Biography: general Books

Book Synopsis"An absorbing, perceptive biography...Deftly crafted history illuminates the nation's earliest days." —Kirkus Reviews Sometime between 1610 and 1611, William Shakespeare wrote The Tempest. The idea for the play came from the real-life shipwreck in 1609 of the Sea Venture, which was caught in a hurricane and grounded on the coast of Bermuda during a voyage to resupply England’s troubled colony at Jamestown, in present-day Virginia. A lesser known passenger was Stephen Hopkins. During the ten months the Sea Venture passengers were marooned on Bermuda, Hopkins was charged with trying to incite a mutiny and condemned to die, only to have his sentence commuted moments before it was to be carried out. In 1620, Hopkins signed on to another colonial venture, joining a group of religious radicals on the Mayflower. The Pilgrims encountered their own tempest, a furor that started when they anchored off Cape Cod and lasted for their first twelve months in the New World. Disease and sickness stole nearly half their number, and their first contacts with the Indigenous Americans were contentious.The entire enterprise hung in the balance, and it was during these trials that Hopkins became one of the expedition’s leaders, playing a vital role in bridging the divide of suspicion between the English immigrants and their Native neighbors.Trade Review"Jonathan Mack has written an unforgettable story of Stephen Hopkins and how his indenture of seven years at Jamestown later helped in the settlement of Plymouth Colony. Bit by bit, Mack extracts from early extant writings an intimate and insightful account of Stephen Hopkins of the Mayflower. Mack tells of Hopkins's critical role as liaison between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe with new insight and intimate detail. If you think you knew the story but wish for more, this deeper understanding of Hopkins and his service in the founding of Plymouth Colony will delight you." Linda Longley, Historian, California Mayflower Society"We didn't know enough about Stephen Hopkins, whose enterprising spirit and rapport with Native Americans contributed to the nation's founding. Mack fills the gap with tireless research and storytelling skills, bringing a complex historical figure to life." Amy Finnerty, Culture Writer and Editor"An absorbing, perceptive biography...Deftly crafted history illuminates the nation's earliest days." Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisIn addition to hundreds of whimsical welded sculptures, Tom Every poured most of his effort into the Forevertron, the world’s largest sculpture built by a single person, and in the process, he discovered his alter ego: Dr. Evermor. With the full participation of Tom and Eleanor Every, Every’s amazing life is keenly documented, including never published family photos, sketches, and personal memories, producing a detailed portrait of a unique self-taught artist. From a very early age, Every collected, modified, and resold cast-off industrial material. His work as a salvager led him to Alex Jordan Jr., creator of the House on the Rock. When the time is right (and only Dr. Evermor will know when) the famous, enigmatic scientist will climb the winding staircase of the Forevertron and enter its egg-shaped travel chamber, power up the dynamos and flip on the thrusters, and fly away on a “highball to heaven,” propelled by an electromagnetic lighting force beam. Or so the story goes. Anyone who has spent time at the elaborate visionary environment created by Tom Every has heard some variation of the Evermor myth. Lesser known is the story behind the story, the fascinating history of this one-of-a-kind creative spirit.

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Book SynopsisWhen seven-year-old Hilde Lysiak found out her new town didn’t have a paper, she grabbed a notepad and began to work. Hilde Lysiak spent her early childhood in New York City with a passion for journalism. When her family moved to Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, Hilde didn’t complain. Instead, she started reporting. Hilde began by reporting on the birth of her sister, the newest resident on Orange Street, then began expanding her coverage to the entire city. She interviewed hundreds of locals in her effort to deliver “All the News Fit for Orange Street”: a seed exchange at the local library, a fundraiser for a hospital’s neonatal unit, a fire at a church, and a mysterious vandal destroying landscaping on city property. Everything changed when Hilde received a tip that a terrible crime had happened just blocks from her house. By using the tools she had learned on the beat, the enterprising young reporter was able to confirm the facts and get the important information out to the public several hours before the other local media. Hilde was proud of her work, but not everyone in her small town felt that way. Cyberbullies targeted her, zeroing in on her age and gender. Hilde considered ignoring them but decided she had to stand up to the haters to protect the reputation she had worked so hard to earn. Her response went viral, and nearly every major news organization took notice. Hilde hasn’t let anything stand in her way since.Table of Contents1 The Beginning 2 Another Language 3 Life’s No Parade 4 Change of Plans 5 A Small Silver Lining 6 The Last Teacher on the Stage 7 The Long One 8 The Bridge 9 An Adventure 10 Chocolate Chip Pancakes 11 Settling In 12 Tuesday Nights 13 The Some Times 14 The Orange Street News 15 “The Worst Day of My Life” 16 The First Issue 17 Gathering Speed 18 “Where Are Your Parents?” 