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Benchwarmer: A Sports-Obsessed Memoir of Fatherhood
by Josh WilkerFor most of his life, Josh Wilker has been on the sidelines. Spending his days in a cubicle in the far reaches of Chicago, and his nights in front of Red Sox games, he has been content to let others take center stage. From childhood onward, he sought comfort from anxiety and depression in the archival pages of sports almanacs and stat sheets: a place where forgotten players lingered, and time seemed to stop--a welcome relief from worldly problems. He found joy in the trivia of long-lost athletes, like the former NFL player Walter "Sneeze" Achiu. But when his first child was born in 2011, Wilker found his anxieties put to the test: how do you remain on the sidelines when a tender, fragile baby needs everything from you? How do you go from third-string forward on the winless 1988 Johnson State College Badgers to a strong, responsible father? Bit by bit, Wilker learns to overcome his demons, protect his son, and eventually take a few wobbly steps with him. In homage to his favorite pastimes, Wilker has written Benchwarmer as just that: an A-to-Z reference on failing at sports. In entries from Asterisk to Barry Bonds to "the Yips" to Zero, Wilker mingles his own story among those of famous collapses, errors, and also-rans. A candid, bighearted, funny presence, Wilker writes about sports the way Michael Chabon writes about comics, or Rob Sheffield writes about music: as if the universe was contained in every blocked shot or dropped fly ball. In Wilker's hands, it is.
Cardboard Gods
by Josh WilkerCardboard Gods is the memoir of Josh Wilker, a brilliant writer who has marked the stages of his life through the baseball cards he collected as a child. It also captures the experience of growing up obsessed with baseball cards and explores what it means to be a fan of the game. Along the way, as we get to know Josh, his family, and his friends, we also get Josh's classic observations about the central artifacts from his life: the baseball cards themselves. Josh writes about an imagined correspondence with his favorite player, Carl Yastrzemski; he uses the magical bubble-blowing powers of journeyman Kurt Bevacqua to shed light on the weakening of the powerful childhood bond with his older brother; he considers the doomed utopian back-to-the-land dreams of his hippie parents against the backdrop of inimitable 1970s baseball figures such as "Designated Pinch Runner" Herb Washington and Mark "The Bird" Fidrych. Cardboard Gods is more than just the story of a man who can't let go of his past, it's proof that - to paraphrase Jim Bouton - as children we grow up holding baseball cards but in the end we realize that it's really the other way around.
Flying Close to the Sun: My Life and Times as a Weatherman
by Cathy WilkersonFlying Close to the Sun is the stunning memoir of a white middle-class girl from Connecticut who became a member of the Weather Underground, one of the most notorious groups of the 1960s. Cathy Wilkerson, who famously escaped the Greenwich Village townhouse explosion, here wrestles with thelegacy of the movement, at times finding contradictions that many others have avoided: the absence of women's voices then, and in the retelling; the incompetence and the egos; the hundreds of bombs detonated in protest which caused little loss of life but which were also ineffective in fomenting revolution. In searching for new paradigms for change, Wilkerson asserts with brave humanity and confessional honesty an assessment of her past--of those heady, iconic times--and somehow finds hope and faith in a world that at times seems to offer neither.
