Children of the Revolution is a book of converging worlds. In it you discover the very human weave of courage, perseverance and vision, woven with a delightful touch of humour and surprise. It also has the beguiling pattern of a journey unfolding. And as it unfolds, you learn. And you are inspired. Children of the Revolution, by Feroze Dada, is a story which begins with a chance meeting at a family gathering in Burma (Myanmar) with a freedom fighter from the Pa'O region in the northeast of the country, and which then takes you on to a monastery on the shores of beautiful Inle Lake in Shan State. There, at the Buddhist monastery of Phaya Taung, the head monk Phongyi is passionately caring for and teaching more than 600 orphaned and refugee children of the revolutionary wars. You discover that both the freedom fighter and the Buddhist monk are in their different ways forces of nature, or men of action, and while you learn about their lives, you also find the human goodness that shines in the darkness of war, and you witness the path of the dhamma in the world. You cannot fail to be encouraged by Phongyi's example to `go beyond one's imagination because there is no limit'. But at the same time, another story is unfolding, and that is the journey of self-discovery of Feroze Dada, who moves with his Burmese wife MuMu between his metropolitan western life and Taunggyi in the northeast of Burma, where her family live, and in doing so finds a new reality and purpose. Feroze is a man of action too, as you will discover. And he has written an inspirational story which is all the more powerful when you consider that his reasons for making the journey are literally a world away from what transpired. There are no accidents, the law of karma tells us, but we're not the sole cause of our experiences either.

On 25 January 2018, Elisabeth Revol and her climbing partner Tomasz Mackiewicz summited Nanga Parbat, the killer mountain. Situated in the Karakoram, the world's ninth-highest peak is an immense ice-armoured pyramid of rock rising to an altitude of 8,125 metres. Elisabeth and Tomek had completed only the second winter ascent of the mountain, and Elisabeth had become the first woman to summit Nanga Parbat in winter. But their euphoria was short-lived. As soon as they reached the top, their adventure turned into a nightmare as Tomek was struck by blindness. In her own words, Elisabeth tells the story of this tragedy and the extraordinary rescue operation that resounded across the globe as fellow climbers flew in from K2 to help the stricken pair. She confronts her memories, her terror, her immense pain and the heartbreak of having survived, alone. To Live is Elisabeth Revol's poignant tribute to her friend and climbing partner.

Charmaine Richardson's highly personal and revealing account describes how she was abused as a child within her comfortable, middle-class London home. It describes the `time bomb' for her and her family, something that led to depression, counselling and a chance meeting with sex-offender expert Ray Wyre, who she married in 1999. A large part of the book is given over to her life with Ray, his work at the Gracewell clinic and an analysis of his book, The Murder of Childhood (2nd Edn., Waterside Press, 2018) and the failure of politicians to heed his warnings about how we need to understand and deal with perpetrators. The book also contains the author's own views on bringing-up children to feel safe, comfortable and resistant to the devious ways in which paedophiles operate, including by the language we use with `little people'. Shows how the author was left to unpick the chaos of Wyre's personal life, his debts incurred in pursuit of his mission, gambling and the free-spending lifestyle that stood at odds with and was an escape from his intense professional commitment.

"Eat Pray Love" meets "The Secret". What if your "superpower" was to create the life of your dreams? Who would you have to be? What would you have to do? Would you have to travel far and wide to discover whom you truly are within? In Book 3, Diamond Revealed, Smita gets powerful lessons on how to go beyond the struggles of life, to find herself, to succeed big time and thrive. She finds the key to opening up to true love and to see whom she has to be for her soul partner to show up in her space. She discovers how to allow life to be easy, effortless and joyful.At the end of Book 2,Web of Karma, Smita was diagnosed with a fatal disease and doctors refused to operate. How does she get out of this desperate situation?In her quest for healing, her inner voice leads her to the islands of Hawaii where she has mind-blowing mystical encounters that free her to live into a fabulous future which seemed impossible before.Back in London, sudden tragic events bring long overdue completion with loved ones. It is only then that she can finally meet the love of her life, unleashing an explosion of desire and passion.