19 The Last 20 The Saddest Tuesday 21 The Aftermath 22 Carrying On 23 School’s Out (for Good) 24 Home Again 25 Meet the Plant Vandal 26 Exclusive: Murder on Ninth Street 27 Haters Gonna Hate 28 In the News 29 Return of the Plant Vandal 30 Truth to Power 31 Losing Perspective 32 HelpAfterword Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisHow A Talented Attorney Took His Passion To Win From The Courthouse To Offshore Yacht Racing. In 2017, attorney Chip Merlin got more than he bargained for when he accompanied a friend on a sailboat race to Cuba. He didn’t know it then, but his life would never be the same. The racing bug bit hard … really hard. Right after the Cuba regatta, Chip bought a thirty-two-foot boat to start racing in the Tampa Bay area. Soon, however, sailing locally in Florida waters wasn’t enough. He wanted to take his dad on the Newport to Bermuda race, reliving the days when they once raced small sailboats together. Chip needed an oceangoing speedster for the Bermuda race. He discovered that Merlin, an iconic racing yacht, was up for sale. He’d read about the boat in 1978 when he was in college after Merlin set a record for the Transpacific Yacht Race from California to Hawaii. Impressed, Chip vowed to buy the boat if he ever could. Fast-forward thirty-nine years, and the boat became Chip’s. With the help of a friend with offshore ocean racing experience, Chip found the right crew, and the push was on to get Merlin ready to race in 2018. What followed was a season of steep learning curves, hard knocks, triumphs, danger, tragedy, and joy in a riveting story that blends high-seas adventure with thoughtful self-reflection on life at home and in the boardroom.

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Book SynopsisChanging the Game is a deeply personal and ultimately inspirational firsthand account of how a law firm in Houston, Texas — D. Miller & Associates, PLLC — helped a group of sexual - abuse survivors win the single-largest mass tort settlement in the history of American higher education. Attorney Darren A. Miller’s engrossing collection of practical business advice, team-building strategies, and marketing wisdom chronicles the landmark case against the University of Southern California. The result is a set of written blueprints for how to succeed in the world of high-stakes mass torts. It’s a book written for anyone seeking to enter the field or grow their legal practice with speed, insightfulness, and true purpose. By revealing critical events from his own life, Miller has written a show-stopping memoir that showcases the extraordinary personal and professional benefits of helping others find true and abiding justice under the law.

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Book SynopsisLET YOUR INNER SMILE SHINE! As an orthodontist, Dr. Kristine West has helped create thousands of beautiful, confident smiles. Along the way, she noticed that sometimes her patients’ outer smile belied their inner smile, and found this to be especially true for women—including herself. After spending her entire career helping her patients find confidence in both their inner and outer smiles, Dr. West realized it was time to make major shifts in her life to reignite her own inner smile and find her joy. Find Your Smile is the culmination of the work she has done to address challenges in her life and redefine who she is as a mom, as an orthodontist, as a professional, as a friend, as a wife, and also as an ex-wife. Dr. West tells her story of reclaiming her voice, finding her joy, and reviving her inner smile in the hope that her journey will inspire you to pursue your own path of introspection, healing, and self-discovery.

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Book SynopsisOne devastating accident. A 2 percent chance of ever walking again. Three lives intertwined forever. Accidents happen. But what if you were involved in an accident so horrific that it left you with a 98 percent chance of permanent paralysis? Would you lose faith? Lose hope? Would you find yourself angry and resentful? Or would you find the courage to forgive? What if you had been the driver of the truck? Or the neurosurgeon faced with putting a man’s life back together as his window of hope to ever walk again rapidly closed? These three men were faced with such a scenario one steamy Charlotte morning after Dean Otto was accidentally run down by a truck while out for a bike ride. As he lay there broken on Providence Road, his spine shattered, unable to move his lower half, Dean knew his life would be changed forever. But he could never have imagined the journey to come, or the deep bonds he would form with the man who hit him and the doctor who healed him. Featured on Ellen and the Today show, Dean Otto’s miraculous journey has already inspired millions. This is a story of hope, inspiration, and the power of forgiveness. It’s about the lives of three men becoming forever intertwined because of the choices they made to lean into a single moment of their lives—to allow the best of humanity to shine. And to light the way for others.

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Book SynopsisFrom Corporate Professional to Passion-Driven Retiree Mark Goldsmith enjoyed a 35-year career in the cosmetic business, managing household name brands during Madison Avenue's Mad Men heyday. Looking for new challenges in retirement, Goldsmith took his wife's suggestion to volunteer for the Principal for a Day program, specifically asking to be sent to the toughest New York City school available—which turned out to be Horizon Academy at the city's infamous Rikers Island jail. Goldsmith instantly connected with the men of Rikers, leveraging the skills he'd honed in decades of corporate experience and his strong desire to help. This passion ultimately led to the creation of his not-for-profit organization Getting Out and Staying Out (GOSO), which has helped thousands of young men pursue their goals for their education, employment, and emotional well-being to create a new life for themselves beyond the criminal justice system.

