Nobody´s son : a memoir (defekt) - mark slouka

orn in Czechoslovakia, Mark Slouka's parents survived the Nazis only to have to escape the Communist purges after the war. Smuggled out of their own country, the newlyweds joined a tide of refugees moving from Innsbruck to Sydney to New York, dragging with them a history of blood and betrayal that their son would be born into. From World War I to the present, Slouka pieces together a remarkable story of refugees and war, displacement and denial-admitting into evidence memories, dreams, stories, the lies we inherit, and the lies we tell-in an attempt to reach his mother, the enigmatic figure at the center of the labyrinth. Her story, the revelation of her life-long burden and the forty-year love affair that might have saved her, shows the way out of the maze. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

orn in Czechoslovakia, Mark Slouka's parents survived the Nazis only to have to escape the Communist purges after the war. Smuggled out of their own country, the newlyweds joined a tide of refugees moving from Innsbruck to Sydney to New York, dragging with them a history of blood and betrayal that their son would be born into. From World War I to the present, Slouka pieces together a remarkable story of refugees and war, displacement and denial-admitting into evidence memories, dreams, stories, the lies we inherit, and the lies we tell-in an attempt to reach his mother, the enigmatic figure at the center of the labyrinth. Her story, the revelation of her life-long burden and the forty-year love affair that might have saved her, shows the way out of the maze. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

The long-awaited memoir from iconic, beloved actor and living legend Sir Patrick Stewart! From his acclaimed stage triumphs to his legendary onscreen work in the Star Trek and X-Men franchises, Sir Patrick Stewart has captivated audiences around the world and across multiple generations with his indelible command of stage and screen. Now, he presents his long-awaited memoir, MAKING IT SO, a revealing portrait of an artist whose astonishing life-from his humble beginnings in Yorkshire, England to the heights of Hollywood and worldwide acclaim-proves a story as exuberant, definitive, and enduring as the author himself. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

As an infant, Jon Mosher tragically lost his older brother to a freak accident - something that could have happened to any family. There's nothing he could have done to prevent it, but there it is anyway, that loss echoing in every room and painted on the faces of his parents - German Jews who'd escaped the war - as if to say: you weren't, and aren't, enough. Saddled with this absence, Jon's life has been defined by what's missing and what he lacks; that is, until in high school he befriends wisecracking Ray, a reckless boy with a volatile father. Against the backdrop of the Summer of Love and the encroaching Vietnam War, Jon dreams of ultimately leaving his grey, blue-collar town, but is set on an irrevocable course as the escalating violence of Ray's home life threatens to shatter their bright-eyed plans to escape. Torn between obligation and desire, Jon's faced with the impossible decision of whether to help, or run. In this magnificent, haunting novel, Slouka brilliantly captures the polarising forces of a working class, hardscrabble ethos and the hopeful vibrancy of the sixties and early seventies. With concise, wise prose, Slouka weaves together a tapestry of family, fate, friendship, and the impossibility of ever, really, leaving home. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

The year is 1968. The world is changing, and sixteen-year-old Jon Mosher is determined to change with it. Racked by guilt over his older brother's childhood death and stuck in the dead-end town of Brewster, New York, he turns his rage into victories running track. Meanwhile, Ray Cappicciano, a rebel as gifted with his fists as Jon is with his feet, is trying to take care of his baby brother while staying out of the way of his abusive, ex-cop father. When Jon and Ray form a tight friendship, they find in each other everything they lack at home, but it's not until Ray falls in love with beautiful, headstrong Karen Dorsey that the three friends begin to dream of breaking away from Brewster for good. Freedom, however, has its price. As forces beyond their control begin to bear down on them, Jon sets off on the race of his life-a race to redeem his past and save them all. Mark Slouka's work has been called "relentlessly observant, miraculously expressive" (New York Times Book Review). Reverberating with compassion, heartache, and grace, Brewster is an unforgettable coming-of-age story from one of our most compelling novelists. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

'My mother knew a man during the war. Theirs was a love story, and like any good love story, it left blood on the floor and wreckage in its wake'. As a boy growing up in New York, his parents' memories of their Czech homeland seem to belong to another world, as distant and unreal as the fairy tales his father tells him. It is only as an adult, when he makes his own journey to Prague, that he is finally able to piece together the truth of his parents' past: what they did, who his mother loved, and why they were never able to forget. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Born attached at the chest, Chang and Eng were considered a marvel, an act of God. By any standard, theirs is a history of epic variety and drama. Mark Slouka recounts their tumultuous story, from the docks of Vietnam to American fame, with intimacy and compassion. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

In fifteen beautifully wrought stories-ranging from occupied Czechoslovakia to California's Central Valley to the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest-Mark Slouka explores moments in life when our back is to the wall. One of the most forceful American writers of his generation, Slouka captures the depth and emotional range of an array of characters-from a young boy attempting to shield his father from painful memories in "The Hare's Mask" to a lonely man whose beloved dog inexplicably begins to sprout razor blades from her skin in "Dog."Whether battling the end of desire, the fact of injustice, or death itself, the men and women in these stories are doing everything possible to tighten their grip on life. In "Crossing," a father hoping to compensate for his failures finds himself facing his past while fording a river with his young son on his back; in "Conception," a young couple frozen by the possible end of their marriage is offered an unexpected way back; in "Half-Life," a proud, ag (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Max Remus couldn't care less about finding his mate-unlike the rest of his fate-obsessed pack. He totally prefers hanging with his bestie, eating his dad's steak sandwiches, and drawing in his trusty sketchbook.But all that is about to change at the Blue Moon Festival-a summer camp where Elite Pack wolves go to find their mates. The festival is a rite of passage for every teen werewolf, and this year's festival will be one to howl home about. The alpha's son, Jasper Apollo, is attending for the first time.Then Max finds himself inexplicably linked with the exceptionally handsome but totally jerk-faced heir, he's forced to grapple with the unexpected feelings clawing at his soul.If Max rejects his destiny, will fate's bite be worse than its bark?Netflix's Young Royals meets Teen Wolf meets Twilight--the first instalment in a thrilling new series, The Alpha's Son is a heart-wrenching Young Adult, Boys Love, wolf shifter romance; full of yearning, comedy, and adventure.Start reading now! And may the Moon Gods light the path between souls. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

