Collection: Biography & Memoir

The Years of Lyndon Johnson is the political biography of our time. No president--no era of American politics--has been so intensively and sharply examined at a time when so many prime witnesses to hitherto untold or misinterpreted facets of a life, a career, and a period of history could still be persuaded to speak.

The Path to Power, Book One, reveals in extraordinary detail the genesis of the almost superhuman drive, energy, and urge to power that set LBJ apart. Chronicling the startling early emergence of Johnson's political genius, it follows him from his Texas boyhood through the years of the Depression in the Texas hill Country to the triumph of his congressional debut in New Deal Washington, to his heartbreaking defeat in his first race for the Senate, and his attainment, nonetheless, of the national power for which he hungered.

We see in him, from earliest childhood, a fierce, unquenchable necessity to be first, to win, to dominate--coupled with a limitless capacity for hard, unceasing labor in the service of his own ambition. Caro shows us the big, gangling, awkward young Lyndon--raised in one of the country's most desperately poor and isolated areas, his education mediocre at best, his pride stung by his father's slide into failure and financial ruin--lunging for success, moving inexorably toward that ultimate "impossible" goal that he sets for himself years before any friend or enemy suspects what it may be.

We watch him, while still at college, instinctively (and ruthlessly) creating the beginnings of the political machine that was to serve him for three decades. We see him employing his extraordinary ability to mesmerize and manipulate powerful older men, to mesmerize (and sometimes almost enslave) useful subordinates. We see him carrying out, before his thirtieth year, his first great political inspiration: tapping-and becoming the political conduit for-the money and influence of the new oil men and contractors who were to grow with him to immense power. We follow, close up, the radical fluctuations of his relationships with the formidable "Mr. Sam" Raybum (who loved him like a son and whom he betrayed) and with FDR himself. And we follow the dramas of his emotional life-the intensities and complications of his relationships with his family, his contemporaries, his girls; his wooing and winning of the shy Lady Bird; his secret love affair, over many years, with the mistress of one of his most ardent and generous supporters . . .

Johnson driving his people to the point of exhausted tears, equally merciless with himself . . . Johnson bullying, cajoling, lying, yet inspiring an amazing loyalty . . . Johnson maneuvering to dethrone the unassailable old Jack Garner (then Vice President of the United States) as the New Deal's "connection" in Texas, and seize the power himself . . . Johnson raging . . . Johnson hugging . . . Johnson bringing light and, indeed, life to the worn Hill Country farmers and their old-at-thirty wives via the district's first electric lines.

We see him at once unscrupulous, admirable, treacherous, devoted. And we see the country that bred him: the harshness and "nauseating loneliness" of the rural life; the tragic panorama of the Depression; the sudden glow of hope at the dawn of the Age of Roosevelt. And always, in the foreground, on the move, LBJ.

Here is Lyndon Johnson--his Texas, his Washington, his America--in a book that brings us as close as we have ever been to a true perception of political genius and the American political process.

Over 170 years after his death, Edgar Allan Poe remains a figure of enduring fascination and speculation for readers, scholars, and devotees of the weird and macabre. In Fallen Angel, acclaimed novelist and poet Robert Morgan offers a new biography of this gifted, complicated author.

Focusing on Poe's personal relationships, Morgan chronicles how several women influenced his life and art. Eliza Poe, his mother, died before he turned three, but she haunted him ever after. The loss of Elmira Royster Shelton, his first and last love, devastated him and inspired much of his poetry. Morgan shows that Poe, known for his gothic and supernatural writing, was also a poet of the natural world who helped invent the detective story, science fiction, analytical criticism, and symbolist aesthetics. Though he died at age forty, Poe left behind works of great originality and vision that Fallen Angel explores with depth and feeling.

Thoroughly updated based on the latest science, this empowering workbook gives you the skills to overcome obsessional thoughts and compulsive behaviors--and live a freer, happier life. Leading OCD specialist Dr. Jonathan Abramowitz presents a step-by-step program grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), the most effective treatment for the disorder. Vivid stories and numerous practical tools (which you can download and print for repeated use) help you:

*Understand how OCD affects your mind and body.
*Develop a customized plan for change.
*Find relief from distressing intrusive thoughts.
*Confront the situations you avoid--and discover a new sense of safety.
*Break free of compulsive rituals.
*Reduce anxiety and improve your relationships.

The second edition is revised throughout with cutting-edge strategies for coping with unwanted thoughts that can't be eliminated completely, plus new learning techniques drawn from brain research. Ready to get over OCD? Your journey starts here.

