Memoirs Books

Book SynopsisIn the ten years since its electrifying debut, Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love has become a worldwide phenomenon, empowering millions of readers to set out on paths they never thought possible. In this candid and captivating collection, nearly fifty of those readers as diverse in their experiences as they are in age and background share their stories.Eat Pray Love helped one woman to embrace motherhood, another to come to terms with the loss of her mother, and a third to find peace with not wanting to become a mother at all. One writer finds new love overseas; another embraces his sexual identity. The journeys they recount are transformative sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, but always inspiring. Entertaining and enlightening, Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It is a celebration for fans old and new.Trade ReviewI loved Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, passed to me by a friend -- Hillary ClintonWhat she does is very courageous and very difficult, though ultimately liberating, and I think we all wish that one day we would feel a certain way about ourselves and really do something about it -- Julia RobertsI loved it -- Meg RyanIf a more likable writer than Gilbert is currently in print, I haven’t found him or her ... Gilbert’s prose is fueled by a mix of intelligence, wit and colloquial exuberance that is close to irresistible -- Jennifer EganIt’s like listening to your wisest and funniest best friend opening their heart to you. It taught me a lot about patience and optimism -- Esther Freud

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Book SynopsisTE Lawrence focused the Arab revolt against the Turks in 1916 and helped ensure victory for the Allies in the Middle East. This is his story.

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Book SynopsisThe heart-warming, true story of a young woman, her single father, and the books they shared as he read to her every night of her childhood, from Harry Potter to Alice in Wonderland.Trade Review'At a time when books often seem under attack, threatened with redundancy by the more aggresive advocates of new media, it is good to read so spirited and charming a paean in praise of the pleasures of reading as The Reading Promise.' * Bookseller (UK), from 'We Love This Book' *'My favourite . . . she writes beautifully of an unbreakable parent-child bond and the life lessons learnt from literature along the way. . . . My Father's Day gift of the month.' * The Bookseller *'Alice Ozma has given us the gift of a remarkable love story. In her love of books, and of her father, we see the most meaningful promises we might make to our own parents, our own children, and to ourselves.' * Jeffrey Zaslow, coauthor of The Last Lecture *'Tender, funny, and deeply readable, THE READING PROMISE tells the story of how a simple ritual became a treasured father-daughter tradition. Promise yourself to revisit what matters . . . promise you'll pick up this tribute to the ways in which books change lives.' * Erin Blakemore, author of The Heroine's Bookshelf *'A testament to the power of books and reading, especially reading together, the book details the comfort, excitement, terror and inspiration stories can provide. Part love letter to a devoted parent, part memoir of a sensitive, intelligent girl, part passionate plea for readers to preserve traditions of reading aloud and using libraries, this is a book to curl up with and sink into.' * Who Weekly *'THE READING PROMISE is a powerful testament to the difference a parent's devotion and the act of reading can make in a child's life. A rare and triumphant story.' * Chris Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Pursuit of Happyness *'Clearly fabulous for libraries everywhere. . . . My pick.' * Library Journal *'This is about so much more than books and reading. It's about single-parenthood and childhood, about raising a loving, witty, articulate kid, and all of it accomplished without anyone turning into the Alpha-Parent/Tiger-Dad.' * Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook *'Ozma's work is humorous, generous, and warmly felt, and with a terrific reading list included, there is no better argument for the benefits of reading to a child than this rich, imaginative work.' * Publisher's Weekly *'Ozma has written a memoir as rich and revealing, witty and warm, confident and compassionate as works by people who may have been around a few more blocks, but who probably haven't read as many books. Persuasive and influential, poignant and inspirational, Ozma's exuberant paean to the joys and rewards of reading - and being read to - is a must-read treasure for parents, especially, and bibliophiles, certainly.' * Booklist (starred review) *'this utterly charming memoir, which blends Ozma's reading experience with a perfectly phrased account of her upbringing and shows us just how much she learned. VERDICT: Sweet, engaging, and obviously inspiring (it even ends with a "Reading Promise"), this is the perfect book to hand any curmudgeon who needs reminding that reading makes a difference or thinks that today's youth are all blase. Highly recommended.' * Library Journal (starred review) *'Alice's book serves as a rallying cry, advocating the importance of books and challenging the reader to make a reading promise of their own.' * Marie Claire *'This charming memoir just might spark a revolution in communcal reading' * San Diego Union Tribune, (Recommended Read) *'For anyone with a love of books and particularly those who love reading aloud, The Reading Promise is a must-read. . . . And for those of you looking for a Father's Day gift for a book-loving dad, this might just be perfect.' * Wired *'as a record of love between a father and daughter -- and a story about the importance of rituals in family life -- Ozma's debut is touching.' * LA Times *'Among other things, this is a poignant, reflective, often frank record of a very difficult adolescence.' * The Saturday Age *Ozma has written a thoroughly entertaining book with skill, intelligence and a delightful sense of humor. The book is about reading... but its greatest strength lies in the author's affection for the father who kept his promise. He emerges from the story, with some poignancy, as a man whose idiosyncrasies are more than matched by his remarkable gift for parenthood. * Washington Post *'More than a novel about reading, it is an affecting portrait of the author's father. Ozma strikes the difficult balance of being incredibly poignant but not over-sentimental in her account of this unique man. This book is definitely worth a few nights' attention. And if you can get your father to read it to you - well, even better.' * News of the World *'gleeful, generous memoir. Sometimes corny or comic, always compasisonate, it explores a parent-child relationship rooted in trust, storytelling and true love of reading.' * Saga *'A captivating memoir of Alice's deep connection with her father.' * Sainsbury Magazine Hot Summer Reads *'a coming-of-age memoir about the touching connection between a devoted but lonely single father and his precocious and "nerdy" daughter.' * The Express *'an inspiring reminder of the difference that books can make.' * We Love This Book *

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ''Busy is a legit writer with a voice as clear as a bell'' Tina Fey ''Funny, refreshingly candid memoir about Hollywood, motherhood and BFFhood'' Cosmopolitan''Judy Blume meets Karl Ove Knausgaard meets one brave woman from Arizona'' Miranda JulyA memoir by the beloved comedic actress known for her roles on Freaks and Geeks, Dawson''s Creek, and Cougartown who has become ''the breakout star on Instagram stories . . . imagine I Love Lucy mixed with a modern lifestyle guru'' (New Yorker).Busy Philipps''s autobiographical book offers the same unfiltered and candid storytelling that her Instagram followers have come to know and love, from growing up in Scottsdale, Arizona and her painful and painfully funny teen years, to her liTrade ReviewJudy Blume meets Karl Ove Knausgaard meets one brave woman from Arizona. On the page, Philipps' toughness shines through - a rare and feminine ethical code; devoted and blunt. It's a thrill to watch her stumble right up until the very moment she storms the f*cking gates. Also: just as casually addictive as her Instastories but no guilt because it's a book -- Miranda JulyYou guys!! Busy is a legit writer with a voice as clear as a bell. This book is honest, funny, intimate, and well-observed by a person who has observed some sh*t * Tina Fey *To know Busy Philipps is to love Busy Philipps (and follow her on Instagram). And now, it's also to read her funny, refreshingly candid memoir about Hollywood, motherhood and BFFhood (with her Dawson's Creek castmate Michelle Williams, of course) * Cosmopolitan *If you think you know Busy from her Instagram stories, you don't know the half of it. This book delves deeply and candidly into Busy's life in a way that will surprise and delight you. She does not shy away from the darker stories, but she'll make you laugh (hard) while you read them. You might not even know if the tears or from laughter or sorrow or recognition. You will see yourself in the book. You can't help it. We are lucky to have Busy's rigorously authentic book (personality) in our lives -- Jenni KonnerRuler of Instagram and our hearts Busy Philipps brings her frank humour to the book world * Elle (28 Best Books to Read This Autumn) *Busy Phillipps's frank and funny memoir highlights why she's our Instagram crush bar none * Red (Ten books to read this October) *[Explores] the tricky path of growing from a girl into a woman, supporting friends through the hardest of times, grappling with motherhood and keeping things on the funny side. Busy's a lovely and entertaining voice to spend some quality time with * Stylist *Calling out abuse on set, the expendability of being an actress/woman and the slings and arrows of love, friendships and selfhood, Philipps lets rip while inspiring readers on how to navigate life * Emerald Street *Like most women, famous or not, bad things have happened to Busy Philipps - as well as weird stuff, jawdropping stuff and heartwarming stuff. Over her 20 years in the industry, she's seen it all, and she's here to share it all in her candid, thoughtful and hilarious book debut * Refinery29 *Candid, painful and extremely wryly funny, this memoir from actor Busy Philipps deals with the heavy (assault, bullying, post-partum depression) and the happy (meeting best friend Michelle Williams, building a career, learning to speak her mind). All you need to know is Tina Fey is a fan * Stylist *[Busy Philipps is] even more candid and even more loveable than in her famous Instagram Stories . . . hugely refreshing . . . She's a star ascending and everyone loves her for it -- Lucy Scholes * Independent *[Busy Philipps is] a charismatic, relatable storyteller . . . the book is unabashedly honest and personal about everything: motherhood, marriage, family, friendships, anxiety, ageing, Hollywood, and sexual assault * Refinery29 UK *This Will Only Hurt a Little has stopped me in my tracks completely and made me rethink everythingwe think we know about shiny, sunny social media stars. Reading it felt like a punch in the guts . . . -- Sophie Heawood * Observer *Aptly, the cover of Philipps's memoir is Instagram bait: the star wears a Pepto Bismol suit, pussy-bow blouse and gold hoop earrings the size of curtain rings. It is bold, gutsy, pretty, but with an edge - and has nothing on the raw impact of the stories . . . Though true to the tenor of her Instagram posts, there are also anecdotes to make you cackle: from the gawky teen years in Arizona, via her early 20s on the febrile sets of teen dramas and on to motherhood catastrophes * Evening Standard *As funny as her infamously iconic Instagram Stories, the moments chronicled [in This Will Only Hurt a Little] with her signature wit-from her friendships to 'staging her own surprise wedding, conquering natural childbirth with the help of a Mad Men-themed hallucination, and more'-will leave you with a smile on your face * Elle *A funny, insightful memoir * Stylist *A freewheeling tour through Busy Philipps's career, relationships and on-and-off-again stardom * New York Times *Frank and often painful yet extremely funny, this memoir from actress Busy Philipps will have you hooked from the first page * Love It *In the Hollywood actor's down-to-earth memoir, she writes about the sexual assault she experienced aged 14, plus the sexism that's still rife in the film industry. It's open, honest, and utterly wise * Elle (Best Feminist Books to Gift this Christmas) *Perfect for fans of 1990s TV and pop culture in general. Actress Philipps covers her time in shows like Dawson's Creek and Freaks and Geeks, while also talking about growing up, making it in Hollywood and becoming a mum. I listened to it as an audiobook, which Philipps herself read. Really entertaining * BBC (Online) *

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Book SynopsisIf you work hard enough, if you want it enough, if you're smart and talented and “good enough,” you can do anything. Except get pregnant. Her whole life, Lucy Knisley wanted to be a mother. But when it was finally the perfect time, conceiving turned out to be harder than anything she’d ever attempted. Fertility problems were followed by miscarriages, and her eventual successful pregnancy was plagued by health issues, up to a dramatic, near-death experience in labour and delivery. Kid Gloves follows Lucy’s personal transition into motherhood, and it also illustrates the history and science of reproductive health from all angles, full of curious facts and inspiring (and notorious) figures in medicine and midwifery.

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Book SynopsisA facsimile reprint of the original 1899 edition of W. G. Collingwood's famous memoir of a tour in Iceland, illustrated with the author's paintings and sketches.

