Biography Books

Book SynopsisThis book explores the complex life of Robert Bob Hilliard, a renowned International Brigadista and maverick figure in Irish history, as his granddaughter, Lin Rose Clark, uncovers his legacy of love, war, and personal contradictions while seeking to understand the impact of his choices on their family.

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Book SynopsisFrank O'Connor's The Lonely Voice is a classic work on the art of the short story, now reprinted with a new introduction by acclaimed author Kevin Barry. This edition connects two generations of Irish storytelling masters.

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Book SynopsisYasujiro Ozu, the man whom his kinsmen consider the most Japanese for all film directors, had but one major subject, the Japanese family, and but one major theme, its dissolution. The Japanese family in dissolution figures in every one of his fifty-three films.Trade Review"A beautiful insight into the mind of a director." * Filmmakers Newsletter *"The art of Ozu is the art of contemplation, and Richie echoes it perfectly. His book is a model of lucidity and understanding, and one of the best studies of a director ever written." * Films and Filming *"Bit by bit there emerges as complete an account of how one type of film works as I have ever read." * Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism *"Is and probably will remain the definitive in-English study of Ozu and his films." * Films in Review *

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Book SynopsisBook of Mutter is a tender and disquieting meditation on the ability of writing, photography, and memory to embrace shadows while in the throesand dead calmof grief. Neither memoir, essay, nor poetry, it is an uncategorisable text that draws upon a repertoire of genres to write into and against silence.

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Book SynopsisFrom an eminent scholar of the American South, the first full-scale biography of Thomas Jefferson since 1970

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Book SynopsisMartin Luther King, Jr's ideas - his call for racial equality, his insistence on the power of nonviolence to bring about a major transformation of American society - are as vital as ever. This title begins with King's doctoral work at Boston University and ends with his first year as pastor of the historic Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Chronology Editorial Principles and Practices List of Abbreviations The Papers Calendar of Documents Index Illustrations

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Book SynopsisA gripping account of the little-known plot that could have put end end to JFK's historic presidency - before it even began. From the New York Times bestselling authors of The Nazi Conspiracy comes a true, little-known story about the first assassination attempt on John F.

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Book Synopsis''Gripping'' ED CAESAR ''Masterly'' GEOFF DYER ''Incredible'' TIM HARFORD ''A universal story that transcends time'' NEW YORK TIMES ''Superb'' DAILY TELEGRAPH ''We know what's going to happen, but feel the suspense nonetheless'' THE TIMES** THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER **** WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD 2024 **** WINNER OF THE KIRKUS BOOK PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2024 **The definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger space shuttle disaster based on fascinating in-depth reporting and new archival research this is riveting history that reads like a thriller.On the freezing-cold morning of 28 January 1986, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions around the world witnessed the tragic deaths of the crew, which included New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. Yet the full story of what happened that day and the ominous warning signs recognized but then ignored in the years before has never been told.Following a handful of central protagonists from the astronauts and their families to the rocket engineers who tried to stop the fateful launch Challenger is a gripping tale of human over-reach; of cynicism and cost-cutting; of hubristic go fever'; and of an investigation driven by heroic leakers and whistle-blowers determined to bring the truth to light. Blending human drama with fascinating science and political infighting, Challenger is a masterpiece of non-fiction storytelling. The result is a story even more extraordinary and terrifying than any of us remembered or thought possible.Finalist for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction 2024A Daily Mail Best Science Books of 2024A New York Times Notable Book of the Year 2024A Washington Post Notable Book of the Year 2024One of the New Yorker's dozen Essential Reads of 2024One of the Atlantic''s Ten Best Books of 2024An Amazon Best Book of the Year 2024An Apple Best book and Best Audiobook of 2024A Spotify Best Audiobook of 2024Goodreads' nominee for Readers'' Favourite History and Biography 2024

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Book SynopsisJournalism remains a vital, irreplaceable institution in the public sphere, even though technology, political and economic trends, and globalization continue to impact it in negative ways. An Introduction to Journalismis the new go-to textbook for journalism studies.Organized around three thematic sections structures, practices, and change and continuity this textbook covers a broad range of issues central to the study of journalism. These include the nature of news as a socio-cultural construct; the impact of social forces (political, economic, technology, cultural) on journalistic practices and news content; the origin and the impact of journalistic norms, values, and ideologies; patterns of news access and consumption; the relation between journalism and public life; and the role of the press in democracy and authoritarianism. Taking a global perspective throughout, the textbook is grounded in the conviction that we need to examine developments across countries and regions, and understand how global forces shape news, journalism, and the news industry. Supported byextensive examples and clear case studies throughout, this accessible textbook, written by a leading scholar in the field, provides a comprehensive and analytical survey of the key themes that shape journalism. It is essential reading for undergraduate students of journalism studies.

