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A Short Walk to the Edge of Life
by Scott Hubbartt Col. Tom Blase"They say I'm crazy. That's OK. I'm just curious and determined."--From Scott Hubbartt's diary, November 2, 2011How Could He Possibly Make It Out Alive?It was supposed to be a simple day hike. Scott Hubbartt was a military veteran with years of survival training. Everyone who knew him considered him an expert adventurer.But Scott's trek into the treacherous backcountry canyons of the Peruvian Andes turned into a desperate fight to survive after he became hopelessly lost. As his eight-hour hike lengthened into days, Scott faced dehydration, hunger, and exhaustion. And that's when his true journey began.Chronicling the failures and miracles of a remarkable physical and spiritual passage, A Short Walk to the Edge of Life is the gripping, true story of a man who had to come to the end of himself before he could find his way home.
Shrinkage: Manhood, Marriage, and the Tumor That Tried to Kill Me
by Bryan BishopA New York Times bestseller!An Amazon Best Books of 2014 selection"If you're reading this, it means I'm already dead. Just kidding."In 2009, at thirty years old, Bryan Bishop's life was right on track. Known to millions as "Bald Bryan," the sidekick and soundman on the record-setting podcast, The Adam Carolla Show, his radio career was taking off. He was newly engaged. Then, he and his fiancée Christie were delivered a crushing blow when he was diagnosed with a brain stem glioma—an inoperable brain tumor. Suddenly Bryan's promising future was transformed into a grueling schedule of radiation and chemotherapy while facing his mortality. In this poignant narrative that is alternately heartbreaking and hysterical, Bishop shares the surreal experiences of writing his will with the bravado of a pulp novelist, taking chemo in a strip club, and (technically) the closest he ever got to achieving his lifelong dream of a threesome—when a physical therapist had to show his wife how to bathe him in the shower during his weakened state.Whether recounting his search for the most aggressive form of treatment, how radiation treatment jeopardized his ability to (literally) walk down the aisle or even smile for his wedding photos, or recalling the time his wife inadvertently drugged him in a pool in Maui, Bishop's inimitable voice radiates through his story.As the author celebrates how treatment shrunk his tumor and gave him a new lease on life, Shrinkage reveals the resilience of the human spirit—and the power of laughter—during even the darkest times.
Sick: A Compilation Zine on Physical Illness (World Around Us) (World Around Us Ser.)
by Ben HoltzmanSick collects peoples' experiences with illness to help establish a collective voice of those impacted within radical/left/DIY communities. <P><P>The zine is meant to be a resource for those who are living with illness as well as those who have not directly experienced it themselves. Contributors discuss personal experiences as well as topics such as receiving support, providing support, and being an informed patient. These writings are meant to increase understandings of illness and further discussion as well as action towards building communities of care.
Sidelined: Overcoming Odds through Unity, Passion and Perseverance
by Tony Dungy Bruce A. Tollner Chuck PaganoChuck Pagano, head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, has become one of the most inspiring, intriguing personalities in the game of football. Only three games into his rookie season in 2012, Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia, sidelined by the side effects chemotherapy and months of recovery. Undeterred, Pagano didn’t let the confines of his hospital bed keep him from coaching: texts, calls, and emails kept him in constant contact with players, staff, and assistants. Motivated to be just as strong and determined as their ailing coach the team started winning game after game, compiling an impressive 11-5 record. The players weren’t the only ones touched by Pagano’s hope and strength of character. Inspired by the tenacity and toughness of their beloved coach, a newcomer to town, thousands of fans united to form Chuckstrong, a movement that soon raised millions to help beat cancer. Pagano, fueled by his faith, his family, and his love of football, returned to lead the Colts to another winning season and the divisional playoffs in 2013. With Pagano’s practical lessons on living, loving, and leading, Sidelined, which includes an 8-page color photo section, inspires us all to stay in the game and never accept defeat.
