In 1906, at a prosperous Long Island summer home, a family falls ill and typhold is diagnosed. When Dr George Soper is called in to find the source of the contagion, he notices that the household cook has gone missing. She is Mary Mallon, the woman who would become known as Typhoid Mary. Soper, sanitary engineer turned sleuth, sees Mary as his Moriarty. He finds there has been an outbreak of typhoid fever in every household she has worked in over the past decade. Mary is a 'carrier', a seemingly healthy individual who passes on her dangerous germs, sometimes with fatal consequences. Now Soper must hunt the cook down before she can infect more unsuspecting victims. A poor Irish immigrant, Mary refuses to believe that she can harbour typhoid in her strong and healthy body, and she doesn't intend to go quietly. In this fascinating true story Bourdain, in an homage from one cook to another, follows Mary through the kitchens of New York, putting a human face to a desperate and unintentional murderer, and examines a time, and a life, with his inimitable style.

In this book, Alfred Kazin, who for more than 30 years has been one of the central figures of America's intellectual life, takes us into his own life and times. His autobiography encompasses a personal story openly told; an inside look at New York's innermost intellectual circles; strong and intimate revelations of many of the most important writers of the century; and brilliantly astute observations of the literary accomplishments, atmosphere, and fads of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s in the context of America's shifting political gales.

This candid autobiography, the last work by renowned psychologist Albert Ellis, is a tour de force of stimulating ideas, colorful descriptions of memorable people and events, and straightforward, no-nonsense talk. Ellis, the creator of one of the most successful forms of psychotherapy―Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)―recounts the memorable episodes of his life; discusses how he coped with emotional problems at different stages of life; describes his love life; and subjects his own self-description to a ruthlessly honest critique. The heart of Ellis's book is his analysis of the psychological leitmotifs that have appeared again and again throughout his life. He describes the aim of this autobiography as follows: "As far as I can, I shall present my bad and good, stupid and intelligent, weak and strong points. Why? Because, following H. G. Wells's recommendation, I want to go as all-out as I can. I want to acknowledge my idiocies―and use REBT to feel sorry about but unashamed of them. I want to make the point―again a central tenet of REBT―that all humans are fabulously fallible―including, of course, me. We have no real choice about this, but we can unconditionally accept ourselves―our so-called essence or being―with our fallibility. That will momentously help us, probably encourage us to acquire unconditional self-acceptance (USA) and possibly inspire other people to give it to themselves, too." With a concluding chapter by Ellis's widow, Debbie Joffe Ellis, describing the final years of his life, this is the definitive summation of the life and work of one of psychology's most successful thinkers and practitioners.

Documents the author's choice to leave his privileged life in Beverly Hills to become a member of Israel's most elite security force, for which he became an expert in urban counterterror warfare and participated in more than two hundred life-or-death missions.

In this definitive biography, Wolfgang Hildesheimer demythologizes Mozart, revealing him as a flawed and puzzling human being, but a matchless artist. Hildesheimer's fresh approach to the music itself, his telling quotations from Mozart's letters (Mozart was one of the greatest and most outrageous of letter writers), and his sympathetic but unsentimental insights make this a remarkably readable portrait of one of the most popular composers of all time. Book jacket.

If you ran into Stephen Tobolowsky on the street, you would not be mistaken: Yes, you've seen him before. A childhood dentist? A former geometry teacher? Your local florist? Tobolowsky is a character actor, one of the most prolific screen and stage presences of our time, having appeared in productions that range from Deadwood to Glee , from Mississippi Burning to Groundhog Day . But Stephen Tobolowsky, it turns out, is also a dazzlingly talented storyteller and writer. The Dangerous Animals Club is a beguiling series of stories combining biography and essay, with a tone both hilarious and introspective. The stories have heroics and embarrassments, riotous humor and pathos, characters ranging from Bubbles the Pigmy Hippo to Stephen's unforgettable mother, and scenes that include coke-fueled parties, Hollywood sets, and hospital rooms. Told in a voice that is "wry, discursive, and full of generous spirit and curiosity" ( Kirkus Reviews ), Tobolowsky renders the majestic out of the mundane, profundity from the patently absurd, and grace from tragedy. The Dangerous Animals Club marks the debut of a massively talented storyteller.

