Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

• 

  The Yin and the Yang of It All -...

  John Kim Faye

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  In 1966—the Year of the Horse, not to mention Revolver and Pet Sounds — John Kim Faye was born out of wedlock to a 40-year-old Korean mother and a 62-year-old Irish father. Faye grew up in the state of Delaware, where laws forbidding interracial marriage were still on the books until 1967.As the lead singer and primary songwriter of the Caulfields, Faye was one of the only mixed-race Asian American frontman to sign a major record contract in the alternative rock heyday of the 1990s. In an era that preceded K-Pop—and even the rise of the internet—Faye’s personal journey did not lead to superstardom. Instead, The Yin and The Yang of it All is a memoir about the discovery of a voice, a tribe, and a musical ethnicity that runs far deeper than his Korean/Irish roots.Bookended by the loss of this father against the backdrop of his tumultuous childhood in the post-Vietnam 70s and his mother’s tragic passing in 2012, Faye’s story weaves a tapestry of revealing moments as told from his unique perspective on the cusps of identity, race, and fame.

  Mostra libro

• 

  Pirates of Empire - Illicit...

  Davis Truman

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  In the turbulent centuries of empire, the Caribbean was not merely a battlefield of nations, it was the beating heart of a global underground. Pirates of Empire reveals how smugglers, privateers, and rogue traders built an illicit economy that reshaped the Atlantic world, fueling fortunes, revolutions, and the birth of modern capitalism itself. 
  From Havana to Port Royal, from Bristol’s counting houses to the hidden coves of Hispaniola, Davis Truman uncovers the shadow networks that thrived beneath imperial rule. These were the real architects of the empire’s wealth, men and women who blurred the line between outlaw and entrepreneur, freedom and servitude, conquest and survival. Their ships carried more than plunder: they carried people, ideas, and commodities that transformed continents. 
  With gripping storytelling and cutting-edge scholarship, Pirates of Empire reframes piracy not as rebellion against empire, but as its indispensable partner. It exposes how colonial powers quietly relied on black markets to sustain their ambitions, and how these hidden economies gave rise to the modern Caribbean, multicultural, volatile, and endlessly creative. 
  Blending adventure and analysis, Pirates of Empire invites readers to sail into the murky waters where legality and legitimacy collided, and where the foundations of the modern world were forged in contraband and courage.

  Mostra libro

• 

  Finding Home - A Memoir

  Denise Nicholas

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  “This stirring memoir proves what readers of Nicholas’s debut novel, Freshwater Road, already know: that Nicholas, a pioneer Black actress, is also a writer of deep talent and understated eloquence. This is not your typical Hollywood tell-all, full of ‘I did this, and I did that,’ complete with cheap shots and horrible reveals about the rich and famous with whom she worked. Rather, it’s a long thoughtful moment, in which an artist peers into the looking glass and reflects on her life in a manner that allows us to see every corner of every room she’s ever been in—and every corner of every room we’ve ever been in. Because her story is ours. Nicholas is a distinct American voice. Her inspiring story, written with deep humility and refreshing honesty, is further proof that women will one day save this country. And I’m a witness.” —James McBride, National Book Award winner 
   
  A poignant, revelatory memoir from acclaimed novelist and actor Denise Nicholas that offers an episodic exploration of her multifaceted life, delving intimately into themes of artistic self-invention, race, and grief.  
   
  Long before writing her acclaimed novel Freshwater Road, or her career as a path-breaking TV and film star, Denise Nicholas was a middle-class Black girl growing up in 1950s Detroit, struggling to decipher her family’s profound secrets. She loved Detroit’s vibrant culture despite the harsh realities of its racial segregation, which deeply influenced her perspective on identity. In her early twenties, she dropped out of the University of Michigan to tour the Deep South with the Free Southern Theater at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, a path that ultimately ignited her lifelong commitment to social justice and activism. A few short years later she would launch from stage work to meteoric national fame as a series lead on the groundbreaking ABC-TV show Room 222, a role that earned her three consecutive Golden Globe nominations. 
   
  With eloquence, vulnerability, and resolve, Nicholas mines her six-decade journey through TV and film stardom, the complexities of her three marriages, and her reconstituting her creative life to become a celebrated novelist, reflecting on the personal, professional, and societal pressures that buffeted her throughout. Constructed of episodic reflections from both personal and professional high points and low points of her life, Nicholas navigates the intersections of love and identity, exploring how her experiences in Hollywood shaped her understanding of success, intimacy, and commitment. Her narrative is rich with anecdotes from her career in Hollywood, as an actor and, later, a successful screenwriter for television and eventually a novelist, providing a backdrop to the struggles and achievements that marked her path. She outspokenly discusses the challenges she faced as a trailblazing actress of color, shedding light on the systemic barriers and biases within the entertainment industry.  
   
  But at the deepest level, this memoir is a heartfelt exploration of grief, as Nicholas recounts the profound losses—including the unsolved, targeted slaying of her sister, the telling of which occupies the center of her story—that have shaped her.  Her reflections on mourning and resilience paint a vivid, moving portrait of how to journey through healing to new dimensions of self-discovery. Through her powerful, stylish, and evocative storytelling, Nicholas not only chronicles her own remarkable life but also provides a resonant narrative of what it means to live, work, and succeed as a Black woman in America over the past half-century.

  Mostra libro

• 

  An Island Christmas - Nollaig...

  Micheál Ó Conghaile

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  In 'An Island Christmas - Nollaig Oileánach', celebrated Irish author Micheál Ó Conghaile takes readers on a heartfelt journey through his childhood memories of Christmas on the now-abandoned island of Connemara's Inis Treabhair.
  
  
  'An Island Christmas - Nollaig Oileánach' transcends the holiday season, weaving together tales of the simple joys of Christmas on the island with the broader tapestry of childhood memories, friendships, and the cherished personalities of the island community. Ó Conghaile reminisces about the unique traditions and customs of his island upbringing in the 1960s and 70s in this captivating memoir. Delving into the island's social history he paints a vivid picture of family life in an intimate portrait of island culture and a pre-electric era that will captivate readers of all ages.
  
  
  Though the island is no longer inhabited, Ó Conghaile's recollections serve as a poignant reminder of the enduring importance of family, community, and the magic of childhood. Whether you are a fan of Ó Conghaile's previous works or new to his writing, 'An Island Christmas - Nollaig Oileánach', offers a heartfelt and enchanting glimpse into a bygone era, making it a delightful read for any time of the year.
  
  
  An inspiring insight into the life of a passionate artist and powerhouse behind the resurgence of Irish language writing and publishing, witness Ó Conghaile's journey from an eager young boy tapping away on a typewriter to the founder of renowned publishing house Cló Iar-Chonnacht. Translated from the Irish by Mícheál Ó hAodha.

  Mostra libro

• 

  No More Laughing at the Deaf Boy...

  Geoffrey Ball

  • 1
  • 7
  • 0

  Hearing loss affects countless millions of people, yet few sufferers even seek help, let alone try to find a cure. This is the story of a man who took on that daunting task and ultimately invented the world's most successful middle ear implant.
  Geoffrey Ball's adventure in technology began in the legendary Silicon Valley of California, the birthplace of so many innovations that have transformed our world, and ultimately led him to the mountains of Austria, where he now lives and continues his work. 
  Ball's deafness was diagnosed early, but even as a child he knew that sign language and conventional hearing aids were not the answer. Despite his proficiency in lipreading, he wanted more - a better fix. Meanwhile, Ball never let his disability stand in his way. He became a kind of modern Renaissance man with interests that ranged from literature to sports to music, all coupled with an undeniable talent for entrepreneurship and invention.
  The author introduces us to family and friends, surfing buddies and lab rats, business partners and fellow inventors, computer and Internet legends, a brilliant, larger-than-life mentor who gave him his start, and the woman who ultimately saved his brainchild. He intersperses insights into technology, funding and business acumen with personal, often humorous anecdotes and fascinating accounts of successes, failures and near misses along the way.
  Today, every hour, somewhere in the world, one of his ground- breaking devices improves the quality of life of a hearing-impaired person. No one is laughing at the deaf boy now, and we haven't heard the last of Geoffrey Ball.

  Mostra libro

• 

  The Life of Karma - The dark...

  M R Kristoffersen

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  I had been alone before, surrounded by the abyss's darkness and demons' red eyes. The void had seemed endless, with no hope of escape or salvation from the horrors that awaited me. But now, I stood firm, determined never to let anyone conquer my mind again. The more they tried to put me down, the more I pushed back with all my strength, showing them who I was and what I could achieve. And I would succeed- oh yes, I would succeed- so they could never forget who I was and what I had accomplished. The sound of distant screams echoed in my ears as I raised my head high, ready to face whatever lay ahead. I was the magic they wanted, but because I didn't submit to their way of control, they started working against me. So I reached deep inside myself and found something I did not understand, a force-like power that made my fists clench involuntarily and turn away the glances of those who would get close to me. They had never seen anything like it in anyone else before. 
  Based on true events and compiled from the author's life, from the beginnings of teenage life through the struggles with drugs, relationships, and victories of adulthood to funny little snippets and some outrageous stories and encounters. He takes you through this journey from a young age, living in a small town in Denmark, being stuck with no way out, and to his start on a new chapter, moving to the UK with only the clothes on his back, making it through as a chef and gardener, meeting some incredible and many times unsavory characters on the way, turning his life around only to get kicked down again and again, fighting back. Until he met his wife-to-be, emigrated to Australia, and then the battles to come. Starting all over again, with no friends or family around, the darkest clouds, they are only coming closer to the real struggles they had just begun, alone in the land down under.

  Mostra libro