Collection: Biography & Memoir

A memoir by the woman who knew Bob Marley best--his wife, Rita.

Rita Marley grew up in the slums of Trench Town, Jamaica. Abandoned by her mother at a very young age, she was raised by her aunt. Music ran in Rita's family, and even as a child her talent for singing was pronounced. By the age of 18, Rita was an unwed mother, and it was then that she met Bob Marley at a recording studio in Trench Town. Bob and Rita became close friends, fell in love, and soon, she and her girlfriends were singing backup for the Wailers. At the ages of 21 and 19, Bob and Rita were married.

The rest is history: Bob Marley and the Wailers set Jamaica and the world on fire. But while Rita displayed blazing courage, joy, and an indisputable devotion to her husband, life with Bob was not easy. There were his liaisons with other women--some of which produced children and were conducted under Rita's roof. The press repeatedly reported that Bob was unmarried to preserve his "image." But Rita kept her self-respect, and when Bob succumbed to cancer in 1981, she was at his side. In the years that followed, she became a force in her own right -- as the Bob Marley Foundation's spokesperson and a performer in her reggae group, the I-Three.

Written with author Hettie Jones, No Woman No Cry is a no-holds-barred account of life with one of the most famous musicians of all time. In No Woman No Cry, readers will learn about the never-before-told details of Bob Marley's life, including:

• How Rita practiced subsistence farming when first married to Bob to have food for her family.
• How Rita rode her bicycle into town with copies of Bob's latest songs to sell.
• How Rita worked as a housekeeper in Delaware to help support her family when her children were young.
• Why Rita chose to befriend some of the women with whom Bob had affairs and to give them advice on rearing the children they had with Bob.
• The story of the attack on Bob which almost killed the two of them.
• Bob's last wishes, dreams, and hopes, as well as the details of his death, such as who came to the funeral (and who didn't).

Discover the "road map to changing your life by changing the lives of others" (Jillian Michaels, New York Times bestselling author) with the eye-opening and inspirational story of how one person--a film producer by trade and an optimist by nature--accidentally realized that no problem is unsolvable with a little bit of DIY. As an enthusiastic participant in the Maker Movement, Mick Ebeling has found countless ways to create new, simple, do-it-yourself technologies. But Ebeling has always dreamed big and soon realized that by ignoring that little voice of doubt in his head, his hobby could have the potential to actually help people surmount seemingly impossible odds. From crafting prosthetics for a young Sudanese boy who lost his hands in a bombing to a machine that allowed a paralyzed artist to draw again, Ebeling soon saw that nothing is actually impossible. Now, he shares his fascinating accomplishments including the creation of the Eyewriter--a device that tracks eye movements and translates them onto a screen, allowing them to be painted on a canvas or printed into a 3D sculpture. A true testament to the power of determination, Not Impossible is the launching pad for you to uncover your abilities to change the world, too. Bursting with optimism and new ideas, "this is the template for a new science of consciousness. Mick Ebeling sees impossible just as a word for something not yet done. Read his book. Think like him. Then do the impossible" (Deepak Chopra).

The book introduces the life and career of the late Andrew Wood, a key figure in the Seattle pre-grunge music scene, from his early band Malfunkshun to Mother Love Bone, up to the process that ultimately gave birth to Pearl Jam, via Temple Of The Dog.

First released in 2016 as the very first publication on Andy Wood worldwide, the book includes conversations with people in Wood's closest circle; among others, his mother, Toni Wood, his brother Kevin Wood, his longtime friend and bandmate Regan Hägar, former Mother Love Bone members Stone Gossard, Greg Gilmore and Bruce Fairweather, Seattle producer Jack Endino. and Mudhoney's Mark Arm and Steve Turner. Plus, the book includes previously unseen pictures and documents, which testify an unrepeatable time in music, and help understand Wood's multifaceted and unique personality.

Often referred to as "the pioneer of grunge", Wood was a true groundbreaking - and gender-fluid icon, whose legacy is still relevant. Now more than ever.

After immigrating from Jamaica to the United States, Prince Shakur's family is rocked by the murder of Prince's biological father in 1995. Behind the murder is a sordid family truth, scripted in the lines of a diary by an outlawed uncle hell-bent on avenging the murder of Prince's father. As Shakur begins to unravel his family's secrets, he must navigate the strenuous terrain of coming to terms with one's inner self while confronting the steeped complexities of the Afro-diaspora.

When They Tell You to Be Good charts Shakur's political coming of age from closeted queer kid in a Jamaican family to radicalized adult traveler, writer, and anarchist in Obama and Trump's America. Shakur journeys from France to the Philippines, South Korea, and elsewhere to discover the depths of the Black experience, and engages in deep political questions while participating in movements like Black Lives Matter and Standing Rock. By the end, Shakur reckons with his identity, his family's immigration, and the intergenerational impacts of patriarchal and colonial violence.

