A book of short stories, based on true events, from the 20 years I spent as an Officer in the UK Prison Service. I have seen and heard things you would not believe. You may well read the true stories in this book and think that they are the creation of a strange and twisted individual, pure fiction from the mind of a fool. Well that's fine. I am a bit strange, and I am a bit twisted. Since starting this job, I have had experiences that would upset the toughest stomach, scare the hardest man and penetrate the thickest of skins. There have been serious assaults and attacks. I have seen death on a number of occasions. I've witnessed illness, strange perversions, outrageous human behaviour that you would witness nowhere else in the world, other than any other prison. I have lost count of the amount of times I've heard these words said, "Someone should write a book about that." I have said it myself. I have been waiting years for someone to step forward and start writing. There are loads of amusing anecdotes, funny observations and hilarious stories of the things that happen inside the walls. There have also been hundreds of nasty incidents including serious assaults, self harm, attempted murder and mutilation. All officers in the service have their favourite story. We see the most amazing behaviour day after day, year after year, the strange goings on behind the fence. It is now time to be that person. I must be the one to step forward and share the wonderful happenings with you, the disbelieving public. The one thing that prison staff have in common is their ability to see the funny side. I have contacted many friends in the writing of this book. I have drawn on vast experience within the service to put this book together. Officers with forty years experience, down to officers who have only just started on the long and arduous road that is a prison career, have all made their contributions. I aim to present the cream of the stories to you in this, my first book. I want you to experience the best of the bunch, the ones that we as officers continue to recall years after they have happened. In those boring moments on the landings or in the office, when the clock seems to be going backwards, these are the tales that help to get us through the day.

Max Edelman was just 17 when the Nazis took him to the first of five work camps, where his only hope of survival was to keep quiet and raise an emotional shield. After witnessing a German Shepherd kill a fellow prisoner, he developed a lifelong fear of dogs. Beaten into blindness by two bored guards, Max survived, buried the past, and moved on. But when he retired, he needed help. After a month of training, he received Calvin, a devoted chocolate Labrador retriever. Calvin guided Max safely through life, but he sensed Max's distance and reserve. Calvin grew listless and lost weight. Trainers intervened-but to no avail. A few days before Calvin's inevitable reassignment, Max went for a walk. A car cut into the crosswalk, and Calvin leapt forward, saving Max's life. Max's emotional shield dissolved. Calvin sensed the change and immediately improved, guiding Max to greater openness, trust, and engagement with the world. Here is the remarkable, touching story of a man who survived history and the dog that unlocked his heart.

This is a true story. A humdinger of an argument lurches Alana into a vision which is beyond her wildest dreams. Seeing a romantic couple drinking champagne on a yacht, canoodling and eating the faces off of each other; the green eyed monster rears its ugly head. Most women buy shoes or clothes to console themselves after a tiff but Alana sees a 70,000 yacht. Does she buy it? Alana tells this true, hilarious at times story, her life, her journey, her mayhem. Do you have a sense of fun, like a giggle, don't take life too seriously? Then read this. When, where, how does it all end?

From Lassie to Old Yeller to Rin Tin Tin to Marley, dogs have stolen our attention and our hearts. In real life, our own pets are more than just canine companions; they are members of our family. And for some, they are heroes and brave servants.

In "Man s Best Hero," prolific author (and lifelong dog lover) Ace Collins provides a collection of short, dramatic stories about dogs that have gone the extra mile. Though not trained to perform heroic acts, circumstances and the remarkable bond between the dog and its owner led these animals to perform amazing feats that defy logic. Whether it is saving a drowning man, jumping in front of a truck to push a toddler to the curb, or tearing the burning clothes off a child s back, the actions presented in these stories display courage, loyalty, intelligence, and other admirable qualities of life and faith.

These compelling portraits, told first in the words of the dog and then through exciting narrative that recounts the dog s actions, will touch reader s hearts and will leave them with a greater appreciation for their furry friends.

"

Millions of people around the world have experienced contact from the other side. In this inspiring and uplifting short story leading expert Jacky Newcomb shares some of the stories she's received about contact and life after death. When a loved one is taken away suddenly, people often tell Jacky of their regrets about not having the opportunity to say goodbye. Yet people all over the world have stories of loved ones who come back to say Hello or Goodbye from heaven. They appear in dreams, visions, meditation and sometimes when we're wide awake. Those who are lucky enough to experience it consider it a gift they will remember for the rest of their lives. Here for the first time Jacky will share these extraordinary stories along with the amazing and bizarre reasons for why our loved ones visit.