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Book Synopsis'A dazzling talent' Malcolm GladwellWhen Adam Gopnik and his soon-to-be-wife, Martha, left the comforts of home in Montreal for New York, the city then, much like today, was a pilgrimage site for the young, the arty, and the ambitious. But it was also becoming a city of greed, where both life's consolations and its necessities were increasingly going to the highest bidder. At the Strangers' Gate builds a portrait of this particular moment in New York through the story of this couple's journey--from their excited arrival as aspiring artists to their eventual growth into a New York family. Gopnik transports us to his tiny basement room on the Upper East Side, and later to SoHo, where he captures a unicorn: an affordable New York loft. He takes us through his professional meanderings, from graduate student-cum-library-clerk to the corridors of Conde Nast and the galleries of MoMA. Between tender and humorous reminiscences, including affectionate portraits of Richard Avedon, Robert Hughes, and Jeff Koons, among many others, Gopnik discusses the ethics of ambition, the economy of creative capital, and the peculiar anthropology of art and aspiration in New York, then and now.Trade ReviewEngaging, witty, thoughtful, clever, casual, ebullient, erudite and thoroughly modern * Spectator, on Adam Gopnik *Gopnik's mind darts about like mercury as he tells his tale * The Times, on Adam Gopnik *The distinctive brilliance of Gopnik's essays lies in his ability to pick up a subject one would never have believed possible to think deeply about then cover it in thoughts. He is truly able to see the whole world in a grain of sand -- Alain de Botton * New York Times Book Review, on Adam Gopnik *Adam Gopnik's avid intelligence and nimble pen . . . Conscientious, scrupulously savvy * John Updike, on Adam Gopnik *Adam Gopnik is a dazzling talent - hilarious, winning and deft * Malcolm Gladwell, on Adam Gopnik *By virtue of his exceptional observational and analytical powers, acute emotional and moral exactitude, and charmingly rueful sense of humor, he turns in a riveting and incandescent chronicle of personal evolution vividly set within the ever-morphing, cocaine-stoked crucible of ferocious ambition that was 1980s Manhattan . . . Arabesque, captivating, self-deprecating, and affecting, Gopnik's cultural and intimate reflections, in league with those of Alfred Kazin and Joan Didion, are rich in surprising moments and delving perceptions into chance, creativity, character, style, conviction, hard work, and love. -- Donna Seaman * Booklist *Gopnik has written with entrancing penetration on just about everything . . . He's one of the silkiest stylists around -- Christopher Bray * Spectator *Anyone who worries that artificial intelligence might some day outpace the faulty circuitry inside human headsshould be cheered by the existence of Adam Gopnik. His brain has nothing to fear from electronic competition. Itis an organ housed in a body, kindled by the appetites and affections of the flesh; it operates friskily, risking vast generalities that it clinches with neat, nimble aphorisms . . . Performed by him, such verbal flourishes are both witty and wise. Gopnik is a sleek stylist, and a high-minded, big-hearted moralist into the bargain. -- Peter Conrad * Observer *Self-deprecation, his honesty, his humour, his amiable, relaxed acknowledgement of his own foibles. In short, he's enormously likeable . . . A real treat . . . A piece of real insight, perfectly put . . . Heartening proof of a life lived fully, and fully savoured * Times Literary Supplement *Gopnik's sentences build into paragraphs that are architectural feats . . . He is investigative again, tracing this psychic image of his own time, his own New York * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Rescuing Socrates is a warm, appealing narrative of how it feels to be ‘thrust into a conversation’ with fellow students about life’s most ‘serious and unsettling questions.’"---Martha Bayles, Wall Street Journal"[A] combination memoir and call to arms. . . . Despite those who claim that these are merely works by dead, possibly irrelevant white men, Montás argues that the Great Books approach has a fundamentally democratizing impulse."---John McWhorter, New York Times"Thanks to Montás . . . Socrates had a good 2021."---George F. Will, Washington Post"[An] earnest defense of the humanities, which is also a personal testament to the power of a liberal education."---Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic"One can only hope that Rescuing Socrates rescues others as well."---Naomi Schaefer Riley, Commentary"Montás undertakes his defense of the great books with simplicity and humility. . . . In the face of public conversations marked by fear, anger, and hostility, Montás chooses the path of vulnerability. In that, he shows the wisdom of a person who has navigated real conflict, away from the seminar table."---Zena Hitz, Commonweal Magazine"This is an important, and timely, book about why the western canon still matters and about how great books can change lives, especially impoverished black and brown ones."---Lindsay Johns, Times Literary Supplement"A heartbreakingly honest immigrant tale of displacement, loss, wrenching readjustment and self-discovery, this book also offers a gripping account of how participation in the great conversation over justice, ethics, citizenship and the nature of the good life can subvert hierarchies of privilege, redeem lost souls, open minds and transform lives."---Steve Mintz, Inside Higher Ed"Rescuing Socrates is a valuable and thoughtful book both sociologically and educationally, making a contribution to the ongoing debate over the past, present, and future of liberal-arts education in the United States."---M. D. Aeschliman, National Review"[Montás] weaves a compelling personal narrative together with a forceful argument that reading classic texts, even those originating in predominantly white, Eurocentric cultures, is an important opportunity for underserved students of color to transform themselves and transform the inequitable social structures within which they are embedded"---Brian Rosenberg, Chronicle of Higher Education"Montás returns the humanities to its revolutionary home, reminding us that we are, after all, talking about such radical and subversive thinkers as Augustine, Plato, Freud, and Gandhi. He teaches us, presumably like he teaches his Core Curriculum students, what those thinkers were after—and what reading them makes possible."---Jonathan Tran, Christian Century ​"[An] insightful work. . . . Few colleges and universities still require study of Great Books as part of their curricula, but Montás makes a compelling case for the life-changing results of such pedagogy; he notes how, as an émigré from the Dominican Republic, he benefited from the breadth and depth of these approaches." * Library Journal *"That’s why the perspective of Roosevelt Montás, author of Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed My Life and Why They Matter for a New Generation, is so badly needed. . . . In this part memoir, part call to action, Montás argues that reading great literature and philosophy can make working-class people’s lives more meaningful and that everyone should have the opportunity to read great books."---Liza Featherstone, Jacobin"By taking us through his reading and rereading of books over the course of a life, Montás can articulate what is rarely articulated well about great books education."---Jonathan Marks, Washington Examiner"The strength of Montás’ argument lies in his acknowledgement of the power and responsibility of undergraduate education."---Grace Phan Jones, American Purpose"A timely and much-needed book. . . . If administrators and education advocates take the message of Rescuing Socrates to heart, then our students, our schools, and our nation might yet see a brighter future."---Matthew Levey, City Journal"Montás convincingly makes the argument that the classics enrich any life pursuit. By doing so, his story should appeal to anyone who cares about education. There is something here to illuminate and inspire."---Nathaniel Grossman, Fordham Institute"[An] important book."---Matthew Bianco, Circe Institute"Rescuing Socrates turns out to be a magnificent exercise in rescuing us."---Douglas V. Henry, Law & Liberty"Here is the very model of intellectual dialogue: Freud speaking to Montás and Montás considering thoughtfully and speaking back—a demonstration of the fact that the value of liberal arts education is to be found in the experience itself rather than in bean-counter terms such as ‘learning outcomes’ or starting salaries."---Matthew Stewart, James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal"Montás’ defense of the great books is both disarming and brave."---Benjamin Storey and Jenna Storey, American Purpose"Montás’s inspiring defense of the humanities is as galvanizing as his own story. . . . Even if one is not fond of a liberal arts and humanistic education, he may still want to read Roosevelt Montás for the sheer humanity of his book."---Paul Krause, Merion West"Eminently quotable and engagingly written, Rescuing Socrates is a rich resource for those who care about liberal education."---Eric Adler, Front Porch Republic"Rescuing Socrates is the best defence of a liberal education I have read. . . . Montás writes so movingly, and with such erudition, that he himself is the best advertisement for the liberal education he champions."---Daniel James Sharp, Areo Magazine"A robust and unapologetic argument that liberal education, centered around the great books, should be the foundation of every university education. . . . Rescuing Socrates makes a strong case for liberal education at a time when it needs ardent defenders."---Nathaniel Peters, Law & Liberty ​​​​​​​"An impassioned argument for the essential value of the humanities in education."---David Luhrssen, Shepherd Express"Whereas many today see an irreversible crisis in higher education, Montás sees fertile ground for renewal."---Luis Parrales, Public Discourse"A beautiful, powerful, personal argument on behalf of great books programs."---William Deresiewicz, Liberties"Rescuing Socrates is a fascinating and illuminating read that foregrounds the value of the liberal arts, in particular for students from low-income and other disenfranchised backgrounds. Montás exposes the lie that the great works are unsuitable for or irrelevant to people from such backgrounds, and in fact demonstrates the exact opposite: exposure to these texts is most essential for the most disenfranchised."---Finnian Murphy, AC Review of Books

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Book SynopsisA candid and eye-opening inside look at the final decades of Sinatra''s life told by his longtime manager and friend, Eliot Weisman. By the time Weisman met Sinatra in 1976, he was already the Voice, a man who held sway over popular music and pop culture for forty years, who had risen to the greatest heights of fame and plumbed the depths of failure, all the while surviving with the trademark swagger that women pined for and men wanted to emulate. Passionate and generous on his best days, sullen and unpredictable on his worst, Sinatra invited Weisman into his inner circle, an honor that the budding celebrity manager never took for granted. Even when he was caught up in a legal net designed to snare Sinatra, Weisman went to prison rather than being coerced into telling prosecutors what they wanted to hear. With Weisman''s help, Sinatra orchestrated in his final decades some of the most memorable moments of his career. There was the Duets album, which was S

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times bestseller about a young girl in need of some care and compassion.Lucy is eight years old and ends up in foster care after being abandoned by her mum and kicked out by her new stepmother. Two aunties and then her elderly grandmother take her in but it seems nobody can cope with Lucy’s disruptive behaviour. Social Services hope a stay with experienced foster carer Angela will help Lucy settle down. She misses her dad and three siblings and is desperate for a fresh start back home, but will Lucy ever be able to live in harmony with her stepmother and her stepsister – a girl who was once her best friend at school?The Girl Who Wanted to Belong is the fifth book from well-loved foster carer and Sunday Times bestselling author Angela Hart. A true story that shares the tale of one of the many children she has fostered over the years. Angela's stories show the difference that quiet care, a watchful eye and sympathetic ear can make to those children whose upbringing has been less fortunate than others.Trade ReviewA no holds barred insight into the reality of looking after someone else's children. A remarkable story from a remarkable woman, it brought back a lot of memories for me -- Casey WatsonA moving story that testifies to the redemptive power of love. I hope Angela Hart inspires many others to foster. -- Torey HaydenPraise for Angela Hart: A true tear-jerking tale of love and compassion -- Sunday Mirror

