Memoirs Books

Book SynopsisEvery year in the United States, 12 per cent of all births are preterm births, 5 per cent of all babies need help to breathe at birth, and 3 per cent of neonates are born with at least one severe malformation. Many of these babies are hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit. Annie Janvier and her husband, Keith Barrington, are both pediatricians who specialize in the care of these sick babies and are internationally known for their research in this area. In 2005, when their daughter Violette was born extremely prematurely, four months before her due date, they faced the situation from the other side as parents. Despite knowing the scientific facts, they knew nothing about the experience itself. Knowing how a respirator works did not help me be the mother of a baby on a respirator, writes Annie. She did not know how to navigate the guilt, the uncertainty, the fears, the predictions of providers, and the responses of friends and family. In a society oTable of ContentsForeword by John D. Lantos and William Meadow Acknowledgments Introduction Part 1: Labour and Prenatal Counselling The “Perfect Pregnancy” Is a Scam You Made Your Bed… 12 May No Bed of Roses 13 May 15 May, Night End-of-Life Decisions for Extremely Low-Gestational-Age Infants: Why Simple Rules for Complicated Decisions Should Be Avoided Difficult Decisions Naming 19 May 20 May Personalized Decision Making: Practical Recommendations for Antenatal Counseling for Fragile Neonates Part 2: The Delivery and the First Days The Delivery Memories from Gene Dempsey 23 May 24 May Half Mother at Home 26 May 30 May 3 June 6 June 7 June 11 June 13 June 14 June The Big Berthas Part 3: The NICU Dear Violette Pepperoni Pizza and Sex 17, 18 June For Audrey-Anne Shooting Stars 19, 20 June 21 June Life Trajectories 23 June Red Underwear My Love 24 June 26 June 27 June Other People Just Being There 20 July Part 4: Progress and Setbacks 20 August 22 August Dear World Learning to Fall 24 August 31 August Term MRI for Small Preterm Babies: Do Parents Really Want to Know, and Why Has Nobody Asked Them? Measuring and Communicating Meaningful Outcomes in Neonatology: A Family Perspective Part 5: Coming Home Germ-o-phobia Meanwhile, with My Other Kids… Rewriting Your Life A Mother’s Love The Backpack: The Sequel After Violette, Am I a Better Doctor? Tattoos, Beer, and Bow Ties: The Limits of Professionalism in Medicine 26 September What’s Your Dream? 22 May 2011 Stronger and More Vulnerable: A Balanced View of the Impacts of the NICU on Parents Survival Guide for Parents Part 6: Neonatology Information for Parents, Families, Clinicians, and All Those Who Care about Babies Getting the Bad Stuff Out Seven Don’ts for Families and Friends Helping Parents The Best Ways to Help Parents in the NICU Ethics and Etiquette in Neonatal Intensive Care Notes Glossary of Common Abbreviations Used in the NICU Selected Bibliography Resources and Further Reading

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Book SynopsisA remarkable memoir from New Order's Stephen Morris, who tells his story for the first time.

