Here is a multidimensional playland of ideas from the world'smost eccentric Nobel-Prize winning scientist. Kary Mullis islegendary for his invention of PCR, which redefined the world ofDNA, genetics, and forensic science. He is also a surfer, a veteranof Berkeley in the sixties, and perhaps the only Nobel laureate todescribe a possible encounter with aliens. A scientist of boundlesscuriosity, he refuses to accept any proposition based on secondhandor hearsay evidence, and always looks for the "money trail" whenscientists make announcements.

An erudite history of medicine...a welcome addition to anymedical collection. -- Booklist How does medical science advance? Popular historians would have usbelieve that a few heroic individuals, possessing superhumantalents, lead an unselfish quest to better the human condition. Butas renowned Yale surgeon and medical historian Sherwin B. Nulandshows in this brilliant collection of linked life portraits, thetheory bears little resemblance to the truth. Through the centuries, the men and women Who have shaped theworld of medicine have been not only very human people but alsovery much the products of their own times and places. Presentingcompelling studies of great medical innovators and pioneers,Doctors gives us the extraordinary story of the development ofmodern medicine -- told through the lives of thephysician-scientists whose deeds and determination paved the way.Ranging from the legendary Father of Medicine, Hippocrates, toAndreas Vesalius, whose Renaissance masterwork on anatomy offeredinval

does eminem matter? On assignment for his first cover story for Rolling Stone, thevery first national cover story on Eminem, Anthony Bozza met ayoung blond kid, a rapper who would soon take the country by storm.But back in 1999, Eminem was just beginning to make waves amongsuburban white teenagers as his first single, “My Name Is,” wentinto heavy rotation on MTV. Who could have predicted that in a mere two years, Eminem wouldbecome the most reviled and controversial hip-hop figure ever? Orthat twelve months after that, Eminem would sit firmly at thepinnacle of American celebrity, a Grammy winner many times over andthe recipient of an Oscar. did eminem change or did america finally figure him out? Whatever You Say I Am attempts to answer this question and manymore. Since their first meeting, Bozza has been given a level ofaccess to Eminem that no other journalist has enjoyed. In WhateverYou Say I Am, original, never-before-published text from Bozza’sinterviews with Eminem a

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the best chronicle ofdrug-soaked, addle-brained, rollicking good times ever committed tothe printed page. It is also the tale of a long weekend road tripthat has gone down in the annals of American pop culture as one ofthe strangest journeys ever undertaken. Now this cult classic of gonzo journalism is a major motionpicture from Universal, directed by Terry Gilliam and starringJohnny Depp and Benicio del Toro. Opens everywhere on May 22,1998.

On the day she turned seventy-seven, internationally acclaimedmystery writer P. D. James embarked on an endeavor unlike any otherin her distinguished career: she decided to write a personal memoirin the form of a diary. Over the course of a year she set down notonly the events and impressions of her extraordinarily active life,but also the memories, joys, discoveries, and crises of a lifetime.This enchantingly original volume is the result. Time to Be in Earnest offers an intimate portrait of one of mostaccomplished women of our time. Here are vivid, revealing accountsof her school days in Cambridge in the 1920s and '30s, her happymarriage and the tragedy of her husband's mental illness, and thethrill of publishing her first novel, Cover Her Face, in 1962. Asshe recounts the decades of her exceptional life, James holds forthwith wit and candor on such diverse subjects as the evolution ofthe detective novel, her deep love of the English countryside, herviews of author tours and television adaptati

Warren Buffett is the most successful investor of all time. His ability to consistently find undervalued companies has made him one of the world's richest men. Yet while his track record is hard to argue with, the Buffett way isn't the only way, nor is it always the best way, to invest. Even Buffett Isn't Perfect dispels many myths about Buffett and his "solid as a rock" style. It shows readers how to learn from the master's best moves while avoiding strategies that don't apply to small investors -- and avoiding Buffett's mistakes, such as sometimes riding his winners too long.

This stunningly personal document and extraordinary history ofthe turbulent sixties and early seventies displays James Baldwin'sfury and despair more deeply than any of his otherworks. In vivid detail he remembers the Harlem childhoodthat shaped his early conciousness, the later events that scoredhis heart with pain—the murders of Martin Luther King and MalcolmX, his sojourns in Europe and in Hollywood, and his retum to theAmerican South to confront a violent America face-to-face.

Although his popularity is eclipsed by Rembrandt today, PeterPaul Rubens was revered by his contemporaries as the greatestpainter of his era, if not of all history. His undeniableartistic genius, bolstered by a modest disposition and a reputationas a man of tact and discretion, made him a favorite among monarchsand political leaders across Europe—and gave him the perfect coverfor the clandestine activities that shaped the landscape ofseventeenth-century politics. In Master of Shadows, Mark Lamster brilliantly recreates theculture, religious conflicts, and political intrigues of Rubens’stime, following the painter from Antwerp to London, Madrid, Paris,and Rome and providing an insightful exploration of Rubens’s art aswell as the private passions that influenced it.

