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Biography and Memoir November 2017
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| A Disappearance in Damascus: Friendship and Survival in the Shadow of War by Deborah CampbellCanadian journalist Deborah Campbell began working undercover in Syria in 2007, reporting on Iraqi refugees. She became friends with Ahlam, an Iraqi woman who did humanitarian work and (at risk to her own safety) provided information to foreign reporters. After they had worked together for several years, Ahlam was arrested, and Campbell embarked on a dangerous and frustrating search for her. Vividly describing conditions in Syria, from the refugee camps to the jails, this award-winning, emotionally intense memoir may appeal to those who appreciated David Rhode and Kristen Mulvihill's A Rope and a Prayer or Amanda Lindhout's A House in the Sky. |
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Finding Magic: A Spiritual Memoir
by Sally Quinn
The veteran journalist and Washington insider reflects on the spiritual quest that has enriched her life and kept her grounded in today's dynamic political world, sharing stories from her writing career, celebrity marriage and experiences as a high-ranking figure in the capital's social scene.
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| Ali: A Life by Jonathan EigIn this balanced biography of boxer Muhammad Ali, author Jonathan Eig relates Ali's family background, the complexities of his status as a celebrity, and his later life, in addition to his boxing career. Ali places political and personal controversies in the context of the 1960s and draws on previously unavailable resources to correct the record in some instances. For another well-researched and compelling study of Ali, take a look at David Remnick's King of the World. |
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John Stanley: Giving Life to Little Lulu, a Biography
by William Schelly
This book is filled with the beautifully reproduced artwork of John Stanley from the comic books 'Little Lulu' and creations 'Melvin Monster' and 'Thirteen (Going on Eighteen)'; rare drawings and cartoons; and never-before-seen photographs. Bill Schelly tells Stanley's life story through interviews with his family, friends and colleagues.
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Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos, and Me
by Lorina Mapa
A graphic memoir for teens introducing a historical perspective on the Phillipines and American foreign policy combined with New Wave.
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We Are All Shipwrecks: A Memoir
by Kelly Grey Carlisle
A woman raised by an eccentric grandfather, who owned a porn store and lived on a boat, tries to uncover the sad story of her mother’s death, a 30-year-old cold-case that is one of Los Angeles’ most notorious murders.
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The Education of Eva Moskowitz: A Memoir
by Eva S Moskowitz
The founder and CEO of Success Academy Charter Schools presents an account of the difficult battle to reform America's public education system, tracing her journey to becoming an education entrepreneur and activist and while citing the contributions of supporters and detractors who have shaped her cause.
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On the Camino
by Jason
Recounts how the Norwegian cartoonist decided to celebrate his fiftieth birthday by embarking on the 500-mile pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.
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Fire in the Heart: A Memoir of Friendship, Loss, and Wildfire
by Mary Emerick
A wildland firefighter describes how she became a stronger, braver person by battling for survival and making tough choices in her life-threatening line of work that has taken her from the swamps of Florida to the interior of Alaska.
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| God's Wolf: The Life of the Most Notorious of All Crusaders, Scourge of Saladin by Jeffrey LeeCrusader Reynald de Chatillon was the only Christian leader who directly attacked the legendary Sultan Saladin during the 1180s. He's seldom recalled in the West, but is still viewed with hostility in the Islamic world -- in 2010 a terrorist bomb addressed to "Reynald de Chatillon" was hidden in a London FedEx shipment. Though Reynald's Christian rivals and Muslim enemies characterized him as a brutal, violent renegade, journalist Jeffrey Lee portrays a brilliant leader with diverse talents and a chivalric manner. This accessible, thoroughly researched portrait will intrigue Crusades buffs and those interested in current Christian-Islamic relations. |
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Believe Me: My Battle With the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease
by Yolanda Hadid
The star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills presents an emotionally charged account of her struggles with debilitating symptoms related to Lyme disease, describing how she endured months of pain and misdiagnoses before embarking on an awareness platform to help others find the support and resources they need.
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Marita: The Spy Who Loved Castro
by Marita Lorenz
Describes the story of German-born Marita Lorenz, who travelled to Cuba in 1959 and fell in love with Fidel Castro but eventually was recruited the United States to attempt to assassinate Castro.
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Mayhem
by Sigrid Rausing
An evocative memoir on the impact of addiction on a family traces the author's experiences as the sibling of Hans K. Rausing, whose wife died of a drug overdose in 2012 amid tabloid speculation and difficult questions about responsibility and control in the face of a destructive disease.
