Collection: Biography & Memoir

Winner of three Oscars and the highest-grossing film of its time, Jaws was a phenomenon, and this is the only book on how twenty-six-year-old Steven Spielberg transformed Peter Benchley's number-one bestselling novel into the classic film it became.

Hired by Spielberg as a screenwriter to work with him on the set while the movie was being made, Carl Gottlieb, an actor and writer, was there throughout the production that starred Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss. After filming was over, with Spielberg's cooperation, Gottlieb chronicled the extraordinary yearlong adventure in The Jaws Log, which was first published in 1975 and has sold more than two million copies. This expanded edition includes a photo section, an introduction by Benchley, and an afterword by Gottlieb that gives updates about the people and events involved in the film, ultimately providing a singular portrait of a famous movie and inspired moviemaking.

What Dying Taught Me About Living

I was dead for 20 minutes...this is what I saw.

-Scott Drummond

Check out my video on YouTube by scanning the QR code below. It has been named,

"Most Watched Near Death Experience of All Time," with over 21 million views.

The glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. (Exodus 16:10)

It was like the twinkling of an eye. Suddenly, I was standing in an open field of waist-high grass. It was unique in that the field didn't behave like a normal field of grass. It didn't blow with the wind. In fact, there was no wind to blow the grass, not even a breeze. Instead, it was as if each separate blade was its own entity with its own personality or soul that chose to flow toward me. I remember reaching my arms out to my sides, running my hands along the tops of the grass, and feeling something so special. It was like each gold-tipped blade was...full of love. I could feel the love coming from the grass.

While standing in the field, the guide who had taken me there admonished me to never look back. It was okay to look to the left and to the right, but I couldn't look back. The view in front of me was panoramic. I could see far to the left and far to the right, but the things in front of me were close as if I was standing inside a panoramic photograph.

On my far left were trees-giant pillars with huge trunks that seemed to lead me toward what was in front of me. There were no branches going up the trunk, but I could see lots of leaves at the top, beautiful leaves. They were in brilliant greens, reds, and yellows. Each leaf had a sort of iridescent gold underside. And the trunk wasn't the sort of dirty brown we see here either. It was a beautiful brown color edged in gold.

Between me and the forest were tall wildflowers. Normally, to see each bloom of a rose bush, you'd need to walk around it, but in this case, each colorful flower-and its leaves-faced toward me. The flowers came up to about my waist, and their faces followed me as I progressed through the field. I have never experienced love come from flowers, plants, or trees. But I felt like all of it was alive! Alive with love. And it gave me so much peace. It was like each individual living thing imparted energy charged with unconditional love, support, and encouragement.

Directly in front of me were clouds against a vibrant blue sky. When I saw bioluminescence for the first time, I felt it was the closest thing to what I saw. Then leading me up to the clouds was a sort of mist or fog, just like stairs leading to the stoop of a house. None of the clouds moved, as there wasn't any wind. Directly in front of me was a huge, beautiful cloud that was unique to the rest. Rays from behind the cloud shot toward me, just like the grass and flowers. The cloud itself was a pearly iridescent color that I can only describe as...pure and extremely bright.

In this place, there was no fear, no judgment, and no pain. Only love. Pure, unconditional love. My life before this was fraught with selfishness, greed, and a relentless drive for success in business.

What I learned most from my experience is to not look back. Don't look back at what you've done in your life. Take a good look at your life as it is today, right now. And start looking toward the future. We can change if we want to. If you want to make a difference, just be kind to somebody, be kind to a friend, a fellow worker, or a neighbor. Discover the reaction you get by being kind to them. Most people are very defensive, but there's something about love that calms people down. This life isn't about how much we make. It isn't about prestige or power.

It's about the One. It's about each life we can affect with love.

Thoroughly researched and eloquently told by author and Spirit family descendant James Barnes, this resonant, non-fiction history showcases the amazing resiliency of a people who refuse to let suffering keep them from maintaining joy, love, and cultural identity. Follow the Spirit family from 1826-1910, through one of the darkest periods of cultural persecution in our nation's history, as they fight, grieve, and advocate for the Cherokee Nation's sovereignty in the face of steep opposition from the United States government.
A multi-generational account of perseverance and hope, Barnes skillfully weaves his family's and Nation's history together to bring both alive. Providing both a broad historical canvas for understanding Cherokee history and an intimate view of family lives during the critical periods of removal, the Civil War, and Allotment, this book will resonate deeply with audiences of all backgrounds.

"[Derick's] story takes us into a world where his lack of AT knowledge, his unique perspective, his appearance, and his sense of humor open the minds and hearts of those he encounters along the way. Change has come, and the AT will never be the same again."--Jennifer Pharr Davis, author, speaker, AT fastest-known-time setter, and 2011 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year "A candid and clear-eyed account of a contemporary thru-hike, with engaging humility."--David Miller, author of AWOL on the Appalachian Trail and The A.T. Guide Derick Lugo had never been hiking. He certainly couldn't imagine going more than a day without manicuring his goatee. But with a job cut short and no immediate plans, this fixture of the New York comedy scene began to think about what he might do with months of free time. He had heard of the Appalachian Trail, but he had never seriously considered attempting to hike all 2,192 miles of it. Suddenly he found himself asking, Could he do it? The Unlikely Thru-Hiker is the story of a young black man setting off from the city with an extremely overweight pack and a willfully can-do attitude. What follows are lessons on preparation, humility, race relations, and nature's wild unpredictability. Through it all, Lugo refuses to let any challenge squash his inner Pollyanna, persevering with humor, tenacity, and an unshakeable commitment to grooming that sees him from Georgia to Maine.

