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Surfer Stories: 12 Untold Stories by 12 Writers about 12 of the World's Greatest Surfers
by Claudia LebenthalSurfer Stories is an unrivaled collection of unique, revealing, and intimate stories about twelve of the world&’s greatest surfers.From the monstrous walls of water at Teahupoo, to the reef-scraping barrels of Pipeline, to the endless peeling break of Jeffreys Bay, legendary surfers have made their mark on surf history, distinguished by the fearlessness, grace, and artistry displayed while riding the most exalted waves. Each surfer&’s story is told by a different writer—fellow surfers, famed authors, celebrities, musicians, and surf journalists—who shares a passion for surfing. Surfer Stories offers an insightful perspective on the life of each surfer, both in and out of the water, as could only be told by the writer with whom they are paired: Shaun Tomson on Kelly Slater Sam George on Laird Hamilton Holly Peterson on Robert &“Wingnut&” Weaver Gerry Lopez on Garrett McNamara Chris Carter on Shaun Tomson Liza Monroy on Keala Kennelly Chris Shiflett on Tom Curren Jamie Brisick on Derek Hynd Brett Crozier on Bethany Hamilton Jim Kempton on Gerry Lopez Karen Rinaldi on Rell Sunn Selema Masekela on Michael February The sport of surfing has a mystique and allure that has transformed many of these icons into mythical figures. Surfer Stories brings them together in one definitive collection that will appeal to those who surf and those who don&’t!
The Emerging Populist Majority
by Troy M. Olson Gavin M. WaxThe Emerging Populist Majority analyzes America&’s political future and changing coalitions through long-term and emerging trends across demography, geography, and ideology.America is on a new rendezvous with destiny…at least that&’s what co-authors Troy M. Olson and Gavin M. Wax explore in The Emerging Populist Majority. With confounding consensus narratives in our media and culture, and building on Donald Trump&’s historical upset in the 2016 presidential election, Olson and Wax make the case that the populist revolt remaking American politics is merely at the midfield point. Furthermore, they argue that this revolt is poised to continue long-term, and more recent trends predict that populism will become the major political movement in America for the remainder of the twenty-first century. Building on the late 1960s tradition when Kevin P. Phillips accurately predicted the next generation of Republican dominance at the presidential level, and considering the forecasted coalition of the ascendent that found its way through the electoral process in the 2006 midterm wave and election of Barack Obama in 2008, The Emerging Populist Majority exists both in that tradition and sets itself apart. Casting doubt and scrutiny on realignments and the traditionally agreed-upon narrative about them, this book is an exploration of the elite corridors of American society. Leaving no stone unturned, this analytical dive into the past, present, and future of America&’s changing electorate and emerging coalitional makeup running through its two major parties has something for the politically obsessed across the divide, at home, and abroad.
Obvious in Hindsight
by Bradley TuskA tech start-up and their cutthroat consultants will stop at nothing to realize their dream of filling the skies of America&’s cities with flying cars…and their opposition is equally determined to bring that dream crashing down.Dozens of start-up tech companies are forming each week, innovating at a breakneck pace and forcing change overnight, ready or not. In the blisteringly funny Obvious in Hindsight, the new technology in question is flying cars, and they&’re coming to a crowded urban area near you. But before that happens, the slick and powerful political consultants campaigning to get the new tech adopted will have to manipulate political operatives to their advantage while overcoming fierce opposition from groups hostile to the idea, from the strategically aligned taxi cab and rideshare companies to the squawking, costumed Audubon Society, the socialists, and the Russian mob. This story takes readers on a richly imagined, page-turning journey through multiple cities populated by opposing special interest groups, hucksters, and corrupt power brokers. A riveting and ultimately insightful satire that provides an insider&’s view of how capitalism, politics, and entrepreneurship intersect, Obvious in Hindsight is a timely novel destined to become one of the most entertaining cautionary tales of the millennium.
