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Blessed Are the Nones: Mixed-Faith Marriage and My Search for Spiritual Community
by Stina Kielsmeier-CookCan the Christian life be lived alone? When her husband left Christianity several years into their marriage, Stina Kielsmeier-Cook was left "spiritually single"—struggling to live the Christian life on her own, taking her kids to church by herself, and wrestling with her own questions and doubts. In this memoir, Kielsmeier-Cook tells the story of her mixed-faith marriage and how she found community in an unexpected place: an order of Catholic nuns in her neighborhood. As she spent time with them and learned about female Catholic saints, she began to see that she was not "spiritually single" after all—and that no one really is.
Blessed Experiences: Genuinely Southern, Proudly Black
by James E. Clyburn“Shares lessons learned on his way from the Jim Crow South to a top spot on Capitol Hill . . . [a] remarkably candid new memoir” —NPRFrom his humble beginnings in Sumter, South Carolina, to his prominence on the Washington, D.C., political scene as the third highest-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives, US Congressman James E. Clyburn has led an extraordinary life. In Blessed Experiences, Clyburn tells in his own inspirational words how an African American boy from the Jim Crow-era South was able to beat the odds to achieve great success and become, as President Barack Obama describes him, “one of a handful of people who, when they speak, the entire Congress listens.”Born in 1940 to a civic-minded beautician and a fundamentalist minister, Clyburn began his ascent to leadership at the age of twelve, when he was elected president of his National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) youth chapter. He broke barriers through peaceful protests and steadfast beliefs in equality and justice. As a civil rights leader at South Carolina State College, as human affairs commissioner under John C. West and three subsequent governors, and as South Carolina’s first African American congressman since 1897, Clyburn has established a long and impressive record of public leadership and advocacy for human rights, education, historic preservation, and economic development.Includes a foreword from Emmy Award–winning actress and the congressman’s longtime friend Alfre Woodard“Blessed Experiences has captured not just the history of this tireless leader’s more-than-four decades in public service, but also a sense of the times.” —Warren Buffett
Blessed James Alberione
by Anne Eileen Heffernan FSPCapturing his beginnings as a seminarian and his contributions as a pioneer of Catholic media and a founder of various congregations which make up the Pauline Family, this 32nd volume in the Encounter the Saints series familiarizes children ages 9-12 with the life story of Blessed James Alberione. With his guidance, children will be inspired to positively use all forms of media to spread the Catholic faith and will learn to trust in God's plan for them.
Blessed John Paul II
by Susan Helen WallaceMeet the saints and experience the heroism and holiness of some of God's greatest friends!
Blessed Life: My Surprising Journey of Joy, Tears, and Tales from Harlem to Hollywood
by Todd Gold Kim FieldsFrom "Facts of Life" to "Living Single" to "Dancing with the Stars" to wife and mom, here's the BLESSED LIFE of Kim Fields, veteran actress, TV personality, and star. Kim Fields has lived most of her life with people thinking they know her, which is understandable. From her first job on a Mrs. Butterworth syrup commercial at age 7, she has spent 40 years in the public eye. There were 9 years as Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey on the classic sitcom The Facts of Life, 5 more in her 20s starring as Regine Hunter on the seminal coming-of-age show Living Single, and most recently appearing as herself on Real Housewives of Atlanta and Dancing with the Stars. Behind the camera, she has directed episodes of Kenan & Kel, Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns and House of Payne, and BET's Let's Stay Together. Between gigs, the pop culture icon's life has included theater, spoken word, music, speaking engagements, and simply being present to the point that she cannot go a day without someone stopping her to say, "When I was a kid, I wanted to be Tootie" or "You were my role model." Flattered and blessed, after four decades in the business, Kim finally understands the role she has played onscreen and off as a successful, outspoken African-American woman. However, for as much as she's been in the public eye, people have really never known her the way they think they have, and that's because she, herself, spent most of her life figuring herself out. Now, at age 48, she is ready to set the record straight. She says, "It's not that I've been misunderstood. It's that I finally feel like I understand me enough to tell the life story that I've been asked to write for years." It will be a chronicle of living, learning, and keen moments of self-discovery as she's journeyed through the many facets and chapters of life. Fields found faith at age 14 and has found God to be right there every step of the way since then.
Blessed Motherhood, Bitter Fruit: Nelly Roussel and the Politics of Female Pain in Third Republic France
by Elinor AccampoNelly Roussel (1878–1922)—the first feminist spokeswoman for birth control in Europe—challenged both the men of early twentieth-century France, who sought to preserve the status quo, and the women who aimed to change it. She delivered her messages through public lectures, journalism, and theater, dazzling audiences with her beauty, intelligence, and disarming wit. She did so within the context of a national depopulation crisis caused by the confluence of low birth rates, the rise of international tensions, and the tragedy of the First World War. While her support spread across social classes, strong political resistance to her message revealed deeply conservative precepts about gender which were grounded in French identity itself. In this thoughtful and provocative study, Elinor Accampo follows Roussel's life from her youth, marriage, speaking career, motherhood, and political activism to her decline and death from tuberculosis in the years following World War I. She tells the story of a woman whose life and work spanned a historical moment when womanhood was being redefined by the acceptance of a woman's sexuality as distinct from her biological, reproductive role—a development that is still causing controversy today.
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati: An Ordinary Christian
by Robert Ventresca Maria Di LorenzoBlessed Pier Giorgio Frassati: An Ordinary Christian
Blessed are the Peacemakers: Martin Luther King Jr., Eight White Religious Leaders, and the "Letter from Birmingham Jail"
by S. Jonathan BassMartin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is arguably the most important written document of the civil rights protest era and a widely read modern literary classic. Personally addressed to eight white Birmingham clergymen who sought to avoid violence by publicly discouraging King's civil rights demonstrations in Birmingham, the nationally published "Letter" captured the essence of the struggle for racial equality and provided a blistering critique of the gradualist approach to racial justice. It soon became part of American folklore, and the image of King penning his epistle from a prison cell remains among the most moving of the era. Yet as S. Jonathan Bass explains in the first comprehensive history of King's "Letter," this image and the piece's literary appeal conceal a much more complex tale.
Blessed by Thunder: Memoir of a Cuban Girlhood
by Flor Fernandez Barrios"Flor Fernandez Barrios ushers readers into startling proximity to a Cuba seen through the eyes of a woman whose childhood was both shaped and shattered by the beautiful island. The indelible quality of Barrios's observations, specific and true, make Blessed by Thunder an important chronicle of the Cuban experience." --The Bloomsbury Review "Fernandez's book is a visually rich portrait of a tumultuous era. Fernandez knows how to craft a compelling narrative best of all are [her] enchanting cast of characters." --The Miami Herald "Flor Fernandez Barrios reminds us what we can never forget, that ties to one's homeland endure. When she calls on her grandmother for strength in America, the invisible bonds of all our ancestors appear. This book holds healing words as we begin to restore our relations with Cuba." --Terry Tempest Williams "A stunning portrait of what binds life together despite our terrible tests. It is gorgeous in the telling. I could not put it down." --Joy Harjo
Blessed: The Breakout Year of Rampaging Roy Slaven
by John DoyleWho is Rampaging Roy Slaven? An Australian icon, a raconteur, an athlete of unsurpassable - and some may say improbable - sporting feats. Whether it was riding Rooting King to another Melbourne Cup victory, commentating the Olympics or hobnobbing with the country's upper crust, Rampaging Roy Slaven has lived an extraordinary life.But even some of the greatest men come from humble beginnings. Before he shot to fame as Australia's most talented sportsman, he was just another kid in Lithgow, trying to avoid Brother Connell's strap and garner the attention of Susan Morgan from the local Catholic girls school.Blessed follows one year in the life of the boy who would become Rampaging Roy Slaven, a boy who, even at the age of fifteen, knew he was destined for greatness but had to get through high school first.