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Book SynopsisHow a Parkland Dad and 9/11 Brother Faced Tragedy"Don't tell me there's no such thing as gun violence. It happened in Parkland." ―Fred Guttenberg2020 Nautilus Silver Winner2021 Chanticleer Hearten Awards First Place WinnerLife changed forever on Valentine's Day 2018 for Fred Guttenberg and his family. What should have been a day of love turned into a nightmare. Seventeen people died at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Fourteen-year-old Jaime Guttenberg was the second to last victim.“Fred Guttenberg is a hero." ―Lawrence O'Donnell. That Jaime and so many of her fellow students were struck down in cold blood galvanized many to action, including Jaime’s father Fred now a gun safety activist dedicated to passing common sense gun safety legislation.Fred was already struggling with deep personal loss. Four months earlier his brother Michael died of 9/11 induced pancreatic cancer. He had been exposed to too much dust and chemicals at Ground Zero. Michael battled heroically for nearly five years and then died at age fifty.Find the Helpers has a special meaning to the Guttenberg’s. It was a beloved family wisdom learned from watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. In the midst of tragedy, "always look for the helpers. There will always be helpers. Because if you look for the helpers, you’ll know there’s hope." ―Fred Rogers, 1999Healing from grief. Discover the story of Fred Guttenberg’s activist’s journey since Jaime’s death and how he has been able to get through the worst of times thanks to the kindness and compassion of others. Good things happen to good people at the hands of other good people─and the world is filled with them. They include everyone from amazing gun violence survivors Fred has met to former VP Joe Biden, who spent time talking to him about finding mission and purpose in learning to grieve.If you enjoyed Eyes to the Wind, Haben, or The Beauty in Breaking, you'll love Find the Helpers!

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Book SynopsisIn 1971, Eddie Conway, Lieutenant of Security for the Baltimore chapter of the Black Panther Party, was convicted of murdering a police officer and sentenced to life plus thirty years behind bars. Paul Coates was a community worker at the time and didn't know Eddie well -- the little he knew, he didn't much like. But Paul was dead certain that Eddie's charges were bogus. He vowed never to leave Eddie -- and in so doing, changed the course of both their lives. For over forty-three years, as he raised a family and started a business, Paul visited Eddie in prison, often taking his kids with him. He and Eddie shared their lives and worked together on dozens of legal campaigns in hopes of gaining Eddie's release. Paul's founding of the Black Classic Press in 1978 was originally a way to get books to Eddie in prison. When, in 2014, Eddie finally walked out onto the streets of Baltimore, Paul Coates was there to greet him. Today, these two men remain rock-solid comrades and friends -- each, the other's chosen brother. When Eddie and Paul met in the Baltimore Panther Party, they were in their early twenties. They are now into their seventies. This book is a record of their lives and their relationship, told in their own voices. Paul and Eddie talk about their individual stories, their work, their politics, and their immeasurable bond.Trade Review"There is much to be learned from Paul and Eddie: the value of friendship, the importance of hope, the need we all have for guiding principles, the firm belief that the world can be changed for the better. Readers will not be disappointed by this book. They will surely be uplifted." —Monthly Review "Contextualized and compact, The Brother You Choose is a useful addition to the literature arising from the social movements challenging systemic racism in the United States." —Counterpunch Susie Day’s new book, The Brother You Choose, offers a wealth of insights into how the Black Panthers were able to transform individual disaffection into collective revolutionary organizing practices." —Truthout "Both Paul Coates and Eddie Conway have stood up for decades and their example showcases the power of friendship, commitment, and loyalty. What’s more, no matter how much work is left undone–no matter how much of a mess the world continues to be in—their friendship remains beautiful, important, and inspiring." —The Independent "The Brother You Choose is a landmark book for anyone who wants to understand the deep connectivity of Black America. It provides a ringside seat to the bruising fight for Civil Rights with two men, Eddie Conway and Paul Coates, as they provide necessary lessons on politics, change, community and enduring bonds. Their journey together and their hard-earned insights span nearly fifty years of seismic change in America. We see it through their experiences from prison to publishing house, their transformation from Vietnam War vets to Black Panthers, and now as elders with critical perspectives for the Black Lives Matter movement. Susie Day captures the elixir of a fifty-year friendship and the extraordinary men at its heart. It 's a lesson in loyalty, commitment under fire, and what we can all do to make America keep its promise." —Walter Mosley "The Brother You Choose is a powerful addition to the rich collection of Panther autobiographies. Former political prisoner Eddie Conway and Black Classic Press founder Paul Coates have worked with radical journalist Susie Day to craft a beautiful dialogue about their life trajectories through the military, the Baltimore chapter of the Black Panther Party, the