Collection: Biography & Memoir

An award-winning science writer discovers she's faceblind and investigates the neuroscience of sight, memory, and imagination--while solving some long-running mysteries about her own life.

Science writer Sadie Dingfelder has always known that she's a little quirky. But while she's made some strange mistakes over the years, it's not until she accosts a stranger in a grocery store (whom she thinks is her husband) that she realizes something is amiss.

With a mixture of curiosity and dread, Dingfelder starts contacting neuroscientists and lands herself in scores of studies. In the course of her nerdy midlife crisis, she discovers that she is emphatically not neurotypical. She has prosopagnosia (faceblindness), stereoblindness, aphantasia (an inability to create mental imagery), and a condition called severely deficient autobiographical memory.

As Dingfelder begins to see herself more clearly, she discovers a vast well of hidden neurodiversity in the world at large. There are so many different flavors of human consciousness, and most of us just assume that ours is the norm. Can you visualize? Do you have an inner monologue? Are you always 100 percent sure whether you know someone or not? If you can perform any of these mental feats, you may be surprised to learn that many people--including Dingfelder--can't.

A lively blend of personal narrative and popular science, Do I Know You? is the story of one unusual mind's attempt to understand itself--and a fascinating exploration of the remarkable breadth of human experience.

George Sorensen wants to learn to cook. Not just cook, but to finally learn how to prepare a truly great meal.

George was raised on TV dinners in foil trays, canned string beans reduced to paste in boiling water, Wonder Bread, bologna, and processed cheese sandwiches heated in a toaster oven.

But George wants to change all that, and he has a plan: He recruits a group of amateur culinary experts to meet monthly at his little Minneapolis bungalow to cook, eat, drink, and teach him the ropes. George embarks on a year-long gastronomic journey from France to Greece, from soufflé to goose. He samples the delights of wild mushrooms, the flavors of the oceans, and a Charles Dickens Christmas with a mouthwatering pheasant pie.

However, George does not anticipate the dynamics of bringing together these self-proclaimed chefs. Arguments over wine-what kind, how much, and who should pay for it-erupt, while others sow discord and divorce. There are suspicions about whether the rattlesnake enchiladas are really rattlesnake or merely frog legs, since really, who can tell the difference. There is trouble unwinding the skin of an octopus. Rebellion ensues when tunics are required for a Greek-themed party featuring a cardboard Parthenon facade in the backyard.

But in the end, it means an unforgettable journey of flavor, camaraderie, and adventure.

Join George's culinary revolution, and you might even find yourself earning a blue ribbon for your homemade jam at the Minnesota State Fair or stumbling upon your future wife amidst blooming apricot trees.

"This is a great book about an amazing journey of a woman who went through hell to become the person she is today." - Monica Helms, creator of the transgender flag.

To have invented the email attachment is one thing. To have done so while transitioning from male to female and paving the way for Trans rights in the workplace is quite another. Trailblazer is a brave and powerful memoir that is both touching and thought-provoking and absolutely worth the read for those who care about equality.

As a child, Mark Horton loved wearing women's clothes. Short denim skirts, high heels, anything that made him feel like a woman. As he grew, he hid his proclivities in favor of a more traditional home and work life. But soon the question "who am I, really" was too loud and Mark began to make room for Mary Ann.

In her debut memoir, Mary Ann Horton recounts her search for her true self and reveals the intimate details, both professional and personal, of her transition from male to female. From navigating the dissolution of her marriage to parenting young boys, to "coming out" to coworkers, Mary Ann balanced both her responsibilities and staying true to herself. But not without struggle. She would quickly learn the challenges and heartbreak that came with navigating the maze of social, medical and legal rights afforded, or rather not afforded to the Trans community.

As Mary Ann fully became Mary Ann, her voice grew and with it a commitment to advocacy and activism. Aided by her indomitable spirit, Mary Ann became a powerful force for the acceptance of transgender benefits and rights, first at Lucent Technologies, blazing the trail for corporate America to follow.

Women have always made their voices heard. From historic to present-day women, young readers uncover changemakers who fought for civil rights, took a stand for the environment, and much more.

In the 1940s, an ice cream machine salesman from Chicago saw his sales decline across America. However, one restaurant in California was ordering more machines. He flew over to meet the customers and it changed his life. He helped the McDonald brothers to expand their business and later purchased it. Today, it is the largest fast-food restaurant chain by revenue. That man was Ray Kroc.

