Moonwalk
In this #1 New York Times bestseller, Michael Jackson tells the story of his life, in his words. In this intimate and often moving personal account of Michael Jackson's public and private life, he recalls a childhood that was both harsh and joyful but always formidable. Michael and his brothers played amateur music shows and seamy Chicago strip joints until Motown's corporate image makers turned the Jackson 5 into worldwide superstars. He talks about the happy prankster days of his youth, traveling with his brothers, and of his sometimes difficult relationships with his family over the years. He speaks candidly about the inspiration behind his music, his mesmerizing dance moves, and the compulsive drive to create that has made him one of the biggest stars in the music business and a legend in his own time. Jackson also shares his personal feelings about some of his most public friends...friends like Diana Ross, Berry Gordy, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, Fred Astaire, Marlon Brando, and Katharine Hepburn. He talks openly about the crushing isolation of his fame, of his first love, of his plastic surgery, and of his wholly exceptional career and the often bizarre and unfair rumors that have surrounded it. Illustrated with rare photographs from Jackson family albums and Michael's personal photographic archives, as well as a drawing done by Michael exclusively for this book, Moonwalk is a memorable journey to the very heart and soul of a modern musical genius.
The Way of Ronin
From Special Forces veteran and internationally respected teacher of Rōnin Tactics to streaming and videogame fan favorite, Tu Lam's memoir will captivate, astonish, exhilarate, and even profoundly resonate.Tu Lam has become known not just for his accomplishments as a decorated Green Beret, but also for his work outside the military, including: Training citizens and law enforcement professionals all over the country Providing aid to both active and retired soldiers with physical and mental health issues Co-hosting the History Channel's Forged in Fire: Knife or Death Appearing in and contributing to the world's bestselling video game, Call of Duty: Modern WarfareIn The Way of Rōnin, he reveals his against-all-odds story. Tu Lam's resilience, dedication, and relentless pursuit of freedom saw him achieving Full Spectrum US Special Operations across twenty-seven countries worldwide for more than twenty years, only to pay the price of his own physical and mental trauma as well as addiction.That decision led him to more than two decades of grueling instruction in every facet of the special forces, then deployment to war and conflict zones--all while channeling his inner anger in secret underground no-holds-barred fighting matches. When he finally retired from the military after more than two decades, his demons caught up with him, leading to years of addiction. But even that didn't defeat him. Confronting his demons, he emerged triumphant. Now he shares the gripping details and riveting intricacies of this awe-inspiring journey.Tu Lam's life is, at times, all too real, and at many others times, almost unbelievable. For fans of Jocko Willink and David Goggins, The Way of Rōnin is an ultimately triumphant autobiography of what one man can accomplish against seemingly insurmountable odds.
How to Lose Friends and Influence No One
What happens when a celebrated "caterer to the stars" (and incessant people pleaser) begins to REALLY ponder "what's it all about?" Mary Giuliani deconstructs her ever-evolving existential internal conversation in this new collection of essays, beginning when all the world (and all the stars) are ordered to stay home. Armed with an arsenal of pigs in a blanket and what felt like all the vodka in Manhattan, Mary begins her deep look into what it's finally like to get what she thought she always wanted: peace. Never one to hold much back, Mary invites the reader on this journey as she reexamines life when the proverbial party appears to be over. With space and time to finally stop and take stock of "how did I get here?" Mary shares stories about the businesses she built, the relationships she endured and nurtured, the chronic illness she avoided and the stars with whom she's smoked. We laugh, cry and stumble with Mary as she makes some poignant and hilarious revelations while awaiting for her beloved New York City to rise from its slumber. But will Mary (or New York City) ever be the same? Is the party over or just a new beginning?"
The Healer's Cure
"Recovering from a suicide attempt and escaping the darkness that can debilitate anyone is a reminder that nothing in this life is ever assured. Professional success and personal contentment were not enough to save me in the fall of 2015, when mental illness had me firmly in its grip." Browne's recovery from fear of exposure prompted by the Ashley Madison data breach has unfolded in Bermuda and coincides with the reinvention of his career as an educator and the love of a wife who understands the possibility of redemption. Teaching history online overseas has led Browne to identify parallels between his own recovery and the need for a similar rescue of democracy in his home country during a time he describes as the Trump Enfeeblement. With the mind of a teacher and the eye of an erstwhile historian, Browne provides a recipe for surviving a time when overcoming a collapse requires an honest assessment of what has prompted the fall, true for his country and himself.
The Last Century Boy
The Last Century Boy has over 14 chapters to choose from. Some are off the wall, with laughter, sadness and thrillers & fun-packed stories for everyone. Most of these stories are true and there are some tall tales in there as well, adding a little humour. Seven years ago, the author became unwell and was unable to function for a considerable amount of time. There's only so much TV and Facebook you can watch. During this time he started to write poems and short stories, including this publication, as his concentration was severely hampered. This is a book about growing up in rural Ireland, the educational system (or lack thereof), the Catholic Church and its grip on society. It is also a social and cultural history of the 60s & 70s in Ireland. It is also a book that informs the readers through life as someone that suffers from ADHD and dyslexia.
Can't Stomach It
Navigating the turbulence of adolescence is challenging for anyone-but for Kayleigh-Ann, it quickly becomes a battle for survival. When medical symptoms strike, her world as she knows it crumbles. What should be a time of self-discovery and joy turns into a relentless fight against an unyielding system, an undiagnosed illness, and the betrayal of her own body. In Can't Stomach It, Kayleigh-Ann takes you on a raw and transformative journey-a fight for answers, for justice, and for herself. Thrust into an unforgiving adult world far too soon, she confronts trauma, loss, family breakdowns, mental health struggles, and abuse of power-all while trying to navigate the everyday chaos of teenage life: friendships, school, love, and the daunting uncertainty of the future. This is more than just a story. It's a powerful testament to human resilience, a striking portrait of strength in the face of adversity, and an unfiltered glimpse into the realities of living with a complex condition. Join Kayleigh-Ann's fight for survival and diagnosis. Witness her courage, vulnerability, and unwavering determination to reclaim her life and health.
