"I am so very sorry..." The words were out. My mouth was dry, my heart was thumping, and my despair was clearly visible. And so began Trudie and Lloyd Thompson's heart breaking 12 year journey of IVF treatment, losing a business and even bankruptcy. Through all of this, their love and their relentless enthusiasm kept them strong, and now they are sharing their unique and uplifting story with you. The twists and turns of fate, including an appearance on a TV home makeover show, brought Trudie and Lloyd closer together, and ultimately their courage brought them their most treasured dream; a family. Dreams Do Come True is a story of that courage, a story that proves that with love and determination, anything is possible.

Both a riveting courtroom drama and a real-life thriller, "A Just Defiance" tells the story of four young black South Africans who were arrested for a string of political murders in 1987. In gripping prose, Peter Harris--the white lawyer who defended the men--describes how he came to understand, while constructing the case to save the defendants from the death penalty, the chain of events that led them to undergo training at ANC camps in Angola and return to their homeland to execute some of the apartheid regime's most notorious collaborators. The shocking twists and turns of the high-profile trial kept the public in suspense during the dying days of apartheid.
Harris's account of the trial is intercut with flashbacks to instances of the cold-blooded brilliance and deadly efficiency of the squad's operations. We see Nelson Mandela recently released from Robben Island as he begins negotiations that will eventually lead to the assumption of power by the ANC. We read about bomb-making and assassination attempts by both the ANC and the South African police. A critical and popular success in South Africa, this book is a tale of people driven to extremes by injustice and repression, and of ordinary citizens caught up in extraordinary events. Finally, it is the story of a country's search for reconciliation, one that captures the moral vertigo of South Africa's violent apartheid years.

This is the story of one man's experience of the devastating effects of a major stroke and his attempts to recover from it. It is also the story of a dog's experience of life with unpredictable, irrational human beings and his attempts to deal with all of that. Eric Sinclair is a writer and education consultant who has worked in schools and colleges in West Africa, Turkey, Germany and the UK. For ten years he was Head Teacher of Kirkwall Grammar School in Orkney, and subsequently Head Teacher of Aboyne Academy in Aberdeenshire. Since suffering a major stroke in 2004, he has undertaken voluntary work for The Stroke Association as well as for the NHS through Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to The Stroke Association.

Truth sees no boundaries and sooner or later it comes out and expresses its need to be acknowledged. Relationships are needed and sustained throughout our lifespan and need sustenance through nurture, understanding and support. This incredible story, narrated with simplicity and humour, carries the reader through extremes of human emotion and relationships. It is a compelling story of a father's true horror, isolation and survival in his daily struggles to rear his two adoring and beautiful daughters. Upon the inevitable breakup of his family, in court every attempt for the revelation of the truth is thwarted as he tries to put forward his experiences only to suffer injustice at every step of the nightmare that unfolds in front of him. He advocates and instigates a campaign for equality and justice in the treatment of parents and grandparents through the halls of power only to be physically and emotionally drained by the very men he saves from self destruction. He challenges and exposes the incompetence of the system, the state, the legal profession only to be excluded from the media at every step of his struggle to survive while being wiped from government files and dubbed as a threat to the very same system that tried to destroy him. But truth runs much deeper and much closer to the heart, where life itself, the unconditional love of his daughters and friendships are continuously challenged.

2012 NATIONAL OUTDOOR BOOK AWARD WINNER

Anything Worth Doing tells the unforgettable true story of larger-than-life whitewater raft guides Clancy Reece and Jon Barker, two men who share a love of wild rivers and an unbending will to live life on their terms, no matter the cost.

Clancy s motto, Anything worth doing is worth overdoing, leads them into a decade of beautiful and beautifully strange river adventures. Then, on June 8, 1996, in pursuit of a 24-hour speed record they intend to share only with a handful of friends, the men launch Clancy s handmade dory, his proudest possession, onto Idaho s renowned Salmon River at peak flood of an extreme high water year. This time the odds catch up with them.

