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Heiresses : the lives of the million dollar babies / by Thompson, Laura,1964-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."New York Times bestselling author Laura Thompson returns with Heiresses, a fascinating look at the lives of heiresses throughout history and the often tragic truth beneath the gilded surface. Heiresses: surely they are among the luckiest women on earth. Are they not to be envied, with their private jets and Chanel wardrobes and endless funds? Yet all too often those gilded lives have been beset with trauma and despair. Before the 20th century a wife's inheritance was the property of her husband, making her vulnerable to kidnap, forced marriages, even confinement in an asylum. And in modern times, heiresses fell victim to fortune-hunters who squandered their millions. Heiresses tells the stories of these women: Mary Davies, who inherited London's most valuable real estate, and was bartered from the age of twelve; Consuelo Vanderbilt, the original American "Dollar Heiress", forced into a loveless marriage; Barbara Hutton, the Woolworth heiress who married seven times and died almost penniless; Patty Hearst, heiress to a newspaper fortune who was arrested for terrorism. However, there are also stories of achievement: Angela Burdett-Coutts, who became one of the greatest philanthropists of Victorian England; Nancy Cunard, who lived off her mother's fortune and became a pioneer of the civil rights movement; Daisy Fellowes, elegant linchpin of interwar high society and noted fashion editor. Heiresses is about the lives of the rich, who-as F. Scott Fitzgerald said-are 'different'. But it is also a bigger story about how all women fought their way to equality, and sometimes even found autonomy and fulfilment"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Anecdotes.; Personal narratives.; Heiresses; Rich people; Upper class women; Women;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Friends of the Museum : a novel / by McGowan, Heather,author.;
When Diane Schwebe, the director of a major New York museum, is awakened in the early morning by a text message from the museum's lawyer, it is the start of a twenty-four hour roller-coaster ride. Diane has sacrificed many things in her life to help the fading institution stave off irrelevance and financial ruin. In this battle, she's surrounded by her stalwart supporters: her enigmatic and tireless personal assistant, Chris; the museum's trusty head of security, Shay; and its general counsel, Henry -- a man whose ability to weasel his way out of a jam is matched only by his capacity to avoid learning anything from the experience. Orbiting Diane is a motley assortment of museum employees, each on the precipice of collapse or revelation: among them a line cook staring down a huge opportunity he's not sure he wants; a costume curator stuck in an inescapable rut; and the ambivalent curator of the museum's film program, whose first day on the job might very well be his last. On this day of the museum's annual gala, every plate that Diane has kept spinning will fall and by daybreak, someone will be dead. Wise, surprising, and darkly funny, Friends of the Museum is a kaleidoscopic tragicomedy that surges along to the unstoppable tick of the clock, leaving you on the edge of your seat until the final second.
Subjects: Black humor.; Psychological fiction.; Novels.; Anthropological ethics; Cultural property; Museum directors; Museums; Women museum directors;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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True believer : the rise and fall of Stan Lee / by Riesman, Abraham,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."The definitive, revelatory biography of Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee, an artist and entrepreneur who reshaped global pop culture at a steep personal cost. Stan Lee-born Stanley Martin Lieber in 1922-is one of the most beloved and influential entertainers to emerge from the twentieth century. He served as editor in chief of Marvel Comics for three decades and, in that time, launched more pieces of internationally recognizable intellectual property than anyone other than Walt Disney: Spider-Man, the Avengers, the X-Men, Black Panther, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Thor ... the list seems to never end. On top of that, his carnival-barker marketing prowess more or less single-handedly saved the comic-book industry and superhero fiction. Without him, the global entertainment industry would be wildly different-and a great deal poorer. But Lee's unprecedented career was also pitted with spectacular failures, controversy, and bitter disputes. Lee was dogged by accusations from his longtime collaborators Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko over who really created Marvel's signature characters-icons for whom Lee had always been suspected of taking more than his due share of credit. A major business venture, Stan Lee Media, resulted in stock manipulation, bankruptcy, and criminal charges. And in his final years, after the death of his beloved wife, Joan, rumors swirled that Lee was a virtual prisoner in his own home, issuing cryptic video recordings as a battle to control his fortune and legacy ensued. Abraham Riesman is a veteran culture reporter who has conducted extensive new interviews and research, turning up never-before-published revelations about Lee's life and work. Lee's most famous motto was: "With great power comes great responsibility." True Believer chronicles every triumph and every misstep of an extraordinary life, and leaves it to readers to decide whether Lee lived up to the responsibilities of his own talent"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Lee, Stan, 1922-2018.; Cartoonists;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Embrace fearlessly the burning world : essays / by Lopez, Barry Holstun,1945-2020,author.; Solnit, Rebecca,writer of introduction.; Lopez, Barry Holstun,1945-2020.Essays.Selections.;
