The Joys of Being a Professor
When university professors are asked how their work is going, the response may focus on difficulties associated with the profession rather than on joys. What, in fact, are some joys that I have had in being a professor? What about joys that those aspiring to become professors might have in choosing this career as their own? And might this information encourage those already in this career path? It might also provide interesting reading for veteran professors, prompting them to take stock of joys they have encountered. The result was the following book, with entries categorized according to different aspects of a professor
A New Day One
No one can go back and make a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Rodney faced incredible hardships in the foster care system and coping with family drug problems and violence. But through sheer determination and the support of some key mentors, Rodney was able to reach for new heights as an entrepreneur and a Yale University graduate.A New Day One is Rodney's story of triumph over adversity, filled with valuable principles and life lessons that are sure to inspire you into action. Whether you're an inner-city youth or a high-net worth businessman, there's something to be learned from Rodney's incredible story.
Rebelleheart
What if one's most tender letters - never meant for the world - could become an unexpected inspiration for someone else to come home to themselves?REBELLEHEART is a raw journey into the wild terrain of love, loss, and emotional truth.Intimate and fiercely honest, these fragments invite you to remember what it means to feel, to risk, and to live with your heart wide open.There's a book that lived inside me for more than ten years.Not written for the world, but for one man - and somehow, for life itself.Rebelleheart began as raw, sent (and unsent) letters.Written in the quiet intensity of love, absence, and self-revelation, they weren't meant to be read by anyone else.But over time, I began to see that this wasn't just a personal story. Actually there is no story at all.It was an exploration of what it means to be fully alive.Through passion and silence, heartbreak and grace, I wrote myself bare.What you'll find here are fragments - poetic, fierce, flawed -, tender conversations with or rather to a beloved, with myself, and with life.This is not a polished memoir. It doesn't follow a straight path. It's a mosaic.It pulses. It undoes.It doesn't offer lessons, but companionship.If you've ever loved in a way that didn't fit any shape...If you've stood at the edges of language and felt more than you could say...If your life has been cracked open by beauty, death, or desire...Then perhaps these pages will feel familiar.My background is in mindfulness, yoga, and the wild teachings of animals. But that's not what this book is about.This is about the quiet, radical act of being human-unmasked, unfiltered, awake.Rebelleheart is an offering - a hand on your shoulder, a spark in your chest, a mirror held softly in front of your face.You don't need to be perfect to be fully alive.You just need to be present.With love, Karinwww.rebelleheart.eu
The Greatest Risk Of All
I would like to introduce you to a novel about one man's journey to seek the truth about salvation.The reader will be exposed to an aging Jewish man, raised in New York who now finds himself living in Russellville, Arkansas and coping with gut wrenching decisions he feels compeled to make concerning his faith. He is not alone in this spiritual quest as he is now in the company of a Christian Arkansas coalminer's daughter, who feels right at home in the "Bible Belt" and who is also open- minded to learn about Messianic Judaism and Jeshua (Jesus); the Messiah.Our "hero" has been accustomed to taking risks all his life and when he lost, money was involved. But, this is different. This would be his greatest risk of all....for if he is wrong he could lose his soul.
Black Power, Black Lawyer
Black Power, Black Lawyer is a memoir that stitches suspense, calamity, humor and wit into a tapestry of history, politics, law, culture and romance. Both serious and scandalous, Nkechi Taifa's audacious quest for justice is a gripping commentary on life; the perennial nature of human resistance against oppression; and her earnest embrace of what is fair and correct. Sometimes raw, sometimes abrasive, sometimes passionate, Taifa offers her truth, unapologetically and unfiltered, with honesty and authenticity. Her memoir is the story of a quest rarely told. The search for the resisters and the rebellious; the pursuit of issues on the cutting edge. Although there are memoirs that chronicle iconic leaders striving for justice during the civil rights era, there is scant reminiscence of the transformative journeys for self-realization of ordinary people growing up during the tumultuous Black Power era. Black Power, Black Lawyer offers a uniquely personal glimpse from an insider's perspective into little known or understood parts of this country's history - from juicy stories of the more controversial and militant aspects of the Black liberation struggle, to the craziness of congressional "sausage-making" and the pivotal role of "strange bedfellows." Navigate this audacious quest with Taifa as she bears witness to ancestors, people and episodes that swayed the shaping of her identity and consciousness. No matter which vantage point she found herself - from sitting on the lap of that fine brother pulling security in the front office of the Black Panther Party; to getting arrested right after graduating from law school; to being accused of being an FBI agent; to representing the lead defendant in the Capitol Bombing case; to being detained at an airport five months pregnant as an alleged enemy of the state; to winning a six-figure settlement for clients in a pivotal employment discrimination suit against a major news media network; or to being a catalyst which sparked the change to the infamous crack cocaine laws -- her quest for justice in society reigned supreme. Taifa's memoir is sure to awaken, inform, provoke, move and, at its best, fire you up to either join, or continue, "The Struggle!"
Words in My Hands
Bert Riedel, an eighty-six-year-old deaf-blind pianist, cut off from the world since age forty-five, discovers a new life through hand-over-hand sign. This heartwarming narrative about the life-changing power of sign language communication is told by Diane Chambers, Bert Riedel's sign language teacher. Diane finds her world transformed as well by her relationship with her unique deaf-blind student. Words in My Hands is a true story of their unforgettable journey.