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Book SynopsisThe rollicking memoir from the cardiologist turned legendary scientist and winner of the Nobel Prize that revels in the joy of science and discovery. Like Richard Feynman in the field of physics, Dr. Robert Lefkowitz is also known for being a larger-than-life character: a not-immodest, often self-deprecating, always entertaining raconteur. Indeed, when he received the Nobel Prize, the press corps in Sweden covered him intensively, describing him as “the happiest Laureate.” In addition to his time as a physician, from being a "yellow beret" in the public health corps with Dr. Anthony Fauci to his time as a cardiologist, and his extraordinary transition to biochemistry, which would lead to his Nobel Prize win, Dr. Lefkowitz has ignited passion and curiosity as a fabled mentor and teacher. But it's all in a day's work, as Lefkowitz reveals in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm, which is filled to the brim with anecdotes and energy, and gives us a glimpse into the life of one of today's leading scientists. Trade Review"Cardiologist-turned-biochemist, Robert Lefkowitz won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for showing how adrenaline works through stimulation of specific receptors, with huge implications for drug discovery. Yet he calls himself 'an accidental scientist,' because he trained as a physician. Instead of being drafted to the Vietnam War, he served at the US National Institutes of Health. His autobiography is a vividly anecdotal account, influenced by a supervisor’s lesson that data do not tell a story: 'A story is something you impose on the data.'" -- Andrew Robinson * NATURE *“Lefkowitz unveils the teamwork, persistence, and labors of love that go into living a life of significance. By turns funny and moving, this book has the power to inspire.” -- Mike Krzyzewski, Head Coach, Men’s Basketball, Duke University"This vivid tale shines with personality. Rarely has science been treated with such a winning blend of humor and humanity." * Publishers Weekly *"Lefkowitz is an avid and inveterate storyteller. Told with humor and humility, what shines through most is his love of stories. His passion for science and discovery, for helping people, and for celebrating stories is infectious." * Booklist *“An engaging Nobel Prize-winning journey of a life in medicine and science. Joyous, insightful, and irreverent, Lefkowitz describes the enormous impediments to challenging established dogma and legendary elders as well as the art and satisfaction of mentoring young scientists. For both lay readers and professional scientists, this book presents a narrative that will delight and that offers a goldmine of wisdom.” -- Robert Horvitz, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2002)“Lefkowitz’s life is testament to the joy of science. The book is a page-turner, a riveting account of a life well-lived. It is a story of stories, a tale of greatness.” -- Roger D. Kornberg, Ph.D., Stanford University, Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2006)“In this engaging and often rollicking tale, Bob Lefkowitz recounts how the Vietnam War transformed him from a dedicated young physician into an enthusiastic, ambitious, and highly successful scientist whose discoveries have altered our understanding of cell function and approaches to drug development. Arriving at a time when the need to convert physicians into scientists is greater than ever, this book can do more than just entertain and instruct: it can inspire young doctors to remake their careers.” -- Harold Varmus, M.D., Lewis Thomas University Professor, Weill Cornell Medicine; Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1989); Author of The Art and Politics of Science“More than just a heartwarming and thrilling chronicle of a great physician-scientist, Lefkowitz has written a story-based leadership guide for any aspiring mentor. A testament to the power of building enduring excellence by believing in, championing, and developing others.” -- Sanyin Siang, Leadership Coach and author of The Launch Book“A spell-binding memoir, packed with deep insights and charged with the thrill of discovery. This is a tale told from the pinnacle of human achievement, that also serves as a master-class in humility and overcoming tragedy—all interwoven with laugh-out-loud anecdotes. Lefkowitz is a brilliant and charming storyteller, with an indomitable passion for living, and wisdom for the ages.” -- Karl Deisseroth, M.D., Ph.D., Stanford University, Winner of the Kyoto Prize and the Heineken Prize; Author of Projections“In this entertaining book, Nobelist Bob Lefkowitz recounts how he became a passionate and renowned physician-scientist. He unveils the secret to his scientific stardom in a series of engrossing stories spanning his fifty-year career. No tale is left untold—many are amusing, some might raise a few eyebrows.” -- Joseph L. Goldstein, M.D., and Michael S. Brown, M.D., U.T. Southwestern Medical Center, Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine (1985)“Lefkowitz provides joyous remembrance of his amazing career as a physician-scientist. Interlaced with vignettes of personal sacrifice, growth, and friendship is the story of the seminal discoveries that culminated in science’s highest award. A beautiful story of family, hard work, and steadfast optimism.” -- Christine Seidman, M.D., Professor, Harvard Medical School, Director, CV Genetics Center Brigham and Women’s Hospital“How does a brilliant young physician accidentally get hooked on research? Bob Lefkowitz's life-altering shift changed not only his life but the lives of hundreds of his trainees. From the dazzling way adrenaline controls critical body functions to the thrill of his Nobel Prize win, this engaging book will help you better understand how physician scientists dedicate their careers to understanding human biology and enhancing human health." -- P. Roy Vagelos, M.D., Retired Chairman and CEO, Merck & Co.; Chairman of the Board, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals“Lighthearted, yet profoundly personal and moving, Lefkowitz’s memoir shares the secret recipe for winning a Nobel prize—two parts genius, one part audacity in challenging authority, one part insightful and supportive mentoring, a splash of good luck, and ten parts resilience and persistence. Bob Lefkowitz is at the top of the list of the extraordinary cadre of physicians turned scientists who ushered in the modern biotechnology revolution.” -- Barry S. Coller, M.D., David Rockefeller Professor of Medicine, Rockefeller University, Physician-in Chief, Rockefeller University Hospital"The odds of a scrappy kid growing up in the Bronx winning a Nobel Prize are overwhelmingly small. How Bob Lefkowitz managed to do this is revealed in this delightfully rich and moving book allowing the reader to understand Bob’s intelligence, warmth, and complexity. If you read one book this year, choose this one. It will fill you with joy, hope, and give you a new friend.” -- Ralph Snyderman, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Chancellor Emeritus, Duke University“A blend of comedy, history, and tragedy, this book is much more than a delightfully amusing tale of a bright kid from the Bronx who ultimately wins a Nobel Prize. Bob Lefkowitz’s message is of the utmost importance. U.S. taxpayer dollars funded a unique cadre of young physicians—'the Yellow Berets’—whose discoveries have led to revolutionary therapies for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, impotence, neurodegeneration, HIV, and coronavirus, all while training the next generation of medical scientists. Reading this book shows that investments in science will continue to save the world.” -- Peter Agre, M.D., Professor and Director, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Bloomberg School of Public Health; Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2003)“Robert Lefkowitz’s memoir is a rollicking, absorbing read. It turns out many funny things happened on his way to Stockholm. Beautifully written, this book demonstrates the importance of humor, humility, and humanity in the pursuit of scientific discovery." -- Jerry Speyer, Chairman, Tishman-Speyer"A deeply personal perspective of events, people, thoughts, and actions that have created an era of major scientific breakthroughs. Full of insights and revelations about the milieu that underlies today’s biomedical revolution, from a key participant. Written with a candor and style that make Bob Lefkowitz’s life adventures as a physician-scientist a delight to read.” -- Stanley N. Cohen, M.D., Professor of Genetics and Medicine, Stanford University“Bob Lefkowitz is a legend in his own time. In addition to his clinical background as an MD and acknowledged scientific mettle resulting in a Nobel Prize, he is a renowned raconteur. Bob also has an excellent sense of humor, and these twin skills have made him a highly sought-after public speaker. They are both on vivid display in this highly readable and entertaining autobiography, which begins with his childhood in the Bronx and embraces his long and distinguished career.” -- Michael Rosbash, Ph.D., Peter Gruber Professor of Neuroscience, Brandeis University, Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute“Lefkowitz is not only a gifted scientist, but also a gifted story-teller. From the Yankees to Duke basketball to the game show Jeopardy through the upper echelons of science on his way to a Nobel Prize, he proves that science can be fun and rewarding for himself, the field, and his patients." -- Brian Druker, M.D., Director, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University“Lefkowitz appreciates the power of storytelling, both at the bedside in making diagnoses and at the bench in generating hypotheses. Full of vignettes that are sometimes embarrassingly honest, at other times laugh-out-loud humorous, but always infused with his own special brew of humility and hubris. An informative and entertaining read.” -- Helen H. Hobbs, Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center“A tribute to teamwork that aims to inspire the young generation of scientists to take a similar journey. This book shows that making a breakthrough discovery, changing a paradigm, and using science as a tool to change people’s lives is possible, while also emphasizing that such achievements are not made by angels but by human beings like all of us.” -- Aaron Ciechanover, M.D., D.Sc., Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2004)

