Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

• 

  Starstruck - My Unlikely Road to...

  Leonard Maltin

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Hollywood historian and film reviewer Leonard Maltin invites listeners to pull up a chair as he tells stories, many of them hilarious, from fifty-plus years of interacting with legendary movie stars, writers, directors, producers, and cartoonists. Maltin grew up in the first decade of television, immersing himself in TV programs and the 1930s and ’40s movies hitting the small screen. His fan letters to admired performers led to unexpected correspondences, then to interviews and the publication of his own fan magazine. Maltin’s career as a freelance writer and New York Times bestselling author, as well as his thirty-year run on Entertainment Tonight, gave him access to Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Sean Connery, Shirley Temple, and Jimmy Stewart, among hundreds of other Golden Age stars, his interviews cutting through the Hollywood veneer and revealing the human behind each legend. Starstruck also offers a fascinating glimpse inside the Disney empire, and Maltin’s tenure teaching USC’s popular film course reveals insights into moviemaking along with access to past, current, and future stars of film, such as George Lucas, Kevin Feige, Quentin Tarantino, and Guillermo del Toro.

  Mostra libro

• 

  The Fall of the Monarchy - The...

  Amara Blackwood

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  The Ancien Régime, the political and social system that governed France for centuries, was built on a rigid hierarchy that concentrated power in the hands of the monarchy and nobility. This structure, deeply rooted in tradition, relied on the divine right of kings, reinforcing the belief that the king’s authority was absolute and unquestionable. King Louis XVI, like his predecessors, ruled with the assumption that his word was law, but by the late 18th century, the very foundations of this system were beginning to crumble. Economic hardship, social inequality, and growing discontent among the people exposed the fragility of a monarchy that had long ignored the demands of change. 
  At the heart of the Ancien Régime was the Estates System, which divided French society into three distinct groups. The First Estate consisted of the clergy, who enjoyed vast privileges, including exemption from most taxes. The Second Estate was made up of the nobility, who held significant land and influence while also being largely free from taxation. The Third Estate, which comprised the vast majority of the population, included peasants, urban workers, and the emerging bourgeoisie. This group bore the heaviest tax burden while having little political power, a reality that bred resentment and a growing desire for reform. 
  The economic struggles of France further weakened the monarchy’s stability. Years of extravagant spending by the royal court, particularly under King Louis XV and Louis XVI, had left the country in financial ruin. The lavish expenditures of Queen Marie Antoinette, though exaggerated in popular discourse, became a symbol of royal excess. Additionally, France’s costly involvement in the American Revolution had drained the treasury, deepening the crisis. By the 1780s, the government faced an insurmountable debt, and repeated attempts to impose new taxes on the privileged classes were met with fierce resistance.

  Mostra libro

• 

  Complicated Women

  Bee Wilson

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  In 'Complicated Women', Bee Wilson explores the lives of ten women who achieved notoriety and influence in their own times and whose legacy is still felt today. Her subjects include Maria Montessori, author of the groundbreaking philosophy of child-centred learning, and Hedy Lamar, who developed the ideas behind wifi. For Clara Petacci, power came through her private life, while Alma Mahler faced the choice between creative and personal fulfilment.In this collection of ten biographical essays, originally published in the London Review of Books, Wilson takes a candid look at her subjects and asks what it takes for a woman to make her mark in a world where legitimate sources of power are often denied. A bravura performance is one answer: from the clumsy but audacious fake Spanish dancer Lola Montez to the dazzlingly talented and politically daring Elizabeth Taylor. For the self-effacing Constance Lytton, her greatest act came in prison, exposing the British government's treatment of working-class suffragettes. But perhaps the most complicated accounts emerge from the world of fashion, where Coco Chanel and Vivienne Westwood challenged the way women are allowed to appear in the world.This audiobook also features an introductory conversation between Bee Wilson and Malin Hay, an editor at the LRB and presenter of the LRB Podcast.Subjects covered: Lola Montez, Constance Lytton, Maria Montessori, Alma Mahler, Coco Chanel, Clara Petacci, Edith Piaf, Hedy Lamarr, Elizabeth Taylor, Vivienne Westwood.These pieces have been amended in places from the original for the purposes of recording.

  Mostra libro

• 

  The Wind at My Back - Resilience...

  Misty Copeland, Susan Fales-Hill

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  From celebrated ballerina and New York Times bestselling author Misty Copeland, a heartfelt memoir about her friendship with trailblazer Raven Wilkinson which captures the importance of mentorship, shared history, and honoring the past to ensure a stronger future.Misty Copeland made history as the first African-American principal ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre. Her talent, passion, and perseverance enabled her to make strides no one had accomplished before. But as she will tell you, achievement never happens in a void. Behind her, supporting her rise was her mentor Raven Wilkinson. Raven had been virtually alone in her quest to breach the all-white ballet world when she fought to be taken seriously as a Black ballerina in the 1950s and 60s. A trailblazer in the world of ballet decades before Misty’s time, Raven faced overt and casual racism, hostile crowds, and death threats for having the audacity to dance ballet.The Wind at My Back tells the story of two unapologetically Black ballerinas, their friendship, and how they changed each other—and the dance world—forever. Misty Copeland shares her own struggles with racism and exclusion in her pursuit of this dream career and honors the women like Raven who paved the way for her but whose contributions have gone unheralded. She celebrates the connection she made with her mentor, the only teacher who could truly understand the obstacles she faced, beyond the technical or artistic demands.A beautiful and wise memoir of intergenerational friendship and the impressive journeys of two remarkable women, The Wind at My Back captures the importance of mentorship, of shared history, and of respecting the past to ensure a stronger future.

  Mostra libro

• 

  The Making of Hero - Four...

  Sunil Kant Munjal, Shubhankar

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  WINNER OF THE 2020 TATA LITERATURE LIVE! BUSINESS BOOK AWARD 
   
  From the bylanes of Kamalia and the rugged landscapes of Quetta in India of the 1940s which later became Pakistan, they escaped to the Partition-ravaged cities of Amritsar, Agra, Delhi and finally settled in Ludhiana with little more than the shirts on their backs. From here, four of the six Munjal brothers built their business, part by part.  
  This is an authentic 'Make in India' story about overcoming many odds: labyrinthine red tape, tepid economic growth and later, global competition. It follows the lives and times of the four Munjal brothers who lived together and scripted a dramatic revolution on two wheels without any formal education or resources. In parallel, it's also the story of how an agrarian economy like India, with limited means of transportation, took wing on the back of this two-wheel revolution.

  Mostra libro

• 

  Memoirs of an American Buddhist...

  Deborah Favorite

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Do you ever feel like you're stuck wallowing in a swamp ... or that you just don't deserve to be happy ... or that maybe you simply don't have what it takes to pursue your dreams? What if following an old family recipe could guarantee great outcomes for all that ails you? Would you be willing to put your little toe in the water? Even if your unhappiness seems too much of a comfort zone to try; this book is just what the doctor ordered! No matter the intensity or vastness of any challenge, Favorite's raw depictions of her nearly 50 year journey with her Buddhist practice unfailingly proves the proof for turning poison into medicine is in the pudding. And, she happily divulges the ingredients needed to become your own champions! So if you're disenchanted with the same old menu, pull up a chair at the kitchen table, and take a nibble on the sweet taste of victory! It isn't always easy, but the rewards will always be magnificent ... so long as we NEVER GIVE UP!

  Mostra libro