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Book SynopsisAn integral part of Chinese thought for more than 2,000 years, the Tao Te Ching teaches individual peace and harmony through meditation. One of the most influential books in history.

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Book SynopsisFocusing on the succession of the rulers of imperial Rome, this title guides readers to each reign and its main events. This title features biographical portraits of the 56 principal emperors from Augustus to Constantine.Trade Review'Expertly unpicks the tangled imperial lineage … Scarre provides lively detail' - Independent' A valuable volume providing a nice blend of information and entertainment ' - Teaching History'Marvellous' - New Scientist

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Book Synopsis''Britain''s greatest living nature writer'' The TimesRediscover the extraodinary power of nature and the British wilderness, from award-winning naturalist and author Richard MabeyIn the last year of the old millennium, Richard Mabey, Britain''s foremost nature writer, fell into a severe depression. The natural world which since childhood had been a source of joy and inspiration for him became meaningless. Then, cared for by friends, he moved to East Anglia and he started to write again. Having left the cosseting woods of the Chiltern hills for the open flatlands of Norfolk, Richard Mabey found exhilaration in discovering a whole new landscape and gained fresh insights into our place in nature. Structured as intricately as a novel, a joy to read, truthful, exquisite and questing, Nature Cure is a book of hope, not just for individuals, but for our species.''A brilliant, candid and heartfelt memoir...how he broTrade ReviewA brilliant, candid and heartfelt memoir...The account of how he broke free of depression, reshaped his life and reconnected with the wild becomes nothing short of a manifesto for living...Mabey's particular vision, informed by a lifetime's reading and observation, is ultimately optimistic. It is also what makes his voice so appealing amid all the froth and flam of the eco-debate -- Philip Marsden * Sunday Times *A book of which only he could have written a single page...marvellously observed, deeply felt from sentence to sentence. The writing is exquisite -- David Sexton, * Evening Standard *Subtle, devotional, poetic * Observer *Rich, invigorating and deeply restorative * Irish Times *Nature Cure moves between the nervous breakdown of an individual and the madness of the modern world with a prescience akin to that of T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land -- Jonathan Bate * Guardian *Mabey is a radical, inheritor of an old English tradition...The core of the book is his exploration of his new landscape. It feels a privilege to share it, watching him unpick the layers of watery Norfolk, with dazzling skill and the warmest of hearts, as his troubled mind heals -- Michael McCarthy * Independent *Written in the radiant, tingle-making prose that has earned Mabey literary prizes and a multitude of fans... both a wake-up call and an example of how the love of nature can electrify and heal the imagination. -- Val Hennessy * Daily Mail *An inspiring book -- Nicholas Bagnall * Sunday Telegraph *Britain's greatest living nature writer * The Times *

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Book SynopsisIn 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, the author began running to keep fit. A year later, he'd completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such races, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life and on his writing. This title presents his portrait.Trade ReviewIt’s an inspiring, reflective read that’ll make you want to dust your trainers off -- Andy McNicoll * Professional Social Work *An outstanding read -- Peter Sharkey * Eastern Daily Press *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 2012 SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZEA monumental work of history, biography and adventure - the First World War, Mallory and Mount Everest‘The price of life is death’ For Mallory, as for all of his generation, death was but ‘a frail barrier that men crossed, smiling and gallant, every day’.Trade ReviewMaybe the prime minister should read it -- Stephen Frears * Guardian *I was enthralled by Wade Davis’s Into the Silence, an account of three failed Everest expeditions leading up to the death of Mallory in 1924, which brilliantly places those feats of endurance in the context of British imperialism and the psychological aftermath of the First World War -- Ben Macintyre * The Times *[An] epic story * New Statesman, *Books of the Year* *I was captivated. Wade Davis has penned an exceptional book on an extraordinary generation. From the pathos of the trenches to the inevitable tragedies high on Everest this is a book deserving of awards -- Joe Simpson, author of Touching the VoidPowerful and profound, a moving, epic masterpiece of literature, history and hope * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisPublished posthumously in 1964, A Moveable Feast remains one of Ernest Hemingway''s most beloved works. Since Hemingway''s personal papers were released in 1979, scholars have examined and debated the changes made to the text before publication. Now this new special restored edition presents the original manuscript as the author prepared it to be published. Featuring a personal foreword by Patrick Hemingway, Ernest''s sole surviving son, and an introduction by the editor and grandson of the author, Seán Hemingway, this new edition also includes a number of unfinished, never-before-published Paris sketches revealing experiences that Hemingway had with his son Jack and his first wife, Hadley. Also included are irreverent portraits of other luminaries, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ford Madox Ford, and insightful recollections of his own early experiments with his craft. Sure to excite critics and readers alike, the restored edition of A Moveable Feast b

