Collection: Biography & Memoir

"A charming book, ringing with the joy of existence." --Richard Dawkins

The perfect gift for a loved one or for yourself, For Small Creatures Such as We is part memoir, part guidebook, and part social history, a luminous celebration of Earth's marvels that require no faith in order to be believed.

Sasha Sagan was raised by secular parents, the astronomer Carl Sagan and the writer and producer Ann Druyan. They taught her that the natural world and vast cosmos are full of profound beauty, and that science reveals truths more wondrous than any myth or fable.

When Sagan herself became a mother, she began her own hunt for the natural phenomena behind our most treasured occasions--from births to deaths, holidays to weddings, anniversaries, and more--growing these roots into a new set of rituals for her young daughter that honor the joy and significance of each experience without relying on a religious framework.

As Sagan shares these rituals, For Small Creatures Such as We becomes a moving tribute to a father, a newborn daughter, a marriage, and the natural world--a celebration of life itself, and the power of our families and beliefs to bring us together.

Learn more about Napoleon Bonaparte, the decorated French military leader who conquered much of Europe in the early nineteenth century.

Born in the Mediterranean island of Corsica, Napoleon Bonaparte felt like an outsider once his family moved to France. But he found his life's calling after graduating from military school. Napoleon went on to become a brilliant military strategist and the emperor of France. In addition to greatly expanding the French empire, Napoleon also created many laws, which are still encoded in legal systems around the world.

"Racist. Hero. Stubborn. Fighter. Chink.
I've been called many things on the way to this moment, but ironically, I've never been called 'a slant.'"

When Simon Tam started an Asian American dance rock band called The Slants, he didn't realize that he was starting an entire movement around freedom of expression and discussions on identity. The band flipped stereotypes with their bombastic live shows and community activism. But when Simon applied to register a trademark on the band's name, the government dragged him all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Slanted is the story of an indomitable spirit who so believes in the idea of justice that he's willing to risk everything along the way for the dignity of self-identity. Simon shares a deeply personal account that will take you from anime conventions to the Supreme Court, all in the name of justice. The story provides a raw look at our legal system with unflinching honesty and offers timely insights on freedom of speech, how to connect with others we disagree with, and the power of music.

Gripping, funny, enlightening, and ultimately uplifting, Slanted proves that no obstacle is too difficult to conquer --as long as you have a little heart and a lot of rock n' roll. It's an irrepressible story that is fresh, alive, and defines what it means to be American.

This edition features a new foreword by Ronny Chieng.

Finalist, Governor General's Literary Award, Translation

Each year, more than 400 minors arrive alone in Canada requesting refugee status. They arrive without their parents, accompanied by no adult at all.

Alone relates the journey of three of them: Afshin, Alain and Patricia. Their story opens a window onto the many heartbreaks, difficult sacrifices and countless hardships that punctuate their obstacle-filled path. But Alone most especially tells of the courage and resilience that these young people demonstrated before being able to finally obtain a life where threats and danger are no longer a part of their everyday existence.

Key Text Features:

author's note

captions

chapters

character drawings

comic

map

dialogue

flags

further information

illustrations

introduction

maps

writing inspiration

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.3

Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.7

Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.

A collection of the very first, the very last, and the very best interviews conducted with Prince over his nearly 40 year career.

There is perhaps no musician who has had as much influence on the sound of contemporary American music than Prince. His pioneering compositions brought a variety of musical genres into a singular funky and virtuosic sound. In this remarkable collection, and with his signature mix of seduction and demur, the late visionary reflects on his artistry, identity, and the sacrifices and soul-searching it took to stay true to himself. An Introduction by Hanif Abdurraqib offers astute, contemporary perspective and brilliantly contextualizes the collected interviews.

In 1966, everyone who was anyone wanted an invitation to Truman Capote's ""Black and White Dance"" in New York, and guests included Frank Sinatra, Norman Mailer, C. Z. Guest, Kennedys, Rockefellers, and more. Lavishly illustrated with photographs and drawings of the guests, this portrait of revelry at the height of the swirling, swinging sixties is a must for anyone interested in American popular culture and the lifestyles of the rich, famous, and talented.

Discover the history and personal stories of 46 US Presidents in this beautifully illustrated volume.

From the first president, George Washington, to the forty-sixth, Joe Biden, the United States has seen a host of extraordinary men take office. Their stories are all included in this fourth edition of The Complete Book of US Presidents by journalist and historian Bill Yenne.

This book features short, biographical essays about the lives of 46 presidents, jam-packed with unusual details and commentary on the significant roles each commander-in-chief played in the shaping of the United States and its relations with the world. Lavishly illustrated, including the presidents' official White House portraits, sidebars about each and every vice president and first lady, and intriguing anecdotes, this book is accessible to a broad audience and will captivate any history lover.

