LibGuides: Booklists for Adults & Teens: ICYMI

Finance

Personal Finance

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Bad with Money by Gaby Dunn "Humorous and forthright...[Gaby] Dunn makes facing money issues seem not only palatable but possibly even fun....Dunn's book delivers." --Publishers Weekly The beloved writer-comedian expands on her popular podcast with an engaging and empowering financial literacy book for Millennials and Gen Z. In the first episode of her "Bad With Money" podcast, Gaby Dunn asked patrons at a coffee shop two questions: First, what's your favorite sex position? Everyone was game to answer, even the barista. Then, she asked how much money was in their bank accounts. People were aghast. "That's a very personal question," they insisted. And therein lies the problem. Dunn argues that our inability to speak honestly about money is our #1 barrier to understanding it, leading us to feel alone, ashamed and anxious, which in turns makes us feel even more overwhelmed by it. In Bad With Money, she reveals the legitimate, systemic reasons behind our feeling of helplessness when it comes to personal finance, demystifying the many signposts on the road to getting our financial sh*t together, like how to choose an insurance plan or buy a car, sign up for a credit card or take out student loans. She speaks directly to her audience, offering advice on how to make that #freelancelyfe work for you, navigate money while you date, and budget without becoming a Nobel-winning economist overnight. Even a topic as notoriously dry as money becomes hilarious and engaging in the hands of Dunn, who weaves her own stories with the perspectives of various comedians, artists, students, and more, arguing that--even without selling our bodies to science or suffering the indignity of snobby thrift shop buyers--we can all start taking control of our financial futures.
The Dumb Things Smart People Do with Their Money by Jill Schlesinger Do you have a "friend" who is super smart, has a great career, holds a graduate degree, has even saved a chunk of money for retirement, but who keeps making the same dumb mistakes when it comes to money? Is this "friend" you? After decades working as a Wall Street trader, investment adviser, and money expert for CBS, Jill Schlesinger reveals thirteen costly mistakes you're probably making right now with your money without even knowing it. Drawing on heartfelt personal stories (yes, money experts screw up, too), Schlesinger argues that it's not lack of smarts that causes even the brightest, most accomplished people among us to behave like financial dumb-asses, but simple emotional blind spots. By breaking bad habits and following Jill's pragmatic and accessible rules for managing your finances, you can save tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars, not to mention avoid countless sleepless nights. Practical, no-nonsense, and often counterintuitive, The Dumb Things Smart People Do with Their Money tells you what you really need to hear about retirement, college financing, insurance, real estate, and more. It might just be the smartest investment you make all year.
Broke Millennial by Erin Lowry 27-year-old personal finance expert Erin Lowry is the cash-savvy friend every 20- and 30-something needs. Instead of complicated 401k strategies and jargon-filled debt advice, her hilarious, easy-to-understand guide is the perfect way for financial management newbies to get their money in order or elevate their personal finance know-how. Broke Millennial includes essential lessons in tricky money matters to take you from in debt and overwhelmed to informed and financially empowered, such as- Managing student loan and credit card debt Budgeting and reaching financial benchmarks Negotiating an entry-level salary Splitting the bill with cash-strapped friends Navigating financial issues in serious relationships, and more Filled with practical suggestions and speaking specifically to issues that Millennials face as they age into adulthood, Broke Millennialis a fresh roadmap to financial literacy for a new generation.
Smart Women Finish Rich, Expanded and Updated by David Bach With hundreds of thousands of copies in print around the world, Smart Women Finish Rich,by renowned financial adviser David Bach, has shown women of all ages and backgrounds how to take control of their financial future and finish rich. Whether you're working with a few dollars a week or a significant inheritance, Bach's nine-step program gives you tools for spending wisely, establishing security, and aligning money with your values. Plus, in this revised and updated edition, David Bach includes critical new long-term investment advice, information on teaching your kids about money, Internet resources, and new ways to attract greater wealth--personal and financial--into your life.
Call Number: eBook
Nudge by Richard H. Thaler; Cass R. Sunstein A New York Times bestseller with more than 1.5 million copies sold Named a Best Book of the Year by the Economist and the Financial Times   "An essential read . . . loaded with good ideas that financial-service executives, policy makers, Wall Street mavens, and all savers can use."--John F. Wasik, Boston Globe   "Save the planet, save yourself. Do-gooders, policymakers, this one's for you."--Newsweek   Every day, we make decisions on topics ranging from personal investments to schools for our children to the meals we eat to the causes we champion. Unfortunately, we often choose poorly. Nobel laureate Richard Thaler and legal scholar and bestselling author Cass Sunstein explain in this important exploration of choice architecture that, being human, we all are susceptible to various biases that can lead us to blunder. Our mistakes make us poorer and less healthy; we often make bad decisions involving education, personal finance, health care, mortgages and credit cards, the family, and even the planet itself. In Nudge, Thaler and Sunstein invite us to enter an alternative world, one that takes our humanness as a given. They show that by knowing how people think, we can design choice environments that make it easier for people to choose what is best for themselves, their families, and their society. Using colorful examples from the most important aspects of life, Thaler and Sunstein demonstrate how thoughtful "choice architecture" can be established to nudge us in beneficial directions without restricting freedom of choice. Nudge offers a unique new take--from neither the left nor the right--on many hot-button issues, for individuals and governments alike. This is one of the most engaging and provocative books to come along in many years.
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * This instant classic explores how we can change our lives by changing our habits. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Wall Street Journal * Financial Times   In The Power of Habit, award-winning business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. Distilling vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives that take us from the boardrooms of Procter & Gamble to the sidelines of the NFL to the front lines of the civil rights movement, Duhigg presents a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential. At its core, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, being more productive, and achieving success is understanding how habits work. As Duhigg shows, by harnessing this new science, we can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives. Praise for The Power of Habit   "Sharp, provocative, and useful."--Jim Collins   "Few [books] become essential manuals for business and living. The Power of Habit is an exception. Charles Duhigg not only explains how habits are formed but how to kick bad ones and hang on to the good."--Financial Times   "A flat-out great read."--David Allen, bestselling author of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity   "You'll never look at yourself, your organization, or your world quite the same way."--Daniel H. Pink, bestselling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind   "Entertaining . . . enjoyable . . . fascinating . . . a serious look at the science of habit formation and change."--The New York Times Book Review
I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi The groundbreaking NEW YORK TIMES and WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER that taught a generation how to earn more, save more, and live a rich life--now in a revised 2nd edition.   Buy as many lattes as you want. Choose the right accounts and investments so your money grows for you--automatically. Best of all, spend guilt-free on the things you love.   Personal finance expert Ramit Sethi has been called a "wealth wizard" by Forbes and the "new guru on the block" by Fortune. Now he's updated and expanded his modern money classic for a new age, delivering a simple, powerful, no-BS 6-week program that just works.   I Will Teach You to Be Rich will show you: * How to crush your debt and student loans faster than you thought possible * How to set up no-fee, high-interest bank accounts that won't gouge you for every penny * How Ramit automates his finances so his money goes exactly where he wants it to--and how you can do it too * How to talk your way out of late fees (with word-for-word scripts) * How to save hundreds or even thousands per month (and still buy what you love) * A set-it-and-forget-it investment strategy that's dead simple and beats financial advisors at their own game * How to handle buying a car or a house, paying for a wedding, having kids, and other big expenses--stress free * The exact words to use to negotiate a big raise at work   Plus, this 10th anniversary edition features over 80 new pages, including: * New tools * New insights on money and psychology * Amazing stories of how previous readers used the book to create their rich lives   Master your money--and then get on with your life.  
Call Number: eAudiobook
You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero "A cheerful manifesto on removing obstacles between yourself and the income of your dreams." --New York Magazine From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of You Are a Badass®, a life-changing guide to making the kind of money you've only ever dreamed of. You Are a Badass at Making Money will launch you past the fears and stumbling blocks that have kept financial success beyond your reach. Drawing on her own transformation--over just a few years--from a woman living in a converted garage with tumbleweeds blowing through her bank account to a woman who travels the world in style, Jen Sincero channels the inimitable sass and practicality that made You Are a Badass an indomitable bestseller. She combines hilarious personal essays with bite-size, aha concepts that unlock earning potential and get real results.   Learn to:    * Uncover what's holding you back from making money    * Give your doubts, fears, and excuses the heave-ho    * Relate to money in a new (and lucrative) way    * Shake up the cocktail of creation    * Tap into your natural ability to grow rich    * Shape your reality--stop playing victim to circumstance    * Get as wealthy as you wanna be "This book truly crystallizes the concept that financial abundance is an inside job--in that it all begins with your mindset--and Sincero gets serious (in the funniest ways possible) about helping you identify your particular limiting beliefs surrounding money." --PopSugar
Get a Financial Life by Beth Kobliner A completely revised and updated fourth edition of the New York Times bestseller, designed to guide younger adults through the world of personal finance. More than ever before, people in their twenties and thirties need help getting their financial lives in order. And who could blame them? These so-called millennials have come of age in the wake of the worst economic crisis in memory, and are now trying to get by in its aftermath. They owe record levels of student loan debt, face sky-high rents, and struggle to live on a budget in an uncertain economy. It's time for them to get a financial life. For two decades, Beth Kobliner's bestseller has been the financial bible for people in their twenties and thirties. With her down-to-earth style, she has taught them how to get out of debt, learn to save, and invest for their futures. In this completely revised and updated edition, Kobliner shares brand-new insights and concrete, actionable advice geared to help a new generation of readers form healthy financial habits that will last a lifetime. With fresh material that reflects the changing digital world, Get a Financial Life remains an essential tool for young people learning how to manage their money. From tackling taxes to boosting credit scores, Get a Financial Life can show those just starting out how to decrease their debt, avoid common money mistakes, and navigate the world of personal finance in today's ever-changing landscape.
Spend Well, Live Rich (previously Published As 7 Money Mantras for a Richer Life) by Michelle Singletary The best financial planner Michelle Singletary ever knew was Big Mama, her grandmother. Big Mama raised Michelle and her four brothers and sisters on a salary that never reached more than $13,000 a year. Yet at her death, Big Mama owned her own home, had paid off a car loan, and had a beautiful collection of Sunday-go-to-meeting church hats and a savings account that supplemented her Social Security check and small pension. Most important, she had taught Michelle "7 Money Mantras for a Richer Life." Those mantras serve as the inspiration for this straight-talking book of practical personal financial advice that really works. The 7 Money Mantras are: 1. If it' s on your ass, it's not an asset! 2. Is this a need or is it a want? 3. Sweat the small stuff. 4. Cash is better than credit. 5. Keep it simple. 6. Priorities lead to prosperity. 7. Enough is enough. Michelle Singletary is a syndicated columnist for The Washington Post whose popular personal finance column appears in more than 120 newspapers. She's also a mother of three children who understands what it's like to live on a budget. In a plainspoken, sassy, no-nonsense voice, Michelle provides answers to the financial issues that confront almost every household: how to teach children the value of money; how to address money issues in a relationship or marriage; household saving tips; getting the best loans; and much more. "This book is about saving enough money to have choices," she writes. "It's about feeling free to be cheap if you can't afford to buy a ton of gifts at Christmas. It's about eliminating wasteful spend-ing so you can begin to save and invest. It's full of uncommon commonsense lessons and guidance on the way people should use their money." With humor and down-home financial wisdom, Michelle Singletary offers practical and realistic advice that will help you live well with the money you have. Michelle Singletary on . . . Romance and Money "It's okay to say: 'Honey, I love you and everything, but if you need money, ask your mama.'" Credit Cards "We are minimizing our financial potential by making minimum credit-card payments." Car Buying "If you want to save money, keep your car until you're on a first-name basis with the local tow-truck drivers." Leasing a Car "You, too, can drive a car you can't afford and then have to give it back. It's crazy." Gift Giving "Generosity isn't about how much you spend. It's about how much thought you put into the gift." Penny Pinching "I once bought a stick-shift car because it was $1,000 cheaper than the automatic in the same model. There was just one little problem. I couldn't drive a stick-shift. But at least I saved $1,000!"
The Financial Diet by Chelsea Fagan; Lauren ver Hage *A Refinery29 Best Book of 2018* *One ofReal Simple's Most Inspiring Books for Graduates* *Indie Personal Finance Bestseller* How to get good with money, even if you have no idea where to start. The Financial Diet is the personal finance book for people who don't care about personal finance. Whether you're in need of an overspending detox, buried under student debt, or just trying to figure out how to live on an entry-level salary,The Financial Diet gives you tools to make a budget, understand investments, and deal with your credit. Chelsea Fagan has tapped a range of experts to help you make the best choices for you, but she also knows that being smarter with money isn't just about what you put in the bank. It's about everything--from the clothes you put in your closet, to your financial relationship habits, to the food you put in your kitchen (instead of ordering in again). SoThe Financial Diet gives you the tools to negotiate a raiseand the perfect cocktail recipe to celebrate your new salary. The Financial Diet will teach you: * how to get good with money in a year. * the ingredients everyone needs to have a budget-friendly kitchen. * how to talk about awkward money stuff with your friends. * the best way to make (and stick to!) a budget. * how to take care of your house like a grown-up. * what the hell it means to invest (and how you can do it).
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey New York Times bestseller! More than Five million copies sold! You CAN take control of your money. Build up your money muscles with America's favorite finance coach. Okay, folks, do you want to turn those fat and flabby expenses into a well-toned budget? Do you want to transform your sad and skinny little bank account into a bulked-up cash machine? Then get with the program, people. There's one sure way to whip your finances into shape, and that's with The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition. By now, you've heard all the nutty get-rich-quick schemes, the fiscal diet fads that leave you with a lot of kooky ideas but not a penny in your pocket. Hey, if you're tired of the lies and sick of the false promises, take a look at this--it's the simplest, most straightforward game plan for completely making over your money habits. And it's based on results, not pie-in-the-sky fantasies. With The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition, you'll be able to:  Design a sure-fire plan for paying off all debt--meaning cars, houses, everything Recognize the 10 most dangerous money myths (these will kill you) Secure a big, fat nest egg for emergencies and retirement! Includes new, expanded "Dave Rants" sidebars tackle marriage conflict, college debt, and more. All-new forms and back-of-the-book resources to make Total Money Makeover a reality. Dive deeper into Dave's game plan with The Total Money Makeover Workbook: Classic Edition. The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition is also available in Spanish, transformación total de su dinero.
Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin; Joe Dominguez; Money Mustache (Foreword by) In an age of great economic uncertainty when everyone is concerned about money and how they spend what they have, this updated edition of the bestselling Your Money or Your Life is an essential read. Millennial Money's Grant explains: 'The premise of it is that you exchange your time for money. And when you start thinking about how many hours of your life it took to save up the money to buy something, you really start thinking twice about your purchases.'
How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free by Ernie J. Zelinski How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free offers inspirational advice on how to enjoy life to its fullest. The key to achieving an active and satisfying retirement involves a great deal more than having adequate financial resources; it also encompasses all other aspects of life interesting leisure activities, creative pursuits, physical well-being, mental well-being, and solid social support. World-class author and innovator Ernie J. Zelinski guides you to: Gain courage to take early retirement; in fact, the earlier the better. Put money in proper perspective so that you don't need a million dollars to retire. Generate purpose in your retirement life with meaningful creative pursuits. Follow your dreams instead of someone else's. Take charge of your mental, physical, and spiritual health. Better envision you retirement goals including where you want to live. Above all, make your retirement years the best time of your life. What sets this retirement book apart from all the others is its holistic approach to the fears, hopes, and dreams that people have about retirement. This international bestseller (over 110,000 copies sold in its first edition) goes way beyond the numbers that is often the main focus of retirement planning in most retirement books. There are many ingredients of a happy retirement and several retirement planning tools that help retirees plan for their retirement in new and more meaningful ways. One of the most powerful tools is The Get-a-Life Tree that you won't find in any other retirement books. In short, the retirement wisdom in this book will prove to be much more important than how much money you have saved. How to Retire Happy Wild, and Free helps readers create an active, satisfying, and happy retirement in a way such that they don't need a million dollars to retire."
The Ultimate Retirement Guide For 50+ by Suze Orman THE PATH TO YOUR ULTIMATE RETIREMENT STARTS RIGHT HERE When you think about planning for retirement - whether it's years in the future or just around the corner - you're bound to have questions. Can I ever afford to stop working? Will Social Security be there for me when I need it? How can I make my money last? Have I waited too long to start saving? Suze Orman, America's most recognized expert on personal finance, answers all the questions that keep you up at night - starting with the biggest one: It is never too late to start planning for a next act that's fulfilling and secure. With her signature blend of compassion, insight, and expertise, Suze guides you toward a plan that will put you in control of your financial future and help you to create the retirement you deserve. SUZE GIVES YOU THE STRAIGHT TALK ON: . Moves to make-and not make- while you're still working . How to invest safely in retirement- with just the right amount of risk . Out-of-the-box ideas to find a new role for your next act . How to lower your living costs now in ways that can have a big impact down the road . Decisions to make before you reach age 70 . Roth IRAs, 401(k)s, annuities, HSAs, and long-term care insurance . The must-have documents to put in place today . The Five Laws of Money to take with you into your Ultimate Retirement years (some of them may surprise you) . And much more
You Need a Budget by Jesse Mecham Wall Street Journal Bestseller Experience a life free of financial stress and transform your relationship to money with this indispensable guide--the first book based on You Need A Budget's proven method that has helped hundreds of thousands of people break the paycheck to paycheck cycle, get out of debt, and live the life they want to live. No one should tell you what to do with your money--only you know what's most important to you. Always guiding you back to your true priorities, Jesse Mecham will fundamentally change the way you think about your money and what it can do for you. His proven method--four, simple rules--will transform money management from a paralyzing burden to a powerful tool, putting you in total control of your life: Give Every Dollar A Job. Be intentional about what you want your money to do before you spend it. Embrace Your True Expenses. Break up larger, less frequent expenses into smaller, more manageable amounts. By saving monthly for insurance premiums, holidays, or car repairs, when the time comes, your money is ready and waiting to do its job. Roll With The Punches. When life changes, so must your budget. Make adjustments and move along. Flexible budgets succeed because they're guilt-free, realistic, and sustainable. Age Your Money. As you repeat the first three rules, you'll increase the time between the moment you earn a dollar and the moment you need to spend it. When your money is at least a month old, you'll have finally broken the paycheck to paycheck cycle for good. This tried-and-true system has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people by teaching them how to take charge, adjust money habits, eliminate stress, and build the life they want to live. Don't waste another month counting down the minutes until payday....