Oil is one of the world's most important commodities, but few people know how its extraction affects the residents of petroleum-producing regions. In the 1960s, the Texaco corporation discovered crude in the territory of Ecuador's indigenous Cofan nation. Within a decade, Ecuador had become a member of OPEC, and the Cofan watched as their forests fell, their rivers ran black, and their bodies succumbed to new illnesses. In 1993, they became plaintiffs in a multibillion-dollar lawsuit that aims to compensate them for the losses they have suffered. Yet even in the midst of a tragic toxic disaster, the Cofan have refused to be destroyed. While seeking reparations for oil's assault on their lives, they remain committed to the survival of their language, culture, and rainforest homeland. Life in Oil presents the compelling, nuanced story of how the Cofan manage to endure at the center of Ecuadorian petroleum extraction. Michael L. Cepek has lived and worked with Cofan people for more than twenty years. In this highly accessible book, he goes well beyond popular and academic accounts of their suffering to share the largely unknown stories that Cofan people themselves create-the ones they tell in their own language, in their own communities, and to one another and the few outsiders they know and trust. Their words reveal that life in oil is a form of slow, confusing violence for some of the earth's most marginalized, yet resilient, inhabitants.

Powerful and inspiring, I Own You is the shocking story of how one woman overcame her harrowing past to find happiness on her own terms. To the outside world, Dawn McConnell was a successful businesswoman. No one knew that every waking minute of her day was controlled by her husband Stuart. She had been subjected to years of coercion - belittled, threatened and hit. He told her that she belonged to him, that he would do horrific things to her if she left. Dawn met Stuart when she was fourteen. She had already been abused by her older brother as a child and was all too easily groomed by this local businessman who seemed to love her. Pregnant at sixteen, rejected by her parents, she ended up marrying him. And then it started, the long campaign to break her. She was forced to work all hours for Stuart, making money for him to spend. Then one day Dawn found the strength to fight back - against the brother who abused her, and the husband who made her life hell. To have her freedom and get revenge on Stuart she would risk losing everything . . .

"Eat Pray Love" meets "The Secret". Living Free From the Stories of Your Life. The sages of India, for thousands of years, have talked about the existence of Atman, the inner Self. In the Karma & Diamonds trilogy, Smita is exceptional in showing, through her life's battles, how the inner Self can guide and enrich your daily life. In Book 1, 'Moon Child', while facing possible death, a young Smita has a mystical experience and discovers her inner Self. Later it will help her through other traumatic situations and ultimately, blossom and thrive. Aged ten, she comes with her parents to the UK. Growing into a vibrant adolescent, she is confronted with the heart-wrenching challenge of balancing traditional Indian culture and modern-day London. Amidst rejection, heartbreak, loneliness and the struggle to start a career, determined to make life work, this young woman battles against all odds to find her place in the world, both physically and spiritually. However, will dramatic revelations in Book 2 about her lives long past finally free her to be happy or destroy her? Will a life-threatening condition in Book 3 bring her quest to a premature end?

Henry Friedman was robbed of his adolescence by the monstrous evil that annihilated millions of European Jews and changed forever the lives of those who survived. When the Nazis overran their home town near the Polish-Ukrainian border, the Friedman family was saved by Ukrainian Christians who had worked at their farm. Henry, his mother, his younger brother, and a young schoolteacher-who had been hired by his father when Jews were forbidden to attend school-were hidden in a loft over the animal stalls at a neighbor's farm; his father hid in another hayloft half a mile away. When the family was liberated by the Russians after eighteen months in hiding, Henry, at age fifteen, was emaciated and too weak to walk. The Friedmans eventually made their way to a displaced persons camp in Austria where Henry learned quickly to wheel and deal, seducing women of various ages and nationalities and mastering the intricacies of dealing in the black market. In I'm No Hero, he confronts with unblinking honesty the pain, the shame, and the bizarre comedy of his passage to adulthood. The family came to Seattle in 1949, where Henry Friedman has made his home ever since. In 1988 he returned with his wife to Brody and Suchowola, where he succeeded in finding Julia Symchuk, who, as a young girl, had warned his father that the Gestapo was looking for him, and whose family had hidden the Friedmans in their loft. The following year he was able to bring Julia to Seattle for a triumphal visit, where she was honored in many ways, although, as Friedman writes, "in her own country she had never been honored with anything except hard work." Like many other survivors, Henry Friedman has found it difficult to confront his past. Like others, too, he has felt the obligation to bear witness. Now retired, he devotes much of his time to telling his story, which he believes is a message of hope, to thousands of schoolchildren throughout the Pacific Northwest. He has received national recognition for his role in establishing the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, and as a founder of the Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center.

'A brilliant read... that illustrated the strong will and determination of man in the face of everything that nature had to throw at us' Wanderlust Nick Middleton, the intrepid Oxford don, explorer and author of Going to Extremes is back, and he's set himself a challenge to cope with the worst that nature can throw at him in Surviving Extremes. Travelling to four of the most extreme natural environments: swamps, deserts, jungles and arctic wastelands, the question is, can he pick up enough tips from the indigenous people to hack it at the very edge of human existence, or will his mid latitude sensibilities forever let him down? This is Nick's account of how he had to put his body and mind to the test in a unique survival experiment.