With clarity reminiscent of Krakauer s Into the Wild, whitewater veteran Jo Deurbrouck carries us down the West s great rivers and into the hearts, minds and homes of that rare breed for whom security is optional but freedom and passion are not. Anything Worth Doing taut and efficient, yet rich with insight is destined to become an adventure classic.

'Every journalist who is not too stupid or too full of himself to notice what is going on knows that what he does is morally indefensible' In equal measure famous and infamous, Janet Malcolm's book charts the true story of a lawsuit between Jeffrey MacDonald, a convicted murderer, and Joe McGinniss, the author of a book about the crime. Lauded as one of the Modern Libraries "100 Best Works of Nonfiction", The Journalist and the Murderer is in equal measure fascinating and controversial, a contemporary classic of reportage.

A Common Thread is a collection of sixteen brave and honest accounts of fertility issues and miscarriage. Each journey is unique; yet each contributor shares truthfully from their heart the highs and lows they have been through; how their journey has affected their faith and how God has brought them through. Although the physical, emotional and mental toll can be unbearable for those who find themselves facing these battles, there is hope. Within this book you will read the stories of those who have experienced successful IVF, failed IVF, multiple miscarriages, miscarriage after having children, adoption, miracle births, and those who have never been able to have children. Although we all experience the journey differently, we all share 'a common thread' of understanding. You are not alone.

Heard the one about the airline that has introduced 'corpse cupboards' on new planes to cope with the number of people who die in the air? Heard the story about the First Class air hostess who got fired for sitting on the face of a passenger during a long haul flight? Heard about the amount of knickers and false teeth that are left behind in the body of the plane? Heard how pissed-off stewards put laxatives in your drinks? Heard about the pilot who ran out of runway? Heard of the disabled passengers who miraculously walk again? No? Then you haven't read Air Babylon. Do you know the best place to have sex on a plane? Do you know how to dress for an upgrade? Do you know that one drink in the air equals three on the ground? Do you know who is checking you in? Who is checking you out? Do you know exactly what happens to your luggage once it leaves your sight? Is it secure? Are you safe? Do you really know anything about the business that you entrust your life to several times a year? Air Babylon is a trawl through the highs, the lows, and the rapid descents of the travel industry. It catalogues the births, the deaths, the drunken brawls, the sexual antics, and the debauchery behind the scenes of the ultimate service industry - where the world is divided into those who wear the uniform and those who don't...

For Art Spiegelman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Maus, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 were both highly personal and intensely political. In the Shadow of No Towers, his first new book of comics since the groundbreaking Maus, is a masterful and moving account of the events and aftermath of that tragic day. Spiegelman and his family bore witness to the attacks in their lower Manhattan neighborhood: his teenage daughter had started school directly below the towers days earlier, and they had lived in the area for years. But the horrors they survived that morning were only the beginning for Spiegelman, as his anguish was quickly displaced by fury at the U.S. government, which shamelessly co-opted the events for its own preconceived agenda. He responded in the way he knows best. In an oversized, two-page-spread format that echoes the scale of the earliest newspaper comics (which Spiegelman says brought him solace after the attacks), he relates his experience of the national tragedy in drawings and text that convey-with his singular artistry and his characteristic provocation, outrage, and wit-the unfathomable enormity of the event itself, the obvious and insidious effects it had on his life, and the extraordinary, often hidden changes that have been enacted in the name of post-9/11 national security and that have begun to undermine the very foundation of American democracy.

