Current Biography Yearbook 2004


Book Description

Presents biographical articles about living leaders in all fields of human accomplishment throughout the world; arranged alphabetically with a cumulative index to the January 2001-November 2004 issues, as well as an index of professions.




Dictionary of Literary Biography Yearbook, 2002


Book Description

This annual compendium includes original material covering a given years literary highlights, including obituaries and tributes. The Yearbook provides signed essays summarizing the year in poetry, fiction, biography, drama and childrens books we well as scholarly articles, interviews, biographies and critical studies covering events, organizations, works, writers and the business of literature. Volumes include lists of award and honors winners; a necrology; a cumulative index and more.




A to Z of Biologists, Updated Edition


Book Description

Praise for the previous edition: "...the coverage of women, races, and international history in general make it a good source for exploring the many faces of biologists..."—American Reference Books Annual "...useful..."—School Library Journal "Recommended."—Choice A to Z of Biologists, Updated Edition uses the device of biography to put a human face on science-a method that adds immediacy for the high school student who might have an interest in pursuing a career in biology. This comprehensive survey features more than 150 entries and 50 black-and-white photographs. Each profile focuses on a biologist's research and contributions to the field and their effect on scientists whose work followed. Their lives and personalities are also discussed through incidents, quotations, and photographs. The profiles are culturally inclusive and span a range of biologists from ancient times to the present day. The entries on women and minority biologists especially articulate the obstacles that these biologists overcame in the process of reaching their goals. This title is an ideal resource for students and general readers interested in the history of biology or the personal and professional lives of significant biologists. People covered include: Rachel Louise Carson (1907–1964) Paul Ehrlich (1854–1915) Dian Fossey (1932–1985) Galen (c. 130–c. 201) Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859) Shibasaburo Kitasato (1852–1931) Severo Ochoa (1905–1993) Linus Carl Pauling (1901–1994) Rosalyn Sussman Yalow (1921–2011) Lap-Chee Tsui (1950–present) Pamela Silver (1952–present)




A to Z of Biologists


Book Description

Profiles more than 150 scientists from around the world who made important contributions to the field of biology, including Claude Bernard, Alexander Fleming, Mary-Claire King, Ronald Ross, and Tetsuko Takabe.




A to Z of Computer Scientists, Updated Edition


Book Description

Praise for the previous edition: "Entries are written with enough clarity and simplicity to appeal to general audiences. The additional readings that end each profile give excellent pointers for more detailed information...Recommended."—Choice "This well-written collection of biographies of the most important contributors to the computer world...is a valuable resource for those interested in the men and women who were instrumental in making the world we live in today. This is a recommended purchase for reference collections."—American Reference Books Annual "...this one is recommended for high-school, public, and undergraduate libraries."—Booklist The significant role that the computer plays in the business world, schools, and homes speaks to the impact it has on our daily lives. While many people are familiar with the Internet, online shopping, and basic computer technology, the scientists who pioneered this digital age are generally less well-known. A to Z of Computer Scientists, Updated Edition features 136 computer pioneers and shows the ways in which these individuals developed their ideas, overcame technical and institutional challenges, collaborated with colleagues, and created products or institutions of lasting importance. The cutting-edge, contemporary entries explore a diverse group of inventors, scientists, entrepreneurs, and visionaries in the computer science field. People covered include: Grace Hopper (1906–1992) Dennis Ritchie (1941–2011) Brian Kernighan (1942–present) Howard Rheingold (1947–present) Bjarne Stroustrup (1950–present) Esther Dyson (1951–present) Silvio Micali (1954–present) Jeff Bezos (1964–present) Pierre Omidyar (1967–present) Jerry Yang (1968–present)