The Complete Book of US Presidents is an expansive collection that reflects on America's rich presidential history, telling the story of a nation through the biographies of some of its greatest political leaders.

In Means of Ascent, Book Two of The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Robert A. Caro brings alive Lyndon Johnson in his wilderness years.

Here, Johnson's almost mythic personality--part genius, part behemoth, at once hotly emotional and icily calculating--is seen at its most nakedly ambitious. This multifaceted book carries the President-to-be from the aftermath of his devastating defeat in his 1941 campaign for the Senate-the despair it engendered in him, and the grueling test of his spirit that followed as political doors slammed shut-through his service in World War II (and his artful embellishment of his record) to the foundation of his fortune (and the actual facts behind the myth he created about it).

The culminating drama--the explosive heart of the book--is Caro's illumination, based on extraordinarily detailed investigation, of one of the great political mysteries of the century. Having immersed himself in Johnson's life and world, Caro is able to reveal the true story of the fiercely contested 1948 senatorial election, for years shrouded in rumor, which Johnson was not believed capable of winning, which he "had to" win or face certain political death, and which he did win-by 87 votes, the "87 votes that changed history."

Telling that epic story "in riveting and eye-opening detail," Caro returns to the American consciousness a magnificent lost hero. He focuses closely not only on Johnson, whom we see harnessing every last particle of his strategic brilliance and energy, but on Johnson's "unbeatable" opponent, the beloved former Texas Governor Coke Stevenson, who embodied in his own life the myth of the cowboy knight and was himself a legend for his unfaltering integrity. And ultimately, as the political duel between the two men quickens--carrying with it all the confrontational and moral drama of the perfect Western--Caro makes us witness to a momentous turning point in American politics: the tragic last stand of the old politics versus the new--the politics of issue versus the politics of image, mass manipulation, money and electronic dazzle.

#1 New York Times Bestseller

"No one will come away unmoved by the book, and no one will be able to put it down.... There is no way of reading Alive without a heightened sense of one's own life and its value." -- New Republic

Sixteen Men, Seventy-Two Days, and Insurmountable Odds--the Classic Adventure of Survival in the Andes

On October 12, 1972, an Uruguayan Air Force plane carrying a team of rugby players crashed in the remote snowy peaks of the Andes. Ten weeks later, only sixteen of the forty-five passengers were found alive. This is the story of those ten weeks spent in the shelter of the plane's fuselage without food and with scarcely any hope of a rescue. The survivors protected and helped one another, and came to the difficult conclusion that to live meant doing the unimaginable. Confronting nature at its most furious, two brave young men risked their lives to hike through the mountains looking for help. A tale of astonishing bravery and adventure, Alive is much more than a survival story, it is a breathtaking saga of human courage

The P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including interviews, recommended reading, and more.

A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The refreshingly original and "startlingly hopeful" (Lisa Taddeo) debut memoir of an over-achieving young lawyer who reluctantly agrees to group therapy and gets psychologically and emotionally naked in a room of six complete strangers--and finds human connection, and herself.Christie Tate had just been named the top student in her law school class and finally had her eating disorder under control. Why then was she driving through Chicago fantasizing about her own death? Why was she envisioning putting an end to the isolation and sadness that still plagued her despite her achievements? Enter Dr. Rosen, a therapist who calmly assures her that if she joins one of his psychotherapy groups, he can transform her life. All she has to do is show up and be honest. About everything--her eating habits, childhood, sexual history, etc. Christie is skeptical, insisting that that she is defective, beyond cure. But Dr. Rosen issues a nine-word prescription that will change everything: "You don't need a cure. You need a witness." So begins her entry into the strange, terrifying, and ultimately life-changing world of group therapy. Christie is initially put off by Dr. Rosen's outlandish directives, but as her defenses break down and she comes to trust Dr. Rosen and to depend on the sessions and the prescribed nightly phone calls with various group members, she begins to understand what it means to connect. "Often hilarious, and ultimately very touching" (People), Group is "a wild ride" (The Boston Globe), and with Christie as our guide, we are given a front row seat to the daring, exhilarating, painful, and hilarious journey that is group therapy--an under-explored process that breaks you down, and then reassembles you so that all the pieces finally fit.

Want to be the Big Cheese in The Big Apple where New York Rangers trivia is concerned?

Never lose another trivia game again with this fact-filled, fun Rangers trivia book!

The franchise has become a New York landmark since making its NHL debut in 1926-27, and even though a 50-year Stanley Cup drought followed instant success, New Yorkers have never abandoned their beloved team.

