One climbed to the very top of the social ladder, the otherchose to live among tramps. One was a celebrity at twenty-three,the other virtually unknown until his dying days. One wasright-wing and religious, the other a socialist and an atheist.Yet, as this ingenious and important new book reveals, at the heartof their lives and writing, Evelyn Waugh and George Orwell wereessentially the same man. Orwell is best known for "Animal Farm"and "1984," Waugh for "Brideshead Revisited" and comic novels like"Scoop" and "Vile Bodies." How ever different they may seem, thesetwo towering figures of twentieth-century literature are linked forthe first time in this engaging and unconventional biography, whichgoes beyond the story of their amazing lives to reach the core oftheir beliefs-a shared vision that was startlingly prescient aboutour own troubled times. Both Waugh and Orwell were born in 1903,into the same comfortable stratum of England's class-obsessedsociety. But at first glance they seem to have lived

From Hermione Lee, the internationally acclaimed, award-winningbiographer of Virginia Woolf and Willa Cather , comesa superb reexamination of one of the most famous American women ofletters. Delving into heretofore untapped sources, Lee does away with theimage of the snobbish bluestocking and gives us a new EdithWharton-tough, startlingly modern, as brilliant and complex as herfiction. Born into a wealthy family, Wharton left America as anadult and eventually chose to create a life in France. Her renownednovels and stories have become classics of American literature, butas Lee shows, Wharton's own life, filled with success and scandal,was as intriguing as those of her heroines. Bridging two centuriesand two very different sensibilities, Wharton here comes to life inthe skillful hands of one of the great literary biographers of ourtime.

ON THE WAY home from a conference, Don Piper's car was crushed by a semi that crossed into his lane. Medical personnel said he died instantly. While his body lay lifeless inside the ruins of his car, Piper experienced the glories of heaven, awed by its beauty and music. Ninety minutes after the wreck, while a minister prayed for him, Piper miraculously returned to life on earth with only the memory of inexpressible heavenly bliss. His faith in God was severely tested as he faced an uncertain and grueling recovery. Now he shares his life-changing story with you. 9o Minutes in Heaven offers a glimpse into a very real dimension of God's reality It encourages those recovering from serious injuries and those dealing with the loss of a loved one. The experience dramatically changed Piper's life,and it will change yours too. 作者简介：Don Piper has been an ordained minister since 1985 and has served in several capacities on church staffs, including six years as a senior pastor. Don has appeared on

Apple CEO Steve Jobs’s wildly popular presentations have set anew global gold standard—and now this step-by-step guide shows youexactly how to use his crowd-pleasing techniques in your ownpresentations. The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs is as closeas you’ll ever get to having the master presenter himself speakdirectly in your ear. Communications expert Carmine Gallo hasstudied and analyzed the very best of Jobs’s performances, offeringpoint-by-point examples, tried-and-true techniques, and provenpresentation secrets that work every time. With this revolutionaryapproach, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to sell your ideas,share your enthusiasm, and wow your audience the Steve Jobsway. 另一位著名沟通传播大师《乔布斯的魔力演讲》作者卡迈恩·加洛以乔布斯的传奇演讲为蓝本，挖掘他用什么本领让观众如痴如醉，通过三幕剧的形式，展现乔布斯的舞台表演魅力。苹果公司创始人史蒂夫·乔布斯（SteveJobs）是世

Partly by chance, partly by design-is there anyone else who so wanted to be different?-there was never a life like Michael Jackson's. Preposterously talented, fronting the Jackson 5 from early childhood, he captivated kids, and more than a few grown-ups, with fancy footwork, effortless high C's and charisma to burn. And that was only prelude. Thriller launched Jackson into a new level of celebrity stratosphere - more media, more attention, more intensity - that even Elvis or the Beatles had never experienced. How he dealt with that fame - how he used it, and how it, arguably, overwhelmed him - became, in later years, the heart of the Michael Jackson story. Remembering Michael looks back at the triumphs, and struggles, of a life like no other.

Michael Jackson was the undisputed King of Pop and his untimely death has provoked tributes from around the world. With a colourful life spanning from 1968 when Michael was a member of the Jackson 5 to his recent announcement of a final comeback tour at the O2 in London, nobody can dispute the achievements of the man who was arguably the greatest artist of the millenium. This fully illustrated book offers an insightful tribute to the man behind Thriller, the world's best selling album of all time. Including sections on Michael's early life and the Jackson 5, the making of Off the Wall and Thriller, and the troubled years leading right up to his announcement of a comeback tour, this will be a comprehensive and fitting tribute to a legendary pop star, the likes of which the world will never be seen again.

