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Did I Ever Tell You?: The most moving memoir of 2024
Par Genevieve Kingston. 2024
'Compelling and heartbreaking' Ann NapolitanoA deeply moving memoir of a young daughter, her dying mother - and the trail of…
letters and gifts she left behind.'Her messages met me like guideposts in a dark forest; if her words couldn't point the way, at least they offered the comfort of knowing someone had been there before'Ten days before Gwen Kingston turned twelve, her beloved mother - with whom she shared a birthday - died. She left behind two chests - one for Gwen and one for her brother - filled with lovingly wrapped presents and letters marking the milestones she would miss: driver's licences, graduations and every one of their birthdays until the age of thirty. Each gift a chance to reach back into the past and, for the briefest moment, hear her voice again.Over the last twenty years, the chest of treasures has travelled with Gwen across a continent, from state to state and apartment to apartment, growing lighter with each passing birthday. And now, just three gifts remain . . .In this beautiful and heart-rending memoir, Gwen describes growing up in the shadow of loss, guided by what her mother left behind. Woven in is her mother's own story, and that of their whole family - tragedies foreseen and unforeseen, paths taken and not taken. It's about a mother's love for her daughter, but more than that, it is a story of marriage, family, inheritance and everything that shapes a life.JANEY: The Woman That Won't Shut Up
Par Janey Godley. 2024
'A great comedian and an extraordinary life' - Billy ConnollyComedy legend and national treasure Janey Godley shares her extraordinary life…
with candour and humour as she faces cancer head-on.Janey has been a determined fighter all her life - from her tough Glasgow childhood to becoming the much-loved comedian she is now. It was the strength she needed to survive as a sweary-mouthed woman in the male-dominated comedy clubs of the 1990s.She needed it again when she brought a case against the uncle who'd abused her as a child. A terrifying ordeal - but she won. From rocky beginnings, Janey started to gain big audiences at home and internationally. Awards rolled in for her acting and writing too. She was at her height, and with a soaring online following for her hilarious political voice-overs, when in 2021 hurtful, historic tweets were unearthed which shook her to the core. In the eye of the media storm, her spirit was nearly broken, but her fanbase stayed strong.At the end of the long sell-out tour which followed she received the devastating news she had ovarian cancer. Her future hung in the balance, but even in treatment, a new tour went ahead, called Not Dead Yet. Janey now faces her fears head on and shares the tumultuous journey she's on, continuing to find humour even in her darkest moments.Inspiring, funny, open-hearted, Janey celebrates everything this hilarious and defiant woman is - against the odds - and confirms just why we'll never want her to shut up.Missing: My life finding the lost and delivering justice for the living
Par Charlie Hedges. 2024
'A phenomenal insight... a fascinating read. I couldn't put it down' Jackie Malton, author of The Real Prime SuspectEvery 90…
seconds in the UK, a missing person is reported to the police.A pioneer in the field with experience spanning four decades, Charlie Hedges' job is to work out the best way to find them. What's going on in their life? When were they last seen?Have they chosen to go missing or is someone else involved?With no two cases ever the same, Charlie has been involved in some of the most high-profile reports during his career with the police and as a consultant in missing cases. From the evil of abductions and trafficking to the tragic accidents of the vulnerable, Charlie has dedicated his life to developing the ways we help not just the missing, but the families and loved ones left behind.Unique and fascinating, Missing tells Charlie's untold story of finding those who desperately need to be found and the cases that will never leave him.Missing: My life finding the lost and delivering justice for the living
Par Charlie Hedges. 2024
'A phenomenal insight... a fascinating read. I couldn't put it down' Jackie Malton, author of The Real Prime SuspectEvery 90…
seconds in the UK, a missing person is reported to the police.A pioneer in the field with experience spanning four decades, Charlie Hedges' job is to work out the best way to find them. What's going on in their life? When were they last seen?Have they chosen to go missing or is someone else involved?With no two cases ever the same, Charlie has been involved in some of the most high-profile reports during his career with the police and as a consultant in missing cases. From the evil of abductions and trafficking to the tragic accidents of the vulnerable, Charlie has dedicated his life to developing the ways we help not just the missing, but the families and loved ones left behind.Unique and fascinating, Missing tells Charlie's untold story of finding those who desperately need to be found and the cases that will never leave him.JANEY: The Woman That Won't Shut Up
