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Best Hispanic & Latino Biographies

My Beloved World
With only television characters for her professional role models, and little understanding of what was involved, she determined to become a lawyer, a dream that would sustain her on an unlikely course, from valedictorian of her high school class to the highest honors at Princeton, Yale Law School, the New York County District Attorney’s office, private practice, and appointment to the Federal District Court before the age of forty. If the outlines of Justice Sotomayor’s life are well known by now, her searching and emotionally intimate memoir, My Beloved World, nonetheless has the power to surprise and move the reader. This insightful memoir underscores just how well Justice Sotomayor mastered the art of narrative. It’s an eloquent and affecting testament to the triumph of brains and hard work over circumstance, of a childhood dream realized through extraordinary will and dedication.”. —Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times. “The book delivers on its promise of intimacy in its depictions of Sotomayor’s family, the corner of Puerto Rican immigrant New York where she was raised and the link she feels to the island where she spent childhood summers. ‘I’ve spent my whole life learning how to do things that were hard for me,’ Sotomayor tells an acquaintance when he asks whether becoming a judge will be difficult for her. And by the time you close My Beloved World , you understand how she has mastered judging, too.”. —Emily Bazelon, The New York Times Book Review “With buoyant humor and thoughtful candor, she recounts her rise from a crime-infested neighborhood in the South Bronx to the nation’s highest court. We, the jury in this case, find her irresistible.”. —John Wilwol, Washingtonian “Sotomayor turns out to be a writer of depth and literary flair. My Beloved World is steeped in vivid memories of New York City, and it is an exceptionally frank account of the challenges that she faced during her ascent from a public housing project to the court’s marble palace on First Street.”. —Adam Liptak, The New York Times “You’ll see in Sotomayor a surprising wealth of candor, wit, and affection. Her magical portraits of loved ones bring to mind Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street ; both authors bring a sense of childlike wonder and empathy to a world rarely seen in books, a Latin-American and womancentric world.”. —Grace Bello, Christian Science Monitor “This is a page-turner, beautifully written and novelistic in its tale of family, love and triumph. Anyone wondering how a child raised in public housing, without speaking English, by an alcoholic father and a largely absent mother could become the first Latina on the Supreme Court will find the answer in these pages. It didn’t take just a village: It took a country.”. —Dahlia Lithwick, The Washington Post “ My Beloved World is filled with inspiring, and surprisingly candid, stories about how the Supreme Court’s first Hispanic justice overcame a troubled childhood to attend Princeton and Yale Law School, eventually earning a seat on the nation’s highest court.”. —Carla Main, Wall Street Journal. A portrait of a genuinely interesting person.”. —Michael Tomasky, Daily Beast “In a refreshing conversational style, Sotomayor tells her fascinating life story with the hope of providing ‘comfort, perhaps even inspiration’ to others, particularly children, who face hard times. A portrait of an underprivileged but brilliant young woman who makes her way into the American elite and does her best to reform it from the inside. In this revealing memoir, Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor candidly and gracefully recounts her formative years. Her memoir shows both her continued self-reliance and her passion for community.”. — Library Journal (Starred review). “Justice Sotomayor recounts numerous obstacles and remarkable achievements in this personal and inspiring autobiography. Readers across the board will be moved by this intimate look at the life of a justice.”. — Publishers Weekly “Amazingly candid . an intimate and honest look at her extraordinary life and the support and blessings that propelled her forward.”. — Booklist (Starred review). “Graceful, authoritative memoir.
Reviews
"Take all young people you know to see Dolores and buy a pile of My Beloved World for your Christmas shopping - with influencers like Sonia and Dolores, we will preserve this Beloved World."
"She grew up surrounded by a chaotic but lovingly supportive houseful of relatives and friends, and she has managed to create a similarly sustaining environment throughout her college and adult years, that is, whenever she wasn’t putting in 10-12 hour days working or studying. I think it would make an excellent book club choice for the discussion it would elicit."
"A fascinating account of how someone can rise from a poor childhood in Puerto Rico and the Bronx, to one of the top jobs in the US, justice of the Supreme Court."
