Biography: general Books

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Book SynopsisPopular culture has divorced itself from the life of the mind. Who has time for great books or deep thought when there is Jersey Shore to watch, a txt 2 respond 2, and World of Warcraft to play?At the same time, those who pursue the life of the mind have insulated themselves from popular culture. Speaking in insider jargon and writing unread books, intellectuals have locked themselves away in a ghetto of their own creation.It wasn’t always so.Blue Collar Intellectuals vividly captures a time in the twentieth century when the everyman aspired to high culture and when intellectuals descended from the ivory tower to speak to the everyman. Author Daniel J. Flynn profiles some of the thinkers from working-class backgrounds who played a prominent role in American life by addressing their intellectual work to a mass audience.

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated biography celebrating the life and legacy of a renowned Italian artistIn this illustrated biography of the late Italian artist, Livio Orazio Valentini, Robert E. Alexander and John A. Elliott celebrate the life and legacy of the renowned painter and sculptor while acknowledging his special relationship with the people of Aiken, South Carolina.Born to a poor family in 1920, Valentini lived most of his life in Orvieto, Italy. With no money for a formal education, he became a self-taught artist. At the age of twenty, Valentini was called into military service during World War II. After being captured by the Germans, he was confined in Buchenwald and other concentration camps, where he endured two years of physical labor. For Valentini the confinement was life-changing; he experienced a spiritual awakening that became a lifelong odyssey reflected in his art and teaching.Valentini’s art and even his existence centered on his efforts to find freedom. His paintings, charcoal sketches, and sculptures formed from terracotta, forged iron, tile, or stone are often a statement on the human condition, germination and rebirth, and the negativity and violence of humanity. Valentini often spoke about injustice and oppression through the metaphor of a caged bird, explaining how compassion could overcome cruelty and art could bring healing and hope to conquer fear.While Valentini’s art was well known in Italy and other European countries, it was relatively unknown in the United States until the 1990s, when Aiken, South Carolina, and Orvieto, Italy, became linked after a chance meeting between Valentini and a fellow Rotary Club member from Aiken vacationing in Orvieto. The connection blossomed into a multifaceted exchange program for students and citizens that has celebrated culture and art, including Valentini’s.

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Book SynopsisInvalid teenager LeRoy Wiley Gresham left a seven-volume diary spanning the years of secession and the Civil War (1860-1865). He was just 12 when he began and he died at 17, just weeks after the war ended. His remarkable account, recently published as The War Outside My Window: The Civil War Diary of LeRoy Wiley Gresham, 1860-1865, edited by Janet E. Croon (2018), spans the gamut of life events that were of interest to a precocious and well-educated Southern teenager—including military, political, religious, social, and literary matters of the day. This alone ranks it as an important contribution to our understanding of life and times in the Old South. But it is much more than that. Chronic disease and suffering stalk the young writer, who is never told he is dying until just before his death. Dr. Rasbach, a graduate of Johns Hopkins medical school and a practicing general surgeon with more than three decades of experience, was tasked with solving the mystery of LeRoy’s disease. Like a detective, Dr. Rasbach peels back the layers of mystery by carefully examining the medical-related entries. What were LeRoy’s symptoms? What medicines did doctors prescribe for him? What course did the disease take, month after month, year after year? The author ably explores these and other issues in I Am Perhaps Dying to conclude that the agent responsible for LeRoy’s suffering and demise turns out to be Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a tiny but lethal adversary of humanity since the beginning of recorded time. In the second half of the nineteenth century, tuberculosis was the deadliest disease in the world, accounting for one-third of all deaths. Even today, a quarter of the world’s population is infected with TB, and the disease remains one of the top ten causes of death, claiming 1.7 million lives annually, mostly in poor and underdeveloped countries. While the young man was detailing the decline and fall of the Old South, he was also chronicling his own horrific demise from spinal TB. These five years of detailed entries make LeRoy’s diary an exceedingly rare (and perhaps unique) account from a nineteenth century TB patient. LeRoy’s diary offers an inside look at a fateful journey that robbed an energetic and likeable young man of his youth and life. I Am Perhaps Dying adds considerably to the medical literature by increasing our understanding of how tuberculosis attacked a young body over time, how it was treated in the middle nineteenth century, and the effectiveness of those treatments.

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Book SynopsisThe medical profession is rich in those who have made names for themselves outside of medicine. The fields of literature, exploration, business, sport, entertainment, and beyond abound with doctors whose interests lie outside medicine. This book, largely written by members of the medical profession, examines the efforts of doctors in non-medical fields. The doctors discussed here are those who are, or were, well-known to the public for their contributions to their non-medical fields of choice. In many cases, the public may have been unaware that a subject was medically qualified. This book provides wide-ranging and comprehensive biographical sketches of forty-two doctors who are best known to the public for their contributions to fields outside of medicine.Trade ReviewDoctors of Another Calling, edited by Cooper, is a type of reference book. More than 25 professional contributors, most with medical degrees, provide brief profiles of selected physicians as well as a few key individuals who studied medicine but made contributions in numerous other disciplines, such as literature and the arts, politics, and nonmedical science fields. The 40-plus biographies average about ten pages in length and are in chronological order starting with the apostle Luke. The youngest physician presented in the collection is contemporary novelist Khaled Hosseini. Other noteworthy individuals featured include Dante, Roger Bannister, Keats, Che Guevara, and A. J. Cronin, to mention a few. Each account covers the dual life of the male personage considered. No women are identified. Entries contain sources for further readings and portraits of the respective individuals. A valuable resource for history of medicine collections. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels. * CHOICE *Table of ContentsCONTENTS Foreword (Howard Dean, MD) Acknowledgements (David K.C. Cooper) Table of Contents List of Illustrations Introduction (David K.C. Cooper) Chapter 1 St. Luke (1st century AD) –– The Most Widely-Read Physician (T. Jock Murray) Chapter 2 Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) –– Physician of the Soul (James E. Bailey) Chapter 3 Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) –– Celestial Physician (Michael E. Moran) Chapter 4 John Locke (1632–1704) –– Philosopher and Political Theorist (Barry Silverman) Chapter 5 Hans Sloane (1660–1753) –– The Ultimate Collector (Paul Berman) Chapter 6 Thomas Dover (1660–1742) –– Buccaneer on the High Seas (David K.C. Cooper) Chapter 7 Physician Patriots –– The Doctors Who Signed the American Declaration of Independence: Josiah Bartlett (1729–1795), Lyman Hall (1724–1790), Benjamin Rush (1745–1813), Matthew Thornton (1714–1803), Oliver Wolcott (1726–1797) (James R. Johnston) Chapter 8 Mungo Park (1771–1806) –– Explorer of West Africa (Robert P. Turk) Chapter 9 Thomas Young (1773–1829) –– The Smartest Person Ever? (Michael E. Moran) Chapter 10 Peter Mark Roget (1779–1869) –– And His Thesaurus (T. Jock Murray) Chapter 11 John Keats (1795–1821) –– Romantic Poet (Joseph B. VanderVeer Jr.) Chapter 12 Abraham Gesner (1797–1864) –– Father of the Petroleum Industry (T. Jock Murray) Chapter 13 Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809–1894) –– Writer and Philosopher (Charles S. Bryan) Chapter 14 David Livingstone (1813–1873) –– Explorer of Africa (Mabel L. Purkerson) Chapter 15 Alexander Borodin (1834–1887) –– Russian Composer (Paul Berman) Chapter 16 William Chester Minor (1834–1920) –– Murderer and Maestro of Words (Clyde Partin) Chapter 17 John Henry “Doc” Holliday (1851–1887) –– Tombstone Legend (Sandra W. Moss) Chapter 18 John Harvey Kellogg (1852–1943) –– Of Cereal Fame (J. Gordon Frierson) Chapter 19 Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) –– Creator of Sherlock Holmes (James G. Ravin) Chapter 20 Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) –– Russian Writer (Joseph B. VanderVeer Jr.) Chapter 21 Leonard Wood (1860–1927) –– Controversial Military Leader (J. Gordon Frierson and Daniel Morgan) Chapter 22 Sun Yat-sen (1866–1925) –– Reformer and Revolutionary (J. Gordon Frierson) Chapter 23 Edward Wilson (1872–1912) –– Antarctic Explorer, Painter, and Naturalist (Jessie L. Ternberg) Chapter 24 W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) –– Teller of Tales (Angela Nicholls) Chapter 25 Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965) –– Organist, Theologian, and Nobel Laureate (J. Michael Fuller) Chapter 26 Archibald Joseph (A. J.) Cronin (1896–1981) –– Best-selling Novelist (Peter E. Dans) Chapter 27 Jules Stein (1896–1981) –– Visionary Extraordinaire (Rob H. Stone and Marvin J. Stone) Chapter 28 Armand Hammer (1898–1990) –– Businessman Extraordinaire (David K.C. Cooper) Chapter 29 Henry Stallard (1901–1973) –– The 1924 Paris Olympics and Chariots of Fire (John D. Bullock) Chapter 30 Boyd Neel (1905–1981) –– Medicine or Music? (C. Peter W. Warren) Chapter 31 Ernesto “Che” Guevara (1928–1967) –– Iconic Revolutionary (Amy L. Cooper) Chapter 32 Roger Bannister (1929– ) –– The Four-minute Mile (David K.C. Cooper) Chapter 33 Graham Chapman (1941–1989) –– From Medicine to Monty Python (David Cooper) Chapter 34 Abraham Verghese (1955– ) –– His Own Countries, His Own Profession (Joseph W. Lella) Chapter 35 Khaled Hosseini (1965– ) –– Novelist and Humanitarian (Joseph W. Lella) Medical students who did not complete their studies Chapter 36 Roald Amundsen (1872–1928) –– Polar Explorer (J. Michael Fuller) Chapter 37 Friedrich “Fritz” Kreisler (1875–1962) –– Violinist and Composer (J. Michael Fuller) Chapter 38 Lu Xun (1881–1936) –– The Pen Is Mightier Than the Scalpel (C. Peter W. Warren) Appendix 1 Who Could Have Been Chosen? (David K.C. Cooper) Appendix 2 Selected Physicians from Thomas Monro’s Collection of More Than Five- hundred Who Were Noted for Their Achievements Outside of Medicine (David K.C. Cooper) About the Contributors

