This Thing Called Life


Book Description

A warm and surprisingly real-life biography, featuring never-before-seen photos, of one of rock’s greatest talents: Prince. Neal Karlen was the only journalist Prince granted in-depth press interviews to for over a dozen years, from before Purple Rain to when the artist changed his name to an unpronounceable glyph. Karlen interviewed Prince for three Rolling Stone cover stories, wrote “3 Chains o’ Gold,” Prince’s “rock video opera,” as well as the star’s last testament, which may be buried with Prince’s will underneath Prince’s vast and private compound, Paisley Park. According to Prince's former fiancée Susannah Melvoin, Karlen was “the only reporter who made Prince sound like what he really sounded like.” Karlen quit writing about Prince a quarter-century before the mega-star died, but he never quit Prince, and the two remained friends for the last thirty-one years of the superstar’s life. Well before they met as writer and subject, Prince and Karlen knew each other as two of the gang of kids who biked around Minneapolis’s mostly-segregated Northside. (They played basketball at the Dairy Queen next door to Karlen’s grandparents, two blocks from the budding musician.) He asserts that Prince can’t be understood without first understanding ‘70s Minneapolis, and that even Prince’s best friends knew only 15 percent of him: that was all he was willing and able to give, no matter how much he cared for them. Going back to Prince Rogers Nelson's roots, especially his contradictory, often tortured, and sometimes violent relationship with his father, This Thing Called Life profoundly changes what we know about Prince, and explains him as no biography has: a superstar who calls in the middle of the night to talk, who loved The Wire and could quote from every episode of The Office, who frequented libraries and jammed spontaneously for local crowds (and fed everyone pancakes afterward), who was lonely but craved being alone. Readers will drive around Minneapolis with Prince in a convertible, talk about movies and music and life, and watch as he tries not to curse, instead dishing a healthy dose of “mamma jammas.”




Dealing with This Thing Called Life


Book Description

Chris Sumlin's debut book, Dealing with This Thing Called Life, is the self-help book for young men and women who want to overcome obstacles and aspire to Greatness. These relatable, entertaining anecdotes, from acceptance to the prestigious Morehouse College to meeting Kim Kardashian-West, will inspire readers to reach their maximum potential. The author shares: 12 Stories 12 Lessons 12 I AM Seeds Chris Sumlin is passionate about motivating others in their quest to deal with this thing called life.




This Thing Called Life


Book Description

The great contribution of Ernest Holmes to modern thought is the specific form of meditation and prayer by which man can control outward conditions of his life instead of permitting conditions to control him. Based soundly and thoughtfully upon the teachings of Jesus and other great spiritual leaders and philosophers, THIS THING CALLED LIFE is an outline of the practice of Faith by which problems of every kind may be solved by every man and woman, directly, simply and effectively. Recognised as one of the foremost teachers of religious science and philosophy since William James, in this book Mr. Holmes courageously declares that for centuries man has been putting the cart before the horse, that he is not helpless in the face of poverty, disease, evil and unhappiness, but that by this clear and simple system of thought and faith he can dominate them and introduce into his experience their exact opposites—abundance, health, good and happiness. If man will try and learn how to think, writes Mr. Holmes, he can dominate his entire life and everything in and around it.




A Little Thing Called Life


Book Description

Award-winning songwriter Linda Thompson breaks her silence, sharing the extraordinary story of her life, career, and epic romances with two of the most celebrated, yet enigmatic, modern American superstars—Elvis Presley and Bruce Jenner For the last forty years, award-winning songwriter Linda Thompson has quietly led one of the most remarkable lives in show business. The longtime live-in love of Elvis Presley, Linda first emerged into the limelight during the 1970s when the former beauty pageant queen caught the eye of the King. Their chance late-night encounter at a movie theater was the stuff of legend, and it marked the beginning of a whirlwind that would stretch across decades, leading to a marriage with Bruce Jenner, motherhood, and more drama than she ever could have imagined. Now, for the first time, Linda opens up about it all, telling the full story of her life, loves, and everything in between. From her humble beginnings in Memphis to her nearly five-year relationship with Elvis, she offers an intimate window into their life together, describing how their Southern roots fueled and sustained Graceland’s greatest romance. Going inside their wild stories and tender moments, she paints a portrait of life with the King, as raucous as it is refreshing. But despite the joy they shared, life with Elvis also had darkness, and her account also presents an unsparing look at Elvis’s twin demons—drug abuse and infidelity—forces he battled throughout their time together that would eventually end their relationship just eight months before his untimely death. It was in the difficult aftermath of Elvis’s death that Linda found what she believed was her true home: the arms of Olympic gold medal—winner Bruce Jenner. Detailing her marriage to Bruce, Linda reveals the seemingly perfect life that they built with their two young sons—Brandon and Brody—before Bruce changed everything with a secret he’d been carrying his entire life, a secret that Linda herself kept for nearly thirty years, a secret that Bruce’s transition to Caitlyn Jenner has finally laid bare for the world. Providing a candid look inside one of the most challenging moments of her life, Linda uncovers the struggles she went through as a woman and a mother, coming to terms with the reality of Bruce’s identity and resolving to embrace him completely no matter what, even as it meant they could no longer be together. And yet, despite her marriage unraveling, her search for love was not over, eventually leading her to the legendary music producer and musician David Foster—a relationship that lasted for nineteen tumultuous years, resulting in a bond that spurred her songwriting career to new heights but also tested her like never before. Filled with compelling and poignant stories and sixteen pages of photographs, A Little Thing Called Life lovingly recounts Linda’s incredible journey through the years, bringing unparalleled insight into three legendary figures.




