|
Biography and Memoir July 2020
|
|
|
|
My Brother, Muhammad Ali : The Definitive Biography by Rahaman Ali More words have been written about Muhammad Ali than almost anyone else. He was, without doubt, the world's most-loved sportsman. At the height of his celebrity he was the most famous person in the world. And yet, until now, the one voice missing belonged to the man who knew him best - his only sibling, and best friend, Rahaman Ali. No one was closer to Ali than Rahaman. Born Cassius and Rudolph Arnett Clay, the two brothers grew up together, lived together, trained together, travelled together and fought together in the street and in the ring. A near-constant fixture in his sibling's company, Rahaman saw Ali at both his best and his worst: the relentless prankster and the jealous older brother, the outspoken advocate, the husband and father. In My Brother, Muhammad Ali, he is able to offer a surprising insider's perspective on the well-known stories, as well as never-before-told tales, painting a rich and intimate portrait of a proud, relentlessly polarising, yet often vulnerable man. In this extraordinary, poignant memoir, Rahaman tells a much bigger and more personal story than in any other book on the great man - that of two brothers, almost inseparable from birth to death.
|
|
Fighting for Space : Two Pilots and Their Historic Battle for Female Spaceflight by Amy Shira Teitel Spaceflight historian Amy Shira Teitel tells the riveting story of the female pilots who each dreamed of being the first American woman in space. When the space age dawned in the late 1950s, Jackie Cochran held more propeller and jet flying records than any pilot of the twentieth century-man or woman. She had led the Women's Auxiliary Service Pilots during the Second World War, was the first woman to break the sound barrier, ran her own luxury cosmetics company, and counted multiple presidents among her personal friends. She was more qualified than any woman in the world to make the leap from atmosphere to orbit. Yet it was Jerrie Cobb, twenty-five years Jackie's junior and a record-holding pilot in her own right, who finagled her way into taking the same medical tests as the Mercury astronauts. The prospect of flying in space quickly became her obsession. While the American and international media spun the shocking story of a "woman astronaut" program, Jackie and Jerrie struggled to gain control of the narrative, each hoping to turn the rumored program into their own ideal reality-an issue that ultimately went all the way to Congress. This dual biography of audacious trailblazers Jackie Cochran and Jerrie Cobb presents these fascinating and fearless women in all their glory and grit, using their stories as guides through the shifting social, political, and technical landscape of the time.
|
|
Max the Miracle Dog : The Heart-warming Tale of a Life-saving Friendship by Kerry Irving 'Are you ready, Max? If anyone's going to help me do this, it's you.' The heart-warming tale of a life-saving friendship. In 2006, a traumatic car accident changed Kerry Irving's life forever. Suffering from severe neck and back injuries, Kerry was unemployed and housebound, struggling with depression and even thoughts of suicide. He went from cycling over 600 miles a month to becoming a prisoner in his own home. With hope all but lost, Kerry's wife encouraged him to go on a short walk to the local shop. In the face of unbearable pain and overwhelming panic, he persevered and along the way, met an adorable yard dog named Max. As the Spaniel peered up through the railings, Kerry found comfort and encouragement in his soulful brown eyes. This chance encounter marked a turning point in both their lives. In Max, Kerry found comfort and motivation and in Kerry, Max found someone to care for him. This is their remarkable, inspiring story.
|
|
Hell and Other Destinations : A 21st-century Memoir
by
Madeleine Korbel Albright
Leaving office in 2001 as America's first female Secretary of State, Albright considered the possibilities: she could write, teach, travel, give speeches, start a business, fight for democracy, help to empower women, campaign for favored political candidates, spend more time with her grandchildren. Instead of choosing one or two, she decided to do it all. Her memoir of the past twenty years is a haze of constant motion: navigating half a dozen professions, clashing with presidents and prime ministers, learning every day.
|
|
Me & Patsy kickin' up dust : my friendship with Patsy Cline
by
Loretta Lynn
Country artist Loretta Lynn and her daughter share the previously undisclosed story of Lynn’s deep bond with fellow music legend, Patsy Cline, to discuss such topics as their creative collaborations and Cline’s untimely death.
|
|
The Gratitude Diaries: How a Year Looking on the Bright Side Can Transform Your Life by Janice Kaplan How it began: Journalist Janice Kaplan vowed one New Year's Eve to practice being grateful for one full year.
How she did it: Kaplan kept a "gratitude journal," surveyed experts including psychologists and medical doctors, and interviewed people who have overcome adversity.
Try this next: For another humorous memoir of embracing a new outlook on life, read Shonda Rhimes' inspiring Year of Yes. | | Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years by David Litt What it is: a witty chronicle of author David Litt's five-year tenure as a speechwriter for President Obama.
Read it for: an engaging behind-the-scenes look at some of the highs (writing four White House Correspondence Dinner speeches) and lows (making careless diplomatic gaffes) of an illustrious gig.
Author alert: Litt's latest book, the optimistic political history Democracy in One Book or Less, hit bookshelves in June. | | Autism in Heels: The Untold Story of a Female Life on the Spectrum by Jennifer Cook O'Toole What it is: an inspirational guide that urges readers -- and the medical establishment -- to reevaluate stereotypical ideas about what autism looks like, especially the ways gender can affect the expression of autistic traits.
Why it's important: Author Jennifer Cook O'Toole encourages readers to view autism as more of a difference than a "disease," and reveals how her diagnosis at age 34 came as a relief instead of something negative. | |
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
|
|
|