Author: Derrick R. Spires
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN: 0812295773
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 353
Book Description
In the years between the American Revolution and the U.S. Civil War, as legal and cultural understandings of citizenship became more racially restrictive, black writers articulated an expansive, practice-based theory of citizenship. Grounded in political participation, mutual aid, critique and revolution, and the myriad daily interactions between people living in the same spaces, citizenship, they argued, is not defined by who one is but, rather, by what one does. In The Practice of Citizenship, Derrick R. Spires examines the parallel development of early black print culture and legal and cultural understandings of U.S. citizenship, beginning in 1787, with the framing of the federal Constitution and the founding of the Free African Society by Absalom Jones and Richard Allen, and ending in 1861, with the onset of the Civil War. Between these two points he recovers understudied figures such as William J. Wilson, whose 1859 "Afric-American Picture Gallery" appeared in seven installments in The Anglo-African Magazine, and the physician, abolitionist, and essayist James McCune Smith. He places texts such as the proceedings of black state conventions alongside considerations of canonical figures such as Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and Frederick Douglass. Reading black print culture as a space where citizenship was both theorized and practiced, Spires reveals the degree to which concepts of black citizenship emerged through a highly creative and diverse community of letters, not easily reducible to representative figures or genres. From petitions to Congress to Frances Harper's parlor fiction, black writers framed citizenship both explicitly and implicitly, the book demonstrates, not simply as a response to white supremacy but as a matter of course in the shaping of their own communities and in meeting their own political, social, and cultural needs.
The Practice of Citizenship
Author: Derrick R. Spires
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN: 0812295773
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 353
Book Description
In the years between the American Revolution and the U.S. Civil War, as legal and cultural understandings of citizenship became more racially restrictive, black writers articulated an expansive, practice-based theory of citizenship. Grounded in political participation, mutual aid, critique and revolution, and the myriad daily interactions between people living in the same spaces, citizenship, they argued, is not defined by who one is but, rather, by what one does. In The Practice of Citizenship, Derrick R. Spires examines the parallel development of early black print culture and legal and cultural understandings of U.S. citizenship, beginning in 1787, with the framing of the federal Constitution and the founding of the Free African Society by Absalom Jones and Richard Allen, and ending in 1861, with the onset of the Civil War. Between these two points he recovers understudied figures such as William J. Wilson, whose 1859 "Afric-American Picture Gallery" appeared in seven installments in The Anglo-African Magazine, and the physician, abolitionist, and essayist James McCune Smith. He places texts such as the proceedings of black state conventions alongside considerations of canonical figures such as Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and Frederick Douglass. Reading black print culture as a space where citizenship was both theorized and practiced, Spires reveals the degree to which concepts of black citizenship emerged through a highly creative and diverse community of letters, not easily reducible to representative figures or genres. From petitions to Congress to Frances Harper's parlor fiction, black writers framed citizenship both explicitly and implicitly, the book demonstrates, not simply as a response to white supremacy but as a matter of course in the shaping of their own communities and in meeting their own political, social, and cultural needs.
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN: 0812295773
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 353
Book Description
In the years between the American Revolution and the U.S. Civil War, as legal and cultural understandings of citizenship became more racially restrictive, black writers articulated an expansive, practice-based theory of citizenship. Grounded in political participation, mutual aid, critique and revolution, and the myriad daily interactions between people living in the same spaces, citizenship, they argued, is not defined by who one is but, rather, by what one does. In The Practice of Citizenship, Derrick R. Spires examines the parallel development of early black print culture and legal and cultural understandings of U.S. citizenship, beginning in 1787, with the framing of the federal Constitution and the founding of the Free African Society by Absalom Jones and Richard Allen, and ending in 1861, with the onset of the Civil War. Between these two points he recovers understudied figures such as William J. Wilson, whose 1859 "Afric-American Picture Gallery" appeared in seven installments in The Anglo-African Magazine, and the physician, abolitionist, and essayist James McCune Smith. He places texts such as the proceedings of black state conventions alongside considerations of canonical figures such as Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and Frederick Douglass. Reading black print culture as a space where citizenship was both theorized and practiced, Spires reveals the degree to which concepts of black citizenship emerged through a highly creative and diverse community of letters, not easily reducible to representative figures or genres. From petitions to Congress to Frances Harper's parlor fiction, black writers framed citizenship both explicitly and implicitly, the book demonstrates, not simply as a response to white supremacy but as a matter of course in the shaping of their own communities and in meeting their own political, social, and cultural needs.