Switch On
SWITCH ON In this sequel to SWITCHBACK: An Inner and Outer Journey, Gillian Clezy continues to explore the interwoven strands of her life: personal, professional, emotional, and religious. It is a remarkable journey, both geographically (taking in England, Australia, America, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and China) and psychologically. In her 50s, she stepped back from her profession as a speech therapist (to which she had made important contributions to the theory as well as the practice) and trained in Zurich as a Jungian analytical psychologist. That training allows her to reflect deeply on her life experiences in a way that is both instructive and illuminating, exploring and bringing to consciousness as she does many of the unconscious motives to which we are all subject. Periods of tremendous joy and tenderness, and experiences of great sorrow and struggles, are unflinchingly recounted, during which we, the general reader, may find ourselves reflecting on the inner processes and meaning of our individual, unique lives. As I commented about SWITCHBACK, so too is SWITCH ON "a treasure of a book." Richard Skinner-poet and (as R. N. F. Skinner) novelist GET READY TO GO! It is 1967. A young mother takes some washing to the launderette in her English village, knowing it will be the last time she does so. She, her Australian husband, and two very young children will be setting out to cross the world by sea and land in a couple of days. They are all set to go. She is looking forward to the carefully planned adventure. She is used to adventures. She spies an attractive young woman jauntily walking along the pavement between her and the laundrette. A young man is following her. Within a few minutes, that pretty young woman is lying dead, and the would-be traveller, this writer, has been the only witness. How? Why?
Stories of the Sky
Stories of the Sky... is a collection of personal stories from pilot Ada. Written with humor, sarcasm, and heartfelt honesty, her tales guide readers through the many facets of flying-from first flights and new aircraft types to dangerous situations, extreme weather, health, aging, loss, lockdown, friendships, and love. The book offers a genuine look into life as a private flying club member. Ada's stories stick with you. They're not just about flying; they're about trusting yourself, pushing past fear, and finding clarity when everything feels shaky. Her wisdom from the cockpit has a funny way of making sense on the ground, too. If you've ever looked up and wondered what it's really like up there, especially as a woman, Ada's writing doesn't just tell you; she takes you with her. It feels less like reading a book and more like listening to a friend who's been where you dream of going.
Determined, Not Deterred
Determined, Not Deterred is a candid, practical memoir about leadership under pressure and the quiet decisions that shape a career. Joel Madtha pulls back the curtain on setbacks, reinvention, and the small choices that build resilience. This is not a how-to manual. It is a companion for leaders and professionals who need real-world lessons, honest reflection, and the steady conviction to keep moving forward. Rooted in lived experience, the book offers relatable stories and pragmatic insights for anyone rebuilding after failure or leading through uncertainty.
Finding More Words in Jane Austen
So, you don't know anything about Jane Austen? Well, here is a fun way to discover a little about her and her world. There are a number of information pages about Austen's life and the world in which she lived. Each information page is followed by ten appropriate sentences with a word hidden in each sentence. To help, there is a list of sixteen words and a different word can be found cunningly hidden in each of the sentences. The text is an easy read for newcomers and has some thought-provoking ideas for the more knowledgeable.
Without A Compass
Born into hardship and loss, a young man struggles to escape the grip of Cincinnati's West End after his mother's death leaves him vulnerable to abuse, poverty, and the pull of prison. With no clear path forward, survival becomes his first lesson.Shaped by the social upheavals of his generation, he endures setbacks that test his resolve and redefine his purpose. In a neighborhood where ambition can isolate, and education can feel like betrayal, earning a college degree becomes both an achievement and a battle.Without A Compass is a powerful memoir of resilience, redemption, and the courage to rise beyond the street that raised you.
Infantrymen
Infantrymen is a book the reader won't want to put down as they accompany the author on a journey through the lives of four young Sheffield brothers: three lives that terminated on the battlefields of France and Flanders and for one, the War Hospital in Bradford. With an all-embracing level of detail, Mick Drewry has created a moving picture of a turn-of-the-century working-class family that had moved from the idyllic Lincolnshire countryside to the dark and dismal east end of Sheffield, capturing the personal stories of four young men's transition from infants to infantrymen. Whilst this is a must-read for anyone of Pridmore pedigree, this is a riveting book that those interested in local history, social history, military history, or genealogy will find fascinating. It grips the readers' emotions like no work of fiction could do because it is a real story-a story of love, of fear, of courage, of great personal loss and of grief. Infantrymen is an intensely moving piece of biography meticulously researched and skilfully written by a great-grandson of one of the Pridmore brothers; lest we forget!
Forged in the Mountains
Forged in the Mountains: A Family's ResilienceBy Wilma Gibson Goins Smith"Faith, family, and love are the only riches worth having."In the rugged coal-mining country of Appalachia, Wilma Gibson Goins Smith grew up as the youngest of ten children. Life was defined by hard work and hand-me-downs, but within their small mountain home, the Gibson family possessed a wealth that money couldn't buy.In this moving memoir, Wilma shares the story of her parents, a coal miner with stained hands and a mother with an iron will, who forged ten children in the mountains with nothing but faith and devotion. From the rhythmic sounds of Saturday night jam sessions to the quiet strength needed to overcome grief, Forged in the Mountains is a powerful testament to the roots that ground us and the resilience that carries us forward.Inside this book, you'll find: A Journey of Resilience: How a young girl from a coal-mining family overcame obstacles to become a teacher and a musician.The Power of Roots: A vivid look at Appalachian life, where struggle was met with song and prayer.Timeless Wisdom: Lessons on the dignity of honest work and the belief that where you start doesn't determine where you go.A heartwarming tribute to the legacy of our ancestors and the strength found in the hills.