Beyond the Cross and the Switchblade
by David WilkersonFrom the Book Jacket: uthor, David Wilkerson, what has happened since its publication in the early 1960s. Their gratifying interest in his story and his ministry has prompted him to bring his many readers up-to-date with a fitting sequel-and BEYOND THE CROSS AND THE SWITCHBLADE is just the book we've all been waiting for. Here is a nostalgic look back at memorable characters from the original book and a brief review of what they're doing today. We are treated to a behind-the- scenes look at the making of the movie version of THE CROSS AND THE SWITCHBLADE, starring Pat Boone, and find that, surprisingly, the venture brought fame but not fortune. The publicity accompanying the book and the movie turned the skinny preacher from Pennsylvania into a reluctant celebrity, and eventually forced him to withdraw from the rat race for a while. Only then was he able to place things in their proper perspective-waiting upon "Holy Ghost timing," as he puts it-thus renewing his person-to-person ministry that had been temporarily sidetracked by other commitments. The past decade was filled with many ups and downs for the entire Wilkerson family, and David frankly recounts it all: his wife Gwen's gallant bout with cancer, his brother Jerry's now- conquered battle with alcoholism. Yet BEYOND THE CROSS AND THE SWITCHBLADE is far more than reminiscences of THE CROSS AND THE SWITCHBLADE; it is a very now book in which David Wilkerson speaks directly to the most pressing needs of today. A large portion of the book is concerned with the phenomenon of drugs in the suburbs. Unfortunately, in the years since David Wilkerson labored for the Lord in the back alleys of the ghettos, drug use has spread to the backyards of suburbia. A chapter is devoted to the related subject of the forgotten teen-agers, those good, clean-cut kids of relative affluence who nevertheless have many serious problems and who need to come to Jesus just as desperately as their more publicized contemporaries, the juvenile delinquents. All in all, David Wilkerson's Teen Challenge is constantly redirecting itself to meet these new challenges. Throughout, spiritual lessons intermingle with heartwarming human interest episodes to imbue BEYOND THE CROSS AND THE SWITCHBLADE with that singular, "can't put it down" quality that marks a sure-fire best seller. The Trusting Place Two Odd "Success" Stories The Day I Quit the Rat Race Drugs in the Suburbs The Forgotten Teen-Ager The Fear I Couldn't Conquer
Triumph Through Tragedy: How Christians Can Become More Than Conquerors Through Suffering
by David WilkersonAn anthology of testimonies of people who, through God's help, survived various trials. Topics discussed include abandonment, the death of loved ones, and serious illness. Some found miraculous healing, others were brought through difficult circumstances through God's grace and reliance on the Scriptures.
David Wilkerson: La cruz, el puñal y el hombre que creyó
by Gary Wilkerson R. S. SawyerUn delgado predicador salido de la zona rural de Pennsylvania, armado únicamente con una cruz y con su fe, se apoderó del mundo bajo de la ciudad de Nueva York y de los capos de las drogas, y llevó a las calles de la ciudad más afectada por el crimen en todos los Estados Unidos, una combinación de amor disciplinario y del Evangelio, simbolizado en su historia — La Cruz y el Puñal. Esta es la historia de David Wilkerson, el hombre que creyó contra todas las posibilidades, que Dios podía hacer grandes cosas entre los rechazados e ignorados de la ciudad de Nueva York.
David Wilkerson: The Cross, the Switchblade, and the Man Who Believed
by Gary Wilkerson R. S. SawyerHow did one man's unshakable faith shape the future of thousands struggling to break free from the grip of addiction, poverty, and sin? Join Gary Wilkerson as he shares a never-before-seen look at the incredible life and legacy of his father, bestselling author and evangelist David Wilkerson.This book tells the story of David Wilkerson, a man who refused to give up on those on the streets even when they had given up on themselves, and who saw in the eyes of drug addicts and gang members what others failed to see--the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.But who was David Wilkerson? When Wilkerson moved to New York from rural Pennsylvania in 1958 to confront the gangs who ran the streets, he was a skinny, 120-pound man. After the initial publicity that brought him face to face with some of the most dangerous young men in the city, he largely flew under the radar of the media, using the Word of God and a bit of tough love to help men and women of the street escape the destructive spiral of drugs and violence. Wilkerson was always the real deal, full of passion and conviction, not interested in what others said was the "right" thing to do.An evangelist both in America and overseas, David authored books that inspired people to be serious about their relationship with Christ. His financial generosity reached around the globe, providing homes for the destitute and feeding programs for the hungry. When he founded the Times Square Church in 1987, his ministry impacted more lives than he ever dreamed possible.Throughout David Wilkerson, you'll be inspired by:The life-changing power of faithWhat it means to trust God wholeheartedlyThe importance of following your true, God-given callingDavid was a man of faith who trusted God would give him what he needed to enter a cruel world; a man of conviction who took the dream God gave him and marched forward without ever looking back. As you come to know David's story, you'll learn to see the world the way he did--through the lens of eternity.
The Cross and The Scalpel: The Untold Story
by Gwen WilkersonAs her husband, David, grew in prominence in public ministry, Gwen Wilkerson found herself waging war with formidable enemies on the home front. Readers who have been inspired by David's bestselling book, The Cross and the Switchblade, will be touched by the inside story Gwen presents-her struggles with depression, the ravages of cancer, and marital strife. Gwen takes readers on a journey of faith as she discovers firsthand that the power of God can conquer pain, disease, and heartache. In this expanded version of an earlier book, she gives hope to anyone confronting a difficult passage in life. As a tool for women in crisis, as well as for pastors, intercessors, and church leaders, this book offers more than coping skills; it teaches by experience how to abide in God's strength and actually see miracles take place. With simplicity, candor, and vulnerability, Gwen shows readers how to use suffering as a springboard for spiritual growth. No situation is so hopeless, no relationship so lost that the answer cannot be found by trusting in God's strength.
