Biography: general Books

Book SynopsisDescribed by one surgeon as “soul-crushing, diamond-making stress,” surgery on congenital heart defects is arguably the most difficult of all surgical specialties. Drawing back the hospital curtain for a unique and captivating look at the extraordinary skill and dangerous politics of critical surgery in a pediatric heart center, Michael Ruhlman focuses on the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, where a team of medical specialists—led by idiosyncratic virtuoso Dr. Roger Mee—work on the edge of disaster on a daily basis. Walk on Water offers a rare and dramatic glimpse into a world where the health of innocent children and the hopes of white-knuckled families rest in the hands of all-too-human doctors.

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Book SynopsisThe captivating biography of the French aristocrat who balanced the demands of her society with passionate affairs of the heart and a brilliant life of the mind Although today she is best known for her fifteen-year liaison with Voltaire, Gabrielle Emilie le Tonnelier de Breteuil, Marquise Du Châtelet (1706-1749) was more than a great man's mistress. After marrying a marquis at the age of eighteen, she proceeded to fulfill the prescribed-and delightfully frivolous-role of a French noblewoman of her time. But she also challenged it, conducting a highly visible affair with a commoner, writing philosophical works, and translating Newton's Principia while pregnant by a younger lover. With the sweep of Galileo's Daughter, Emilie Du Châtelet captures the charm, glamour, and brilliance of this magnetic woman.

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Book SynopsisA look inside the subculture of off-grid living, taking readers across the ideological spectrum and across America  Written by a leading authority on living off the grid, this is a fascinating and timely look at one of the fastest growing movements in America. In researching the stories that would become Off the Grid, Nick Rosen traveled from one end of the United States to the other, spending time with all kinds of individuals and families striving to live their lives the way they want to-free from dependence on municipal power and amenities, and free from the inherent dependence on the government and its far-reaching arms. While the people profiled may not have a lot in common in terms of their daily lives or their personal background, what they do share is an understanding of how unique their lives are, and how much effort and determination is required to maintain the lifestyle in the face of modern America's push toward connectivity and development.

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Book SynopsisGeneral John A. Wickham, commander of the famous 101st Airborne Division in the 1970s and subsequently Army Chief of Staff, once visited Antietam battlefield. Gazing at Bloody Lane where, in 1862, several Union assaults were brutally repulsed before they finally broke through, he marveled, `You couldn''t get American soldiers today to make an attack like that.'' Why did those men risk certain death, over and over again, through countless bloody battles and four long, awful years ? Why did the conventional wisdom -- that soldiers become increasingly cynical and disillusioned as war progresses -- not hold true in the Civil War?It is to this question -- why did they fight -- that James McPherson, America''s preeminient Civil War historian, now turns his attention. He shows that, contrary to what many scholars believe, the soldiers of the Civil War remained powerfully convinced of the ideals for which they fought throughout the conflict. Motivated by duty and honor, and often by religious Trade ReviewIn For Cause and Comrades the voices of the young men of the North and South sing out to us clearly, colorfully, compellingly, telling us what it was like for them -- the battles, the camps, the cold and hunger, the fear, the boredom, the despair, the triumph. This is an extraordinary book, full of fascinating details and moving self-portraits. * The Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisThis study examines the cultural legacy of Malcolm X's life and career. From sexism and "gangsta" rap to the painful predicament of black males, Malcolm's legacy is felt, and often marketed, throughout the world.Trade ReviewDyson shows us a Malcolm X for our time. * The Reverend Jesse L. Jackson *