The Billion Dollar BET


Book Description

Praise for The Billion Dollar BET "In a gripping narrative that is both inspirational and cautionary, Brett Pulley tells us how Robert Johnson built Black Entertainment Television into a billion-dollar media empire. In a remarkable feat of reporting, without Johnson's cooperation, Pulley shows what it really takes to get ahead in America today, and in doing so provides as valuable a cultural as business history." --James B. Stewart Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author of DisneyWar, Den of Thieves, and Heart of a Soldier "Like or dislike? Agree or disagree? Bob Johnson's richly varied and fascinating life presses you against the window that Brett Pulley opens widely." --Bernard Shaw retired CNN anchor "Through his BET network, Bob Johnson reached the pinnacle of capitalism, the billionaire boys club, in the spirit of legions of driven, American moguls . . . Veteran business journalist Brett Pulley peels back the layers of this fascinating and complex entrepreneur." --Teri Agins Senior Special Writer, the Wall Street Journal, and author of The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed the Clothing Business Forever




The Unseen Force


Book Description

(Applause Books). Following his highly successful An Askew View: The Films of Kevin Smith (Applause), John Kenneth Muir now turns to the life and work of legendary cult-film director Sam Raimi. Raimi exploded on the movie scene in 1982, when he was 23 years old, with the audacious, independently produced horror film The Evil Dead . Re-igniting the horror genre to such a degree that Wes Craven credited Raimi on-screen in A Nightmare on Elm Street , Raimi went on to direct two Evil Dead sequels, his own comic-book superhero, Darkman , and an over-the-top, post-modern western, The Quick and the Dead . Raimi's influence on other filmmakers continues to be enormous from the "shaky cam" shots of the Coen brothers to the early oeuvre of Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, both of whom have been termed the "direct progeny" of Raimi's works.In 2002, Raimi's Spider-Man had the biggest opening weekend in history, earning more than $114 million at the box office. The Unseen Force also features a sneak peek at the much anticipated Spider-Man 2 . Included are 30 first-person accounts and interviews from a number of eclectic sources from the cinematographers who shot Raimi's early films to the producers, screenwriters, actors, special effects magicians and composers who collaborated to make his films the stuff of legend, earn mainstream success, and still be the focus of obsessive cult followings.




Women of Power


Book Description

At a time when a woman--Angela Merkel--is arguably the most powerful leader in Europe and another--Hilary Clinton--continues to be at the center of the US political stage, it seems that women have broken through the glass ceiling and begun to populate the highest offices of the political world. Women of Power is a testament to that accomplishment, offering the most comprehensive overview of female presidents and prime ministers to date. Looking at over fifty countries and over seventy women leaders since 1960, Torild Skard--herself an experienced politician--examines how and why these women rose to the top and what their leadership has meant for women's empowerment throughout the latter half of the twentieth century. Skard examines the achievements and life stories of the world's female leaders up to the current era. She offers nuanced portraits that draw on a number of materials, including many interviews that she conducted herself. All of the women discussed are organized by both chronology and geography, and Skard includes a number of helpful chapters that provide an overview and assessment of how different women leaders have come to power in different regions. Overall the book provides a fascinating account of women's empowerment as it has manifested itself at the very top of the political hierarchy.




The Writer's Book of Hope


Book Description

In 1889, the editor of the San Francisco Examiner, having accepted an article from Rudyard Kipling, informed the author that he should not bother to submit any more. "This isn't a kindergarten for amateur writers," the editor wrote. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kipling, but you just don't know how to use the English language." A century later, John Grisham was turned down by sixteen agents before he found representation-and it was only after Hollywood showed an interest in The Firm that publishers began to take him seriously. The anxiety of rejection is an inevitable part of any writer's development. In this book, Ralph Keyes turns his attention from the difficulty of putting pen to paper-the subject of his acclaimed The Courage to Write -to the frustration of getting the product to the public. Inspiration isn't nearly as important to the successful writer, he argues, as tenacity, and he offers concrete ways to manage the struggle to publish. Drawing on his long experience as a writer and teacher of writing, Keyes provides new insight into the mind-set of publishers, the value of an agent, and the importance of encouragement and hope to the act of authorial creation.