Collection: Biography & Memoir

In The Cruise of the Arctic Star, Scott O'Dell takes a voyage up the length of the California coast in his cedar-hulled offshore cruiser named Arctic Star. With his wife Elizabeth along as skilled navigator and cook, a friend Del as cohort and deckhand, and an unpredictable hired hand named Rodney Lambert, the crew journeys up the coast and experiences first hand the delights and drama of life at sea along this beautiful shoreline. Along the way, the author relates the colorful narratives of California's past through the stories of men and women like Cabrillo, Viscaino, Junipero Serra, Kate Sessions, Kit Carson, Jedediah Smith and many more. Drawing from journals of other notable visitors like Richard Henry Dana, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Sir Francis Drake, readers are given a window into life in California hundreds of years ago.

I will always remember, as a child, hearing my mom tell Bible stories. She made the men and women on the pages of God's Word come alive, and I would listen with fascination as she described battles, evil kings, dangerous journeys, and breathtaking miracles. I knew that these stories were not like any other because they came from the pages of God's Book: they were absolutely true.

Through those stories, my mom planted in my heart an enduring love for the Bible. She made me feel like I knew Esther, that I could sit down and talk to David, and that Jesus was as close to me as the bear I held in my arms under the covers. Today, as a grown woman, I look forward to the day that I will be able to meet the Bible heroes and heroines who have taught me invaluable life lessons and who have helped me to understand God's plan for His people from the beginning.

The lessons that you will find in this book involve Old Testament women whose true stories are often untold. I hope you will be encouraged and that your faith will grow as you see the quality of strength radiate through the lives of these remarkable women. Some of their names you will recognize and others may be completely unfamiliar to you, but I believe that studying the unique characteristics of each of these women can help you on your journey to becoming a stronger Christian serving in God's kingdom.

Our God values, loves, and cares for women. Throughout the Bible, we find many examples of how women involved themselves in the Lord's work, how they demonstrated their faith through obedience to God, how they influenced others as a result of their godly choices, and how God used them to accomplish His Will. They weren't inhibited by what they couldn't do; instead they changed lives because of what they could do.

Today, God needs women to do the same!

Whether it's teaching the Bible to a small child or to a room full of women, whether it's lifting some one up in prayer or sharing the Gospel in a personal Bible study, whether it's writing a note of encouragement or curriculum for Bible classes, the opportunities for women to work in the church are abundant and meaningful. The church needs Christian women who are teachers, speakers, writers, organizers, visionaries, and missionaries who can lead other women and children in their walks with God and take the message of the Gospel to the world. When we recognize the important roles we have and humbly follow the guidelines found in the New Testament, we empower ourselves and our daughters to use the talents we've been given in harmony with God's perfect plan for the organization and sustainment of His church.

The purpose of Trailblazers is to motivate women to become stronger for the cause of Christ. The Bible tells us that we must be prepared not only to fight for our faith, but also to defend it. This study will help women find the strength to do both.

A deeply personal memoir about workaholism, the addictive nature of ambition, and the humbling process of picking yourself up when the world lets you down--an anti-girlboss tale for our times for readers of Drinking: A Love Story and Uncanny Valley.

After years of relentlessly racing up the professional ladder, Jennifer Romolini reached the kind of success many crave: a high-profile, C-suite dream job, a book well-received enough that reporters wanted to know the secrets to her success, and a gig traveling around the country giving speeches on "making it." She had a handsome and clever husband, a precocious child. But beneath this polished surface was a powder keg of unresolved trauma and chronic overwork. It was all about to blow.

Written with self-deprecation and wit, Ambition Monster is a gutsy and powerful look at workaholism and the addictive nature of achievement, the lingering effect of childhood trauma, and the failures of our modern rat race. This is a Cinderella story of success and a brutal appraisal of the cost of capitalism--perfect for people pleasers, overachievers, and those whose traumas have driven them to strike for "goodness," no matter the cost. With its timely and resonant deconstructing of the American Dream, Ambition Monster is a singular excavation of selfhood, an essential interrogation about the way we work, and an inspiring and affirming call to always bet on yourself.

Experience 50 years of wrestling history through the iconic voice of Jim Ross.

For wrestling fans, Jim Ross' voice is the soundtrack of an era. This book is your ringside ticket to wrestling's most unforgettable moments--from the announcer who made them iconic.