The Oscar-nominated star who captivated the world with his performance in Juno finally shares his truth."Can I kiss you?" It was two months before the world premiere of Juno, and Elliot Page was in his first ever queer bar. The hot summer air hung heavy around him as he looked at her. And then it happened. In front of everyone. A previously unfathomable experience. Here he was on the precipice of discovering himself as a queer person, as a trans person. Getting closer to his desires, his dreams, himself, without the repression he'd carried for so long. But for Elliot, two steps forward had always come with one step back.With Juno's massive success, Elliot became one of the world's most beloved actors. His dreams were coming true, but the pressure to perform suffocated him. He was forced to play the part of the glossy young starlet, a role that made his skin crawl, on and off set. The career that had been an escape out of his reality and into a world of imagination was suddenly a nightmare.As he navigated criticism and abuse from some of the most powerful people in Hollywood, a past that snapped at his heels, and a society dead set on forcing him into a binary, Elliot often stayed silent, unsure of what to do, until enough was enough. Full of behind the scenes details and intimate interrogations on sex, love, trauma, and Hollywood, Pageboy is the story of a life pushed to the brink. But at its core, this beautifully written, winding journey of what it means to untangle ourselves from the expectations of others is an ode to stepping into who we truly are with defiance, strength, and joy. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

'Here's a partial list of things I don't believe in: God. The Devil. Heaven. Hell. Bigfoot. Ancient Aliens. Past lives. Vampires. Zombies. Homeopathy. Note that "witches" and "witchcraft" are absent from this list. When really they should be right there at the top. The thing is, I wouldn't believe in them, and I would privately ridicule any idiot who did, except for one thing: I am a witch.' - From Toil & TroubleFor as long as Augusten Burroughs could remember, he knew things he shouldn't have known. He manifested things that shouldn't have come to pass. And he told exactly no one about this, save one person: his mother. His mother reassured him that it was all perfectly normal, that he was descended from a long line of witches, going back to the days of the Pendle witches of Lancashire, England. It was a bond that he and his mother shared - until the day she left him in the care of her psychiatrist to be raised in his family (but that's a whole other story). After that, Augusten was on his own. From the hilarious to the terrifying, Toil & Trouble is a chronicle of one man's journey to understand himself, to reconcile the powers he can wield with things with which he is helpless. There are very few coincidences, as you will learn. Ghosts are real, trees can want to kill you, beavers are the spawn of Satan, houses are alive, and in the end, love is the most powerful magic of all. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Kniha - autor Jeannette Walls, 342 stran, anglicky, brožovaná bez přebalu matná While Jeannette Walls was living on Park Avenue, covering the Academy Awards as a journalist, her parents were squatting in an abandoned building on the Lower East Side. An almost incredible story of a nomadic, impoverished childhood. (alza.cz)

Kniha - 384 stran, anglicky, brožovaná bez přebalu matná (alza.cz)

As an infant, Jon Mosher tragically lost his older brother to a freak accident - something that could have happened to any family. There's nothing he could have done to prevent it, but there it is anyway, that loss echoing in every room and painted on the faces of his parents - German Jews who'd escaped the war - as if to say: you weren't, and aren't, enough. Saddled with this absence, Jon's life has been defined by what's missing and what he lacks; that is, until in high school he befriends wisecracking Ray, a reckless boy with a volatile father. Against the backdrop of the Summer of Love and the encroaching Vietnam War, Jon dreams of ultimately leaving his grey, blue-collar town, but is set on an irrevocable course as the escalating violence of Ray's home life threatens to shatter their bright-eyed plans to escape. Torn between obligation and desire, Jon's faced with the impossible decision of whether to help, or run. In this magnificent, haunting novel, Slouka brilliantly captures the polarising forces of a working class, hardscrabble ethos and the hopeful vibrancy of the sixties and early seventies. With concise, wise prose, Slouka weaves together a tapestry of family, fate, friendship, and the impossibility of ever, really, leaving home. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Ivan Klíma, “a writer of enormous power and originality” (The New York Times Book Review), has penned an intimate autobiography that explores his life under Nazi and Communist regimes. More than a memoir, My Crazy Century explores the ways in which the epoch and its dominating totalitarian ideologies impacted the lives, character, and morality of Klíma’s generation.Klíma’s story begins in the 1930s, in the Terezin concentration camp outside of Prague, where he was forced to spend almost four years of his childhood. He reveals how the postwar atmosphere supported and encouraged the spread of Communist principles over the next few decades and how an informal movement to change the system developed inside the Party. These political events form the backdrop to Klíma’s personal experiences, with the arrest and trial of his father; the early revolt of young writers against socialist realism; his first literary successes; and his travels to the free part of Europe, which strengthened his awareness of living as part of a colossal lie. Klíma also captures the brief period of liberation during 1968’s Prague Spring, in which he played an active role; the Soviet invasion that crushed its political reforms; the rise of the dissident movement; and the collapse of the Communist regime in the middle of the Velvet Revolution of 1989. Including insightful essays on topics related to social history, political thinking, love, and freedom, My Crazy Century provides a profoundly rich and moving personal history of national evolution. Ivan Klíma’s first autobiography and perhaps his most significant work, it encapsulates a remarkable life largely lived under occupation. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

