Brian & Bob

Brian & Bob
Author: Georgie Ripper
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2003-07-07
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 9780786819256

Brian and Bob are two guinea pigs and best friends who live happily together in Pete's Pet Store. One day Brian is adopted and Bob is left all alone. Will the two friends ever find each other again? Full color.

My Best Friend, Bob

My Best Friend, Bob
Author: Georgie Ripper
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Total Pages: 24
Release: 2003
Genre: Children's stories
ISBN: 9780333960844

Brian and Bob are best friends. Each day, they play 'I Spy' together and talk to their friends in the pet shop. But when Bob is bought by a little boy, Brian feels very alone and without as much as an earwig for company. Will he ever see his best buddy again? This feel-good story is the second book by Georgie Ripper, winner of the Macmillan Prize for Illustration 2000.

Blood on the Tracks

Blood on the Tracks
Author: Willson, S. Brian
Publisher: PM Press
Total Pages: 749
Release: 2011-08-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 160486592X

“We are not worth more, they are not worth less.” This is the mantra of S. Brian Willson and the theme that runs throughout his compelling psycho-historical memoir. Willson’s story begins in small-town, rural America, where he grew up as a “Commie-hating, baseball-loving Baptist,” moves through life-changing experiences in Viet Nam, Nicaragua and elsewhere, and culminates with his commitment to a localized, sustainable lifestyle. In telling his story, Willson provides numerous examples of the types of personal, risk-taking, nonviolent actions he and others have taken in attempts to educate and effect political change: tax refusal—which requires simplification of one’s lifestyle; fasting—done publicly in strategic political and/or therapeutic spiritual contexts; and obstruction tactics—strategically placing one’s body in the way of “business as usual.” It was such actions that thrust Brian Willson into the public eye in the mid-’80s, first as a participant in a high-profile, water-only “Veterans Fast for Life” against the Contra war being waged by his government in Nicaragua. Then, on a fateful day in September 1987, the world watched in horror as Willson was run over by a U.S. government munitions train during a nonviolent blocking action in which he expected to be removed from the tracks and arrested. Losing his legs only strengthened Willson’s identity with millions of unnamed victims of U.S. policy around the world. He provides details of his travels to countries in Latin America and the Middle East and bears witness to the harm done to poor people as well as to the environment by the steamroller of U.S. imperialism. These heart-rending accounts are offered side by side with inspirational stories of nonviolent struggle and the survival of resilient communities Willson’s expanding consciousness also uncovers injustices within his own country, including insights gained through his study and service within the U.S. criminal justice system and personal experiences addressing racial injustices. He discusses coming to terms with his identity as a Viet Nam veteran and the subsequent service he provides to others as director of a veterans outreach center in New England. He draws much inspiration from friends he encounters along the way as he finds himself continually drawn to the path leading to a simpler life that seeks to “do no harm.&rdquo Throughout his personal journey Willson struggles with the question, “Why was it so easy for me, a ’good’ man, to follow orders to travel 9,000 miles from home to participate in killing people who clearly were not a threat to me or any of my fellow citizens?” He eventually comes to the realization that the “American Way of Life” is AWOL from humanity, and that the only way to recover our humanity is by changing our consciousness, one individual at a time, while striving for collective cultural changes toward “less and local.” Thus, Willson offers up his personal story as a metaphorical map for anyone who feels the need to be liberated from the American Way of Life—a guidebook for anyone called by conscience to question continued obedience to vertical power structures while longing to reconnect with the human archetypes of cooperation, equity, mutual respect and empathy.

Undefeated

Undefeated
Author: Bob Griese
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2000
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9780785270218

How Father and son triumphed over unbelievable odds both on and off the field.

The Heart of Things

The Heart of Things
Author: Giles Cole
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 111
Release: 2015-03-10
Genre: Drama
ISBN: 1783198672

Over a weekend in May 2010, in the aftermath of the general election, the political parties are wrangling over who will form the government. Meanwhile, in a village near the Norfolk coast,a disillusioned English teacher and part-time election volunteer comes home for a rare visit and tries to put his life in order.However, the politics of family life can be every bit as vindictive and unpredictable as the Whitehall variety, and alliances can be made or broken without warning.The Heart of Things examines the conundrum that exists in sexual identity and the ‘minor disturbances’ that have far-reaching effects in people’s private lives.

Ftm

Ftm
Author: Aaron Devor
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Total Pages: 740
Release: 2016-08-29
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0253023343

In this ground-breaking study, Aaron Devor provides a compassionate, intimate, and incisive look at the life experiences of forty-five trans men. Emerging into 21st-century political and social conversations, questions persist. Who are they? How do they come to know themselves as men? What do they do about it? How do their families respond? Who are their lovers? What does it mean for everyone else? To answer these and other questions, Devor spent years compiling in-depth interviews and researching the lives of transsexual and transgender people. Here, he traces the everyday and significant events that coalesce into trans identities, culminating in gender and sex transformations. Using trans men's own words as illustrations, Devor looks at how childhood, adolescence, and adult experiences with family members, peers, and lovers work to shape and clarify their images of themselves as men. With a new introduction, Devor positions the volume in twenty-first century debates of identity politics and community-building and provides a window into his own self-exploration as a result of his research.