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Book SynopsisGeorge Schuyler, a renowned and controversial black journalist of the Harlem Renaissance, and Josephine Cogdell, a blond, blue-eyed Texas heiress and granddaughter of slave owners, believed that intermarriage would invigorate the races, thereby producing extraordinary offspring. Their daughter, Philippa Duke Schuyler, became the embodiment of this theory, and they hoped she would prove that interracial children represented the final solution to America''s race problems. Able to read and write at the age of two and a half, a pianist at four, and a composer by five, Philippa was often compared to Mozart. During the 1930s and 40s she graced the pages of Time and Look magazines, the New York Herald Tribune, and The New Yorker. Philippa grew up under the adoring and inquisitive eyes of an entire nation and soon became the role model and inspiration for a generation of African-American children. But as an adult she mysteriously dropped out of sight, leaving America to wonder what had happeneTrade ReviewThis enthralling, heartbreaking book restores to attention Philippa Schuyler, child prodigy of the 1930s, pianist, composer, Harlem's Mozart, "the Shirley Templey of American Negroes" ... This tragic tale is a stimulating addition to the record of race relations in America, as well as a monument to an extraordinary woman.' The New York Times Book Reviewan incisive and readable biography of an intriguing figure * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisThis exceptionally readable and down-to-earth handbook is destined to become the definitive guide to psychobiological research, the application of psychological theory and research to individual lives of historical importance. It brings together for the first time the world''s leading psychobiographers, writing lucidly on many of the major figures of our age - from Osama Bin Laden to Elvis Presley.The first section of the book addresses the subject of how to construct an effective psychobiography. Editor William Todd Schultz introduces the field, provides valuable definitions of good and bad psychobiography, discusses an optimal structure for psychobiographical essays, and offers a blueprint for striking psychological paydirt in biographical data. Dan McAdams explores the question of what psychobiographers might learn from current research in personality psychology. Alan Elms delivers wise advice on the tricky subject of theory choice in psychobiography. William Runyan asks why Van GogTrade Review"William Todd Schultz's Handbook of Psychobiography is a very welcome contribution in many ways. Above all, it keeps alive the 'revolution' in understanding individual human lives that Gordon Allport, Henry Murray, and Erik Erikson launched, and it carries that 'revolution' into the post-September 11 era. One could hardly ask for more." --Lawrence J. Friedman, Visiting Professor of the History of Science, Harvard University "An invaluable professional collection, bridging both art and science, that should do much to legitimize this whole tradition of thought that is so critical to the future of our intellectual life." --Paul Roazen, Professor Emeritus of Social and Political Science, York University in Toronto and author of On the Freud Watch: Public Memoirs "A welcome addition to an increasing number of contributions validating the claim that narrative should be taken as the root metaphor for psychology. The various chapters reveal lives as lived, a refreshing alternative to traditional personality studies that can only satisfy the researcher's appetite for large numbers of subjects, in the process sacrificing any claim to depth of understanding." --Theodore R. Sarbin, Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Criminology, University of California-Santa Cruz "Drawing on leading contributors to psychobiography, Professor Schultz has created a handbook that defines and advances the state of the art and applied science. It tells the reader how to do it, and maybe more importantly, how not to do it, and it illustrates psychobiography at its best, illuminating the lives of notable artists, psychologists, and political figures. It is a solid contribution to the idiographic and holistic study of personality. It would make an excellent text for advanced undergraduates or graduates. And, unusual for a handbook, it is just a very good read." --M. Brewster, Professor Emeritus, University of California-Santa Cruz "Disciplined psychobiographical studies are finding a place within the scientifically respectable main currents of personality psychology. This book, which brings together methodological and substantive contributions by the major scholars who do psychobiography studies, should set the standard for the field. Fortified with the advice and examples from this Handbook, personality psychologists and others interested in deeper interpretations of significant contemporary and historical gures will be encouraged and emboldened." --David Winter, Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan "A definitive, rewarding, clearly written collection, essential for students and professional alike interested in personality and biography or the application of psychological theory to life-stories." --Bertram J. Cohler, William Rainy Harper Professor, The University of Chicago "The book certainly deserves the designation 'handbook' because it not only provides sections on methodology and content but also blends the two to illustrate critical points about the field...This volume should see wide use."--CHOICE "This is a landmark book. All the major living psychobiographers are represented here as chapter authors... This Handbook, more than any other singular contribution, will move psychobiography forward."--PsycCRITIQUES "All academic libraries worth their name should immediately add the Handbook of Psychobiography to their collection. It is a useful text for both student and advanced practitioners. Anyone doing psychobiographical work should have the Handbook close by at all times--it is that good."--Henry Lawton, Clio's Psyche "As befits a 'handbook,' its coverage is broad and diverse....All historians of psychology are likely to find something of interest in the five insightful psychobiographical sketches of individual psychologists... [Alan] Elm's chapter well reflects the overall message of this handbook writ small: Psychobiography offers a fascinating and enormously promising approach to both psychology and history."--Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences "A rich smorgasbord of biographies, as well as of methodologies...Schultz's Handbook of Psychobiography is a collection of essays significantly advancing our knowledge of the discipline...It can also be read with great value by biographers, clinicians, historians, journalists, political psychologists, psychohistorians, and scholars from many other disciplines."--Paul Elovitz, Journal of Psychohistory "The book certainly deserves the designation 'handbook' because it not only provides sections on methodology but also blends the two to illustrate critical points about the field...This volume should see wide use."--CHOICE "This is a landmark book. All the major living psychobiographers are represented here as chapter authors... This Handbook, more than any other singular contribution, will move psychobiography forward."--PsycCRITIQUES "All academic libraries worth their name should immediately add the Handbook of Psychobiography to their collection. It is a useful text for both student and advanced practitioners. Anyone doing psychobiographical work should have the Handbook close by at all times--it is that good."--Henry Lawton, Clio's Psyche "As befits a 'handbook,' its coverage is broad and diverse....All historians of psychology are likely to find something of interest in the five insightful psychobiographical sketches of individual psychologists... [Alan] Elm's chapter well reflects the overall message of this handbook writ small: Psychobiography offers a fascinating and enormously promising approach to both psychology and history."--Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences "A rich smorgasbord of biographies, as well as of methodologies...Schultz's Handbook of Psychobiography is a collection of essays significantly advancing our knowledge of the discipline...It can also be read with great value by biographers, clinicians, historians, journalists, political psychologists, psychohistorians, and scholars from many other disciplines."--Paul Elovitz, Journal of PsychohistoryTable of ContentsPART 1: HOW TO WRITE A PSYCHOBIOGRAPHY ; PART 2: PSYCHOBIOGRAPHY OF ARTISTS ; PART THREE: PSYCHOBIOGRAPHY OF PSYCHOLOGISTS ; PART FOUR: PSYCHOBIOGRAPHY OF POLITICAL FIGURES

