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Journals and memoirs, Biography, Actors biography
Human-narrated audio
Former teen idol Leif Garrett bares his soul for the first time ever, revealing his deepest secrets about the extraordinary…
highs and devastating lows he has survived over the years. He was a hardworking child actor in the early 1970s, appearing on dozens of popular films and TV programs. Then he was offered a chance to make a record and "Leif Garrett, teen idol" was born. Millions of teenage girls all over the world covered their walls with his picture. His face adorned hundreds of international magazine covers as he became one of the biggest and most desired heartthrobs in history. There were jet-setting tours, TV specials, and hit records, along with an endless supply of beautiful women, alcohol, and ultimately, the drugs that sent this shooting star into the darkest depths of addiction. Idol Truth is a harrowing survivor's story as well as a charmed tale filled with compelling pop culture characters-from Michael Jackson and Brooke Shields to John Belushi, Freddie Mercury, and many more. It's the first time ever that Leif Garrett has come clean about his life, revealing all the details of his spectacular journey
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Sports and games, United States history, Baseball, Lifestyle
Human-narrated audio
Anthropologist shares anecdotes and stories of baseball's history, from its founding in the mid-1800s to the early twenty-first century, framing…
them in the context of social and political history. Presents similarities between the sport and war and nationalism. Strong language. 2014
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Journals and memoirs, Arts and entertainment, Actors biography
Human-narrated audio
At 95, the legendary Mel Brooks continues to set the standard for comedy across television, film, and the stage. Now,…
for the first time, this EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner shares his story in his own words. &“Laugh-out-loud hilarious and always fascinating, from the great Mel Brooks. What else do you expect from the man who knew Jesus and dated Joan of Arc?&” —Billy Crystal For anyone who loves American comedy, the long wait is over. Here are the never-before-told, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and remembrances from a master storyteller, filmmaker, and creator of all things funny. All About Me! charts Mel Brooks&’s meteoric rise from a Depression-era kid in Brooklyn to the recipient of the National Medal of Arts. Whether serving in the United States Army in World War II, or during his burgeoning career as a teenage comedian in the Catskills, Mel was always mining his experiences for material, always looking for the perfect joke. His iconic career began with Sid Caesar&’s Your Show of Shows , where he was part of the greatest writers&’ room in history, which included Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, and Larry Gelbart. After co-creating both the mega-hit 2000 Year Old Man comedy albums and the classic television series Get Smart, Brooks&’s stellar film career took off. He would go on to write, direct, and star in The Producers, The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, High Anxiety , and Spaceballs , as well as produce groundbreaking and eclectic films, including The Elephant Man, The Fly , and My Favorite Year. Brooks then went on to conquer Broadway with his record-breaking, Tony-winning musical, The Producers. All About Me! offers fans insight into the inspiration behind the ideas for his outstanding collection of boundary-breaking work, and offers details about the many close friendships and collaborations Brooks had, including those with Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, Gene Wilder, Madeleine Kahn, Alfred Hitchcock, and the great love of his life, Anne Bancroft. Filled with tales of struggle, achievement, and camaraderie, listeners will gain a more personal and deeper understanding of the incredible body of work behind one of the most accomplished and beloved entertainers in history
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United States history, Indigenous peoples history, Customs and cultures, History
Human-narrated audio
The first intersectional history of the Black and Native American struggle for freedom in our country that also reframes our…
understanding of who was Indigenous in early America Beginning with pre-Revolutionary America and moving into the movement for Black lives and contemporary Indigenous activism, Afro-Indigenous historian, Kyle T. Mays argues that the foundations of the US are rooted in antiblackness and settler colonialism, and that these parallel oppressions continue into the present. He explores how Black and Indigenous peoples have always resisted and struggled for freedom, sometimes together, and sometimes apart. Whether to end African enslavement and Indigenous removal or eradicate capitalism and colonialism, Mays show how the fervor of Black and Indigenous peoples calls for justice have consistently sought to uproot white supremacy. Mays uses a wide-array of historical activists and pop culture icons, &“sacred&” texts, and foundational texts like the Declaration of Independence and Democracy in America. He covers the civil rights movement and freedom struggles of the 1960s and 1970s, and explores current debates around the use of Native American imagery and the cultural appropriation of Black culture. Mays compels us to rethink both our history as well as contemporary debates and to imagine the powerful possibilities of Afro-Indigenous solidarity
