John Hendrickson Livres

A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • USA TODAY BOOK CLUB PICK • ONE OF AUDIBLE'S BEST BIOS AND MEMOIRS OF 2023 • “A raw, intimate look at [Hendrickson's] life with a stutter. It’s a profoundly moving book that will reshape the way you think about people living with this condition.”—Esquire This candid memoir chronicles a lifelong struggle to communicate. In the fall of 2019, John Hendrickson wrote a pivotal article for The Atlantic about Joe Biden's journey with stuttering, which also mirrored his own. The article resonated widely, prompting Hendrickson to confront his pain and connect with others who stutter. In this reported memoir, he delves into the complexities of his condition, addressing bullying, substance abuse, depression, and isolation. Hendrickson revisits key figures from his past through unguarded interviews, providing an intimate look at his childhood, journalism career, and search for love. He explores the evolution of speech therapy, the controversial quest for a “magic pill” to end stuttering, and the self-help movement within the stuttering community. Alongside his own experiences, he shares stories of fellow stutterers and highlights a pioneering doctor reshaping speech therapy. This memoir is a powerful testament to perseverance and a journey toward self-acceptance.

A showcase for the world's most magnificent birds of prey—eagles, hawks, falcons, owls, and vultures—this comprehensive volume offers an exciting glimpse into the world of raptors, their unique adaptations, and their remarkable ability to survive despite growing threats to their environment. Compiled from data collected by the author during more than 30 years of researching, tracking, photographing, and writing about birds of prey, the book provides a complete resource on raptor species as a group, with page after page of captivating images and detailed information that go beyond the usual field guides or scientific publications on the subject. Hendrickson's striking, full-color photographs are accompanied by an illuminating text that draws on the author's personal vignettes and intimate portraits of the various species he has followed and studied over the years, as well as revealing statistics that signal a dangerous decline in many raptor populations. Naturalists, birders, photographers, and anyone concerned with the survival of these exceptional creatures will find this a compelling and invaluable volume.

From its earliest years, Mount Pleasant was known as the "Athens of Iowa": a small town with a big story and a center of learning and culture. Even during the town's pioneer era, the citizens of Mount Pleasant championed education, establishing numerous schools and a college. Progressive ideals, including abolitionism and women's education, took root. As the home of Sen. James Harlan, an important ally of Abraham Lincoln, the city emerged as a bastion of support for the president. During the hardship of the Civil War, the community took up a second cause, becoming the location of the state mental health asylum. The drive for the improvement of life only increased, bolstered by the city's numerous schools, churches, and most importantly a spirit of community.