About this item
The definitive, fascinating, all-reaching biography of Dr. SeussDr. Seuss is a classic American icon. His work has defined our childhoods and the childhoods of our own children. More than twenty-five years after his death, his books continue to find new readers, now grossing over half a billion dollars in sales. His whimsical illustrations and silly, simple rhymes are timeless favorites because, quite simply, he makes us laugh. Theodor Geisel, however, led a life that goes much deeper than the prolific and beloved children's book author. In fact, the allure and fascination of Dr. Seuss begins with this second, more radical side. He had a successful career as a political cartoonist, and his political leanings can be felt throughout his books--remember the environmentalist of The Lorax? Geisel was a complicated man, who introduced generations to the wonders of reading while teaching young people about empathy and how to treat others well. Coming right off the heels of multiple books-of-the-month- and year-winner GEORGE LUCAS and the bestselling JIM HENSON, Brian is quickly developing a reputation as a master biographer of the creative geniuses of our time.
About the Author
Brian Jay Jones is the critically-acclaimed, bestselling biographer of some of the world's most iconic creative geniuses. His most recent biography, Becoming Dr. Seuss: Theodor Geisel and the Making of An American Imagination (Dutton, 2019) , has been hailed as "a rich, anecdotal biography" (Kirkus, starred review) , "sweeping in scope" (The New Yorker) , and "nuanced, profoundly human, and painstakingly researched" (NPR) . His 2016 biography of filmmaker George Lucas was the first comprehensive biography of the influential creator of Star Wars and Indiana Jones in nearly two decades. George Lucas: A Life (Little, Brown, 2016) was praised as "definitive" (New York Times) , "whiz-bang" (People) , "must-read" (Parade) and deemed by Rolling Stone as "the one biography for casual and die-hard [Star Wars] fans alike."Brian's second book, Jim Henson: The Biography (Ballantine, 2013) was a New York Times bestseller, and chosen as the Best Biography of 2013 by , as well as one of the year's Top Ten books by CNN viewers. The first full-length biography of the iconic creator of the Muppets, Jim Henson: The Biography was celebrated as "illuminating" (The Atlantic) , "insightful" (Parade) , "masterful" (Kirkus) and "compulsively readable" (The AV Club) .Praised by the Washington Post as a biographer of "slightly off-center American geniuses," Brian's biography of Washington Irving (Arcade, 2008) , was greeted as the definitive biography of American literature's first popular author and pop culture icon. The Associated Press deemed it "authoritative," the Washington Post called it, "engaging," while the New York Times summed it up simply as "charming." Which pretty much made his year.Born in the Midwest and raised in the Southwest, Brian has a degree in English from the University of New Mexico, which he immediately parlayed into a brief career as a manager of a comic book store before getting into politics and speechwriting. He spent more than two decades as a public policy analyst and speechwriter for elected officials at all levels of government, including nearly ten years in the U.S. Senate.He lives in New Mexico with his wife and a very excitable dog who refuses to stay off the furniture.