In the last 50 years, professional wrestling has risen up from a collection of regional territories to become a global phenomenon--and Jim Ross has been there for it all. From the grit and glory days of the 1970s with NWA, to the rise of WCW and the heyday of WWF and WWE, to signing on as on-air talent and senior advisor for wrestling's newest chapter at AEW, Jim Ross has long had the best seat in the house.

Now, in 50 definitive chapters, chronicling 50 iconic calls across 50 unforgettable years, Business Is About to Pick Up! takes you into the ring, and behind the scenes, as only Jim Ross can.

Immerse yourself in sports entertainment's most dramatic moments, biggest shocks, and history-making firsts--from watershed collisions like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin versus Bret "Hitman" Hart to industry-shaping milestones like the debut of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the rise of John Cena and Dave Bautista as Hollywood A-list stars, and the birth of All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Then debate which moments Jim Ross just had to include . . . and what else should've made his list.

This book is a celebration of pro wrestling's past, present, and future--narrated by the Voice of Wrestling himself, who was ringside to call it all.

Experience love the southern way with television host, blogger, and cookbook veteran Stacy Lyn Harris as she shares her family's most treasured memories and recipes.

Stacy grew up watching her grandmother cook the same way other kids watched cartoons. The Love Language of the South is a memoir of southern culinary culture, regional traditions, and easy-to-follow recipes.

More than eighty recipes and dozens of hospitality tips give entertaining tools for novice and experienced hosts alike. Featuring an index designed to help cooks with meal planning, and find content by course, this cookbook will make cooking fun and productive. Or you might go straight for the southern classics, like Hoppin John, Bacon Cheddar Biscuits, Pimiento Cheese, and Cornmeal Fried Okra.

With southern food, it's much more than keeping hunger pangs at bay. Learn the importance of gathering around the table to share food and bring comfort to those you love with The Love Language of the South!

A riveting look at the tremendous promise and inherent risks of the use of psychedelics in mental health treatment through the lens of a New York Times reporter whose journalistic exploration of this emerging field began with a personal crisis.

When he signed up for a psychedelic retreat run by a mysterious Argentine woman deep in Brazil's rainforest in early 2018, Ernesto Londoño, a veteran New York Times journalist, was so depressed he had come close to jumping off his terrace weeks earlier. His nine-day visit to Spirit Vine Ayahuasca Retreat Center included four nighttime ceremonies during which participants imbibed a vomit-inducing plant-based brew that contained DMT, a powerful mind-altering compound.

The ayahuasca trips provided Londoño an instant reprieve from his depression and became the genesis of a personal transformation that anchors this sweeping journalistic exploration of the booming field of medicinal psychedelics. Londoño introduces readers to a dazzling array of psychedelic enthusiasts who are upending our understanding of trauma and healing. They include Indigenous elders who regard psychedelics as portals to the spirit world; religious leaders who use mind-bending substances as sacraments; war veterans suffering from PTSD who credit psychedelics with changing their lives; and clinicians trying to resurrect a promising field of medicine hastily abandoned in the 1970s as the United States declared a War on Drugs.

Londoño's riveting personal narrative pulls the reader through a deeply researched and brilliantly reported account of a game-changing industry on the rise. Trippy is the definitive book on psychedelics and mental health today, and Londoño's in-depth and nuanced look at this shifting landscape will be pivotal in guiding policymakers and readers as they make sense of the perils, limitations, and promises of turning to psychedelics in the pursuit of healing.

The honest and powerful autobiography from basketball legend Jerry West is a must-read for fans of the game.

He is one of basketball's towering figures: "Mr. Clutch," who mesmerized his opponents and fans. The coach who began the Lakers' resurgence in the 1970s. The general manager who helped bring "Showtime" to Los Angeles, creating a championship-winning force that continues to this day.

Now, for the first time, the legendary Jerry West tells his story -- from his tough childhood in West Virginia, to his unbelievable college success at West Virginia University, his 40-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and his relationships with NBA legends like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant. Unsparing in its self-assessment and honesty, West by West is far more than a sports memoir: it is a profound confession and a magnificent inspiration.