Tomas Young's War
by Mark WilkersonTomas Young’s War is the tragic yet life affirming story of a paralyzed Iraq War veteran who spent his last ten years battling heroically with his injuries, while courageously speaking against America's wars.<P><P> Based on hours of interviews with Young and those close to him, the book puts the reader alongside Young as he struggles with life as a paralyzed veteran, suffering frustration and humiliation as he attempts to reenter society and resume as normal an existence as possible. It shows his fight to balance his precarious health with his drive to speak out for veterans care and against the war, and the impact his catastrophic injuries had on his family and his relationships.<P> This emotional and powerful book sheds light on many crucial but often overlooked issues such as veterans’ care, public attitudes toward the disabled, medical marijuana, and the terminally ill. Tomas Young’s War shares everything, as unflinchingly honest as Tomas himself: the depression, the pain, the love, and laughter...the life of this man whose world was turned upside down by an Iraqi bullet more than ten years ago. Throughout, it serves as a powerful testament to the true cost of war.
Hollywood Godfather: The Life and Crimes of Billy Wilkerson
by W. R. WilkersonThis is the definitive biography of the most powerful man in Hollywood during the 1930s, '40s and '50s, the man who founded the Hollywood Reporter and the most storied nightspots of the Sunset Strip, introduced Clark Gable and Lana Turner to the world, invented Las Vegas, brought the Mafia to Hollywood, engineered the shakedown of Hollywood studios by Willie Bioff and his mob-run unions, was possibly involved in the murder of Bugsy Siegel, started the Hollywood blacklist, and helped destroy the studio system. Perhaps nobody in Hollywood history has ever ruined so many careers and done so much damage to the industry as Billy Wilkerson. Yet there has never been a solid biography of the man. Billy's son, William R. Wilkerson III, has done tremendous research on his father, interviewing over decades everyone who knew him best, and portrays him beautifully (and damningly) in this book.
And They Shall Be My People: An American Rabbi and His Congregation, First Edition
by Paul WilkesPaul Wilkes spent a year with Rabbi Rosenbaum--silently observing his life and work, getting to know his congregation, listening in as he performed the myriad tasks both spiritual and practical that occupy a rabbi's long day. This book is an intimate portrait of a year in a rabbi's life and a vivid account of the state of American Judaism today.
Holding God in My Hands: Personal Encounters with the Divine
by Paul WilkesThrough reflection and personal experience, Paul Wilkes examines the power of the Eucharist to impart healing grace, spiritual strength, and peace to both communicants and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Compelling stories from his hospital Eucharistic Ministry reflect the exceptional writing for which he is known. Wilkes takes the reader on a journey to begin to understand God's love for us as the personal stories bring the reader to a better understanding of God presence even in the face of suffering and sorrow. Admitting his own flaws and doubts, Wilkes connects to every reader who yearns to encounter the mystery of God's love for each of us.
In Due Season: A Catholic Life
by Paul WilkesThe noted author recounts the struggles and triumphs of his search for spiritual meaning in this &“exquisite memoir that often reads like a novel&” (Publisher&’s Weekly). Acclaimed for his writings on religious belief and spirituality, Paul Wilkes now recounts his lifelong search for God. Starting with his working class upbringing in Cleveland, his story continues through lonely nights in a factory; working his way through college; a surprising confrontation during the Cuban Missile Crisis; a torrid romance on the Indian Ocean; acceptance into an Ivy League school; and entering the &“perfect&” marriage, which would eventually fail. A man who seemingly had everything, Wilkes gave it all up to live with the poor. Then, in a dizzying turnabout, he became a person he could hardly recognize—a celebrity author. Spending his summers in the Hamptons, he knew Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, and Kurt Vonnegut, but not himself. He sat at the feet of the Dalai Lama. He was an avowed hedonist. He lived as a hermit at a Trappist monastery. He found true love and ran from it. He was a true son of the Church and a sinner beyond anything he might have imagined. In Due Season is Paul Wilkes's candid and probing memoir of seeking and getting lost, of abysmal failure and ultimate triumph, with a faith in God battered and tried in the crucible of his life.
