Monday, February 27, 2012

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer Review



The Emperor of All Maladies is a magnificent, profoundly humane “biography” of cancer—from its first documented appearances thousands of years ago through the epic battles in the twentieth century to cure, control, and conquer it to a radical new understanding of its essence. Physician, researcher, and award-winning science writer, Siddhartha Mukherjee examines cancer with a cellular biologist’s precision, a historian’s perspective, and a biographer’s passion. The result is an astonishingly lucid and eloquent chronicle of a disease humans have lived with—and perished from—for more than five thousand years.

The story of cancer is a story of human ingenuity, resilience, and perseverance, but also of hubris, paternalism, and misperception. Mukherjee recounts centuries of discoveries, setbacks, victories, and deaths, told through the eyes of his predecessors and peers, training their wits against an infinitely resourceful adversary that, just three decades ago, was thought to be easily vanquished in an all-out “war against cancer.” The book reads like a literary thriller with cancer as the protagonist.

From the Persian Queen Atossa, whose Greek slave may have cut off her diseased breast, to the nineteenth-century recipients of primitive radiation and chemotherapy to Mukherjee’s own leukemia patient, Carla, The Emperor of All Maladies is about the people who have soldiered through fiercely demanding regimens in order to survive—and to increase our understanding of this iconic disease.

Riveting, urgent, and surprising, The Emperor of All Maladies provides a fascinating glimpse into the future of cancer treatments. It is an illuminating book that provides hope and clarity to those seeking to demystify cancer.


Saturday, February 25, 2012

The Biography Of A Grizzly

The Biography Of A Grizzly Review



This anthology is a thorough introduction to classic literature for those who have not yet experienced these literary masterworks. For those who have known and loved these works in the past, this is an invitation to reunite with old friends in a fresh new format. From Shakespeare s finesse to Oscar Wilde s wit, this unique collection brings together works as diverse and influential as The Pilgrim s Progress and Othello. As an anthology that invites readers to immerse themselves in the masterpieces of the literary giants, it is must-have addition to any library


Friday, February 24, 2012

DK Biography: Albert Einstein

DK Biography: Albert Einstein Review



DK¹s acclaimed DK Biography series tackles two of history¹s most colorful figures in Harry Houdini and Albert Einstein. Perfect for book reports or summer reading, the DK Biography series brings a new clarity and narrative voice to history¹s most colorful figures.


Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Charles Dickens by G.K. Chesterton (Unexpurgated Edition) (Halcyon Biography)

Charles Dickens by G.K. Chesterton (Unexpurgated Edition) (Halcyon Biography) Review



Chesterton's two-part biography of CHARLES DICKENS examines the life and works of 19th century British literary figure Charles Dickens. Chesterton's reinterpretation of Dickens' life and work proved important to the modern perception of Dickens as a literary giant, and the work has received widespread praise. Includes an active table of contents for easy navigation.

Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) was a British author, philosopher, and Christian apologist. He wrote a number of influential religious works including THE EVERLASTING MAN and ORTHODOXY. He was also an accomplished fiction writer, penning the acclaimed FATHER BROWN series of mysteries.

This unexpurgated edition contains the complete text, with minor errors and omissions corrected.


Monday, February 20, 2012

Oprah: A Biography

Oprah: A Biography Review



For the past twenty-five years, no one has been better at revealing secrets than Oprah Winfrey. On what is arguably the most influential show in television history, she has gotten her guests—often the biggest celebrities in the world—to bare their love lives, explore their painful pasts, admit their transgressions, reveal their pleasures, and explore their demons. In turn, Oprah has repeatedly allowed her audience to share in her own life story, opening up about the sexual abuse in her past and discussing her romantic relationships, her weight problems, her spiritual beliefs, her charitable donations, and her strongly held views on the state of the world.

After a quarter of a century of the Oprah-ization of America, can there be any more secrets left to reveal?

Yes. Because Oprah has met her match.

Kitty Kelley has, over the same period of time, fear¬lessly and relentlessly investigated and written about the world’s most revered icons: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Reagan, England’s Royal Family, and the Bush dynasty. In her #1 bestselling biographies, she has exposed truths and exploded myths to uncover the real human beings that exist behind their manufac¬tured facades.

Turning her reportorial sights on Oprah, Kelley has now given us an unvarnished look at the stories Oprah’s told and the life she’s led. Kelley has talked to Oprah’s closest family members and business associates. She has obtained court records, birth certificates, financial and tax records, and even copies of Oprah’s legendary (and punishing) confidentiality agreements. She has probed every aspect of Oprah Winfrey’s life, and it is as if she’s written the most extraordinary segment of The Oprah Winfrey Show ever filmed—one in which Oprah herself is finally and fully revealed.

There is a case to be made, and it is certainly made in this book, that Oprah Winfrey is an important, and even great, figure of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. But there is also a case to be made that even greatness needs to be examined and put under a microscope. Fact must be separated from myth, truth from hype. Kitty Kelley has made that separation, showing both sides of Oprah as they have never been shown before. In doing so she has written a psychologically perceptive and meticulously researched book that will surprise and thrill everyone who reads it.


Sunday, February 19, 2012

Jesus: A Biography from a Believer.

Jesus: A Biography from a Believer. Review



The definitive life of Jesus from the bestselling author of A History of Christianity.

Few figures have had such an influence on the world as Jesus of Nazareth. Paul Johnson's brilliant and powerful reading of Jesus' life at once captures his transfiguring message and his historical complexity. With a superb historian's command of his subject, a masterly writer's love of language, and a believer's passion, Johnson presents a lucid and deeply moving biography of a man whose life changed the course of history. Jesus offers readers a succinct yet lively account of the man who inspired one of the world's great religions and whose lessons still guide us today.


Thursday, February 16, 2012

The Story of Walt Disney: Maker of Magical Worlds (Yearling Biography)

The Story of Walt Disney: Maker of Magical Worlds (Yearling Biography) Review



When Walt Disney was a child, he loved to draw. It's no wonder he grew up to create such memorable and loveable characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.



Walt Disney spent a lifetime entertaining and delighting millions of children and adults alike--on film, on television, and in his magical kingdoms of Disneyland and Disney world. This is his story.