Par Janey Godley. 2024
'A great comedian and an extraordinary life' - Billy ConnollyComedy legend and national treasure Janey Godley shares her extraordinary life…
with candour and humour as she faces cancer head-on.Janey has been a determined fighter all her life - from her tough Glasgow childhood to becoming the much-loved comedian she is now. It was the strength she needed to survive as a sweary-mouthed woman in the male-dominated comedy clubs of the 1990s.She needed it again when she brought a case against the uncle who'd abused her as a child. A terrifying ordeal - but she won. From rocky beginnings, Janey started to gain big audiences at home and internationally. Awards rolled in for her acting and writing too. She was at her height, and with a soaring online following for her hilarious political voice-overs, when in 2021 hurtful, historic tweets were unearthed which shook her to the core. In the eye of the media storm, her spirit was nearly broken, but her fanbase stayed strong.At the end of the long sell-out tour which followed she received the devastating news she had ovarian cancer. Her future hung in the balance, but even in treatment, a new tour went ahead, called Not Dead Yet. Janey now faces her fears head on and shares the tumultuous journey she's on, continuing to find humour even in her darkest moments.Inspiring, funny, open-hearted, Janey celebrates everything this hilarious and defiant woman is - against the odds - and confirms just why we'll never want her to shut up.*DON'T MISS OUT - PRE-ORDER THE STUNNING LIMITED FIRST EDITION NOW!*FEATURES A JIGSAW PIECE FRONT COVER CUT-OUT, EXCLUSIVE TO FIRST…
PRINT RUN ONLY'Utterly beautiful. I adored it' JOANNA CANNON'Hugely uplifting and wonderful' AJ PEARCE'A ripping yarn full of warmth and wonder' BETH MORREYSometimes finding your place in the world is the greatest puzzle of all...Clayton Stumper is an enigma.He might be twenty-five years old, but he dresses like your grandad and drinks sherry like your aunt.Abandoned at birth on the steps of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, he was raised by the sharpest minds in the British Isles and finds himself amongst the last survivors of a fading institution. When the esteemed crossword compiler, Pippa Allsbrook, passes away, she bestows her final puzzle to him: a promise to reveal the mystery of his parentage and prepare him for his future. Yet as Clay begins to unpick the clues, he uncovers something even the Fellowship have never been able to solve - and it's a secret that will change everything...***Readers are loving The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers!'Absolutely wonderful. A beautiful story of love and friendship' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Quirky and joyful. A delight to read with lovely characters' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A charming tale. Original and uplifting and an absolute ode to not just friendship but fellowship' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Such a joyful book. A unique storyline, the characters are wonderful and it's really uplifting' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Truly, the most joyous of books!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐JANEY: The Woman That Won't Shut Up
Par Janey Godley. 2024
'A great comedian and an extraordinary life' - Billy ConnollyComedy legend and national treasure Janey Godley shares her extraordinary life…
with candour and humour as she faces cancer head-on.Janey has been a determined fighter all her life - from her tough Glasgow childhood to becoming the much-loved comedian she is now. It was the strength she needed to survive as a sweary-mouthed woman in the male-dominated comedy clubs of the 1990s.She needed it again when she brought a case against the uncle who'd abused her as a child. A terrifying ordeal - but she won. From rocky beginnings, Janey started to gain big audiences at home and internationally. Awards rolled in for her acting and writing too. She was at her height, and with a soaring online following for her hilarious political voice-overs, when in 2021 hurtful, historic tweets were unearthed which shook her to the core. In the eye of the media storm, her spirit was nearly broken, but her fanbase stayed strong.At the end of the long sell-out tour which followed she received the devastating news she had ovarian cancer. Her future hung in the balance, but even in treatment, a new tour went ahead, called Not Dead Yet. Janey now faces her fears head on and shares the tumultuous journey she's on, continuing to find humour even in her darkest moments.Inspiring, funny, open-hearted, Janey celebrates everything this hilarious and defiant woman is - against the odds - and confirms just why we'll never want her to shut up.Look What You Made Me Do: The ultimate guide for Taylor Swift fans!
