Memoirs Books

Book SynopsisIn 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami 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, not to mention triathlons and a slew of critically acclaimed books, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life and on his writing. Equal parts travelogue, training log, and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon and settings ranging from Tokyo''s Jingu Gaien gardens, where he once shared the course with an Olympian, to the Charles River in Boston among young women who outpace him. Through this marvellous lens of sport emerges a cornucopia of memories and insights: the eureka moment when he decided to become a writer, his greatest triumphs and disappointments, his passion for vintage LPs, and the experience, after fifty, of seeing his race times improve and then fall back.By turns funny andTrade ReviewMurakami gives me a reason. It might seem romantic, but it's true. I had to run…but I didn't enjoy running. I do enjoy, however, running with Murakami. -- Ioan Marc Jones * Huffington Post UK *Murakami distils his own process of writing fiction in this layered and meditative memoir. * Big Issue *A wonderful exploration of work, place and life’s meanders. * Geographical *It’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 SynopsisAN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERNAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2024 BY NPR, TIME, AND THE ECONOMIST?Get the Picture is one of the funniest books I?ve read . . . Brilliant.??The Washington Post ?A gripping and often hilarious investigation into the art world. . . . Bosker goes full Tom Wolfe.??TIME ?Funny, whip-smart, and gorgeously written, Get the Picture will forever transform the way you see. . . . I loved every word.??Suleika Jaouad, New York Times bestselling author of Between Two Kingdoms The New York Times bestselling author of Cork Dork takes readers on another fascinating, hilarious, and revelatory journey?this time burrowingdeep insidethe secretive world of art and artistsAn award-winning journalist obsessed with obsession, Bianca Bosker?s existence was upended when she wandered into the art world?and couldn?t look away. Intrigued by artists who hyperventilate around their favorite colors and art fiends who max out credit cards to show hunks of metal they think can change the world, Bosker grew fixated on understanding why art matters and how she?or any of us?could engage with it more deeply.In Get the Picture, Bosker throws herself into the nerve center of art and the people who live for it: gallerists, collectors, curators, and, of course, artists themselves?the kind who work multiple jobs to afford their studios while scrabbling to get eyes on their art. As she stretches canvases until her fingers blister, talks her way into A-list parties full of billionaire collectors, has her face sat on by a nearly-naked performance artist, and forces herself to stare at a single sculpture for hours on end while working as a museum security guard, she discovers not only the inner workings of the art-canonization machine but also a more expansive way of living.Probing everything from cave paintings to Instagram, and from the science of sight to the importance of beauty as it examines art?s role in our culture, our economy, and our hearts, Get the Picture is a rollicking adventure that will change the way you see forever.