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Inspirational and family life, Actors biography, Family and relationships, Journals and memoirs
Human-narrated audio
"My life was a complete a mess, and God bless all of it. Because it's in the messes where we…
learn the most—as long as we slow down enough to realize what God is trying to show us." Suddenly in the spotlight, twenty-four-year-old Hannah Brown realized that she wasn't sure what she wanted. After years of competing in beauty pageants, and then starring on The Bachelorette and Dancing with the Stars, she had become incredibly visible. There she was, in her early twenties, with millions around the world examining and weighing in on her every decision. She found herself wondering what it would mean to live on her terms. What it would mean to stop seeking approval from others and decide – for the first time – what it was she wanted from her own life. An honest and earnest examination of her own mid-twenties, God Bless This Mess is a memoir that doesn't claim to have all the answers. Hannah knows she doesn't have all the answers. What she does have is the insight of someone who has spent critical years of her youth under public scrutiny. Thus what emerges is a quarter-life memoir that speaks to the set of difficulties young women face, and how to move through them with grace. By pushing against her engrained need to seek approval, and learning how to think critically about her own goals and desires, Hannah inspires others to do the same - and to embrace the messiness that comes hand-in-hand with self-discovery (even it that sometimes means falling flat on your face). Using her time on The Bachelorette as a launching pad, Hannah doesn't shy away from the most painful experiences of her life: moments when her faith was tested, when she feared it was lost, and the moments when she reclaimed it on national television. "And Jesus still loves me." Fans will be inspired by the never-before-told stories: the ones about facing depression and anxiety during her pageant years, the ways in which therapy and journaling have proven to be a saving grace, and the previously private moments – both at home and on television - that have shaped the star's outlook. Honest and emotionally urgent, God Bless This Mess is a reminder that true growth doesn't come without strife – and it's through those dark, messy moments that self-acceptance and love can bloom
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United States travel and geography, Women biography, Actors biography
Human-narrated audio
Deeply influential cultural icon Oprah Winfrey is the twenty-fifth hero in this New York Times bestselling picture book biography series,…
adapted for audio. This friendly, fun biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great—the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. Each book tells the story of an icon in a lively, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers and that always includes the hero's childhood influences. This book features critically acclaimed talk show host Oprah Winfrey, who used her struggles in childhood as motivation to become "Queen of All Media."
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United States history, Customs and cultures
Human-narrated audio
A dramatic expansion of a groundbreaking work of journalism, The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story offers a profoundly revealing…
vision of the American past and present. In late August 1619, a ship arrived in the British colony of Virginia bearing a cargo of twenty to thirty enslaved people from Africa. Their arrival led to the barbaric and unprecedented system of American chattel slavery that would last for the next 250 years. This is sometimes referred to as the country&’s original sin, but it is more than that: It is the source of so much that still defines the United States. The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story builds on one of the most consequential journalistic events of recent years: The New York Times Magazine &’s award-winning &“1619 Project,&” which reframed our understanding of American history by placing slavery and its continuing legacy at the center of our national narrative. This new book substantially expands on the original 1619 Project, weaving together eighteen essays that explore the legacy of slavery in present-day America with thirty-six poems and works of fiction that illuminate key moments of oppression, struggle, and resistance. The essays show how the inheritance of 1619 reaches into every part of contemporary American society, from politics, music, diet, traffic, and citizenship to capitalism, religion, and our democracy itself. This legacy can be seen in the way we tell stories, the way we teach our children, and the way we remember. Together, the elements of the book reveal a new origin story for the United States, one that helps explain not only the persistence of anti-Black racism and inequality in American life today, but also the roots of what makes the country unique. The book also features a significant elaboration of the original project&’s Pulitzer Prize–winning lead essay, by Nikole Hannah-Jones, on how the struggles of Black Americans have expanded democracy for all Americans, as well as two original pieces from Hannah-Jones, one of which makes a profound case for reparative solutions to this legacy of injustice. This is a book that speaks directly to our current moment, contextualizing the systems of race and caste within which we operate today. It reveals long-glossed-over truths around our nation&’s founding and construction—and the way that the legacy of slavery did not end with emancipation, but continues to shape contemporary American life. Lorna Simpson Beclouded , 2018 © Lorna Simpson. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth
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United States travel and geography, United States history
Human-narrated audio
The 1619 Project&’s lyrical picture book in verse chronicles the consequences of slavery and the history of Black resistance in…
the United States, thoughtfully rendered by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and Newbery honor-winning author Renée Watson. A young student receives a family tree assignment in school, but she can only trace back three generations. Grandma gathers the whole family, and the student learns that 400 years ago, in 1619, their ancestors were stolen and brought to America by white slave traders. But before that, they had a home, a land, a language. She learns how the people said to be born on the water survived. And the people planted dreams and hope, willed themselves to keep living, living. And the people learned new words for love for friend for family for joy for grow for home. With powerful verse and striking illustrations by Nikkolas Smith, Born on the Water provides a pathway for readers of all ages to reflect on the origins of American identity
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Humour, Journals and memoirs, Actors biography
Human-narrated audio
"Magnificent." —People Magazine The instant New York Times bestseller: Laugh-out-loud, deeply insightful, and emotion-filled essays from multitalented actress, comedian, podcaster,…
and writer Casey Wilson. Casey Wilson has a lot on her mind and she isn't afraid to share. In this dazzling collection, each essay skillfully constructed and brimming with emotion, she shares her thoughts on the joys and vagaries of modern-day womanhood and motherhood, introduces the not-quite-typical family that made her who she is, and persuasively argues that lowbrow pop culture is the perfect lens through which to examine human nature. Whether she's extolling the virtues of eating in bed, processing the humiliation over her father's late in life perm, mourning her mother's passing, or revealing her patented method for keeping the mystery alive in a marriage, Casey is witty, candid, and full of poignant and funny surprises. Humorous dives into her obsessions and areas of personal expertise—self-help, nice guys, cool girls (not her) and how to receive visitors in the bath—are matched by touching meditations on female friendship, anger, grief, motherhood, and identity. Reading The Wreckage of My Presence is like spending time with a close friend—a deeply passionate, full-tilt, joyous, excessive, compulsive, shameless, hungry-for-it-all, loyal, cheerleading friend. A friend who is ready for any big feelings that come her way—and isn't afraid to embrace them
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True crime, Politics and government, United States history, Police and military
Human-narrated audio
Examines the role of FBI informant Gary Thomas Rowe Jr., who infiltrated the Alabama Klan and identified suspects in the…
1965 murder of civil rights activist Viola Liuzzo, a white woman from Detroit, while he participated in other race crimes. Criticizes the effectiveness of the FBI's reliance upon informants. 2005
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Music, Bestsellers (Non-fiction), Music biography, Biography, Actors biography
Human-narrated audio
Aerosmith lead singer and American Idol judge, born in 1948, reminisces about his childhood in the Bronx as the son…
of a classical pianist, early musical career, and the rise and fall of the band that made him a rock star. Strong language. Bestseller. 2011
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Animals and wildlife, Bestsellers (Non-fiction), Arts and entertainment, Actors biography, Journals and memoirs, Biography
Human-narrated audio
Eighty-nine-year-old award-winning actress from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Girls, and Hot in Cleveland comments on aging and…
friendships. Discusses her love of animals and continuing popularity, as evidenced by her hosting Saturday Night Live and starring in a Super Bowl commercial in 2010. Bestseller. 2011
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Customs and cultures, History, United States history
Human-narrated audio
The incredible true story of the last ship to carry enslaved people to America, the remarkable town its survivors founded…
after emancipation, and the complicated legacy their descendants carry with them to this day—by the journalist who discovered the ship's remains. Fifty years after the Atlantic slave trade was outlawed, the Clotilda became the last ship in history to bring enslaved Africans to the United States. The ship was scuttled and burned on arrival to hide evidence of the crime, allowing the wealthy perpetrators to escape prosecution. Despite numerous efforts to find the sunken wreck, Clotilda remained hidden for the next 160 years. But in 2019, journalist Ben Raines made international news when he successfully concluded his obsessive quest through the swamps of Alabama to uncover one of our nation's most important historical artifacts. Traveling from Alabama to the ancient African kingdom of Dahomey in modern-day Benin, Raines recounts the ship's perilous journey, the story of its rediscovery, and its complex legacy. Against all odds, Africatown, the Alabama community founded by the captives of the Clotilda , prospered in the Jim Crow South. Zora Neale Hurston visited in 1927 to interview Cudjo Lewis, telling the story of his enslavement in the New York Times bestseller Barracoon . And yet the haunting memory of bondage has been