Sierra Stories: Tales of Dreamers, Schemers, Bigots, and Rogues
by Gary NoyThe Sierra Nevada, with its 14,000-foot granite mountains, crystalline lakes, conifer forests, and hidden valleys, has long been the domain of dreams, attracting the heroic and the delusional, the best of humanity and the worst. Stories abound, and characters emerge so outlandish and outrageous that they have to be real. Could the human imagination have invented someone like Eliza Gilbert? Born in Limerick, Ireland, in 1818, she transformed herself into Lola Montez, born in Seville, Spain, in 1823, and brought to the Gold Country the provocative “Spider Dance”—impersonating a young woman repelling a legion of angry spiders under her petticoats. Or Otto Esche, who in 1860 imported fifteen two-humped Bactrian camels from Asia to transport goods to the mines. Or the artist Albert Bierstadt, whose paintings Mark Twain characterized as having “more the atmosphere of Kingdom-Come than of California.” Or multimillionaire George Whittell Jr., who was frequently spotted driving around Lake Tahoe in a luxurious convertible with his pet lion in the front seat. These, and scores more, spill out of the pages of this well-illustrated and lively tribute to the Sierra by a native son.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
by Nina SankovitchThe author of the much-admired Tolstoy and the Purple Chair goes on a quest through the history of letters and her own personal correspondence to discover and celebrate what is special about the handwritten letter. Witty, moving, enlightening, and inspiring, Signed, Sealed, Delivered begins with Nina Sankovitch's discovery of a trove of hundred year- old letters. The letters are in an old steamer trunk she finds in her backyard and include missives written by a Princeton freshman to his mother in the early 1900s. Nina's own son is heading off to Harvard, and she hopes that he will write to her, as the Princeton student wrote to his mother and as Nina wrote to hers. But times have changed. Before Nina can persuade her child of the value of letters, she must first understand for herself exactly what it is about letters that make them so significant--and just why she wants to receive letters from her son. Sankovitch sets off on a quest through the history of letter writing--from the ancient Egyptians to the medieval lovers Abelard and Heloise, from the letters received by President Lincoln after his son's death to the correspondence of Edith Wharton and Henry James. Sankovitch uncovers and defines the specific qualities that make letters so special, examining not only historical letters but also the letters in epistolary novels, her husband's love letters, and dozens more sources, including her son's brief reports from college on the weather and his allowance. In this beautifully written book, Nina Sankovitch reminds us that letters offer proof and legacy of what is most important in life: love and connection. In the end, she finds, the letters we write are even more important than the ones we wait for.
The Silver Lining
by Elizabeth Messina Hollye JacobsAs a healthy, happy thirty-nine-year-old mother with no family history of breast cancer, being diagnosed with the disease rocked Hollye Jacobs's world. Having worked as a nurse, social worker, and child development specialist for fifteen years, she suddenly found herself in the position of moving into the hospital bed. She was trained as a clinician to heal. In her role as patient, the healing process became personal. Exquisitely illustrated with full-color photographs by Hollye's close friend, award-winning photographer Elizabeth Messina, The Silver Lining is both Hollye's memoir and a practical, supportive resource for anyone whose life has been touched by breast cancer. In the first section of each chapter, she describes with humor and wisdom her personal experience and gives details about her diagnosis, treatment, side effects, and recovery. The second section of each chapter is told from Hollye's point of view as a medical expert. In addition to providing a glossary of important terms and resources, she addresses the physical and emotional aspects of treatment, highlights what patients can expect, and provides action steps, including: What to do when facing a diagnosisHow to find the best and most supportive medical teamWhat questions to askWhat to expect at medical testsHow to talk with and support childrenHow to relieve or avoid side effectsHow to be a supportive friend or family memberHow to find Silver Linings Looking for and finding Silver Linings buoyed Hollye from the time of her diagnosis throughout her double mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, and recovery. They gave her the balance and perspective to get her through the worst days, and they compose the soul of the book. The Silver Lining of Hollye's illness is that she can now use the knowledge gleaned from her experience to try to make it better for those who have to follow her down this difficult path. This is why she is sharing her story. Hollye is the experienced girlfriend who wants to help shed some light in the darkness, provide guidance through the confusion, and hold your hand every step of the way. At once comforting and instructive, realistic and inspiring, The Silver Lining is a visually beautiful, poignant must-read for everyone who has been touched by cancer.