The long-awaited memoir from iconic, beloved actor and living legend Sir Patrick Stewart! From his acclaimed stage triumphs to his legendary onscreen work in the Star Trek and X-Men franchises, Sir Patrick Stewart has captivated audiences around the world and across multiple generations with his indelible command of stage and screen. Now, he presents his long-awaited memoir, MAKING IT SO, a revealing portrait of an artist whose astonishing life-from his humble beginnings in Yorkshire, England to the heights of Hollywood and worldwide acclaim-proves a story as exuberant, definitive, and enduring as the author himself. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - From the chef behind Momofuku and star of Netflix's Ugly Delicious--an intimate account of the making of a chef, the story of the modern restaurant world that he helped shape, and how he discovered that success can be much harder to understand than failure. "David puts words to so many of the things we all feel, sharing generously of his own journey so we can all benefit in the process."--Chrissy Teigen NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR - Fortune - Parade - The New York Public Library - Garden & Gun In 2004, Momofuku Noodle Bar opened in a tiny, stark space in Manhattan's East Village. Its young chef-owner, David Chang, worked the line, serving ramen and pork buns to a mix of fellow restaurant cooks and confused diners whose idea of ramen was instant noodles in Styrofoam cups. It would have been impossible to know it at the time--and certainly Chang would have bet against himself--but he, who had failed at almost every endeavor in his life, was about to become one of the most influential chefs of his generation, driven by the question, "What if the underground could become the mainstream?" Chang grew up the youngest son of a deeply religious Korean American family in Virginia. Graduating college aimless and depressed, he fled the States for Japan, hoping to find some sense of belonging. While teaching English in a backwater town, he experienced the highs of his first full-blown manic episode, and began to think that the cooking and sharing of food could give him both purpose and agency in his life. Full of grace, candor, grit, and humor, Eat a Peach chronicles Chang's switchback path. He lays bare his mistakes and wonders about his extraordinary luck as he recounts the improbable series of events that led him to the top of his profession. He wrestles with his lifelong feelings of otherness and inadequacy, explores the mental illness that almost killed him, and finds hope in the shared value of deliciousness. Along the way, Chang gives us a penetrating look at restaurant life, in which he balances his deep love for the kitchen with unflinching honesty about the industry's history of brutishness and its uncertain future. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

The long-anticipated inside look at the extraordinary career of the man who brought Sexy Back, the legendary producer in the pantheon of music greats as influential and groundbreaking as Motown's Berry Gordy and a memoir of the creative process. Hailed by the New Yorker as "the eminence grise behind half of what is great in the Top Forty these days," world-renowned producer Timbaland has been a fixture on the pop charts, with more top-ten hits than Elvis or the Beatles. An artist whose fans are multi-racial and multi-generational, Timbaland works with the hottest artists, from Mariah Carey and Missy Elliott to Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, Madonna, and his childhood friend, Pharrell Williams. Yet this celebrity is a uniquely private man who shuns parties, stays out of gossip columns, and rarely gives interviews. Deliberately choosing to tour by bus and conspicuously bling-free, he maintains a low-key lifestyle. If he's not at the recording studio, he is at home with his family. In The Emperor of Sound, Timbaland offers fans an unprecedented look into his life and work. Completely uncensored and totally honest, he reveals the magic behind the music, sharing the various creative impulses that arise while he's producing, and the layering of sounds that have created dozens of number one hits. Cinematically written, full of revealing anecdotes and reflections from today's most popular music icons, The Emperor of Sound showcases this master's artistry and offers an extraordinary glimpse inside this great musical mind. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

From international drag superstar and pop culture icon RuPaul, comes his most revealing and personal work to date-a brutally honest, surprisingly poignant, and deeply intimate memoir of growing up Black, poor, and queer in a broken home to discovering the power of performance, found family, and self-acceptance. A profound introspection of his life, relationships, and identity, The House of Hidden Meanings is a self-portrait of the legendary icon on the road to global fame and changing the way the world thinks about drag. Central to RuPaul's success has been his chameleonic adaptability.From drag icon to powerhouse producer of one of the world's largest television franchises, RuPaul's ever-shifting nature has always been part of his brand as both supermodel and super mogul. Yet that adaptability has made him enigmatic to the public. In this memoir, his most intimate and detailed book yet, RuPaul makes himself truly known.Stripping away all artifice, RuPaul recounts the story of his life with breath taking clarity and tenderness, bringing his signature wisdom and wit to his own biography. From his early years growing up as a queer Black kid in San Diego navigating complex relationships with his absent father and temperamental mother, to forging an identity in the punk and drag scenes of Atlanta and New York, to finding enduring love with his husband Georges LeBar and self-acceptance in sobriety, RuPaul excavates his own biography, uncovering new truths and insights in his personal history. Here in RuPaul's singular and extraordinary story is a manual for living-a personal philosophy that testifies to the value of chosen family, the importance of harnessing what makes you different, and the transformational power of facing yourself fearlessly.If we're all born naked and the rest is drag, then this is RuPaul totally out of drag. This is RuPaul stripped bare. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Kniha - autor Stephen King, anglicky, brožovaná bez přebalu matná Reissue. (alza.cz)