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Book SynopsisThe inspiring life story of pioneering feminist artist, activist, and Buddhist teacher Mayumi Oda told through her own words and original thangka paintings.Sitting in meditation in front of a statue of Goddess Sarasvati, Mayumi Oda heard her say in a loud voice, "Stop the plutonium shipment!" After taking a stunned breath, Mayumi replied, "I can''t do that. I''m only an artist," and Sarasvati answered, "Help will be provided." This book is the culmination of a life devoted to responding to Sarasvati''s call to cultivate a path of peace, justice, and compassion. Known as the "Matisse of Japan," Mayumi Oda is a painter, environmental activist, and Buddhist practitioner whose life reflects both the brilliance and shadows of modernity. Sarasvati''s Gift explores her upbringing in Japan, her tumultuous marriage and the death of her son, her immigration to the country responsible for the destruction of her home, her inspiration for both her Buddhist practice and her art, and ultimately her commitment to the planet that gives her life both hope and meaning. This raw, heartfelt, and powerful memoir shares Mayumi''s story of finding her place and her mission to transform the world.

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Book SynopsisA hilarious look at the aging baby boomer generation from the author the Spectator labelled 'what happens when America does Grumpy Old Men'.The Baby Boom - over-sized, overwrought, overbearing, and all over the place, from Donovan to Obama. The generation that said with a straight face, 'We are the world.'What's so funny about peace, love and understanding? Ask the generation responsible for the fall of the Berlin Wall and their knickers. Who put their faith in the Kyoto Accord and disco. Who dropped out of the capitalist system and popped back again in time to cause a global financial crisis.How did the Baby Boom become what it is and who let them get away with it?Trade ReviewP.J. O'Rourke's Baby Boom may just be his best book ever. Teems with heart and humor - much of it laugh out loud, or as the post-boomers would say, LOL - as well as with his trademark brilliant social commentary. A terrific American memoir, in tone a beguiling mix of Jean Shepherd and "Animal House." In fact, I'm going to revise my prior statement and say flat-out that this is O'Rourke's best book ever, which is a saying a lot. * Christopher Buckley, author of Thank You For Smoking *PJ O'Rourke is the rarest of breeds; a veteran rightwinger who is both funny and clever but not bitter at all... It's very funny, utterly thought-provoking...O'Rourke emerges as a hero for admitting what few of his generation dare to. * The Times *Few journalists are as bold and iconoclastic as PJ O'Rourke... Thoroughly entertaining. * Mail on Sunday *Like all the best memoirs, it stirs suppressed memories in the reader...This man writes like a dream * Spectator *Simultaneously hilarious and brainy * Chicago Tribune *P.J. O'Rourke is a reformed baby boomer. In his latest offering, he turns his satirical wit on his own generation. His observations and analysis are, by turns, insightful and hilarious. * The Washington Times *There is a booming quality to O'Rourke and his work. Loud eruptions of irreverent laughter. * Weekend Australian *

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Book SynopsisThis eye-opening personal history tells the story of an American college professor's twenty-year engagement with a thriving Africa rarely encountered by Western visitors, including an extraordinary connection to poets across the continent. At once adventurous, spiritual, political, dreamlike, and humorous, Joining Africa is a unique documentary of a journey through the continent, including an intense five-year encounter with economically struggling but culturally fertile Eritrea. The Africa presented here is neither a postcolonial study nor an exotic tourist destination. It is rich with the voices of its people, whose languages, Cantalupo argues, have greater potential to effect change than any NGO or high-profile celebrity. In vibrant prose, Cantalupo's book extends a stirring invitation to reevaluate how we engage -- both individually and collectively -- with this remarkable part of the world.

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Book SynopsisIn 1985, desiring a meaningful, high-paced career in public service, Rachel Wentz left her university studies to become a firefighter/paramedic. Only the eighth woman hired by the Orlando Fire Department, a highly competitive department steeped in tradition, Wentz excelled, completing an AS in Fire Science, a master’s degree in public administration, and numerous specialized training courses to prepare her for an administrative position within the department. Wentz spent eleven years with OFD, experiencing a career that was every bit as exciting and challenging as she had sought. A moving, candid, and eloquent memoir, Let Burn recounts her experiences as a firefighter/paramedic, during which time she witnessed aspects of life and death few people are privy to, experiences that shaped her as a professional and as a person. From the rigorous demands of training to the extraordinary calls Wentz responded to, Let Burn details the gratifying aspects of the field, but also demonstrates the precarious nature of the job: a heated altercation at the scene of an industrial fire leads to Wentz losing almost everything she’s worked for and the dramatic end of a storied career. In vivid detail, Let Burn provides a firsthand glimpse into the hidden world of firefighting and emergency medicine.

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Book SynopsisPrivilege and Prejudice is a stereotype-defying autobiography. It reveals a Black man whose good fortune in birth and heritage and opportunity of time and place helped him to forge breakthroughs in four separate careers. Clifton R. Wharton Jr. entered Harvard at age 16. The first Black student accepted to the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins, he went on to receive a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago - another first.For twenty-two years he promoted agricultural development in Latin America and Southeast Asia, earning a post as chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation. He again pioneered higher education firsts as president of Michigan State University and chancellor of the sixty-four-campus State University of New York system. As chairman and CEO of TIAA-CREF, he was the first Black CEO of a Fortune 500 company. His commitment to excellence culminated in his appointment as deputy secretary of state during the Clinton administration.A remarkable story of persistence and courage, Privilege and Prejudice also documents the challenges of competing in a society where obstacles, negative expectations, and stereotypical thinking remained stubbornly in place. An absorbing and candid narrative, it describes a most unusual childhood, a remarkable family, and a historic career.

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Book SynopsisAn account of the community development programs of the Black Consciousness movement in South Africa, covering the emergence of the movement’s ideas and practices in the context of the late 1960s and early 1970s, then analysing how activists refined their practices, mobilized resources, and influenced people through their work.The book examines this history primarily through the Black Community Programs organization and its three major projects: the yearbook Black Review, the Zanempilo Community Health Center, and the Njwaxa leatherwork factory. As opposed to better-known studies of antipolitical, macroeconomic initiatives, this book shows that people from the so-called global South led development in innovative ways that promised to increase social and political participation. It particularly explores the power that youth, women, and churches had in leading change in a hostile political environment.With this new perspective on a major liberation movement, Hadfield not only causes us to rethink aspects of African history but also offers lessons from the past for African societies still dealing with developmental challenges similar to those faced during apartheid.