Broken Fortune
by Aly MennutiBroken Fortune explores the unraveling of a wealthy, blended family forced to reconsider their future together as their world falls apart around them.Elizabeth Sunderland—a forty-three-year-old wife and mother of two teenagers—is the oldest of five children in a blended family that never quite blended. The only thing that has held them together is the iron will of their wealthy parents: Benjamin Sunderland, a venture capitalist, and Kate Bernard, a partner of a hedge fund. Together, Benjamin and Kate create and rule over a Manhattan dynasty of which their children each bear their own unique scars. Elizabeth has been trying to keep the family together since she was ten years old, hoping to convince everyone they have more in common than just their fortune. This stance will be put to the ultimate test when Kate dies with one final request: that the family travel together to the island of St. John and spread her ashes in the ocean. However, Kate&’s plan to fix the family will involve more than just a family trip to the sea. As the hidden secrets and quiet betrayals built up over thirty years begin to ripple and crash like the ocean surrounding the sinking family, Elizabeth not only faces each of her sibling&’s personal inflection points—moments that could lead to reconciliation or ruin—but she has to face her own demons that have laid dormant. What happens next will shock Elizabeth into recognizing a reality she had no idea existed.
In the Realm of Ash and Sorrow
by Kenneth W. HarmonWhen the spirit of an American airman befriends a Japanese woman and her daughter in the days before the Hiroshima bomb, he races against time to save the ones he loves the most.When American WWII bombardier Micah Lund dies on a mission over Japan, his spirit remains trapped as a yurei ghost. Dazed, he follows Kiyomi Oshiro, a war widow struggling to care for her young daughter, Ai, as food is scarce, work at the factory is brutal, and her in-laws treat her like a servant. Watching Kiyomi and Ai together, Micah&’s intolerance for the enemy is challenged. As his concern for the mother and daughter grows, so does his guilt for his part in their suffering.Micah discovers a new reality when Kiyomi and Ai dream—one which allows him to interact with them. While his feelings for them deepen, imminent destruction looms. Hiroshima is about to be bombed, and Micah must warn Kiyomi and her daughter.In a place where dreams are real, Micah races against time to save Kiyomi and Ai, while battling the old beliefs he embodied as a soldier and his idea of family.In the Realm of Ash and Sorrow is a tale about love in its most extraordinary forms—forgiveness, sacrifice, and perseverance against impossible odds.
Mothership: A Memoir of Wonder and Crisis
by Greg WrennA dazzling, evidence-based account of one man&’s quest to heal from complex PTSD by turning to endangered coral reefs and psychedelic plants after traditional therapies failed—and his awakening to the need for us to heal the planet as well.Professor Greg Wrenn likes to tell his nature-writing students, &“The ecological is personal, and the personal is ecological.&” What he&’s never told them is how he&’s lived out those correspondences to heal from childhood abuse at the hands of his mother. Weaving together memoir and cutting-edge science, Mothership is not just a queer coming-of-age story. It&’s a deeply researched account of how coral reefs and a psychedelic tea called ayahuasca helped Greg heal from complex PTSD—a disorder of trust, which makes the very act of bonding with someone else panic-inducing. From the tide pools in Florida where he grew up, to Indonesia&’s Raja Ampat archipelago and the Amazon rainforest, this is his search for wholeness when talk therapy and pharmaceuticals did little to help. Along the way, as his ecological conscience wakes up, he takes readers underwater to the last pristine reefs on earth, and into the psyche.Written with prophetic urgency, Mothership ultimately asks if doses of nature will be enough to save us before it&’s too late.