Pushing Through
Charise Marie walks into her life in her debut novel, "Pushing Through." She reminisces back on her life of multiple injuries, deaths, failed relationships and struggling parenthood. She speaks of her unwed planned pregnancy and domestic violence that led her to her first talk show appearance. Charise takes you back on the multiple surgeries and the loss of multiple babies that led to her attempted suicide events. She also narrates her journey of being diagnosed twice with more than one mental illness. Charise defines to all what it means to keep moving forward when it is the only choice given. Follow her on her journey when it comes to succeeding the best way she knows how.
Camera Focus
WHAT IS CAMERA FOCUS?Here's what it's not -- it's not a book about photography or a book about taking the perfectly timed shot. Here's what it is -- a lesson on zooming in on your life, and a guide to understanding and creating strategies that will take you to the next level. Scott Proposki uses clear and simple references to photography techniques that have led him through life, but this book is for anybody looking to transform their personal and professional trajectory.You'll learn the following and more inside: Valuable lessons to take your life and business to the next level Coaching advice to guide hyper focus your future Find support on an alternative path to success See the clearer picture, on the horizon ahead
What the Private Saw
"The generals did not see what the privates saw." So wrote U.S. Civil War veteran Pvt. Oney Foster Sweet, 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, 43rd Pennsylvania Volunteers (14th Reserves), Battery F (Ricketts' Battery), 1861-1865. His previously unpublished letters, diaries, and retrospective pieces offer a unique glimpse of the war from the view of a private simply trying to survive a deadly conflagration in which one in five combatants perished. This first-hand account of what the private saw is a distinctive addition to the many existing volumes on the American Civil War. The book is edited and annotated by Larry M. Edwards, an award-winning author, editor, and investigative journalist
Masturbation Monday
How to Love and Accept Yourself Just the Way You Are (in bed).At almost forty, Jupiter left a fifteen-year marriage. Being single for a while sounded great . . . until she discovered that she was still emotionally shackled when it came to masturbation. To be a healthy single woman, she needed to unlock her sexual repression. With a camera, a keen wit and a reflective nature, Jupiter set out to conduct extraordinarily personal research by masturbating once a week--on film--for a year.Masturbation Monday is a humorous and enthralling memoir--at once preposterous and profound, reverent and profane. Jupiter takes readers on a wild journey as she tests kinks, wrestles taboos and gets absurdly literal about self-love. She gives herself permission to play, to experiment and to fail, aiming to neither suppress nor glamorize her sexuality. She strives to create portrayals of sexual joy and female pleasure but isn't always sure what will make her orgasm.Unflinching, Jupiter faces her most embarrassing sexual fantasies, exploring herself from head to toe, without skipping her anus or her nose. She goes where few have gone before with condom-covered carrots, flower-petal insertions and teabagging herbal tea bags. She pays tribute to masturbation classics like airplane bathrooms, hotel rooms and washing machines. But her journey also brings surprises, like a budding appreciation for the strange beauty of her female anatomy, the radiance of her smile in the afterglow of orgasm and a rapidly growing fan base. Jupiter wrestles with being called a porn star. She encounters days where even the most explosive orgasms only sharpen the pain of loneliness, and other days when they erase it altogether.Throughout the book, Jupiter immerses herself in a breathtakingly honest and raw portrayal of her physical desires, psychological conflicts and emotional truths as she forges a key to sexual joy and pleasure. Jupiter's extraordinary undertaking yields a book that will seduce readers and make them love their quirky bits. And hers.
A Kiss Without Any Shame
I pray that my life story will give hope and move those who need to find the healing touches of God's mending love! --Annabelle Sabella-Reza Annabelle Sabella-Reza shares the heart-moving story of her life-altering revelation about finding absolute love. Set in 1960, shortly after the devastating loss of her beloved father; grief-stricken--in the most vulnerable time, eight-year-old Annabelle, became the victim of child sexual assaults--endured more traumatic abuse in her teens. Feeling abandoned and unprotected, she lost faith in love's existence. At age 16, unable to deal with heightened torment, she aimed the razor blade and slit her wrist. She survived, but desperation drove Annabelle to run away from her dark past. She leaves her family and birthplace, the Philippines, bound for the USA. There in the new world, life transformed significantly: marriage with a new set of family and motherhood--where much of love infused. Still, the non-stop trouncing of shameful acts would resurface--intensifying each time--she plunges further into the heartless world. Until one day, over thirty years after, she encountered a divine intervention about unconditional love. With valor against cultural traditions, she continued to seek... and finds the supreme God Who loves, heals, and restores. Annabelle's heart-rendering and compelling account of her encounter with God unveil the agonizing hurts and pain--that deeply hidden shame and guilt--washed away and replaced with dignity and worth. Our Father in Heaven, Who made us in His likeness accepts us as we are. From victim to victory--A Kiss Without Any Shame is an encouraging life testimony of God's grace and mercy. Freeing Annabelle from the bondage of defeat to the liberated life of His loving assurance. Annabelle's story is of redemption. She shares the eight pillars on living free from the snares of the world's limiting choices. And why she said, "Yes" to these eight powerful life-changing steps.
But First . . .