The Fall of the House of Zeus: The Rise and Ruin of America's Most Powerful Trial Lawyer
by Curtis Wilkie“Over the past four decades no reporter has critiqued the American South with such evocative sensitivity and bedrock honesty as Curtis Wilkie.” —Douglas Brinkley The Fall of the House of Zeus tells the story of Dickie Scruggs, arguably the most successful plaintiff's lawyer in America. A brother-in-law of Trent Lott, the former U.S. Senate Majority Leader, Scruggs made a fortune taking on mass tort lawsuits against “Big Tobacco” and the asbestos industries. He was hailed by Newsweek as a latter day Robin Hood, and portrayed in the movie, The Insider, as a dapper aviator-lawyer. Scruggs’ legal triumphs rewarded him lavishly, and his success emboldened both his career maneuvering and his influence in Southern politics--but at a terrible cost, culminating in his spectacular fall, when he was convicted for conspiring to bribe a Mississippi state judge. Here Mississippi is emblematic of the modern South, with its influx of new money and its rising professional class, including lawyers such as Scruggs, whose interests became inextricably entwined with state and national politics. Based on extensive interviews, transcripts, and FBI recordings never made public, The Fall of the House of Zeus exposes the dark side of Southern and Washington legal games and power politics: the swirl of fixed cases, blocked investigations, judicial tampering, and a zealous prosecution that would eventually ensnare not only Scruggs but his own son, Zach, in the midst of their struggle with insurance companies over Hurricane Katrina damages. In gripping detail, Curtis Wilkie crafts an authentic legal thriller propelled by a “welter of betrayals and personal hatreds,” providing large supporting parts for Trent Lott and Jim Biden, brother of then-Senator Joe, and cameos by John McCain, Al Gore, and other DC insiders and influence peddlers. Above all, we get to see how and why the mighty fail and fall, a story as gripping and timeless as a Greek tragedy.From the Hardcover edition.
Dixie: A Personal Osyssey Through Historic Events That Shaped the Modern South
by Curtis Wilkie Colin JohDixie is a political and social history of the South during the second half of the twentieth century told from Curtis Wilkie's perspective as a white man intimately transformed by enormous racial and political upheavals. Wilkie's personal take on some of the landmark events of modern American history is as engaging as it is insightful. He attended Ole Miss during the rioting in the fall of 1962, when James Meredith became the first African American to enroll in the school. After graduation, Wilkie worked in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where he met Aaron Henry, a local druggist and later the prominent head of the Mississippi NAACP. He covered the Mississippi Freedom Summer of 1964 and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party challenge at the national convention in Atlantic City, and he was a member of the biracial insurgent Democratic delegation from Mississippi seated in place of Governor John Bell Williams's delegation at the 1968 convention in Chicago. Wilkie followed Jimmy Carter's campaign for the presidency, becoming friends with Billy Carter; he covered Bill Clinton's election in 1992 and was witness to the South's startling shift from the Democratic Party to the GOP; and finally, he was there when Byron De La Beckwith was convicted for the murder of civil rights leader Medgar Evers thirty-one years after the fact. Wilkie had left the South in 1969 in the wake of the violence surrounding the civil rights movement, vowing never to live there again. But after traveling the world as a reporter, he did return in 1993, drawn by a deep-rooted affinity to the region of his youth. It was as though he rejoined his tribe, a peculiar civilization bonded by accent and mannerisms and burdened by racial anxiety. As Wilkie writes, Southerners have staunchly resisted assimilation since the Civil War, taking an almost perverse pride in their role as "spiritual citizens of a nation that existed for only four years in another century. "Wilkie endeavors to make sense of the enormous changes that have typified the South for more than four decades. Full of beauty, humor, and pathos, Dixie is a story of redemption -- for both a region and a writer.
Mi historia en la oposición: Historia oral: 1933-1988
by James W. Wilkie Edna Monzón WilkieMás que limitarse a relatar de la vida política de Porfirio Muñoz Ledo, esta obra es memoria y conciencia de la política mexicana. La biografía social de Porfirio Muñoz Ledo arroja luz sobre debates, diferendos, acuerdos y momentos poco conocidos y estudiados de la vida política en México. Con su perfil se construye la estructura de décadas de historia del gobierno nacional y se conocen los pormenores de años de izquierda y progresismo en México. Mi historia en la oposición extrae de las sombras a personajes cada vez más borrosos de la política mexicana, como Manuel Ávila Camacho, Adolfo Ruiz Cortines, Adolfo López Mateos y Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, revelando sus aspectos humanos sin banalizar ni trivializar. La anécdota se transfigura en análisis, el recuerdo deviene pensamiento. Más que limitarse a relatar de la vida política de Porfirio Muñoz Ledo, esta obra es memoria y conciencia de la política mexicana.