Blessed: The Breakout Year of Rampaging Roy Slaven
by John DoyleWho is Rampaging Roy Slaven? An Australian icon, a raconteur, an athlete of unsurpassable - and some may say improbable - sporting feats. Whether it was riding Rooting King to another Melbourne Cup victory, commentating the Olympics or hobnobbing with the country's upper crust, Rampaging Roy Slaven has lived an extraordinary life.But even some of the greatest men come from humble beginnings. Before he shot to fame as Australia's most talented sportsman, he was just another kid in Lithgow, trying to avoid Brother Connell's strap and garner the attention of Susan Morgan from the local Catholic girls school.Blessed follows one year in the life of the boy who would become Rampaging Roy Slaven, a boy who, even at the age of fifteen, knew he was destined for greatness but had to get through high school first.John Doyle, the man who knows him best, delves into the early years of the master of midfield mayhem.
Bligh: Master Mariner
by Rob MundleBeyond the Bounty: A biography of the Royal Navy officer from &“a master of the maritime narrative&” (The Sydney Morning Herald). The eighteenth century was an era when brave mariners took their ships beyond the horizon in search of an unknown world. Those chosen to lead these expeditions were exceptional navigators, men who had shown brilliance as they ascended the ranks in the Royal Navy. They were also bloody good sailors. From ship&’s boy to vice-admiral, discover how much more there was to Captain Bligh than his infamous bad temper. Meet a twenty-four-year-old Master Bligh as he witnesses the demise of his captain and mentor, Cook; a thirty-four-year-old Lieutenant Bligh at the helm of the famous Bounty then cast adrift by Fletcher Christian on an epic forty-seven-day open-boat voyage from Tonga to Timor; and a thirty-six-year-old Captain Bligh as he takes HMS Providence, in the company of a young Matthew Flinders, on a grand voyage to Tahiti and back. This book goes beyond the character we&’ve seen in movies—into the real life of a complex and remarkable seaman.
Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin: A Memoir of Our Tumultuous Years
by Jeanne Devon Frank Bailey Ken MorrisThis explosive, up-close view of Sarah Palin comes from an inner-circle confidant who shares surprising information about how Sarah dealt with staff and perceived "enemies," and the discrepancy between what she said and what she did.
Blind Ambition: The White House Years
by John W. DeanA six-month New York Times bestseller: &“Not only the best Watergate book, but a very good book indeed&” (The Sunday Times). As White House counsel to Richard Nixon, a young John W. Dean was one of the primary players in the Watergate scandal—and ultimately became the government&’s key witness in the investigations that ended the Nixon presidency. After the scandal subsided, Dean rebuilt his career, first in business and then as a bestselling author and lecturer. But while the events were still fresh in his mind, he wrote this remarkable memoir about the operations of the Nixon White House and the crisis that led to the president&’s resignation. Called &“fascinating&” by Commentary, which noted that &“there can be little doubt of [Dean's] memory or his candor,&” Blind Ambition offers an insider&’s view of the deceptions and machinations that brought down an administration and changed the American people&’s view of politics and power. It also contains Dean&’s own unsparing reflections on the personal demons that drove him to participate in the sordid affair. Upon its original publication, Kirkus Reviews hailed it &“the flip side of All the President&’s Men—a document, a minefield, and prime entertainment.&” Today, Dean is a respected and outspoken advocate for transparency and ethics in government, and the bestselling author of such books as The Nixon Defense, Worse Than Watergate, and Conservatives Without Conscience. Here, in Blind Ambition, he &“paints a candid picture of the sickening moral bankruptcy which permeated the White House and to which he contributed. His memory of who said what and to whom is astounding&” (Foreign Affairs).
Blind Courage
by Bill Irwin Dave MccaslinBill Irwin, a confessed non hiker, and his German Shepherd Seeing eye dog Orient, through hike the 2000 mile plus Appalachian Trail. With the help of Orient, god, and many great friends he meets along the way, Bill tells of the trials, triumphs and adventures on the trail. From the time a bear slowed their progress, to the time he almost slid off a cliff to certain death. The book is filled with stories that will make you laugh, reflect, and maybe bring you to tears.