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Book SynopsisNecropolis is an unconventional literary memoir from Vladislav Khodasevich, hailed by Vladimir Nabokov as “the greatest Russian poet of our time.” In each of the book’s nine chapters, Khodasevich memorializes a significant figure of Russia’s literary Silver Age, and in the process writes an insightful obituary of the era.Trade ReviewKhodasevich’s crystalline, mordant prose is skilfully handled by Sarah Vitali, who has done justice to the text and supplemented it with a wealth of endnotes that illuminate its more allusive and evasive moments. The edition also benefits from a stylish introduction by David Bethea, which strikes perfectly a balance of engaging readability and in-depth critical insight. -- Bryan Karetnyk * Times Literary Supplement *Completely captivating. . . . These portraits he wrote from 1924 to 1938 of the self-tortured and Soviet-tortured writers feel fresh and are somehow ever-entertaining. * Russian Life *Vitali adds excellent translator's notes and a most useful explanatory list of everyone named in the volume. Required reading for students of Russian literature, scholars of comparative literature and memoir writing, and anyone interested in learning about literature and literary life in Russia. . . Essential. * Choice *Necropolis initiates us into the inner circle of the seminal figures of Russian Symbolism with uncanny tenderness, equanimity, and brutality. The intensity of reading Vladislav Khodasevich’s memoir makes the mind stagger around the charnel ground of the Symbolist poets and writers. -- Amy Hosig, poetAn incisive set of memoirs of the leading lights of Russian Symbolism and its aftermath. This is a stylish, inventive translation of a key text. -- Robert P. Hughes, University of California, BerkeleyIn Necropolis, the émigré poet Vladislav Khodasevich looks back—now wistfully, now bitterly—on the major writers and movements of Russian culture in the pre- and immediate postrevolutionary years. In Sarah Vitali’s splendid translation, this masterpiece of memoir literature is finally accessible to the Anglophone reader. -- Michael Wachtel, Princeton UniversityTable of ContentsTranslator’s AcknowledgmentsIntroduction, by David BetheaForeword1. The Death of Renate2. Bryusov3. Andrei Bely4. Muni5. Gumilyov and Blok6. Gershenzon7. Sologub8. Esenin9. GorkyTranslator’s NotesIndex of Names

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Book SynopsisWhen South Africa’s golden girl of broadcasting, Tracy Going’s battered face was splashed across the media back in the late 1990s, the nation was shocked. South Africans had become accustomed to seeing Going, glamorous and groomed on television or hearing her resonant voice on Radio Metro and Kaya FM. Sensational headlines of a whirlwind love relationship turned horrendously violent threw the “perfect” life of the household star into disarray. What had started off as a fairy-tale romance with a man who appeared to be everything that Going was looking for – charming, handsome and successful – had quickly descended into a violent, abusive relationship. “As I stood before him all I could see were the lies, the disappearing for days without warning, the screaming, the threats, the terror, the hostage-holding, the keeping me up all night, the dragging me through the house by my hair, the choking, the doors locked around me, the phones disconnected, the isolation, the fear and the uncertainty.” The rosy love cloud burst just five months after meeting her “Prince Charming” when she staggered into the local police station, bruised and battered. A short relationship became a two-and-a-half-year legal ordeal played out in the public eye. In mesmerising detail, Going takes us through the harrowing court process – a system seeped in injustice – her decline into depression, the immediate collapse of her career due to the highly public nature of her assault and the decades-long journey to undo the psychological damages in the search for safety and the reclaiming of self. The roots of violence form the backdrop of the book, tracing Going’s childhood on a plot in Brits, laced with the unpredictable violence of an alcoholic father who regularly terrorised the family with his fists of rage. “I was ashamed of my father, the drunk. If he wasn’t throwing back the liquid in the lounge then he’d be finding comfort and consort in his cans at the golf club. With that came the uncertainty as I lay in my bed and waited for him to return. I would lie there holding my curtain tight in my small hand. I would pull the fabric down, almost straight, forming a strained sliver and I would peer into the blackness, unblinking. It seemed I was always watching and waiting. Sometimes I searched for satellites between the twinkles of light, but mostly the fear in my tummy distracted me.” Brilliantly penned, this highly skilled debut memoir, is ultimately uplifting in the realisation that healing is a lengthy and often arduous process and that self-forgiveness and acceptance is essential in order to fully embrace life.Trade Review“Searing, heartbreaking, triumphant: Brutal Legacy is for anyone who’s been punched in the face by someone they loved and then stood up again. It’s for every mother who has run, every sister who has picked up the pieces and every friend who hasn’t fled. It’s for every brother who’s cried and for the children who have watched. Every South African should read it.” – Sisonke Msimang, author of Always Another Country. “On average, one in five South African women older than 18 has experienced physical violence, but the picture of gender-based attacks varies according to marital status and wealth. Four in 10 divorced or separated women reported physical violence, as has one in three women in the poorest households. It’s a complex picture that emerges in Statistics SA’s 2016 Demographic and Health Survey ... And it is one that not only challenges societal attitudes of patriarchy and chauvinism, but also the effectiveness of government programmes and interventions.” – Marianne Merten, Daily Maverick

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Book SynopsisRead Costa Award-winning author Christie Watson's incredible No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling memoir of nursing today. 'It made me cry. It made me think. It made me laugh' Adam Kay, author of This is Going to Hurt and Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas Christie Watson was a nurse for twenty years. Taking us from birth to death and from A&E to the mortuary, The Language of Kindness is an astounding account of a profession defined by acts of care, compassion and kindness. We watch Christie as she nurses a premature baby who has miraculously made it through the night, we stand by her side during her patient's agonising heart-lung transplant, and we hold our breath as she washes the hair of a child fatally injured in a fire, attempting to remove the toxic smell of smoke before the grieving family arrive. In our most extreme moments, when life is lived most intensely, Christie is with us. She is a guide, mentor and friend. And in these dark days of division and isolationism, she encourages us all to stretch out a hand.'A powerful insight into the life of nurses' The Times, Books of the Year'A remarkable book about life and death and so brilliantly written it makes you hold your breath' Ruby WaxTrade ReviewIf it's taken a very long time to get a memoir written by a nurse, then it was certainly worth the wait. I have rarely read anything that has moved me as much or taken me by the hand so confidently into an unknown world, teeming with life and haunted by death... A remarkable book that I will be pressing on everyone I love -- Allison Pearson * The Sunday Telegraph *A powerful insight into the life of nurses -- Robbie Millen * The Times, **Books of the Year** *It made me cry. It made me think. It made me laugh. It encouraged me to appreciate this most underappreciated of professions more than ever ... A gently remarkable book… it’s a privilege to have Christie as our guide -- Adam Kay * Guardian *Wonderful -- Sebastian FaulksA deeply compassionate book… It will leave you weeping as well as hopeful -- Helen Davies * Sunday Times, **Books of the Year** *An amazing book -- terrifying at times, but tender and truthful. Let's be thankful for wonderful nurses -- and writers -- like Christie Watson -- Jacqueline WilsonCompared with the recent rash of doctor memoirs, this is a far quieter and more thoughtful book -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian, **Books of the Year** *I challenge anyone to get through all 336 pages without shedding a tear for what those who work in "the most undervalued of all professions" have to witness ... Expect her stories [...] to linger with you many days after the final chapter -- Jackie Annesley * The Sunday Times *A remarkable book about life and death and so brilliantly written it makes you hold your breath -- Ruby WaxA poignant and powerful account of what it’s like to be a nurse. It’s a profession that touches all our lives delivering expert and compassionate care from the cradle to the grave. A must-read for nurses and those interested in understanding the true art and science of nursing -- Professor Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer for EnglandLyrical, moving ... Watson tackles grisly deaths and eccentric patients, but also the importance of comfort and empathy in nursing with engrossing results ... A nurse's voice has never really been heard before on this scale. Now's the time for it to ring out loud * Stylist *A wise and tender book, by turns fierce, compassionate, and revelatory. It shows the joys and the difficulties of looking after people at their most vulnerable, and makes an urgent plea: as a society we have to care better for the nurses who care for us -- Dr Gavin Francis, author of Adventures in Human BeingA touching and thought-provoking memoir that makes an impassioned plea for the appreciation of the nursing profession ... [Watson] is an elegant, eloquent writer who brings an immediacy to her work. You are right there beside her all the way as she provides a fascinating insight into the trials and triumphs of life in an NHS hospital ... A rallying call for kindness and compassion that every one of us should embrace -- Mernie Gilmore * Daily Express *There’s one woman who is particularly inspiring me right now…. Christie Watson, who wrote this book called The Language of Kindness... She was an NHS nurse and it is an autobiographical book and it is absolutely breath-taking and it is incredibly affecting and I think it highlights the need for us to be helping nurses where we can. She just is an incredibly strong woman -- Emilia ClarkeThrough Watson, we are taken on an absorbing, all-seeing tour through the doors of the hospital ... In Watson's honest memoir, we are reminded that we are all made from the same fibres and are all in this together, exploring the human condition and learning the language of kindness -- Molly Case * The Observer *

