#1 New Release in Alcoholism and Christian Self-Help Memoir and Portrait of a Family at Its Worst and BestSome memoirs shock. Some entertain. Some take us places we're afraid to go. A rare few move us. Once in a blue moon, a book does it all. This is Risking the Rapids. Dysfunctional family. Risking the Rapids opens with the shocking death of O'Garden's older brother, which prompts her and other relatives to seek closure on a journey through the remotest spot in Montana. Described genially as a river "float", a harrowing journey unfolds. This wilderness trip is contrasted with O'Garden's account of growing up with her six siblings in a clashing Catholic family. Alcoholic father, mean mother, Catholic guilt. WCCO-TV personality Don O'Brien was well-known in the Twin Cities and in Minnesota. Whether forecasting weather and trading wisecracks with the anchor on the nightly news, pitching for sponsors, or hosting a Saturday night movie, he was a man people trusted. In private, Don O'Brien's family life was a far cry from what his fans saw on TV. Little by little we see the corrosion: nightly martinis shared with his wife Betty, an undemonstrative and icy-hearted mother. The neglect. The poisoning of self-esteem. The rigidity demanded by the Catholic church. Competition. Cruelty. All packed into ordinary days and nights as a sensitive girl comes of age. Anxiety and danger. The children vary in their response to the profound anxiety sown in the offspring of alcoholics. One brother bites his fingers to gangrene. One relentlessly bullies the author, who begins overeating compulsively. One severs all ties with the family. Danger mounts as well on the Montana raft trip, when unusual river conditions swell and speed the waters. Both stories build with escalating intensity to excruciating climaxes. If you read and liked books such as The Liars' Club, The Wounded Heart, Coming Clean, Change Me into Zeus's Daughter, or Remember Me As Loving You, you will want to read Risking the Rapids.

Frank Laskier was born 1912 and lived his early years in the suburbs of Liverpool. As a teenager, Frank was an avid reader of Conrad and Masefield and had a romantic view of the "call of the sea". One day he decided to lie about his age and run away from home aboard a ship destined for Australia. Laskier worked on many ships in the merchant navy and it was his experiences during the Second World War that brought him to the attention of the BBC. Frank was asked to broadcast a number of talks on his experiences. This book is a transcript of those radio talks first published in 1941. Through this authentic voice of an ordinary man - not a historian, or a politician, or a great admiral - but an ordinary man, we can be reminded of the importance, bravery and sacrifice of the merchant navy in keeping Britain supplied during the Second World War. From the 1941 cover: 'We are proud to announce this book by Frank Laskier, "a sailor, an Englishman," the merchant seaman who gave the ever-memorable postscript after the BBC news on the first Sunday in October. The millions of listeners who heard that deeply moving voice will welcome an opportunity to read many more stories of the war at sea, which Laskier tells with the incomparable vividness of simple truth, and which made him a great broadcast speaker overnight. Laskier sounds, too, the note of victory that will bring a universal response-"Remember what we have been through; remember what we're going through; and fight and fight, and never, never, never, give in!" ' The publisher of this new edition has included an introduction and explanatory footnotes, as well as an appendix listing the ships mentioned in the book along with their descriptions.

For marine, boating, and climbing amateurs and professionals at all levels, splices-the strongest way of attaching or joining the end of a rope-are essential. Why? Because a splice gives the strongest way of attaching or joining the end of a rope to any object or to another rope. (Every knot, on the other hand, weakens a rope.) In this much-anticipated handbook, world-renowned expert Friedl guides you through modern splicing techniques with his clear directions, one-of-a-kind color diagrams, and 200+ color photos. The book is supplemented by four-plus hours of excellent video instruction. Throughout, every type of splice is shown by an expert climber and shipbuilder. Learn what to know before starting to splice, then build a solid understanding and competence of modern cordage, its construction, and its fiber materials. Friedl has over 35 years of sailing experience, including several Atlantic crossings, and is also a professional climber. He teaches seminars and workshops on modern splicing worldwide, and in 2006, Friedl made the modern soft shackle internationally known. Now, his much-anticipated book allows you, whether you are a hobbyist or a professional, to leverage splicing skills to become more self-reliant while making your maritime or climbing pursuits safer.

Hawaiians were stand up paddle surfing (known as SUP) in the '50s and '60s, but the sport was first seen on the U.S. mainland in the early 2000s, when surfers Laird Hamilton and Rick Thomas brought it to California. Now you see SUP popping up everywhere - it's ranked as the fastest growing sport in the U.S. by the Outdoor Industry Association and it has spread across the Atlantic to the UK. The inaugural UK SUP championships were held in 2008 and this is now an increasing popular branch of water sports in the UK. Longtime stand up paddler and instructor Rob Casey has authored the first and only comprehensive guide to the sport. From choosing the right gear to stroke techniques (j-stroke, Tahitian, sculling brace) and fitness advice, Rob will have you stand up paddling in no time. Specific chapters focus on flat-water paddling, paddle surfing, and river paddling to show you exactly what you need to take your SUP skills and knowledge to a specific environment. Whether you want to learn about fitness or expedition planning in flat water, how to forecast waves and current for surfing, or how to use river eddies to your advantage - it's all here in this easy-to-reference guidebook from a SUP expert.

