Welcome to our book review site go-pdf.online!
You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
The Faithful
The rule of power in Europe is changing... Born in Italy at the tumultuous end of France’s influence in Europe, Giuseppe Verdi would go on to become the world’s most recognizable name in opera. Set against the rise of the Italian states in the middle of the 19th Century, The Faithful depicts an artist bedeviled by his role not just as a composer, but as an unassuming icon of the Italian Unification and the birth of modern Italy. Through chance encounters in gilded Milanese salons and the hushed politics of the Italian opera, we experience the struggles of a man conflicted by his role as an artist and his commitment to a country yearning for independence.
The Soul of a Child
The Soul of a Child places brilliant educator and reformer Maria Montessori in the context of her time. It examines the relationships, inner struggles, and inspirations of Montessori, a woman with heart, empathy, and resilience. As a strong woman who lived through two world wars, the rise of Fascism in Spain and Italy and the dawn of the nuclear age, she remained undeterred in her faith in the possibility of positive change through education. Her life spanned both the joys of innovation and the horrors of destruction of the twentieth century. Her influence on education and humanism remains resonant and enduring.
Relentless Visionary
If asked to list important inventors, few remember to include Alessandro Volta. Yet, his is a household name more spoken than that of Alexander Graham Bell, the Wright Brothers, or even Thomas Edison. That’s because the terms “volt” and “voltage” can be attributed to Volta, the inventor of the “Voltaic pile,” which is recognized as the first electric battery. A product of the Age of Enlightenment—a time when ideas about reason, science, literature and liberty took center stage—Volta employed a very modern, hands-on approach to his work. Though he had no formal education, he was the first person to identify the gas known as methane, and created the first authoritative list of conducting metals. Alessandro Volta saw things not just as they were, but as what they could be. He was a disrupter, an innovator and a visionary. Above all, he was relentless. Without Volta’s hunger to create and his drive to invent and discover, we might not have electric cars, laptops, cellphones, and hearing aids today.
The Flesh and the Spirit
"You say, the times are troublesome, the times are burdensome, the times are miserable. Live rightly and you will change the times. The times have never hurt anyone. Those who are hurt are human beings; those by whom they are hurt are also human beings. So, change human beings and the times will be changed." —St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 311, 8 Growing up on the northernmost edge of the African continent, young Augustine had never known a life without trouble and conflict. Whether between political factions within the Roman Empire, his pagan father and Catholic mother, or even divisions within the Church herself, Augustine’s world abounded with cultural, ideological, and spiritual contradictions. Then there were the battles that waged within—those between flesh and spirit, intellect and faith. Choosing a path of self-indulgence, Augustine hurt the ones he loved the most: his pious mother, socially unacceptable lover, and out-of-wedlock son. Miserable and hollow, he sought and found a new life with Christ. His transformation forever changed the Church and his example continues to guide us through our own troubled, burdensome, and miserable times.
At Last
The golden age of the Hollywood musical celebrated through the life of unsung hit-maker Harry Warren. Eliciting a swell of nostalgia, Harry Warren’s jaunty melodies lift our spirits as much today as they did for Depression-era moviegoers. Navigating a business already known for its glamour, excess, and ruthless business practices, Warren quietly but resplendently helped create a new American art form. A self-taught musician, Warren was nominated for eleven best original song Academy Awards and took home three Oscars. He composed twenty musicals including 42nd Street and unforgettable American standards such as "We’re in the Money," "Chattanooga Choo Choo," and “That’s Amore.” At Last brings readers on a journey through yesteryear's Tin Pan Alley, Busby Berkeley set pieces, cocktails with the Gershwins, and the creative and collaborative process of a prolific musical genius.
Marconi and His Muses
Born with an inquisitive imagination… Brilliant inventor, electrical engineer, and wise entrepreneur, Guglielmo Marconi was best known for inventing long-distance radio transmissions and the telegraph system. But his success wasn’t solely a product of his curious mind. Marconi attributed his prosperity to the people in his life who encouraged him to achieve his goals. Fostering his relationships with his mother, his wives, and other female friends allowed Marconi to grow and explore as an inventor without the fear of isolation, political disassociation, and covert racism hindering his dreams. Although he spent most of his time spanning the globe and using the entire planet as his creative palette, the people he chose to associate himself with were critical to his well-being, his inventive nature, and his general physical and mental health. Without his close-knit relationships, long-distance transmission may have never come to fruition.
A Man of Action Saving Liberty
For the love of country. For the love of freedom. For the love of a woman. He fought. Giuseppe Garibaldi yearned for a world of equality, liberty, and freedom for all nations, races, and genders. America had long claimed her independence from England, yet his beloved Italian peninsula was in a never-ending state of instability and war as the Austrian Empire, French, Church, and regional kingdoms wrestled for power. Forced into exile, Garibaldi’s resolve to unify his homeland into the sovereign nation of Italy led him on adventures that spanned the continents. On sea, horseback, and foot, he confronted pirates, clashed with South American gauchos, and commanded his loyal volunteer army of thousands—the “Redshirts”—with dignity, clarity, and courage. But one of the most revered generals in history was as vulnerable to loss, failure, and heartache as any man. Perhaps Garibaldi’s greatest battle was the one in his heart as he struggled to hold onto the love of his life—the revolutionary Anita Garibaldi who was always by his side, both on and off the battlefield.
No Person Above the Law
The country faced a Constitutional crisis during the Watergate conspiracy. He stood firm to set the record straight. As the chief judge of the federal court in Washington D.C. in 1972, John J. Sirica took on the trial of burglars arrested while planting electronic bugs in the Democratic headquarters in the Watergate complex. Who had sent them? The defendants weren’t saying and President Nixon disavowed any knowledge of the conspirators. Sirica came to the law as the son of an Italian immigrant who lived a hardscrabble life. From these roots, he fought as a boxer while simultaneously going to law school. Practicing law in D.C., he defended criminals and prosecuted them, too. As a judge, he earned the nickname “Maximum John” for the maximum sentences he was apt to deliver. No Person Above the Law describes how Sirica was determined to see the truth come out during the Watergate scandal, even going toe-to-toe with the White House to order the release of secret tapes. Named Time Man of the Year, Judge Sirica held high the central promise of the U.S. Constitution: no person is above the law.
Humble Servant of Truth
Entering the world with a burning desire for knowledge, Thomas Aquinas set out on a quest for truth that forced him into captivity. His thirst for truth never wavered. Known today among many as the most brilliant light of the Church, Aquinas was a Catholic priest and a Doctor of the Church. His synthesis of Aristotle’s philosophy with Christianity significantly influenced Western thought and solidified his legacy as one of the greatest philosophers of the Western world. Over his lifetime, Aquinas wrote many Eucharistic hymns, some of which are to this day included in the Church’s liturgy. His theological insight and natural reason make him an ideal model teacher for those pursuing Catholic priesthood. Today, Saint Thomas is often depicted with a writing quill or an open book, proving that the search for knowledge and truth forever lives within his name.
Breaking Barriers
They said, “No!” She asked, “Why?” The answer was always the same: “Because you’re a woman.” She vowed to shatter each barrier they placed in her way. Inquisitive and precocious, Laura Bassi grew up on the Italian Peninsula in the 1700s, dreaming of studying science at the famed University of Bologna. It was the Age of Enlightenment and although forward-thinking philosophical ideas and scientific discoveries flourished, the prevailing edict was that college was no place for a woman—no matter how capable, intelligent, or innovative. Laura was told to trust that she would find fulfillment as a dutiful wife and mother. But why, she wondered, couldn’t she have it all?Smugly ass...
