Collection: Biography & Memoir

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Good House comes a collection of humorous essays about a lifelong people pleaser (and wife, mother, writer, and dog lover) who learns--at a certain age--the joy of not always having to be nice. Perfect for fans of I Feel Bad About My Neck.

Until a few years ago, Ann Leary had been a bumbling, anxious people pleaser. Her attempts to ingratiate herself with complete strangers sometimes backfired hilariously, causing her husband to repeatedly implore her to "leave the people alone."

It wasn't that Ann needed everybody to like her. She needed them to love her. But one day, after waking up with ice in her veins, she overcame her fear of confrontation by telling a neighbor--who'd repeatedly tested her patience--"Look, I've tried being nice." The impact of those simple words was gratifying and life-altering.

In these smart, honest, and humorous essays, Leary chronicles her experiences trying to get along with other humans as a child, a young adult, a wife, a mother, and a writer. She discusses everything from bats, online personality quizzes, substance abuse, parenthood, her mother's mysterious past, and so much more.

Courageous, wickedly funny, and surprisingly moving, the essays in I've Tried Being Nice draw on the riotous--and relatable--particulars of Ann Leary's life. It's a scrumptious and irresistible treat.

For readers of H Is for Hawk and Wild, a lyrical memoir and passionate ode to the art of fly fishing and how it can shape a life--by renowned female angler and conservationist Marina Gibson.

As her twenty-first birthday approached, Marina Gibson received a unique gift suggestion from her parents, who offered her a choice between fishing rods or jewelry. In an unconventional decision, she opted for fishing rods. Her intention was to rekindle a childhood passion and carry on a family tradition initiated by her mother, who had dedicated years to pursuing salmon in the rivers of the Scottish Highlands.

As fishing overtook Marina's life and evolved into a full-time career, she became enraptured by the silent mysteries of the river and the quiet magic of angling. The complexity of fly fishing and the rituals of casting provided her refuge from a failing marriage, giving her a reliable source of comfort that benefited both her mind and soul. It also revealed the barriers that exist for women trying to make it in a tradition-bound and male-dominated world.

Tracing the epic, migratory journey of the Atlantic salmon alongside the ups and downs of her personal story, Cast, Catch, Release brings to life the joys of fishing, the spirited quest of the angler, and how these two paths meet on lakes and riverbanks around the world. A love letter to this exhilarating yet serene sport, Gibson shows what it means to find peace and purpose amidst the majesty of the great outdoors.

Starting in the 1930s, the Black caddies of Augusta National walked the course with the world's greatest golfers. This book tells their stories, forever entwined with the history of the game.

They used nicknames like Stovepipe, Burnt Biscuits, Skillet, Skinny, and Marble Eye. They worked for presidents of the United States, captains of industry, and the greatest golfers in the world. Their real names were Carl Jackson, Willie Perteet, and Matthew Palmer--and they witnessed every great moment, both private and public, at Augusta National beginning in the1930s--from Gene Sarazen's "shot heard 'round the world" to Jack Nicklaus winning a record five of his six Masters. Read why Nicklaus said he wouldn't trade caddie Willie "Pete" Peterson "for a million dollars" and what Willie "Cemetery" Perteet really thought of President Eisenhower's golf game. The Black caddies of Augusta National also endured, in their own ways, the racist social order of the sport and at the same time participated, albeit vicariously, in its many thrills. Ward Clayton documents their stories--history as compelling as the game of golf itself.

In this collection of essays, Raymond Luczak once again offers readers powerful and deeply personal reflections on his experiences as a Deaf gay man. He begins his journey with the printed word where lipreading is not required, and discovers a family of sorts through the writings of Walt Whitman and others; he ventures deeper into the queer community with thoughts on ageism, disability, and radical faeries. Luczak explores the many nuances within the Deaf community and the audist attitudes of hearing people, particularly in the media, and takes a detour into ASL gloss poetry. He speculates on what the Deaf community will look like a century from now and ends with a long bike ride that celebrates the ongoing questions of being a Deaf gay man.