"An intimate and deeply human memoir that shows why we should all be concerned about nuclear safety, and the dangers of ignoring science in the name of national security."--Rebecca Skloot, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

A shocking account of the government's attempt to conceal the effects of the toxic waste released by a secret nuclear weapons plant in Colorado and a community's vain search for justice--soon to be a feature documentary

Kristen Iversen grew up in a small Colorado town close to Rocky Flats, a secret nuclear weapons plant once designated "the most contaminated site in America." Full Body Burden is the story of a childhood and adolescence in the shadow of the Cold War, in a landscape at once startlingly beautiful and--unknown to those who lived there--tainted with invisible yet deadly particles of plutonium. It's also a book about the destructive power of secrets--both family and government. Her father's hidden liquor bottles, the strange cancers in children in the neighborhood, the truth about what was made at Rocky Flats--best not to inquire too deeply into any of it. But as Iversen grew older, she began to ask questions and discovered some disturbing realities.

Based on extensive interviews, FBI and EPA documents, and class-action testimony, this taut, beautifully written book is both captivating and unnerving.

First published in 1983, Shiguéhiko Hasumi's Directed by Yasujirō Ozu has become one of the most influential books on cinema written in Japanese. This pioneering translation brings Hasumi's landmark work to an English-speaking public for the first time, inviting a new readership to engage with this astutely observed, deeply moving meditation on the oeuvre of one of the giants of world cinema. Complemented by a critical introduction from acclaimed film scholar Aaron Gerow and rendered fluidly in Ryan Cook's agile translation, this volume will grace the shelves of cinephiles for many years to come.

This visual celebration of the world's most celebrated thinkers tells the fascinating stories of their lives and pioneering ideas.

Artists Who Changed History places well-known artists in their historical and cultural context, showing you how they came to influence Art as we know it today.

This illustrated guide is ideal for those interested in art, sculptures, and the history of art or who would like to broaden their general understanding of art and the lives of artists.

Inside this book on artists, you'll find:

-An overview of the lives and works of around 80 of the world's most influential artists - Middle Ages to the present day

-Eight pages of brand-new content with 12 new entries, including Judith Leyster and Frank Bowling

-Lavishly illustrated portraits of each artist alongside photographs of their homes and studios, original sketches, notebooks, letters

In this Art guide, each artist is introduced with a realistic portrait and biographical entries that trace the friendships, loves, and rivalries that inspired and influenced them. Entries explore each individual's key ideas and working methods and set their ideas in context, conveying a powerful sense of the place and the period of history in which they lived. Artists Who Changed History provides revealing insights into what drove each individual to develop new ways of understanding the world.

'Incredible individual, incredible book, incredible story.' CHRIS HEMSWORTH

'A hero who is as humble as he is resilient... testament to a "never give up" spirit!' BEAR GRYLLS

'From reading this book, the message that comes shining through is this: you can achieve anything.' ANT MIDDLETON

Bestselling author and award-winning adventurer Ross Edgley has been studying the art of resilience for years, applying all he has learned to become the first person in history to swim around Great Britain, breaking multiple world records. Now Ross focuses on mental strength, stoicism and the training needed to create an unbreakable body.

Ross Edgley famously ran a marathon pulling a 1.4-tonne car and climbed a rope the height of Everest (8,848m), after living with Yamabushi warrior monks in Japan and partaking in Shamanic pain rituals with fire ants in the Amazon jungle. On his epic 1,780-mile journey around Great Britain, which lasted 157 days, Ross swam through giant jellyfish, arctic storms, 'haunted' whirlpools and polluted shipping lanes, going so hard, and so fast, his tongue fell apart.

Ross's previous book, The World's Fittest Book, was a Sunday Times bestseller and explored the science of physical fitness. Now, in The Art of Resilience, Ross uses his swim experience and other amazing endurance feats, where he managed to overcome seemingly insurmountable pain, hardship and adversity, to study the performance of extreme athletes, military and fitness specialists and psychologists to uncover the secrets of mental fitness and explore the concept of resilience, persistence, valour and a disciplined mindset in overcoming adversity. This ground-breaking book represents a paradigm shift in what we thought the human body and mind were capable of and will give you a blueprint to become a tougher, more resilient and ultimately better human - whatever the challenge you face.

Venetta Mlynczyk has endured unimaginable tragedy, a parent's worst nightmare. The sudden deaths of her only two children, just six months apart.

Suffering excruciating pain, and grappling with complicated grief and guilt, led her to dark places.

Then, in the throes of grief, she was completely blindsided by a cruel twist that shocked people around the world.

Suspicions surrounding the investigation into Brandon's death, left Venetta on a path seeking justice for years. Devon's death also sparked mysterious lingering questions.

From the depths of despair, she found the courage and strength to navigate the multiple layers of her grief, exploring a myriad of messy emotions.

