National Network for Equitable Library Service

In his timeless biography-written long before the significance of Mozart's work was fully realized-author Edward Holmes reveals the musician's character and genius, his struggles, his influence on art, and the brilliant reputation that surrounded him. Published in 1845 as the first authentic narrative of the life of Mozart to appear in English, it was also the first biography after the composer's death in 1791 to be based upon his letters. Holmes's exploration of Mozart's work comes from the perspective of a cultured mind of the era.

To live in a pristine land unchanged by man; to roam the wilderness through which few other humans have passed; to choose an idyllic site, cut trees, and build a log cabin; to be a self-sufficient craftsman, making what is needed from materials available; to be not at odds with the world, but content with one's own thoughts and company: thousands have had such dreams, but Richard Proenneke lived them. This book is a simple account of the day-by-day explorations and activities he carried out alone, and the constant chain of nature's events that kept him company.

Discusses the joys and trials of being the daughter of a demanding mother whose goal is to raise children with good manners and proper religion.

Pete Maravich was a great basketball player and this is his story.

Documents the two-day firefight in Sadr City that began the Iraqi insurgency, during which eight 1st Cavalry Division soldiers were killed and numerous others wounded, an engagement that was vigilantly monitored by their loved ones back home.

Legendary basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar traces his childhood in Harlem, his professional career, and the influence of the Harlem Renaissance on his life and the African-American culture.

In April 2002, Janine Latus's youngest sister, Amy, wrote a note and taped it to the inside of her desk drawer: "Today Ron Ball and I are romantically involved, but I fear I have placed myself at risk in a variety of ways." That same spring Janine was struggling to leave her marriage, to a handsome and successful man--a marriage in which she felt afraid, controlled, inadequate, and trapped. Ten weeks later, Janine had left her marriage when she learned Amy was missing. It took more than two weeks to find Amy's body, and two years to convict her former boyfriend for her murder.

Set against the backdrop of the turbulent 13th century comes the story of the four beautiful daughters of the count of Provence, whose brilliant marriages made them the queens of France, England, Germany, and Sicily.

The author recounts his more than 6,500-mile journey across America, during which he visited the sites of famous rock star deaths and experienced philosophical changes of perspective.

From earliest experimentation to habitual excess to full-blown abuse, twenty-four-year-old Koren Zailckas leads us through her experience of a terrifying trend among young girls, exploring how binge drinking becomes routine, how it becomes "the usual." With the stylistic freshness of a poet and the dramatic gifts of a novelist, Zailckas describes her first sip at fourteen, alcohol poisoning at sixteen, a blacked-out sexual experience at nineteen, total disorientation after waking up in an unfamiliar New York City apartment at twenty-two, when she realized she had to stop, and all the depres