The success story of McDonald's has not since been replicated. They are considered pioneers in how they market themselves and the efficiency with which they run the business. Yet, before reaching the zenith of this career, Ray Kroc faced colossal personal challenges.

By the time he got the McDonald brother to allow him to franchise the chain, he was on the verge of bankruptcy and depressed. Instead of giving up, he fought back and created a company that everyone loves. Come face-to-face with the genius who revived the restaurant industry and paved the way for others to emulate.

Here's a preview of what you'll discover in this book:

• Ray Kroc's early childhood, family life, and education

• A career in business and success as a paper cup salesman

• Change in business fortunes and traveling to California

• Meeting the McDonald brothers and having a revelation

• Pitching the franchise idea to the brothers and going national

• Purchasing the business and going global

• Constant innovation and staying ahead of the pack

• The legacy that he left behind

..... And much more!

Ray Kroc created a fast-food empire that everyone from a child to a 90-year-old can relate to. It is one of the most popular family restaurants that keeps on growing. This insightful book will let you in on the secrets on how Ray Kroc developed McDonald's to now operate 37,855 restaurants, making it the envy of competitors, and a darling for everyone else.

So, scroll up and click the "Buy now with 1-click" button to know more!

Now adapted for young readers, Vice President Kamala Harris's empowering memoir about the values and inspirations that guided her life.

With her election to the vice presidency, her election to the U.S. Senate, and her position as attorney general of California, Kamala Harris has blazed trails throughout her entire political career. But how did she achieve her goals? What values and influences guided and inspired her along the way?

In this young readers edition of Kamala Harris's memoir, we learn about the impact that her family and community had on her life, and see what led her to discover her own sense of self and purpose. The Truths We Hold traces her journey as she explored the values she holds most dear--those of community, equality, and justice. An inspiring and empowering memoir, this book challenges us to become leaders in our own lives and shows us that with determination and perseverance all dreams are possible.

The Gatekeepers of Sycamore Springs, Kansas Historical Journey to Healing Water explores the lives and legacy of the owners of the public historical resort and how each generation made improvements for the times while preserving the nature of the crystal clear spring water.

This is a book about Sycamore Springs and "the healing waters." The author presents a progression of documented events-a collection of observations along the historical journey-that lead us to the sycamore land and bring us to the present day. A journey worth taking.

History gives us perspective, but the future is still untold. People, places, and time determine the past. Our ancestors set the course. What and where and how they lived brings every one of us to the present.

Alice Gray had a story too. It has made an impact on many lives. Her history provided her a perspective of exploration and determination to understand the healing waters. Her story remains the beginning of the author's story.

This well worn path is part of Hanni's history. Her family is associated with Sycamore Springs in a very small way. They owned and lived at this historical resort from 1949 - 1966. They called it home and added to the history of Sycamore Springs. Each person who came to Sycamore Springs contributed to this story; including you. You, the reader, are a vital part of this history.

The Gatekeepers of Sycamore Springs is not only a history book but adds a human perspective through the author's eyes of how they lived at this place. A personal story of Sycamore Springs told with humor and joy.

Band of Gold is the exciting story of singer and actress Freda Payne. While she is best known for her 1970 Number One hit "Band of Gold", and her 1971 Grammy nominated album, Contact, her story is an inspiring adventure, lived alongside the "who's who" of the show business world including Duke Ellington, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Pearl Bailey, Omar Sharif, Quincy Jones, Liza Minneli, and Sarah Vaughn. Freda's compelling memoir is a celebration of a glamorous life well-lived.

Else B. in the Sea is a poetic picture book biography about a daring and pioneering woman artist that combines themes of art and science from author Jeanne Walker Harveyand illustratorMelodie Stacey.

Else Bostelmann donned a red swimsuit and a copper diving helmet and, with paints and brushes in hand, descended into the choppy turquoise sea off the coast of Bermuda. It was 1930, and few had ventured deep into the sea before. She discovered a fairyland six fathoms below the surface--fantastic coral castles, glittering sunbeams, swaying sea plumes, and slender purple sea fans. And fish! Flashy silverfish, puckering blue parrotfish, iridescent jellyfish.