From Shackles to Freedom
From Shackles to Freedom is a powerful and deeply personal memoir about faith, healing, and rediscovering a relationship with God beyond fear.In this honest and courageous story, Maritza Perez shares her journey through spiritual struggle, doubt, and transformation. What once felt like chains of fear and religious pressure became the very path that led her to freedom, truth, and grace.Through vulnerability and reflection, Maritza invites readers to explore what it means to rebuild faith after questioning, to find healing after spiritual wounds, and to discover the freedom that comes from a genuine connection with God.This book is for anyone who has ever wrestled with their beliefs, felt trapped by shame or expectations, or longed to experience faith in a deeper and more authentic way.From Shackles to Freedom is a reminder that even in the moments when everything feels like it is falling apart, God may be rebuilding something stronger within you.
Law, Labour, and a Canadian Life in Public Service
In the realm of labour rights and public service, there are rare individuals who stand out as beacons of justice and positive change. Tim Armstrong is one such exceptional figure...-Radiation Safety Institute of CanadaFrom his quiet beginnings playing road hockey in Toronto to the halls of power in Ontario government and the banks and boardrooms of the Asia-Pacific region, he has lived an extraordinary life. In Law, Labour, and a Canadian Life in Public Service, he chronicles his upbringing in Toronto in the 1940s and '50s, his summers caddying across Canada, and his formative years at UTS, Victoria College, and Osgoode Hall Law School. Offering a who's who of Canadian politics, he describes his legal practice and tenure as Deputy Minister of Labour during Ontario's turbulent '70s and '80s, his subsequent appointment as Ontario's Agent General to the Asia-Pacific region, and his later period as Deputy Minister of Industry, Trade, and Technology. The book finishes with commentaries on selections of his published pieces from the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and the Hamilton Spectator on issues that continue to impact Ontario and Canada today.Filled with case studies, personal anecdotes, and fascinating details of closed-door negotiations, this book sheds light on an important part of Ontario /Canadian history and its promise for the future.
From Shackles to Freedom
From Shackles to Freedom is a powerful and deeply personal memoir about faith, healing, and rediscovering a relationship with God beyond fear.In this honest and courageous story, Maritza Perez shares her journey through spiritual struggle, doubt, and transformation. What once felt like chains of fear and religious pressure became the very path that led her to freedom, truth, and grace.Through vulnerability and reflection, Maritza invites readers to explore what it means to rebuild faith after questioning, to find healing after spiritual wounds, and to discover the freedom that comes from a genuine connection with God.This book is for anyone who has ever wrestled with their beliefs, felt trapped by shame or expectations, or longed to experience faith in a deeper and more authentic way.From Shackles to Freedom is a reminder that even in the moments when everything feels like it is falling apart, God may be rebuilding something stronger within you.
Waking Up in Africa
"TODAY WAS THE MOST WONDERFUL DAY OF MY LIFE," HE SAYS. "TODAY, MY LIFE STOPPED BEING HARD." THAT'S IT. I HANG UP AND CRY. When Gila Svirsky moves to Uganda to follow her wife's new job, she is drawn into the lives of a group of mostly parentless teens-hungry to stay in school, desperate to carve out a future. As her plan to provide them with support takes shape, they slowly become her extended family, opening their hearts and lives to her. But she carries a dangerous secret: she is married to the woman posing as her sister. In Uganda, being gay is a felony, and even knowing but failing to report a gay person carries a harsh prison sentence. From the front lines of peace activism in Israel to the uncertain paths of Uganda's rural teenagers, this is a memoir of reinvention by PEN Prize winner Gila Svirsky. It's a story of seeking purpose in unfamiliar places, of risking the consequences of discovery, and of the unexpected ways resilience, trust, and quiet determination reshape all their lives. "Svirsky's story is a testament to the grace of lives lived with commitment, empathy, and purpose. Thanks to her engaging literary voice and endearing humor, this inspiring memoir comes to vibrant life on the page." - Letty Cottin Pogrebin, author and founding editor of Ms. Magazine "This brilliant memoir is a tribute to what is possible, to the idea that all of us-regardless of faith, race, nationality, gender, economics, or sexual orientation-can participate in the much-needed work of making this a better world." - Ruth Messinger, former Manhattan Borough President and past president of the American Jewish World Service "This is an engaging and powerful memoir-a travelogue equal parts hilarious and inspiring. It is the account of a woman who, while changing the lives of a group of Ugandan teenagers, transforms her own. A testament to the power of quiet activism and enduring connection." - Jessie Montell, former Executive Director, Hamoked: Center for the Defense of the Individual, and recipient of France's National Order of Merit.