"This collection represents part of the enduring legacy of Barry Lopez, hailed as a 'national treasure' (Outside) and "one of our finest writers" (Los Angeles Times Book Review) when he died in December 2020. An ardent steward of the land, fearless traveler, and unrivaled observer of nature and culture in all its forms, Lopez lost much of the Oregon property where he had lived for over fifty years when it was consumed by wildfire, likely caused by climate change. Fortunately, some of his papers survived, including four never-before published pieces that are gathered here, along with essays written in the final years of his life; these essays appear now for the first time in book form. Written in his signature observant and vivid prose, these essays offer an autobiography in pieces that a reader can assemble while journeying with Lopez along his many roads. They unspool memories at once personal and political, including tender, sometimes painful stories from Lopez's childhood in New York City and California; reports from the field as he accompanies scientists on expeditions to study animals; travels to Antarctica and some of the most remote places on earth; and to life in his own backyard, adjacent to a wild, racing river. He reflects on those who taught him: the Indigenous elders and scientific mentors who sharpened his eye for the natural world--an eye that, as the reader comes to see, missed nothing. And with striking poignancy and searing candor, he confronts the challenges of his last years as he contends with the knowledge of his mortality, as well as with the dangers the Earth-and all of its people--are facing"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Essays.; Travel writing.; Personal narratives.; Lopez, Barry Holstun, 1945-2020; American essays.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Let it go : downsizing your way to a richer, happier life / by Walsh, Peter,1956-author.;
"Sorting through a lifetime's worth of accumulated possessions can be a daunting and stressful process that millions of Americans confront every year. The need to downsize often arises at a momentous life change, whether you're an empty nester or retiree selling your family home, a newlywed blending your households, or you're cleaning out your parents' property after they've moved into assisted living or passed away. Decluttering guru Peter Walsh knows the difficulty of downsizing firsthand. Along with six of his siblings, he went through the process of downsizing his family home and dividing his late parents' possessions. He realized that making these decisions about mementos and heirlooms creates strong emotions and sometimes sibling rivalries. After this experience, he downsized his own home. Peter doesn't see downsizing as a difficult chore, rather, it's a freeing, rejuvenating process. Now, in Let It Go, you'll access Peter's many tips and practical takeaways, such as how to: Understand the emotional challenges that accompany downsizing. Create strategies for working with your spouse, adult kids, or siblings without drama. Calculate the amount of stuff you can bring into your new life. Identify the objects that will bring you real happiness, and the rest that you should let go Peter will walk you through every step of the process and show you how to use downsizing as a positive experience that sets you up to better enjoy the opportunities that the next phase in your life will offer."--
Subjects: Simplicity.; Orderliness.; Personal belongings.; House cleaning.; Home economics.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Uncle of the year : & other debatable triumphs / by Rannells, Andrew,author.;
"Candid, hilarious essays from the star of The Book of Mormon, Girls, and Big Mouth on anxiety, ambition, and the uncertain path to adulthood, which ask, how will we know when we get there? In Uncle of the Year, Andrew Rannells wonders: If he, now in his early forties, has everything he's supposed to need to be a true adult--a career, property, a well-tailored suit--why does he still feel like an anxious twenty-year-old climbing his way toward security? Is it because he hasn't won a Tony, or found a husband, or had a child? And what if he doesn't want those things? (A husband and a child, that is. He wants a Tony.) In essays drawn from his life and career, Rannells argues that we all pretend we are constantly winning. And with each success, we act like we've reached the pinnacle of happiness (for our parents), maturity (for our friends), success (for our bosses), and devotion (for our partners). But if "adulting" is just a pantomime that's leaving us unmoored, then we need new markers of time, new milestones, new expectations of what adulthood is--and can be. Along the way, Rannells looks back, reevaluating whether his triumphs were actually failures--and his failures, triumphs--and exploring what it will take to ever, ever feel like he has enough. In essays like "Uncle of the Year," he explores the role that children play in his life, as a man who never thought having kids was necessary or even possible--until his siblings have kids and he falls in love with a man with two of his own. "It's an Honor to Be Eligible" reveals the thrills and absurdities of the awards circuit (and the desire to be recognized for your work). And in "Horses, Not Zebras," he shares the piece of wisdom that helped him finally come to terms with crippling anxiety and perfectionism. Filled with witty and honest insights, and a sharp sense of humor, Uncle of the Year challenges us to take a long look at who we're pretending to be, who we know we are, and who we want to become"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Essays.; Personal narratives.; Rannells, Andrew.; Actors; Gay actors; Gay men; Gay singers; Singers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The summoning / by Graham, Heather,author.;
When Kristi Stewart inherits a property in the old part of Savannah, she knows it comes with stories of hauntings. But she doesn't believe in ghosts, even while she runs seances for the guests of McLane House Bed-and-Breakfast. Until the inexplicable midnight appearance of one of her infamous ancestors. Terrified, she flees into the night-- and right into the arms of Dallas Wicker. Dallas is trying to uncover the truth about a colleague who died under suspicious circumstances. As strange happenings continue to plague Kristi's home, it is soon clear that there's a very living threat in the neighborhood-- several people have disappeared without a trace. Dallas can't find any connection between the victims, but someone wanted them gone, and it might be linked to the history of McLane House. And that means Kristi should be very afraid.
