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Yeah, No. Not Happening.: How I Found Happiness Swearing Off Self-Improvement and Saying F*ck It All—and How You Can Too
by Karen KarboThe author of the acclaimed, bestselling In Praise of Difficult Women delivers a hilarious feminist manifesto that encourages us to reject “self-improvement” and instead learn to appreciate and flaunt our complex, and flawed, human selves.Why are we so obsessed with being our so-called best selves? Because our modern culture force feeds women lies designed to heighten their insecurities: “You can do it all—crush it at work, at home, in the bedroom, at PTA and at Pilates—and because you can, you should. We can show you how!” Karen Karbo has had enough. She’s taking a stand against the cultural and societal pressures, marketing, and media influences that push us to spend endless time, energy and money trying to “fix” ourselves—a race that has no finish line and only further increases our send of self-dissatisfaction and loathing. “Yeah, no, not happening,” is her battle cry. In this wickedly smart and entertaining book, Karbo explores how “self-improvery” evolved from the provenance of men to women. Recast as “consumers” in the 1920s, women, it turned out, could be seduced into buying anything that might improve not just their lives, but their sense of self-worth. Today, we smirk at Mad Men-era ads targeting 1950s housewives—even while savvy marketers, aided and abetted by social media “influencers,” peddle skin care “systems,” skinny tea, and regimens that promise to deliver endless happiness. We’re not simply seduced into dropping precious disposable income on empty promises; the underlying message is that we can’t possibly know what’s good for us, what we want, or who we should be. Calling BS, Karbo blows the lid off of this age-old trend and asks women to start embracing their awesomely imperfect selves.There is no one more dangerous than a woman who doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. Yeah, No, Not Happening is a call to arms to build a posse of dangerous women who swear off self-improvement and its peddlers. A welcome corrective to our inner-critic, Karbo’s manifesto will help women restore their sanity and reclaim their self-worth.
AC/DC: The Ultimate Story of the World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band
by Murray Engleheart Arnaud DurieuxOver three decades and more than 150 million albums, AC/DC has established itself as much more than just a great rock band. For millions of fans spanning several generations across the world, they are an ear-bleedingly loud, sweat-soaked religion, courtesy of such classic albums as Highway to Hell and Back in Black.Now, in a book of astonishing breadth and scope, comes, for the very first time, the complete story of AC/DC. Everything you ever wanted to know and plenty more you never dreamt of is all here, the ultimate balls-out adventure, laced with sex, drunken escapades and brawls. It's a journey that started in the suburban Sydney, Australia, bedrooms of brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, boys who could wreak havoc with their guitars. Over their power chords were the lyrics and voice of Bon Scott, who would lead them higher and higher—until his tragic death in 1980. The bittersweet irony after his death was that not only did the Youngs manage to hold together without him, but the band's fortunes and status skyrocketed with his replacement, Brian Johnson, and the album Back in Black.Five long years in the making, AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll is sourced from more than 1,300 interviews the band has given over the past thirty years combined with in excess of 75 of the authors' own interviews with those who worked with AC/DC both in the studio and on the road—many of whom have never spoken about the band publicly. It's topped off with stunning, never-before-seen photos to create the ultimate portrait of the ultimate rock band.
Dust to Dust: A Memoir
by Benjamin Busch“A wonderful book, original in concept and stunningly written.”—Ward Just“Elegiac, funny, wistful, deep, and wonderfully human, Dust to Dust moved me to laughter and tears, sometimes simultaneously.”—Karl Marlantes, bestselling author of Matterhorn and What It Is Like to Go to WarTim O’Brien meets Annie Dillard in this remarkable memoir by debut author Benjamin Busch. Much more than a war memoir, Dust to Dust brilliantly explores the passage through a lifetime—a moving meditation on life and death, the adventures of childhood and revelations of adulthood. Seemingly ordinary things take on a breathtaking radiance when examined by this decorated Marine officer—veteran of two combat tours in Iraq—actor on the hit HBO series The Wire, and son of acclaimed novelist Frederick Busch. Above all, Benjamin Busch is a truly extraordinary new literary talent as evidenced by his exemplary debut, Dust to Dust—an original, emotionally powerful, and surprisingly refreshing take on an American soldier’s story.