Blind Curves: A Woman, a Motorcycle, and a Journey to Reinvent Herself
by Linda CrillAfter months of following one-size-fits-all advice for a fifty-seven-year-old widow, Linda Crill is still miserable, until she makes a rebellious spur-of-the-moment decision: she trades her corporate suits for motorcycle leathers and commits herself to a 2,500-mile road trip down America's Pacific Northwest coast on a Harley. The problem-she doesn't know how to ride and has only thirty days to learn.Four short weeks later, Linda joins two men and a woman for a white-knuckled, exhilarating road trip along the west coast from Vancouver, Canada, to the wine country of Mendocino, California. Along the way she encounters washed-out mountain roads, small town hospitality, humming redwoods, and acceptance from gentle souls who happen to have tattoos and piercings.By heading into the unknown-the blind curve-she faces her fears, tests old beliefs, and discovers not only a broader horizon of possibilities to use in building the next phase of her life, but also the fuel to make it happen.Funny, irreverent, and extraordinarily honest, it's the perfect read for people looking for ways to reinvent themselves, and anyone asking: "What now?"
Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth
by James M. TaborThe deepest cave on earth was a prize that had remained unclaimed for centuries, long after every other ultimate discovery had been made: both poles by 1912, Everest in 1958, the Challenger Deep in 1961. In 1969 we even walked on the moon. And yet as late as 2000, the earth's deepest cave---the supercave---remained undiscovered. This is the story of the men and women who risked everything to find it, earning their place in history beside the likes of Peary, Amundsen, Hillary, and Armstrong. In 2004, two great scientist-explorers are attempting to find the bottom of the world. Bold, heroic American Bill Stone is committed to the vast Cheve Cave, located in southern Mexico and deadly even by supercave standards. On the other side of the globe, legendary Ukrainian explorer Alexander Klimchouk---Stone's polar opposite in temperament and style, but every bit his equal in scientific expertise, physical bravery, and sheer determination---has targeted Krubera, a freezing nightmare of a supercave in the Republic of Georgia, where underground dangers are compounded by the horrors of separatist war in this former Soviet republic. Blind Descent explores both the brightest and darkest aspects of the timeless human urge to discover, to be first. It is also a thrilling epic about a pursuit that makes even extreme mountaineering and ocean exploration pale by comparison. These supercavers spent months in multiple camps almost two vertical miles deep and many more miles from their caves' exits. They had to contend with thousand-foot drops, deadly flooded tunnels, raging whitewater rivers, monstrous waterfalls, mile-long belly crawls, and much more. Perhaps even worse were the psychological horrors produced by weeks plunged into absolute, perpetual darkness, beyond all hope of rescue, including a particularly insidious derangement called The Rapture. James M. Tabor was granted unprecedented access to logs, journals, photographs, and video footage of these expeditions, as well as many hours of personal interviews with surviving participants. Blind Descent is an unforgettable addition to the classic literature of discovery and adventure. It is also a testament to human survival and endurance-and to two extraordinary men whose relentless pursuit of greatness led them to heights of triumph and depths of tragedy neither could have imagined.
Blind Devotion: Survival on the Front Lines of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Addiction
by Sharlene PrinsenOne woman's startling firsthand account of her struggle to protect her children while facing the man she married, a combat veteran plagued by addiction, rage, and depression born from PTSD.One woman’s startling firsthand account of her struggle to protect her children while facing the man she married, a combat veteran plagued by addiction, rage, and depression born from PTSD.Sharlene peered out the window into the blackness that enveloped her yard. She couldn’t see them, but she knew they were out there--police officers and a SWAT team holding their positions in the wood line out her front door, their weapons trained with deadly precision pointing at her home.“Don’t let them shoot at my kids!” she shouted into the phone to the dispatcher as her drunk, enraged, and armed husband picked up the other line, “Go on, get the hell out of here then!”When she first met Sean seven years earlier, Sharlene never imagined that he’d someday be the catalyst to this terrifying scene. Sean was handsome in his camouflage fatigues, looking proud and just a little cocky. Unlike any other man she had ever met, he was an easy, charming conversationalist and his sincerity was unmistakable. The two married and started a family.But Sean’s drinking soon took over, and signs of depression and his raging outbursts amplified. Something was seriously wrong. He never talked about his tours overseas, including his seven-month peacekeeping mission in the aftermath of Slobodan Milosevic’s ethnic cleansing campaign, but there were signs that what he experienced in Bosnia left him reeling at his core. As Sean’s behavior grew increasingly worse, Sharlene’s obsessive worry for his well–being trumped her basic needs. She knew that her husband was suffering from tremendous inner turmoil--which she later learned was PTSD--and she hoped, more than anything, to nurse him back to the loving partner and father she knew he could be.A powerful story of pain and forgiveness, horror and hope, Blind Devotion gives voice to the thousands of families who are struggling to heal and to achieve a sense of normalcy stolen by the trauma in their lives.