Sex, intrigue and adultery in the world of high politics andhuge wealth in late eighteenth-century England. Georgiana, Duchessof Devonshire, was one of the most flamboyant and influential womenof the eighteenth century. The great-great-great-great aunt ofDiana, Princess of Wales, she was variously a compulsive gambler, apolitical savante and operator of the highest order, a drug addict,an adulteress and the darling of the common people. Thisauthoritative, utterly absorbing book presents a mesmerizingpicture of a fascinating world of political and sexual intrigues,grand houses, huge parties, glamour and great wealth -- always onthe edge of being squandered by the excesses and scandals ofindividuals. Georgiana's extraordinary life has now been made intoa major film - starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes - whichis due for release in summer 2008. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

The definitive story of one of the greatest dynasties inbaseball history, Joe Torre's New York Yankees. When Joe Torre took over as manager of the Yankees in 1996, theyhad not won a World Series title in eighteen years. In that timeseventeen others had tried to take the helm of America’s mostfamous baseball team. Each one was fired by George Steinbrenner.After twelve triumphant seasons—with twelve straight playoffappearances, six pennants, and four World Series titles—Torre leftthe Yankees as the most beloved manager in baseball. But dealingwith players like Jason Giambi, A-Rod, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera,Roger Clemens, and Randy Johnson is what managing is all about.Here, for the first time, Joe Torre and Tom Verducci take readersinside the dugout, the clubhouse, and the front office, showingwhat it took to keep the Yankees on top of the baseball world.

'Michelangelo's artistic personality has been profoundly read. It will be difficult to be content again with any view that does not look into its depth, or with one which does not see the man's life, his visual works and his poetry together.' - Lawrence Gowing 'So tightly packed with meaning that it must be read more than once - I myself have read it three times, and with each reading have found increased understanding and pleasure' - Herbert Read 'The importance of Stokes is he asserted that art is extremely important for our sanity.' - Eric Rhode on BBC 'Kaleidoscope' 'This is a book I hope to read at least once, if not twice, more. I think Adrian Stokes has made a new, deep and penetrating contribution to present-day art criticism.' - Henry Moore Michelangelos artistic personality has been profoundly read. It will be difficult to be content again with any view that does not look into its depth, or with one which does not see the mans life, his visual works and his poetry together. - Lawrenc

Originally published in 1965, The Painted bird establishedJerzy Kosinski as a major literary figure. Called by the LosAngeles Times "one of the most imposing novels of the decade," itwas eventuallly translated into more than thirty languages. A harrowing story that follows the wanderings of a boy abandonedby his parents during World War II, The Painted Bird is a darkmasterpiece that examines the proximity of terror and savagery toinnocence and love. It is the first, and the most famous, novel byone of the most important and original writers of this century. A harrowing story that follows the wanderings of a boyabandoned by his parents during World War II, this classic novel,originally published in 1965, is a dark masterpiece that examinesthe proximity of terror and savagery to innocence and love. It isthe first, and the most famous, novel by one of the most importantand original writers of this century.

Prize-winning biographer Robert D. Richardson has written thedefinitive biography of the fascinating William James, whose lifeand writing put an indelible stamp on psychology, philosophy,teaching, and religion—and on modernism itself. A pivotal member ofthe Metaphysical Club, author of The Varieties of ReligiousExperience, and older brother of extraordinary siblings Henry andAlice, William emerges here as an immensely complex man.Richardson’s thought-provoking and utterly moving work, ten yearsin the making, draws on a vast number of unpublished letters,journals, and family records. Through impassioned scholarship,Richardson illuminates James’s hugely influential works: TheVarieties, Principles of Psychology, Talks to Teachers, andPragmatism. Finally, brought richly to life through Richardson’sbrilliant insights, James is given his due as a man whose influenceresonates in innumerable areas of modern life.

This classic story of a boy and a dog growing up in small-townAmerica by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Willie Morris is "writtenwith the gentle wisdom of an E.B. White and the eternal youth of aHuck Finn" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Author reading tour.

