A triumphant memoir by the former editor-in-chief of French Elle that reveals an indomitable spirit and celebrates the liberating power of consciousness. In 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby was the editor-in-chief of French Elle, the father of two young children, a 44-year-old man known and loved for his wit, his style, and his impassioned approach to life. By the end of the year he was also the victim of a rare kind of stroke to the brainstem. After 20 days in a coma, Bauby awoke into a body which had all but stopped working: only his left eye functioned, allowing him to see and, by blinking it, to make clear that his mind was unimpaired. Almost miraculously, he was soon able to express himself in the richest detail: dictating a word at a time, blinking to select each letter as the alphabet was recited to him slowly, over and over again. In the same way, he was able eventually to compose this extraordinary book. By turns wistful, mischievous, angry, and witty, Bauby bears witness to his determination to live as fully in his mind as he had been able to do in his body. He explains the joy, and deep sadness, of seeing his children and of hearing his aged father's voice on the phone. In magical sequences, he imagines traveling to other places and times and of lying next to the woman he loves. Fed only intravenously, he imagines preparing and tasting the full flavor of delectable dishes. Again and again he returns to an "inexhaustible reservoir of sensations," keeping in touch with himself and the life around him. Jean-Dominique Bauby died two days after the French publication of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. This book is a lasting testament to his life.

I was on the last leg of my first cross country flight. My next radio call would be to ask permission to land. I began to relax. I was nearly home. That is when the aircrafts engine stopped. The Self Improver is an autobiographical account about how a university drop-out took his first steps towards becoming the worlds most experienced Boeing 747 captain. Author Nick Eades was going nowhere fast when it struck him that after all, he was destined to follow in family footsteps and become a pilot. The book takes us into the cockpit to follow his journey to captaining one of the most iconic aircraft ever flown. The Self-Improver relates Nick’s step-by-step path up the aviation ladder. Working his way through a variety of jobs, he enrols and passes the necessary training courses to achieve the licences and ratings that will move him towards ever improving jobs up the pilot hierarchy. His journey takes him from close to home in the UK over to the US and back again, as he makes his way in the world of aviation. Including many amusing anecdotes and gripping incidents mixed with tragic ones too, The Self Improver is a personal account of one man’s mission to reach the skies and achieve the ultimate dream.

Still Improving: Becoming the World's Most Experienced 747 Captain is the second part of author, Nick Eades' autobiographical account of his career in aviation as he rose up British Airways' seniority list to become the world's youngest and then, the most experienced Boeing 747 captain. Following on from The Self-Improver: A Pilot's Journey, which told the story about Nick's step-by-step path at the beginning of his career, this follow-up account, sees him take up a job with the world's favourite airline, British Airways. So begins another journey which would lead to him captaining one of the most iconic aircraft. The book takes us through the rigorous steps required of all top pilots as Nick attempted to achieve his goal of a command on his favourite aeroplane, the Boing 747. The book also relates the many exciting stories which saw Nick placed in all sorts of situations requiring a wide range of skills to handle both inside and outside the cockpit. Still Improving: Becoming the World's Most Experienced 747 Captain and The Self-Improver: A Pilot's Journey, the first edition of Nick Eades' autobiographical account of his career in aviation, have been written in a way that will appeal to the general readers who might not know much about aviation. Nick Eades is originally from the South coast of England where he grew up close to Shoreham Airport in Sussex in a family with a strong aviation background. He now lives in East Grinstead with his wife Liz, who he met while flying. They have two grown sons, James and Robert. Nick plans to continue writing and is planning his third book, Overtaken by a Butterfly: The Stories Behind Running the World, about his experiences going running whilst travelling around the world during his career as a pilot.

Winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction! Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, Ibi Zoboi, and Erika L. Sánchez, this gorgeously written and deeply moving novel is the YA debut from the award-winning author of Inside Out & Back Again. 4 starred reviews! In the final days of the Việt Nam War, Hằng takes her little brother, Linh, to the airport, determined to find a way to safety in America. In a split second, Linh is ripped from her arms—and Hằng is left behind in the war-torn country. Six years later, Hằng has made the brutal journey from Việt Nam and is now in Texas as a refugee. She doesn’t know how she will find the little brother who was taken from her until she meets LeeRoy, a city boy with big rodeo dreams, who decides to help her. Hằng is overjoyed when she reunites with Linh. But when she realizes he doesn’t remember her, their family, or Việt Nam, her heart is crushed. Though the distance between them feels greater than ever, Hằng has come so far that she will do anything to bridge the gap.

"Literature and Lepidoptera dance an elaborate pas de deux through seventy years of Vladimir Nabokov's life, from his boyhood in Russia to his life as an emigre in the Crimea, Berlin, France, the United States, and finally in Switzerland. An American literary giant, Nabokov also produced first-rate work as a scientist, and in his fiction and elsewhere eloquently advocated attention to the details of the natural world and promoted the delights of discovery." "Nabokov's Butterflies presents Nabokov's twin passions through an astonishingly rich array of novel selections, stories, poems, screenplay, autobiography, criticism, lecturers, articles, reviews, interviews, letters, and notes, plus a wealth of beautiful and fanciful drawings by Nabokov and photographs of him in the field."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved