‘Fascinating and authoritative’ The Daily Express Sunday Times bestselling author Sean Smith tells the extraordinary story of a modern cultural icon: Harry Styles. Harry Styles has grown up. The One Direction boy-band member so loved by millions has become a truly global superstar and genuine icon of our times. In this captivating biography for fans from day one as well as a whole new generation, bestselling author Sean Smith follows the journey of a thoroughly modern man with boundless charisma, who represents a better world devoid of prejudice. At 16, Harry’s life changed forever when he left his home in rural Cheshire to appear on The X Factor – and never went back. Harry Styles: The Making of a Modern Man paints a picture of a man who at times remains an enigma, while embracing the world he cares about – his family, his friends and lovers, his music, acting and the world of fashion. Harry is the only British male artist to have his first two albums debut at number one in the US; his movie career is flourishing with starring roles in Don’t Worry Darling and My Policeman, and he is the first man to appear solo on the cover of Vogue. A champion of gender-fluid fashion, he has proved himself to be an inspiring role model in a world where toxic masculinity has no place. In troubling and uncertain times, Harry Styles lives by his own mantra, which would benefit us all – ‘Treat People with Kindness’.

KYLIE is a major new biography, telling the life story of Kylie Minogue, a true pop icon, now back on our screens in hit show The Voice. Everybody loves Kylie. No popular figure in modern culture deserves the description 'iconic' more than the star whose name alone evokes more than twenty-five years of memories. KYLIE charts the incredible journey of a complex and misunderstood woman from the suburbs of Melbourne, who was never the girl next door. She captured our hearts as Charlene Mitchell in Neighboursbefore rising to her position today as a member of music royalty. She is more popular than ever thanks to her acclaimed role as a judge on The Voice. Her phenomenal success was threatened in 2005, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The world held its breath as she braved surgery and chemotherapy before she was given the all clear. Her honesty and dignity throughout gained her universal respect and improved awareness of the disease among young women - the Kylie Effect. KYLIE is the essential book for those wanting to learn more about how she has continually reinvented herself - as teen actress, chart star, creative musician, sex goddess, gay icon, style queen and female role model. It reveals her true loves, the men who have brought her disappointment and those that have helped her achieve the status of most popular female icon of our times. KYLIE is an inspirational celebration of a star we should never take for granted.

Meghan Misunderstood is a pioneering book that sets the record straight on the most talked about, unfairly vilified and misrepresented woman in the world. Meghan Markle was eleven when she first advocated for women's rights; a teenager when she worked in a soup kitchen feeding the homeless; a popular actress when she campaigned for clean water in Africa and passionately championed gender equality in a speech to a United Nations Women's Conference. Even before she met Prince Harry, hers was an extraordinarily accomplished life. Meghan's wedding to Harry was a joyful occasion, marking happiness at last for the Queen's grandson who had captured our hearts twenty years earlier when he bravely walked behind his mother Diana's coffin. Theirs was a story that the screenwriters of Hollywood - where Meghan had made her name - could scarcely have imagined. The rom-com fantasy, however, soon turned into disturbing drama: any expectation of a life happily-ever-after was cruelly dashed by bullying tabloid newspapers and their allies, both on social media and within the walls of the Palace itself. Meghan was targeted for her gender, her race, her nationality and her profession. The abuse became so bad that seventy-two female MPs signed a letter of solidarity against the 'often distasteful and misleading press', calling out the 'outdated colonial undertones' of the stories. Now, Sean Smith, the UK's leading celebrity biographer, pulls no punches as he reveals the remarkable and powerful story of this self-made, intelligent American woman with a strong social conscience who has made such an impact on our lives.

Adele touches the hearts of millions of people who love her for her music and share the real and honest emotion she brings to each and every song. In a cynical age, she is a phenomenon. In Adele, bestselling biographer Sean Smith talks to those close to her as he follows her astonishing journey to fame that began on the gritty streets of Tottenham. Through compelling new research and interviews, he reveals that there is far more to Adele than the superstar we all think we know. He uncovers the story of her complex family relationships; the ill-starred love affair between her mother and father; her devastation at the untimely death of her grandfather; and her seemingly unpromising future in a gang-ravaged area of South London. She found salvation at the BRIT School before a series of unhappy love affairs provided the inspiration for her record-breaking albums. He describes how she conquered America and how it all could have been ended by a dramatic vocal injury. Instead, she has made an amazing comeback and found personal happiness in a new relationship and becoming a mum. Intimate and revealing, Adele is the uplifting story of the woman with the most glorious voice in the world.