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Book SynopsisFrancis Pegahmagabow (1889–1952), an Ojibwe of the Caribou clan, was born in Shawanaga First Nation, Ontario. Enlisting at the onset of the First World War, he served overseas as a scout and sniper and became Canada’s most decorated Indigenous soldier. After the war, Pegahmagabow settled in Wasauksing First Nation, Ontario, where he married and raised six children. He served his community as both Chief and Councillor and was a founding member of the Brotherhood of Canadian Indians, the first national Indigenous political organization. In 1949 and 1950, he was elected the Supreme Chief of the National Indian Government.Francis Pegahmagabow’s stories describe many parts of his life and are characterized by classic Ojibwe narrative. They reveal aspects of Francis’s Anishinaabe life and worldview. Interceding chapters by Brian McInnes provide valuable cultural, spiritual, linguistic, and historical insights that give a greater context and application for Francis’s words and world. Presented in their original Ojibwe as well as in English translation, the stories also reveal a rich and evocative relationship to the lands and waters of Georgian Bay.In Sounding Thunder, Brian McInnes provides a new perspective on Pegahmagabow and his experience through a unique synthesis of Ojibwe oral history, historical record, and Pegahmagabow family stories.

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Book SynopsisThis book is the first to question both why and how the colonialist mythologies represented by the work of photographer Eliot Elisofon persist. It documents and discusses a heterogeneous practice of American coloniality of power as it explores Elisofon’s career as war photographer-correspondent and staff photographer for LIFE, filmmaker, author, artist, and collector of “primitive art” and sculpture.It focuses on three areas: Elisofon’s narcissism, voyeurism, and sexism; his involvement in the homogenizing of Western social orders and colonial legacies; and his enthused mission of “sending home” a mass of still-life photographs, annexed African artifacts, and assumed vintage knowledge. The book does not challenge his artistic merit or his fascinating personality; what it does question is his production and imagining of “difference”.As the text travels from World War II to colonialism, postcolonialism, and the Cold War, from Casablanca to Leopoldville (Kinshasa), it proves to be a necessarily strenuous and provocative trip.

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Book SynopsisCreative non-fiction writers wrestle constantly with the boundaries of creative license - what to reveal, when to reveal it, and how best to do it. While the truth inspire us to make confident assertions, secrets, lies, and half-truths inspire us to delve further into our own writing to discover the heart of the story.The pieces in this collection feature essayists who do this type of detective work. Each essay contains a secret, lie, or half-truth - some of these are revealed by the author, but others remain buried. Ranging from the deep family secret to the little white lie, from the shocking to the humourous, and from the straightforward revelation to the slanted half-truth, these essays ask us to appreciate the magnitude of keeping a secret. They also ask us to consider the obstacles writers must overcome if they want to write about secrets in their own lives and the lives of others.In short interviews following each essay the contributors discuss craft, ethics, creativity, and how they eventually decided to reveal - or not reveal - a secret.

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Book SynopsisBarbara von Haeften’s memoir provides us with a moving account of the life of her husband Hans Bernd von Haeften, a lawyer, diplomat, and member of the Kreisau Circle resistance group in Nazi Germany. The Kreisau Circle participated in the assassination attempt of Hitler on July 20, 1944, carried out by Claus von Stauffenberg and Werner von Haeften, Hans’s brother. The Circle had also developed extensive plans for a new government to be put into place after the removal of Hitler.Drawing on personal letters and clear memories, this biography describes the life and political activity of an extraordinary man who was executed in the struggle to save Germany from the disastrous consequences of Hitler’s regime, and it sheds light on Barbara von Haeften’s knowledge of and participation in the resistance movement.

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Book SynopsisIn this work, Carl Anthony shares his perspectives as an African-American child in post-World War II Philadelphia; a student and civil rights activist in 1960s Harlem; a traveling student of West African architecture; and an architect, planner, and environmental justice advocate in Berkeley. He contextualizes this within American urbanism and human origins, making profoundly personal both African American and American urban histories as well as planetary origins and environmental issues, to not only bring a new worldview to people of color, but to set forth a truly inclusive vision of our shared planetary future. The Earth, the City, and the Hidden Narrative of Race connects the logics behind slavery, community disinvestment, and environmental exploitation to address the most pressing issues of our time in a cohesive and foundational manner. Most books dealing with these topics and periods silo issues apart from one another, but this book contextualizes the connections between social movements and issues, providing tremendous insight into successful movement building. Anthony's rich narrative describes both being at the mercy of racism, urban disinvestment, and environmental injustice as well as fighting against these forces with a variety of strategies. Because this work is both a personal memoir and an exposition of ideas, it will appeal to those who appreciate thoughtful and unique writing on issues of race, including individuals exploring their own African American identity, as well as progressive audiences of organizations and community leaders and professionals interested in democratizing power and advancing equitable policies for low-income communities and historically disenfranchised communities.

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Book SynopsisA thorough investigation of how Jane Jacobs’s ideas about the life and economy of great cities grew from her home city, Scranton Jane Jacobs’s First City vividly reveals how this influential thinker and writer’s classic works germinated in the once vibrant, mid-size city of Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Jane spent her initial eighteen years. In the 1920s and 1930s, Scranton was a place of enormous diversity and opportunity. Small businesses of all kinds abounded and flourished, quality public education was available to and supported by all, and even recent immigrants could save enough to buy a house. Opposing political parties joined forces to tackle problems, and citizens worked together for the public good. Through interviews with contemporary Scrantonians and research of historic newspapers, city directories, and vital records, author Glenna Lang has uncovered Scranton as young Jane experienced it and shows us the lasting impact of her growing up in this thriving and accessible environment. Readers can follow the development of Jane’s acute observational abilities from childhood through her passion in early adulthood to understand and write about what she saw. Reflecting Jane’s belief in trusting one’s own direct observation above all, this volume has been richly illustrated with historic and modern color images that help bring alive a lost Scranton. The book demonstrates why, at the end of Jacobs’s life, her thoughts and conversations increasingly returned to Scranton and the potential for cohesion and inclusiveness in all cities.Trade Review"A fascinating and wonderfully written book that shows how Scranton played an enormous role in shaping Jane Jacobs's thinking about urban life. It reframes not only who Jacobs was, but also what Scranton was in the early 20th-century." -- Mark Hirsch, senior historian at the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution"Jane Jacobs’s First City is a brilliant work of scholarship that convincingly shows how Jane Jacobs’s canonical works developed in the historic, mid-sized city of Scranton. It is clearly a labor of love, of great dedication, and filled with appreciation for all of its subjects, not only Jane Butzner [Jacobs]. The overwhelmingly new material, brilliantly contextualized, will have a lasting impact." -- Peter Laurence, Clemson University, author of Becoming Jane Jacobs"Few would dispute that Jane Jacobs has changed the way generations see and experience cities. But no one before Glenna Lang has probed so fully where Jacobs herself gained that vision. In this beautifully composed, deeply researched, and fascinating twin portrait of Jacobs and her hometown of Scranton, Lang reveals how this medium-size city built on anthracite coal shaped an urban ideal that would ultimately reverberate worldwide." -- Lizabeth Cohen, author of Saving America’s Cities: Ed Logue and the Struggle to Renew Urban America in the Suburban Age"In your hands is a cornucopia of discoveries, one excavation after another about how and what Jane came to know about the connection between cities and the people who live in them. Here’s a snapshot of five-year-old Jane Jacobs in her father’s open-air car, in Scranton – Jane in a car for goodness’ sake – on the street where she grew up, or a description of teenager Jane at the top of the stairs, listening to her father with his medical colleagues in the living room below, discussing the new ideas of Dr. Freud. These were secrets until Glenna Lang dug them out. What luck!" -- Max Allen, Jane Jacobs’s producer for the Massey Lectures on CBC Radio and editor of Ideas That Matter: The Worlds of Jane Jacobs"This book is well written and wise. I felt a nostalgic yearning for a Scranton of this era, which is the America that produced my mother’s side of the family. It restores and presents Scranton in all its subdued glory with ordinary men, women, and children going about their daily business, creating, as though Muybridge had photographed it, the mosaic of Scranton life, with its resplendent color and texture, so deeply American. We need to think about what this means to us, especially at the present moment." -- Chandos Brown, Professor of History and American Studies, College of William and Mary"Glenna Lang paints a compelling picture of Scranton’s rich history and community-centered way of life, and how these molded Jane Jacobs's influential ideas and writing about cities. Jane Jacobs’s First City illustrates Scranton as an attractive place to raise a family, make an impact in the community, and develop lifelong relationships—all of which remain true to this day, and which we continue to foster and embrace." -- Paige Gebhardt Cognetti, Mayor, City of Scranton