Heather Holloway McCash was born butt first. She's been living her life backwards ever since. Her memoir features sotries and poems--in reverse chronological order--about her love life, struggle with Lyme Disease, experience living in New York during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, early foray into ballet, close encounters with celebrities, and battles with corporate dragons. Despite some tough setbacks, Heather cartwheels through life with grace, demonstrating that it's never too late to reinvent oneself and, no matter the circumstances, fun is just around the corner . . . or in the next city . . . or behind the curtain . . . or on the playground.
The Weird One
Dare to be weird. You can do anything you want. You just have to do it. You can't sit on your couch and watch TV and say,"Hey, that looks like fun." or "You know, I've always wanted to do that." While you continue eating popcorn. When you can be the one actually doing it. All you have to do is put yourself out there and DO IT. I hope the lessons I talk about and stories I tell in this book show you that. My goal is for YOU to want to become the best version of YOU possible. Dare To Be an Outlaw. Dare to be "The Weird One."
resilience road
How many times have you taken a look at your life and thought these words? "Things have got to change."Well, Beth had said them before, but when she opened her eyes in the ICU, paralyzed from the neck down and facing a tremendous fight to regain very basic functions, she knew she finally meant them. Her story is one of resilience: in the face of disease, life's unexpected curves, and a journey that veers off the track.With total honesty and refreshing humor, Beth reflects on the checklist-style life she'd been living and conquering. Career. Husband. Kids. House in the suburbs. But then her body tells her in no uncertain terms that it's time to slow down and take a hard look at what she has... and what she really wants.In sharing her own deeply personal experiences, Beth introduces us to the tools and philosophies she has developed along the way and now uses in her therapy practice. This is the story of a courageous comeback that is really a breakthrough to living an authentic life on your own terms.
A Girl Called Peter
These memoirs are delightful to read, from the mischievous tales of Peter growing up to the emergence of a Peta, a young woman who chose to dedicate her life to serving others as a nurse and midwife. Her story is a life of daring, daring to stand up and speak out, daring to be that voice for others, daring to be different, and do it all with kindness and empathy. Peta has touched so many lives and continues to do so.An incredible storyteller, poet, writer and creative, Peta is a testament to a life well-lived. Her ability to love, care, and serve others seems to have no limits. As Mahatma Gandhi said, "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."Lisa Evans - Speaker, Storyteller, Coach, Midwife.
Rounding Home
In 1991, twenty-one-year-old Sarah, recently divorced mother to two-year-old Hayley, moved from the small dusty town of Farmington, New Mexico to the bustling city of Houston, Texas with dreams of a better life. A year later she was swept off her feet by Greg Swindell, a millionaire Major League Baseball player who just had signed a lucrative contract with the Houston Astros and was becoming the talk of the city. Sarah was a young mother who never dreamed a guy like Greg would ever want a girl like her, but she could never have been more wrong. Greg loved Sarah the moment he saw her, and she felt the very same way.Six weeks after their first date, Greg asked Sarah to quit her job as a hairdresser and marry him during Spring Training in Florida, taking in Hayley as his very own. Throughout the next several years, Sarah's Cinderella story continued with the addition of three more children, a lifestyle only a few ever dreamed of living, and a love story even fewer ever experienced. The major league lifestyle afforded the Swindell's multimillion-dollar homes, fancy cars, and all the material things Sarah could ever want. The couple shared an unbreakable love, even in the fast-paced, flashy world of professional sports.That is until 2002 when this picture-perfect story came to a gut-wrenching halt, and Sarah was forced to deal with more pain than she ever thought possible. Dawson, their only son, was diagnosed with severe autism when he was just eighteen-months-old. As Sarah's world slowly crumbled beneath her, she was faced with choices that often resulted in devastating consequences. Sarah never dreamed how much her world would change so suddenly and without warning, leaving her feeling broken and ashamed almost to the point of no return.