This Thing Called Life


Book Description

What were Prince's politics? What did he believe about God? And did he really forsake the subject-sex-that once made him the most subversive superstar of the Reagan era? In this illuminating thematic biography, Joseph Vogel explores the issues that made Prince one of the late 20th century's most unique, controversial, and fascinating artists. Since his unexpected death in 2016, Prince has been recognized by peers, critics, and music fans alike. President Barack Obama described him as �one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time.� Yet in spite of the influx of attention, much about Prince's creative life, work, and cultural impact remains thinly examined. This Thing Called Life fills this vacuum, delving deep into seven key topics-politics, sound, race, gender, sex, religion, and death-that allow us to see Prince in fresh, invigorating new ways. Accessible and timely, This Thing Called Life takes the reader on a journey through the catalog and creative revolution of one of America's most compelling and elusive icons.




What is this thing called The Meaning of Life?


Book Description

What are we asking when we ask, "What is the meaning of life?"? Can there be meaning without God? Is a happy life a meaningful life? Can an immoral life be meaningful? Does our suffering have meaning? Does death threaten meaning? What is this thing called The Meaning of Life? provides an engaging and stimulating introduction to philosophical thinking about life’s meaning. Goetz and Seachris provide the reader with accessible examples, before looking at the main theoretical approaches to meaning and key philosophers associated with them. Topics covered include: What does the question, "What is the meaning of life?", even mean? Does life have a purpose? What is valuable? Do we matter? Does life (or my life) make any sense? Is there any meaning in suffering? Does death threaten meaning? Would immortality be good or bad news for us? With boxed summaries of key concepts and noteworthy examples, discussion questions, and suggestions for further reading included within each chapter, this book is the ideal introduction to life’s meaning for philosophy students coming to the subject for the first time.




What Am I to Do with This Thing Called Life


Book Description

It will happen to you at some point and possibly already has. It might be after graduation, during middle age or while you're going through a tough time. It can happen when you're pursuing your career, before or after you have kids, waiting to get married, or after marriage, young or old. There comes a time when you ask yourself, What am I doing with my life? Suddenly, you're not sure you're spending the most precious resource you have (time) on the right things or in the right ways. You can begin making real progress right now in your faith, your family, and your calling as you apply the time-tested truths that form the foundation of a great and satisfying LIFE.




The Making of Us


Book Description

Beautifully written and deeply poignant, The Making of Us allows readers to walk alongside author and radio personality Sheridan Voysey during a transformational moment in his life journey. Picking up where Resurrection Year: Turning Broken Dreams Into New Beginnings left off, Sheridan helps us process what we can learn about our identities in the face of disappointment and change. Life had not gone according to plan for Sheridan Voysey and his wife, Merryn. When infertility ended their dream of becoming parents, they uprooted their lives and relocated from Australia to Oxford, England, so Merryn could pursue her professional goals. But the move meant Sheridan had to give up his well-established career in Christian radio, and though he was experiencing some success as a writer, he couldn’t reconcile his expectations for his life with the reality he was living. Lost and directionless, he came to a sobering realization: I don’t know who I am. Following the example of many a seeker, Sheridan decided to pair his spiritual journey with a literal one: a hundred-mile pilgrimage along the northeast coast of England. Inspired by the life and influence of the monk Cuthbert, who was among the first to evangelize northern England in the 600s, Voysey and his friend DJ traveled on foot from the Holy Island of Lindisfarne to Durham, where the famed Lindisfarne Gospels were on display. What makes us who we are? What shapes our hopes and dreams, and how do we adjust when things don’t go as we hoped? Can we recover if we make a choice that’s less than perfect? Voysey tackles these questions and others as he deftly weaves together Cuthbert’s story, the history of early Christianity in England, and his own struggle to find his identity and purpose. His introspective writing leads readers to consider their own stories and reflect on how God calls each of us to an identity bigger than any earthly role or career. Part travel memoir, part pilgrim’s journal, The Making of Us is a quiet story including a chapter-by-chapter reflection guide, of trust in God’s leading for our lives, no matter where our paths take us.




This Thing Called Life


Book Description

Married at the early age of 20, thirsty for love, wanting to be married, wanting to have children and make a home for my family. Praying as a child, every night, to have a home full of Peace, Love & Happiness. Little did I know the hurt and pain that awaited me. Little did I know the attacks that would be-fall me; trying to take my mind; filling me with thoughts of death, never to feel pain again. Learning without permission the life of an Addict. This is my story...




The Promise Is His Presence


Book Description

God's presence among his people set him apart from ancient pagan gods. His presence on earth as God Incarnate split history in two. And today his presence is one of the most significant means of his goodness to us. Interweaving her story of faith and doubt amid suffering, Glenna traces the theme of God's presence from Genesis to Revelation and shows what it means for us in our own daily joys and struggles.