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Book SynopsisA vivid portrait collection of past and present Americans speaking truth to power The first volume of Robert Shetterly's Americans Who Tell the Truth portrait series, Portraits of Racial Justice takes a multimedia, interdisciplinary approach, blending art and history with today’s issues concerning social, environmental, and economic fairness. Shetterly's paintings, as well as profiles of those portrayed, illuminate a community of people not only willing to recognize the shortcomings of America’s history, but most importantly, individuals who offer their visions of a better world moving forward. Starting with Michelle Alexander and ending with Dave Zirin, the diverse array of fifty full-color portraits spans multiple generations and struggles. This volume also includes four original opening essays on racial justice in the United States by Ai-jen Poo, Dave Zirin, Sherri Mitchell, and Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., which provide an intersectional response to the long-term goal of diversity and inclusion. As Shetterly says, “without activism, hope is merely sentimental.” Portraits of Racial Justice, Shetterly’s homage to transformative game-changers and status-quo fighters, provides the inspiration necessary to spark social change.Trade Review"The work of Robert Shetterly is the work of a brilliant artist who cares about a living, breathing democracy of the people, by the people, and for the people—and not being saddled to a brittle history of the past. Inspired by vibrant paths of engagement, Shetterly’s Portraits of Racial Justice is a loving chronicle of charismatic change in the name of transformative and passionate leadership across disciplines, race, gender, and beliefs. This project is more than a series of spirited portraits, it is a masterpiece of revolutionary ideas." -- Terry Tempest Williams"I'm lucky enough to know some of these great heroes, and can testify that Robert Shetterly has captured not just their likeness but their essence. These portraits inspire and comfort, reminding us of how many fine people have built our history, and how possible it is for the rest of us to emulate them." -- Bill McKibben"Situated powerfully and beautifully at the intersection of art and history, Portraits of Racial Justice: Americans Who Tell the Truth inspires, teaches, and captivates. The visually spectacular work highlighting the courage of Americans past and present who dared to advocate for a more just world serves as a reminder of the roads we have traveled and offers hope for future generations in the ongoing struggle for justice, human rights, equality, and equity. The individuals featured in this series and book demand integrity and compel us all to carry forward the work of past generations." -- LaVonda N. Reed"What history do you stand on? What future do you stand for? Robert Shetterly’s dazzling portraits cut through the gauzy cotton wool that entangles us, shake us awake from the deep American sleep of denial, and invite us to question the taken-for-granted as we rise up and move beyond the United States of Amnesia. Here are the peace-makers and the freedom fighters, the dissidents and dissenters, the loving rebels and the justice-seeking radicals—those who know that in an era of ‘alternate facts,’ duplicity and fraud, the simple truth can itself be revolutionary, and the fundamental, first questions can become our guide: Who are your people? Who do you claim? Where do we want to go?" -- Bill Ayers"This book is a fierce concentration of moral truth. It breaks down the borders of false supremacy—white, male, and otherwise—that too many people too easily accept as ‘reality.’ The heart of a sane future beats within." -- Bob Koehler"If you want inspiration in these challenging times, you could do no better than the portraits of patriots in Americans Who Tell the Truth. From leaders in the early days of the civil rights movement to the heroes and heroines in the current fight for racial justice, Rob Shetterly brings to life people whose work has been to build a more just world, and to whom we are all indebted." -- Cecile Richards"Teachers: Introduce your students to Robert Shetterly’s magnificent portraits of racial justice and invite young people to join the current of conscience that flows through our history. How can one not feel hope when surrounded by these defiant truth-tellers—painted by Shetterly with love and respect. This book is a gift to educators; it belongs in every classroom in the United States." -- Bill Bigelow

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Book SynopsisAn homage to the life of poet, writer, and teaching artist Judith Tannenbaum and her impact on incarcerated and marginalized students. The Book of Judith honors Judith Tannenbaum but also reflects, through both form and content, on the complexities of seeing both the parts and the whole. The book presents different aspects of Judith—poet, teaching artist, friend, mentor, colleague—through a collection of original poetry, prose, essay, illustration, and fiction from 33 contributors. In so doing, it echoes her own determination to perceive contradiction without judgment. For the next generation of teaching artists in Corrections and elsewhere, the book serves as an inspiration on the qualities needed to survive and thrive in a multi-faceted, ever-changing environment. The book is divided into four sections, separated by riveting black and white pencil drawings inspired by the lives of those serving life in prison without possibility of parole. In Unfinished Conversations, contributors share their bond with Judith Tannenbaum through prose and excerpts from letters both real and imagined. In the second section, After December, poets reflect on the life, artistry, and legacy of Judith. The third section, Looking and Listening, focuses on the truth-seeking qualities that Judith brought to her work. The fourth section, Legacy, features work from winners of an award and a fellowship bestowed in her name.Trade ReviewThe ecosystem left in Judith Tannenbaum's wake is a colorful network of creative minds, burning hearts and artists who walk through walls: literally, and metaphorically. To be dropped into The Book of Judith is to understand what it means to be an artist-in-motion: oozing with creativity, taking risks, and crossing lines of difference to kindle the flame of connection. Judith set the path for many of us working in prisons: her legacy is a gift, inspiration, and teacher. Bless this book, and Judith's comrade Spoon for compiling it. May we all become richer teachers and learners, mentors, and friends. May we become more like Judith. -- Caits Meissner, writer and Director of Prison and Justice Writing, PEN AmericaClosing love's circuits and facilitating its flow was truly Judith's thing. All too often, women who nurture and bring forth the beauty in the world go unsung. Thank goddess, in this book, that is not the case. -- Ani DiFranco, singer, songwriter, founder of Righteous Babe Records and author of No Walls and the Recurring DreamThe Book of Judith contains remembrances of someone who gave so much to so many. And it is more—a call to action, a call to community, and a call, in so many ways, to our soul-making. The people who were touched by Judith Tannenbaum give testimony to what one person can do —with persistence, patience, and passion. It is a diverse record with poetry, memoir, storytelling, and love letters. As Spoon Jackson said, Judith waited and ‘found wisdom in silence’ and then ‘she ignited our fire.’ The giant of California literature, Luis Rodriguez, was enlisted by Judith, in the work of prison arts and finally knew ‘I am in her revolution, a rhyme warrior, who also teaches the forgotten …’ This book is in many ways a map to our own change as well as to transforming a brutal world. -- Laurie Brooks, Executive Director and Arts Administrator, William James Association

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Book SynopsisAn homage to the life of poet, writer, and teaching artist Judith Tannenbaum and her impact on incarcerated and marginalized students. The Book of Judith honors Judith Tannenbaum but also reflects, through both form and content, on the complexities of seeing both the parts and the whole. The book presents different aspects of Judith—poet, teaching artist, friend, mentor, colleague—through a collection of original poetry, prose, essay, illustration, and fiction from 33 contributors. In so doing, it echoes her own determination to perceive contradiction without judgment. For the next generation of teaching artists in Corrections and elsewhere, the book serves as an inspiration on the qualities needed to survive and thrive in a multi-faceted, ever-changing environment. The book is divided into four sections, separated by riveting black and white pencil drawings inspired by the lives of those serving life in prison without possibility of parole. In Unfinished Conversations, contributors share their bond with Judith Tannenbaum through prose and excerpts from letters both real and imagined. In the second section, After December, poets reflect on the life, artistry, and legacy of Judith. The third section, Looking and Listening, focuses on the truth-seeking qualities that Judith brought to her work. The fourth section, Legacy, features work from winners of an award and a fellowship bestowed in her name.Trade Review""The ecosystem left in Judith Tannenbaum's wake is a colorful network of creative minds, burning hearts, and artists who walk through walls, literally and metaphorically. Judith set the path for many of us working in prisons—her legacy is a gift, inspiration, and teacher."" -- Caits Meissner * writer and Director of Prison and Justice Writing, PEN America *""Closing love's circuits and facilitating its flow was truly Judith's thing. All too often, women who nurture and bring forth the beauty in the world go unsung. Thank goddess, in this book, that is not the case." " -- Ani DiFranco * singer, songwriter, founder of Righteous Babe Records and author of No Walls and The Recurring Dream *"“The Book of Judith contains remembrances of someone who gave so much to so many. And it is more— a call to action, a call to community, and a call, in so many ways, to our soul-making. The people who were touched by Judith Tannenbaum give testimony to what one person can do — with persistence, patience, and passion. It is a diverse record with poetry, memoir, storytelling, and love letters. As Spoon Jackson said, Judith waited and ‘found wisdom in silence’ and then ‘she ignited our fire.’ The giant of California literature, Luis Rodriguez, was enlisted by Judith, in the work of prison arts and finally knew ‘I am in her revolution, a rhyme warrior, who also teaches the forgotten ...’ This book is in many ways a map to our own change as well as to transforming a brutal world.” " -- Laurie Brooks * Executive Director and Arts Administrator, William James Association *"The Book of Judith is a series of prose and poetic remembrances of Judith Tannenbaum, a California-based poet who taught poetry to prisoners—to much acclaim—at San Quentin, just north of her Bay Area home. Importantly, Tannenbaum was also a national voice on the methods and values of her teaching, and a mentor, often from a distance, for many men and women who were also teaching at prisons across the country. The Book of Judith enticingly sketches aspects of her holistic (“larger picture”) approach." * Journal of Community Justice *