Musings of a Meanderer
The book is autobiographical. It covers three generations spanning over three continents. It traces the story from my grandparents to my parents and to my life. I am Danish but was born in Taiwan by missionary parents, grew up in Denmark, and lived most of my life in the US. It is a story of a controlling religious upbringing, its impact on my sisters (4) and I and in my case emancipation from that control. It is a story about my love of the sea and working on and with ships. Ultimately it is about finding my voice - a voice denied by the strictures of my father's religious zeal.It is written to the best of my recollection. Photos are included to make the story more real. The story is not chronological. It meanders through time, across continents, and oceans. Lykke, my middle name, means happiness, luck, good fortune. My maternal grandmother was Karen Marie Elisabeth Iversen. Part of her genealogy goes back to 1450 to Laurenz Lykkesen who was married to Bodil Boes Daater from Sweden. My grandmother's nephew, Paul Evald Iversen, put together the genealogy. For 34 generations the family name was Lykkesen. It was not until 1831 that it was changed to Iversen. I think my grandmother named one of her sons middle name Lykke. Uncle Niels Lykke J繪rgensen. My mother chose to keep the name going, naming me John Lykke. It is to honor that generational pedigree that I chose to write under that name,
Thomas Lincoln
Hundreds of books have been written (and are still being written) about Abraham Lincoln. But in the annals of Lincoln history, Thomas Lincoln, Abraham's father, is a largely neglected figure. He rates a few paragraphs in an otherwise large biography and has served as a quick backdrop to the birth and childhood of our sixteenth president.Early Lincoln biography did not consider Thomas worthy of much mention. William Herndon set the pattern for how Thomas has been viewed historically. Thomas was seen as "roving and shiftless", lazy beyond repair. Thomas was said to be uneducated and against education. He was portrayed as mentally and physically slow, "careless, inert, and dull". He was the obstacle Abraham overcame to become great.That view of Thomas Lincoln is wrong. Thomas was not dull or inert or lazy. He lived in a different path from that chosen by his illustrious son but he was not an obstacle his son had to overcome.Because of this view, many will consider this volume to be revisionist history. In a sense, it is. It will revise the standard view of Thomas based on the historical record available and place him as he was in the events and time in which he lived. However, it is not revisionist in the negative sense that wording often suggests. It is not built from twisting events or rewriting timeframes to make history into something it was not. Thomas Lincoln: Abraham's Father will correct the old and errant understanding of Thomas Lincoln and show him the man he truly was. It will not enlarge him into something he was not nor will it lower him to be what many have thought him.Lincoln history has a gap in not having the story of Thomas Lincoln readily available. Hopefully this volume will open the doors to taking a new and serious look at the father who raised and shaped Abraham Lincoln's early life.
Law, Labour, and a Canadian Life in Public Service
In the realm of labour rights and public service, there are rare individuals who stand out as beacons of justice and positive change. Tim Armstrong is one such exceptional figure...-Radiation Safety Institute of CanadaFrom his quiet beginnings playing road hockey in Toronto to the halls of power in Ontario government and the banks and boardrooms of the Asia-Pacific region, he has lived an extraordinary life. In Law, Labour, and a Canadian Life in Public Service, he chronicles his upbringing in Toronto in the 1940s and '50s, his summers caddying across Canada, and his formative years at UTS, Victoria College, and Osgoode Hall Law School. Offering a who's who of Canadian politics, he describes his legal practice and tenure as Deputy Minister of Labour during Ontario's turbulent '70s and '80s, his subsequent appointment as Ontario's Agent General to the Asia-Pacific region, and his later period as Deputy Minister of Industry, Trade, and Technology. The book finishes with commentaries on selections of his published pieces from the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and the Hamilton Spectator on issues that continue to impact Ontario and Canada today.Filled with case studies, personal anecdotes, and fascinating details of closed-door negotiations, this book sheds light on an important part of Ontario /Canadian history and its promise for the future.
Life Poetry of an Adopted Baby
Benita Rainer was adopted as a newborn baby. She became a teacher and is a musician, poet, and writer. Despite having wonderful adoptive parents, the effects of not knowing who she was in terms of her natural and genetic heritage had profound lifelong effects on her. At the age of 23, and at a time when no help was readily available, she found her natural mother and was accepted by this family. She is still seeking knowledge about her natural father. In this volume, she openly expresses the soul angst and fears of abandonment so common in the psyche of the adopted person and reveals some degree of resolution. She hopes that this book, so illustrative of the long and difficult path of the adopted person, may be of help to others in the adoption triangle of adoptee, natural, and adoptive families.
Koba the Dread
A blistering blend of history and political reckoning, Koba the Dread is Martin Amis's searing indictment of Stalinist terror and the Western intellectuals who turned a blind eye. A deft and deeply felt combination of history, memoir, and political criticism, Koba the Dread is Martin Amis's razor-sharp investigation into the legacy of Joseph Stalin. Drawing from conversations with his father, Kingsley, a onetime Comintern acolyte, and family friend Robert Conquest, the distinguished Sovietologist who helped strip away the USSR's facade, Amis blends irony and sorrow with characteristic precision. In the face of Stalin's infamous aphorism--that the death of one is a tragedy, while the death of millions is a mere statistic--Amis offers a scathing rebuttal. Koba the Dread is not just an exploration of Soviet terror; it is an intensely personal counterpoint to the moral apathy that allowed such horrors to flourish.
On The Front Lines of America's Foreign Assistance
During the height of the Cold War, American foreign assistance became a central instrument of diplomacy, development, and geopolitical strategy. In On the Front Lines of America's Foreign Assistance, Theodore "Ted" Carter offers a firsthand account of life inside the U.S. Agency for International Development during some of the most consequential decades of the twentieth century. Beginning in 1965 as a young attorney in AID's Office of the General Counsel, Carter served for thirty years as a Regional Legal Advisor in assignments spanning South Korea, Egypt, Pakistan, the Caribbean, Africa, and beyond. His career unfolded against the backdrop of superpower rivalry, decolonization, and the global struggle between competing political systems. Part professional history and part personal narrative, this memoir chronicles the challenges of implementing economic development programs in diverse political and cultural environments. From negotiations with foreign ministries to life with family abroad, Carter provides a candid look at the realities of diplomacy, law, and development during the Cold War era. More than a career retrospective, this is a window into the mechanics of American foreign assistance at a pivotal moment in world history.
