Author: Elizabeth Weil Publisher: Bantam ISBN: 0307767191 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 230
Book Description
This is a classic American tale of dreams and obsession--the suspenseful, brilliantly written account of one eccentric man’s hunger to open space travel to us all: to let us rocket into orbit, return to earth, and soar yet again--thus transforming space travel forever. They All Laughed at Christopher Columbus Gary Hudson was seven years old when Sputnik flew, nineteen when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, and all he ever wanted to do was to travel into space. Between 1970 and 1996 he founded and disbanded five separate rocket-building companies, none meeting with much success. Then, in 1997, at the age of forty-seven, he launched Rotary Rocket. His goal was to develop and build the Roton, the world’s first manned, single-stage-to-orbit, fully reusable spaceship, capable of shuttling ordinary people into orbit and back in a single day. Elizabeth Weil followed Gary for two years, and in this book she brings to vivid life a seductively--perhaps delusionally--optimistic world where science and science fiction meld and fuse, and where imagination and invention collide. In California’s bleak and windswept Mojave Desert, Gary assembled a fanatical, mismatched crew of engineers and technicians, and Weil bears witness to their Roton endeavor, from first conception to final test flight. The cast includes a pyromaniacal engineer, a world expert on composite airframes, two former Navy test pilots, Gary’s infinitely patient wife, a third-generation Mojave motel owner, and an enigmatic and resourceful financier. At their center shines Gary himself, a man eternally reflecting the glow of a better, lighter, higher world--a world that, despite his flaws and failures, he perpetually convinces us we’re all about to reach.
Author: Jim Willis Publisher: Visible Ink Press ISBN: 1578596653 Category : Body, Mind & Spirit Languages : en Pages : 865
Book Description
Exploring the collision of science, the universe and the "supernatural" unknown. Black Holes. Heavenly Messengers. Dark Matter. Dark Energy. Life Energies. Entanglement Theory. Psychic Connections. Quantum Physics. Parallel Universes. Alien Visitors. Supernatural Paradoxes. What does the universe hold—and hide? Where do we come from and where are we headed? What does science say when string theory and membrane theory both suggest that parallel dimensions very probably exist? When modern science estimates that the amount of “normal” matter visible to humans is less than 5% of the cosmos, and quantum entanglement theory shows that two particles can be connected despite being light years apart, are we entering an era when science can explain psychic and supernatural phenomena? Exploring the collision of science, the universe and the "supernatural" unknown, Supernatural Gods: Spiritual Mysteries, Psychic Experiences, and Scientific Truths probes the physical existence of “gods” from other dimensions, realities, and times. The myths, stories, history, science and the psychic phenomena beyond the limits of the five senses are explored. Surveying scientists and experts, it probes the physical existence of "gods" from other dimensions and realities. This fascinating read looks at a variety of explanations for the mysteries of the known and unknown universe, including the origins of humanity, alien visitors, psychic connections, past-life regression, channeling, intuition, healing energies, psychic connections, heavenly messengers, miracles, déjà vu, dreams, out-of-body experiences, meditation, shamanism, spiritualism, and the future of humanity. You'll open your mind when you glimpse the possibilities! Also included are a helpful bibliography and an extensive index, adding to the book’s usefulness.