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Book SynopsisFive compelling essays and fifty stunning portraits and profiles of American environmental activists This second volume in the Americans Who Tell the Truth series features Robert Shetterly's magnificent color portraits and profiles of fifty environmental and climate activists—people who diagnose the truth of the greatest crisis humanity has ever confronted and take action. The book also features original essays by revered environmentalists Bill McKibben, Leah Penniman, Diane Wilson, Bill Bigelow, and Robin Wall Kimmerer, whose words illuminate the plight and its causes, and point a way forward. Along with the genocide of Indigenous peoples and the institution of slavery, the third tragic and persistent mistake of the leaders of this country was to attempt to separate economic and political culture from the laws of nature—to operate on the basis that nature could be exploited endlessly for profit. The damage done to the Earth and to the future of life on the planet is incalculable. The people portrayed here have bought warnings, offered solutions, and organized movements to restore ecological sanity.Trade Review"Americans Who Tell the Truth offers much-needed rays of hope in times made dark by the climate crisis and deep inequality. It provides uplifting portraits, both verbal and pictorial, of courageous activists who have devoted their lives to the fight for climate justice. " -- —David M. Driesen, University Professor, Syracuse University College of Law; author, The Specter of Dictatorship"Portraits of Earth Justice illuminates the humanity of forward-thinking advocates taking critical bold actions on the challenge of our lifetime: the climate crisis. At a time when democracy and the very life support systems of humanity are threatened, let these beautiful faces and works inspire you to keep rising up, or rise up for the first time, to preserve our rights and this beautiful and sustaining planet for all of our children and future generations. " -- Julia Olson, Executive Director and Chief Legal Counsel, Our Children’s Trust"Through Robert Shetterly'ss masterful portraits of brilliant women and men activists in the work of doing justice to the soil and the plants and animals we need to nurture, and through their passionate essays imploring us to cherish instead of despoil the only Earth we have, this book empowers us. Like the words of Sandra Steingraber inscribed in her portrait, 'We are all musicians in a great human orchestra, and it is now time to play the Save the World Symphony.' " -- Peter Davis, Academy Award winning filmmaker, author of Girl of My Dreams"It is rare that you come across a book as stunningly impactful as Portraits of Earth Justice. The essays by this diverse cast of environmental protagonists are riveting and Rob Shetterly’s portraits of people who love and care for the earth are piercing in their beauty and depth of character. I can’t think of a better way to move people, particularly young people, from despair about the climate crisis to empowerment and inspiration than sharing this gift to Mother Earth that Rob Shetterly has created. " -- Medea Benjamin, author and cofounder of CODEPINK: Women for Peace

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Book SynopsisA beloved film comedienne who worked alongside the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, and dozens of others, Thelma Todd was a rare Golden Age star who successfully crossed over from silent films to talkies. This authoritative new biography traces Todd’s life from a vivacious little girl who tried to assuage her parents’ grief over her brother’s death, to an aspiring teacher turned reluctant beauty queen, to an outspoken movie starlet and restaurateur.Increasingly disenchanted with Hollywood, in 1934 Todd opened Thelma Todd’s Sidewalk CafÉ, a hot spot that attracted fans, tourists, and celebrities. Despite success in film and business, privately the beautiful actress was having a difficult year–receiving disturbing threats from a stranger known as the Ace and having her home ransacked–when she was found dead in a garage near her cafÉ. An inquest concluded that her death, at age just twenty-nine, was accidental, but in a thorough new investigation that draws on interviews, photographs, documents, and extortion notes–much of these not previously available to the public–Michelle Morgan offers a compelling new theory, suggesting the sequence of events on the night of her death and arguing what many people have long suspected: that Thelma was murdered.But by whom?The suspects include Thelma’s movie-director lover, her would-be-gangster ex-husband, and the thugs who were pressuring her to install gaming tables in her popular cafÉ–including a new, never-before-named mobster. This fresh examination on the eightieth anniversary of the star's death is sure to interest any fan of Thelma Todd, of Hollywood's Golden Age, or of gripping real-life murder mysteries.Trade Review"The Ice Cream Blonde is a riveting mystery about the death of Thelma Todd. It's also an eerie exploration of the Todd dichotomybreezy comedienne on the one hand; serious businesswoman with underworld connections on the other. Highly recommended." Robert Matzen, author of Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3" The Ice Cream Blonde gives an engaging and balanced look at the fascinating life and notorious death of Thelma Todd. Michelle Morgan proves once again that she is expert researcher who can tackle a controversial subject justly, and through her, Thelma Todd becomes much more than just a scandalous Hollywood footnote." Christina Rice, author Ann Dvorak: Hollywood's Forgotten Rebel"In Ice Cream Blonde , biographer Michelle Morgan shows us why Thelma Todd was so beloved to her family, co-workers, and fans. In the final riveting chapters, Morgan exposes the dangerous world Todd lived in and the shadowy figures she let into her life. Finally, 80 years after her death, we understand why Todd's last days were more unsettling and disturbing than any role Hollywood could have written for her." Michael G. Ankerich, author of Mae Murray: The Girl with the Bee-Stung Lips"I loved [author Michelle] Morgan's writing style; she makes Thelma Todd an accessible human being." On Wednesdays We Wear Capes"Morgan presents a biography sure to appeal to fans of Hollywood's Golden Era rich in significant details about Todd's life and aimed at ending speculation about the death of this versatile actress." Booklist"Morgan digs into the complexities of Thelma's last night, and the events that would follow, with a strong investigative eye." indieWIRE"a great read, and also timely." Huffington Post"Michelle Morgan weaves another insightful examination of a much maligned figure, highlighting the darkness but never ignoring the light surrounding Thelma Todd." Journeys in Classic Film"[For] anyone already acquainted with Todd and the controversy surrounding her death, the book offers a concise and thoughtful glimpse into an actress' untimely demise." Pre-code.com"Author Morgan does meticulous work, not only about all the strangeness surrounding Todd's death, but the actresses' slow, steady and mostly unsatisfying climb." New York Social Diary"A truly exceptional and impressively researched biography that reads as smoothly as any riveting suspense novel." The Midwest Book Review

