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Biography & MemoirSeptember 2015
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"I believe that Gandhi’s views were the most enlightened of all the political men of our time." ~ Albert Einstein (1879-1955), German-American physicist
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| More Fool Me: A Memoir by Stephen FryBritish author and comedian Stephen Fry worked very hard by day in the 1980s, writing radio and television skits, recording voice-overs, and appearing in a variety of gigs; he also partied energetically by night. In More Fool Me, which draws on his own diaries from the time, Fry charmingly relates his adventures, dropping celebrity names and hilarious tales about the high life. He also frankly reveals his self-destructive behavior, including addictions to cocaine and gambling. Those who have read his previous memoir, The Fry Chronicles, will be eager for this volume, and new fans will want to read both. |
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| The Goddess Pose: The Audacious Life of Indra Devi, the Woman Who Helped... by Michelle GoldbergIf, like author Michelle Goldberg, you've wondered about the origins of yoga, you'll be glad to know that Goldberg has done extensive research into the subject and produced The Goddess Pose, a fascinating biography of the woman who brought yoga to the West. Originally from Latvia, Eugenia Peterson (1899-2000) lived an adventurous and peripatetic life. While in India, she studied with the guru Krishnamacharya and changed her name to Indra Devi. Later, she taught yoga and offered spiritual advice to many significant and famous people around the globe. Yoga practitioners and anyone interested in 20th-century history will find this an irresistible biography. |
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| Bastards: A Memoir by Mary Anna KingWhen author Mary Anna King was a young child, her father was frequently absent and her mother was unable to sustain the family on her own. King had six siblings; most of them were adopted out soon after birth. Her grandparents raised her and a sister and brother, but King never forgot the other children in her family. In this absorbing memoir, she relates the details of her parents' relationship, the disruptions and losses in her life, and her determination to prevail "despite everything, because of everything" (Booklist). Bastards offers a moving life story and a thought-provoking exploration of the nature of love and human relationships. |
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| Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga by Pamela NewkirkIn this compelling account, journalist Pamela Newkirk explores the life of Ota Benga, a Congolese man who was brought to the U.S. in 1904 and displayed as an example of the West African "pygmy" people. His sojourn in America was marked by exploitation and abuse -- during one period he was exhibited in the monkey section of the New York Zoo. Newkirk carefully researched records of Benga's captivity to compile his personal story and expose the racist and scientifically misguided context in which he was held captive. Kirkus Reviews calls Spectacle an "inspired and moving work of intrepid scholarship." |
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| Undocumented: A Dominican Boy's Odyssey from a Homeless Shelter to the... by Dan-el Padilla PeraltaAt age four, author Dan-el Padilla Peralta came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic with his parents. After their visas expired and his father returned to the D.R., his mother struggled to provide for Padilla Peralta and his younger, U.S.-born brother. In Undocumented, Padilla Peralta chronicles his youth, divided between his tough Harlem neighborhood and the elite high school he attended on scholarship; he went on to excel at Princeton. His engaging memoir vividly portrays the challenges undocumented immigrants face and their potential for remarkable success. |
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Focus on: September and October Birthdays
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| Let the People In: The Life and Times of Ann Richards by Jan ReidSeptember 1, 1933. Texas feminist Ann Richards, who stole the show with her keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention, began life as an ordinary girl from Waco who married her college boyfriend and raised four children. After volunteering for a political campaign, she soon ran for office herself, becoming governor of Texas in 1990, where she promoted numerous reforms. She lost her 1994 re-election bid to George W. Bush. Journalist and biographer Jan Reid, a friend of Richards, draws on extensive interviews as well as public documents and other records to paint a vivid portrait of an innovative Texas politician and a mentor to other women in public service. |
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| Margaret Sanger: A Life of Passion by Jean H. BakerSeptember 14, 1879. In the late 19th century, Margaret Sanger saw how multiple miscarriages debilitated her mother and led to her early death. Later, working as a midwife, Sanger witnessed more suffering from unplanned pregnancies and self-induced abortions. In response, she illegally distributed information on contraception and became an advocate for family planning. She faced considerable social and political opposition, but persevered into the 1960s, when the birth control pill became available. Historian Jean Baker details Sanger's life and career in this carefully researched, balanced biography, which "underscores the ferocity of the fighter and the necessity of the fight" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| Bruce by Peter Ames CarlinSeptember 23, 1949. This authorized biography of Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen features in-depth interviews with family, friends, and close associates and even offers a poignant retrospective from the Boss himself. Thanks to these interviewees -- high-school classmates, Springsteen's mother, and his sisters among them -- readers will get an up-close-and-personal perspective on the 20-time Grammy Award-winning musician and songwriter. By encompassing Springsteen's entire career, Bruce provides both depth and breadth and offers insight into his work ethic and audience-pleasing performances. |
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| Gandhi Before India by Ramachandra GuhaOctober 2, 1869. Mohandas K. Gandhi was born in Gujarat, India and received his early education there, but attended university in England and began his legal career in South Africa. In Gandhi Before India, Ramachandra Guha explores the years before Gandhi returned to India for good. Drawing on voluminous correspondence from others as well as Gandhi's own words, Guha searches out details that richly portray Gandhi's character and vividly depict his friends and associates. He highlights the political significance of Gandhi's work in the context of Britain's efforts to maintain control of its Empire. This richly descriptive, satisfying account will leave readers eager for the planned completion of the biography in volume 2. |
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| Enduring Courage: Ace Pilot Eddie Rickenbacker and the Dawn of... by John F. RossOctober 8, 1890. While aviation pioneer Eddie Rickenbacker is best known as a flying ace who battled Germany's Red Baron during World War I, this engaging biography begins by relating details of Rickenbacker's auto racing career -- he taught himself automobile mechanics as a young teenager and learned to race cars, competing in the Indianapolis 500 before the war. Enduring Courage adds details of Rickenbacker's German-speaking Swiss background and continues with his phenomenal war record (including riveting descriptions of aerial dogfights) and an overview of his postwar career. Any reader interested in the 20th century, auto racing and aeronautics, or Eddie Rickenbacker himself will be eager to pick up this thrilling account. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Durham County Library
300 N. Roxboro Street
Durham, North Carolina 27701
919-560-0100
durhamcountylibrary.org
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