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An Immigrant's Story
Touching on themes of poverty, immigration, father/son relationships, and fame, a musician, producer, and actor details his childhood growing up in Haiti and Newark, and gives the inside story on the hip hop group The Fugees.
News and Reviews
Rin Tin Tin
The Life And The Legend
Susan Orlean chronicles the rise of the iconic German shepherd character, sharing the stories of the real World War I dog and canine performer and exploring Rin Tin Tin's relevance in military and popular culture. NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
Into the Silence
The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest
Wade Davis describes British climbers' attempts to scale Mount Everest in the early 1920s, discussing such topics as the role of imperial ambition in the expedition and the way in which the ascent reflected England's post-World War I redemption efforts.
News and Reviews
Luck or Something Like It
The country music legend shares the story behind his meteoric rise to fame, including the highs and lows, and the secrets behind his biggest hits.
News and Reviews
Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher
The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis
Timothy Egan recounts the pioneering photographer Edward Curtis' life-risking effort to document the disappearing North American Indian nation, offering insight into the danger and resolve behind his venture, his elevation to an impassioned advocate, and the posthumous discovery of his achievements.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
Wild
From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
At 22, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than 1,000 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington state — and she would do it alone.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
Waging Heavy Peace
A Hippie Dream
Two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Neil Young presents the story of his career against a backdrop of 40 years of history. He discusses such topics as his collaborations with fellow artists, his creative process and his activist work with Farm Aid and The Bridge School.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
Joseph Anton
A Memoir
The Booker Prize-winning former president of American PEN shares the extraordinary story of how he was forced underground for more than nine years after he was sentenced to holy death by the Ayatollah Khomeini for his controversial novel, The Satanic Verses, describing how his family and he constantly moved and were under police protection in a dangerous life at the forefront of the battle for free speech.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
I Could Pee On This
And Other Poems By Cats
Francesco Marciuliano, author of the comic strip Sally Forth, gives voice to the thoughts and feelings of cats in this collection of poems attributed to felines.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
How Music Works
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and co-founder of Talking Heads presents a celebration of music that offers insight into the roles of time, place and recording technology.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
The Oath
The Obama White House and the Supreme Court
The prize-winning author of The Nine presents a dramatic insider's account of what is identified as an ideological war between the John Roberts Supreme Court and the Obama administration, tracing several landmark cases and the strong views that will be shaping the court of the near future.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
Unbroken
A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
Unbroken tells the gripping true story of a U.S. airman who was the sole survivor when his bomber crashed into the sea during World War II. He faced thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft and an even greater trial. NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
How Children Succeed
Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
How Children Succeed challenges conventional views about standardized testing to argue that success is more determined by self-discipline, character and optimism. Paul Tough describes the work of pioneering researchers and educators whose insights into childhood stress and economic disadvantages have enabled effective new teaching methods.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
I'm Your Man
The Life Of Leonard Cohen
An intimate portrait of one of the most important and influential songwriters of our time, I'm Your Man draws upon Leonard Cohen's private archives and a wealth of interviews with many of his closest associates, colleagues and other artists whose work he has inspired.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
In The Garden Of Beasts
Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
The best-selling author of Devil in the White City documents the efforts of William E. Dodd, the first American ambassador to Hitler's Germany, to acclimate to a residence in an increasingly violent city where he is forced to associate with the Nazis while his daughter pursues a relationship with Gestapo chief Rudolf Diels. NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
The Swerve
How the World Became Modern
A humanities professor describes the impact of the translation of the last remaining manuscript of On the Nature of Things by Roman philosopher Lucretius, which fueled the Renaissance and inspired artists, great thinkers and scientists.NPR Bestseller, Literary Award Winner