"She allowed herself to talk about her own difficulties and insecurities along this path, perhaps to inspire and give hope to others coming along a similar difficult path."
"Sonia writes in great detail about her childhood in the Bronx that was misunderstood by many people because of her Puerto Rican background."
"One thing is for certain; Sonia Sotomayor has lived her life, her dreams and her humanity to the fullest possible degree."
"I've never been involved in what it takes to be a lawyer or judge but this book seems as though it would be worth reading to anyone interested in seeing what it takes and in addition provides value in showing how following one's heart results in fulfillment."
"Yet throughout her memoir the reader follows her journey of non-traditional choices that opened not only doors to the American Dream but strengthened her belief in herself to take a next step into the unknown, first in grade school, then admission to Princeton, followed by Harvard Law and ultimately as the first Latina on the Supreme Court."
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The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life
In this urgent chronicle of contemporary immigration, journalist Lauren Markham follows the seventeen-year-old Flores twins as they make their harrowing journey across the Rio Grande and the Texas desert, into the hands of immigration authorities, and from there to their estranged older brother's custody in Oakland, CA. " The Far Away Brothers is impeccably timed, intimately reported and beautifully expressed. "Deserves a place alongside the strongest in the genre....By the book’s end, it’s impossible to not be rooting for [the Flores brothers]. — The Christian Century “Timely and thought-provoking…Markham provides a sensitive and eye-opening take on what’s at stake for young immigrants with nowhere else to go.” — Publishers Weekly “Powerful…Focusing primarily on one family's struggle to survive in violence-riddled El Salvador by sending some of its members illegally to the U.S.,...[this] compellingly intimate narrative…keenly examines the plights of juveniles sent to America without adult supervision….One of the most searing books on illegal immigration since Sonia Nazario's Enrique's Journey .” — Kirkus [starred review]. "This brilliantly reported book goes so deeply into the lives of its protagonists and is so beautifully, movingly written it has some of the pleasures of a novel—but all the force of bitter truth, the truth about the lives of unaccompanied minors in the USA, about poverty, the ricocheting wars here and there, and the caprices and brutalities of immigration policy. "Beautifully written, The Far Away Brothers examines the claustrophobic space between grinding poverty and brutal gang violence that drives so many children from El Salvador to make the dangerous journey North. “In the midst of a contentious debate in which reality is too often bent or ruptured entirely, The Far Away Brothers is a necessary book. Lauren Markham has written this book in a hard and noble way, depicting the Flores brothers not only as representatives of a vital issue, but as human beings: complicated, special, humorous, and flawed. —Carlos Eire, author of Waiting for Snow in Havana and Learning to Die in Miami "Lauren Markham has written a modern day epic with The Far Away Brothers . “The most moving revelation of this book comes not from the geo-political lessons we learn, the path of the brothers through the desert, or the obstacles they face in U.S. courts—rather, it’s the insight into how that journey affects them, plaguing them with anxiety and guilt but also inspiring hope, ambition, and responsibility. From a lesser writer this would be a simple migration story, but thanks to Markham’s relentless reporting and care, it becomes a deeply relatable tale of human transformation—messy, stumbling, and bursting with optimism.” —Laura Tillman, author of The Long Shadow of Small Ghosts "Once you've read this remarkable reporting, 'immigration' will never be an abstract or airless debate for you again.
Reviews
"Riveting story that portrays one family being torn apart by violence and our inhumane U.S. immigration policies."
"Looking forward to the next installment of this story!"
"Journalistic style, personalized perspective and factual story about El Salvador’s migrant crisis."
"A farmer whose only real "wealth" is his land ends up taking out high interest loans to pay coyotes to smuggle out his identical twin sons when their lives appear to be in imminent danger if they do not join the most vicious of street gangs. Regardless of your political views, this story is one that needs to be read, to get a better understanding of why people continue to put their lives in danger just for the opportunity to find freedom and work--even sub-minimum-wage jobs--in the US."