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Book Synopsis“Karr is a national treasure—that rare genius who’s also a brilliant teacher. This joyful celebration of memoir packs transcendent insights with trademark hilarity. Anyone yearning to write will be inspired, and anyone passionate to live an examined life will fall in love with language and literature all over again. ” — George SaundersCredited with sparking the current memoir explosion, Mary Karr’s The Liars’ Club spent more than a year at the top of the New York Times list. She followed with two other smash bestsellers: Cherry and Lit, which were critical hits as well.For thirty years Karr has also taught the form, winning teaching prizes at Syracuse. (The writing program there produced such acclaimed authors as Cheryl Strayed, Keith Gessen, and Koren Zailckas.) In The Art of Memoir, she synthesizes her expertise as professor and therapy patieTrade Review"Karr is a national treasure-that rare genius who's also a brilliant teacher. This joyful celebration of memoir packs transcendent insights with trademark hilarity. Anyone yearning to write will be inspired, and anyone passionate to live an examined life will fall in love with language and literature all over again. " -- George Saunders "Could have been called 'The Art of Living.'" -- San Francisco Chronicle "Mary Karr has written another astonishingly perceptive, wildly entertaining, and profoundly honest book-funny, fascinating, necessary. The Art of Memoir will be the definitive book on reading and writing memoir for years to come." -- Cheryl Strayed "Should be required reading for anyone attempting to write a memoir, but anyone who loves literature will enjoy it too." -- Wall Street Journal "Terrific and deliciously readable guide." -- Entertainment Weekly, "Must List" "Full of Karr's usual wit, compassion and, perhaps most reassuringly, self-doubt. Her fans should be delighted-and they can't go wrong reading the books she discusses, including her own." -- Washington Post "From a contemporary luminary of the form, Mary Karr's The Art of Memoir examines our enduring drive to make memory speak and to 'wring some truth from this godawful mess of a single life.'" -- Vogue "The Art of Memoir is passionate and irreverent-and reminds us why we love a good memoir." -- Elle "Mary Karr strikes a vein in The Art of Memoir." -- Vanity Fair "Karr is such fun to read-who else would combine the name Nabokov and the phrase "out the wazoo" on her very first page?" -- New Yorker "Engaging." -- Chicago Tribune "A veritable blueprint for the genre... Lovers of the form and aspiring scribblers alike will relish this comprehensive appreciation of and guide to 'writing the real self.'" -- O: The Oprah Magazine "With a trio of notable memoirs ("The Liars' Club," "Cherry," and "Lit"), Mary Karr is exquisitely qualified to write this book, a kind of compendium of advice, warning, and deep insight into what makes a personal history stick in a reader's mind." -- Boston Globe "Karr really is an artist. The Art of Memoir attests to how hard she works at getting her words just right and how deeply she understands the way great writing works." -- Slate "Whip-smart." -- Philadelphia Inquirer "As useful for those of us who want to be better friends and lovers as it is for those of us who want to pen our life story." -- More "A master class on memoir, from a memoirist who pulls no punches." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune "Lots of practical advice, a great reading list, examples you can bite into." -- Houston Chronicle "Karr's own voice is consistent and authentic, as vivid, down-home, smart, profane and self-deprecating as it is in her own memoirs." -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch "A celebration of the creative life." -- Austin American-Statesman "Enlightening...Fresh and heartfelt...Instructs and inspires through example and a love for the art of memoir." -- Library Journal, starred review "Karr write[s] exquisitely...and without pretense, often with raw authenticity...a must-read." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review "Snappy and witty, humorous just when it needs to be, yet plainspoken in the best way." -- Shelf Awareness "Karr's sassy Texas wit and her down-to-earth observations about both the memoir form and how to approach it combine to make for lively and inspiring reading. A generous and singularly insightful examination of memoir." -- Kirkus

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Book SynopsisFor eight years, during Bill Clinton's two presidential terms, Madeleine Albright was an active participant in some of the most dramatic events of our time-from the pursuit of peace in the Middle East to NATO's humanitarian intervention in Kosovo. This title tells the story of former Secretary of State.Trade Review"One of the most diverting political bios in recent memory." -- Entertainment Weekly "Her portraits of foreign leaders are lively and evocative... The result is a book that creates a sense of policy made by real people." -- The New Yorker "Madeleine Albright has written a different kind of memoir... It's Albright unplugged." -- USA Today "Albright is frank, assertive... straight-shooting." -- The New York Times "The fascinating story of a remarkable person who has served her country well." -- The Dallas Morning News

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Book SynopsisAn astonishingly brave and moving book from Caroline Darian, daughter of infamous Dominique Pelicot, detailing how her mother rebuilt her life as the world follows a trial that will go down in history.

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

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Book SynopsisOne of Darwish's early works, this moving memoir describes the poet's decision to go into exile.