Learn your back springs from your bridges in this first gymnastics book for young fans and future Olympians.

Meet the stars of the gymnastic world in this sports book, from Simone Biles to Max Whitlock, and find out how they train and perfect routines to take to the floor and wow the judging panel.

With tons of photos and step-by-step illustrations, this book breaks down some of the complicated moves used in gymnastics routines, covering both simple and high-level gymnastics. Parallel bars, the pommel horse, and other key pieces of equipment are profiled alongside how they're used. The differences between rhythmic, acrobatic, and artistic gymnastics are explained with the help of exciting photos of expert gymnasts. Introducing world-champion individuals and international teams, this guide is great for kids that are obsessed with gymnastics.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - 20th Anniversary Edition, with a new foreword by the author - "[A] masterpiece . . . an astonishing book that will leave you questioning your own life and political views."--USA Today

"If any one person can be given credit for transforming the medical establishment's thinking about health care for the destitute, it is Paul Farmer. . . . [Mountains Beyond Mountains] inspires, discomforts, and provokes."--The New York Times (Best Books of the Year)

In medical school, Paul Farmer found his life's calling: to cure infectious diseases and to bring the lifesaving tools of modern medicine to those who need them most. Tracy Kidder's magnificent account shows how one person can make a difference in solving global health problems through a clear-eyed understanding of the interaction of politics, wealth, social systems, and disease. Profound and powerful, Mountains Beyond Mountains takes us from Harvard to Haiti, Peru, Cuba, and Russia as Farmer changes people's minds through his dedication to the philosophy that "the only real nation is humanity."

WINNER OF THE LETTRE ULYSSES AWARD FOR THE ART OF REPORTAGE

Blood In My Eye was completed only days before it's author was killed. George Jackson died on August 21, 1971 at the hands of San Quentin prison guards during an alleged escape attempt. At eighteen, George Jackson was convicted of stealing seventy dollars from a gas station and was sentenced from one year to life. He was to spent the rest of his life -- eleven years-- in the California prison system, seven in solidary confinement. In prison he read widely and transformed himself into an activist and political theoretician who defined himself as a revolutionary.

A riveting and unapologetic account of Palestinian resistance, the story of one family's care for their land, and a reflection on love and heartache while living under military occupation.

In 1967, Sireen Sawalha's mother, with her young children, walked back to Palestine against the traffic of exile. My Brother, My Land is the story of Sireen's family in the decades that followed and their lives in the Palestinian village of Kufr Ra'i. From Sireen's early life growing up in the shadow of the '67 War and her family's work as farmers caring for their land, to the involvement of her brother Iyad in armed resistance in the First and Second Intifada, Sami Hermez, with Sireen Sawalha, crafts a rich story of intertwining voices, mixing genres of oral history, memoir, and creative nonfiction.

Through the lives of the Sawalha family, and the story of Iyad's involvement in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hermez confronts readers with the politics and complexities of armed resistance and the ethical tensions and contradictions that arise, as well as with the dispossession and suffocation of people living under occupation and their ordinary lives in such times. Whether this story leaves readers discomforted, angry, or empowered, they will certainly emerge with a deeper understanding of the Palestinian predicament.

This book is a real-talk guide to navigating college and life. With easy-to-read and funny chapters like Ditch People that Drain You and Don't Go Home Every Weekend, this book is a must-have for any high school graduate or college freshman. It includes practical advice on everything from budgeting to befriending your advisor, told through relatable anecdotes and quotes from recent college graduates and faculty. Life lessons delivered in short and sharp chapters, this book is inspiring and empowering.
Divided into three useful sections: how to live on your own, tips for maximizing on-campus resources and relationships, and how to set yourself up for the future, it's like a pep talk from your funny friend. This book gives explicit permission to "go get your life."
Insight on relationships, professor pointers, overcoming fear, asking for help, managing your time, and job hunting - this book is full of tangible advice for living a fulfilled life. Written by a former high-school teacher, Have Fun, Be Safe, I Love You is relatable and thoughtful. It's everything you wanted to tell your younger self: Don't compare yourself to anyone, prioritize your wellbeing, try new things, and learn how to manage your time.

