Why is this guy’s life so important that he has to write a book about it?”, you may be asking yourself. Well, you see, I have three grandchildren that don’t know the “history (his-story)” behind this grandfather’s growing up and growing old years, and I decided to write it down for them so they could read it when (and if) they wanted to read it, and while they were at it, so could their dads and mothers too, if they so wished. It would maybe answer some questions as to why I am the way I am. It was suggested others might be interested in reading about one person’s walk through life, or as it has seemed to me, run through life, so I should make it available to all. So, I think my grandchildren and their parents might find the book interesting, and maybe you will, too. Thank you.
The National Book Critics Circle Award–winning author delivers a collection of essays that serve as the perfect “antidote to mansplaining” (The Stranger). In her comic, scathing essay “Men Explain Things to Me,” Rebecca Solnit took on what often goes wrong in conversations between men and women. She wrote about men who wrongly assume they know things and wrongly assume women don’t, about why this arises, and how this aspect of the gender wars works, airing some of her own hilariously awful encounters. She ends on a serious note— because the ultimate problem is the silencing of women who have something to say, including those saying things like, “He’s trying to kill me!” This book features that now-classic essay with six perfect complements, including an examination of the great feminist writer Virginia Woolf’s embrace of mystery, of not knowing, of doubt and ambiguity, a highly original inquiry into marriage equality, and a terrifying survey of the scope of contemporary violence against women. “In this series of personal but unsentimental essays, Solnit gives succinct shorthand to a familiar female experience that before had gone unarticulated, perhaps even unrecognized.” —The New York Times “Essential feminist reading.” —The New Republic “This slim book hums with power and wit.” —Boston Globe “Solnit tackles big themes of gender and power in these accessible essays. Honest and full of wit, this is an integral read that furthers the conversation on feminism and contemporary society.” —San Francisco Chronicle “Essential.” —Marketplace “Feminist, frequently funny, unflinchingly honest and often scathing in its conclusions.” —Salon
The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.
The beloved New York Times bestselling author reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays. "The elegance of Patchett’s prose is seductive and inviting: with Patchett as a guide, readers will really get to grips with the power of struggles, failures, and triumphs alike." —Publisher's Weekly “Any story that starts will also end.” As a writer, Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be. Life, however, often takes turns we do not see coming. Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart. At the center of These Precious Days is the title essay, a surprising and moving meditation on an unexpected friendship that explores “what it means to be seen, to find someone with whom you can be your best and most complete self.” When Patchett chose an early galley of actor and producer Tom Hanks’ short story collection to read one night before bed, she had no idea that this single choice would be life changing. It would introduce her to a remarkable woman—Tom’s brilliant assistant Sooki—with whom she would form a profound bond that held monumental consequences for them both. A literary alchemist, Patchett plumbs the depths of her experiences to create gold: engaging and moving pieces that are both self-portrait and landscape, each vibrant with emotion and rich in insight. Turning her writer’s eye on her own experiences, she transforms the private into the universal, providing us all a way to look at our own worlds anew, and reminds how fleeting and enigmatic life can be. From the enchantments of Kate DiCamillo’s children’s books (author of The Beatryce Prophecy) to youthful memories of Paris; the cherished life gifts given by her three fathers to the unexpected influence of Charles Schultz’s Snoopy; the expansive vision of Eudora Welty to the importance of knitting, Patchett connects life and art as she illuminates what matters most. Infused with the author’s grace, wit, and warmth, the pieces in These Precious Days resonate deep in the soul, leaving an indelible mark—and demonstrate why Ann Patchett is one of the most celebrated writers of our time.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER • NAMED ONE OF TIME’S TEN BEST NONFICTION BOOKS OF THE DECADE • PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST • ONE OF OPRAH’S “BOOKS THAT HELP ME THROUGH” • NOW AN HBO ORIGINAL SPECIAL EVENT Hailed by Toni Morrison as “required reading,” a bold and personal literary exploration of America’s racial history by “the most important essayist in a generation and a writer who changed the national political conversation about race” (Rolling Stone) NAMED ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BOOKS OF THE DECADE BY CNN • NAMED ONE OF PASTE’S BEST MEMOIRS OF THE DECADE • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • O: The Oprah Magazine • The Washington Post • People • Entertainment Weekly • Vogue • Los Angeles Times • San Francisco Chronicle • Chicago Tribune • New York • Newsday • Library Journal • Publishers Weekly In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation’s history and current crisis. Americans have built an empire on the idea of “race,” a falsehood that damages us all but falls most heavily on the bodies of black women and men—bodies exploited through slavery and segregation, and, today, threatened, locked up, and murdered out of all proportion. What is it like to inhabit a black body and find a way to live within it? And how can we all honestly reckon with this fraught history and free ourselves from its burden? Between the World and Me is Ta-Nehisi Coates’s attempt to answer these questions in a letter to his adolescent son. Coates shares with his son—and readers—the story of his awakening to the truth about his place in the world through a series of revelatory experiences, from Howard University to Civil War battlefields, from the South Side of Chicago to Paris, from his childhood home to the living rooms of mothers whose children’s lives were taken as American plunder. Beautifully woven from personal narrative, reimagined history, and fresh, emotionally charged reportage, Between the World and Me clearly illuminates the past, bracingly confronts our present, and offers a transcendent vision for a way forward.
Wealthy fourth-year medical student Jack is miserable and mean. An elderly patient, seeking her long-lost lover, is about to send him on the journey that will change his life. Aimless Jack Maizel is a slovenly medical student who is unlikeable, arrogant, and slightly manic. Persuaded by his influential parents to pursue a medical career, he cannot hide his contempt for the profession and even for some of his neediest patients. His classmate, Ahgri, a well-mannered and gentlemanly former Tanzanian mountain guide and coffee plantation worker, is an unlikely best friend. When Maizel begins a month-long clinical rotation on the first day of September in 1982 with a hospital admission work-up for elderly and soft-spoken Mildred Dixon, he has no intention of doing any more than he has to. As the month goes by, she recounts a tender and passionate romance with a young U.S. Army Air Force lieutenant headed off to bombing runs over Germany. She appeals to Jack for help in her last wish of finding the love of her life again. As the days run out on September, Mildred and Ahgri’s collective wit and Mildred’s touching plea eventually lead Maizel to a life-altering experience. The astonishing twist that ignites a path for Maizel’s future will leave readers with a poignant lesson on how we learn to live and love. Dwinnells’s memorable characters and his message of hope, kindness, forgiveness, and redemption will appeal to readers across genres. Ronald Dwinnells is the author of the Axiom Gold Medal-winning leadership book, Don’t Pick Up All the Dog Hairs.
What kinds of jobs are available in museums? How do museums work? What opportunities are there in museum research and collection, preserving and cataloging, exhibiting and interpreting, publicity, administration, event planning, catering, support? Creative Careers in Museums answers all these questions and many more, with full information on how everyone can pinpoint and showcase their existing skills--then turn those skills into a dream job at a museum or other cultural institution. Interviews with people who have made career transitions into the field are packed with practical and inspiring ideas, and there’s even information on starting new museums. Advice on targeting potential employers, putting together a resume, interviewing, and landing the job, plus an extensive resource list, make this the perfect starting point for anyone who wants to work in a museum.