prison system and the ongoing struggle for Black Liberation. Their narrative moves the BPP's center of gravity from the Oakland leadership to explore the very different dynamics in the East Coast in which the Panthers emerged from dense black communities in cities like New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. There is so much to be learned here about the BPP, the Black Liberation Army, the effects of state repression and the role of political education and publishing in the fight for freedom. I have read all of the Panther autobiographies and this is one of my favorites. The Brother You Choose is an ideal book to assign to undergraduates as well as for the larger reading public. Its elegant structure and powerful content speak directly to moment we face as the urban uprisings against state violence sweep cities across the US." —Donna Murch, author of Living for the City: Education, Migration and the Rise of the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California "Too often unheard above the sirens, the desperate gasping for breath, is the consistent language of love, of tenderness, of support between men. In this powerful offering, Paul Coates and Eddie Marshall Conway speak to us of the brutal harm visited upon Black people and they speak to us of revolution and freedom. But woven masterfully throughout the conversations shared is a life-giving narrative that recalls the history of a people who walked as much as 100 miles barefoot to find their families when slavery came to its bloodsoaked close. Brother You Choose, like the men who tell it, is a national treasure." —asha bandele, author of The Prisoner 's Wife "The Brother You Choose encompasses all that is embodied in the soul of Gwendolyn Brooks' words when she writes: "we are each others harvest; we are each others business; we are each others magnitude and bond." This unique friendship (i.e., brotherhood) born under the early idealism of the Black Panther Party within its stated goals and objectives bring smiles to one who has also struggled on the same streets as Paul Coates and Eddie Conway. Susie Day has provided us with an insight into two lives that have survived and developed within the deadly American history that challenges us daily. The relationship that develops between the pages of these brothers ' lives is reflective of true heart and soul. The inimitable brotherhood chronicled here can only be measured by the depth of one 's own sense of grace and humanity. Over a span of fifty years, Paul Coates and Marshall "Eddie" Conway have remained "rock-solid comrades" and extended family in the Black Empowerment struggle. Their friendship exemplified the early promise of the BPP and its core meaning as articulated in the Ten-Point Program illustrated through Day 's poignant account of racial injustice, resistance and unyielding solidarity." —Haki R. Madhubuti, Poet, Founder of Third World Press/Third World Press Foundation, author of Taught By Women "Susie Day and the men who share their stories with her, Conway and Coates, have produced a jewel of oral history. Put it alongside Studs Terkel 's Working. Here are voices intimate, every-day, world historical, all at once. Here is life -- the texture of thought, work, commitment, love: "Just that simple. Just that complicated." It is a personal/political history that is deep, and funny, and tragic, and radically astute. And it is absolutely necessary. Here is a book that will not wear out. —JoAnn Wypijewski, author What We Don 't Talk About When We Talk About #MeToo: Essays on Sex, Authority & the Mess of Life "Beautifully edited and narrated by Susie Day, The Brother You Choose allows us to eavesdrop on a humor-filled, heartwarming conversation between Eddie Conway and Paul Coates, whose love for each other and for their people carried them through revolutionary struggles and decades of wrongful imprisonment. An engaging read, these deeply personal perspectives on a common journey toward Black liberation encapsulate a history critical to movement-building today." —Natsu Taylor Saito, author of Settler Colonialism, Race, and the Law: Why Structural Racism Persists "By turns touching, enraging, moving, tough, and tender, always riveting and ultimately inspiring, The Brother You Choose underscores the essential truth embodied in Che Guevara's observation that "the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love." —Ward Churchill, author of Wielding Words Like Weapons "My beloved comrade brothers, Eddie Conway & Paul Coates both connected together like Siamese twins for over forty-three years both with unflinching self determination and unconditional brotherly love and appreciation for the others humanity. Eddie's confined in maximum security prison(s) while Paul navigates minimum security the world we all live in informing and educating the world to "FREE EDDIE CONWAY. What an amazing story of triumph over a system of wicked injustice behavior." —Emory Douglas, Revolutionary Artist & Minister of Culture, Black Panther Party 1967-1981 "With a dramatist's eye and a radical's heart, Susie Day has crafted a conversation between two titans about fighting the good fight, enduring the hard stuff, and living to tell about it. The Brother You Choose is smart, endearing, funny and inspiring. Paul Coates and Eddie Conway reflect on commitment to the world and to each other. Pull up a chair and have a listen." —Dan Berger, author of Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing on the Civil Rights Era

