama it at times has much in common with reportage from the front lines of the war in Vietnam, like Michael Herr's Dispatches * * Uncut * *Booth's strong, sound prose brings to life the out-of-control process through which an age intoxicated by its own passions found a hard-driving music to live hard by. In all the annals of the '60s, there is nothing on paper that so evokes those days and nights * * Salon * *Astonishing . . . part oral history and part midnight diary in a world where midnight goes on forever * * Los Angeles Reader * *One of the truly great rock books * * Hot Press * *A marvellous book, Booth is a fine writer, and has a strong style that perfectly complements his engaging subject. Canongate have also included an introduction from Greil Marcus, a fine writer in his own right, which just adds to the value of this fine book. Highly recommended to anyone who now only loves music, but an engaging story well told * * Destructive Music * *

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Book SynopsisNew York Times Bestseller...I love him, and I respect him, and I need him. We all do.from the foreword by Jamie Lee CurtisIf you would have told a young John Stamos flipping burgers at his dad's fast-food joint that one day he'd be a household name and that, at the height of his success, he'd be living alone, divorced, with no kids, high on a cocktail of forgetting, he might've asked, You want fries with that? John burst onto the scene in General Hospital, propelling him into the teen idol stratosphere, a place that's often a point of no return. But Stamos beat the odds and over the past four decades has proved himself to be one of his generation's most successful and beloved actors. Whether showing off his comedic chops on Full House or his dramatic skills on ER, pushing the boundaries on Broadway or living out his youthful dreams as an honorary Beach Boy, John has surprised everyone, most of

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Book SynopsisIt is so good, after so many years of public indifference, even hostility towards Vincent and his work, to feel towards the end of my life that the battle is won.' JO VAN GOGH-BONGER TO GUSTAVE COQUIOT, 1922It is a sacrifice for the sake of Vincent's glory.' JO VAN GOGH-BONGER ON THE SALE OF THE SUNFLOWERS' TO THE NATIONAL GALLERY, UK, 1924Little known but no less influential, Jo van Gogh-Bonger was sister-in-law of Vincent van Gogh, wife of his brother, Theo. When the brothers died soon after each other, she took charge of Van Gogh's artistic legacy and devoted the rest of her life to disseminating his work.Despite being widowed with a young son, Jo successfully navigated the male-dominated world of the art marketpublishing Van Gogh's letters, organizing exhibitions in the Netherlands and throughout the world, and making strategic sales to private individuals and influential dealersultimately establishing Van Gogh's reputation as one of the finest artists oTrade Review[Luijten] presents a fascinating and detailed account of [Jo van Gogh-Bonger’s] astonishing life … [A] magnificent tribute. -- Martin Bailey * The Art Newspaper *Magisterial. . . . Luijten has produced the most significant addition to the Van Gogh literature in nearly forty years. * New Criterion *Thorough … from which [Jo van Gogh-Bonger] emerges as both formidable and fascinating in her own right. * New Statesman *Art historians say Luijten’s biography is a major step in what will be an ongoing reappraisal — not only of the source of van Gogh’s fame but also of the modern notion of what an artist is. For that, too, is something Jo helped to invent. * Russell Shorto, The New York Times *Compelling … The book brings a remarkable woman to wider notice … The van Gogh brothers were inseparable, in life and death, but thanks to this author’s diligence, Jo now has her place alongside them. -- Michael Prodger * Country Life *[A] superb biography of the … extraordinary Jo van Gogh-Bonger. So much has been written on Vincent van Gogh that you wonder what more can be said. It turns out much more on the woman who was the early driving force behind the Dutch artist’s legacy. -- Jacqueline Riding * The Art Newspaper (Books of the Year) *[An] important biography. -- Elizabeth Lowry * Times Literary Supplement *This revelatory new biography portrays [Jo van Gogh Bonger] as a visionary woman, driven to shake the art world to the core, who took charge of van Gogh’s artistic legacy after the brothers’ deaths. It also sheds new light on the complex history of how public appreciation for the work of van Gogh the artist originated and