Book picks similar to
Black Pilgrimage by Tom Feelings
young-adult
6th
african-american
biography
WE ALL FALL DOWN: THE TRUE STORY OF THE 9/11 SURFER
Pasquale Buzzelli - 2012
He spoke to his pregnant wife on the telephone before he began his evacuation after the South Tower fell. Sensing something ominous, Pasquale crouched down and huddled into a corner of the stairwell as the 110-story tower came crashing down around him. He survived the tower collapse and woke up in the open air hours later on The Pile, a stack of debris seven stories high. The firemen who rescued Pasquale shared his remarkable story of survival with the media, as did others who cared for him that day. His story became a myth, an urban legend, and an enigma that gave rise to much speculation. Here he tells his story in captivating detail of falling and "surfing' the collapse of the North Tower.Visit www.911surfer.com for more details.
The Lockdown Diary of Tom Cooper
Spencer Brown - 2020
Stuck inside a small flat with sole responsibility for his two single-digit children, Tom is plunged into a world of home schooling, supermarket feuds and alfresco workout sessions, not to mention keeping tabs on ageing parents who won’t stay home.Faced with the problems of cash-strapped tooth fairies, buying a rat trap online and an NHS-supporting arms race with an elderly neighbour, Tom realises he must rise to the occasion, but when his girlfriend asks for an erotic photo of his rapidly deteriorating body, it may be one step too far...Join Tom as he navigates lockdown in this hilarious stand-alone novel from the author of The Rebuilding of Tom Cooper.
Mr Pikes: The Story Behind The Ibiza Legend
Tony Pike - 2017
the real Hugh Hefner BOY GEORGE Tony created the concept of the boutique hotel. PAUL OAKENFOLD Roguish and very appealing. I like ebullient, charming characters. GRACE JONES I found extraordinary peace at Pikes, and Tony Pike is the best host... the number one ! JOAN BAEZ There's no place like Pikes. You arrive... then a few days later you come round again without fully knowing quite what happened... but you know it was great. KYLE SIMMONS (BASTILLE) I have never seen a man so happy in a leopard skin thong as Tony ! SHIRLEY KEMP (WHAM) Thanks for a fab time, Tony FREDDIE MERCURY
Free Roll
Brandt Tobler - 2017
This book is written by a stand-up comedian that takes you through tragedy after tragedy on its path to hilarity. Will it make you laugh? Eventually. Will it make you cry? Probably. But the hope is that it will also make you smile, dream, and reflect, while simultaneously inspiring you to never stop chasing your dreams (even if your very own family is constantly trying to derail them). Brandt tells his life story with candor, detailing the many pit stops, wrong turns, crazy connections, and lucky breaks he experienced along the way to his comedy career, all while trying to balance a toxic relationship with his jailbird dad. Brandt's storytelling will make you laugh (it better because that's his job!) and believe, as he does, that when it comes to defining family, blood isn't always thicker than water.
Lead, Kindly Light: My Journey To Rome
Thomas Howard - 1994
With grace, charm, and wit, Dr. Howard describes his journey from Evangelicalism to Anglicanism, and finally, to the Church of Rome. In a world saturated with fashionable unbelief, Howard's testimony inspires and informs. Fr. Richard Neuhaus calls it "a marvelously engaging remembrance.
I Am Duran: The Autobiography of Roberto Duran
Roberto Duran - 2016
In his own words, and for the first time, Roberto Duran tells his unbelievable story in I Am Duran: The Autobiography of Robert Duran. From the mean streets of Panama to the bright lights of Las Vegas, blazing a trail through the golden decade of boxing, Duran, in unflinching form, dispels myths and lays bare the cost of conquering the world. He also returns to the debacle that entered sporting folklore during his rematch with Sugar Ray Leonard, when he uttered the infamous words 'no mas' - no more.Starting life in abject poverty as the illegitimate son of a serving US soldier, Duran quickly realized that his fists could both protect him on the streets and put food on the table. His reputation in and out of the ring travelled the corridors of boxing power on the day, for a bet, he knocked down a horse with a single punch.From his stunning debut in New York to the glorious defeat of Sugar Ray Leonard, the world titles and the chaos that ensued after the No Mas encounter, Duran's explosive life in the ring was matched only by the volatility outside of it, as he lurched from kingmaker to bankruptcy, before the ultimate ending of a bloody comeback and, finally, redemption.