Mudslingers: A True Story of Aerial Firefighting (An American Origins Story)
by Tim SheehyThe unique history of aerial firefighting as seen through the eyes of a pilot, former Navy SEAL, and current owner of one of the most successful aerial firefighting companies in the world.Blending historical context and first-person narrative, Mudslingers tells the dramatic and colorful story of aerial firefighting in America, as seen through the eyes of a decorated former Navy SEAL, US Naval Academy graduate, firefighting pilot, and businessman who founded Montana-based Bridger Aerospace, one of the most successful aerial firefighting teams in the world. Part narrative nonfiction, part memoir, Mudslingers is a riveting account of one person&’s journey from the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq to the front lines of a different but no less important battle on the home front—the war against the escalating threat of wildfire. From the early days of the B-17 to the modern fleets of the twenty-first century, Tim Sheehy will take you on a ride through the history of aerial firefighting—the most hazardous and demanding aviation mission in the world. Mudslingers is a rollicking read, an enlightening journey, and a call to action for anyone who believes wildfires are not only one of the greatest threats facing modern civilization but a threat that has long been underestimated, misunderstood, and poorly addressed, despite repeated examples of bravery and innovation by those who choose to do battle with the flames. Indeed, save for a few historic military engagements in the twentieth century, there is not a sustained aviation mission anywhere that comes close to encompassing the danger, precision, and unforgiving nature of aerial firefighting. In telling this story, Sheehy takes readers into the cockpit and into the lives of his fellow pilots—past and present—as they struggle with the seemingly never-ending threat of wildfires. One hundred percent of author proceeds from this book are donated to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation and the United Aerial Firefighters Association.
Bringing Adam Smith into the American Home: A Case Against Home Ownership
by John Tamny Jack RyanGet ready to have everything you&’ve ever believed about housing and homeownership challenged.In Bringing Adam Smith into the American Home, authors Jack Ryan and John Tamny make a powerful case that the purchase of a home slows wealth attainment—rendering owners immobile in ways that further restrain their wealth chances—and that the act of homeownership deprives owners of the time and ability to do what they do best, which further dampens individual economic achievement.Thanks to the residential real estate pricing cartel, homeownership has become so costly that it has erected wildly expensive barriers to the very mobility that powers so much individual prosperity. As the cartel prospers, homebuyers and sellers alike suffer its rigidity.Ryan and Tamny call for the evisceration of realtor commissions—the only price in all of capitalism that has not come down even a little over the decades despite capitalism&’s brilliant track record of bringing down the price of everything. Ryan, owner of a national residential realty business, recognizes that the very commissions realtors cling to are paradoxically harming them, all the while discreetly but powerfully shrinking prosperity for everyone else.In a book chock-full of insights from Adam Smith, author of the greatest economics book ever written, Ryan and Tamny make their highly original argument available for all as they reveal the truth about the housing market and homeownership.
Taxocracy: What You Don't Know About Taxes and How They Rule Your Daily Life
by Scott HodgeTaxocracy: What You Don&’t Know About Taxes and How They Rule Your Daily Life won&’t help you lower your tax bill, but it will help you understand how politicians use taxes to influence our lives, how taxes harm the economy, and why we need a simpler tax system.Did you ever wonder why the costs of health care, housing, and college tuition keep going up? Or how your neighbor could afford that fancy electric car? Or why there are so many hard seltzers on the market? Your first guess might not be &“taxes,&” but they play a big role. We live in a world ruled by taxes—a taxocracy. History is full of misguided tax policies that led to &“see-through&” buildings, tax-free attics, three-wheeled cars, women in children&’s clothing, and baked chips to go along with our hard seltzer. Written by former Tax Foundation CEO Scott Hodge, Taxocracy: What You Don&’t Know About Taxes and How They Rule Your Daily Life uses amusing lessons from past tax policies gone wrong to explore how the US tax code caused serious consequences, affecting how we get our health insurance, the price of a college education, what car we buy, where we bank, and, in some cases, even when we die. Taxocracy outlines economic principles for designing a tax code that doesn&’t rule our daily lives—a tax code that promotes economic growth, free-enterprise, and takes the politics out of tax policy.