Blind Justice: Jacobus ten-Broek and the Vision of Equality
by Floyd Matson<P>This is the long-awaited biography of Dr. Jacobus ten-Broek, legal scholar, UC Berkeley professor, and leader of the blind movement until his death in 1968. <P>Dr. Floyd Matson was a long-time collaborator with Dr. ten-Broek, authoring several books together, and perhaps the man who is most familiar with ten-Broek's work, and his life alive today. Dr. ten-Broek, pupil of Dr. Newel Perry, teacher at the California School for the Blind, was present at the creation of the National Federation of the Blind in 1940, and was its spiritual, intellectual, and political leader until ten-Broek's death in 1968. <P>This is a must-read for all those interested in the man at the center of a movement for over 30 years, whose legacy and inspiration is still felt today among blind activists around the world.
Blind Man Running: A Product of the Ozark Mountains - The Story of a Blind Man's Quest for the Joy of Life
by Michael McintireAutobiography of a blind man's journey through life as a traveling musician
Blind Man's Bluff!
by Geri TaeckensFrom CD jacket: Blind Man's Bluff is an autobiographical account of personal journey. Though the author travels under the cloud of impending tragedy, her struggle with pain and success are not unique. Spanning over four decades, her story begins in the 1950's, portraying the carefree days of youth. Unfortunately, her happy-go-lucky nature fades. An unexpected encounter and the treat of impending loss alter her view of the world. Believing the normal avenues for being accepted are disappearing, she is compelled to pretend she is someone she's not. Battling against an unknown darkness, she begins to slip in her fight to hold on to what she sees. To ease the pain, she follows a path of least resistance. Her thrill-seeking and addictions ultimately lead her to a dead-end road. Discover how the power of love pulls her from darkness and teaches her the beauty of individual differences. After all, we are not who we appear to be, but who we see ourselves to be.
Blind Man's Bluff: A Memoir
by James Tate HillA writer’s humorous and often-heartbreaking tale of losing his sight—and how he hid it from the world. <p><p> At age sixteen, James Tate Hill was diagnosed with Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy, a condition that left him legally blind. When high-school friends stopped calling and a disability counselor advised him to aim for C’s in his classes, he tried to escape the stigma by pretending he could still see. In this unfailingly candid yet humorous memoir, Hill discloses the tricks he employed to pass for sighted, from displaying shelves of paperbacks he read on tape to arriving early on first dates so women would have to find him. He risked his life every time he crossed a street, doing his best to listen for approaching cars. A good memory and pop culture obsessions like Tom Cruise, Prince, and all things 1980s allowed him to steer conversations toward common experiences. <p><p> For fifteen years, Hill hid his blindness from friends, colleagues, and lovers, even convincing himself that if he stared long enough, his blurry peripheral vision would bring the world into focus. At thirty, faced with a stalled writing career, a crumbling marriage, and a growing fear of leaving his apartment, he began to wonder if there was a better way.
Blind Not Broken: Your guide to turning loss and grief into happiness
by Lucy EdwardsPart memoir and part self-help guide, Blind Not Broken follows Lucy Edwards' sight loss journey to becoming a thriving career woman At only 17, Lucy's world went to black. Due to a rare condition called incontinentia pigmenti, Lucy lost her eyesight in an instant and suddenly had to learn how to navigate her life all over again. While incredibly difficult and traumatic, this also marked the beginning of Lucy's extraordinary journey to finding self-acceptance and happiness. Lucy's motto in life is that she is 'blind, not broken'. In her book, she shows how anyone can adopt this same motto by demonstrating how the challenges we face in life need not break us but can instead inspire us to lead full, rich lives.Each chapter contains inspirational tips, practical motivation and coping mechanisms, which can be applied to people of every ability who are grieving a loss or experiencing a sudden change. This book offers a unique take on empowerment, happiness, strength, triumph over adversity and how we view beauty in the world.