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Book SynopsisAnna Del Conte was born in Milan, came to England as an au pair in 1949, married an Englishman and has lived in Britian ever since. Her books have won many prizes: Gastronomy of Italy received the Duchessa Maria Luigia di Parma award, Entertaining All'Italiana was shortlisted for the Andre Simon award, and The Classic Food of Northern Italy won awards from the Guild of Food Writers and the Accademia Italiana della Cucina. Her most recent book was Amaretto, Apple Cake and Artichokes: The Best of Anna Del Conte. She has contributed regularly to Sainsbury's Magazine and received the Glenfiddich award for her articles in 1999. Anna Del Conte lives in Dorset.Trade ReviewAnyone who cooks should have Anna's books, it is the simple truth, along with the fact that she is, I'm telling you the best writer on Italian food there is...Anna Del Conte is unutterably chic and to be relished -- Nigella * Observer Food Monthly *A well-mannered memoir of an engaging life, laced with recipes -- Mail on Sunday * You magazine *Recipe-stuffed... Rich in mouth-watering prose, this is proof indeed that food doesn't just nourish your body but also your soul * Metro *A rollercoaster read... frank and thought-provoking. Del Conte has lived life to the full, through good times and bad, and there's plenty here to keep you turning the pages * Irish Times *Del Conte may have adopted English self-effacement with the energy of the converted but she knows how to tell a story -- Nina Caplan * Time Out London *

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Book SynopsisPiers Dudgeon is the author of many works of non-fiction. He worked for ten years as an editor in London before starting his own company producing books with authors as diverse as John Fowles, Catherine Cookson, Peter Ackroyd, Daphne du Maurier, Shirley Conran and Ted Hughes. Subsequently, he left London for Yorkshire where he wrote a number of biographies as well as illustrated books evocative of the spirit of place.

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Book Synopsis''The degradations, the wrongs, the vices, that grow out of slavery, are more than I can describe.''Harriet Jacobs was born a slave in the American South and went on to write one of the most extraordinary slave narratives. First published pseudonymously in 1861, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl describes Jacobs''s treatment at the hands of her owners, her eventual escape to the North, and her perilous existence evading recapture as a fugitive slave. To save herself from sexual assault and protect her children she is forced to hide for seven years in a tiny attic space, suffering terrible psychological and physical pain.Written to expose the appalling treatment of slaves in the South and the racism of the free North, and to advance the abolitionist cause, Incidents is notable for its careful construction and literary effects. Jacobs''s story of self-emancipation and a growing feminist consciousness is the tale of an individual and a searing indictment of slavery''s inhumanity. This edition includes the short memoir by Jacobs''s brother, John S. Jacobs, ''A True Tale of Slavery''.ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade ReviewFew accounts of American slavery are as memorable as Jacobs' harrowing memoir. Born a slave in North Carolina in 1813, Harriet was in her teens when her owner, Dr James Norcom, first started to proposition her. Harriet was forced to take refuge in her grandmother's tiny attic for nearly seven years, before finally escaping to the North. R J Ellis's introduction to this latest edition is an insightful overview of the slave narrative for a new generation of readers. * Lesley McDowell, Independent (Radar) *Jacob's story is so dramatic, so illustrative of the horrors of slavery - the sickening violence, the waste of potential, the unpredictability of lives lived according to slave owner's caprices - that is almost reads as a novel * Victoria Segal, The Guardian *It's easy to be appalled at the notion of slavery, but this astonishing account, published in 1861, by Harriet Jacobs, born a slave in the American South, emphasises the personal experience. She makes us feel the minutiae of daily life as a slave. * Lesly McDowell, The Sunday Herald *