This is the true story of an unusual hero. Tall, dark and handsome and often surrounded by an admiring crowd, this is no film star but an eight-year old bay gelding from the Mounted Branch of the Metropolitan Police. Horses such as Merlin go through a challenging training process to prepare them for life in the force. There are three stages of training; red, amber and green. Reports from his early training show that Merlin was sometimes naughty and spirited - but once his training was complete he was disciplined enough to maintain order at some of the toughest and most high-profile events in London. This book looks at Merlin's daily life and duties and his fascinating partnership with his mounted constable, Karen Howell. When Karen first met Merlin during his training it was love at first sight and over the years she has developed an intriguing bond with this brave, eccentric and deeply individual character.

The story that became a global sensation: Sophie, the Australian cattle dog who was lost at sea and swam six miles through shark-infested waters to a remote island where she survived in the wild for five months. It was just another day in paradise as Jan and Dave Griffith, along with their blue cattle dog, Sophie, motored out of Mackay Marina for a gorgeous weekend at sea. But when the sky suddenly darkened and the waves turned fierce, the unthinkable happened: Sophie disappeared overboard. Her heartbroken humans couldn't fathom the loss and could only hope their beloved pet didn't suffer. But this true cattle dog and devoted best friend wasn't going to give up that easily--and what followed is a remarkable tale of survival, luck, and persistence. From the first day the Griffiths set eyes on puppy Sophie through that terrible October day she was lost, to Sophie's time as a castaway and the reunion that almost didn't happen, journalist Emma Pearse recreates the incredible journey of this canine Robinson Crusoe. An inspirational story of loyalty and the resilience of the spirit, "Sophie" offers undeniable proof about the unbreakable bond between humans and our pets--and that if lost, they would do anything to come home to us.

In 1992, an Indian climber was left to die on the South Col of Mount Everest by other climbers who watched his feebly waving hand from their tent. He was filmed in his last hours for a television feature.Why did onlookers not hold the dying man's hand and comfort him? The answer appals Joe Simpson, who was himself left for dead in a cervassein Peru in 1985 - 'because it might compromise their summit bid'. It is an ethical question that Joe is forced to confront as he climbs a hazardous route on Pumori.

Now that Everest has become the playgroundof the rich, where commercial operators offer guided tours to the top,camping admist the detritus and unburied corpses of previous less fortunate climbers, Joe wonders if the noble instincts that once characterised mountaineering have been irrevocably displaced - as in politics, in business, in the media and in other facets of society.

For a nation with a long and proud-military tradition, one token stands above all others as a mark of recognition for the ultimate individual feats of arms: the Victoria Cross. Awarded for one reason alone - to mark extreme acts of great heroism by British and Commonwealth servicemen in the face of the enemy - it is unquestionably the hardest club in the world to gain entrance to. Its holders - ordinary soldiers, sailors and airmen - are linked by an uncommon bond of exceptional bravery, displayed often at great personal risk and against impossible odds. The VC has been awarded only sixteen times since the end of the Second World War in 1945. Three of these awards were made to recipients who had paid the ultimate sacrifice while demonstrating gallantry beyond the call of duty.

This is the inspirational story of a man who had to go on the toughest of journeys to bring himself back from the brink and reconnect with the world. It is a testament to the incredible power there is within all of us to break even the most hardened aspects of our habits and behaviour and turn our lives around.

When Ingrid Steel was first put into an orphanage at the age of four, she did not even know her real name. Nor would anyone tell her who her parents were, or what had happened to them. After years of bullying, deprivation and gratuitous punishment - even sexual abuse - in a series of homes and orphanages, she was incarcerated first in a borstal, then in a mental hospital. One day after returning to the orphanage, Ingrid made a secret pilgrimage to Somerset House in London to discover her real identity. She came back in triumph clutching her precious birth certificate - only to have it taken from her. That was the last straw. Desperate to be free to live her own life, she forced her way out of the orphanage and into the cold and wet. Would she at last be able to lead a life of freedom? Little Girl Lost is the first part of Ingrid Steel's shocking, heartrending life story.