The year is 1968. The world is changing, and sixteen-year-old Jon Mosher is determined to change with it. Racked by guilt over his older brother's childhood death and stuck in the dead-end town of Brewster, New York, he turns his rage into victories running track. Meanwhile, Ray Cappicciano, a rebel as gifted with his fists as Jon is with his feet, is trying to take care of his baby brother while staying out of the way of his abusive, ex-cop father. When Jon and Ray form a tight friendship, they find in each other everything they lack at home, but it's not until Ray falls in love with beautiful, headstrong Karen Dorsey that the three friends begin to dream of breaking away from Brewster for good. Freedom, however, has its price. As forces beyond their control begin to bear down on them, Jon sets off on the race of his life-a race to redeem his past and save them all. Mark Slouka's work has been called "relentlessly observant, miraculously expressive" (New York Times Book Review). Reverberating with compassion, heartache, and grace, Brewster is an unforgettable coming-of-age story from one of our most compelling novelists. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

'My mother knew a man during the war. Theirs was a love story, and like any good love story, it left blood on the floor and wreckage in its wake'. As a boy growing up in New York, his parents' memories of their Czech homeland seem to belong to another world, as distant and unreal as the fairy tales his father tells him. It is only as an adult, when he makes his own journey to Prague, that he is finally able to piece together the truth of his parents' past: what they did, who his mother loved, and why they were never able to forget. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Ve své vzpomínkové próze skládá Mark Slouka, syn českých rodičů, kteří po únorovém puči odešli do Spojených států, spletitou a často pochmurnou mozaiku svého života. Rozhodl se odhalit své nitro, použít psaní jako určitou formu terapie a strhnout závoj z dětských vzpomínek na rodiče.Centrálním bodem memoárů je především jeho matka, která pro mladého chlapce znamenala během dospívání celý svět a po dlouhou dobu byla nejdůležitější osobou jeho života. Jak stárnul, jeho vztah k ní se proměňoval a právě tuto ambivalenci, toto přelévání mezi láskou a nenávistí, autor pozoruhodným způsobem vykresluje a vyrovnává se tak s traumaty, jež ho provázela až do dospělosti. Slouka ve své próze citlivě, avšak nanejvýš pravdivě zaznamenal křehkost vztahu mezi matkou a jejím synem, nesnáze dospívání a často složitý život emigrantů v cizí zemi. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

‘Something’s crossed over in me and I can’t go back,’ says Geena Davis’s Thelma to Susan Sarandon’s Louise. The path to empowerment never did run smooth … From two-time Academy Award winner and screen icon Geena Davis, Dying of Politeness is the candid, surprising tale of her journey from her epically polite childhood to the roles that put her in the spotlight and gave her the strength to become a powerhouse in Hollywood. At three years old, Geena announced she was going to be in movies. Now, with a slew of iconic roles and awards under her belt, she has surpassed her childhood dream, but her journey has been one of fits and starts, with a pothole or two along the way. In this hilarious memoir, Geena regales us with tales of a career playing everything from an amnesiac assassin to the parent of a rodent in Stuart Little; a soap star in her underwear to a housewife turned road warrior in Thelma & Louise; a baseball phenomenon in A League of Their Own to the first female President of the United States in Commander in Chief, and more. She is frank about her eccentric childhood; her many relationships, including her spontaneous Las Vegas wedding to Jeff Goldblum; her archery exploits which led her to the Olympic trials; and how she became a tireless advocate for women and girls, founding her own institute which engages film and TV creators to better represent women and actors from diverse backgrounds. Dying of Politeness is a touching account of one woman’s journey to fight for herself, and ultimately fighting for women all around the globe. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

PARIS: A MILLION MEANINGS IN A SINGLE NAMEHeiress. Party girl. Problem child. Selfie taker. Model. Reality star. Self-created.The labels attached to Paris Hilton.Founder. Entrepreneur. Pop Culture Maker. Innovator. Survivor. Activist. Daughter. Sister. Wife. Mother.The roles Paris embraces as a fully realized woman.Paris rose to prominence as an heiress to the Hilton hotel empire but cultivated her fame and fortune as the IT Girl of the aughts, a time marked by the burgeoning 24-hour entertainment news cycle and the advent of the celebrity blog. Using her celebrity brand, Paris set in motion her innovative business ventures, while being the constant target of tabloid culture that dismissively wrote her off as "famous for being famous." With tenacity, sharp business acumen and grit, she built a global empire and, in the process, became a truly modern icon beloved around the world.Now, with courage, honesty, and humour, Paris Hilton is ready to take stock, place it all in context and share her story with the world. Separating the creation from the creator, the brand from the ambassador, Paris: The Memoir strips away all we thought we knew about a celebrity icon, taking us back to a privileged childhood lived through the lens of undiagnosed ADHD, a teenage rebellion that triggered a panicked - and perilous - decision by her parents. Led to believe they were saving their child's life, Paris's mother and father had her kidnapped and saw her sent to a series of 'emotional growth boarding schools', where she survived almost two years of verbal, physical and sexual abuse. In the midst of a hell we now call the 'troubled teen industry', Paris created a beautiful inner world where the ugliness couldn't touch her. She came out, resolving to trust no-one but herself as she transformed that fantasy world into a multibillion-dollar reality.Recounting her perilous journey through pre-#MeToo sexual politics with grace, dignity and just the right amount of sass. Paris: The Memoir tracks the evolution of celebrity culture through the story of the figure at its leading edge, full of defining moments and marquee names. Most important, Paris shows us her path to peace while she challenges us to question our role in her story and in our own.Welcome to Paris. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