Simply Rich: Life and Lessons from the Cofounder of Amway
by Rich DevosIn this definitive autobiography, Rich DeVos reflects on work, faith, family, and the core values he's held on to, from his humble, Christian upbringing through his enormous success as cofounder of one of the world's largest businesses: Amway. A prominent businessman, self-made billionaire, philanthropist, worldwide speaker, bestselling author, family man, and devout Christian--few people embody the heart of the American entrepreneurial spirit as plainly as Rich DeVos. He not only helped create one of the world's biggest companies-- Amway--but he did it from the ground up, with little but his deep faith in God to guide his decisions and keep his hopes alive. Now, following on the success of DeVos's bestselling books about the world of business, he reveals his personal story for the first time ever. Simply Rich is a candid telling of his journey from rags to riches, from a small start-up business to giant success, and from doubts to dreams come true. Born to second-generation Dutch immigrants in rural Michigan during the Depression, DeVos learned early on the importance of leadership as well as partnership. While still in school, he met a classmate and neighbor, Jay Van Andel, who became his best friend and eventually his business partner. A lasting friendship sustained their fledgling business, which grew into the international success of Amway. In addition to stories of his business success, DeVos shares candidly about his marriage and family, his experiences as a motivational speaker and author, his ownership of the NBA's Orlando Magic, and his philanthropic, religious, and political endeavors. Inspiring, fascinating, and full of heart, Simply Rich is the astonishing rags-to-riches story that few can tell. Through his amazing accomplishments as both a businessman and faithful, generous soul, DeVos reveals the true meaning of success.ning of success.
Simply Thrilled: The Preposterous Story of Postcard Records
by Simon GoddardThey had just a few hundred pounds, one band missing a drummer, a sock drawer for an office, more dreams than sense and not a clue between them how to run a record company. But when Alan Horne and Edwyn Collins decided to start their own label from a shabby Glasgow flat in 1979, nobody was going to stand in their way.Postcard Records was the mad, makeshift and quite preposterous result. Launching the careers of Orange Juice, Aztec Camera and cult heroes Josef K, the self-styled ‘Sound of Young Scotland’ stuck it to the London music biz and, quite by accident, kickstarted the 1980s indie music revolution.Simon Goddard has interviewed everyone involved in the making of the Postcard legend to tell this thrilling rock’n’roll story of punk audacity, knickerbocker glories, broken windscreens, raccoon-fur hats, comedy, violence and creating something beautiful from nothing, against all the odds.
Sing the Rage: Listening to Anger after Mass Violence
by Sonali ChakravartiWhat is the relationship between anger and justice, especially when so much of our moral education has taught us to value the impartial spectator, the cold distance of reason? Ina"Sing the Rage," Sonali Chakravarti wrestles with this question through a careful look at the emotionally charged South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which afrom 1996 to 1998 saw, day after day, individuals taking the stand to speakOCoto cry, scream, and wailOCoabout the atrocities of apartheid. Uncomfortable and surprising, these public emotional displays, she argues, proved to be of immense value, vital to the success of transitional justice and future political possibilities. aaaaaaaaaaaChakravarti takes up the issue from Adam Smith and Hannah Arendt, who famously understood both the dangers of anger in politics and the costs of its exclusion. Building on their perspectives, she argues that the expression and reception of anger reveal truths otherwise unavailable to us about the emerging political order, the obstacles to full civic participation, and indeed the limitsOCothe frontiersOCoof political life altogether. Most important, anger and the development of skills needed to truly listen to it foster trust among citizens and recognition of shared dignity and worth. An urgent work of political philosophy in an era of continued revolution, a"Sing the Rage"aoffers a clear understanding of one of our most volatileOCoand importantOCopolitical responses. "
Singapore's Dunkirk: The Aftermath Of The Fall
by Geoffrey BrookeWhen Singapore fell so ignominiously to the Japanese in February 1942, many tens of thousands of men, women and children were left to their own devices. To stay in Singapore meant certain captivity. This book tells of some of the remarkable and shocking experiences that lay in store for those who decided to escape by whatever means. A shocking and inspiring book that embraces great courage and endurance.
