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Beryl: The Making of a Disability Activist
Par Dustin Galer. 2023
The story of a mid-century working-class housewife whose extraordinary physical transformation empowered her to become a dynamic social activist who…
fueled a movement to create a more inclusive future for people with disabilities.Kid Olympians: True Tales of Childhood from Champions and Game Changers (Kid Legends #9)
Par Robin Stevenson. 2024
Triumphant, relatable, and totally true biographies tell the childhood stories of a diverse group of international athletes who have captured…
the world’s attention at the Summer Olympics and Paralympics, like Simone Biles, Jesse Owens, Naomi Osaka, Tatyana McFadden, and 12 other incredible olympians.Athletes throughout history have dreamed of competing in the Olympics—and some were kids themselves when those dreams and plans began! In Kid Olympians: Summer, discover the childhood stories of legends such as: Usain Bolt, who used to skip practices to go to the arcade and play video games.Serena Williams, who sometimes hit her tennis ball over the fence on purpose!Tatyana McFadden, who had to fight to be allowed on her school’s track teamFeaturing kid-friendly text and full-color illustrations, you’ll be inspired to dream bigger, faster, and higher than ever before! The diverse and inspiring group also includes Michael Phelps, Yusra Mardini, Dick Fosbury, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Gertrude Ederle, Nadia Comaneci, Ellie Simmonds, Tommie Smith, Wilma Rudolph, and Megan Rapinoe.Pride and Persistence: Stories of Queer Activism (Do You Know My Name? #4)
Par Mary Fairhurst Breen. 2023
The activists between these pages have stood up for the queer community, whether on their own behalf or in support…
of people they love. Some made a difference by confronting injustice; others dared to be fully themselves.See It, Dream It, Do It: How 25 people just like you found their dream jobs
Par Colleen Nelson, Kathie MacIsaac. 2023
From award-winning author Colleen Nelson, and literacy advocate Kathie MacIsaac, twenty-five profiles present a plethora of jobs, and people, making…
it easier than ever for young people to see their dreams and to live their dreams!Beryl: The Making of a Disability Activist
Par Dustin Galer. 2023
The story of a mid-century working-class housewife whose extraordinary physical transformation empowered her to become a dynamic social activist who…
fueled a movement to create a more inclusive future for people with disabilities.Anna Komnene and the Alexiad: The Byzantine Princess and the First Crusade
Par Ioulia Kolovou. 2020
&“Kolovou . . . rescues Anna from the talons of misogynist historians and places her where she belongs as an extraordinary, but…
very human, woman.&” —Beating Tsundoku A woman of extraordinary education and intellect, Anna Komnene was the only Byzantine female historian and one of the first and foremost historians in medieval Europe. Yet few people know of her and her extraordinary story. Subsequent historians and scholars have skewed the picture of Anna as an intellectual princess and powerful author. She has been largely viewed as an angry, bitter old woman, who greedily wanted a throne that did not belong to her. After being exiled to a convent, she composed the Alexiad, the history of the First Crusade and the Byzantine Emperor, Alexios I Komnenos (1081-1118), her father. This book aims to present Anna Komnene—the fascinating woman, pioneer intellectual, and charismatic author—to the general public. Drawing on the latest academic research to reconstruct Anna&’s life, personality and work, it moves away from the myth of Anna the conspirator and &“power-hungry woman&” which has been unfairly built around her over centuries of misrepresentation. It places Anna Komnene in the context of her own time: the ancient Greek colony and medieval Eastern Roman empire, known as Byzantium, with the magnificent city of Constantinople at its heart. At the forefront of an epic clash between East and West, this was a world renowned for its dazzling wealth, mystery and power games. This was a world with Anna Komnene directly at the center.&“Well-written, well-researched, and an overall fascinating read . . . A brilliant addition to women&’s history.&” —Where There&’s Ink There&’s PaperCandies from Heaven
Par Gil Hovav. 2022
“Uncle Aron’s compliments, which hadn’t changed since the days of the Bible, didn’t sound so great. One time, he told…