"Friday Night Lights "meets "Glee"--the incredible and true story of an extraordinary drama teacher who has changed the lives of thousands of students and inspired a town.
Why would the multimillionaire producer of "Cats," "The ""Phantom of the Opera," and "Miss Saigon "take his limo from Manhattan to the struggling former steel town of Levittown, Pennsylvania, to see a high school production of "Les Miserables"?
To see the show performed by the astoundingly successful theater company at Harry S Truman High School, run by its legendary director, Lou Volpe. Broadway turns to Truman High when trying out controversial shows such as "Rent "and "Spring" "Awakening "before they move on to high school theater programs across the nation. Volpe's students from this blue-collar town go on to become Emmy-winning producers, entertainment executives, newscasters, and community-theater founders.
Michael Sokolove, a Levittown native and former student of Volpe's, chronicles the drama director's last school years and follows a group of student actors as they work through riveting dramas both on and off the stage. This is a story of an economically depressed but proud town finding hope in a gifted teacher and the magic of theater.

Listen to this authentic voice from the far land of New Mexico's past. Pull up a chair. Throw away your watch. The author will tell you a story. She was born more than a century ago, and her stories were born centuries before that. Now through the graceful agency of her grandson, Don Usner, her stories will live on, told and retold, shared widely, the irrepressible spirit of old New Mexico captured and held between these covers.

"Scathing expose of the coal industry."
--"The New York Times Book Review
"On April 5, 2010, an explosion ripped through Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch Mine, killing twenty-nine coal miners. This tragedy was the deadliest mine disaster in the United States in forty years--a disaster that never should have happened. These deaths were rooted in the cynical corporate culture of Massey and its notorious former CEO Don Blankenship, and were part of an endless cycle of poverty, exploitation, and environmental abuse that has dominated the Appalachian coalfields since coal was first discovered there. And the cycle continues unabated as coal companies bury the most insidious dangers deep underground, all in search of higher profits, and hide the true costs from regulators, unions, and investors alike.
But the disaster at Upper Big Branch goes beyond the coalfields of West Virginia. It casts a global shadow, calling into bitter question why coal miners in the United States are sacrificed to erect cities on the other side of the world, why the coal wars have been allowed to rage, polarizing the country, and how the world's voracious appetite for energy is satisfied at such horrendous cost.
With "Thunder on the Mountain, "Peter A. Galuszka pieces together the true story of greed and negligence behind the tragedy at the Upper Big Branch Mine, and in doing so he has created a devastating portrait of an entire industry that exposes the coal-black motivations that led to the death of twenty-nine miners and fuel the ongoing war for the world's energy future.

Across Great Divides, true stories of life at Sydney Cove will appeal to all readers, young, old and in-between, who love to be immersed in a good read, while learning new things. The stories will no doubt make you wonder, what would I have done? Across Great Divides, true stories of life at Sydney Cove, brings to life the diverse experiences of people living in the precarious circumstance of Australia's first penal colony. The stories are relayed through a non-fiction narrative which shows how convict men saw and seized the possibilities of their new position. It portrays the situation of convict women and their relationships with military men. The stories demonstrate the varied responses of participants to their unique situation: some succeeded beyond their imagination, some failed disastrously. The stories also give voice to the dilemma of the Aboriginal people challenged by the unexpected arrival of a completely alien race of white people to their land: Bennelong and his difficult to ignore wife, Barangaroo, dealt with their new circumstances in a way they felt would best benefit themselves and their people. On the other hand, the young warrior Pemulwuy had his own ideas about how the white invaders should be confronted. Boorong and Nanberry, two native children taken separately into the homes of white settlers in the aftermath of a devastating epidemic, went on to have fickle yet enduring relationships with their white guardians. The stories in Across Great Divides, true stories of life at Sydney Cove give the different perspectives of military men who had volunteered for a tour of duty in the remote colony. Marine officers Watkin Tench, William Dawes, George Johnston, Philip Gidley King, and Captain John Hunter left valuable links to past times through their diaries, letters and journals. Arthur Phillip, the colony's first governor, also wrote letters which give us insight into the dilemmas plaguing his mind.