Singing to A Bulldog
by Anson WilliamsGrowing up in 1950s California, young Anson William Heimlich showed very little promise. Clumsy, unsure of himself, and made to feel like a failure by his disappointed artist of a dad, Anson started working odd jobs as a teenager to help support his family. His boss at one of these jobs, an aging African-American janitor named Willie, unexpectedly became a mentor--and the lessons he taught young Anson proved to be invaluable throughout his subsequent career as an actor, director, and entrepreneur. In Singing to a Bulldog, Anson Williams (as he came to be known) relates both these lessons and the never-before-revealed stories of the many seminal TV series he has worked on and the famous (and not-so-famous) folks he's encountered during his 40 years in Hollywood, including: * being directed by Steven Spielberg in his first dramatic role * getting kidnapped by Gerald Ford's daughter at the White House * subbing for Sammy Davis, Jr., as a headliner with Bill Cosby * being humbled by Sunny, a young volunteer for the Cerebral Palsy National Organization * mentoring Shailene Woodley on the set of The Secret Life of the American Teenager and many more. This compelling read has a cross-generational and broad appeal, combining all the fun of a celebrity memoir with the emotional impact of an inspirational bestseller. With Singing to a Bulldog, Anson Williams brings his gift of storytelling to a new medium in a book that is sure to touch readers' hearts and lives as profoundly as Willie once touched his.
Sir Isaac Newton: Famous English Scientist
by Anne Marie SullivanIsaac Newton's exploration of the world around him has shaped the direction of science for the last few hundred years. Newton's ideas about gravity, light, color, and the way things move have all shaped the way we think about the way the world works. Few people have been as important to science as Sir Isaac Newton. Learn about the story of one of the world's most influential scientific thinkers in Sir Isaac Newton: Famous English Scientist.
Sir Redvers H. Buller, V.C.: The Story Of His Life And Campaigns
by Lt.-Colonel Lewis William George ButlerGeneral Sir Redvers Buller V.C. was among the most popular generals of his age, born in 1839 he was commissioned into the 60th Rifles in and started a military career that would last 40 years.His postings were many and varied; China in 1860, before many years in Canada and a distinguished part in the Red River expedition under Sir Garnet Wolseley in 1870 and under the same commander in the Second Ashanti War 1873-74. His next active command would earn him a Victoria Cross during the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879 at the head of the mounted infantry of Sir Evelyn Wood's No. 4 Column. During the bloody defeat at Hlobane, Buller rallied the demoralized retreating rearguard, and rode back in the face of the hotly pusuing Zulu warriors to rescue men who had been unhorsed, not once, twice but three times! As if this was not enough the next day he fought at the victorious at the battle of Kambula, and later at the decisive battle of Ulundi. Buller left Africa a hero among his men and respected by his peers.His final command, during the Second Anglo-Boer War was much less successful; sent out to command and retrieve a situation already bungled, at the age of sixty, despite his protests. Facing a guerrilla war he instituted new tactics that would become standard practice to the modern day; use of cover, fire and movement, creeping barrages. However, these innovations were not enough to bridge the gap between his opponents and his hidebound troops, and he suffered a number of high profile defeats.
A Sister's Secret: Two Sisters. A Harrowing Secret. One Fight For Justice.
by Debbie Grafham'I was nine and the big sister. I wanted to keep her safe. He basically promised me that if I let him abuse me, he wouldn't touch my sister again.' Debbie Grafham’s childhood had been far from normal, but when she was just nine years old her life changed forever. Debbie discovered that her neighbour was abusing her younger sister, Laraine – and there was a price to pay to make him stop. Alone and scared, she made a decision that was to haunt her life, and send her spiralling out of control. But after nearly forty years of harbouring her shocking secret, Debbie found the courage to tell her sister and together they made the decision to fight for justice.