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Book SynopsisWith a polished walking stick and neatly pressed trousers, Richard Halliburton served as an intrepid globetrotting guide for millions of Americans in the 1920s and ’30s. Readers waited with bated breath for each new article and book he wrote. During his career, Halliburton climbed the Matterhorn, nearly fell out of his plane while shooting the first aerial photographs of Mount Everest, and became the first person to swim the full length of the Panama Canal.With his matinee idol looks, the Tennessee native was a media darling in an era of optimism and increased social openness. But as the Great Depression and looming war pushed America toward social conservatism, Halliburton more actively worked to hide his homosexuality, burnishing his image as a masculine trailblazer. No middle ground existed regarding Halliburton—he was either adored or abhorred. Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald called the Princeton graduate a poseur, a symbol of nouveau riche depravity. But most found his daredevil persona irresistible.As chronicled in American Daredevil, Halliburton harnessed the media of his day to gain and maintain a widespread following long before our age of the twenty-four-hour news cycle, and thus became the first adventure journalist. And during the darkest hours of the Great Depression, Halliburton did something remarkable: he inspired generations of authors, journalists, and everyday people who dreamed of fame and glory to explore the world.Trade Review"A rollicking tale of the incredible saga of a man constantly searching for the next exploit and sharing them in his writings." Kirkus Reviews"Cathryn Prince has written a compelling, well researched account of an inspiring and largely overlooked life, a man who traversed the globe and wrote about all he saw with romance and flair. A sweet look back at a more innocent time, when the world called out to curious young men like Richard Halliburton." Neal Thompson, author of A Curious Man: The Strange & Brilliant Life of Robert "Believe It or Not!" Ripley"Between the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression, the writer-adventurer Richard Halliburton taught America to love the world without revealing his own heart. Prince's sensitive and unstinting portrait bottles his lightning and captures his tragedy." Christopher Heaney, author of Cradle of Gold: The Story of Hiram Bingham, a Real-Life Indiana Jones, and the Search for Machu Picchu"This is a good old-fashioned biography of an almost forgotten celebrity." Booklist"Journalist and author Cathryn J. Prince has done a very thorough job researching 'Romantic Richard' Halliburton, the story of his personal struggles, and why he chose to escape a traditional career and lifestyle. She tells his story in compelling details and, like its subject, it is never boring." New York Journal of Books"Cathryn Prince's thorough research and eye for detail have made Richard Halliburton believableand brought a fascinating, high-flying adventurer back to earth." Chicago Review of Books

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Book SynopsisSociety of Midland Authors Literary Award Finalist in Biography & Memoir Award-winning journalist Michele Weldon provides a potent antidote to the harried single mom stereotype in this beguiling memoir of raising three sons alone in the face of cancer, an ambitious career, and the shadow of her ex. Untethered from a seemingly idyllic life with a handsome but abusive attorney husband, Weldon relates the challenges and triumphs of the years that followed her divorce as she maneuvers through a complicated life of long daily commutes, radiation treatments, supporting the boys’ all-consuming high school wrestling careers, and trying to mitigate their hurt and resentment at an absent father. By turns humorous and heartbreaking, Weldon describes facing her fears and failures honestly, guided by a belief in the power of staying calm, doing one’s best, and asking for help. She provides a graceful example of how a single mother, and her children, can succeed when others—neighbors, family, teachers, and in this case an incredible high school wrestling coach—step in to fill the void and she can stay the course with common sense and dutiful love.Trade Review"Michele Weldon's memoir of raising three sons in the absence of their father brims with candor, humor, anger, and abundant tenderness. In the face of daunting challenges, mother and boys find grace and resilience from unexpected sources: the wrestling mat, and the extraordinary high school coach who redefines what makes a family." Nancy Horan , New York Times--bestselling author, Loving Frank and Under the Wide and Starry Sky"With affable, heartfelt text, Weldon shares the intimate details of her trial-and-error parenting of three competitive wrestlers, each in varying stages of resentment over their father's heartless disinterest in them." Kirkus Reviews"There are so many things to admire about Escape Points . The honesty. The heart. The compulsive readability. I don't know how Michele Weldon made wrestling, breast cancer, and single parenting tie together so naturally, so beautifully, but in fact each is a perfect metaphor for this book's message of soulful triumph." Elizabeth Berg, New York Times bestselling author of The Dream Lover"Escape Points is the riveting memoir of a mother and her sons, a compelling story of life, love, and family, told through the prism of the sport they adore, wrestling. Michele Weldon is a beautiful writer. This is a beautiful story." Christine Brennan, USA Today sports columnist and ABC News, CNN, and PBS commentator"Journalist and single mother Weldon is the Everyperson voice of parents everywhere who are raising children on their own for anyone who has been through a contentious divorce, or breast cancer, or child support battles, or kids' wrestling matches and cauliflower ears or anything similar, Weldon's voice will ring of truth and wisdom and hurt and, yes, the beauty of it all." Booklist"Weldon's honest reflectionssprinkled with humorous anecdotesread like a stream of consciousness, somehow relating cancer, divorce and motherhood to sports, all the while maintaining a strong undertone of hope." West Suburban Living

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Book SynopsisBorn Betsy Bowen into grinding poverty, the woman who reinvented herself as Eliza Jumel was raised in a brothel, indentured as a servant, and confined to a workhouse when her mother was in jail. Seizing opportunities and readjusting facts to achieve the security and status she so desperately craved, she obtained a fortune from her first husband, a French merchant, and nearly lost it to her second, the notorious vice president Aaron Burr. Divorcing Burr promptly amid lurid charges of adultery, she lived on triumphantly to the age of ninety, astutely managing her property and public persona.By the end of her life, “Madame Jumel” was one of New York’s richest women, with servants of her own, an art collection, an elegant mansion, a summer home in Saratoga Springs, and several hundred acres of land. After her death, a titanic battle over her estate went all the way to the United States Supreme Court . . . twice.As the feud over her fortune riveted the nation, family members told of a woman who earned the gratitude of Napoleon I and shone at the courts of Louis XVIII and Charles X. Their opponents painted a different picture, of a prostitute who bore George Washington’s illegitimate son, a wife who defrauded her husband and perhaps even plotted his death. Now Eliza Jumel’s real story—so unique that it surpasses any invention—has finally been told.Trade Review"Before Horatio Alger, there was Eliza Jumel. Her story has long been mired in mystery, scandal, innuendo, and outright fabrication. No more. Margaret Oppenheimer's deeply researched, trans-Atlantic biography moves Eliza Jumel from the shadowy margins to the central events of turn-of-the-nineteenth-century France and the United States. The Remarkable Rise of Eliza Jumel is just thata remarkable work of history." Timothy J. Gilfoyle, professor of history, Loyola University Chicago, associate editor, Journal of Urban History"An engaging and thoroughly researched account of the spectacular rags-to-riches rise of Eliza Jumel." Meryl Gordon, author of Mrs. Astor Regrets and The Phantom of Fifth Avenue"A true story that needs no invention, The Remarkable Rise of Eliza Jumel is a vivid narrative of the sacrifices that a woman makes as she acquires and holds onto a fortune in early America." Bill Dedman, coauthor of the New York Times bestselling Empty Mansions"Oppenheimer vibrantly recreates Eliza Jumel's rise from poverty to affluence, skillfully peeling away generations of rumors about this intelligent and resourceful woman." Publishers Weekly"[I]deal for researchers, history fans, or general readers interested in women's history, gender roles, or 19th-century New York society." Library Journal"Readers who thrive on stories about strong, independent women will find a kindred soul in Eliza Jumel." The New York Journal of Books"Presented in novel-like fashion, the book will appeal to all audiences. The narrative is punctuated with valuable information about cultural, economic, and political life in the US and France during that time, making it a useful primer on the era." Choice

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Book SynopsisCBC - NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Students K-12 2017 Meet 21 determined women who have dedicated their lives to healing others. In the 19th century, Florence Nightingale and Clara Barton—the “Lady with the Lamp” and the “Angel of the Battlefield”—earned their nicknames by daring to enter battlefields to aid wounded soldiers, forever changing the standards of medicine. Modern-day medical heroines such as Bonnie Simpson Mason, who harnessed the challenges of her chronic illness and founded an organization to introduce women and minorities to orthopedic surgery, and Kathy Magliato, who jumped the hurdles to become a talented surgeon in the male-dominated arena of heart transplants, will inspire any young reader interested in the art, science, and lifechanging applications of medicine. Lovers of adventure will follow Mary Carson Breckinridge, the “nurse on horseback” who delivered babies in the Appalachian Mountains and believed that everyone, including our poorest and most vulnerable citizens, deserve good health care, and Jerri Nielsen, the doctor stationed in Antarctica who, cut off from help, had to bravely treat her own breast cancer. These and 15 other daring women inspire with their courage, persistence, and belief in the power of both science and compassion. Packed with photos and informative sidebars and including source notes and a bibliography, Bold Women of Medicine is an invaluable addition to any student’s or aspiring doctor or nurse’s bookshelf.Trade Review"This volume provides an impressive overview of women in medicine" VOYA Magazine"The paths to the profession are myriad, and readers with an interest in helping and healing will find plenty of inspiration." Booklist Online"In the book Bold Women of Medicine I found inspiring careers and a way to share with students many amazing directions for their own future." NSTA Recommends"In this fascinating new title from the Women of Action series, young adult readers get to meet some of the daring and trailblazing women of the past two hundred years of medicine." A Mighty Girl"Likely to appeal mostly to readers who have a strong interest in the medical field." Kirkus Reviews"A read packed with brief yet thought-provoking stories of fearless women in medicine." School Library Journal"An interesting, thorough look at the lives, careers, and achievements of these inspirational women." Teen Librarian Toolbox, School Library Journal

