Essays

In this #1 New York Times bestseller, Ellen DeGeneres shares her hilarious take on everything from our most baffling human foibles–including how we behave in elevators, airplanes, and restrooms, and why we’re so scared of the boogeyman–to fashion trends, celebrity, and her secret recipe for Ellen’s Real Frenchy French Toast. Most of all, this witty, engaging book offers insights into the mind of one of America’s most beloved comics.…Dear Reader,I was awfully excited when I was asked to write a book. I was however, nervous. I was afraid I didn’t have anything important to say. But when I began writing, I realized that although I don’t know a lot about any one thing, I know a little about a whole bunch of baking a pie; dancing; curing the common cold; running the Iditarod–it’s all in the book. And I realized I notice things that maybe some people don’t notice (or they don’t notice that they don’t notice). That’s all in the book, too.

"The Conversations" is a must-read for both film students and enthusiasts alike. It offers a rare glimpse into the art of film editing through the personal conversations of two accomplished artists, Walter Murch and Michael Ondaatje. The book details Murch's growth as an artist as well as his approach to editing seen through his work in movies like Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, and The English Patient. The Conversations is filled with stories about some of the most important movies of the last thirty years, making it an insightful and enlightening read for all film lovers.

Marian Keyes' "Further Under the Duvet" is perfect for anyone who enjoys comedic writing that offers relatable stories and amusing anecdotes. Filled with hilarious observations on life, this book will have readers wincing with recognition and roaring with laughter. Keyes' unique sense of humor and witty writing style makes this an enjoyable read for anyone seeking a humorous escape.

Two of the most trusted reviewers in the field join with top authors, illustrators, and critics in a definitive guide to choosing books for children—and nurturing their love of reading.A FAMILY OF READERS is the definitive resource for parents interested in enriching the reading lives of their children. It’s divided into four sections:1. Reading to Them:Choosing and sharing board books and picture books with babies and very young children.2. Reading with Them:Launching the new reader with easy readers and chapter books.3. Reading on Their Own:Exploring what children read—and how they read—by genre and gender.4. Leaving Them Alone:Respecting the reading privacy of the young adult.Roger Sutton knows how and why children read. He must, as the editor in chief of THE HORN BOOK, which since 1924 has been America’s best source for reviews of books for young readers. But for many parents, selecting books for their children can make them feel lost. Now, in this essential resource, Roger Sutton and Martha V. Parravano, executive editor at the magazine, offer thoughtful essays that consider how books are read to (and then by) young people. They invite such leading authors and artists as Maurice Sendak, Katherine Paterson, Margaret Mahy, and Jon Scieszka, as well as a selection of top critics, to add their voices about the genres they know best. The result is an indispensable readers’ companion to everything from wordless board books to the most complex and daring young adult novels.

The Raymond Delauney Emails is a unique and witty book that will appeal to readers who enjoy humor and sarcasm. The book is structured as a series of emails, where Delauney adopts various personas and communicates with unsuspecting victims. The most unique and distinctive feature of the book is Delauney's wit and ability to irritate people in hilarious ways. Readers who enjoy satirical works will particularly enjoy this book.

In a city where the top one percent earns more than a half-million dollars per year while twenty-five thousand children are homeless, public discourse about our entrenched and worsening wealth gap has never been more sorely needed. This remarkable anthology is the literary world's response, with leading lights including Zadie Smith, Junot Díaz, and Lydia Davis bearing witness to the experience of ordinary New Yorkers in extraordinarily unequal circumstances. Through fiction and reportage, these writers convey the indignities and heartbreak, the callousness and solidarities, of living side by side with people of starkly different means. They shed light on the subterranean lives of homeless people who must find a bed in the city's tunnels; the stresses that gentrification can bring to neighbors in a Brooklyn apartment block; the shenanigans of seriously alienated night-shift paralegals; the trials of a housing defendant standing up for tenants' rights; and the humanity that survives in the midst of a deeply divided city. Tales of Two Cities is a brilliant, moving, and ultimately galvanizing clarion call for a city-and a nation-in crisis.Introduction by John Freeman --Due North / Garnette Cadogan --Options / Dinaw Mengestu --Every night a little death / Patrick Ryan --Miss Adele amidst the corsets / Zadie Smith --Near the edge of darkness / Colum McCann --The children suicides / Maria Venegas --Partially vacated / DW Gibson --Four more years / Jonathan Dee --So where are we? / Lawrence Joseph --Round trip / Skhil Dharma --Aliens of extraordinary ability / Taiye Selasi --The baffled courtier: Lorenzo da Ponte in America / Edmund White --Quid pro quo, just as easy as that / Jeanne Thornton --Introduction / Dave Eggers --Park slope livin' / Chaasadahyah Jackson --One, maybe two minutes from fire / Téa Obreht --Service/nonservice: how bartenders see New Yorkers / Rosie Schaap --A block divided against itself / Sarah Jaffe --Starting out / Junot Díaz --Engine / Bill Cheng --The sixth borough / Jonathan Safran Foer --Mixed media, dimensions variable / Michael Salu --First Avenue & Second Street / Hannah Tinti --Zapata Boulevard / Valeria Luiselli --Home / Tim Freeman --Introduction. Small fates 1912 / Teju Cole --Small fates 1912 / Teju Cole --Seeking / Victor Lavalle --If the 1 percent stifles New York's creative talent, I'm out of here / David Byrne --Traveling from Brooklyn / Lydia Davis --Walt Whitman on Further Lane / Mark Doty