Life doesn't always give you a second chance to make another choice...Cassie Lewis, a widow for over 20 years has begun to realise there must be more to life. In-between working at the family boatyard in picture perfect Dartmouth and raising two children, she wonders where the years have gone. Both her children, Tom and Polly, have inherited their father's love of sailing and currently Tom is preparing for a gruelling round the world race. When an accident forces Tom to pull out, Polly, to Cassie's horror, insists she is capable of taking his place. As Polly prepares for the race, Cassie unexpectedly finds herself with two keen and eligible men vying for her love. With her BIG 5-0 birthday approaching Cassie knows she has some big decisions to make but will the worry over Polly's safe return, cloud her judgement? A wonderful escape to the beautiful harbour of Dartmouth, Perfect for the fans of Lucy Coleman, Jo Thomas and Sue Roberts Originally published in 2003 as Call of the Sea

INTRODUCED BY ADAM WEYMOUTH, award-winning author of The Kings of Yukon 'A wonderful book -- and a highly original contribution to the literature of travel' PAUL THEROUX 'The Mississippi. Mighty, muddy, dangerous, rebellious and yet a strong, fathering kind of river. The river captured my imagination when I was young and has never let go.' Mississippi Solo tells the story of one man's voyage by canoe down the Mississippi River from its source in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico - a longtime dream, and a journey of over 2,000 miles through the heart of America. Paddling into the Southern states - going from 'where there ain't no black folks to where they still don't like us much' - Eddy is confronted by the legacy of slavery and modern racism, including an incident with a pair of shotgun-toting bigots. There are also the dangers of passing barges, wild dogs roaming the wooded shore, and navigating a waterway that grows vaster, and more hazardous, every day. But Eddy also encounters immense human kindness, friendship and hospitality, as well as coming to know the majestic power - and the awesome dangers - of the river itself. Mississippi Solo is an unforgettable American adventure.

Eine Einfuhrung in die physikalischen Grundlagen des Segelsports fur die an Naturwissenschaften interessierten Segler, die schon immer wissen wollten, wie Segeln tatsachlich funktioniert. "Physik des Segelns" fuhrt zunachst in die einfachen Grundsatze und Bedingungen des Segelns ein, wie beispielsweise das Kraftegleichgewicht wahrend der Fahrt. Anschliessend wird aus den Eigenschaften von Luft und Wasser und den dynamischen Grundgleichungen das Entstehen dieser Krafte dargelegt. Das Buch raumt mit verbreiteten falschen Vorstellungen auf und schreitet systematisch von der Betrachtung zweidimensionaler Phanomene zu dreidimensionalen Phanomenen voran. Von Erscheinungen innerhalb der Medien Luft und Wasser geht es weiter zu den Erscheinungen an ihrer Grenzfl ache, den Schwerewellen des Wassers und dem damit verbundenen Widerstand. Mit der Kenntnis aller Beitrage zur Vortriebsleistung wird erlautert, wie sie aufeinander abgestimmt werden mussen, um ein optimales Segeltempo zu erreichen. Abschliessend werden zeitlich veranderliche Phanomene wie Manover und das Arbeiten des Bootes im Seegang betrachtet, und die Materialfestigkeit von Takelage und Rumpf diskutiert.

Unlike many other Georgia rivers that begin their journeys to the sea along the flanks of ridges in the relatively pristine confines of national forest lands, the Ocmulgee-a name that means "where water boils up" in Muskogee-rises inside Atlanta's I-285 perimeter highway as the South River in a jungle of asphalt and concrete. In fact, its very headwaters are buried beneath a hazardous waste site. Its other main tributaries-the Yellow and Alcovy-rise in Atlanta's fast-growing northeast suburbs of Gwinnett County, and they too have not escaped the impacts of city life. Yet the Ocmulgee also hosts one hundred species of fish, eighty-five of which are native to the river, as well as eighteen native freshwater mussel species, including seven species found nowhere else on the planet. In the Ocmulgee River User's Guide, both novice and experienced water sports enthusiasts will fi nd all the information required to enjoy the full length of the river through Macon to its confluence with the Altamaha near Lumber City. Author Joe Cook includes detailed maps, put in and take out suggestions, fishing and camping locations, mile-by-mile points of interest, and an illustrated guide to the animals and plants commonly seen in and around the river. Day-trippers will enjoy the guide's fascinating description of the cultural and natural heritage of this richly diverse waterway. FEATURES: An introduction and overview of the river Chapters describing each river section with detailed maps and notes on river access and points of interest A compact natural history guide featuring species of interest Notes on safety and boating etiquette A fishing primer Notes on organizations working to protect the river