No Quit in Me
Cancer patients and their care givers will find relatable companionship in John Kuby's tongue cancer memoir "No Quit in Me".John's story reveals his gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and yet somehow upliftingly wild ride with tongue cancer. He invites us into his life as he discovers, deals with, and overcomes this life-altering illness. We see his 'No Quit' attitude in action and feel everything he feels.His willingness to be vulnerable and openly discuss both his physical and emotional experiences makes for compelling reading. As a patient, you will feel camaraderie as you follow John's journey and compare it with your own. As a caregiver, this first-hand account will help you see and support the 'No Quit' attitude in your loved one. New update section reveals the impact of John's radiation treatments three years onJohn's book captures the complex issues and many of the day to day challenges confronting patients, their families, friends, and particularly spouses.This is a cathartic read. It will touch your heart and make you cry, but John's lightness and humour will also make you smile and laugh. Most importantly, it will show you what it means to be a 'No Quitter' "WOW! No Quit in me captures exactly the thoughts, feelings and experiences I went through four years ago with the same cancer. I wish I could have read this to know what to expect. It would have been so helpful." Lee Sowell, Tongue Cancer Survivor"No Quit in me" is an important resource for patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancer. John's graphic story that details his cancer journey, pulling no punches as he describes the morbidity associated with chemotherapy and radiation. Despite the hardships he endured, John's story is an inspiration. I continue to recommend it to my patients and I write the blog/web site address on everyone's new patient booklet. Many of them have told me they have found it engaging and encouraging. A must-read for those about to embark on their own cancer journey!"Dr. John Walker - Chemotherapy Oncologist - Cross Cancer Clinic - Edmonton, ABINCLUDES: - Lessons learned along the way - Caregivers advice from John's wife - A preface by Anne Ryan, Life Coach - A preface by Dr. Brock Debenham, Oncologist, Cross Cancer Institute - Resources + recommended reading
Dare I Call It Murder? - A Memoir of Violent Loss
Larry Edwards unmasks the emotional trauma of violent loss as he ferrets out new facts to get at the truth of how and why his parents were killed. In 1977, Loren and Joanne Edwards left Puget Sound aboard their 53-foot sailboat Spellbound, destined for French Polynesia. Six months later they lay dead aboard their boat in the middle of the Pacifi c Ocean. Larry's younger brother became the prime suspect in the FBI's murder investigation. But federal prosecutors never indicted him, leaving the case unresolved and splitting the Edwards family into feuding factions. Three decades later, a dispute over how to respond to a true-crime book by Ann Rule-which contained an inaccurate account of the case-ripped the tattered family even farther apart. In "Dare I Call It Murder?," Larry Edwards sets the record straight, revealing previously undisclosed facts from the investigation as he lays out the case never presented in court. Larry's memoir, however, goes beyond simply telling the untold story of his parents' deaths and refuting the errors in previously published material. His broader goal is to see the book generate greater awareness of and conversations about violent loss, its impact on the survivors and their families, and the troubling effects of post-traumatic stress (PTSD). www.DareICallItMurder.com
Zen and the Art of De-programming (Vol.1, Lipstick and War Crimes Series)
Vol . 1 of the Lipstick and War Crimes Series - the Zen edition. Zen and the Art of De-programming: Letting go of Social Engineering is the Zen edition of Vol. 1 from the Lipstick and War Crimes Book Series by Ray Songtree, with an introduction that gives the Buddhist perspective. The author was friends with Kobun Chino Roshi, the sensei of Steve Jobs. Additionally, the introductions to the Christian and Indigenous editions are included. Vol 1. introduces us to the mind boggling reality of gender sculpting, using some of the female icons of the last 70 years. From Gloria Steinem to Beyonc矇 and Miley Cyrus, we discover who was behind the creation of our values and why. What we thought was creative talent ends up being an intentional program to shape our idea of normal. How do we de-program from this? The true history of Marilyn Monroe, Katherine Hepburn, Gloria Steinem, Madonna, Shirley McClain, Miley Cyrus, Beyonc矇 Knowles, Angelina Jolie, Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda, Alice Walker and more, comes to light in this expos矇 on feminism and our scripted ideas of gender and blurred gender. Henry Kissinger, Barack Obama, and Warren Beatty come onstage to show us the male side of the program. We are all slowly waking up to the fact we have been socially engineered our entire lives. Men will learn just as much women from this fascinating but rather shocking history of who we think we are. Though we can grasp that history might have been distorted in schools, it is more difficult to imagine that our values have been programmed by an organized media and that celebrities are created for that purpose. We usually take our values for granted. Now you won't. Lipstick refers to exaggerated feminine energy, and war crimes refers to exaggerated male energy. Vol. 1 is replete with over 100 color images and 50 references for your wondering mind. It includes a 20 page photo essay that introduces the larger Series and a bio about the author. The celebrity expos矇s, combined with the deep discussion of values, will interest readers of all ages.
Take it to the Bridge
This book will make you laugh, cry, get angry and then laugh again! The vivid descriptions, easy reading, and relatable scenarios make it no struggle to envision Clifford Alexander's unenviable situation. It will remind you to hold close and dear the people that are most important to you and at the same time will make you want to hug the stranger on the street just in case they need it. Take It To The Bridge is a perfect symphony of emotions. In this book, Clifford Alexander tells you his story of a father's loss and the hope that pulled him back from the edge of a deep and dark abyss. He walks you through a myriad of feelings and reminds us all that while you may be facing overwhelming adversity, God will provide you with exactly what you need to get through it.
Pink Skies...Purple Mountains
Pink Skies... Purple Mountains, chronicles the amazing journey of George VandeWater, his life as a farm boy, naval aviator, husband, father, diplomat, and businessman, living the American dream.
A Fortunate Life
THE BEATLES JUDY GARLAND JEAN SHRIMPTONDUDLEY MOORE JOHNNY O'KEEFE SPIKE MILLIGANJust some of the many celebrities John Williams met and worked with over an extraordinary career Filled with humour, honesty and interesting tales, A Fortunate Life, provides a revealing look at Australia in the last half of the 20th century, where John worked as a journalist and, later, ran his own public relations firm.John Williams was born in Liverpool in 1934 to a working class family and was the youngest of three children. John recalls his experiences of Liverpool during World War 2 and his first sights of the world as at the age of 17. He joined the Merchant Navy as a steward and served on bulk carriers and passenger liners bringing families and individuals from England and Europe who were hoping for a better life in Australia. Later, he served on the New Australia carrying Australian troops to and from the Korean Peninsula.In 1953, John took his own discharge in Brisbane and began a new life travelling around Australia as a stooge for a famous Ventriloquist before landing a job as a journalist with The Daily Telegraph which later morphed into a very successful career in television and as a Public Relations consultant. During his career John recalls meeting the Beatles during their 1964 Australian Tour, working on films with Dudley Moore and Spike Milligan and running across Australia with Tony Rafferty.John also worked with some of the biggest names in the business world including Rupert Murdoch and Sir Frank Packer and was instrumental in the getting East West, and later Compass, Airlines off the ground, which brought much needed competition to the airline industry that finally forced Australia's airline duopoly to fold.A Fortunate Life is a fascinating tale of one man's extraordinary life and provides a unique, historical insight into Australia over the period 1950 to the present day.