In an engaging book that sweeps from the Gilded Age to the1960s, award-winning author Laura Claridge presents the firstauthoritative biography of Emily Post, who changed the mindset ofmillions of Americans with Etiquette, a perennial bestseller andtouchstone of proper behavior. A daughter of high society and one of Manhattan’s mostsought-after debutantes, Emily Price married financier Edwin Post.It was a hopeful union that ended in scandalous divorce. But thetrauma forced Emily Post to become her own person. After writingnovels for fifteen years, Emily took on a different sort ofproject. When it debuted in 1922, Etiquette represented afifty-year-old woman at her wisest–and a country at its wildest.Claridge addresses the secret of Etiquette’s tremendous success andgives us a panoramic view of the culture from which it took itsshape, as its author meticulously updated her book twice a decadeto keep it consistent with America’s constantly changing sociallandscape. Now, nearly fifty years aft

Edith Kermit Carow grew up in New York City in the same circlesas did Theodore Roosevelt. But only after TR's first wife died atage twenty-two did the childhood friends forge one of the mostsuccessful romantic and political partnerships in American history.Sylvia Jukes Morris's access to previously unpublished letters anddiaries brings to full life her portrait of the Roosevelts andtheir times. During her years as First Lady (1901-09), Edith KermitRoosevelt dazzled social and political Washington as hostess,confidante, and mother of six, leading her husband to remark, "Mrs.Roosevelt comes a good deal nearer my ideal than I do myself."

Her name is synonymous with elegance, style and grace. Overthe course of her extraordinary life and career, Audrey Hepburncaptured hearts around the world and created a public image thatstands as one of the most recognizable and beloved in recentmemory. But despite her international fame and her tireless effortson behalf of UNICEF, Audrey was also known for her intense privacy.With unprecedented access to studio archives, friends andcolleagues who knew and loved Audrey, bestselling author DonaldSpoto provides an intimate and moving account of this beautiful,elusive and talented woman. Tracing her astonishing rise to stardom, from her harrowingchildhood in Nazi-controlled Holland during World War II to heryears as a struggling ballet dancer in London and her TonyAward–winning Broadway debut in Gigi, Spoto illuminates the originsof Audrey’s tenacious spirit and fiercely passionate nature. She would go on to star in some of the most popular movies of thetwentieth century, inc

Masters of Doom is the amazing true story ofthe Lennon and McCartney of video games: John Carmack and JohnRomero. Together, they ruled big business. They transformed popularculture. And they provoked a national controversy. More thananything, they lived a unique and rollicking American Dream,escaping the broken homes of their youth to produce the mostnotoriously successful game franchises in history— Doom and Quake — until the games they made tore them apart. This is astory of friendship and betrayal, commerce and artistry—a powerfuland compassionate account of what it's like to be young, driven,and wildly creative.

"A dazzling portrait. . . . Written with energy, daring, andartful intelligence." --San Francisco Chronicle

In the first in a new series of brief biographies, bestsellingauthor Peter Ackroyd brilliantly evokes the medieval world ofEngland and provides an incomparable introduction to the greatpoet’s works. Geoffrey Chaucer, who died in 1400, lived a surprisingly eventfullife. He served with the Duke of Clarence and with Edward III, andin 1359 was taken prisoner in France and ransomed. Through hiswife, Philippa, he gained the patronage of John of Gaunt, whichhelped him carve out a career at Court. His posts includedController of Customs at the Port of London, Knight of the Shirefor Kent, and King's Forester. He went on numerous adventurousdiplomatic missions to France and Italy. Yet he was also indictedfor rape, sued for debt, and captured in battle. He began to write in the 1360s, and is now known as the father ofEnglish poetry. His Troilus and Criseyde is the firstexample of modern English literature, and his masterpiece, TheCanterbury Tales , the forerunner of the English novel,dominated th

A writer renowned for his insight into the mysteries of the bodynow gives us a lambent and profoundly moving book about themysteries of family. At its center lies Sherwin Nuland’sRembrandtesque portrait of his father, Meyer Nudelman, a Jewishgarment worker who came to America in the early years of the lastcentury but remained an eternal outsider. Awkward in speech andmovement, broken by the premature deaths of a wife and child, Meyerruled his youngest son with a regime of rage, dependency, andhelpless love that outlasted his death. In evoking their relationship, Nuland also summons up the warmthand claustrophobia of a vanished immigrant New York, a world thatimpelled its children toward success yet made them feel liketraitors for leaving it behind. Full of feeling and unwaveringobservation, Lost in America deserves a place alongside suchclassics as Patrimony and Call It Sleep .

I was eleven, no more, when the wish came to me to be awriter; and then very soon it was a settled ambition. But for theyoung V. S. Naipaul, there was a great distance between the wishand its fulfillment. To become a writer, he would have to find waysof understanding three very different cultures: his family'shalf-remembered Indian homeland, the West Indian colonial societyin which he grew up, and the wholly foreign world of the Englishnovels he read. In this essay of literary autobiography, V. S. Naipaul siftsthrough memories of his childhood in Trinidad, his university daysin England, and his earliest attempts at writing, seeking theexperiences of life and reading that shaped his imagination and hisgrowth as a writer. He pays particular attention to the traumas ofIndia under its various conquerors and the painful sense ofdereliction and loss that shadows writers' attempts to capture thecountry and its people in prose. Naipaul's profound reflections on the relations betweenpersonal or hi