Anna David's True Tales of Lust and Love began as a one-time-only reading and storytelling show in January of 2012, a venue for writers and comedians to share and laugh at their dating disaster stories. But after selling out the venue and attracting immediate press and buzz--with articles in "The LA Weekly, LA Times, Time Out, Flavorpill," and "LAist," among others--David agreed to produce the show every month. It has continued not only to sell out but also to attract a growing list of authors, comedians, and Hollywood writers. As Time Out declared, "This is the place to go to see strong female performers."
With the show now booked indefinitely, and with audio recordings of each performance available on iTunes, Anna has collected the most popular and entertaining pieces into the first ever True Tales of Lust and Love anthology. The book includes essays organized into three sections--Casual Sex, Dating, and Out of the Ordinary--which collectively offer up funny, raucous, insightful, and surprisingly touching confessions about the quest for lust and love. Everyone has dating disaster stories, everyone needs to share and laugh at them, and this anthology will give readers the opportunity to do just that, with contributions from the funniest writers and comedians around, pulled from the world of books, TV, and film. "True Tales of Lust and Love" is the perfect complement for a funny or cynical Valentine's Day--and beyond.

In this true story and journey of discovery, Bill McKenna shares a life of intense experiences. He earned his black belt, learned to fly planes and helicopters, ran marathons, 50- and 100-mile endurance races, survived a several-hundred-foot free-fall in a skydiving mishap, and saw his life's dream shipwrecked by an unseen island. The journey brought financial success and catastrophe, a constant struggle with crash-and-burn relationships, and a battle with depression. Nothing in his life would compare to the intensity of what he was about to experience, all of it quite by accident, and as his sister said, to the unlikeliest of people.

Jack Hampshire grew up in the early years of the 20th Century in Sussex, where his father owned a threshing and haulage business. From an early age he was looking after steam traction engines, and driving them on the road when barely in his teens. This is his memoirs of this time in his life, which lasted until the firm shut in 1928, and is an almost unique telling of what it was really like to work with road steam on a commercial basis.

Some of the events described in this book arose from highly improbable connections, from unlikely, inconceivable, even implausible beginnings. Some were the result of sheer chance, one-in-a-million odds. Some were clearly unfeasible, completely unexpected, even incredible. Then were not momentous or grand events on the world stage - the kind that make headlines – but were small happenings and modest moments, little stories, like small etchings rather than large murals, or pieces of slow chamber music rather than great symphonies. Even the dramatic events had small beginnings in the South African veld which seemed, at the time, insignificant and unimportant. But all were memorable. And they did happen. Oh yes, they certainly did...

Steve Braunias travels off the grid to capture weird and wonderful goings-on in small-town New Zealand. Full of fascinating - and sometimes disturbing - stories about people living in 20 places - from Kawakawa to Mosgiel, and across the seas in Samoa and Antarctica - their lives, loves, aspirations, and sometimes dark secrets. Searing insights and honesty from New Zealand's most awarded journalist - this book will be talked about!

Judith O'Reilly, author of the hugely popular blog and book Wife in the North embarks on a year long social experiment in the witty A Year of Doing Good. Fed up of New Year's resolutions involving diets and exercise abandoned on January 2nd, Judith is attempting to be good. For one whole year. She embarked on a mission to do one good deed every day. Some called it a social experiment. At times she called it madness. Juggling family, friends and a variety of neighbours in the small Northumberland village she calls home, she recounts the ups, downs, moments of doubt and sheer bloody hard work of doing good. From the small - babysitting a friend's child, clearing up her neighbour's dead mice and feeding her friendship cake Herman the German, to the slightly larger - trying to raise GBP10,000 for charity with her Jam Jar Army and teaching a severely handicapped child to write - she describes what she learns along the way: that no good deed is too small and that being good makes you happy. Well, most of the time. 'A funny, uplifting and admirable book' Observer 'Banish January blues with A Year of Doing Good by Judith O'Reilly who resolved to do one good turn day. . . utterly uplifting' Woman & Home 'Fizzing with energy Judith's writing is open-hearted and funny. . . though not a guide to doing good, Judith's story may inspire you to do a little more for others this year' Express 'Glorious sincerity. . .the admiring accounts of others' lives, the detailing of the deeds gladly done or furiously resented, the unending chaos of family life - all are rendered honestly, colourfully and occasionally hilariously' Lucy Mangan, Sunday Times A Year of Doing Good inspires the reader with the day-to-day journey of meaning, gratification and joy that comes from contributing to the lives of others in so many creative ways. For those who want to put "do unto others" in the centre of their lives and reap the unexpected benefits of happiness and health, this is the book for you. Elegantly written, the words jump off the page' Stephen G. Post, PhD, author of The Hidden Gifts of Helping Judith O'Reilly is a writer and journalist. Her first book Wife in the North was based on her blog of the same name and was a bestseller. Her second book, a novel, is living in a drawer. Her third book is this one. She is married with three children, and for one year she tried to be good.