Najnovšie - Biografie - Životopisy strana 7 z 411
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Biografie - ostatné
zobraziť:
Zvládli sme to, chlapče
Možno zabudneme na minulosť, ale minulosť nezabudne na nás
Sir Anthony Hopkins sa narodil a vyrastal v krízových a vojnových časoch vo waleskom oceliarskom mestečku Port Talbot. Vychovávali ho v prostredí tvrdých chlapov, ktorí svoju citovú labilitu utápali v alkoholizme a brutalite. Rodičia a najbližšie okolie ho ako problematického študenta odpisovali a nedávali mu žiadnu budúcnosť. No v jeden osudný sobotný večer si tento zaznávaný waleský chlapec pozrel filmovú adaptáciu Hamleta z roku 1948, ktorá v ňom vykresala iskru vášne pre herectvo. Tá ho potom zaviedla na cestu, ktorú nikto nemohol predvídať.
Vo svojej biografii úprimne, typicky strhujúcim a zároveň zraniteľným tónom, spomína na početné profesionálne míľniky a dáva nám nahliadnuť do zákulisia viacerých svojich najikonickejších rolí.
S úprimnosťou sa vracia aj k zlyhaniam vo svojom osobnom živote. Závislosť k alkoholu ho pripravila o prvé manželstvo, vzťah s jediným dieťaťom a takmer aj o život, čo ho napokon priviedlo na cestu abstinencie, ktorej je oddaný už takmer polstoročie. Neustály boj s túžbou kráčať životom osamote konfrontuje s otázkou smrteľnosti a pripravuje sa na objavenie toho, čo jeho otec nazýval Veľkým tajomstvom.
Jedinečnou zbierkou osobných fotografií doplnené pamäti Zvládli sme to, chlapče prinášajú portrét komplikovaného a ikonického človeka, ktorý svojimi pozoruhodnými výkonmi divákov inšpiruje už viac ako šesťdesiat rokov.
Preklad z anglického originálu We Did OK, Kid (Summit Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC, New York, 2025) Peter Tkačenko.
dostupné aj ako:
Svatý František z Assisi
G. K. Chesterton napsal strhující knihu o nejznámějším světci na světě. František z Assisi je člověkem ohromných paradoxů. Muž, který miluje ženy, ale zasvětí se řeholní čistotě. Člověk obdivující krásy přírody, ale žijící v největší možné chudobě. Provokatér dokazující ostatním, že se zřekl pozemských statků, tak, že se veřejně svlékne do naha. Muž, který obrací na hlavu společenské konvence, jen abychom my uviděli svět znovu ve správném světle. Pestrý svět vrcholného středověku si podle Chestertona potrpěl na větší okázalost, než si umíme představit. Proto také se František hovorem se Saracény snaží ukončit křížové výpravy. Proto se modlí i tančí. Proto tak dobře rozumí zvířatům a zvířata rozumí jemu. A proto se právě v jeho hlavě zrodí nápad postavit první betlém... František si byl v srdci jistý tím, že soucit, láska k chudým a mystická zkušenost s Bohem k sobě můžou mít velmi blízko. Kéž v sobě touhu po této harmonii probouzíme i my.
dostupné aj ako:
Monsters in the Archives
After Caroline Bicks was named the University of Maine's inaugural Stephen E. King Chair in Literature, she became the first scholar to be granted extended access by King to his private archives, a treasure trove of manuscripts that document the legendary writer's creative process - most of them never before studied or published. The year she spent exploring King's early drafts and hand-written revisions was guided by one question millions of King's enthralled and terrified readers (including her) have asked themselves: What makes Stephen King's writing stick in our heads and haunt us long after we've closed the book?
Bicks focuses on five of his most iconic early works - The Shining, Carrie, Pet Sematary, 'Salem's Lot, and Night Shift--to reveal how he crafted his language, storylines, and characters to cast his enduring literary spells.
While tracking King's margin notes and editorial changes, she discovered scenes and alternative endings that never made it to print, but that King is allowing her to publish now. The book also includes interviews Bicks had with King along the way that reveal new insights into his writing process and personal history.