When Marilyn Monroe became famous in the 1950s, the world was told that her mother was either dead or simply not a part of her life. However, that was not true. In fact, her mentally ill mother was very much present in Marilyn's world and the complex family dynamic that unfolded behind the scenes is a story that has never before been told...until now. In this groundbreaking book, Taraborrelli draws complex and sympathetic portraits of the women so influential in the actress' life, including her mother, her foster mother, and her legal guardian. He also reveals, for the first time, the shocking scope of Marilyn's own mental illness, the identity of Marilyn's father and the half-brother she never knew, and new information about her relationship with the Kennedy's-Bobby, Jack, and Pat Kennedy Lawford. Explosive, revelatory, and surprisingly moving, this is the final word on the life of one of the most fascinating and elusive icons of the 20th Century.

No tennis player since Andre Agassi has captivated the worldlike Rafael Nadal. He's a rarity in today's sporting arena - a truesportsman who chooses to let his raw talent, dedication andhumility define him. This autobiography, written by Nadal withaward-winning journalist John Carlin, includes memorable highlightssuch as winning the Wimbledon 2008 final in what John McEnroecalled, "the greatest game of tennis ever played" and completing acareer Grand Slam after winning the French Open, Wimbledon, and theUS Open in 2010.? This book gives Nadal's millions of fans whatthey've been waiting for - a glimpse behind the racquet to learnwhat really makes Nadal - an intensely private person who until nowhas never talked about his personal and family life - tick.

Here is the most important autobiography from RenaissanceItaly and one of the most spirited and colorful from any time orplace, in a translation widely recognized as the most faithful tothe energy and spirit of the original. Benvenuto Cellini was both a beloved artist in sixteenth-centuryFlorence and a passionate and temperamental man of action who wascapable of brawling, theft, and murder. He counted popes,cardinals, kings, and dukes among his patrons and was the adoringfriend of—as he described them—the “divine” Michelangelo and the“marvelous” Titian, but was as well known for his violent feuds. Atage twenty-seven he helped defend the Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome,and his account of his imprisonment there (under a mad castellanwho thought he was a bat), his escape, recapture, and confinementin “a cell of tarantulas and venomous worms” is an adventure equalto any other in fact or fiction. But it is only one in a long lifelived on a grand scale. Cellini’s autobiography is n

From a hard childhood lived largely in foster homes, she ascended to the highest of Hollywood heights-a screen icon beyond compare. And then she died young under mysterious circumstances, tragically cementing her legend. The life story of Norma Jeane Baker, the girl who would become Marilyn Monroe, is as thrilling, glamorous and dramatic as anything seen on the big screen, and the camera was there to capture every chapter. With intimate, rarely seen photographs of a pretty little child growing up in California during the 1930s right through to the classic imagery of the movie star in the 1950

Michael Jackson was the undisputed King of Pop and his untimely death has provoked tributes from around the world. With a colourful life spanning from 1968 when Michael was a member of the Jackson 5 to his recent announcement of a final comeback tour at the O2 in London, nobody can dispute the achievements of the man who was arguably the greatest artist of the millenium. This fully illustrated book offers an insightful tribute to the man behind Thriller, the world's best selling album of all time. Including sections on Michael's early life and the Jackson 5, the making of Off the Wall and Thriller, and the troubled years leading right up to his announcement of a comeback tour, this will be a comprehensive and fitting tribute to a legendary pop star, the likes of which the world will never be seen again.

Tony Blair is a politician who defines our times. Hisemergence as Labour Party leader in 1994 marked a seismic shift inBritish politics. Within a few short years, he had transformed hisparty and rallied the country behind him, becoming prime ministerin 1997 with the biggest victory in Labour’s history, and bringingto an end eighteen years of Conservative government. He took Labourto a historic three terms in office as Britain’s dominant politicalfigure of the last two decades. A Journey is Tony Blair’s firsthand account of his years inoffice and beyond. Here he describes for the first time his role inshaping our recent history, from the aftermath of Princess Diana’sdeath to the war on terror. He reveals the leadership decisionsthat were necessary to reinvent his party, the relationships withcolleagues including Gordon Brown, the grueling negotiations forpeace in Northern Ireland, the implementation of the biggestreforms to public services in Britain since 1945, and hisrelationships with l