grew. * The Bookseller *An accessible, immensely researched and vital record of van Gogh-Bonger’s remarkable life … [Jo] ensured that Vincent’s talent and pieces lived on; now her own extraordinary work and legacy are highlighted in this essential book from Luijten. -- Chloe Edwards * Buzz *A fascinating and copiously illustrated biography of van Gogh’s remarkable sister in law. -- John Green * Morning Star *More than a literary biography... Jo’s life and her experiences in the international art world fascinate and enthral. * De Standaard *This incredibly granular account of the life of Jo van Gogh-Bonger finally gives her the credit she deserves. . . . Inspiring. * Artnet *All for Vincent captivates you. It is as if you are a personal witness to the story of a girl from Amsterdam who breaks free from her protective environment and grows into a strong and dedicated woman in a world that is dominated by men. * Trouw *The book provides an ideal compliment to the letters and diaries, fleshing out what is, in the latter case for Jo, a rather fragmentary record, largely preoccupied with what she describes as, 'the mirror of my inner life'. Armed with all the archive material at his disposal, Mr Luijten expertly fills in the gaps using sources that include not only Jo's diaries, but [from] her son, Vincent Willum ... this reader can only recommend [the author's] book. * Journal of Curatorial Studies *It’s massively important. [...] It shows that without Jo there would have been no van Gogh. * Steven Naifeh, author of the bestselling 'Van Gogh: The Life' (2011) and ‘Van Gogh and the Artists He Loved’ (2021) *Table of ContentsIntroduction: ‘An Amsterdam girl’ Part One: A respectable middle-class family—the Bongers, 1862–88 1. A carefree childhood in a harmonious family 2. HBS and training as an English teacher 3. Translator, teacher and love for Eduard Stumpff Part Two: Initiation into art—the Van Goghs, 1888–91 4. Prelude to her marriage to Theo van Gogh 5. Married life and motherhood in Paris 6. Life with the duality of Theo and Vincent Part Three: Boarding house keeper with an attic full of art, 1891–1901 7. Back in the Netherlands—Villa Helma in Bussum 8. Contacts with Jan Veth, Jan Toorop and Richard Roland Holst 9. Playing with fire—Isaac Israëls Part Four: Second marriage and concentrated promotion of Van Gogh’s work, 1901–5 10. Johan Cohen Gosschalk—Villa Eikenhof in Bussum 11. Reviewing books and promoting Van Gogh—back in Amsterdam Part Five: Van Gogh goes from strength to strength, 1905–12 12. A magnificent exhibition in the summer of 1905 13. The art dealers Gaston Bernheim, Paul Cassirer and Johannes de Bois 14. Contracts for publication of Van Gogh’s letters Part Six: Efforts for social democracy and publication of Van Gogh’s letters, 1912–25 15. The Sociaal-Democratische Arbeiderspartij (SDAP) 16. The publication of Brieven aan zijn broeder (Letters to his Brother) (1914) 17. New York-translations of the letters into English 18. A sacrifice for Vincent’s glory Epilogue: ‘An exceptional example for women’ Notes Illustrations Abbreviations Bibliography Acknowledgements Index of Names and Titles

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Book SynopsisPut your little grey cells to the test as you piece together Hercule Poirot's most famous cases. You'll need to use order and method to spot all of the clues, crimes and culprits hidden in this intricate jigsaw, which references all thirty-three of Agatha Christie's beloved Poirot novels. 1000-PIECE PUZZLE measuring 48.5 x 68 cm (19 x 27 in.) when completed. BEAUTIFUL, DETAILED ILLUSTRATION which includes over 100 clues to spot!FOLD-OUT POSTER with a guide to the clues so you can read up on all of Poirot's most puzzling casesLAURENCE KING?has been capturing imaginations and inspiring creativity in new and unexpected ways for over 30 years, with playful and eye-catching games, gifts and books

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Book SynopsisFrom one of the greatest rappers of all time, the memoir of a life cut short, a revealing look at the dark side of hip hop’s Golden Era...In this often violent but always introspective memoir, Mobb Deep’s Prodigy tells his much anticipated story of struggle, survival, and hope down the mean streets of New York City. For the first time, he gives an intimate look at his family background, his battles with drugs, his life of crime, his relentless suffering with sickle-cell anemia, and much more. Recently released after serving three and a half years in state prison due to what many consider an unlawful arrest by a rumored secret NYPD