Frederick: A Story of Boundless Hope
Frederick Ndabaramiye - 2014
When Frederick faced those same genocidaires a few years later, he noted the machete that hung from the right hand closest to him and wondered if his would soon be added to the layers of dried blood that clung to the blade. Either way, young Frederick knew that he wouldn’t be able to carry out the orders just given to him, to raise that blade against the other passengers of the bus, regardless of the race marked on their identity cards.That bold decision would cause Frederick to lose his hands. But what the killers meant for harm, God intended for good. The cords that bound him served as a tourniquet, saving his life when his hands were hacked away. This new disability eventually fueled Frederick’s passion to show the world that disabilities do not have to stop you from living a life of undeniable purpose. From that passion, the Ubumwe Community Center was born, where "people like me" come to discover their own purposes and abilities despite their circumstances.Through miraculous mercy and divine appointment, Frederick forgives those who harmed him and goes on to fully grasp his God-given mission. In this extraordinary true story of forgiveness, faith, and hope, you will be challenged, convicted, and forever converted to a believer of the impossible.
Corners: Voices on Change
Amy Lou Jenkins - 2018
In Corners: Voices on Change, writers find a way through changes. Their literary essays offer honesty, comfort and humor. Tracing their stories helps us to process our own changing lives. Be inspired by thoughtful lives as the writers— - Deal with grief and loss- Reject antiquated patterns of prejudice and selfishness- Get fired- Engage in War- Experience disappointment in God- Find their voice- Say “no”- Navigate the ubiquitous anxiety of loving a recovering addict- Save themselves from disappearing into marriage or parenthood- Discover lynchpins in family and culture- Choose a new religion and choose to love within the backlash- Learn to love a Trump-voting spouse when it seems a betrayal- Recreate a great life when the body, brain, or life circumstance won’t return to the old normal- Accept responsibilities, truths, and realities- Celebrate differencesThese voices don’t prescribe a singular path to self-actualization. That would be a lie. We all face corners. We have to turn. We must make accommodations, or we get stuck clinging to beliefs and ways of life that can no longer sustain us. The beauty in these very human stories is laden with honesty, triumph, humor, resignation, comfort and insight. The cumulative effect of these personal stories is even greater than the sum of the parts. Readers experience the gallant pursuit of managing responses to change. Writers celebrate and lament the past, but don’t cling to it. They find a new normal. They strive. They accept.
No Hiding in The Open: A Journey in Professional Golf
John Hoskison - 2013
When he meets Seve Ballesteros for the first time and makes the cut in the Martini International, he looks set for success. Then reality kicks in at Royal Birkdale in the PGA Championships.This is a true story of how someone has to deal with life's ups and downs. After topping a shot in front of Seve, shanking in front of Sandy Lyle and almost hitting Greg Norman with a monumental slice, John has to deal with the brutality of championship golf. With confidence in tatters John sets out on a quest to find a golf swing that will work and stand the ultimate test of playing in The Open - his dream. But there are no psychologists or coaches to help. Like the rest of the young pros, he has to find the solution himself and no stone is left unturned.From trying crazy superstitions to simply copying the top players like Tom Watson and Nick Faldo, this book shows the difference between the modern day tour pro and the young men who went into battle with blindfolds on.The account of John Hoskison's life on tour is funny, sad and brutally honest. This book will be a fascinating read for all keen golfers or sportsman and the sting in the tail will surprise everyone who reads it.Excerpt from the book:Just before driving home the chairman of West Surrey came to shake my hand. 'John - you're a star,' he said. I smiled. I had felt like one all day. The Titleist Tour clothes designer, proving himself a colour-blind schizophrenic, had far outstripped his previous three design attempts taking 'conspicuous' to new heights. The pattern on my sweater that day was literally stunning. I knew it was power dressing by the reaction of the players in front of me when I had earlier stepped onto the first tee and whipped off my waterproof jacket. Both Craig Stadler and Tom Weiskopf looked stunned. 'Wow,' said Craig. 'You should warn people before you do that.'
