Can a murdered person come back from the grave to tell her autobiography through the voice of a psychic medium? During the summer of 1980, a young Canadian beauty, Dorothy Stratten, and her husband, Paul Snider, were murdered in Los Angeles under mysterious circumstances and a shroud of cover-up. Many lives would change drastically as people abandoned the Playboy ship en masse in the aftermath. This book offers theological insight into sexual abuse, hedonism, PTSD trauma, stress-related illness, human trafficking, codependence and forgiveness.

A propulsive and "entertaining" (The Wall Street Journal) history chronicling the conception and creation of the iconic Disneyland theme park, as told like never before by popular historian Richard Snow. One day in the early 1950s, Walt Disney stood looking over 240 acres of farmland in Anaheim, California, and imagined building a park where people "could live among Mickey Mouse and Snow White in a world still powered by steam and fire for a day or a week or (if the visitor is slightly mad) forever." Despite his wealth and fame, exactly no one wanted Disney to build such a park. Not his brother Roy, who ran the company's finances; not the bankers; and not his wife, Lillian. Amusement parks at that time, such as Coney Island, were a generally despised business, sagging and sordid remnants of bygone days. Disney was told that he would only be heading toward financial ruin. But Walt persevered, initially financing the park against his own life insurance policy and later with sponsorship from ABC and the sale of thousands and thousands of Davy Crockett coonskin caps. Disney assembled a talented team of engineers, architects, artists, animators, landscapers, and even a retired admiral to transform his ideas into a soaring yet soothing wonderland of a park. The catch was that they had only a year and a day in which to build it. On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened its gates...and the first day was a disaster. Disney was nearly suicidal with grief that he had failed on a grand scale. But the curious masses kept coming, and the rest is entertainment history. Eight hundred million visitors have flocked to the park since then. In Disney's Land, "Snow brings a historian's eye and a child's delight, not to mention superb writing, to the telling of this fascinating narrative" (Ken Burns) that "will entertain Disneyphiles and readers of popular American history" (Publishers Weekly).

Shot Girls is the real life, raw accounting of Vanity Wonder's 5 year journey with black market butt injections. Commonly called "shots," "pumping" or "work," illegal butt injections are quickly on the rise and not just for strippers or women in the entertainment industry. Known for her jaw dropping 34-23-45 curves, Vanity tells no lies about how she obtained them. In this book, Vanity takes you on a gripping ride through her 16+ injection procedures, drug abuse, and the lessons she learned along the way. Without a doubt, this book will answer any questions you may have about this procedure and satisfy your curiosity on the subject.

Ward Hall ran across town and joined the circus for a part time gig in 1944 when he was a "kid" living in Colorado. A year later, as a 15 year old 10th grade dropout, he ran away for good, joining the Dailey Bros. Circus. He never looked back. By 16 he was performing in a sideshow and by age 21, he owned a sideshow Today, 70 years later and countless circus and side show, vaudeville and burlesque house performances under his belt, Ward Hall is still in the business. Ward has worked with a monkey girl, a half-lady/half man, numerous fat men, countless sword swallowers, fire eaters, several giants, big snakes, big rats and little horses. He has mastered juggling, ventriloquism and the art of enticing thousands of curious onlookers to part with their money and go inside the tent of his world-famous sideshows. Ward has owned and operated sideshows, animal shows, magic shows, and illusion shows with such fashionable names as Magic on Parade; Wondercade: Aquarama water circus; Gladiators vs. Mankillers wild animal show; World Attractions; Sky High Circus; the Wonder Circus; the Pygmy Village; and the World of Wonders. He has exhibited the World's smallest woman, the World's tallest giant, and employed Pete Terhune, the mighty fire-eating dwarf for 55 years. In addition to owning or co-owning sideshows and circuses during his career, Ward has written four books, four musical stage productions, been in seven movies and more than 100 videos and TV specials, performed at Madison Square Garden and the Lincoln Center in New York City and has sung at Carnegie Hall. He is in the Hall of Fame of both the Outdoor Amusement Business Assoc. and the International Independent Showmen's Assoc. and is a member of the prestigious Circus Ring of Fame in Sarasota, Fla. Ward is the only person in all three of those halls of honor. Ward has operated the sideshow for many big time circuses, including: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Toby Tyler Circus, the Al G. Miller Circus, Circus Vargas (where he was part owner of the circus for a while), Beatty Cole, and the E.K. Fernandez Circus. Ward Hall's title of King of the Sideshows is not a new or recent act of coronation, and as the ruler of his own little world of misfits and human anomalies, Ward's title isn't self-awarded, but is a judgment rendered by his peers. The year 2014 is the King's 70th year anniversary in show business. This is his story.