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Book SynopsisEdward Said (1935-2003) was a towering figure in post-colonial studies and the struggle for justice in his native Palestine, best known for his critique of orientalism in western portrayals of the Middle East. As a public intellectual, activist, and scholar, Said forever changed how we read the world around us and left an indelible mark on subsequent generations.Hamid Dabashi, himself a leading thinker and critical public voice, offers a unique collection of reminiscences, travelogues and essays that document his own close and long-standing scholarly, personal and political relationship with Said. In the process, they place the enduring significance of Edward Said's legacy in an unfolding context and locate his work within the moral imagination and environment of the time.Trade Review"On Edward Said: Remembrance of Things Past will be accessible and rewarding to readers who are new to the subject as well as those already familiar with Said and his work. As Dabashi points out, Said was first and foremost a passionate, unconditional and lifelong advocate for the liberation of his native Palestine. That cause like no other fueled Said’s “towering ability to speak truth to power.” —Washington Report on Middle East Affairs"Dabashi speaks for many of us, those who knew Said or were just blessed with the warmth of his intellect in the coldness of despair and relentless oppression, when he says that he is unable to mourn Said, as mourning essentially implies closure, while his intellectual relationship with Said and conversations with him are ongoing even in his eternal bodily absence. By sprinkling some “authentic” Jerusalem soil on the exiled resting place of Edward Said in Lebanon, Hamid Dabashi was at once re-connecting with the “prince of our cause, … source of our sanity in despair, solace in our sorrow, hope in our own humanity” one last time and helping Said, in his eternal exile to “feel” a bit less out of place." —Omar Barghouti, Mondoweiss"This book moves elegantly between anecdotes in Edward Said's life and a profound analysis of the intellectual contribution of one of the most influential thinkers of our times. Hamid Dabashi guides us skillfully between Said's universalist, humane and moral position and his total commitment for the liberation of Palestine. With the help of this book we revisit, in a very accessible language and a straightforward style, Said's intellectual prominence and impact on cultural studies. We are also introduced once more to the extent of his commitment to the struggle for justice in Palestine. Whether you are a devoted 'Saidian' or a newcomer to his world, this book is an essential reading." —Ilan Pappe"In this beautifully written book of profound reflections and vivid recollections, Hamid Dabashi conveys from the perspective of a fellow traveller precisely how and why Edward Said stands as one of the most important intellectuals of his times. The book carries the torch of Said in its literary sensibilities, in its ethical inflection of the political and in a shared understanding of how the particularity of the Palestinian struggle is universal in its import. Inspired by Said, Dabashi's critical and creative memoir becomes a true source of inspiration in its own right." —Caroline Rooney"Reading Dabashi is like going for an extended coffee with a very smart friend." —Vijay Prashad, author of The Poorer Nations"Said's influence... was far from being confined to the worlds of academic and scholarly discourse. An intellectual superstar." —Malisse Ruthven, obituary, the Guardian"Hamid Dabashi's respect and affection for Edward W. Said and his intellectual legacy are manifest throughout this book. As a former colleague and friend of Said's, Dabashi's engagement is not only personal, but also emphatically political and intellectual." —Joseph Massad"Hamid Dabashi has written a deeply moving text that pays tribute and engages with one of the most important thinkers of time, Edward Said. The book is comprised of essays , documents and shorter political pieces which skillfully highlight the impact of Said's work on the pressing political issues of time. The original presentation which shows Said's influence over many years not only on Dabashi himself but on some many others who struggled and continue to struggle with what it means to challenge Eurocentrism and the brutal legacy of colonialism. This is a book that is a must read not only for those interested in Said but for anyone who reads him for the sake of a life committed to justice. —Drucilla Cornell"A lyrical homage to his friend and colleague, the great Palestinian theorist, humanist, and agitator Edward Said. Dabashi follows in Said's footsteps, reliving his own march through Mideast war zones and jousts with Islamophobes with lively turns of phrase and a soul laid bare." —Timothy Brennan"If you want to know more about Edward Said, the person, the intellectual, the friend, the political public figure, this a book to read. And it is more than that. Palestinian/American Edward Said is revived in the memories of Iranian/American Hamid Dabashi. At a time when hate is propelled by the State to extreme high, what transpire from these pages is care, respect and decolonial love between a Palestinian/American and Iranian/American connected through colonial wounds inflicted upon migrants from the Middle East. Through the chapters, you will find also the dignified anger with which Said and Dabashi responded to the intolerance and hate towards free thinkers in the public sphere. The account of personal and professional ethics that Dabashi learned from Said, is not only a distinctive feature of the book but it is of extreme relevance when free thinking at the university has been mutating into corporate thinking." —Walter D. Mignolo"By