"Unlike other college guides, this book is easy and fun to read (for any age). A perfect mix of practical and inspirational." Maria Mateos

"What Kate captures best in this collection of lessons is an important message: college is not about getting a job after you graduate; instead, it's a place to learn about yourself, and how to navigate the relationships and potential distractions that will undoubtedly impact your college experience. The advice is witty, practical, and most notably, endearing." Associate Professor Matthew McConn, Binghamton University

"It's a perfect handbook for the tumultuous bridge between youth and adulthood. Kate Hickey takes the role of that wise and witty guide you most want by your side." Jodie Rogers, Bestselling Author and Mental Health Expert

Come behind the scenes of Georgia O'Keeffe's famous flower paintings to her sustainable homestead in New Mexico, where art was everything and everything was art.

Most of us have heard the name Georgia O'Keeffe-- she's one of the most famous women in art history. But did you know that for most of her life, she lived on her own land in New Mexico, grew her own food, bought locally, and even made her own clothing?

Georgia's garden and her art fed and enriched one another, just as her bean plants enriched the soil and her home-grown feasts fed her friends. In spite of the era's prejudice against female artists, Georgia lived and thrived in her verdant sanctuary well into old age.

Soothing and inspiring, Gifts from Georgia's Garden illuminates the life and philosophy of a figure every child should know. Backmatter adds context to O'Keeffe's story and invites families to try out her sustainable gardening techniques-- and her pecan butterball cookies.

Gifts for Georgia's Garden is the latest in Lisa Robinson's collection of thoughtful, artfully-told picture book biographies on figures who broke the mold and made history because of it. Hadley Hooper, a painter in her own right and the illustrator of books about Matisse (The Iridescence of Birds) and Giacometti (Two Brothers, Four Hands), perfectly evokes Georgia O'Keeffe's style with pictures that burst with color and life.

Through the dual lenses of the child who lived it and the therapist healing from it, this intimate memoir traces the devastating impact of intergenerational trauma, ultimately showing us how to transcend our own lineages and transform our lives.

Suzanne spent most of her life hating her narcissistic mother and trying not to. Now a Harvard-trained psychologist, she grew up desperate to be seen, taken seriously, and chosen over her mother's next drink. Every day felt like a battle for her existence, and she always lost. Each loss was a paper cut, painful and invisible. The cuts evolved into a festering wound that engulfed her and shaped who she became.

Trying to be worthy, lost behind her perfect, people-pleasing smile, Suzanne hid sexual abuse, bullying, a violent boyfriend, and most of herself. And then she made a decision that changed everything. Slowly, she learned how to create a life centered on her, not on her shame or pain of being her mother's child.

After her mom died, Suzanne was able to see how their shared lineage of pain had robbed her of the mom she needed and nearly robbed her of herself. She discovered the brute-and brutal-power of the wounds her mother passed down, and she finally understood why she had never been enough.

Suzanne's story bears witness to any child who was disregarded and lights the path to healing. The psychological wisdom she weaves throughout her story shows us how our parents hurt us, how that hurt shapes us, and how we can reshape ourselves. Her experience-based description of the mother wound validates not only her pain, but ours. This is so much more than a memoir - it's a guidebook to becoming an active creator in your life, living with less pain and much, much more fulfillment.

I Hate You (A Love Letter to My Mother) is a love letter to all of us. It was written for anyone on their own journey of understanding and changing their relationships with their parents and themselves.

Mary Jumbelic has been obsessed with death since the loss of her father when she was 13. The sudden departure of her dad, the mother left behind, and her position as an only child led her to grow up quickly. Yet the why and how of her father's death plagued her. She chose to view an autopsy at the age of 15 and discovered a science that explained the process. Becoming a forensic pathologist wasn't a given. She struggled before deciding on a career as a medical examiner.

For 25 years, she analyzed corpses and explained to families what had happened to their loved ones, something that hadn't been done for her. She faced blood, gore, violence, and grief in urban and country morgues and internationally in mass disasters. This daily confrontation challenged her to re-live her own loss. She became an advocate in recognizing preventable injuries to help reduce fatalities. Dr. Jumbelic developed a way to honor the person's life by speaking for them in courts, classrooms, and interviews. How did she finally integrate death into her own life so filled with hope? This is her journey.

"By telling the little-known stories of six pioneering African American entrepreneurs, Black Fortunes makes a worthy contribution to black history, to business history, and to American history."--Margot Lee Shetterly, New York Times Bestselling author of Hidden Figures

Between the years of 1830 and 1927, as the last generation of blacks born into slavery was reaching maturity, a small group of industrious, tenacious, and daring men and women broke new ground to attain the highest levels of financial success.