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Book SynopsisThink like Britain's greatest living Olympian: Ten steps to push your limits and achieve the impossible from the one of the world's greatest swimmers'The most dominant sportsperson in Great Britain today - and perhaps ever' TelegraphFrom one of the best elite athletes on the planet comes a book bursting with no-nonsense advice on how to locate your inner gladiator, and first-hand wisdom to help you push yourself beyond what you thought was possible.We are all capable of locating greatness within us and achieving hitherto unimaginable feats. Whether you are old and wise or young and bursting with energy, there are limits you are imposing on yourself that this book will help you reconsider.Adam Peaty shows you how to take more control of your life and helps you both discover and develop your talents. He shares his own ten secrets to a winning mental attitude, whether it be at home, at work, on the sports field, or within ourselves.This is an inspirational handbook for personal achievement and positive living. THE GLADIATOR MINDSET will inspire you to find and develop your talent and have the confidence to believe in yourself.Let's be better than we were yesterday."Hopefully, this is a catalyst for not only Team GB but also the people back home to go to another gear, to say: 'We've been through a tough time, there's been a lot of complaining, a lot of excuses, a lot of negative things, but now we've got to switch our mindset.'" - Adam Peaty

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Book SynopsisThe messages in this book affirm that there is an inherent wisdom and intelligence in everything, which can only be contacted by turning inside.

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Book SynopsisConsidered by many to be the iconic French memoirist’s defining work, The Years is a narrative of the period 1941 to 2006 told through the lens of memory, impressions past and present, cultural habits, language, photos, books, songs, radio, television, advertising and news headlines. Annie Ernaux invents a form that is subjective and impersonal, private and collective, and a new genre – the collective autobiography – in order to capture the passing of time. At the confluence of autofiction and sociology, The Years is ‘a Remembrance of Things Past for our age of media domination and consumerism’ (New York Times), a monumental account of twentieth-century French history as refracted through the life of one woman.Trade Review‘The Years is a revolution, not only in the art of autobiography but in art itself. Annie Ernaux’s book blends memories, dreams, facts and meditations into a unique evocation of the times in which we lived, and live.’ — John Banville, author of The Sea‘One of the best books you will ever read.’ — Deborah Levy, author of Hot Milk‘The author of one of the most important œuvres in French literature, Annie Ernaux’s work is as powerful as it is devastating, as subtle as it is seething.’ — Édouard Louis, author of The End of Eddy‘Ravishing and almost oracular with insight, Ernaux’s prose performs an extraordinary dance between collective and intimate, “big” history and private experience. The Years is a philosophical meditation paced as a rollercoaster ride through the decades. How we spend ourselves too quickly, how we reach for meaning but evade it, how to live, how to remember – these are Ernaux’s themes. I am desperate for more.’ — Kapka Kassabova, author of Border‘I admire the form she invented, mixing autobiography, history, sociology. The anxious interrogations on her defection, moving as she did from the dominated to the dominant classes. Her loyalty to her people, her fidelity to herself. The progressive depersonalisation of her work, culminating in the disappearance of the “I” in The Years, a book I must have read three or four times since its publication, even more impressed each time by its precision, its sweep and – I can’t think of any other word – its majesty. One of the few indisputably great books of contemporary literature.’ — Emmanuel Carrère, author of The Kingdom‘The technique is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. She illuminates a person through the culture that poured through her; it’s about time and being situated in a certain place in history and how time and place make a person. It’s incredible.’ — Sheila Heti, author of Pure Colour‘I find her work extraordinary.’ — Eimear McBride, author of Strange Hotel