Prefab Houses DesignSource
by Marta SerratsFor many, the idea of prefab housing may bring to mind trailers and other less desirable images of home life. But this idea couldn't be more wrong! Rather, the newest trends in prefab have emerged as a great way for a design- (and cost-) conscious generation to achieve the dream of home ownership. Today, prefab houses are manufactured to the highest standards of construction and aesthetics. And with the internet, these houses can be ordered from all over the world--affording people everywhere the opportunity to acquire an affordable home of distinction.Prefab Modern explores the best prefabricated houses on the market today, from all over the world along with a resource directory on how you can purchase them. Included are case studies from all over the US and around the world, from top architects and designers.Prefab is the inevitable next step to "cool" housing as the market looks for reasonably priced housing for first and second homes. Prefab Houses Designsource is the perfect guide to this undeniable and fascinating trend.
The Well Path: Lose 20 Pounds, Reverse the Aging Process, Change Your Life
by Jamé HeskettLose twenty pounds and reverse the aging process in just sixty days with this clinically proven, holistic lifestyle plan from an anti-aging expert whose clients include some of New York City’s most successful women.Most diets don’t work because they restrict food intake and put inconsistent physical stress on the body, starving cells, throwing hormones out of whack, and slowing down metabolism. In The Well Path, Dr. Jamé Heskett offers us a radical new approach: In order to lose weight, we first have to heal the damage we’ve done to our bodies from years of dieting. Before we can lose weight for good, we need to achieve homeostasis—total balance in the body, with all its systems working in concert. When you're there, you’re full of energy, look and feel younger, and lose weight effortlessly.The Well Path is her sixty-day plan to get you there. Dr. Heskett provides a detailed week-by-week and day-by-day calendar of small changes and challenges to get you on your own Well Path. You begin with Well Prep, a month-long period to get you acclimated to simple lifestyle changes. The second month is devoted to Well Practice, a roadmap to homeostasis that focuses on six areas of CHANGE:Circulation—improving the vascular system gets rid of stored fat and toxinsHunger—learning to identify real and false hunger to avoid overeatingActivity—non-exercise activity that can burn hundreds of extra caloriesNutrition—a diverse array of nutrients (especially fiber) to improve gut absorption and balance hormonesGeneral Health—the importance of sleep, sex, stress, and social interactionExercise—Dr. Heskell’s code for maximum fat-for-energy exercise conversionThe Well Path will take you from sickness to health, fat to fit, and old to young—in just sixty days.
Finding the Flavors We Lost: From Bread to Bourbon, How Artisans Reclaimed American Food
by Patric KuhThe multiple-James Beard Award–winning restaurant critic for Los Angeles Magazine delivers an arresting exploration of our cultural demand for “artisanal” foods in a world dominated by corporate agribusiness.We hear the word “artisanal” all the time—attached to cheese, chocolate, coffee, even fast-food chain sandwiches—but what does it actually mean? We take “farm to table” and “handcrafted food” for granted now but how did we get here? In Finding the Flavors We Lost, acclaimed food writer Patric Kuh profiles major figures in the so-called “artisanal” food movement who brought exceptional taste back to food and inspired chefs and restaurateurs to redefine and rethink the way we eat.Kuh begins by narrating the entertaining stories of countercultural “radicals” who taught themselves the forgotten crafts of bread, cheese, and beer-making in reaction to the ever-present marketing of bland, mass-produced food, and how these people became the inspiration for today’s crop of young chefs and artisans. Finding the Flavors We Lost also analyzes how population growth, speedier transportation, and the societal shifts and economic progress of the twentieth century led to the rise of supermarkets and giant food corporations, which encouraged the general desire to swap effort and quality for convenience and quantity.Kuh examines how a rediscovery of the value of craft and individual effort has fueled today’s popularity and appreciation for artisanal food and the transformations this has effected on both the restaurant menu and the dinner table. Throughout the book, he raises a host of critical questions. How big of an operation is too big for a food company to still call themselves “artisanal”? Does the high cost of handcrafted goods unintentionally make them unaffordable for many Americans? Does technological progress have to quash flavor? Eye-opening, informative, and entertaining, Finding the Flavors We Lost is a fresh look into the culture of artisan food as we know it today—and what its future may be.