Else painted under the sea! She painted what she saw with her own eyes, and, back on land, she painted the never-before-seen deep-sea creatures described by world-renowned scientist William Beebe on his momentous 1930s bathysphere expeditions for the New York Zoological Society's Department of Tropical Research. It was a daring and glamorous adventure and a dream come true for Else B., who shared this new, unfathomable world with humankind.

The definitive visual biography on the life of Arthur Russell.

Arthur Russell is one of the most soulful musicians I've ever met or played with. This brings him back to life in a way that very few books are able to do. - Laurie Anderson

The music of Arthur Russell defies classification. From his pioneering compositions as part of New York's vibrant avant-garde scene (alongside artists including Philip Glass, David Byrne, Laurie Anderson, John Cage, and Allen Ginsberg) to his genre-expanding disco productions, from his new wave and art pop to his posthumously released folk songs, Russell crafted timeless and foundationally influential work until his premature death in 1992 from AIDS-related illnesses.

Now, in a landmark publication assembled by critically-acclaimed writer Richard King, Travels Over Feeling collects the extensive ephemera found in Russell's New York Public Library archive, along with pieces from the personal collections of those who were closest to him. Combining unseen visual material--handwritten scores, lyrics, photos, letters, and drawings--with new texts by King and extensive original interviews with Arthur's collaborators, contemporaries, family, and friends, Travels Over Feeling paints a portrait of Arthur Russell unlike any which has come before, revealing a true picture of one of the most distinctive artists of the last fifty years.

Chopping Wood is Pete Seeger up close and personal like never before. Derived from years of conversations between Seeger and his close friend and collaborator David Bernz, it takes readers on a uniquely personal journey through this legendary folksinger and songwriter remarkable life and career, in his own words.

Listen in as Pete unabashedly shares historical and family stories; tells of learning the banjo, traveling with Woody Guthrie, and finding commercial success with The Weavers; explains how he wrote books and put together songs; delves into controversial subjects like communism and the Peekskill Riots; and highlights those he admired and respected, including Bruce Springsteen, who honoured Pete with his Seeger Sessions album in 2006.

Pete and David share the heavy lifting as they tackle subjects such as the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, Pete's relationship to Greenwich Village, and the need for copyright reform. Together, they describe how Pete put his worldview into practice in his local community, how he lived with local hero status in later life, and how they made recordings together that resulted in two Grammy Awards.

Minimally edited to preserve Seeger's trademark cadence, the book is punctuated by historical images and additional commentary from David as well as other musicians and friends. Readers will come to know Pete more deeply as they hear this gentle, principled man's voice resonate in their own heads and bear witness to his humility and willingness to respect those whose opinions differed greatly from his own--vital qualities in these troubled and divisive times.

This is Taylor Swift's life story, in albums so far, in a beautifully illustrated hardback edition.

Her record sales top 200 million worldwide and she is the most streamed female artist on Spotify. Her 2022 album Midnights added to her many billions of streams by amassing a record 184.69 million streams in its first 24 hours. Along the way, every one of her 10 studio albums has topped the charts.

Her latest worldwide tour, the Eras Tour, is her most ambitious yet - a three-hour, 44-song set split into 10 acts, each celebrating one of her albums. Universally acclaimed, critics and audiences alike marveled at Taylor's vocals and musicianship as she headed up the strenuous and inventive all-stadium shows which sold out in seconds.

As testament to her talents, she has won 11 Grammy awards, including three for Album of the Year, and is the most awarded artist in the history of the American Music Awards with an unprecedented 40 trophies. Among many other accolades and prizes she was named Woman of the 2010s Decade by Billboard and Artist of the 2010s Decade by the AMA.

So what better way to tell her incredible story than through the musical development shown in her albums?

This ground-breaking book foregrounds the voices of autistic trans people as they speak candidly about how their autism and gender identity intersects and the impact this has on their life.

Drawing upon a wealth of interviews with transgender people on the autism spectrum, the book explores experiences of coming out, with self-discovery, healthcare, family, work, religion and community support, to help dispel common misunderstandings around gender identity and autism, whilst allowing autistic trans people to see their own neurodiverse experiences reflected in these interviews.

An incisive introduction clearly sets out up-to-date research and thinking, before each chapter draws together key findings from the interviews, along with advice and support for those providing support to autistic trans individuals. Both accessible and authoritative, Trans and Autistic is an essential publication for autistic trans people, their families, and professionals wanting to understand and support their clients better.

