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Cerebral Entanglements: How the Brain Shapes Our Public and Private Lives
by Allan J. HamiltonA profound and profoundly important book that, using the most up-to-date revolutionary discoveries in neuroscience, shows us how to understand the brain; how it allows us to think, feel, experience and perceive, written by an acclaimed Harvard-trained neurosurgeon.It took a brain surgeon who&’s spent a lifetime in the operating room experiencing the brain's union of form and function to write this book. Cerebral Entanglements, unlike most books on the brain, looks at the intimate and vital emotions in our lives, and shows as well, how neuroimaging studies can transform our understanding of crucial emotional or mental health concerns. Why do we love? Why do we hate? Why do we kill? Why do we laugh? Why do we have faith? Why does time stand still or speed up? Focusing on the nature of consciousness, affection, trust, romance, empathy, kindness; prejudice, sadness, happiness, depression, grief, and the nature of laughter, the author shows us how neuroscience has changed our understanding of these emotions as he explores the extraordinary revelations that have emerged from brain imaging and functional studies. We see that we are the first generation to perceive the contours of a human thought, track the course of an emotion, even watch memory come together. Allan Hamilton writes clearly and accessibly, about the complex science driving our emotions and experiences, and shows how our newfound knowledge can impact our well-being, individually and as a society. As the book explores the nature of happiness, laughter, stress, PTSD. Hamilton writes about how the brain perceives and experiences music, memory, and time itself.
Midlife Private Parts
by Dina Alvarez Dina AronsonOne of Zibby's Most Anticipated Books of 2025 Midlife Private Parts is a soulful and revealing collection of essays that explore the many facets of this transformative time in life. Each story sheds light, with humanity and good humor, on what it really feels like to move through the world as a midlife woman and beyond.Whether it&’s sexual pleasure, midlife reinvention, menopause, friendship, redefining style at a certain age, dating after divorce, feeling invisible, or simply being in the last place you ever thought you&’d be, you&’ll feel seen in these essays that acknowledge the changes and challenges but capture the power, freedom and confidence that comes with age. Told through the eyes of contemporary women writers, authors, and creatives, each shares a story of coming to terms with aging and confronting the unexpected moments that define midlife. In their candid personal narratives, you will find connection, validation, promise, and inspiration. If you are craving community, Midlife Private Parts will be akin to a safe haven where you will feel seen, heard, and understood. A place where women are empowered to age boldly and unapologetically.
Do More Good: Inspiring Lessons from Extraordinary People
by Neil GhoshDistilling the wisdom of thirty extraordinary individuals, Do More Good is a self-help book for people looking for ways to make their lives more meaningful by helping others.In today&’s world, with so much that feels beyond our control, and so many people in need, many of us are inspired to take action. To make change. To move the needle, even if only in one small way. Yet we struggle with knowing how to do just that. How can we each do more good without wasting hours in a research rabbit hole trying to figure out where to put our time, money, and energy for real impact?In Do More Good, Neil Ghosh delivers not only the answers to that question, but also the inspiration and guidance to take action now.Within its pages, readers will encounter the curated wisdom of thirty leaders, celebrities, and inspirational figures—each of whom has consciously bettered the world in their own way. Drawing upon his personal contacts with these luminaries, Ghosh shares their wisdom and reveals how we can make use of it in our lives.&“Do More Good is an inspiring reminder that in our interdependent world, everyone has the power—and the responsibility—to make a difference in the lives of others. It couldn&’t come at a more important time.&” — President Bill Clinton
Solid Ground: Ten Proven Principles for Success
by T.W. LewisUsing time-tested principles, Solid Ground offers a blueprint for success.In Solid Ground, award-winning entrepreneur Tom Lewis shatters the myths in today&’s culture about how to achieve success. By reminding us of the time-tested principles that seem to have gotten lost—like personal character, hard work, goal setting, helping others, and faith—Solid Ground explains and celebrates the real building blocks of a successful career and life. Lewis offers both a road map and a compass for finding True North. Following these principles will put your life on solid ground—and will increase your chances for finding success and happiness. In this book, Lewis shows you how to harness the power of these principles: · The Power of Personal Character · The Value of Hard Work · The Magic of Goal Setting · The Benefits of Self-Awareness · The Goodness of Helping Others · Find Your Talent · Make Good Decisions · Take Smart Risks · Keep Your Drive Alive · Manage Your Career · Achieve Success · Discover Purpose · Create Meaning · Embrace Wisdom · Appreciate Happiness
Where You Can Lead
by Stephen P. Kelner Jr.Find out which kind of leader you can be, and how to achieve the highest level of leadership that is right for you.Do you want to be a leader? Where You Can Lead maps out the five common kinds of leaders so you can identify the one that best suits you and shows you how to get there, step-by-step.Author Stephen Kelner gives you the means to assess your deepest drives, shows how to connect them to your leadership style, and helps you move up the ladder of leadership with specific behaviors and practical principles. It&’s all rooted in deep—but pragmatic—research that&’s been applied to thousands of executives all over the world.No matter where you are in your career, you can gain insight into what drives you and the kind of leadership that works for you, helping you find a way to maximize your leadership potential.Unlike other leadership books, Where You Can Lead shows you not just how to climb the ladder, but which rung to stop on to be your happiest and most satisfied self.