The glory days and struggles are all covered from front to back as we reminisce about the club's most famous characters, such as Lester Patrick, Frank Boucher, Harry Howell, Rod Gilbert, Phil Esposito, Brian Leetch, Mark Messier, Emile "The Cat" Francis, and, of course, the great Wayne Gretzky.

We have included 15 different quizzes consisting of 300 stimulating questions accompanied by 150 inspiring "Did You Know?" facts.

Test your Rangers loyalty with puzzlers such as:

• Which team did the Rangers defeat to win their first Stanley Cup?
• How many ex-Rangers have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame player category?
• Which player was drafted 4th overall by the Rangers and played only 78 NHL games?
• What was Mike Richter's save percentage in the 1993-94 playoffs?
• How many wins did coach Fred Shero register while leading the club?

Everything you need to know about Madison Square Garden's most famous tenants is included here.

Don't miss the bus when it comes to Rangers trivia. Become a mastermind instead and prepare to take on all challengers by reading the latest New York Rangers trivia quiz book!

Legends of Major League Baseball features illustrated profiles of twenty-eight retired baseball greats, from the greatest stars of past generations, such as Babe Ruth and Willie Mays, to modern legends like Pedro Martinez and Alex Rodriguez. Young readers will learn how each of these stars grew up and made it to the top, and what made their playing styles unique.

Filled with key stats and action-packed photos, this book will wow both the baseball novice and the passionate fan.

The Long Way is Bernard Moitessier's own incredible story of his participation in the first Golden Globe Race, a solo, non-stop circumnavigation rounding the three great Capes of Good Hope, Leeuwin, and the Horn. For seven months, the veteran seafarer battled storms, doldrums, gear-failures, knock-downs, as well as overwhelming fatigue and loneliness. Then, nearing the finish, Moitessier pulled out of the race and sailed on for another three months before ending his 37,455-mile journey in Tahiti. Not once had he touched land.

In this inspiring memoir, Emily Falcon chronicles her lifelong journey with a congenital cardiac condition. In 1982, at seven weeks old, she had a heart attack that destroyed forty percent of the left side of her heart. This was her entry into a world of multiple cardiac procedures, surgeries, and hospitalizations, and a later diagnosis of glaucoma. Balancing these serious conditions defined her life.

Falcon's memoir is a story of survival and how her physical situation shaped and limited her. She intends this story to be a helpful resource to families, caregivers, and physicians who want to gain insight into a patient's point of view.

In 2017, after a lifetime of feeling that nothing could ever change, Falcon had a second open-heart surgery, which allowed her to participate in a 5K race a mere eight months later. She was no longer stuck on the sidelines. Drawing from her extensive life experiences, Falcon recounts how she found a way to surmount obstacles that people who live with incurable medical conditions and their supporters might face. In the book, Falcon describes how she has remained courageous and pragmatic in her mission to stay alive. She encourages her readers to advocate for themselves, believe in their abilities, never be afraid to test their boundaries, and feel motivated to make changes in their lives.

An explosive, award-winning novel, The Spook Who Sat by the Door is a 50-year-young classic that provides commentary on the racial inequities in the US in the late 1960s - and today.

Continuously available in print since 1968, this novel has become embedded in progressive anti-racist culture with wide circulation of the book and hotly debated film. A literary classic, The Spook Who Sat by the Door is a strong comment on entrenched racial inequities in the United States in the late 1960s. With its focus on the "militancy" that characterized the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s, this is the story of one man's reaction to ruling-class hypocrisy in ways that make the novel autobiographical and personal. As a tale of a reaction to the forces of oppression, this book is universal.

Dan Freeman, the "spook who sat by the door," is enlisted in the CIA's elitist espionage program. Upon mastering agency tactics, however, he drops out to train young Black Chicagoans to combat racism as "Freedom Fighters" in this explosive novel.

A warmhearted and tender true story about a young girl finding beauty where she never thought to look.

Drawn from author Kao Kalia Yang's childhood experiences as a Hmong refugee, this moving picture book portrays a family with a great deal of love and little money. Weaving together Kalia's story with that of her beloved grandmother, the book moves from the jungles of Laos to the family's early years in the United States.

When Kalia becomes unhappy about having to do without and decides she wants braces to improve her smile, it is her grandmother--a woman who has just one tooth in her mouth--who helps her see that true beauty is found with those we love most. Stunning illustrations from Vietnamese illustrator Khoa Le bring this intergenerational tale to life.

"A deep and moving reflection on enduring hardship and generational love. . . . Poignant storytelling with stunning visuals."--starred, Kirkus Reviews

"A sincere narrative that centers on the power of family love."--starred, School Library Journal

Minnesota Book Award Finalist, ALA Notable Children's Book, New York Public Library Best Book for Kids, NPR Best Book of the Year