An icon of the last fifty years, Stephen Hawking seems to encapsulate genius: not since Albert Einstein has a scientific figure held such a position in popular consciousness. In this enthralling memoir, writer and physicist Leonard Mlodinow tells the story of his friend and their friendship, offering an intimate account of this giant of science.The two met in 2003, when Stephen asked Leonard if he would consider writing a book with him, the follow up to the bestselling A Brief History of Time. As they spent years working on a second book, The Grand Design, they forged a deep connection and Leonard gained a much better understanding of Stephen's daily life and struggles - as well as his compassion and good humour. Together they obsessed over the perfect sentence, debated the physics, and occasionally punted on Cambridge's waterways with champagne and strawberries. In time, Leonard was able to finish Stephen's jokes, chide his sporadic mischief, and learn how the hardships of his illness helped forge that unique perspective on the universe.By weaving together their shared story with a clear-sighted portrayal of Hawking's scientific achievements, Mlodinow creates a beautiful portrait of Stephen Hawking as a brilliant, impish and generous man whose life was not only exceptional but also genuinely inspiring. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Kniha - 386 stran, anglicky, brožovaná bez přebalu matná In 1962, fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed $50 from his father and created a company with a simple mission: import high-quality, low-cost athletic shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the boot of his Plymouth, Knight grossed $8000 in his first year. Today, Nike's annual sales top $30 billion. In an age of start-ups, Nike is the ne plus ultra of all start-ups, and the swoosh has become a revolutionary, globe-spanning icon, one of the most ubiquitous and recognisable symbols in the world today. But Knight, the man behind the swoosh, has always remained a mystery. Now, for the first time, he tells his story. Candid, humble, wry and gutsy, he begins with his crossroads moment when at 24 he decided to start his own business. He details the many risks and daunting setbacks that stood between him and his dream - along with his early triumphs. Above all, he recalls how his first band of... (alza.cz)

Born attached at the chest, Chang and Eng were considered a marvel, an act of God. By any standard, theirs is a history of epic variety and drama. Mark Slouka recounts their tumultuous story, from the docks of Vietnam to American fame, with intimacy and compassion. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

eBook:,Ve své vzpomínkové próze skládá Mark Slouka, syn českých rodičů, kteří po únorovém puči odešli do Spojených států, spletitou a často pochmurnou mozaiku svého života. Rozhodl se odhalit své nitro, použít psaní jako určitou formu terapie a strhnout závoj z dětských vzpomínek na rodiče. Centrálním bodem memoárů je především jeho matka, která pro mladého chlapce znamenala během dospívání celý svět a po dlouhou dobu byla nejdůležitější osobou jeho života. Jak stárnul, jeho vztah k ní se proměňoval a právě tuto ambivalenci, toto přelévání mezi láskou a nenávistí, autor pozoruhodným způsobem vykresluje a vyrovnává se tak s traumaty, jež ho provázela až do dospělosti. Slouka ve své próze citlivě, avšak nanejvýš pravdivě zaznamenal křehkost vztahu mezi matkou a jejím synem, nesnáze dospívání a často složitý život emigrantů v cizí zemi. Mark Slouka (1958) je americký spisovatel a esejista, syn Zdeňka Slouky, českého publicisty, politologa a vysokoškolského profesora, který se svou ženou emigroval po únorovém puči v roce 1948 do Spojených států. Slouka je absolventem Kolumbijské univerzity, vyučoval literaturu a tvůrčí psaní na Harvardu, Kolumbijské univerzitě a v Chicagu. Od roku 2001 přispívá do Harper’s Magazine. Sloukovy povídky a eseje se pravidelně objevují ve výběrech nejlepší americké literární tvorby a jeho knihy jsou přeloženy do šestnácti jazyků. Mimo jiné napsal povídkový soubor Ztracené jezero (1998, česky 2002) a nejnověji All That Is Left Is All That Matters (2018). Je také autorem románů Viditelný svět (2007, česky 2008) a Brewster (2013). (knihydobrovsky.cz)

In 1986, Paul Newman and his closest friend, screenwriter Stewart Stern, began an extraordinary project. Stuart was to compile an oral history, to have Newman’s family and friends and those who worked closely with him, talk about the actor’s life. And then Newman would work with Stewart and give his side of the story. The only stipulation was that anyone who spoke on the record had to be completely honest. That same stipulation applied to Newman himself. The project lasted five years. The result is an extraordinary memoir, culled from thousands of pages of transcripts. The book is insightful, revealing, surprising. Newman’s voice is powerful, sometimes funny, sometimes painful, always meeting that high standard of searing honesty. The additional voices—from childhood friends and Navy buddies, from family members and film and theater collaborators such as Tom Cruise, George Roy Hill, Martin Ritt, and John Huston—that run throughout add richness and color and context to the story Newman is telling. Newman’s often traumatic childhood is brilliantly detailed. He talks about his teenage insecurities, his early failures with women, his rise to stardom, his early rivals (Marlon Brando and James Dean), his first marriage, his drinking, his philanthropy, the death of his son Scott, his strong desire for his daughters to know and understand the truth about their father. Perhaps the most moving material in the book centers around his relationship with Joanne Woodward—their love for each other, his dependence on her, the way she shaped him intellectually, emotionally and sexually. The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man is revelatory and introspective, personal and analytical, loving and tender in some places, always complex and profound. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