What would you do if your whole world came crashing down? Broken promises of love. Deceits of life. Safiya is deep in despair and nearing self-destruction. But a chance opportunity to escape suicidal misery beckons her. Millions said it is the land of wishes . Mecca - Saudi Arabia. Millions said it is a life changing journey . Hajj - the pilgrimage. England to Arabia. Thrown into garments resembling a death shroud she embarks on the Hajj and enters the spellbinding world of ancient Islamic practices. To save herself. Alongside three million foreign and unpredictable pilgrims she makes her weeping wish in the celestial palace of Mecca. She camps with Ethiopian peasants and Arab Kings, faces the supernatural in the deserts and catches a spine-chilling glimpse of the end of the world. She uncovers love for a man she has never met and hatred for a hidden enemy. She risks her life for a fleeting obsession and steps into a perilous ritual where others had been killed. But will her wish come true? Or will it end badly? Three Thousand Miles for a Wish is a deeply moving, mystical and powerful story of a young woman s real-life quest for happiness. It captures the soul with remarkable potency as it takes the reader, in a way never done before, on the greatest trip on earth. Visit www.threethousandmilesforawish.co.uk for more information.

Dit is nie 'n gewone lewensverhaal die nie. Jy as leser word geneem op 'n begeleide toer deur die diepste tonnels van dominee Klasie se binneste. Daar deel jy die gedagtestrome wat niemand tot dusver kon ken nie; daar bevind jy jou saam met "oom Klasie" in 'n nuwe oorlogsone: "Dikwels is dit angs wat in ons lewe oorneem. Angs vir verlies … Dan ontspring emosies wat vir ons laat voel dat God ver is, iewers daar bo en ons hieronder alleen en vergete" Klasie is tegelyk 'n geestelike leier, wat daagliks die saak onstuimig met God moet uitklaar, hy kan nie anders nie. Om verlies gelowig te hanteer, is nie gebruikersvriendelik nie. Jy moet jou siel skoonskraap, maar juis so kry God opnuut kans om jou innerlik te lei om grense oor te steek, verby die oorlogwrakke vorentoe. Hierdie innerlike grensoorlog gee ons 'n kyk in die hart van die mense wat agterbly – wat die verlies moet hanteer. Uiteindelik besef 'n mens: Klasie Steenkamp se storie is die van almal wat verlies ervaar het – die dood, siekte of onmag weens skielike werkloosheid. Dit kan ook jou storie wees.

BETTY WHITEonEVERY DOG HAS A GIFT "This book gives us some specific examples of the unique therapy that dogs provide when it is needed most. Enjoy a good read, after which I'm sure you will appreciate your own dog even more."
As anyone who has ever gotten home after a long, hard day and been greeted by their dog and that soulful look of adoration will tell you: Dog love is one of the best kinds of love there is. In "Every Dog Has a Gift," founder and executive director of The Good Dog Foundation Rachel McPherson explores the inspiring work that dogs are doing to help humans cope with a wide range of physical, mental, and emotional problems. Millions of dogs around the world are heroes every day. These therapy and service dogs (and often quite ordinary, "uncertified" dogs just like your own):

bring their healing presence into hospitals and hospice centers; provide a calm and centering "home base" for autistic children; and serve as the perfect audience for kids who need help practicing and improving their reading skills.

In telling these stories, "Every Dog Has a Gift" pays homage to the gift that each and every dog possesses: the ability to bring the healing power of unconditional love into our lives.

Scottish Family Legends is a treasure trove of true tales written by people from all over Scotland. These stories were collected by Scottish Book Trust as part of a nationwide project to encourage people to get writing, inspired by their remarkable relatives. These tales recall lives domestic and military, urban and rural, work-a-day and extraordinary - but never boring! Bursting with drama, heartache, celebration, character, warmth, gratitude, love and loss, Scottish Family Legends is a celebration of the people, places and events that make up our collective heritage - it is truly a book to be treasured.

How do I give myself to God completely? What happens when I do? I Dared to Call Him Father is a book for everyone who has ever asked these questions. It is the fascinating true story of Bilquis Sheikh, a prominent Muslim woman in South Asia who faced these questions at the crossroads of her life-and found the astonishing answers. Her entire life turned upside down as a series of strange dreams launched her on a quest that would forever consume her heart, mind and soul. This 25th anniversary edition contains a new afterword by a Western friend of Bilquis and a new appendix on how the East enriches the West.