Farther Than 26.2 Miles
Cheryl Collins Gatons grew up believing a person could plan his or her life and that everything would work out according to that plan. However, on November 3, 2006, she learned otherwise when her husband died suddenly. Farther Than 26.2 Miles is the true story of Cheryl, who went from running simply for the fun of it to qualifying for the Olympic marathon trials, thrusting her into the world of competitive running. It was in that world that Cheryl met another competitive runner, Kevin, and the two fell in love. Their shared passion for running brought the pair together, but it also tore them apart, as Kevin passed away navigating the state cross-country course with an athlete he coached. Cheryl shares her difficult journey in Farther Than 26.2 Miles--how running brought her to the love of her life, how it took him away from her, and how it helped her survive after he was gone.
Rounding Home
In 1991, twenty-one-year-old Sarah, recently divorced mother to two-year-old Hayley, moved from the small dusty town of Farmington, New Mexico to the bustling city of Houston, Texas with dreams of a better life. A year later she was swept off her feet by Greg Swindell, a millionaire Major League Baseball player who just had signed a lucrative contract with the Houston Astros and was becoming the talk of the city. Sarah was a young mother who never dreamed a guy like Greg would ever want a girl like her, but she could never have been more wrong. Greg loved Sarah the moment he saw her, and she felt the very same way.Six weeks after their first date, Greg asked Sarah to quit her job as a hairdresser and marry him during Spring Training in Florida, taking in Hayley as his very own. Throughout the next several years, Sarah's Cinderella story continued with the addition of three more children, a lifestyle only a few ever dreamed of living, and a love story even fewer ever experienced. The major league lifestyle afforded the Swindell's multimillion-dollar homes, fancy cars, and all the material things Sarah could ever want. The couple shared an unbreakable love, even in the fast-paced, flashy world of professional sports.That is until 2002 when this picture-perfect story came to a gut-wrenching halt, and Sarah was forced to deal with more pain than she ever thought possible. Dawson, their only son, was diagnosed with severe autism when he was just eighteen-months-old. As Sarah's world slowly crumbled beneath her, she was faced with choices that often resulted in devastating consequences. Sarah never dreamed how much her world would change so suddenly and without warning, leaving her feeling broken and ashamed almost to the point of no return.
Three More Mondays
Three More Mondays is more than a time check about life and death. It's about us, you and me. Together, we will explore, from the ancient time of Hippocrates to the present age, this ongoing saga of medical knowledge from twenty-six human maladies, A to Z, that I have witnessed, diagnosed or treated as a physician. As we embark on this intimate medical odyssey, the fragile but resilient human spirit is visibly exposed in the context of illness by the trials, tribulations and triumphs of my patients. Hopefully, this book will enlighten not only fledgling medical students, interns and residents of what the practice and art of medicine once was but sadly, what it is no longer, a personal doctor/patient relationship. For the general public, they may get a glimpse of themselves or of their loved ones in similar medical situations addressed in this book and, perhaps, they may come away with a deeper awareness that illness is not just experienced alone but shared as each one of us travels on our own individual medical journey in search of hope and healing.
Civil Bullets
I was tired of listening to people around me and in the media talking about things related to race, economics, and politics that were based on disconnected sound bites, or a deep-seated and usually unfounded and out-of-date ideology handed down to them by their paycheck or their knee-jerk oppositional defiance towards their parents or mainstream views.My journey will share a very personal window into the multifaceted life I have lived and the experiences, successes, and failures that shaped my thinking. My personal story will share real-life anecdotes to our most controversial and dividing issues like race and socioeconomic ideology. I will include humor as well as personally tragic experiences and discovery with the intent to connect people to the similarities our country is going through and will invariably go through again; to laugh at some of the little differences, and seethe at some of the outrageously egregious ones.
Gaikokujin - The Story III
Takuan, being true to his word, searches for God and finds Him--in the flesh. And in accordance with the scripture, God proves to be forgiving as He takes the young man under his angelic wing. For the next several months Tak dedicates himself to training his mind, body, and spirit by exercising in the gym by day and scouring the bible at night. Quickly rising up in the ranks, he becomes one of Pastor Bartholomew's 'Soldiers of the Lord.' However right when life seems on-point and intact his whole world suddenly collapses; which leaves Tak with only one way to achieve his Quest for Christ Consciousness.
