When Alby was born into poverty on Christmas Day 1940, one would think his biggest challenge to overcome would be hunger. But as Alby matured and began attending school, no one-not even his teachers-realized he was harboring a shameful secret. Alby could not read and he had no idea why. In a powerful, inspirational retelling of his journey through life, Alby candidly details how he managed to develop self-worth and a positive attitude despite living in poverty, foster homes, and juvenile detention, and navigating his way through a school system where teachers did not recognize his inability to pronounce or write words. In a narrative devoid of self-pity or blame, Alby reveals how, at age fifty-five, he finally revealed his secret, discovered he had dyslexia, and eventually learned to read. Through it all, Al provides testament to the power of perseverance and hope for anyone struggling with dyslexia, adversity, or a disability.

A story of poverty to success. As a little girl, Sugar Lee lived in a rat infested home and ate out of the garbage. But, as an adult, found success and helped others do the same. Read the story to learn how Dr. Lewis gave the word "hustle" a new meaning.

The second volume of this authoritative biography of America's first admiral examines the last ten years of David Glasgow Farragut's life, which included the ever-fascinating period of the Civil War. Farragut was as carefully methodical in preparation for battle as he was fearlessly swift in the execution of his plans. In Our First Admiral, the reader will learn of gross inefficiency and waste in the conduct of war, in the North as well as the South; of jealous ambition and malicious criticism; of lukewarm support of the government, lack of cooperation between the Army and Navy, and the inroads upon morale made by war weariness and disease, all of which tried Farragut's courage as much as the enemy in battle. Farragut was a practical resourceful leader with vision and intuition (a rare combination), a courageous hard-hitting fighter who hated war, and a deeply religious man with an exuberant spirit and love of fellowship who was also exceedingly loyal to the Navy and his country. Though he was small in physical stature, Farragut was tall indeed in the fundamental characteristics of true manhood.

The first volume of Lewis' biography covers David Glasgow Farragut's long career in the navy before the Civil War. He was about sixty years old when that war began, and had accordingly lived through that long transitional period from sail to steam. As a lad he had served with Porter in the Essex on her glorious cruise which ended in bloody defeat at Valparaiso; he had repeatedly cruised in the Mediterranean; he hunted pirates in the Caribbean and had almost died of yellow fever; he had become familiar with the coast of Mexico and was present when the French bombarded the Castle of San Juan de Ulloa at Vera Cruz; he had often cruised into Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and Rio de Janeiro when revolution and anarchy threatened those cities; he had been on a man-of-war at Charleston when nullification threatened the union; he had participated in the Mexican War; he had established the Mare Island Navy Yard; and he commanded the steam sloop of war Brooklyn. Meanwhile he had slowly risen up the ladder of promotion from midshipman to captain, then the highest rank in the United States Navy.

A fascinating look at the history of Sun Records, the label that started Rock n' Roll, told through 70 of its iconic recordings. In Memphis, Tennessee, in the 1950s, there was hard-edged blues playing on Beale Street, and hillbilly boogie on the outskirts of town. But at Sam Phillips' Sun Records studio on Union Avenue, there was something different going on - a whole lotta shakin', rockin', and rollin'. This is where rock 'n' roll was born. Sun Records: the company that launched Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, and Carl Perkins. The label that brought the world, "Blue Suede Shoes," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," "Breathless," "I Walk the Line," "Mystery Train," "Good Rockin' Tonight." The Birth of Rock 'n' Roll: 70 Years of Sun Records is the official history of this legendary label, and looks at its story in a unique way: through the lens of 70 of its most iconic recordings. From the early days with primal blues artists like Howlin' Wolf and B.B. King to long nights in the studio with Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis, you will see how the label was shaped and how it redefined American music. Accompanying the recordings is the label's origin story and a look at the mission of the label today, as well as "Sun Spot" sidebars--a fascinating dive into subjects such as how the iconic logo was created, the legendary Million Dollar Quartet sessions, and how the song "Harper Valley, PTA" funded the purchase of the label. Written by two of the most acclaimed music writers of our time, Peter Guralnick and Colin Escott, and featuring hundreds of rare images from the Sun archives as well as a foreword by music legend Jerry Lee Lewis, this is a one-of-a-kind book for anyone who wants to know where it all started.

When Alby was born into poverty on Christmas Day 1940, one would think his biggest challenge to overcome would be hunger. But as Alby matured and began attending school, no one-not even his teachers-realized he was harboring a shameful secret. Alby could not read and he had no idea why. In a powerful, inspirational retelling of his journey through life, Alby candidly details how he managed to develop self-worth and a positive attitude despite living in poverty, foster homes, and juvenile detention, and navigating his way through a school system where teachers did not recognize his inability to pronounce or write words. In a narrative devoid of self-pity or blame, Alby reveals how, at age fifty-five, he finally revealed his secret, discovered he had dyslexia, and eventually learned to read. Through it all, Al provides testament to the power of perseverance and hope for anyone struggling with dyslexia, adversity, or a disability.