passed on through generations. Clotilda is a ghost haunting three communities—the descendants of those transported into slavery, the descendants of their fellow Africans who sold them, and the descendants of their American enslavers. This connection binds these groups together to this day. At the turn of the century, descendants of the captain who financed the Clotilda's journey lived nearby—where, as significant players in the local real estate market, they disenfranchised and impoverished residents of Africatown. From these parallel stories emerges a profound depiction of America as it struggles to grapple with the traumatic past of slavery and the ways in which racial oppression continue to this day. And yet, at its heart, The Last Slave Ship remains optimistic – an epic tale of one community's triumphs over great adversity and a celebration of the power of human curiosity to uncover the truth about our past and heal its wounds
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General non-fiction, Journals and memoirs, United States history
Human-narrated audio
"An elegant meditation on the complexities of the American South—and thus of America—by an esteemed daughter of the South and…
one of the great intellectuals of our time. An inspiration." —Isabel Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns and Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents An essential, surprising journey through the history, rituals, and landscapes of the American South—and a revelatory argument for why you must understand the South in order to understand America We all think we know the South. Even those who have never lived there can rattle off a list of signifiers: the Civil War, Gone with the Wind, the Ku Klux Klan, plantations, football, Jim Crow, slavery. But the idiosyncrasies, dispositions, and habits of the region are stranger and more complex than much of the country tends to acknowledge. In South to America, Imani Perry shows that the meaning of American is inextricably linked with the South, and that our understanding of its history and culture is the key to understanding the nation as a whole. This is the story of a Black woman and native Alabaman returning to the region she has always called home and considering it with fresh eyes. Her journey is full of detours, deep dives, and surprising encounters with places and people. She renders Southerners from all walks of life with sensitivity and honesty, sharing her thoughts about a troubling history and the ritual humiliations and joys that characterize so much of Southern life. Weaving together stories of immigrant communities, contemporary artists, exploitative opportunists, enslaved peoples, unsung heroes, her own ancestors, and her lived experiences, Imani Perry crafts a tapestry unlike any other. With uncommon insight and breathtaking clarity, South to America offers an assertion that if we want to build a more humane future for the United States, we must center our concern below the Mason-Dixon Line
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Actors biography, Inspirational and family life, Journals and memoirs
Human-narrated audio
In this intimate memoir, actress and singer Jamie Lynn Spears tells her unfiltered story on her own terms about being…
a child star, becoming a teen mom, the years she stepped away from the spotlight, the terrifying ATV accident that threatened her daughter's life, and discovering the most important elements of life: faith, love and family. Southern Roots will reveal the intimate details behind Jamie Lynn's highest and lowest moments. She will share never-before-heard stories that are at times funny, inspiring, messy, and uncomfortable, like: Having her mom's credit card declined at Limited Too when her sister was on the radio. What it feels like to have inspired 16 and Pregnant with your own life story. Who was there for her when she needed them and who wasn't. How she handles her crippling stage fright. Why her daughter's ATV accident caused her to reevaluate and redirect her life.And of course, why her family is just like any other family. The world met Jamie Lynn as a child star, when it was her job to perform, both on set and for the press. She spent years escaping into different characters—on All That! , Zoey 101 and even in the role of Britney's kid sister. Pretending to be other people was easy, but when she decided to start a career in music in Nashville, she realized she could no longer hide behind the characters she played, and soon the real Jamie Lynn started to take center stage – a raw, blemished, and imperfect woman, standing in her own power. Just Jamie Lynn- wife, momma, sister, daughter, actress and musician doing the best she can to show up for herself and teaching her daughters to have the courage to love every part of themselves too. Jamie Lynn, at her core, is down to Earth. She wants to use her experiences in what she calls "the family business" to help young women everywhere see the unique power and strength that comes from believing in themselves, taking risks, learning from their relationships, and embracing a not-always-so-perfect journey
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Biography, Actors biography
Human-narrated audio
"This is not a coming-out story. It's not a down-low story either. I never could have passed for straight, even…