Something Big: The True Story of the Brown's Chicken Massacre, A Decade-Long Manhunt, and the Trials That Followed
by Patrick WohlSomething Big tells the story of the infamous Brown&’s Chicken massacre, a brutal case that captivated Chicagoland after remaining unsolved for nearly a decade.Customers know Brown's Chicken for its crispy buttermilk fried chicken and flaky biscuits. The Illinois-based franchise has a reputation for delicious but simple comfort food. But through no fault of its own, the words "Brown's Chicken" are also synonymous with one fateful night in January of 1993. &“A Real Hometown&” is the trite but apt motto of Palatine, Illinois, a quaint middle-class suburb west of Chicago. On a snowy Friday evening, the staff and owners of the city&’s local Brown&’s Chicken franchise were closing up when two final customers arrived just past 9 p.m. As the night drew on and the employees hadn&’t returned home, the families of the owners and workers began to worry, prompting police to investigate. When they entered the dark building, police were shocked to find seven bodies stacked in the restaurant&’s freezer and fridge. The killers, of course, were long gone. In the months that followed, the horrendous story rocked Chicagoland and the case remained unsolved for nine years. The Brown&’s Chicken massacre is one of the most infamous cases in Illinois history, yet it is often misremembered. In Something Big, Patrick Wohl gives a new account of the story, taking readers behind the scenes and sharing the perspective of the people who lived it.
The Relatable Leader: Create a Culture of Connection
by Rachel DeAltoThe Relatable Leader provides a research-driven roadmap for changemakers to connect with their teams, communicate effectively, and inspire excellence through authenticity and respect.The gap between good and great leadership? It&’s bridged by relatability. But what does it truly mean to be a relatable leader in today&’s diverse, multi-generational workforce? And how can you cultivate this essential quality to elevate your leadership and your team&’s performance? The Relatable Leader provides a practical roadmap to: • Build genuine trust and psychological safety • Communicate with clarity and empathy • Inspire others through purposeful, motivating leadership • Unlock team potential and drive engagement Whether you&’re an executive, a new manager, or an emerging leader, The Relatable Leader offers actionable strategies to evolve your leadership style and create connected, high-performing teams that thrive in our modern workplace.
The Rescue: October 7 through the Eyes of Israel's Para-Rescue Commandos
by Guy M.Bestseller in Israel A gripping, unprecedented account of the battles on October 7 and beyond, as never told before.&“The Rescue is a story of bravery and inner strength that will captivate your heart, soul, and mind from the first page, leaving an indelible mark even long after you&’ve finished reading.&” —Elyezer Shkedy, Former Commander in Chief of the Israeli Air Force On the morning of October 7, as news began to emerge about the scale of the attack, Guy found himself in the first vehicle leaving unit 669&’s base, heading toward the invaded communities. He and his team combated terrorists on the roads of the Gaza envelope, encountered scenes of horror at the Nova Festival site, rescued wounded civilians under heavy fire in Kfar Azza and Be&’eri, and fought in the ongoing battles in the Gaza Strip. The soldiers of the combat rescue unit, one of the four elite units of the IDF, are highly trained to act and respond in every scenario, even those that are beyond imagination. However, since the attack on Israel began, and throughout the war, the unit&’s squads, operating in helicopters and special vehicles, have been compelled to confront their deepest fears amid relentless fire, massive casualties, and unfathomable dilemmas. This is the first narrative of its kind, told by those who stepped forward without hesitation: childhood friends who awoke to a terrorist attack and fought against all odds; troops who stormed in to liberate communities occupied by Hamas; reservists who decided to head south on their own, saving countless lives; and commanders who refused to leave their soldiers on the battlefield, even after being wounded. The Rescue takes the reader on an extraordinary journey into combat—from fear and heroism to pain and hope—and offers an unfiltered look at the stories of the battle, as they have never been told before.
Sacred Science: Understanding Divine Creation
by William H. WestIf you review of the impulses that created the universe, directed the unfolding of life, and empowered human consciousness you reach an undeniable conclusion: an omnipotent Creator supervised the unfolding of our universe.From the moment of creation to the emergence of a planet tailor-made for life, from the journey of multi-million species to the development of an upright creature hungry for God, science tells a sacred story: a superintelligent Creator used His mathematical genius to convert lifeless equations into galaxies, planets, and people. His love has been visible throughout the process. Could our journey reflect thousands of random accidents with no divine guidance? Creation delivered impulses that filled the universe with galaxies and stars. Eliminate any one of those blueprints and the universe would have been stillborn. Stars produced a perfect mix of elements to bring the universe to life. Without a robust ensemble of gene and protein sequences, life might still be living at the bottom of the sea. Hundreds of human genes convert the neurons of a human infant into trillions of networks in an adult brain. Without those God-given genes, a dangerous world may have left us trapped in the treetops with no interest in science at all. But God shared His mind and triggered the emergence of human consciousness. Where do we find ourselves after centuries of that scientific searching? We see that science reflets its source. Science is a gift of God&’s creative love, and is nothing less than sacred!
Finding Happy: A User's Guide to Your Life, with Lessons from Mine
by Peter SamuelsonA master class for every Gen Z and Millennial to Find Happy in a dizzying worldAlmost everyone looks back on their youth and thinks, &“I wish I knew then what I know now.…&” This is a book for young adults who want to know right now what it is so many wish they had known back then. What is happy, anyway? Where do you find it? Finding Happy is for young adults starting their adult journey, and for those well into theirs who have not yet sighted land. It is written by a master storyteller who learned to scale walls and blew them up rather than be stopped, and who learned in the process that our happiness flows from leaving the world a better place than we found it. Ultimately, it&’s about how best to channel this glorious life we are each privileged to enjoy and to make it truly happy. Finding Happy is filled with gripping adventures and misadventures that demonstrate just how possible the seemingly impossible often is, from daredevil filmmaking in Africa and Asia to making daunting rules work for you, to earning a full college scholarship after being completely unable to answer the entrance exam essay question…to climbing down a hundred-foot pipe shaft at 3 a.m. to rescue a kitten, with no plan for how to climb back up. It is about how best to seize the day, which risks are brave and which foolish, about roadblocks and solutions, learning from leaders and finding your own secret sauce. Samuelson explains how to find your compass and persuade others to help you. He shows how to live your passion, make a living, take off your mask, build your best place in the universe, and find your own unique and personal Happy.
Monkey Morales: The True Story of a Mythic Cuban Exile, Assassin, CIA Operative, FBI Informant, Smuggler, and Dad
by Sean Oliver Ricardo Morales Jr.Cuban exile turned CIA operative Ricardo &“Monkey&” Morales justifies his moniker by orchestrating decades of chaos in the world of international espionage.The legend of Cuban exile turned US government operative Ricardo Morales Navarrete has been known in espionage circles for decades. Dubbed &“The Monkey&” for his disruptive and unpredictable escapades, Morales grabbed headlines for decades as tales of his bombings, arrests, assassination attempts (both those he executed and those he suffered), and testimony constructed a real-life spy adventure unlike anything brought to page or screen. His story delves into diverse aspects of American history, including our nation&’s conflict with Cuba, our anti-communism military support overseas, JFK&’s story before and after the Bay of Pigs, and the explosion of the illegal narcotics industry in 1970s Miami. Morales was a contract agent for the CIA and a valuable asset for the FBI; he even shared how he&’d met Lee Harvey Oswald at a CIA camp in Florida before JFK&’s assassination. Morales&’s counterintelligence skills-for-hire were also a prized utility for Cuban drug kingpins in Miami, many of whom were discarded ex-CIA operatives. Monkey Morales blends James Bond, Rambo, and Scarface—a concoction of danger, politics, and family drama told in its entirety for the first time by authors Sean Oliver and Morales&’s son, Ricardo Morales, Jr.