This reissue of the penetrating biography of Senator John McCain, the man who may be the next president of the United States, by celebrated author Robert Timberg now has a new foreword that updates readers on the politician's life since this book's original publication in 1999. In John McCain: An American Odyssey, Timberg provides a riveting account of McCain's remarkable life -- from his rambunctious childhood and his madcap escapades as a U.S. Naval Academy midshipman to his grim experiences as a combat pilot and POW in Vietnam, where the North Vietnamese held him prisoner for five and a half years. Most important, the author illuminates Senator McCain's postwar evolution into one of our country's most distinguished politicians and a formidable presidential candidate. This biography probes deeply into the life of this hugely colorful, straight-talking American original. It is a rich and captivating portrait of one of America's most fascinating and provocative public figures -- a man who has captured the imagination of millions of Americans and who will continue to be a most prominent figure in the American political landscape.

Our captain and leader has not left us, today, tomorrow, this year, next … Our endeavors will reflect our love and admiration for him.” —Honorary plaque to Munson in Yankee Stadium Thurman Munson is remembered by fans as the fiercely competitive, tough, and—most of all—inspiring Yankee captain and champion from the wild Bronx Zoo years. He is also remembered for his tragic death, at age thirty-two, when the private plane he was piloting crashed in Canton, Ohio, on August 2, 1979. Munson is the intimate biography of a complex and larger-than-life legend. Written by former Yankees public relations director Marty Appel, who worked closely with Thurman throughout his career, Munson captures the little-known details of the young man from Canton and his meteoric rise to stardom in baseball’s most storied franchise. Appel examines the tumultuous childhood that led Thurman to work feverishly to escape Canton—and also the marriage and cultural roots that continually drew him back. Appel also opens a fascinating door on the famed Yankees of the 1970s, recounting moments and stories that have never been told before. From the clubhouse and the dugout to the front office and the owner’s box, this thoughtful baseball biography delves into the affectionately gruff captain’s relationships with friends, fans, and teammates such as Lou Piniella, Bobby Murcer, Graig Nettles, and Reggie Jackson, as well as his colorful dealings with manager Billy Martin and his surprisingly close bond with owner George Steinbrenner. Munson paints a revealing portrait of a private Yankee superstar, as well as a nostalgic and revelatory look at the culture—and amazing highs and lows—of the 1970s New York Yankees teams. More than a biography, Munson is the definitive account of a champion who has not been forgotten and of the era he helped define—written with the intimate detail available only to a true insider. www.doubleday.com

"Raskin's biography of Abbie Hoffman pleases precisely because it does not evade the ambiguities of that wild time. For a cynical age, Raskin evokes some of its innocent pleasures: great rock-and-roll, movements against injustices, exuberant sex."--Jonathan Rieder, New York Times Book Review "As much a corrective to a New Left history of the time as a biography of Abbie Hoffman, the wildest of the wildmen...Raskin's book is arranged like a series of filmed calender pages; behind the pages stand descriptions as vivid as movies of the formative influences moving with lightning speed across those few amazing years while Abbie, and the rhetoric inside him, grew apace."--Vivian Gornick, The Nation "Hoffman remains one of the most vivid figures in an era that specialized in them...It would be very hard to read his life's story and not be affected by it."--Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post "The book takes [Hoffman], his w ritings, and his politics seriously...Well-researched, well-reported, well-illustrated, and scrupulously documented."--Bruce McCabe, Boston Globe "Not only a biography of an individual...but a fully rounded portrait of that era...Hoffman remains an utterly fascinating American icon, one of the most important performance-art patriots of our time."--Bernard Weiner, San Francisco Chronicle