Belonging
by Jill FordyceAppealing to readers of Delia Owens&’ Where the Crawdads Sing, Kristin Hannah&’s Firefly Lane, and Ann Packer&’s The Dive from Clausen&’s Pier, Belonging is a heartbreaking and hopeful coming of age story that traverses lifelong friendship, first love, and a young woman&’s fierce desire to transcend her traumatic childhood.Jenny is thirteen when an epic dust storm rolls into her central California town in December 1977. Bedridden after contracting a life-threatening illness in the storm and suffering a shocking loss, Jenny realizes she will never be cared for by the mother who both neglects and terrifies her or the father who allows it. She relies on her cousin, Heather, who has the loving home Jenny longs for; her beloved great-uncle, Gino, the last link between generations; her best friend, Henry, a free spirit with whom she shares an inexplicable bond; and earnest baseball star, Billy, who becomes her first love. After a stunning turn of events in both their lives, Jenny and Henry leave for college in LA together in the summer of 1982—Jenny fleeing a broken heart, and Henry running from something he can&’t reveal, even to his best friend. When she returns home years later, the life Jenny so carefully created collides with the one she left behind. Spanning three decades, Belonging is about first love and heartbreak, friendship and secrets, family and forgiveness, hometowns and coming of age, and memory and music. The heart of the story is Jenny&’s struggle to undo the binds of a childhood that have deeply affected her life, the painful path to love endured by children raised in alcoholic families, and the grim reality of believing you must hide a part of yourself in order to belong.
Truth Matters: A Dialogue on Fruitful Disagreement in an Age of Division
by Cornel West Robert P. GeorgeTwo leading public intellectuals and dear friends—one progressive, one conservative—explore What is Truth? and Why Does Truth Matter?In Truth Matters, Cornel West and Robert P. George address a range of social issues on which Americans today are bitterly divided. Their book models robust intellectual engagement and civil discourse as they explore vital questions surrounding the idea of truth and its foundational role in our lives. Along the way, they reflect on social conditions—such as respect for freedom of speech—that must be established and maintained if truth is to be seriously pursued. They also explore the virtues—such as intellectual humility and courage—that must be acquired and practiced if we frail, fallible, fallen human beings are to be determined truth seekers and bold truth speakers.
The Setback Cycle: How Defining Moments Can Move Us Forward
by Amy ShoenthalForbes contributor Amy Shoenthal&’s revolutionary strategies for working through life&’s inevitable setbacks, supported by research and personal stories from today&’s most prolific founders, leaders, and experts.How do you know if you&’re going through a setback? And once you realize you&’re in one, how do you work through it? Some of the world&’s most prominent leaders attribute their setbacks to the reason they found success. Their lowest moments paved the way for their creative rebirth. Through the four phases of The Setback Cycle—Establish, Embrace, Explore, and Emerge—Amy Shoenthal guides readers on how to make sense of their experiences, gain clarity on what comes next, and move confidently into future endeavors. That framework, developed through research and conversations with scholars, psychologists, neuroscientists, and executive coaches is supported through the deeply personal stories of founders and leaders like fashion icons Stacy London and Norma Kamali, fitness instructors Robin Arzón and Kendall Toole, chef Palak Patel, non-binary beauty influencer Cyrus Veyssi, and inspirational founders like Cate Luzio, Erica Taylor, Amanda Goetz, and more. Whether you&’re stuck in a rut after a breakup or trying to navigate an unexpected professional transition, The Setback Cycle offers guidance on how to take yourself through your toughest moments and forge a stronger path forward.
Little Avalanches: A Memoir
by Becky EllisA daughter&’s quest for truth. A soldier&’s fight for survival. Their shared search for understanding.Little Avalanches is a gorgeously written memoir of breathtaking scope that propels readers from the beaches of California in the early &‘70s to the battlefields of World War II. As a young girl, Becky is forced to hide from phantom Nazis, subjected to dental procedures without pain medication, and torn from her mother again and again. Growing up in the shadow of her father&’s PTSD, she wants to know what is wrong but knows not to ask. Her father won&’t talk about being a Timberwolf, a unit of specially trained night fighters that went into combat first and experienced a 300 percent casualty rate. He returns home with thirteen medals, including a Silver Star, and becomes a doctor and well-respected member of the community, but is haunted by his past. Seeing only his explosive and often dangerous personality, Becky distances herself from the man she wants to love. Yet on the eve of his ninetieth birthday, when Becky looks at the vulnerable man he&’s become, something shifts, and she asks about the war. He breaks seventy years of silence, offering an unfiltered account of war without glory and revealing the extent of the trauma he&’s endured. She spends the next several years interviewing, researching, and ultimately understanding the demons she inherited. Because his story is incomplete without hers, and hers is inconceivable without his, Ellis offers both, as well as their year-long aching conversation marked by moments of redeeming grace. With compassionate, unflinching writing, Little Avalanches reminds us that we are profoundly shaped by the secrets we keep and forever changed by the stories we share.