The raw, candid, unvarnished memoir of an icon. The greatest movie star of the past 75 years covers everything: his traumatic childhood, his career, his drinking, his thoughts on Marlon Brando, James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, his greatest roles, acting, his intimate life with Joanne Woodward, his innermost fears and passions and joys. With thoughts/comments throughout from Joanne Woodward, Tom Cruise and many others. As seen in The Last Movie Stars documentary.In 1986, Paul Newman and his closest friend, screenwriter Stewart Stern, began an extraordinary project. Stuart was to compile an oral history, to have Newman's family and friends and those who worked closely with him, talk about the actor's life. And then Newman would work with Stewart and give his side of the story. The only stipulation was that anyone who spoke on the record had to be completely honest. That same stipulation applied to Newman himself. The project lasted five years.The result is an extraordinary memoir, culled from thousands of pages of transcripts. The book is insightful, revealing, surprising. Newman's voice is powerful, sometimes funny, sometimes painful, always meeting that high standard of searing honesty. The additional voices - from childhood friends and Navy buddies, from family members and film and theater collaborators such as Tom Cruise, George Roy Hill, Martin Ritt, and John Huston - that run throughout add richness and color and context to the story Newman is telling.Newman's often traumatic childhood is brilliantly detailed. He talks about his teenage insecurities, his early failures with women, his rise to stardom, his early rivals (Brando and Dean), his first marriage, his drinking, his philanthropy, the death of his son Scott, his strong desire for his daughters to know and understand the truth about their father. Perhaps the most moving material in the book centers around his relationship with Joanne Woodward - their love for each other, his dependence on her, the way she shaped him intellectually, emotionally and sexually.THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF AN ORDINARY MAN is revelatory and introspective, personal and analytical, loving and tender in some places, always complex and profound. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Americký spisovatel Mark Slouka, syn českých rodičů, kteří po únorovém puči odešli do Spojených států, ve svém románu Daleko v srdci skládá kousek po kousku spletitou a často neveselou mozaiku svého života. Rozhodl se odhalit své nitro, použít psaní jako určitou formu terapie a strhnout závoj z dětských vzpomínek na své rodiče. Centrálním bodem memoárů je však především jeho matka, která pro mladého chlapce znamenala během jeho dospívání celý svět a po dlouhou dobu byla nejdůležitější osobou jeho života. Jak stárnul, jeho vztah k ní se proměňoval a tuto ambivalenci, toto přelévání mezi láskou a nenávistí, autor zachycuje ve svých vzpomínkách, a vyrovnává se tak s traumaty, jež ho provázela až do dospělosti. Slouka ve svém románu pravdivě, přesto však citlivě zaznamenal křehkost vztahu mezi matkou a jejím synem, nesnáze dospívání a často složitý život emigrantů v cizí zemi. (patro.cz)

A searingly honest memoir of life, policing and falling apart 'Every contact leaves a trace' John Sutherland joined the Met in 1992, having dreamed of being a police officer since his teens. Rising quickly through the ranks, and compelled by the opportunity to make a real difference to people's lives, he worked across the capital, experiencing first-hand the enormous satisfaction as well as the endless trauma that a life in blue can bring. There were remarkable, career-defining moments: commanding armed sieges, saving lives and helping to take dangerous people off the streets. But for every case with a happy ending, there were others that ended in desperate sadness. In early 2013, John suffered a major breakdown and consequent battle with crippling depression. After a career spent racing to be the first at the scene of crimes and catastrophes, he found himself in pieces, unable to put one foot in front of the other. Blue is a memoir of crime and calamity, of adventure and achievement, of friendship and failure, of laughter and loss, of the best and the worst of humanity, of serious illness and slow recovery. With searing honesty, it offers an immensely moving and personal insight into what it is to be a police officer in Britain today. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

The remarkable memoir of Zuzana Ruzickova, Holocaust survivor and world-famous harpsichordist. Zuzana Ruzickova grew up in 1930s Czechoslovakia dreaming of two things: Johann Sebastian Bach and the piano. But her peaceful, melodic childhood was torn apart when, in 1939, the Nazis invaded. Uprooted from her home, transported from Auschwitz to Hamburg to Bergen-Belsen, bereaved, starved, and afflicted with crippling injuries to her musician's hands, the teenage Zuzana faced a series of devastating defeats. Yet with every truck and train ride, a small slip of paper printed with her favourite piece of Bach's music became her talisman. Armed with this `proof that beauty still existed', Zuzana's fierce bravery and passion ensured her survival of the greatest human atrocities of all time, and would continue to sustain her through the brutalities of post-war Communist rule. Harnessing her talent and dedication, and fortified by the love of her husband, the Czech composer Viktor Kalabis, Zuzana went on to become one of the twentieth century's most renowned musicians and the first harpsichordist to record the entirety of Bach's keyboard works. Zuzana's story, told here in her own words before her death in 2017, is a profound and powerful testimony of the horrors of the Holocaust, and a testament in itself to the importance of amplifying the voices of its survivors today. It is also a joyful celebration of art and resistance that defined the life of the `first lady of the harpsichord'- a woman who spent her life being ceaselessly reborn through her music. Like the music of her beloved Bach, Zuzana's life is the story of the tragic transmuted through art into the state of the sublime. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Now in paperback with a new epilogueIn this revealing, funny, and inspiring memoir, seven-time New York Times bestselling author and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright-among the most admired and tireless public servants in history-reflects on the challenge of continuing one's career far beyond the normal age of retirement.In 2001, when Madeleine Albright was leaving office as America's first female secretary of state, interviewers asked her how she wished to be remembered. "I don't want to be remembered," she answered. "I am still here and have much more I intend to do. As difficult as it might seem, I want every stage of my life to be more exciting than the last."In that time of transition, the former Secretary considered the possibilities: she could write, teach, travel, give speeches, start a business, fight for democracy, help to empower women, campaign for favored political candidates, spend more time with her grandchildren. Instead of choosing one or two, she decided to do it all. For nearly twenty years, Albright was in constant motion, navigating half a dozen professions, clashing with presidents and prime ministers, learning every day. After leaving the State Department, she blazed her own trail-and gave voice to millions who yearn for respect, regardless of gender, background, or age.Hell and Other Destinations reveals this remarkable figure at her bluntest, funniest, most intimate, and most serious. It is the tale of our times anchored in lessons for all time, narrated by an extraordinary woman who had a matchless zest for life. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

