Book picks similar to
Owsley and Me: My LSD Family by Rhoney Gissen Stanley
drugs
music
non-fiction
biography
That's Amore: A Son Remembers Dean Martin
Ricci Martin - 2001
The Hollywood image of Dean Martin with a martini in one hand and a woman in the other continues to dominate public perception. Now, Dean's son Ricci reveals the husband and father few people knew, a man who hated parties, adored his mother-in-law, and found utter contentment in a slice of buttered bread. In That's Amore: A Son Remembers Dean Martin, Ricci Martin takes readers on a tour through his childhood, from the star-studded parties to the exploration of "three marriages, eight kids, one family," to the treasured one-on-one time he shared with his father. He also discusses Dean's first meeting with Jerry Lewis and divulges his father's version of the Martin and Lewis breakup. Ricci Martin addresses the key relationships in his father's life, allowing readers to view the Rat Pack years, "The Dean Martin Show," and Dean's divorce from Jeanne through a son's eyes. That's Amore reveals the triumphs, tragedies, and escapades that colored Ricci's childhood, including his brother Dean Paul's death. More than 100 photos from the private Martin family album enhance Ricci Martin's portrait of his father, creating a complete, honest picture of the Rat Pack legend.
Lucky Jim
James Hart - 2017
Charming, funny, and a great listener with a guru's insight, his success in life and business was based on his ability to connect with others, from people recovering in 12-step groups in Upstate New York to those living in the rarified air of Martha's Vineyard. But after 20+ years sober, one slip-up triggered an active addiction that threatened his relationships with his then-wife, singer-songwriter Carly Simon, his recovery friends, his severely disabled son, and even with himself as he began to confront his sexuality.
Shrinkage: Manhood, Marriage, and the Tumor That Tried to Kill Me
Bryan Bishop - 2013
Then he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Suddenly Bryan’s promising future was looking at a troubling schedule of radiation and chemotherapy. But having found refuge in comedy, “Bald Bryan” recounts his alternately heartbreaking and hysterical experience of cancer treatment and recovery, from writing his will with the bravado of a pulp novelist, to taking chemo in a strip club, to achieving his life-long dream of getting another woman in the shower with him and his wife (even if it was only for physical therapy). These and other charmingly twisted scenes make the serious truly a laughing matter. Now four years since his initial diagnosis, Bryan celebrates how his aggressive treatment shrunk his tumor and gave him a new lease on life.Through odds and obstacles, blunders and dilemmas, Bryan radiates through Shrinkage with wonder and humor. This profound, honest, and surprisingly funny recovery book is a Cancer Schmancer for the Jimmy Kimmel Live! crowd.
Missing Mom: A True Crime, True Family Story
Daniel Murphy - 2015
This true story begins on a sunny July morning in 2003, just outside of Flint Michigan, when an eighty year old grandmother has mysteriously disappeared from the face of the earth. Days later the charred remains of her car were identified, after being completely destroyed by an intentional fire; but she was nowhere to be found. We had to find her. She was my mom...
The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath
Leslie Jamison - 2018
Leslie Jamison deftly excavates the stories we tell about addiction--both her own and others'--and examines what we want these stories to do, and what happens when they fail us.All the while, she offers a fascinating look at the larger history of the recovery movement, and at the literary and artistic geniuses whose lives and works were shaped by alcoholism and substance dependence, including John Berryman, Jean Rhys, Raymond Carver, Billie Holiday, David Foster Wallace, and Denis Johnson, as well as brilliant figures lost to obscurity but newly illuminated here.For the power of her striking language and the sharpness of her piercing observations, Jamison has been compared to such iconic writers as Joan Didion and Susan Sontag. Yet her utterly singular voice also offers something new. With enormous empathy and wisdom, Jamison has given us nothing less than the story of addiction and recovery in America writ large, a definitive and revelatory account that will resonate for years to come.
The Brotherhood of the Screaming Abyss
Dennis J. McKenna - 2012
Once introduced by famed psychedelics advocate Timothy Leary as "one of the most important people on the planet," radical philosopher Terence McKenna was an iconic legend in the psychedelic community. He died in 2000, but his ideas live on in the writings of author Dennis McKenna. On their Amazonian journey together, the brothers explored the outer limits of psychedelic experience and were haunted ever since by the curious events that overtook them in that primeval rainforest.
Still Lolo: A Spinning Propeller, a Horrific Accident, and a Family's Journey of Hope
Lauren Scruggs - 2012
She had been on a short flight to look at Christmas lights and, upon exiting the small plane, was hit by the still-moving propeller blade. A frantic 911 call, several major surgeries, and thousands of prayers later: Lauren lived. But she lost her left hand and left eye. And she had to face some incredibly difficult questions: "What kind of future will I have? Where is God in all this pain? Will anyone ever be able to love me now?" In "Still LoLo," Lauren speaks out for the first time since her accident. She and her family reveal what really happened that night, what Lauren's life is like today, what got them through their journey toward healing, and how they conquered all odds to persevere as a family. It's a compelling and fiercely beautiful story of faith, determination, and staying true to who you are--no matter what.