Call Number: eAudiobook
Meet the Frugalwoods by Elizabeth Willard Thames The deeply personal story of why award-winning personal finance blogger Elizabeth Willard Thames abandoned a successful career in the city and embraced extreme frugality in order to create a more meaningful, purpose-driven life and retire to a homestead in the woods at age thirty-two with her husband and daughter. In 2014, Elizabeth and Nate Thames were conventional 9-5 young urban professionals. But the couple had a dream to become modern-day homesteaders in rural Vermont. Determined to retire as early as possible in order to start living each day--as opposed to wishing time away working for the weekends--they enacted a plan to save an enormous amount of money: well over seventy percent of their joint take home pay. Dubbing themselves the Frugalwoods, Elizabeth began documenting their unconventional frugality and the resulting wholesale lifestyle transformation on their eponymous blog. In less than three years, Elizabeth and Nate reached their goal. Today, they are financially independent and living out their dream on a sixty-six-acre homestead in the woods of rural Vermont with their young daughter. While frugality makes their lifestyle possible, it's also what brings them peace and genuine happiness. They don't stress out about impressing people with their material possessions, buying the latest gadgets, or keeping up with any Joneses. In the process, Elizabeth discovered the self-confidence and liberation that stems from disavowing our culture's promise that we can buy our way to "the good life." Elizabeth unlocked the freedom of a life no longer beholden to the clarion call to consume ever-more products at ever-higher sums. Meet the Frugalwoods is the intriguing story of how Elizabeth and Nate realized that the mainstream path wasn't for them, crafted a lifestyle of sustainable frugality, and reached financial independence at age thirty-two. While not everyone wants to live in the woods, or quit their jobs, many of us want to have more control over our time and money and lead more meaningful, simplified lives. Following their advice, you too can live your best life.
Financial Freedom by Grant Sabatier; Vicki Robin (Foreword by) On August 25, 2010, Grant Sabatier woke to find he had $2.26 in his bank account. Five years later, he had a net worth of over $1,000,000. In Financial Freedom, he takes you step-by-step through the strategies he used so that you too can get out of debt, make your 9-5 job optional, and above all, live the life you want. With Financial Freedom, you really can have all the money you will ever need.
The Next Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley; Sarah Stanley Fallaw What does it take to become wealthy today? The simple and yet challenging answer is: the consistent exercise of certain behaviors that have been shown to relate to financial success. Millionaires continue to demonstrate a disciplined approach to their finances, allowing them, over time, to transform income into wealth. In The Next Millionaire Next Door, Dr Thomas J. Stanley and Dr Sarah Stanley Fallaw provide data-backed insights into what it takes to become the millionaire next door today, including: Identifying and ignoring the myths about wealth and income, Understanding how those around you influence your financial behaviors, Living below your means, Identifying and developing your own behaviors that are conducive to building wealth, Finding careers and opportunities that allow for both economic and lifestyle-related freedom, Gaining knowledge and composure to invest and grow wealth Book jacket.
Budgeting 101 by Michele Cagan "Cagan makes the case that a budget isn't a buzz killer. It's financial salvation." --The Washington Post Don't break the bank--learn to create and stick to a budget with this comprehensive, easy-to-understand guide to saving money sensibly in this edition of the popular 101 series. Sometimes, it can seem like saving money is impossible. With everyday expenses, from groceries and gas, to the electric bill and lunch money, as well as those unexpected expenses, like car repairs and medical bills, getting--and keeping--control of your finances can feel overwhelming. With Budgeting 101, you can start saving now. This clear and simple guide provides tons of practical advice for keeping track of your finances. With useful tips on setting financial goals, reducing debt, finding ways to save money, and creating and following a budget plan, you'll have your dollars and cents under control in no time. Why spend more of your hard-earned money on a financial advisor? Filled with expert advice on a wide range of the most common financial concerns and step-by-step instructions to managing your money both now and in the future, Budgeting 101 has you covered.
The Year of Less by Cait Flanders In her late twenties, Cait Flanders found herself stuck in the consumerism cycle that grips so many of us- earn more, buy more, want more, rinse, repeat. Even after she worked her way out of nearly $30,000 of consumer debt, her old habits took hold again. When she realized that nothing she was doing or buying was making her happy-only keeping her from meeting her goals-she decided to set herself a challenge- she would not shop for an entire year. The Year of Less documents Cait's life from July 2014 to June 2015, during which time she bought only consumables- groceries, toiletries, petrol for her car. Along the way, she challenged herself to consume less of many other things besides shopping. She decluttered her apartment and got rid of 70 percent of her belongings; learned how to fix things rather than throw them away; researched the zero waste movement; and completed a television ban. At every stage, she learned that the less she consumed, the more fulfilled she felt. What started as a simple challenge quickly became a lifeline, however, as Cait found herself in a number of situations that turned her life upside down. In the face of hardship, she realized why she had always turned to shopping, alcohol and food-and what it had cost her, for so many years. By not being able to reach for any of her usual vices, Cait changed habits she'd spent years perfecting and discovered what truly mattered to her.
Make Your Kid a Money Genius (Even If You're Not) by Beth Kobliner The New York Times bestseller that is a must-read for any parent! From Beth Kobliner, the author of the bestselling personal finance bible Get a Financial Life--a new, must-have guide showing parents how to teach their children (from toddlers to young adults) to manage money in a smart way. Many of us think we can have the "money talk" when our kids are old enough to get it...which won't be for years, right? But get this: Research shows that even preschoolers can understand basic money concepts, and a study from Cambridge University confirmed that basic money habits are formed by the age of seven. Oh, and research shows the number one influence on kids' financial behaviors is mom and dad. Clearly, we can't afford to wait. Make Your Kid a Money Genius (Even If You're Not) is a jargon-free, step-by-step guide to help parents of all income levels teach their kids--from ages three to twenty-three--about money. It turns out the key to raising a money genius isn't to teach that four quarters equal a dollar or how to pick a stock. Instead, it's about instilling values that have been proven to make people successful--not just financially, but in life: delaying gratification, working hard, living within your means, getting a good education, and acting generously toward others. More specifically, you'll learn why allowance isn't the Holy Grail when teaching your kid to handle money, and why after-school jobs aren't always the answer either. You'll discover the right age to give your kid a credit card, and learn why doling out a wad of cash can actually be a good parenting move. You don't need to be a money genius to make your kid a money genius. Regardless of your comfort level with finance--or your family's income--this charming and fun book is an essential guide for passing along enduring financial principles, making your kids wise beyond their years--and peers--when it comes to money.
The Spender's Guide to Debt-Free Living by Anna Newell Jones Popular blogger Anna Newell Jones of AndThenWeSaved.com delivers this self-help manifesto that reveals how a "spending fast" will help you get on the road to living debt-free. In 2009, young photographer Anna Newell Jones was rapidly suffocating under the weight of too much debt. An inveterate "spender," she was in way over her head, to the tune of almost $24,000. She knew her debt was only going to get worse if she didn't take action, but she didn't know where to look for help. On a whim, Anna decided to go on a spending fast--an idea she heard in passing but knew little about. Creating her own method, she learned what worked and what didn't and wrote about it on her blog, AndThenWeSaved.com. Amazingly, Anna was able to eliminate all $23,605.10 of her debt in only 15 months! She was interviewed in Forbes, Self, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, and the Chicago Tribune. Anna's journey inspired people and showed them that they too could change the way they dealt with their own money woes. The Spender's Guide To Debt-Free Living takes readers through a detailed step-by-step plan on how to do a Spending Fast and get out of debt, including: Creating a personalized Debt-Free Life Pledge. Understanding where your money is going when you're in debt, and where it will come from to pay it off. Learning why putting money into a savings account before (or while) paying off debt may not be the best idea for you. Finding additional income sources and generating side gigs. Re-integrating spending into your life once you're out of debt, so that you stay out of debt. Filled with do-it-yourself ideas, insight from experts, and tons of motivational tips and real-life practical advice, The Spender's Guide to Debt-Free Living proves that you don't have to win the lottery or get a new job to change your life.
Breaking Free From Broke by George Kamel; Dave Ramsey (Foreword by) America has become the land of the free and the home of the broke. Household debt is at an all-time high, and every day people¿just like you¿are feeling more cynical and hopeless about their financial futures. It¿s time to stop believing countless lies from a system designed to take your money¿lies like student loans are the golden ticket to a good-paying job, car payments are just part of life, and that you need to have a credit card. Ramsey Personality and personal finance expert George Kamel shares his story of going from a negative net worth to a millionaire in under 10 years by following Dave Ramsey¿s Baby Steps. George¿s delivery, highlighted by his snarky sense of humor, will keep you laughing and engaged from cover to cover (no put-you-to-sleep financial advice here). Through a millennial point of view, George exposes the toxic money system designed to keep you average (and broke) and offers solutions to help you break free from: Credit cards and credit scores Student and car loans Mortgage mistakes Investing traps Marketing and consumerism No matter where you¿re starting from, you¿ll learn that you have the power to buck the toxic money system and build wealth if you follow the same principles George used to become a millionaire.
Keeping Finance Personal by Ellyce Fulmore "... a clear, approachable guide to help readers untangle their relationship with money, understand the systems and inequities that impact them, and reclaim financial independence."―Edgar Villanueva, bestselling author of Decolonizing Wealth An intersectional approach to personal finance from queer, neurodivergent personal finance educator and TikToker, Ellyce Fulmore.   There's no magic formula for being "good with money." The perfect budgeting spreadsheet or debt repayment plan will never address the root of your money issues. When Ellyce Fulmore started her journey with personal finance, she was drowning in $35K of debt, had $60 to her name, and avoided looking at her bank account. Her own "aha" moment came when she realized that the reason she and so many others have struggled with finances has little to do with being "bad with money." Instead, it has everything to do how identity and lived experience affect financial behaviors.   Now in Keeping Finance Personal, Ellyce offers a shame-free, trauma-aware approach that explores the complex, nuanced, and deeply personal relationship between your identity and your money. With chapters exploring topics such as finding safe spaces, personal values, relationship dynamics, family systems, and culture, it's clear this is not your typical finance book. Readers will engage with how their upbringing, sense of self, trauma, and mental health impact their decisions, and begin a journey to change their relationship with money.   This book is for the woman facing sexism at her local bank, the neurodivergent person struggling with impulse spending, the young adult questioning societal expectations, the 2SLGBTQIA+ couple searching for a place to rent--all the people that don't fit into the mold that traditional finance advice is aimed at. Filled with interviews from a diverse range of voices, practical exercises, and tangible tips, Keeping Finance Personal provides a path to develop a healthy money mindset and create a life where financial stability and joy coexist.  
Your Journey to Financial Freedom by Jamila Souffrant *A Next Big Idea Club December 2023 Must-Read* Podcaster Jamila Souffrant shows how to skyrocket your savings, blast through debt and ultimately accelerate your unique and truly epic journey to financial freedom and independence Our fast-paced world prioritizes the productive busybody--financial security alwaysseems to rule over the insatiable hankering for a Friday night splurge. However, Jamila Souffrant argues that you can in fact spend and save responsibly, all while enjoying that extra side of guacamole. In this book, Jamila will teach you how to: Determine which of the 5 "Journeyer" stages you fall into and how you should be evaluating your spending and saving goals accordingly Map out different scenarios to quit your job, retire early, and reach financial independence Downsize costly daily expenses in ways you never considered, and spend more in ways that bring you joy Create an effective debt payoff plan that works for you As a wife, mother of three and first-generation Jamaican immigrant, Jamila knows all too well the struggles of saving for tomorrow while spending liberally today. Now, in her first book, Jamila offers her seasoned expertise in Your Journey to Financial Freedom, providing readers with the resources they need to not only save for cake but eat it, too.  
Financial Feminist by Tori Dunlap An instant New York Times bestseller From the globally-recognized personal finance educator and social media star behind Her First $100K, an inclusive guide to all things money--from managing debt to investing and voting with your dollars Tori Dunlap was always good with money. As a kid, she watched her prudent parents balance their checkbook every month and learned to save for musical tickets by gathering pennies in an Altoids tin. But she quickly discovered that her experience with money was pretty unusual, especially among her female friends. It wasn't our fault. Investigating this financial literacy and wealth gap, Tori found that girls are significantly less likely to receive a holistic financial education; we're taught to restrain our spending, while boys are taught about investing and rewarded for pursuing wealth. In adulthood, women are hounded by the unfounded stereotype of the frivolous spenders whose lattes are to blame for the wealth gap. And when something like, say, a global pandemic happens, we're the first to have jobs cut and the last to re-enter the workforce. It's no wonder money is a source of anxiety and a barrier to equality for so many of us. But what if money didn't mean restriction, and instead, choice The ability to luxuriously travel, quit toxic jobs, donate to important organizations, retire early The freedom to live the life you want, and change the world while you do it Tori founded Her First $100K to teach women to overcome the unique obstacles standing in the way of their financial freedom. In Financial Feminist, she distills the principles of her shame- and judgment-free approach to paying off debt, figuring out your value categories to spend mindfully, saving money without monk-like deprivation, and investing in order to spend your retirement tanning in Tulum. You will learn: - Exercises to help you understand your current relationship with money, figure out what you want to change, and how to make that happen - How to decide on your investment goal, and discover the three steps to meeting it - Learn how to source the data you need to negotiate the money you deserve Featuring journaling prompts, deep-dives into the invisible aspects of the financial landscape, and interviews with experts on everything money--from predatory credit card companies to the racial wealth gap and voting with your dollars--Financial Feminist is the ultimate guide to making your money work harder for you (rather than the other way around.)
Girl, Get Your Credit Straight! by Glinda Bridgforth Is retail therapy your favorite pastime--even though you really can't afford it? Do you ignore the balance on your credit card statements, vowing to pay them off at some point down the line? Is your debt preventing you from living your dreams--like buying a home or starting a family? If so, girl, it's time to get your credit straight These days, with easy access to multiple credit cards and glossy advertisements that entice us to spend at every turn, it's all too easy to start racking up debt--and even little slip-ups can lead to real damage over time. In this highly practical follow-up to her bestsellers Girl, Get Your Money Straight and Girl, Make Your Money Grow, financial expert Glinda Bridgforth delivers a power-packed plan for paying down debt, repairing your credit score, and securing your financial freedom--along with a future that makes your heart sing. Beginning with simple, engaging exercises to help you assess your spending habits and get clear about what you owe, Girl, Get Your Credit Straight presents a detailed road map for eliminating debt, one step at a time. You will learn how to: - Devise a system for tracking expenditures, anticipating end-of-month shortfalls, and paying bills on time, every time - Find ways to supplement your income - Consolidate loans to pay off debt faster, decrease stress, and save time and money - Negotiate with your creditors to come up with a payment plan that works for you - Discover the best loans to use for refinancing debt or making major new purchases - Understand how credit bureaus work--and take steps to improve your score Filled with Bridgforth's warmhearted wisdom and advice, and completewith worksheets, affirmations, and inspiring stories of African American women who've restored their credit and built new wealth, Girl, Get Your Credit Straight is a fresh, empowering guide for any woman who wants to say goodbye to debt--for good.
Finance for the People by Paco de Leon An illustrated, practical guide to navigating your financial life, no matter your financial situation "a potent mix of deeply practical and wonderfully empathetic" --Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial "one of the most approachable financial books I've ever read." --Refinery 29 We are all weird about money. Whether you have a lot or a little, your feelings and beliefs about money have been shaped by a combination of silence (or even shame) around talking about money, personal experiences, family and societal expectations, and a whole big complex system rigged against many of us from the start. Begin with that baseline premise and it's no surprise so many of us find it so difficult to save enough money (but way too easy to get trapped in ballooning credit card debt), emotionally draining to deal with student loans, and nearly impossible to understand the esoteric world of investing.   Unlike most personal finance books that focus on skills and behaviors, FINANCE FOR THE PEOPLE asks you to examine your beliefs and experiences around money--blending extremely practical exercises with mindfulness, and including more than 50 illustrations and diagrams to make the concepts accessible (and even fun). With deep insider expertise from years spent in many different corners of the financial industry, Paco de Leon is a friendly, approachable, and wise guide who invites readers to change their relationship with money. With her holistic approach you'll learn how to:   *  root out your unconscious beliefs about money   *  untangle the mental and emotional burden of student loans to pay them off   *  use a gratitude practice to help you think differently about spending   *  break out of the debt cycle and begin building wealth   This book is for anyone who feels unseen, ignored, or bored to death by the way personal finances are approached and taught, and is ready to go on a journey of self-discovery and step into their financial power.
The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need: Revised Edition by Andrew Tobias Fully Updated! Covering cryptocurrency and NFTs, Robinhood, GameStop, the after-effects of COVID, and how climate change impacts investing. The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need has been a favorite finance guide, earning the allegiance of more than a million readers across America.Using concise, witty, and truly understandable tips and explanations, Andrew Tobias delivers sensible advice and useful information on savings, investments, preparing for retirement, and much more. This completely updated edition will show you the best way to manage your money, no matter what your means.
You Only Live Once by Jason Vitug Get your finances in order with smart budgeting and money mindfulness You Only Live Once is the guide to achieving your best life through smart money moves. Before you even begin making a budget, you need to think about why. Where do you see yourself financially in ten years? Five years? This time next year? What does money do for you? Once you know your destination, you can begin charting your course. Step-by-step guidance walks you through the budgeting process, and shows you how to plan your financial path to point toward your goals. You'll learn how to prioritize spending, how to save efficiently, and how to take advantage of simple tools you didn't know you had. Next comes the most important part: taking control. You need to really look at how you perceive and use money day-to-day. Chances are, changing a few habits could give you some breathing room and help you reach your goals sooner.  You work hard for your money, yet there never seems to be enough. You don't need to live like a pauper, but you need to be truly aware of just where your money is going, and why. Financial awareness is the key to a financially secure future, and this book unpacks it all to help you get where you want to go. Accept past decisions and articulate your financial goals Align your lifestyle with your budget Explore your relationship with money Re-evaluate financial habits and behaviors You know you need a budget, but you never seem to get around to doing it. Or maybe you did, but you can never seem to stick to it. Smart planning is a major factor in financial security, and it involves just as much introspection as math. You Only Live Once is more than a budgeting guide'it's a guide to revamping your financial behaviors to achieve the life you want.