This book is a must-read for anyone fascinated by the profound philosophical connection between C.G. Jung and Hermann Hesse. Through the letters and conversations captured in this book, readers will gain deep insights into the thoughts and beliefs of these two great minds. The intimate details shared by Jung shortly before his death add a poignant and personal touch, making it a truly unique and captivating read.

This book, Promises, Promises, is a captivating exploration of the connections between psychoanalysis and literature that will leave you pondering the power of both. With essays ranging from anorexia to the impact of the Blitz on Londoners, Adam Phillips showcases his ability to seamlessly blend art, drama, poetry, and history. Through his unique perspective, he challenges the traditional notions of self-knowledge and absolute truth, offering instead a refreshing approach that prioritizes happiness and inspiration. Prepare to be immersed in a borderland between rigour and delight, where the lines between these two disciplines are beautifully blurred. Perfect for those seeking a thought-provoking read that will expand their understanding of the human mind and its complexities.

This book is a unique and challenging philosophical study of community and social existence beyond individualism. It offers a new way of thinking about community as a mutual abandonment and exposure to each other that preserves individual freedom, without resorting to spectacle or authenticity. It is recommended for readers interested in rethinking conventional notions of community and social existence, and is particularly relevant to psychoanalytic, political, and multicultural concepts.

"Emergency!" is a gripping book that entails true stories from different emergency rooms of America. It's a page-turner with heartbreaking, humorous, and shocking moments that would make you appreciate ER doctors even more. The author, Dr. Mark Brown, captures the raw power of reality in the stories shared by over 15,000 ER staffers. Each story is unique and unforgettable, detailing the surprises, challenges, and rewards immediate medical response can bring to participants of these human dramas.

Serendipities is a careful unraveling of the fabulous and the false, a brilliant exposition of how unanticipated truths often spring from false ideas. From Leibniz's belief that the I Ching illustrated the principles of calculus to Marco Polo's mistaking a rhinoceros for a unicorn, Umberto Eco offers a dazzling tour of intellectual history, illuminating the ways in which we project the familiar onto the strange to make sense of the world. Uncovering layers of mistakes that have shaped human history, Eco offers with wit and clarity such instances as Columbus's voyage to the New World, the fictions that grew around the Rosicrucians and Knights Templar, and the linguistic endeavors to recreate the language of Babel, to show how serendipities can evolve out of mistakes. With erudition, anecdotes, and scholarly rigor, this new collection of essays is sure to entertain and enlighten any reader with a passion for the curious history of languages and ideas.

This book provides a critical examination of Chinese culture from a unique perspective, calling out the toxic elements of Confucianism that have had a negative impact on society. It offers a thought-provoking analysis of the country's political, social, and ethical issues that is both challenging and enlightening. Readers who are interested in exploring new ideas and willing to engage in critical thinking would find this book a worthwhile read.

If you've ever been intrigued by the complexities of consent beyond just the basics, "Ask" is a thought-provoking exploration you shouldn't miss. Kitty Stryker's anthology delves into how consent intertwines with power dynamics in various aspects of everyday life. Engaging with this text could alter your perception of personal boundaries and social interactions.

Two Cheers for Anarchism could be a good read for someone looking to challenge traditional structures of hierarchy. Scott offers a unique perspective on everyday social and political interactions that inspire readers to consider constructive anarchism. The book celebrates the ingenuity and judgement of individuals exercising their creative and moral capacities. Readers will enjoy relatable anecdotes and examples that touch on a wide range of subjects, including globalization, assembly-line production, and historical explanation.

Music at Night would be a good read for those who enjoy thought-provoking essays that delve into topics such as art, literature and philosophy. Huxley's breadth of knowledge and insatiable curiosity shine through in this collection that is sure to leave readers thinking long after they finish reading. Users have described this book as captivating and insightful, with a unique perspective on the world that is both engaging and thought-provoking.

Baghdad Diaries could be a good read for those who are interested in personal accounts of war and exile. Nuha al-Radi's diary gives a unique perspective on the day-to-day life of ordinary people living in a city under siege, and the struggles of being an Iraqi in exile. The book captures the spirit of endurance and the celebration of life's smallest joys amidst the stress and effects of war.

If you're intrigued by a writer's eye-view into the literary and cultural icons of a time, "Visiting Mrs. Nabokov And Other Excursions" could be right up your alley. Martin Amis isn't just another observer; he has the knack for cutting right to the heart of his subjects with wit and biting clarity. It’s a ringside seat to the minds and times of influential characters through a series of vivacious essays.