my mother that she was ‘awesome like an army with flags.’ Another time, he informed her that ‘your nose is like the tower of Lebanon." Meet the village it took to raise Gil Hovav – colorful aunts and uncles hailing from one of the most respected lineages in the Jewish world (Hovav is the great-grandson of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, the reviver of the Hebrew language). This book includes twenty-two funny and heart-warming stories awash with love and longing for the people who raised one skinny and cross-eyed Jerusalemite boy to love poor-man’s food, to love proper Hebrew and, most importantly, to love people. The nostalgic writing is dished up with more than twenty delicious family recipes with the seal of approval from Gil Hovav, the man who has played a major role in the remaking of Israeli cuisine and the transformation of Israel from a country of basic traditional foods into a “gourmet nation”. Readers get to chuckle at Hovav’s amusing recollections and salivate over his family recipes for sweet sour chorba tomato soup and his Aunt Levana’s eggplant and feta bourekas. If you’ve ever wondered how to make hilbeh or slow-cooked eggs (or if you’re simply itching to expand your culinary repertoire), this book is for you. As wholesome and warming as a homecooked meal, Candies from Heaven will appeal to anyone who treasures good food and relationships built on love. Dig in, dear readers, pleasure is served.The diarist&’s account of her life in the early 1920s explores &“the conflict she felt between artistic longings and her…
pre-ordained female fate&” (The Detroit News). Continuing the journey of self-education and self-discovery she began in Linotte, Anaïs Nin discloses a part of her life that had previously remained private. She discusses the period in which she met Hugo Guiler, the young man who later became her husband, and made the wrenching transition from the shelter of her family to the world of artists and models. She also reveals the struggle she faced between her expected role as a woman and her determination to be a writer—a negotiation that still poses difficulties for many of us almost a century after Nin wrote this diary. &“Through sheer nerve, confidence, and will, Nin made of the everyday something magical. This was a gift, indeed, and it&’s a fascinating process to witness.&” —The Christian Science Monitor With a preface by Joaquin Nin-CulmellThe Road to San Giovanni
Par Italo Calvino. 1993
From the Italian author, personal essays featuring his relationship with his father, his love of movies, and fighting fascism during…
World War II. &“In each other&’s presence we became mute, would walk in silence side by side along the road to San Giovanni. To my father&’s mind, words must serve as confirmations of things, and as signs of possession; to mine, they were foretastes of things barely glimpsed, not possessed, presumed.&” —from The Road to San Giovanni In these autobiographical essays, published after Italo Calvino&’s death, the intellectually vibrant writer not only reflects on his own past but also inquires into the very workings of memory itself. From the title essay&’s lyrical evocation of the author&’s relationship with his father, and a charming account of teenage years spent in the glow of the cinema screen, to Calvino&’s reminiscences of his experiences in the Italian Resistance during World War II and of his years in Paris, to his declaration of purpose as a writer in the final essay&’s visionary fragments, these five &“memory exercises&” are heartfelt, affecting, and wise.Praise for The Road to San Giovanni&“Brimming with Calvino&’s beautifully crafted prose, dry humor, and continual questioning . . . Calvino has been very well served by his translator, Tim Parks.&” —Observer&“In five elegant &“memory exercises&” written between 1962 and 1977, Italian fiction writer Calvino (1923-85) presents an affecting self-portrait and offers indirect insights into how he conjured up his imaginary worlds . . . . This sparkling translation concludes with Calvino's lyric, metaphorical, highly elliptical description of his creative process.&” —Publishers WeeklySummer of Hamn: Hollowpointlessness Aiding Mass Nihilism
Par Chuck D. 2023
The tragedy of gun violence is depicted in annotated illustrations that illuminate a society gone hamn; from legendary hip-hop artist…
Chuck D (Public Enemy, Prophets of Rage, etc.) "With his latest work of graphic nonfiction, Chuck D uses his art and hip-hop rhymes to show how the US has been held hostage by gun violence and a growing sense of hopelessness . . . A focused, fresh, urgent text filled with pictures worth 1,000 words and rhymes worth thousands more." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review IN SUMMER OF HAMN, legendary hip-hop artist Chuck D takes on gun violence with rhythmic, inventive writing and passionately raw art. He has long spoken out against gun violence, including how it intersects with rap and hip-hop culture. Summer of Hamn is the bound journal Chuck D carried with him in the summer of 2022—a summer marked by a particularly high rate of gun death. In these pages, victims are memorialized, politicians are skewered, and vehement pleas to eradicate gun violence are made. Jaw-dropping statistics (40% of all personal guns in the world are owned by US citizens; there are 100 million more guns in the US than there are citizens) intersect with poetic reflections ("Another mall shooting seems normalized in Columbus / Raining outside in Ohio / Raining inside folks panic / Inside hearing shots bust"), all written in Chuck's hand over vibrant, utterly original, neoexpressionist ink and watercolor art. This book is the follow-up to STEWdio the debut trilogy on Chuck D's Enemy Books imprint, in which he invented a new medium—the "naphic grovel"—a bound journal brimming with his observations and reflections of current events in both art and prose. Summer of Hamn is the second release on the imprint.Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself