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Book SynopsisMention female spies, and most people think of Mata Hari. But during the Roaring Twenties, Marguerite Harrison and Stan Harding were the cause celebre: two beautiful, accomplished women whose names were splashed across newspapers around the world. Almost a century later, it is easy to understand the fascination with these two remarkable women. Marguerite was a highly respectable and recently widowed American journalist and socialite from Baltimore; Stan was a runaway, a bohemian artist and dancer of British heritage who left her wealthy, religious family to make a life for herself in the expatriate community in Florence. The two women were very different, yet both were strong-willed, independent and highly ambitious women unafraid of taking risks. And both, as the Great War ended and Central Europe dissolved into violent chaos, were looking for adventure. Their paths first crossed in war-ravaged Berlin during the Armistice and the the Spartacist Uprising in 1919. Fellow travellers, they became friends and, the evidence suggests, lovers. Dodging bullets and interviewing colourful characters in war-torn Europe led these intrepid women, separately, to Bolshevik Russia, a country closed to outsiders since the October Revolution of 1917. Their fateful meeting had repercussions that spanned three decades, involving heads of state and politicians in Britain, the United States and Soviet Russia. The Lady is a Spy tells their forgotten story: that of two women who, far in advance of their time, worked as foreign correspondents, who operated as spies in dangerous shadowlands of international politics, and who were both imprisoned in Lubyanka, one of the most desperate places on earth. Their lives are reconstructed through numerous primary sources, not only the poems, diaries and letters of their friends and lovers, but also government documents (including newly declassified US State Department papers) that reveal the truth about their espionage careers and - in one case - evidence of a shocking betrayal.Table of ContentsPrologue - Lubyanka, October 1920 - Part One – 1879-1919 - Chapter One - Born for Trouble - Chapter Two - Agent `B’ - Chapter Three - The Beauty and the Beast - Chapter Four - Mrs Harding, I Presume? - Chapter Five - The Convergence of the Twain - Chapter Six - Agent `B’ Redux – Part Two – 1920 - Chapter Seven - An Unkindness of Ravens - Chapter Eight - With a Gleam in her Eye - Chapter Nine - The Death Ship - Chapter Ten - A Completely Crazy Plan - Chapter Eleven - The House of Suspicion - Chapter Twelve - A Dust Heap of Lies - Chapter Thirteen - Prisoner 3041 - Chapter Fourteen - Freedom – Part Three – 1921-1924 - Chapter Fifteen - Probably Undesirable to Call Attention to Her - Chapter Sixteen - America Will Protect Its Agent - Chapter Seventeen - The Bane of Our Lives - Chapter Eighteen - Back in the USSR - Chapter Nineteen - Very Definite Proof of her Real Character - Chapter Twenty - The Bugbear of the Foreign Office - Chapter Twenty-One - I am a Nuisance – Part Four – 1925-1967 - Chapter Twenty-Two - The Underworld of State - Chapter Twenty-Three - Life’s Ugly Gestures - Chapter Twenty-Four - The Lonely Trench - Chapter Twenty-Five - Hope Thou Not Much, Fear Not at All – 231 - Appendix - Acknowledgements - Dramatis Personae - Glossary - Endnotes - Bibliography – 263 - Index

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Book SynopsisEddie Hapgood, Footballer is the extraordinary story of a young unknown from Bristol who became Arsenal and England captain and a national hero, in the dark days of the 1930s. His impact is so enduring that when the millennium dawned, the public voted him one of the greatest sportsmen of the century. That glorious legacy was painfully achieved. Hapgood considered football an art and played it joyously as part of a team, but he struggled when politics, class and money threatened to undermine him and corrupt football. By the late 1930s, the ugly shadows of fascism, Nazism and looming war were bearing down on the beautiful game. Hapgood found himself in a public fight for justice and respect, while behind the scenes he protected his family with dedication, love and humour. In this gripping memoir, his daughter Lynne Hapgood pulls together the various threads - success, celebrity, tragedy and vindication - to reveal the real Eddie Hapgood. She examines the nature of sporting greatness and its impact on fans and family.

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Book SynopsisThe 264-page memoir of a Catholic priest and theologian who has spent a lifetime advocating for the reform of outdated policies and practices of the Church. A prolific writer of Christian literature and film scripts, he was the founder and director of a center for faith formation in London, which continues today as the Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research. This book reveals his "Ten Commandments" for Church reform - ranging from the inclusion of women in the priesthood to the appointment of open-minded, pastoral bishops rather than hard-line traditionalists.Table of ContentsPrologue; Preface; What?! Me trying to reform the Catholic Church?; Part 1 Learning to think for myself; Into the gaping jaws of war; From the pincers of death; Rescuing my self-respect; Pledging utter dedication; Learning to think independently; What kind of priest?; Training for academic war at university; Part 2 On the Front Line; Subversive tactics at the heart of the Church; Joining the battle at Vatican Council II; Teaching future priests in India; Establishing a Catholic Information Centre; Funding Church projects at the grass roots; Creative endeavors in book & film; Coordinating mission worldwide; The future of Missionary Societies; Bishops appointed by Rome to block Church renewal; Part 3 Fighting the "Anti-Sex Bug" in the Church; The octopus of sexual repression; Screwed up sex guru; Lightning strikes from Rome; The ordination of women; Creating a training institute for religious sisters; Finding God in a loving partner?; Part 4 Helping Catholics become Adult Believers; Teaching on three fronts; Bringing priests down to earth; Treating the faithful as adults; Wielding my pen; Counselling victims of sects and cults; Walking on Water; How to make sense of God; 5 The Clash and Renewed Resolve; Inner turmoil leading to action; Stepping down from my official position; No sympathy from the Vatican; My marriage to Jackie Clackson; Academic research to update the Church; Glossary; Appendix 1 - Ten Commandments for Church Reform; Appendix 2 Timeline; Appendix 3 - My resignation from priestly ministry; Index; Photo & Art credits; About the Author; Publications

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Book Synopsis*As featured on BBC Breakfast, Radio 5Live and Steve Wright in the Afternoon on BBC Radio 2*From the Nasa astronaut who spent a record-breaking year aboard the International Space Station – what it’s like out there and what it’s like now, back here. Enter Scott Kelly's fascinating world and dare to think of your own a little differently.As soon as you realize you aren’t going to die, space is the most fun you’ll ever have...The veteran of four space flights and the American record holder for most consecutive days spent in space, Scott Kelly has experienced things very few of us ever have and very few of us ever will. Kelly's humanity, compassion, humour, and passion shine as he describes navigating the extreme challenge of long-term spaceflight, both existential and banal. He touches on what’s happened to his body, the sadness of being isolated from everyone he loves; the pressures of constant close cohabitation; the catastrophic risks of colliding with space junk, and the still more haunting threat of being absent should tragedy strike at home. From a natural storyteller Endurance is one of the finest examples the triumph of the human imagination, the strength of the human will, and the boundless wonder of the galaxy.*What readers are saying...'Takes you up into space and lets you be a part of astronaut life''Tough to put down! Tells a side you don't often hear or read about for that matter''Mind blowing . . . up there with Ernest Shackleton for me''My husband said it is the next best thing to going into space yourself''Six stars!'Trade ReviewForget what you've read elsewhere * The Times *This isn’t your usual astronaut’s memoir. * Daily Mail *Everyone’s favourite space captain and all-round hero NASA astronaut * Huffington Post *Kelly brings life in space alive — the wonder and awe of it, and also the jagged edges, the rough parts of living in confined quarters in an alien element, far from everything familiar and beloved * Financial Times *Endurance has a winning modesty and a bone-dry wit * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE POLARI FIRST BOOK PRIZE 2019'Strong, powerful and a valuable resource' - Fox FisherThis is the story of one trans man's exploration of gender identity, set against changing cultural attitudes from the 90s to the present day. Caspar Baldwin grew up in a time when being trans was not widely accepted by society, and though progress has been made since then, trans men are still underrepresented and misunderstood. Grappling with the messy realities of gender expectations while giving a stark and moving account of his own experiences, Baldwin grants a nuanced understanding of what it's like to be a trans boy or man. With its unflinching portrayal of the vulnerability, confusion, dysphoria, empowerment, peace and joy that are all part of the transition process, this book provides an invaluable support for trans men and is a memoir that breaks the mould.Trade ReviewAs someone who was called a tomboy growing up as well, it gives invaluable and often ignored insight into the life of a trans masculine person. Strong, powerful and a valuable resource about the importance of supporting trans youth, regardless of their gender expression. -- Fox Fisher, film maker, artist and campaignerExcellent expression of self-discovery! Casper describes the psychological torture of being a young trans man in a developing woman's body. A very powerful demonstration on the need and validity of puberty blockers for trans youth. -- Charlie Kiss, author of 'A New Man'Table of ContentsAcknowledgements. Preface. Part 1: Too Young to Understand? 1. Little Sister. 2. The Twelve Dolls of Christmas. Part 2: When I Was a Boy. 3. Wedding Day Blues. 4. Summer Secrets. 5. Girls' Trousers Tomorrow Please. 6. Toilets of Terror. Part 3: Isn't It Time You Grew Up? 7. Breast Is Best. 8. Nobody Must Know. Part 4: Becoming My Own Man. 9. This Is Not a Drill. 10. Trust and Transition. 11. Walking the Right Path. Epilogue.

