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A lanky kid from Plano, Texas, is raised by a feisty, single parent who sacrifices for her son, who becomes one of our country's greatest athletes. Given that background, it is understandable why Armstrong was able to channel his boundless energy toward athletic endeavors. By his senior year in high school, he was already a professional triathlete and was training with the U.S. Olympic cycling developmental team. In 1993, Armstrong secured a position in the ranks of world-class cyclists by winning the World Championship and a Tour de France stage, but in 1996, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Armstrong entered an unknown battlefield and challenged it as if climbing through the Alps: aggressive yet tactical. He beat the cancer and proceeded to stun all the pundits by winning the 1999 Tour de France. In this memoir, Armstrong covers his early years swiftly with a blunt matter-of-factness, but the main focus is on his battle with cancer. Readers will respond to the inspirational recovery story, and they will appreciate the behind-the-scenes cycling information. 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Once, Peter Jackson was a name unknown to all but a small band of loyal fans and fellow film-makers. Now, he is the newest member of Hollywood's elite fellowship, with his name on the most successful movie trilogy of all time. Written with Jackson's full participation, this extensive biography, illustrated with never-before-seen photos from Jackson's personal collection, tells the inside story of how a New Zealander became Hollywood's hottest property - from the early cult classics, through Academy Award -winning success with Kate Winslet's Heavenly Creatures, the abandoned King Kong remake, and the filming of The Lord of the Rings, a project which was abandoned two years into pre-production, rejected by most of the other studios and then picked up by New Line Cinema in the biggest gamble in film history. Drawing upon interviews with fifty of Peter Jackson's colleagues and contemporaries, author Brian Sibley paints a portrait of a true auteur, a man gifted with single-minded determination and an artist's vision. Jackson himself is both revealing and insightful about his entire film-making life, from his first childhood steps filming in Super 8 to the grand realisation of his life's dream: King Kong. 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But in Bryson√¢e(tm)s hands, it becomes everyone√¢e(tm)s story, one that will speak volumes √¢e especially to anyone who has ever been young.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41795869048906,"sku":"622w","price":7.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/622w_1_c8511a2f-b46c-4c7b-9d09-67f7f37dc845.jpg?v=1764148860"},{"product_id":"sylvia-a-biography-of-sylvia-ashton-warner-by-linley-hood-808p","title":"Sylvia!: A Biography of Sylvia Ashton-Warner by Linley Hood","description":"\u003cp\u003eTraces the life of the controversial New Zealand educator and novelist, and attempts to depict her complex personality  Editorial Reviews  From Publishers Weekly Teacher-novelist Ashton-Warner is revealed in this rich, lively biography as a contradictory figure who, early on, was never one to let facts cloud the drama of a good story. Although her unorthodox approach to teaching Maori children--formulated on the concept of key vocabulary based on native imagery--won her international fame as an innovator, Ashton-Warner frequently expressed her dislike of teaching. This biography, the first book by New Zealand freelancer Wood, supplies factual evidence as to the parallels between Ashton-Warner's ambivalence in areas of her own life and that of the heroines of her novels, especially the bestseller Spinster. We're shown that life on her own terms was a condition set down by Ashton-Warner. She was born in 1906 into an eccentric New Zealand family; she combined a nontraditional marriage with an erratic career as teacher-writer. She thrived on love-hate relationships, was a deeply restless woman, flirtatious even in old age, alcoholic and, yet, as her biographer demonstrates, strangely charismatic. Photos.  Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41795870556234,"sku":"808p","price":10.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/808p.jpg?v=1765445388"},{"product_id":"katherine-mansfield-a-biography-by-jeffrey-meyers-897r","title":"Katherine Mansfield: A Biography by Jeffrey Meyers","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41795870818378,"sku":"897r","price":12.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/897r_4361e783-d267-4a0f-a047-21b22fea79c8.jpg?v=1764148937"},{"product_id":"the-master-j-d-ormond-of-wallingford-by-rosamond-rolleston-ormond-wilson-1033j","title":"The Master: J. D. 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A Sunday Times Number One Bestseller Miranda Hart will carry you along with the sheer force of her charm, bumbling cheer and charisma. - Sunday Express Well hello to you dear browser. Now I have your attention it would be rude if I didn't tell you a little about my literary feast. So, here is the thing: is it just me or does anyone else find that adulthood offers no refuge from the unexpected horrors, peculiar lack of physical coordination and sometimes unexplained nudity, that accompanied childhood and adolescence? Does everybody struggle with the hazards that accompany, say, sitting elegantly on a bar stool; using chopsticks; pretending to understand the bank crisis; pedicures - surely it's plain wrong for a stranger to fondle your feet? Or is it just me? I am proud to say I have a wealth of awkward experiences - from school days to life as an office temp - and here I offer my 18-year-old self (and I hope you too dear reader) some much needed caution and guidance on how to navigate life's rocky path. Because frankly where is the manual? The much needed manual to life. Well, fret not, for this is my attempt at one