turns skeptical and erudite, passionate and poetic, Hamid Dabashi's book is animated by his love for Edward Said and his work. It will raise many hackles, but in its provocations it challenges one to rethink many of the standard cliché and prejudices of our time. Some pages are threaded with melancholy, others with anger, as in his white-hot assessment of the films of Michael Haneke and the books of his academic opponents. Above all, On Edward Said is powered by Dabashi's commitment to the ideal that 'Palestine belongs to the Palestinians—whether Jews, Christians or Muslims.' There is not a page in this book that does not challenge its reader. Whether one disagrees with it or not, this is a work that will leave its mark on all who read it." —David Freedberg"This remarkable collection of essays and interviews represents a long and diverse journey with a constant companion: the living memory of Edward Said. In lucid and passionate prose, Dabashi reminds us how much we need to return to Said's thought and work, especially in 'the darker moments of our despair,' when we can, if we concentrate, find him 'waiting for ... us to awake, to arrive.' This is how death, for Dabashi, becomes a form of suspension rather than a terminal loss." —Michael WoodTable of ContentsIntroduction One: The Moment of Myth Two: Mourning Edward Said Three: Forget reds under the bed, there's Arabs in the attic Four: For a Fistful of Dust: A Passage to Palestine Five: Dreams of a Nation Six: On Exilic Intellectuals Seven: Paradise Delayed: With Hany Abu‐Assad in Palestine Eight: On Comprador Intellectuals Nine: The Discrete Charm of European Intellectuals Ten: The name that enables: remembering Edward Said Eleven: Orientalism Today: A Conversation Twelve: His Unconquerable Soul: Translating Said into another Key Thirteen: Edward Said's Orientalism: Forty years later Fourteen: Rosa Luxemburg: The unsung hero of postcolonial theory Fifteen: Palestine then and Now Sixteen: Alas, poor Bernard Lewis, a fellow of infinite jest

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Book SynopsisVicente Lombardo Toledano was the founder of numerous labour union organisations in Mexico and Latin America between the 1920s and the 1960s. He was not only an organiser but also a broker between the unions, the government, and business leaders—an almost singular figure able to disentangle difficult, seemingly irreconcilable conflicts. He cooperated closely with the governments of Mexico and other Latin American nations and worked with the representatives of the Soviet Union when he considered it useful. This willingness to work across ideological divides meant that he was alternately seen as a government stooge or a communist, even though he was never a member of the Communist Party nor of any Mexican government administration.Daniela Spenser's rousing new biography of Lombardo Toledano is the first to be based on his extensive private papers. In addition to this unprecedented access, Spenser also draws on primary sources from European, Mexican and American archives, and on extensive personal interviews. Her even-keeled portrayal of the man counters both previous hagiographies and vilifications that have come before it.Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsList of IllustrationsAbbreviationsIntroductionPart 1 Changing Times and Ideas1 Family1 The Village2 Children3 Vicente Lombardo Toledano4 The Wise Man5 The Family2 Knowledge and Power1 Renewal2 The Break3 On the Campaign Trail4 From the Government Palace5 On the Road to the Chamber of Deputies6 The Trip7 The Polemical Dispute8 Ideological Passion3 Exodus1 In the CROM2 Collapse3 The Labour Law4 The Road to the LeftPart 2 Crusades4 A Journey into the World of the Future1 The Preparations2 The Trip3 Different Perspectives4 Back in Mexico5 The President and the Leader6 The Gide Case5 The Foundations of the Nation1 The Preparations2 The First Pillar3 Into Action4 The Schism5 Disunity6 The President and the Leader6 A Continental Feat1 In Santiago de Chile2 The Planning3 In the United States4 In Europe5 The Founding Congress6 To the AttackPart 3 War: Threshold of a Better World?7 Fight Fascism!1 The Defeat of the Spanish Republic2 Exile3 Face to Face with Leon Trotsky4 The Pact and Its Violation5 In Soviet Intelligence6 The Undesirable Anti-fascists8 The Illusory Unity1 On the Campaign Trail2 The Victory3 The Farewell4 The Re-election5 The Elusive Unity9 The Fragile Harmony1 The Latin American Panorama2 The Congress3 The Celebrated Trip4 The Catavi Massacre5 Coups and Blows6 From Montevideo to Caracas7 From Philadelphia to Cali8 The Elusive HarmonyPart 4 Animosities and Confrontations10 For the Renewal of the Nation1 The Future2 On the Campaign Trail3 The Roundtable4 Elections in the CTM5 The Expulsion6 The Crisis of the Nation11 For the Spilled Blood1 The Postwar Map2 In London3 In Paris4 In the Other Europe5 Confrontations6 In People 's China12 Emancipation1 Removing Obstacles2 On an Inspection Tour3 In Lima4 The Third Congress5 The Oil Workers6 Failed EmancipationPart 5 On the Fronts of the Cold Peace13 Rearmament1 The People 's Party2 UGOCM3 Back on the Campaign Trail4 Aftermath of Defeat5 The Succession6 The Cold Peace14 Mission Completed1 Anti-communist Liberalism2 Liberal Internationalism3 In Decline4 The CTAL Dies in Bucharest5 The CTAL Completed Its Historic Mission15 The Road to 19681 PPS2 Against the Current3 On the Final Campaign Trail4 Schism in the Party5 1968Epilogue: Testament and TestimoniesBibliography and Works CitedIndexIllustrations