In fifteen beautifully wrought stories-ranging from occupied Czechoslovakia to California's Central Valley to the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest-Mark Slouka explores moments in life when our back is to the wall. One of the most forceful American writers of his generation, Slouka captures the depth and emotional range of an array of characters-from a young boy attempting to shield his father from painful memories in "The Hare's Mask" to a lonely man whose beloved dog inexplicably begins to sprout razor blades from her skin in "Dog."Whether battling the end of desire, the fact of injustice, or death itself, the men and women in these stories are doing everything possible to tighten their grip on life. In "Crossing," a father hoping to compensate for his failures finds himself facing his past while fording a river with his young son on his back; in "Conception," a young couple frozen by the possible end of their marriage is offered an unexpected way back; in "Half-Life," a proud, ag (knihydobrovsky.cz)

In this remarkably moving memoir Ariana Neumann dives into the secrets of her father's past: years spent hiding in plain sight in wartorn Berlin, the annihilation of dozens of family members in the Holocaust, and the courageous choice to build anew.In 1941, the first Neumann family member was taken by the Nazis, arrested in German-occupied Czechoslovakia for bathing in a stretch of river forbidden to Jews. He was transported to Auschwitz. Eighteen days later his prisoner number was entered into the morgue book.Of thirty-four Neumann family members, twenty-five were murdered by the Nazis. One of the survivors was Hans Neumann, who, to escape the German death net, travelled to Berlin and hid in plain sight under the Gestapo's eyes. What Hans experienced was so unspeakable that, when he built an industrial empire in Venezuela, he couldn't bring himself to talk about it. All his daughter Ariana knew was that something terrible had happened.When Hans died, he left Ariana a small box filled with letters, diary entries and other memorabilia. Ten years later Ariana finally summoned the courage to have the letters translated and she began reading. What she discovered launched her on a worldwide search that would deliver indelible portraits of a family loving, finding meaning, and trying to survive amid the worst that can be imagined.When Time Stopped is an unputdownable detective story and an epic family memoir, spanning nearly ninety years and crossing oceans. Neumann brings each relative to vivid life. In uncovering her father's story after all these years, she discovers nuance and depth to her own history and liberates poignant and thought-provoking truths about the threads of humanity that connect us all. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Sonny is a model prisoner. He listens to the confessions of other inmates, and absolves them of their sins. But then one prisoner's confession changes everything. He knows something about Sonny's disgraced father. He needs to break out of prison and make those responsible pay for their crimes. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

*Longlisted for the National Book Award for Nonfiction and Finalist for the Kirkus Prize* An eye-opening memoir of working-class poverty in the American Midwest. During Sarah Smarsh's turbulent childhood in Kansas in the 1980s and 1990s, the forces of cyclical poverty and the country's changing economic policies solidified her family's place among the working poor. By telling the story of her life and the lives of the people she loves, Smarsh challenges us to look more closely at the class divide in our country and examine the myths about people thought to be less because they earn less. Her personal history affirms the corrosive impact intergenerational poverty can have on individuals, families, and communities, and she explores this idea as lived experience, metaphor, and level of consciousness. Smarsh was born a fifth generation Kansas wheat farmer on her paternal side and the product of generations of teen mothers on her maternal side. Through her experiences growing up as the daughter of a dissatisfied young mother and raised predominantly by her grandmother on a farm thirty miles west of Wichita, we are given a unique and essential look into the lives of poor and working class Americans living in the heartland. Combining memoir with powerful analysis and cultural commentary, Heartland is an uncompromising look at class, identity, and the particular perils of having less in a country known for its excess. "Sarah Smarsh--tough-minded and rough-hewn--draws us into the real lives of her family, barely making it out there on the American plains. There's not a false note. Smarsh, as a writer, is Authentic with a capital A...This is just what the world needs to hear" (George Hodgman, author of Bettyville). (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Discover exactly how to navigate life's many ups and downs with the essential and empowering guidance of TikTok sensation, Dr. JulieDrawing on years of experience as a clinical psychologist, online sensation Dr Julie Smith shares all the skills you need to get through life's ups and downs.Filled with secrets from a therapist's toolkit, this is a must-have handbook for optimising your mental health. Dr Julie's simple but expert advice and powerful coping techniques will help you stay resilient no matter what life throws your way.Written in short, bite-sized entries, you can turn straight to the section you need depending on the challenge you're facing - and immediately find the appropriate tools to help with . . .- Managing anxiety- Dealing with criticism- Battling low mood- Building self-confidence- Finding motivation- Learning to forgive yourselfThis book tackles the everyday issues that affect us all and offers easy, practical solutions that might just change your life. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Three years ago, Earth was conquered by a force of robots from a distant world. They have one rule: STAY IN YOUR HOMES Step outside and you get one warning before you're vaporised by a massive robot Sentry, or a crawling Sniper, or a flying Drone. That's if the vast Cube doesn't incinerate you first. But Sean Flynn is convinced that his father - an RAF pilot who fought in the war - is still alive. And when he and his gang figure out a way to break the robots' curfew, they begin an adventure that will pit them against the might of the ROBOT OVERLORDS. This fast-paced, thrilling novelisation is based on the hit British film starring Sir Ben Kingsley (IRON MAN THREE), Gillian Anderson (THE X-FILES) and Callan McAuliffe (THE GREAT GATSBY). A perfect companion to the movie, it expands on the story with additional action, characters, and a special peek behind the scenes. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Po děsivém dobrodružství, kdy jen o vlásek unikli smrti, princ Jalan Kendeth a vikinský válečník Snorri ver Snagason získají Lokiho klíč, pradávný artefakt schopný odemknout jakékoliv dveře. Zatímco Jal touží po návratu do domoviny, kde by pokračoval v marnotratném životě, Snorri chce najít bránu do smrti, otevřít ji dokořán a přivést svou rodinu zpátky do světa živých. Jelikož Lokiho klíč padne nejen do magických zámků, ale i do těch od mříží, nakonec se po mnoha peripetiích Jalan se Snorrim opět setkají, byť za cenu bolestných ztrát. Pomocí severské čarodějky Kary konečně dorazí k čaroději zvanému Dveřník, jenž může Snorrimu ukázat dveře do smrti. Jenže právě teď drží klíč v ruce známý lhář a zbabělec Jalan... (knihydobrovsky.cz)