Par Kat McKenna. 2024
THE MUST-HAVE HANDBOOK FOR TAYLOR SWIFT FANS, AND THE ONLY COMPANION YOU NEED FOR THE ERAS TOUR! What does it mean…
to be a FAN? If you're a Swiftie, you know that it takes commitment and dedication to be in a fandom. And there's nothing more rewarding than sourcing Taylor Swift news and updates, anticipating new music and meeting fellow fans. But fan culture today is more intense than ever, from trolling to stalkers to online warfare.So how did we get here? Discover the history of the first fandoms, the many Eras of Taylor Swift, the politics of celebrity and cancel culture, and above all: why being a fan is so special. Featuring interview with key Taylor Swift fans and celebrity culture icon DeuxMoi and the founder of Swiftogeddon, this book is the ultimate guide on how to be a fan.Did I Ever Tell You?: The most moving memoir of 2024
Par Genevieve Kingston. 2024
'Compelling and heartbreaking' Ann NapolitanoA deeply moving memoir of a young daughter, her dying mother - and the trail of…
letters and gifts she left behind.'Her messages met me like guideposts in a dark forest; if her words couldn't point the way, at least they offered the comfort of knowing someone had been there before'Ten days before Gwen Kingston turned twelve, her beloved mother - with whom she shared a birthday - died. She left behind two chests - one for Gwen and one for her brother - filled with lovingly wrapped presents and letters marking the milestones she would miss: driver's licences, graduations and every one of their birthdays until the age of thirty. Each gift a chance to reach back into the past and, for the briefest moment, hear her voice again.Over the last twenty years, the chest of treasures has travelled with Gwen across a continent, from state to state and apartment to apartment, growing lighter with each passing birthday. And now, just three gifts remain . . .In this beautiful and heart-rending memoir, Gwen describes growing up in the shadow of loss, guided by what her mother left behind. Woven in is her mother's own story, and that of their whole family - tragedies foreseen and unforeseen, paths taken and not taken. It's about a mother's love for her daughter, but more than that, it is a story of marriage, family, inheritance and everything that shapes a life.Natality: Toward A Philosophy Of Birth
Par Jennifer Banks. 2023
“A gripping exploration of some of society’s biggest contradictions.… [Natality] is a fascinating read.” —Dana Suskind, MD, author of Parent…
Nation An exhilarating exploration of natality, a much-needed counterpoint to mortality, drawing on the insights of brilliant writers and thinkers. Birth is one of the most fraught and polarized issues of our time, at the center of debates on abortion, gender, work, and medicine. But birth is not solely an issue; it is a fundamental part of the human condition, and, alongside death, the most consequential event in human life. Yet it remains dramatically unexplored. Although we have long intellectual traditions of wrestling with mortality, few have ever heard of natality, the term political theorist Hannah Arendt used to describe birth’s active role in our lives. In this ambitious, revelatory book, Jennifer Banks begins with Arendt’s definition of natality as the “miracle that saves the world” to develop an expansive framework for birth’s philosophical, political, spiritual, and aesthetic significance. Banks focuses on seven renowned western thinkers—Arendt, Friedrich Nietzsche, Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley, Sojourner Truth, Adrienne Rich, and Toni Morrison—to reveal a provocative countertradition of birth. She narrates these writers’ own experiences alongside the generative ways they contended with natality in their work. Passionately intelligent and wide-ranging, Natality invites readers to attend to birth as a challenging and life-affirming reminder of our shared humanity and our capacity for creative renewal.Comment Réaliser Vos Rêves et Vos Objjectifs
Par Dave McAllen. 2024
Un auteur de renom nous montre comment déjouer les conseils permanents, cesser d'essayer d'être "parfait" tout le temps pour atteindre…