Six Weeks of Blenheim Summer: One Pilot’s Extraordinary Account of the Battle of France
by Alastair Panton'DESERVES TO JOIN REACH FOR THE SKY AND THE LAST ENEMY AS ONE OF THE GREAT RAF BOOKS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR' - ANDREW ROBERTSAs I write, I can clearly recall the stinging heat of aburning Blenheim, smells, tastes, expressions, sounds of voices and, most ofall, fear gripping deep in me.Flying Officer Alastair Panton was just twenty-three when his squadron deployed across the Channel in the defence of France. They were desparate days.Pushed back to the beaches as the German blitzkrieg rolled through the Low Countries and into France, by June 4th 1940 the evacuation ofthe Allies from Dunkirk was complete. A little over two weeks later France surrendered.Flying vital, dangerous, low-level missions throughout the campaign in support of the troops on the ground, Panton's beloved but unarmed Bristol Blenheim was easy meat for the marauding Messerschmitts. At the height of fighting he was losing two of his small squadron's crews to the enemy every day.Discovered in a box by his grandchildren after his death in 2002, Alastair Panton's Six Weeks of Blenheim Summeris a lostclassic. One of the most moving, vivid and powerful accounts of war inthe air ever written. And an unforgettable testament to the courage, stoicism, camaraderie and humanity of Britain's greatest generation.'THE BEST ACCOUNT OF THE CHAOS AND CONFUSION OF WAR OUTSIDE THE PAGES OF EVELYN WAUGH' BORIS JOHNSON'ONE CAN'T HELP FEELING AWE AND REVERENCE. THERE ARE ENOUGHEDVENTURES HERE FOR A LIFETIME'LOUIS DE BERNIERES'SIMPLY WONDERFUL. ONE OF THE BEST ACCOUNTS OF WWii I HAVE EVER READ'JOHN NICHOL
The Skin Collector: Lincoln Rhyme Book 11 (Lincoln Rhyme Thrillers #11)
by Jeffery DeaverA new type of serial killer is stalking the streets of New York - one more devious and disturbing than ever before.They call this butcher The Skin Collector: a tattooist with a chamber of torture hidden deep underground. But instead of using ink to create each masterpiece, the artist uses a lethal poison which will render targets dead before they can even entertain the prospect of escape...Drafted in to investigate, NYPD detective Lincoln Rhyme and his associate Amelia Sachs have little to go on but a series of cryptic messages left etched into the skin of the deceased. As the pair struggle to discover the meaning behind the designs, they are led down a treacherous and twisting path where nothing is as it seems. And with the clock rapidly ticking before the killer strikes again, they must untangle the twisted web of clues before more victims - or they themselves - are next.(P)2014 Hodder & Stoughton
Sleeps with Dogs: Tales of a Pet Nanny at the End of Her Leash
by Lindsey GrantGo behind closed doors and discover the secret lives of some of the most devoted pet owners, whether they're feeding their dogs home-cooked meals or leaving Animal Planet on all day to keep their pets company.As a round-the-clock animal nanny, Lindsey Grant shared a bed with countless dogs, cooked custom meals for exotic birds, broke up brawls between animals and spouses alike, weathered end-of-life care for beloved companions, and catered to the often obscure needs of her charges-and the bizarre demands of their owners. She offers a hilarious inside look at the pet care industry and the lengths people will go to for their furry friends.With a cast of unforgettable characters, from a toast-loving cockatiel to a gassy greyhound, Sleeps with Dogs is filled with tales of pets and those who love them.
