This book focuses on the lives, careers, and musical contributions of American pianists from the very beginnings of the nation until the present day. Pianists are each given an entry exploring their life’s work—relevant biographical details, musical career, and impact on American musical culture—as well as a list and brief discussion of existing and available recordings, if any. Also included are important collaborative pianists—none of whom have ever appeared in any volume on classical pianists—and pedagogues, some of whom never had significant performing careers but produced important students. The book functions in an encyclopedic A - Z format, and an introduction situates these pianists into historical trends. Research for entries will be based on archival research, period newspapers, interviews with living pianists, and other primary sources. In addition to historical pianists, current active performers are included, such as Jeremy Denk and Marilyn Nonken. The book also spotlights historical women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ pianists who either never had the opportunity to win widespread acclaim but were top notch performers or who achieved important careers against heavy odds but were soon forgotten after their deaths. Some examples include Augusta Cottlow, a Busoni pupil who toured widely in the early 20th century and was Harry Truman’s favorite pianist; George Copeland, an openly gay Bostonian who studied with Debussy and was one of the first to perform the Frenchman’s works in the United States in the early 20th century; Natalie Hinderas, a mid-20th century African American pianist who was the first African American to perform a concerto on a subscription concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra and recorded a disc of piano music by African American composers for Desto in the 1970s. This book will provide a comprehensive view of the depth and breadth of American pianistic achievement up to the present day and will serve as the most up-to-date work for piano departments, music libraries, researchers, and interested pianophiles. This project will be overseen by an editorial advisory board: Thomas Riis (University of Colorado at Boulder, founder and former director of the American Music Research Center), Hsiang Tu (Virginia Tech), Kiyoshi Tamagawa (Southwestern University), Sarah Rushing (West Texas A&M University) Peter Elliott (RCA Records).

How might we improve the way we organize society, so that human beings can live in greater peace, dignity and justice? Against a background of chronic discontent and social conflict around the globe, Richard Masters presents a comprehensive survey of Rudolf Steiner's work on societal reform, sifting through and summarizing the content of dozens of books, lectures and discussions. Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) is not known today for his social thinking, but he wrote and spoke at length on such issues during and after WWI, engaging with audiences ranging from royalty, politicians and business owners to illiterate, dispossessed factory workers. Central to his ideas was his 'threefold' approach to politics, economics and culture, arguing that their roles should be clarified and the three spheres allowed to thrive independently. Drawing on the full range of source material - including much not yet available in English - the author reveals the continuing relevance of Steiner's work to our contemporary situation. With an emphasis on accessibility, he builds up the subject methodically, studying the main ideas from differing perspectives. He also provides candid reflections on the degree to which Steiner's proposals are still applicable to current policy and practice. Authoritative and yet jargon-free, Rudolf Steiner and Social Reform offers innovative and stimulating ideas for anyone concerned with the state of our world.

If you're not getting laid, it's your own damn fault. There is no candy coating for your male ego, or allowing for excuses in order to soften the message in this book. This book contains facts about what it takes to succeed with women. If you're looking for a kind and gentle nudge in the right direction, this may not be the book for you. If you want hard hitting, guaranteed methods to improve your prowess with the ladies, you really can't afford not to read this book. Richard Master pulls no punches as he explains why simply wanting to have sex with a woman is not enough. You've got to work at evaluating yourself, and correcting your weaknesses. His advice is right on with tips about hygiene, clothes, conversation and even how to correctly touch a woman when it's time to turn up the heat. If you've always wondered what makes women like me go from, "absolutely not" to "oh my god," you'll want to be sure to pay close attention.