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Book SynopsisGrowing up, Rebecca Clarren only knew the major plot points of her immigrant family's origins. Her great-great-grandparents, the Sinykins, and their six children fled antisemitism in Russia and arrived in the United States at the turn of the 20th century, ultimately settling on a 160-acre homestead in South Dakota. Over the next few decades, despite tough years on a merciless prairie and multiple setbacks, the Sinykins became an American immigrant success story. What none of Clarren's ancestors ever mentioned was that their land, the foundation for much of their wealth, had been cruelly taken from the Lakota by the United States government. By the time the Sinykins moved to South Dakota, America had broken hundreds of treaties with hundreds of Indigenous nations across the continent, and the land that had once been reserved for the seven bands of the Lakota had been diminished, splintered, and handed for free, or practically free, to white settlers. In The Cost of Free Land, Clarren melds investigative reporting with personal family history to reveal the intertwined stories of her family and the Lakota, and the devastating cycle of loss of Indigenous land, culture and resources that continues today.Trade ReviewThis heartfelt and well-researched work introduces us to little-known historical realities. Perhaps even more important, Rebecca Clarren explains and models how each of us can approach dealing with uncomfortable truths about the past, and begin to move forward towards healing wounds and wrongs left unaddressed for too long -- Brett Shelton * Native American Rights Fund * In this gripping book, Rebecca Clarren turns her unflinching gaze on her Jewish ancestors who escaped persecution only to unwittingly take part in a holocaust that, in the words of one Lakota man, 'lasted four hundred years.' In taking to heart the counsel of both Indigenous elders and Jewish leaders to seek truth and make redress, she creates a new model for engaged history -- Margaret jacobs * author of After One Hundred Winters: In Search of Reconciliation on America's Stolen Lands * Meticulously researched and intricately woven, The Cost of Free Land proves our personal stories inextricable from our collective history. In her deft distinctions between mythmaking and truth telling, ownership and belonging, absolution and real repair, Rebecca Clarren has written a profound, important book -- Sierra Crane Murdoch * author of Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman's Search for Justice in Indian Country * With compassion and guts, Rebecca Clarren illuminates a riveting and important history, while contemplating what should be done about past -and persisting - injustice -- David Wolman * author of Aloha Rodeo: Three Hawaiian Cowboys, the World's Greatest Rodeo, and a Hidden History of the American West * The flight of Rebecca Clarren's ancestors from Russia to South Dakota entangled their rising prospects as immigrants with the reduced possibilities of the Lakota. This surprising book reveals the burdens the past creates and the rewards and obligations it offers -- Richard White * Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Middle Ground: Indians, Empires, and Republics in the Great Lakes Region, 1650-1815 *

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Book SynopsisINSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Named a Notable Book of the Year by NPR and The Washington Post From award-winning actor and food obsessive Stanley Tucci comes an intimate and charming memoir of life in and out of the kitchen.Stanley Tucci grew up in an Italian American family that spent every night around the kitchen table. He shared the magic of those meals with us in The Tucci Cookbook and The Tucci Table, and now he takes us beyond the savory recipes and into the compelling stories behind them.​ Taste is a reflection on the intersection of food and life, filled with anecdotes about his growing up in Westchester, New York; preparing for and shooting the foodie films Big Night and Julie & Julia; falling in love over dinner; and teaming up with his wife to create meals for a multitude of children. Each morsel of this gastronomic journey through good times and bad, five-star meals and burned dishes, is as heartfelt and delicious as the last. Written with Stanley’s signature wry humor, Taste is for fans of Bill Buford, Gabrielle Hamilton, and Ruth Reichl—and anyone who knows the power of a home-cooked meal.