Billy the Kid: An Autobiography
Daniel A. Edwards - 2014
Jesse walked out of prison a free man and disappeared, never to be heard from again. Never, that is, until 1949 when he came out of hiding after almost 60 years to claim his inheritance. In the course of proving his identity to a court Jesse told some amazing stories of his time when he was an outlaw but his biggest revelation of all was that his good friend Billy the Kid was still alive. Jesse led a young lawyer to an old man named not William H. Bonney but William H. Roberts who after some consideration finally agreed to come forward and reveal himself as Billy the Kid only if he would help him obtain a pardon from the Governor before his death so he could die a free man. You see, Billy the Kid was still wanted for murder and was condemned to hang. To come forward and reveal himself was to risk being arrested and put to death. This was a risk that William H. Roberts was willing to take. He sat down with the young lawyer and told his story. That story is the one true autobiography of Billy the Kid and told only one time, to one man. This is his story.
Forged Through Fire: A Reconstructive Surgeon's Story of Survival, Faith, and Healing
Mark D. McDonough - 2019
It also left Mark with burns on over 65 percent of his body. During a long and painful recovery, his faltering faith in God was strengthened by a remarkable near-death experience. Inspired to pursue a career as a plastic surgeon to help those who suffer as he has, McDonough has overcome numerous other adversities on his journey, including addiction and a stroke. Now he shares his incredible true story of survival and perseverance to bring hope and healing to those dealing with great physical and emotional pain.Anyone who has suffered or watched a loved one suffer from a personal trauma, disease, or loss that has tested or stolen their faith and exhausted their emotional resources will find real hope in this redemptive story.
One More Hour
Sleater-Kinney - 2021
Listen to this bold duo speak openly about the places, people, and movements that have shaped their career as well as the evolution of their creative and personal relationship. The bandmates and friends trace how their ambitions and their relationship have continued to inform each other and how they’ve navigated through the ups and downs for the sake of the band and their art. They move seamlessly through the different chapters of the band, sharing peeks behind the curtain, like the story behind their beloved autobiographical song "One More Hour," which they wrote about their own experience breaking up as a romantic couple and finding their way back to each other as friends and bandmates.They dive into their ongoing journey from their beginnings out of the Riot Grrrl scene in Olympia, Washington, to Carrie’s triumph with the TV show Portlandia, and on to their continued efforts to challenge each other and meet the political moment. It’s a deeply personal and exciting exploration of themes that have followed them throughout their career, like anxiety, activism, feminism, LGBTQ identity, motherhood, friendship, creativity, and change —all illustrated by evocative new recordings that’ll make you turn up the volume.This entry to the Words + Music series features eight exclusive new versions of songs spanning the band’s 10-album discography (so far), from "One More Hour" and 'One Beat" to "Path of Wellness" and "Worry With You" from their 2021 album Path of Wellness.©2021 Sleater-Kinney, LLC (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC
Joey the Hitman: The Autobiography of a Mafia Killer
Joey the Hit Man - 2002
"Joey" -- a journeyman Jewish hitman, numbers king, and loan shark -- collaborated with David Fisher (co-editor of the hit Adrenaline title Wild Blue) to lay out the rackets in gripping detail. His story includes detailed accounts of his chillingly "professional" murders of thirty-eight victims. The strong sales of Mob are further evidence that the best mafia stories -- and this is one of the best -- capture the public's interest. Joey the Hitman's original best-seller status reflects the quality of the writing, the frank intelligence of the subject/writer, and Joey's convincingly matter-of-fact, regular-guy tone. When he writes, debunking The Godfather, ". . . Actually very few mob members even have Bronx-Italian accents . . . a lot of mob people are not very tough, the people we meet and deal with are very ordinary, most of us stay home at night and watch TV, and we only shoot each other when absolutely necessary," you know you're listening to the original Soprano. This edition includes a new afterword from David Fisher, who for the first time reveals Joey's identity and the incredible story of how Joey finally died.
Scorpions for Breakfast: My Fight Against Special Interests, Liberal Media, and Cynical Politicos to Secure America's Border
Jan Brewer - 2011
Unfairly tarred by liberal critics as a state comprised of racist rednecks, Arizona is on the front lines in the battle against illegal immigration—and the courageous stand of its leader, a national hero who’s been called so tough that she “eats scorpions for breakfast,” will educate and inspire Americans from coast to coast.
The River of Consciousness
Oliver Sacks - 2017
He was also a memoirist who wrote with honesty and humor about the remarkable and strange encounters and experiences that shaped him (Uncle Tungsten, On the Move, Gratitude). Sacks, an Oxford-educated polymath, had a deep familiarity not only with literature and medicine but with botany, animal anatomy, chemistry, the history of science, philosophy, and psychology. The River of Consciousness is one of two books Sacks was working on up to his death, and it reveals his ability to make unexpected connections, his sheer joy in knowledge, and his unceasing, timeless project to understand what makes us human.
The Girl in the Treehouse: A Memoir
Jennifer Asbenson - 2019
In this whimsical, poetic, and gripping autobiographical account, Jennifer Asbenson describes her abusive, dysfunctional, and chaotic upbringing, her abduction and escape from a serial killer, her years in and out of mental hospitals, her decision to heal herself, and ultimately, her path to wholeness. Jennifer tells how, from her youngest years, she learned to retreat into her imagination to develop the ability to survive. The Girl in the Treehouse is a profoundly compelling story, told with humor, honesty, and without self-pity, of Jennifer’s emergence from mental illness and despair to happiness, through the power of forgiveness and self-love.