Par Crystal Hefner. 2024
A JANUARY 2024 APPLE BOOKS STAFF PICK AND AUDIBLE EDITORS SELECT A raw and unflinching look at the objectification and…
misogyny of the Playboy mansion, a woman&’s stolen young adulthood and her journey to self-acceptance, and a rare look inside Hugh Hefner&’s final days. At just twenty-one years old, Crystal Harris&’ life changed forever when she attended a party at the notorious Playboy mansion. Picked out of the crowd by Hugh Hefner, she became one of his infamous &“girlfriends,&” attending glamorous Hollywood parties and traveling the world. Yet this seemingly alluring lifestyle had a dark side. Hef controlled his girlfriends with strict rules regarding everything from their hair and makeup to their curfews, and Crystal was forced to compete with other women for her spot in the highly hierarchal system. Living at the mansion, she felt more like a fixture than a resident. She quickly rose to the top, but being Hef&’s number one girlfriend came at the cost of Crystal&’s identity outside her role in the Playboy universe. Her fate seemed sealed when Hef surprised her with a marriage proposal she could not imagine refusing. But as Crystal Hefner, she grew increasingly restless to understand who she truly was away from what she saw as Playboy&’s toxic culture. In ONLY SAY GOOD THINGS, Crystal offers a vulnerable and clear-eyed look at how her experience with Hugh Hefner catalyzed her transformative journey from someone who prized external validation over all else to a person who finally recognizes her true worth. This candid memoir provides a fascinating look behind the scenes at a powerful cultural icon and brand, and an equally empowering perspective on hard-won lessons about who we allow to determine our value.Lost Son: An American Family Trapped Inside the FBI’s Secret War
Par Brett Forrest. 2023
A young American lost in Russia. An FBI-cover up. A mystery leading from Washington to the heart of the Kremlin's…
war in Ukraine. When Billy Reilly vanished, his parents embarked on a desperate search for answers. Was their son&’s disappearance connected to his mysterious work for the FBI, or was it a personal quest gone wrong? Only when Wall Street Journal reporter Brett Forrest embarks on his own investigation does a picture emerge: of the FBI's exploitation of US citizens through a secretive intelligence program, a young man's lust for adventure within the world's conflicts, and the costs of a rising clash between Moscow and Washington.Sept. 11th roused Billy Reilly's curiosity for religions, war, and the world and its people beyond his small town near Detroit. Online, Billy taught himself Arabic and Russian. His passions led him into jihadi Internet forums, attracting the interest of the FBI.An amateur drawn into professional intelligence, Billy became a Confidential Human Source, one of thousands of civilians who assist FBI agents with investigative work, often at great hazard and with little recourse. When Russia stirred rebellion in Ukraine, Billy set out to make his mark.In Russia, Billy's communications dropped. His parents, frantic, asked the FBI for help but struggled to find answers. Grasping for clues, the Reilly family turned to Brett Forrest. Commencing a quest of his own, Forrest applied years' worth of research, along with decades of extensive experience in Russia, illuminating the inner workings of the national-security machine that enmeshed Billy and his family, picking up the lost son's trail.A masterwork of reporting, composed like a thriller, blending political maneuvering and international espionage, Lost Son illustrates one man's coming of age amid new global dangers.Juliet: The Life and Afterlives of Shakespeare's First Tragic Heroine
Par Sophie Duncan. 2023
The enduring cultural legacy of Shakespeare&’s Juliet Capulet — a history "as vital and provocative as the character herself" (Literary…