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From one of our most iconic and influential writers, the award-winning author of The Year of Magical Thinking: a timeless collection that reveals what would become Joan Didion''s subjects, including the press, politics, California robber barons, women, and her own self-doubt. Didion’s remarkable, five decades-long career as a journalist, essayist, novelist, and screen writer has earned her a prominent place in the American literary canon, and the twelve early pieces collected here underscore her singularity.—O Magazine With a forward by Hilton Als, these pieces from 1968 to 2000, never before gathered together, offer an illuminating glimpse into the mind and process of a legendary figure. They showcase Joan Didion''s incisive reporting, her empathetic gaze, and her role as an articulate witness to the most stubborn and intractable truths of our time (The New York Ti

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Book SynopsisIn 2014, a 28-year old British doctor found himself co-running the Ebola isolation unit in Sierra Leone’s main hospital after the doctor in charge had been killed by the virus. Completely overwhelmed and wrapped in stifling protective suits, he and his team took it in turns to provide care to patients while removing dead bodies from the ward. Against all odds he battled to keep the hospital open, as the queue of sick and dying patients grew every day. Only a few miles down the road the Irish Ambassador and Head of Irish Aid worked relentlessly to rapidly scale up the international response. At a time when entire districts had been quarantined, she travelled around the country, and met with UN agencies, the President and senior ministers so as to be better placed in alerting the world to the catastrophe unfolding in front of her. In this blow-by-blow account, Walsh and Johnson expose the often shocking shortcomings of the humanitarian response to the outbreak, both locally and internationally, and call our attention to the immense courage of those who put their lives on the line every day to contain the disease. Theirs is the definitive account of the fight against an epidemic that shook the world.Trade ReviewGetting to Zero is a compelling read, full of compassion, grief, ingenuity and stories of courage and unstinting commitment of local nurses, cleaners and others who remain unsung heroes of Ebola. But it is also full of tales of denial, extraordinary lapses in leadership and awkward truths that will make uncomfortable reading for many, locally and internationally. * Guardian *Written in an honest and engaging tone, their experience behind the scenes of the outbreak is illuminating and highlights important lessons for the management of future outbreaks, and the operational errors that increased the number of lives lost in the west African outbreak of 2014–16. * Lancet *Hundreds of reports have been written on the 2014 epidemic – the most widespread Ebola outbreak since the virus was discovered – but none is nearly as insightful, compassionate or unsparing as this. * Irish Times *A brave, bold, yet humble account from the frontlines of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. This is vital reading to help us all do better next time. * David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee *Courage in extreme clinical danger, courage to challenge obstructive bureaucracy, courage to make tough decisions and the courage to endure. This is the courage that Sinead Walsh and Oliver Johnson displayed in Sierra Leone. Their compelling book is essential reading for all who care about global health. * Eldryd Parry, founder of the Tropical Health and Education Trust *A captivating and brutally honest account of the Ebola epidemic from two brave, committed individuals who unexpectedly found themselves at its epicentre. The authors pull no punches, and leave us asking: will these lessons be learned, or will the world once again forget and move on? * Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust *This powerful book asks important questions about aid and development and offers insights that everyone working in global health should absorb – as well as being a personal and very moving account of an epidemic that killed thousands. * Lord Nigel Crisp, Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health *Walsh and Johnson represent the best of international intervention. This book reveals the complexities and level of cooperation that made “getting to zero” possible. Offers excellent insight into those trying times. * O.B. Sisay, Director of the Situation Room at the National Ebola Response Centre, Sierra Leone *An extraordinary account from the thick of the battle against Ebola. This is history’s first draft, and a powerful example of persistent and pragmatic leadership. Mandatory reading for anyone concerned with global health in the broadest sense. * Paul Farmer, Harvard Medical School, and co-founder of Partners in Health *Takes us behind the scenes to the harrowing frontlines of the Ebola epidemic – highlighting a set of lessons that an inter-connected world would ignore at our peril. A compelling read. * Samantha Power, former US Ambassador to the UN *A detailed, up-close-and-personal perspective on the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, important for all who want to understand what it is to confront a terrible health threat. * Tom Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, and former Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention *Johnson and Walsh provide a frank, beautifully written, and essential guide to the lessons learned from the heart of the outbreak. Their first-hand experiences in battling this terrible disease will take your breath away. A must read. * Tulip Mazumdar, Global Health Correspondent for BBC News *Table of ContentsMaps Preface 1. New Beginnings: Sierra Leone before the Outbreak of Ebola 2. A Dubious Start: Ebola in Guinea 3. Ebola Emerges in Sierra Leone 4. Kenema Explodes 5. Armageddon 6. The Long Wait for Action 7. The Response Kicks Off 8. The Response Bears Fruit 9. Getting to Zero 10. Conclusion Afterword: If We Had to Do It All Again…

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Book SynopsisToday, Donna Hylton is a groundbreaking advocate for criminal justice reform--she was a featured speaker at the 2017 Women''s March on Washington, and she works hand-in-hand with other influential voices such as Eve Ensler, Michelle Alexander (The New Jim Crow), and Rosario Dawson to ensure prison safety and to end mass incarceration in the US. In fact, Dawson has signed on to play Hylton in a movie that''s in development now. But in 1986, Hylton experienced prison from the inside when she was sentenced to 25 years-to-life for kidnapping and second-degree murder. Like so many women before her and so many women yet to come, her life had been a nightmare of abuse that left her feeling alone and convinced of her worthlessness. With her sentencing, it seemed that Donna had reached the end--at age 19, due to her own mistakes and bad choices, her life was over. But behind the bars of Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, alongside this generation''s most infamTrade ReviewDonna has been honest in dealing with her crime...I was moved by her seeking spirit, by the depth of her guilt, and her profound willingness to walk in the fire of reckoning. Donna is a smart, deeply compassionate woman. She has a gorgeous spirit. She has worked hard to become a new person in prison. * Eve Ensler, playwright, performer, feminist, and activist *Donna has a remarkable capacity for turning pain into power. She's focused, determined, present, thoughtful, passionate, and tireless. She's an invaluable asset to us all * Rosario Dawson, actress, writer, singer, and activist *