hip hop task force, Prodigy is ready to talk about his life as one of rap’s greatest legends. My Infamous Life is an unblinking account of Prodigy’s wild times with Mobb Deep who, alongside rappers like Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z, and Wu-Tang Clan, changed the musical landscape with their vivid portrayals of early ’90s street life. It is a firsthand chronicle of legendary rap feuds like the East Coast-West Coast rivalry; Prodigy’s beefs with Jay-Z, Nas, Snoop Dogg, Ja Rule, and Capone-N-Noreaga; and run-ins with prodigal hit makers and managers like Puff Daddy, Russell Simmons, Chris Lighty, Irv Gotti, and Lyor Cohen. Taking the reader behind the smoke-and-mirrors glamour of the hip hop world, so often seen as the only way out for those with few options, Prodigy lays down the truth about the intoxicating power of money, the meaning of true friendship and loyalty, and the ultimately redemptive power of self. This is the heartbreaking journey of a child born in privilege, his youth spent among music royalty like Diana Ross and Dizzy Gillespie, educated in private schools, until a family tragedy changed everything. Raised in the mayhem of the Queensbridge projects, Prodigy rose to the dizzying heights of fame and eventually fell into the darkness of a prison cell. A truly candid memoir, part fearless confessional and part ode to the concrete jungles of New York City, from the front line of the last great moment in hip hop history.Trade Review“The legendary rapper unsentimentally details a life of beefs, brawls and murders during the heyday of East Coast hip-hop.” –The Washington Post“A surprising triumph, both as an archive of 1990s New York hip-hop folk tales and for its stirring sketches of a man who, on many occasions, could have made his life a lot easier on himself … This is the kind of vulnerability that is fearless, especially within hip-hop.” –Slate.com

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Book SynopsisOne of the greatest artists our country has is Benny Golson. He is not only a great musician, but an original and fabulous composer. He is inventive and creative and his work is loved the world over. Benny is a rare, creative genius. All I would like to say is THREE CHEERS for Benny Golson!Tony BennettComposer supreme, tenor man supreme, jazz man supreme, good guy supreme: that's BENNY GOLSON!Sonny RollinsBorn during thede factoinaugural era of jazz, saxophonist Benny Golson learned his instrument and the vocabulary of jazz alongside John Coltrane while Golson was still in high school in Philadelphia. Quickly establishing himself as an iconic fixture on the jazz landscape, Golson performed with dozens of jazz greats, from Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, and Jimmy Heath to Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, and many others. An acclaimed composer, Golson also wrote music for Hollywood films and television and composed such memorable jazz standards as Stablemates, Killer Joe, and Whisper NTable of ContentsPreface, by Jim Merod IntroductionPart I John Coltrane Chapter 1 One of a Kind: John Coltrane Chapter 2 John and I Meet Diz and Bird Chapter 3 John Becomes a Dynamo Part II The ’Hood and Youthful Reckonings Chapter 4 Uncle Robert and the Man Chapter 5 Two Heroes and a Night at Minton’s Chapter 6 Early Tragedies and Victories Chapter 7 Welfare Days, Hard TimesPart III Great People Chapter 8 No One Else: Bobbie Hurd Chapter 9 Moose and Bostic Chapter 10 Art Blakey’s Neophytes and Tadd Dameron’s Luck Chapter 11 Further Adventures with Tadd and an Evening with Louis Armstrong Chapter 12 The Duel: Clifford Brown and Fats Navarro Chapter 13 Wonder and Beauty: Betty Carter and Art Farmer Chapter 14 Genius Squared: Jimmy and Percy Heath Chapter 15 Unrivaled Aces: Sarah Vaughan and Bill Evans Chapter 16 Four "Brothers": Mulgrew Miller, Woody Herman, Henry Brant, and George RussellPart IV Hollywood Chapter 17 Starting Over Chapter 18 Gettin’ My Mojo Workin’ Chapter 19 M*A*S*H Chapter 20 Movie Stars Like Jazz, TooPart V Amazing Friendships Chapter 21 Quincy Jones Chapter 22 Sweets and Diz Chapter 23 Philly Joe Jones Chapter 24 Monk, Max, and Dinah Chapter 25 Curtis Fuller and The JazztetPart VI Music and Writing Chapter 26 Writing Chapter 27 Lessons Chapter 28 "Stablemates": My First Recorded Song Chapter 29 "Along Came Betty" Chapter 30 "I Remember Clifford" Chapter 31 The Ballad and "Weight"Part VII Icons Chapter 32 Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks Chapter 33 Duke and Strayhorn Chapter 34 Coleman Hawkins Chapter 35 Art Blakey and Thelonious Monk