if I'd wanted to, and so I never had the dubious luxury of living a lie." From the incomparable Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winner, a powerful and revealing autobiography about race, sexuality, art, and healing It's easy to be yourself when who and what you are is in vogue. But growing up Black and gay in America has never been easy. Before Billy Porter was slaying red carpets and giving an iconic Emmy-winning performance in the celebrated TV show Pose; before he was the groundbreaking Tony and Grammy Award–winning star of Broadway's Kinky Boots; and before he was an acclaimed recording artist, actor, playwright, director, and all-around legend, Porter was a young boy in Pittsburgh who was seen as different, who didn't fit in. At five years old, Porter was sent to therapy to "fix" his effeminacy. He was endlessly bullied at school, sexually abused by his stepfather, and criticized at his church. Porter came of age in a world where simply being himself was a constant struggle. Billy Porter's Unprotected is the life story of a singular artist and survivor in his own words. It is the story of a boy whose talent and courage opened doors for him, but only a crack. It is the story of a teenager discovering himself, learning his voice and his craft amid deep trauma. And it is the story of a young man whose unbreakable determination led him through countless hard times to where he is now; a proud icon who refuses to back down or hide. Porter is a multitalented, multifaceted treasure at the top of his game, and Unprotected is a resonant, inspirational story of trauma and healing, shot through with his singular voice
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Arts and entertainment, Actors biography, Biography, Journals and memoirs
Human-narrated audio
Actor, born James Scott Bumgarner in 1928 into a hardscrabble Oklahoma life, recounts his reluctant route to stardom. Discusses his…
television shows, including Maverick and The Rockford Files, and movies such as The Great Escape, Support Your Local Sheriff, and The Notebook. Some strong language. 2011
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Journals and memoirs, Actors biography, Biography
Human-narrated audio
Emmy Award–winning actress Sharon Gless tells all in this laugh-out-loud, juicy, and touching memoir about her five decades in Hollywood,…
where she took on some of the most groundbreaking roles of her time. Anyone who has seen Sharon Gless act in Cagney & Lacey , Queer as Folk , Burn Notice , and countless other shows and movies, knows that she's someone who gives every role her all. She holds nothing back in Apparently There Were Complaints, a hilarious, deeply personal memoir that spills all about Gless's five decades in Hollywood. A fifth-generation Californian, Sharon Gless knew from a young age that she wanted to be an actress. After some rocky teenage years that included Sharon's parents' divorce and some minor (and not-so-minor) rebellion, Gless landed a coveted spot as an exclusive contract player for Universal Studios. In 1982, she stepped into the role of New York Police Detective Christine Cagney for the series Cagney & Lacey , which eventually reached an audience of 30 million weekly viewers and garnered Gless with two Emmy Awards. The show made history as the first hour-long drama to feature two women in the leading roles. Gless continued to make history long after Cagney & Lacey was over. In 2000, she took on the role of outrageous Debbie Novotny in Queer as Folk . Her portrayal of a devoted mother to a gay son and confidant to his gay friends touched countless hearts and changed the definition of family for millions of viewers. Apparently There Were Complaints delves into Gless's remarkable career and explores Gless's complicated family, her struggles with alcoholism, and her fear of romantic commitment as well as her encounters with some of Hollywood's biggest names. Brutally honest and incredibly relatable, Gless puts it all out on the page in the same way she has lived—never with moderation
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United States history, Politics and government biography, Politics and government
Human-narrated audio
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • &“Vital reading for Americans and people anywhere who seek to understand what is happening &‘after…
the fall&’ of the global system created by the United States&” ( New York Journal of Books ), from the former White House aide, close confidant to President Barack Obama, and author of The World as It Is At a time when democracy in the United States is endangered as never before, Ben Rhodes spent years traveling the world to understand why. He visited dozens of countries, meeting with politicians and activists confronting the same nationalism and authoritarianism that are tearing America apart. Along the way, the Russian opposition leader he spoke with was poisoned, the Hong Kong protesters he came to know saw their movement snuffed out, and America itself reached the precipice of losing democracy before giving itself a fragile second chance. The characters and issues that Rhodes illuminates paint a picture that shows us where we are today—from Barack Obama to a rising generation of international leaders; from the authoritarian playbook endangering democracy to the flood of disinformation enabling authoritarianism. Ultimately, Rhodes writes personally and powerfully about finding hope in the belief that looking squarely at where America has gone wrong can make clear how essential it is to fight for what America is supposed to be, for our own country and the entire world
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War, History, Asian history, United States history, Politics and government
Human-narrated audio
CNN national security analyst, author of The Osama bin Laden I Know (DB 65312), examines actions and strategies--some successful, some…
not--of the United States and bin Laden's al-Qaeda during the so-called "war on terror" that began after the 9/11 attacks. 2011