Tags:art
Moguls
The incredible true story of the most powerful brothers in Hollywood history—an wildly entertaining saga studded with glamorous stars, scandals, mobsters, murders, and one legendary blond bombshell. . . . They were the Godfathers of the Movies. Groundbreaking pioneers of the Hollywood Dream Factory, Joseph and Nicholas Schenck may not have been household names like the Warner brothers or Louis B. Mayer, but they were infinitely more powerful, influential—and ruthless. A pair of Russian immigrants with giant ambitions, the Schencks turned their small nickelodeon business in New York’s Bowery into a partnership with Loew’s movie theaters and a controlling interest in three major studios: MGM, 20th Century Fox, and United Artists. They painted the silver screen silver, laid the foundations for the all-powerful studio system, and ruled a global movie empire from their Gatsby-sized mansions on the East and West coasts. The Schencks had become moguls. Their story is the stuff of legends—and their scandals are among the greatest stories Hollywood never told. This riveting, behind-the-scenes account reveals the suprising truth about: * The union-busting mob deal that landed Joe Schenck in federal prison for four years—on tax evasion charges including deductions for a menage a trois. * The cutthroat and merciless political maneuvering that defined the Hollywood studio heads. * The lurid murder charges against silent film star “Fatty” Arbuckle—whose legal defense was paid for by Joe Schenck. * Joe’s secret infatuation with Marilyn Monroe, even though Marilyn’s mother named her Norma after Joe’s wife! * The brothers’ ingenious creation of the Academy of Motion Pictures and the Oscars—and indomitable control over the entire film industry. From the earliest days of silent films and the swinging era of the Roaring Twenties, through the Golden Age of the studio system and the patriotic call of WWII, to the Red Scare paranoia of the McCarthy years, the history of the Schenck brothers is the story of Hollywood itself—and the endurng power of the American Dream. Moguls is a must-read for film fans, history buffs, and anyone who loves the movies.
If You Only Knew
The true-crime story of an alcoholic Michigan millionaire and his bizarre death, by the New York Times bestselling author of I'd Kill For You.When Vonlee “Nicole” Titlow and her aunt, Billie Jean Rogers, came home from a night of gambling in a casino near Detroit, they told police they found Billie's husband unconscious on the floor of the Rogers' mansion. Just another of his alcoholic benders, they assumed. But this time, Donald Rogers didn't wake up.The investigation would reveal the sordid story behind the death of a self-made millionaire—including transgender adventures in Chicago and Denver, a tangled web of dueling addictions, a mind-boggling history of out-of-control spending, and how a gender confirmation surgery may have fueled a motive for murder. Renowned investigative journalist M. William Phelps exposes the riveting details behind one of the most astonishing real-life thrillers to date.Praise for M. William Phelps“One of America's finest true-crime writers.” —Vincent Bugliosi, New York Times bestselling author of Helter Skelter“Phelps is the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers.” —Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author of Tell No LiesIncludes sixteen pages of shocking photos
One Breath Away
The true-crime story of a Florida woman's violent downfall from viral fame, by the New York Times bestselling author of She Survived: Jane.When she was fifteenn, Jennifer Mee developed an unrelenting case of the hiccups—hiccupping as many as fifty times a minute for months. Soon the Florida teen's strange story went viral. Dubbed the “Hiccup Girl” by the media, she gained international sympathy and appeared on a slew of popular TV shows. Eventually, Jennifer's hiccups went away—and so did her fame.Depressed and craving affection, Jennifer hooked up with the wrong people and slipped into drug dealing and street life—a downward spiral that led to the murder of an innocent young man. Now, renowned investigative journalist M. William Phelps expertly recounts Jennifer's shocking true story of thwarted desires, betrayed trust, and deadly manipulation.Praise for M. William Phelps“One of America's finest true-crime writers.” —Vincent Bugliosi, New York Times bestselling author of Helter Skelter“Phelps is the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers.” —Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author of Tell No LiesIncludes sixteen pages of dramatic photos
Obsessed
The New York Times bestselling author of Bad Girls tells the true-crime tale of a Connecticut woman who became a real-life Fatal Attraction.Sheila Davalloo was young, attractive, and successful. When she started a new job at a cutting-edge research lab in Stamford, Connecticut, she met the man of her dreams. Nelson Sessler had no idea how violently Sheila would react when he began seeing a co-worker, Anna Lisa Raymundo. Sheila eliminated her rival in a bloody knife attack—and then turned her rage on another victim she saw as an obstacle to her passions. M. Williams Phelps recounts the riveting story of a white-collar love triangle gone horribly wrong . . . and the terrifying infatuation that drove one woman to kill.Praise for Obsessed“True-crime junkies will be sated by the latest thriller from Phelps, which focuses on a fatal love triangle that definitely proved to be stranger than fiction. The police work undertaken to solve the case is recounted with the right amount of detail, and readers will be rewarded with shocking television-worthy twists in a story with inherent drama.” —Publishers WeeklyIncludes sixteen pages of dramatic photos
I'd Kill For You
A dark fantasy game turns to real-life murder in this true crime classic by the New York Times–bestselling author—featuring interviews with the killer. After her mother’s untimely death, college student Clara Schwartz became distant and withdrawn. But the drama surrounding her family was far from over. In December of 2001, her father Robert—a nationally renowned DNA researcher—was fatally stabbed by what seemed to be a ninja-style sword. Police arrested eighteen-year-old Kyle Hulbert, a troubled teen . . . and aspiring vampire. Kyle had not acted alone, however. He was a close friend of Clara's, one of a circle obsessed with role-playing games. Drawing on exclusive interviews with the killer, bestselling author M. William Phelps reveals a frightening subculture, the tragic collision of two young people’s dark worlds, and its deadly consequences. Includes sixteen pages of dramatic photos
Spy x Family: The Official Anime Guide—Mission Report: 220409-0625