Part literary master class, part biography, part memoir and investigation into our deepest anxieties, Monsters in the Archives - authorized by Stephen King himself - is unlike anything ever published about the master of horror. It chronicles what Bicks found when she set out to unearth how King crafted some of his scariest, most iconic moments.
But it's also a story about a grown-up English professor facing her childhood fears and getting to know the man whose monsters helped unleash them.
František Josef I. (1830–1916)
Od mladého císaře k symbolu epochy – 68 let v čele habsburské monarchie.
František Josef I. patří mezi nejdéle vládnoucí panovníky evropských dějin. Jeho téměř osmašedesátiletou vládu překonali pouze „Král Slunce“ Ludvík XIV., často opomíjený Jan II. z Lichtenštejna a v nedávné době také britská královna Alžběta II. Dlouhá desetiletí, po něž stál v čele podunajské monarchie, přinesla střední Evropě obrovské proměny. Žádná jiná hlava státu v našich dějinách nebyla během své vlády konfrontována s tak zásadní společenskou transformací jako on.
Paradoxně právě panovník známý svým konzervativním založením provedl habsburskou říši obdobím průmyslové revoluce, zrodu silné dělnické třídy, vzestupu národních emancipací a nacionalismu i postupného oslabování výsadního postavení církví. Zažil vrchol moci monarchie, její přeměnu v rakousko-uherské soustátí, následný pokles mezinárodní prestiže i vypuknutí Velké války.
Možná i proto je dnes jeho osobnost vnímána překvapivě rozporuplně – často podle toho, z jakého národního pohledu daný historik vychází. Vliv jeho stylu vlády na pozdější rozpad monarchie je nepopiratelný, nelze však opomenout ani dlouhá období relativní stability, která říši zajistil. Právě tehdy vznikal hospodářský i kulturní kapitál, z něhož těžila celá střední Evropa a který se stal jedním z kořenů pozdější nostalgie po éře c. k. monarchie.
Lze se samozřejmě ptát, zda byl František Josef I. úspěšným státníkem, nebo spíše mimořádně výkonným „vrchním úředníkem“. Jeho neochota opustit konzervativní pojetí vlády a přejít k plně zastupitelskému systému nám jednoznačnou odpověď nedává. Tak jednoduché soudy ostatně dějiny obvykle neumožňují. Naše publikace se proto pokouší postihnout širší souvislosti doby, jejímž symbolem se „stařičký císař“ stal – protože jen s dostatkem informací má smysl pokoušet se historii porozumět.
Každodenní život
Během dlouhé císařovy vlády se změnila celá společnost. Jak se projevila národní emancipace či příchod ateismu?
Válka a politika
Na trůn nastoupil v revolučním roce 1848, zažil vznik Rakousko-Uherska i události vedoucí k Velké válce
Umění a architektura
Sám císař se svými aktivitami držel spíše zkrátka, přispěl ale třeba na stavbu Národního divadla
Habsburkové
Milovaná Sissi se stala obětí atentátu, dědic trůnu si vzal život a dědicové trůnu zažili konec monarchie
Na sklade 1Ks
15,49 €
Saved (Hardback)
On 19 November 1995, the world learned the name Gianluigi Buffon. At the tender age of seventeen he made his Serie A debut for Parma against European giants Milan, facing down the likes of Roberto Baggio and George Weah, keeping a clean sheet. During his twenty-eight-year long career Buffon broke many records including:
- The most capped goalkeeper of all time and the most appearance for Italy (176)
- The most Serie A titles (10)
- The longest time in Serie A without conceding a goal (974 minutes)
The numbers, however, only tell half the story of a player famously nicknamed "Superman" for his athletic prowess.
In Saved Buffon reveals that even superheroes struggle with their inner demons. Beyond his individual triumphs with Parma, Juventus and PSG - the famous World Cup win in 2006 - Buffon reflects on his deeply human challenges off the pitch.
He describes being devoured by depression between games and the psychological toll of being a goalkeeper - the loneliest position in football - often finding solace in talking to his gloves. He opens up about his gambling, smoking during matches and the strains on his relationships which became fodder for the press. Buffon's are the struggles of a man whose talents and flaws co-exit.
Saved is both a meditation on the art of goalkeeping and a love letter to the golden age of Italian football.