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Book SynopsisHere is the first biography to appear in fifty years of Harvey Cushing, a giant of American medicine and without doubt the greatest figure in the history of brain surgery.Drawing on new collections of intimate personal and family papers, diaries and patient records, Michael Bliss captures Cushing''s professional and personal life in remarkable detail. Bliss paints an engaging portrait of a man of ambition, boundless, driving energy, a fanatical work ethic, a penchant for self-promotion and ruthlessness, more than a touch of egotism and meanness, and an enormous appetite for life. Equally important, Bliss traces the rise of American surgery as seen through the eyes of one of its pioneers. The book describes how Cushing, working in the early years of the 20th century, developed remarkable new techniques that let surgeons open the skull, expose the brain, and attack tumors--all with a much higher rate of success than previously known. Indeed, Cushing made the miraculous in surgery an everTrade Review"This masterwork of narrative brings to vibrant life one of the most complex, brilliant, and endlessly fascinating medical personalities of recent times. In a book that will stand as the definitive biography of Harvey Cushing, Michael Bliss demonstrates once again why he is that ideal combination of storyteller and scrupulous historical researcher craved by general readers and envied by academics."--Sherwin Nuland"Monumental. Bliss begins before the cradle and ends beyond the grave, touching both on the material facts of Cushing's remarkable successes and on his convoluted inner life.... It is difficult to imagine how any future writer might improve on this masterpiece of compassion and erudition." --Richard Barnett, Lancet"An absorbing chronicle of the career of one of the greatest medical innovators ever produced by the US--or any other country.... One of the most extraordinary lives any biographer might wish to study.... It is Bliss's great accomplishment that he has made accessible not only the science, medicine, and professional atmosphere of Cushing's career, but also the character and personality of the man.... What Bliss has given to his subject is what Cushing himself, or any of us, would ask of a biographer: understanding."--Sherwin Nuland, New York Review of Books"A fast paced, engaging portrait of one of America's great pioneers and heroes. Bliss gives important insight into Cushing's motivations, inspirations, demons, and flaws, thus revealing how he was motivated to change a field and bravely create a new outlook on the functioning of the brain as well as a fundamentally new approach to medicine and research." --Henry Brem, Harvey Cushing Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins"As cleanly efficient as a successful operation.... As this solid, accessible biography reveals, Cushing may have been the very devil to live with, but with a scalpel in his hand, he did God's work."--Julia Keller, Chicago Tribune"Brings back to life an amazingly accomplished man who was the father of American neurosurgery, a leading authority on the pituitary gland, a pioneer of endocrinology and a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer."--Denver Post"Bliss...had a voluminous treasure trove of primary documents with which to work. His readable and thoroughly documented book presents Cushing as both an icon and a human being whose family and colleagues suffered from his single-minded devotion to work and blunt perfectionism. Written almost 60 years after the last major Cushing biography, this illustrated work calls on new resources and provides a more contemporary perspective."--Library Journal"The essence of biography is the elucidation of personality, and this is accomplished in a superb fashion in Michael Bliss's splendid modern biography of Harvey Cushing, with each chapter providing a facet of insight into a complex and fascinating icon of 20th century medicine and surgery." --Edward R. Laws, MD, FACS, Professor of Neurosurgery and Medicine, University of Virginia"Bliss has provided us with a definitive biography of the founder of American neurosurgery. It is a book about glitter and intensity, about vision and persistence, and about the emergence of America as a world leader in medicine. Sophisticated, balanced, and thoughtful it is a story of interest to physicians, surgeons, and lovers of history." --Peter M. Black, MD, PhD, Franc D. Ingraham Professor of Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief, Brigham and Women's Hospital"Another tour-de-force by Michael Bliss. Like Bliss' William Osler: A Life in Medicine, it will be a classic of medical history." --Jock Murray, Medical Humanities Program, Dalhousie University"It is beautifully written and illustrated, a pleasure to read, and paints Cushing 'warts and all.' A must for anyone with an interest in the development of our profession and with the life of this extraordinary man."--British Journal of Hospital MedicineTable of ContentsOpening: The Surgeon and the General ; 1. Western Reserve: The Cushings of Cleveland ; 2. Making a Yale Man ; 3. Making a Harvard Doctor ; 4. Making an American Surgeon ; 5. A Window on the Brain ; 6. Opening the Closed Box: The Birth of Neurosurgery ; 7. The Bottom of the Box: Interrogating the Pituitary ; 8. Adieu the Simple Life ; 9. Adieu America: Cushing Goes to War ; 10. An American Surgeon at Passchendaele ; 11. Fathers and Sons ; 12. Johnson and Boswells: Chief and Harem ; 13. Sprinting to the Tape ; 14. Regius Professor at Yale ; Closing: Inheritance and Memory

