Other books that might interest you

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  Unique: A Memoir - A Memoir

  Dame Kelly Holmes

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  In national treasure Dame Kelly Holmes’ most personal book yet, she tells the true story behind her extraordinary life from army recruit to Olympic hero and much-loved TV personality. 
   
  Last year, Dame Kelly came out publicly as being gay and revealed that for the first 52 years of her life she’d been living a LIFE OF FEAR. Now in a heart-rending and inspirational new memoir she tells of her journey from hiding her sexuality as a young soldier at a time when being gay in the military was illegal, to her fears of being outed as she stood on the podium at the Athens Olympics, the games which catapulted her to fame as a double-gold medallist. 
   
  Dame Kelly tells how she has managed to find happiness and inner peace as she has opened herself to a world where she’s finally free to be herself, and proud. In the last year she has become an unofficial ambassador for the LGBT community and has become one of the best- loved faces of daytime TV, joining the regular panel of ITV’s Loose Women. 
   
  This honest memoir is a tale of self-discovery, overcoming struggles and learning to be true to yourself.

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  The Black Man's President -...

  Michael Burlingame

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  In a little-noted eulogy delivered after Lincoln's assassination, Frederick Douglass called the president "emphatically the black man's president," the "first to show any respect for their rights as men." Douglass pointed not just to Lincoln's official acts and utterances, like the Emancipation Proclamation or the Second Inaugural Address, but also to the president's own personal experiences with Black people. 
   
   
   
  But Lincoln's description as "emphatically the black man's president" rests on more than his relationship with Douglass or on his official words and deeds. Lincoln interacted with many other African Americans during his presidency. His unfailing cordiality to them, his willingness to meet with them in the White House, to honor their requests, to invite them to consult on public policy, to treat them with respect whether they were kitchen servants or leaders of the Black community, to invite them to attend receptions, to sing and pray with them in their neighborhoods—all those manifestations of an egalitarian spirit justified the tributes paid to him by Frederick Douglass and other African Americans. 
   
   
   
  Historian David S. Reynolds observed that only by examining Lincoln's "personal interchange with Black people do we see the complete falsity of the charges of innate racism that some have leveled against him over the years."

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  Radio Head Gal - a memoir of...

  Rebecca Knill

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  “I never wanted to be hearing. I said this out loud in my TED talk, and the audience went bug-eyed, struggling to process this heresy. How could anyone not want to be hearing? I wasn’t anti-hearing. I just felt my life would be simpler if everyone else were deaf.” So begins the compelling story of acclaimed TED speaker Rebecca Knill as she guides us through a life shaped by hearing loss. Throughout, Knill offers eye-opening insights into disability and celebrates the power of technology to level the playing field.A provocative memoir, Radio Head Gal challenges the notion that a deaf existence is inferior, advocating instead for hearing loss to be recognized as an aspect of physical diversity similar to race or gender identity. The memoir delves into themes of adaptation, discrimination, faith, mother/daughter dysfunction, and the quest for belonging in a world that remains largely inaccessible to the d/Deaf.Growing up before accommodation laws or smart technology, Knill reflects on her life pre- and post-cochlear implant ― a surgical procedure in which computer chips replaced her sense of hearing, cyborg-style ― and the birth of her alter ego, Radio Head Gal. The book's subject is timely: hearing loss now affects 1 in 5 young people, a 30% increase since the 1990s. By 2050, hearing loss is expected to swell to 1 in 4 across all age groups worldwide. As younger generations face this reality, technological innovation must follow.With humor and insight, Knill explores themes of self-worth, communication, and the pivotal role technology plays in promoting inclusion. Recognized as a Top 25 Talk of 2020 by the TED Editors,  Radio Head Gal is a vital resource to support those with hearing loss, providing intimate revelations and enlightening perspectives that cut through emotional barriers. Dive into this empowering narrative that challenges perceptions and advocates for an inclusive, technology-driven future, regardless of ability differences.

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  For Life

  Ailsa Piper

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  For fans of Julia Baird's Phosphorescence, Heather Rose's Nothing Bad Ever Happens Here or Indira Naidoo's The Space Between the Stars comes an unforgettable and moving insight into loss, hope and starting again, aided by the incredible healing power of nature and a community of unexpected angels. 
   
  I landed in this place six years ago in a welter of panic, pain and instinct. I'd been in fight-or-flight mode for twelve months, wanting only to keep on flying – or fleeing. I brought almost nothing of my previous life. Grief had made me ruthless; I threw and threw. (And yes, I knew how appalled you'd have been, Pete.) 
   
  My father implored me to stay with the familiar. Constants, he said, would give me scaffolding. Decades ago, when his second wife, my stepmother, died suddenly, habits were his protection and rituals his comfort - along with a packet or two of cigarettes a day. Friends, too, urged me to wait, to slow, to keep, to stay, but instead, I discarded and flew – or fled? - to this harbour… 
   
  A place of shelter or refuge.

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  New Zealand - A History of the...

  Lillian Brooks

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  New Zealand, known as Aotearoa in Māori, is a land rich in history and cultural significance. Located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, this island nation is renowned not only for its stunning landscapes but also for the diverse stories that have shaped its identity. The history of New Zealand is marked by the migration of its first inhabitants, the Māori, and the later arrival of Europeans, both of whom have contributed to the country’s unique social and cultural fabric. 
  The Māori people, the first to settle the islands, arrived from eastern Polynesia between the 9th and 13th centuries. Their journey to New Zealand is a story of exploration, resilience, and connection to the land. The Māori developed a sophisticated society with rich traditions, strong spiritual beliefs, and a deep connection to the natural world. Their oral histories, cultural practices, and the Māori language (Te Reo Māori) continue to shape the nation’s identity to this day. 
  The arrival of Europeans in the 17th century, particularly the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman and later Captain James Cook, marked the beginning of profound change for the Māori and the land itself. European settlers, driven by the promise of economic opportunities, eventually established colonies in the 19th century. This period saw the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, an agreement that aimed to establish a partnership between the Māori and the British Crown. Despite its noble intentions, the treaty's implementation and interpretation have been subjects of contention and legal battles for decades, particularly regarding Māori land rights.

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  Already Too Late - a boyhood memoir

  Carl MacDougall

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  In post-war Glasgow a primary school class was set a composition topic: a memorable family event. Each child completed the assignment – all, that is, but one. 
  Why didn't you write about your family?
  Please, miss. I didn't, I didn't know what to write.
  But now, he does.
  
  In Already, Too Late, Carl MacDougall, one of Scotland's most accomplished and celebrated literary writers, presents a memoir of extraordinary authenticity and honesty.
  
  This memoir takes us through MacDougall's upbringing, both in and out of care on the west coast of Scotland, Fife, and industrial Glasgow, during the first decade of his life.
  
  Within this world, now teetering on the brink of our collective memory, sits a single-parent household of German descent; money is tight, trauma roams free and tragedy comes calling again and again.
  
  Through a powerful mosaic of stories, MacDougall strips away all rose-tinted sentimentality to create a vivid account of heart-break, dissociation and loss.
  
  Already, Too Late is the early life of an outsider looking in, a changeling child, displaced, alone, and – in his own grandmother's words – 'no right'. Because for some, even the very beginning is already too late.

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