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Book Synopsis Being the child of a global superstar is never easy. Being the daughter of the Godfather of Soul—that’s a category unto itself.Like every little girl, Yamma Brown wanted her father’s attention, but fame, drugs, jail, and the complicated women in James Brown’s life set the stage for an uncommon childhood. Cold Sweat is about how Yamma rose to meet every challenge. Though packed with celebrity appearances ranging from Michael Jackson to Al Sharpton, Cold Sweat is not just a celebrity book. It focuses on an everyday issue faced by millions of women—domestic violence—and in this book Yamma faces it in an honest and powerfully moving way. Dealing with a complex and famous father eventually took a backseat to coping with her own abusive and deceitful marriage. Cold Sweat is about how Yamma got caught in the same trap as her mother, doing things in her adult life that, as a child, she’d promised herself she’d never do. But at the same time, Yamma learned valuable lessons about life from her father. The struggles she went through, both as a child and as an adult, make for a gripping read and, in the end, a profound examination of the nature of celebrity, violence, and survival.Trade Review"Cold Sweat brought tears to my eyes as I read the powerful story of Yamma's journey. James Brown carried the gift of music that comes from God but also the burden of a life lived on the mountaintop. This book makes the price he paid all too clear." MC Hammer"This is a provocative, painful, and open book by Yamma Brown, whom I have known all her life as the daughter of a truly historic and incomparably influential figure. The world knew James Brown as a Godfather. Yamma knew him as a father. The good and the bad that she shared does not dim at the brightness of the greatness of James Brown." Rev. Al Sharpton"Yamma's riveting book sent chills down my spine, as I understand the experience of having to share a parent with the world. Her relationship with her father reveals insights into the depths of his spirit, and her profound perspective is a viewpoint unlike anyone else's." Maryum "May May" Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali"A heartwarming and authentic account of growing up the daughter of a true music legend. So well written and engaging that it should be required reading in all schools of music." Cathy Hughes, founder, Radio One"A raw and honest depiction of life behind the shadow of Yamma Brown's iconic father. This is a must read. I am truly honored to know Yamma and so proud of the bravery she's shown by sharing her story." Heather Hayes, daughter of Isaac Hayes

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Book SynopsisThe third of Judy Garland's five husbands, Sid Luft was the one man in her life who stuck around. He was chiefly responsible for the final act of Judy’s meteoric comeback after she was unceremoniously booted off the MGM lot: he produced her iconic, Oscar-nominated vehicle A Star Is Born and expertly shaped her concert career. Previously unpublished, Sid Luft’s intimate autobiography tells his and Judy’s story in hard-boiled yet elegant prose. It begins on a fateful night in New York City when the not quite divorced Judy Garland and the not quite divorced Sid Luft meet at Billy Reed’s Little Club and fall for each other. The romance lasted Judy’s lifetime, despite the separations, the reconciliations, and the divorce. Under Luft’s management, Judy came back bigger than ever, building a singing career that rivaled Sinatra’s. However, her drug dependencies and suicidal tendencies put a tremendous strain on the relationship. Sid did not complete his memoir; it ended in 1960 after Judy hired David Begelman and Freddie Fields to manage her career. But Randy L. Schmidt, acclaimed editor of Judy Garland on Judy Garland and author of Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter, seamlessly pieced together the final section of the book from extensive interviews with Sid, most previously unpublished. Despite everything, Sid never stopped loving Judy and never forgave himself for not being able to ultimately save her from the demons that drove her to an early death at age forty-seven in 1969. Sid served as chief conservator of the Garland legacy until his death at the age of eighty-nine in 2005. This is his testament to the love of his life.Trade Review"More than the love of his life, Judy Garland was Sid Luft's passion, and their tempestuous relationship was one of the great untold stories of the twentieth century. Garland left him, returned, and left him again, but Luft thought of Garland every day from when they met until the day he died, and it shows in this riveting page-turner of a memoir." Lawrence Schulman, music producer, critic, and translator"Sid Luft's long-awaited autobiography is finally here and doesn't disappoint. Judy Garland fans and fans of Hollywood's Golden Age will enjoy Luft's honesty and insight from his very unique vantage point. A definite must-read!" Scott Brogan, founder and webmaster of TheJudyRoom.com"Luft writes with neither sensation nor sentiment. Much like himself, his writing is masculine and unflinching. Imagine Hemingway writing about the girl from Oz. It makes for a pretty fascinating book." The Bay Area Reporter"Garland fanatics will gobble up [Luft's] detailed, insightful backstage accounts of Garland's classic late productions and gossipy tidbits about their social circle." Kirkus Reviews"In prose so brassy that it bruises the sensibilities, Luft, who died in 2005, illuminates the dark side of life in the spotlight and dispels any sentimental illusions about the glories of show business in Hollywood's classic age." The New Yorker"A rare glimpse into old Hollywood that you don't get to see these days..." Red Carpet Crash"[Luft's] writing is gutsy, honest and blunt." EDGE Media Network

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Book Synopsis“My dear Uncle Charles,” twenty-two-year-old Genevieve de Gaulle wrote on May 6, 1943. “Maybe you have already heard about the different events affecting the family.” The general’s brother Pierre had been taken by the Gestapo; his brother Xavier, Genevieve’s father, had escaped to Switzerland. Genevieve asked her uncle where she could be most useful—France? England? A French territory? When no response came immediately, she decided to stay in France to help carry out his call to resist the Nazis.Based on interviews with family members, former associates, prominent historians, and never-before-seen papers written by Genevieve de Gaulle, The General’s Niece is the first English-language biography of Charles de Gaulle’s niece, confidante, and daughter figure, Genevieve, to whom the legendary French general and president dedicated his war memoirs.Journalist Paige Bowers leads readers through the remarkable life of this young woman who risked death to become one of the most devoted foot soldiers of the French resistance. Beginning with small acts of defiance such as tearing down swastikas and pro-Vichy posters, she eventually ferried arms and false letters of transit to fellow resistants and edited and distributed the nation’s largest underground newspaper, until she was arrested and sent to the infamous Ravensbuck concentration camp. The General’s Niece reveals the horrors the young de Gaulle witnessed and endured there that could have broken her spirit but instead inspired her many remaining years of activism on behalf of former prisoners and of France’s neediest citizens.Finally emerging from the shadow of her famous uncle, the life of this little-known de Gaulle adds a fascinating layer to the history of the second world war, including the French resistance, the horrors of and unshakeable bonds formed at Ravensbruck, and the issues facing postwar France and its leaders.Trade Review"Paige Bowers is an emerging talent in narrative nonfiction/history, an intellectually curious reporter who has the ability to tell rich, well-researched stories about some of history's most fascinating people and events." Aminda Marques Gonzalez, executive editor of Miami Herald , member of the Pulitzer Prize Board, and former Miami bureau chief of People"This is such an inspiring story, written with clarity and conviction. Paige Bowers's excellent biography reveals Geneviève de Gaulle as one of the bravest and most dignified among young French resisters. At last, women who resisted the Nazis in France are being given the long-overdue recognition they deserve." Anne Sebba, author of Les Parisiennes"At once exhilarating and heartbreaking, captivating and horrifying, Bowers's account of Geneviève de Gaulle's journey from cautious defiance to full-blown resistance operative, through the horror of a concentration camp, to the even longer fight for a modern, egalitarian France is a timely, much-needed story of patriotism, courage, and the all-too-often ignored role of women in twentieth-century history." Bill Lascher, author of Eve of a Hundred Midnights"This stirring biography is a worthy epitaph for a woman who passionately believed that France should never forget its cherished values of justice and fraternity." Ronald C. Rosbottom, author of When Paris Went Dark"Paige Bowers delivers a story that is alternately pulse pounding and heart wrenching. With elegant style, Bowers gives Geneviève de Gaulle an independent identity, restoring her to her proper place in history." Theresa Kaminski, author of Angels of the Underground"A resistance fighter deported to Ravensbrück, Geneviève de Gaulle Anthonioz maintained her sanity through solidarity with her fellow female prisoners. After her return to France, she exorcised the psychological scars of her internment by dedicating herself to working with the unjustly marginalized. This book reminds one that a compassionate humanity is possible even in the face of unimaginable brutality. The General's Niece is essential reading." Rosemary Sullivan, author of Stalin's Daughter"An important and accessible addition to the always popular WWII history collection." Booklist