Before You Go: A Novel
by Tommy Butler“Hats off to that brave soul daring to write what might be called speculative literary fiction, and willing to venture answers to questions beyond even those of life & death. Tommy Butler’s debut novel Before You Go has a big beating heart and a mind all its own.” — Joshua Ferris, author of The Dinner Party and Then We Came to the EndA big, rich, life-affirming debut that explores the most perplexing questions of existence: purpose, the pain of loneliness, the desire for happiness, and the price we pay as we search for fulfillment.In the Before, humankind is created with a hole in its heart, the designers not realizing their mistake—if it was a mistake—until too late.Elliot Chance is just a boy, and knows nothing of this. All he knows is that he doesn’t feel at home in this world, and his desire for escape becomes more urgent as he grows into adulthood, where the turbulence of life seems to offer no cure for the emptiness. Desperate and lost, he stumbles upon a support group on the edge of Manhattan. There he meets two other drifting souls—Sasha, a young woman who leaves coded messages in the copy she writes for advertising campaigns, and Bannor, whose detailed depictions of the future make Elliot think he may have actually been there. With these two unlikely allies, Elliot launches into the business of life, determined to be happy in spite of himself.Yet the hole in the heart is not so easily filled.Profound yet playful, Before You Go is a beautiful, imaginative journey into the ache and wonder of being human, and the quest for a meaningful life.
Terms of Service: Social Media and the Price of Constant Connection
by Jacob SilvermanSocial networking has grown into a staple of modern society, but its continued evolution is becoming increasingly detrimental to our lives. Shifts in communication and privacy are affecting us more than we realize or understand. Terms of Service crystalizes this current moment in technology and contemplates its implications: the identity-validating pleasures and perils of online visibility; our newly adopted view of daily life through the lens of what is share-worthy; and the surveillance state operated by social media platforms—Facebook, Google, Twitter, and others—to mine our personal data for advertising revenue, an invasion of our lives that is as pervasive as government spying.Jacob Silverman calls for social media users to take back ownership of their digital selves from the Silicon Valley corporations who claim to know what's best for them. Integrating politics, sociology, national security, pop culture, and technology, he reveals the surprising conformity at the heart of Internet culture—explaining how social media companies engineer their products to encourage shallow engagement and discourage dissent. Reflecting on the collapsed barriers between our private and public lives, Silverman brings into focus the inner conflict we feel when deciding what to share and what to "like," and explains how we can take the steps we need to free ourselves from its grip.
Hold Me in Contempt: A Romance
by Wendy WilliamsMove over 50 Shades, there’s a new romance in town. Superstar Wendy Williams brings on the heat in her first ever, no-holds-barred, down and dirty, romance novel.Kimberly Kind is trying to get beyond her roots. A successful, beautiful, smart lawyer, she’s finally finding direction in her life and getting out of the streets. But a terrible accident threatens to throw her carefully laid plans off course. Now Kim’s hiding a huge secret… one that could threaten everything.Enter King. A perfect mix of Justin Timberlake and David Beckham, the man oozes sex and has more swagger than anyone Kim’s ever met. Their chemistry is off the charts. But after passion-filled nights, the intensity of their emotions takes both of them by surprise.Love was not supposed to be an option. Now it’s the only thing holding them together. When their pasts come back with a vengeance, can love possibly be enough?