and let's call it, because it's fun, a Miran-ual. I thank you. Editorial Reviews Review Is Miranda Hart a National Treasure yet? If not, it can only be a year or two before she joins Stephen Fry and Alan Bennett in the trophy cabinet of the country's affections... That personality and voice belong to a uniquely cherished comedian, and the answer to that question in her title is actually, yes - it is just her. Because there's nobody like Miranda.?Daily Mail Funny and charming and full of terrific comic ideas... Unlike most comedians, she can actually write... Every Christmas there is, at the very most, one celeb book that is genuinely worth buying and reading. Here is this year's. Accept no substitutes.?The Spectator 'As you'd expect, it's very funny indeed... we applaud this bumbling, childish and splendid attempt to create such a guide, which includes Miranda verbally sparring with her 18-year-old self' *****?Heat 'Miranda Hart will carry you along with the sheer force of her charm, bumbling cheer and charisma'.?Sunday Express The best thing about her book is its universality - it is stuffed with the kind of events with which almost every reader will identify - sometimes with a groan of horrified recognition.?The Lady I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of Miranda Hart's new book - we should all embrace our inner Miranda gene and learn to laugh at ourselves.?Daily Express Comedy queen Miranda recalls the awkward experiences she has encountered over the years and gives her unique thoughts and advice on dealing with them... Warning: you will laugh out loud on public transport while reading this! *****?Closer Navigate the awkwardness of adult life with Miranda Hart's Is It Just Me??Grazia This is pure, unadulterated, totally genius, Miranda. A cult (would religion be too weighty a word?) must surely follow, where can we get the T-shirt??Red Online In her brilliantly funny book, TV's Miranda muses on some of the most challenging, baffling and 'hideola' aspects of life... all the anecdotes are told in her unique style, with regular interjections from her 18-year-old self. Such fun! *****?Star About the Author Miranda Hart made her mark appearing in shows including Smack the Pony, Absolutely Fabulous and Not Going Out. But when her sitcom Miranda burst on to our screens in 2009, her popularity rocketed. Miranda has since been crowned the Queen of Comedy at the British Comedy Awards and the hit series Miranda has won two further comedy awards, two RTS Awards, and been nominated for four BAFTAs. Miranda is currently filming a drama for BBC based on the bestselling memoir Call the Midwife. 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It was sometimes said that 'One loved money, one loved power and one loved her country', but there was far more to the Soong sisters than these caricatures. As China battled through a hundred years of wars, revolutions and seismic transformations, each sister played an important, sometimes critical role, and left an indelible mark on history. Red Sister, Ching-ling, married Sun Yat-sen, founding father of the Chinese republic, and later became Mao's vice-chair. Little Sister, May-ling, was Madame Chiang Kai-shek, first lady of the pre-Communist Nationalist China and a major political figure in her own right. Big Sister, Ei-ling, was Chiang's unofficial main adviser. She made herself one of China's richest women - and her husband Chiang's prime minister. All three sisters enjoyed tremendous privilege and glory, but also endured constant attacks and mortal danger. They showed great courage and experienced passionate love, as well as despair and heartbreak. The relationship between them was highly charged emotionally, especially once they had embraced opposing political camps and Ching-ling dedicated herself to destroying her two sisters' world. Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister is a gripping story of love, war, exile, intrigue, glamour and betrayal, which takes us on a monumental journey, from Canton to Hawaii and New York, from exiles' quarters in Japan and Berlin to secret meeting rooms in Moscow, and from the compounds of the Communist elite in Beijing to the corridors of power in democratic Taiwan. 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Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years-as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues-Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.  n nAt a time when America is seeking ways to sustain its innovative edge, and when societies around the world are trying to build digital-age economies, Jobs stands as the ultimate icon of inventiveness and applied imagination. He knew that the best way to create value in the twenty-first century was to connect creativity with technology. He built a company where leaps of the imagination were combined with remarkable feats of engineering.  n nAlthough Jobs cooperated with this book, he asked for no control over what was written nor even the right to read it before it was published. He put nothing off-limits. He encouraged the people he knew to speak honestly. And Jobs speaks candidly, sometimes brutally so, about the people he worked with and competed against. His friends, foes, and colleagues provide an unvarnished view of the passions, perfectionism, obsessions, artistry, devilry, and compulsion for control that shaped his approach to business and the innovative products that resulted.  