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Book SynopsisEdward Said (1935-2003) was a towering figure in post-colonial studies and the struggle for justice in his native Palestine, best known for his critique of orientalism in western portrayals of the Middle East. As a public intellectual, activist, and scholar, Said forever changed how we read the world around us and left an indelible mark on subsequent generations.Hamid Dabashi, himself a leading thinker and critical public voice, offers a unique collection of reminiscences, travelogues and essays that document his own close and long-standing scholarly, personal and political relationship with Said. In the process, they place the enduring significance of Edward Said's legacy in an unfolding context and locate his work within the moral imagination and environment of the time.Trade Review"Dabashi speaks for many of us, those who knew Said or were just blessed with the warmth of his intellect in the coldness of despair and relentless oppression, when he says that he is unable to mourn Said, as mourning essentially implies closure, while his intellectual relationship with Said and conversations with him are ongoing even in his eternal bodily absence. By sprinkling some “authentic” Jerusalem soil on the exiled resting place of Edward Said in Lebanon, Hamid Dabashi was at once re-connecting with the “prince of our cause, … source of our sanity in despair, solace in our sorrow, hope in our own humanity” one last time and helping Said, in his eternal exile to “feel” a bit less out of place." —Omar Barghouti, Mondoweiss"This book moves elegantly between anecdotes in Edward Said's life and a profound analysis of the intellectual contribution of one of the most influential thinkers of our times. Hamid Dabashi guides us skillfully between Said's universalist, humane and moral position and his total commitment for the liberation of Palestine. With the help of this book we revisit, in a very accessible language and a straightforward style, Said's intellectual prominence and impact on cultural studies. We are also introduced once more to the extent of his commitment to the struggle for justice in Palestine. Whether you are a devoted 'Saidian' or a newcomer to his world, this book is an essential reading." —Ilan Pappe"In this beautifully written book of profound reflections and vivid recollections, Hamid Dabashi conveys from the perspective of a fellow traveller precisely how and why Edward Said stands as one of the most important intellectuals of his times. The book carries the torch of Said in its literary sensibilities, in its ethical inflection of the political and in a shared understanding of how the particularity of the Palestinian struggle is universal in its import. Inspired by Said, Dabashi's critical and creative memoir becomes a true source of inspiration in its own right." —Caroline Rooney"Reading Dabashi is like going for an extended coffee with a very smart friend." —Vijay Prashad, author of The Poorer Nations"Said's influence... was far from being confined to the worlds of academic and scholarly discourse. An intellectual superstar." —Malisse Ruthven, obituary, the Guardian"Hamid Dabashi's respect and affection for Edward W. Said and his intellectual legacy are manifest throughout this book. As a former colleague and friend of Said's, Dabashi's engagement is not only personal, but also emphatically political and intellectual." —Joseph Massad"Hamid Dabashi has written a deeply moving text that pays tribute and engages with one of the most important thinkers of time, Edward Said. The book is comprised of essays , documents and shorter political pieces which skillfully highlight the impact of Said's work on the pressing political issues of time. The original presentation which shows Said's influence over many years not only on Dabashi himself but on some many others who struggled and continue to struggle with what it means to challenge Eurocentrism and the brutal legacy of colonialism. This is a book that is a must read not only for those interested in Said but for anyone who reads him for the sake of a life committed to justice. —Drucilla Cornell"A lyrical homage to his friend and colleague, the great Palestinian theorist, humanist, and agitator Edward Said. Dabashi follows in Said's footsteps, reliving his own march through Mideast war zones and jousts with Islamophobes with lively turns of phrase and a soul laid bare." —Timothy Brennan"If you want to know more about Edward Said, the person, the intellectual, the friend, the political public figure, this a book to read. And it is more than that. Palestinian/American Edward Said is revived in the memories of Iranian/American Hamid Dabashi. At a time when hate is propelled by the State to extreme high, what transpire from these pages is care, respect and decolonial love between a Palestinian/American and Iranian/American connected through colonial wounds inflicted upon migrants from the Middle East. Through the chapters, you will find also the dignified anger with which Said and Dabashi responded to the intolerance and hate towards free thinkers in the public sphere. The account of personal and professional ethics that Dabashi learned from Said, is not only a distinctive feature of the book but it is of extreme relevance when free thinking at the university has been mutating into corporate thinking." —Walter D. Mignolo"By turns skeptical and erudite, passionate and poetic, Hamid Dabashi's book is animated by his love for Edward Said and his work. It will raise many hackles, but in its provocations it challenges one to rethink many of the standard cliché and prejudices of our time. Some pages are threaded with melancholy, others with anger, as in his white-hot assessment of the films of Michael Haneke and the books of his