A chronicle of the divergent journeys of a Vietnamese father, who fled his home country in desperation, and his American-born daughter, who ventured to Vietnam as an adult, capturing the stark contrast between their perspectives as they strive to heal the long-term wounds of war refugees.

In this captivating, heartfelt dual memoir, Christina Vo and her father, Nghia M. Vo, delve into themes of their identity, heritage, and the tragic multi-generational ordeals of war, with intertwined stories that present a multifaceted portrayal of Vietnam and its profound influence on shaping both familial bonds and individual identities across time.

Nghia M. Vo left Vietnam in April 1975 with only the clothes on his back, following the US withdrawal of troops and the fall of Saigon. After a harrowing two month journey, he found himself in a refugee camp outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where he began the painful process of reconnecting with his family and rebuilding his life as a medical doctor. Christina Vo, Nghia's daughter, grew up in the US. As a restless young adult, she felt a longing to connect with her heritage and soon moved to Hanoi in the former North Vietnam--much to her father's distress--to discover a country that had changed dramatically since the war, yet retained many of the ancient traits experienced by her ancestors.

Captivating in its fluid movement and evocative depictions of place, My Vietnam, Your Vietnam offers readers a rich, multilayered exploration of Vietnam through two very distinct voices and perspectives. The memoir's exploration of healing the trauma suffered by war refugees and their families echoes far beyond the personal experience of the two authors, providing a path to discussion of reconciliation and hope.

A wry, instructive, and hugely entertaining account of "one of the most sensational trials in American history" (New York Times Book Review).

On the night of July 3, 1870, Elizabeth Tilton confessed to her husband that she'd had an affair with their pastor, Henry Ward Beecher. This secret would soon transfix America, for Beecher was the most famous preacher of the day, founder of the most fashionable church in Brooklyn Heights, a presidential hopeful, an influential supporter of Abolition, and a leader of the campaign for women's suffrage. When Beecher tried to silence the Tiltons, it was a whisper network of suffragists, notably Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who spread news of the affair, and it was the radical Victoria Woodhull--an outspoken proponent of "free love"--who seized on it, as political dynamite, to blow up the myth of monogamy among the political elite. Her public accusations led to even more public trials, which shocked the country and divided the most progressive thinkers of the era.

In 1953, the journalist Robert Shaplen revisited the Tilton-Beecher affair in a series of articles for the New Yorker, relying on 3,000 pages of contemporary accounts--court transcripts, love-letters, newspaper reports and illustrations, even political cartoons--to reanimate a scandal that shook the American reform movement and to expose a strand of America's cultural DNA that remains recognizable today.

Real-world life lessons about acknowledging and celebrating all the things that make you unique, from TikTok sensation, model and LGBTQI+ advocate, AJ Clementine.

AJ Clementine always knew she was a girl. The problem was, she'd been born in a magical shell that looked, on the outside, like a perfect little boy. In her teens, this conflict between her outer and inner selves exploded, igniting years of anxiety and panic attacks. Now fast becoming one of the world's most visible transgender spokespeople, AJ's journey to accept and live as her true self has captivated hundreds of thousands of people on TikTok, Youtube and Instagram, where she has shared her gender transition, what it was like to grow up Wasian in a blended family, and her transformation into a model, influencer and trans advocate.

In Girl, Transcending, AJ weaves her experiences, advice, reflections and snippets of inspiration into a powerful tool to help us understand and celebrate what makes each of us unique, not only those in the LGBTQI+ community but anyone finding their way in the world. Honest, positive and empowering, AJ shines a light on her path to self-love and acceptance - the hardest bits, the parts we rarely see - in the hopes of a brighter, more inclusive future for all.

An expansive and illuminating account of the development of electronic music, told with passionate enthusiasm by Matthew Collin, the critically-acclaimed author of Altered State and Rave On.