When Emperor Meiji began his rule, in 1867, Japan was a splintered empire, dominated by the shogun and the daimyos, who ruled over the country's more than 250 decentralized domains and who were, in the main, cut off from the outside world, staunchly antiforeign, and committed to the traditions of the past. Before long, the shogun surrendered to the emperor, a new constitution was adopted, and Japan emerged as a modern, industrialized state. Despite the length of his reign, little has been written about the strangely obscured figure of Meiji himself, the first emperor ever to meet a European. Most historians discuss the period that takes his name while barely mentioning the man, assuming that he had no real involvement in affairs of state. Even Japanese who believe Meiji to have been their nation's greatest ruler may have trouble recalling a single personal accomplishment that might account for such a glorious reputation. Renowned Japan scholar Donald Keene sifts the available evidence to present a rich portrait not only of Meiji but also of rapid and sometimes violent change during this pivotal period in Japan's history. In this vivid and engrossing biography, we move with the emperor through his early, traditional education; join in the formal processions that acquainted the young emperor with his country and its people; observe his behavior in court, his marriage, and his relationships with various consorts; and follow his maturation into a "Confucian" sovereign dedicated to simplicity, frugality, and hard work. Later, during Japan's wars with China and Russia, we witness Meiji's struggle to reconcile his personal commitment to peace and his nation's increasingly militarized experience of modernization. Emperor of Japan conveys in sparkling prose the complexity of the man and offers an unrivaled portrait of Japan in a period of unique interest.

Modern chess began in 1851 in the London Tournament of the Crystal Palace Exposition. Today, the principles of winning play have been explored and codified: a beginner can learn more about chess in one year, than a master learned a century ago during his entire career. This book is the first detailed presentation, by a Grand Master, of a complete analysis of the world's best games. For all who are interested in the fine points, the author has selected the most notable examples of brilliant play and strategy, the attack and the defense. Among the masters whose best games are to be found in the work are: Alekhine, Botvinnik, Capablanca, Euwe, Lasker, Marshall. Morphy, Rubinstein, Steinitz. Tarrasch, Tartakower, and many, many others. Reuben Fine had not taken chess seriously until late high school days. Yet he became a Grand \faster at the age of twenty-one, and was dual winner of the great AVRO Tournament of 1938. Dr. Fine was officially ranked - on the basis of twenty years of tournament play - as the Number 1 player of the United States, and a Challenger for the World Championship. Dr. Fine taught psychology at the College of the City of New York and at Brooklyn College. He and his family lived in New York City, where he practiced psychoanalysis. Reuben Fine was been a member of three U. S. World Championship Teams. He tied for first prize with Keres in the great AVRO tournament of 1938 and has won the U. S. Speed Championship four rimes. Among his famous books are The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings,The Middle Game in Chess, Basic Chess Endings, Practical Chess Openings, and his great and continuing best seller, Chess the Easy Way.

Two extraordinary men--Harry Houdini, a master of illusion who regarded his cr aft as the clever workings of the mind, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, beloved writer and firm believer in the occult--engage in a battle of wits to determine if there is life after death. Well-known actor William Shatner is the bestselling author of Teklords and Tekwar. Tobias penned Voice of the Planet.

Takes a hard look at Hussein as someone who embraced a cruel blend of socialism, fascism and pan-Arab nationalism when young, and later became a coup plotter and a member of the Iraqi equivalent of Hitler's Brown Shirts. His genocidal brutality targeted Iraq's ethnic religious and minorities, particularly the Shiites and Kurds. During Saddam's war on Iran, he ordered artillery barrages of nerve gas and cyanide shells. Shows how Pres. George W. Bush does not intend merely to contain or even disarm Iraq. Instead, he plans to liberate this country and bring democracy to a land that for decades has known only dictatorship. Provides a definitive analysis of the Bush Doctrine and its shaping of a foreign policy that projects American influence on behalf of American interests.

"A deeply felt celebration of a classic novel--and a reflection on the ways our favorite books can shape and heal us"--

A hilarious and candid essay collection about living a normal life in Hollywood, where life is anything but normal, from mom, actress, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Tori Spelling. With her signature wit and unique Hollywood insight, Tori Spelling explores the adventures—and misadventures—of raising a family in Tinseltown. From balancing parenthood with tabloid pressures and from becoming a mini mogul to her evolving relationship with her mom, Tori takes us behind the glitz and glamor of being a modern-day celebrity. Featuring her whip-smart voice that fans know and love, she effortlessly illustrates that when you’re Tori Spelling, every day is uncharted territory.