The Practice of Practice
Author: Jonathan Harnum
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780970751218
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 275
Book Description
talent means almost nothing when it comes to getting better at anything, especially music. Practice is everything. This book covers essential practice strategies and mindsets you won't find in any other book. You'll learn the What, Why, When, Where, Who, and especially the How of great music practice. You'll learn what research tells us about practice, but more importantly, you'll learn how the best musicians in many genres of music think about practice, and you'll learn the strategies and techniques they use to improve. This book will help you get better faster, whether you play rock, Bach, or any other kind of music.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780970751218
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 275
Book Description
talent means almost nothing when it comes to getting better at anything, especially music. Practice is everything. This book covers essential practice strategies and mindsets you won't find in any other book. You'll learn the What, Why, When, Where, Who, and especially the How of great music practice. You'll learn what research tells us about practice, but more importantly, you'll learn how the best musicians in many genres of music think about practice, and you'll learn the strategies and techniques they use to improve. This book will help you get better faster, whether you play rock, Bach, or any other kind of music.
Practice Perfect
Author: Doug Lemov
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 111821658X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 295
Book Description
Rules for developing talent with disciplined, deliberate, intelligent practice We live in a competition loving culture. We love the performance, the big win, the ticking seconds of the clock as the game comes down to the wire. We watch games and cheer, sometimes to the point of obsession, but if we really wanted to see greatness—wanted to cheer for it, see it happen, understand what made it happen—we'd spend our time watching, obsessing on, and maybe even cheering the practices instead. This book puts practice on the front burner of all who seek to instill talent and achievement in others as well as in themselves. This is a journey to understand that practice, not games, makes champions. In this book, the authors engage the dream of better, both in fields and endeavors where participants know they should practice and also in those where many do not yet recognize the transformative power of practice. And it’s not just whether you practice. How you practice may be a true competitive advantage. Deliberately engineered and designed practice can revolutionize our most important endeavors. The clear set of rules presented in Practice Perfect will make us better in virtually every performance of life. The “how-to” rules of practice cover such topics as rethinking practice, modeling excellent practice, using feedback, creating a culture of practice, making new skills stick, and hiring for practice. Discover new ways to think about practice. Learn how to design successful practice. Apply practice across a wide range of realms, both personal and professional The authors include specific activities to jump-start practice Doug Lemov is the best-selling author of Teach Like a Champion A hands-on resource to practice, the rules within will help to create positive outliers and world-changing reservoirs of talent.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 111821658X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 295
Book Description
Rules for developing talent with disciplined, deliberate, intelligent practice We live in a competition loving culture. We love the performance, the big win, the ticking seconds of the clock as the game comes down to the wire. We watch games and cheer, sometimes to the point of obsession, but if we really wanted to see greatness—wanted to cheer for it, see it happen, understand what made it happen—we'd spend our time watching, obsessing on, and maybe even cheering the practices instead. This book puts practice on the front burner of all who seek to instill talent and achievement in others as well as in themselves. This is a journey to understand that practice, not games, makes champions. In this book, the authors engage the dream of better, both in fields and endeavors where participants know they should practice and also in those where many do not yet recognize the transformative power of practice. And it’s not just whether you practice. How you practice may be a true competitive advantage. Deliberately engineered and designed practice can revolutionize our most important endeavors. The clear set of rules presented in Practice Perfect will make us better in virtually every performance of life. The “how-to” rules of practice cover such topics as rethinking practice, modeling excellent practice, using feedback, creating a culture of practice, making new skills stick, and hiring for practice. Discover new ways to think about practice. Learn how to design successful practice. Apply practice across a wide range of realms, both personal and professional The authors include specific activities to jump-start practice Doug Lemov is the best-selling author of Teach Like a Champion A hands-on resource to practice, the rules within will help to create positive outliers and world-changing reservoirs of talent.