American Doom Loop: Dispatches from a Troubled Nation, 1980s–2020s
by Dale MaharidgeMuch of the contemporary crazy can be traced to the 1980s—America of the 2020s is living with the cultural shapeshifting rooted in that decade.Americans lived in a different reality in 1980: Vermont was the only state that let residents carry a concealed firearm without a permit. Twenty-four states now allow this—and numerous other gun laws have fallen by the wayside. When police were accused of wrongdoing, the default answer from society&’s arbiters—courts, politicians, newspaper editors—was: &“The police wouldn&’t lie.&” Editors steered clear of stories about rape and sexual violence. The word &“homeless&” wasn&’t in common use. The fabric of the middle class had not yet begun fraying. America of the 2020s is living with cultural shapeshifting rooted in the 1980s. History, of course, is not a snapshot—it&’s a film. To understand the United States today, we have to know the 1980s. American Doom Loop chronicles the first part of that moving picture, then brings the story forward. As a newspaper journalist, Dale Maharidge had a front-row seat to this decade, immersed in disparate worlds. He was in the Philippines during the last days of Dictator Ferdinand Marcos, witnessing the US lose a critical piece of its empire dating to the Spanish–American War; he traveled to Central America where the East-West conflict was playing out by proxy; he smuggled a Salvadoran family marked by death squads, driving them through trackless desert to the US border; he embedded with a group that was a precursor to the Oath Keepers; and he investigated police, who kept trying to get him fired. Through it all, Maharidge gained an invaluable view of a complicated decade that offers insight into our society today.
Behind the Shoulder Pads: Tales I Tell My Friends
by Joan Collins&“I&’ve had many amazing adventures in my life. Some stories, though, I have only ever shared with my friends.… Until now!&”Dame Joan Collins has always believed that one should retain some mystery in life and hide a knowing smile behind one&’s shoulder pads. In her new book, she returns in dazzling form to share her most memorable moments from her eclectic and vibrant life—in and out of the limelight. Behind the Shoulder Pads will take you on a spectacular journey from her early years as a young star in Hollywood to stamping her stilettos in Dynasty; from the glittering heights of Saint-Tropez to the busy Oscars seasons in LA over the years. Joan writes movingly about her adventures with and grief for her sister, Jackie, delves deeper into the ups and downs of love and relationships, and discusses her happiness with husband Percy. Filled with a cast of household names and Hollywood icons, Behind the Shoulder Pads is a spectacularly entertaining tour de force bound to delight and shock in equal measures. Hilarious, intimate, and completely spellbinding, Joan invites you into her life like never before, sharing the stories she only tells her closest friends.
The Body Brokers
by Brian CubanWhen his girlfriend dies of a drug overdose, lawyer Jason Feldman goes undercover to ground zero of the fentanyl epidemic to prove she was murdered.Lawyer Jason Feldman finds his girlfriend, Emily, dead of a fentanyl overdose. She was the best thing that happened to him since being forced to rebuild his life, struggling to stay sober after being falsely accused of murder, and being suspended from the practice of law. When the police write Emily&’s murder off as accidental, Jason and Emily&’s roommate, Delaney, begin their own investigation. Together, Jason and Delaney uncover a dangerous secret that endangers not only their lives, but the lives of those around them. Their journey catapults them into the corrupt addiction treatment centers that will go to any lengths to keep them from learning the truth. Their only chance of survival lies in Doc, a former physician, who holds the key to Emily&’s past and Jason&’s future. Will they be able to uncover the truth and expose the powers that be?
