Other books that might interest you

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  Galileo - Watcher of the Skies

  David Wootton

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  “Demonstrates an awesome command of the vast Galileo literature . . . [Wootton] excels in boldly speculating about Galileo’s motives” (The New York Times Book Review).   Tackling Galileo as astronomer, engineer, and author, David Wootton places him at the center of Renaissance culture. He traces Galileo through his early rebellious years; the beginnings of his scientific career constructing a “new physics”; his move to Florence seeking money, status, and greater freedom to attack intellectual orthodoxies; his trial for heresy and narrow escape from torture; and his house arrest and physical (though not intellectual) decline. Wootton also reveals much that is new—from Galileo’s premature Copernicanism to a previously unrecognized illegitimate daughter—and, controversially, rejects the long-established belief that Galileo was a good Catholic.   Absolutely central to Galileo’s significance—and to science more broadly—is the telescope, the potential of which Galileo was the first to grasp. Wootton makes clear that it totally revolutionized and galvanized scientific endeavor to discover new and previously unimagined facts. Drawing extensively on Galileo’s voluminous letters, many of which were self-censored and sly, this is an original, arresting, and highly readable biography of a difficult, remarkable Renaissance genius.  Selected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title in the Astronautics and Astronomy Category   “Fascinating reading . . . With this highly adventurous portrayal of Galileo’s inner world, Wootton assures himself a high rank among the most radical recent Galileo interpreters . . . Undoubtedly Wootton makes an important contribution to Galileo scholarship.” —America magazine   “Wootton’s biography . . . is engagingly written and offers fresh insights into Galileo’s intellectual development.” —Standpoint magazine

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  Churchill and America

  Martin Gilbert

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  In this stirring book, Martin Gilbert tells the intensely human story of Winston Churchill's profound connection to America, a relationship that resulted in an Anglo-American alliance that has stood at the center of international relations for more than a century.Winston Churchill, whose mother, Jennie Jerome, the daughter of a leading American entrepreneur, was born in Brooklyn in 1854, spent much of his seventy adult years in close contact with the United States. In two world wars, his was the main British voice urging the closest possible cooperation with the United States. From before the First World War, he understood the power of the United States, the "gigantic boiler," which, once lit, would drive the great engine forward.Sir Martin Gilbert was appointed Churchill's official biographer in 1968 and has ever since been collecting archival and personal documentation that explores every twist and turn of Churchill's relationship with the United States, revealing the golden thread running through it of friendship and understanding despite many setbacks and disappointments. Drawing on this extensive store of Churchill's own words — in his private letters, his articles and speeches, and press conferences and interviews given to American journalists on his numerous journeys throughout the United States — Gilbert paints a rich portrait of the Anglo-American relationship that began at the turn of the last century.In Churchill and America, Gilbert explores how Churchill's intense rapport with this country resulted in no less than the liberation of Europe and the preservation of European democracy and freedom. It also set the stage for the ongoing alliance that has survived into the twenty-first century."This is a fascinating story, straightforward and well told, of one of the 20th century's most important leaders and the critical connection he forged between the world's fading superpower and its rising one."—Publishers Weekly"It is doubtful whether anyone on this planet knows more about the life and times of Winston Churchill than his official biographer, Sir Martin Gilbert."—Library Journal

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  The Outdoors Fix - Stories to...

  Liv Bolton

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  Do you wish you could make the outdoors a bigger part of your life?
  Liv Bolton, host of the chart-topping podcast The Outdoors Fix, presents an inspiring collection of stories about ordinary people who have done just that. By making time for their passions – from walking, running, climbing, swimming and paddleboarding to photography, filmmaking, cooking and conservation – they have found their daily lives transformed through immersion in nature and the countryside. The chapters include the stories of outdoor instructor Rehna Yaseen, mental-health campaigner Alex Staniforth, Black Girls Hike regional leader Oge Ejizu and coastal runner Elise Downing.
  Time outdoors can be hugely beneficial, and even small changes can make a big difference: improving happiness, enhancing work–life balance, introducing new friendships and boosting physical and mental health. Packed with stunning photographs and practical tips encompassing everything from after-work local adventures to spending a night out on the hills, The Outdoors Fix might just provide the inspiration you need to embrace the great outdoors and live more adventurously.

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  Finding Myself Facing Cancer -...

  Sarah Fenlon Falk

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  Sarah would say there is no such thing as meaningless suffering, just that which we don't understand. And she would go on to explain her belief that even in the midst of our confusion we can choose to make meaning of those difficult experiences. 
  In Finding Myself ... Facing Cancer, Sarah Fenlon Falk shares from her journals both as a teenager with bone cancer and as a young mother in her forties dealing with first breast cancer, then skin cancer. 
  Sarah speaks candidly of the physical, emotional and spiritual struggles of the cancer experience with an attitude of hope and the deeply rooted belief that there is purpose even in the midst of pain.

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  The Lucky Few - Finding God's...

  Heather Avis

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  These are the faces that call me “mom,” the three children who made me a mother.            When I started my journey into parenthood I never thought it would look like this. I never planned on having three adopted children, and I certainly never imagined that two of them would have Down syndrome. But like most of the things God does, once we stepped into the craziness and confusion of the unknown and unplanned, we quickly realized that we were indeed among the lucky few.            When my husband and I decided to grow our family ten years ago, we were surprised to find that getting pregnant was not as easy as we had thought it would be. And as we navigated the ups and downs of infertility, God led us down the path of adoption. Of course, we would adopt! Not what we had originally planned, but certainly a wonderful option.            But just as we began to get a comfortable grasp on growing our family through adoption, God introduced us to Macyn Hope, a very sick little girl with Down syndrome who desperately needed a family. As we continued to follow God’s calling, first with Macyn, and later with Truly and then August, we found ourselves further and further from the comfortable paths we thought our lives would take, and instead moving down some very scary, and often painful roads.            Even though at times His plan seemed terrifying and even downright foolish, little could we have known how much goodness, blessing, and joy would flow out of loving these three little people He’s put into our lives. No, it’s not been easy: not the open-heart surgeries or the challenges of raising two children with Down syndrome or the complexities of dealing with birth-families or the struggles we’ve had with the public education system. But through it all, every new and uncomfortable situation has only proven to be another chance to see how very good God’s plan is for our lives and how downright lucky we are to be able to live it out.                  It’s only the lucky few that recognize that the most beautiful things in this life are often found in the differences. What some would see as misfortune, I’ve learned to see as nothing more than pure luck.

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  Sons of Guns - Straight-Shootin'...

  Will Hayden

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  The official tie-in to the popular Discovery reality series that follows a Louisiana-based custom firearms business.With his characteristic down-home wit and wisdom, Will Hayden tells the stories behind some of the best episodes of the hit Discovery series Sons of Guns. He'll let you in on his all-time favorite weapons and what it takes to modify a run-of-the-mill rifle into a world-class work of art. Hear his take on guns in America, from their construction and history to the importance of using them responsibly. Learn about Will's trials and tribulations and what it took to create a successful, family-owned firearms business.If there's one thing folks from Louisiana can do, says Will, it's tell a heck of a story. This book is the next best thing to sitting around the campfire with Will and the boys (and his daughter, Stephanie), listening to him recount his favorite ones.

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