notre plein potentiel et être plus heureux. La vie est pavée de conseils pour que vous puissiez agir, vous comporter et faire les choses parfaitement, en imitant des mentors. Il y a donc des juges et des prophètes partout, qui vous disent si vous réussirez dans la vie, si vous excellerez dans votre carrière et ainsi de suite. Mais Dave vous indique une vérité rafraîchissante : vous pouvez diriger vous-même votre destin. Son livre, ''Comment réaliser vos rêves et vos objectifs'' est son antidote à la complaisance et l'absence de sentiment qui ont infecté le monde et reconfiguré une génération. Ce livre est de grande valeur. Dave n'est pas d'accord avec l'idée, corroborée à la fois par des recherches historiques et des exemples bien choisis, que les personnes qui réussissent dépendent de la capacité de leurs parrains et des personnes bien informées à prédire leur destin avec précision. Pour lui, il faut apprendre à se découvrir soi-même et à rester concentré sur ses rêves. Tous les êtres humains ont des faiblesses et des défauts, des succès et des échecs, des hauts et des bas. Nous ne pouvons pas tous devenir grands et exceptionnels. Mais c'est catastrophique quand la direction naturelle de notre vie est changée. Dave nous conseille de procéder à une étude approfondie de nous-mêmes pour commencer à être juste envers notre avenir. Une fois que c'est fait, agissez conformément à votre personnalité et arrêtez de remettre votre destin entre les mains d'autres personnes, qu'il s'agisse de vos pairs, de vos parents, de vos professeurs, etc.A bitingly funny field guide to modern love from the woman who's dated them all. Through highly relatable anecdotes from…
a decade of dating, Twenty Guys You Date in Your Twenties dives into the joys, frustrations, and hilarity of swiping right on relationships. After a world-shattering breakup in her early twenties, comedian Gabi Conti logged thousands of hours on dating apps, conducting research and gathering intel on our behalf. Real and relatable, this dating guide is laugh-out-loud funny without being prescriptive or cynical.• Each chapter focuses on a different type of guy and offers advice on how to deal, from The Guy Who's Great on Paper to The Guy Who Texts "sup" at 2 a.m.• Includes charts, quizzes, and "Boy Bingo"• Captures the frustrations, heartache, and hilarity of Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, OkCupid, and all other online dating appsFor the modern, app-using woman, this hilarious dating guide profiles 20 stereotypical men, from their physical appearance and dating style to red flags, tips, and success stories.Filled with charts and quizzes, hysterical anecdotes, and helpful insight from therapists and dating coaches, these pages offer advice and humor in equal measure.• Offers sincere advice to cope with dating app horror stories• Great for fans of How to Date Men When You Hate Men by Blythe Roberson, Bye Felipe: Disses, Dick Pics, and Other Delights of Modern Dating by Alexandra Tweten and HEY, U UP? (For a Serious Relationship) by Emily Axford and Brian MurphyDiscover the secrets to successful open relationships. A Happy Life in an Open Relationship is a handbook to healthy nonmonogamous…
relationships. For anyone curious about open relationships, here is a valuable handbook from an expert in love, sex, and communication. Relationship therapist Susan Wenzel—who is in an open marriage herself—delivers skillful advice on how to navigate the complex emotional landscape of multi-partner relationships, from polyamory to swinging.• Filled with of compelling personal stories, anecdotes from clients, and practical exercises• A guide to cultivating harmonious and fulfilling open relationships• Author Susan Wenzel is a sex and relationship therapist with years of experience counseling patients on issues related to monogamy, intimacy, and trust.A Happy Life in an Open Relationship will help you develop your trust and communication skills, explore sexuality and desire, build your confidence and self-worth, set healthy boundaries, overcome jealousy, and so much more. People interested in making changes in their relationships will appreciate the positive tone, helpful advice, and expert wisdom from an accomplished relationship therapist who has gone through the experience herself. • A great book for anyone interested in testing the boundaries of monogamy and exploring the world of polyamory• An accessible and inviting guide for couples to build an open relationship that is strong and lasting• Perfect for fans of Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence and The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity by Esther Perel, The Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage, and My Family by Dan Savage, and Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships by Christopher RyanFamily Field Trip: Explore Art, Food, Music, and Nature with Kids
Par Erin Austen Abbott. 2020
With more than 40 family-friendly cultural activities and adventures, Family Field Trip makes it easy to incorporate moments of learning…