William Shatner is one of the most readily-recognized people in the world. While most people immediately think of him as Captain James T. Kirk of Star Trek, few realize that he began his professional acting career at the age of eight and has appeared in Shakespearean festivals, regularly-scheduled radio roles, university and regional playhouses, live television drama, and more than 50 motion pictures. This book provides a short biography and a detailed record of all his performances.

Shatner's acting credits range from intense drama to lighthearted comedy, and from biting social commentary to science fiction fantasy. He has written and directed plays, television, and feature films, and is the author of four best-selling novels. This essential reference guide covers every facet of his extraordinary career, including his personal appearances, stage plays, films, television and radio shows, recordings, and literary works. Entries for his work provide cast and credit listings, plot synopses, commentary, and excerpts from reviews. An annotated bibliography lists nearly 1000 references to his life and work.

In a major new biography, veteran military historian and WII biographer, Charles Whiting combines both talents to tell the tale of barefoot Texan share-cropper's son, who could barely read and write, but became not only the US Army's most decorated soldier in its 250 - year history, but also the star of forty Paramount produced movies: most of which are shown on TV screens around the world to this very day. The gentle-eyed, baby-faced hero had won every decoration the United States had to offer before he was eligible to vote and killed 240 enemy soldiers in the process. Luck made him a movie star. Always he tried to improve himself, but time and time again he was relegated to the 'horse operas', where as he wisecracked cynically, "it was the same old movie, only they changed the colour of the horse." But there was a price to pay for his heroism in drugs, nervous tension and Murphy's addiction to violence. Even as a middle-aged movie star, he always slept with a .45 beneath his pillow, plagued by nightmares of the war. Murphy had been an ordinary boy, who had volunteered to go to fight and did so with exceeding bravery in the last 'good war'. He paid highly for that bravery and sense of duty to a country which had given him nothing save "malnutrition," as he used to quip. He was that last American Hero, who did as President Kennedy proclaimed, " Don't ask what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." Even before his young life had really commenced, he had become a legend. But in the end 'Tinseltown' and the 'feather merchants' of Hollywood broke him. As Time magazine commented on his death; "Audie Murphy belonged to an earlier, simpler time, one in which bravery was a cardinal and killing was a virtue... We shall not see his like again."

Charles Ives, perhaps the quintessential American composer of the twentieth century, drew on his childhood experiences in a small New England town in his music. Through his close relationship with his father, George, a Civil War bandmaster, Ives developed a powerful feeling for nineteenth-century rural America. This book--the first full-scale psychoanalytic biography of a major composer--examines the lives of the two men and shows how a knowledge of their relationship as father and son, teacher and pupil, is central to an understanding of Ives's work. Stuart Feder, a psychoanalyst with training in musicology, demonstrates that George exerted so pervasive an influence on Charles's creative life that Ives's music may be seen as the result of an unconscious fantasy of posthumous collaboration between father and son. The music bears George's mark, not only in its incorporation of hymn tunes, parlor ballads, Civil War marches, and other homely sources that derived from his youth, but also in its use of technical musical devices attributed to George. Moreover, the span of Ives's creative life reveals another connection to his father: Charles's musical productivity began to wane in his forties, as he approached the age at which his father died. Dr. Feder examines the influence of George's teaching and storytelling on Charles's years as a composer. Ives's later decline is traced psychologically and medically. Using Ives's music as an essential part of his data, Dr. Feder demonstrates how music can illuminate and be expressive of the inner life of its creator.

