Book picks similar to
My Father's Wars: Migration, Memory, and the Violence of a Century by Alisse Waterston
anthropology
east-european-jewish-memoir
jewish-family-history
memoir
Digger: A Memoir
Barbara McCollough - 2019
Digger is an astonishing story, beautifully written, full of suspense, and threaded with the insight and wisdom of the author who has devoted her life to finding the truth of a family secret – whether or not she had a twin. Thrilling, inspiring, and deeply poignant, this is also a story about the search for wholeness, that longing of the heart which is universal. Words cannot convey the power of this memoir – its dramatic momentum, mystical threads, and profound understanding of human nature and familial relationships. Digger is a landmark book, a remarkable achievement which deserves the highest possible recommendation. OLIVIA AMES HOBLITZELLE Author of Ten Thousand Joys & Ten Thousand Sorrows: a Couple’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s and Aging with Wisdom: Reflections, Stories & Teachings. In Digger, Barbara McCollough brings clarity and immediacy to a very complex, layered story. A gifted observer of people in relationships; she knows what they show and what they hide; she knows what they know but refuse to acknowledge. In Digger we see how people give themselves away, but of course, what we really see is McCollough giving us these people giving themselves away — through gestures, dialogue, silences — in other words, through ART. Brava! RICHARD HOFFMAN Author of Half the House and Love & Fury. With as much rich compassion as compelling investigation, Barbara McCollough has given us a gorgeously wrought memoir that you won’t want to put down, one that you’ll never forget. RACHAEL HERRON Internationally Bestselling Author of Splinters of Light, A Life in Stitches, and Pack Up the Moon.
All To Live For: Fighting Cancer. Finding Hope.
Emma Hannigan - 2017
Her world was shattered when she discovered that she had the rare gene BRCA1, meaning a 50% chance of developing ovarian cancer and an 85% chance of developing breast cancer. To reduce the risk, Emma had a double mastectomy and both ovaries removed. But in 2007 she received the devastating news that cancer had struck anyway.Now, twelve years later, Emma Hannigan is battling cancer for the tenth time.With her trademark warmth and wisdom, Emma shares her journey and her advice on everything from skincare and hair loss to how to keep a sense of humour through it all.All to Live For is a story of one woman's determination not to let cancer win; a story of strength and inspiration, hope and love. And of never giving up.
I Promised My Mother
Ludvik Wieder - 1984
And with G-d's help, he saved not only himself but also his parents and a host of friends, relatives, and strangers from almost certain death. If Ludvik Wieder's adventures were fiction, they would seem too contrived. But everything told is the unembellished truth. At the age of 26, Ludvik had it all—health, wealth, good looks, popularity, and a growing business in one of Europe's brightest capitals. Then, one dreadful Sunday in the spring of 1943, the Nazis marched into Budapest and imposed a series of repressive measures that threatened the life of every Jew in Hungary. From that day on, all that mattered was survival. Suddenly, life hung by a shred of paper— the proper “Aryan” identification. Determined to survive, Ludvik boldly entered the black market to buy those precious scraps of false identity that might save him and his loved ones from disaster. Soon he was living a double life, outwardly forsaking his Orthodox Jewish upbringing to pose as a gentile, at the same time clinging steadfastly to his beliefs, never for a moment forgetting who he was and where he came from. Soon he became a master of deception— whether it was posing as a trusted “gentile” factory employee, disguising himself as a drunken peasant, or assuming the dress and manner of a member of the Hungarian S.S. Somehow, he had the capacity to enlist the aid of an unlikely assortment of non-Jews, who helped him at the peril of their lives—among them, a peasant woman who befriended him in prison and offered her home as his haven for the duration of the war… a Hungarian Air Force officer, who “adopted” Ludvik's niece as his own illegitimate child, lent him his apartment as a hiding place and smuggled a series of vital ID papers to him… the Skid Row derelict who saved the life of Ludvik's nephew by pretending to be the boy's uncle. The book traces Ludvik's life, beginning with his placid, essentially easygoing boyhood in Czechoslovakia. Then, in 1940, after the Hungarian takeover, he was inducted into forced labor. It describes the cruelty and black humor of the labor camp, which helped him to develop the cunning and ingenuity that enabled him to sharpen his survival skills and avoid being sent to fatal service on the Russian front. The story then focuses on the Nazi occupation, culminating in Ludvik's near-execution at the hands of his Russian liberators. Armed with optimism, unswerving faith in the Almighty, and his own resourcefulness, Ludvik never let fear keep him from doing whatever was necessary to save himself and his fellow Jews. Throughout his heart-stopping adventures —and even in the darkest moments of despair, when events propelled him to the brink of suicide—Ludvik was motivated to go on by consummate devotion to his beloved mother. He knew he had to survive, for he had promised her he would.