Running on Faith: The Principles, Passion, and Pursuit of a Winning Life
by Jason Lester Tim Vandehey“Whatever burden you carry (and we all have one) this story will point you to strength beyond yourself. Read it twice!” —John Ortberg, author and pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church“Running on Faith is a triumph! Jason Lester is proof that as one wise man said, ‘Triumph is when you try and add a little umph!’ Jason Lester shows us ALL that you can achieve whatever you put your mind body and soul into!”—Rev Run, author of Words of Wisdom: Daily Affirmations of Faith from Run’s House to Yours“Jason’s story is a must read! It is a true testimony of the human spirit and confirmation that we all have so much more in us than we may believe. The challenges he conquered will create a shift in your life”—Tyrese Gibson, singer and actorJason Lester is a disabled ultra-endurance athlete and winner of ESPN’s 2009 ESPY Award for “Best Disabled Male Athlete.” He tells his remarkable story in Running on Faith, offering readers an inspirational guide to overcoming adversity, reaching your goals, and recognizing God’s guiding hand in your life.
Aim True: Love Your Body, Eat Without Fear, Nourish Your Spirit, Discover True Balance!
by Kathryn BudigAre You Ready to Discover What Aim True Means to You?Yoga teacher and inspirational speaker Kathryn Budig is known for her ability to encourage others to set their intentions and goals, no matter how lofty, and work toward them while staying true to themselves.In Aim True, Budig extends her empowering message beyond the mat. Life is an adventure that is meant to be explored, challenged, and fully lived. The best part? When you approach life with an open mind and heart, the possibilities are endless. Allow Budig to be your guide along the journey with:• A 5-day purification process• 6 yoga sequences to put into practice• Over 85 recipes to seduce your inner Top Chef• An introduction to meditation• Homeopathic self-care and beauty recipesWhether your goal is to love who you are right now, reshape the way you view food, develop a meditation practice, or discover new ways to embrace the great balancing act that is life, this holistic approach to yoga, diet, and mindfulness has something for you. Filled with vibrant photographs and whimsical illustrations, this guide is as beautiful as it is life-changing.
Ghouls Night Out: From Weddings From Hell (Nicki Styx Novellas)
by Terri GareyPreviously published in the print anthology Weddings From Hell, with New York Times bestsellers Jeaniene Frost, Maggie Shayne, and Kathryn Smith.Nicki Styx sees dead people. Worse, she's a replacement bridesmaid forced to wear a hideously yellow dress that makes her look like a pineapple. If only the chatty ghost of the original bridesmaid would just leave her alone, Nicki may just survive this ceremony yet. From the RITA-winning author of Dead Girls Are Easy, an unforgettable tale of unholy matrimony and the wedding guests in attendance . . . living or otherwise.
Champagne: How the World's Most Glamorous Wine Triumphed Over War and Hard Times
by Don Kladstrup Petie KladstrupThe authors of the international bestseller Wine and War chronicle the untold dramatic history of Champagne from the 13th century through the crucibles of two world wars to the 21st centuryThroughout history, waves of invaders including Franks, Visigoths, Burgundians, Merovingians, Barbarians, Alamanshave swept across the verdant region of Champagne in southern France. Yet this region, which historians say has suffered more invasions, battles, and wars than any other place on earth, is also the birthplace of the one ingredient that above all others epitomizes joy: champagne.Gallant Harvest tells the fascinating, little-known story of champagne, the world’s favorite wine.Don and Petie Kladstrup share how a sparkling beverage that was the toast of Belle Epoque society not only survived the bloodbath of World War I, but grew even more popular in the war’s wake. Thorughout they introduce gutsy, larger-than-life characters determined to preserve their land and their grapes; vintners for whom champagne is not only their heritage and livelihood but a part of their souls and the soul of their nation.
Bedding the Heiress: A Spinster Heiresses Novel (Cameron Sisters #4)
by Cathy MaxwellWhen a loathsome rake steals one of her most cherished family heirlooms—and nearly her virtue as well!—Francesca Dunroy devises the perfect plan to put him in his place. At a ball being held in her honor—she didn't "take" in her first season, now her family is determined to get her a match in her second—she'll offer him a clandestine kiss sure to convince him to return what is rightfully hers. But in the dark hallways surrounding the ballroom, Francesca makes a terrifying mistake. She seduces the wrong man!The recipient of Francesca's caresses is none other than Justin Maddox, London's newly titled duke and most eligible bachelor. A defiant Scotsman who disdains London society, he's sworn to steer clear of the ladies of the ton, but he can't escape the memory of Francesca urgently pressing her lips upon his . . . and neither can she. But when a shocking and dangerous secret from Justin's past resurfaces, the couple will have to risk tattered reputations and treacherous enemies to nurture what has quickly become true love.