Chapter 36 Blakey and The Jazz Messengers Chapter 37 Kenny Dorham and Lee Morgan Chapter 38 Sonny Rollins Chapter 39 Great Performances: Oscar Pettiford, Ron Carter, Billy Higgins, Billy Taylor, and Walter Davis, Jr. Chapter 40 Charles Mingus, Benny Goodman, Gigi Gryce, and Horace Silver Chapter 41 Peggy Lee and Diana Ross Chapter 42 Milt "Bags" Jackson, Larry Young, Joe Farrell, and Tony Williams Chapter 43 Wynton Kelly and Chick Corea Chapter 44 Miles Davis and Geoffrey Keezer Chapter 45 Mickey Rooney, Redd Foxx, Jersey Joe Walcott, and Muhammad AliPart VIII Verses and a Coda Chapter 46 Notes on Starting Over Chapter 47 The Blues Chapter 48 Brielle Coda: A New Way of Life Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisThe #1 New York Times Bestseller ‘Walter Isaacson is not an art historian, he’s simply a lover of Leonardo, who manages to communicate the sheer joy of this remarkable man’Books of the Year - The Times He was history’s most creative genius. What secrets can he teach us? Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo da Vinci's astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Walter Isaacson weaves a narrative that connects his art to his science. He shows how Leonardo’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy. He produced the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. But in his own mind, he was just as much a man of science and technology. With a passionTrade Review‘In Isaacson, Leonardo gets the biographer he deserves – an author capable of comprehending his often frenetic, frequently weird quest to understand. This is not just a joyful book; it’s also a joy to behold…Isaacson deserves immense praise for this very human portrait of a genius’ * The Times *'A lavish, loving biography of the great Renaissance polymath…this sumptuous, elegantly written and diligently produced offering that perfectly catches the contradictions of the man…[a] splendid work that provides an illuminating guide to the output of one of the last millenium’s greatest minds’ * Observer *‘Walter Isaacson keeps the mortal man to the fore. For all his supernatural gifts as an artist and natural scientist. Leonardo was resolutely human (illegitimate, vegan, in need of patrons) rather than the near deity of legend. Isaacson is an assured guide to Leonardo’s fallibility – so many projects started, so few completed – as well as his extraordinary curiosity and his even more remarkable painterly skills that were sharpened by intense observation' * Sunday Times *'To read this magnificent biography of Leonardo da Vinci is to take a tour through the life and works of one of the most extraordinary human beings of all time in the company of the most engaging, informed, and insightful guide imaginable. Walter Isaacson is at once a true scholar and a spellbinding writer. And what a wealth of lessons there are to be learned in these pages' -- David McCullough'A powerful story of an exhilarating mind and life...a study in creativity: how to define it, how to achieve it' * New Yorker *

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Book SynopsisThe New York Times bestseller about two guys who went out for coffee and dreamed up Seinfeld—“A wildly entertaining must-read not only for Seinfeld fans but for anyone who wants a better understanding of how television series are made” (Booklist, starred review).Comedians Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld never thought anyone would watch their sitcom about a New York comedian sitting around talking to his friends. But against all odds, viewers did watch—first a few and then many, until nine years later nearly forty million Americans were tuning in weekly. Fussy Jerry, neurotic George, eccentric Kramer, and imperious Elaine—people embraced them with love. Seinfeldia, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong’s intimate history is full of gossipy details, show trivia, and insights into how famous episodes came to be. Armstrong celebrates the creators and fans of this American television phenomenon, bringing readeTrade Review***A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER*** "Her book, as if she were a marine biologist, is a deep dive...Perhaps the highest praise I can give Seinfeldia is that it made me want to buy a loaf of marbled rye and start watching again, from the beginning." —Dwight Garner, The New York Times “Even for those of us who imagine ourselves experts, Armstrong scatters delicious details throughout her book, like so many Jujyfruits we can’t resist… [I]n describing the making and writing of this singular show, Armstrong is