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Book SynopsisIn 2005 Michael Ignatieff left Harvard to lead Canada’s Liberal Party and by 2008 was poised to become Prime Minister. It never happened. He describes what he learned from his bruising defeat about compromise and the necessity of bridging differences in a pluralist society. A reflective, compelling account of modern politics as it really is.Trade ReviewI’ve never read a politician’s account of seeking and maintaining power that has quite the level of candor I found here—beginning with the admission that ‘there are few rewards for candor in politics.’ -- Barton Swaim * Wall Street Journal *Engagingly frank… Ignatieff has written an elegant, thoughtful, candid book explaining why he tried, and how he failed, to get to the top of the greasy pole. -- Peter Clarke * Financial Times *The best book about what it feels like to be a politician since Richard Ben Cramer’s What It Takes. -- David Brooks * New York Times *It is really a cautionary tale about the perils awaiting thoughtful men who are moved to act out the ancient dream of bringing bright ideas into the fog of political life… Fire and Ashes leaves one with a sense of loss and regret, not so much at Ignatieff’s failure at an enterprise that, by all accounts, including his own, was doomed from the outset. No, the regret one feels is for the gradual death of civility in politics that his book so vividly chronicles. -- Paul Wilson * New York Review of Books *[A] compelling and curiously moving account of [Ignatieff’s] traumatic experiences near the very summit of Canadian politics… Ignatieff wanted to win the top job the right way, with a clear electoral mandate. Yet part of the poignancy of this memoir comes from our subsequent knowledge, and his, that it was never going to happen… He reflects on this disaster with good grace and minimal self-pity—just enough to let us know how much it hurts… For a clear-eyed, sharply observed, mordant but ultimately hopeful account of contemporary politics this memoir is hard to beat. -- David Runciman * The Guardian *Reading Michael Ignatieff’s reflective and somewhat wistful book, stocked with practical and philosophical ruminations inspired by his temporary move from academia to Canadian politics, made me wish he had succeeded in becoming his country’s prime minister. Ignatieff’s constructive approach to politics, like his commitments to democracy and social justice, remains admirably untainted by the bitter experiences he describes. Yet his account makes clear why his noble adventure as leader of Canada’s Liberal Party ended in failure… Fire and Ashes provides a deeply thoughtful if sometimes elusive account of its author’s experiences as an intellectual in politics…He’s a teacher at heart and manages in Fire and Ashes to turn his irritation into an instructive lesson about the importance of ‘standing’ in politics. His analysis of whether a politician is given a hearing, or denied it by having his or her legitimacy undermined in advance, is the most important insight in his book… Perhaps it takes someone whom the voters have cast aside to offer a truly credible and heartfelt brief for democracy. -- E. J. Dionne, Jr. * Commonweal *Long after the details of the 2011 Canadian election are forgotten, anyone interested in democratic politics will be reading this book. As both an access-all-areas insider’s guide to the machinations of power and a powerful account of (and, just as fascinatingly, an example of) the weird psychology of ambition, it is a riveting read. -- Caspar Melville * New Humanist *[Ignatieff] has written not just a good book, but an extraordinary one. Fire and Ashes is a brilliant testament to the state of our politics, a cautionary tale about the perils, and pleasures, of political life and a must-read primer for anyone contemplating a political career. -- Robert Collison * Toronto Star *Michael Ignatieff chronicles why he entered political life, what it takes to be a successful politician, and what it feels like to fail miserably in the political arena… Ignatieff may not have been a wildly successful politician himself, but he is a terrific writer and a keen observer of politics. And this memoir about politics should be required reading for anyone who loves or cares about political life in Canada. -- Peter McKenna * Vancouver Sun *[Ignatieff] writes so eloquently in Fire and Ashes about the attributes needed to win in politics because he knows all too well that his lack of them meant that his return home was never fated to culminate in his becoming Canada’s 22nd prime minister. -- Stephen Holt * Canberra Times *Fire and Ashes is at times self-flagellating and self-exculpatory, frank and evasive. Above all, it attempts to extract meaning from failure. The tone is more sorrowful than angry. Ignatieff casts himself as a fount of hard-won political wisdom who, despite having endured a bruising political education, remains a champion of the democratic process. -- Evan R. Goldstein * Chronicle of Higher Education *Emotionally candid and humble, Ignatieff provides unadorned glimpses of political life, in which the art of dissimulation collides with the intellectual’s impulse for truth… Ignatieff’s elegant composition may be his finest since his biography of Isaiah Berlin in 1998. -- Shefa Siegel * Haaretz *[A] brutally frank and at times self-lacerating book… Ignatieff does have something important to teach us… In Fire and Ashes he presents a defense of politics that cannot be ignored. Rather than scorning politicians, it would be more sensible to lower our expectations of what politicians can hope to achieve. This is the true moral of the story that Ignatieff tells. -- John Gray * The Independent *[Ignatieff] describe the 35 days of his disastrous 2011 campaign as the happiest period of his political journey. Brave man. Most of us find fighting a losing campaign a truly awful experience. Having gone through this myself I could no more write about it than I would contemplate doing it all again. I would fear that my account would reek of self-pity, self-regard and self-justification. It is a measure of Ignatieff’s character that such sentiments rarely leak onto his pages. Overall, this is a brave and mostly convincing case for the young to consider a life in democratic politics. -- Chris Patten * The Tablet *Ignatieff offers a cautionary tale for public intellectuals who would be politicians. The Toronto native, currently a professor at the University of Toronto and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, served as head of Canada’s Liberal Party until 2011, when he lost his own seat in the party’s worst showing in its history. Ignatieff had left Harvard in 2005 to enter Canadian politics and swiftly rose through the ranks to become leader of his party, on the cusp of becoming the next Prime Minister, only to face a huge electoral defeat and million-dollar campaign debt. Wised up to the rough and tumble of political life, he reflects on what he did right and wrong, and shows why getting elected, and then enacting reforms, is hard work… This thin volume could have easily been a vanity book, but it’s more than that. An erudite and civilized man, Ignatieff ends his tale with surprisingly upbeat advice to aspiring politicians. * Publishers Weekly *Michael Ignatieff is an extraordinary person. His memoir is a unique combination of learning, compassion, and wisdom brought to bear on the mess and grind of politics. He writes beautifully, and honestly. I know no book which gives a clearer sense of what it feels like to fight for a vision amidst the flaws and potential of our modern democracies. -- Rory Stewart, MP, author of The Places in BetweenThe shelves are full of memoirs written by successful politicians, painting their careers with the rosy glow of battles won. Michael Ignatieff tells a very different tale: of humility, self-discovery, and human connection. It is a book that plumbs the essence of politics, one that all voters and the leaders who would represent them should read. -- Anne-Marie Slaughter, Princeton UniversityA distinguished intellectual, writer, journalist, and academic gives up his library and his chair at Harvard to pursue a political career at the highest level and for six years he experiences the passion and the fever, the enthusiasm and the intrigue, the failure and the success of party politics in the vast Canadian scene. Six years after that immersion in political life, he goes back to his library, he does some thinking, and he offers us an exceptionally insightful and honest account of that adventure. This book is a compass that will help the reader find his or her way in the dizzying maze that politics has become in the great modern democracies. -- Mario Vargas LlosaThis book is fantastic. The insights into the realities of democratic politics are not only subtle and intelligent but I believe they are of extraordinary importance to anyone trying to understand the possibilities of democracy and the modern life of politics. -- Marc Stears, University of Oxford