jazz

Jazz Appreciation Month

Looking for jazz music on CD? Try here.

For DVDs involving jazz music, try here.

While most of these listings link by default to a print copy, many are available in other formats (eBook and eAudiobook). Don't forget to check the catalog by title or author if you prefer digital!

Universal Tonality by Cisco Bradley Since ascending onto the world stage in the 1990s as one of the premier bassists and composers of his generation, William Parker has perpetually toured around the world and released over forty albums as a leader. He is one of the most influential jazz artists alive today. In Universal Tonality historian and critic Cisco Bradley tells the story of Parker's life and music. Drawing on interviews with Parker and his collaborators, Bradley traces Parker's ancestral roots in West Africa via the Carolinas to his childhood in the South Bronx, and illustrates his rise from the 1970s jazz lofts and extended work with pianist Cecil Taylor to the present day. He outlines how Parker's early influences--Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, and writers of the Black Arts Movement--grounded Parker's aesthetic and musical practice in a commitment to community and the struggle for justice and freedom. Throughout, Bradley foregrounds Parker's understanding of music, the role of the artist, and the relationship between art, politics, and social transformation. Intimate and capacious, Universal Tonality is the definitive work on Parker's life and music.
The History of Bones by John Lurie The quintessential depiction of 1980s New York and the downtown scene from the artist, actor, musician, and composer John Lurie. In the tornado that was downtown New York in the 1980s, John Lurie stood in its vortex. After founding the band The Lounge Lizards with his brother in 1979, Lurie quickly became a centrifugal figure in the world of outsider artists, cutting-edge filmmakers, and cultural rebels. Now, Lurie vibrantly brings to life the whole wash of 1980s New York as he develops his artistic soul over the course of the decade and comes into orbit with all the prominent artists of that time and place, such as Andy Warhol, Debbie Harry, Boris Policeband, and especially Jean-Michel Basquiat, the enigmatic artistic prodigy who spent a year sleeping on Lurie's floor on East Third Street. It may feel like Disney World now, but in The History of Bones, the East Village, through Lurie's clear-eyed reminiscence, comes to teeming, gritty life. The book is full of grime and frank humor-Lurie pulls no punches and bars no holds in his descriptions of the frothy whirlpool of the East Village at that time. His story is a journey back to one of the most significant moments in our cultural history, one whose reverberations are still strongly felt today. History may repeat itself, but the way downtown New York happened in the 1980s will never happen again. Luckily, through this beautiful memoir, we all have a front-row seat.
Bitter Crop by Paul Alexander A revelatory look at the tumultuous life of a jazz legend and American cultural icon "A book written as only one artist could view another, with insight and sincere compassion." --Sandra Cisneros, best-selling author of Woman Without Shame In the first biography of Billie Holiday in more than two decades, Paul Alexander--author of heralded lives of Sylvia Plath and J. D. Salinger--gives us an unconventional portrait of arguably America's most eminent jazz singer. He shrewdly focuses on the last year of her life--with relevant flashbacks to provide context--to evoke and examine the persistent magnificence of Holiday's artistry when it was supposed to have declined, in the wake of her drug abuse, relationships with violent men, and run-ins with the law. During her lifetime and after her death, Billie Holiday was often depicted as a down-on-her-luck junkie severely lacking in self-esteem. Relying on interviews with people who knew her, and new material unearthed in private collections and institutional archives, Bitter Crop--a reference to the last two words of Strange Fruit, her moving song about lynching--limns Holiday as a powerful, ambitious woman who overcame her flaws to triumph as a vital figure of American popular music.
Smoketown by Mark Whitaker "Smoketown brilliantly offers us a chance to see this other black renaissance and spend time with the many luminaries who sparked it...It's thanks to such a gifted storyteller as Whitaker that this forgotten chapter of American history can finally be told in all its vibrancy and glory."--The New York Times Book Review The other great Renaissance of black culture, influence, and glamour burst forth joyfully in what may seem an unlikely place--Pittsburgh, PA--from the 1920s through the 1950s. Today black Pittsburgh is known as the setting for August Wilson's famed plays about noble but doomed working-class strivers. But this community once had an impact on American history that rivaled the far larger black worlds of Harlem and Chicago. It published the most widely read black newspaper in the country, urging black voters to switch from the Republican to the Democratic Party and then rallying black support for World War II. It fielded two of the greatest baseball teams of the Negro Leagues and introduced Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Pittsburgh was the childhood home of jazz pioneers Billy Strayhorn, Billy Eckstine, Earl Hines, Mary Lou Williams, and Erroll Garner; Hall of Fame slugger Josh Gibson--and August Wilson himself. Some of the most glittering figures of the era were changed forever by the time they spent in the city, from Joe Louis and Satchel Paige to Duke Ellington and Lena Horne. Mark Whitaker's Smoketown is a captivating portrait of this unsung community and a vital addition to the story of black America. It depicts how ambitious Southern migrants were drawn to a steel-making city on a strategic river junction; how they were shaped by its schools and a spirit of commerce with roots in the Gilded Age; and how their world was eventually destroyed by industrial decline and urban renewal. Whitaker takes readers on a rousing, revelatory journey--and offers a timely reminder that Black History is not all bleak.
Playing Changes by Nate Chinen One of jazz's leading critics gives us an invigorating, richly detailed portrait of the artists and events that have shaped the music of our time. Grounded in authority and brimming with style, Playing Changes is the first book to take the measure of this exhilarating moment: it is a compelling argument for the resiliency of the art form and a rejoinder to any claims about its calcification or demise. "Playing changes," in jazz parlance, has long referred to an improviser's resourceful path through a chord progression. Playing Changes boldly expands on the idea, highlighting a host of significant changes--ideological, technological, theoretical, and practical--that jazz musicians have learned to navigate since the turn of the century. Nate Chinen, who has chronicled this evolution firsthand throughout his journalistic career, vividly sets the backdrop, charting the origins of jazz historicism and the rise of an institutional framework for the music. He traces the influence of commercialized jazz education and reflects on the implications of a globalized jazz ecology. He unpacks the synergies between jazz and postmillennial hip-hop and R&B, illuminating an emergent rhythm signature for the music. And he shows how a new generation of shape-shifting elders, including Wayne Shorter and Henry Threadgill, have moved the aesthetic center of the music. Woven throughout the book is a vibrant cast of characters--from the saxophonists Steve Coleman and Kamasi Washington to the pianists Jason Moran and Vijay Iyer to the bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding--who have exerted an important influence on the scene. This is an adaptive new music for a complex new reality, and Playing Changes is the definitive guide.
Queen of Bebop by Elaine M. Hayes Queen of Bebop brilliantly chronicles the life of jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, one of the most influential and innovative musicians of the twentieth century and a pioneer of women's and civil rights Sarah Vaughan, a pivotal figure in the formation of bebop, influenced a broad array of singers who followed in her wake, yet the breadth and depth of her impact--not just as an artist, but also as an African-American woman--remain overlooked.   Drawing from a wealth of sources as well as on exclusive interviews with Vaughan's friends and former colleagues, Queen of Bebop unravels the many myths and misunderstandings that have surrounded Vaughan while offering insights into this notoriously private woman, her creative process, and, ultimately, her genius. Hayes deftly traces the influence that Vaughan's singing had on the perception and appreciation of vocalists--not to mention women--in jazz. She reveals how, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Vaughan helped desegregate American airwaves, opening doors for future African-American artists seeking mainstream success, while also setting the stage for the civil rights activism of the 1960s and 1970s. She follows Vaughan from her hometown of Newark, New Jersey, and her first performances at the Apollo, to the Waldorf Astoria and on to the world stage, breathing life into a thrilling time in American music nearly lost to us today. Equal parts biography, criticism, and good old-fashioned American success story, Queen of Bebop is the definitive biography of a hugely influential artist. This absorbing and sensitive treatment of a singular personality updates and corrects the historical record on Vaughan and elevates her status as a jazz great.
Is That All There Is? by James Gavin From the author of the "definitive" (Vanity Fair) biography of Lena Horne, Stormy Weather, comes a brilliantly written portrait of recording artist and musical legend Peggy Lee. "She made you think that she knew who you were, that she was singing only to you..." Miss Peggy Lee cast a spell when she sang. She purred so intimately in nightclubs that couples clasped hands and huddled closer. She hypnotized, even on television. Lee epitomized cool, but her trademark song, "Fever"--covered by Beyoncé and Madonna--is the essence of sizzling sexual heat. Her jazz sense dazzled Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, and Louis Armstrong. She was the voice of swing, the voice of blues, and she provided four of the voices for Walt Disney's Lady and the Tramp, whose score she co-wrote. But who was the woman behind the Mona Lisa smile? With elegant writing and impeccable research, including interviews with hundreds who knew Lee, acclaimed music journalist James Gavin offers the most revealing look yet at an artist of infinite contradictions and layers. Lee was a North Dakota prairie girl who became a temptress of enduring mystique. She was a singer-songwriter before the term existed. Lee "had incredible confidence onstage," observed the Godfather of Punk, Iggy Pop; yet inner turmoil wracked her. She spun a romantic nirvana in her songs, but couldn't sustain one in reality. As she passed middle age, Lee dwelled increasingly in a bizarre dreamland. She died in 2002 at the age of eighty-one, but Lee's fascination has only grown since. This masterful account of Peggy Lee's strange and enchanting life is a long overdue portrait of an artist who redefined popular singing.
Sophisticated Giant by Maxine Gordon; Farah Jasmine Griffin (Foreword by); Woody Louis Armstrong Shaw III (Afterword by) Sophisticated Giant presents the life and legacy of tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon (1923-1990), one of the major innovators of modern jazz. In a context of biography, history, and memoir, Maxine Gordon has completed the book that her late husband began, weaving his "solo" turns with her voice and a chorus of voices from past and present. Reading like a jazz composition, the blend of research, anecdote, and a selection of Dexter's personal letters reflects his colorful life and legendary times. It is clear why the celebrated trumpet genius Dizzy Gillespie said to Dexter, "Man, you ought to leave your karma to science."   Dexter Gordon the icon is the Dexter beloved and celebrated on albums, on film, and in jazz lore--even in a street named for him in Copenhagen. But this image of the cool jazzman fails to come to terms with the multidimensional man full of humor and wisdom, a figure who struggled to reconcile being both a creative outsider who broke the rules and a comforting insider who was a son, father, husband, and world citizen. This essential book is an attempt to fill in the gaps created by our misperceptions as well as the gaps left by Dexter himself. 
Good Things Happen Slowly by Fred Hersch Jazz could not contain Fred Hersch. His meteoric rise as a talented session pianist--one who played with the giants of the 20th century in the autumn of their careers, including Art Farmer, Joe Henderson, and more-- blossomed further in the nineties and beyond into a compositional genius that defied the boundaries of bop, sweeping in elements of pop, classical, and folk to create a wholly new music. Good Things Happen Slowly is a memoir, but it is also more than that. It's the story of the first openly gay, HIV-positive jazz player, and a deep look into the cloistered, largely African-American jazz culture that made such a status both transgressive and groundbreaking. It is a remarkable, at times lyrical evocation of New York in the twilight days of post-Stonewall hedonism, and a powerfully brave narrative of the illness that led to Hersch's two-month-long medically induced coma in 2007, from which he would emerge to create some of the finest, most direct and emotionally compelling music of his career.
How to Listen to Jazz by Ted Gioia In How to Listen to Jazz, award-winning music scholar Ted Gioia presents a lively, accessible introduction to the art of listening to jazz. Covering everything from the music's structure and history to the basic building blocks of improvisation, Gioia shows exactly what to listen for in a jazz performance. How does a casual listener learn to understand and appreciate the nuances between the unapologetic and innovative sounds of Louis Armstrong, the complexity of Coleman Hawkin's saxophone, and the exotic and alluring compositions of Duke Ellington? How does Thelonius Monk fit in alongside Benny Goodman and John Coltrane? He shares listening strategies that will help readers understand and appreciate the great American art form for the rest of their lives, and provides a history of the major movements in jazz right up to the present day. He concludes with a guide to 150 elite musicians who are setting the tone for 21st century jazz. Both an appreciation and an introduction to jazz by a foremost expert, How to Listen to Jazz is a must-read for anyone who's ever wanted to understand America's greatest contribution to the world of music.
Becoming Ella Fitzgerald by Judith Tick Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) possessed one of the twentieth century's most astonishing voices. In this first major biography since Fitzgerald's death, historian Judith Tick offers a sublime portrait of this ambitious risk-taker whose exceptional musical spontaneity made her a transformational artist. Becoming Ella Fitzgerald clears up long-enduring mysteries. Archival research and in-depth family interviews shed new light on the singer's difficult childhood in Yonkers, New York, the tragic death of her mother, and the year she spent in a girls' reformatory school--where she sang in its renowned choir and dreamed of being a dancer. Rarely seen profiles from the Black press offer precious glimpses of Fitzgerald's tense experiences of racial discrimination and her struggles with constricting models of Black and white femininity at midcentury. Tick's compelling narrative depicts Fitzgerald's complicated career in fresh and original detail, upending the traditional view that segregates vocal jazz from the genre's mainstream. As she navigated the shifting tides between jazz and pop, she used her originality to pioneer modernist vocal jazz. Interpreting long-lost setlists, reviews from both white and Black newspapers, and newly released footage and recordings, the book explores how Ella's transcendence as an improvisor produced onstage performances every bit as significant as her historic recorded oeuvre. From the singer's first performance at the Apollo Theatre's famous "Amateur Night" to the Savoy Ballroom, where Fitzgerald broke through with Chick Webb's big band in the 1930s, Tick evokes the jazz world in riveting detail. She describes how Ella helped shape the bebop movement in the 1940s, as she joined Dizzy Gillespie and her then-husband, Ray Brown, in the world-touring Jazz at the Philharmonic, one of the first moments of high-culture acceptance for the disreputable art form. Breaking ground as a female bandleader, Fitzgerald refuted expectations of musical Blackness, deftly balancing artistic ambition and market expectations. Her legendary exploration of the Great American Songbook in the 1950s fused a Black vocal aesthetic and jazz improvisation to revolutionize the popular repertoire. This hybridity often confounded critics, yet throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Ella reached audiences around the world, electrifying concert halls, and sold millions of records. A masterful biography, Becoming Ella Fitzgerald describes a powerful woman who set a standard for American excellence nearly unmatched in the twentieth century.
Better Git It in Your Soul by Krin Gabbard Charles Mingus is one of the most important--and most mythologized--composers and performers in jazz history. Classically trained and of mixed race, he was an outspoken innovator as well as a bandleader, composer, producer, and record-label owner. His vivid autobiography, Beneath the Underdog, has done much to shape the image of Mingus as something of a wild man: idiosyncratic musical genius with a penchant for skirt-chasing and violent outbursts. But, as the autobiography reveals, he was also a hopeless romantic. After exploring the most important events in Mingus's life, Krin Gabbard takes a careful look at Mingus as a writer as well as a composer and musician. He digs into how and why Mingus chose to do so much self-analysis, how he worked to craft his racial identity in a world that saw him simply as "black," and how his mental and physical health problems shaped his career. Gabbard sets aside the myth-making and convincingly argues that Charles Mingus created a unique language of emotions--and not just in music. Capturing many essential moments in jazz history anew, Better Git It in Your Soul will fascinate anyone who cares about jazz, African American history, and the artist's life.
Conversations in Jazz by Ralph J. Gleason; Toby Gleason; Ted Gioia An extraordinary collection of revealing, personal interviews with fourteen jazz music legends During his nearly forty years as a music journalist, Ralph J. Gleason recorded many in-depth interviews with some of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. These informal sessions, conducted mostly in Gleason's Berkeley, California, home, have never been transcribed and published in full until now.   This remarkable volume, a must-read for any jazz fan, serious musician, or musicologist, reveals fascinating, little-known details about these gifted artists, their lives, their personas, and, of course, their music. Bill Evans discusses his battle with severe depression, while John Coltrane talks about McCoy Tyner's integral role in shaping the sound of the Coltrane quartet, praising the pianist enthusiastically. Included also are interviews with Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Quincy Jones, Jon Hendricks, and the immortal Duke Ellington, plus seven more of the most notable names in twentieth-century jazz.]]>
