friends and associates

Contains stories that provide a glimpse into what it was like to play against basketball player Kobe Bryant.

David Axelrod has always been a believer. Whether as a young journalist investigating city corruption, a campaign consultant guiding underdog candidates against entrenched orthodoxy, or as senior adviser to the president during one of the worst crises in American history, Axelrod held fast to his faith in the power of stories to unite diverse communities and ignite transformative political change. Now this legendary strategist, the mastermind behind Barack Obama?s historic election campaigns, shares a wealth of stories from his forty-year journey through the inner workings of American democracy. Believer is the tale of a political life well lived, of a man who never gave up on the deepest promises our country has to offer.

"William Shatner's personal tribute to his longtime friend and Star Trek co-star, Leonard Nimoy"--.

Professional basketball players share their memories of playing against Michael Jordan.

Examines the friendship between Eleanor Roosevelt and activist Pauli Murray.

Explores the history of William Shakespeare's First Folio.

"Renders the singular arc of a woman's life through letters Mary-Louise Parker composes to the men, real and hypothetical, who have informed the person she is today. Beginning with the grandfather she never knew, the letters range from a missive to the beloved priest from her childhood to remembrances of former lovers to an homage to a firefighter she encountered to a heartfelt communication with the uncle of the infant daughter she adopted. Readers will be amazed by the depth and style of these letters, which reveal the complexity and power to be found in relationships both loving and fraught"--Provided by publisher.

In the closing hours of the defense of Khe Sanh Combat Base, the longest and bloodiest battle of the Vietnam War, Tom Mahoney inexplicably walked away from his platoon, unarmed, and was shot to death by enemy soldiers hiding nearby. His fellow Marines made several desperate attempts to recover their well-liked comrade, but were finally forced to leave him behind--though never forgotten. Author Michael Archer (a high school friend who joined the Marines together with Tom) chronicles his exhaustive search for answers to his friend's mysterious stroll into oblivion. This quest eventually leads to an improbable series of connections: from Tom's childhood friends, to fellow Marines, past the frustration of numerous ineffective, often inept, attempts by the U.S. government to locate his remains and eventually back to that infamous battleground and the last remaining eyewitness to Tom Mahoney's death--one of those who killed him.

When Shakespeare died in 1616, no one, including the playwright, thought that his writings would last, that he was a genius, or that he would be celebrated as the greatest author in the history of the English language. Seven years after his death, copies of his plays and manuscripts were gathered, edited, and thirty-six of them were published in a book format. This massive book was called the the First Folio, and was only intended as a memorial, but it later became one of the most important books ever published and became a coveted prize among collectors, many of whom would do almost anything to obtain a copy.

In 1962, few thought that Cassius Clay would become the heavyweight champion of the world. But Malcolm X saw his potential, not just for boxing greatness, but as a means of spreading the Nation of Islam's message. The two became fast friends, keeping their interactions secret from the press for fear of jeopardizing Clay's career. Malcolm molded Cassius Clay into Mohammad Ali, helping him become an international symbol of Black pride and Black independence. Soon, however, their friendship would sour, with disastrous and far-reaching consequences.