"This very timely story focuses on the travails of twin 17-year old brothers escaping from the gangs and violence of El Salvador to "go north". They get robbed and beat up, and miss too much school; but they still feel that they are lucky to be here in the U.S. away from the gangs, poverty and violence back home. Focusing on the plight of just these 2 boys and their families, both in the U.S. and back in El Salvador, gives the story a very human and emotional core, while covering in a more general way the challenges faced by all immigrants."
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My Beloved World
With only television characters for her professional role models, and little understanding of what was involved, she determined to become a lawyer, a dream that would sustain her on an unlikely course, from valedictorian of her high school class to the highest honors at Princeton, Yale Law School, the New York County District Attorney’s office, private practice, and appointment to the Federal District Court before the age of forty. Amazon Best Books of the Month, January 2013 : Happily, it is becoming a familiar story: The young, smart, and very hardworking son or daughter of immigrants rises to the top of American professional life. But already knowing the arc of Sonia Sotomayor’s biography doesn’t adequately prepare you for the sound of her voice in this winning memoir that ends, interestingly, before the Yale Law School grad was sworn in as the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice. In this amazingly candid memoir, Sotomayor recalls a tumultuous childhood: alcoholic father, emotionally distant mother, aggravating little brother, and a host of aunts, uncles, and cousins, all overseen by her loving, domineering paternal grandmother.
Reviews
"Take all young people you know to see Dolores and buy a pile of My Beloved World for your Christmas shopping - with influencers like Sonia and Dolores, we will preserve this Beloved World."
"She grew up surrounded by a chaotic but lovingly supportive houseful of relatives and friends, and she has managed to create a similarly sustaining environment throughout her college and adult years, that is, whenever she wasn’t putting in 10-12 hour days working or studying. I think it would make an excellent book club choice for the discussion it would elicit."
"A fascinating account of how someone can rise from a poor childhood in Puerto Rico and the Bronx, to one of the top jobs in the US, justice of the Supreme Court."
"She allowed herself to talk about her own difficulties and insecurities along this path, perhaps to inspire and give hope to others coming along a similar difficult path."
"Sonia writes in great detail about her childhood in the Bronx that was misunderstood by many people because of her Puerto Rican background."
"One thing is for certain; Sonia Sotomayor has lived her life, her dreams and her humanity to the fullest possible degree."
"I've never been involved in what it takes to be a lawyer or judge but this book seems as though it would be worth reading to anyone interested in seeing what it takes and in addition provides value in showing how following one's heart results in fulfillment."
"Yet throughout her memoir the reader follows her journey of non-traditional choices that opened not only doors to the American Dream but strengthened her belief in herself to take a next step into the unknown, first in grade school, then admission to Princeton, followed by Harvard Law and ultimately as the first Latina on the Supreme Court."
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Best Hispanic American Demographic Studies

My Beloved World
My Beloved World.
Reviews
"Take all young people you know to see Dolores and buy a pile of My Beloved World for your Christmas shopping - with influencers like Sonia and Dolores, we will preserve this Beloved World."
"She allowed herself to talk about her own difficulties and insecurities along this path, perhaps to inspire and give hope to others coming along a similar difficult path."
"Sonia writes in great detail about her childhood in the Bronx that was misunderstood by many people because of her Puerto Rican background."
"One thing is for certain; Sonia Sotomayor has lived her life, her dreams and her humanity to the fullest possible degree."
"I've never been involved in what it takes to be a lawyer or judge but this book seems as though it would be worth reading to anyone interested in seeing what it takes and in addition provides value in showing how following one's heart results in fulfillment."
"Yet throughout her memoir the reader follows her journey of non-traditional choices that opened not only doors to the American Dream but strengthened her belief in herself to take a next step into the unknown, first in grade school, then admission to Princeton, followed by Harvard Law and ultimately as the first Latina on the Supreme Court."
"Being born in Puerto Rico, knowing the culture, and family traditions brought. back memories of my own childhood."
"Very refreshing that she has found herself amazed throughout her journey and seemingly unaware that she was making her journey happen."