Into the Wild
Pre-order Lucy Shepherd’s story of her journey to become an explorer, her world-first expedition across the Amazon’s Kanuku Mountains and her mission to share the wild places of our world. ‘Not just a story of an extreme journey, but of courage, humility and growth. Lucy Shepherd writes with honesty and heart and this book is a powerful reminder that exploration is still alive’ - BEAR GRYLLS'An inspiring story of tenacity and determination . . . a rare glimpse into what it takes to become a modern-day explorer' EVA ZU BECK‘Thoughtful, grounded and quietly powerful’ BRUCE PARRY‘Lucy is the quintessential enlightened modern explorer, keeping adventure alive' STEVE BACKSHALL"THE MOST HARDCORE MEMBER OF THE NEW GENERATION OF BRITISH EXPLORERS" - THE TIMESWhat does it really take to become an explore? o travel beyond maps and certainty. To face fear . . . and keep going. To step away from comfort and convenience - and rely on instinct, teamwork and resilience when there’s no clear way forward. Inspired by the extraordinary journeys of previous generations, Lucy Shepherd set out to find out. Into the Wild charts the making of an explorer, culminating in a world-first expedition into one of the most remote and unforgiving environments on Earth - the Amazon rainforest. Leading a small all-Indigenous Amerindian team of explorers across Guyana’s faraway Kanuku Mountains, Lucy travelled through dense jungle and treacherous rivers, enduring hunger, injury and illness along the way. The rainforest was alive with constant threat: bushmaster snakes, jaguars, caiman alligators, fire ants and flesh-burrowing parasites. Fifty days after being dropped into the wilderness, the team finally reached their destination. By turns thrilling, warm and inspiring, this is the story of a childhood dream made real. And a passionate reminder that our world’s wild places still matter, not just for what they reveal about the planet, but for what they reveal about us.
Lucky Devils
In the late 1970s, three men declared war on the casino. They arrived in Las Vegas just as the personal computer was beginning its boom. If the power of computers could be applied to gambling, they reasoned, a player could make a mint.There was only one problem: How do you smuggle a computer, typically, the size of a suitcase, onto a casino floor without getting noticed?Using cutting-edge strategies and gloriously DIY tech that was decades ahead of its time, they solved this and many other problems. They became pioneers of what''s known as advantage playing, applying their intellects and creativity to everything from poker and blackjack to horseracing and roulette. For more than thirty years they faced down angry pit bosses, violent Mafiosos, bankruptcies, nights in foreign jails, lawsuits, and personal betrayals. They learned that the only thing harder than reaching the pinnacle of gambling achievement was staying there.Drawing from exclusive interviews with all three players and their associates, award-winning Bloomberg journalist Kit Chellel delivers a cinematic and often uproarious account of fortunes gained, lost, and gained again. Scrupulously reported and irresistibly told, Lucky Devils reveals how these players did more than simply amass wealth; they revolutionized the game itself.They gave the lie to the old adage. The house doesn''t always win.
Crossing
A beautiful and compelling family memoir retracing the love story between Sabrin Hasbun's Palestinian father and Italian mother, and the life of her half-Italian, half-Palestinian family from the 1960s to 2020. After the loss of her mother, Sabrin tries to renegotiate her mixed identity and understand her mother's choices which led her from an oppressive childhood in a village in Tuscany to finding love and community activism in Palestine.
This is a story about overcoming grief and what it means to lose not only loved ones, but also a place in the world and a sense of belonging.
Who Wants Normal?