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Book SynopsisA well-known novelist and journalist from the coastal city of Jableh, Samar Yazbek witnessed the beginning four months of the uprising first-hand and actively participated in a variety of public actions and budding social movements. Throughout this period she kept a diary of personal reflections on, and observations of, this historic time. Because of the outspoken views she published in print and online, Yazbek quickly attracted the attention and fury of the regime, vicious rumours started to spread about her disloyalty to the homeland and the Alawite community to which she belongs. The lyrical narrative describes her struggle to protect herself and her young daughter, even as her activism propels her into a horrifying labyrinth of insecurity after she is forced into living on the run and detained multiple times, excluded from the Alawite community and renounced by her family, her hometown and even her childhood friends. With rare empathy and journalistic prowess Samar Yazbek compiled oral testimonies from ordinary Syrians all over the country. Filled with snapshots of exhilarating hope and horrifying atrocities, she offers us a wholly unique perspective on the Syrian uprising. Hers is a modest yet powerful testament to the strength and commitment of countless unnamed Syrians who have united to fight for their freedom. These diaries will inspire all those who read them, and challenge the world to look anew at the trials and tribulations of the Syrian uprising.Trade Review'An essential eyewitness account, and with luck an inaugural document in a Syrian literature that is uncensored and unchained.' 20120415 'She has the novelist's eye for telling detail... Hers is the urgent task of showing the world what is happening. Thanks to her, we can read about the appalling things that go on in secret, underground places.' -- Francis Beckett 20120622 'Well before the Syrian uprising, Samar Yazbek was challenging the existing taboos of Syrian society in her novels. Since the early days of the revolution, she was involved in the pro-revolutionary movements on the ground, despite the daily threats she was submitted to. On four occasions, Yazbek was taken to detention centres in order to "improve her writing" as one regime officer once put it. A Woman in the Crossfire is her diary of the first four months of the revolution, in which she mixes first-person chronicles of her everyday life and exclusive testimonies of various eye-witnesses (doctors, officers, activists). Some of her chronicles were initially published in the Arab press as early as during spring 2011; hence Yazbek was one of the first voices to describe the reality of the Syrian uprising from the inside.' -- Isabelle Mayault 20120702 "A Woman in the Crossfire" is elevated beyond politics or reportage by Yazbek's intimate style and her willingness to reveal and involve herself in the book... The book is not about any particular party or movement, but about freely telling Syria's stories. It is a stand against all the forces silencing and misrepresenting Syrians... Many people, including Yazbek, risked their lives to bring us this book. "A Woman in the Crossfire" is thus an act of fierce resistance against the forces of silencing and simplification. It is anything but an effortless read, but it does wedge open a space wherein, for a moment, it feels possible to genuinely listen. -- Marcia Lynx Qualey 20120709 'Yazbek writes that "intellectuals live in a frozen environment, the world has passed them by. And the mobilisation that has taken place in Syria, what spurred people into the street, was not the writers or the poets or the intellectuals." But they can still bear witness, and Samar Yazbek's document does that with courage, lyricism and mordant wit.' -- Max Dunbar The Siege Diaries: Samar Yazbek's Syria 20120718 'This is a handbook for nonviolent activists.' -- Mary Russell 20120728 'Thanks to her [Yazbek] skills as a fiction writer, her book is infused with a hauntingly poetic narrative style. Chilling, disturbing, but irresistibly compelling, "A Woman in the Crossfire" paints a picture of how, in four months, a peaceful uprising turned into a bloodbath.' -- India Stoughton 20120804 '[F]our new books confront the [Syrian] revolution head-on... Of the four writers, Samar Yazbek provides the most arresting, novelistic prose... In its uncompromising reportage from a doomed capital, Yazbek's book recalls the late Iraqi artist Nuha al Radi's Baghdad Diaries, a searing chronicle of the disintegration of Saddam's Iraq during the embargo of the Nineties.' -- Justin Marozzi 20120809 'Impassioned and harrowing memoir of the early revolt...' 20120829 'The heartbreaking diary of... a Syrian who risked her life to document the regime's brutal attacks on peaceful demonstrators.' 20120907 'Yazbek's is not a crafted memoir but an immediate record of three months of fear, torture, intimidation and, eventually, flight from her home told through diaries that stop and start, sometimes repeat, and always offer another detail of popular will and regime cruelty. Its importance is in its existence, the effort of so many Syrians to share their stories and Yazbek's own courage and ability to record them. It is a hard, painful read, not only for what Yazbek witnesses and suffers but also for that of the other Syrians that she interviews. Their testimonies come through on the page as atrocities happen all around her.' 20120915 'It's heavy and horrible, like so much related to the war. But the book also reminds that Syria is -- was -- utterly beautiful. Yazbek takes us to its mountains. We can smell its lemon trees and ride along its country roads.' 20120916 'Samar Yazbek is excellent on the dress and behaviour of the demonstrations. Pro-Bashar demonstrations were supported by well-dressed young people who looked as if they were off to a party... [she] is eloquent on the dehumanising brutality of the security forces.' 20121029 'A powerful account conveying the idealism and fear that united diverse religious and ethnic groups in Syria to rise against their autocratic government, with the outcome still uncertain.' 'A unique window into the anguish of Syria: an intimate journey into the head and heart of a woman trying to maintain her sanity, humanity and, above all, love for her deeply wounded nation...' '[A]n unvarnished and sobering account of what she describes as the abuse and violence against the Syrian people.' '[A] powerful narrative which contains many insights drawn from her closeness to what was happening, and knowledge of Syrian society.'