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Best Japanese Biographies

With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa
Even after intense training, he was shocked to be thrown into the battle of Peleliu, where “the world was a nightmare of flashes, explosions, and snapping bullets.” By the time Sledge hit the hell of Okinawa, he was a combat vet, still filled with fear but no longer with panic. Based on notes Sledge secretly kept in a copy of the New Testament, With the Old Breed captures with utter simplicity and searing honesty the experience of a soldier in the fierce Pacific Theater. He became a chronicler, a historian, a storyteller who turns the extremes of the war in the Pacific—the terror, the camaraderie, the banal and the extraordinary—into terms we mortals can grasp.”—Tom Hanks. “In all the literature on the Second World War, there is not a more honest, realistic or moving memoir than Eugene Sledge’s.
Reviews
"If there is something to be learned from the hell Sledge descended into and came out unscathed, it is that we should never give up trying to make the world a better place in honor of Sledge, his fellow Marines in the 1st Marine Division and all those who never got to experience their world without war."
"They admit the writing is so well done, so accurate in its detail, that it brought back unpleasant memories of the campaign. Note, sitting in a shell hole with rain coming down, getting shot at, smelling rotting human flesh, and watching fat maggots slither by is a terrible memory for any person. The reader is told about the forward area of Pavavu, a stinking and rotting coconut filled island. As bad as the first was the second was more like a combination of World War One trench warfare and normal island fighting. One the more "weird" things was Sledge has more in common with deployed US Army Infantry than fellow rear area Marines. I was a little surprised over the lack of training the replacement Marines had received in the period of late 1944 and early 1945."
"At times the book was slow while sledge and his men had to wait for weeks sometimes months then they got orders."
"The whole book is good, from beginning to the end, and the voice of this painful period in the war, is one of courage, fear, humor, tears, and all that took place in one of the hardest fought battles by the most courageous type of individuals one can have the honor to know about. No, it was not Vietnam, with its hundreds of books written by veterans that fought in that conflict, but the cold fact is that when it comes to hand combat, tough enemies, and oppressing conditions, the war that was fought in theses far away locations was nothing short of amazing to realize the extreme conditions in which our forces had to fight."
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Best Australian Biographies

In a Sunburned Country
Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond that beaten tourist path.
Reviews
"I'm a sexagenarian who, on a recent vacation, happened to walk out and back on the first three miles or so of the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail (Springer Mtn, GA) and, in a fit of exhilaration, decided then and there that I would, by golly, hike the AT before I died. As I was joyfully entertained by his incisive sense of humor, I was simultaneously and seriously learning history, biology, geology (and several other -ologies) as well as being discomfitted by Bryson's documentation of our culture's dismissive practices regarding ecology."
"Read one and except for a few events, you've pretty much read them all and almost any extended backpacking trip involves the same rigors, risks, weather and that mixture of misery and exhilaration."
"One of the funniest books you will every read."
"Bill's storytelling captured me immediately...I was taking every step he took, I enjoyed every vista he looked out on, I was eavesdropping on his conversations with his fellow hikers and feeling the spectrum of emotions held for his friend and hiking companion."
"An adventure that walks you experientially and historically through the nation's longest series of trails from Georgia to Maine while feeling every fear from blisters, hunger, thirst, wildlife, climate changes, man's limitations and nature's nuances, all the while trekking with a forty pound pack on your back, and any one of these could do you in, well it's a wonder why the wild is so compelling."
"With the film in theaters, I decided to pick it up and give it a go. I loved this book, and place it among Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild," Cheryl Strayed's "Wild," and Elizabeth Gilbert's "The Last American Man" in terms of well-written essays that explore our yearning to return to a simpler, untethered way of life."
"Unfortunately some of his stories about what happened to people along the trail, made me not that interested in walking any trail."
"I think Bill Bryson is an incredibly good writer whose humor extends to poking as much fun at himself as he does at others."