Time to Thank: Caregiving for My Hero
by Steve GuttenbergAfter his father—the hero and strength of the family—is diagnosed with kidney failure, actor Steve Guttenberg dedicates himself to becoming a caregiver and reflects on their life together, from childhood through his Hollywood career, in his father&’s final years.Since moving to Hollywood at age seventeen, Steve Guttenberg has delighted and moved audiences with his film and television work. But when his father is diagnosed with kidney failure, Steve has to step into a new and wholly unexpected role: caretaker. In Time to Thank, Steve tracks his weekly road trips from Los Angeles to Arizona to care for his father and the ways in which his time on the road affords him the perspective to reflect on his life.Through the prism of his relationship with his father, Steve recounts his early life in Queens and Long Island; his early career as a rising Hollywood star, trying to find his way with the encouragement of his parents; and the painful and moving work of helping care for an ailing family member at the end of their life. From glamorous Hollywood parties and film sets around the world to the daily process of dialysis in suburban Phoenix, Steve offers his wit, empathy, and signature charm.This is a book for movie fans, road trip junkies, and anyone who finds themselves doing the hard work of caring for an aging loved one. Steve Guttenberg serves as a uniquely perceptive guide through all these phases of life, with a story that is certain to touch readers and make sure they know that they&’re not alone.
Passion Struck: Twelve Powerful Principles to Unlock Your Purpose and Ignite Your Most Intentional Life
by John R. MilesA powerful Blueprint for Transforming Your Life from Ordinary to ExtraordinaryImagine yourself waking up each day with a clear mission, free from self-doubt, and armed with the skills to lead and thrive in any situation. In Passion Struck, John R. Miles provides a compelling roadmap to elevate your life from ordinary to extraordinary. In this book, you will learn how to: · Create a meaningful mission that will enhance your life's purpose from Square founder Jim McKelvey. · Identify the root causes of self-doubt and overcome fears that are holding you back from Oprah Winfrey. · Transform the way you lead from General McChrystal and the Honorable Keith Krach, former Under Secretary of State. · Unleash your potential by taking purposeful actions toward achieving your dreams from Astronaut Captain Wendy Lawrence. · Transform the world around you by harnessing Jeff Bezos's power of adaptability. Passion Struck introduces a methodology centered around mindset and behavior shifts, the psychology of progress, deliberate action, and intrinsic motivation. You'll discover how to break free from the constraints of fear and doubt, leveraging insights from some of the world's most successful and inspiring individuals. John R. Miles combines his own life experiences with actionable advice and powerful stories to help you ignite your passion and live with intention. Structured into twelve powerful principles, the book guides you step-by-step through the process of unlocking your purpose and igniting your most intentional life. Each chapter delves into a specific principle, enriched with personal anecdotes, expert interviews, and practical exercises. By the end of this transformative journey, you'll have a clear mission, newfound confidence, and the tools to make a lasting impact on your life and the world around you. Passion Struck isn&’t just a book—it&’s a roadmap to a life of significance.
After Disney: Toil, Trouble, and the Transformation of America's Favorite Media Company
by Neil O'BrienThe untold succession struggle at Walt Disney Productions following the death of its founder, and the generational transformation which led to the birth of the modern multibillion-dollar animation industry.Walt Disney left behind big dreams when he died in 1966. Perhaps none was greater than the hope that his son-in-law, Ron Miller, would someday run his studio. Under Miller&’s leadership, Disney expanded into new frontiers: global theme parks, computer animation, cable television, home video, and video games. Despite these innovations, Ron struggled to expand the Disney brand beyond its midcentury image of wholesome family entertainment, even as times and tastes evolved. Tensions between Miller and Walt&’s nephew, Roy E. Disney, threatened to destroy the company, leading Wall Street &“Gordon Gekko&” types to come after Mickey Mouse. At the same time, the aging Animation Department—once the core of Walt&’s business—was one memo away from shutting down forever. Rather, thanks to the radical efforts of Walt&’s veterans to recruit and nurture young talent, it was revived by this sudden influx of artists who would go on to revolutionize the film industry. Additionally, this new generation would prove over time that animation was so much more than just kids&’ stuff—it was a multibillion dollar industry. This is the upstairs-downstairs story of the executives and animators who clashed and collaborated to keep America&’s most storied company alive during the most uncertain period in its one hundred year history.