From bestselling author Walter Isaacson comes the landmarkbiography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. In Steve Jobs: TheExclusive Biography, Isaacson provides an extraordinary account ofJobs' professional and personal life. Drawn from three years ofexclusive and unprecedented interviews Isaacson has conducted withJobs as well as extensive interviews with Jobs' family members, keycolleagues from Apple and its competitors, Steve Jobs: TheExclusive Biography is the definitive portrait of the greatestinnovator of his generation. The narrative of his personal life builds throughout the bookbeginning with one distinct chapter, then another, then another,until gradually his personal and professional lives becomeintertwined. There is material on his parents, on how he came to beadopted (and quite a bit, throughout the book, on his attitude tohis adoption), his influences during his childhood, his emergingattitude to life, his girlfriends, his wife and his children. Thereis new material in amongst all of th

With the passing of this great movie star, philanthropist,and-bona fide, in her day-living legend, it is our pleasure as muchas our duty to celebrate her glorious life. Our cameras weretrained on Liz since National Velvet, and our splendid archive ofphotography needs to be seen-by you, her fans, right now, in thismoment. Elizabeth first appeared on LIFE's cover when she was barely ateenager, and last graced the cover when she trusted LIFE to tellthe story of her late-in-life brain surgery with taste andaccuracy. In between there was all the rest: the child-star days,the early marriages, the sensational movies, the incredible dramathat was "Liz and Dick," the later success on the Broadway stage,the transition to regal presence: benefactor, Dame Commander of theOrder of the British Empire, American icon. It is all in the pages of this special commemorative book.

Eva was arrested by the Nazis on her fifteenth birthday andsent to Auschwitz. Her survival depended on endless strokes ofluck, her own determination and the love and protection of hermother Fritzi, who was deported with her. When Auschwitz was liberated, Eva and Fritzi began the longjourney home. They searched desperately for Eva's father andbrother, from whom they had been separated. The news came somemonths later. Tragically, both men had been killed. Before the war, in Amsterdam, Eva had become friendly with ayoung girl called Anne Frank. Though their fates were verydifferent, Eva's life was set to be entwined with her friend's forever more, after her mother Fritzi married Anne's father Otto Frankin 1953. This is a searingly honest account of how an ordinary personsurvived the Holocaust. Eva's memories and de*ions areheartbreakingly clear, her account brings the horror as close as itcan possibly be. But this is also an exploration of what happened next, of Eva'sstruggle to live with herself after t

The Age Of Turbulence is Alan Greenspan’s incomparable reckoning with the contemporary financial world, channeled through his own experiences working in the command room of the global economy longer and with greater effect than any other single living figure. Following the arc of his remarkable life’s journey through his more than eighteen-year tenure as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board to the present, in the second half of The Age of Turbulence Dr. Greenspan embarks on a magnificent tour d’horizon of the global economy. The distillation of a life’s worth of wisdom and insight into an elegant expression of a coherent worldview, The Age of Turbulence will stand as Alan Greenspan’s personal and intellectual legacy.

“If my story were ever to be written down truthfully fromstart to finish, it would amaze everyone,” wrote Henri Matisse. Itis hard to believe today that Matisse, whose exhibitions draw hugecrowds worldwide, was once almost universally reviled andridiculed. His response was neither to protest nor to retreat; hesimply pushed on from one innovation to the next, and left theworld to draw its own conclusions. Unfortunately, these weregenerally false and often damaging. Throughout his life andafterward people fantasized about his models and circulatedbaseless fabrications about his private life. Fifty years after his death, Matisse the Master (the second halfof the biography that began with the acclaimed The Unknown Matisse)shows us the painter as he saw himself. With unprecedented andunrestricted access to his voluminous family correspondence, andother new material in private archives, Hilary Spurling documents alifetime of desperation and self-doubt exacerbated by Matisse’sattempts to counterac

David Beckham is the world's most famous football icon. In Maythis year he brought down the curtain on a hugely successfulplaying career that spanned two decades, during which he proudlywore the shirts of Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, ACMilan, Paris Saint-Germain, and England. He captained his countryon 58 occasions, winning 115 international caps in total, anEnglish record for an outfield player. His colourful and stellarcareer has been characterised by the emotional highs of great goalsand remarkable trophy successes around the world, as well as bymore than the occasional moment of set-back, disappointment anddespair, but through it all Beckham has emerged as a universallyadored figure, both inside and outside the game. Here, intimatelytalking us through 150 of his favourite images which define hisplaying days, he invites us behind the scenes of an incredible20-year footballing journey.