Designed primarily for use by students and theatre generalists, this volume contains biographical sketches, arranged alphabetically, of over 300 individuals distinguished for their stage directing. It includes both contemporary directors and those who are no longer working. Emphasis is on artists who have international reputations, especially those whose work has had an impact on American theatre. Each entry profiles the director's life and assesses the significance of his or her accomplishments, provides a list of productions not mentioned in the narrative, and includes a bibliography. The work also includes appendixes, providing a selected bibliography, and indexes of names and plays.

Praise for "False Memories":

"It was rich. Like eating a large slice of cheese cake with blueberry topping. I finished reading it today--did what it was suppose to do--kept my interest, created a deeper mystery surrounding the artist, brought up controversy, cleared a few questions, and much, much more. This will be a book, not just for collectors, but for anyone wanting to know a little about the psyche of a painter. Brilliant "
--Lynn Vermillion

"False memories" is a psychologist's term for memories cleverly and conveniently created by the subconscious mind. Since the theory of reincarnation is not widely accepted, we tend to explain away memories of previous lives as false memories. Contemporary American painter Anton Brzezinski would be the first to agree that his own memories of previous lives are productions of his prodigious imagination--but Brzezinski's memories of his own experiences need no exaggeration to make them fascinating.

In "False Memories: Adventures of the Living Dali," with the exception of the pseudo-author Gabrielle Mallarme, people who appear as characters in this book are not fictitious. This is a work of fiction, but even the wildest incidents described here really occurred

The Woman in Me is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope.

In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.

Written with remarkable candor and humor, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.

Though he appeared in only six films, James Dean is still frequently discussed some 30 years after his death in an accident at the age of 24. This book provides full production information, plot synopses, review excerpts, and critical commentary for Dean's roles in Fixed Bayonets (1951), Sailor Beware (1951), Has Anybody Seen My Gal? (1952), East of Eden (1955), Rebel Without a Cause (1955), and Giant (1956). It also details his stage, radio, and television work, and includes an extensive annotated bibliography. This comprehensive guide synthesizes the tremendous amount of information available about Dean's life and legacy. Included are chapters on his work in stage, film, radio, and television; entries in each chapter provide production information, plot synopses, review excerpts, and critical commentary about each of his performances. The book also examines his unrealized projects and his survival in various tributes and recordings. An extensive annotated bibliography directs the reader to sources of additional information about Dean's fascinating hold on the American imagination.

Ernesto "Tito" Puente born in 1923 in Spanish Harlem is a tale about an impoverished Puerto Rican boy who grew up with the advent of radio and American swing bands. At age ten he aspired to be a dancer: another Fred Astaire. An ankle injury gave him the opportunity to explore his talent as a musician. At fourteen he won the coveted Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa drum contest. Tito became a master percussionist. His instrument was the timbales, a pair of cylindrical drums beat upon with sticks. When he joined the dynamic Machito Orchestra at seventeen he saw a spiraling future until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941 took him off to war. With the smell of kamikaze deaths, battle smoke, and torpedoes flying he sounded taps for the dead in the morning while he led a makeshift orchestra delivering lovable American wartime tunes in the afternoon. He returned home wounded, weary and jobless. Puente's tale should have been the story of every returning American GI, who went off to war, came home to his sweetheart, attended school on the GI Bill, raised a family and settled down in a white cottage. Things were not that way. After the war his obsession for Cuban music drove him to Havana. He attended secret meetings of Santeria, an Afro-Cuban religious cult with its roots steeped in mysticism often times referred to as black magic. With the lure of the sacred bata drum he discovered a world of rhythms never heard by a white mans ear. He found himself inside the beat, and thoroughly possessed. Soon Tito became a devotee of Santeria and used those drum patterns and calls, which were the mainstay and backbone of his music. Today this hot hypnotic music is known worldwide as salsa.

What keeps you from overcoming obstacles in your life and walking in peace and joy in the Lord? Can you free yourself from the bondage of your past mistakes and learn to develop an identity in Christ? After a lifetime of regret, Robert "Stonewall" Jackson asked himself these hard questions, and the answers he found radically altered his world.

With writing that is honest and self-disclosing, The Life and Legend of Robert "Stonewall" Jackson reveals how Jackson overcame drugs, addiction, and mental and physical war trauma to emerge a survivor. What's more, it shares the awesome power of how developing a relationship with Christ held the key to his success.