Discover the secrets behind the Forger family in Spy x Family: The Official Anime Guide—Mission Report: 220409-0625. This companion guide to the first 12 episodes of the hugely popular anime based on the manga series by Tatsuya Endo provides readers with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the creation of this comedic and action-packed anime series. Sketches, storyboards, and special interviews with the production team show how the world of Loid, Anya, and Yor was carefully crafted by the animators. Tatsuya Endo also provides commentary about his experience with the anime’s production. -- VIZ Media
How to Stay Smart in a Smart World
'Enlightening, impassioned, powerful' The Times From dating apps and self-driving cars to facial recognition and the justice system, the increasing presence of AI has been widely championed - but there are limitations and risks too. In this book Gigerenzer shows how humans are often the greatest source of uncertainty and when people are involved, unwavering trust in complex algorithms can become a recipe for disaster. We need, now more than ever, to arm ourselves with knowledge that will help us make better decisions in a digital age.Filled with practical examples and cutting-edge research, How to Stay Smart in a Smart World examines the growing role of AI at all levels of daily life with refreshing clarity. This book is a life raft in a sea of information and an urgent invitation to actively shape the world in which we want to live.'Masterful ... an essential read' Gary Klein, author of Sources of Power'One of the world's most eminent psychologists' Spectator
Simple Heuristics that Make Us Smart
Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart invites readers to embark on a new journey into a land of rationality that differs from the familiar territory of cognitive science and economics. Traditional views of rationality tend to see decision makers as possessing superhuman powers of reason, limitless knowledge, and all of eternity in which to ponder choices. To understand decisions in the real world, we need a different, more psychologically plausible notion of rationality, and this book provides it. It is about fast and frugal heuristics--simple rules for making decisions when time is pressing and deep thought an unaffordable luxury. These heuristics can enable both living organisms and artificial systems to make smart choices, classifications, and predictions by employing bounded rationality. But when and how can such fast and frugal heuristics work? Can judgments based simply on one good reason be as accurate as those based on many reasons? Could less knowledge even lead to systematically better predictions than more knowledge? Simple Heuristics explores these questions, developing computational models of heuristics and testing them through experiments and analyses. It shows how fast and frugal heuristics can produce adaptive decisions in situations as varied as choosing a mate, dividing resources among offspring, predicting high school drop out rates, and playing the stock market. As an interdisciplinary work that is both useful and engaging, this book will appeal to a wide audience. It is ideal for researchers in cognitive psychology, evolutionary psychology, and cognitive science, as well as in economics and artificial intelligence. It will also inspire anyone interested in simply making good decisions.
Classification in the Wild
Rules for building formal models that use fast-and-frugal heuristics, extending the psychological study of classification to the real world of uncertainty.This book focuses on classification--allocating objects into categories--"in the wild," in real-world situations and far from the certainty of the lab. In the wild, unlike in typical psychological experiments, the future is not knowable and uncertainty cannot be meaningfully reduced to probability. Connecting the science of heuristics with machine learning, the book shows how to create formal models using classification rules that are simple, fast, and transparent and that can be as accurate as mathematically sophisticated algorithms developed for machine learning.
The Second Life
In this visionary and thought-provoking novel, author Ranjot Chahal takes readers on a journey into the digital realm, exploring the possibility of a second life beyond the physical world. The story follows the life of Harv, a man who becomes obsessed with the idea of eternal life and creates a digital world called Alive Planet 2050, where people can upload their souls and live forever.As Harv's dream becomes a reality, he faces numerous challenges and setbacks, including opposition from those who believe in the natural order of life and death. When the company is attacked by hackers and the servers fail, the fate of the digital world hangs in the balance. But with the help of a dedicated team, including the CEO Ranjot Chahal, Harv is able to rebuild the company and continue his quest for eternal life."The Second Life: A Story of Alive Planet" is a captivating and imaginative novel that raises thought-provoking questions about the nature of life, death, and the human experience. It challenges readers to consider what it truly means to live forever and what the consequences of such a reality might be. With beautiful prose and a gripping plot, this novel is a must-read for anyone interested in science fiction, philosophy, and the human condition.
Mummy’s Little Angels
Losing a child is a mother’s worst nightmare, but when you lose two children – your innocent sons – at the hands of the man they should have trusted the most, it’s almost unimaginable.For Denise Williams this was her reality – her very real nightmare. In her harrowing yet inspiring memoir, she tells her personal story of falling under the spell of her control-freak husband, suffering a decade of domestic violence, finding the strength to leave and then his despicable act of revenge. Denise endured agonising grief and heavy guilt, but she has slowly rebuilt her life without her beautiful boys – learning to live, love and trust again.This is her heartbreaking memoir.
If You Love Me: True love. True terror. True story.
'You said I was the perfect boyfriend. If you can prove you really love me, perhaps I can be that way again.' This is the chilling true story of a woman trapped in a devastating relationship as she tries to prove her love – over and over again. Within days of spending their first evening together, Alice and Joe were talking about getting married and spending the rest of their lives with each other. Everything about Joe seemed perfect, and Alice was the happiest she’d ever been. Then one day Joe saw a message on her phone from an old love, and that changed everything. He ignored Alice’s explanations and desperate pleas. And soon the violence and abuse began. As she attempted to prove to Joe that he really was her world, Alice gave up everything that mattered to her, including her family, her friends and her job. But still it wasn’t enough. Then the ‘challenges’ started, and finally Alice dared to hope that this time, maybe this time, Joe might just believe she loved him ...