The first account—prodigiously researched, richly detailed—ofthe last remarkable twenty-five years of the life and art of one ofAmerica’s greatest and most beloved musical icons. Much has been written about Louis Armstrong, but most of itfocuses on the early and middle stages of his long career. Now,Ricky Riccardi—jazz scholar and musician—takes an in-depth look atthe years in which Armstrong was often dismissed as a buffoon?ish,if popular, entertainer, and shows us instead the inventiveness anddepth of expression that his music evinced during this time. These are the years (from after World War II until his death in1971) when Armstrong entertained crowds around the world andrecorded his highest-charting hits, including “Mack the Knife” and“Hello, Dolly”; years when he collaborated with, among others, EllaFitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and Dave Brubeck; when he recorded withstrings and big bands, and, of course, with the All-Stars, hisprimary performing ensemble for more than

Michael Jackson: The Making of "Thriller" is an illustratedtribute to the King of Pop and his groundbreaking music video, withnever-before-seen photos of its creation. The book features over200 exclusive, behind-the-scenes photographs of the artist on setduring the 1983 production of the Grammy award winning videodirected by John Landis. Considered to be the most successful project of all time,"Thriller" is beloved the world over, inspiring imitation and acult-like following of millions of fans. Documenting the creationof the most popular and iconic music video of all time, this bookcelebrates the artist and his music at the top of his career. Famed photographer Douglas Kirkland and journalist Nancy Griffinwere the only members of the media allowed on the set of the video.The resulting photos capture Jackson both in high performance modeand relaxing on the set and depict his transformation into thecharacters in the video as well capturing the public and privatefaces of Michael Jackson.

Thriller takes us back to a time in 1982 when MichaelJackson was king of the charts, breaking the color barrier on MTV,heralding the age of video, and becoming the ultimaterepresentation of the crossover dreams of Motown’s Berry Gordy, whohelped launch Jackson’s career with the Jackson 5. In this incisiveand revealing examination of the making and meaning of Thriller , Nelson George illuminates the brilliant creativeprocess (and work ethic) of Jackson and producer Quincy Jones,deftly exploring the larger context of the music, life, and seismicimpact of Michael Jackson on three generations. All this from agroundbreaking journalist and cultural critic who was there. Georgequestions whether the phenomenon Jackson became is even possibletoday. He revisits his early writings on the King of Pop andexamines not only the stunning success of Thriller but alsoJackson as an artist, public figure, and racial enigma—includingthe details surrounding his death on June 25, 2009.

This is the definitive biography of Michael Jackson by acclaimed biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli, now updated. So much has now been said and written about the life and career of Michael Jackson that it has become almost impossible to disentangle the man from the myth. This book is the fruit of over 35 years of research and hundreds of exclusive interviews with a remarkable level of access to the very closest circles of the Jackson family - including Michael himself. It is the definitive Michael Jackson biography, and has now been fully updated to include the last five years of his life, and the emerging story of his death. Cutting through tabloid rumours, J. Randy Taraborrelli traces the real story behind the Michael Jackson we see and hear today, from his drilling as a child star through the blooming of his talent to his ever-changing personal appearance and his bizarrely public downward spiral. This major biography includes the behind-the-scenes story to many of the landmarks in Jackson's life: his legal a

Henri Matisse is one of the masters of twentieth-century artand a household word to millions of people who find joy and meaningin his light-filled, colorful images--yet, despite all the booksdevoted to his work, the man himself has remained a mystery. Now,in the hands of the superb biographer Hilary Spurling, the unknownMatisse becomes visible at last. Matisse was born into a family of shopkeepers in 1869, in agloomy textile town in the north of France. His environment wasbrightened only by the sumptuous fabrics produced by the localweavers--magnificent brocades and silks that offered Matisse hisfirst vision of light and color, and which later became a familiarmotif in his paintings. He did not find his artistic vocation untilafter leaving school, when he struggled for years with his father,who wanted him to take over the family seed-store. Escaping toParis, where he was scorned by the French art establishment,Matisse lived for fifteen years in great poverty--an ordeal heshared with other young a