queen of the castle. Her stories about “Seinfeld” are real — and they’re spectacular.” —Washington Post “Lively and illuminating. A wildly entertaining must-read not only for Seinfeld fans but for anyone who wants a better of understanding of how television series are made.” —Booklist, starred review “[S]avvy and engaging…the best way to enjoy “Seinfeldia” is to read the book with TV remote in hand, calling up episodes on Hulu as Ms. Armstrong adroitly recounts the back story of these still-captivating shows that were never, ever about nothing.” —Wall Street Journal "The heart of Armstrong’s book and its most engaging quality is how it all came to be: the Seinfeld rules of the road that seemed to be without rules; the actors who left their indelible mark (Bryan Cranston as dentist Tim Whatley, Teri Hatcher as one of Jerry’s “spectacular” girlfriends) and the parade of moments about nothing that really turned out to be something." —USA Today “Even as someone lucky enough to be on the show, I couldn’t put Seinfeldia down.” —Larry Thomas, “The Soup Nazi” “Armstrong's intimate, breezy history is full of gossipy details, show trivia, and insights into how famous episodes came to be. How nothing could become something or how a national TV audience learned to live in a Beckett-ian world. Perfect for Seinfeldians and newcomers alike.” —Kirkus Reviews “Armstrong offers a masterly look at one of the greatest shows. The research involved makes this a boon to television scholars, but Seinfeld enthusiasts will also enjoy this funny, highly readable book.” —Library Journal

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Book SynopsisChairman at the Board is an intimate, funny, and absorbing look at the music business by an insider who has recorded a host of the greatest musical artists of the twentieth century. Bill Schnee takes the reader inside the studiobehind the curtainand through the decades with a cavalcade of famous artists as he helped them to realize their vision. After his high school band was dropped by Decca Records, Schnee began his quest to learn everything he could about making records. Mentored by recording legend Richie Podolor at his American Recording Studio and mastering guru Doug Sax, he immediately began recording the top acts of the day as a freelance engineer/producer in Hollywood. Clive Davis soon hired him to work for CBS where he partnered with famed music producer Richard Perry. Schnee went on to record and/or mix most of Perry''s biggest albums of the ''70s and ''80s, including those by Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, Ringo Starr, Art Garfunkel, and the Pointer

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Book SynopsisIn 1973, Judy Scott was intent on traveling to Istanbul, but serendipitously she stumbled onto the incomparable Greek island of Hydra and the people who would continue, over many subsequent visits, to enhance and influence her life ever after.This memoir, based on notebooks and journals Scott kept during various times and visits to her favorite place on earth, recounts in very intimate detail her interactions and developing relationships with singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen and his beautiful muse and love of his life Marianne Ihlen. As Leonard himself observed of this book when Scott sent the manuscript to him for his approval: I particularly admire the detail and honesty of the piece. One of the more unique features in this recounting is the emerging acknowledgment the author confronts of her own sexuality, as she recounts: It did not take long for Leonard to recognize that I was more attracted to Marianne than I was to him, though I came to love him too in the end. <

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Book Synopsis''A hot-rod joy ride through mid-20th-century American history'' (The New York Times Book Review), this one-of-a-kind narrative masterfully recreates the rivalry between the two men who innovated the electric guitar''s amplified sound''Leo Fender and Les Paul''and their intense competition to convince rock stars like the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton to play the instruments they built.In the years after World War II, music was evolving from big-band jazz into rock ''n'' roll''and these louder styles demanded revolutionary instruments. When Leo Fender''s tiny firm marketed the first solid-body electric guitar, the Esquire, musicians immediately saw its appeal. Not to be out-maneuvered, Gibson, the largest guitar manufacturer, raced to build a competitive product. The company designed an ''axe'' that