The First 20 Hours
Author: Josh Kaufman
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101623047
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of practicing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct complex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By completing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the methods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard keyboard, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the simple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Figure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcomponents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accurate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chainsaws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101623047
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of practicing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct complex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By completing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the methods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard keyboard, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the simple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Figure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcomponents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accurate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chainsaws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.
Mouldings in Practice
Author: Matthew Sheldon Bickford
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780985077716
Category : Decoration and ornament, Architectural
Languages : en
Pages : 254
Book Description
A guide to making furniture mouldings using traditional moulding planes.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780985077716
Category : Decoration and ornament, Architectural
Languages : en
Pages : 254
Book Description
A guide to making furniture mouldings using traditional moulding planes.
Practising Simplicity
Author: Jodi Wilson
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
ISBN: 1761063707
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 259
Book Description
An exquisitely photographed exploration of what it is to find purpose, joy and connection in the simple things. 'In a time of infinite choice and possibility, Jodi has provided a grounded road map to becoming a grateful, settled soul.' Alexx Stuart, author of Low Tox Life 'I'm not here to nag you and tell you that you need to live with less stuff. Nor will I tell you that owning less is a sure and certain path to happiness. But let me tell you what it's like to carry all you own with you ... to reduce your consumption and increase your free time and to realise that everything you need in life can fit in a caravan along with those you love most ...' It is natural to fear uncertainty. But what if you embraced it, listened to your intuition and made the tiny or big decisions to slow life right down? What if you had more space in your life for connection to nature and those around you? What if you stepped off the treadmill and forged a new path? In Practising Simplicity, author and photographer Jodi Wilson shines a light on all the best things in life that don't cost money and how you can incorporate them into your lifestyle, whatever your circumstances. For her, the simplicity of living in a tiny home on wheels was at first terrifying but ultimately the essential answer to anxiety and overwhelm. A beautiful, unflinching encouragement to let go of the unnecessary, Practising Simplicity inspires us to celebrate the simple yet extraordinary joys that make life meaningful.
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
ISBN: 1761063707
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 259
Book Description
An exquisitely photographed exploration of what it is to find purpose, joy and connection in the simple things. 'In a time of infinite choice and possibility, Jodi has provided a grounded road map to becoming a grateful, settled soul.' Alexx Stuart, author of Low Tox Life 'I'm not here to nag you and tell you that you need to live with less stuff. Nor will I tell you that owning less is a sure and certain path to happiness. But let me tell you what it's like to carry all you own with you ... to reduce your consumption and increase your free time and to realise that everything you need in life can fit in a caravan along with those you love most ...' It is natural to fear uncertainty. But what if you embraced it, listened to your intuition and made the tiny or big decisions to slow life right down? What if you had more space in your life for connection to nature and those around you? What if you stepped off the treadmill and forged a new path? In Practising Simplicity, author and photographer Jodi Wilson shines a light on all the best things in life that don't cost money and how you can incorporate them into your lifestyle, whatever your circumstances. For her, the simplicity of living in a tiny home on wheels was at first terrifying but ultimately the essential answer to anxiety and overwhelm. A beautiful, unflinching encouragement to let go of the unnecessary, Practising Simplicity inspires us to celebrate the simple yet extraordinary joys that make life meaningful.
The Little Yellow Practice Book
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781616776336
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
(Faber Piano Adventures ). Young students will be delighted with their first practice book featuring Mrs. Razzle-Dazzle and the "friends at the piano." Each page features a different scene from My First Piano Adventure and a keyboard graphic. Students will build healthy practice habits when they color a key each day they practice.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781616776336
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
(Faber Piano Adventures ). Young students will be delighted with their first practice book featuring Mrs. Razzle-Dazzle and the "friends at the piano." Each page features a different scene from My First Piano Adventure and a keyboard graphic. Students will build healthy practice habits when they color a key each day they practice.