How to Build
What had seemed like a straightforward next step in adulthood turned into a complicated and emotional rollercoaster for twenty-nine-year-old artist Ariane Roesch when she and her (now) husband decided to build their home in Houston, Texas. To make the venture financially feasible, they moved into a 20 ft. shipping container on their property without electricity, water, sewer, or even a fence. Over the course of two years, they managed or assisted in all aspects of the construction and built their new life, slowly regaining standard comforts such as running water and continuous electricity. Roesch guides readers through her journey to homeownership, listing documents needed to apply for a construction loan, items necessary to file for a building permit, and how to calculate debt-to-income ratio--weaving a practical how-to guide into an enticing narrative. Her story is a meditation on affordable housing, the student loan crisis, and what happens when a generation can't afford to invest in their community."How to Build: a House, a Life, a Future" exposes the self-sufficiency and resourcefulness that explains why many are still able to call Houston their home.
Boy Dreamer
The year is 1957. Four-year-old Paul Ecke sits timidly at a foreign kitchen table, eating the first inferior meal of many in a foster home. Longing for his beloved mother, he sees her only on short weekend visits that grow more infrequent over time, as she tries unsuccessfully to hide a nervous breakdown, along with yet another growing pregnancy. Struggling to endure the strict rules of the house and the coldness of his foster parents, Paul begins to live in his creative mind where everything is possible and the grandest of dreams take flight. But after his family reunites, the adults he relies on both crumble and harm, as improprieties occur and secrets are slowly revealed that add more layers to the complexity of a visibly sensitive boy's view of the world. Despite--or perhaps because of--the emotional angst, complicated sexual identity issues, and deep loss he experiences, Paul cultivates a profound gift of creative genius. Vibrant with candor and resonant with details of coming of age in '60s and '70s California, as well as of bravely thriving for a decade with cancer, Boy Dreamer is a moving and ultimately triumphant story of a man who discovers his truth and courageously lives it, in a life brimming with love, art, gratitude, and beauty.
resilience road
How many times have you taken a look at your life and thought these words? "Things have got to change." Well, Beth had said them before, but when she opened her eyes in the ICU, paralyzed from the neck down and facing a tremendous fight to regain very basic functions, she knew she finally meant them. Her story is one of resilience: in the face of disease, life's unexpected curves, and a journey that veers off the track. With total honesty and refreshing humor, Beth reflects on the checklist-style life she'd been living and conquering. Career. Husband. Kids. House in the suburbs. But then her body tells her in no uncertain terms that it's time to slow down and take a hard look at what she has... and what she really wants. In sharing her own deeply personal experiences, Beth introduces us to the tools and philosophies she has developed along the way and now uses in her therapy practice. This is the story of a courageous comeback that is really a breakthrough to living an authentic life on your own terms.
A Thinking Girl's Guide to Sexual Identity (Vol. 1, Lipstick and War Crimes Series)
A Thinking Girl's Guide to Sexual Identity : Navigating Heartbreak, Survival, and the Media Matrix is the college and high school student edition of Vol. 1, the Lipstick and War Crimes Book Series by Ray Songtree and introduces us to the mind boggling reality of gender sculpting, using some of the female icons of the last 70 years. From Gloria Steinem to Beyonc矇 and Miley Cyrus, we discover who was behind the creation of our values and why. All readers will find this expos矇 personally valuable. The true history of Marilyn Monroe, Katherine Hepburn, Gloria Steinem, Madonna, Shirley McClain, Miley Cyrus, Beyonc矇 Knowles, Angelina Jolie, Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda, Alice Walker and more, comes to light in this expos矇 on feminism and our scripted ideas of gender and blurred gender. Henry Kissinger, Barack Obama, and Warren Beatty come onstage to show us the male side of the program. We are all slowly waking up to the fact we have been socially engineered our entire lives. Men will learn just as much women from this fascinating but rather shocking history of who we think we are. Though we can grasp that history might have been distorted in schools, it is more difficult to imagine that our values have been programmed by an organized media and that celebrities are created for that purpose. We usually take our values for granted. Now you won't. Lipstick refers to exaggerated feminine energy, and war crimes refers to exaggerated male energy. Vol. 1 is replete with over 100 color images and 50 references for your wondering mind. It includes a 20 page photo essay that introduces the larger Series and a bio about the author. The celebrity expos矇s, combined with the deep discussion of values, will interest readers or all ages.
The Athlete
It takes a once-in-a-generation athlete to win a national championship as a quarterback for Florida State, reach the Elite Eight as a point guard for his school, and then go on to become a starting guard for the New York Knicks in an NBA Finals. Yes, Charlie Ward's athletic accomplishments truly know no peer. Combine an eleven-year NBA career with a College Football Hall of Fame career and the portrait of a humble, magnanimous leader takes shape.The Athlete is the first definitive biography of Charlie Ward. Culled from hundreds of articles, clippings, books and original interviews with those who know Charlie best, this story begins with a foundation of college athletic excellence laid down by his father. From there, Jon Finkel traces Ward's background from small-town Thomasville, Georgia to football-crazed Tallahassee to basketball Mecca Madison Square Garden in New York City. Ward's remarkable journey includes staggering setbacks--from a near career-ending leg injury in high school, to academic obstacles prior to attending Florida State, to not being drafted by an NFL team after winning the Heisman Trophy. Through it all, Charlie's calm demeanor, high character and unshakeable faith buoyed his belief that be it basketball or football, grades or career, he was going to succeed and set a strong example along the way.As electrifying as Charlie Ward's highlight reel, The Athlete is a towering sports biography, epic in scope and triumphant in its portrayal of one of the greatest modern athletes the world has ever seen.