Lift: Fitness Culture, from Naked Greeks and Acrobats to Jazzercise and Ninja Warriors
by Daniel KunitzA fascinating cultural history of fitness, from Greek antiquity to the era of the “big-box gym” and beyond, exploring the ways in which human exercise has changed over time—and what we can learn from our ancestors.We humans have been conditioning our bodies for more than 2,500 years, yet it’s only recently that treadmills and weight machines have become the gold standard of fitness. For all this new technology, are we really healthier, stronger, and more flexible than our ancestors?Where Born to Run began with an aching foot, Lift begins with a broken gym system—one founded on high-tech machinery and isolation techniques that aren’t necessarily as productive as we think. Looking to the past for context, Daniel Kunitz crafts an insightful cultural history of the human drive for exercise, concluding that we need to get back to basics to be truly healthy.Lift takes us on an enlightening tour through time, beginning with the ancient Greeks, who made a cult of the human body—the word gymnasium derives from the Greek word for “naked”—and following Roman legions, medieval knights, Persian pahlevans, and eighteenth-century German gymnasts. Kunitz discovers the seeds of the modern gym in nineteenth-century Paris, where weight lifting machines were first employed, and takes us all the way up to the game-changer: the feminist movement of the 1960s, which popularized aerobics and calisthenics classes. This ignited the first true global fitness revolution, and Kunitz explores how it brought us to where we are today.Once a fast-food inhaler and substance abuser, Kunitz reveals his own decade-long journey to becoming ultra-fit using ancient principals of strengthening and conditioning. With Lift, he argues that, as a culture, we are finally returning to this natural ideal—and that it’s to our great benefit to do so.
Buried on Avenue B: A Novel (Darlene O'Hara Series #2)
by Peter de JongeHailed by the Chicago Tribune as an “utterly irresistible heroine,” Darlene O’Hara—the brilliant, hard-living, obsessive, and somewhat self-destructive detective introduced in Peter de Jonge’s acclaimed crime fiction masterwork Shadows Still Remain—returns in Buried on Avenue B.An edgy and suspenseful noir thriller, Buried on Avenue B traverses the gritty landscape of New York’s Lower East Side and the more sordid corners of Sarasota, Florida, as a gruesome and unexpected discovery in a makeshift Alphabet City grave heats up a 17-year-old cold case.James Patterson calls Darlene O’Hara “one of the freshest, hippest detective creations in many a year,” and the New York Times has described Peter de Jonge’s writing as “in the noirish, character-driven vein of Dennis Lehane or Michael Connelly.” For fans of serious crime fiction, Peter de Jonge is a must-read, and Detective Darlene O’Hara is cop to be reckoned with.
Ruby's Diary: Reflections on All I've Lost and Gained
by Ruby Gettinger Sheryl BerkRuby Gettinger, the endearing and beloved star of The Style Network's hit reality show Ruby, reveals the most private aspects of her life-altering journey to conquer morbid obesity and to attain health and happiness in this inspirational book based on her personal diaryFrom the debut of The Style Network's number one reality show Ruby, viewers fell in love with its sweet and spirited Southern star, and remain mesmerized by her public mission to overcome her inner conflicts and win her ongoing battle with weight.At her heaviest, Ruby weighed more than 700 pounds. Although she wasn't quite sure how she got to this point—or why—one thing was clear: it was killing her. Her doctor warned that her diabetes was raging out of control and that she could die at any moment. Vowing to change her life to save it, Ruby made a genuine commitment to uncover all of the underlying physical and psychological causes of her food addiction—an act of courage that has helped her lose nearly 400 pounds so far! To support her on this difficult path, Ruby has kept a journal of her experiences, including intimate reflections, surprising discoveries, and current fears, hopes, and dreams, many of which she shares here.Filled with honesty, optimism, and classic "Rubyisms" as well as revealing insights from her friends, family, and team of experts, Ruby's Diary is a remarkable record of one determined woman's complex challenges and her many laudable achievements. Ruby's perseverance is not only an example to all those battling their own weight and addiction issues, it is an example to all those grappling with personal obstacles of any kind. Anyone not in love with Ruby just hasn't met her yet!
Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name: A Novel
by Vendela VidaOn the day of her father's funeral, twenty-eight-year-old Clarissa Iverton discovers that he wasn't her biological father after all. Her mother disappeared fourteen years earlier, and her fiancé has just revealed a life-changing secret to her. Alone and adrift, Clarissa travels to mystical Lapland, where she believes she'll meet her real father. There, at a hotel made of ice, Clarissa is confronted with the truth about her mother's history, and must make a decision about how—and where—to live the rest of her life.
Lose Well: False Starts, Beautiful Disasters, Public Humiliations, and Other Secrets to Success
by Chris GethardA laugh-out-loud, kick-in-the-pants self-help narrative for anyone who ever felt like they didn’t fit in or couldn’t catch a break—comedian and cult hero Chris Gethard shows us how to get over our fear of failure and start living life on our own terms.Let’s face it: we all want a seat at the cool table, a great job, and loads of money. But most of us won’t be able to achieve this widely accepted, black-or-white, definition of winning, which makes us feel like failures, that we’re destined to a life of loserdom. That’s the conventional wisdom. It’s also crap, according to comedian and cult hero Chris Gethard, who knows a thing of two about losing. Failing is an art form, he argues; in fact, it’s the only the way we’re ever going to discover who we are, what we really want, and how to live the kind of life we only dreamed about.Setting flame to vision boards and tossing out the "seven simple steps" to achieving anything, the host of the eponymous Trutv talk show and the wildly popular podcast Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People illustrates his personal and professional manifesto with hilarious and ultimately empowering stories about his own set-backs, missteps, and public failures, from the cancellation of his Comedy Central sitcom after seven episodes to rediscovering his comedic voice and life’s purpose on a public access channel.With his trademark wit and inspiring storytelling—a cross between David Sedaris and Jenny Lawson—Gethard teaches us how to power through our own hero’s journey, whether we’re a fifteen-year-old starting a punk band or a fifty-year-old mother of three launching an Etsy page. In the process, he shows us how to fail with grace, laugh on the way down, and as we dust ourselves off, how to transform inevitable failures into endless opportunities. It might get a little messy, but that’s exactly the point. Because the first step in living on your own terms is learning how to lose well, and more often than not, the revolutionary act of failing lets us witness firsthand what awaits us on the other side.
Essential Sufism
by Robert FragerThe definitive compendium of Sufi wisdom, 'Essential Sufism' draws together more than three hundred fables, poems and prayers that reveal the luminous spirit of Islamic mysticism. Embracing all eras and highlighting the many faces of Sufism, this colle
Angels Among Us
by Don FearheileyGale was a strong swimmer -- but halfway across the lake she realized she couldn't make it to the other side ...Annabel and her three-year-old daughter turned suddenly -- and saw a car hurtling straight toward them ...Ken fell and his hunting rifle accidentally went off -- leaving him wounded, bleeding and alone in the frozen woods...and then they appeared! Angels do exist -- as illustrated in these moving,compelling and true contemporary accounts of ordinary people whose lives were touched and saved by the extraordinary.
Love Times Three: Our True Story of a Polygamous Marriage
by Joe Darger Alina Darger Vicki Darger Valerie DargerFrom a familythat inspired Big Love’s story of Bill Henricksonand his three wives, this first-ever memoir of a polygamous family captures theextraordinary workings of a unique family dynamic, and argues forthe acceptance of plural marriage as an alternative lifestyle. Readers ofCarolyn Jessop’s Escape, Elissa Wall’s StolenInnocence,and James McGreevey’s Confession,as well as fans of shows like Big Love and Sister Wives, will beenthralled by the first groundbreaking book in praise of polygamy.