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ?The powerful and moving memoir of a fearless political opposition leader who paid the ultimate price for his beliefs. Patriot is by turns funny, fiery, reflective and tragic, laced with Navalny?s trademark wry humor and idealism....a gutting personal account from a husband and father facing the reality that he will never be with his family again.?The New York TimesHonest?The Washington Post ? Shocking?The Atlantic ? Uplifting.?Vanity FairA testament to resilience ?Associated Press ? Will be seen as a historic text.?The EconomistAlexei Navalny began writing Patriot shortly after his near-fatal poisoning in 2020. It is the full story of his life: his youth, his call to activism, his marriage and family, his commitment to challenging a world super-power determined to silence him, and his total conviction that change cannot be resisted?and will come. In vivid, page-turning detail, including never-before-seen correspondence from prison, Navalny recounts, among other things, his political career, the many attempts on his life, and the lives of the people closest to him, and the relentless campaign he and his team waged against an increasingly dictatorial regime. Written with the passion, wit, candor, and bravery for which he was justly acclaimed, Patriot is Navalny?s final letter to the world: a moving account of his last years spent in the most brutal prison on earth; a reminder of why the principles of individual freedom matter so deeply; and a rousing call to continue the work for which he sacrificed his life.?This book is a testament not only to Alexei?s life, but to his unwavering commitment to the fight against dictatorship?a fight he gave everything for, including his life. Through its pages, readers will come to know the man I loved deeply?a man of profound integrity and unyielding courage. Sharing his story will not only honor his memory but also inspire others to stand up for what is right and to never lose sight of the values that truly matter.?Yulia Navalnaya