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Best Scandinavian Biographies

Yes, Chef: A Memoir
JAMES BEARD AWARD NOMINEE • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY VOGUE • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “One of the great culinary stories of our time.”—Dwight Garner, The New York Times It begins with a simple ritual: Every Saturday afternoon, a boy who loves to cook walks to his grandmother’s house and helps her prepare a roast chicken for dinner. I liked this book so very, very much.”—Gabrielle Hamilton. “Plenty of celebrity chefs have a compelling story to tell, but none of them can top [this] one.” —The Wall Street Journal “Elegantly written . In his famed dishes, and now in this memoir, Marcus Samuelsson tells a story that reaches past racial and national divides to the foundations of family, hope, and downright good food.”—President Bill Clinton. “I’ve read a lot of chefs’ books, but never anything like this one.
Reviews
"His journey takes him from Africa to Sweden, around Europe and finally to North America. Marcus pulls back the curtain on the inner workings of the kitchens of some of the great restaurants and behind the scenes we see what it takes to put perfection on the plate - an impeccable palate, yes; but also crazy days and weeks of hard work mixed in with a toxic and egotistical environment. In this climb he steps back to his roots, re-connects with his Ethiopian father and family as well as with a daughter he put in a box marked "later"."
"Even though this was a well written memoir Samuelsson did focus a great deal of the book to being a black man struggling to become a chef in a white dominated field. Ramsey, Puck, White, Reichel and Samuelsson did not become great Chefs by being mediocre. He had a wonderful upbringing and credits his Swedish grandmother giving him his love of food."
"Its worth a read in order to fill in the background of the man behind Food Network appearances, several interesting cookbooks and some impressive cooking chops."
"Makes me feel a bit lazy at times as a native born American. Being Caucasian, I knew that a person of different ethnicity might have to think about whether the treatment they receive in life is a result of their color just as easily as it is a result of their personality."
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Best Irish Biographies

Jackie's Girl: My Life with the Kennedy Family
Because Kathy was always at Jackie’s side, Rose Kennedy deemed her “Jackie’s girl.” And although Kathy called Jackie “Madam,” she considered her employer more like a big sister who, in many ways, mentored her on how to be a lady. “Celebrity watchers who covet an insider’s role will find McKeon’s frank yet benevolent memoir to be both a sobering reality check and an engaging foray into the ever-fascinating world of the Kennedy dynasty.”.
Reviews
"Love love love this book!!"
"It's a very well-written account of what it was like to be a young Irish immigrant, born and raised in humble circumstances (i.e. poor as a crow), new to America and thrust into one of the most auspicious positions anyone could've found themselves in at that time in our country's history. Lots of people have handed themselves over in service to various Kennedys over the years, either via friendship or employment, without ever realizing how much of their own lives they were willing to sacrifice in exchange for the privilege. And she pulls no punches, giving both loving praise to and no nonsense portrayals of the people she came to know, some of them less affectionately than others but with goodwill and a lot of humor."
"adorable memoir of service among the extremely rich with especially charming notes about young John Kennedy and a few surprises about Jacqueline K."
"She weaves together the stories of her life with Jackie in a manner that makes you feel the connection between Kathy and Jackie as it grows over time."
"I was more than half way through reading Sally Bedell Smith's book about Prince Charles when "Jackie's Girl" arrived. I ended up genuinely enjoying McKeon's stories about her growing up years in Ireland...especially in the beginning of the book and will concede that after that point her personal story did go a bit too long, but not enough to deter me in my reading."
"I am full time employed and have similar thoughts about the people I work for so it just shows you no matter what, you will encounter jobs that take everything out of you."
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Best Native American Biographies

Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History
In the tradition of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, a stunningly vivid historical account of the forty-year battle between Comanche Indians and white settlers for control of the American West, centering on Quanah, the greatest Comanche chief of them all. They were so masterful at war and so skillful with their arrows and lances that they stopped the northern drive of colonial Spain from Mexico and halted the French expansion westward from Louisiana. Gwynne’s exhilarating account delivers a sweeping narrative that encompasses Spanish colonialism, the Civil War, the destruction of the buffalo herds, and the arrival of the railroads—a historical feast for anyone interested in how the United States came into being. S.C. Gwynne is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Rebel Yell and Empire of the Summer Moon , which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award.