Souvenirs from an Absurd Life: A Memoir
by Don DahlerOne man&’s unlikely rise from bartender to national television reporter and the incredible adventures he&’s had along the way.Hockey great Wayne Gretzky famously noted, &“You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don&’t take.&” Don Dahler took these words to heart, causing his entire life to change in a remarkable way. Souvenirs from an Absurd Life presents true stories about a relative nobody once struggling to make rent before he decided he would not accept what appeared to be a dim, boring, unfulfilling future. Instead, Dahler charted a new course for himself, somehow landing an award-winning career as a network correspondent and news anchor, covering a vast array of subjects, including wars, the attacks of 9/11, and the biggest stories of the times for FOX, CNBC, ABC, and CBS News. Despite the considerable odds against him, Don Dahler took his shot, and he made it.
The Old Breed... The Complete Story Revealed: A Father, A Son, and How WWII in the Pacific Shaped Their Lives
by W. Henry SledgeForty years after the publication of Eugene Sledge&’s memoir With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa comes The Old Breed… The Complete Story Revealed by Eugene&’s son, Henry, adding new material and immeasurable depth to his father&’s story.The Old Breed… The Complete Story Revealed brings to life an abundance of new material from the original manuscript of Eugene Sledge&’s classic memoir With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa. By interspersing his own personal anecdotes throughout, Henry Sledge takes his father&’s work and gives it newfound context, sharing memories of conversations between father and son. The result is a flowing narrative that portrays an intimate look at a WWII veteran and his struggles to adapt to civilian life following the war.
A Life for a Life: Poor Choices and Unresolved Trauma Is Killing America
by Kevin ShirdOne man has committed murder while another man tries to heal his trauma.A gripping true story exploring violence, mental health, and trauma, A Life for a Life follows Kevin Shird and Damion Neal who meet as inmates in Federal Correctional Institute Allenwood. Kevin is serving time for drug trafficking, and he suffers from severe nightmares and sleep deprivation due to past traumas and copes through rigorous exercise instead of medication. He tries to guide Damion, a temperamental young man, hoping to keep him out of trouble in a dangerous environment and reunite him with his young daughter. In 2004, Kevin is transferred to another prison while Damion is released from Allenwood and returns to Baltimore. Two years later, Kevin also returns to Baltimore, where he uses writing as therapy to heal from the trauma of the past. Surprisingly, a mental health worker suggests he may have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Kevin hopes Damion has successfully reintegrated into society and returned to his family. However, one afternoon, he searches for Damion online and finds a newspaper article that reads, &“Delaware State Police have arrested Damion Neal, the man responsible for the deaths of two Dover residents over the weekend.&” Court documents allege that Damion was suffering from a serious mental health ailment at the time of the murders. Kevin goes on a journey to understand why his former cellmate committed a heinous crime.
