Futureface

Futureface

From the host of MSNBC’s Alex Wagner Tonight, “a rich and revealing memoir” (The New York Times) about her travels around the globe to solve the mystery of her ancestry, confronting the question at the heart of the American experience of immigration, race, and identity: Who are my people? “A thoughtful, beautiful meditation on what makes us who we are . . . and the values and ideals that bind us together as Americans.”—Barack Obama The daughter of a Burmese mother and a white American father, Alex Wagner grew up thinking of herself as a “futureface”—an avatar of a mixed-race future when all races would merge into a brown singularity. But when one family mystery leads to another, Wagner’s post-racial ideals fray as she becomes obsessed with the specifics of her own family’s racial and ethnic history. Drawn into the wild world of ancestry, she embarks upon a quest around the world—and into her own DNA—to answer the ultimate questions of who she really is and where she belongs. The journey takes her from Burma to Luxembourg, from ruined colonial capitals with records written on banana leaves to Mormon databases, genetic labs, and the rest of the twenty-first-century genealogy complex. But soon she begins to grapple with a deeper question: Does it matter? Is our enduring obsession with blood and land, race and identity, worth all the trouble it’s caused us? Wagner weaves together fascinating history, genetic science, and sociology but is really after deeper stuff than her own ancestry: in a time of conflict over who we are as a country, she tries to find the story where we all belong. Praise for Futureface “Smart, searching . . . Meditating on our ancestors, as Wagner’s own story shows, can suggest better ways of being ourselves.”—Maud Newton, The New York Times Book Review “Sincere and instructive . . . This timely reflection on American identity, with a bonus exposé of DNA ancestry testing, deserves a wide audience.”—Library Journal “The narrative is part Mary Roach–style participation-heavy research, part family history, and part exploration of existential loneliness. . . . The journey is worth taking.”—Kirkus Reviews “[A] ruminative exploration of ethnicity and identity . . . Wagner’s odyssey is an effective riposte to anti-immigrant politics.”—Publishers Weekly

Your Future Face

“Heavy makeup and face-lifts are out, and perfect, glowing skin is in. But with all the products out there, what’s a girl to do? Dr. Gross is amazing and he has the answer.” —Plum Sykes, author of Bergdorf Blondes In Your Future Face, Dr. Dennis Gross, one of the country’s leading dermatologists, and founder of M.D. Skincare, which can be found in stores such as Sephora, Nordstrom, and Bergdorf Goodman, as well as in spas across the country, provides the essential guide to radiant skin. Dr. Gross’s “Skin Lifecycle Quiz” assesses the reader’s skin “level” and pinpoints how and when her skin will age. He then outlines a customized antiaging plan while offering invaluable advice and information, including: * How to boost collagen and elastin production naturally * The key ingredients to look for in products * When and how to use Botox safely * When to take action with high-tech resurfacing methods * What to consider before having plastic surgery * Nutritional tips, and much more

Future Face