Reviews
"She told of how afraid of the soldiers they were as children on the reservation near Fort Sill. I was a child hearing these stories, not really understanding... My family (white settlers) had settled in Oklahoma Territory from the Llano, Texas area before the turn of the century. We HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone wanting to know the true history of the west from both sides."
"Wonderfully written historical account not only of Quannah Parker, his mother and her family, also about the birth pangs of Texas as an independent nation before it became a state."
"Great book, Empire of the Summer Moon covers the rise and fall of the Comanche empire."
"Examples: Many know the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 drove the Spanish back into Mexico, but few realize that the resulting Great Horse Dispersal gave the Comanche tactical dominance over the South Plains. Hand-picked by Grant and Sherman, Mackenzie not only pacified Quanah Parker, but quelled Red Cloud, brought Crazy Horse to peace, tamed the Utes in Colorado, and dealt with Mexican bandits on the border. And finally there is Quanah Parker, who made the remarkable (and insightful) transition from terror of the Plains to peace advocate, amabassador, and successful cattleman."
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Best Jewish Biographies

Man's Search for Meaning, Gift Edition
With a foreword by Harold S. Kushner, Frankl’s classic is presented here in an elegant new edition with endpapers, supplementary photographs, and several of Frankl’s previously unpublished letters, speeches, and essays. One of the classic psychiatric texts of our time, Man's Search for Meaning is a meditation on the irreducible gift of one's own counsel in the face of great suffering, as well as a reminder of the responsibility each of us owes in valuing the community of our humanity. "Dr. Frankl's words have a profoundly honest ring, for they rest on experiences too deep for deception… A gem of a dramatic narrative, focused upon the deepest of human problems." "An inspiring document of an amazing man who was able to garner some good from an experience so abysmally bad… Highly recommended."
Reviews
"Read this book, read this book."
"Those that had developed purpose and meaning to the harsh conditions got out of bed every morning to face another unbearable day."
"I cried and became distressed as I listened to Viktor Frankl's personal journey."
"Profound insight."
"A little twist of ideas as to why some people survive the worst and why others don't survive medium bad."
"I am just now to the place he talks about how thinking of his wife and having mental conversations with her gave him strength to stay alive!"
"A nice read about the importance of finding meaning in your life."
"This is a great book from both the personal story aspect as well as for its philosophical aspects."
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Best Chinese Biographies

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
He takes great pains to provide a balanced picture of the people and events he witnessed and gives due credit to the tireless and dedicated Sherpas. He also avoids blasting easy targets such as Sandy Pittman, the wealthy socialite who brought an espresso maker along on the expedition. In the end, despite his evenhanded and even generous assessment of others' actions, he reserves a full measure of vitriol for himself. His account of an ascent of Mount Everest has led to a general reevaluation of climbing and of the commercialization of what was once a romantic, solitary sport; while his account of the life and death of Christopher McCandless, who died of starvation after challenging the Alaskan wilderness, delves even more deeply and disturbingly into the fascination of nature and the devastating effects of its lure on a young and curious mind." Gracefully and efficiently written, carefully researched, and actually lived by its narrator, it shares a similar theme with another sort of book, a novel called " The Great Gatsby ." — The Wall Street Journal "Krakauer is an extremely gifted storyteller as well as a relentlessly honest and even-handed journalist, the story is riveting and wonderfully complex in its own right, and Krakauer makes one excellent decision after another about how to tell it.... To call the book an adventure saga seems not to recognize that it is also a deeply thoughtful and finely wrought philosophical examination of the self." " Into Thin Air is a remarkable work of reportage and self-examination.... And no book on the 1996 disaster is likely to consider so honestly the mistakes that killed his colleagues." "In this movingly written book, Krakauer describes an experience of such bone-chilling horror as to persuade even the most fanatical alpinists to seek sanctuary at sea level."