Review).Romeo and Juliet may be the greatest love story ever told, but who is Juliet? Demure ingénue? Or dangerous Mediterranean madwoman? From tearstained copies of the First Folio to Civil War-era fanfiction, Shakespeare&’s star-crossed heroine has long captured our collective imagination. Juliet is her story, traced across continents through four centuries of history, theatre, and film. As Oxford Shakespeare scholar Sophie Duncan reveals, Juliet&’s legacy stretches beyond her literary lifespan into a cultural afterlife ranging from enslaved African girls in the British Caribbean to the real-life Juliets of sectarian violence in Bosnia and Belfast. She argues that our dangerous obsession with the beautiful dead teenager and Juliet&’s meteoric rise as a defiant sexual icon have come to define the Western ideal of romance. Wry and inventive, Juliet is a tribute to fiction&’s most famous teenage girl who died young, but who lives forever.Muse: Cicely Tyson and Me: A Relationship Forged in Fashion
Par B Michael. 2002
“Friendship, love and a beautiful sense of togetherness sew together this gem of a book. B Michael...presents to us a…
portrait of a woman who was a rare gift to fashion and culture.” —EDWARD ENNINFUL, OBE, Editor-in-Chief, British Vogue & European Editorial Director, VogueA poignant and glorious photographic memoir that pays homage to the lifelong friendship between the legendary Cicely Tyson and acclaimed fashion designer B Michael, who worked with her to make her gorgeous through her last bow.What greater act of friendship is there than making someone dear look and feel their most beautiful and powerful? That was the priceless gift acclaimed designer B Michael gave to one of Hollywood’s greatest actresses, Cicely Tyson over the course of their close, decades-long relationship. In this glorious four-color visual memoir packed with stunning photographs, many never before seen, B Michael recalls the bond they shared and what it was like to dress the Queen of Hollywood for all the extraordinary events of her life.In 2005, B was summoned to create a suitable wardrobe for Ms. Tyson for a high-octane weekend hosted by Oprah Winfrey. That first successful interaction led to a nearly twenty-year-long personal and professional collaboration that defined the Hollywood star’s personal aesthetic and showcased her impeccable personality and style. B was with Ms. Tyson for the most glamorous times—the Academy Awards, the Emmy Awards, White House functions, glittering galas, high-profile funerals—as well as the tenderest days. Their circle included a who’s who of Black celebrities, including Sidney Poitier, Barack Obama, Common, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Lenny Kravitz, Viola Davis, Oprah, Tyler Perry, Valerie Simpson, Phylicia Rashad, and many more, most of whom are featured in personal and paparazzi photographs in these pages.Throughout their time together, B and Cicely enjoyed shocking the fashionistas, shattering inane rules limiting what a woman of a certain age should wear, devoted themselves to changing the world for the better through philanthropic efforts, laughed, cried, and inspired and celebrated each other’s excellence. In this stunning book featuring studio photos, candids from the author’s personal collection, and paparazzi shots, B shares every aspect of their time together—from the drama of a good sleeve to how to be the best friend possible to those we love.Whether you’re a fan of pop culture, couture, Hollywood, B, or Cicely Tyson, Muse is a reminder that we all have the power to be showstoppers in our own lives.Includes written contributions from Lenny Kravitz, Bridget Foley, Susan Fales Hill, and Valerie Simpson.My Fighting Family: Borders and Bloodlines and the Battles That Made Us
Par Morgan Campbell. 2024
The debut memoir from award-winning journalist Morgan Campbell: an incredible history of a family&’s battles across generations, a hilarious and…
emotional coming-of-age story, and a powerful reckoning with what it means to be Black in Canada—particularly when you have strong American roots.Morgan Campbell comes from &“a fighting family,&” a connection and clash that reaches back to the south side of Chicago in the 1930s. His father&’s and mother&’s families were both part of the Great Migration from the U.S. rural south to the industrial north, but a history of perceived slights and social-class differences solidified a great feud that only intensified over the course of the century after the families came together in marriage and split up across the border.Morgan&’s maternal grandfather, Claude Jones—a legendary grudge-holder, as well was an accomplished musician, peer of Oscar Peterson, and fixture of the Chicago jazz scene—was recruited to play some shows in Toronto, fell in love with the city, and eventually settled in Canada in the mid-1960s, paving the way for Morgan&’s parents to join him amid the tumult of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement. Morgan&’s paternal grandmother, Granny Mary, however, remained stateside, a distance her schemes and resentments would only grow to fill. That fighting spirit wasn&’t limited to the family&’s own squabbles, though—it animated the way every generation moved through the world. From battling back as a group against white