Strayhorn by A. Alyce Claerbaut (Editor); David Schlesinger (Editor); Ramsey Lewis (Foreword by) "This lush paean to the composer explores the challenges he faced of being both black and gay, and his commitment to his own four freedoms." --The New York Times Strayhorn: An Illustrated Life is a stunning collection of essays, photographs, and ephemera celebrating Billy Strayhorn, one of the most significant yet under-appreciated contributors to 20th century American music. Released in commemoration of Strayhorn's centennial, this luxurious coffee-table book offers intimate details of the composer's life from musicians, scholars, and Strayhorn's closest relatives. Perhaps best known for his 28-year collaborative role as Duke Ellington's "writing and arranging companion," Strayhorn has emerged in recent years as an even more meritorious force in shaping the jazz canon.Strayhorn begins by describing Billy's abusive upbringing and early success, and goes on to cover his music, family, intellectual pursuits, involvement with civil rights, and open homosexuality. Strayhorn features contributions from Strayhorn's biographer David Hajdu, film director Rob Levi, music scholar Walter van de Leur, as well as commentary from jazz greats like Lena Horne, Clark Terry, Dianne Reeves, Nancy Wilson, Terell Stafford, Herb Jeffries, and more. With lush photography and rare memorabilia like handwritten scores, this is a book to be treasured by jazz aficionados and music lovers everywhere. Enthralling and visually captivating,Strayhorn: An Illustrated Life lauds a beloved jazz legend and captures a prodigious legacy that will influence generations to come.
Empire of Sin by Gary Krist From bestselling author Gary Krist, a vibrant and immersive account of New Orleans' other civil war, at a time when commercialized vice, jazz culture, and endemic crime defined the battlegrounds of the Crescent City Empire of Sin re-creates the remarkable story of New Orleans' thirty-years war against itself, pitting the city's elite "better half" against its powerful and long-entrenched underworld of vice, perversity, and crime. This early-20th-century battle centers on one man: Tom Anderson, the undisputed czar of the city's Storyville vice district, who fights desperately to keep his empire intact as it faces onslaughts from all sides. Surrounding him are the stories of flamboyant prostitutes, crusading moral reformers, dissolute jazzmen, ruthless Mafiosi, venal politicians, and one extremely violent serial killer, all battling for primacy in a wild and wicked city unlike any other in the world.
Kansas City Lightning by Stanley Crouch Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker is the first installment in the long-awaited portrait of one of the most talented and influential musicians of the twentieth century, from Stanley Crouch, one of the foremost authorities on jazz and culture in America. Throughout his life, Charlie Parker personified the tortured American artist: a revolutionary performer who used his alto saxophone to create a new music known as bebop even as he wrestled with a drug addiction that would lead to his death at the age of thirty-four. Drawing on interviews with peers, collaborators, and family members, Kansas City Lightning recreates Parker’s Depression-era childhood; his early days navigating the Kansas City nightlife, inspired by lions like Lester Young and Count Basie; and on to New York, where he began to transcend the music he had mastered. Crouch reveals an ambitious young man torn between music and drugs, between his domineering mother and his impressionable young wife, whose teenage romance with Charlie lies at the bittersweet heart of this story. With the wisdom of a jazz scholar, the cultural insights of an acclaimed social critic, and the narrative skill of a literary novelist, Stanley Crouch illuminates this American master as never before.
Keystone Korner by Kathy Sloane; Sascha Feinstein (Editor); Al Young (Preface by) During the 1970s, when jazz clubs all over America were folding under the onslaught of rock and roll and disco, San Francisco's Keystone Korner was an oasis for jazz musicians and patrons. Tucked next to a police station in the city's North Beach area, the Keystone became known as one of the most important jazz spots in the United States. It was so beloved by musicians that superstars McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter, and Elvin Jones played a benefit concert just so the club could buy a liquor license. In this book, more than 100 black and white photographs, a collage of oral histories, and a marvelous CD of recordings from the club chronicle the Keystone experience.
3 Shades of Blue by James Kaplan The National Bestseller * One of The Minneapolis Star Tribune's Best Books of the Year "A superb book...[Kaplan is] a master biographer, a dogged researcher and shaper of narrative, and this is his most ambitious book to date." --Los Angeles Times From the author of the definitive biography of Frank Sinatra, the story of three towering artists--Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans--and how they came together to create the most iconic jazz album of all time, Kind of Blue In 1959, America's great indigenous art form, jazz, reached the height of its power and popularity. James Kaplan's magnificent 3 Shades of Blue captures how that golden era came to be, and its pinnacle with the recording of Kind of Blue. It's a book about music, and business, and race, and heroin, and the cities that gave jazz its home, and the Black geniuses behind its rise. It's an astonishing meditation on creativity and the strange environments where it can flourish most. It's a book about the great forebears and founders of a lost era, and the disrupters who would take the music down truly new paths. And it's about why the world of jazz most people know is a museum to this never-replicated period. But above all, 3 Shades of Blue is a book about three very different men--the greatness and varied fortunes of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans. The tapestry of their lives is, in Kaplan's hands, a national odyssey with no direction home. It is also a masterpiece, a book about jazz that is as big as America.
Jazz Cosmopolitanism in Accra by Steven Feld In this remarkable book, Steven Feld, pioneer of the anthropology of sound, listens to the vernacular cosmopolitanism of jazz players in Ghana. Some have traveled widely, played with American jazz greats, and blended the innovations of John Coltrane with local instruments and worldviews. Combining memoir, biography, ethnography, and history, Feld conveys a diasporic intimacy and dialogue that contests American nationalist and Afrocentric narratives of jazz history. His stories of Accra's jazz cosmopolitanism feature Ghanaba/Guy Warren (1923-2008), the eccentric drummer who befriended the likes of Charlie Parker, Max Roach, and Thelonious Monk in the United States in the 1950s, only to return, embittered, to Ghana, where he became the country's leading experimentalist. Others whose stories figure prominently are Nii Noi Nortey, who fuses the legacies of the black avant-gardes of the 1960s and 1970s with pan-African philosophy in sculptural shrines to Coltrane and musical improvisations inspired by his work; the percussionist Nii Otoo Annan, a traditional master inspired by Coltrane's drummers Elvin Jones and Rashied Ali; and a union of Accra truck and minibus drivers whose squeeze-bulb honk-horn music for drivers' funerals recalls the jazz funerals of New Orleans. Feld describes these artists' cosmopolitan outlook as an "acoustemology," a way of knowing the world through sound.
Shall We Play That One Together? by Paul De Barros In a world dominated by men, Marian McPartland distinguished herself as one of the greatest jazz pianists of her age Born in the UK as Margaret Marian Turner, Marian McPartland learned to play classical piano, but was passionately attracted to the rhythms of American jazz. Entertaining troops in WWII Europe, she met her future husband, Jimmy McPartland, a cocky young trumpet player who was the protege of the great Bix Beiderbecke. They were married and, together, they made jazz history. At first, Marian played second fiddle to Jimmy in Chicago, but when they moved to New York, Marian and her trio took up residence at the famous Hickory House where she thrilled the crowds from her perch on a stage in the middle of large oval bar. From there she went on to triumphs at places like the Montreaux Jazz Festival. Possibly, her greatest accomplishment was the creation of NPR's long-running showPiano Jazz. More than the life story of one of our greatest artists,Shall We Play That One Together? by Paul de Barros chronicles an age when jazz was a vital art form. Just as inviting as Marian's signature question onPiano Jazz,Shall We Play That One Together? is an invitation to readers everywhere to listen to the score of a bygone age.
Jazz/not Jazz by David Ake (Editor); Charles Hiroshi Garrett (Editor); Daniel Ira Goldmark (Editor) What is jazz? What is gained?and what is lost?when various communities close ranks around a particular definition of this quintessentially American music? Jazz/Not Jazz explores some of the musicians, concepts, places, and practices which, while deeply connected to established jazz institutions and aesthetics, have rarely appeared in traditional histories of the form. David Ake, Charles Hiroshi Garrett, and Daniel Goldmark have assembled a stellar group of writers to look beyond the canon of acknowledged jazz greats and address some of the big questions facing jazz today. More than just a history of jazz and its performers, this collections seeks out those people and pieces missing from the established narratives to explore what they can tell us about the way jazz has been defined and its history has been told.
Jazz by Scott DeVeaux; Gary Giddins In this vivid history of jazz, a respected critic and a leading scholar capture the excitement of America's unique music with intellectual bite, unprecedented insight, and the passion of unabashed fans. They explain what jazz is, where it came from, and who created it and why, all within the broader context of American life and culture. Emphasizing its African American roots, Jazz traces the history of the music over the last hundred years. From ragtime and blues to the international craze for swing, from the heated protests of the avant-garde to the radical diversity of today's artists, Jazz describes the travails and triumphs of musical innovators struggling for work, respect, and cultural acceptance set against the backdrop of American history, commerce, and politics. With vibrant photographs by legendary jazz chronicler Herman Leonard, Jazz is also an arresting visual history of a century of music.
Saxophone Colossus by Aidan Levy **Winner of the American Book Award (2023)** **Longlisted for the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award (2023)** The long-awaited first full biography of legendary jazz saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins  Sonny Rollins has long been considered an enigma. Known as the "Saxophone Colossus," he is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz improvisers of all time, winning Grammys, the Austrian Cross of Honor, Sweden's Polar Music Prize and a National Medal of Arts. A bridge from bebop to the avant-garde, he is a lasting link to the golden age of jazz, pictured in the iconic "Great Day in Harlem" portrait. His seven-decade career has been well documented, but the backstage life of the man once called "the only jazz recluse" has gone largely untold--until now.  Based on more than 200 interviews with Rollins himself, family members, friends, and collaborators, as well as Rollins' extensive personal archive, Saxophone Colossus is the comprehensive portrait of this legendary saxophonist and composer, civil rights activist and environmentalist. A child of the Harlem Renaissance, Rollins' precocious talent landed him on the bandstand and in the recording studio with Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, or playing opposite Billie Holiday. An icon in his own right, he recorded Tenor Madness, featuring John Coltrane; Way Out West; Freedom Suite, the first civil rights-themed album of the hard bop era; A Night at the Village Vanguard; and the 1956 classic Saxophone Colossus.  Yet his meteoric rise to fame was not without its challenges. He served two sentences on Rikers Island and won his battle with heroin addiction. In 1959, Rollins took a two-year sabbatical from recording and performing, practicing up to 16 hours a day on the Williamsburg Bridge. In 1968, he left again to study at an ashram in India. He returned to performing from 1971 until his retirement in 2012.   The story of Sonny Rollins--innovative, unpredictable, larger than life--is the story of jazz itself, and Sonny's own narrative is as timeless and timely as the art form he represents. Part jazz oral history told in the musicians' own words, part chronicle of one man's quest for social justice and spiritual enlightenment, this is the definitive biography of one of the most enduring and influential artists in jazz and American history.
Clawing at the Limits of Cool by Salim Washington; Farah Jasmine Griffin When the renowned trumpeter and bandleader Miles Davis chose the members of his quintet in 1955, he passed over well-known, respected saxophonists such as Sonny Rollins to pick out the young, still untested John Coltrane. What might have seemed like a minor decision at the time would instead set the course not just for each of their careers but for jazz itself. "Clawing at the Limits of Cool "is the first book to focus on Davis and Coltrane's musical interaction and its historical context, on the ways they influenced each other and the tremendous impact they've had on culture since then. It chronicles the drama of their collaboration, from their initial historic partnership to the interlude of their breakup, during which each man made tremendous progress toward his personal artistic goals. And it continues with the last leg of their journey together, a time when the Miles Davis group, featuring John Coltrane, forever changed the landscape of jazz. Authors Farah Jasmine Griffin and Salim Washington examine the profound implications that the Davis/Coltrane collaboration would have for jazz and African American culture, drawing parallels to the changing standards of African American identity with their public personas and private difficulties. With vastly different personal and musical styles, the two men could not have been more different. One exemplified the tough, closemouthed cool of the fifties while the other made the transition during this time from unfocused junkie to a religious pilgrim who would inspire others to pursue spiritual enlightenment in the coming decade. Their years together mark a watershed moment, and "Clawing at the Limits of Cool" draws on both cultural history and precise musical detail to illuminate the importance that their collaboration would have for jazz and American history as a whole.
A New History of Jazz by Alyn Shipton Alyn Shipton provides a comprehensive and entertaining account of jazz history, while challenging many of the assumptions and mythologies that have surrounded jazz since its birth.
Coltrane by Ben Ratliff A major work about the great saxophonist-and about the state of jazz. What was the essence of John Coltrane's achievement that makes him so prized forty years after his death? What was it about his improvising, his bands, his compositions, his place within his era of jazz that left so many musicians and listeners so powerfully drawn to him? What would a John Coltrane look like now-or are we looking for the wrong signs? The acclaimed jazz writer Ben Ratliff addresses these questions in Coltrane. First Ratliff tells the story of Coltrane's development, from his first recordings as a no-name navy bandsman to his last recordings as a near-saint, paying special attention to the last ten years of his life, which contained a remarkable series of breakthroughs in a nearly religious search for deeper expression.In the book's second half, Ratliff traces another history: that of Coltrane's influence and legacy. This story begins in the mid-'50s and considers the reactions of musicians, critics, and others who paid attention, asking: Why does Coltrane signify so heavily in the basic identity of jazz?Placing jazz among other art forms and American social history, and placing Coltrane not just among jazz musicians but among the greatest American artists, Ratliff tries to look for the sources of power in Coltrane's music-not just in matters of technique, composition, and musical concepts, but in the deeper frequencies of Coltrane's sound.
Django Reinhardt and the Illustrated History of Gypsy Jazz by Michael Dregni; Alain Antonietto Django Reinhardt was perhaps the greatest guitarist to ever live. A Gypsy who made his jazz guitar speak with a human voice, he was dashing, charismatic, childish . . . and doomed to die young after creating a legacy of Gypsy Jazz that remains vibrant today. Gypsy Jazz is a music both joyous and sad, timeless and modern. It was born from a marriage of Louis Armstrongs trumpet with the anguished sound of Romany violin and the fire of flamenco guitar. Created amidst the glamour of Jazz Age Paris and reaching a peak during the horrors of World War II, Gypsy Jazz gave a voice to a dispossessed people. Today, Gypsy Jazz is more popular than ever. It has a legacy as strong as the Cuban sounds of the Buena Vista Social Club, the blues of B. B. King, or the R&B of Ray Charles. Django Reinhardt and the Illustrated History of Gypsy Jazz is a stylish collection of more than two hundred illustrations telling Djangos story and the history of Gypsy jazz. Running through the Paris Jazz Age of the 1920s to the current worldwide renaissance of Gypsy jazz bands (including Djangos grandsons, who are playing today), the images include rare archival photographs, modern images, posters, programs, tickets, guitars, memorabilia, paintings, and more.
The Jazzmen by Larry Tye From the New York Times bestselling author of Satchel and Bobby Kennedy, a sweeping group portrait of the pioneers and longtime kings of jazz--Duke Ellington, Satchmo Armstrong, and Count Basie--who, born within a few years of one another, overcame racist exclusion and violence to become the most popular entertainers in America. This is the story of three revolutionary American musicians, the maestro jazzmen who orchestrated the chords that throb at the soul of twentieth-century America. Duke Ellington, the grandson of slaves who was christened Edward Kennedy Ellington, was a man whose story is as layered and nuanced as his name suggests and whose music transcended category. Louis Daniel Armstrong was born in a New Orleans slum so tough it was called The Battlefield and, at age seven, got his first musical instrument, a ten-cent tin horn that drew buyers to his rag-peddling wagon and set him on the road to elevating jazz into a pulsating force for spontaneity and freedom. William James Basie, too, grew up in a world unfamiliar to white fans--the son of a coachman and laundress who dreamed of escaping every time the traveling carnival swept into town, and who finally engineered his getaway with help from Fats Waller. What is far less known about these groundbreakers is that they were bound not just by their music or even the discrimination that they, like so many black performers of their  day, routinely encountered. Each defied and ultimately overcame racial boundaries not by waging war over every slight, which never would have worked in that Jim Crow era, but by opening America's eyes and souls to the magnificence of their music. In the process they wrote the soundtrack for the civil rights movement. Based on more than 250 interviews, this exhaustively researched book brings alive the history of Black America in the early-to-mid 1900s through the singular lens of the country's most gifted, engaging, and enduring African-American musicians.