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Book SynopsisExplore Nora Franglen's insights derived from decades of practice as a five element acupuncturist in this new collection. Covering tips on patient care and the patient-practitioner relationship to advice on a deeper understanding of the elements, of the healing practice, and of humanity's links to nature, the book also touches on the spiritual aspects of the work and the need for self-awareness in the practitioner. For acupuncturists and Chinese medicine practitioners, or anyone interested in the healing arts, this book is full of useful guidance.Trade ReviewWeaving together intellect, heart and soul, this is not only the story of mastery but offers a path to achieving it. There is much here to inspire, whatever the endeavour. -- Dr. Mark J. Langweiler, DC, DAAPM, University of South WalesNora Franglen writes with wisdom and heart and touches on the most profound aspects of life. This book is an inspiring and insightful account by an acupuncturist, teacher, and most of all, an ever-searching human being. -- Stefanie Sachsenmaier, Senior Lecturer in Theatre Arts, Middlesex University, and Tai Chi PractitionerThe spirit of five element acupuncture chose well when it met Nora Franglen. Nora writes about her life in acupuncture through the window of the elements with genuineness, joy, passion, humility, and a wry sense of humour. This, her seventh book, is not just a masterclass for acupuncturists but also for psychotherapists and indeed any student of human nature. -- Jean Ransome, Person-Centred PsychotherapistThe art of Chinese medicine, and much of classical Chinese thinking, lies in the subtle observation of things. Nora's many years of acupuncture practice, plus a variety of other life skills, have contributed to making her an expert in the art of observation. This delightful book provides both great pleasure and wise instruction; written more specifically with five element acupuncturists in mind, it can nevertheless be enjoyed equally by practitioners of any kind, and by anyone interested in the observation of life. -- Sandra Hill, Acupuncturist, Co-Founder of Monkey Press, and Author of Chinese Medicine from the ClassicsTable of ContentsIntroduction. SECTION I. A Lifetime of Five Element Acupuncture. 1 Becoming a five element acupuncturist; 2. The different phases of my acupuncture life; 3. Starting to teach; 4. Difficulties in running a college; 5. Teaching five element acupuncture; 6. An acupuncturist's inheritance; 7. Mastery; SECTION II. Immersion in the Elements. 8. The five fingers of a giant hand; 9. The elusive guardian element; 10 The cycle of the elements; 11. Shaking elements out of their comfort zone; SECTION III. Being a Reflective Practitioner. 12 We are instruments of nature; 13 "Practitioner, know thyself"; 14. The mysterious realm of the soul; 15. The three levels of the human being; 16. Getting to know our patients; 17. Allowing our feelings to guide us; 18. Taking our time; 19. Tailoring treatment to a patient's needs; 20. The outcome of treatment; 21. We can fall into bad habits; 22. Not demanding too much of ourselves; 23. Nobody likes getting things wrong; 24. More on the patient-practitioner relationship; SECTION IV. Teaching Other Practitioners. 25 The courage to become a five element practitioner; 26. The lack of teachers; 27. Adapting to a Chinese context; 28. Why I enjoy teaching so much in China; 29. Significance of my teaching in China

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Book SynopsisPolitical Writings offers an abundance of newly translated essays by Simone de Beauvoir that demonstrate a heretofore unknown side of her political philosophy. The writings in this volume range from Beauvoir''s surprising 1952 defense of the misogynistic eighteenth-century pornographer, the Marquis de Sade, to a co-written 1974 documentary film, transcribed here for the first time, which draws on Beauvoir''s analysis of how socioeconomic privilege shapes the biological reality of aging. The volume traces nearly three decades of Beauvoir''s leftist political engagement, from exposés of conditions in fascist Spain and Portugal in 1945 and hard-hitting attacks on right-wing French intellectuals in the 1950s, to the 1962 defense of an Algerian freedom fighter, Djamila Boupacha, and a 1975 article arguing for what is now called the 'two-state solution' in Israel.Together these texts prefigure Beauvoir''s later feminist activism and provide a new interpretive context Trade Review"Rich and illuminating. . . . A fascinating chart of a brilliant mind struggling to bridge the divide between rarified abstract thinking and concrete social engagement."--Publishers Weekly"Political Writings likely will shed new light on aspects of de Beauvoir's political thought for those who are familiar with her only through The Second Sex. . . . Recommended."--Choice "This remarkable collection will be most surprising and provocative for thinkers yearning for a political philosophy to accompany Beauvoir's feminist and ethical philosophies. These essays, many of them appearing for the first time in English, make clear Beauvoir's turn away from the abstract philosophical thought and toward political engagement."--Kelly Oliver, author of Animal Lessons: How They Teach Us to Be Human"This remarkable volume demonstrates how Simone de Beauvoir, through her writings, made compelling contributions to the ongoing struggle against ignorance, deception and injustice."--H-France Review"An accessible and worldly series of papers . . . . for readers of Beauvoir, this compilation provides ample opportunity to find ties to her other work, to illustrate parts of her philosophical writing that are overly abstract or opaque, and to reflect on how thinking is, necessarily, and importantly, situated."--Philosophy in Review"This unique contribution to Beauvoir scholarship displays the range and depth of her political activism and thought on behalf of women and the oppressed worldwide. This fantastic volume took my breath away and left me more than ever in awe of Beauvoir."--Claudia Card, author of Confronting Evils: Terrorism, Torture, Genocide"Political Writings is a carefully selected and newly translated compilation of some of Beauvoir's essays that reflect the eclectic nature of the writer's thoughts, the depth of her analysis and the sheer literary and aesthetic force of her language. . . . Not only are the introductions a pleasure in themselves to read, they also provide the politico-historical context in which the essays were written, allowing the reader to appreciate them all the more."--Marx & Philosophy Review of Books

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Book Synopsis'A charming journey through the science and experience of fully engaging your senses of smell, taste, touch, sight, and sound' - Adam Grant, author of Think AgainThe #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project turns to the five senses. For more than a decade, Gretchen Rubin had been studying happiness and human nature. Despite all she'd learned, she began to realize that something was missing: she was spending so much time stuck in her head that she wasn't noticing the world around her.In this journey of self-experimentation, Rubin explores the mysteries and joys of embracing the senses as a path to a happier, more mindful life: from the simple pleasures of appreciating ketchup and adding favourite songs to a playlist, to practicing daily rituals and attending Flavor University, she discovers the power of tuning in.Life in Five Senses is filled with profound insights and practical suggestions about how to heighten our senses and live fuller, richer lives - and, ultimately, how to move through the world with more vitality and love.'An inspiring and practical guide to living in the moment' - Susan Cain, author of Quiet

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Book SynopsisThis volume of Sangharakshita's Complete Works includes Facing Mount Kanchenjunga, the second in the series of his memoirs, and, in Dear Dinoo, some very personal letters.Facing Mount Kanchenjunga covers the period 1950-1953, beginning with Sangharakshita's arrival in Kalimpong as a twenty-four-year-old sramanera, and his response to his teacher's injunction to 'stay here and work for the good of Buddhism!' In the pages that follow we are drawn into a deeply committed Dharma life lived in unusual circumstances and among some very colourful characters.As he recalls the significant events of those years - the setting up of the Kalimpong Young Men's Buddhist Association; the creation of a new Buddhist journal, whose contributors included Conze, Guenther, Govinda and other leading Buddhist writers of the time; accompanying the Sacred Relics of the Buddha's chief disciples; advising on the making of a Buddhist film; giving lectures; discovering Dharmapala; meeting Dhardo Rimpoche; in fact, working in every way to spread the Dharma - Sangharakshita also affords the reader glimpses of his inner life, his struggles and disappointments, his aspirations and inspirations, his responses to the beauties of nature, and his feeling for friendship. The twenty-nine letters collected together in Dear Dinoo span the period 1955-1974, giving a sighting of Sangharakshita's life as he experienced it at the time, including what happened on the day of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's untimely death in 1956. We are also afforded a glimpse of the unusual friendship that sprung up between the young English monk and the Montessori teacher.Kalyanaprabha's Introduction highlights some of the significances of the correspondence, including reflections on Sangharakshita, Women, and Friendship. A friend who often appears in the letters, Dr Dinshaw Mehta, Servant of God, and one time naturopath to Gandhi, is the subject of the appendix.