Author: Ned Sherrin Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA ISBN: 0199237166 Category : Humor Languages : en Pages : 574
Book Description
This hilarious collection of humorous quotations, full of wisecracks and wit, snappy comments and inspired fantasy, has been specially compiled by the late broadcaster and raconteur Ned Sherrin, with a foreword by leading British satirist, Alistair Beaton. Now packed with even more quotes and covering more subjects than before, from Weddings to the Supernatural, Australia to Headlines. Find the best lines from your favourite jokesters and wordsmiths, add that extra something to a speech or presentation, or just enjoy a good laugh. 'A chair is a piece of furniture. I am not a chair because no one has ever sat on me.' Ann Widdecombe on the announcement that Parliamentary language will now be gender-neutral. 'No wonder Bob Geldof is such an expert on famine. He's been feeding off 'I don't like Mondays' for 30 years.' Russell Brand On deciding to run for governor of California: 'The most difficult decision I've ever made in my entire life, except for the one in 1978 when I decided to get a bikini wax.' Arnold Schwarzenegger 'Wanting to know an author because you like his work is like wanting to know a duck because you like p--acirc--;t--eacute--;.' Margaret Atwood 'I am so sorry. We have to stop there. I have just come to the end of my personality.' Quentin Crisp, closing down an interview
Author: David Bouchier Publisher: iUniverse ISBN: 1462041779 Category : Humor Languages : en Pages : 258
Book Description
David Bouchier brings humor and insight to the quirks and puzzles of everyday life, from buying vitamin pills to reading poetry on the subways. These entertaining commentaries were first broadcast on public radio stations in Long Island and Connecticut, where Bouchier's quirky and clever humor has made him the most popular public radio personality in the region. Every week for the past twelve years Bouchier has plucked a topic from the chaos of ordinary life and subjected it to his special brand of ironic scrutiny. Nothing is too small or too vast to attract his attention: stuffed bears, NASCAR racing, reincarnation, the federal tax system, and shopping in Florida all find a place in this spirited and funny collection of astute observations and whimsical opinions. A Few Well Chosen Words is the third collection of Bouchier's public radio commentaries on his life as an immigrant in America. Readers will relish his fresh approach to subjects like time and memory, the rituals that carry us through the year, our obsession with health and fitness, the horrors of travel, and the many annoyances of modern life.
Author: Michael Owen Publisher: Liveright Publishing ISBN: 1324091827 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 523
Book Description
The man behind some of the most memorable lyrics in the Great American Songbook steps from behind his brother’s shadow. The first lyricist to win the Pulitzer Prize, Ira Gershwin (1896–1983) has been hailed as one of the masters of the Great American Songbook, a period which covers songs written largely for Broadway and Hollywood from the 1920s to the 1950s. Now, in the first full-length biography devoted to his life, Michael Owen brings Ira out at last from the long shadow cast by his younger and more famous brother George. Drawing on extensive archival sources and often using Ira’s own words, Owen has crafted a rich portrait of the modest man who penned the words to many of America’s best-loved songs, like “Fascinating Rhythm,” “Embraceable You,” and “They Can’t Take That Away from Me.” These fruits of Ira’s lyric genius sprang from the simplest of seeds: a hand-drawn weekly created for a cousin, an amateur newspaper co-written with friend and future lyricist Yip Harburg, columns in the school papers at Townsend Harris High School and, later, City College of New York. The details of his early literary efforts demonstrate both his developing ambition and the early signs of his talent. But while the road to becoming a successful lyricist was neither short nor smooth, it did lead Ira to the greatest creative partnership of his life. George and Ira Gershwin collaborated on a string of hit Broadway shows in the 1920s and 1930s that resulted in popular and financial success and spawned a long string of songs that have become classics. Owen offers fascinating glimpses of their creative process, drawing on Ira’s diaries and other contemporary sources, as well as the close relationship between the two brothers. Hollywood soon beckons and the brothers head west to California to work in the movie business. Greater fame and fortune seem right around the corner. George Gershwin died in a Los Angeles hospital in July 1937. He was only 38 years old. His death marked a stark dividing line in Ira’s life, and from that point on much of his time and energy was devoted to the management of his brother’s estate and the care of his legacy. Accustomed to living in his brother’s shadow, it now threatened to overwhelm him. He worked to balance all the administrative tasks with a new series of collaborations with composers like Kurt Weill, Jerome Kern, Harry Warren, and Harold Arlen. Ira’s last Broadway work was in 1946, and several films and a book project—a collection of his lyrics with the stories behind them—occupied his later years along with the ongoing management of George’s affairs. Ira Gershwin’s work with George left an enduring mark on American culture, as recognized by the Library of Congress in 2007 when it established the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, which has been awarded to artists like Paul Simon, Carole King, Tony Bennett, Paul McCartney, and Elton John. In Ira Gershwin: A Life in Words, Michael Owen brings the publicity shy lyricist into the spotlight he deserves.