Rogue surgeons, overburdened hospitals, medical mismanagement, doctor shortages...The story of Australia's own "Dr Death", Jayent Patel, is symptomatic of a tidal wave heading towards all modern healthcare systems. In this absorbing book, the authors have ploughed through the mass of public inquiry data, interviewing key figures in the affair to reveal in gripping detail how it happened, who was to blame and how it can be avoided. Drawing on international cases and experiences, they reveal how institutional weaknesses are able to be exploited by individuals with serious personality problems just like Patel. Hospitals worldwide are facing increasing pressures from staff shortages and the need to manage financial considerations that impact directly on their ability to adequately manage patient care. This is a story relevant and timely for all who are part of a modern complex healthcare network. from hospital administrators to doctors, nurses, ancillary staff and the patients themselves. The case of the Bundaberg Hospital and its infamous "Dr Death" could be happening again right now in your own modern overburdened healthcare system.

Includes . . . - Lee Shelton's murder of Billy Lyons in St. Louis, which inspired the popular song "Stagger Lee" - The vigilante killing of the "town bully" of Skidmore, Ken McElroy - The kidnapping of millionaire Robert Greenlease's son in Kansas City - The Kirkwood City Council massacre - Serial killings of 13 young women in Kansas City by Lorenzo J. Gilyard

Dogs are truly one of God's finest creatures, a marvelous gift for us humans. In the perfect follow-up to "A Prince among Dogs," Callie Smith Grant compiles a delightful collection of true stories that celebrate the dogs in our lives. These stories will touch our hearts, renew our spirits, and show us how God made these wonderful creatures for unique purposes.
Readers will love these uplifting glimpses into the lives of ordinary and extraordinary dogs and the people who love them. The stories are warm, captivating, and ideal for a good curl-up-and-read or a perfect gift for any dog lover.

Fifteen-year-old Sara and her beautiful sister, Rachel, are too young to legally drive a car--but are approaching spinsterhood in Utah's secret polygamist Blood of the Lamb community. Having long since reached the "age of preparedness," they will soon be married off to much older men chosen by the hidden sect's revered Prophet.

As Sara, chosen to become her uncle's fifth wife, grows more distraught over her impending incestuous marriage, she begins to scrutinize the faith she has followed blindly her entire life. But for Rachel, who will be married to one of the many powerful community leaders vying for her hand, disobeying the Prophet means eternal damnation. Her friendship with the newest member of the community, the young and handsome Luke, starts as an attempt to save his agnostic soul, but ends with the pair falling helplessly in love. When Rachel is forbidden to see him, her absolute faith in the Prophet is severely tested.

When Rachel's future husband is finally announced, violence erupts, and the girls must find the strength to escape the only life they have ever know...before it's too late.

Claire Avery has woven a stunning tale that could be ripped from today's headlines. Shocking and empowering, "Hidden Wives" is a page-turning debut that will stay with the reader.

On a Sunday night during Homecoming weekend in 1999, Neenef Odah lured his ex-girlfriend, Maggie Wardle, to his dorm room at Kalamazoo College and killed her at close range with a shotgun before killing himself. In the wake of this tragedy, the community of the small, idyllic liberal arts college struggled to characterize the incident, which was even called "the events of October" in a campus memo. In this engaging and intimate examination of Maggie and Neenef's deaths, author and Kalamazoo College professor Gail Griffin attempts to answer the lingering question of "how could this happen?" to two seemingly normal students on such a close-knit campus. Griffin introduces readers to Maggie and Neenef-a bright and athletic local girl and the quiet Iraqi-American computer student-and retraces their relationship from multiple perspectives, including those of their friends, teachers, and classmates. She examines the tension that built between Maggie and Neenef as his demands for more of her time and emotional support grew, eventually leading to their breakup. After the deaths take place, Griffin presents multiple reactions, including those of Maggie's friends who were waiting for her to return from Neenef's room, the students who heard the shotgun blasts in the hallway of Neenef's dorm, the president who struggled to guide a grieving campus, and the facilities manager in charge of cleaning up the crime scene. Griffin also uses Maggie and Neenef's story to explore larger issues of intimate partner violence, gun accessibility, and depression and suicide on campus as she attempts to understand the lasting importance of their tragic deaths. Griffin's use of source material, including college documents, official police reports, Neenef's suicide note, and an instant message record between perpetrator and victim, puts a very real face on issues of violence against women. Readers interested in true crime, gender studies, and the culture of colleges and universities will appreciate "The Events of October."