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Paranormal fiction.; Haunted houses; Inheritance and succession; Man-woman relationships; Missing persons;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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A walk around the block : stoplight secrets, mischievous squirrels, manhole mysteries & other stuff you see every day (and know nothing about) / by Carlsen, Spike,1952-author.;
Includes bibliographical references."On his regular walk one morning, Spike Carlsen realized there was an entire world outside his front door that he knew nothing about. How does that fire hydrant work, he wondered? Why are street lights shining more brightly than ever before? And, on a more personal level, why does an easy stroll around the neighborhood always leave him feeling more creative and spry, better able to take on the day? A simple walk around the block set Carlsen off on an investigative journey to discover everything he could about every thing we take for granted in our everyday life, from manhole covers and recycling bins to pedestrian crossings and bike lanes. Leading readers on a spirited adventure through his hometown, and other environs, Carlsen explains with wit and erudition the engineering marvels, unheralded utilities, and secret economic and health benefits hiding in plain sight. Like how the addition of a front porch reduces crime and increases property value. And how planting a $10 boulevard tree cuts air-conditioning costs by 20 percent, while generating approximately $30,000 worth of oxygen and $31,000 worth of erosion control. Or how a simple walk, in addition to reduce your chances of a stroke (20 percent), cardiovascular disease (30 percent), and broken bones (40 percent), can increase creativity by 60 percent. Engaging, entertaining, and informative, A walk around the block is a narrative celebration of all the seemingly random stuff we encounter at any given moment"--
Subjects: Curiosities and wonders.; Material culture.; Recreation.; Inventions.; Questions and answers.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Compliance [videorecording] / by Camp, Bill.; Dowd, Ann.; Ettinger, Philip.; Healy, Pat,1971-; Lin, Sophia.; McCaffrey, James,1960-; Servitto, Matt,1965-; Walker, Dreama.; Zobel, Craig.; Entertainment One (Firm : Canada);
Compser, Heather McIntosh ; director of photography, Adam Stone.Ann Dowd, Dreama Walker, Pat Healy, Bill Camp, Philip Ettinger, James McCaffrey, Matt Servitto.Inspired by actual events, writer/director Craig Zobel's sophomore feature Compliance examines the complex hierarchy of authority through the experiences of a teenage fast-food restaurant clerk who falls victim to a twisted practical joke. Becky (Dreama Walker) is doing her best to get through another tough shift when a man claiming to be a police officer calls to speak with her stressed-out manager Sandra (Ann Dowd). According to the man on the phone, Becky has just stolen money from a customer, and likely still has the cash on her person. When Becky denies any wrongdoing, the man on the phone insists that Sandra detain the frightened girl in the back room of the restaurant, an action that sets into motion a shocking sequence of events.Canadian Home Video Rating: 14A.DVD, widescreen (2.35:1) presentation ; Dolby digital 5.1.
Subjects: Fast food restaurants; Feature films.; Malicious accusation; Prank telephone calls; Searches and seizures; Thrillers (Motion pictures); Video recordings for the hearing impaired.;
© c2013., Dogfish Pictures ; Distributed by Entertainment One,
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Fast food genocide : how processed food is killing us and what we can do about it / by Fuhrman, Joel,author.; Phillips, Robert,contributor.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Revered nutrition and health expert, PBS personality, and bestselling author of Eat to Live, Super Immunity, and The End of Diabetes, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, delivers a hard-hitting, culture-shifting examination of the role fast and processed food plays in our nation's health crisis and offers a program to help us discover a lasting solution, including a two-week meal plan and 80 recipes. We're eating our way to discomfort, unhappiness, disease, and premature death. Processed and fake foods have become the primary source of calories in the United States--a trend that is growing across the developed world. While these "Frankenfoods" efficiently feed the majority of our citizens, they do not contain the sustaining biological and chemical properties of food produced in nature. This fast-food solution is causing a fast-food genocide that is shaping our bodies and our futures, Joel Fuhrman, MD, warns. Eating these unhealthy foods make us fatter and profoundly affects our brains, behaviors, and even our genetic makeup, leaving us helpless to social forces that will keep us eating fast food forever, he explains. They create an avalanche of harmful problems--chronic disease, lowered intelligence levels, and attention deficits that are intrinsically linked to poverty, reduced educational and occupational opportunities, and even increased drug addiction, violence, and crime. An urgent call to action, Fast Food Genocide also provides a clear and very achievable solution. While food can destroy the world, it can also heal it. We must take back control of our diet--by eating specific natural ingredients in a balanced way--and in doing so, our right to a healthy, long life. "Greater knowledge leads to a solution; a solution to your personal health issues and a solution for our society." Dr. Fuhrman writes. "But it starts with you.""--
Subjects: Nutrition.; Junk food; Processed foods; Diet.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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