Daniel Boone Taming the Wilds
by Katharine E. WilkieJourney with Daniel Boone from childhood through adulthood from Pennsylvania to Missouri and beyond.Daniel Boone was one of America's greatest frontiersman opened up a new country by exploring and settling where no one else had ever lived besides the Indians.he fought with the Indians and became their friends. It was a very harsh life that took a lot of courage to survive.
Helen Keller: From Tragedy to Triumph
by Katharine E. WilkieFocusing on her childhood years, this biography is about Helen Keller who overcame her handicaps with the help of her teacher Anne Sullivan.
Mary Todd Lincoln: Girl of the Bluegrass
by Katharine E. WilkieA biography concentrating on the childhood of the Kentucky girl who grew up to marry Abraham Lincoln.
River of Time: My Descent into Depression and How I Emerged with Hope
by Marcia Wilkie Naomi JuddNaomi Judd's life as a country music superstar has been nonstop success. But offstage, she has battled incredible adversity. Struggling through a childhood of harsh family secrets, the death of a young sibling, and absent emotional support, Naomi found herself reluctantly married and an expectant mother at age seventeen. Four years later, she was a single mom of two, who survived being beaten and raped, and was abandoned without any financial support and nowhere to turn in Hollywood, CA. Naomi has always been a survivor: She put herself through nursing school to support her young daughters, then took a courageous chance by moving to Nashville to pursue their fantastic dream of careers in country music. Her leap of faith paid off, and Naomi and her daughter Wynonna became The Judds, soon ranking with country music's biggest stars, selling more than 20 million records and winning six Grammys. At the height of the singing duo's popularity, Naomi was given three years to live after being diagnosed with the previously incurable Hepatitis C. Miraculously, she overcame that too and was pronounced completely cured five years later. But Naomi was still to face her most desperate fight yet. After finishing a tour with Wynonna in 2011, she began a three-year battle with Severe Treatment Resistant Depression and anxiety. She suffered through frustrating and dangerous roller-coaster effects with antidepressants and other drugs, often terrifying therapies and, at her absolute lowest points, thoughts of suicide. But Naomi persevered once again. RIVER OF TIME is her poignant message of hope to anyone whose life has been scarred by trauma.
The Key Is Love
by Marcia Wilkie Marie OsmondFor beloved superstar Marie Osmond, one gift that her mother gave her stands above the rest: the gift to trust and follow her heart. Even when the path seemed bleak, it was this unwavering faith that allowed her to follow her dreams, both professional and personal, and survive the hardest times in her life. In an age when most women work outside the home--and nearly a third of women raise their children alone--being a mother is no easy task. No one knows that better than Marie, who has been an entertainer for forty-eight years and a mother for thirty. She, like so many women out there, has struggled through years of being a single parent and a working parent, while juggling the need to be there for her children and still be there for her other "family," the multitude of fans and followers who look up to her. Through it all, Marie has turned to the person who helped her at every stage of her life and her career: her mother. Drawing on the wisdom that Olive Osmond imparted over the years, Marie weaves a rich, touching, and honest memoir about her life offstage and off-camera, where she took on her most important role: motherhood. Through personal delights, dreams, downturns, and devastating tragedy, Marie offers insights on creating a strong family, raising happy and independent children, and, especially, moving forward when it seems impossible to do so.