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Book SynopsisMore than seven years after his death, Michael Jackson continues to fascinate the world. Shana Mangatal was one of Jackson’s constant and true rocks of stability for nearly two decades. Their relationship was quiet and sweet and real—a closely guarded secret known only to a few trusted employees and friends. Shana is now coming forward to tell their love story. Sometimes strange, sometimes surprising, always fascinating, this is the story that Jackson fans have been waiting for.During her seven years working for Michael’s personal manager during the prolific period of the 1990s, Shana witnessed the scandals and the lawsuits, the release of groundbreaking albums and the subsequent world tours, the making of big-budget short films, and the addictions. It was through this business relationship that their trust and love for each other grew. Shana kept a meticulous diary throughout it all. Her story is rich with every little detail. Michael and Me entertains and inspires, but above all, Shana continues to treat Michael (and his legacy) with respect. This is not an exploitative tell-all but rather a book that shows the side of Michael people never knew. In it, Shana paints a more intimate picture of this beloved yet very misunderstood man.

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Book SynopsisNamed a Wisconsin Writers Award Honorable Mention What is it like to be a young mother threatened with deportation to the country whose government has imprisoned you and whose soldiers have raped and tortured you? You don’t want to leave your children behind, but how can you take them with you, knowing that your homeland, ruled by chaos and violence, is notorious for murdering failed asylum seekers? Regina Bakala found herself in just this situation ten years after escaping the Congo and settling in the United States. Upon arrival, Regina had worked with an immigration lawyer, then joyfully reunited with her husband, also a Congolese torture survivor, and had two children. Life was challenging but full of hope until the night there was a knock at the door and immigration agents burst in. They forced Regina from her home as her family watched, then locked her in prison to await deportation to certain death. In Rescuing Regina, author Josephe Marie Flynn tells Regina’s powerful story—and how her husband, a pit-bull lawyer, a group of volunteers, and a feisty nun set aside political differences to galvanize a movement to save her. Revealing what she uncovered about US immigration policies and the dangers faced by those escaping war crimes, Flynn exposes an America most never see: a vast underbelly of injustice, a harsh detention and deportation system, and a frighteningly arbitrary asylum process. In their battle for justice, Regina and Josephe not only confronted dangerous obstacles but also reawakened emotions and traumas from the past. A compelling story of a quest for justice, Rescuing Regina is also a tale of friendship, faith, hope, and the transformative journey of two friends.

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Book SynopsisIn the decade before the onset of the Civil War, groups of Americans engaged in a series of longshot—and illegal—forays into Mexico, Cuba, and other Central American countries in hopes of taking them over. These efforts became known as filibustering, and their goal was to seize territory to create new independent fiefdoms, which would ultimately be annexed by the still-growing United States. Most failed miserably. William Walker was the outlier. Short, slender, and soft-spoken with no military background—he trained as a doctor before becoming a lawyer and then a newspaper editor—Walker was an unlikely leader of rough-hewn men and adventurers. But in 1856 he managed to install himself as president of Nicaragua. Neighboring governments saw Walker as a risk to the region and worked together to drive him out—efforts aided, incongruously, by the United States’ original tycoon, Cornelius Vanderbilt.William Walker’s Wars is a story of greedy dreams and ambitions, the fate of nations and personal fortunes, and the dark side of Manifest Destiny, for among Walker’s many goals was to build his own empire based on slavery. This little-remembered story from US history is a cautionary tale for all who dream of empire.Trade Review"Scott Martelle has written a marvelous book that uncovers a little-known and dark corner of American history, when men like William Walker invaded sovereign countries to grab land and expand slavery. In this well-researched tale, Martelle exposes the deep roots of American imperialism and how one arrogant man, convinced of his superiority and bluster, wreaked havoc on Central America." Frances Dinkelspiel , author of Towers of Gold and Tangled Vines"William Walker was the ultimate illegal immigrant: a US citizen who wanted to be emperor of Latin Americaand actually seized control of Nicaragua, causing an international crisis. Scott Martelle's page-turning account draws on thorough research to tell the story of William Walker as it has never been told before." T. J. Stiles , winner of the Pulitzer Prize for The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt and Custer's Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America" William Walker's Wars offers a gripping account of a forgotten and troubling slice of American history. Scott Martelle knows how to tell a story. Using a great mass of source materials and a novelist's eye for detail, he superbly explores the complex truths of Manifest Destiny and human ambition." Jonathan Eig , author of Get Capone and Ali: A Life"Martelle presents a well-written and researched narrative, captivating in scope." Booklist"This mesmerizing cautionary tale is sure to fascinate armchair historians." -- Publishers Weekly"For an interesting look at a largely obscure part of United States history, this volume is highly recommended." -- New York Journal of Books"A fascinating biographyMr. Martelle, an editorial writer for the Los Angeles Times, recounts Walker's expedition in such meticulously researched detail." --- The Wall Street Journal

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Book SynopsisIn the Margins Book Award Winner Ronald Kitchen was walking to buy cookies for his young son on a summer evening in 1988 when Chicago detectives picked him up for questioning. As the officers’ car headed toward the precinct, the twenty-two-year-old called out the window to his family, “I’ll be back in forty-five minutes.” It took him twenty-one years to make it home. Kitchen was beaten and tortured by notorious police commander Jon Burge and his cronies until finally confessing to a gruesome quintuple homicide he did not commit. Convicted of murder and sentenced to die, he spent the next two decades in prison—including a dozen years on death row—before at last winning his release and exoneration. Written with passion and defiance, My Midnight Years is more than just a memoir—because Ronald Kitchen’s ordeal is not his alone. Kitchen was only one of scores of victims of Jon Burge and his notorious Midnight Crew, a group of rogue police detectives who spent decades terrorizing, brutalizing, and incarcerating men—118 have come forward so far—in Chicago’s African American communities. Overcoming overwhelming difficulties, Kitchen cofounded the Death Row 10 from his maximum security cellblock. Together, these men fought to expose the grave injustices that led to their wrongful convictions. The Death Row 10 appeared on 60 Minutes II, Nightline, Oprah, and Geraldo Rivera and, with the help of lawyers and activists, were instrumental in turning the tide against the death penalty in Illinois. Kitchen was finally exonerated in 2009 and filed a high-profile lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department, Jon Burge, Mayor Richard Daley, and the Cook County state’s attorney. Kitchen’s story is outrageous and heartbreaking. Largely absent from social justice narratives are the testimonies of the victims themselves. The atrocities of the Midnight Crew were brought to light through Kitchen’s actions, and he is a rare survivor who has turned his suffering into a public cause. He is poised to become a powerful spokesperson who will play a major part in the ongoing discussion of institutional racism.Trade Review"Ronald Kitchen's story is scalding, emotional, and ultimately redemptivea descent into hell with a happy ending. My Midnight Years should be read by all Americans, but especially those who still live in denial about police corruption and institutional racism. Read this book, then pass it on to a friend, neighbor, sibling, or coworker; it will open eyes and raise the ire of anyone who cares about criminal justice in the United States." T. J. ENGLISH, author of The Savage City , The Corporation , and Havana Nocturne"Decades of police torture and prosecutorial complicity devastated black Chicago and filled Illinois's prisons. In this moving memoir, Ronald Kitchen chronicles what that violence meant for him, his family, and so many others. . . . Don't miss this harrowing, heartbreaking tale of injustice, survival, and resistance." DAN BERGER, author of Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era"Ronald Kitchen not only survived his prison ordeal but describes his experience in moving detail; he has emerged as a strong spokesman against the atrocities of Jon Burge and his Midnight Crew." JEFFREY HAAS, author of The Assassination of Fred Hampton"Ronald Kitchen's memoir of surviving and resisting racist police torture and thirteen years on death row is maddening and moving. It's hard to read and hard to put down. . . . The full rot of the criminal injustice system is on display here, but Ronnie's stark prose makes us also see the courage and resilience of those on the inside." MARTHA BIONDI, author of The Black Revolution on Campus and To Stand and Fight

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