Tom Farley

Tanner Colby

A portrait based on personal stories by friends and family members traces the late comedian's passionate dedication to bringing laughter into the lives of others, his successes on SNL and in numerous top films, and the incapacity for moderation that led to his fatal battle with drugs and alcohol.

A Biography in Three Acts

The Chris Farley Show

the strange story of integration in America

Some of my best friends are Black

An irreverent, yet powerful exploration of race relations by the New York Times-bestselling author of The Chris Farley Show Frank, funny, and incisive, Some of My Best Friends Are Black offers a profoundly honest portrait of race in America. In a book that is part reportage, part history, part social commentary, Tanner Colby explores why the civil rights movement ultimately produced such little true integration in schools, neighborhoods, offices, and churches—the very places where social change needed to unfold. Weaving together the personal, intimate stories of everyday people—black and white—Colby reveals the strange, sordid history of what was supposed to be the end of Jim Crow, but turned out to be more of the same with no name. He shows us how far we have come in our journey to leave mistrust and anger behind—and how far all of us have left to go.

The Strange Story of Integration in America

Some of My Best Friends Are Black

Luther Campbell

The raw and powerful true story of how one man invented Southern Hip-Hop, saved the First Amendment, and became a role model for his disenfranchised Miami neighborhood—living proof that one person can make a difference in the world. A rap artist, wealthy musical entrepreneur, high school coach, and involved, active citizen—Luther Campbell’s life is a reflection of modern America. His is a tale that touches on the most pressing issues of our time: sex, creativity versus the corporate bottom line, conservative values and artistic freedom, personal rights, the gangster mentality of music companies, the rise of entrepreneurship, and the power—and responsibilities—of individuals to care for their neighborhoods, their country, and the people around them. Born in Miami’s notorious Liberty City neighborhood, Campbell saw firsthand poverty, despair, and crime. He also discovered the gift of transformation we all possess—knowledge that has made him a passionate fighter willing to take on the most powerful forces in the name of justice and what’s right. His rap group 2 Live Crew and successful independent label made him a superstar and a multi-millionaire—and the center of enormous controversy. The “King of Dirty Rap” who helped pioneer the worldwide phenomenon known as the Miami Bass sound infuriated the conservative mainstream and became Public Enemy #1 when hip hop crossed the color line into white America. Campbell spent over a million dollars of his own money fighting cops and prosecutors all the way to the Supreme Court to protect his—and every other artist’s—right to free speech, setting landmark legal precedents that continue to shape the entertainment industry today. Twenty years later, Campbell uses his fame and fortune to give back to the community, saving young men from the street corners and fighting for his people. Passionate, transformative, and inspiring, The Book of Luke is his story—a living testament to hope and change.

My Fight for Truth, Justice, and Liberty City

The Book of Luke

Tom Farley, Jr.

The New York Times bestselling biography of an American comedy legend After three years of sobriety, Chris Farley's life was at its creative peak until a string of professional disappointments chased him back to drugs and alcohol. He fought hard against them, but it was a fight he would lose in December 1997. Farley's fans immediately drew parallels between his death and that of his idol, John Belushi. Without looking deeper, however, many failed to see that Farley was much more than just another Hollywood drug overdose. In this officially authorized oral history, Farley's friends and family remember his work and life. Along the way, they tell a remarkable story of boundless energy, determination, and laughter that could only keep the demons at bay for so long.

Bill Whitfield

Javon Beard

Michael Jackson’s former bodyguards reveal the amazing truths of the late superstar’s last years — his life with his children, his financial crises, and the weeks leading up to his shocking death. Hounded by the tabloid media, Michael Jackson spent his final years moving from city to city, living with his three children in virtual seclusion — a futile attempt to escape a world that wouldn’t leave him alone. During that time, two men served as the singer’s personal security team: Bill Whitfield, a former cop and veteran of the security profession, and Javon Beard, a brash, untested rookie, both single fathers themselves. Stationed at his side nearly 24/7, their job was to see and hear everything that transpired, making them the only two people who know what 60 million fans around the world still want to know: what really happened to the King of Pop? Driven by a desire to show who Michael Jackson truly was, Whitfield and Beard have produced the definitive account of Michael Jackson’s last years: the extreme measures necessary to protect Jackson and his family; the simple moments of happiness in a time of great stress; the special relationship Jackson shared with his fans; and the tragic events that culminated in the singer’s ill-fated comeback, This Is It. An indispensable piece of pop-culture history, Remember the Time is the story of a man struggling to live a normal life under extraordinary circumstances. It is the book that dismantles the tabloid myths once and for all to give Michael Jackson back his humanity.

protecting Michael Jackson in his final days

Remember the Time

Judith Jacklin Belushi

Gathers photographs and interviews with friends, family, and associates to portray the life and career of the popular TV comedian.

A Biography

Belushi

Mike Massimino

'This terrific memoir... is utterly gripping' Mail on Sunday 'Read this book and be inspired to reach for the impossible' Brian Greene Many children dream of becoming an astronaut when they grow up, but when a six-year-old Mike Massimino saw Neil Armstrong walk on the moon he knew what he wanted to do when he became an adult. But NASA rejected him; then when he applied again they turned him down because of his poor eyesight. For the next year he trained his eyes to work better and finally, at the third time of asking, NASA accepted him. So began Massimino's 18-year career as an astronaut, and the extraordinary lengths he went to to get accepted was only the beginning. In this awe-inspiring memoir, he reveals the hard work, camaraderie and sheer guts involved in the life of an astronaut; he vividly describes what it is like to strap yourself into the Space Shuttle and blast off into space, or the sensation of walking in space, as he did when he completed a mission to service the Hubble telescope. He also talks movingly about the Columbia tragedy, and how it felt to step into the Space Shuttle again in the aftermath of that disaster. Massimino was inspired by the film The Right Stuff, and this book is not only a tribute to those fellow astronauts he worked with, but also a stunning example of someone who had exactly those attributes himself.

Tanner Colby

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