'We all need this book' Jameela Jamil'Beautiful, vital and important. I loved it' Jack Thorne, writer of Adolescence‘A razor sharp manifesto by one of Britain's most vital voices’ Yomi AdegokeSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2026 UNWIN AWARD FOR MAKING A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLDNOW WITH A NEW FOREWORDA groundbreaking memoir about what it means to be a disabled woman in Britain today from the acclaimed journalist and author, including insights and personal stories from over 50 contributors'No one really talks about it. No one really talks about what it is to be a disabled woman, especially a young one … To navigate all the standard parts of life - exams, careers, dating - but with a body that is different from everyone else’s.'Almost one in four women in the UK have some sort of disability, yet this subject is too often shrouded in silence and stereotypes. Who Wants Normal? by the award-winning journalist and author Frances Ryan is a game-changing take on disability and feminism. Part memoir, part manifesto, it explores six facets of life: education, careers, health, body image, relationships and representation, as well as how to survive life’s bumps in the road. It draws on Frances’s own experience as well as her interviews with over fifty of Britain’s best-known women and non-binary people with mental and physical health conditions, including Jameela Jamil, Sophie Morgan, Ruth Madeley, Nikki Fox, Rosie Jones, Fearne Cotton, Emma Barnett, Ellie Goldstein and Katie Piper. Who Wants Normal? lifts the lid on and redefines what it means to be a disabled woman in Britain today. It offers support, inspiration and a sense of solidarity to the many women with disabilities and long-term health conditions – as well as opening the eyes of anyone wanting to better understand life with a disability. 'I've never related to a book more. Disabled or not, you MUST read this' Rosie Jones'Supercharged relevance [full of] robust analysis and wry humour… readers will find here stories to inspire, enrage and encourage' Observer
Elizabeth - An Intimate Portrait
The intimate life story of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, from the royal biographer and writer who knew her family best.
Gyles Brandreth first met the Queen in 1968, when he was twenty years old. Over the next fifty years he would meet her many times at both public and private events, his friendship with the Duke of Edinburgh giving him privileged access to Elizabeth II.
Based upon his unrivalled access to royal circles, this is the definitive and intimate biography of Queen Elizabeth II. Telling the story of her remarkable life and reign from a perspective unlike any other, it is his observations of the late monarch at close quarters that make this very personal account of her extraordinary life uniquely fascinating.
From her childhood in the 1920s and her war years at Windsor Castle, to the era of Harry and Meghan in the 2020s, and her death at Balmoral, this is both a record of a tumultuous century of royal history and a truly intimate portrait of a remarkable woman.
Told with a refreshing dose of humour and moving honesty, Elizabeth is the must-read biography of the longest-serving monarch in English history.
Gandolfini
Based on extensive research and original interviews, this intimate biography reveals the complexities of Gandolfini's character, his rise to fame, and his lasting impact on television and film. “A riveting look inside the mind of a towering talent, this is a must for Sopranos fans."-Publishers Weekly"A fast-moving, entertaining bio of a Hollywood mensch."-KirkusIn Gandolfini, critic and historian Jason Bailey traces the twinned stories of the man and the unforgettable roles he played. Gandolfini’s roots were working class, raised in northern New Jersey as the son of Italian immigrants, and acting was something he loved for a long time before he could see it as a career. It wasn’t until he was well into his bohemian twenties that he dedicated himself to a life on the stage and screen. Bailey traces his rise, from bit parts to character roles he enlivened with menace and vulnerability, to Tony Soprano, the breakout role that would make him a legend, and onto a post-Sopranos career in which he continued to challenge himself and his audience. More than a decade after his sudden passing, James Gandolfini still exerts a powerful pull on television and film enthusiasts around the world. His charismatic portrayal of complex, flawed, but always human men illuminated the contradictions in all of us, as well as our potential for grace, and the power of love and family.
Utazás az íróasztalom körül - Janikovszky Éva-emlékkötet
Janikovszky Éva születésének 100. évfordulójára jelenik meg ez a gazdagon dokumentált portrékötet, tisztelgésként egy olyan életmű előtt, amely generációk gondolkodását formálta. A válogatás vezérfonalát az író 1986-os, eddig publikálatlan kézirata adja, emellett a hagyatékban talált, eddig ismeretlen személyes írások, önéletrajzi ihletésű szövegek, levelek, esszék teszik ki a kötet anyagának nagy részét.
A kötet alkotó szerkesztője Vojnics-Rogics Réka irodalomtörténész dolgozta fel az író hagyatékát, ennek köszönhetően betekintést kapunk abba, hogy miként születtek meg azok a művek, amelyek egyszerre szólnak gyerekekhez és felnőttekhez itthon és a világ számos országában; s az is jól látható, hogy Janikovszky Éva szerkesztői, irodalomszervezői munkásságának milyen sokat köszönhet a magyar gyerekirodalom. A könyv nemcsak az irodalomtörténet iránt érdeklődő olvasókhoz szól, hanem mindazokhoz, akik ismerik és szeretik Janikovszky Éva műveit - nemcsak emlékezés, hanem párbeszédlehetőség is egy máig érvényes életművel.