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Book SynopsisThe young Jane Austen was a precocious reader, devouring pulp fiction and classic literature, both of which she soon began to imitate and parody. Three volumes of her vivacious teenage writing survive. Devices and themes which appear subtly in her later fiction run riot here: drunkenness, brawling, sexual misdemeanour, theft, and even murder.Trade Review...a brilliantly readable [edition]...What is often most engaging and amusing about this bravura writing is Austen's un-restrained comic mayhem. * Francis O'Gorman, Reviews31.co.uk *Professor Kathryn Sutherland and University Lecturer Freya Johnston skilfully edit this fascinating collection of Austen's early teenage writings ... This new edition provides fresh readings of individual texts, and the explanatory notes accompanying them offer to expand our sense of what the young Austen might have been reading and responding to at the time. * Reader's Digest *Table of ContentsVOLUME THE FIRST; VOLUME THE SECOND; VOLUME THE THIRD; FAMILY CONTINUATIONS TO VOLUME THE THIRD; APPENDIX

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Book SynopsisA TOP 12 BOOK OF THE YEAR PICK IN THE TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMESTHE BELLETRIST BOOK CLUB PICK FOR NOVEMBER 2024''This book is magic. It''s all I ever needed'' LENA DUNHAMEve Babitz died on December 17, 2021. Found in the wrack, ruin and filth of her apartment, a stack of boxes packed by her mother decades before. The boxes were pristine, the seals of duct tape unbroken. Inside, a lost world, centred on a two-story rental in a down-at-heel section of Hollywood in the sixties and seventies. 7406 Franklin Avenue was the making of one great American writer: Joan Didion, a mystery behind her dark glasses and cool expression, an enigma inside her storied marriage to John Gregory Dunne. Franklin Avenue was also the breaking and then the remaking - and thus the true making - of another great American writer: Eve Babitz, goddaughter of Igor Stravinsky, nude of Marcel Duchamp, consort of Jim Morrison (among many, many others), a woman who burned so hot she finally almost burned herself alive. Didion and Babitz formed a complicated alliance, a friendship that went bad, amity turning to enmity. With deftness and skill, journalist Lili Anolik uses Babitz, Babitz''s brilliance of observation, Babitz''s incisive intelligence and, most of all, Babitz''s diary-like letters - letters found in those sealed boxes, letters so intimate you don''t read them so much as breathe them - as the key to unlocking Didion.

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Book Synopsis10th anniversary edition, revised and updated with a new introduction from the authorTHE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS AWARD FOR NON-FICTIONWHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FEEL TRULY ALIVE?Aged 24, Matt Haig''s world caved in. He could see no way to go on living. This is the true story of how he came through crisis, triumphed over an illness that almost destroyed him and learned to live again. It has helped millions of people do the same. Moving, funny and even joyous, these are the lessons Matt learned. His reasons to stay alive.

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Book SynopsisThe beautiful and moving histories of four young girls in the Holocaust, all linked by a red jumper. This is the story of four Jewish girls - Joch, Anita, Chana and Regina - who resisted, sacrificed, or survived the Holocaust through resilience, skills, and kindness, and with the help, in each case, of a fragile red sweater. Each girl's story highlights a fascinating and moving aspect of Holocaust history, from the journey of a young refugee on the Kindertransport, to revolt and resistance at a death camp. They show how Jewish lives unravelled under the Nazi regime, contrasted with quiet heroism from so-called ordinary people.Four Red Sweaters is a universal story of love, separation and connections. PRAISE FOR THE DRESSMAKERS OF AUSCHWITZ: 'Compelling ... Adlington tells the stories of the women with clarity and steely precision' - Jewish Chronicle'An utterly absorbing, important and unique historical read' - Judy Batalion, New York Times bestselling author of The Light of Our Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos'Powerful ... a fascinating account.' - Woman