From his stint playing with the Oakland Raiders to his time in prison for drug dealing, Jackson uses personal anecdotes to illustrate how God has worked in his life. He explores the doubts, fears, and perplexities he experienced and demonstrates how he found comfort and guidance in his faith. Today an award-winning bodybuilder and caregiver to his grandchildren, Jackson is committed to a close relationship with Christ and a strong dedication to total body fitness.

No matter what age or life journey you are currently experiencing, God's grace and the value of believing in yourself can turn things around. Let Jackson's story inspire and motivate you to change your life

Dr. George Washington Sheafor was a Baptist evangelist and pastor who lived during the years that the United States was growing, the population was moving westward, and new territories and states were being added. His teaching and preaching ministry spanned seventy-six years, beginning in 1892 through his death at age 96 in 1968. His pioneer ministry began in Arizona while it was still a territory. As a young man he worked on a ranch taming wild horses off the range and preached to some of the ranch hands with whom he worked. He attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois, and was mentored by Dwight L. Moody, the great evangelist of his day. He also studied the life and teachings of Andrew Murray and patterned his life after this great English teacher and preacher. He began preaching revival meetings in Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. During his pastoral ministry, he served in Comanche and Brownwood, Texas; Lawton, Oklahoma; and in Lancaster, Texas. Dr. Sheafor's pastoral ministry changed in 1941 when he became a Bible teacher at the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. His name is synonymous with the teaching of Bible prophecy. In all of his teaching and preaching, Dr. Sheafor majored on the wonderful promises that God has given to every born-again believer. He presented the joy and the glory to be experienced by every believer in the Rapture, the Second Coming of Jesus, and the New Heaven and New Earth. His wealth of knowledge concerning prophecy was inimitable and he was loved and admired by all who heard him speak, including many of the professors at Dallas Theological Seminary and Dr. W.A. Criswell, pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas for all of the twenty-three years that Dr. Sheafor taught the class that now bears his name.

Elinor Remick Warren's distinguished career as a composer, concert pianist, and accompanist for renowned singers spanned seventy-five years of American musical history. She began writing music in 1904 at age four. Her first published composition, a song, was accepted by G. Schirmer in 1916. Thereafter, her compositions appeared regularly through 1990. Her full oeuvre is cataloged here along with performance information, discography, and review and critical commentary, all of which is carefully documented, cross-referenced, and indexed. A biographical sketch is supplemented by a long interview conducted by the author with Warren four years before the composer's death in 1991. Among the useful appendixes are textual sources for Warren's many vocal compositions.

'I see my story as a suite of songs that have a magical connection. I never understood that connection until I sat down to write. It was then that the magic started to flow.' Let Love Rule is a work of deep reflection. Lenny Kravitz looks back at his life with candor, self-scrutiny, and humour. 'My life is all about opposites,' he writes. 'Black and white. Jewish and Christian. The Jackson 5 and Led Zeppelin. I accepted my Gemini soul. I owned it. I adored it. Yins and yangs mingled in various parts of my heart and mind, giving me balance and fueling my curiosity and comfort.' Let Love Rule covers a vast canvas stretching from Manhattan's Upper East Side, Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant, Los Angeles's Baldwin Hills, Beverly Hills, and finally to France, England and Germany. It's the story of a wildly creative kid who, despite tough struggles at school and extreme tension at home, finds salvation in music. We see him grow as a musician and ultimately a master songwriter, producer, and performer. We also see Lenny's spiritual growth-and the powerful way in which spirit informs his music. The cast of characters surrounding Lenny is extraordinary: his father, Sy, a high-powered news executive; his mother, Roxie Roker, a television star; and Lisa Bonet, the young actress who becomes his muse. The central character, of course, is Lenny, who, despite his great aspirational energy, turns down record deal after record deal until he finds his true voice.The creation of that voice, the same voice that is able to declare 'Let Love Rule' to an international audience, is the very heart of this story. 'Whether recording, performing, or writing a book,' says Lenny, 'my art is about listening to the inspiration inside and then sharing it with people. Art must bring the world closer together.'