Precedents in Pleading; with copious notes on practice, pleading and evidence. pt. 2 edited by Henry Pearson and Tompson Chitty
Author: Joseph CHITTY (the Younger, of the Middle Temple.)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 470
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 470
Book Description
SQL Practice Problems
Author: Sylvia Moestl Vasilik
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781540422651
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 118
Book Description
Real-world practice problems to bring your SQL skills to the next level It's easy to find basic SQL syntax and keyword information online. What's hard to find is challenging, well-designed, real-world problems--the type of problems that come up all the time when you're dealing with data. Learning how to solve these problems will give you the skill and confidence to step up in your career. With SQL Practice Problems, you can get that level of experience by solving sets of targeted problems. These aren't just problems designed to give an example of specific syntax, or keyword. These are the common problems you run into all the time when you deal with data. You will get real world practice, with real world data. I'll teach you how to "think" in SQL, how to analyze data problems, figure out the fundamentals, and work towards a solution that you can be proud of. It contains challenging problems, that hone your ability to write high quality SQL code. What do you get when you buy SQL Practice Problems? You get instructions on how set up MS SQL Server Express Edition 2016 and SQL Server Management Studio 2016, both free downloads. Almost all the SQL presented here works for previous versions of MS SQLServer, and any exceptions are highlighted. You'll also get a customized sample database, with video walk-through instructions on how to set it up on your computer. And of course, you get the actual practice problems - 57 problems that you work through step-by-step. There are targeted hints if you need them that help guide you through the question. For the more complex questions there are multiple levels of hints. Each answer comes with a short, targeted discussion section with alternative answers and tips on usage and good programming practice. What kind of problems are there in SQL Practice Problems? SQL Practice Problems has data analysis and reporting oriented challenges that are designed to step you through introductory, intermediate and advanced SQL Select statements, with a learn-by-doing technique. Most textbooks and courses have some practice problems. But most often, they're used just to illustrate a particular piece of syntax, with no filtering on what's most useful. What you'll get with SQL Practice Problems is the problems that illustrate some the most common challenges you'll run into with data, and the best, most useful techniques to solve them. These practice problems involve only Select statements, used for data analysis and reporting, and not statements to modify data (insert, delete, update), or to create stored procedures. About the author: Hi, my name is Sylvia Moestl Vasilik. I've been a database programmer and engineer for more than 15 years, working at top organizations like Expedia, Microsoft, T-Mobile, and the Gates Foundation. In 2015, I was teaching a SQL Server Certificate course at the University of Washington Continuing Education. It was a 10 week course, and my students paid more than $1000 for it. My students learned the basics of SQL, most of the keywords, and worked through practice problems every week of the course. But because of the emphasis on getting a broad overview of all features of SQL, we didn't spend enough time on the types of SQL that's used 95% of the time--intermediate and advanced Select statements. After the course was over, some of my students emailed me to ask where they could get more practice. That's when I was inspired to start work on this book.
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781540422651
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 118
Book Description
Real-world practice problems to bring your SQL skills to the next level It's easy to find basic SQL syntax and keyword information online. What's hard to find is challenging, well-designed, real-world problems--the type of problems that come up all the time when you're dealing with data. Learning how to solve these problems will give you the skill and confidence to step up in your career. With SQL Practice Problems, you can get that level of experience by solving sets of targeted problems. These aren't just problems designed to give an example of specific syntax, or keyword. These are the common problems you run into all the time when you deal with data. You will get real world practice, with real world data. I'll teach you how to "think" in SQL, how to analyze data problems, figure out the fundamentals, and work towards a solution that you can be proud of. It contains challenging problems, that hone your ability to write high quality SQL code. What do you get when you buy SQL Practice Problems? You get instructions on how set up MS SQL Server Express Edition 2016 and SQL Server Management Studio 2016, both free downloads. Almost all the SQL presented here works for previous versions of MS SQLServer, and any exceptions are highlighted. You'll also get a customized sample database, with video walk-through instructions on how to set it up on your computer. And of course, you get the actual practice problems - 57 problems that you work through step-by-step. There are targeted hints if you need them that help guide you through the question. For the more complex questions there are multiple levels of hints. Each answer comes with a short, targeted discussion section with alternative answers and tips on usage and good programming practice. What kind of problems are there in SQL Practice Problems? SQL Practice Problems has data analysis and reporting oriented challenges that are designed to step you through introductory, intermediate and advanced SQL Select statements, with a learn-by-doing technique. Most textbooks and courses have some practice problems. But most often, they're used just to illustrate a particular piece of syntax, with no filtering on what's most useful. What you'll get with SQL Practice Problems is the problems that illustrate some the most common challenges you'll run into with data, and the best, most useful techniques to solve them. These practice problems involve only Select statements, used for data analysis and reporting, and not statements to modify data (insert, delete, update), or to create stored procedures. About the author: Hi, my name is Sylvia Moestl Vasilik. I've been a database programmer and engineer for more than 15 years, working at top organizations like Expedia, Microsoft, T-Mobile, and the Gates Foundation. In 2015, I was teaching a SQL Server Certificate course at the University of Washington Continuing Education. It was a 10 week course, and my students paid more than $1000 for it. My students learned the basics of SQL, most of the keywords, and worked through practice problems every week of the course. But because of the emphasis on getting a broad overview of all features of SQL, we didn't spend enough time on the types of SQL that's used 95% of the time--intermediate and advanced Select statements. After the course was over, some of my students emailed me to ask where they could get more practice. That's when I was inspired to start work on this book.