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Book SynopsisEldest daughter of eight children, the author grew up in Surakarta, Java, in what is now Indonesia. In the months following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, however, Dutch nationals were rounded up by Japanese soldiers and put in internment camps.Trade Review“Bonga’s writing style is simple and direct and her living tesitmony is uncomplicated by academic jargon, which vastly increases its power. Although brief, her account succeeds marvelously in communicating the emotional and physical trauma that she as a teenage woman and her family went through. … This is not just a good book about Indonesia or Southeast Asia or World War II, it is just a good book.” * Journal of Third World Studies *“Dieuwke Wendelaar Bonga’s memoir is important as the testimony of the survivor: it shows us how war is directed against women and children, and it tells the end of Dutch history in Indonesia.” * The Journal of Asian Studies *

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Book SynopsisThere is nothing quite like Gordon Rohlehr’s Musings, Mazes, Muses, Margins in Caribbean writing; probably its nearest neighbours are Kamau Brathwaite’s The Zea Mexican Diary and Trenchtown Rock. Over a period of more than forty years, Rohlehr, supreme public critic of the post-colonial Caribbean, its creative writing and the historian and deep analyser of calypso, has been paying quiet attention to his inner consciousness, a fictive journeying that has much to say about outer personal and wider Caribbean realities. It is a book that ranges over a variety of forms – diary, recorded dreams, poems, a kind of flash fiction, polemics, prophecies, and philosophical reflections -- all enriched by a lifetime of reading, thinking and articulate writing. As befits the slippery connections between inner and outer worlds, Rohlehr’s writing is distinguished by an infectious humour and a delight in puns.In the act of questioning what the years of “wuk” have achieved, Rohlehr asks himself and us the most profound questions – not the unanswerable metaphysics of “What are we here for?” but the material, ethical question of “To what end do we exist?” In the context of a Caribbean of disappointed post-colonial hopes, Rohlehr both confronts an existential void and records the increments of creativity and achievement that offer future hope.The book begins with the Guyanese child, born with a caul over his face, gifted with a prophetic vision deeply immersed in the African being that is part of his inheritance. He records how he was told – beyond his memory – how family members “steamed” his eyes to destroy something embarrassing to a colonial, lower-middle class family. The visions and intuitive knowledge disappeared, but if the family elders believed that they were cauterising something to destruction, they failed utterly to kill the visionary dreamer, the Daniel Lyonnes-Denne, who is one part of the triumvirate that also includes the public Gordon and the reticent Frederick.In his previous books, Gordon Rohlehr confronted the Caribbean world head-on. Here, he approaches from the margins, and who is to say his dream-work doesn’t tell just as powerful truths about Caribbean reality?

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Book SynopsisThe inside story of a quest to unlock one of cosmology’s biggest mysteries, derailed by the lure of the Nobel Prize.Trade Review"[Keating] is a deft writer, interweaving the science with personal musings." -- Nature"By losing the Nobel Prize, Keating has led us to an even greater victory: the recognition that there are more important things in this Universe… than the fleeting glory of an earthly award." -- Forbes"A riveting account of the rise and fall of the seeming confirmation of the cosmological theory of inflation... Keating offers vivid profiles of the personalities involved in shaping our modern view of the universe." -- Science"Losing the Nobel Prize dissects the error-prone humanity of science, but cuts the ugly details with beauty... Charming and clever, Losing the Nobel Prize bounces between clear explanations of nitty-gritty science, accounts of personal relationships and historical lessons." -- ScienceNews"A compelling personal memoir, a fascinating history of cosmology, and an interesting firsthand account of a dramatic scientific adventure." -- Physics Today

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Book Synopsis Loved Back to Life takes readers on the journey of the soul with Sheila from hopelessness to joy as she finds that although the road was scary, at every turn God beckoned her to trust and did not let her down.