Author: Michael Feinstein Publisher: Simon and Schuster ISBN: 1451645333 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 677
Book Description
From celebrated entertainer Michael Feinstein comes a beautifully illustrated account of the lives and legacies of the Gershwins—told through stories of twelve of their greatest songs. The “Ambassador of the Great American Songbook” Michael Feinstein was just twenty years old when he got the chance of a lifetime: a job with his hero, Ira Gershwin. During their six-year partnership, the two became close friends. Feinstein blossomed under Gershwin’s mentorship and Gershwin was reinvigorated by the younger man’s zeal for his and his brother George’s legacy. Now, in The Gershwins and Me, the only book of its kind, Michael Feinstein shares unforgettable stories and reminiscences from the music that defined American popular song, along with rare Gershwin memorabilia he’s collected through the years. From “Strike Up the Band” to “Love Is Here to Stay,” each of the twelve chapters highlights one of the Gershwins’ classic songs, exploring the brothers’ lives, illuminating what the music meant to them, and telling the stories of how their iconic tunes came to life. Throughout the star-studded narrative, Feinstein unfolds the moving chronicle of his own life with the Gershwins, describing his vision for their enduring presence today. No other writer could give us such an authoritative inside perspective on these titans of American culture. A timeless classic and the definitive account of the Gershwins and their legacy, The Gershwins and Me will having you humming with every turn of the page.
Author: John Ingledew Publisher: Laurence King Publishing ISBN: 1780674902 Category : Design Languages : en Pages : 541
Book Description
The A–Z of Visual Ideas explains the key ideas, sources of inspiration and visual techniques that have been used throughout design history. Showing where ideas and inspiration come from, the book provides numerous strategies to help unlock the reader’s creativity. Using a dynamic and easy-to-understand A–Z format, the book reveals techniques that can be exploited to deliver ideas with greater impact, each entry offering a different starting point. Looking at everything from, Art to Zeitgeist, Intuition and Instinct to Happy Accidents and Hidden Messages, the book also features a section explaining how to use the idea or technique, providing readers with an infallible ‘tool kit’ of inspiration. Including hundreds of inspirational quotes and packed with great examples of advertising campaigns, posters, book and magazine covers and illustrations, this is an indispensable primer that shows design students and professionals how to solve any creative brief.
Author: Susan Ratcliffe Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA ISBN: 0199567077 Category : Reference Languages : en Pages : 594
Book Description
Based on the highly acclaimed seventh edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, this new edition includes over 9,000 of the most popular and widely-used quotations old and new, uniquely identified by searching the largest ongoing language research programme in the world, the Oxford English Corpus.
Author: Caleb Bissinger Publisher: Greenhaven Publishing LLC ISBN: 1534501258 Category : Juvenile Nonfiction Languages : en Pages : 178
Book Description
Are tech giants the new robber barons of the digital age? Many governments and ordinary people are increasingly uncomfortable with the monopolistic might a small number of tech companies are amassing, the taxes they are avoiding, the data they are collecting, the privacy they are undermining, and the way they are functioning as “extraterritorial” powers beholden to no state and to no citizen or consumer. All sides of this super-charged debate are represented here—from those of the chieftains of Silicon Valley and EU regulators to FBI counterintelligence agents, scrappy open-source programmers, and ordinary computer users and digital consumers—in an effort to illuminate the digital world we currently inhabit, the limits of its freedoms, and who owns and controls its future.
Author: Roberta Uno Publisher: Routledge ISBN: 1134823800 Category : Art Languages : en Pages : 480
Book Description
Contemporary Plays by Women of Color is a ground-breaking anthology of eighteen new and recent works by African American, Asian American, Latina American and Native American playwrights. This compelling collection includes works by award-winning and well-known playwrights such as Anna Deavere Smith, Cherrie Moraga, Pearl Cleage, Marga Gomez and Spiderwoman, as well as many exciting newcomers. Contemporary Plays by Women of Color is the first anthology to display such an abundance of talent from such a wide range of today's women playwrights. The plays tackle a variety of topics - from the playful to the painful - and represent numerous different approaches to playmaking. The volume also includes: * an invaluable appendix of published plays by women of color * biographical notes on each writer * the production history of each play Contemporary Plays by Women of Color is a unique resource for practitioners, students and lovers of theatre, and an inspiring addition to any bookshelf.
Author: Elizabeth Weil
Author: Jim Willis
Author: Ned Sherrin
Author: David Bouchier
Author: Michael Owen
Author: Michael Feinstein
Author: John Ingledew
Author: Susan Ratcliffe
Author: Caleb Bissinger
Author: Roberta Uno