by Michael S. Lewis ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 27, 2020
A lively and inviting look at wisdom gained over a lifetime.
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A doctor looks at the lives of popular sports figures in order to draw deeper lessons.
Lewis, an orthopedic surgeon by training, recalls a key quote from John Steinbeck early on in this book: “Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.” The author then mixes affectionate bits of his own autobiography—growing up in Houston in the 1940s and ’50s, attending Brandeis University—with his lifelong interest in self-help. In his early, formative years, he writes, he “jumped on the self-improvement bandwagon” and read widely of such genre classics as Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936) and Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich (1937). “As a result of reading these books, I would ask any available adult such mature questions as, ‘How can I make a difference in the world—and become famous?’ ” he writes, adding sardonically, “My list of those willing to listen quickly dwindled.” Lewis shares life insights from several people he’s known, from his outspoken Uncle Whiz (short for “Isadore”) to more famous names, such as psychologist Abraham Maslow and the great surgeon William Meltzer (with whom Lewis says that he won “the mentor lottery”). Throughout the book, Lewis offers a very effective combination of affability and ability; so much so, in fact, that his account of his time hobnobbing with famous athletes—including Chicago Bulls legends Michael Jordan (“I was fortunate to frequently observe the lighter side of Michael’s personality”) and Scottie Pippen, as well as coach Phil Jackson—as a team physician, feels a bit anticlimactic. Readers will agree that Lewis himself is wise enough on his own, and he ably draws on his own long history practicing medicine in and out of the operating room. When Lewis was in medical school, for instance, a physician urged students to remember the three As: availability, affability, and ability “in that order.” “All of us thought he was crazy,” the author says, but he goes on to note that time and reflection showed those A’s to be invaluable.
A lively and inviting look at wisdom gained over a lifetime.Pub Date: May 27, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-61850-183-7
Page Count: 198
Publisher: Four Colour Print Group
Review Posted Online: July 24, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Jennette McCurdy ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 9, 2022
The heartbreaking story of an emotionally battered child delivered with captivating candor and grace.
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New York Times Bestseller
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The former iCarly star reflects on her difficult childhood.
In her debut memoir, titled after her 2020 one-woman show, singer and actor McCurdy (b. 1992) reveals the raw details of what she describes as years of emotional abuse at the hands of her demanding, emotionally unstable stage mom, Debra. Born in Los Angeles, the author, along with three older brothers, grew up in a home controlled by her mother. When McCurdy was 3, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Though she initially survived, the disease’s recurrence would ultimately take her life when the author was 21. McCurdy candidly reconstructs those in-between years, showing how “my mom emotionally, mentally, and physically abused me in ways that will forever impact me.” Insistent on molding her only daughter into “Mommy’s little actress,” Debra shuffled her to auditions beginning at age 6. As she matured and starting booking acting gigs, McCurdy remained “desperate to impress Mom,” while Debra became increasingly obsessive about her daughter’s physical appearance. She tinted her daughter’s eyelashes, whitened her teeth, enforced a tightly monitored regimen of “calorie restriction,” and performed regular genital exams on her as a teenager. Eventually, the author grew understandably resentful and tried to distance herself from her mother. As a young celebrity, however, McCurdy became vulnerable to eating disorders, alcohol addiction, self-loathing, and unstable relationships. Throughout the book, she honestly portrays Debra’s cruel perfectionist personality and abusive behavior patterns, showing a woman who could get enraged by everything from crooked eyeliner to spilled milk. At the same time, McCurdy exhibits compassion for her deeply flawed mother. Late in the book, she shares a crushing secret her father revealed to her as an adult. While McCurdy didn’t emerge from her childhood unscathed, she’s managed to spin her harrowing experience into a sold-out stage act and achieve a form of catharsis that puts her mind, body, and acting career at peace.
The heartbreaking story of an emotionally battered child delivered with captivating candor and grace.Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-982185-82-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022
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SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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by Steve Martin illustrated by Harry Bliss ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 17, 2020
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
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The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
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