Sex, love & cops
A memoir, following the true story of Wendy Wilkins as she joins the police force, a naive twenty-year-old cop in Melbourne, Australia and discovers many firsts, her first arrest, murder, dead body, love, cop culture and a #metoo moment... The good the bad and the ugly of life as a cop in Melbourne Australia, in the late 80's early 90's.A fast paced and entertaining read with some wonderful characters who just happen to be real. A peek inside the gritty underbelly of Melbourne's police world, through the lens of a young female cop. Wendy navigates this new world, while falling in love and being sexually awakened herself.Vignettes in the style of Candace Bushnell's "Sex and The City" Novella.
"Are You Still A Priest?"
"Are You Still A Priest?" recounts the life of a priest rooted in Jesus and ahead of his time in the 21st century church. Father Kleba embodied Pope Francis long before Jorge Bergoglio, S.J. was Pope Francis. If the Nuns on the Bus had longed for a caravan, Father Kleba would have organized the Priests on the Bus. While he was actively living the gospel of social justice, he was also ministering to fifteen children whose stories are told here. One child died in his presence. "Are You Still A Priest?" tells a pastor's story of sensible and saintly approaches to address the issues of our time in the church and the world healing both personal relationships and wounded Mother Earth.
Missing Sarah Pryor
ON WHAT SEEMED like a beautiful Wednesday, just six weeks after relocating and starting to settle in to their new home in Wayland, Massachusetts, Barbara and Andy Pryor's nine-year-old daughter Sarah went missing during a walk after school on October 9th, 1985.This is the Pryor family's story of unspeakable tragedy and profound compassion and beauty. From the initial days that seemed like they would never end, through remarkable efforts and support by detectives, family, friends, and a grieving public, and through assistance and scandal by the press, Barbara remained hopeful that her youngest child would be found over the ensuing years of searches and reported sightings. Sarah would be missing for thirteen years, becoming one of the leading and most watched news stories in New England during the ensuing two decades.In Missing Sarah Pryor, find out how Sarah's story finally ends as this little girl teaches us all about the horror and the beauty in life, and share in Sarah's gift to us all--her powerful legacy of love.
Refund Please
What happens when the person you built your life around has hurt you? When the things that once brought you joy feel unfamiliar and untrustworthy? Refund Please is a raw, honest exploration of rebuilding after domestic violence - not just moving on, but truly discovering who you are beyond the pain.Through self-reflection, unexpected realizations, and the quiet rediscovery of passions once set aside, the author, Harlow Kedzie, takes us on a deeply personal journey from the lens of a therapist and survivor. From reclaiming independence to understanding that validation comes from within, Refund Please reminds us that healing isn't a destination - it's an ever-evolving process.With heartfelt storytelling and unfiltered truth, this is for anyone learning to embrace life on their own terms. You are not lost. You are becoming.
I Was the Blue River Marshal
Most of these stories are from my ten years in law enforcement. Hundreds of movies have been made and even more books written about big city police departments with their large drug task forces and unlimited resources. Follow me as I became a cop for a small department and was forced to learn how to police on the fly. I hope to show how this occupation can transform your life, from its effects on a marriage to the uncomfortable times with friends and of course the dangerous calls on the streets. Through these stories the reader should gain an understanding of the commitment required to be successful in law enforcement while being informed and entertained at the same time.I was a cop, working in a small town. Really the town was about as small as one could get. I was a one-man police department in a bedroom mountain community; I was the Blue River Marshal.
Joy of Life
In his sixth book, Jean-Christian de Mons exceeds all his previous publications. Readers will share his experiences in exotic countries and his encounters with remarkable personalities. He also highlights the problems our marvellous world is suffering from-caused by ignorance, indifference, and intentional disdain. This is a book that not only stimulates thinking but also offers immense pleasure.
My Life Story
Eva Collins always had a desire to tell her story. She has always been a writer growing up.Writing has been her therapy during her life; whether she was up or down, she wrote it out, and it has kept her mind and heart during the seasons of life.This book is a legacy of hope, instructions, encouragement, and wisdom.
Beyond Togetherness
This is a story told with enormous wit, heart, and intelligence. That Barry Creyton's contributions to Australian television and theatre are legendary is not opinion. It is fact. And his exploits across many decades and several continents are fascinating. In Beyond Togetherness: A Life, he shares many memorable incidents, but he also defines an entire era, relishing the structure and history of everything in the entertainment world that came before him, while innovating and becoming a central part of bringing about great change--certainly to Australian television--but also to international stages. Best of all, Creyton's boundless curiosity about what might be around the corner is expansive and modern--he seizes life by the balls and we get to ride on the back of his motorcycle, thrilled to be part of his adventures.
Storytelling
Storytelling is a memoir looking at the itinerant childhood of a girl born to a Showie and a boxer. This whimsical piece charts the writer's move from infancy in the backyard of a 'fence' in Melbourne, through her early childhood in WA, moving from a roadhouse on the Nullarbor to a Catholic boarding school in a ghost town. Moving to NSW in high school, the writer charts the rise and fall of her parents' many business ventures and later, her time in a malevolent house where her childhood begins to unravel.