Echoes of a Distant Past: Screaming Eagles: A Vietnam War Memoir
Eraldo Lucero - 2012
Fought over a fierce five months, the battle began in March and lasted into September. During this time, author Eraldo Lucero was serving in the 101st Airborne. This is his story. Lucero’s story of the courageous men who fought is a microcosm that sheds light on the reality of war. Bracingly honest, Lucero accurately depicts the horrors of war and its psychological effects long after the battles are over, revealing the unseen wounds of the soldiers who risked their lives to win a war most Americans tried to forget. Thirty-five years after the war’s end, the author reconnects with fellow Vietnam veterans and in a sobering commentary on the effects of war, illustrates its lingering presence in the combat veteran’s daily life. Inspired by his own battles with post-traumatic stress disorder and the fact that the battle of Hills 714 and 882 during Operation Texas Star has never been fully covered, Lucero leads us into the hell of the jungles of Vietnam and the infamous A Shau Valley. The A Shau Valley and its environs are as much a character as the men themselves, an unrelenting quagmire of violence and death that forever changed any man involved in its brutality. Echoes of a Distant Past: Screaming Eagles—A Vietnam War Memoir gives readers a firsthand look at the Vietnam War as only the combat infantrymen experienced it.
A Call from the Other Side: The life story of Psychic Medium Sue Nicholson
Sue Murray - 2013
She was always different and others sensed this. Her accurate insight into those around her left her friendless. As she matured, she learnt to hide her special connection to the Spirit world and endeavoured to lead a normal life as best she could. Later, spurred on by Spirit and turbulent experiences, she began to use her talents to help those around her. Eventually her abilities attracted wider acclaim while re-examining unsolved murder cases in the highly successful television series, Sensing Murder.Sue Nicholson continues to help create a communication link between those who have passed over to the Spirit world and the living. Through this interaction Sue is able to help others reach a sense of peace and understanding of why they are here.This book is a biography of Sue Nicholson's life, as told to and written by Sue Murray.
Check Ride
Thomas McGurn - 2020
While Tom McGurn was only one young pilot, thousands shared his experiences in the Army. In Check Ride, he recounts previously undisclosed details of flight missions, giving the reader a taste of the everyday flavor of life during those times. From ranger insertions/extractions to shipborne operations, combat assaults, SEALS, and the usual WTF! missions, this era created a new generation of mobile warfare warriors who were fine-tuned by the needs of the United States Army. Some had it better. Some had it worse.
We Always Had Paris
Templeton Peck - 2020
She was a New Yorker, had just turned forty, and was about to put her youngest child in college. He was pushing 50 and relishing a sabbatical from his San Francisico law practice. Opposites attracted. A few weeks later they were engaged. A year later they were honeymooning on bicycles in Burgundy, after a wedding in a chapel at JFK. And after five years in San Francisco, they sold their house, quit their jobs and moved to Paris -- “permanently,” they said. For seven years their home was in a foreign country, in a foreign culture, bathed in a foreign language, on the rue des Marronniers in the 16th Arrondissement of the most beautiful city in the world. We Always Had Paris is the story of their adventure. It really happened. It is also a love story.
Annoying Dead People
Evelyn Adams - 2015
The following are simply a set of 'Life Experiences' I have decide to share with you. Each chapter appears in no set order so don't think in terms of a timeline. Some chapters may make you feel happy, some sad, and even some may make you angry, but that is what life is all about; growing spiritually. Evelyn Adams
I Can See Angels
Jacky Newcomb - 2010
Read about: the grandma who attended her granddaughter’s wedding …even after she’d ‘passed away’! the angel who saved three people from drowning …before mysteriously disappearing the teenager who was dramatically rescued from a soon-to-be demolished building and the mysterious ‘angel on a plane'.
BOOTS: An Unvarnished Memoir of Vietnam
Stephen L. Park - 2012
In January, 1967, at the age of twenty, I left my home in Tennessee, and was on my way to Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia. I knew I was destined to join the party in Vietnam. I had been married for five days before I jumped on the bus and became US government property. I was about to embark on a walking tour through the jungles and muck of southern Asia. This book is about those jungles, that muck and the realities of what had been pitched as a brave and glamorous life of a soldier in combat. There is nothing glamorous in humping the brush, a backpack containing your whole life on your back, an M-16 to keep you warm at night. Red ants, trip wires, flooded rice paddies, leeches and being soaked for a year in either sweat or monsoons aren’t what they show on the movies, and the John Waynes were to be avoided; those guys were part of the ten-percent factor. Among the casualties of war are the truth and common sense. A glamorous life? No, not at all. It was a grunt's life... and this grunt had only one goal in mind – to do his tour and get home to his bride. There were times where it seemed even that was an unachievable goal.This is the story of November Platoon, Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry, 1st Division – The Big Red One – in Vietnam. This is my story… completely unvarnished.