This is the true account of a young man's journey, sailing his 21 foot, wooden boat single-handed over 7,000 miles. Over a period of seven years, he set off from British Columbia in the spring of 1979 and sailed first to San Francisco, then the Hawaiian Islands and on to a remote Pacific coral atoll called Fanning Island. It was here that he was offered the position of Relief Manager of a coconut plantation for a few months and ended up staying for six years. The book is part sailing log and part travelogue and expertly describes the conditions he endured, the power of the elements and his experience of living and working thousands of miles from home.

The true story of an ordinary policeman who served in the South African Police Force at the height of apartheid. With graphic scenes of violence and sex, it exposes the realities of being in the police force in the seventies and eighties when brutality was commonplace and men didn't cry. Johan Marais was also a witness to and participant in several incidences of police corruption and brutality. He developed a serious drinking problem and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, but it took a suicide attempt before he would admit that he had a problem. He consulted a doctor who recommended that he should write down his incredible life story. The result is Time Bomb. Not for the faint-hearted, this is story that needs to be told.

What on earth would make someone decide to put their whole life up for sale... on eBay? When Ian Usher decided that it was time to leave the past behind and move on to the next chapter of his life, that is exactly what he did. The results were surprising, entertaining and challenging. However, the auction was only the beginning of the adventure. What does someone do when they have sold their life? Well, just about anything they like really Armed with a list of 100 lifetime goals, and a self-imposed timeframe of 100 weeks, Ian embarked on what could truly be described as the journey of a lifetime - a global adventure spanning six continents, two years, and almost every emotion. From the amazing highs of achievement, happiness and love, to the terrible lows of disappointment, loneliness and despair, come along and enjoy the rollercoaster ride of life, as experienced by one traveller who is simply looking for a new start.

There are books about penoplasty (penile enlargement) but none from men who have actually undergone the procedure. I have appeared on television and been interviewed in magazines about my operation.

For Anyone Who's Ever Been a Teenager Who's teenage years weren't terrible? Remember the scary older kids? The sadistic gym teacher? The smelly kid who sat next to you in science class? Your first fumbling kiss? That time you threw up in the cafeteria? Your first attempt at putting on a condom? The period that arrived unexpectedly? That awful fight with your parents? The first time you got drunk? That note you wrote that you shouldn't have written? The day you forgot to zip your fly? That monster zit? When, you wondered, would it all end? In When I Was a Loser, John McNally, author of the novel America's Report Card, assembles twenty-five original essays--often hilarious, sometimes tenderhearted, always evocative--about defining moments of high school loserdom. Brad Land, Julianna Baggott, Owen King, Johanna Edwards, and many more fresh, talented writers explore their own angst, humiliation, heartache, and other staples of teen life. These essays perfectly capture what it was like to be in high school: to experience so many things for the first time, to assert independence while desperately trying to fit in, to feel misunderstood and unable to articulate the wild swings between heartbreak, anger, and euphoria. One writer recalls how his grandmother helped him with his home perm in preparation for the Senior Class picture; another recounts her discovery, sometime after hitting puberty, of the power she held over boys and men, while at the same time she felt herself at their mercy; a third remembers the casual cruelties visited on him by the cooler kids, and the cruelties he, in turn, inflicted on kids below him on the social ladder. Utterly candid and compulsively readable, these essays conjure up and untangle those raw and formative years. The writers cringe and laugh at the teenagers they were, but at the same time, they honor their adolescence and the way it shaped their lives. Because, in truth, beneath the layers of adult respectability, we all still carry a little bit of our teenage selves around with us.