and exploration into life with kids. In this engaging guide, parents and caretakers will find simple-to-follow ideas and tips for cultural experiences the whole family can enjoy, whether they are at home, exploring the neighborhood, or taking a vacation. Drawing on a range of popular experiential educational techniques—including Montessori, World Schooling, Forest Schooling, and more—Family Field Trip is the perfect handbook for any family with young children and an invaluable resource for raising kids who will grow into curious, well-rounded citizens of the world.• Gives parents the tools and inspiration to turn the world into a giant field trip full of opportunities to teach children cultural appreciation• Provides parents with easy ways to incorporate learning, adventure, and exploration into both travel and daily life• Tackles a range of lessons and topics without being prescriptive or overwhelmingBy exploring sites, languages, and foods of the world, Family Field Trip is an inspiring guide to raise globally minded kids who appreciate art, food, music, nature, and more.Activities include starting a supper club to introduce kids to the basics of cooking, having conversations that encourage empathy and cross-cultural understanding, designing fun scavenger hunts for any kind of museum, exhibit, or park, packing for trips with kids, and more.• Perfect for parents, grandparents, and caregivers who aspire to raise open-minded world citizens with good taste• A lovely book for the adventurous, travel-loving family• Great for readers who enjoyed How to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims, Atlas of Adventures by Rachel Williams, and Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela DruckermanThe Power of Saying No: The New Science of How to Say No that Puts You in Charge of Your Life
Par Vanessa Patrick. 2023
"If you're tired of agreeing to annoying asks and thankless tasks, read this book. The Power of Saying No offers…
the smartest advice I've ever encountered for declining requests without risking your reputation or your relationships. This essential guide will sharpen your mind and steel your spine to live life on your own terms." —Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Regret, Drive, and To Sell Is HumanStop saying yes. Start saying no. Change your life!You have probably said "yes" to bosses, partners, family, friends, and even strangers, when you actually want to say "no." Maybe you wish you could say no more often, but you're not sure how or if it's even possible to do so. You're not alone! We're taught to say yes as often as we can. After all, if you say no, aren't you likely to miss out on opportunities and sever important relationships? Isn't saying no a harmony-buster?In The Power of Saying No, award-winning professor and researcher Vanessa Patrick delves into the new science of saying no. She introduces the ground-breaking concept of "empowered refusal"—a proven framework for saying no that puts you in charge of your life—and reveals some surprising secrets about the power of the word no.Dr. Patrick shares:Why empowered refusal is a valuable superskill that helps us say no in a way that does not invite pushback from others.The toolkit of three competencies you need to develop to effectively communicate an empowered no response.A framework to help separate the "good-for-me" from the "not-good-for-me" activities and engagements that come our way.How to establish and implement personal policies that empower your refusal.How to use empowered refusal to manage difficult askers, strengthen your relationships and realize your full potential.It's more important than ever to protect your time, focus on your top priorities, and use the power of saying no to reach your goals at work and at home. Empowered refusal is a unique, positive, and meaning-filled approach to managing your energy and ambition effectively, allowing you to make lasting, positive changes in your life.This empowering book is a fascinating read that will help you with conflict resolution, boundaries, communication, and difficult conversations!"The Power of Saying No will stay within arm's reach for me. It offers the explanations and the inspirations I need to take charge of my life and career, with concrete tools to make it happen. I was able to put Vanessa Patrick's lessons to work the day I started reading the book and have continued every day since. Read this book. Twice." —Dolly Chugh, author of The Person You Mean to Be and A More Just Future, Jacob B. Melnick Term Professor at the NYU Stern School of BusinessHoward Stern Comes Again
Par Howard Stern. 2017
Over his unrivaled four-decade career in radio, Howard Stern has interviewed thousands of personalities—discussing sex, relationships, money, fame, spirituality, and…