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * “This book is going to become the sports gambling bible…The formula’s in the book.” —Pat McAfee “The greatest and most controversial sports gambler ever” (ESPN) Billy Walters shares his “rollicking and edgy life story” (The Wall Street Journal)—revealing the secrets to his fiercely protected betting system and breaking his silence about Phil Mickelson.Nobody controls the odds like Billy Walters. Widely regarded as “the Michael Jordan of sports betting,” Walters is a living legend in Las Vegas and among sports bettors worldwide. With an unmatched winning streak of thirty-six consecutive years, Walters has become fabulously wealthy by placing hundreds of millions of dollars a year in gross wagers, including one Super Bowl bet of $3.5 million alone. Competitors desperate to crack his betting techniques have tried hacking his phones, rifling through his trash, and bribing his employees. Now, after decades of avoiding the spotlight and fiercely protecting the keys to his success, Walters wants to pass along his wisdom to future generations of sports bettors. Gambler is more than a traditional autobiography. In addition to sharing his against-all-odds American Dream story, Walters reveals in fascinating detail the secrets of his proprietary betting system, which will serve as a master class for anyone who wants to improve their odds at betting on sports. Walters also breaks his silence about his long and complicated relationship with Hall of Fame professional golfer Phil Mickelson. On a typical weekend gameday packed with college and pro sports, Walters will bet $20 million. It’s a small sum for someone with his resources today, but an unbelievable fortune for the child who was raised by his grandmother in extreme poverty in rural Kentucky. By the age of nine, Walters became a shark at hustling pool and pitching pennies. As a young adult, he set records as a used-car salesman, hustled golf, and dabbled in bookmaking. He eventually moved to Las Vegas, where he revolutionized sports betting strategy and became a member of the famed Computer Group, the first syndicate to apply algorithms and data analysis to sports gambling. He built a fortune while overcoming addictions and outmaneuvering organized crime figures made infamous by Martin Scorsese’s film Casino. In Gambler, Walters shares everything he’s learned about sports betting. First, he shows bettors how to mine the information we have at our fingertips to develop a sophisticated betting strategy and handicapping system of our own. He explains how even avid bettors often do not grasp all of the variables that go into making an informed wager—home field advantage, individual player values, injuries or illness, weather forecasts, each team’s previous schedule, travel distance/ difficulty, stadium quirks, turf types, and more. Variable by variable, Walters breaks down the formulas, betting systems, and money-management principles that he’s developed over decades of improving his craft. From a self-made man who repeatedly won it all, lost it all, and earned it all back again, Gambler is at once a gripping autobiography, a blistering tell-all, and an indispensable playbook for coming out on top.

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Book SynopsisEuphemia Lamb was painted and sculpted by many renowned artists during the period before the First World War, such as Augustus John, Henry Lamb, Ambrose McEvoy, Jacob Epstein and James Dickson Innes. She was at the vanguard of modern British art. She was also a literary muse for many leading writers of the period, including Virginia Woolf, Henri Pierre Roche and Aleister Crowley. Euphemia was the embodiment of the modern woman: sexually liberated, hard-working and ambitious. She used her connections in bohemian London and Paris to educate herself and advance the notion of what a woman could be in early twentieth-century British society. Euphemia was a pioneer who broke down barriers and her legacy survives in art and literature.

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Book SynopsisReaders adore James Herriot''s tales of his life as a Yorkshire animal doctor in All Creatures Great and Small and All Things Bright and Beautiful.Now here''s a third delightful volume of memoirs rich with Herriot''s own brand of humor, insight, and wisdom, and the basis for the PBS Masterpiece drama.In the midst of World War II, James is training for the Royal Air Force, while going home to Yorkshire whenever possible to see his very pregnant wife, Helen. Musing on past adventures through the dales, visiting with old friends, and introducing scores of new and amusing charactersanimal and human alikeHerriot enthralls with his uncanny ability to spin a most engaging and heartfelt yarn. Millions of readers have delighted in the wonderful storytelling and everyday miracles of James Herriot in the over thirty years since his delightful animal stories were first introduced to the world.

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Book SynopsisFor the first time, director Rob Reiner and co-creators Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer provide the full behind-the-scenes story of the making of the groundbreaking mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap and its upcoming sequel. Since its original release in 1984, This Is Spinal Tap has evolved from a beloved cult film into a cinematic landmark: an all-time comedy classic that pioneered an entire genre: the mockumentary. Now, director Rob Reiner and his co-writers and co-stars, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, tell the complete story of the movie and its fictitious band – how they met, how Spinal Tap came to be, and how their low-budget indie film took on a life of its own. Years after the movie first came out, the Library of Congress selected This Is Spinal Tap for inclusion in the National Film Registry and Tap went on to play the Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Stadium, and to over 100,000 fans at Glastonbury.  Reiner, Guest, McKean and Shearer provide the backstories to the movie’s famous lines – among them 'Hello, Cleveland!,' 'None more black,' 'You can’t dust for vomit' and 'These go to eleven' – and to such Tap anthems as 'Big Bottom' and 'Stonehenge'. Featuring never-before-seen photographs, band memorabilia and personal reminiscences of their enduring creative partnership, A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever will delight Tap-heads of all ages – just as the long-awaited Spinal Tap sequel is hitting theatres.  BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever also comes with a bonus memoir by Reiner’s directorial alter ego, Marty DiBergi, in which he interviews Tap band members Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls about their musical journey and their drummers who paid the ultimate sacrifice to the rock gods.

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Book SynopsisA funny, frank and uplifting memoir of what it's like to live with bipolar disorder from model and mental health activist, Rosie Viva and how we can all learn to make peace with our minds.

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