Examining a tangled web of race, trauma, and memory, When They Tell You to Be Good shines a light on what we all must ask of ourselves--to be more than what America envisions for the oppressed--as Shakur compels readers to take a closer, deeper look at the political world of young, Black, queer, and radical millennials today.

The story of Dutch boxer Leen Sanders who was spared to entertain the Nazi guards and helped others survive Auschwitz.

'He had the dream again last night... He taps the gloves of his unbeaten Polish opponent. There are rumours that the loser will be sent to the gas chamber.'

In 1943 Leen Sanders, Dutch champion boxer, was sent to Auschwitz. His wife and children were put to death while he was sent 'to the left' with the others fit enough for labor. Recognised by an SS officer, he was earmarked for a 'privileged' post in the kitchens in exchange for weekly boxing matches for the entertainment of the Nazi guards. From there, he enacted his resistance to their limitless cruelty.

With great risk and danger to his own life, Leen Sanders stole, concealed and smuggled food and clothing from SS nursing units for years to alleviate the unbearable suffering of the prisoners in need. He also regularly supplied extra food to the Dutch women in Dr. Mengele's experiment Block 10. To his fellow Jews in the camp, he acted as a rescuer, leader and role model, defending them even on their bitter death march to Dachau towards the end of the war.

A story of astonishing resilience and compassion, The Fighter of Auschwitz is a testament to the endurance of humanity in the face of extraordinary evil.

You may have read about Cesar Chavez's leadership in organizing the well-known Delano Grape Strike and Boycott of the 1960s. But did you know it began as a strike led by Larry Itliong? He was a Filipino labor organizer who had also been working with grape pickers in California at the time. With key biographical information and related historical events, this Capstone Captivate book will uncover Itliong's story and show how it connects to Chavez's story.

You probably know that the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case was an important part of ending segregation in schools. But it wasn't the only one. In 1947, Mendez v. Westminster helped end segregation in California's schools. With key biographical information and related historical events, this Capstone Captivate book will uncover Mendez's story and show how it connects to Brown v. Board of Education.

Help kids ages 6 to 9 discover the life of Abraham Lincoln―a story about honesty, leadership, and staying true to your values

Delve into the life of the 16th president of the United States―Abraham Lincoln―a man many say is the most important president in US history. Even before he ended slavery and reunited America, Abraham was a hard-working kid who believed in equality and freedom for everyone.

He soon discovered that by learning as much as he could, he would be able to help people and change the world for the better. Of all the Abraham Lincoln books for kids, this one best explores how he went from being a poor farm boy with a dream to one of the most powerful leaders in US history.

All Abraham Lincoln books for kids should include:

• Helpful definitions―Increase your knowledge with a glossary of easy-to-understand definitions for the more advanced words and ideas discussed.
• Lasting change―Learn about how Abraham made the world a better place for future generations.
• Visual timeline―Unlike many other Abraham Lincoln books for kids, this one includes a timeline so you can see how he grew into a great leader.

If you've been curious about Abraham Lincoln books for kids, look no further―this one has you covered.

This compelling story of a Vietnam Medal of Honor recipient and his family was widely praised when the original edition of the book was published in 1984. In this updated edition, Jim and Sybil Stockdale continue their story to let readers know what has happened in the eventful years since Jim's release from a Hanoi prison in 1973. Refusing to rest on past accomplishments or to be used as mere figureheads, they have remained as committed and outspoken as ever, their actions often headline news. Here they reveal the stories behind the news, including Jim's hasty departure as president of the Citadel, the filming of the movie adaptation of In Love and War, and politics as practiced in the navy and on the campus of a major university.

Join Annie on her daring, life-changing feat! As the threat of the poorhouse looms overhead, Annie Edson Taylor's big idea of barreling over Niagara Falls just might change her rotten luck. She works hard to make her big dream come true by designing a special barrel to take her safely over the Falls. Follow Annie's daring exploits and read about those who followed in her footsteps and took the plunge for themselves!

"Nina Sharma's thoughtful debut is equal parts memoir, criticism, and long-ranging conversation with a new friend. A love story for the ruminative reader that is generous with both scrutiny and romance." --Melissa Febos, author of Girlhood, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award

A hilarious and moving memoir in essays about love and allyship, told through one Asian and Black interracial relationship

When Nina Sharma meets Quincy while hitching a ride to a friend's Fourth of July barbecue, she spots a favorite book, Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior, in the back seat of his cramped car, and senses a sadness from him that's all too familiar to her. She is immediately intrigued--who is this man? In The Way You Make Me Feel, Sharma chronicles her and Quincy's love story, and in doing so, examines how their Black and Asian relationship becomes the lens through which she moves through and understands the world.