A Promise to Ourselves: A Journey Through Fatherhood and Divorce
Alec Baldwin - 2008
Using a very personal approach, he offers practical guidance to help others avoid the anguish he has endured.An Academy and Tony Award nominee and a 2007 recipient of Golden Globe, SAG, and Television Critics Association Awards for best actor in a comedy, Alec Baldwin is one of the best-known, most successful actors in the world. His relationship with Kim Basinger, the Academy Award–winning actress, lasted nearly a decade. They have a daughter named Ireland, and for a time, theirs seemed to be the model of a successful Hollywood marriage. But in 2000 they separated and in 2002 divorced. Their split---specifically the custody battle surrounding Ireland---would be the subject of media attention for years to come.In his own life and others’, Baldwin has seen the heavy toll that divorce can take---psychologically, emotionally, and financially. He has been extensively involved in divorce litigation, and he has witnessed the way that noncustodial parents, especially fathers, are often forced to abandon hopes of equitable rights when it comes to their children. He makes a powerful case for reexamining and changing the way divorce and child custody is decided in this country and levels a scathing attack at what he calls the “family law industry.”When it comes to his experiences with judges, court-appointed therapists, and lawyers, Baldwin pulls no punches. He casts a light on his own divorce and the way the current family law system affected him, his ex-wife, and his daughter, as well as many other families. This is an important, informative, and deeply felt book on a contentious subject that offers hope of finding a better way.
Miracle Ball: My Hunt for the Shot Heard 'Round the World
Brian Biegel - 2009
Giants third baseman Bobby Thomson hit the most dramatic home run in the history of baseball. The moment occurred in the bottom of the ninth inning of a sudden-death playoff game between the New York Giants and their arch rivals from Brooklyn, the Dodgers. People across the nation watched on their new TV sets, and the home run became known as “the Shot Heard ’Round the World.” But after clearing the left-field wall, the central artifact of the play–the ball itself–inexplicably went missing. The mystery of what happened to the legendary baseball has remained unsolved for a half century. Until now.Miracle Ball is the gripping account of author Brian Biegel’s two-year effort to unravel the mystery that experts said could never be solved. After his father, Jack, finds a baseball at a thrift store with clues dating back to 1951 and believes it could possibly be the most coveted piece of sports history, father and son begin a journey to prove its authenticity. Biegel becomes consumed with the quest–recognizing it as the only chance to rescue himself from an emotionally devastating personal crisis that had long been crippling him.The trail takes Biegel, a sports fan and documentary filmmaker, from an auction house in Long Island to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, to a backroom meeting straight out of a Martin Scorsese film to a dusty oil field in Texas, finally arriving at his final destination on a quiet gravel road in New Mexico, the last place he ever expected to be.Along the way the author meets an amazing cast of characters, including Bobby Thomson himself, who help him in his quest. Each adds their personal memories of the golden age of baseball, giving a broader scope and greater depth to this real-life detective story. As entertaining as it is inspiring, Miracle Ball is a story about faith, family, and heroes, about overcoming the odds and coming into the light, and about discovering the wondrous result of believing in yourself–and the amazing benefits of unconditional love. A sports story for the ages, an engrossing mystery narrative, and a moving account of a man’s unbreakable bond with his family and of his struggles to save himself, Miracle Ball delivers both heart and headlines.
Kate Middleton: Our Princess
Irene Bell - 2013
With her easy-going charm, and natural manner, she took the world by storm -- and brought a breath of fresh air to the sometimes stuffy royal family. But how did a shy middle-class girl from an ordinary background become 'Our Princess'?In this concise, insightful biography, Irene Bell charts Kate's transformation -- and shows how fairytale romances really can come true.She tells the real story of Kate’s life, and describes the highs and lows of her remarkable journey as she emerges from the chrysalis of a shy schoolgirl into a stunning young lady who has captured the hearts of a nation. Kate has become a true princess for the people.And 'Our Princess' is the perfect biography for anyone who wants to know more about the real woman behind the image.