would make Fender''s Esquire look cheap and convinced Les Paul''whose endorsement Leo Fender had sought''to put his name on it. Thus was born the guitar world''s most heated rivalry: Gibson versus Fender, Les versus Leo. While Fender was a quiet, half-blind, self-taught radio repairman, Paul was a brilliant but headstrong pop star and guitarist who spent years toying with new musical technologies. Their contest turned into an arms race as the most inventive musicians of the 1950s and 1960s''including bluesman Muddy Waters, rocker Buddy Holly, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Eric Clapton''adopted one maker''s guitar or another. By 1969 it was clear that these new electric instruments had launched music into a radical new age, empowering artists with a vibrancy and volume never before attainable. In ''an excellent dual portrait'' (The Wall Street Journal), Ian S. Port tells the full story in The Birth of Loud, offering ''spot-on human characterizations, and erotic paeans to the bodies of guitars'' (The Atlantic). ''the story of these instruments is the story of America in the postwar era: loud, cocky, brash, aggressively new'' (The Washington Post).Trade ReviewNew York Times Book Review Editors' Choice “In The Birth of Loud, Ian S. Port has sorted out the facts of the electric guitar’s much-mythologized genesis and cultural conquest. He turns them into a hot-rod joy ride through mid-20th-century American history. With appropriately flashy prose, he dismantles some misconceptions and credits some nearly forgotten but key figures. He also summons, exuberantly and perceptively, the look, sound, and sometimes smell of pivotal scenes and songs. The Birth of Loud rightfully celebrates an earlier time, when wood, steel, copper wire, microphones and loudspeakers could redefine reality. Tracing material choices that echoed through generations, the book captures the quirks of human inventiveness and the power of sound.” —Jon Pareles, New York Times Book Review“Fascinating . . . one of Port’s true strengths [is] his ability to marry an agreeably anecdotal writing style to a musician’s ear. The way a Telecaster snaps and sizzles, the way a Les Paul purrs with liquid, violin-like tones; he just gets it. . . The story of these instruments is the story of America in the postwar era: loud, cocky, brash, aggressively new.” —Washington Post“[An] excellent dual portrait . . . In the second half of the book, Mr. Port, a veteran music journalist, touches on the work of every major guitar player of rock’s golden age, from Muddy Waters to Buddy Holly—whose appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” electrified (the pun is unavoidable) Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney and John Lennon—and continuing through Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and, of course, Bob Dylan, whose notorious switch from acoustic to electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival scandalized his fans. Not everyone played a Fender or a Les Paul—the Beatles were Rickenbacker fans, and Gretsch guitars had a significant market share—but, as Mr. Port says, the wildfire popularity of those two guitars fueled a world-changing demand for electric guitars of every type.” —Wall Street Journal“Rich in description . . . full of imagist sound-summonings, spot-on human characterizations, and erotic paeans to the bodies of guitars . . . Port can write lovingly, such as when he describes an early, solid-wood model that belonged to the country twanger Merle Travis. . . And he can write with technical lyricism . . . He even made me like Eric Clapton for a minute. And from the fumbled genesis of the electric guitar to its expressive climax, he draws us a beautiful, educational arc.” —The Atlantic“Ian S. Port’s The Birth of Loud reframes the standard history of rock ’n’ roll around the dual creators of the modern electric guitar. . . . Instead of a parade of frontmen and songwriters dueling it out in the charts, Port presents a ground-up account of an at-times begrudging friendship between two Angelenos who created the sound of what we instinctively understand as ‘rock.’ . . . Port’s research is thorough and his prose is lucid. If the evanescence of the internet and the machine-like qualities of synthpop make you want to put words to that vague cultural hunger for something more tactile, more connected to physical reality, this is your book. . . . The Birth of Loud is a compelling addition to the misremembered history of the time.” —SF Weekly“[Tells] the story of the development of the electric guitar through the lives of its two most famous names….Port deftly toggles between their parallel paths, as if swiveling from one effects pedal to another.” —James Sullivan, San Francisco Chronicle“Ian S. Port knows a thing or two about guitar heroes. . . . [With] lyrical, evocative prose, The Birth of Loud includes vivid scenes of Muddy Waters inventing Chicago blues, the Rolling Stones' sex-drenched appearance on The T.A.M.I. Show, Buddy Holly's TV debut with Ed Sullivan, Bob Dylan going electric at Newport and more. Along the way, Fender and Paul hone their inventions to perfection, vie for endorsements from the hottest players, and engage in that age-old driver of American innovation: cutthroat competition.” —KQED “Arts”“A rip-roaring journey through the early days of rock 'n' roll, told through the lives of the men whose innovative guitars helped usher it into existence . . . A lively, difficult-to-put-down portrait of an important era of American art that enhances readers' appreciation for the music it depicts.” —Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)“A page-turning look at two central players [Leo Fender and Les Paul] in the sonic evolution of popular music. Port explores their trials and tribulations with an expert hand. This is a long-overdue cultural biography of music innovation. VERDICT: Thoroughly entertaining and deeply informative, this love letter to American creativity and rock and roll belongs in every library and should be read by all rock fans.” —Library Journal (Starred Review)“This smartly written and genuinely exciting book walks us through the bitter rivalry between Fender and Gibson and, since there is no way to tell this story without telling the story of rock ’n’ roll itself, also provides a jaunty if necessarily abbreviated history of rock. For music buffs, this one is special." —Booklist“[The] definitive history of the electric guitar and its two foundational personalities [Leo Fender and Les Paul]. Theirs is a fascinating and compelling story, especially in the hands of a writer as committed to lively narrative . . . Port can spin out evocative, succinct rock ’n’ roll writing with the best of them.” —The New York Journal of Books“Lushly descriptive and detailed…[the book] is richly illustrative in bringing these rock giants and the tools of their trade to life in a squall of beautiful feedback.” —Publishers Weekly“More than an essential, colorful, and gripping history of the electric guitar, The Birth of Loud introduces Ian Port, the best new non-fiction writer of the past twenty years.” —Daniel J. Levitin, author of This Is Your Brain on Music“Ian Port’s found a way to tell the story of the birth of rock ‘n’ roll—for some of us, among the postwar American stories, those that help define who we feel ourselves to be—in beautifully-evoked dual portraits of the men who made the instruments. In doing so, he re-situates this story in its context so neatly it is as if it had never been told before at all.” —Jonathan Lethem, author of Motherless Brooklyn and The Fortress of Solitude"Ian Port has created a perfect blend of popular history, social commentary, and enough guitar details to satisfy the most rabid six-string geek. This is a fascinating book." —Jonathan Kellerman, bestselling novelist and author of With Strings Attached: The Art and Beauty of Vintage Guitars"Guitar players are partly born, partly made, and every one has a story. So, too, are guitars, including the electric guitars that changed the world more than half a century ago. This is their story, and the story of their makers, well-told." —Gary Marcus, author of Guitar Zero“Long before Les Paul and Leo Fender were brand names who revolutionized music and changed culture, they were two guys—obsessively tinkering to recreate sounds in their heads. In The Birth of Loud Ian S. Port vividly captures the compulsion and competition that drove these fascinating oddballs to rock the world.” —Alan Light, former editor-in-chief of Vibe and Spin and author of The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley and the Unlikely Ascent of “Hallelujah” “It’s hard for me to think of an invention more crucial to my interior life than the electric guitar, so in a way The Birth of Loud, Ian Port’s moving, riveting account of the instrument’s development and rise to ubiquity, feels like a sacred text—the story of how I came to be. It’s also a rich and fascinating tale of obsession, ingenuity, and American abandon. Thank heavens for Les Paul, thank heavens for Leo Fender, and thank heavens for Ian Port.” —Amanda Petrusich, author Do Not Sell at Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World's Rarest 78rpm Records“The Birth of Loud is more than history, journalism or criticism—it’s a killer rock ’n’ roll story, complete with money, egos, star power and, yes, electric guitars.” —Steve Knopper, author of MJ: The Genius of Michael Jackson and Appetite for Self-Destruction: The Spectacular Crash of the Record Industry in the Digital Age“The Birth of Loud channels trickles of intriguing new information into a confluence of big ideas about the history of the electric guitar. This book is essential reading for guitar history maniacs!” —Deke Dickerson, guitar historian, bandleader, and author of The Strat in the Attic

