Biographies

Follow Sam Kerr’s incredible journey from playing Aussie rules football as a kid to becoming one of the world’s greatest athletes as she prepares to captain the Matildas in the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLERThis authentic and dynamic memoir from the CEO of Kendra Scott Jewelry delivers inspiration, leadership lessons, and spellbinding storytelling.For twenty years, Kendra Scott built her eponymous jewelry company from a hobby and an idea into a company worth more than a billion dollars, creating beautiful and affordable pieces with signature-cut natural gemstones packaged in a sunny yellow box. By any measure, she's the woman who has it all: a self-made billionaire, a generous philanthropist, and a mother of three with a squad of strong female friendships.Sounds pretty perfect, right?But perfection is a myth that doesn't serve any of us. A myth that encourages us to assume that we know what other people are going through, to judge each other on appearances and reputations, to present the best versions of ourselves and pretend like we've got it all together even when everything is falling apart. Perfection isn't just a lie, it's exhausting, and Kendra is tired of it.In this vulnerable, wise, and laugh-out-loud book, Kendra takes us on a journey of personal stories and hard-earned life lessons, from her humble beginnings as an awkward, bullied young girl in small-town Wisconsin to launching a business in her spare bedroom with $500. With every pitfall, misstep, and failure, Kendra builds a life-and a career-rooted in joy, purpose, and doing good, a life she wants for every reader.With heart and humor, Kendra reminds us that not all that glitters is gold, and that there is no level of success that can insulate you from what it means to be a human being: that life is as messy as it is magical, that bad things happen to good people for no good reason, and that a good life does not mean a perfect one.

This unique book details the wild ride of a fledgling political party as it heads from triumph in the Euro elections to disaster in the general election six months later. This inside story of how it happened may serve as a manual of how to - and occasionally how not to - do it.

Constance seemingly had it all: born into a wealthy and influential family; a career as a successful lawyer, love from her husband and son. But behind this veneer was the stifling pressure to conform to the boundaries of French society within which she could not be herself and survive.Playboy traces one woman's transition from straight lawyer, mother and wife to the buzz-cut and tattooed lesbian taking the Parisian literary scene by storm. Constance is a detached narrator as she takes us through the quiet boredom of her life with her husband Laurent, the betrayal of his affair, the arrival of her son, and the influence of drugs and alcohol on her relationship with her family. Unburdened by marital and familial obligations, a new Constance emerges, free to explore the complexities of her love for women and herself. An affecting and compelling chronicle of transgression and the balance of power, Playboy is an unflinching account of Constance Debré's discovery of bachelorhood. Translated by Holly James

'Ramadan isn't just about not eating for prolonged periods of time, it's about working on ourselves - our character and imaan - and setting goals, replacing bad habits and working on our spirituality. It's a time to focus on personal growth and to help others where we can.' - Dina Aziz____________________________________________________________The month of Ramadan is a time for reflection, self-improvement, personal growth, and of heightened devotion and worship, but the pressures and stresses of day-to-day life can sometimes make it feel hard to keep track of all your good intentions. From suhoor to iftar and beyond, The Ramadan Planner is here to help guide you through the month of Ramadan. Full of helpful checklists, reminders, journal prompts, and spaces to reflect - whether you're fasting or exempt - get ready to track your progress through the holiest month:Set and keep track of your goals for the month aheadCheck-in on your mood and mental healthFast mindfully and plan your suhoor and iftar mealsStay focused on your goals and good intentionsKeep track of your prayers for each dayMake a list of du'as and note down your good deedsCreate space to reflect on the highs and lowsPrepare for Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations Schedule your day to make the most of the month________________________________________________________What readers are saying about The Ramadan Planner:"So amazing that I wanted to share it with my family and friends""Incredible . . . I have been looking for something like this for a long time""The best! It's made Ramadan easier for me and many others""This has made a massive difference in how I'm using the days of Ramadan""So easy to follow . . . I don't know what I would have done without it""Using this planner is the most productive and closest to God I have been for any Ramadan"

A REAL LOOK AT STRENGTHKnown worldwide for her mental fortitude, hardcore training tactics, and an ability to push through extreme discomfort, pro athlete Sally McRae's strength wasn't built in the gym. For the first time, McRae candidly tells her shocking story of abuse, loss, and wild resilience that laid the foundation for the woman she is today. In this powerful memoir, Sally bypasses the often loud sea of motivational quotes and hyped ideas about what it means to be strong and cuts right to the core of every human with her gentle, yet firm reminders that we are ALL strong! ¿¿Honest, relatable, and raw, every reader will connect with Sally's story and see how they too can overcome even the most difficult situations in life and sport. Choose Strong is a story for everyone from every age and walk of life looking to live their strongest life.

Why speed, flow, and direct expression now dominate cultural style

"Cassidy Hutchinson's desk was mere steps from the most controversial president in recent American history. Now, she provides [an] account of her extraordinary experiences as an idealistic young woman thrust into the middle of a national crisis, where she risked everything to tell the truth about some of the most powerful people in Washington. ... Her life took a dramatic turn on January 6th, 2021, when, at twenty-four, she found herself in one of the most extraordinary and unprecedented calamities in modern political history. Hutchinson was faced with a choice between loyalty to the Trump administration or loyalty to the country by revealing what she saw and heard in the attempt to overthrow a democratic election"--

A visual biography of Aino and Alvar Aalto, who designed some of the most iconic objects of the twentieth century