Blowback: The Untold Story of the FBI and the Oklahoma City Bombing
by Margaret RobertsAn investigative journalist reopens the unsolved mystery of John Doe 2, the Oklahoma City bombing suspect who evaded a global FBI manhunt.What if everything we know about one of America&’s darkest days is wrong? Tragedy unfolded on April 19, 1995, when a massive bomb exploded in America&’s Heartland, killing 168 people, including 15 children in their daycare center. History says the Oklahoma City bombing was lone wolf terrorism. But haunting fresh evidence points instead to a neo-Nazi plot in which the FBI played a hidden role, allowing suspects to walk free, denying justice to the victims, and hiding the truth from all of us. The FBI launched the biggest manhunt in its history for two suspected bombers and quickly arrested Timothy McVeigh, a twenty-six-year-old Gulf War Army veteran. Yet they never captured the other suspect, known only as John Doe 2, who rode next to McVeigh in the bomb truck. Soon the FBI canceled the search, saying eyewitnesses who saw John Doe 2 were mistaken. None of this rings true to award-winning journalist Margaret Roberts. As former news director of America&’s Most Wanted, she worked high-profile manhunts alongside the FBI. How could twenty witnesses be wrong? More troubling clues lead Roberts to reopen the mystery of John Doe 2 before the 30th anniversary of America&’s deadliest domestic terror attack. Blowback chronicles her shocking discoveries, including journalism&’s only face-to-face prison interviews with McVeigh co-conspirator Terry Nichols. Roberts puts the puzzle together after a whistleblower steps forward, though one burning mystery remains: The FBI has kept surveillance video of McVeigh&’s accomplice locked away all these years. Is John Doe 2 the FBI&’s guilty secret?
Veggie Smarts: A Doctor and Farmer Grows and Savors Eight Families of Vegetables
by Michael T. ComptonA nerdy farmer—and doctor with expertise in nutrition—explains how the vast majority of our vegetables come from just eight families of plants, which can guide how we eat them (&“eight on my plate&”), while recounting his journey of trading in city life to build a thriving organic vegetable farm.Dr. Michael Compton shares his passionate and healthy approach to savoring vegetables daily from across eight veggie families: the Brassicas, the Alliums, the Legumes, the Chenopods, the Aster Greens, the Umbellifers, the Cucurbits, and the Nightshades. Trading in city life for an old stone house and a fertile field in the scenic and historic Hudson Valley of New York, Compton built a compact, organic-certified vegetable, fruit, and flower farm. Compton shares lighthearted scientific facts, including why onions make us cry and how beets can make our pee pink, while providing nutritional information about the eight families of vegetables. As a farmer, he recounts growing a bounty of clean, delicious, and nutritious food for himself and so many others, and shares his exploration of those who farmed the land before him. You will delight in following his rewarding but sometimes frustrating efforts to reclaim old farmland for new adventures in organic farming. You might even find yourself wanting to test the greenness of your thumbs or to determine whether or not you too, are a natural-born berry picker. This is a deeply personal celebration of growing and savoring life…and vegetables.
crushed: the boys that never liked me back
by Kiersten Lyons(girl + boy) ÷ heartbreak2 + surprises = a rom-com in real lifeWhile tying the bows on her wedding invitations, Kiersten&’s fiancé walked in and told her he didn&’t think he loved her, and maybe never had…. Oh, and he&’d cheated. At a place called The Magic Castle. Because what&’s hotter than aging celebrities performing magic in a fake castle in the Hollywood Hills? But don&’t worry, because six months later, while Kiersten was struggling to pay rent, he won $100,000 on a reality show. Yes, you read that right…. A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. Why is it that the minute you get your heart broken, whether by a boy or a dream (or if you&’re Kiersten, every single life plan she&’s ever made), you look around to see everyone else is doing amazing! Everyone&’s life is perfect! Because everyone else is stupid…. Oh, and why are they always telling you &“everything happens for a reason&”?! Your family, your friends, that checkout lady eyeing the three pints of non-dairy ice cream you&’re buying? Leave me alone, Cheryl! But also, don&’t. Because when you&’re alone, you&’re hit with the reality that you can&’t wake up from this bad dream. Also, why is everybody looking at you like that? Equal parts pity and confusion, like they&’ve never been rejected before. Why are you the only one heartbroken? The only one struggling? The only one… Crushed? But what if that&’s the stupid part? The lie that you are the only one. In this nostalgic memoir equally cut with anguish and humor, Lyons invites readers along on a lifetime of Crushed moments and the hope of being left in awe of the pivots she never wanted in the first place. And what if realizing you aren&’t alone is the first step to one day knowing you&’ll be in awe too? *** &“Kiersten Lyons is the voice of a generation. Truly an incredible writer that will be remembered for centuries.&” —Kiersten&’s mom and dad, who haven&’t actually read the book yet &“Kiersten is loud and annoying.&” —Kiersten&’s seventh-grade crush &“Lyons doesn&’t give it up, so I ghosted her.&” —Kiersten&’s college crush &“Kiersten Lyons is just not pretty enough.&” —Hollywood casting directors
Blessed, Donald J. Trump, and the Spiritual War: How the Battle for the Soul of This Country Began with One Word
by Bob UnanueOn July 9th, 2020, Bob Unanue, the CEO of Goya Foods, became the target of cancel culture. His crime? He used the word &“blessed&” to describe the country under President Donald J. Trump. This is the incredible true story of one man&’s belief in standing up for America and doing what&’s right.One single word—Blessed. This was enough to nearly cancel Bob Unanue. Unanue may be a humble, philanthropic man determined to better the world, but he is no sheep. The normally mild-mannered CEO stared down the hatred, division, and destruction of cancel culture and came out victorious on the other side. Blessed, Donald J. Trump, and the Spiritual War is about the power of courage and faith, and how they shaped one of the greatest stories of Hispanic success in American history and will lead a lost America back to the godly principles that built it.