Mary Ellen Pleasant, used her Gold Rush wealth to further the cause of abolitionist John Brown. Robert Reed Church, became the largest landowner in Tennessee. Hannah Elias, the mistress of a New York City millionaire, used the land her lover gave her to build an empire in Harlem. Orphan and self-taught chemist Annie Turnbo-Malone, developed the first national brand of hair care products. Mississippi school teacher O. W. Gurley, developed a piece of Tulsa, Oklahoma, into a "town" for wealthy black professionals and craftsmen that would become known as "the Black Wall Street." Although Madam C. J Walker was given the title of America's first female black millionaire, she was not. She was the first, however, to flaunt and openly claim her wealth--a dangerous and revolutionary act.

Nearly all the unforgettable personalities in this amazing collection were often attacked, demonized, or swindled out of their wealth. Black Fortunes illuminates as never before the birth of the black business titan.

A Marine with a budding career as an F/A-18 fighter pilot, David Trombly received the shocking news that he had a rare terminal cancer, a Primary Lymphoma of Bone, from which there had never been a military survivor. With this knowledge, he and his wife, Megan, embarked upon the difficult research of alternative treatments. This propelled them into not only a battle for David's life but also his military career.

Journey with them through ambushes, EMCON, and reconnaissance missions all the way to Washington D.C.'s highest military medical court in the exciting, true story of courage and peace as told in the pages of Grounded and Cured.

THE EXPLOSIVE NEW YORK TIMES AND NATIONAL BESTSELLER

Push beyond your physical limits to improve yourself by following bowhunter and ultramarathoner Cameron Hanes's lifelong philosophies and disciplines.

"It's all mental."
I say this all the time, and it's true.
If you believe you can do it, you can.
We all have virtually limitless potential.
Our bodies are capable of so much more than what we ask of them.
Take off the mental handcuffs, get out there, and start on your way today.
What is your passion? You can become better at it.
Committing yourself to fitness only fuels your beliefs.
You gotta believe to achieve.

Cameron Hanes discovered his true passion for bowhunting when he was twenty. Inspired by the physical challenges of stalking elk in the Oregon wilderness--traversing mountainous terrain, braving erratic weather, and evading his quarry's even more dangerous predators--he began an ever-evolving journey of self-improvement. To become the best bowhunter of wild elk, to the caliber he believed he could be, Cam realized he would need more than archery skills. He would need the stamina and strength that could only come from an athletic training regimen of long-distance running and heavy-weight lifting. And every day for more than thirty years, Cam has put in the work, building miles and muscles, pushing through pain with a single-minded focus on the only goal worth having--besting himself time and again.

Part memoir, part motivational manifesto, Endure reveals how Cam--a self-professed average guy--put himself through the paces to live the life of an expert bowhunter, respected writer, and family man. With discipline, sacrifice, resilience, a hard work ethic, and a belief in his own capabilities, Cam not only accomplished his dreams but continues to surpass them. There is no secret to his success except relentless determination and loyal dedication to his own self-worth.

If Cam can do it, we all can. Everyone has what it takes to endure adversity so we can rise above average, be the best we can be, and enjoy living life to the fullest.

A hilariously-honest, heartwarming essay collection about life, love, and discovering you have ADHD at age 35

Despite being a published writer with a family, a gaggle of internet fans, and (most shockingly) a mortgage, Emily Farris could never get her sh*t together. As she saw it, disorganization was one of her countless character flaws--that is until she was diagnosed with ADHD at age 35. Like many girls who go undiagnosed, Emily grew up internalizing criticisms about her impulsivity and lack of follow-through. She held onto that shame as she tried (and often failed) to fit into a world designed for neurotypical brains.

I'll Just Be Five More Minutes is a personal essay collection of laugh-out-loud-funny, tear-jerking, and at times cringey true stories of Emily's experiences as a neurodivergent woman. With the newfound knowledge of her ADHD, Emily candidly reexamines her complicated relationships (including one with a celebrity stalker), her money problems, the years she spent unknowingly self-medicating, and her hyperfixations (two words: decorative baskets).

A memoir-in-essays both entertaining and enlightening, I'll Just Be Five More Minutes is for people with ADHD, as well as those who know and love them. This is a powerful collection of deeply relatable, wide-ranging stories about a woman's right to control her own body, about overwhelm and oversharing, about drinking too much and sleeping too little, and about being misunderstood by the people closest to you. At its heart, I'll Just Be Five More Minutes is about not quite fitting in and not really understanding why--something we've all felt whether we're neurodivergent or not.