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Book SynopsisIs literary biography widely read for popular, "prurient" reasons, or for "reputable" intellectual reasons? Leading critics and professional biographers here attempt to answer this and other questions by examining the biographies of such authors as Virginia Woolf, Aldous Huxley and others.Trade Review`sprightly collection of essays' Sunday Times`deftly edited ... the collection as a whole is refreshingly free from the excesses of lit-crit gobbledegook.' Literary Review`excellent book of essays' New Statesman and Society'a most attractive seminar on the art, or craft, of telling the story of story-tellers' existences' Valentine Cunningham, The Observer'the best of these writers highlight what fun biography can be, and so shed light on a fascinating cultural phenomenon' Jackie Wullschlager, Financial Times'sprightly collection of essays on the art of biography' Anthony Quinn, Sunday Times'in this excellent book of essays 17 important biographers wrestle with their own practice' Kathryn Hughes, New Statesman & Society'contains some excellent essays' Hilary Spurling, Daily Telegraph...excellent book...The Art of Literary Biography offers an intriguing look at variety within the genre. * IsisKeith Peirson Scene Dec. 1995 *it is of eminent appeal not only to academics and students of literature, formal or not, but should be must reading for journalists, essayists, writers and serious readers of all kinds. As a handbook on the theory of writing biographies, it is essential and one of the best books on the subject we have seen to date. * Scene *this collection is notable in general for its cheerful indifference to theory ... There is a widespread awareness that most theoretical approaches do not describe or illuminate what biographers do ... lively collection. * Peter Hollindale, University of York, Review of English Studies, Vol. XLVIII, No. 189, Feb '97 *an agreeable collection of essays ... with contributions from many distinguished practitioners ... This is an excellent collection which forces us to ponder the implications of the word 'art' in its title; for if biography can be so many kinds of art, what identity is it left with itself? * English Studies *