"A WONDERFUL READ ... Christine's deep love for turtles comes through on each page."--CRAIG FOSTER, MY OCTOPUS TEACHER - "Will appeal to anyone interested in the world around us."--DR. JANE GOODALL

Filled with reverence and wonder for the natural world, this captivating book reveals the secret life of sea turtles, one of the oldest living creatures on Earth, and the story of one female scientist's fight to save their future.

In 2015, a team of researchers carefully removed a plastic straw from a sea turtle's nostril off the coast of Costa Rica. The disturbing incident, which was captured on video, went viral, leading to corporate straw bans around the world. In this evocative book, reminiscent of Jane Goodall's memoir In the Shadow of Man, the marine biologist behind the camera, Christine Figgener, recounts her own life spent studying and protecting sea turtles.

From the time she was a young girl, Figgener was determined to become a biologist, and study the marvels of the marine world. In My Life With Sea Turtles, she shares how she went from a small, gray town on the edge of industry to the lush coastline of Costa Rica, where she fell in love with the local environment and its famous residents: the sea turtles.

Figgener describes patrolling the beach at night, swimming with turtles in the open ocean, watching tiny turtles emerge from sandy nests, and risking her life during tropical storms. We learn about her experience as a woman in conservation, a male dominated space where she struggles to be taken seriously. Through discovering the fascinating science of sea turtles and the threats they face today, readers will be inspired to live their own lives differently to ensure the survival of these magnificent creatures.

The story of one man's quest to become the first person to play each of America's 100 greatest golf courses in a single year, an odyssey that brings him face to face with the gulf between his impoverished childhood in the Jim Crow South and the successful executive he became.

When he set out to play each of Golf Digest's America's 100 greatest golf courses in one year, Jimmie James knew he was attempting the impossible. But then again, he'd spent his entire life defying the odds.

James was born invisible. His birth certificate, long since filed away in some clerk's office in East Texas, recorded facts about him that were deemed most relevant in the late 1950s: "colored" and "illegitimate." His great-great-grandmother was enslaved, and his early life was confined by the privation and segregation of the late Jim Crow-era South.

Four decades later--having put himself through an HBCU and determinedly risen through the executive ranks at ExxonMobil--he embarked on his journey to play the 100 greatest golf courses in the United States. In a single year. From the first tee at Augusta National, the distance between the world he grew up in and the world of extreme privilege to which he'd now managed to gain access was impossible to ignore.

Playing from the Rough is a remarkable memoir of race, class, family, and the power of perseverance, as James braids his love of golf with reflections on the path that took him from childhood poverty to the most exclusive and opulent golf courses in America.

The founder of the Black Doctors Consortium highlights the devastating racial injustices in our healthcare system in this inspirational memoir and empowering call to action.

Dr. Ala Stanford knew she wanted to be a doctor by the time she was eight years old. But role models were few and far between in her working-class North Philly neighborhood. Her teachers were dismissive, and the realities of racism, sexism, and poverty threatened to derail her at every turn. Nevertheless, thanks to her faith, family, and the sheer strength of her will, today she is one of the vanishingly small number of Black women surgeons in America--and an unrelenting force in the fight for health justice.

In Take Care of Them Like My Own, Dr. Stanford shares an unflinching account of her story, explaining how her experiences on both sides of the scalpel have informed her understanding of America's racial health gap, an insidious and lethal form of inequality that exacts a devastating toll on Black communities across the country, affluent and underserved alike.

When Covid-19 arrived in her hometown of Philadelphia, she knew it would disproportionately affect the Black population. As the city stood idly by, unwilling or unable to protect its most vulnerable citizens, Dr. Stanford took matters into her own hands. She rented a van, made some calls, and began administering tests in church parking lots. Soon, she found herself at the helm of a powerful grassroots campaign that successfully vaccinated tens of thousands of Philadelphians. She and her movement are living proof that by drawing on faith, community, and inner strength, everyday people can affect tremendous change.

Part memoir, part manifesto for health equality and justice, Take Care of Them Like My Own offers urgent lessons about the power of communities working together to take care of one another and the importance of fighting for a healthcare system that truly fulfills its promise to all Americans.