The Sleepworker
by Cyrille Martinez Joseph Patrick Stancil"As New York, capital of the twentieth century, recedes from memory, it becomes more like Paris; we flock to it to pay tribute to the great things that once happened there. New York is now a miasma of apocryphal myths feasting on its own corpse. On these pages, Martinez spins hazy rumor and wilting gossip into blistering contemporary fiction, holding up Warhol's mirror to the myth of Warhol himself. The result is a delicious celebration of simulacra where, like New York New York itself, nothing is true, but everything is permitted."--Kenneth GoldsmithJohn is a poet. Only John almost never writes poems, because he is also unemployed. He lives with four friends, and they squat in a loft in New York New York, a fantastical city that resembles the Big Apple, but also any other city where artists live. They throw fabulous parties and practice group sodomy. That is, until John meets Andy.Andy is an artist. Well, he is if you define art as something that people don't want but the artist wants to give them anyway. A gallery owner with Tourette syndrome "discovers" his work and Andy is on his way to being famous. John, on the other hand, is hard at work at being unemployed, drinking all night and sleeping all day--which leaves him very little time for writing poems. Andy, watching him sleep, has an intriguing idea for a piece of art that he thinks will allow John to get paid for what he does best.Using the story of Andy Warhol and John Giorno and their film Sleep as a starting point, The Sleepworker reads like a Warhol film on fast-forward.Cyrille Martinez is a poet and novelist living in Paris. This is his English debut.Joseph Patrick Stancil has studied French and translation at UNC-Chapel Hill and New York University. He currently lives in New York, New York.
Slim: Another Day, Another Town
by Slim Dusty Joy Mckean"Australia's greatest country singer-songwriter Slim Dusty's own story, written with Joy McKean, his wife for 50 years - now updated.'It is the people you meet along the road of life who make the travelling easier. No wonder I loved it all.' Slim Dusty Slim Dusty was Australia's most well-loved and best-known country music performer. A legend in the bush, his famous hit 'A Pub With No Beer' made him a household name in the towns and cities too. Written by Slim Dusty and Joy McKean, Slim: Another Day, Another Town is a warm and honest view of their marriage of 50 years and their life together performing right around the country. This is the story of their love for each other, their family and their music - and their determination to bring country music to the whole of Australia. Slim died in 2003, but throughout Australia, and around the world, people are still playing his songs and passing them on to new generations of fans. In this updated edition of this classic biography, Joy McKean writes about her family's commitment to honouring his memory and their work to keep his name alive. If you love today's Australian country music, you'll love SLIM DUSTY: ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER TOWN - because this is the story of where it started. "
Slim and None: My Wild Ride from the WHA to the NHL and All the Way to Hollywood
by Howard BaldwinFrom his start as an owner in the World Hockey Association at the age of 28 (“slim and none” was a Boston sportswriter’s assessment of Howard’s chances when he was first awarded the New England Whalers franchise), to winning the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins and then on to Hollywood success, sports entrepreneur and film producer Howard Baldwin recounts his spirited and hugely entertaining life story.Howard Baldwin has lived his life according to his belief that the life best-lived is one in which we pursue our heart’s desire. He never met a challenge he couldn’t beat. Beginning with his move at the age of twenty-eight from an entry-level position in the ticket office of the Philadelphia Flyers to acquiring and building his own WHA franchise in New England, Howard has built an impressive reputation as a pioneer — and a maverick — in the world of professional hockey. As President of the WHA, Baldwin led the merger with the NHL, and then later became a key figure in the expansion of North American hockey into Russia. Topping his journey in hockey off with a stint as chairman of the Pittsburgh Penguins, he then moved successfully into the film industry, producing a number of outstanding films including the Academy-Award winning Ray.Slim and None is a story of perseverance, persistence, and ultimately, personal fulfilment. Baldwin and Milton have crafted an intimate portrait of a life within hockey spanning from the rebellious 1970s to the tumultuous 1990s and beyond into the exciting world of the movies.
Slip of the Tongue: Talking About Language (Real World Ser.)
by Katie HaegeleSlip of the Tongue explores a wide range of topics in linguistics through reflecting on the author's life and surroundings. Author Katie Haegele is a respected memoirist who makes sense of the world around her by looking at the ways we use language: to communicate, to make art, and simply to survive. She takes us through her life by describing her family's rich linguistic history and her own coming of age as a feminist and an artist, and introduces us to her hometown of Philadelphia, a city lively with graffiti, poetry, and the remnants of its colonial heritage. She connects history to the present with research, interviews, and musings on digital technology and the contemporary state of the English language. If language is what makes us human, Slip of the Tongue, a book as brainy as it is heart-warming, is a celebration of that humanity in all its complicated beauty. More than a clever language book, Haegele is personal and conversational-able to explore her subjects with both intellectual vigor and a lot of heart. A memoir that takes a niche subject outside of academia.