Storming the Ivory Tower: How a Florida College Became Ground Zero in the Struggle to Take Back Our Campuses
by Richard CorcoranA firsthand account of how Richard Corcoran, former education commissioner of Florida, successfully took on powerful progressive interest groups, broke their monopoly, and paved the way for higher education reform across America.Covid alerted the nation to the reality that K-12 schools—private and public alike—were infested with ideologues bent on indoctrinating children. Then, three years after the beginning of the pandemic, the shocking response to Hamas&’s genocidal assault on Israel made Americans aware that the same tumor had wholly sickened our country&’s colleges and universities. Now, conservatives—and increasingly, moderates and old-school liberals—want to know exactly how the radical left captured higher education. Florida has been the vanguard in the war to restore sanity to higher education. And Richard Corcoran has been one of its commanding generals—and racking up wins. When Corcoran was Florida&’s education commissioner, he was the point person for reopening schools and banning mask mandates. He triumphed. Then, he was given a herculean task: remaking a college overrun by radicalism and cancel culture. In 2023, he moved into the president&’s office in Sarasota, took on a campus mob, and challenged a media firestorm. Just a year later, Corcoran achieved the seemingly impossible. He turned around New College of Florida. Now, free speech is protected. Violence and anti-Semitism are abolished. DEI bureaucracy is eliminated. And, already, enrollment records are being broken. Storming the Ivory Tower is the story of how Corcoran is winning the fight for freedom in hostile territory, and how others can join the battle.
Honestly, She Doesn't Live Here Anymore
by Pamela WickIn the charged political landscape of Reagan-era Washington, a young woman finds herself grappling with her father&’s high-profile scandal and her own impending divorce, forcing her to confront her privileged childhood and navigate the notoriety of a personal friendship with the first family.I think about my glamorous wedding again. I imagine myself choking on a cheese ball, in my lace wedding gown, guests rushing over arguing about who does the best Heimlich maneuver, my face bright red from lack of oxygen. Then, as if that weren&’t bad enough, I pass out on the dance floor of the tented tennis court where our lavish reception was held. My father, in his tux, at the mic, in front of the Les Brown Orchestra, telling everyone the marriage won&’t last and he might go to prison. The shattered fairy tale is on a loop inside my head. How did my life reverse itself so drastically? For Pamela Wick, President and Mrs. Reagan were simply Ronnie and Nancy, her parents&’ best friends. What began with Pamela&’s mom and Nancy organizing the chili booth at their kids&’ school fair in Los Angeles soon propelled Pamela&’s parents into pivotal roles that would help Reagan secure the California governorship and eventually the grand prize: the White House. Determined to win her parents&’ approval as the perfect daughter, Pamela marries the son of Republican royalty and joins them in DC to begin her fairytale in the nation&’s Capitol—or so she thought. What follows is her firsthand look behind the scenes at the gilded age of the Reagan years in Washington, DC—an era now long gone. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, but always insightful, the narrative chronicles her journey to penetrate Washington society at the highest levels—from Christmas Eve at her family home with President Reagan dressed as Santa Claus, to intimate dinners at the White House. But behind the golden gates, Pam&’s marriage is unraveling, and her father&’s high-profile political scandal threatens to destroy their carefully constructed life. Soon, she&’s trading in glitzy state dinners for congressional hearings attacking her father, and at the center of the Reagan revolution, Pam&’s own personal uprising begins.