Smoke
Soil. Sun. Defiance. Desire. In the 1990s, American interest in Cuban cigars had reached historic levels--and Scott Anthony was in the middle of it. The head of an underground Cuban cigar empire, Scott was born into a world of scarce resources and few role models, where joining a street gang was easy and staying out of prison was hard. Scott's story is one of risk and reward, shadowy deals and sunlit beaches, meticulous craftsmanship and brazen criminality. In Smoke, Scott shares this story and how, through unyielding persistence, he defied borders, laws, and morality to bring a taste of forbidden luxury to those who craved it. Read about how a street kid from Chicago went from a life of crime to one of redemption, using ingenuity and determination to shape black market trade. Welcome to smoke-filled rooms where history, crime, and hedonism collide. Smoke is a memoir you won't want to miss.
Worlds Apart
Worlds Apart is a powerful tale of love, sacrifice, and resilience, a journey that spans continents and cultures, testing the strength of one woman's heart and the ties that bind a family together. When skilled nurse Francina leaves her home in Africa for the UK, she carries with her the weight of grief and the hope for a brighter future. Torn between duty and longing, she must navigate the challenges of an unfamiliar world while clinging to the love she left behind. As she builds a new life, unexpected friendships and heartbreaking choices force her to confront the meaning of home and belonging. A deeply moving story of identity, loss, and perseverance, Worlds Apart is a testament to the courage it takes to chase one's dreams - no matter the distance.
Dating Before the Internet
Based on a true story about dating before internet dating was available. It is about trying to find the right man to share your life with, marriage or not, but finding a suitable man was proving to be a trial and error, mainly error, with upsets and sexual encounters along the way. An unforgettable experience. Take the bull by the horns and have a go.
Between Two Lives
Between Two Lives is a reflective memoir about loss, belonging, and the quiet courage it takes to begin again.In this heartfelt and reflective memoir, Nola Hearts speaks to those navigating migration, grief, aging, caregiving, and reinvention. Whether you've lost someone, left home, or are simply trying to find your footing again, this book offers comfort, perspective, and spiritual insight.Through stories of resilience and remembrance, Between Two Lives becomes more than a personal journey-it is a mirror for anyone finding the courage to begin again.Nola Hearts writes with warmth and honesty, drawing from her experiences as a nurse, caregiver, and seeker of spiritual truth.
Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From generational icon Brooke Shields comes an intimate and empowering exploration of aging that flips the script on the idea of what it means for a woman to grow older Brooke Shields has spent a lifetime in the public eye. Growing up as a child actor and model, her every feature was scrutinized, her every decision judged. Today Brooke faces a different kind of scrutiny: that of being a "woman of a certain age." And yet, for Brooke, the passage of time has brought freedom. At fifty-nine, she feels more comfortable in her skin, more empowered and confident than she did decades ago in those famous Calvin Kleins. Now, in Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old, she's changing the narrative about women and aging. This is an era, insists Brooke, when women are reclaiming agency and power, not receding into the shadows. These are the years when we get to decide how we want to live--when we get to write our own stories. With remarkable candor, Brooke bares all, painting a vibrant and optimistic picture of being a woman in the prime of her life, while dismantling the myths that have, for too long, dimmed that perception. Sharing her own life experiences with humor and humility, and weaving together research and reporting, Brooke takes aim at the systemic factors that contribute to age-related bias. By turns inspiring, moving, and galvanizing, Brooke's honesty and vulnerability will resonate with women everywhere, and spark a new conversation about the power and promise of midlife.
Licking Flames
"I'm a moth, flittering around the edges of whatever might possibly kinda maybe hurt me." Up and down the West Coast, Diana Kirk of Portland, Ore., tosses her virtue into the wind in this series of essays about growing up and facing adulthood. Sex, drugs, and roadtrips fuel her search for real life even when her instincts, and a few high-minded characters, yell 'Whoa!' Kirk takes the low road to arrive at the high road, spinning stories of her extreme impetuousness with wit and a sassy "durdy" outlook. Traveling through gritty foreign countries and Pacific Northwest locales, her bodaciousness makes her a skilled storyteller. Take a trip with her. Another Provocative Title from Black Bomb Books.
The JFK Conspiracy
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - AN AMAZON BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR SO FAR 2025 From the New York Times bestselling authors of The Nazi Conspiracy and The Lincoln Conspiracy comes a true, little-known story about the first assassination attempt on John F. Kennedy, right before his inauguration. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth president of the United States, is often ranked among Americans' most well-liked presidents. Yet what most Americans don't know is that JFK's historic presidency almost ended before it began--at the hands of a disgruntled sociopathic loner armed with dynamite. On December 11, 1960, shortly after Kennedy's election and before his inauguration, a retired postal worker named Richard Pavlick waited in his car--a parked Buick--on a quiet street in Palm Beach, Florida. Pavlick knew the president-elect's schedule. He knew when Kennedy would leave his house. He knew where Kennedy was going. From there, Pavlick had a simple plan--one that could've changed the course of history. Written in the gripping, page-turning style that is the hallmark of Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch's bestselling series, this is a slice of history vividly brought to life. Meltzer and Mensch are at the top of their game with this brilliant exploration of what could've been for one of the most compelling leaders of the 20th century.
