Other books that might interest you

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  Pandamonium! - How (Not) to Run...

  Simon Williams

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  'Hilarious, heart-wrenching and packed with British music history.' - COLDPLAY A Virgin Radio Book of the YearIt's a life-and-near-death story. But whose life? And whose near-death?As a one-time NME journalist, former Xfm radio presenter, toilet-circuit promoter and the founder of enduring homespun British record label Fierce Panda, Simon Williams has been at the cutting, cutting, cutting edge of all things 'indie' for over thirty years. During his tenure as managing director of Fierce Panda (a role he holds to this day), Simon was responsible for tripping over bands such as Coldplay, Keane, Placebo and countless other acts of independent hue - some of whom have gone on to achieve earth-shattering musical superstardom, while others have merely baffled the crowd at the Bull & Gate in north London on a wet Wednesday evening.Unfiltered and unflinching, Pandamonium! is the story of Simon's time at the indie coalface, filled with insider anecdotes to entertain music enthusiasts everywhere - from the origins of a bootlegged Oasis release to Chris Martin's delight at reaching number ninety-two in the charts. But it is also the story of how Simon tried to bring a premature end to proceedings, documenting in blunt, matter-of-fact detail his longstanding mental-health struggles.Yet, despite his raw and often poignant honesty, Simon writes with the warmth, wit, self-deprecation and wide-eyed good fortune of someone who has stared into the abyss and survived, bounding down a few indie rabbit holes along the way.

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  Anarchy in High Heels

  Denise Larson

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  A San Francisco porno theater might be the last place you'd expect to plant the seed of a feminist troupe, but truth is stranger than fiction. 
  In 1972, access to birth control and a burn-your-bra ethos were leading young women to repudiate their 1950s conservative upbringing and embrace a new liberation. Denise Larson was a timid twenty-four-year-old actress wannabe when, at an after-hours countercultural event called The People's Nickelodeon, she accidentally created Les Nickelettes. This banding together of like-minded women with an anything-goes spirit unlocked a deeply hidden female humor. For the first time, Denise allowed the suppressed satirical thoughts dancing through her head to come out in the open. Together with Les Nickelettes, which quickly became a brazen women's lib troupe, she presented a series of feminist skits, stunts, and musical comedy plays that led The Bay Guardian to describe the group in 1980 as "nutty, messy, flashy, trashy, and very funny." 
  With sisterhood providing the moxie, Denise took on leadership positions not common for women at the time: playwright, stage director, producer, and administrative/artistic director. But, in the end, the most important thing her time with Les Nickelettes taught her was the power of female friendship.

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  Descending Thirds

  Nicole Conn

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  Descending Thirds is an epic tale of love, ambition, and betrayal set against the lush world of classical music in 1965 New York—a searing triangular love affair that unfolds like a symphony of passion and suspense, culminating in two intriguing twists. 
  At the world’s most prestigious piano competition, three lives collide: Alexandra von Triessen, a gifted but emotionally guarded pianist, is torn between two extraordinary brothers: Sebastian D’Antonio, the devastatingly handsome showman who lights up every room he enters, and Conrad D’Antonio, the mysterious other-worldly genius whose music seems to rise from another realm. 
  What begins as artistic rivalry transforms into a spellbinding triangle of desire, ambition, and betrayal. Each encounter, each performance, builds like a crescendo toward heartbreak, redemption, and the haunting question: How much would you sacrifice for love… and for greatness? 
  Musical score snippets and original compositions woven throughout the narration give this story an elevated, cinematic dimension—allowing listeners to hear the emotions thrumming beneath every glance and confession. The result is a sensual, transcendent experience that merges romance and art into one unforgettable performance. 
  Inspired by Conn’s own mother—a pianist battling End Stage Parkinson’s who continues to play despite her failing hands—Descending Thirds resonates on a profoundly human level. It’s a story of love tested by ambition, of devotion to both people and art, and of beauty’s inevitable cost. 
  For listeners who crave intense, character-driven romance, sweeping emotion, and a touch of musical magic—Descending Thirds is a page-turner that delivers a concerto of heartache and passion you’ll feel long after the final note fades.

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  Close Encounters Of The Third...

  Film Trivia Metaverse

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  CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND 
  THE ULTIMATE TRIVIA COLLECTION 
    
  FROM THE MOVIE DIRECTED BY STEVEN SPIELBERG 
    
  CREATED BY FILM TRIVIA METAVERSE 
    
  ABOUT THE FILM 
  Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a 1977 science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg, which explores the theme of human contact with extraterrestrial life. The story follows Roy Neary, an ordinary man who experiences a close encounter with a UFO, leading him to become obsessed with understanding the phenomenon. As he and others search for answers, they are drawn to a mysterious location, Devil's Tower, where a series of strange events unfold. The film focuses on themes of wonder, communication, and the search for truth, blending human drama with awe-inspiring depictions of UFO encounters. 
    
  TRIVIA SAMPLES: 
    
  “Director Steven Spielberg stated that nothing in his life had been more difficult than editing the final 35 minutes of this film.” 
    
  “The words that the crowd in India chants are "Aaya Re! Aaya," which means "He has come" in Hindi.” 
    
  “For the scene in which Barry says "toys!" as he looks out the window and spots the UFOs, Steven Spielberg actually pulled out a toy car behind the camera to cause Barry's reaction.” 
    
  “This film is shown every night at the Devil's Tower KOA Campground, thereby making it one of the most screened movies ever.” 
    
  “The film became one of the first to have a "Special Edition" director's cut made when Steven Spielberg wanted to improve his original vision.” 
   

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  Artists Siblings Visionaries -...

  Judith Mackrell

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  'Outstanding' - The Guardian 'Judith Mackrell has done an incredible job in bringing to life the stories of these two great artists' - Anthony D’Offay'This is a must read . . . a deeply moving account of a family bursting with talent' - Anne SebbaIn Artists, Siblings, Visionaries, acclaimed biographer Judith Mackrell turns her attention to British brother and sister artists Gwen and Augustus John.In many ways they were polar opposites. Augustus was the larger of the two; vivid, volatile and promiscuous, he was a hero among romantics and bohemians, celebrated as one of the great British talents of his generation.As a woman, Gwen's place in the art world was much smaller, and her private way of working and reserved nature meant it was only long after her death that her tremendous gifts were fully acknowledged. But her temperament was as turbulent as her brother's. She formed passionate attachments to men and woman, including a long affair with the sculptor Rodin.And there were other ways in which the two Johns were remarkably alike, as Mackrell vividly reveals. The result is a powerful portrait of two prodigiously talented artists and visionaries, whose experiments with form and colour created some of the most memorable work of the early twentieth century.

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  The 50 Greatest Fashion...

  Emma Baxter-Wright

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  Fashion writer Emma Baxter-Wright introduces 50 of the world's most influential fashion designers and a selection of their most celebrated pieces. 
   
   
  Starting with the foundation of the 19th century House of Worth, perhaps the first real fashion house, through the designs of the hugely influential Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and Yves St Laurent, to Japanese designers such as Rei Kawakubo and Issey Miyake whose designs 'deconstructed' fashion in the 1980s and 1990s and the emerging stars of the present day, this book is a fascinating history of how fashion has developed over the past 160 years.

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