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Book SynopsisEach year brings a glut of new memoirs, ranging from works by former teachers and celebrity has-beens to disillusioned soldiers and bestselling novelists. In addition to becoming bestsellers in their own right, memoirs have become a popular object of inquiry in the academy and a mainstay in most MFA workshops. Courses in what is now called life-writing study memoir alongside personal essays, diaries, and autobiographies. Memoir: An Introduction proffers a concise history of the genre (and its many subgenres) while taking readers through the various techniques, themes, and debates that have come to characterize the ubiquitous literary form. Its fictional origins are traced to eighteenth-century British novels like Robinson Crusoe and Tom Jones; its early American roots are examined in Benjamin Franklin''s Autobiography and eighteenth-century captivity narratives; and its ethical conundrums are considered with analyses of the imbroglios brought on by the questionable claims in Rigoberta Trade ReviewCouser has carved out a place on the reading list of any undergraduate life writing module as well as in any bibliography where the classification of genre is a concern ... the book thoughtfully introduces the theoretical foundations upon which the contemporary study of life writing rests; not least of these is the idea that selves are not recorded in life writing but constructed therein. * Claire Lynch, Modern Language Review *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Introduction ; 1. What Memoir Is, and What Memoir Isn't ; 2. Memoir and Genre ; 3. Memoir's Forms ; 4. Memoir's Ethics ; 5. Memoir's American Roots ; 6. Contemporary American Memoir ; 7. The Work of Memoir ; Works Cited ; Index

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Book SynopsisMany writing instructors teach writing through autobiography. By considering the lives of others and then contemplating their own lives, aspiring writers discover a wellspring of material that can be used in their prose. While not explicitly for courses, this book follows a similar pedagogical line, focusing specifically on the philosophical and spiritual questions that every person faces in the course of meeting life''s challenges. How the Light Gets In encourages readers to contemplate their lives through spiritual observation and exploratory writing. It guides readers through the process in 17 concise thematic chapters that include meditations on fear, freedom, silence, secrets, joy, prayer, tradition, forgiveness, service, social justice, aging, and death. Short poems by Schneider begin each chapter. Schneider''s book is distinct from the many other books in the popular spirituality and creative writing genre by virtue of its approach, using one''s lived experience, including the experience of writing, as a springboard for writing about beliefs and faith. As her many followers would attest, Schneider writes with particular clarity and immediacy about the writing process. Her belief that writing about one''s life leads to greater consciousness, satisfaction, and wisdom energizes the book and carries the reader gracefully difficult topics.Trade Review"How the Light Gets In is among the most inspiring personal stories I have ever read. Not only is this book beautifully written, but I felt the authenticity of the author's poignant spiritual journey in every word. Take time to read this book." --Caroline Myss, author of Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential "Pat Schneider is one of America's premier writing instructors. Her genius lies as much in her tenacity as in her talent, and in a wild incredible belief that there is a force in the universe, a 'light' if you will, that we--'cracked' though we may be--can emit if we work hard enough. How the Light Gets In effortlessly shows us how to do that often difficult work. If there is one book on writing or writers you can read this year, I emphatically recommend this one." --Sapphire, author of Push and The Kid "How the Light Gets In is a moving blend of memoir and reflections on creative writing through the lens of spiritual practice that leaves the reader comforted and challenged. This is an instructive, marvelous read." --Emilie M. Townes, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of African American Religion and Theology, Yale Divinity School "Will have wide appeal to both amateur and seasoned writers and spiritual seekers whether or not tied to any tradition. The book is also useful as a tool for growth through reflection and writing. Highly recommended." --Library Journal "Will captivate writers who are looking for an alternative to the typical "how-to" book--who are looking for a book both practical and reverential." --ImageTable of ContentsTABLE OF CONTENTS ; PREFACE ; INTRODUCTION ; POEM: SOMETIMES WRITING ; I. THERE IS A SPIRIT ; POEM: TO BREAK SILENCE ; II. PRAYER ; POEM: ABOUT, AMONG OTHER THINGS, GOD ; III. RANSOM ; POEM: INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE JOURNEY ; IV. FEAR ; POEM: THIS IS A RIVER ; V. DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL ; POEM: PERSONAL ADDRESS ; VI. TRADITION: RELIGION ; POEM: YOUR BOAT, YOUR WORDS ; VII. TRADITION: WRITING ; POEM: BRAIDED RUG ; VIII. FORGIVING ; POEM: PENN STATION, NEW YORK CITY ; IX. RECEIVING FORGIVENESS ; PLAY EXCERPT: THE UNDERTAKING ; X. DOING GOOD ; POEM: TWO THOUSAND DEATHS ; XI. CHANGING THE WORLD ; POEM: THIS FLIGHT ; XII. THE BODY ; XIII. DEATH ; JOURNAL ENTRY: BURNING THE TOBACCO ; XIV. STRANGENESS ; POEM: THE FISH ; XV. BELOVED COMMUNITY ; POEM: THAT ONE ; XVI. FREEDOM ; POEM: CONFESSION ; XVII. JOY ; POEM: BLESSING FOR A WRITER ; NOTES FOR TEACHERS, WORKSHOP OR RETREAT LEADERS AND COUNSELORS ; INDEX

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Book SynopsisAn account of one journalist's experience from 1992-93 of the conflict in Bosnia, this work is an attempt to come to terms with the overwhelming questions that are provoked by witnessing the destruction of a nation. It explores the universal nature of war and unravelling of a once stable society, uncovering stories of rape, torture and death as well as the acts that assert humanity in the face of such devastation.

