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Books > Biography > General
Rob Deering has been listening to music his whole life, but it was
only in his mid-thirties that - much to his surprise - he found
himself falling in love with the hugely popular, nearly perfect,
sometimes preposterous activity of running In this vividly conjured
collection, Rob shares stories of when a run, a place and a tune
come together in a life-defining moment. His adventures in running
have spanned four continents, fifteen marathons and numberless
miles of park and pavement, and the carefully chosen music
streaming through his headphones has spurred him forward
throughout. What makes the perfect running tune? Where can you find
the best routes, even in an unfamiliar town? Why do people put
themselves through marathons? In Running Tracks, Rob Deering shares
his sometimes surprising answers to these questions, and explains
how a hobby became an obsession that changed his life forever.
Baek Sehee could never have predicted how many people I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki would reach across the world. A runaway bestseller in South Korea, Japan, China, Indonesia and the UK, this record of conversations with her therapist demonstrated the realities of anxiety and depression in a uniquely intimate way.
But Baek's battle with dysthymia did not end there. Grappling with mental health is an everyday struggle.
In I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki, Baek's experiences become more complex, as she demonstrates that striving contentment is an ongoing journey.
Paris Nights: My Year at the Moulin Rouge opens with a bored
twenty-seven-year old Cliff Simon staring out at the ocean from his
beachfront house, wishing he was somewhere else. Gavin Mills
telephones him from Paris inviting him to join him at the iconic
Moulin Rouge. Cliff sells everything he owns, leaving Johannesburg,
South Africa for the City of Lights. He learns that his spot at the
Moulin is not guaranteed and is forced to audition. Making the
grade, he is put into can can school before he is allowed into the
company. His adrenaline is pumping from excitement and fear, both
of which he has faced before. Taking a look back, we see
twelve-year-old Cliff helming a racing dinghy in the midst of a
thunderstorm on the Vaal River. His father yells at him not to be a
sissy, and he brings the boat back to shore alone. We then travel
to London with his family escaping the tumult of Apartheid. He
trains for the Olympics, but drops out, enrolling in the South
African military where he subjected to harsh treatment and name
calling Fokken Jood. After a honorable discharge, he works in
cabaret at seaside resorts and is recruited as a gymnast in a
cabaret, where he realizes that the stage is his destiny. The
memoir fast forwards to Cliffs meteoric rise at the Moulin from
swing dancer to principal in Formidable. Off stage he gets into
fights with street thugs, hangs out with diamond smugglers, and has
his pick of gorgeous women. With a year at the Moulin to his
credit, doors open for him internationally and back in South
Africa. He earns a starring role in Egoli: Place of Gold, and
marries his long-time girlfriend, Colette. On their honeymoon to
Paris, Cliff says, Merci Paris for the best year of my life.
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