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Book SynopsisA genre-bending exploration of that most elemental forcewaterthrough Indigenous storytelling, personal memory, and the work of influential artists and writersFor many years, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson took solace in skiingin all kinds of weather, on all kinds of snow across all kinds of terrain, often following the trail beside a beloved creek near her home. Recently, as she skied on this path against the backdrop of uncertainty, environmental devastation, rising authoritarianism and ongoing social injustice, her mind turned to the water in the creek and an elemental question: What might it mean to truly listen to water? To know water? To exist with and alongside water?So began a quest to understand her people's historical, cultural, and ongoing interactions with water in all its forms (ice, snow, rain, perspiration, breath). Pulling together these threads, Leanne began to see how a Theory of Water might suggest a radical rethinking of relationships between beings and forces in the world today. In this inventive work, Simpson draws on Nishnaabeg origin stories while artfully weaving the work of influential writers and artists alongside her personal memories and experienceand in doing so, reimagines water as a catalyst for radical transformation, capable of birthing a new world. Theory of Water is a resonant exploration of an intricate, multi-layered relationship with the most abundant element on our planetone that, as Simpson eloquently shows, is shaping our present even as it demands a radical rethinking of how we might achieve a just future.

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Book SynopsisA brilliant personal history from the award-winning author of ‘The Corrections’.Trade Review'His discreetly devastating comic timing derives from the tension between the optimism of his ambition and the reality of the attempts to deal with the experiences that have marked his career as one America's best novelist and essayist.' Times 'Franzen's memoir is cleverly written and often fun to read…He's funny and self deprecating…' Sunday Telegraph ‘Wonderful and supremely personal…' Time Magazine 'Reading such honest, awkward, tender pieces as these, the socially isolated individual may feel that little bit less lonely.' New Statesman. 'The close of this book is almost miraculous; we are reminded that Franzen, at his best, can write like a dream.' FT Magazine

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Book SynopsisPreviously published in hardback as Hey Jo, this is a moving and candid memoir from the woman who married the most controversial member of the Rolling Stones, and had the strength and courage to bounce back from heartbreak.

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Book SynopsisMoving from the thousand-year-old Prague Castle to the bomb shelters of London, from the desolate prison ghetto of Terezin to the war councils of Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt and Hitler, the author reflects on her discovery of her family's Jewish heritage decades after the war, and her Czech homeland's tangled history.Trade Review"A gripping account of World War II... In taut prose, Albright weaves a powerful narrative that wraps her family's story into the larger political drama unfolding in Europe." -- The Philadelphia Inquirer "Albright has supplemented a deeply researched history of World War II-era Czechoslovakia with a moving family narrative." -- The Daily "Prague Winter is not only a family story-a proud and moving one-but a brilliant and multilayered account of how Czechoslovakia was formed along the most idealistic lines in the aftermath of World War I. An altogether fascinating and inspiring read." -- Michael Korda, The Daily Beast "Showing us villainy, heroism, and agonizing moral dilemmas, Albright's vivid storytelling and measured analysis bring this tragic era to life." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A genuinely admirable book. Albright skillfully returns us to some of the darkest years of modern times. Spring eventually came to Prague, but in much of the world it is still winter. The love of democracy fills every one of these instructive and stirring pages." -- Leon Wieseltier "I was totally blown away by this book. It is a breathtaking combination of the historical and the personal. Albright confronts the brutal realities of the Holocaust and the conflicted moral choices it led to. An unforgettable tale of fascism and communism, courage and realism, families and heartache and love. -- Walter Isaacson "A remarkable story of adventure and passion, tragedy and courage set against the backdrop of occupied Czechoslovakia and World War II. Albright provides fresh insights into the events that shaped her career and challenges us to think deeply about the moral dilemmas that arise in our own lives." -- Vaclav Havel "A riveting tale of her family's experience in Europe during World War II [and] a well-wrought political history of the region, told with great authority... More than a memoir, this is a book of facts and action." -- The Los Angeles Times "A compelling personal exploration of [Albright's] family's Jewish roots as well as an excellent history of Czechoslovakia from 1937 to 1948... Highly informative and insightful... I can't recommend Prague Winter highly enough." -- The Washington Post Book World "In the crowded field of memoirs written by former secretaries of state, Madeleine Albright's books stand out... Albright is a charming and entertaining storyteller." -- The New York Review of Books "Albright's book is a sprightly historical narrative of this long decade... Her account of the destruction of inter-war Czechoslovakia, both as a geographical entity and as an idea of democracy, first by the Nazis and then by the Communists, is balanced and vivid." -- The Economist "A blend of history and memoir that reveals in rich, poignant and often heartbreaking detail a story that had been hidden from her by her own parents... The beating heart of the book is Albright's searing account of her intimate family saga." -- The Jewish Journal "An extraordinary book... Albright artfully presents a wrenching tale of horror and darkness, but also one in which decent and brave people again and again had their say." -- Istvan Deak, The New Republic