Morning Pages
by Kate FeifferWhen her professional and family life collide, a playwright starts journaling every morning to push through her writer&’s block in this laugh-out-loud and fresh take on family, friendship, and the chaos of midlife. &“[A] winning adult debut…&” –Publishers WeeklyElise Hellman was once heralded by audiences and critics as a &“playwright to watch.&” Then they forgot all about her. When a prestigious theater company unexpectedly offers her a generous commission to write a new play, she has an opportunity to turn her career around. With sixty-five days left until her deadline, Elise starts scribbling a few pages of stream-of-consciousness first thing every morning as a way to get over her writer&’s block—a technique called Morning Pages, popularized in Julia Cameron&’s The Artist&’s Way. What emerges is a witty confessional in which Elise chronicles her life with her teenage stoner son and her overbearing and eccentric mother, who is losing her memory but not her profanity. She writes about her lingering feelings for her ex-husband, her best friend who is acting oddly, and the confusing encounters she has with a handsome stranger in an elevator. As she writes, the marked-up scenes from her play, Deja New, are revealed, as a story within the story. Morning Pages is about what life throws at you when you&’re trying to write. It is both a humorous exploration of the creative process and a relatable coming-of-age tale for the generation sandwiched between caring for their parents and caring for their kids.
Rory Land: The Up-and-Down World of Golf's Global Icon
by Timothy M. GayRORY LAND is the unabashed story of Rory McIlroy, golf&’s most compelling icon, the caring but conflicted soul from a troubled Irish homeland with a swing that borders on the immaculate.Timothy M. Gay writes that four-time major champion Rory McIlroy is &“golf&’s ageless Opie Taylor,&” a freckled superstar whose boyish charm transcends national boundaries and enlivens the game. His seemingly effortless swing is so powerful that Tiger Woods is teaching his own son to mimic Rory&’s action. But a charismatic persona and a pretty swing don&’t necessarily translate into winning major championships. Over the past decade, Rory has had his heart ripped out as he&’s failed to win another major and fallen short of achieving the career Grand Slam. He&’s also become a lightning rod, getting into a profanity-laced smackdown at the &’23 Ryder Cup and, after his betrayal by PGA Tour brass, causing head-scratching confusion by going from an impassioned opponent of a deal with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf to an outspoken proponent. His backtrack on LIV fits a disquieting pattern, Gay reveals, of Rory&’s propensity to flip-flop on key principles and people. McIlroy is from Northern Ireland, a geopolitical anomaly where religion and patriotism have been used as bloody cudgels for much of the past century. Both sides of his family were battered by the North&’s sectarian Troubles—ugly realities that McIlroy has been loath to acknowledge. Rory is, Gay believes, a man essentially without a country, which might explain why he&’s become so obsessed with the Ryder Cup. Gay argues that McIlroy has, in effect, invented his own fiefdom, which the author has dubbed &“RORY LAND.&” RORY LAND tells the up-and-down saga of a compassionate and kind-hearted superstar living in a world where &“money has no conscience.&”
Standing His Ground: The Inside Story of Ron Desantis's Rise and Battle for Freedom
by Richard CorcoranContrary to what the mainstream media has claimed, Florida under Ron DeSantis has become the home for freedom and individual liberty.At the onset of the pandemic, political leaders throughout the country were forced to quickly make significant decisions about how they would govern under extraordinary circumstances. A number of these decisions simply required instinct—they just had to come from the gut. There was little, if any, precedent to examine, and hardly any time for the usual gambits to test potential solutions. One person became a household name and a national hero for having made what proved to be the best decisions over and over: Ron DeSantis, the 46th governor of Florida. However, not surprisingly, his success also begot wrath. A patriot to millions of everyday Americans is often a &“tyrant&” to progressive elites. Other than perhaps former President Donald Trump, DeSantis was and remains the most vilified elected official in media, politics, entertainment, academia, and now the corporate world. Conservatives know full well this means he hit the bullseye. Now that more than two years have passed, the American people are able to clearly see whose decisions struck the proper balance between liberty and safety. There&’s no denying that DeSantis&’s influence soared as the world watched him successfully steer his state step by step through one of the greatest periods of turmoil and uncertainty in modern history. While many other states floundered, Florida didn&’t just survive—it flourished.