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The Secret History of Bigfoot by John O'Connor
Crowned by Kahran Bethencourt; Regis Bethencourt From the New York Times bestselling authors of GLORY, Kahran and Regis Bethencourt of CreativeSoul Photography, comes CROWNED, a collection that completely reimagines how we see our favorite and most beloved childhood fairy and folk tales. Filled with the stunning photography that defines CreativeSoul Photography, this collection features classic fairy tales, African and African American folklore, and exciting new classics-brand new stories created by Kahran and Regis. Included in the collection: The Poisoned Apple; Asha the Little Cinder Girl; The Little Mermaid; Sleeping Beauty; Hansel and Gretel; Little Red Riding Hood; Anasi and the Three Trials; Aku The Sun Maker; How the Zebra Got His Stripes; The Legend of Princess Yennenga; John Henry, the Steel Driving Man; The Cloud Princess, and more! This collection is a must-have for children and parents everywhere and is a joyous celebration of Black beauty and imagination.
The Slavic Myths by Noah Charney; Svetlana Slapsak A Pulitzer-nominated author and one of the great public intellectuals of Slavic culture bring to life the unfamiliar myths and legends of the Slavic world. Slavic cultures are far-ranging, comprising of East Slavs (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus), West Slavs (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland) and South Slavs (the countries of former Yugoslavia plus Bulgaria), yet they are connected by tales of adventure and magic with deep roots in a common lore. In this first collection of Slavic myths for an international readership, Noah Charney and Svetlana Slapsak expertly weave together a retelling of the ancient stories with nuanced analysis that illuminates their place at the heart of Slavic tradition. Though less familiar to us than the legends of ancient Egypt, Greece and Scandinavia, in the world of Slavic mythology we find much that we can recognize: petulant deities, demons and faeries; witches, the sinister vestica, whose magic may harm or heal; a supreme god who can summon storms and hurl thunderbolts. Gods gather under the World Tree, reminiscent of Norse mythology's Yggdrasill; or, after the coming of Christianity, congregate among the clouds. The vampire - usually the only Serbo-Croatian word in any foreign-language dictionary - and the werewolf emerge from the shallow graves of Slavic belief. In their careful analysis and sensitive reconstructions of the origin stories, Charney and Slapsak unearth the Slavic beliefs before their distortion first by Christian chroniclers and then by 19th-century scholars seeking origin stories for their new-born nation states. They reveal links not only to the neighbouring pantheons of Greece, Rome, Egypt and Scandinavia but also the belief systems of indigenous peoples of Australia, the Americas, Africa and Asia. In so doing, they draw out the universalities that cut across cultures in the stories we tell ourselves.
Hausgeister!: Household Spirits of German Folklore by Hannah Gritsch (Photographer); Florian Schafer; Janin Pisarek "Hausgeister! is as creepy as it is beautiful. Informative and fascinating, I thoroughly enjoyed this little gem."  - BROM   Enter the world of ancient Germany where household spirits once held sway and linger within the tales that we know and love today. The household spirits of German folklore inhabit the pages of this book just as they settled the homesteads of ancient Germany. Belief in these creatures was ubiquitous and shaped daily life for the German people for centuries. The legends of these creatures, first shared orally and later written down and compiled, most famously by the Brothers Grimm, has shifted and changed through the tides of time. Now, in the 21st century, a team of three German creators have set themselves the mission of bringing these creatures back from oblivious references and foggy recollections to the international public. Domestic dragons and wild women, Kobolds and Wichtel are portrayed through the lens of narrative and mythological research showing their regional peculiarities within German folktales. Each creature is brought to life as a detailed sculpture in original size, based on historical descriptions and beautifully photographed in Germany, in the landscape that these creatures might once have walked. A new, spectacular approach that combines both art and cultural studies in an innovative way. Hausgiester!: Household Spirits of German Folklore is now available as part of Eye of Newt's specialty series, Wool of Bat, which is focused on the preservation and promotion of folklore and oral history from around the world. Freshly translated into English this book presents an authentic compilation of the knowledge and nature of the mysterious creatures that one (and perhaps still do) roam houses, castles, and farms in German-speaking countries. Original quotes from regional legends and guest contributions from various academic researchers complement this extraordinary compilation, which will delight both lovers of fairy tales and those interested in mythology and cultural history. 
Women of Myth by Jenny Williamson; Genn McMenemy; Sara Richard (Illustrator) Uncover the fascinating and complex women from mythology and folklore with this collection of stories profiling powerful goddesses, mighty queens, and legendary creatures. Get inspired with 50 fascinating stories of powerful female figures from mythologies around the world. From heroines and deities to leaders and mythical creatures, this collection explores figures of myth who can inspire modern readers with their ability to shape our culture with the stories of their power, wisdom, compassion, and cunning. Featured characters include: -Atalanta: Greek heroine and huntress who killed the Caledonia Boar and joined the Argonauts -Sky-Woman: The first woman in Iroquois myth who fell through a hole in the sky and into our world -Pele: Hawaiian volcano goddess -Clídna: Queen of the Banshees in Irish legend -La Llorona: A ghostly woman in Mexican folklore who wanders the waterfront Celebrate these game-changing, attention-worthy female characters with this collection of engaging tales.
The Natural History of Unicorns by Chris Lavers "Lavers keeps his intellectual detective story passionate and suspenseful." -- Washington Post Book World   From Biblical stories about virgins to adventures with Harry Potter, unicorns have enchanted people for millennia. In the endlessly fascinating The Natural History of Unicorns, author Chris Lavers ingeniously traces the legend of this mysterious creature to the real people, places, and animals that have influenced its story.
New Mexico Native American Lore by Ray John de Aragon Pull on the uncanny threads from the legendary tapestry of New Mexico's Native American heritage. Ancient Indian history and present Native American cultures are woven together in the Land of Enchantment. The threads of these tales stretch back to Mimbres burial grounds and prehistoric trade routes. Stories and traditions tie the land to its people, in spite of the cycles of slaughter and theft that have threatened to pluck them apart. Descend into the kivas of Chaco Canyon or seek out the high mountains where the clouds mark the stones. From legends of the Salt Woman to the legacy of the Ghost Dance, Ray John de Aragon examines the mysteries of the mesas.
Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws by Adrienne Mayor A treasury of astonishing mythic marvels--and the surprising truths behind them Adrienne Mayor is renowned for exploring the borders of history, science, archaeology, anthropology, and popular knowledge to find historical realities and scientific insights--glimmering, long-buried nuggets of truth--embedded in myth, legends, and folklore. Combing through ancient texts and obscure sources, she has spent decades prospecting for intriguing wonders and marvels, historical mysteries, diverting anecdotes, and hidden gems from ancient, medieval, and modern times. Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws is a treasury of fifty of her most amazing and amusing discoveries. The book explores such subjects as how mirages inspired legends of cities in the sky; the true identity of winged serpents in ancient Egypt; how ghost ships led to the discovery of the Gulf Stream; and the beauty secrets of ancient Amazons. Other pieces examine Arthur Conan Doyle's sea serpent and Geronimo's dragon; Flaubert's obsession with ancient Carthage; ancient tattooing practices; and the strange relationship between wine goblets and women's breasts since the times of Helen of Troy and Marie Antoinette. And there's much, much more. Showcasing Mayor's trademark passion not to demythologize myths, but to uncover the fascinating truths buried beneath them, Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws is a wonder cabinet of delightful curiosities.
The United States of Cryptids by J. W. Ocker Meet the monsters in our midst, from bigfoot to Mothman and beyond! Welcome to the United States of Cryptids, where mysterious monsters lurk in the dark forests, deep lakes, and sticky swamps of all fifty states. From the infamous Jersey Devil to the obscure Snallygaster, travel writer and chronicler of the strange J. W. Ocker uncovers the bizarre stories of these creatures and investigates the ways in which communities embrace and celebrate their local cryptids. Readers will learn about- . Batsquatch of Washington, a winged bigfoot that is said to have emerged from the eruption of Mount Saint Helens . Nain Rouge of Michigan, a fierce red goblin that has been spotted before every major city disaster in Detroit . Flatwoods Monster of West Virginia, a robotic extraterrestrial that crash-landed in rural Appalachia . Lizard Man of South Carolina, a reptilian mutant that attacked a teenager in the summer of 1988 . Glocester Ghoul of Rhode Island, a fire-breathing dragon that guards a hoard of pirate treasure . And many more! Whether you believe in bigfoot or not, this fully illustrated compendium is a fun, frightening, fascinating tour through American folklore and history, exploring the stories we tell about monsters and what those stories say about us.
Crochet Creatures of Myth and Legend by Megan Lapp (Contribution by) Gargoyles, Griffins, and Hippogriffs, oh my! Since 2017, Megan Lapp of Crafty Intentions has built a following for her unique crochet creations. Her crochet creatures are like nothing else out there! They are intricately detailed and colorful, and yet with her step-by-step instructions, anyone can achieve her results. Crochet Creatures of Myth and Legend includes 13 Cute Critter patterns--small and adorable creatures that are quick and fun to make and a great place to start--and 6 Standard Size mythological beasts in all their glory, including a dragon, kraken, feathered serpent, owl griffin, phoenix, and unicorn. Megan's imagination is always at play, and many of her patterns include various options for wing styles, feathers, and more. The dragon pattern is a masterpiece of options, with multiple variations for ears, back scales, tail, face plates, and more. Cute Critters include Pegasus, Phoenix, Wyvern, Jackalope, and more. Grab your hook and a few colorful skeins of worsted weight yarn, and start crocheting your own creatures of myth and legend!
ISBN: 9780811771481
Publication Date: 2023-03-01
The Japanese Myths by Joshua Frydman The perfect introduction to the world of Japanese myth and legend. This is a smart and succinct guide to the rich tradition of Japanese mythology, from the earliest recorded legends of Izanagi and Izanami, their divine offspring and the creation of Japan, to medieval tales of vengeful ghosts, through to the modern-day reincarnation of ancient deities as the heroes of mecha anime. While many around the world love Japan's cultural exports, few are familiar with Japan's unique mythology - enriched by Shinto, Buddhism and regional folklore. Mythology remains a living, evolving part of Japanese society, and the ways in which the people of Japan understand their myths are very different today even from a century ago, let alone over a millennium into the past. Offering much more than any competing overview of Japanese mythology, The Japanese Myths not only retells the ancient stories but also considers their place within the patterns of Japanese religions, culture and history, helping readers to understand the deep links between past and present in Japan, and the ways these myths live and grow. Joshua Frydman takes the very earliest written myths in the Kojiki and the Nihonshoki as his starting point, and from there traces Japan's mythology through to post-war State Shinto, the rise of the manga industry in the 1960s, J-horror and modern-day myths. Reinventions and retellings of myth are present across all genres of contemporary Japanese culture, from its auteur cinema to renowned video games such as Okami. This book is for anyone interested in Japan, as knowing its myths allows readers to understand and appreciate its culture in a new light.
Very Superstitious by Winsham Winsham Why are Celtic fairies behind our compulsion to knock on wood? How is a Norse myth responsible for our fear of the number 13? And why might an ancient Byzantine war strategy make us wary of spilling salt? A fascinating and mystical tumble through thousands of years of curious traditions, Very Superstitious gets to the root of just why we practice these rituals. From keeping new shoes off the table to nailing a horseshoe above the door, so many of our habits are informed by beliefs handed down through generations. Weaving between folklores, religions, cultures and traditions, Very Superstitious is a beautifully illustrated exploration of 100 of the most curious beliefs from around the world. In telling the stories of how we came to adopt these superstitions and their place in our lives today, this peculiar history explores human nature itself.
Tracking the Chupacabra by Benjamin Radford Among the monsters said to roam the world's jungles and desolate deserts, none is more feared than the chupacabra---the blood-sucking beast blamed for the mysterious deaths of thousands of animals since the 1990s. To some it is a joke; to many it is a very real threat and even a harbinger of the apocalypse. Originating in Latin America yet known worldwide, the chupacabra is a contradictory and bizarre blend of vampire and shapeshifter, changing its appearance and characteristics depending on when and where it is seen. Rooted in conspiracy theory and anti-American sentiment, the beast is said to be the result of Frankenstein-like secret U.S. government experiments in the Puerto Rican jungles. Combining five years of careful investigation (including information from eyewitness accounts, field research, and forensic analysis) with a close study of the creature's cultural and folkloric significance, Radford's book is the first to fully explore and try to solve the decades-old mystery of the chupacabra.
The Magic of Mushrooms by Sandra Lawrence Explore the wonderful world of some of the most incredible natural forms on our planet - fungi. At the centre of countless superstitions, folkloric tales and magical beliefs, as well as appearing in recipes and medicines both traditional and modern, mushrooms have incredible powers. Featuring images of over 100 fascinating species, sourced from the archives at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, The Magic of Mushrooms shows that from saving lives to expanding the mind, the potential of these fascinating organisms should not be underestimated.
Baba Yaga's Book of Witchcraft by Madame Pamita Move Swiftly On Your Own Two Feet, for Baba Yaga You Must Meet Discover ancient and modern Slavic magical practices through stories told by the legendary Baba Yaga herself. Learn about the magic of the sun, moon, and stars, as well as the magic of weather, animals, seasons, stones, food, beeswax, and more. Each chapter includes a piece of the fairy tale of Vasylyna, comments from Baba Yaga, and hands-on tips and techniques from author Madame Pamita. Explore magical activities alongside authentic folktales about the birth of the sun and the land of the blessed ones. Step-by-step instructions show you how to stitch Ukrainian folk embroidery motifs into protective charms, weave wreaths from herbs, make enchanted poppets, and work with the spirits of the forest, the hearth, and the sauna. With a bounty of tips and information, this book teaches you to embrace the beauty of these traditional practices and reclaim your personal magic.
Celtic Tales by Kate Forrester (Illustrator) A deluxe volume of 16 Celtic folk tales sure to impress any fan of cultural and mythological literature with impactful and stunning illustrations by contemporary artist Kate Forrester. Perilous quests, true love, and animals that talk. The traditional stories of Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and Wales collected in this extraordinary volume conjure forgotten realms and rare magical creatures in vivid prose, transporting us to the fantastical world of Celtic folklore. These timeless tales brim with wit and magic, and each one is brought to life with elegant silhouette art in this special illustrated edition.  "It's an absorbing introduction to the lore of Albion, but readers will also enjoy teasing out similarities between these tales and more familiar ones."--Publishers Weekly  ENCHANTING COLLECTION: Translated and transcribed by folklorists in the late 19th and 20th centuries, the 16 stories collected in Celtic Tales are grouped into four themes: Tricksters, The Sea, Quests, and Romance. Discover delightfully entertaining tales such as Master and Man, The Soul Cages, The Red-Etin, and The Witch of Lok Island. BEAUTIFUL GIFT: With its bold hardcover design, a satin ribbon page marker, and a striking full-page illustration for each story,Celtic Tales makes an impressive gift. Perfect for fans of fairy tales, ghost stories, Greek mythology, Roman mythology, Chinese mythology, Celtic mythology, and folklore and cultural studies from around the globe.   READERS LOVE IT: With hundreds of 5-star ratings, reviewers rave that this "absolutely beautiful" book is one that "will stand out on your shelf."  Perfect for: Fans of other titles in the popular Tales series, including Ghostly Tales,Nordic Tales, Tales of Japan, Tales of India, and Tales of East Africa Anyone who enjoys timeless stories, from the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm to Egyptian mythology to Greek classics Collectors of illustrated classics or artfully designed books Adding to the shelf alongside Stephen Fry's Greek Mythology trilogy (Mythos, Heroes, Troy), Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology, or Madeline Miller's Circe and Song of Achilles
ISBN: 9781452151755
Publication Date: 2016-08-30
Gichigami Hearts by Linda LeGarde Grover Award-winning author Linda LeGarde Grover interweaves family and Ojibwe history with stories from Misaabekong (the place of the giants) on Lake Superior Long before there was a Duluth, Minnesota, the massive outcropping that divides the city emerged from the ridge of gabbro rock running along the westward shore of Lake Superior. A great westward migration carried the Ojibwe people to this place, the Point of Rocks. Against this backdrop--Misaabekong, the place of the giants--the lives chronicled in Linda LeGarde Grover's book unfold, some in myth, some in long-ago times, some in an imagined present, and some in the author's family history, all with a deep and tenacious bond to the land, one another, and the Ojibwe culture. Within the larger history, Grover tells the story of her ancestors' arrival at the American Fur Post in far western Duluth more than two hundred years ago. Their fortunes and the family's future are inextricably entwined with tales of marriages to voyageurs, relocations to reservation lands, encounters with the spirits of the lake and wood creatures, the renewal of life--in myth and in art, the search for meaning in the transformations of our day is always vital. Finally, in one man's struggles, age-old tribulations, the intergenerational traumas of extended families and communities, and a uniquely Ojibwe appreciation for the natural and spiritual worlds converge, forging the Ojibwe worldview and will to survive as his legacy to his descendants. Blending the seen and unseen, the old and the new, the amusing and the tragic and the hauntingly familiar, this lyrical work encapsulates a way of life forever vibrant at the Point of Rocks.
The Tale of Princess Fatima, Warrior Woman by Melanie Magidow (Editor, Translator, Notes by, Introduction by) Published in English for the first time, and the only Arabic epic named for a woman, The Tale of Princess Fatima recounts the thrilling adventures of a legendary medieval warrior universally known throughout the Middle East and long overdue to join world literature's pantheon of female heroes. A Penguin Classic A fearsome, sword-slinging heroine who defeated countless men in stealth attacks on horseback, Dhat al-Himma, or Princess Fatima, was secretly given away at birth because she wasn't male, only to triumph as the most formidable warrior of her time. Known alternately as "she-wolf," "woman of high resolve," and "calamity of the soul," she lives on in this rousing narrative of female empowerment, in which she leads armies of more than seventy thousand men in clashes between rival tribes and between Muslims and Christians; reconciles with her father after taking him prisoner; and fends off her infatuated cousin, who challenges her to a battle for the right to marry her. Though her cousin suffers an ignominious defeat, he impregnates Fatima against her will and, when she gives birth to a Black son, disowns his own son, who also grows up to be a great warrior, eventually avenging his mother's honor. The epic culminates in a showdown between Fatima and another formidable warrior woman, and earns Fatima a place alongside the likes of Circe, Mulan, Wonder Woman, Katniss Everdeen and other powerful women.