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Book SynopsisA moving and intimate account of survival, resilience, and reconstruction. Paris. January 7, 2015, two terrorists attacked the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. Philippe Lançon, seriously wounded, was among the survivors. This intense life experience upends his relationship to the world, to writing, to reading, to love and to friendship. It took him a year before he could return to writing, a year of frequent reconstructive surgeries, to work through his experiences and their aftermath. As he attempts to reconstruct his life on the page, Lançon rereads Proust, Thomas Mann, Kafka, and others in search of guidance and healing. Disturbance is not an essay on terrorism nor is it a witness’s account of Charlie Hebdo, and it’s certainly not a “feel good book.” The attack and what followed make up a small portion of Lançon’s narrative, which instead seeks to provide the most honest and intimate reproduction possible of the interior experience of a man who was a victim, who suffered a “war wound” in a country “at peace.” Disturbance is a book about transformation, about one man’s shifting relationship to time, to truth, and to his own body.Trade Review"In Disturbance — a literary sensation in France when it was published last year — the critic documents, in excruciating details, his physical and emotional reconstruction to understand the man he has become.... Lançon’s memoir, subtly translated by Steven Rendall, gives an uneasy feeling of voyeurism at times, such as when he depicts his surroundings once silence fell on the murder scene — the open skull of his friend lying nearby; the discovery of his own injuries; shreds of flesh in place of his lower jaw. And yet, amid the horrific images, literature arises. It is a process that leaves the reader shaken and is one that Lançon admits he himself fails to grasp." * The Financial Times *“[Disturbance] is a fascinating and often sobering read, one that offers insight into human fragility as well as resilience.” * World Literature Today *Lançon's reaction has been to write a series of columns of power and grace. With a kind of detached, chilled compassion he has detailed the long, agonising rebuilding of a face and a life: the sequence of operations; his first confident speech; the first time he recognised himself in the mirror; his first shave. Lançon writes brilliantly about the nurses, the doctors and the policemen who now protect him. It is astonishing writing. Bleak yet warm and triumphantly human. -- Robert McLiam Wilson * The Irish Times *“When two terrorists attacked the satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo in January 2015, journalist Philippe Lançon, though seriously wounded, was among the survivors. In this extraordinary memoir which moves back and forth across his whole life, and delves deep into his creative influences, he writes about what it took to rebuild his life both in reality, and on the page.” * The Booksellers (Editor's Choice) *"Intense." * Les Inrockuptibles *Best book of the year 2018 * LIRE Magazine *French journalist Philippe Lançon — who was injured in the deadly attacks on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in 2015 — has won an acclaimed literary prize.Appearing in public for the first time since the incident, Lançon collected the Femina prize for his book Le Lambeau in Paris.The book details the terrorist attack, which saw two Islamic militants shoot dead 12 people and injure 11 others, as well as Lançon’s slow recovery after being shot in the face, leaving him in a critical condition. * The Independent *

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Book SynopsisA profound meditation on accepting, and celebrating, one's solitude.Trade Review"In this lyrical yet finely argued book, Johnson sets out to show that being alone — so different from loneliness, its direct opposite, in fact — is absolutely essential to the creative life...meticulous, loving prose." -- Kathryn Hughes - The New York Times"A work of staggering tenderness, intelligence and beauty…a new vision of self, community and home. This achingly honest and gorgeously written book should come with a warning: It will change you." -- Harriet Lerner, PhD, author of The Dance of Anger"I love Fenton Johnson’s sensibility. It’s a joy and a balm to see the world through his eyes—and to rediscover solitude as our deepest and most powerful source of creativity and spirituality, even for people who are coupled." -- Susan Cain, author of Quiet and Quiet Power"A fluid pastiche of memoir, social critique, literary criticism, mystical insights, and philosophical reflections...poetic yet profoundly accessible." -- Brian Bromberger - The Bay Area Reporter"In studies of the lives of beloved artists, and in beautiful meditations on his own life, Fenton Johnson encourages us to understand solitariness as consecration, a fecund, rich condition for the pursuit of beauty. Fenton Johnson’s writing is so companionable and wise that it enacts what it counsels…it converts sterile loneliness to creative solitude." -- Garth Greenwell, author of Cleanness and What Belongs to You"A treasure that I didn’t know I was looking for, one that unearthed and validated buried truths. This small book is incredible, both profound and humane…And yes, it is deeply beautiful. Fenton Johnson is one of our great writers." -- Rabih Alameddine, author of The Angel of History and An Unnecessary Woman"Part memoir, part critical study of writers and artists, part queer manifesto, At the Center of All Beauty is about Fenton Johnson’s effort to live deliberately, which in his case means alone... This is a beautifully written book... Reading At the Center of All Beauty, I came to see that each of us, single or coupled, has access to an interior life, a center of beauty, if only, as Johnson forcefully argues, we are not afraid of silence, of listening, of solitude, and what it has to teach us." -- Daniel Burr - The Gay and Lesbian Review

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Book SynopsisFifteen years ago, Jeannie's relationship with a close friend ended in rape. With the rise of the #MeToo movement, recurring nightmares have returned and to process her conflicted feelings of betrayal she resolves to face her trauma head-on.Trade Review'Cuts through the silence of deep betrayal, gives contour to the aching space between forgiveness and absolution, and offers a living testament to the endless wreckage of sexual assault’ Amy Jo Burns, author of Cinderland'Explodes rape culture at the level of language, shows us how we are trapped and how we might make ourselves free. This is a brilliant book, an astonishingly fierce inquiry into the places language won't go' Emily Geminder, author of Dead Girls 'Vanasco has written exactly the book we need right now. I wish everyone would read it' Melissa Febos, author of Abandon Me'Brave and compelling... Vanasco muddles through the silt of her thoughts to create a language for something we don’t talk about' Paris Review, staff pick'Brave and urgent... a searching, brilliant book and Vanasco is a formidable talent. We are lucky to have her' Daniel Gumbiner, author of The Boatbuilder'Wickedly clever and powerful... a necessary book' Krystal A. Sital

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Book SynopsisWritten at the height of her fame but not published until over a decade after her death, this autobiography of actress and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) poignantly recounts her childhood as an unwanted orphan, her early adolescence, her rise in the film industry from bit player to celebrity, and her marriage to Joe DiMaggio. In this intimate account of a very public life, she tells of her first (non-consensual) sexual experience, her romance with the Yankee Clipper, and her prescient vision of herself as "the kind of girl they found dead in the hall bedroom with an empty bottle of sleeping pills in her hand." The Marilyn in these pages is a revelation: a gifted, intelligent, vulnerable woman who was far more complex than the unwitting sex siren she portrayed on screen. Lavishly illustrated with photos of Marilyn, this special book celebrates the life and career of an American icon—-from the unique perspective of the icon herself.

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Book SynopsisHeartwarming and profound, this account of one writer’s relationship with his beloved German Shepherd is “one of the bonafide dog-lit classics” (New Yorker)The distinguished British man of letters J. R. Ackerley hardly thought of himself as a dog lover when, well into middle age, he came into possession of a German Shepherd. To his surprise, she turned out to be the love of his life, the “ideal friend” he had been searching for in vain for years. My Dog Tulip is a bittersweet retrospective account of their sixteen-year companionship, as well as a profound and subtle meditation on the strangeness that lies at the heart of all relationships.In vivid and sometimes startling detail, Ackerley tells of Tulip’s often erratic behavior and very canine tastes, and of his own fumbling but determined efforts to ensure for her an existence of perfect happiness.My Dog Tulip was adapted for the screen as a major animated feature film with a cast that includes the voices of Christopher Plummer, Lynn Redgrave, and Isabella Rossellini. Heralded as “a stroke of genius" by New York Magazine and “the love story of the year” by Vanity Fair, it is a masterpiece of animal literature that is sure to touch the hearts of anyone who has found companionship with their own four-legged friend.

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