Mark James decides to take his wife, Tamala James, out for a good time at Club Sparks owned by his childhood friend Mich Hensen. But that night turned into a disaster when a man from the past, Kenny Lowe, shows up. Kenny kills one man and gets Mark arrested for his crime. Tamala and Mich go hunting for Kenny after not trusting the police but soon find out that its easier said than done.

"A deeply moving, funny, and brilliantly written account from one of India’s most original new voices." —Katherine Boo Like Dave Eggers’s Zeitoun and Alexander Masters’s Stuart, this is a tour de force of narrative reportage. Mohammed Ashraf studied biology, became a butcher, a tailor, and an electrician’s apprentice; now he is a homeless day laborer in the heart of old Delhi. How did he end up this way? In an astonishing debut, Aman Sethi brings him and his indelible group of friends to life through their adventures and misfortunes in the Old Delhi Railway Station, the harrowing wards of a tuberculosis hospital, an illegal bar made of cardboard and plywood, and into Beggars Court and back onto the streets. In a time of global economic strain, this is an unforgettable evocation of persistence in the face of poverty in one of the world’s largest cities. Sethi recounts Ashraf’s surprising life story with wit, candor, and verve, and A Free Man becomes a moving story of the many ways a man can be free.

The horror of loneliness. Over 10 years in prison. Hooked on heroin, cocaine and drugs for 23 years. A chronic alcoholic for 27. Homeless. Eating out of garbage bins. Born into a violent alcoholic home. Molested by a pedophile in a residential school for three years. Surviving on skid row for 10 years. Living with the constant threat of suicide. Now this same person has a University Degree, is a United Pentecostal Church Pastor, an Officer of the Legislative Assembly, a poet, husband and stepdad. This true story will give you a unique front-row look into a world few know about or experience. Once you read this book your heart will be overflowing with hope. You will be left with no other alternative because this story will touch you so deeply it will remain in your heart the rest of your life. If you know a chronic alcoholic or drug addict whose life appears to be totally hopeless, or have a family member living with one, this book is a book for you and for them. I could not stop drinking! I could not stop sticking that needle in my arm! No matter what I tried I always failed…until I learned the TRUTH!

Mark James decides to take his wife, Tamala James, out for a good time at Club Sparks owned by his childhood friend Mich Hensen. But that night turned into a disaster when a man from the past, Kenny Lowe, shows up. Kenny kills one man and gets Mark arrested for his crime. Tamala and Mich go hunting for Kenny after not trusting the police but soon find out that it's easier said than done.

With contributions from Cheryl Strayed, Mark Cuban, Ta-Nahesi Coates, Melinda Gates, Joss Whedon, James Patterson, and many more -- this fascinating collection gives us a peek into 150 personal treasures and the secret histories behind them. All of us have that one object that holds deep meaning--something that speaks to our past, that carries a remarkable story. Bestselling author Bill Shapiro collected this sweeping range of stories--he talked to everyone from renowned writers to Shark Tank hosts, from blackjack dealers to teachers, truckers, and nuns, even a reformed counterfeiter--to reveal the often hidden, always surprising lives of objects.

When a young engineer moves into a new home with his wife and children, he is intrigued by the respect and admiration the neighbours show for the retired doctor living next door. But despite the overwhelming love, the old man seems to be neglected and all alone. Why does he live alone? Why does he take the dramatic evening walk to the park? Why does he sit only at one particular bench? After a chance meeting with the Old Man, he gleefully accepts an invitation to join him in his famous study. There, he decodes the man’s puzzling past. Amazed by the mindboggling experiences from the old man’s memories and heart-wrenching tales, his metamorphosis is complete – from a neighbour to a companion, a student, and then a son. FEARLESS AND FREE is the tale of how a lonely old man’s life opens up a box of motivation for his young admirer, encouraging him and the readers to live every moment to the fullest.

A lush and haunting novel of a city steeped in decadent pleasures . . . and of a man, proud and defiant, caught in a web of murder and betrayal. It is 1833. In the midst of Mardi Gras, Benjamin January, a Creole physician and music teacher, is playing piano at the Salle d'Orleans when the evenings festivities are interrupted—by murder. Ravishing Angelique Crozat, a notorious octoroon who travels in the city's finest company, has been strangled to death. With the authorities reluctant to become involved, Ben begins his own inquiry, which will take him through the seamy haunts of riverboatmen and into the huts of voodoo-worshipping slaves. But soon the eyes of suspicion turn toward Ben—for, black as the slave who fathered him, this free man of color is still the perfect scapegoat. . . . Praise for A Free Man of Color “A smashing debut. Rich and exciting with both substance and spice.”—Star Tribune, Minneapolis “A sparkling gem.”—King Features Syndicate “An astonishing tour de force.”—Margaret Maron “Superb.”—Drood Review of Mystery “A darned good murder mystery.”—USA Today

John Guare’s new play is astonishing, raucous and panoramic. A Free Man of Color is set in boisterous New Orleans prior to the historic Louisiana Purchase. Before law and order took hold, and class, racial and political lines were drawn, New Orleans was a carnival of beautiful women, flowing wine and pleasure for the taking. At the center of this Dionysian world is the mulatto Jacques Cornet, who commands men, seduces women and preens like a peacock. But, it is 1801 and the map of New Orleans is about to be redrawn. The Louisiana Purchase brings American rule and racial segregation to the chaotic, colorful world of Jacques Cornet and all that he represents, turning the tables on freedom and liberty.

George Berkeley (1685–1753) is, with John Locke and David Hume, one of the three major figures in the British empiricist school of philosophy. He has been the centre of much attention recently and his philosophical profile has gradually changed. In the 20th century he was almost exclusively known for his denial of the existence of matter (as this term was defined in those days), but today it is no longer reasonable to confine an account of Berkeley to the challenging philosophical inventions that he published when he was a young fellow at Trinity College in Dublin. This is a welcome trend. It shows Berkeley as a contributor not only to epistemology, metaphysics and moral and social philosophy, but also to a wide range of subjects including mathematics, philosophy of science, empirical psychology, political economy and monetary policy. The present collection aims at meeting this new trend by presenting a broad and comprehensive picture of Berkeley’s works in their historical context. The contributors are some of the finest international experts in the field. The editors hope that this collection will show George Berkeley as he was: a wide-ranging, widely influential and courageous philosophical innovator. This volume has been published to celebrate the 300th anniversary of George Berkeley’s Principles.