Life, an Extraordinary Journey
What if every twist and turn of life's journey was captured in poetry? In a world of ordinary days, a child did play, Through ups and downs, the Lancashire lad found his way. Becoming a soldier, brave and true, Facing battles and peacekeeping too. Shoulder to shoulder with his loyal wife, he found his home, Together they built a life and were no longer alone. Children brought joy, laughter, and light, Their family strong, through day and night. Escorting Royalty was a privileged achievement, Running marathons and his hobby of art were fulfilment. His ambition was achieved, but still cost tears, Retiring from the army after 27 challenging years. From an ordinary beginning, extraordinary he became, A story of resilience, love, sacrifice and pain. Through life's journey, he shone bright, An ordinary child, now a beacon of light. This autobiography is about me, your author, Neal Alexander.
The Blue Hour Gospel
The Blue Hour Gospel is a powerful and poetic exploration of queer identity, desire, shame, love, and self-discovery. Through intimate reflections on childhood, family, longing, and mortality, it captures what it means to grow up without the words for who you are and the courage it takes to claim yourself anyway. Honest, lyrical, and deeply affecting, this is a story for anyone who has ever lived between silence and truth.
1 in 6 My Journey Through Infertility
This book is a testimony of what life with endometriosis, infertility diagnosis, IVF procedures and miscarriages looks like. It is emotional statement of the biggest heartbreak couples can endure, when the dreams get crushed, love gets through the most painful tests and all you wish you have, is people who understand what you are going through.This book is about the battle with the enemy that looks back at you from the mirror, the one you can't escape and hide from. The fight you wish you never endured and one you never wanted. The pain that comes with losing faith and keeping strong despite one bad news after another. For your children, for your love and for your sanity. How cruel the world around can be where hardly anyone understands what you are going through. The support and the luck of it in moments when you feel there is no hope left but giving up is not an option. The pain of endometriosis and life on hormonal spiral, while your own body betrays you and you can't do anything to fight back and stand still.This book will make you cry and be angry, but you will come to understand the twists and turns of this tragic and emotional journey. A journey so many women have to face every day.
The Quiet After the Storm
After a one-month deployment in Syria in September 2010, Dr. Amara Lumen returns home carrying something she cannot outwork: the echoes of fear, a body that still listens for danger, and nights that refuse to fully rest.When she is diagnosed with PTSD, Amara enters a rehabilitation program for three months: learning, slowly and painfully, that healing is not weakness, and rest is not surrender. Discharged on New Year's Day 2011, she rebuilds herself through small, quiet acts of courage...until, at the end of January, she is cleared to deploy again.Her next assignment takes her to Timor-Leste, a country rebuilding its own life after storms of history. There, in clinics that run on improvisation and steady teamwork, she discovers that recovery is not about "beating" trauma. It is about carrying it more wisely with boundaries, honesty, compassion, and the courage to rest.The Quiet After the Storm is a memoir of post-traumatic stress, resilience, and the unseen work of becoming whole again. It is also a tribute to the people who hold communities together: nurses guarding the cold chain like a promise, mothers walking long distances for a few minutes of care, colleagues teaching language with laughter, and leaders who understand that dignity is part of medicine.Written under a pseudonym, some names, locations, and identifying details have been changed to protect privacy and safety.
21 Days in Juba
In July 2016, Juba taught a hard lesson about how quickly ordinary life can disappear. On South Sudan's Independence Day, gunfire erupted, and for twenty-one days the capital became a place where sleep was shallow, food was counted, and every sound carried meaning. Inside a compound under siege, a doctor and her two trusted staff had only one reliable strategy: stay steady, stay together, and keep choosing hope.21 Days in Juba: A Doctor's Story of Loyalty, War, and Stubborn Hope is a true-to-life memoir inspired by the author's experience as a humanitarian doctor. After surviving being shot in Afghanistan, she arrived in South Sudan believing the danger would be less. Instead, she entered a crisis that tested not only endurance, but moral clarity on how to lead, how to protect others, and how to keep serving when fear is everywhere.While many organizations suspended operations, her team continued working by training health workers, supporting hospitals, and refusing to abandon the people who still needed care. In Juba, two staff stayed behind to shield her, hiding her from armed men as the city collapsed around them. At night, they shared cups of hot water beneath a sky full of stars, held by loyalty, memory, and the stubborn decision to last one more day.
Kuen
A piano scholarship transports sixteen-year-old Kuen from her home in Hong Kong to the Royal Academy of Music in London. Seven years later, the shy student marries a Malaysian-born Chinese man, and the couple returns to Asia.The lustre of Kuen's marriage fades quickly. Her husband's escalating abuse leads to her frantic escape from Kuala Lumpur to Canada. She and her two terrified children arrive in a new land with no plans whatsoever. She figures out how to remain in Toronto, seeks healing in three seminaries, and reinvents herself.The external circumstances of Kuen's life are exotic and fascinating, yet her interior landscape is accessible and familiar. Her story-a powerful intertwining of music, marriage, and faith-is about resilience and finding healthy ways of living with the scars from one's past.
Between Two Breaths
Between Two Breaths tells the story of what happens when Central California resident Thom Miller takes a whitewater rafting trip with five of his sons and his younger brother, and discovers that being fit and strong can't always save you from the unexpected. Not long after the Miller gang meets up with a rafting excursion company in the mountains northeast of Fresno, Thom, a Christian husband and father, is excited to get about their first day of rafting on the Kings River. It is exhilarating and beautiful. But the following day, the rapids are different. And what starts as a fun family vacation turns into a harrowing and dangerous adventure that takes more twists and turns than the river itself. The water level is down due to lower temperatures, resulting in significantly less snowmelt. Thom doesn't notice much of a difference until they reach a spot called "Bonzai Canyon," where there is a rooster tail-like rock in the middle. Their raft hangs up on the rock and flips over from front to back. The men who land on the left side of the river get to shore. Thom lands on the right, where there is a "keeper," an area where the water moves up and down, like a plunger, pulling Thom down and then pushing him up. He fights it, but ultimately sucks water deep into his lungs and drowns. For twenty-two minutes, he is dead. Later, Thom remembers where he was during those long minutes-in heaven, where he sees his deceased niece who hugs him and tells him it's not his time and he must go back. Immediately, he's in his body, then taken to the hospital, where it's up and down until he finally recovers. In this true story, the author creatively weaves in flashbacks to other times when the daring risk-taker could have easily lost his life. However, the fact that he lives today suggests there is something more. In the final few chapters, Thom reveals the source of his extraordinary life and how uniquely he discovered it. Buckle in for the heart-pounding, heart-warming ride.