'Compelling new biography' Daily Express 'Fascinating stories' Daily Mirror 'A well-researched, entertaining look at Ed Sheeran ... Sheeran fans will relish this well-told biography.' Publishers Weekly Ed Sheeran is a true inspiration. His moving and uplifting songs forge a lasting connection with the millions of people around the world who love him and his music. He was the thirteen-year-old guitarist in a school rock band when he decided to become a singer-songwriter, even though he could barely hold a tune and had never written a song. Within a year, he had recorded an album in his bedroom. Bestselling biographer Sean Smith traces the astonishing journey of the shy little boy with a stammer who, avoiding flashy showmanship, grew up to be a global phenomenon. Through compelling new research and interviews, he tells the story of Ed's remarkable mum and dad who gave their son the courage to pursue his dream, the friends and mentors who encouraged him and the lovers who inspired his most famous songs. Smith describes the setbacks Ed faced before his fortunes were transformed by Elton John's management company, a record deal and a song that changed everything - with a little help from Taylor Swift. Ed found it difficult to cope with the world at his feet, but a new relationship with a girl from his home town has brought him happiness and a fresh purpose in life. Now he is the most successful solo star on the planet, earning GBP83 million last year. Yet in the middle of his record-breaking 2018 UK tour, he played for just 400 people at a charity night to raise money for the homeless. As this captivating book reveals, there's no one quite like Ed.

This new, updated paperback edition of the first full length major biography of one of pop's biggest stars addresses the questions millions of fans have always wanted to ask. The answers will surprise and delight as ROBBIE: THE BIOGRAPHY chronicles the triumphs and disasters of an unlikely lad from Stoke on Trent on the rocky path to his unrivalled position as the nation's number one entertainer. After a mixed response to his last two albums and a break from live performances, Robbie returned with his 2009 comeback album 'Reality Killed the Video Star' before he later announced a reunion with Take That which became the pop music story of the year. Despite his celebrity profile, the real Robert Peter Williams has remained an enigma. Using exhaustive research and exclusive interviews, author Sean Smith examines the many stages in Robbie's life and career and reveals how he became the superstar he is today. ROBBIE: THE BIOGRAPHY, fully illustrated, is the must have music book of the year.

George is the story of two extraordinary lives - the private man and the public legend. Georgios Panayiotou was just eighteen when he decided to adopt the stage name of George Michael. Sometimes his two worlds would collide with shattering consequences. Bestselling biographer Sean Smith has gone back to the neighbourhoods of North London to trace the astonishing journey of a sensitive but determined boy who grew up to be one of the biggest British pop stars of all time. Along the way, he talks to those close to George, revealing the real man - funny, articulate, intelligent and generous spirited - who hid behind the powerful image he created. He reveals the complex relationship with his high-achieving Greek-Cypriot father; the unconditional love of his mother; his teenage relationships with girls; and his first tragic love affair with another man. George's career began falteringly with a schoolboy band, exploded with Wham! before he became a solo phenomenon. But at the height of his fame, the world seemed to turn against him. Smith describes his despair at losing the two people who mattered most, how he sought consolation in drugs, his notorious 'coming out' and how he ended up in jail. His health failed him and he died heartbreakingly alone on Christmas Day, 2016. Affectionate yet honest and moving, George is both a celebration of George Michael's music and a lasting tribute to a decent and much-loved man.

'Get the inside scoop on all things Spice!' OK! Magazine 'A compelling new book' Daily Express From the moment they burst into our lives, the Spice Girls have inspired millions around the world. Emma, Geri, Melanie C, Mel B and Victoria were adored and admired in equal measure. Their determination, fierce independence and Girl Power philosophy have motivated generation after generation of young women. Sunday Times bestselling biographer Sean Smith reveals what life was really like for the fab five, before and after they found fame - the ups and downs, personal conflicts, break-ups and controversies, health issues and trials of parenthood. Baby, Ginger, Sporty, Scary and Posh have always been so much more than their iconic image. They conquered a male dominated music industry, raised twelve children between them while, over the years, their reunion tours have led to renewed outpourings of affection and excitement: the story of five ordinary women achieving extraordinary things is as wonderfully resonant and powerful as ever.

Alesha Dixon has one of the most incredible stories of any star, yet she remains an enigma. Behind the fabulous smile and signature laugh is a private woman whose childhood was blighted by domestic violence, poverty and a lack of confidence. As a beautiful young woman, she has struggled to overcome professional failure and the devastating effect of her husband's infidelity. The UK's leading celebrity biographer Sean Smith has travelled to her home town to uncover the truth about her upbringing, her unconditional love for her mother, her loyalty to her extended family, her feud with her elder brother and her unsettled relationship with her Jamaican father, who left home for good when she was four. He discovers a sensitive and secretive woman, who managed to keep her long-term relationship with a member of one of the country's best-known boy bands hidden from public scrutiny. For the first time that love affair can now be revealed. He examines the circumstances that led to the break-up of her marriage to rapper MC Harvey and the effect that unhappy time has had on her life. Aleshadescribes a roller-coaster career that began when she was 'discovered' at a dance class in Central London. She achieved huge early success with Mis-Teeq, who had seven consecutive top ten hits before their record label went bust. Her subsequent solo career stalled when she was dropped by Polydor before her debut album was even released, but she turned things around with a spectacular victory on Strictly Come Dancing. Sean Smith lays bare her subsequent TV career, including the row over her appointment as a judge on the programme, as well as her triumphant switch to Britain's Got Talentin 2012. Aleshais the dramatic and uplifting account of her journey from a humble start in life and how she overcame all obstacles in her way to become an inspiration to women everywhere.