Floriography by Jessica Roux A charming, gorgeously illustrated botanical encyclopedia for your favorite romantic, local witch, bride-to-be, or green-thumbed friend. Floriography is a full-color guide to the historical uses and secret meanings behind an impressive array of flowers and herbs. The book explores the coded significances associated with various blooms, from flowers for a lover to flowers for an enemy. The language of flowers was historically used as a means of secret communication. It soared in popularity during the 19th century, especially in Victorian England and the U.S., when proper etiquette discouraged open displays of emotion. Mysterious and playful, the language of flowers has roots in everything from the characteristics of the plant to its presence in folklore and history. Researched and illustrated by popular artist Jessica Roux, this book makes a stunning display piece, conversation-starter, or thoughtful gift.
The Penguin Book of Mermaids by Cristina Bacchilega *Includes "The Little Mermaid," now a major motion picture from Disney starring Halle Bailey and directed by Rob Marshall* Dive into centuries of mermaid lore with these captivating tales from around the world. A Penguin Classic Among the oldest and most popular mythical beings, mermaids and other merfolk have captured the imagination since long before Ariel sold her voice to a sea witch in the beloved Disney film adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid." As far back as the eighth century B.C., sailors in Homer's Odyssey stuffed wax in their ears to resist the Sirens, who lured men to their watery deaths with song. More than two thousand years later, the gullible New York public lined up to witness a mummified "mermaid" specimen that the enterprising showman P. T. Barnum swore was real. The Penguin Book of Mermaids is a treasury of such tales about merfolk and water spirits from different cultures, ranging from Scottish selkies to Hindu water-serpents to Chilean sea fairies. A third of the selections are published here in English for the first time, and all are accompanied by commentary that explores their undercurrents, showing us how public perceptions of this popular mythical hybrid--at once a human and a fish--illuminate issues of gender, spirituality, ecology, and sexuality. For more than seventy-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 2,000 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Chasing American Monsters by Jason Offutt STEP RIGHT UP and BEHOLD a stupendous COLLECTION of over 250 FEARSOME and FANTASTICAL CREATURES from Every State in the Union! The Black Dog of Hanging Hills, the Tommyknockers of Pennsylvania, the Banshee of the Badlands--these beasts and hundreds more will hold you spellbound, unable to look away from their frightful features and their extraordinary stories. Come face to face with modern-day dinosaurs, extraterrestrials, dragons, lizard men, giants, and flying humanoids. This illustrated collection includes more than 250 monsters and cryptids that will make your hair stand on end when you hear something go bump in the night. From Alabama to Wyoming and everywhere in between, these enigmatic abominations lurk in the darkest corners and the deepest shadows. This eye-opening book details the origins, appearance, and behaviors of these bizarre creatures so that if you should come across a terrifying beast in the wild, you'll know exactly what you're dealing with. Praise: "Jason Offutt does a special service to the field of cryptozoology with this new book Chasing American Monsters. By keeping all of us up-to-date and incredibly informed--beyond the scope of lesser guidebooks--we have a better head start on knowing where to look for these cryptids. Highly recommended."--Loren Coleman, author of Cryptozoology A to Z and director of the International Cryptozoology Museum
Purakau by Whiti Hereaka (Editor) A lively, stimulating and engaging retelling of purakau - Maori myths - by contemporary Maori writers. Ka mua, ka muri . . . Ancient Maori creation myths, portrayals of larger-than-life heroes and tales of engrossing magical beings have endured through the ages. Some hail back to Hawaiki, some are firmly grounded in New Zealand and its landscape. Through countless generations, the stories have been reshaped and passed on. This new collection presents a wide range of traditional myths that have been retold by some of our best Maori wordsmiths. The writers have added their own creativity, perspectives and sometimes wonderfully unexpected twists, bringing new life and energy to these rich, spellbinding and significant taonga. Take a fresh look at Papatuanuku, a wild ride with Maui, or have a creepy encounter with Ruruhi-Kerepo, for these and many more mythical figures await you. Explore the past, from it shape the future . . . The contributors are- Jacqueline Carter, David Geary, Patricia Grace, Briar Grace-Smith, Whiti Hereaka, Keri Hulme, Witi Ihimaera, Kelly Joseph, Hemi, Kelly, Nic Low, Tina Makereti, Kelly Ana Morey, Paula Morris, Frazer Rangihuna, Renee, Robert Sullivan, Apirana Taylor, Ngahuia Te Awekotuku, Clayton Te Kohe, Hone Tuwhare, Briar Wood.
The Annotated African American Folktales by Henry Louis Gates (Editor); Maria Tatar (Editor) Drawing from the great folklorists of the past while expanding African American lore with dozens of tales rarely seen before, The Annotated African American Folktales revolutionizes the canon like no other volume. Following in the tradition of such classics as Arthur Huff Fauset's "Negro Folk Tales from the South" (1927), Zora Neale Hurston's Mules and Men (1935), and Virginia Hamilton's The People Could Fly (1985), acclaimed scholars Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Maria Tatar assemble a groundbreaking collection of folktales, myths, and legends that revitalizes a vibrant African American past to produce the most comprehensive and ambitious collection of African American folktales ever published in American literary history. Arguing for the value of these deceptively simple stories as part of a sophisticated, complex, and heterogeneous cultural heritage, Gates and Tatar show how these remarkable stories deserve a place alongside the classic works of African American literature, and American literature more broadly. Opening with two introductory essays and twenty seminal African tales as historical background, Gates and Tatar present nearly 150 African American stories, among them familiar Brer Rabbit classics, but also stories like "The Talking Skull" and "Witches Who Ride," as well as out-of-print tales from the 1890s' Southern Workman. Beginning with the figure of Anansi, the African trickster, master of improvisation--a spider who plots and weaves in scandalous ways--The Annotated African American Folktales then goes on to draw Caribbean and Creole tales into the orbit of the folkloric canon. It retrieves stories not seen since the Harlem Renaissance and brings back archival tales of "Negro folklore" that Booker T. Washington proclaimed had emanated from a "grapevine" that existed even before the American Revolution, stories brought over by slaves who had survived the Middle Passage. Furthermore, Gates and Tatar's volume not only defines a new canon but reveals how these folktales were hijacked and misappropriated in previous incarnations, egregiously by Joel Chandler Harris, a Southern newspaperman, as well as by Walt Disney, who cannibalized and capitalized on Harris's volumes by creating cartoon characters drawn from this African American lore. Presenting these tales with illuminating annotations and hundreds of revelatory illustrations, The Annotated African American Folktales reminds us that stories not only move, entertain, and instruct but, more fundamentally, inspire and keep hope alive. The Annotated African American Folktales includes: Introductory essays, nearly 150 African American stories, and 20 seminal African tales as historical background The familiar Brer Rabbit classics, as well as news-making vernacular tales from the 1890s' Southern Workman An entire section of  Caribbean and Latin American folktales that finally become incorporated into the canon Approximately 200 full-color, museum-quality images
Korean Stories for Language Learners by Julie Damron; EunSun You Explore Korean Culture Through Bilingual Folktales--Build Language Skills as You Read! Korean Stories for Language Learners brings 42 traditional Korean folktales to life, presented in both Korean and English on facing pages. This unique collection is perfect for beginners in the language, whether you're a student in a first- or second-year Korean course or someone eager to explore the richness of Korean culture. Each story is accompanied by cultural notes, discussion questions, and practical language exercises, making it a valuable resource for expanding your vocabulary and deepening your understanding of Korean traditions. As you progress through the book, the stories increase in complexity, helping you develop your language skills step by step. Beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully designed, this volume includes glossaries in both languages and a helpful introduction to Hangul, the Korean writing system. To further support your learning, native speaker audio recordings are available online to guide your pronunciation and listening comprehension. Whether you're passionate about language learning or fascinated by Korean folktales, this book offers a window into Korea's cultural heritage while building essential language skills.
The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth by Thomas Morris "Delightfully horrifying."--Popular Science One of Mental Floss's Best Books of 2018 One of Science Friday's Best Science Books of 2018 This wryly humorous collection of stories about bizarre medical treatments and cases offers a unique portrait of a bygone era in all its jaw-dropping weirdness. A puzzling series of dental explosions beginning in the nineteenth century is just one of many strange tales that have long lain undiscovered in the pages of old medical journals. Award-winning medical historian Thomas Morris delivers one of the most remarkable, cringe-inducing collections of stories ever assembled. Witness Mysterious Illnesses (such as the Rhode Island woman who peed through her nose), Horrifying Operations (1781: A French soldier in India operates on his own bladder stone), Tall Tales (like the "amphibious infant" of Chicago, a baby that could apparently swim underwater for half an hour), Unfortunate Predicaments (such as that of the boy who honked like a goose after inhaling a bird's larynx), and a plethora of other marvels. Beyond a series of anecdotes, these painfully amusing stories reveal a great deal about the evolution of modern medicine. Some show the medical profession hopeless in the face of ailments that today would be quickly banished by modern drugs; but others are heartening tales of recovery against the odds, patients saved from death by the devotion or ingenuity of a conscientious doctor. However embarrassing the ailment or ludicrous the treatment, every case in The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth tells us something about the knowledge (and ignorance) of an earlier age, along with the sheer resilience of human life.
Yokai Wonderland by Koichi Yumoto Yokai are a class of supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore. In the Edo period (1603-1868), many artists, such as Hokusai Katsushika or Kuniyoshi Utagawa, created works featuring yokai that were inspired by folklore or their own imaginations. Yokai Wonderland contains many art works of Japanese yokai from the Edo period to today and includes not only paintings but also woodblock prints, scrolls, ceramics, kimonos, wooden sculptures, magazines, toys for children, such as board games, and more. This is the second series from the Yokai Museum and showcases a new collection of works, including never-before-seen works. All of the works featured in this book are from the personal collection of Koichi Yumoto, who will be opening the Yokai Museum in Hiroshima in 2018. Yumoto's own commentary on the works and the history of yokai are also included. This book will certainly appeal to Japanese art lovers, fans of yokai and also to those who are new to these fascinating supernatural creatures. It is also a valuable reference and source of inspiration for designers and illustrators.
A Treasury of British Folklore by Dee Dee Chainey An entertaining and engrossing collection of British customs, superstitions and legends from past and present. An entertaining and engrossing collection of British customs, superstitions and legends from past and present. Did you know, in Cumbria it was believed a person lying on a pillow stuffed with pigeon's feathers could not die? Or that green is an unlucky colour for wedding dresses? In Scotland it was thought you could ward off fairies by hanging your trousers from the foot of the bed, and in Gloucestershire you could cure warts by cutting notches in the bark of an ash tree. You've heard about King Arthur and St George, but how about the Green Man, a vegetative deity who is seen to symbolise death and rebirth? Or Black Shuck, the giant ghostly dog who was reputed to roam East Anglia? In this beautifully illustrated book, Dee Dee Chainey tells tales of mountains and rivers, pixies and fairy folk, and witches and alchemy. She explores how British culture has been shaped by the tales passed between generations, and by the land that we live on. As well as looking at the history of this subject, this book lists the places you can go to see folklore alive and well today. The Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival in Cambridgeshire or the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance in Staffordshire for example, or wassailing cider orchards in Somerset.
Fairy and Folk Tales of Ireland by W. B. Yeats (Introduction by) This slipcase edition of one of Yeats's lesserknown works makes for an excellent gift. This is the most complete anthology of Irish folk tales. An introduction by Yeats provides the perfect gateway into Irish folklore. This edition has sold over 25,000 copies worldwide.
Science of the Magical by Matt Kaplan From the author of The Science of Monsters, this engaging scientific inquiry provides a definitive look into the elements of mystical places and magical objects--from the philosopher's stone, to love potions to the oracles--from ancient history, mythology, and contemporary culture. Can migrations of birds foretell our future? Do phases of the moon hold sway over our lives? Are there sacred springs that cure the ill? What is the best way to brew a love potion? How do we create mutant humans who regenerate like Wolverine? In Science of the Magical, noted science journalist Matt Kaplan plumbs the rich, lively, and surprising history of the magical objects, places, and rituals that infuse ancient and contemporary myth. Like Ken Jennings and Mary Roach, Kaplan serves as a friendly armchair guide to the world of the supernatural. From the strengthening powers of Viking mead, to the super soldiers in movies like Captain America, Kaplan ranges across cultures and time periods to point out that there is often much more to these enduring magical narratives than mere fantasy. Informative and entertaining, Science of the Magical explores our world through the compelling scope of natural and human history and cutting-edge science.
Arcadia Britannica by Henry Bourne Founded on pagan Celtic, Germanic and early Christian roots, British folklore - far from being a quaint anachronism - is thriving, and remains vibrant and relevant by adapting to new circumstances, with the 'folk' (people), and the 'lore' (stories) continually informing and influencing each other. There are many recorded folk events, rites and customs practised in the UK each year, with some events drawing crowds of thousands. Most involve dance, theatre, music and a fair amount of good-natured revelry. Henry Bourne's folklore portraits, shot in 'the wild' at key events and festivals, take a fond look at the people from Morris dancers to practising witches and warlocks who shy away from a world increasingly disconnected from nature and those who actively celebrate a rich tradition that honours our connection with the seasons, the land and community.
Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog, Adder's Fork and Lizard's Leg by Marty Crump From celebrated herpetologist and science writer Marty Crump, a beautifully illustrated exploration of the interlinked stories of herp folklore, natural history, and conservation. Frogs are worshipped for bringing nourishing rains, but blamed for devastating floods. Turtles are admired for their wisdom and longevity, but ridiculed for their sluggish and cowardly behavior. Snakes are respected for their ability to heal and restore life, but despised as symbols of evil. Lizards are revered as beneficent guardian spirits, but feared as the Devil himself. In this ode to toads and snakes, newts and tuatara, crocodiles and tortoises, herpetologist and science writer Marty Crump explores folklore across the world and throughout time. From creation myths to trickster tales; from associations with fertility and rebirth to fire and rain; and from the use of herps in folk medicines and magic, as food, pets, and gods, to their roles in literature, visual art, music, and dance, Crump reveals both our love and hatred of amphibians and reptiles--and their perceived power. In a world where we keep home terrariums at the same time that we battle invasive cane toads, and where public attitudes often dictate that the cute and cuddly receive conservation priority over the slimy and venomous, she shows how our complex and conflicting perceptions threaten the conservation of these ecologically vital animals. Sumptuously illustrated, Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog, Adder's Fork and Lizard's Leg is a beautiful and enthralling brew of natural history and folklore, sobering science and humor, that leaves us with one irrefutable lesson: love herps. Warts, scales, and all.
The Book of Legendary Lands by Umberto Eco A fascinating illustrated tour of the fabled places in literature and folklore that have awed, troubled, and eluded us through the ages. From the epic poets of antiquity to contemporary writers of science fiction, from the authors of the Holy Scriptures to modern raconteurs of fairy tales, writers and storytellers through the ages have invented imaginary and mythical lands, projecting onto them all of our human dreams, ideals, and fears. In the tradition of his acclaimed History of Beauty, On Ugliness, and The Infinity of Lists, renowned writer and cultural critic Umberto Eco leads us on a beautifully illustrated journey through these lands of myth and invention, showing us their inhabitants, the passions that rule them, their heroes and antagonists, and, above all, the importance they hold for us. He explores this human urge to create such places, the utopias and dystopias where our imagination can confront things that are too incredible or challenging for our limited real world. Illuminated with more than 300 color images, The Book of Legendary Lands is both erudite and thoroughly enjoyable, bringing together disparate elements of our shared literary legacy in a way only Umberto Eco can. Homer’s poems and other ancient and medieval texts are presented side by side with Gulliver’s Travels and Alice in Wonderland; Tolkien shares space with Marco Polo’s Books of the Marvels of the World; films complement poems, and comics inform novels. Together, these stories have influenced the sensibilities and worldview of all of us.
Cunning Folk by Tabitha Stanmore "Rich and lively."--New York Times Book Review A vibrant look at an unsettled and strangely familiar time that overturns our assumptions about the history of magic. Imagine: it's the year 1600 and you've lost your precious silver spoons, or maybe they've been stolen. Perhaps your child has a fever. Or you're facing a trial. Maybe you're looking for love or escaping a husband. What do you do? In medieval and early modern Europe, your first port of call might have been cunning folk: practitioners of "service magic." Neither feared (like witches), nor venerated (like saints), they were essential to daily life. For people across ages, genders, and social ranks, practical magic was a cherished resource for navigating life's many challenges. In historian Tabitha Stanmore's beguiling account, we meet lovelorn widows, dissolute nobles, selfless healers, and renegade monks. We listen in on Queen Elizabeth I's astrology readings and track treasure hunters trying to unearth buried gold without upsetting the fairies that guard it. Much like us, premodern people lived in a bewildering world, buffeted by forces beyond their control. As Stanmore reveals, their faith in magic has much to teach about how to accommodate the irrational in our allegedly enlightened lives today. Charming in every sense, Cunning Folk is at once an immersive reconstruction of a bygone era and a thought-provoking commentary on the beauty and bafflement of being human.