Dream Machines tracks the music's evolution from early avant-garde experiments after World War Two through psychedelia, art-rock and synth-pop to electronic dance music, sampling and the techno era. As well as profiling the sonic futurists who pioneered new styles, it documents the scenes and underground movements that built a thrillingly diverse electronic music culture in its formative decades.

Based on interviews with key players and a wealth of in-depth research, Dream Machines explores genres as diverse as space rock, electro-pop, ambient, dub, industrial music, prog, electro, hip-hop, hi-NRG and house, highlighting how developments in electronic music were shaped by changes in society as well as technological advances.

When Leah Lax was asked to write an opera to celebrate local immigrants, she began by spending a year listening to accounts of upheaval, migration, and arrival told her in confidence by people from around the globe. She felt she had discovered America, found its great beating heart.

In interludes between the astounding and powerful stories in Not From Here, Leah uncovers the lost history of her Jewish family and finds a larger context for her own story. "In a way," she writes, "we Americans are all immigrants."

Leah has had a dual career as an author and librettist. Her previous book Uncovered: How I Left Hasidic Life and Finally Came Home was the first gay memoir ever to come out of the Jewish ultraOrthodox world, now a modern opera by composer Lori Laitman.

"Leah Lax understands that everyone has a story and a secret. To experience this ourselves, we have only to read her utterly irresistible Not from Here."

--GLORIA STEINEM

"A masterwork! Brilliant, profound, heart-shattering, hopeful - I couldn't breathe! Not From Here is full of stories of people who hang onto hope, people who will not give up struggling for what could be, and it's all interspersed with Leah's own extraordinary journey. This is the kind of book that leaves you forever changed."

--CAROLINE LEAVITT, NYTimes bestselling author

"An amazing and powerful book of the struggles and triumphs of people from far away who we might have dismissed as 'other, ' except that Leah edges them dexterously into our hearts."

--CHITRA DIVAKARUNI, American Book Award winner, author of The Last Queen

Shortly before embarking on her attempt to circumnavigate the globe, Amelia Earhart confided to a friend, "I have a feeling there is just about one more good flight left in my system and I hope this trip around the world is it."

This book is the product of The Earhart Project, a thirty-four-year investigation of the Earhart tragedy by The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery. TIGHAR investigators had no agenda. They were not out to advocate, excuse, honor, or impugn. They saw the Earhart disappearance as an aviation accident and reasoned the answer to its cause and outcome should be discoverable if they could find, assemble, and analyze the relevant data. To understand why she died it was necessary to strip away the myths and sentimentality that have grown up over the years and examine the hard truths behind how Earhart's trip around the world came about and why it went so terribly wrong.

The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard were major players in the 1937 flight, disappearance, and search for Amelia Earhart, and in the aftermath. The story of the pressures and frustrations the services faced and the mistakes they made contain valuable lessons for today's commanders. Gillespie's first book, Finding Amelia - The True Story of the Earhart Disappearance (Naval Institute Press, 2006) chronicled what was known at that time. This new book updates the story with important new information from historical documents discovered since then and also provides extensive prequel and sequel narratives that complete the saga and give new perspective to the life and death of an American icon.

Follow the remarkable journey of a trailblazing American leader, Dr. Antonia Novello, the first woman and the first Hispanic Surgeon General of the United States
Dr. Antonia Novello is a vanguard in the United States and Puerto Rico, whose enduring commitment to service has left an indelible mark on the world of public health. With a distinguished career spanning more than four decades, including serving as the US Surgeon General and the New York State Commissioner of Health during 9/11, her story highlights an unwavering dedication to improving the well-being of individuals and communities. 
Dr. Novello's story is one of challenges faced and overcome, of resilience and perseverance, and of shattering glass ceilings and opening doors for future generations of leaders. With honesty and openness, she shares her early battles with childhood illness and her desire to overcome stereotypes, while also chronicling her meteoric rise through various roles in the field of health care, leading to her service as the nation's top medical officer. From her struggles to her celebrations to her tireless advocacy for the health of young people, each chapter offers a glimpse into the resilience and wisdom that have shaped her life, unveiling the profound lessons she has gathered along the way.