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Book SynopsisThe international bestseller - an uplifting story of cross-generational living and friendship. Twenty-one-year-old nursing student Teun Toebes (both broke and curious) decided to move into a nursing home and experience the daily life of elderly residents, not as a nurse or a carer - but as a housemate. The experience was to change his life, as well as the lives of his new friends. He initiated Friday drinks, trips out and camping evenings, and reintroduced pleasure in the small things in life: a laugh, a dance, a cup of good coffee, a chance to sit in the sun. As he became embedded in the community, however, Teun became more and more distressingly aware of how society and the care system diminishes the elderly and particularly people living with dementia - and he resolved to do something about it. A number 1 bestseller in the Netherlands, The Housemates is Teun Toebes' story of his years of being a housemate, the friends who changed him and a heartfelt cry for change in how we care for the elderly.

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Book SynopsisResilient Grieving offers an empowering alternative to the five stages of grief - and makes clear our capacity for growth following the trauma of a devastating loss.

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Book Synopsis'Brilliantly illustrates how multilingual mothers are disproportionately tasked with preserving linguistic heritage on one hand and preparing children for public society on the other - all while finding a language for their own new maternal identity' Eliane Glaser, author of Motherhood: A ManifestoIt is estimated that more than half of the world's population communicates in more than one language and over a third of the population in the United Kingdom is multilingual. And yet life in multiple languages is rarely discussed publicly, myths and misconceptions prevail and the pressure to keep heritage languages alive has become a private conflict for millions. Linguistic diversity is more prevalent than ever, but so is linguistic inequality. Linguist Malwina Gudowska, herself trilingual, sheds light on the ways in which we navigate language, its power to shape and reshape lives, and the ripple effects felt far beyond any one home or any one lan

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Book SynopsisThe remarkable story of the powerful visionary episodes Stephen Harrod Buhner experienced over half a century ago. The demands that were made for his reformulation of the self, and his subsequent training with the plants of the high Rocky Mountains into their uses as medicines and ecological modulators for planetary health. And as well, his meeting and training with some of the most innovative teachers of the latter half of the twentieth century. This is the most extensive description of visionary experience since that of Black Elk''s in Black Elk Speaks and Manual Cordova Rios''s in Wizard of the Upper Amazon.

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Driving, wild and hilarious” (The Washington Post), here is the incredible “memoir” of the legendary actor, gambler, raconteur, and Saturday Night Live veteran. When Norm Macdonald, one of the greatest stand-up comics of all time, was approached to write a celebrity memoir, he flatly refused, calling the genre “one step below instruction manuals.” Norm then promptly took a two-year hiatus from stand-up comedy to live on a farm in northern Canada. When he emerged he had under his arm a manuscript, a genre-smashing book about comedy, tragedy, love, loss, war, and redemption. When asked if this was the celebrity memoir, Norm replied, “Call it anything you damn like.”

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Book SynopsisAs Street Cat Bob and James spend a cold and challenging December on the streets together, James once more draws strength and inspiration from his extraordinary cat - learning important lessons about the true meaning of Christmas along the way.