F*ck Cancer
When life threatens to collapse, you can still choose your comeback. For most of my life, I've dealt in chaos. I was a retail turnaround specialist, and I knew how to bring order to the mayhem and fix anything that was broken. Except, as it turned out, my own sense of invincibility.For years, I lived with the quiet knowledge that cancer ran in my family like an inherited storm-my sister, my mother, and my grandmother were taken by the disease. I spent a decade fortifying my body and hoping against all odds that I wouldn't have to battle the tempest. But at fifty-one, when the diagnosis finally came, it still felt like the ground had dropped out from under me.This book tells the story of what happened when the fixer had to face the one thing she couldn't outwork.It traces the years when my titles-CEO, President, Chief Merchandising Officer-were the center of my identity. It follows the woman who tried to schedule chemotherapy between client calls, who held onto a project even while on medical leave, and who believed I could strategize my way through cancer the way I had strategized through boardrooms.It's also the story of what swept in as the sliding door opened: survivor's guilt that stole my breath, joy tangled with grief, and denial intertwined with fierce determination. The moments of truth seen in dressing room mirrors and spreadsheets of data. The day HR told me to choose between work and recovery. The playbook for healing I built with a binder, dividers, and colored tabs. The instinct that whispered: You already know how to lead. Now lead yourself.Part memoir and part playbook, each chapter pairs a story with the strategies, questions, and mindset shifts that helped me navigate the hardest project of my life. It explores how to advocate for your body, trust your intuition, release an identity that no longer serves you, all so that you can discover the life waiting on the other side of fear.This is not a story about cancer. It's a story about choosing to live-fully, presently, relentlessly.If you've ever faced a diagnosis or an illness that rearranged your world, this book is your permission to take control and command your comeback.
A Brief Biography of Emma Brumm
In 1979, long-time Kitsap resident Emma Brumm and her daughter Bertha were interviewed by their paper carrier Clayton Kauzlaric. He was writing a paper for his Washington State History class. It started as a simple story about life in Seabeck and Lone Rock during an earlier time. It ended up becoming a 30 page document detailing Emma's life growing up in Nebraska, her journey to the Pacific Northwest with her family and the decades that followed as a teacher in the Central Kitsap School District. Emma and her daughter shared a wealth of stories, photos and documents that have been updated, restored and preserved for anyone interested in this slice of Kitsap County's past.
Answering the Hard Questions
Your answer to a single question can change your life. Do I want to die? For Devin Fish, this was the question that planted a seed, one that would sprout, grow, and drive transformation. While the question may vary, the role it serves is universal: to create change, inspire growth, and uncover purpose. In Answering the Hard Questions, Devin shares his journey in breaking down and rebuilding, using honesty as the foundation for transformation. This is Devin's story and an invitation to explore the beliefs that drive you. Through more than seventy questions, you'll learn to face failure, confront doubt, own your mindset, discover opportunity, and determine how to build your own unique path forward. This is your chance to find clarity, consistency, and self-love. For anyone at a crossroads, Answering the Hard Questions is more than a traditional self-help book--it's an examination of life's rawest, most vulnerable moments.
Get on Board!
What happened to the dancers who lit up the stage on the iconic show Soul Train?Get On Board! takes you behind the scenes and beyond the spotlight, tracing the lives of the original dancers who helped define a generation of music and movement. From Patricia Davis to Don "Campbellock" Campbell, Shabba-Doo Quinones, Sharon Hill, and Tyrone "The Bone" Proctor, this book offers intimate interviews that reveal what it was like to groove on national television-and where life took them afterward.Follow their journeys as they collaborate with legends like The Jackson 5, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Diana Ross. Discover the roots of dance styles still seen worldwide today.Brimming with heart, humor, and history, Get On Board! is a celebration of resilience, creativity, and the power of soul. So take your seat. This unforgettable ride through music, memory, and movement is about to begin.Love, peace, and soul await.
Kuen
A piano scholarship transports sixteen-year-old Kuen from her home in Hong Kong to the Royal Academy of Music in London. Seven years later, the shy student marries a Malaysian-born Chinese man, and the couple returns to Asia.The lustre of Kuen's marriage fades quickly. Her husband's escalating abuse leads to her frantic escape from Kuala Lumpur to Canada. She and her two terrified children arrive in a new land with no plans whatsoever. She figures out how to remain in Toronto, seeks healing in three seminaries, and reinvents herself.The external circumstances of Kuen's life are exotic and fascinating, yet her interior landscape is accessible and familiar. Her story-a powerful intertwining of music, marriage, and faith-is about resilience and finding healthy ways of living with the scars from one's past.
Answering the Hard Questions
Your answer to a single question can change your life. Do I want to die? For Devin Fish, this was the question that planted a seed, one that would sprout, grow, and drive transformation. While the question may vary, the role it serves is universal: to create change, inspire growth, and uncover purpose. In Answering the Hard Questions, Devin shares his journey in breaking down and rebuilding, using honesty as the foundation for transformation. This is Devin's story and an invitation to explore the beliefs that drive you. Through more than seventy questions, you'll learn to face failure, confront doubt, own your mindset, discover opportunity, and determine how to build your own unique path forward. This is your chance to find clarity, consistency, and self-love. For anyone at a crossroads, Answering the Hard Questions is more than a traditional self-help book--it's an examination of life's rawest, most vulnerable moments.