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analog sound

The Sound of Analog Life

Record Store Day is April 12

The term “analog life” refers to all aspects of human existence that take place outside and without reference to the Digital Infosphere. ~Dr. Jörn Lengsfeld

While most of these listings link by default to a print copy, many are available in other formats (eBook and eAudiobook). Don't forget to check the catalog by title or author if you prefer digital!

Into the Groove by Jonathan Scott The story of recorded sound - the technological developments, the humans that made them happen and their impact on society, from the phonograph to LPs, EPs and the recent resurgence of vinyl. In Into the Groove, vinyl collector and music buff Jonathan Scott dissects a mind-blowing feat that we all take for granted today--the domestication of sound. Thomas Edison's phonograph, the first device that could both record and reproduce sound, represented an important turning point in the story of recorded sound, but it was only the tip of the iceberg, and came after decades of invention, tinkering and experimentation. Scott traces the birth of sound back to the earliest serious attempts in the 1850s, celebrating the ingenuity, rivalries and science of the modulated groove. He examines the first attempts to record and reproduce sounds, the origins of the phonograph, and the development of commercial shellac discs. Then he divulges the fascinating story of the LP record, from the rise of electric recording to the fall of 7-inch vinyl, the competing speed and format wars, and an epilogue that takes the story up to the present-day return of vinyl to vogue. Into the Groove uncovers tales of intrigue and betrayal, court battles and lesser-known names who are often left out of most histories. Discover a new appreciation of the not-so-simple black disc that holds a special place in the history of music and sound.
The Revenge of Analog by David Sax One of Michiko Kakutani's (New York Times) top ten books of 2016 A funny thing happened on the way to the digital utopia. We've begun to fall back in love with the very analog goods and ideas the tech gurus insisted that we no longer needed. Businesses that once looked outdated, from film photography to brick-and-mortar retail, are now springing with new life. Notebooks, records, and stationery have become cool again. Behold the Revenge of Analog. David Sax has uncovered story after story of entrepreneurs, small business owners, and even big corporations who've found a market selling not apps or virtual solutions but real, tangible things. As e-books are supposedly remaking reading, independent bookstores have sprouted up across the country. As music allegedly migrates to the cloud, vinyl record sales have grown more than ten times over the past decade. Even the offices of tech giants like Google and Facebook increasingly rely on pen and paper to drive their brightest ideas. Sax's work reveals a deep truth about how humans shop, interact, and even think. Blending psychology and observant wit with first-rate reportage, Sax shows the limited appeal of the purely digital life-and the robust future of the real world outside it.
Old Records Never Die by Eric Spitznagel; Jeff Tweedy (Foreword by) In Old Records Never Die, Eric Spitznagel sets out on a quest to find the original vinyl artefacts from his past. Not just copies. The exact same records. As he embarks on his hero's journey, he reminisces about the actual records, the music and the people he listened to it with: old girlfriends, his high school pals and, most poignantly, his father and his young son. He explores the magic of music and memory as he interweaves his adventures in record-culture with questions about our connection to our past and whether we can ever really recapture it.
Groove Music by Mark Katz It's all about the scratch in Groove Music, award-winning music historian Mark Katz's groundbreaking book about the figure that defined hip-hop: the DJ. Today hip-hop is a global phenomenon, and the sight and sound of DJs mixing and scratching is familiar in every corner of the world. But hip-hop was born in the streets of New York in the 1970s when a handful of teenagers started experimenting with spinning vinyl records on turntables in new ways. Although rapping has become the face of hip-hop, for nearly 40 years the DJ has proven the backbone of the culture. In Groove Music, Katz (an amateur DJ himself) delves into the fascinating world of the DJ, tracing the art of the turntable from its humble beginnings in the Bronx in the 1970s to its meteoric rise to global phenomenon today. Based on extensive interviews with practicing DJs, historical research, and his own personal experience, Katz presents a history of hip-hop from the point of view of the people who invented the genre. Here, DJs step up to discuss a wide range of topics, including the transformation of the turntable from a playback device to an instrument in its own right, the highly charged competitive DJ battles, the game-changing introduction of digital technology, and the complex politics of race and gender in the DJ scene. Exhaustively researched and written with all the verve and energy of hip-hop itself, Groove Music will delight experienced or aspiring DJs, hip-hop fans, and all students or scholars of popular music and culture.
NPR by Michael McCauley The people who shaped America's public broadcasting system thought it should be "a civilized voice in a civilized community"--a clear alternative to commercial broadcasting. This book tells the story of how NPR has tried to embody this idea. Michael P. McCauley describes NPR's evolution from virtual obscurity in the early 1970s, when it was riddled with difficulties--political battles, unseasoned leadership, funding problems--to a first-rate broadcast organization. The book draws on a wealth of primary evidence, including fifty-seven interviews with people who have been central to the NPR story, and it places the network within the historical context of the wider U.S. radio industry. Since the late 1970s, NPR has worked hard to understand the characteristics of its audience. Because of this, its content is now targeted toward its most loyal listeners--highly educated baby-boomers, for the most part--who help support their local stations through pledges and fund drives.
The First Lady of Radio by Stephen Drury Smith (Editor); Blanche Wiesen Cook (Foreword by) "This anthology of 38 addresses . . . offer[s] a means for visiting anew the lifework of an extraordinary American woman" (HistoryNet).   A tie-in to the American RadioWorks® documentary--with audio and video content.   Eleanor Roosevelt's groundbreaking career as a professional radio broadcaster is almost entirely forgotten. As First Lady, she hosted a series of prime time programs that revolutionized how Americans related to their chief executive and his family. Now, The First Lady of Radio rescues these broadcasts from the archives, presenting a carefully curated sampling of transcripts of Roosevelt's most famous and influential radio shows, including addresses on the bombing of Pearl Harbor, D-Day, V-E Day, and women's issues of the times. Edited and set into context by award-winning author and radio producer Stephen Drury Smith--and with a foreword by Roosevelt's famed biographer, historian Blanche Wiesen Cook--The First Lady of Radio is both a historical treasure and a fascinating window onto the power and the influence of a pioneering First Lady.   "An intriguing glimpse into the social and political changes of the period." --Publishers Weekly   "[Eleanor Roosevelt] was terrified of speaking in public at first, and her high-pitched voice could sail off uncontrollably. Yet she became one of the most effective speakers of her time." --David McCullough
Blast from the Past by B. Eric Rhoads 1995 is the 75th anniversary of the first radio broadcast. NEVER BEFORE HAS ANYONE PUBLISHED A PHOTO BOOK COVERING RADIO BROADCASTING FROM THE '20s THROUGH THE '90s! This is the biggest & most complete book on radio ever written. This coffee-table-sized gift book is a pictorial history of radio featuring rare photos from the pre-invention era of radio, & covering the '20s, '30s, '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, & '90s. Imagine rare photos of the golden era of radio, the rock 'n' roll era of Dick Clark, Alan Freed, the '60s Beatles era featuring Cousin Brucie Morrow, Casey Kasem, the '70s covering the start of Larry King, Rush Limbaugh, Howard Stern, David Letterman & Tom Snyder. This book covers the films & television programs about radio...GOOD MORNING VIETNAM, PLAY MISTY FOR ME, WKRP IN CINCINNATI, FRASIER, & many more. Text also covers how Top 40 Radio was invented & how Talk radio has become so important in America. This book will amaze the collector market. Rare, NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN PHOTOGRAPHS along with classics everyone will be glad they have. A must for every library, school, classroom, media study, collector or radio fan. A collection so rare that no one before has attempted such an undertaking. This book reflects radio's influence on other media; how radio has changed over the years & how it has evolved to what it is today & will be tomorrow. To order BLAST FROM THE PAST contact Streamline Press at 224 Datura Street, 7th Floor, West Palm Beach, FL 33401, (800) 226-7857; FAX (407) 665-6164.
Out on the Wire by Jessica Abel A Library JournalBest Book of 2015 Go behind the scenes of seven of today's most popular narrative radio shows and podcasts, including This American Lifeand RadioLab, in graphic narrative. Every week, millions of devoted fans tune in to or download This American Life, The Moth, Radiolab, Planet Money, Snap Judgment, Serial, Invisibilia and other narrative radio shows. Using personal stories to breathe life into complex ideas and issues, these beloved programs help us to understand ourselves and our world a little bit better. Each has a distinct style, but every one delivers stories that are brilliantly told and produced. Out on the Wireoffers an unexpected window into this new kind of storytelling-one that literally illustrates the making of a purely auditory medium. With the help of This American Life's Ira Glass, Jessica Abel, a cartoonist and devotee of narrative radio, uncovers just how radio producers construct narrative, spilling some juicy insider details. Jad Abumrad of RadioLabtalks about chasing moments of awe with scientists, while Planet Money's Robert Smith lets us in on his slightly goofy strategy for putting interviewees at ease. And Abel reveals how mad-really mad-Ira Glass becomes when he receives edits from his colleagues. Informative and engaging, Out on the Wiredemonstrates that narrative radio and podcasts are creating some of the most exciting and innovative storytelling available today.
Dream Lucky by Roxane Orgill The time: 1936-1938. The mood: Hopeful. It wasn't wartime, not yet. The music: The incomparable Count Basie and Benny Goodman, among others. The setting: Living rooms across America and, most of all, New York City. Dream Lucky covers politics, race, religion, arts, and sports, but the central focus is the period's soundtrack--specifically big band jazz--and the big-hearted piano player William "Count" Basie. His ascent is the narrative thread of the book--how he made it and what made his music different from the rest. But many other stories weave in and out: Amelia Earhart pursues her dream of flying "around the world at its waistline." Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., stages a boycott on 125th Street. And Mae West shocks radio listeners as a naked Eve tempting the snake. Critic Nat Hentoff praises the "precise originality" with which Roxane Orgill writes about music. In Dream Lucky, she magically lets readers hear the past.
And They All Sang by Studs Terkel The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian talks with some of twentieth century's most iconic musicians--"Riveting . . . Just about every interview has a revelation" (San Francisco Chronicle).   Through the second half of the twentieth century, Studs Terkel hosted the legendary radio show "The Wax Museum," presenting Chicago's music fans with his inimitable take on music of all kinds, from classical, opera, and jazz to gospel, blues, folk, and rock. Featuring more than forty of Terkel's conversations with some of the greatest musicians of the past century, And They All Sang is "a tribute to music's universality and power" (Philadelphia Inquirer). Included here are fascinating conversations with Louis Armstrong, Leonard Bernstein, Big Bill Broonzy, Bob Dylan, Dizzy Gillespie, Mahalia Jackson, Janis Joplin, Rosa Raisa, Pete Seeger, and many others.   As the esteemed music critic Anthony DeCurtis wrote in the Chicago Tribune, "the terms 'interview' or 'oral history' don't begin to do justice to what Terkel achieves in these conversations, which are at once wildly ambitious and as casual as can be." Whether discussing Enrico Caruso's nervousness on stage with opera diva Edith Mason or the Beatles' 1966 encounter in London with revered Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, "Terkel's singular gift for bringing his subjects to life in their own words should strike a chord with any music fan old enough to have replaced a worn-out record needle" (The New York Times).   "Whether diva or dustbowl balladeer, Studs treats them all alike, with deep knowledge and an intimate, conversational approach . . . as this often remarkable book shows, Studs Terkel has remained mesmerized by great music throughout his life." --The Guardian   "[Terkel's] expertise is evident on every page, whether debating the harmonic structure of the spirituals or discerning the subtleties of Keith Jarrett's piano technique . . . As ever, he is the most skillful of interviewers." --The Independent   "What makes And They All Sang a rousing success isn't just Terkel's phenomenal range and broad knowledge, it's his passionate love of the music and his deep humanity." --San Francisco Chronicle