A Sliver of Light: Three Americans Imprisoned in Iran
by Sarah Shourd Joshua Fattal Shane Bauer"A Sliver of Light weaves a spellbinding tale of hard-won survival at the intersection of courage and love -- the love of friends struggling to support one another in wretched circumstances, the unyielding bedrock of mothers' love for their long-lost children, and the fiercely tested love of three people for the family of humankind. It is a triumph of writing born of a triumph of being." -- Andrew Solomon, author of Far from the Tree and The Noonday Demon In summer 2009, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal, and Sarah Shourd were hiking in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan when they unknowingly crossed into Iran and were captured by a border patrol. Wrongly accused of espionage, the three Americans ultimately found themselves in Tehran's infamous Evin Prison, where activists and protesters from the Green Movement were still being confined and tortured. Cut off from the world and trapped in a legal black hole, Bauer, Fattal, and Shourd discovered that pooling their strength of will and relying on one another was the only way they could survive. In A Sliver of Light, the three finally tell their side of the story. They offer a rare glimpse inside Iran at a time when understanding this fractured state has never been more important. But beyond that, this memoir is a profoundly humane account of defiance, hope, and the elemental power of friendship. "Riveting and necessary and illuminating in countless unexpected ways. The hikers have pulled off the almost impossible task of making from their hellish experience something of beauty and grace." -- Dave Eggers "A Sliver of Light is the record of a human rights triumph, a moving memoir by three individuals who found the strength to survive." -- San Jose Mercury News
Slovaks of Chicagoland (Images of America)
by Robert M. Fasiang Robert Magruder Monsignor Joseph SemancikThe story of Slovak Americans in Chicagoland is a tale of the American dream. In a few short years, emigrants from Slovakia with little to their names came to the United States and succeeded beyond their highest hopes. This fascinating story of "rags to riches" has been documented in historical photographs in Images of America: Slovaks of Chicagoland. Many Slovaks came to America with few assets, no more than a sixth-grade education, and no knowledge of the English language. They went to school and became naturalized citizens. Many took menial jobs in stockyards, steel mills, and oil refineries. They saved their money and opened grocery stores, banks, construction firms, and other businesses. Slovaks built beautiful churches, quality schools, and recreational facilities. They raised their families to be proud Americans and incorporated traditions from Slovakia into their daily lives, including the important role of religion.
Slow Dancing with a Stranger: Lost and Found in the Age of Alzheimer's
by Meryl ComerA New York Times BestsellerEmmy-award winning broadcast journalist and leading Alzheimer’s advocate Meryl Comer’s Slow Dancing With a Stranger is a profoundly personal, unflinching account of her husband’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease that serves as a much-needed wake-up call to better understand and address a progressive and deadly affliction.When Meryl Comer’s husband Harvey Gralnick was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease in 1996, she watched as the man who headed hematology and oncology research at the National Institutes of Health started to misplace important documents and forget clinical details that had once been cataloged encyclopedically in his mind. With harrowing honesty, she brings readers face to face with this devastating condition and its effects on its victims and those who care for them. Detailing the daily realities and overwhelming responsibilities of caregiving, Comer sheds intensive light on this national health crisis, using her personal experiences—the mistakes and the breakthroughs—to put a face to a misunderstood disease, while revealing the facts everyone needs to know.Pragmatic and relentless, Meryl has dedicated herself to fighting Alzheimer’s and raising public awareness. “Nothing I do is really about me; it’s all about making sure no one ends up like me,” she writes. Deeply personal and illuminating, Slow Dancing With a Stranger offers insight and guidance for navigating Alzheimer’s challenges. It is also an urgent call to action for intensive research and a warning that we must prepare for the future, instead of being controlled by a disease and a healthcare system unable to fight it.