Podivuhodná cesta kolem královny
Originální, nesmírně zábavný a přitom výmluvný portrét nejdéle vládnoucí britské panovnice Alžběty II. brbrKrálovna Alžběta II., nejslavnější žena světa po šestadevadesát let, byla zároveň všudypřítomná i tajemná. Craig Brown vtipně a bystře odhaluje její život plný málo známých anekdot, od chaosu corgiů po setkání s diktátory a rockovými hvězdami. Za přísným protokolem ukazuje humor, empatii i chladné rysy královny, která se stala panovnicí pro Brity, obyvatele Commonwealthu i celý svět. brbrByla nejslavnější osobou na světě – poprvé se objevila na obálce časopisu Time už ve třech letech. Když zemřela, jen málokdo si ještě pamatoval dobu, kdy nebyla naživu. Její podoba byla reprodukována – na fotografiích, známkách, bankovkách i mincích třiceti různých měn – častěji než jakákoli jiná od dob Ježíše Krista. Je pravděpodobné, že se během svých šestadevadesáti let setkala s větším počtem lidí než kdokoli jiný v dějinách – patrně s více než půl milionem osob.brPřesto tato nejbedlivěji sledovaná žena světa zanechávala u většiny těch, s nimiž se setkala, jen velmi vágní dojem charismatu a smyslu pro povinnost. Mnozí si dodnes pamatují, co řekli jí, nikoli však jediné slovo z toho, co řekla ona jim.brDosavadní biografové královny často volili podivnou taktiku: přehlíželi to zajímavé a soustředili se na to nezajímavé. Craig Brown tento přístup odmítá. Ve své kaleidoskopické metodě nahlíží na nejslavnější – a zároveň nejstřeženější – ženu světa skrze sérii vzájemně se prolínajících úhlů pohledu. V knize Podivuhodná cesta kolem královny nám tento brilantně vtipný a mimořádně bystrý novinář nabízí nezapomenutelný portrét všudypřítomné, a přesto nepolapitelné královny Alžběty II. Za přísným protokolem, který řídil celý její život, Brown odhaluje její nezaměnitelný smysl pro humor, schopnost empatie, ale i chladné rysy její povahy. Líčí, jak tato zdrženlivá žena dokázala nahnat respekt prezidentům i rockovým hvězdám. Především však v této mimořádně vtipné a zároveň hluboce vážné knize zkoumá, jak se královně podařilo stát se panovnicí pro všechny Brity, pro obyvatele Commonwealthu – a nakonec i pro celý svět.
Famesick
In this rowdy, frank reflection on illness, fame, sex, and everything in between, the remarkable mind behind the hit series Girls and the bestselling author of Not That Kind of Girl asks whether fulfilling her creative ambitions has been worth the pain.
For the last decade, as she's spent countless hours in doctor's waiting rooms searching for diagnoses, treatments, and relief, being the owner and operator of Lena Dunham's body has felt, as she puts it, 'like towing a wrecked car across town at midnight.' It's not easy dragging a wrecked car anywhere, much less to the Met Gala while sewn into a gold lamé corset. Or to the set of the hit show that you - as a twenty-five-year-old - are writing, directing, producing, and starring in. Or to the White House, the Golden Globes, or your publicist's office to discuss the latest internet disaster. But Dunham does it - even if it means interminable hospital stays, vomiting in the bathroom when she's meant to be meeting Oprah, or terrifying those closest to her - because she can no longer tell the difference between fighting to do what she loves and being a servant to her own ambition. All the while, she is holding out for a love that can withstand her personal and public challenges and, more than anything, yearning to feel like herself again - if only she could remember who that self was.
As Dunham takes us through her journey, tracking her rise to fame - from selling the pilot of Girls to the present - in three acts, it becomes clear that the spotlight casts long shadows, distorting the relationships she once held dear and isolating everyone in its glare. When an endless supply of drugs can't protect you from pain - and begins to control your every move - being famous doesn't stand a chance against the darker corners of the human experience.