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Book SynopsisThe first biography of the enigmatic dadaist known as the Baroness—Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven.Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven (1874-1927) is considered by many to be the first American dadaist as well as the mother of dada. An innovator in poetic form and an early creator of junk sculpture, the Baroness was best known for her sexually charged, often controversial performances. Some thought her merely crazed, others thought her a genius. The editor Margaret Anderson called her perhaps the only figure of our generation who deserves the epithet extraordinary. Yet despite her great notoriety and influence, until recently her story and work have been little known outside the circle of modernist scholars.In Baroness Elsa, Irene Gammel traces the extraordinary life and work of this daring woman, viewing her in the context of female dada and the historical battles fought by women in the early twentieth century. Striding through the streets of Berlin, Munich, New Yo

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Trade Review"Vanessa Curtis's portrait of Woolf, her family, and her friends is quite compelling. What I found most distinctive is Curtis's fine appreciation of the emotional tissue that connected Woolf to the women who loved her. . . Using diaries and letters, Curtis illuminates these varied relationships."—Lynn K. Talbot, Roanoke College, coauthor of Living at the Edge

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Book SynopsisThis text examines what it was about late-Victorian society that allowed the trial and subsequent jailing of Oscar Wilde to take place. It examines what the trials say about the taste and morals of Victorian England and argues that the prosecution was linked to wider social and political issues.

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Book SynopsisThis account of the origins of modern molecular biology, the lives of pioneering scientists in the field of nucleic acid research, and the discovery of DNA, is aimed not only at scientists, but also at students and general readers with an interest in science.

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Book SynopsisA critical biography of Paul Celan, a German-speaking East European Jew who was one of Europe's most compelling postwar poets. It tells the story of his life, offers new translations of his poems, and illuminates the connection between Celan's lived experience and his poetry.Trade ReviewNominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award Chosen as a best book of 1995 by Village Voice Chosen as a best book of 1995 by the Times Literary Supplement Chosen as a best book of 1995 by the Philadelphia Inquirer Chosen as a best book of 1995 by Choice magazine "An important book. Celan is indeed a very great poet, Felstiner’s English translations of the poems are remarkably accurate and effective, and the argument of the book is both persuasive and informative."—Cyrus Hamlin, Yale University "I have been eagerly awaiting this book. John Felstiner’s brilliant and illuminating talks and articles about Celan, with the translations of his poems which they incorporate, have been of great interest to me for the past several years; and now we are provided with the comprehensive study toward which these were working. Felstiner is that increasingly rare thing, a critic who loves his subjects and enables readers to share that love by guiding them into a deeper understanding of their resonances. This is especially valuable in the case of Celan, whose work is at once so inward and such a quintessential artifact of history."—Denise Levertov "Felstiner’s book is, on every level, superb: it is essential to anyone interested in the work of one of the greatest and most moving Jewish poets of our turbulent time."—Elie Wiesel, Boston University "Felstiner has done the impossible--integrated Celan’s life and poetry without stinting either. The full weight and agony of the poet’s fate as Jew and survivor are captured. Felstiner translates with care and caring the major poems and makes them accessible by a commentary that scrupulously records the occasions to which they are linked and the literary allusions they encode. The scholar becomes a poet writing about the greatest of the post-war German poets."—Geoffrey Hartman, Yale University "This is an absolutely essential study of one of the genuinely great, and in so many ways enigmatic, poets of our time, a literary biography in the best sense, informative and penetratingly interpretive. Felstiner’s fine translations of Celan’s often very difficult poetry arise from, and are worked seamlessly into, the stuff of his chronicle, and they are of immense value in their own right. A book of this kind has been long overdue: this authoritative instance of it now appears to have been well worth waiting for."—John Hollander

