memoir

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memoir

My effin' life

2023
"The long-awaited memoir, generously illustrated with never-before-seen photos, from the iconic Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Rush bassist, and bestselling author of Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass. Geddy Lee is one of rock and roll's most respected bassists. For nearly five decades, his playing and work as co-writer, vocalist and keyboardist has been an essential part of the success story of Canadian progressive rock trio Rush. Here for the first time is his account of life inside and outside the band. Long before Rush accumulated more consecutive gold and platinum records than any rock band after the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, before the seven Grammy nominations or the countless electrifying live performances across the globe, Geddy Lee was Gershon Eliezer Weinrib, after his grandfather murdered in the Holocaust. As he recounts the transformation, Lee looks back on his family, in particular his loving parents and their horrific experiences as teenagers during World War II. He talks candidly about his childhood and the pursuit of music that led him to drop out of high school. He tracks the history of Rush which, after early struggles, exploded into one of the most beloved bands of all time. He shares intimate stories of his lifelong friendships with bandmates Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart-deeply mourning Peart's recent passing-and reveals his obsessions in music and beyond. This rich brew of honesty, humor, and loss makes for a uniquely poignant memoir"--.

Thicker than water

a memoir
2023
"In [this book, the author] gives readers an intimate view into both her public and private worlds--as a mother, daughter, wife, artist, advocate, and trailblazer. Chronicling her upbringing and life's journey thus far, she reveals how she faced a series of challenges and setbacks, effectively hid childhood traumas, met extraordinary mentors, managed to grow her career, and crossed the threshold into stardom and political advocacy, ultimately discovering her truest self and, with it, a deeper sense of belonging"--Publisher.

An inconvenient cop

my fight to change policing in America
2023
"From the highest-ranking whistleblower in the history of the New York Police Department, NYPD, a political memoir that exposes the brokenness of policing from both outside and inside the system. During the workday, Edwin Raymond is on the beat as a ranked lieutenant in the New York Police Department. When the uniform comes off, he takes on a very different role: the lead plaintiff in the largest-ever civil rights lawsuit against the very police force he serves. This is the true story of one of our country's most important whistleblowers against police injustice, told in his own words. Raised in a poverty-stricken, largely immigrant neighborhood in Brooklyn and driven toward law enforcement by the hope of being a positive influence in his community, Raymond quickly learned that the problem with policing is a lot deeper than merely "a few bad apples"-the entire mechanism is set up to ensure that racial profiling is rewarded, and there are weighty consequences for cops who don't play along. Offering a rare, often shocking view of American policing through the eyes of an insider to the system, Raymond pulls back the curtain on the many injustices woven into the NYPD's training, data, and practices-all of which have been repackaged and repurposed by police departments across America. At once revelatory and galvanizing,[thie book] is a whistleblower account unlike any other-a book that courageously bears witness to and exposes institutional violence, all while presenting a vision of radical hope, making the case for a world in which the police's responsibility is to the people, not to their arrest numbers"--Provided by publisher.

I wasn't supposed to be here

finding my voice, finding my people, finding my way
2023
"Everybody was rooting for Jonathan Conyers after seeing his profile on Humans of New York went viral and sparked millions in donations to the Brooklyn Debate League. The kid who went from struggling to read to being a breakout star on his high school debate team, thanks to a life-changing friendship with his transgender debate coach, captured the heart of America. Jonathan's story highlights the important role teachers play in opening up worlds of opportunity for the most vulnerable students. In I Wasn't Supposed to Be Here, Jonathan shares the full story of his incredible journey escaping the precarious circumstances he was born into, and the teachers, mentors, and guides who helped him along the way. Born into a family crippled by addiction and homelessness, Jonathan 'failed' kindergarten and was told he would never succeed academically. But instead, Jonathan found ways to defy the limited expectations placed upon him by building a village to save his own life, and realize his dream to get into medical school"--Provided by publisher.

How far to the promised land

2023
"From the New York Times contributing opinion writer and award-winning author of Reading While Black, a riveting intergenerational account of his family's search for meaning and a place to call home in the American South. For much of his life, Esau McCaulley was taught to see himself as an exception: someone who, through hard work, faith, and determination, overcame childhood poverty, anti-Black racism, and an absent father to earn a job as a university professor and a life in the middle class. This account was the one he was conditioned to give, the story America demands from Black survivors. But when tasked with preparing the eulogy at his estranged father's funeral, McCaulley, an ordained minister, was forced to reexamine his past and face the shortcomings of that narrative about his own path to prosperity. No one "escapes" poverty; it marks us. He came to see that people, even those who harmed us, are often more complicated than the roles we create for them in our imagination. The way to the promised land is not a trip from poverty to success, but the journey to finding beauty even in dark places. In searching prose, McCaulley chronicles his lifelong effort to understand the community that shaped him and the struggle they endured to make a home for their loved ones. We meet his great grandmother, Sophia, a tenant farmer born with the gift of prophecy, who scraped together a life in Jim Crow Alabama; his grandparents, the Reverend Theodore and his wife Laura May, who ran a gambling spot in their home, their complex relationship introducing him to the multifaceted nature of love; his mother, Laurie, who survived brain cancer and raised four kids alone in rough-and-tumble Northwest Huntsville; and a cast of cousins, friends, and neighbors who won small victories in a world built to swallow up Black lives. Along the way, McCaulley raises questions that implicate us all: How do we make sense of America's triumphs and misdeeds? What does each person's struggle to build a life, regardless of its outcome, teach us about what it means to be human? Where might God be found in trauma and miracle that is Black life in the American South? Written with profound honesty and compassion, How Far to the Promised Land is a weighty examination of our most pressing societal issues and the hope that keeps us alive"--.

Hearts of darkness

serial killers, the behavioral science unit, and my life as a women in the FBI
2023
An agent in the world-renowned FBI Behavioral Sciences Unit who consulted on more than 850 homicide cases, crossing paths with some of the world's most infamous serial killers, and the real-life model for The Silence of the Lambs's Clarice Starling, shares her incredible story for the first time.

Everything I learned, I learned in a Chinese restaurant

a memoir
2023
The cofounder of the Asian American Writers' Workshop tells his story of growing up as a gay Chinese kid in 1980s Detroit and how he found refuge in a welcoming Chinese restaurant.

Dolly Parton behind the seams

my life in rhinestones
2023
Showcasing the music legend's most unforgettable looks from the 1960s until now, this . . . book displays Dolly Parton's iconic sense of style along with entertaining personal anecdotes that, for the first time, reveal the full story behind her lifelong passion for fashion.

American shield

the immigrant sergeant who defended democracy
2023
"Aquilino Gonell came to the United States from the Dominican Republic as a young boy. Although he spoke no English, he dedicated himself to his adopted land, striving for the American dream. Determined to be a success story, he joined the army to pay for college. He saw action in Iraq and returned home with PTSD. Believing in the promise of our government, he focused on healing himself and supporting his family. His hard work paid off when he landed a coveted position with the United States Capitol Police and rose to the rank of sergeant. January 6, 2021, changed everything. When insurrectionists stormed the Capitol, Gonell bravely faced down the mob attempting to thwart the peaceful transfer of power. The brutal injuries he sustained that day would end his career in law enforcement. But when some of the very people he put his life on the line to protect downplayed or denied the truth of that day, he chose to speak out against the injustice done to him and the country. Chronicling what it means to live a life of conviction, one that adheres to the best ideas of our democracy, American Shield is a bold testament to the power of truth, justice, and accountability from a highly decorated officer and immigrant who exemplifies the greatest aspirations of a grateful nation"--.

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