supremacist newcomers who violently resisted Black neighbours, to Morgan&’s pre-teen mother burnishing her own legend by cold-cocking some racist loudmouth bullies, the lesson was clear: sometimes words weren&’t enough.In Canada, the Campbells started a family of their own, but the tensions between in-laws never ceased, even as divorce and disease threatened the very foundations of the life they&’d built. Bearing witness to all of this was young Morgan, an aspiring writer, budding star athlete, and slow-jam scholar, whose deep American roots landed him an outsider status that led to its own schoolyard scraps and exposed the profound gap between Canada&’s utopian multicultural reputation and the very different reality. Having grown up bouncing between these disparate identities and nationalities, real or imagined—Black and Canadian, Canadian and American, Campbell and Jones—My Fighting Family is a witty, wise, rich, and soulful illumination of the journey to find clarity in all that conflict.Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain't That Funkin' Kinda Hard On You?: A Memoir
Par George Clinton. 2014
**ONE OF THE BEST MUSIC BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY ROLLING STONE**The captivating memoir from &“the emperor of intergalactic funk&”…
(NPR) and most influential pop artists of our time—known for over forty R&B hit singles—George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic.George Clinton began his musical career in New Jersey, where his obsession with doo-wop and R&B led to a barbershop quartet—literally, as Clinton and his friends also styled hair in the local shop—the way kids often got their musical start in the &’50s. But how many kids like that ended up playing to tens of thousands of rabid fans alongside a diaper-clad guitarist? How many of them commissioned a spaceship and landed it onstage during concerts? How many put their stamp on four decades of pop music, from the mind-expanding sixties to the hip-hop-dominated nineties and beyond? One of them. That&’s how many. How George Clinton got from barbershop quartet to funk music megastar is a story for the ages. As a high school student, George traveled to New York City, where he absorbed all the trends in pop music, from traditional rhythm and blues to Motown, the Beatles, the Stones, and psychedelic rock, not to mention the formative funk of James Brown and Sly Stone. By the dawn of the seventies, he had emerged as the leader of a wildly creative musical movement composed mainly of two bands—Parliament and Funkadelic. And by the bicentennial, Clinton and his P-Funk empire were dominating the soul charts as well as the pop charts. He was an artistic visionary, visual icon, merry prankster, absurdist philosopher, and savvy businessmen, all rolled into one. He was like no one else in pop music, before or since. Written with wit, humor, and candor, this memoir provides tremendous insight into America&’s music industry as forever changed by Clinton&’s massive talent. This is a story of a beloved global icon who dedicated himself to spreading the gospel of funk music.Precious Ramotswe: A Mysterious Profile (Mysterious Profiles)
Par Alexander McCall Smith. 2009
In this profile, the bestselling author of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series recounts the creation of his popular…
Botswanan sleuth. In 1998, Mma Precious Ramotswe made her debut in Alexander McCall Smith&’s The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. The Plain Dealer hailed the novel as &“One of the best, most charming, honest, hilarious and life-affirming books to appear in years.&” Decades and many books later, Precious has her own bestselling series, but readers may be wondering how exactly this beloved character came to be. In this profile, the prolific McCall Smith offers readers a behind-the-scenes look at the development of his delightful detective. He recounts his childhood spent in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and working in Botswana in the 1980s. He reveals the inspiration for Precious and discusses the experience of creating the first book and getting it published. Those and other tales are sure to entertain fans of Precious old and new. Praise for Alexander McCall Smith and the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series &“The Miss Marple of Botswana.&” —The New York Times Book Review &“Smart and sassy . . . Precious&’ progress is charted in passages that have the power to amuse or shock or touch the heart, sometimes all at once.&” —Los Angeles Times &“The author&’s prose has the merits of simplicity, euphony and precision. His descriptions leave one as if standing in the Botswana landscape. This is art that conceals art. I haven&’t read anything with such alloyed pleasure for a long time.&” —Anthony Daniels, The Sunday Telegraph &“McCall Smith is a master. . . . There&’s beauty and revelation of one kind or another woven expertly into every line.&” —The Christian Science Monitor &“Comfort-food reading, and never more welcome.&” —Kirkus ReviewsBaby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah
Par Kathy Iandoli. 2021
In a definitive and &“excellent homage to a star who left this planet too soon&” (Questlove), the life, career, tragic…
death, and evolution of Aaliyah into a music legend are explored—now updated with new material featuring in-depth research and exclusive interviews.By twenty-two years old, Aaliyah had already accomplished a staggering amount: hit records, acclaimed acting roles, and fame that was just about to cross over into superstardom. Like her song, she was already &“more than a woman&” but her shocking death in a plane crash prevented her from fully growing into one. Now, two decades later, the full story of Aaliyah&’s life and cultural impact is finally and lovingly revealed. Baby Girl features never-before-told stories, including studio anecdotes, personal tales, and eyewitness accounts on the events leading up to her untimely passing. Her enduring influence on today&’s artists—such as Rihanna, Drake, Normani, and many more—is also celebrated, providing Aaliyah&’s discography a cultural critique that is long overdue. &“There&’s no better way to pay your respect to R&B&’s true angel than to lose yourself in the pages&” (Kim Osorio, journalist and author of Straight from the Source) of this &“dazzling biography&” (Publishers Weekly) that is as unforgettable as its subject. This book was written without the participation of Aaliyah&’s family/estate.A Moveable Feast: The Restored Edition
Par Ernest Hemingway. 1964
Ernest Hemingway&’s classic memoir of Paris in the 1920s, now available in a restored edition, includes the original manuscript along…
with insightful recollections and unfinished sketches.Published posthumously in 1964, A Moveable Feast remains one of Ernest Hemingway&’s most enduring works. Since Hemingway&’s personal papers were released in 1979, scholars have examined the changes made to the text before publication. Now, this special restored edition presents the original manuscript as the author prepared it to be published. Featuring a personal foreword by Patrick Hemingway, Ernest&’s sole surviving son, and an introduction by grandson of the author, Seán Hemingway, editor of this edition, the book also includes a number of unfinished, never-before-published Paris sketches revealing experiences that Hemingway had with his son, Jack, and his first wife Hadley. Also included are irreverent portraits of literary luminaries, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ford Maddox Ford, and insightful recollections of Hemingway&’s own early experiments with his craft. Widely celebrated and debated by critics and readers everywhere, the restored edition of A Moveable Feast brilliantly evokes the exuberant mood of Paris after World War I and the unbridled creativity and unquenchable enthusiasm that Hemingway himself epitomized.Your Table Is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maître D'
Par Michael Cecchi-Azzolina. 2022
A front-of-the-house Kitchen Confidential from a career maître d’hotel who manned the front of the room in New York City's…
hottest and most in-demand restaurants. From the glamorous to the entitled, from royalty to the financially ruined, everyone who wanted to be seen—or just to gawk—at the hottest restaurants in New York City came to places Michael Cecchi-Azzolina helped run. His phone number was passed around among those who wanted to curry favor, during the decades when restaurants replaced clubs and theater as, well, theater in the most visible, vibrant city in the world.Besides dropping us back into a vanished time, Your Table Is Ready takes us places we’d never be able to get into on our own: Raoul's in Soho with its louche club vibe; Buzzy O’Keefe’s casually elegant River Café (the only outer-borough establishment desirable enough to be included in this roster), from Keith McNally’s Minetta Tavern to Nolita’s Le Coucou, possibly the most beautiful room in New York City in 2018, with its French Country Auberge-meets-winery look and the most exquisite and enormous stands of flowers, changed every three days.From his early career serving theater stars like Tennessee Williams and Dustin Hoffman at La Rousse right through to the last pre-pandemic-shutdown full houses at Le Coucou, Cecchi-Azzolina has seen it all. In Your Table Is Ready, he breaks down how restaurants really run (and don’t), and how the economics work for owners and overworked staff alike. The professionals who gravitate to the business are a special, tougher breed, practiced in dealing with the demanding patrons and with each other, in a very distinctive ecosystem that’s somewhere between a George Orwell “down and out in….” dungeon and a sleek showman’s smoke-and-mirrors palace.Your Table Is Ready is a rollicking, raunchy, revelatory memoir.