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Book SynopsisSpeaking for the first time about the profound impact that his brother's death had on him, the author offers a tribute to Duane that only a younger brother could write, showing how, to this day, he still confronts the grief of losing his big brother, even as Duane continues to guide and inspire him.Trade Review...This book is everything you could hope for: in a grizzled, laconic drawl, Allman provides a rambling backstage account of his five decades with the Allman Brothers Band, and he doesn't seem to hold anything back. -- New York Times Book Review A soul-searching rumination on a hard-lived life... For generations of fans, Allman's book provides insights into the many turns in that long road... MY CROSS TO BEAR carries a welcome seal of honesty. -- USA Today In his memoir, the rambling and rambunctious Gregg Allman lays bare his soul... In the end, Allman, writing with music journalist Light, has produced a fiercely honest memoir. -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) This is a story about musical brotherhood. Rich and moving... Nothing less than profound. Life, love and music from one of the most influential American recording artists of the last 40 years. -- Kirkus Reviews "Packed with juicy anecdotes, gripping details and raw energy...Fans of the Allman Brothers Band are certain to relish the revelations... MY CROSS TO BEAR provides a window into Allman's tortured soul - he presents himself as a man cracked and flawed, yet somehow intact." -- Birmingham News

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Book SynopsisRené Girard (1923–2015) was one of the leading thinkers of our era - a provocative sage who bypassed prevailing orthodoxies to offer a bold, sweeping vision of human nature, human history, and human destiny. His oeuvre, offering a “mimetic theory” of cultural origins and human behavior, inspired such writers as Milan Kundera and J. M. Coetzee, and earned him a place among the forty “immortals” of the Académie Française.Too often, however, his work is considered only within various academic specializations. This first-ever biographical study takes a wider view. Cynthia L. Haven traces the evolution of Girard’s thought in parallel with his life and times. She recounts his formative years in France and his arrival in a country torn by racial division, and reveals his insights into the collective delusions of our technological world and the changing nature of warfare.Drawing on interviews with Girard and his colleagues, Evolution of Desire: A Life of René Girard provides an essential introduction to one of the twentieth century’s most controversial and original minds.

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of The Savage God, a unique memoir of growing old, and a lesson in not going gently into that good nightThe ponds of Hampstead Heath are small oases; fragments of wild nature nestled in the heart of north-west London. For the best part of his life Al Alvarez poet, critic, novelist, rock-climber and poker player has swum in them almost daily. An athlete in his youth, Alvarez chronicles what it is to grow old with humour and fierce honesty from his relentlessly nagging ankle which makes daily life a struggle, to infuriating bureaucratic battles with the council to keep his disabled person's Blue Badge, the devastating effects of a stroke, and the salvation he finds in the three Ss Swimming, Sex and Sleep.As Alvarez swims in the ponds he considers how it feels when you begin to miss that person you used to be to miss yourself. Swimming is his own private form of protest against the onslaught of time; proof to others, and himself, that Trade ReviewThe adrenalin still flows in lively extracts from 11 years of journals * The Times *A beautiful unfolding of a story, told in deceptively simple prose but with a great power to move * Sunday Times *A marvellous book. Even the title Pondlife is spot-on: unlaboured, light and right. But it has no business to be as invigorating and absorbing – its success is against the odds * Observer *Al Alvarez is a writer’s writer whose brilliant insight has illuminated everything from suicide to his love of poker ... A miniature classic of a man’s defiant assertion against ageing * Metro *

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Book Synopsis''The book is remarkable .... one of the most striking personal records of the period.'' - Max HastingsAs a 24-year-old lieutenant in the King''s Own Scottish Borderers, Peter kept an unauthorised journal of his regiment''s advance through the Low Countries and into Germany in the closing months of the war in Europe. Forbidden by his commanding officer from doing so for security reasons, Peter''s boyhood habit of diary keeping had become an obsession too strong to shake off. In this graphic evocation of a soldier at war, the images he records are not for the faint hearted.There are heroes aplenty within its pages, but there are also disturbing insights into the darker sides of humanity - the men who broke under the strain and who ran away; the binge drinking which occasionally rendered the whole platoon unable to fight; the looting, the rape, and the callous disregard for human life that happens when death is a daily companion. Hidden away for more than 50 years, this is a rare opportunity to read an authentic account of the horrors of war experienced by a British soldier in the greatest conflict of the 20th century.

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