In Famesick, Dunham asks herself what the cost of fulfilling her dreams has really been, and whether it was worth it. What she finds is deeper than physical relief, and more lasting, as she learns to live with what she can't change and turn her regrets into wisdom that can carry her forward, as she reconnects to what, and who, she loves.
Famesick
THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES #1 BESTSELLER ‘Typically exposing, brilliantly written' VOGUE ‘Its quick hits of wit are like sniffs from an oxygen mask’ NEW YORK TIMES 'Few people are willing to be as human as Lena Dunham’ OBSERVER 'A generational voice' FINANCIAL TIMES In this rowdy, frank reflection on illness, fame, sex, and everything in between, the remarkable mind behind the hit series Girls and the bestselling author of Not That Kind of Girl asks whether fulfilling her creative ambitions has been worth the pain. For the last decade, as she’s spent countless hours in doctor’s waiting rooms searching for diagnoses, treatments, and relief, being the owner and operator of Lena Dunham’s body has felt, as she puts it, 'like towing a wrecked car across town at midnight.' It’s not easy dragging a wrecked car anywhere, much less to the Met Gala while sewn into a gold lamé corset. Or to the set of the hit show that you – as a twenty-five-year-old – are writing, directing, producing, and starring in. Or to the White House, the Golden Globes, or your publicist’s office to discuss the latest internet disaster. But Dunham does it – even if it means interminable hospital stays, vomiting in the bathroom when she’s meant to be meeting Oprah, or terrifying those closest to her – because she can no longer tell the difference between fighting to do what she loves and being a servant to her own ambition. All the while, she is holding out for a love that can withstand her personal and public challenges and, more than anything, yearning to feel like herself again – if only she could remember who that self was. As Dunham takes us through her journey, tracking her rise to fame – from selling the pilot of Girls to the present – in three acts, it becomes clear that the spotlight casts long shadows, distorting the relationships she once held dear and isolating everyone in its glare. When an endless supply of drugs can’t protect you from pain – and begins to control your every move – being famous doesn’t stand a chance against the darker corners of the human experience. In Famesick, Dunham asks herself what the cost of fulfilling her dreams has really been, and whether it was worth it. What she finds is deeper than physical relief, and more lasting, as she learns to live with what she can’t change and turn her regrets into wisdom that can carry her forward, as she reconnects to what, and who, she loves.
Kenneth More
Kenneth More was the living embodiment of British humour, steadfastness and resilience on the film screen and off. Born into a life of wealth in 1914, he fell into show business almost by accident and worked for nearly two decades – including at London’s famous Windmill Theatre – before becoming the icon we know today. After a long, distinguished stint in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, he was ‘discovered’ by Noël Coward and set on the road to fame. What followed was a string of films we have come to know as the most beloved classics of British cinema, such as Genevieve, Reach for the Sky, The 39 Steps, A Night to Remember, Sink the Bismarck! and Scrooge. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, his private life was almost as exciting as the roles he played. Following a string of affairs and eleven years of marriage, he made national headlines after running off with a young actress. Then, when a public spat with the head of Britain’s biggest movie studio damaged his career, he found a new home in television. On screen, Kenneth More fought some courageous battles, but his bravest fight came when Parkinson’s disease ended his career in the late 1970s. Nathan Morely has produced a fascinating and insightful biography of one of the most iconic and enduring legends of British cinema, with contributions from fellow actors and directors who worked with him. Among these are Martin Jarvis, Jane Asher, Chris Sarandon, Anneke Wills, Susan Penhaligon, Alvin Rakoff, Peter Medak, Barry MacGregor, and many others.
The Evolution of Fire
"The Evolution of Fire is stunningly written—vivid in imagery, in the braiding together of language, and in the honoring of every person it shines a light on."—Hanif Abdurraqib, author of There's Always This YearFrom the celebrated author of Limber, a luminous collection of essays about crisis, hope, and the decision to resist or embrace evolution—a book about time, for our time. Crisis is an agent of evolution, and Angela Pelster knows what it means to evolve. As a child, she burned grass to keep weeds at bay and watched tadpoles transform. She basked in the warmth of her father’s love but was burned by his rage, and she witnessed a sudden, unnamable change occur in her older sister after an encounter with a stranger in a white van. In adulthood, she survived the explosion of her marriage, the destruction of her burning home, and a year spent as the single mother of a toddler without a home of their own. And like us all, she has weathered the upheaval of our current atmosphere—political instability, climate change, mass extinction. But in spite of the world’s violence, Pelster manages to remain open to its beauty, deciding not to resist change, but to give herself over to it and let evolution make her into a new animal. She plumbs the depths of ancestral knowledge to uncover the scale of our ancient capacity for adaptation, from humankind’s early harnessing of fire to the grandmothers responsible for our continued existence. Meditative and curious, pulsing with fascination, fear, and the untamable human spirit, The Evolution of Fire contemplates who we are now and what we still might become.