The Butterfly's Cage, is the heart wrenching, inspiring true story of a young Pakistani woman's flight to freedom. Suffering familial abuse, tyranny and disownment as a result of refusing to submit to the abuse received by not one but two violent husbands, Shahnaz* opens the doors to a hidden world, illustrating how cultural values can allow human rights violations to prosper and the cost of reputation is integrity, respect and love. Born into a wealthy family with homes in both Britain and Pakistan, she was forced to give up school at the age of 12 in order to care for her younger brothers. There followed two arranged marriages, to a violent, drug addicted, petty criminal and then to a vicious, controlling sadist. Her family ignored her pleas to escape her marital hell, instead casting her as the wicked, immoral daughter whose selfish desires threatened to damage the family's reputation. After years of abuse and intimidation in both England and Pakistan, Shahnaz fled the family homes to try to start a new life in London with her young daughter only to be lured back to Pakistan under false pretences. Stripped of her possessions and kept under house arrest, Shahnaz was in constant fear of her life for a further 18 months, enduring brutal beatings and diabolical threats to her life. Through her intelligence, courage and unwavering fortitude alone, Shahnaz overcame adversity, won her freedom, her family's acceptance and now lives in England with her daughter and third husband, embarking on a career in social care. Six years on, wishing to reveal the pain and suffering that can be caused by misguided cultural attitudes and social values, Shahnaz has written her story. *Shahnaz is not her real name - she does not want herself or her family to be identified

On January 19, 2000, a fire raged through Seton Hall University's freshman dormitory, killing three students and injuring 58 others. Among the victims were Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos, roommates from poor neighbourhoods who made their families proud by getting into college. They managed to escape, but both were burned terribly. AFTER THE FIRE is the story of these young men and their courageous fight to recover from the worst damage the burn unit at Saint Barnabas hospital had ever seen. It is the story of the extraordinary doctors and nurses who work with the burned. It is the story of mothers and fathers, of faith and family and the invisible ties that bind us to each other. It is the story of the search for the arsonists--and the elaborate cover-up that nearly obscured the truth. And it is the story of the women who came to love these men, who knew that real beauty is a thing not seen in mirrors.

From Billy the Kid to President Roosevelt, this is a spectacular collection of true stories of Irish men and women who have changed the course of history: John Barry, the poor Irishman who made waves as the father of the US navy; William Brown, the Irish cabin boy who sank the invading Spanish fleet; Daniel Joseph Keogh, the young lad from County Longford who became the hero of the Korean war; and more. They are all united in having carried the glory of the Irish to the four corners of the earth. This book perfectly displays the indomitable nature and good humor of all those who hail from the Emerald Isle.

Dean Karnazes has run 350 continuous miles through three sleepless nights, ordered pizza during long runs, and inspired fans the world over with his adventures. So what does a guy like this do when he wants to face the ultimate test of endurance? He runs 50 marathons in 50 states-- in 50 consecutive days.
With little more than a road map and a caravan packed with fellow runners and a dedicated crew, Dean set off on a tour that took him through a volcanic canyon in Maui in high humidity and 88-degree heat; to an elevation gain of almost 4,000 feet at the Tecumseh Trail Marathon in Bloomington, Indiana; to a severed moose leg found alongside an Anchorage, Alaska trail that compelled him to sprint for safety.
Now in this heart-pounding book, Dean reveals how he pulled off this unfathomable feat with a determination that defied all physical limitations. But Dean goes beyond the story of the Endurance 50 marathons to share his invaluable secrets and advice for athletes of all levels. These are the tips that kept Dean going during the 1,310 miles he covered and 160,000 calories he burned while averaging sub-four-hour marathons and often sleeping fewer than four hours each night. Learn how to:
- Recover more quickly
- Adapt to extreme conditions
- Prevent muscle cramps and overheating
- Pace yourself when you "hit the wall"
- Stay motivated
Packed with practical advice and including training regimens, 50/50 will inspire you no matter what your fitness goal is, whether it's simply walking around the block, running a 10K, or completing yet another Ironman.

Texas singer/songwriter Vince Bell's story begins in the 1970s. Following the likes of Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, Bell and his contemporaries Lyle Lovett, Nanci Griffith, and Lucinda Williams were on the rise. In December of 1982, Bell was on his way home from the studio (where he and hired guns Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Johnson had just recorded three of Bell's songs) when a drunk driver broadsided him at 65 mph. Thrown over 60 feet from his car, Bell suffered multiple lacerations to his liver, embedded glass, broken ribs, a mangled right forearm, and a severe traumatic brain injury. Not only was his debut album waylaid for a dozen years, life as he'd known it would never be the same. In detailing his recovery from the accident and his round-about climb back on stage, Bell shines a light in those dark corners of the music business that, for the lone musician whose success is measured not by the Top 40 but by nightly victories, usually fall outside of the spotlight. Bell's prose is not unlike his lyrics: spare, beautiful, evocative, and often sneak-up-on-you funny. His chronicle of his own life and near death on the road reveals what it means to live for one's art.