Bestselling biographer Sean Smith takes on the world's number one reality star, Kim Kardashian West. This is the ultimate insight into the reality behind the woman who has defined fame in our modern culture - her childhood, her family, her turbulent love life and the multi-millionaire lifestyle. Kim Kardashian West is a thoroughly modern woman. She enjoyed a privileged upbringing in a Beverley Hills mansion and, ironically, her childhood ambition was to appear in the long-running US reality series Real World. Instead she became the star of Keeping Up With the Kardashians while her own life story read like an X rated version of Dynasty...murder, elopement, domestic violence, sex tape, quickie divorce, churchgoing and impossibly glamorous designer dresses. Now married to one of the biggest stars on the planet, Kanye West, she has begun her own dynasty with the birth of daughter, North, and her son, Saint. In a world that follows her every move, Sean Smith uncovers what it took to get her to the top and how she intends to stay there. From her Armenian heritage and devotion to her family to the fabulous fashions and a body to die for, this is the truth behind the undisputed Queen of celebrity - the real story.

In the past before improving technologies allowed for the direct observation of brain activity, brain damaged patients were a prime avenue for understanding language structure and inferring back to brain function. Now with the rapid developments in neuroscience, what has been discovered about the brain can inform our view of language allowing us to build hypotheses about the role particular brain regions perform in language use. Brain damaged patients thus become populations which serve as test cases. While technologies in neuroscience have improved, so has our understanding and techniques for observing and analyzing social and communicative behavior. FTD patients have right hemisphere, frontal and temporal pole atrophy which leaves their cognitive abilities intact, but their social interactions impaired and their personalities changed. The description of FTD as a pathological change in social behavior provides the motivation in this volume to apply ethnomethodological and conversation analytic approaches to the organization of patients' interactions. These approaches do more than document the disease and its effects on loved ones by revealing phenomena that can be analyzed empirically as causing systematic changes in the patients' social interactions. This volume opens with a discussion of the frontal lobes and their expected involvement in language use and social interaction. Several chapters then use conversation analysis to examine a range of FTD social behaviors in real-world interactions both in and outside of the clinic. The remaining chapters show how the ethnomethodological approach applied throughout the book can be helpful in better understanding the neurobiology of discourse, the process of socialization, and the role of social motives and moral emotions in maintaining relationships.

""My name is Justin. I guess I should go ahead and tell you I sing."

-- Justin Timberlake at age eleven"

The meteoric rise of Justin Timberlake from one-fifth of boy band *NSYNC to one of the world's top male solo artists has been nothing short of extraordinary. But how did this precocious curly-haired boy from the Tennessee Bible Belt and former Mickey Mouse Club member transform himself into "The New King of Pop" "(Rolling Stone)" and one of the most respected young R & B artists around?

Bestselling author Sean Smith has traveled across the country to discover the real Justin. Through a series of exclusive interviews, he assembles a rich portrait of Justin's rural childhood outside Memphis, the talent show years, the Mickey Mouse Club era -- when he met Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera -- the rise of *NSYNC, and the breakthrough solo album, "Justified," that brought Timberlake critical acclaim and superstar status all his own.

"Justin: The Unauthorized Biography" also uncovers the truth about the women in Justin's life -- from first love all the way to Cameron Diaz -- and offers fascinating insights on why his first three serious relationships, including his most famous affair with Britney, ended with Justin crying "she cheated!"

With over twenty pages of full-color photographs, an exclusive birth chart, complete discography, and updates on his thrilling new film-acting career, "Justin: The Unauthorized Biography" is a must-have biography of the man the NME has dubbed "the coolest man in pop."

In the past before improving technologies allowed for the direct observation of brain activity, brain damaged patients were a prime avenue for understanding language structure and inferring back to brain function. Now with the rapid developments in neuroscience, what we do know about the brain can inform us about language allowing us to build hypotheses about the role particular brain regions perform in language use. Brain damaged patients thus become populations which serve as test cases. In this volume, the researchers focus on the interactions of frontotemporal dementia patients. These patients have right hemisphere, frontal and temporal pole atrophy which leaves their cognitive abilities intact, but their social interactions impaired and their personalities changed. The volume opens with a discussion of the frontal lobes and their expected contributions to language as a tool for social interaction. Then a conversation analytic approach is applied to analyze what changes in the structure of interaction lead to a sense that the interactions are impaired or inappropriate. Finally, the volume ends with a look forward to what FTD contributes to our understanding of human sociality and what has been gained in our understanding of the brain and language.

The first comprehensive adult biography of the beloved, redheaded "Shape of You" songster, complete with exclusive interviews and all-new research!