In Duty Calls, readers will learn about:
- Dr. Novello's early life and her struggles with congenital megacolon
- Her medical school and internship experiences
- How she became the first female/first Hispanic Surgeon General of the United States
- Dr. Novello's work as the New York State Commissioner of Health during 9/11
- Her efforts to vaccinate and provide health care resources to her home in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria
- Wisdom and insights Dr. Novello gained through her life experiences, as well as her advice for the next generation (and everyone else!)

"A bold and full account of a remarkable climbing life, exceptionally well told..."--Yvon Chouinard

Jim Donini has been an icon of American climbing for the past 50 years, pushing the boundaries of alpine ascents around the world and inspiring generations with his achievements. In Survival Is Not Assured, award-winning author Geoff Powter dives into Donini's remarkable life story, exploring his groundbreaking climbs and his tumultuous experiences both on and off the rock. From the tragic death of his best friend in a car accident to his integral role in the Yosemite "Valley Uprising," Donini's life has been a roller coaster of highs and lows, but his spirit of resilience and determination has been unyielding.

Through personal interviews and never-before-shared stories, this authorized biography examines the life and legacy of this iconic climber, providing an inspiring and thought-provoking look at an American legend.

Maverick Scientist is the memoir of Forrest Mims, who forged a distinguished scientific career despite having no academic training in science. Named one of the "50 Best Brains in Science" by Discover magazine, Forrest shares what sparked his childhood curiosity and relates a lifetime of improbable, dramatic, and occasionally outright dangerous experiences in the world of science.

At thirteen he invented a new method of rocket control. At seventeen he designed and built an analog computer that could translate Russian into English and that the Smithsonian collected as an example of an early hobby computer. While majoring in government at Texas A&M University, Forrest created a hand-held, radar-like device to help guide the blind. And during his military service, he had to be given special clearance to do top secret laser research at the Air Force Weapons Lab. Why? Because while he lacked the required engineering degree, they wanted his outside-the-box thinking on the project.

He went on to co-found MITS, Inc., producer of the first commercially successful personal computer, wrote a series of electronics books for Radio Shack that sold more than seven million copies, and designed the music synthesizer circuit that became known as the infamous Atari Punk Console. All this came before he started consulting for NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, and NOAA's famous Mauna Loa Observatory, and earning the prestigious Rolex Award.

This intimate portrait of a self-made scientist shares a revelatory look inside the scientific community, and tells the story of a lifelong learner who stood by his convictions even when pressured by the establishment to get in line with conventional wisdom. With dozens of personal photos and illustrations, Maverick Scientist serves as proof that to be a scientist, you simply need to do science.

The life, work, and legacy of one of the twentieth century's most published African American women.

This book explores the life and legacy of Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960), the most-published African American woman of the first half of the twentieth century. Famous today as the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston was also an anthropologist and a folklorist. In this new biography, Cheryl Hopson casts Hurston as a modern woman on the move, particularly as a collector of stories in and around the Jim Crow South. Hopson details her rejection by the Harlem Renaissance as well as her recovery by Black feminists such as Alice Walker years after her death. The result is an accessible and fresh account of the celebrated writer's life and work.

'Victory is a life well lived or a day enjoyed.'

Frank O'Mara had the athletics career most only dream of, competing for Ireland in three Olympic Games and breaking Irish and world records. After his retirement from running, he settled in the US with his family and made his way to the top of the telecoms industry.

Then at age forty-eight, his life changed forever when he was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's disease. The progression was rapid, causing severe muscle cramps, tremors, and eventually the inability to walk and at times even speak.

In this inspiring memoir, Frank recounts his battle with Parkinson's. At first in denial, he eventually found the strength that made him successful as an athlete and in business - using determination, and humour to weather the worst phases of the disease. He learned to face each hurdle as he came to it: to bend, but not break.

One man's life-affirming story of facing adversity with grace and courage.