academic opponents. Above all, On Edward Said is powered by Dabashi's commitment to the ideal that 'Palestine belongs to the Palestinians—whether Jews, Christians or Muslims.' There is not a page in this book that does not challenge its reader. Whether one disagrees with it or not, this is a work that will leave its mark on all who read it." —David Freedberg"This remarkable collection of essays and interviews represents a long and diverse journey with a constant companion: the living memory of Edward Said. In lucid and passionate prose, Dabashi reminds us how much we need to return to Said's thought and work, especially in 'the darker moments of our despair,' when we can, if we concentrate, find him 'waiting for ... us to awake, to arrive.' This is how death, for Dabashi, becomes a form of suspension rather than a terminal loss." —Michael WoodTable of ContentsIntroduction One: The Moment of Myth Two: Mourning Edward Said Three: Forget reds under the bed, there's Arabs in the attic Four: For a Fistful of Dust: A Passage to Palestine Five: Dreams of a Nation Six: On Exilic Intellectuals Seven: Paradise Delayed: With Hany Abu‐Assad in Palestine Eight: On Comprador Intellectuals Nine: The Discrete Charm of European Intellectuals Ten: The name that enables: remembering Edward Said Eleven: Orientalism Today: A Conversation Twelve: His Unconquerable Soul: Translating Said into another Key Thirteen: Edward Said's Orientalism: Forty years later Fourteen: Rosa Luxemburg: The unsung hero of postcolonial theory Fifteen: Palestine then and Now Sixteen: Alas, poor Bernard Lewis, a fellow of infinite jest

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Book SynopsisAn updated edition combining two classic works of Chicana and queer literature, with a new introduction by renowned writer and luminary, Cherríe Moraga.In celebration of the 40th anniversary of its original publication, this updated edition of Loving in the War Years combines Moraga’s classic memoir with The Last Generation: Poetry and Prose, resulting in a challenging, inspiring, and insightful touchstone for artists and activists—and for anyone striving to foster care and community.Cherríe Moraga’s powerful memoir remains as urgent as ever. She explores the intersections of her Chicana and lesbian identities, moving gracefully between poetry and prose, Spanish and English, personal narratives and political theory. Moraga recounts navigating the world largely as an outsider, circling the interconnected societies around her from a distant yet observant perspective. Ultimately, however, her writing serves as a bridge between her cultures, languages, family, and herself, enabling her to look inward to forge connections from otherwise inaccessible parts of her interior world, to show how deep self-awareness and compassionate engagement with one’s surroundings are key to building global solidarity among people and political movements. Trade Review"Sophisticated, visceral, rigorous, and relentless, Cherríe Moraga’s writings are as essential as ever. Bridging poetry and politics, her interrogations of the self and society are a lifelong project she has gifted new and returning readers. Even in her earliest writings, Moraga reaches to the future through the bifurcated paths of her personal journey in queerness, Chicanidad, and solidarity with all colonized peoples. Moraga’s indispensable interrogations of language and art demands nothing short of complete freedom for all bodies. It is a war cry that continues to liberate as it echoes across decades and generations." —Caribbean Fragoza, author of Eat the Mouth That Feeds You

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Book SynopsisOn an otherwise normal weekday in the 1980s, commuters on busy Route 1 in central New Jersey noticed an alarming sight: a man in a suit and tie dashing across four lanes of traffic, then scurrying through a narrow underpass as cars whizzed by within inches. The man was William “Holly” Whyte, a pioneer of people-centered urban design. Decades before this perilous trek to a meeting in the suburbs, he had urged planners to look beyond their desks and drawings: “You have to get out and walk.” American Urbanist shares the life and wisdom of a man whose advocacy reshaped many of the places we know and love today—from New York’s bustling Bryant Park to preserved forests and farmlands around the country. Holly’s experiences as a WWII intelligence officer and leader of the genre-defining reporters at Fortune Magazine in the 1950s shaped his razor-sharp assessments of how the world actually worked—not how it was assumed to work. His 1956 bestseller, The Organization Man, catapulted the dangers of “groupthink” and conformity into the national consciousness. Over his five decades of research and writing, Holly’s wide-ranging work changed how people thought about careers and companies, cities and suburbs, urban planning, open space preservation, and more. He was part of the rising environmental movement, helped spur change at the planning office of New York City, and narrated two films about urban life, in addition to writing six books. No matter the topic, Holly advocated for the decisionmakers to be people, not just experts. “We need the kind of curiosity that blows the lid off everything,” Holly once said. His life offers encouragement to be thoughtful and bold in asking questions and in making space for differing viewpoints. This revealing biography offers a rare glimpse into the mind of an iconoclast whose healthy skepticism of the status quo can help guide our efforts to create the kinds of places we want to live in today.

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