Mother of Bourbon: The Greatest American Whiskey Story Never Told
by Eric GoodmanThe outrageously inspiring story of the most successful and influential woman distiller of Kentucky Bourbon that nobody&’s heard…until now! Introducing Mary Dowling, Mother of Bourbon.&“Unsung bourbon distiller—and force of nature—Mary Dowling overcame family tragedy, discrimination, and Prohibition, to achieve extraordinary success. Her story comes to life in this page-turning novel.&” —Susan Reigler, author of Kentucky Bourbon: The Essential Guide to the American Spirit Born in 1859 to Irish immigrants who&’d escaped the great potato famine, Mary Dowling arrived at the height of anti-Irish and anti-Catholic fervor in America. The hardscrabble life her family led provided the foundation of grit and determination that would serve her well, along with a natural gift for numbers and planning. She married the enterprising John Dowling when she was just fifteen and he was thirty-three. Despite their age gap, John was a kind and adoring husband who recognized Mary&’s remarkable skills and made her his partner not just in life but in business. He offered her oversight of their burgeoning bourbon company&’s financial books and sought her insight and advice on acquisition and expansion as they steadily grew from distillery investors to sole proprietors of Waterfill and Frazier in Tyrone, Kentucky, just outside Lawrenceburg, in the heart of Bourbon Country. &“Mother of Dragons? Give me the Mother of Bourbon! In this historical fiction, Kaveh Zamanian and Eric Goodman break the boundaries of traditional bourbon books, just like the woman it&’s based on—Mary Dowling. From love to business, this bourbon soap opera is a must read, will keep you entertained, and make you question everything you thought you knew about America&’s Spirit.&” —Fred Minnick, author of Bourbon: the Rise, Fall and Rebirth of an American Whiskey, Bourbon Curious, and Whiskey Women: The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch and Irish Whiskey Mary&’s first trials arrive at the turn of the century in a series of tragedies that leave her widowed and with a business no one wants to support. Steering not only the lives of her eight children, she bucks up against a male-dominated bank and distributor that drop her because women don&’t run businesses, to align herself with progressive partners who value the dollar over outdated ideas about gender. She scales to ever higher heights, becoming an influential member of Lawrenceburg society while achieving immense wealth at a time when women still couldn&’t vote. When Prohibition arrives with its attendant animosity toward immigrants and Catholics, Mary is forced into semi-retirement—until the federal government comes after her on trumped-up charges of bootlegging. Only then does she bite back, determining that if she is going to be treated like a criminal, she will behave like one—taking her operation to Juarez, Mexico, to begin another iteration of Waterfill and Frazier that would distill and legally distribute bourbon throughout Mexico and, less legally, north into the US. Mother of Bourbon: The Greatest American Whiskey Story Never Told is the never-before-told story of a pioneering and visionary woman who achieved success in a system designed to suppress her, and against a government that strived to repress her. Mary&’s courage and determination are the hallmarks that live on today in Mary Dowling Whiskey, as extraordinary and distinctive as the woman whose name it bears.
Scrambled or Sunny-Side Up?: Living Your Best Life after Losing Your Greatest Love
by Loren RidingerForeword by Serena Williams Unbreakable Entrepreneur to Heartbroken Survivor: Loren Ridinger&’s Untold Story of Love, Loss, and Finding Strength to Thrive AgainScrambled or Sunny-Side Up? Living Your Best Life After Losing Your Greatest Love shares Loren Ridinger&’s life story—one that began with her husband JR Ridinger&’s bold vision to change the world through the power of the Internet. Alongside JR, she helped pioneer Market America, empowering thousands of entrepreneurs to succeed on their own terms using the power of online shopping. However, Loren&’s journey took a heartbreaking turn with JR&’s sudden passing after thirty-six years of partnership and marriage, leaving her to navigate overwhelming grief while trying to maintain the legacy they built together. In this book, Loren reveals how she found the strength to move through grief and start living fully by embracing each day—no matter what life served up next. This is more than just a memoir; it is a guide to turning loss into a powerful force for growth, and a reminder that within the dash lies the potential to create a life of meaning and impact.
