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  Setting the Tone - Essays and a...

  Ned Rorem

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  A sterling collection of essays, commentary, reviews, and personal recollections on art, love, and the musical life, from Ned Rorem, award-winning composer and author extraordinaireNed Rorem, the acclaimed American composer and writer, displays his incisive, sometimes outrageous genius for artistic critique and social commentary with a grand flourish in this engaging collection of essays and diary entries. Fearlessly offering opinions on a wealth of subjects—from the lives of the famous and infamous to popular culture to the state of contemporary art—Rorem proves once again that he is an artist who tells unforgettable stories not only through music, but with a pen, as well. Setting the Tone gathers together essays and commentary previously published elsewhere and combines them with pages from Rorem’s ongoing diary, offering readers a vivid and enlightening view of Rorem’s world along with an honest portrait of the author himself. Whether he’s lambasting critics and former friends and acquaintances, vivisecting opera, or presenting his views on theater, film, books, or composers and their music, Rorem is ingenious, incorrigible, and madly entertaining.

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  James Monroe - A Republican...

  Brook Poston

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  Despite serving his country for fifty years and being among the most qualified men to hold the office of president, James Monroe is an oft-forgotten Founding Father. In this book, Brook Poston reveals how Monroe attempted to craft a legacy for himself as a champion of American republicanism.Monroe's dedication to the vision of a modern republic built on liberty began when he joined the American Revolution. His devotion to the cause further developed under his apprenticeship to Thomas Jefferson. These experiences spurred him to support the virtues of republicanism during the French Revolution, when he tried to create an alliance between the United States and the French republic despite ire from the US Federalist party. As he climbed the political ranks, Monroe's achievements began to add up: he played a significant role in the Louisiana Purchase, helped lead the fight against Great Britain in the War of 1812, oversaw the acquisition of Florida from Spain, and created the Monroe Doctrine to protect the Americas from the influence of European monarchies.

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  Growing Up bin Laden - Osama's...

  Najwa bin Laden, Omar bin Laden,...

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  "I was not always the wife of Osama bin Laden. Once I was an innocent child dreaming little girl dreams."Thus begins this powerful story by Najwa bin Laden, who married her cousin Osama bin Laden at the age of fifteen to become his first wife and the mother to eleven of his children, and her son, Omar bin Laden, the fourth-born son of Osama bin Laden. Together, mother and son tell an extraordinarily powerful story of a man hated by so many yet both loved and feared by his family, with spine-tingling details about the life and times of the man they knew as a husband and father, including:-Osama's disapproval of modern conveniences, including electricity and medicine-His plan to toughen up his sons by taking them into the desert without food or water-Transporting his wives and children to the rough terrain of Sudan, where he claimed to be preparing them for attacks from western powers, commanding them to dig holes and to sleep in those holes, allowing nothing more than sand and twigs for cover-Omar's horror at the rape and murder of a boy his own age by members of a jihadist group living among them in the Sudan-What happened in the bin Laden home in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the morning of September 11, 2001, and Omar's surprise phone call with his mother, who escaped from Afghanistan only two days before the shattering events that killed so many innocent peopleSince September 11, 2001, journalists have struggled to uncover carefully guarded information about Osama's private life. Until now, Osama bin Laden's family members have not cooperated with any writers or journalists. Now, with unprecedented access and insight, Jean Sasson, author of the bestselling Princess: A True Story Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia, takes us inside the secret world of Osama bin Laden.

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  How to Be a Good Creature - A...

  Sy Montgomery

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  Understanding someone who belongs to another species can be transformative. No one knows this better than author, naturalist, and adventurer Sy Montgomery. To research her books, Sy has traveled the world and encountered some of the planet's rarest and most beautiful animals. From tarantulas to tigers, Sy's life continually intersects with and is informed by the creatures she meets.This restorative memoir reflects on the personalities and quirks of 13 animals — Sy's friends — and the truths revealed by their grace. It also explores vast themes: the otherness and sameness of people and animals; the various ways we learn to love and become empathetic; how we find our passion; how we create our families; coping with loss and despair; gratitude; forgiveness; and most of all, how to be a good creature in the world.

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  Saturday Nights with Daddy at...

  Libby Leverett-Crew

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  The daughter of the Grand Ole Opry’s official photographer reminisces about witnessing country music history alongside her father in this memoir. 
   
  Like many little girls, Libby Leverett-Crew’s father, Les Leverett, often had to work nights and weekends. But unlike many girls, Libby’s father took her along to his job—where he was the official photographer for the Grand Ole Opry for more than thirty years. 
   
  First at the historic Ryman Auditorium, and later at the Grand Ole Opry House, Libby Leverett-Crew was a witness to country music history. And now some forty years later, she pays tribute to the wonderful people who touched the lives of her entire family while at the same time hearing witness to the powerful impact a loving father can have on his child’s life. 
   
  In Saturday Nights with Daddy at the Opry, Libby Leverett-Crew shares not only her remarkable memories of those Saturday nights with Dolly Parton, Minnie Pearl, Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe, and countless others, including assorted Muppets, astronauts, ballet dancers, actors, Andy Warhol, and k.d. lang, but also a beautiful father-daughter relationship. The book also includes more than 100 photographs from her father. 
   
  Praise for Saturday Nights with Daddy at the Opry 
   
  “Les Leverett has added so much class and talent to our world; I’m not surprised that his daughter, Libby, has done this book. Yeah, Libby good for you. I’m proud to have baby-sat you from time to time backstage. You were always a joy.” —Dolly Parton 
   
  “There’s an old song, “I Was There When It Happened So I Guess I Oughta Know.” That’s [Libby’s] story inside the world of country music. I knew her first as Les Leverett’s kid. It must be in the water at their house because she’s come into her own as a masterful photographer. She also wields a pen that has a detailed memory for great storytelling.” —Marty Stuart

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  A Walk Through the Wilderness

  Dan Conger

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  A Walk Through the Wilderness takes the reader on a harrowing adventure through the rigid psychological manipulation of a fundamentalist cult, the many joys and sorrows during the years of recovery afterwards, the seeming hopelessness of infertility, and finally to a joy realized. 
  Being raised in a liberal Christian home, Dan never imagined the sorrows he would face as his faith evolved into fundamentalist cult status. For many years he lived under a rigid religious control structure that managed every aspect of his life and resulted in deep emotional scarring. During the years of recovery after his involvement, he and his wife Chanthy suffered through years of infertility which (combined with the cult experiences) resulted in both of them becoming atheists. There is hope, however, for Dan & Chanthy as their journey leads them through the joy of a successful adoption effort and the coming to fruition of their desires for a happy and healthy family. 
  In Dan Conger’s book we experience his faith and his doubt, his sorrows and his hopes, his joys and his expectations for a bright future. The reader is welcomed to come along on A Walk Through the Wilderness.

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