success with the boldest of bold-faced names. But which interviews are his favorites? It&’s one of the questions he gets asked most frequently. Howard Stern Comes Again delivers his answer.Rock stars and rap gods. Comedy legends and A-list actors. Supermodels and centerfolds. Moguls and mobsters. A president. This book is a feast of conversation and more, as between the lines Stern offers his definitive autobiography—a magnum opus of confession and personal exploration. Tracy Morgan opens up about his near-fatal car crash. Lady Gaga divulges her history with cocaine. Madonna reminisces on her relationship with Tupac Shakur. Bill Murray waxes philosophical on the purpose of life. Jerry Seinfeld offers a master class on comedy. Harvey Weinstein denies the existence of the so-called casting couch. An impressive array of creative visionaries weigh in on what Stern calls &“the climb&”—the stories of how they struggled and eventually prevailed. As he writes in the introduction, &“If you&’re having trouble finding motivation in life and you&’re looking for that extra kick in the ass, you will find it in these pages.&” Interspersed throughout are rare selections from the Howard Stern Show archives with Donald Trump that depict his own climb: transforming from Manhattan tabloid fixture to reality TV star to president of the United States. Stern also tells of his Moby Dick-like quest to land an interview with Hillary Clinton in the run-up to the 2016 election—one of many newly written revelations from the author. He speaks with extraordinary candor about a variety of subjects, including his overwhelming insecurity early in his career, his revolutionary move from terrestrial radio to SiriusXM, and his belief in the power of psychotherapy. As Stern insightfully notes in the introduction: &“The interviews collected here represent my best work and show my personal evolution. But they don&’t just show my evolution. Gathered together like this, they show the evolution of popular culture over the past quarter century.&”Apparently There Were Complaints: A Memoir
Par Sharon Gless. 2021
Emmy Award–winning actress Sharon Gless tells all in this laugh-out-loud, juicy, &“unforgettably memorable&” (Lily Tomlin) memoir about her five decades…
in Hollywood, where she took on some of the most groundbreaking roles of her time.Anyone who has seen Sharon Gless act in Cagney & Lacey, Queer as Folk, Burn Notice, and countless other shows and movies, knows that she&’s someone who gives every role her all. She holds nothing back in Apparently There Were Complaints, a hilarious, deeply personal memoir that spills all about Gless&’s five decades in Hollywood. A fifth-generation Californian, Sharon Gless knew from a young age that she wanted to be an actress. After some rocky teenage years that included Sharon&’s parents&’ divorce and some minor (and not-so-minor) rebellion, Gless landed a coveted spot as an exclusive contract player for Universal Studios. In 1982, she stepped into the role of New York Police Detective Christine Cagney for the series Cagney & Lacey, which eventually reached an audience of 30 million weekly viewers and garnered Gless with two Emmy Awards. The show made history as the first hour-long drama to feature two women in the leading roles. Gless continued to make history long after Cagney & Lacey was over. In 2000, she took on the role of outrageous Debbie Novotny in Queer as Folk. Her portrayal of a devoted mother to a gay son and confidant to his gay friends touched countless hearts and changed the definition of family for millions of viewers. Apparently There Were Complaints delves into Gless&’s remarkable career and explores Gless&’s complicated family, her struggles with alcoholism, and her fear of romantic commitment as well as her encounters with some of Hollywood&’s biggest names. Brutally honest and incredibly relatable, Gless puts it all out on the page in the same way she has lived—never with moderation.Psychonauts: Drugs and the Making of the Modern Mind
Par Mike Jay. 2023
A provocative and original history of the scientists and writers, artists and philosophers who took drugs to explore the hidden…
regions of the mind A New Yorker Best of the Week Pick “Jay is a leading expert on the history of Western drug use, and Psychonauts is the latest in a series of excellent studies in which he has investigated the roots of a kind of psychoactive exploration that we tend to associate with the nineteen-fifties and sixties.”—Clare Bucknell, New Yorker “Captivating. . . . A welcome reconsideration of the role drugs play in life, medicine, and science.”—Publishers Weekly Until the twentieth century, scientists investigating the effects of drugs on the mind did so by experimenting on themselves. Vivid descriptions of drug experiences sparked insights across the mind sciences, pharmacology, medicine, and philosophy. Accounts in journals and literary fiction inspired a fascinated public to make their own experiments—in scientific demonstrations, on exotic travels, at literary salons, and in occult rituals. But after 1900 drugs were increasingly viewed as a social problem, and the long tradition of self-experimentation began to disappear. From Sigmund Freud’s experiments with cocaine to William James’s epiphany on nitrous oxide, Mike Jay brilliantly recovers a lost intellectual tradition of drug-taking that fed the birth of psychology, the discovery of the unconscious, and the emergence of modernism. Today, as we embrace novel cognitive enhancers and psychedelics, the experiments of the original psychonauts reveal the deep influence of mind-altering drugs on Western science, philosophy, and culture.Agent Josephine: American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy
Par Damien Lewis. 2022
The New Yorker, Best Books of 2022 Vanity Fair, Best Books of 2022 Booklist, Best Books of 2022 Singer. Actress.…
Beauty. Spy. During WWII, Josephine Baker, the world's richest and most glamorous entertainer, was an Allied spy in Occupied France. Prior to World War II, Josephine Baker was a music-hall diva renowned for her singing and dancing, her beauty and sexuality; she was the highest-paid female performer in Europe. When the Nazis seized her adopted city, Paris, she was banned from the stage, along with all &“negroes and Jews.&” Yet instead of returning to America, she vowed to stay and to fight the Nazi evil. Overnight, she went from performer to Resistance spy. In Agent Josephine, bestselling author Damien Lewis uncovers this little-known history of the famous singer&’s life. During the war years, as a member of the French Nurse paratroopers—a cover for her spying work—Baker participated in numerous clandestine activities and emerged as a formidable spy. In turn, she was a hero of the three countries in whose name she served—the US, France, and Britain. Drawing on a plethora of new historical material and rigorous research, including previously undisclosed letters and journals, Lewis upends the conventional story of Josephine Baker, explaining why she fully deserves her unique place in the French Panthéon.Empire of Dreams: The Epic Life of Cecil B. DeMille
Par Scott Eyman. 2010
BEST KNOWN AS THE DIRECTOR of such spectacular films as The Ten Commandments and King of Kings, Cecil B. DeMille…
lived a life as epic as any of his cinematic masterpieces. As a child DeMille learned the Bible from his father, a theology student and playwright who introduced Cecil and his older brother, William, to the theater. Tutored by impresario David Belasco, DeMille discovered how audiences responded to showmanship: sets, lights, costumes, etc. He took this knowledge with him to Los Angeles in 1913, where he became one of the movie pioneers, in partnership with Jesse Lasky and Lasky’s brother-in-law Samuel Goldfish (later Goldwyn). Working out of a barn on streets fragrant with orange blossom and pepper trees, the Lasky company turned out a string of successful silents, most of them directed by DeMille, who became one of the biggest names of the silent era. With films such as The Squaw Man, Brewster’s Millions, Joan the Woman, and Don’t Change Your Husband, he was the creative backbone of what would become Paramount Studios. In 1923 he filmed his first version of The Ten Commandments and later a second biblical epic, King of Kings, both enormous box-office successes. Although his reputation rests largely on the biblical epics he made, DeMille’s personal life was no morality tale. He remained married to his wife, Constance, for more than fifty years, but for most of the marriage he had three mistresses simultaneously, all of whom worked for him. He showed great loyalty to a small group of actors who knew his style, but he also discovered some major stars, among them Gloria Swanson, Claudette Colbert, and later, Charlton Heston. DeMille was one of the few silent-era directors who made a completely successful transition to sound. In 1952 he won the Academy Award for Best Picture with The Greatest Show on Earth. When he remade The Ten Commandments in 1956, it was an even bigger hit than the silent version. He could act, too: in Billy Wilder’s classic film Sunset Boulevard, DeMille memorably played himself. In the 1930s and 1940s DeMille became a household name thanks to the Lux Radio Theater, which he hosted. But after falling out with a union, he gave up the program, and his politics shifted to the right as he championed loyalty oaths and Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s anticommunist witch hunts. As Scott Eyman brilliantly demonstrates in this superbly researched biography, which draws on a massive cache of DeMille family papers not available to previous biographers, DeMille was much more than his clichéd image. A gifted director who worked in many genres; a devoted family man and loyal friend with a highly unconventional personal life; a pioneering filmmaker: DeMille comes alive in these pages, a legend whose spectacular career defined an era.