Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

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  Raptor - A Journey through Birds

  James Macdonald Lockhart

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  “This illuminating book serves as homage to a brilliant naturalist and extraordinary birds. If you loved H Is for Hawk, put this next on your reading list.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) 
   
  From the merlin to the golden eagle, the goshawk to the honey buzzard, James Macdonald Lockhart’s stunning debut is a quest of beak, talon, wing, and sky. On its surface, Raptor is a journey across the British Isles in search of fifteen species of birds of prey, but as Lockhart seeks out these elusive predators, his quest becomes so much more: an incomparably elegant elegy on the beauty of the British landscape and, through the birds, a journey toward understanding an awesome power at the heart of the natural world—a power that is majestic and frightening in its strength, but also fragile. 
   
  Linking his journey to that of his muse—nineteenth-century Scottish naturalist and artist William MacGillivray—Lockhart shares his own encounters with raptors ranging from the scarce osprey to the successfully reintroduced red kite, a species once protected by medieval royal statute, revealing with poetic immediacy the extraordinary behaviors of these birds and the extreme environments they call home. 
   
  Creatures both worshipped and reviled, raptors have a talon-hold on the human heart and imagination. With his book, Lockhart unravels these complicated ties in a work by turns reverent and euphoric—an interweaving of history, travel, and nature writing at its best. A hymn to wanderers, to the land and to the sky, and especially to the birds, Raptor soars. 
   
  “Lockhart’s soaring debut is a perfect synthesis of travel writing and natural history.” —Financial Times

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  The Pioneering Life of Mary...

  Jo Willett

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  The first biography to look at the early feminist and radical Mary Wortley Montagu, who successfully introduced Britain to the inoculation against the smallpox virus.300 years ago, in April 1721, a smallpox epidemic was raging in England. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu knew that she could save her 3-year-old daughter using the process of inoculation. She had witnessed this at first hand in Turkey, while she was living there as the wife of the British ambassador. She also knew that by inoculating - making her daughter the first person protected in the West - she would face opposition from doctors, politicians and clerics. Her courageous action eventually led to the eradication of smallpox and the prevention of millions of deaths.  But Mary was more than a scientific campaigner. She mixed with the greatest politicians, writers, artists and thinkers of her day. She was also an important early feminist, writing powerfully and provocatively about the position of women.  She was best friends with the poet Alexander Pope. They collaborated on a series of poems, which made her into a household name, an ‘It Girl.' But their friendship turned sour and he used his pen to vilify her publicly.  Aristocratic by birth, Mary chose to elope with Edward Wortley Montagu, whom she knew she did not love, so as to avoid being forced into marrying someone else. In middle age, her marriage stale, she fell for someone young enough to be her son - and, unknown to her, bisexual. She set off on a new life with him abroad. When this relationship failed, she stayed on in Europe, narrowly escaping the coercive control of an Italian con man.  After twenty-two years abroad, she returned home to London to die. The son-in-law she had dismissed as a young man had meanwhile become Prime Minister.

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  Wilderness Essays

  John Muir

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  Part of John Muir's appeal to modern readers is that he not only explored the American West and wrote about its beauties but also fought for their preservation. His successes dot the landscape and are evident in all the natural features that bear his name: forests, lakes, trails, and glaciers. Here collected are some of Muir's finest wilderness essays, ranging in subject matter from Alaska to Yellowstone, from Oregon to the High Sierra.

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  Bouncing Back - I've Survived...

  Joan Rivers

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  A fiercely honest and moving story of how Joan Rivers, one of comedy's greatest stars, survived the worst that life could throw at her, how she hit bottom and then made it back to the top. 
  "There are many self-help books by Ph.D's, but I hold a different degree: an I.B.T.I.A. — I've Been Through It All. This degree comes not on parchment but on gauze, and it entitles me to tell you that there is a way to get through any misfortune."  —From Bouncing BackSurvival stratagems from Joan RiversWhatever doesn't kill you makes you strongerAnd always remember: Surviving is the best revengeLook at Alexander Graham Bell, who did 22,000 experiments before he hit on the telephone. Just a few more and he would have had call waitingWhenever I hit bottom, the only thing I think of was set down by Jerome Kern: Pick myself up, dust myself off and start all over again. Dr. Kevorkian will get no call from me, unless I think he'd look good in a brooch.

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  Death Row Innocence? - Criminal...

  Erica Elliston

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  Are all prisoners on death row really guilty of the crimes they’ve been convicted of? 
  According to Pew Research Center, 78% of US adults are not convinced of the fairness of the death penalty and doubt its effectiveness as a deterrent to heinous crimes. . 
  Do you share the same views? Or do you have complete trust in the judicial process? 
  If you’re looking to broaden your grasp of this subject matter, you’ve come to the right place. 
  You will gain insights into the legal, moral, social, and personal implications of this type of criminal case.  
   In Death Row Innocence?, you will discover:10 gripping stories of people sentenced to death — and how each illustrates the intricate workings (and failures) of the systemHow race and gender have always influenced the way crimes are handled in courtWhy common perspectives about fairness and justice don’t always align with legal definitionsWhat the judicial system is doing to correct mistakes made in the past regarding the handling of serious crimes and are they doing enough?Shocking details showing how unfair convictions can result from false testimonies or coerced confessionsWhat the institution provides after overturning a wrongful conviction — is it enough to compensate for the irreparable damage done?Actual cases, facts, and outcomes that will open your eyes to the cold reality of legal justice 
  As you’re about to uncover, you can support various causes and organizations all working toward the same goal of realizing true justice in our society. 
  The first step, however, is to immerse yourself in the facts and contexts relevant to the issues.  
  Raise your awareness, let your voice be heard, and be an advocate of fair justice.

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  Barking to the Choir - The Power...

  Gregory Boyle

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  In this “beautiful and important and soul-transporting book,” a Jesuit priest shares what his work with LA gangs has taught him about compassion and faith (Elizabeth Gilbert, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love). 
   
  In his first book, Tattoos on the Heart, Gregory Boyle introduced us to Homeboy Industries, the largest gang-intervention program in the world. Critics hailed that book as an “astounding literary and spiritual feat” (Publishers Weekly) that is “destined to become a classic of both urban reportage and contemporary spirituality” (Los Angeles Times). Now, after the suc­cessful expansion of Homeboy Industries, Boyle returns with Barking to the Choir to reveal how com­passion is transforming the lives of gang members. 
   
  Barking to the Choir offers a snapshot into the challenges and joys of life on the margins. Sergio, arrested at age nine, in a gang by age twelve, and serving time shortly thereafter, now works with the substance-abuse team at Homeboy to help others find sobriety. Jamal, abandoned by his family, gradually finds forgive­ness for his schizophrenic mother. New father Cuco, who never knew his own dad, thinks of a daily adventure on which to take his four-year-old son. These former gang members uplift the soul and reveal how bright life can be when filled with unconditional love and kindness. 
   
  Gently and humorously, Barking to the Choir invites us to find kinship with one another and re-convinces us all of our own goodness. 
   
  “If you’re in the market for genuine inspiration, I urge you to read Barking to the Choir by Gregory Boyle, a book that shows what the platitudes of faith look like when they’re put into action.” —Ann Patchett, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Tom Lake

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