Strap Hanger: A Memoir of a Special Forces Soldier
Don Valentine - 2015
It covers the twenty-one years Don spent in the US Army, including six years in Airborne infantry rifle companies, ten years in special forces and five years in military intelligence. His story covers four combat tours, three in Vietnam and one in Laos and stretches from the old “brown boot” army to the new all volunteer army. The story is told in the manner you would hear it if you were sitting with the author having a cup of coffee or a cold beer and chatting about the “good” old days. This memoir covers the following assignments: Basic Combat Training | E Co. 325th AIR, 82d Airborne Division | K Co. 511th AIR, 11th Airborne Division | B Co. 505th AIR, 82d Airborne Division | E Company, 325th, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C., October 1960 | Training Co., 7th Special Forces Group Ft. Bragg, NC | A Company, 5th Special Forces Group [Sept - Dec 1961] | 1st Special Forces Group, Okinawa | B Co. 5th Special Forces Group, Ft. Bragg, NC | A Co. 3rd Special Forces Group, Ft. Bragg, NC | D Co., 1st Special Forces Group, Ft. Bragg, NC | 46th Special Forces Company [Augmented] 1967 Thailand | 1st Special Forces Group, Okinawa | Super Spook Training, Ft. Holabird, MD | The Bird Cage, Ft. Belvoir, VA | 525th Military Intelligence Group, Vietnam | Counterintelligence Special Agent Course Ft. Huachuca, AZ | Defense Against Methods of Entry Course Ft. Huachuca, AZ | 801st MI Det., 5th SFG [Abn], Ft Bragg, NC June 1971-Dec 1973 | Defense Language Institute Monterey, CA | 500th Military Intelligence Group Camp Zama, Japan | Retirement 1 March 1976 Ft. Bragg, NC Some Readers Comments: “I just got through reading all of your army experiences and enjoyed it very much., Clarence J.” “Don I enjoyed reading about your adventures and about those early Army days! I was reading the parts about “Super Spook!” lol And I was thinking to myself, Hum? “ I think I've met some people like them!” I like your particular writing style. “ Dave H. “I was researching Ft Holabird when I came across part of your memoirs. Great reading...my ass is supposed to be house-husbanding & taking care of the dogs & cats while my wife is attending nursing classes...well I guess spending the afternoon reading your memoirs are worth an ass-chewing.”, Daniel M. “Ran across a couple of your chapters years ago, but for some reason never found your website until this week. Love it, you really capture the esprit de corps serving in SF was all about.”, H.C.S. “My wife’s in Reno visiting her mother. I’m supposed to be working on an exam for the State. Instead, I’m too caught up in your story. Thanks for all that you did.” Jim. F. “Top; I just finished reading your story and I had to tell you that I think that you are a very good writer. Your style of writing kept me attentive from the first paragraph.”, Bob W. “Kudos to you for Strap Hanger, and for saying it in common language of the common soldier. I called my style a barrack philosopher style, but never equaled your style of common language in a clear and concise manner. Enjoyed your writing. Congratulations on a job well done.”, Ron A.
The Growth Quotient: How to achieve sustainable professional growth and development (Growth Engineering Master Series, #1)
Subbarao Mukkavilli - 2020
Most of the skillsets we use today will be irrelevant very soon. Several jobs that exist today will be extinct. AI-powered apps and robots will replace all of them. Corona Pandemic has fast-tracked most of these developments. COVID is rewriting the rules of the game, and AI is automating them. Acute talent deficiency is another pandemic all of us will face very soon. Ok. Let us park the pandemics for some time and talk about our eyesight. The average human eyesight is around 20 by 20. People with 20/30 vision don’t get a driving license in most countries. Anything around 20/1000 is considered blindness. What about our mindsight? Is it 20/20? Much lesser. This book teaches you how to improve your mind-sight. This book introduces four different lenses. These lenses improve the mind-sight significantly. Let's talk about hunger now. Whenever we are hungry, our tummy sends multiple signals to the whole body. Immediately, our eyes start the search operation, and our tongue joins the mission with the taste sensors. The nose filters out the smells, and the mouth begins to secrete the saliva. The whole body works in tandem until we finish a plate or two—most of the time, over-cooperation results in super binging.What about our brains? Is it endowed with all these facilities? How do you know when the brain is hungry? How do you sense if someone feeds it toxic food?All successful leaders in the world have a Mind Position System™ fitted to their brains. The mid positioning system helps them to navigate through any tough and uncomfortable situation. You can also get this if you want. This book teaches you how to install one. Three aspects define your personality:What you haveWhat you dropWhat you pickThe foundational qualities you need to have:High AmbitionA strong Belief systemClarity on goals and ambitionsUndeterred DisciplineABCDs™ in short.The thoughts you need to drop:Unrealistic ExpectationsUnfounded FearGreedHatredEFGH in short.You need to pick four quotients (or lenses):1. Consciousness Quotient 2. Environmental Quotient 3. Digital Quotient4. Number QuotientThat's not all. You will learn to apply the following time tested methods at your workplace:GRIT method to achieve your goalsOPEN method for better communication SIMPLE method to for effective communication and presentation PATH method to get customer delightHEAL method to heal the wounded clients and team membersSUIT method to resolve team conflictsCALM method to overcome fear★★★★★ Jose Cornelio for Readers' FavoriteThe author has the gift of communicating complex ideas in a clear and accessible manner. In a world filled with distractions, Suram teaches leaders how to thrive and successfully accomplish work that matters. This is a book that anyone who wants to be an effective leader should read.