Grit to Great

Grit to Great
Author: Linda Kaplan Thaler
Publisher: Currency
Total Pages: 162
Release: 2015-09-08
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0804139121

It is not native intelligence or natural talent that makes people excel, it's old-fashioned hard work, sweat equity, and determination. In Grit to Great, Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval tackle a topic that is close to their hearts, one that they feel is the real secret to their own success in their careers--and in the careers of so many people they know and have met. And that is the incredible power of grit, perseverance, perspiration, determination, and sheer stick-to-it-tiveness. We are all dazzled by the notion that there are some people who get ahead, who reach the corner office because they are simply gifted, or well-connected, or both. But research shows that we far overvalue talent and intellectual ability in our culture. The fact is, so many people get ahead--even the gifted ones--because they worked incredibly hard, put in the thousands of hours of practice and extra sweat equity, and made their own luck. And Linda and Robin should know--they are two girls from the Bronx who had no special advantages or privileges and rose up through their own hard work and relentless drive to succeed to the top of their highly competitive profession. In a book illustrated with a cornucopia of stories and the latest research on success, the authors reveal the strategies that helped them, and countless others, succeed at the highest levels in their careers and professions, and in their personal lives. They talk about the guts--the courage--necessary to take on tough challenges and not give up at the first sign of difficulty. They discuss the essential quality of resiliency. Everyone suffers setbacks in their careers and in life. The key, however, is to pick yourself up and bounce back. Drawing on the latest research in positive psychology, they discuss why optimists do better in school, work, and on the playing field--and how to reset that optimistic set point. They talk about industriousness, the notion that Malcolm Gladwell popularized with the 10,000-hour rule in his book Outliers. Creativity theorist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi believes it takes a minimum of 10 years for one's true creative potential to be realized. And the authors explore the concept of tenacity--the quality that allows us to remain focused and avoid distraction in order to get the job done--an increasingly difficult task in today's fragmented, cluttered, high-tech, connected world. Written in the same short, concise format as The Power of Nice and leavened with the natural humor that characterizes Linda's and Robin's lives--and books--Grit to Great is destined to be the book everyone in business needs.

Hoarfrost and Cherry Blossoms

Hoarfrost and Cherry Blossoms
Author: Susan Bainbridge
Publisher: Strategic Book Publishing
Total Pages: 301
Release: 2010-10
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1609765907

Set in the isolation of northern Canada, Hoarfrost and Cherry Blossoms is the story of Brian, a young man with a zest for life, and his eclectic group of good friends. Comedy and tragedy rival each other as they highlight the tenuous relationship between life and death. Brian's experiences are entertaining, absurd, outrageous and sometimes quite dramatic. This unique story begins with Brian and his girlfriend finding a trapper frozen to death while they are out staking a claim. Black humour ensues with the insightful and revealing dialogue as the community deals with the death of one of their own. Comedy reigns when the neighbouring community's prank, in retribution for a similar one the previous year, goes awry and becomes an international incident, expanding from the two communities to involve Japanese businessmen, the Canadian government, and global corporations. Seemingly small occurrences turn into hilarious major events in Hoarfrost and Cherry Blossoms. Even when events take a darker turn, this inventive tale constantly surprises and entertains the reader. Can Brian find happiness in his life? How will the group evolve? Will Brian learn to accept, as we all must, the fluid dynamics of life? What role might fate play?

The Athlete Inside

The Athlete Inside
Author: Sue Reynolds
Publisher: Fortress Press
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2020-04-28
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 1506458815

The inspiring true story of one woman's transformation from 335 pounds to world-class triathlete in just four years. After being on yo-yo diets almost all her life, Sue Reynolds was still morbidly obese, but decided to try one more time without much hope for positive results. But this time was different. She was fed up with not being able to do things because of her size. She was tired of not being able to tie her own shoes, fit in restaurant booths, or walk more than a few feet. She was ready. The Athlete Inside follows Reynolds's journey as she lost 200 pounds and found an athlete hiding inside her body. From her first walk to the neighbor's mailbox to finishing sixth at the World Triathlon Championship, Reynolds discovered the joy of conquering fear and pride to find that the best version of herself had been there all along. A world-class triathlete and a grandmother, Reynolds is proof that you can transform your life at any age. Her story is one of hope, tenacity, and faith, as she committed to doing whatever it took to be among the best triathletes in the world. It's a story about a unique intergenerational relationship between Reynolds and the young coach who earned her trust and helped her develop fitness and confidence. It's a story about the power of kindness and the spiritual growth Reynolds experienced as she realized the compassion that surrounded her was the face of God. Ultimately, it's the story of how each of us can discover amazing gifts and talents within ourselves.