In a series of sensual and sparkling essays, Sharma reckons with caste, race, colorism, and mental health, moving from her seemingly idyllic suburban childhood through her and Quincy's early sweeping romance in the so-called postracial Obama years and onward to their marriage. Growing up, she hears her parents talk about the racism they experienced at the hands of white America--and as an adult, she confronts the complexities of American racism and the paradox of her family's disappointment when she starts dating a Black man. While watching The Walking Dead, Sharma dives into the eerie parallels between the brutal death of Steven Yeun's character and the murder of Vincent Chin. She examines the trailblazing Mira Nair film Mississippi Masala, revolutionary in its time for depicting a love story between an Indian woman and a Black man on screen, and considers why interracial relationships are so often assumed to include white people. And as she and Quincy decide whether to start a family, they imagine a universe in which Vice President Kamala Harris could possibly be their time-traveling daughter.

Written with a keen critical eye and seamlessly weaving in history, pop culture, and politics, The Way You Make Me Feel reaffirms the idea that allyship is an act of true love.

With imagination and power, the award-winning Pinkney duo celebrates MLK's nonviolent struggle for civil rights -- as he transforms America through the spirit of love.

A Washington Post Best Book of the YearA Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the YearA New York Public Library Best Book of the YearA School Library Journal Best Book of the Year* "Unique and remarkable." --Publishers Weekly, starred review* "Each poem trembles under the weight of the story it tells... Martin Rising packs an emotional wallop and, in perfect homage, soars when read aloud." --Booklist, starred reviewIn a rich embroidery of visions, musical cadence, and deep emotion, Andrea and Brian Pinkney convey the final months of Martin Luther King's life -- and of his assassination -- through metaphor, spirituality, and multilayers of meaning.Andrea's stunning poetic requiem, illustrated with Brian's lyrical and colorful artwork, brings a fresh perspective to Martin Luther King, the Gandhi-like, peace-loving activist whose dream of equality -- and whose courage to make it happen -- changed the course of American history. And even in his death, he continues to transform and inspire all of us who share his dream.Wonderful classroom plays of Martin Rising can be performed by using the "Now Is the Time" history and the 1968 timeline at the back of the book as narration -- and adding selected poems to tell the story!

Just married and returning to live in her new husband's native land, a young Austrian woman arrived with her Burmese husband by passenger ship in Rangoon in 1953. They were met at dockside by hundreds of well-wishers displaying colorful banners, playing music on homemade instruments, and carrying giant bouquets of flowers. She was puzzled by this unusual welcome until her embarrassed husband explained that he was something more than a recently graduated mining engineer - he was the Prince of Hsipaw, the ruler of an autonomous state in Burma's Shan mountains. And these people were his subjects!

She immersed herself in the Shan lifestyle, eagerly learning the language, the culture, and the history of the Shan hill people. The Princess of Hsipaw fell in love with this remote, exotic land and its warm and friendly people. She worked at her husband's side to bring change and modernization to their primitive country. Her efforts to improve the education and health care of the country, and her husband's commitment to improve the economic well-being of the people made them one of the most popular ruling couples in Southeast Asia. Then the violent military coup of 1962 shattered the idyllic existence of the previous ten years. Her life irrevocably changed. Inge Sargent tells a story of a life most of us can only dream about. She vividly describes the social, religious, and political events she experienced. She details the day-to-day living as a "reluctant ruler" and her role as her husband's equal - a role that perplexed the males in Hsipaw and created awe in the females. And then she describes the military events that threatened her life and that of her children.

Twilight over Burma is a story of a great happiness destroyed by evil, of one woman's determination and bravery against a ruthless military regime, and of the truth behind the overthrow of one of Burma's most popular local leaders.

Won't you help George Washington find his false teeth? And guide Barack Obama to his lost basketball? Perhaps you'd like to seek out Van Buren's bag of gold, discover Harding's teapot, and locate Taft's gavel? More than 30 mazes, search-and-find puzzles, and spot-the-differences activities feature playful illustrations and intriguing tidbits about all our nation's leaders, including Donald J. Trump, from their nicknames and birthdays to their hobbies and pets.

John Colter was a crack hunter with the Lewis and Clark expedition before striking out on his own as a mountain man and fur trader. A solitary journey in the winter of 1807-8 took him into present-day Wyoming. To unbelieving trappers he later reported sights that inspired the name of Colter's Hell. It was a sulfurous place of hidden fires, smoking pits, and shooting water. And it was real. John Colter is known to history as probably the first white man to discover the region that now includes Yellowstone National Park. In a classic book, first published in 1952, Burton Harris weighs the facts and legends about a man who was dogged by misfortune and "robbed of the just rewards he had earned."

This Bison Book edition includes a 1977 addendum by the author and a new introduction by David Lavender, who considers Colter's remarkable winter journey in the light of current scholarship.