n nDriven by demons, Jobs could drive those around him to fury and despair. But his personality and products were interrelated, just as Apple's hardware and software tended to be, as if part of an integrated system. His tale is instructive and cautionary, filled with lessons about innovation, character, leadership, and values. Editorial Reviews  Isaacson's biography can be read in several ways. It is on the one hand a history of the most exciting time in the age of computers, when the machines first became personal and later, fashionable accessories. It is also a textbook study of the rise and fall and rise of Apple and the brutal clashes that destroyed friendships and careers. And it is a gadget lover's dream, with fabulous, inside accounts of how the Macintosh, iPod, iPhone and iPad came into being. But more than anything, Isaacson has crafted a biography of a complicated, peculiar personality-Jobs was charming, loathsome, lovable, obsessive, maddening-and the author shows how Jobs's character was instrumental in shaping some of the greatest technological innovations of our time. n-The Washington Post n- Michael S. Rosenwald n n[Jobs's] story calls for a book that is clear, elegant and concise enough to qualify as an iBio. Mr. Isaacson's Steve Jobs does its solid best to hit that target...[It] greatly admires its subject. But its most adulatory passages are not about people. Offering a combination of tech criticism and promotional hype, Mr. Isaacson describes the arrival of each new product right down to Mr. Jobs's theatrical introductions and the advertising campaigns. But if the individual bits of hoopla seem excessive, their cumulative effect is staggering. Here is an encyclopedic survey of all that Mr. Jobs accomplished, replete with the passion and excitement that it deserves. n-The New York Times n- Janet Maslin n nIf not the greatest of computer moguls, the late Apple Computer co-founder was certainly the most colorful and charismatic to judge by this compelling biography. Journalist Isaacson (Albert Einstein) had his subject's intimate cooperation but doesn't shy away from Jobs's off-putting traits: the egomania; the shameless theft of ideas; the reality distortion field of lies and delusions; the veering between manipulative charm and cold betrayal; the bullying rages, profanity and weeping; the bizarre vegetarian diets that he believed would ward off body odor and cancer (he was tragically wrong on both counts). Isaacson also sees the constructive flip-side of Jobs's flaws, arguing that his crazed perfectionism and sublime sense of design--he wanted even his computers' circuit boards to be visually elegant--begat brilliant innovations, from the Mac to the iPad, that blended poetry and processors. The author oversells Jobs as the digital artiste pitting well-crafted, vertically integrated personal computing experiences against the promiscuously licensed, bulk-commodity software profferred by his Microsoft rival Bill Gates. (Gates's acerbic commentary on Jobs's romanticism often steals the page.) Still, Isaacson's exhaustively researched but well-paced, candid and gripping narrative gives us a great warts-and-all portrait of an entrepreneurial spirit--and one of the best accounts yet of the human side of the computer biz. Photos. (Oct. 24) n- Publishers Weekly n nThis authorized, highly discussed work delivers significant details of Jobs's secretive life, career, and creative sensibility. The author delivers his introduction. Formerly in leadership roles at CNN and TIME magazine, Isaacson has created a well-researched and balanced biography that emphasizes Jobs's mammoth ambition, genius, and brutal honesty. Dylan Baker's earnestness is expressed in a workmanlike narration. His style is not well matched to the urgency of Jobs's fascinating life story and the relentlessness of his personality. Without vocal characterizations, Baker's pacing is consistent, if too slow. Perhaps an unfortunate, if unspoken, message is that, with great genius, boorish behavior with staff, family, and others may ultimately lead to phenomenal innovative and artful business success. W.A.G. 2012 Audies Finalist   AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine n- NOVEMBER 2011 - AudioFile n nAn unforgettable tale of a one-of-a-kind visionary. With a unique ability to meld arts and technology and an uncanny understanding of consumers' desires, Apple founder Steve Jobs (1955-2011) played a major role in transforming not just computer technology, but a variety of industries. When Jobs died earlier this month, the outpouring of emotion from the general public was surprisingly intense. His creations, which he knew we wanted before we did, were more than mere tools; everything from the iPod to the MacBook Pro touched us on a gut level and became an integral part of our lives. This was why those of us who were hip to Steve Jobs the Inventor were so moved when he passed. However, those who had an in-depth knowledge of Steve Jobs the Businessman might not have taken such a nostalgic view of his life. According to acclaimed biographer and Aspen Institute CEO Isaacson (American Sketches: Great Leaders, Creative Thinkers, and a Heroes of a Hurricane, 2009, etc.) in this consistently engaging, warts-and-all biography, Jobs was not necessarily the most pleasant boss. We learn about Jobs' predilection for humiliating his co-workers into their best performances; his habit of profanely dismissing an underling's idea, only to claim it as his own later; and his ability to manipulate a situation with an evangelical, fact-mangling technique that friends and foes alike referred to as his reality distortion field. But we also learn how--through his alternative education, his pilgrimage to India, a heap of acid trips and a fateful meeting with engineering genius Steve Wozniak--Jobs became Jobs and Apple became Apple. Though the narrative could have used a tighter edit in a few places, Isaacson's portrait of this complex, often unlikable genius is, to quote Jobs, insanely great. Jobs was an American original, and Isaacson's impeccably researched, vibrant biography--fully endorsed by his subject--does his legacy proud. n- Kirkus Reviews\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41795873505354,"sku":"2505p","price":12.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/2505p_dc08542b-4988-494d-b37e-990bf67d2d4b.jpg?v=1781758101"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.bookexpress.nz\/collections\/biography.oembed?page=135","provider":"Book Express","version":"1.0","type":"link"}