The Ballad of Innes of Skara Skaill
by Faulkner HuntReturning to the Northern Isles of Skara Skaill, a bereaved son takes up with two young brothers living outcast on the village streets and moors of Skara Heath, and after running afoul of the corrupted local authority, they band together in a struggle both ancient and new, a struggle of land, loss, and fabled fortune—long lost to the fog of history.A storm is coming to the island of Skara Skaill. Squatting in their derelict home, two wayward brothers, Rory and Tito, are driven off and forced to shelter alone on the island&’s empty barrens. Fending for themselves, they fall in with two strangers—one, Innes Mackie, returning from exile on the mainland upon the death of his father, and the other, a stranded seasonal worker eager to start a new life. After stumbling upon answers to the island&’s buried past, the four are drawn into an ancient history of secrets and lies, long hidden by the lawless powers that run Skara Skaill. At its heart, this lightning-quick adventure story, told in a lean, touching, cinematic style, is about loss, loyalty, and the truest meaning of kinship. Echoing the island&’s distant fable, The Ballad of Innes of Skara Skaill reveals both the secrets buried within us, and those hidden beneath our feet.
My Family and I: A Mississippi Memoir
by Adam GussowAn inspiring memoir about the author&’s lifelong quest for racial reconciliation, the love that sustains his interracial family in contemporary Mississippi, and the &“Yes we can!&” hope for American renewal that fades after the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and the despair-driven rise of Black Lives Matter.What has happened to the dream of beloved community embraced by Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement of the early 1960s—the vision of a just, humane, and colorblind America, a nation of &“black and white together&” animated by the spirit of mutual respect and strengthened by the bonds of brotherly love? As Adam Gussow shows in this urgently needed new book, the dream, although pressured on every front, remains alive.At the heart of My Family and I is Gussow&’s determination, in King&’s terms, to live out the true meaning of America&’s creed—a quest for transracial brotherhood that takes him from a blues partnership forged on the streets of 1980s Harlem through graduate training at Princeton and, decades later, a transformative course on the blues literary tradition that he shares with inmates at Mississippi&’s notorious Parchman Farm.Anchoring Gussow&’s quest is a story of enduring love: a playful, soulful interracial romance between the newly hired professor at Ole Miss and his soon-to-be-wife Sherrie that blossoms with the birth of a musically gifted son, Shaun. As America explodes with protest and riots in the summer of 2020 after the death of George Floyd, as social justice fundamentalists insist on stigmatizing whiteness and hardening the color line rather than healing the divisions that plague us, Gussow is forced to fight for what he loves—not just the sanctity of his family circle, but King&’s dream of beloved community.My Family and I gifts the reader with hope for a future beyond America&’s seemingly insoluble racial dilemmas.
Annapurna
by Meg SerinoDuring a treacherous winter trek to the basecamp of Annapurna, one woman is forced to confront the events leading up to her best friend&’s tragic death twenty years earlier as well as the nature of their friendship, the meaning of love, and the unexpected consequences of what is spoken—and what is not.&“Meg Serino artfully layers past and present to explore how our unruly desires and betrayals can be as fatal as nature. Both an adventure story and an addictive exploration of more human mysteries.&” —Michelle Wildgen, Author of Wine People When Livy receives a package containing the ashes of her best friend, she knows she must return to the place Mo loved best to honor her memory. Leaving her son and her estranged husband behind, Livy travels to Kathmandu and the mountain towns of Nepal, and to the past, along with the three other original members of the trek. As they navigate the trail during harsh winter conditions, Livy is forced to confront painful memories and the revelation of long-buried secrets, putting her life—and her whole concept of self—on the line. She must finally face the mystery that&’s haunted her all these years: the circumstances surrounding her best friend&’s death. Following Livy as she struggles to find a path to safety and self-knowledge through dangerously high altitudes and deadly avalanches, frostbite, and injuries, Annapurna explores the meaning of love, the nature of memories, and the often-entangled roles of a parent, spouse, lover, and friend. Annapurna is a novel for anyone who has ever ventured from home hoping to find answers or to make peace with the past. Ultimately, it is a story about how far we sometimes need to go in order to discover where we belong.