Crisis and Chaos: Lessons from the Front Lines of the War Against COVID-19
by Jerome M. AdamsHard truths and surprising insights about our COVID-19 response from America&’s former top doctor.When COVID-19 began spreading rapidly, the world was taken by surprise. As the ensuing pandemic raged, we faced one constant—a lack of consistent, scientifically sound, and trusted information about dangers, risks, and mitigation strategies that the average person could understand and put into practice to keep themselves and their families safe. Politicians, opportunists, and agenda-driven media personalities spread misinformation for an array of purposes, leaving most of the public scratching their heads, wondering what was true and what wasn&’t. Now, the former Surgeon General of the United States—freed from the many constraints he worked under in public office—reveals critical lessons learned from both mistakes and successes overlooked during the pandemic. He explains what we need to know to create a safer environment for individuals, families, and communities, how we can respond better to the next threat, why we keep making the same mistakes, and why we must promote health equity for all. As Dr. Adams explains, the best public health policies are the ones that begin at home and come about as people in local communities work together to find solutions that fit their specific priorities and needs. Only through this bottom-up, community-driven approach will we be able to turn down the volume on the distracting noise, finally make our way out of and recover from a once-in-a-century pandemic, and prepare ourselves for inevitable future health crises.
Insurgent Hunter: Memoirs of a Navy SEAL Turned Counterinsurgent Agent in Iraq
by Stephen Templin Jack TreadwayWhen you hunt men, men will hunt you.In this epic thrill ride filled with triumph and tragedy, Jack Treadway takes readers deep into the shadows of covert warfare. As a new SEAL learning to hunt men, a clandestine mini wet submarine comes within inches of slicing and dicing him. In SEAL Team Five, he shuffles through a vomit-spewed C-130 transport plane to jump into something worse—a treacherous snowy mountain in the Korean peninsula. Then he breaks his back in a Special Mission Unit assignment and breaks away from the SEAL Teams. Jack stalks deeper into the darkness from SEAL to Office of Special Investigations (OSI) counterintelligence officer in Iraq. His most elusive prey is a high value target on the kill or capture list—an al Qaeda financier codenamed Kaiser Soze. Jack and his team remove more than a hundred enemy insurgents from the battle space. When a high-ranking Iraqi ally—who secretly works for Iran—kills three members of Jack&’s team, he wants bloody revenge.
Guns, Girls, and Greed: I Was a Blackwater Mercenary in Iraq
by Morgan LeretteGuns, Girls, and Greed is an unvarnished, behind-the-scenes, tell-all account of the scathing and dangerous life of mercenaries at war in Iraq.Experience the world of private contractors conducting high-threat missions for a nascent Iraqi government in the hopes of rebuilding after the fall of Saddam Hussein. With limited support, the men of Blackwater protected US diplomats as the country descended into sectarian violence. It was a hazardous mission complete with rockets, mortars, improvised explosive devices, and not knowing who or where the enemy was. Morgan Lerette&’s irreverently honest memoir shows the good and bad of injecting private armies into active combat zones in the name of diplomacy and digs deep into the bonds of brotherhood created by war. With gut-wrenching tragedy, dark humor, and parties that make Animal House seem like a Disney film, this memoir offers a firsthand perspective on how men act and react in war. Lerette, a private contractor employed by the notorious Blackwater in the early days of the Iraq War, pulls no punches in calling out the incompetence of both the US military and the Department of State during the collapse of Iraq. You can decide if the insertion of private contractors in Iraq assisted or detracted from the war effort and if the costs in blood and treasure were worth the carnage.