Emancipated Blooms
In this heart-wrenchingly sincere and unvarnished memoir, Amara Shores recounts a story of breaking cycles, healing generational trauma, and finding freedom after years of silence. Born into a family still reeling from the generational impact of residential schools, Shores recounts her darkest moments: neglected, abused, left alone to care for herself and her children, and failed utterly by child protection services, by the courts, and by the mental health services that were supposed to be there for her. But no fall would be her last; Shores traces her recovery from addiction, her journey to self-love, and her refusal to continue the cycle of generational trauma and colonial violence with her own children.A real, gritty, but inspiring story of personal growth, resilience, and hope in the face of overwhelming grief and pain. Whether you've been in her shoes or hope to better-understand those who have, this story offers honesty, empathy, and the very real possibility of becoming something new.
Fessenden! Looking Back on a Small-Town North Dakota Life
This book presents a few stories from the author's life in Fessenden, North Dakota, up until she left the community after graduating from high school and moving to California. Sometimes, we can't wait to leave a place, thinking somewhere else will be better, greater, or more exciting. Yet hometowns often take unexpected twists. One day, we may look back fondly and appreciate those twists. For Carol, Fessenden was one of those places.
Emancipated Blooms
In this heart-wrenchingly sincere and unvarnished memoir, Amara Shores recounts a story of breaking cycles, healing generational trauma, and finding freedom after years of silence. Born into a family still reeling from the generational impact of residential schools, Shores recounts her darkest moments: neglected, abused, left alone to care for herself and her children, and failed utterly by child protection services, by the courts, and by the mental health services that were supposed to be there for her. But no fall would be her last; Shores traces her recovery from addiction, her journey to self-love, and her refusal to continue the cycle of generational trauma and colonial violence with her own children.A real, gritty, but inspiring story of personal growth, resilience, and hope in the face of overwhelming grief and pain. Whether you've been in her shoes or hope to better-understand those who have, this story offers honesty, empathy, and the very real possibility of becoming something new.
Silver & Sacred
'Love is not perfect. It is a journey-sometimes messy, often beautiful, and always evolving. In Silver & Sacred, Michelle Parreno invites readers into a deeply personal reflection on marriage, commitment, and the sacred growth that comes from twenty-five years of shared life.Through twenty-five reflections, Michelle explores the foundations of her marriage, the challenges and storms faced along the way, the lessons learned about gratitude, patience, and resilience, and the quiet joys of enduring love. Each chapter offers a thoughtful blend of story, reflection, and guided questions, creating a space for readers to consider their own relationships and the choices that deepen connection.This book is for couples at any stage, individuals seeking insight into lasting love, and anyone who believes that love grows richer and more sacred with time. With honesty, warmth, and devotion, Silver & Sacred celebrates the imperfect, evolving, and enduring love that continues to become stronger, day by day.
Childless By Choice
'Helen Taylor's memoir offers the perspective that's often missing' New StatesmanHelen Taylor cuts through the taboo of voluntary childlessness in this timely, intimate and groundbreaking exploration of what it means to live a life without children. Part memoir, part cultural history, this compelling narrative weaves personal experience with rigorous analysis to challenge our assumptions about family, fulfilment and female identity.Drawing on a lifetime of experience as a feminist academic who chose not to have children, Taylor examines the joys and complexities of her path less travelled. She traces how attitudes toward childlessness have evolved - and sometimes haven't. With unflinching honesty, she confronts the challenges of aging without children while celebrating the freedom and opportunities her choice has provided.Through interviews with other women, analysis of cultural attitudes and examination of literature and media, Taylor builds a rich tapestry of what it means to live outside traditional family structures. She explores thorny questions about legacy, purpose and belonging in a world that often defines women through motherhood.Taylor's warm, intelligent voice guides us through territory that has too long been shadowed by judgement and misconception, offering wisdom, solidarity and a new framework for understanding the many ways to live a meaningful life.
She Never Stood a Chance
At some point in life, everyone will be forced to face their traumas and make the decision to either heal or keep repeating the same patterns. This book is for anyone shown a way of life that they never knew they could escape. Sometimes we get so comfortable in life that we accept what was handed to us and don't realize there is another way of living. That we can unlearn all the toxic, unhealthy behaviors and patterns engraved in us from an early age. This book is for anyone who yearned for more and were brave enough to step outside their comfort zone. Anyone raised by single mothers, raised around addictions and dysfunction, abandoned by their fathers, became a mother, survived abusive relationships, lost their mother at a young age, experienced more loss, battled their own addictions and mental health, got sober, made a better life for themselves and more. Readers will find something to relate to. This book is for anyone who is ready to heal and do the work. For anyone who has had enough of their own crap. There is no sugar coating in this book. I write exactly how I felt going through every memory in my past. When I have read anything that I have related to and felt understood, that is what I want people to feel when they read this book. I want people to know that they are not alone. That you can dream about a better future and fight for it. I want people to know that it is possible to turn your life into a beautiful one after many years of darkness. Healing is so beautiful. There are so many valuable resources out there now for healing, which can be tailored to your needs depending on what you went through. If something does not work, can try many other things until you find the right fit. Healing and growing is a lifelong journey and I look forward to seeing what else I can learn from others and hope that I can help others too by sharing my story.