A treasure trove of Bunny Mellon's garden design philosophy and advice from her personal archive.

Garden Secrets of Bunny Mellon is for anyone who has enjoyed time spent in a garden, from aspiring garden makers to those who manage large estates. This collection is comprised of extracts from Bunny's own writings and garden notes, as well as photographs and drawings from her archive.

Chapters are organized by Atmosphere (sky, horizon, shadows), Climate, Light, Space, Shape, Maintenance, and more?readers will feel as if Bunny Mellon has come alongside as a gardening guide and friend.

Bunny Mellon was of the affluent class and mingled along with her husband, Paul Mellon, in the circles of the East Coast gentry of the Kennedy and Reagan eras. But Mrs. Mellon, as she was respectfully called by those professional gardeners who worked with her most, wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty in the rich soil of her family's Virginia farm. Beyond this, Bunny Mellon was known nationally and internationally as a style icon of her time, enjoying friendships with Givenchy, the Kennedys, and the like. Her personal passion was for design, and that was exhibited in her fashion and her garden.

A trusted author, Linda Holden learned that Bunny wanted to write a gardening book but never found the time. Searching the family's archive after Mrs. Mellon's death, the editors?whom all shared personal relationships with Bunny?discovered a trove of photographs, illustrations, and writings and have now turned it into the how-to gardening book Bunny had hoped to write.

The singer, guitarist, and songwriter--best known for his work with Wilco--opens up about his past, his songs, the music, and the people who have inspired him in this personal memoir. This ideal addition to your Wilco collection also makes a perfect gift for music lovers.

*A New York Times Bestseller*
*A Rolling Stone Best Music Books of 2018 selection*
*A Pitchfork Pick: Best Music Books of 2018*

Few bands have encouraged as much devotion as the Chicago rock band Wilco, and it's thanks, in large part, to the band's singer, songwriter, and guiding light: Jeff Tweedy. But while his songs and music have been endlessly discussed and analyzed, Jeff has rarely talked so directly about himself, his life, or his artistic process.

Until now. In his long-awaited memoir, Jeff will tell stories about his childhood in Belleville, Illinois; the St. Louis record store, rock clubs, and live-music circuit that sparked his songwriting and performing career; and the Chicago scene that brought it all together. He also talks in-depth about his collaborators in Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, and more; and writes lovingly about his parents; wife, Susie; and sons, Spencer and Sammy.

Honest, funny, and disarming, Tweedy's memoir will bring readers inside both his life and his musical process, illuminating his singular genius and sharing his story, voice, and perspective for the first time.

What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?

...And what if that's the point?

In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling au­thor Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls "a religious but not-so-spiritual life." Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people--a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.

As she lives and worships alongside these "ac­cidental saints," Nadia is swept into first-hand en­counters with grace--a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are trans­formed in ways they couldn't have been on their own.

In a time when many have rightly become dis­illusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints dem­onstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.

Told in Nadia's trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today's most important religious voices.

With a new introduction, acclaimed director and screenwriter Paul Schrader revisits and updates his contemplation of slow cinema over the past fifty years. Unlike the style of psychological realism, which dominates film, the transcendental style expresses a spiritual state by means of austere camerawork, acting devoid of self-consciousness, and editing that avoids editorial comment. This seminal text analyzes the film style of three great directors--Yasujiro Ozu, Robert Bresson, and Carl Dreyer--and posits a common dramatic language used by these artists from divergent cultures. The new edition updates Schrader's theoretical framework and extends his theory to the works of Andrei Tarkovsky (Russia), Béla Tarr (Hungary), Theo Angelopoulos (Greece), and Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey), among others. This key work by one of our most searching directors and writers is widely cited and used in film and art classes. With evocative prose and nimble associations, Schrader consistently urges readers and viewers alike to keep exploring the world of the art film.

The only picture book biography about unsung hero Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first Asian American woman elected to Congress.

From a young age, Patsy Takemoto Mink learned that striving for goals came with challenges. But she also learned to never give up. As the Japanese proverb says: fall down seven times, stand up eight.

That spirit helped Patsy through school. She wanted to become a doctor, but at the time, medical schools didn't admit women. So Patsy carved her own path. She went to law school, ran for a seat in the United States Congress, and helped create Title IX, the law that requires federally funded schools to treat boys and girls equally. Although many people tried to knock her down, Patsy--a historic trailblazer who spent her life fighting for fairness--always got up again!

From award-winning author Jen Bryant and illustrator Toshiki Nakamura comes an inspiring picture book biography that brings Patsy Takemoto Mink's incredible legacy to life.