News and Reviews
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
The writer and actor best known for her role on The Office shares observations on everything from favorite male archetypes and her hatred of dieting to her relationship with her mother and the haphazard creative process of The Office's writers' room.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
Catherine The Great
Portrait Of A Woman
The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of Peter the Great presents a reconstruction of the 18th century empress's life that covers such topics as her efforts to engage Russia in the cultural life of Europe, her creation of the Hermitage art collection and her numerous scandal-free romantic affairs.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
How To Be A Woman
Piecing together common-sense observations with scenes from her own life, a major media personality in the U.K. sheds new light on feminism, discussing the reasons why female rights and empowerment are essential issues for both women and society itself.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
Boomerang
Travels in the New Third World
The author of The Big Short describes the effect that the bubble of cheap credit — readily available to almost anyone from 2002 to 2008 — had on countries besides the U.S., including Iceland, Greece and Germany.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
Bossypants
The breakout star of Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock gives a humorous account of her life, as well as behind-the-scenes stories from her hit shows.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks documents the story of how scientists took cells from an unsuspecting descendant of freed slaves and created a human cell line that has been kept alive indefinitely, enabling numerous medical and scientific discoveries.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
Tiny Beautiful Things
Advice on Love and Life From Dear Sugar
A collection of advice on everything from infidelity and grief to marital boredom and financial hardships from Cheryl Strayed's popular "Dear Sugar" column in the online magazine The Rumpus.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
1493
Uncovering the New World Columbus Created
When Columbus crossed the Atlantic in 1492, his journey prompted the exchange of not only information but also food, animals, insects, plants and viruses between the continents. Charles C. Mann documents the lesser-known consequences of Columbus' voyage to the New World.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
The Immigrant Exodus
Why America Is Losing The Global Race To Capture Entrepreneurial Talent
Vivek Wadhwa draws on his new research to show that the United States is in the midst of an unprecedented halt in high-growth, immigrant-founded startups. He argues that U.S. immigration policies and increased competition from countries like China and India are leaving some of the most educated and talented entrepreneurial immigrants with no choice but to take their innovation elsewhere.
News and Reviews
The Latin Road Home
Savoring the Foods of Ecuador, Spain, Cuba, Mexico and Peru
News and Reviews
America Again
Re-Becoming The Greatness We Never Weren't
The political satirist, comedian and host of The Colbert Report puts his signature humorous spin on health care, the economy and food, promising that this book will single-handedly fix an America that is broken and has lost its way.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
The Dangerous Animals Club
The celebrated character actor presents a spiritually inquisitive collection of personal reflections that explores life's great mysteries and the art of stagecraft during encounters with famous film directors, ghosts, pygmy hippos and more.
News and Reviews
Five Chiefs
A Supreme Court Memoir
Justice John Paul Stevens' new memoir is framed as a discussion about the office of the chief justice; it includes a brief history of the nation's first 12 chief justices, followed by thorough profiles of the five he knew well. Stevens retired in 2010 after nearly 35 years on the Supreme Court.
News and Reviews
Republic, Lost
How Money Corrupts Congress — And A Plan To Stop It
A Harvard Law professor explains how being influenced by money overshadows the will of the people in the political arena regardless of party lines and offers strategies to take back the democracy from those with moneyed or corporate interests.
News and Reviews
Seriously ... I'm Kidding
The stand-up comedian, television host, bestselling author and actress candidly discusses her personal life and professional career and describes what it was like to become a judge on American Idol.NPR Bestseller
News and Reviews
That Is All
Jon Hodgman invents trivia and facts about everything from the occupations of 700 mole men to the anticipated end of human history in 2012.
News and Reviews
Total Recall
My Unbelievably True Life Story
A personal account by the award-winning actor and former governor of California traces his high-stakes journey to the United States and rise from a Mr. Universe champion to a millionaire businessman, providing coverage of his political achievements and the choices he regrets.
News and Reviews
James Bond
50 Years of Movie Posters
Collects a gallery of rare and sought-after posters, as well as unused concept artwork, and unique teasers, and lobby cards from virtually every country where Bond movies have screened.