No Sense of Direction
Eric Raff - 2001
With a sharp eye for detail and a keen sense of humor, Eric Raff recounts what its like to hit the road with no plan and no destination.If you've ever thought of giving it all up to take off and travel, No Sense of Direction might just give you the incentive to do it.
The Diary Of Princess Pushy's Sister, Part 1
Samantha Markle - 2021
Sometimes the truth really is stranger than fiction.
House of Happy Endings
Leslie Garis - 2007
In a large, romantic house in Amherst, Massachusetts, Leslie Garis, her two brothers, and their parents and grandparents aimed to live a life that mirrored the idyllic world the elder Garises created nonstop. But inside The Dell--where Robert Frost often sat in conversation over sherry, and stories appeared to spring from the very air--all was not right. Roger Garis's inability to match his parents' success in his own work as playwright, novelist, and magazine writer led to his conviction that he was a failure as father, husband, and son, and eventually deepened into mental illness characterized by raging mood swings, drug abuse, and bouts of debilitating and destructive depression. "House of Happy Endings "is Leslie Garis's mesmerizing, tender, and harrowing account of coming of age in a wildly imaginative, loving, but fatally wounded family.
The Book of Luke: My Fight for Truth, Justice, and Liberty City
Luther Campbell - 2015
His uncle Ricky did not want him trapped by the "invisible chains" of systemic racism, so Ricky schooled him on the necessity of a black man running his own life, controlling his livelihood, and owning property.Embracing these lessons, Campbell discovered his gift for entrepreneurship: He created one of the first hip-hop record companies, Luke Records, which started out of a shed in his mom's backyard and grew into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. As a rapper on his own label, Luke became known as the "King of Dirty Rap" and helped pioneer the worldwide phenomenon of Miami Bass. He went on to become the front man and manager for the rap group 2 Live Crew, and was key to the success of the group's controversial platinum recording As Nasty As They Wanna Be.His hugely popular and provocative music infuriated the Man, and Luke was marked as public enemy number one when hip-hop crossed the color line into white America. Campbell would spend more than a million dollars of his own money fighting cops and prosecutors, and he went all the way to the Supreme Court to protect his—and every other artist's—right to free speech, setting landmark legal precedents that continue to shape the entertainment industry to this day.In Campbell's clear and honest voice, he shares unforgettable stories of his rise to celebrity status, including illicit tales from his raunchy concerts. He also breaks down how he lost his fortune, but in the process gained a better perspective on life. His father taught him to be responsible for his actions and to be proud of himself. Campbell expressed this by being cocky and holding his head up high, but, as he acknowledges, "America has never been an easy place for a black man who doesn't know how to apologize."Touching on some of the most pressing issues of our time, The Book of Luke is a raw and powerful memoir of how one man invented southern hip-hop, saved the First Amendment, and became a role model for the disenfranchised people of the city he calls home.
The Promise of Hope: How True Stories of Hope and Inspiration Saved My Life and How They Can Transform Yours
Edward Grinnan - 2011
Years of listening to other people's stories of going through tough times, hoping to overcome difficult odds, or trying to find a way to make a difference in the world brought Edward Grinnan to the undersanding that personal change is vital to achieving success. In each chaper of this book, he weaves the tales of other people with his own story to reveal how each of us can learn about the keys to powerful personal change. He shows these principles at work in his own personal struggle with alcoholism, and how he has learned through his own missteps to accept change and become the person he was meant to be.