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Hannibal's Oath: The Life and Wars of Rome's Greatest Enemy
by John Prevas
Describes the legends and facts around the enigmatic military genius, from his childhood training in military camps in Spain, to his crossing the Alps, stunning victories in Italy and his humiliating loss in North Africa that resulted in his banishment from Carthage.
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Dangerous Boobies: Breaking Up With My Time-Bomb Breasts
by Caitlin Brodnick
A young woman and comedian discusses her decision to have a preventative double mastectomy after discovering she had tested positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation, giving her an 87% chance she’d develop breast cancer during her lifetime.
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The Ken Commandments: My Search for God in Hollywood
by Ken Baker
A correspondent for E! News and E! Online describes how he re-embraced his Christian heritage and regained his spiritual center after abandoning it for 20 years in the fairy tale world of the fake, glamorous, materialistic, carnal people in Hollywood.
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Sophia Loren: Movie Star Italian Style
by Cindy De La Hoz
A stunning photographic tribute to one of the most beautiful and talented actresses the screen has ever known recounts her extraordinary life and notable films with famous co-stars and directors and features quotes by Sophia Loren and those who have known her best.
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| Real American: A Memoir by Julie Lythcott-HaimsIn this absorbing, moving, and candid memoir, bestselling author Julie Lythcott-Haims recounts her upbringing as a biracial child in 1970s America. Pulling no punches, she recounts the effects of racism on her psyche during her childhood and teen years, as well as the issues she faced in bringing up "quadroon" children with her Jewish husband. Her gradual understanding of the world as complex rather than starkly black and white leads to her self-acceptance, as well as making her determined to help Americans address racism more forthrightly. |
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Focus on: Science and Medicine |
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| My Brief History by Stephen HawkingIn My Brief History, British physicist Stephen Hawking recounts his personal story with humor (he's often laugh-out-loud funny). He describes his early years, his barely average secondary and undergraduate marks, and his diagnosis at age 21 with a motor neuron disease. Summarizing his subsequent scientific achievements and his failed marriages, Hawking presents a charming account of his life, captivating the reader with humility and frankness rather than emotion. If this short autobiography leaves you wanting more, try Hawking's A Brief History of Time; the 2014 film The Theory of Everything; or episodes of the PBS television series Genius. |
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| Robert Oppenheimer: A Life Inside the Center by Ray MonkOften called "the father of the atomic bomb," physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer followed his work on the Manhattan project with a postwar position as the chief advisor to the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission -- although his political affiliations and reluctance to work on the development of the hydrogen bomb later made him an outcast. Focusing explicitly on Oppenheimer's scientific contributions, author Ray Monk's account also details how anti-Semitism affected his earlier career and McCarthy-era anticommunism muted his later achievements. This book offers a valuable complement to Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin's American Prometheus. |
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| The Birds of Pandemonium: Life Among the Exotic and the Endangered by Michele RaffinA certified aviculturist and founding director of Pandemonium Aviaries in Los Altos, California, author Michele Raffin became involved in bird rescue when she helped a friend who had found an injured dove. Over the course of 15 years, she began to volunteer at a homeless bird shelter, took in birds at her home, and became an expert at caring for exotic birds. Affecting and informative vignettes about the birds she's known add color to her informative memoir, which discusses the plight of endangered species alongside Raffin's adventures in aviculture. |
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| Second Suns: Two Doctors and Their Amazing Quest to Restore Sight and Save Lives by David Oliver RelinWhile planning a book on Himalayan mountaineers, journalist David Oliver Relin met a mountain-climbing American ophthalmologist who inspired him to write about a project that restores the sight of Nepalese villagers. American Geoff Tabin and Nepali Sanduk Ruit have developed a method for cataract surgery that allows them to treat patients in under four minutes for only $20. Overcoming skepticism at their unconventional technology deployed in challenging conditions, the two doctors have made a huge difference both in Nepal and other parts of the world. Second Suns provides an inspiring chronicle of their achievements. |
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| The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World's Most Misunderstood Mammals by Merlin TuttleAt age 17, ecologist Merlin Tuttle became fascinated by bats that lived in a local cave. In this engaging memoir, he relates his subsequent lifetime of studying these much-misunderstood, oft-maligned creatures. Explaining how he tracks their social relationships and their contributions to sustainable ecology, he recounts his unnerving adventures while observing and photographing them. Both bat-fans and the bat-averse will find The Secret Lives of Bats informative and compelling. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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