Betsy Prioleau's biography of Gilded Age female tycoon Miriam Leslie is "an appropriately twisty tale of someone trying to outrun her origins. . . . Her story sparkles, as intoxicating as a champagne fountain that somebody else is paying for" (New York Times Book Review).

Among the fabled tycoons of the Gilded Age--Carnegie, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt--is a forgotten figure: Mrs. Frank Leslie. For 20 years she ran the country's largest publishing company, Frank Leslie Publishing, which chronicled postbellum America in dozens of weeklies and monthlies. A pioneer in an all-male industry, she made a fortune and became a national celebrity and tastemaker in the process. But Miriam Leslie was also a byword for scandal: she flouted feminine convention, took lovers, married four times, and harbored unsavory secrets that she concealed through a skein of lies and multiple personas. Both during and after her lifetime, glimpses of the truth emerged, including an illegitimate birth and a checkered youth.

Diamonds and Deadlines reveals the previously unknown, sensational life of the brilliant and brazen "empress of journalism," who dropped a bombshell at her death: she left her entire multimillion-dollar estate to women's suffrage--a never-equaled amount that guaranteed passage of the Nineteenth Amendment. In this dazzling biography, cultural historian Betsy Prioleau draws from diaries, genealogies, and published works to provide an intimate look at the life of one of the Gilded Age's most complex, powerful women and unexpected feminist icons.

Ultimately, Diamonds and Deadlines restores Mrs. Frank Leslie to her rightful place in history as a monumental businesswoman who presaged the feminist future and reflected, in bold relief, the Gilded Age, one of the most momentous, seismic, and vivid epochs in American history.

Includes Black-and-White Images

After fifteen years as an award-winning educator, Ryan Stein knows this: when you make the school experience about fostering genuine human connection, students don't just succeed--they thrive. In this part-guidebook, part-memoir, Ryan shares the best ideas and stories from his groundbreaking educational philosophy with anyone seeking to make a positive difference in a student's life. Lifeline 65 is as joyful as it is useful, packed full of wit, humor, and heart. Try even one strategy and you'll find your students more engaged, confident, and eager to excel, from elementary school to college and beyond.

All you have to do is begin.

The definitive reference for all Wes Anderson fans.

Loaded with rich imagery and detailed analysis of his incredible films - including the classics The Grand Budapest Hotel, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums and Moonrise Kingdom as well as Anderson's highly anticipated new releaseThe French Dispatch - this is the first book to feature all of Wes Anderson's movies in a single volume.

Acclaimed film journalist Ian Nathan provides an intelligent and thoughtful examination of the work of one of contemporary film's greatest visionaries, charting the themes, visuals, and narratives that have come to define Anderson's work and contributed to his films an idiosyncratic character that's adored by his loyal fans. From Anderson's regular cast members - including Bill Murray and Owen Wilson - to his instantly recognisable aesthetic, recurring motifs and his scriptwriting processes, this in-depth collection will reveal how Wes Anderson became one of modern cinema's most esteemed and influential directors.

Presented in a slipcase with 8-page gatefold section, this stunning package will delight all Wes Anderson devotees and movie lovers in general.

Unauthorised and Unofficial.

From Bart Starr to Tom Brady, read about some of football's greatest superstars. Quarterback is the most important position in sports, and these players mastered it. Explore the top 10, then make your own list.

In the 1950s, a series of dams was proposed along the Brazos River in north-central Texas. For John Graves, this project meant that if the stream's regimen was thus changed, the beautiful and sometimes brutal surrounding countryside would also change, as would the lives of the people whose rugged ancestors had eked out an existence there. Graves therefore decided to visit that stretch of the river, which he had known intimately as a youth.

Goodbye to a River is his account of that farewell canoe voyage. As he braves rapids and fatigue and the fickle autumn weather, he muses upon old blood feuds of the region and violent skirmishes with native tribes, and retells wild stories of courage and cowardice and deceit that shaped both the river's people and the land during frontier times and later. Nearly half a century after its initial publication, Goodbye to a River is a true American classic, a vivid narrative about an exciting journey and a powerful tribute to a vanishing way of life and its ever-changing natural environment.

Calling all St. Louis Cardinals fans!

The Ultimate St. Louis Cardinals Trivia Book is a staple for anyone who loves baseball, sports trivia, and the Redbirds.

You will be tested on your knowledge of mind-blowing facts from the early days of the franchise when Stan Musial owned The Gateway to the West, as well as the current era of Cards baseball led by the likes of Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright. Within these pages, you will find answers to over 350 trivia questions as well as hundreds of interesting facts, including:

• Cardinals legend Stan Musial was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by which former United States President?
• Before the start of games, Ozzie Smith would do a __________ on his way out to the shortstop position.
• Tony La Russa is the St. Louis Cardinals' all-time winningest manager with a record of 1,408-1,182 (.544 W-L%).
• Which reality TV show did former Cardinal Jim Edmonds star on with his ex-wife Meghan?
• Bravo TV host Andy Cohen named his dog after which Cardinals pitcher?

Whether you're a lifelong Cards fan or are simply looking to hit one out of the park on MLB Trivia Night at your local bar, The Ultimate St. Louis Cardinals Trivia Book is a grand slam.