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Robbins continues to embody Zen coolness and bohemian charm." -- Booklist (starred review) "Robbins carries us along a magical wonder tour in this high-flying, Zen koan-like, and cinematic tour of some of the episodes in his journey through space and time. " -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "[Readers] will enjoy this peek into the intelligently goofy and always fertile mind of this inventive writer... a fitting cap to a sui generis career, equally satisfying in short installments or read straight through." -- Kirkus Reviews "Memoir or not, the form suits Robbins's digressive style, philosophical musings, and self-deprecating humor. Each piece stands on its own, but when read side by side they develop into a powerful argument about magic and the necessity of imaginative, interior worlds." -- Library Journal (starred review) "Perhaps the only aspect more impressive than Robbins's ability to imbue a lifetime of interesting anecdotes with an additional layer of introspection is his trademark style [...]earthy and conversational yet simultaneously intellectual. Fans and newcomers alike will guffaw and marvel at this most extraordinary life -- Shelf Awareness "[Tibetan Peach Pie] bursts with enough joie de vivre to bewitch even the most present-shock-imprisoned 28-year-old and to snag the rest of us with Robbins' far-out, feel-good sensibility and trademark helical, world-happy prose." -- Elle "Tibetan Peach Pie is a late, welcome gift from a philosopher-novelist who continues to believe in the transformative qualities of 'novelty, beauty, mischief and mirth' - qualities apparent on every page of this lively, large-hearted book." -- Washington Post "Tibetan Peach Pie is a gift to his fans, the story of a man who had the sense to follow where his imagination led... How lucky for his readers that we got to tag along for the ride." -- Seattle Times "The author of such off-kilter bestsellers as Still Life with Woodpecker has written a rollicking reminiscence of his Appalachian upbringing, his spiral through the psychedelic '60s, and his unconventional path to literary stardom." -- O magazine "Beautiful... Robbins has never met a pun, a blissfully crooked analogy, a magician's bit of verbal trickery that he didn't love... He knows words the way a pool hustler knows chalk." -- NPR Books (Online Review) "As in his many novels, [Tibetan Peach Pie] is buoyed by a palpable sense of the fun Robbins is having with language, in all of its rhythmic and poetic possibilities." -- Biographile Biographile "Wacky, wonder-filled... The fiction master of our times, Thomas Pynchon, once called Robbins a brain-dazzling 'world-class storyteller.' Now in his 80s, he still is, even in telling his own story." -- USA Today (Online Review) "Hallucinatory and conversational... intertwined with many fun and interesting tales... This is what happens when you let Tom run." -- Slate "If you've read any of his quirky best-sellers, such as Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, you'll scarf down this account of Robbins' Appalachian childhood, his life on the wild, wonderful West Coast in the 1960's and his world travels." -- AARP Magazine "He's never lost that voice, and it's the star of this memoir." -- Tampa Bay Times "Robbins is king of the sidewinder simile, the mixologist's metaphor. No other popular writer of our time depends as he does on pure verbal dazzle, or delivers as reliably on the deal." -- Seattle Weekly "Haphazardly ricocheting-but without exception entertaining." -- Bookish.com "Robbins writes beautifully... In works of pure imagination, like his novels, his style suits the material... A damned satisfying trip to the moon." -- Santa Fe Pasa Tiempo "Charmingly offbeat... unconventionally literary. [Robbins] excels at compositional oddity, brandishing the creative and the humorous... [Tibetan Peach Pie] is an amusement park of allusions and madcap stories." -- Daily Californian "For the lover of words and wordplay, humor, and creative and high flying imagination, there is no contemporary writer any better." -- San Francisco Book Review "A perfect bookend to Tom Robbins' oeuvre, an opportunity to finally catch a glimpse behind this magician's curtain." -- About.com "At his best, Robbins writes prose that flows like he's having a blast putting it all down as fast as he can think it." -- Houston Chronicle "Tibetan Peach Pie is vintage Robbins. It's pyrotechnic in language, labyrinthine in logic, daunting in voice, threaded with his wonderfully esoteric wit... Authentically charming... profound. " -- Washington Independent Review of Books "Readers will enjoy immersing themselves in [Robbins'] adventuresome life, from his remarkably unsupervised childhood to his free and easy adulthood. Tibetan Peach Pie... is a welcome antidote to our current era of helicopter parenting and disciplined conformity and rules, rules, rules." -- Richmond Times-Dispatch "...haphazardly ricocheting--but without exception entertaining." -- Bookish "Fans of Tom Robbins, the person, the novelist, the introspective jokester and the gifted storyteller, will love this book. It truly is a gem." -- Portland Book Review