These Precious Days
Author: Ann Patchett
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0063092808
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
The beloved New York Times bestselling author reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays. "The elegance of Patchett’s prose is seductive and inviting: with Patchett as a guide, readers will really get to grips with the power of struggles, failures, and triumphs alike." —Publisher's Weekly “Any story that starts will also end.” As a writer, Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be. Life, however, often takes turns we do not see coming. Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart. At the center of These Precious Days is the title essay, a surprising and moving meditation on an unexpected friendship that explores “what it means to be seen, to find someone with whom you can be your best and most complete self.” When Patchett chose an early galley of actor and producer Tom Hanks’ short story collection to read one night before bed, she had no idea that this single choice would be life changing. It would introduce her to a remarkable woman—Tom’s brilliant assistant Sooki—with whom she would form a profound bond that held monumental consequences for them both. A literary alchemist, Patchett plumbs the depths of her experiences to create gold: engaging and moving pieces that are both self-portrait and landscape, each vibrant with emotion and rich in insight. Turning her writer’s eye on her own experiences, she transforms the private into the universal, providing us all a way to look at our own worlds anew, and reminds how fleeting and enigmatic life can be. From the enchantments of Kate DiCamillo’s children’s books (author of The Beatryce Prophecy) to youthful memories of Paris; the cherished life gifts given by her three fathers to the unexpected influence of Charles Schultz’s Snoopy; the expansive vision of Eudora Welty to the importance of knitting, Patchett connects life and art as she illuminates what matters most. Infused with the author’s grace, wit, and warmth, the pieces in These Precious Days resonate deep in the soul, leaving an indelible mark—and demonstrate why Ann Patchett is one of the most celebrated writers of our time.
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0063092808
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
The beloved New York Times bestselling author reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays. "The elegance of Patchett’s prose is seductive and inviting: with Patchett as a guide, readers will really get to grips with the power of struggles, failures, and triumphs alike." —Publisher's Weekly “Any story that starts will also end.” As a writer, Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be. Life, however, often takes turns we do not see coming. Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart. At the center of These Precious Days is the title essay, a surprising and moving meditation on an unexpected friendship that explores “what it means to be seen, to find someone with whom you can be your best and most complete self.” When Patchett chose an early galley of actor and producer Tom Hanks’ short story collection to read one night before bed, she had no idea that this single choice would be life changing. It would introduce her to a remarkable woman—Tom’s brilliant assistant Sooki—with whom she would form a profound bond that held monumental consequences for them both. A literary alchemist, Patchett plumbs the depths of her experiences to create gold: engaging and moving pieces that are both self-portrait and landscape, each vibrant with emotion and rich in insight. Turning her writer’s eye on her own experiences, she transforms the private into the universal, providing us all a way to look at our own worlds anew, and reminds how fleeting and enigmatic life can be. From the enchantments of Kate DiCamillo’s children’s books (author of The Beatryce Prophecy) to youthful memories of Paris; the cherished life gifts given by her three fathers to the unexpected influence of Charles Schultz’s Snoopy; the expansive vision of Eudora Welty to the importance of knitting, Patchett connects life and art as she illuminates what matters most. Infused with the author’s grace, wit, and warmth, the pieces in These Precious Days resonate deep in the soul, leaving an indelible mark—and demonstrate why Ann Patchett is one of the most celebrated writers of our time.