The Grand Ole Opry History of Country Music by Paul Kingsbury The best and most luxurious history of country music ever published, this 70th-anniversary tribute to the Grand Ole Opry has been selected by this beloved institution as its chief souvenir. The complete history of the Opry is given, from the early days of Roy Acuff and the Carter Family through Dolly Parton and Minnie Pearl to Garth Brooks and Reba McIntire--all illustrated with more than 225 photos, many in full color.
Broadcast Hysteria by A. Brad Schwartz On the evening of October 30, 1938, radio listeners across the United States heard a startling report of a meteor strike in the New Jersey countryside. With sirens blaring in the background, announcers in the field described mysterious creatures, terrifying war machines, and thick clouds of poison gas moving toward New York City. As the invading force approached Manhattan, some listeners sat transfixed, while others ran to alert neighbors or to call the police. Some even fled their homes. Butthe hair-raising broadcast was not a real news bulletin-it was Orson Welles's adaptation of the H. G. Wells classicThe War of the Worlds. InBroadcast Hysteria, A. Brad Schwartz boldly retells the story of Welles's famed radio play and its impact. Did it really spawn a "wave of mass hysteria," asThe New York Timesreported? Schwartz is the first to examine the hundreds of letters sent to Orson Welles himself in the days after the broadcast, and his findings challenge the conventional wisdom. Few listeners believed an actual attack was under way. But even so, Schwartz shows that Welles's broadcast became a major scandal, prompting a different kind of mass panic as Americans debated the bewitching power of the radio and the country's vulnerability in a time of crisis. When the debate was over, Americanbroadcasting had changed for good, but not for the better. As Schwartz tells this story, we observe how an atmosphere of natural disaster and impending war permitted broadcasters to create shared live national experiences for the first time. We follow Orson Welles's rise to fame and watch his manic energy and artistic genius at work in the play's hurried yet innovative production. And we trace the present-day popularity of "fake news" back to its source in Welles's show and its many imitators. Schwartz's original research, gifted storytelling,and thoughtful analysis makeBroadcast Hysteriaa groundbreaking new look at a crucial but little-understood episode in American history.
Air America: The Playbook by Air America Radio Hosts Staff; Chuck D (Composed by); Robert F. Kennedy (Composed by); Rachel Maddow (Composed by); Randi Rhodes (Composed by); Sam Seder (Composed by); Al Franken (Introduction by) What the Loudest Voices on Liberal Talk Radio Have to Say About How Our Country Really Works--And How to Take It Back Incisive political commentary delivered with a healthy dose of humor--and a decidedly left-of-center twist--captures the essence of Air America Radio For frustrated voters who like their politicians left of center, the era of George W. Bush has been a time of exasperation, eye-rolling, hand-wringing, and even despair. Since Bush's "election" in 2000, millions of blue-tinted Americans have fled in droves from their TVs and radios, no longer able to bear the "Swiftboat-ization" of the mainstream media or the haranguing voices of such "villains" as Bill O'Reilly, Michael Savage, and Rush Limbaugh. Where can these displaced persons go for political asylum? Enter, in 2004, Air America Radio, a talk radio network exclusively devoted to liberal, progressive talk. With stars like Al Franken, Janeane Garafalo, Chuck D, Robert Kennedy Jr., Randi Rhodes, Rachel Maddow, and many more, Air America has become an oasis in a time of complete domination by a conservative Republican majority. With close to four million listeners on 89 stations around the country, Air America gives all of those voters who still feel Al Gore and John Kerry should have and perhaps even did win the last two presidential elections a place to vent their opinions and talking heads who share their righteous indignation. However, for readers who don't know what to do when their favorite radio show is over and they're still wide awake, for those who loved Jon Stewart's America, Bill Maher's New Rules, Thomas Frank's The Trouble With Kansas, and books by Al Franken, a new balm in book form awaits. Air America offers a roadmap to the landmine that is American politics today, through an array of eyes and voices unabashedly left of center. Combining new original material with radio transcripts, useful sidebars and statistics, and interviews, all offered in an irresistibly unexpected mix of humor, outrage, sarcasm, and thoughtfulness, this essential guide to how our government works, who are the best hopes and the biggest offenders, and most importantly how liberals can take back their country from the ruling right wing is a must-read.
Radios the Golden Age by Philip Collins
We Interrupt This Broadcast by Joe Garner; Walter Cronkite (Foreword by) Few phrases garner as much attention as "We Interrupt This Broadcast..." Wherever we may happen to be, our lives stop for a moment, and we experience those few seconds of anxiety between the interruption and the actual announcement of what has happened. In words and images -- and on two audio compact discs -- We Interrupt This Broadcast brings to life the famous and infamous moments of the twentieth century that were announced to us with those four chilling words. From the dawn of electronic media to today, from the catastrophe of the Hindenburg to the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, these are the thirty-eight events that stopped us in our tracks and changed our world. We Interrupt This Broadcast recounts the details of the events and spotlights the photographs that tell the stories. Accompanying the book, two digitally mastered compact discs contain over two hours of audio from the events, narrated by award-winning journalist Bill Kurtis. These heart-stopping moments includeboth the famous words you remember and rare audio footage which will take you back into the magnitude of the event. Share with your friends, family, children and grandchildren your memories of where you were when the world stopped and held its breath in anticipation.
Record Collecting for Girls by Courtney E. Smith "Record Collecting for Girls is an invitation for all of you stereophiles (who happen to be female), to make your own top-five lists, and then, armed and ready with the book's fun facts, to argue their merits to the ever-present boys' club of music snobs in your life." --Sarahbeth Purcell, author of Love Is the Drug and This Is Not a Love Song You never leave home without your iPod. You're always on the lookout for new bands, and you have strong opinions when it comes to music debates, like Beatles vs. Stones. For years, you've listened to guys talk about all things music, but the female perspective has been missing. Until now. Drawing on her personal life as a music enthusiast, as well as her experience working at MTV and in radio, Courtney E. Smith explores what music can tell women about themselves--and the men in their lives. She takes on a range of topics, from the romantic soundtracks of Romeo and Juliet to the evolution of girl bands. She shares stories from her own life that shed light on the phenomenon of guilty pleasures and the incredible power of an Our Song. Along the way, she evaluates the essential role that music plays as we navigate life's glorious victories and its soul-crushing defeats. Finally, here is a voice that speaks to women--because girls get their hearts broken and make mix tapes about it, too. "Courtney Smith has smarts and sass in spades. Her insights are as hilarious as they are thoughtful, and when you finish reading this book, you'll feel like you just got home from a perfect night out with your best friend. And you'll want to listen to Prince. At full volume." --Megan Jasper, Executive Vice President, Sub Pop Records
Liner Notes for the Revolution by Daphne A. Brooks Winner of the Josephine Miles-PEN Oakland Book Award Winner of the MAAH Stone Book Award A Rolling Stone Best Music Book of the Year A Pitchfork Best Music Book of the Year "Brooks traces all kinds of lines, finding unexpected points of connection inviting voices to talk to one another, seeing what different perspectives can offer, opening up new ways of looking and listening by tracing lineages and calling for more space." -New York Times An award-winning Black feminist music critic takes us on an epic journey through radical sound from Bessie Smith to Beyoncé. Daphne A. Brooks explores more than a century of music archives to examine the critics, collectors, and listeners who have determined perceptions of Black women on stage and in the recording studio. How is it possible, she asks, that iconic artists such as Aretha Franklin and Beyoncé exist simultaneously at the center and on the fringe of the culture industry? Liner Notes for the Revolution offers a startling new perspective on these acclaimed figures-a perspective informed by the overlooked contributions of other Black women concerned with the work of their musical peers. Zora Neale Hurston appears as a sound archivist and a performer, Lorraine Hansberry as a queer Black feminist critic of modern culture, and Pauline Hopkins as America's first Black female cultural commentator. Brooks tackles the complicated racial politics of blues music recording, song collecting, and rock and roll criticism. She makes lyrical forays into the blues pioneers Bessie Smith and Mamie Smith, as well as fans who became critics, like the record-label entrepreneur and writer Rosetta Reitz. In the twenty-first century, pop superstar Janelle Monae's liner notes are recognized for their innovations, while celebrated singers Cécile McLorin Salvant, Rhiannon Giddens, and Valerie June take their place as cultural historians. With an innovative perspective on the story of Black women in popular music-and who should rightly tell it-Liner Notes for the Revolution pioneers a long overdue recognition and celebration of Black women musicians as radical intellectuals.
Musicals by Elaine Paige (Foreword by); DK Musicals: The Definitive Illustrated Story showcases the complete history of the musical on stage and screen, from its origins in ancient Greece to early twentieth century dance halls and vaudeville to the golden age of cinema productions to the record-breaking Broadway musicals of today. Packed with historical insights, memorabilia, behind-the-scenes gossip, and artifacts, Musicals: The Definitive Illustrated Story takes you on the ultimate behind-the-scenes tour of the best-loved musicals, such as Chicago, Les Misérables, The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music, and many more. In all, Musicals: The Definitive Illustrated Story features more than 140 notable stage and film productions and the stories of the people who created them. Throughout, clear infographics, rich black-and-white and color photography, and a clever, informative design make this comprehensive overview of musical theater and movie musicals a true showstopper.
Art Sleeves by D. B. Burkeman Like a well-made playlist, the album covers in this volume combine to create a portrait of cool and culture desired by art, music, and record lovers. Art Sleeves is a time capsule of visual art and music culture as shown through the most important record covers designed by visual artists and graphic designers in the past forty years. This tightly curated collection of covers chosen includes works with significant cultural impact as well as collaborations that themselves created cultural fascination. The eclectic roster of visual artist-musician collaborations presented spans art and musical genres as well as generations, including Ryan McGinley for Sigur Rós, Kara Walker for Arto Lindsay, Peter Saville for Joy Division, Barbara Kruger for Growing Up Skipper, Jeff Koons for Lady Gaga, Tauba Auerbach for Glasser, and Stanley Donwood for Radiohead, to name a few. From postmodernist paintings and minimalism to collage and photography, as well as New Wave, emo, pop, and punk, the albums chosen present a bright and rich visual and cultural history. This inspiring volume celebrates this long creative tradition of visual artist-musician collaborations and, just like a perfect album, it will be treasured by art, music, and record lovers alike.