The Memoirs of Victor Hugo (1899) is an autobiographical work by Victor Hugo. Assembled from diaries and manuscripts left behind by the author following his death in 1895, the Memoirs are as much a record of a life as they are a portrait of nineteenth century France. Told from the perspective of a supremely gifted artist whose command of language is matched only by his commitment to morality, The Memoirs of Victor Hugo is an invaluable text for scholars and fans alike¿there is no shortage of interesting details and brilliant reflections within. For a writer of Hugös stature, whose poems, plays, novels, and essays earned him a reputation on an international scale as one of the nineteenth century¿s premier artists, there is always the chance that the myth will outlast the man, and that the work will fall victim to idolization. For Hugo, despite his immense success both during his life and in the twentieth century as his stories formed the basis for beloved films and musicals, this would very much have been the case if not for his understated Memoirs, which carefully place his life in context of the time in which he lived. Beginning with his youth, which coincided with the coronation of Charles X, Hugo moves through the passages of his memory while stopping to remember the literary heroes, such as Shakespeare, who influenced his vision of the world. As France descends into war and hunger, Hugo is there to guide us through the chaos, to show us the light that waits on the other side, distant but never too far out of reach. His story is the story of France, a personal history interwoven with meditations on faith, politics, and philosophy that remain essential to his legacy as one of France¿s greatest literary figures. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Victor Hugös The Memoirs of Victor Hugo is a classic work of French literature reimagined for modern readers.

Arranged by dynastic period, Pharaohs offers a compact history of the reign of god-kings, from Menes, who united the north and south kingdoms, to the Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra, who was defeated along with her lover Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium (31 BCE) by imperial Rome. Along the way the reader will learn about the Great Pyramid constructed by Khufu, the last of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world; Queen Hatshepsut, a rare female pharaoh whose name means "foremost of noblewomen"; and much more.

"A searing memoir about growing up behind the Iron Curtain, motherhood, addiction, and finding sustenance in the natural world." -KirkusIn The Hunger Book, Agata Izabela Brewer evokes her Polish childhood under Communism, where the warmth of her grandparents' love and the scent of mushrooms drying in a tiny apartment are as potent as the deprivations and traumas of life with a terrifyingly unstable, alcoholic single mother. Brewer indelibly renders stories of foraging for food, homemade potato vodka (one of the Eastern Bloc's more viable currencies), blood sausage, sparrows plucked and fried with linseed oil, and the respite of a country garden plot, all amid Stalinist-era apartment buildings, food shortages, martial law, and nuclear disaster in nearby Ukraine.Brewer reflects on all of this from her immigrant's vantage point, as she wryly tries to convince her children to enjoy the mushrooms she gathers from a roadside and grieves when they choose to go by Americanized versions of their Polish names. Hunting mushrooms, like her childhood, carried both reward and mortal peril. The Hunger Book, which includes recipes, is an unforgettable meditation on motherhood and addiction, resilience and love.

A first-hand account of the most infamous coup attempt in recent history - and of what it takes to be a friend and survivor

A charming, illustrated gift book combining two timelessly stylish subjects - Audrey Hepburn and the city of Paris.Both classic, both inimitable, both fashion icons - Audrey Hepburn and Paris are a match made in heaven. Falling in love with the city at a young age, Audrey returned to Paris again and again in some of her most celebrated films (Sabrina, Funny Face, How to Steal a Million, Charade) wearing outfits from her favourite Parisian couturier, Hubert de Givenchy, and creating some of the most significant fashion moments of the twentieth century.Audrey in Paris brings together over 100 stunning photographs of her most iconic moments in the city, from film stills and behind-the-scenes shots to candid images of Audrey enjoying the city as a visitor. The book also includes a bespoke illustrated map showing her favourite spots. While dozens of successful books on Audrey have been published, this will be the first to document her time in the city of light.Tapping into Audrey's status as a fashion idol, which spans across the generations, as well as Paris's status as the world's capital of elegance, Audrey in Paris combines the gifty charm of How to be Parisian Wherever You Are with Audrey's forever appeal as a fashion muse.Gorgeous finishes will make this a stylish gift book to be treasured for years to come.

The first anthology of women's writing about walking, edited by Wanderers author Kerri Andrews.

The gripping and revealing autobiography of one of Britain's most successful international cyclists of the modern era'Getting in a break was my one chance of winning. The hard part was working out, again and again, how to make that chance count'Sharp, resourceful and a permanent outsider; for nearly 20 years Steve Cummings determinedly blazed his own winning trail in international cycling. A maverick who defied the dominant teams, to record a sequence of gloriously improbable victories, he has lived and raced with legends of the sport - Cavendish, Wiggins, Froome, Thomas and others - about whom he has strong views and untold stories.This autobiography of one of Britain's most successful international riders of the modern era takes the reader from Steve's earliest days as a junior, pounding across the flatlands of the Wirral, through his love-hate relationships with the British Cycling track cycling squad, to his series of top-level breakaway victories in the Tour de France, Tour of Britain and Vuelta a España and - rather than standout physical talent - how developing his own strategies and training techniques enabled him to succeed against the odds.The Break will be the first full-length account of the life and times of, in the words of ProCycling magazine, a 'universally popular and respected rider in the cycling world'.

Richard Gallegos is a veteran ultramarathoner, husband, father, and mental health advocate. In this searingly honest account of his life, Richard relates his descent into alcohol and opiate abuse to cope with the emotional toll of being a first responder paramedic, witnessing every aspect of the horror and devastation that can be experienced by humanity.Faced with the reality of the irreparable damage his addictions were causing, Richard made the decision to regain control of his life and re-build his self-esteem by taking part in a series of ultramarathons, culminating in his participation in a one hundred mile raceThis is a truly inspiring and heartfelt autobiography, written by a man who hit absolute rock bottom and clawed his way back with astounding strength and determination. For anyone struggling with addiction, PTSD or any mental or emotional obstacles, Recovery Run is a must-read.

The remarkable 200-year history of The RNLI and their invaluable role in British Maritime history. A beautiful book of kindness, courage, and community to treasure for years to come.