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Book SynopsisIn an era when we are constantly bombarded by technology and instant gratification is the norm, this work is a reminder of the wisdom to be found in books and proof of the all-encompassing power and delight of reading.Trade Review"The beauty of her project lies in seeing how books intertwine with daily life, how very much they affect our moods, interactions, and, especially important for Sankovitch, how we recover and process our memories...She makes reading seem accessible, relaxing, inspiring, fun." -- Los Angeles Times "Anyone who has ever sought refuge in literature will identify with Tolstoy and the Purple Chair." -- O, The Oprah Magazine "Sankovitch's memoir stands as a tribute to the power of books to enrich our daily lives." -- Christian Science Monitor "This graceful memoir describes a true love affair with books." -- Boston Globe "A beautifully fluid, reflective, and astute memoir that gracefully combines affecting family history with expert testimony about how books open our minds to 'the complexity and entirety of the human experience.' Sankovitch's reading list in all its dazzling variety is top-notch." -- Booklist "[Tolstoy and the Purple Chair] digs deep into that near-mystical connection between a reader and an author-that startling feeling that you are channeling someone you have never met...A gripping and inspiring book." -- Connecticut Post "What Sankovitch has accomplished in her first book is not only to celebrate the transformational, even healing, powers of reading, but to give the reader a feeling of reading those books as well, through the eyes of an astute reader." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Her deeply moving memoir artfully intertwines her immigrant family's history with the universal themes of hope, resilience, and memory. Tolstoy and the Purple Chair celebrates not only the healing power of literature but its ability to connect us to the best of ourselves - and each other." -- American Way "[An] entertaining bibliophile's dream...Sankovitch's memoir speaks to the power that books can have over our daily lives. Sankovitch champions the act of reading not as an indulgence but as a necessity, and will make the perfect gift from one bookworm to another." -- Publishers Weekly "Nina Sankovitch has crafted a dazzling memoir that reminds us of the most primal function of literature-to heal, to nurture and to connect us to our truest selves." -- Thrity Umrigar, author of The Space Between us "In Tolstoy and the Purple Chair, her affectionate and inspiring paean to the power of books and reading, Sankovitch gracefully acknowledges that her year of reading was an escape into the healing sanctuary of books, where she learned how to move beyond recuperation to living." -- BookPage "Tolstoy and the Purple Chair will transport you to a time before texts and tweets. Through the stories of her own family, Nina Sankovitch shows how books have the power to refresh, renew, and even heal us. I loved this memoir." -- Julie Klam, author of You Had Me at Woof "Tolstoy and the Purple Chair is original, uplifting and very moving: a unique celebration of life, love and literature." -- S. J. Bolton, author of Now You See Me "[A] brilliant and heartwarming book." -- Ventura County Star "An original and touching...account of one woman's lifelong affinity for books and her attempt to channel that affinity to deal with her grief after her sister dies. Tolstoy and the Purple Chair is an understated but moving story about the effects of a 'year of magical reading.'" -- The Dartmouth "Tolstoy and the Purple Chair masterfully weaves beloved and sometimes surprising books into central events in the writer's life. There is much to learn from this moving book. Sankovitch writes with intelligence and honesty, leading us to respond in a similar manner." -- Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, author of One Amazing Thing "Tolstoy and the Purple Chair is a must-read for anyone who adores books. It is also a primer on the healing power of taking time off to grieve by immersing oneself in a revered activity." -- The Book Bully "Tolstoy and the Purple Chair is an absolutely lovely account of the healing power of literature." -- Devourer of Books "Sankovitch's account works well because she uses her reading list to jump off into topics that are tangential, yet intriguing and often important." -- Buffalo News "A beautifully paced look at how mindfulness can affect the psyche." -- Shelf Awareness (starred review) "[Tolstoy and the Purple Chair] offers timeless wisdom, is uplifting and has a powerful message." -- PsychCentral.com "She is adept at stitching together musings about the books she is reading with memory and narrative from her own life." -- The Christian Century "What is best in Tolstoy and the Purple Chair, however, is not the author's literary criticism, but the way in which she blends her accounts of her reading with the story of her family and with broader human concerns." -- Smoky Mountain News

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Book SynopsisCan relationships exist without language? How should aging parents care for a nonverbal, violent child, and then a grown man who is not self-sufficient? Is there anything that can be done to help an extremely autistic child or adult become a member of mainstream society? This book presents the social history of autism.Trade Review"Gripping." -- Suki Casanave, Washington Post

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Book SynopsisIn this fascinating and moving memoir, sisters Jacky and Madeline share the communications they have received from their beloved father, Ron, since he passed away in February 2008. Ron reaches out to them from ''the other side'' to show his family that there most certainly is life after death. Ron visits family and friends in dreams, shows them the future in visions, and plays havoc with door bells, light switches and alarms. He reaches out to them to prove that he is safe in the afterlife, and to offer reassurance and guidance from beyond.This extraordinary book shows that this life is not the end, and that happiness can be found in the afterlife. It is a touching and emotional tribute to their father that will offer comfort and hope to anyone who has lost someone they love.Trade ReviewIsn't it reassuring to know each of us are being looked upon, even from way up in our big blue sky. * Melissa Porter, TV Presenter *CALL ME WHEN YOU GET TO HEAVEN is an inspiring and heartfelt read. * Rustie LEE, celebrity chef *This is a moving and compassionate memoir * Cygnus Books *

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Book SynopsisAn incredible memoir of North Korea by a woman who defied the government to keep her family alive.Trade Review"Have the courage to read this book and listen to a clear, honest voice from the shadows and darkness that dissolve humanity." -- Ha Jin, National Book Award winner of Waiting "Not just a story of one woman's escape from North Korea, Lucia Jang's work has painted a vivid portrait of daily life in a country that few of us truly know. Stars between the Sun and Moon is a welcome addition to the growing oeuvre of memoirs by North Korean refugees and should be read widely by those interested in North Korea and the enduring tenacity of humanity." -- Billy Davis, campaigns & strategy officer, European Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea (EAHRNK)

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