The definitive portrait of one of the most important cultural figures in American history: Walt Disney. Walt Disney was a true visionary whose desire for escape, iron determination and obsessive perfectionism transformed animation from a novelty to an art form, first with Mickey Mouse and then with his feature films–most notably Snow White, Fantasia, and Bambi. In his superb biography, Neal Gabler shows us how, over the course of two decades, Disney revolutionized the entertainment industry. In a way that was unprecedented and later widely imitated, he built a synergistic empire that combined film, television, theme parks, music, book publishing, and merchandise. Walt Disney is a revelation of both the work and the man–of both the remarkable accomplishment and the hidden life. Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Biography USA Today Biography of the Year

When twenty-one-year-old Michael Dell asked E. Lee Walker to be the president of his fledgling computer company, PC’s Limited, Walker, in his mid-forties, immediately thought about all the people who had helped him through life—as an undergraduate at Texas A&M (class of ’63), a graduate student at Harvard, and a once-young entrepreneur himself. As he and Dell created the foundation of what would become one of the most successful companies in the world, Walker was guided by the lessons of his past business ventures, by his belief in the power of imagination, and by his relationships with people who had provided encouragement when he most needed it. When he left Dell Computer Corporation to teach, Walker discovered that the stories he took with him—of his aspirations, of his failures and triumphs, and of his friends and mentors—were the key to engaging and inspiring his students. Here, Walker records those stories in a memoir that spans five decades and reveals a man whose curiosity, resourcefulness, and luck led him out of South Texas and into corporate boardrooms, university lecture halls, and community activism. In fast-paced tales about life as a high-tech entrepreneur, adjunct professor, civic leader, and environmental advocate, Walker manages to convey the importance of creative thinking and communal effort in all his endeavors. Originally offered to a small group of college students in Italy for study abroad, this affecting memoir will introduce to a wider audience not only a seasoned executive and philanthropist but also a wise and delightful storyteller.

The nation's maverick urban organizer issues a compelling moral exhortation on behalf of modern-day "Josephs" who alone are solving the problems the poverty establishment can't cure. Always accessible and colorful, this powerful appeal for the health of America's inner cities can resurrect the passion to fight poverty--but only through the vision and deeds of street-level heroes.

for saxophone quartetA slow movement which explores the beautiful sonorities of saxophones played softly.

“Sexy encounters, irreverent humor, and subtle twists keep up the pace of this quirky tale about a variety of French appetites” (Publishers Weekly). Sandrine works as a functionary in an employment office, but there is a lot more to her than one might suspect from her job description. With a volcanic personality and an imagination to match, she is also a world-class cook waiting for the right occasion to realize her dream of opening a restaurant of her own. With a master plan that one could only describe as Machiavellian, Sandrine ropes Antoine, an unemployed professor, into her venture. A carousel of extravagant characters follows: the giant Senegalese man, Toussaint N’Diaye; the magical chef, Vairam; the extravagantly flatulent Alsatian Schmutz and his twelve-year-old daughter Juliette (IQ 172!); the alluring psychologist and Kama Sutra specialist Annabelle Villemin-Dubreuil. Plans for the restaurant proceed smoothly until Sandrine discovers a shady newspaper operation next-door that leads her to a sinister magnate’s plot . . . Set in the storied and culturally diverse Parisian quarter of Montmartre, made famous by artists, writers, and bon vivants of every ilk, this heartwarming, comic tale is a must for foodies, Francophiles, and lovers of a good story well told. “This farcical novel envelops readers in the sights, sounds, and smells of Montmartre and is sure to be enjoyed by fans of Mary Simses, Laura Madeleine, and Nina George. With lively characters and a dreamy setting, Little Culinary Triumphs will awaken the Francophile in all.” —Booklist “Pujol keeps the tone light as she takes on serious themes of economics and immigration. . . . The plot adds characters like ingredients in a recipe until everything finally sets like a creamy quiche. Will everybody get what they want—or deserve? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s fun watching the schemes unfold.” —The Star Tribune