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Popular Culture March 2017
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| George Lucas: A Life by Brian Jay JonesStar Wars. Indiana Jones. American Graffiti. Howard the Duck. Well, they can't all be winners, but filmmaker George Lucas has had such astounding success that the live-action fowl is barely a blip on the radar. In this exacting and engaging biography, well-known writer Brian Jay Jones (Jim Henson) addresses Lucas' entry into film-making, his many triumphs, his professional and personal relationships, his vision, and his business acumen. Offering insight into Lucas' creative process and his legacy, Jones proves that Lucas' popularity is well deserved. |
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Wild Things : The Joy of Reading Children’s Literature As an Adult
by Bruce Handy
In 1690, the dour New England Primer, thought to be the first American children’s book, was published in Boston. Offering children gems of advice such as “Strive to learn” and “Be not a dunce,” it was no fun at all. So how did we get from there to “Let the wild rumpus start”? And now that we’re living in a golden age of children’s literature, what can adults get out of reading Where the Wild Things Are and Goodnight Moon, or Charlotte’s Web and Little House on the Prairie? In Goodnight Nobody, Vanity Fair contributing editor Bruce Handy revisits the classics of every American childhood, from fairy tales to The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and explores the back stories of their creators, using context and biography to understand how some of the most insightful, creative, and witty authors and illustrators of their times created their often deeply personal masterpieces.
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To Pixar and Beyond : My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History
by Lawrence Levy
Hired by Steve Jobs in 1994 to act as CFO, Lawrence Levy helped turn Pixar -- then all-but-unknown and struggling financially -- into a huge success. In this engaging memoir, he describes the initial obstacles to Pixar's success, including the distrust that staff felt for Jobs. Detailing the transformation that the animation company underwent, from the brink of failure to a Hollywood success, To Pixar and Beyond provides a business-oriented insider perspective. It also serves as a worthy complement to David Price's studio history The Pixar Touch and Walter Isaacson's biography, Steve Jobs.
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Deadpool and Philosophy : My Common Sense Is Tingling
by Nicolas Michaud
Is Deadpool really Wade Wilson, or did Wilson have his identity stolen by the monster that is now Deadpool? Are his actions predetermined by the writers, or does he trick the writers into scripting his choices? And what happens when Deadpool breaks into the real world to kill the writers? What kind of existence do literary characters have? How can we call him a moral agent for good when he still commits murder left and right and then left again and then right? Since Deadpool gets paid for his good deeds, can they be truly heroic? And which of the many Deadpool personalities are the real Deadpool? And of course, why does Deadpool love to annoy Wolverine so much? Deadpool challenges us to think outside the box. Deadpool and Philosophy shows us the profound implications of this most contradictory and perplexing comic book character.
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WW Encyclopedia : The Definitive Guide to WWE
by Kevin Sullivan
Get the history, facts, and stats on the Superstars, Divas, and Legends you love and the ones you love to hate! The most expansive, all-encompassing chronicle ever unleashed on the WWE Universe. Over 400 full-color pages, and over 1,200 Superstar and event profiles, the WWE all-time roster has been expanded to unprecedented proportions, now featuring all your favorite heroes from the modern era! Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, The New Day, Sasha Banks and so many more make their WWE Encyclopedia debuts. Plus, the future of WWE collides with the past, as Finn Bálor and the exciting stars of NXT stake their claim alongside the legends of WWE’s past and present.
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| Spider from Mars: My Life with Bowie by Woody WoodmanseyWhat's Woody Woodmansey's connection to David Bowie? Rock fans will know right off that he was the drummer for Bowie’s 1970s backing band The Spiders From Mars, which helped launch his Ziggy Stardust persona and made him a star. Here, Woodmansey shares stories and photographs from his time with Bowie at the beginning of Bowie's career. He also shares details of the album sessions and the wild tours, eccentric characters, and rock 'n' roll excesses that ultimately drove the band apart. Fans of Woodmansey himself will also appreciate hearing about his work elsewhere, such as with his band U-Boat. |
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| My Year of Running Dangerously: A Dad, a Daughter, and a Ridiculous Plan by Tom ForemanThe last thing that Emmy Award-winning CNN correspondent Tom Foreman figured he'd be doing with his teenage daughter was run a marathon in his fifties, but that's exactly what he did. Once a regular runner, he recounts his journey from an inflexible, aging couch potato to being spellbound by the roads and trails. Told with a great deal of self-deprecating humor ("I had the flexibility of a stepladder"), his stories of running five half-marathons, three marathons, and one ultra-marathon may inspire you to do something equally challenging. |
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| The Gratitude Diaries: How a Year Looking on the Bright Side Can Transform Your Life by Janice KaplanDuring her participation in a study on gratitude, journalist Janice Kaplan learned that fewer than 50% of those surveyed regularly expressed gratitude. Motivated by that sad number, she vowed one New Year's Eve to practice being grateful for one full year, and found that this focus on thankfulness improved not only her own outlook but those of people around her. For The Gratitude Diaries, Kaplan drew on her own journal entries (in addition to interviews with experts, scientific research, and anecdotal data) to offer an account of her practice of thankfulness that very well may inspire others to follow her lead. |
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| Year of the Dunk: A Modest Defiance of Gravity by Asher PriceAs author Asher Price approached his mid-thirties, he gave himself one year to learn how to dunk a basketball. At 6'2" with self-described "orangutan arms," you'd think it would be, well, a slam dunk (sorry), but Price felt that a strict diet, plentiful exercise, and specific training were called for. He narrates his efforts to lose his love handles and dunk that ball with humor -- and in conjunction with investigations into the history of fitness and physical education in the U.S. The resulting memoir is "by turns informative, entertaining, and endearing" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| Year of No Sugar: A Memoir by Eve O. SchaubAfter learning the role that sugar can play in one's health (and the near-ubiquity of sugar in processed foods), author Eve Schaub challenged her family (herself, her husband, and two young daughters) to go a year without sugar (with small exceptions). It...did not go smoothly at first, especially as they began to tire of sweetening everything with bananas or dates. But by the end of the year, Schaub had noticed distinct changes in their health and well-being. Their experimental year is outlined with levity; for more life-improvement experiments from Schaub, keep an eye out for her new book, Year of No Clutter. |
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