What an unforgettable drama! With swift, powerful strokes he brushes in the background of the age with its abounding vitality, its great discoveries, its exuberant art and literature, its pageant of battles like knightly jousts, and of kings' palaces and of swelling commerce, and the thirst for sensation and for learning and full-blooded life. Against this many-colored background Zweig has painted two magnificent heads, those of Erasmus and Luther, his titanic adversary..... A contribution to the literature of the world -- says the New York Herald Tribune.

Prince Grigory Potemkin was Catherine the Great's lover and secret husband. An outstandingly gifted political counselor, he won the Crimea, founded the Black Sea Fleet, and made Russia a Near Eastern power. Volatile, handsome, and always astonishing, his magnificence enchanted and scandalized Europe.With all new research, Sebag Montefiore brings to life Potemkin's blazing love for Catherine, lays to rest the smear of the "Potemkin Villages", and restores him to his place as a colossus of the 18th century. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

In the spring of 2000, stand-up comedian Robert Schimmel was diagnosed with stage III non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and soon the fire of his white-hot career started to fizzle. But Schimmel never lost his sense of humor, his searing honesty, and most of all, his passion to make people laugh. Indeed, it was his basic need to entertain—even if the only people around him were suffering from cancer and the room he was playing was the Mayo Clinic infusion center—that carried him through his ordeal. Alternately laugh-out-loud funny and deeply moving, Cancer on 5 a Day is a stirring account of how one man's face-off with a deadly disease helped him better understand himself, and ultimately changed his life.

The riveting memoir of Rikki Klieman--an enormously successful defence attorney and television personality--as she discovers the possibilities of love in middle age with Los Angeles' new police commissioner, Bill Bratton. Thirty-five-year-old Rikki was named one of America's top five female trial attorneys by Time magazine for her work in criminal defence, one of the toughest branches of law for a woman to enter. She defended clients ranging from accused drug smugglers to media moguls to well-meaning Christian Scientists Ginger and David Twitchell, whose beliefs were put on trial after the death of their child. She waged a war of nerves with Boston police and the FBI during negotiations for the return of fugitive sixties radical Katherine Ann Power. As Rikki moved from success to success, however, the frenetic lifestyle of a defence attorney began to damage her health and happiness. She suffered from exhaustion, chronic back pain, and two failed marriages, but considered these afflictions to be part of "the price of the prize." After several decades as a practicing attorney, she joined Court TV, where she gained national prominence covering the O.J. Simpson trial and she went on to host Court TV's daily show Both Sides. Now, at midlife, this warrior with a woman's heart has finally achieved, in her loving marriage to LAPD chief Bill Bratton, the balance many seek but few find. Her dramatic story proves that fairy tales can come true and that great love and great success can go hand in hand.

In Fatwa: Hunted in America, Pamela Geller tells her own story of how she became one of the world's foremost activists for the freedom of speech, individual rights, and equality of rights for all. Pamela Geller recounts her unlikely journey from New York City career girl to indomitably fearless human rights activist, reviled by the enemies of freedom the world over. "I assumed my freedom," she writes. "Never for one moment did I think that it could be taken from me. But all that changed on one day." That day was September 11, 2001 -- when on a beautiful, bright blue sunny morning, the global jihad struck in America with terrifying and murderous force. The United States of America and the free world as a whole would never be the same again. Neither would Pamela Geller. In this book, Geller tells the whole extraordinary story of how she began chronicling her take on news events at her groundbreaking website Atlas Shrugs, then moved into activism, at first on behalf of Muslim girls who were being brutalized and victimized at home for not following the misogynistic rules of Islamic law, and then to stand against the advance of jihad and sharia on numerous fronts, above all for the freedom of speech, which is increasingly embattled in this age of jihad. It's all here: Geller recounts the battle to defeat the sinister Ground Zero mosque project; the ISIS attack at Geller's Mohammed Art Exhibit and Cartoon Contest in Garland, Texas; the fatwa issued to her and plot to behead her; and much more, including the relentless vilification from a mainstream media hell-bent on defaming and destroying everyone who stands for freedom against jihad terror and sharia oppression.Pamela Geller writes: "Any lover of freedom would have been tarred the same way I was, and many have been. I am but a proxy in this terrible, long war. What has happened to me is what happens, in small and large ways, to every American who stands for freedom." At last, in Fatwa: Hunted In America, she tells her story.