Reviews
"The recent release of Everest (or reinterpretation) prompted me to read this as well as other books about the climbing season in question."
"Gripping story of the tragic Everest ascent on which many members of various climbing groups lost their lives."
"I believe Krakauer did an excellent job of backing up his facts and represented what happened at Everest as best as he could."
"one of the most amazing, exciting, horrifying, detailed adventures I've ever read about."
"I found this book to be engaging, interest, and well-written. I didn't realize when I bought the book, that it is highly controversial."
"Definitively a good book to read for all who knows a bit about survival in cold environments, and maybe just a dramatic story for those who have never had any experience with it."
"There are two very important lessons that I will take away from this book, and to Mr. Krakauer I am eternally grateful because he allowed me to learn them from the warmth of my home, rather than in a -150F gale on top of the world. If you make rash decisions (and you will, Krakauer notes repeatedly thought this work that lucidity is nigh impossible above 28,000 feet) it is very likely that you will die. Hundreds of horrifically under-qualified individuals attempt this climb without specific glacier navigation experience, relying on the skill and knowledge of world class guides to make up for their considerable shortcomings. Indeed, several family members of the deceased have decried Krakauer's prose, both in private and through the media, as speculative, misleading and downright slanderous. Much of this is a matter of perspective, but for my part it seems as though this book's narrative was written by an objective observer who reported his perceptions with as little subjective judgment as possible."
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Best African-American & Black Biographies

Obama: An Intimate Portrait
Relive the extraordinary Presidency of Barack Obama through White House photographer Pete Souza's behind-the-scenes images and stories in this #1 New York Times bestseller--with a foreword from the President himself. During Barack Obama's two terms, Pete Souza was with the President during more crucial moments than anyone else--and he photographed them all. "The book, which distills the 1.9 million photographs that Souza took of Obama's eight years in the White House down to about 300 images, it as once warm and nostalgic, worshipful and respectful, sad and wistful-in a sense, not so different from the framed JFK portraits that everyday Americans hung in living rooms, right through the Nixon administration. "Here are the qualities that radiate from these photos of the former President and his family, all taken by Souza during his eight years as official White House photographer: intelligence, kindness, warmth, integrity. "Souza, chief official White House photographer for Obama's two terms, was on hand for history--documenting our first black president, and a pretty photogenic one at that. Souza's book, an instant best seller, includes many iconic images we've seen before, but its most poignant moments are the least public--like one of the president and his daughters frolicking in the snow at the White House. "The 300 photographs in the book are a remarkable account of President Obama's eight years in the White House, from events of historic significance to quiet moments with his wife and daughters and the family dogs.
Reviews
"I'd like to say up front here that this is one of those reviews where I am struggling so hard to put thoughts into words, because of how many thoughts I have, and how difficult it is for me to express them. He was funny and personable, and every time I heard him speak I felt suddenly prouder and more patriotic. Because all the rest of that time I wasted being blind and hateful. I'm not really the kind that normally runs off to scrounge around for books they can't afford, but this is the second photography book of the Obamas I've done so for, and it captured my heart as much the second time, as it did the first. UPDATE: Thanks to so many of the kind, heartwarming offers, I have received a copy of this book."
"Well, I guess it is the idea of the unconditional love that I have personally felt by dogs.....and the fact that it least in my mind that is what our former President and First Lady gave us for 8 years. I pray that someday Obama haters or hopefully their children will view the pictures in this “must have” Obama memorabilia and appreciate not only the historical significance of this man to US and world history but also feel his unconditional love of America ; its history, culture and people in every page."
"Obama wasn't perfect, but seeing his two-term administration, not riddled by scandal or buffoonery, captured in this historic volume brought tears to my eyes."
"As I thumb through the pages, I realize how much of my vision of President Obama was formed by the photographs of special moments captured by Souza."
"In capturing the defining moments of the Obama presidency, Mr. Souza has given the common citizen a personal, vulnerable look into the remarkable 8-year tenure of the 44th president."
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