'Hard, fast, and unflinching-exactly what a thriller should be.' Lee ChildThe first in the Court Gentry all-action thriller series, from Tom Clancy's co-writer Mark Greaney.To those who lurk in the shadows, he's known as the Gray Man. He is a legend in the covert realm, moving silently from job to job, accomplishing the impossible and then fading away. And he always hits his target.But there are forces more lethal than Gentry in the world. Forces like money. And power. And there are men who hold these as the only currency worth fighting for. In their eyes, Gentry has just outlived his usefulness.But Court Gentry is going to prove that, for him, there's no grey area between killing for a living and killing to stay alive... (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Years ago, when House of Leaves was first being passed around, it was nothing more than a badly bundled heap of paper, parts of which would occasionally surface on the Internet. No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying story would soon command. Starting with an odd assortment of marginalized youth -- musicians, tattoo artists, programmers, strippers, environmentalists, and adrenaline junkies -- the book eventually made its way into the hands of older generations, who not only found themselves in those strangely arranged pages but also discovered a way back into the lives of their estranged children. Now, for the first time, this astonishing novel is made available in book form, complete with the original colored words, vertical footnotes, and newly added second and third appendices. The story remains unchanged, focusing on a young family that moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Of course, neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of that impossibility, until the day their two little children wandered off and their voices eerily began to return another story -- of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of that unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all their dreams. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Sérií Tělo jako posilovna vytvořil její autor Mark Lauren nejúspěšnější fitnessovou koncepci naší doby a odstartoval velký celosvětový trend: trénink vahou vlastního těla bez jakýchkoli posilovacích zařízení. V této obrazové příručce předkládá autor více než 100 cviků a mnoho jejich variant v podobě barevných anatomických zobrazení a detailního návodu, jak cviky provádět. Cvičení, rozdělená podle svalových skupin na cviky hrudníku a ramen, paží a předloktí, hýždí, nohou a trupu, zahrnují všechny části těla a představují ideální základ ke komplexnímu tréninku celého těla. Díky tomu si můžete tento názorný trénink vahou vlastního těla nejen dokonale osvojit, ale provádět ho také cíleně a velmi účinně. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, God of the Sea, has woken from a very deep sleep and come face to face with two snake-haired ladies who refuse to die. But they're the least of his problems. Because Percy finds himself at a camp for half-bloods, which doesn't ring any bells for him. There's just one name he remembers from his past. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

The London 2012 Olympic medalist on his stunning comeback - fully updated for the paperback. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

Pozitivní nálada za každé situace? To je tak trochu utopie, ne? Kdo z nás by se dokázal neustále hihňat a pousmívat třeba ve chvíli, kdy se mu hroutí život, v práci na něj křičí šéf a doma partner/ka? Jedině neoblomný hipísák nebo ten, kdo si sem tam zobne nějakou tu zákonem neakceptovanou pilulku. K čertu s pozitivismem. Buďme upřímní, když něco stojí za hovno, tak si to přiznejme a naučme se s tím žít. Důmyslné umění, jak mít všechno u prdele vám ukáže trochu jiný pohled na svět. Autor Mark Manson se ve svém díle opírá o reálný vědecký výzkum. Ten tvrdí, že šťastnější život nespočívá ve schopnosti proměnit hromadu citrónů ve sladkou limonádu, ale naučit se s tou kyselou příchutí na jazyku zkrátka žít. Každý z nás dělá chyby a setkává se s nepřízní osudu. Není důležité předstírat, že se to nestalo, ale soustředit se na to, co je opravdu podstatné. Na zbytek se zkrátka vykašlete. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

James Bond odešel z aktivní služby a žije teď v klidu na Jamajce. Ten klid však trvá jen do doby, kdy ho navštíví jeho starý přítel Felix ze CIA a požádá ho o pomoc. Mise, v níž jde o záchranu uneseného vědce, se však změní v noční můru, když Bonda přivede na stopu rafinovaného zločince vyzbrojeného novou, zkázonosnou zbraní. Dárkově vypravená kniha zavede čtenáře do zákulisí natáčení 25. oficiálního filmu o Jamesi Bondovi a odhalí místa, postavy, pomůcky, zbraně a auta filmu Není čas zemřít. V knize najdete exkluzivní fotografie z natáčení, detaily dramatických scén, kostýmní návrhy, rozbory kaskadérských kousků. To vše doplňují rozhovory s herci a členy štábu. (knihydobrovsky.cz)

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Journal is divided into five sections that mirror the themes of The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck and include guided prompts that help you consider the deepest questions around emotions, values and purpose. Manson's wisdom is complimented with exercises to make you laugh, think, and grow, and his in-your-face attitude is only matched by his sincerity in wanting you to really wrestle with yourself and the things that matter. When it comes to the big topics-things like happiness, values, and responsibility-life is punctuated by seemingly endless questions. Manson addresses these issues with his unique irreverence, offering insights and observations to help you find your own answers. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Journal provides ample space for contemplating life's ups and downs and guides you to see how key moments in your life-both the tragic and the comic-are opportunities for growth (and sometimes just a good laugh). The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Journal is illustrated with colour images throughout. (knihydobrovsky.cz)