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Book SynopsisThe definitive story of the making of 2001: A Space Odyssey, acclaimed today as one of the greatest films ever made, and of director Stanley Kubrick and writer Arthur C. Clarke—“a tremendous explication of a tremendous film….Breathtaking” (The Washington Post).Fifty years ago a strikingly original film had its premiere. Still acclaimed as one of the most remarkable and important motion pictures ever made, 2001: A Space Odyssey depicted the first contacts between humanity and extraterrestrial intelligence. The movie was the product of a singular collaboration between Stanley Kubrick and science fiction visionary Arthur C. Clarke. Fresh off the success of his cold war satire Dr. Strangelove, Kubrick wanted to make the first truly first-rate science fiction film. Drawing from Clarke’s ideas and with one of the author’s short stories as the initial inspiration, their bold vision benefited from pioTrade Review“At last! The dense, intense, detailed, and authoritative saga of the making of the greatest motion picture I’ve ever seen, 2001: A Space Odyssey. I now have reason to see Kubrick’s ‘proverbial “really good” science fiction movie’ another 200 times. Michael Benson has done the Cosmos a great service.” -- Tom Hanks"Over the years, so much has been written about 2001 and its creation that I thought we knew all that there was to know. And then, I received a copy of Michael Benson’s lively, exciting and exhaustively researched book, which further expands our understanding of what is truly one of the greatest films ever made." -- Martin Scorsese“Michael Benson’s Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke and the Making of a Masterpiece is a masterpiece about a masterpiece—a passionately written, impeccably researched book about a great director’s pushing himself, his cast and crew beyond safety or sanity in a relentless quest for a non-verbal vision of the transcendent future of both space and film itself.” -- Scott Eyman, author of John Wayne: The Life and Legend and Hank and Jim: The Fifty-Year Friendship of Henry Fonda and James Stewart“Despite the attention Benson lavishes on the humans—Kubrick and Clarke—HAL-9000 would have been proud of this smart, fluent, and meticulously researched account of the making of a sci-fi classic.” -- Peter Biskind, author of Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood“A fascinating, detail-rich account of the long slog to make the science-fiction masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey. . . . [An] endlessly interesting narrative. Essential for students of film history, to say nothing of Kubrick's most successful movie.” * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *“If Kubrick’s masterpiece was a remarkable voyage into the future, Michael Benson’s book is a delightful voyage back in time. For those of us inspired by the film, this book provides a delicious peek into landmark collaboration of two creative geniuses and the lasting gift they provided for all of us.” -- Lawrence M. Krauss, Foundation Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration, Director of the Origins Project at Arizona State University, and author of The Physics of Star Trek, A Universe from Nothing, and The Greatest Story Ever Told.. So Far“A new and remarkably comprehensive look at the complex relationship between the two men whose collaboration led to one of the greatest films of all time. . . . This story about the making of 2001 is as compelling and eye-opening as the film itself.” * Booklist (starred review) *"[An] engrossing, immersive examination of the long path to Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke's masterpiece. . . . The pair's fraught but hugely successful relationship forms the backdrop of this astonishing tale of obsessive genius at work." -- Ben Dickinson * The New York Times Book Review *

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