EM 4 - 2018 (ESPAÑOL - digitalizado)

ENGLISH MATTERS 4|2018
– who are involved in investigating
political conspiracies in
the White House. Sometimes
they are joined by honorary
club member, Secret Service
Agent Alex Ford. The Camel
Club is the original in a series
of six political thrillers about
these agents. The remaining
five are: The Collectors
(2006), Stone Cold (2007),
Divine Justice (2008), Hell’s
Corner (2010) and Bullseye
(2014).
The Memory Man (2015) The
central figure here is
an extraordinary detective
called Amos Decker, whose
brain has been altered by a
traumatic accident. When he
discovers his family murdered,
the effects of this
accident on his brain make
the pain even more intolerable.
He becomes incapable
of forgetting anything, so he
cannot recover from his family’s
murders and is desperate to
find out what exactly happened
to them. Consequently,
his life becomes a constant
struggle with his troubled
mind. The story also shows
the reader what the human
mind is capable of. The
Memory Man is the first in the
Amos Decker Series, which
also includes The Last Mile,
The Fix and The Fallen.
From the Page to
the Screen
A considerable number of
Baldacci’s literary masterpieces
have been adapted for
TV and film. For instance,
Absolute Power was made
into a Hollywood feature
film with a world-renowned
lead-ing actor and director
Clint Eastwood, no less.
A Great
Philanthropist
Not only is David a prolific
novelist and Doctor of
Jurisprudence: he is also a
dedicated philanthropist. In
2002, he and Michelle created
the Wish You Well Foundation.
The purpose of this charitable
organisation is to develop and
expand literary and educational
programmes, which
will increase adult literacy in
the United States.
Baldacci’s
Crusade Against
Illiteracy
The message written by
David and Michelle on the
foundation’s website is certainly
hard-hitting. In a nutshell,
they ask the reader to
imagine going about their
daily life, processing information,
making important
decisions and acting accordingly
– without the ability
to read even at an average
level. Alarmingly, they add
that this is true for almost
100 mln people in
America, which is as much
as half the adult population
of the USA. They
conclude that it is impossible
to overcome the major
issues facing the American
people today without making
illiteracy history. Anyone of
a responsible nature would
surely wish them and their
foundation well.
Feeding
Body & Mind
In 2008 the Baldaccis
formed a partnership with
another charitable organisation
called Feeding America,
and launched Feeding Body
& Mind. They saw a clear
connection between poverty,
hunger and illiteracy, so the
idea behind Feeding Body &
Mind was to tackle this widespread
problem. Thanks to
this scheme, over a million
new and nearly new books
have been collected and subsequently
distributed amongst
impoverished families via
food banks.
Brotherly Love
David also joined the
National Multiple Sclerosis
Society when his sister, fellow
author Sharon Baldacci, was
diagnosed with this crippling
disease. There is no doubt
about it – Mr. Baldacci has
enormous empathy with people
in need.
An Incomparable
Character
Synoptically, David
Baldacci is incomparable.
Combining formidable literary
talent with legal expertise
and an exceptionally
philanthropic nature, this
man has certainly made his
mark on this world. He is
certain to keep up the good
work well into the future.
involved in sth | involucrado en
to join sb | aquí: acompañar
to find out | descubrir
struggle | aquí: batalla, lucha
world-renowned | reconocido
mundialmente
charitable /ˈtʃærətəbl/ | benéfico
to expand sth /ɪkˈspænd/ |
expandir
to increase sth | aumentar
illiteracy | analfabetismo
hard-hitting | contundente
in a nutshell | en resumidas
cuentas
at an average level | en un nivel
medio
to overcome sth | superar,
vencer
to feed sth | alimentar
to launch sth | presentar, lanzar
hunger | hambruna
to tackle sth | abordar, afrontar
widespread | extendido,
generalizado
scheme /skiːm/ | programa,
proyecto
nearly | casi
impoverished | empobrecido
via sth | a través de, por medio
de
crippling | incapacitante,
devastador
in need | necesitado
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People and Lifestyle