Play On: The New Science of Elite Performance at Any Age
by Jeff BercoviciA lively, deeply reported tour of the science and strategies helping athletes like Tom Brady, Serena Williams, Carli Lloyd, and LeBron James redefine the notion of &“peak age.&” Season after season, today&’s sports superstars seem to defy the limits of physical aging that inevitably sideline their competitors. How much of the difference is genetic destiny and how much can be attributed to better training, medicine, and technology? Is athletic longevity a skill that can be taught or a mental discipline that can be mastered? Can career-ending injuries be predicted and avoided? Journalist Jeff Bercovici spent extensive time with professional and Olympic athletes, coaches, and doctors to find the answers to these questions. His quest led him to training camps, tournaments, hospitals, antiaging clinics, and Silicon Valley startups, where he tried cutting-edge treatments and technologies firsthand and investigated the realities behind health fads like alkaline diets, high-intensity interval training, and cryotherapy. Through fascinating profiles and first-person anecdotes, Bercovici illuminates the science and strategies extending the careers of elite older athletes, uncovers the latest advances in fields from nutrition to brain science to virtual reality, and offers empowering insights about how the rest of us can find peak performance at any age.
The Oak Papers
by James Canton"A profound meditation on the human need for connection with nature, as one man seeks solace beneath the bows of an ancient oak tree."—Peter Wohlleben, author of The Hidden Life of Trees"James Canton knows so much, writes so well and understands so deeply about the true forest magic and the important place these trees have in it. Knowledge and joy."— Sara Maitland, author of How to Be AloneJoining the ranks of The Hidden Life of Trees and H is for Hawk, an evocative memoir and ode to one of the most majestic living things on earth—the oak tree—probing the mysteries of nature and the healing role it plays in our lives.Thrown into turmoil by the end of his long-term relationship, Professor James Canton spent two years meditating [PA1]beneath the welcoming shelter of the massive 800-year-old Honywood Oak tree in North Essex, England. While considering the direction of his own life, he began to contemplate the existence of this colossus tree. Standing in England for centuries, the oak would have been a sapling when the Magna Carta was signed in 1215.In this beautiful, transportive book, Canton tells the story of this tree in its ecological, spiritual, literary, and historical contexts, using it as a prism to see his own life and human history. The Oak Papers is a reflection on change and transformation, and the role nature has played in sustaining and redeeming us. Canton examines our long-standing dependency on the oak, and how that has developed and morphed into myth and legend. We no longer need these sturdy trees to build our houses and boats, to fuel our fires, or to grind their acorns into flour in times of famine. What purpose, then, do they serve in our world today? Are these miracles of nature no longer necessary to our lives? What can they offer us? Taking inspiration from the literary world—Henry David Thoreau, Leo Tolstoy, Katherine Basford’s Green Man, Thomas Hardy, William Shakespeare, and others—Canton ponders the wondrous magic of nature and the threats its faces, from human development to climate change, implores us to act as responsible stewards to conserve what is precious, and reminds us of the lessons we can learn from the world around us, if only we slow down enough to listen.
Crazy Heart: A Novel
by Thomas Cobb“Crazy Heart just might be the finest country-western novel ever written, bar none.” — Houston Post"A masterpiece. . . . Cobb has created an unforgettable character who engages not only your interest but your emotion . . . and who proceeds to take you on a roller-coaster ride through his tawdrily tumultuous life.” — Chicago TribuneThomas Cobb’s riveting novel tells the unforgettable story of a former country music star hoping to take one last shot at a better life.At the age of fifty-seven—living a life riddled with ex-wives, one night stands, and daily diet of Jack Daniels—Bad Blake is on his last legs. His ticker, his liver, even his pick-up truck are all giving him trouble. A renowned songwriter and “picker” who hasn’t recorded in five years, Bad now travels the countryside on gigs that take him mostly to motels and bowling alleys. Enter Jean Craddock, a young journalist sent to interview him after a beautiful concert, and a tentative romance blooms. Can Bad stop living the life of a country-western song and tie a rope around his crazy heart?