In the face of adversity, Venetta's resilience offers hope and inspiration to anyone grieving the death of a loved one.

The sun will shine again on the other side of sadness, even when the worst life has to offer, happens.

Prior to Venetta's life being drastically altered by tragedy, she enjoyed a full life, including a rewarding and successful career as a college instructor, teaching dental assisting for 25 years. She prides herself, on having prepared close to a thousand students for a career in the dental field. Venetta loves traveling on cruise ships, with her husband George. She always looks forward to spending time with family and friends. Today, Venetta focuses on her well-being, continuing further along her healing journey, and honoring her son's, Devon and Brandon.

First published in the 4th century A.D., Anthony the Great's biography was authored by Christian Saint Athanasius of Alexandria. Since its original release, the book has helped spread the beliefs, practices and arduous faith of Anthony the Great to a wider audience. A significant progenitor of the monastic tradition, Saint Anthony lived an ascetic lifestyle in the deserts of Egypt. Although not the earliest of religious figures committed to this tradition, through his actions and preaching Anthony helped popularise and spread principles that would contribute heavily to the establishment of Christian monastic orders in Europe and beyond. One famous event in St. Anthony's life was his encounter with the supernatural in the remote reaches of the Egyptian desert. This occurrence, wherein the otherworldly presence tried to tempt him away from his spartan philosophy of living, has experienced much coverage in Western art and literature.

What was that game we used to play when we were children? We played it every night, before things went wrong between us.

It was a story game, wasn't it?

In the humid dark of a eucalyptus-scented room, a woman named Hui lies on a mattress telling stories about herself to her listener, a little girl. She talks about her identity as the child of an immigrant, her feelings about being in a mixed-race marriage, her opinions on mental health. But as the stories progress, it becomes clear that a volatile secret is lurking beneath their surface. There are events in Hui's past that have great significance for the person she's become, but that have gone missing from her memory. What is it, exactly, that is haunting Hui? And just as importantly--what is the room that Hui is lying in? Who is the little girl she keeps talking to? And who, actually, is Hui herself?

As the conversation continues, what unfolds is a breathtaking and unexpected journey through layers of story toward truth and recovered identity; a memoir that reenacts, in tautly novelistic fashion, the process of healing that author Shze-Hui Tjoa moved through in order to recover memories lost to complex-PTSD and to, eventually, reconstruct her sense of self. Stunning in its originality and intimacy, Tjoa's debut memoir The Story Game is a piercing tribute to selfhood and sisterhood, a genre-shattering testament to the power of imagination, and a one-of-a-kind work of art.

What does Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer of all time, have in common with Megan Rapinoe, the badass pink-haired female soccer player? They achieved perfection, won medals, and lived the glory. But it is above all their raised fists, when, at a time of their envied existence, they dared to sacrifice their privileges to defend a cause greater than their status of adulated champion. Rich in authentic anecdotes, this book tells the fate of those who paved the way. That of women and men who have written the political, social or cultural history of sport by taking a stand. Fists Raised: when sports collide with social activism!

Keith Haring was a revolutionary artist, who transformed the art world during his short but impactful life. Brought to life by Simon Doonan, Creative Director for Barneys New York, this new pocket-sized biography tells his inspirational story.

Revolutionary and renegade, Keith Haring was an artist for the people, creating an instantly recognisable repertoire of symbols - barking dogs, space-ships, crawling babies, clambering faceless people - which became synonymous with the volatile culture of 1980s. Like a careening, preening pinball, Keith Haring playfully slammed into all aspects of this decade - hip-hop, new-wave, graffiti, funk, art, style, gay culture - and brought them together.

Haring's fanatical drive propelled him into the orbit of the most interesting people of his time: Jean Michel Basquiat envied him; Warhol, William Boroughs and Grace Jones collaborated with him. Madonna and he shared the same tastes in men. Famous at 25, dead from AIDS at 31, Keith Haring is remembered as a Pied Piper, an unpretentious communicator who appeared happiest when mentoring a gang of kids, arming them with brushes and attacking the nearest wall.

A series of brief biographies of the great artists, Lives of the Artists takes as its inspiration Giorgio Vasari's five-hundred-year-old masterwork, updating it with modern takes on the lives of key artists past and present. Focusing on the life of the artist rather than examining their work, each book also includes key images illustrating the artist's life. Hardbound, but pocket-sized, the books each sport a specially-commissioned portrait of their subject on the half-jacket.