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Book SynopsisAt the beginning of World War II, Prince Junio Valerio Borghese, dashing Italian nobleman, assembled the famous Decima MAS naval unit-the first modern naval commando squad. Borghese''s frogmen were trained to fight undercover and underwater with small submarines and assault boats armed with a variety of destructive torpedoes. The covert tactics he and the Decima MAS developed, including the use of midget submarines, secret nighttime operations, and small teams armed with explosives, have become a standard for special forces around the world to this very day.After the Italian capitulation in 1943, Borghese determinedly fought on as a Fascist commando leader. After the war, he became a man of mystery, variously said to be involved with several right-wing conspiracies, abortive coups, and clandestine activity. The Prince''s death in 1974 was every bit as mysterious as his life.Greene and Massignani have drawn upon official archives as well as information from Allied and Axis veterans in a

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Book SynopsisMore than 150 inspired—and inspiring—novelists, poets, playwrights, painters, philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians on how they subtly maneuver the many (self-inflicted) obstacles and (self-imposed) daily rituals to get done the work they love to do.Franz Kafka, frustrated with his living quarters and day job, wrote in a letter to Felice Bauer in 1912, “time is short, my strength is limited, the office is a horror, the apartment is noisy, and if a pleasant, straightforward life is not possible then one must try to wriggle through by subtle maneuvers.”   Kafka is one of 161 minds who describe their daily rituals to get their work done, whether by waking early or staying up late; whether by self-medicating with doughnuts or bathing, drinking vast quantities of coffee, or taking long daily walks. Thomas Wolfe wrote standing up in the kitchen, the top of the refrigerator as his desk, dreamily fondling his “male configurati

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Book SynopsisJournalist Abigail Pogrebin is many things—wife, mother, New Yorker—but the one that has defined her most profoundly is “identical twin.” As children, she and her sister, Robin, were inseparable. But when Robin began to pull away as an adult, Abigail was left to wonder not only why, but also about the very nature of twinship. What does it mean to have a mirror image? How can you be unique when somebody shares your DNA? In One and the Same, Abigail sets off on a quest to understand how genetics shape us, crisscrossing the country to explore the varied relationships between twins, which range from passionate to bitterly resentful. She speaks to the experts and tries to answer the question parents ask most—is it better to encourage their separateness or closeness? And she paints a riveting portrait of twin life, yielding fascinating truths about how we become who we are.

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Book SynopsisThe year was 1765. Eminent botanist Philibert Commerson had just been appointed to a grand new expedition: the first French circumnavigation of the world. As the ships’ official naturalist, Commerson would seek out resources—medicines, spices, timber, food—that could give the French an edge in the ever-accelerating race for empire. Jeanne Baret, Commerson’s young mistress and collaborator, was desperate not to be left behind. She disguised herself as a teenage boy and signed on as his assistant. The journey made the twenty-six-year-old, known to her shipmates as “Jean” rather than “Jeanne,” the first woman to ever sail around the globe. Yet so little is known about this extraordinary woman, whose accomplishments were considered to be subversive, even impossible for someone of her sex and class.            When the ships made landfall and the secret lovers disembar

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Book SynopsisThis biography is a rare eyewitness account of the horrors of a little-known, often denied genocide, in which hundereds of thousands of Armenian and Pontic Greek minorities in Turkey were killed during and after World War 1.

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Book SynopsisThe first comprehensive research guide and bibliography to the large literature surrounding the life and work of one of the 20th century's greatest artists, this volume includes information on more than 1,100 books and articles as well as a chronology, biographical sketch, and list of exhibitions.Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Biographical Sketch Chronology Bibliographic Overview Common Abbreviations Primary Bibliography Secondary Bibliography: Biography, Career, and Picasso Secondary Bibliography: Works (Oeuvre) Influence and Mentions Exhibitions Art Works Index Personal Names Index Subject Index

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE INDEPENDENT • From bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir comes the first biography of Margaret Douglas, the beautiful, cunning niece of Henry VIII of England who used her sharp intelligence and covert power to influence the succession after the death of Elizabeth I.   Royal Tudor blood ran in her veins. Her mother was a queen, her father an earl, and she herself was the granddaughter, niece, cousin, and grandmother of monarchs. Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox, was an important figure in Tudor England, yet today, while her contemporaries—Anne Boleyn, Mary, Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I—have achieved celebrity status, she is largely forgotten.   Margaret’s life was steeped in intrigue, drama, and tragedy—from her auspicious birth in 1530 to her parents’ bitter divorce, from her ill

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