Landon
The most decorated US soccer player in history, Landon Donovan is no stranger to the highs and lows of life. From a troubled childhood to a dazzling professional soccer career, he’s struggled to find serenity on and off the pitch. In his unfiltered autobiography, Landon: A Memoir, he reveals the story behind his rise to greatness - the hard, dark truths behind his triumphs, his battle with depression, and the healing power of therapy. Landon takes us through his celebrated career in the MLS, including playing alongside David Beckham, and his stunning World Cup successes. But even with all his achievements, mental health off the pitch was hard to find. Unflinchingly honest, his story is a must-read for soccer fans and anyone on their own mental health journey. Donovan shows us that becoming the person you want to be is always possible. His story isn't about a soccer legend, but a human being who has struggled with mental health, and the lessons he's learned along the way.
Spellbound
When Phil Hanley was in year one at school, he realised something that would forever set him apart from his peers: he couldn’t read. His teachers were ill-equipped to assist him, and he slipped through the school’s cracks, year by year falling further and further behind his friends. Finally, he was diagnosed with dyslexia, a learning disability that would shape the rest of his life. Unable to pursue college or a traditional job, Phil was thrust into a life defined by unconventional twists, including a stint as a runway model in Europe. Eventually, he found himself on a stage with a microphone, a spotlight, and five minutes of jokes. Unlike so many previous pursuits, stand-up felt right to Phil, and he soon discovered that the more he worked at it, the more he got out of it - a realisation that, he compellingly argues, saved his life. Spellbound is a story of humour and also of struggle and heartbreak, of constantly living in a world that sees things differently than you do, and of triumph over adversity. Phil shows us that dyslexia can be a huge challenge, but it doesn’t spell certain condemnation (and neither can he). Just the opposite: dyslexia has been more than a blessing in his life - it’s been his North Star.
Čítanie o slávnych osobnostiach je mnohokrát inšpirujúce. Motivujú nás biografie slávnych umelcov, známych hercov alebo významných politikov.
Absolútne prvou biografiou všetkých čias je zrejme Excellentium Imperatorum Vitae, ktorú napísal grék Cornelius Nepos a opisoval v nej životy viacerých gréckych vojenských generálov. Neskôr mal už skoro každý významný vodca svoju biografiu, vrátane Cicera, Júliusa Cézara alebo Alexandra veľkého.
Pri čítaní životopisných kníh máme jedinečnú možnosť sledovať dlhú cestu, ktorú museli títo slávni ľudia prejsť. Uvidíme množstvo pádov a chýb, kvôli ktorým sa ale tieto osoby nevzdali a zobrali ich ako príležitosť zlepšiť sa vo všetkyćh oblastiach. Mnoho v sebe skrývajú aj úprimné rozhovory, ktoré sú často otvorenými vyznaniami a v tejto kategórii nájdete isto aj knihu o človeku, ktorého považujete za svoj vzor a je pre vás inšpiráciou.
Môžete si vybrať, či budete čítať o danej osobe z pohľadu iného človeka, alebo či siahnete po autobiografii. Obidve možnosti majú svoje čaro.
Je všeobecnou pravdou, že dobrá kniha môže ovplyvniť smerovanie nášho života. Pri biografickej literatúre to platí stonásobne, pretože v ruke držíme príbeh reálneho človeka, z ktorého môžeme čerpať mnoho inšpirácie a tipov.
Nájdete tu biografie z oblasti biznisu, filmu a hudby, histórie, literatúry, športu, mafie a podsvetia, náboženstva, politiky, osobností vedy a umenia.