A Woman of Influence: The Spectacular Rise of Alice Spencer in Tudor England
by Vanessa WilkieThis extraordinary true story transports us to Tudor and Stuart England as Alice Spencer, the daughter of an upstart sheep farmer, becomes one of the most powerful women in the country and establishes a powerful dynasty that endures to this day. Perfect for fans of The Duchess Countess and Georgiana.Alice Spencer was born in 1560 to a family on the rise. Her grandfather had amassed a sizeable estate of fertile grazing land and made a small fortune in sheep farming, allowing him to purchase a simple but distinguished manor house called Althorp. With her sizable dowry, Alice married the heir to one of the most powerful aristocratic families in the country, eventually becoming the Countess of Derby. Though she enjoyed modest renown, it wasn&’t until her husband&’s sudden death (after he turned in a group of Catholics for plotting against Queen Elizabeth I) that Alice and her family&’s future changed forever. Faced with a lawsuit from her brother-in-law over her late husband&’s fortune, Alice raised eyebrows by marrying England&’s most powerful lawyer. Together, they were victorious, and Alice focused her attentions on securing appropriate husbands for her daughters, increasing her land ownings, and securing a bright future for her grandchildren and the entire Spencer family. But they would not completely escape scandals, and as the matriarch, Alice had to face an infamous trial that threatened everything she had worked so hard for. Now, the full story of the remarkable Alice Spencer Stanley Egerton is revealed in this comprehensive and colorful biography. A woman both ahead of and part of her time, Alice&’s ruthless challenging of the status quo has inspired future generations of Spencers and will change the way you view Tudor women.
Fighting for Napoleon: French Soldiers' Letters, 1799–1815
by Bernard Wilkin René WilkinTrue, first-hand accounts of combat and soldiering from the men who fought for Napoleon Bonparte and the First French Empire: &“Fascinating stuff&” (Stuart Asquith, author of Military Modelling). The French side of the Napoleonic Wars is often presented from a strategic point of view, or in terms of military organization and battlefield tactics, or through officers&’ memoirs. Fighting for Napoleon:French Soldiers&’ Letters, 1799–1815, based on more than sixteen hundred letters written by French soldiers of the Napoleonic armies, shares the perspectives and experiences of the lowest, ordinary ranks of the army who fought on the frontlines. Authors Bernard Wilkin and René Wilkin provide an informative read of common soldiers&’ lives for military and cultural historians as well as a fascinating counterpoint to the memoirs of Cpt. Jean-Roch Coignet, Col. Marcellin de Marbot, or Sgt. Adrien Bourgogne. &“A superb guide to the experience and motivation of military service that is based on a wide trawl of relevant letters . . . A first-rate work that is of much wider significance.&” —Professor Jeremy Black, author of The Battle of Waterloo &“Provides the reader with a good insight into the lives of ordinary French of the Napoleonic Wars . . . Direct accounts of campaigns and battle, recruitment and training, barrack life, the experience of captivity and being wounded are all here, based on letters written most by uneducated men to their immediate family . . . This really is fascinating stuff, and surely a &‘must&’ for students of Napoleonic warfare.&” —Stuart Asquith, author of Military Modelling: Guide to Solo Wargaming
Breakfast at the Hoito: And Other Adventures in the Boreal Heartland
by Charles WilkinsBreakfast at the Hoito brings together a collection of stories and essays on the dreamlike world of Lake Superior’s north shore … on wilds and wildlife, people and places.Spend a day in the kitchen of the famed Hoito Restaurant in Thunder Bay. Discover the secret life of ravens; the passions of the blueberry picker; the thrills and fears of the novice ice climber. Tour Silver Islet, an eccentric summer community that has evolved from the relics of what was once the world’s richest silver mine; and the town of Schreiber, half of whose 2,000 residents trace their roots to the Italian city of Siderno. Visit a 16th-century pine forest, and meet Freda McDonald, one of Canada’s most respected aboriginal elders. Accompany the author on a refreshingly candid tour of contemporary Thunder Bay.
In the Land of Long Fingernails: A Gravedigger in the Age of Aquarius
by Charles WilkinsIn the summer of 1969, Charlie Wilkins was a young man in search of a job. Turned down by a dozen potential employers-including Shubang Used Tire and Dick's Nifty Car Wash-Wilkins landed an unlikely job at a vast corporate cemetery as a "bone waxer," handling "bird-houses" (urns), and earning an invaluable education about life as a caregiver in death. From reckless disinterments, to a mid-summer gravediggers' strike, to the illegal shifting of bones from untended graves, In the Land of Long Fingernails is a coming-of-age story among extraordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. It offers up a Barnum-esque cavalcade of "slay carpenters," "dirt nappers," mavericks and misfits, shifty plot salesmen, and drug-addled gravediggers, yet it also shows us their uncertainty and superstitions, and their relentless gallows humor amid the inevitable reminders of what it is, finally, to be human. In the funny and dark spirit of Thomas Lynch's best-selling The Undertaking, Mary Roach's hit Stiff, and Six Feet Under, In the Land of Long Fingernails is a testament not just to unexpected friendship but also to late sixties culture, and to the art and power of storytelling.