You Are Loved, You Are Enough
You Are Loved, You Are Enough is an emotional memoir of one woman's journey towards self-love and self-acceptance. Sheryl Oleksak grew up as an only child in New York, with a narcissistic mother and a kind but mostly passive father. From a less-than-perfect childhood-foster siblings coming in and out of the house and attending a harsh diet camp-to an adolescence and young adulthood marked by issues with food, body image, and self-esteem, Sheryl lays out her struggles in a clear, conversational style. As she circles her memories and emotions, the reader is invited to not only see themselves, but see how they can overcome their own past.A story of how negative parenting can warp someone's perception of themselves so that they constantly seek external validation, and how young women are pressured to meet unrealistic expectations, Sheryl faces bulimia, a long legal saga, disappointing relationships, and the ongoing, relentless negativity of her mother. Gradually though, a core of strength emerges, and she comes to terms with her parents, body, and dietary issues. Exuberantly, she describes her love for travel, dancing, nature, and how being a yoga instructor and Reiki Master became her calling. More than anything, embracing life and helping others live in the present is the purpose of Sheryl's story.For those wondering if they can overcome the challenges of their early life, or if they're loved for who they are, Sheryl answers in the affirmative: You Can. You Are. But more importantly, her example encourages us to find our own happiness. You Are Loved, You Are Enough is both a title and a reminder that the greatest love is self-love.
She Never Stood a Chance
At some point in life, everyone will be forced to face their traumas and make the decision to either heal or keep repeating the same patterns. This book is for anyone shown a way of life that they never knew they could escape. Sometimes we get so comfortable in life that we accept what was handed to us and don't realize there is another way of living. That we can unlearn all the toxic, unhealthy behaviors and patterns engraved in us from an early age. This book is for anyone who yearned for more and were brave enough to step outside their comfort zone. Anyone raised by single mothers, raised around addictions and dysfunction, abandoned by their fathers, became a mother, survived abusive relationships, lost their mother at a young age, experienced more loss, battled their own addictions and mental health, got sober, made a better life for themselves and more. Readers will find something to relate to. This book is for anyone who is ready to heal and do the work. For anyone who has had enough of their own crap. There is no sugar coating in this book. I write exactly how I felt going through every memory in my past. When I have read anything that I have related to and felt understood, that is what I want people to feel when they read this book. I want people to know that they are not alone. That you can dream about a better future and fight for it. I want people to know that it is possible to turn your life into a beautiful one after many years of darkness. Healing is so beautiful. There are so many valuable resources out there now for healing, which can be tailored to your needs depending on what you went through. If something does not work, can try many other things until you find the right fit. Healing and growing is a lifelong journey and I look forward to seeing what else I can learn from others and hope that I can help others too by sharing my story.
Turning Pages
For more than thirty years, Roberta Rubin owned and ran The Book Stall at Chestnut Court in Winnetka, Illinois-one of the nation's most admired independent bookstores. In this warm and inspiring memoir, she reflects on the journey that transformed a neighborhood shop into a nationally respected cultural destination and a beloved cornerstone of community life.A leader in independent bookselling, Rubin championed emerging and established writers, cultivated generations of passionate readers, and steered her bookstore through every challenge the shifting literary landscape presented-from big-box competition to the rise of online retail. Her story is filled with engaging anecdotes about the authors, publishers, colleagues, and customers who shaped her world, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the relationships and determination that sustained an independent bookstore through decades of change.Both a deeply personal account of a life devoted to books and a source of inspiration for booksellers and independent shop owners, this memoir reflects the same energy, warmth, grit, and unwavering commitment to books that defined her oversight of the store. It testifies to the power of independent retailers to build community, spark curiosity, and bring people together-and to Rubin's ongoing advocacy for the enduring value of bookstores and the written word.
Finding Our Voice
Leadership is forged in crisis, not comfort. On February 1, 2021, Myanmar's fragile democracy was extinguished. Civil war raged. As institutions abandoned the country and the world looked away, one American business leader chose to stay. Finding Our Voice tells how an American business community, led by former US Marine officer and conflict expert Adam Castillo, endured the fire of crisis. It charts Castillo's path from an unemployed veteran to an entrepreneur leading a forgotten people in a country at war, until his work propelled him from the chaos of Myanmar to a high-stakes meeting in the White House. A leadership memoir unlike any other, Finding Our Voice is set in the aftermath of Myanmar's collapse. Framed through twelve speeches delivered across Yangon in darkness and uncertainty, it is simultaneously a personal journey of spiritual awakening, a memoir of survival, and a story about leading with courage when your world falls apart.
The Life of Being a Trucker
The Life of Being a Trucker: Buckle Up, It's Going to Get Bumpy is a raw and inspiring memoir that takes readers deep into the world of long-haul trucking. In this powerful debut, Michael Sturgis shares what it truly means to live life behind the wheel - from the anxiety of trucking school to the adrenaline of that first solo haul.This isn't just a story about driving across state lines. It's about crossing personal boundaries, facing fear head-on, and discovering strength in solitude. Through breakdowns, missed holidays, roadside friendships, and endless highways, Sturgis paints an honest portrait of the freedom and isolation that define the trucking lifestyle.With grit, humor, and heart, The Life of Being a Trucker reveals the quiet pride that comes with keeping America moving. It's a story of resilience, purpose, and personal growth on the open road - perfect for anyone curious about the trucking industry or searching for a real-world story of transformation.Buckle up. It's going to get bumpy.
Finding Our Voice
Leadership is forged in crisis, not comfort. On February 1, 2021, Myanmar's fragile democracy was extinguished. Civil war raged. As institutions abandoned the country and the world looked away, one American business leader chose to stay. Finding Our Voice tells how an American business community, led by former US Marine officer and conflict expert Adam Castillo, endured the fire of crisis. It charts Castillo's path from an unemployed veteran to an entrepreneur leading a forgotten people in a country at war, until his work propelled him from the chaos of Myanmar to a high-stakes meeting in the White House. A leadership memoir unlike any other, Finding Our Voice is set in the aftermath of Myanmar's collapse. Framed through twelve speeches delivered across Yangon in darkness and uncertainty, it is simultaneously a personal journey of spiritual awakening, a memoir of survival, and a story about leading with courage when your world falls apart.
