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Books > Fiction > True stories > General
Our stories are our survival centres on the continuity of Wiradjuri culture. It is a celebration of storytelling and the joys of life within an Aboriginal Australian community. Our stories offers an alternative to the commonly told stories of Aboriginal disadvantage. Using sport as a lens, the book brings to light the continued strength of Aboriginal culture. It places contemporary representations of Aboriginal people and communities into historical context and calls for readers to rethink what they know about Australian Indigenous communities. Bamblett places a high value on Wiradjuri storytelling and includes testimony from within the community. As a member of the Erambie community he has been given unparalleled access to stories and photographs. His love of community shines through.
At a time of political polarization and economic turmoil, Americans yearn for superlative leadership. Few have demonstrated leadership better than Captain Sully Sullenberger, a man who embodies the core values that are the heart of America: responsibility, optimism, integrity, loyalty, and compassion. In this follow-up to his "New York Times" bestselling memoir "Highest Duty", Sully engages nearly a dozen distinguished Americans to explore the nature of leadership, what it means, what it takes, and how it can be fostered and developed in all of our lives. Key questions that are addressed in this book include: Where do the best leaders come from? How do the most successful and creative truly lead, motivate, and inspire? Sullenberger talks to men and women from diverse fields, including medicine, education, sports, public service, finance, and the military, all who embody the truest sense of moral courage and leadership by personal example. Among those included are: Tony La Russa, the legendary baseball manager; Eugene Kranz, the NASA Flight Director during the historic Gemini and Apollo programs; Michelle Rhee, founder of the New Teacher Project; former Governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm; Jim Sinegal, co-founder and CEO, Costco; Major Tammy Duckworth, former Assistant Secretary with the Department of Veterans Affairs; and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich. This is an inspirational journey that asks us to consider the fundamental question: What is the nature of leadership? "Making a Difference" challenges us with lessons each of us can apply to our own lives.
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.
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.
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!
"Scathing expose of the coal industry."
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.
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.
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.
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.
The remarkable true New Zealand stories of Australian whaler William Thomas as told to his grandchildren in the 1890's. These fantastic tales span the course of 90 years and have William unwittingly embedded at key important and historical moments in Southland and Otago's history. Along with other fascinating adventures William brings the past back to life in his unique story telling. His marvelous tales are humorous, bizarre and sometimes tragic but always gritty, genuine and down to earth in their narrative. Edited and Arranged by David Dudfield Forward by Lloyd Esler
When Steve Phillips started as a 15-year-old apprentice with a Birmingham engineering company in 1961, the Beatles were still the Quarrymen and a pint of mild cost one shilling and threepence. Five years of dirt and grind, legpulls, laughter and sheer hard graft later, Steve was a skilled turner and fitter, schooled the old-fashioned way by senior craftsmen who knew how to turn a screw, mill a die or grind a component to half a thousandth of an inch using manually-controlled machine tools, a micrometer and the skill in their fingers. He had also found the time - and saved the money - to marry his teenage sweetheart and buy a house. Steve went on to a varied and successful career in the UK manufacturing industry. Half a century on, now retired and living in Cyprus, he looks back on an era before computers and CNC machines, when Birmingham and its factories were the backbone of industrial Britain and families and workmates stuck together. Ten bob an hour is a fascinating portrait of an era long gone.
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.
"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.
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." 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.
In his darkest hour he seeks the help of Bhogi, his grandfather in India, and through his life story, one that includes the struggles of orphan hood, stark poverty, droughts, alcoholic sons and forced marriages, Maharshi realizes the many mistakes he made and the triviality of his fatalism, and how to go about setting his life on track Again.
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.
A compelling account of the shocking scandal, this examination details the events that culminated in a respected official becoming the first Australian former superior court judge to be imprisoned. Marcus Einfeld, a former Federal Court judge and human rights champion, and his old friend Teresa Brennan, an exuberant, U.S.-based academic, had spent years building careers that exuded success. In 2006, Einfeld was caught speeding, but instead of paying a small fine, the former judge told the court that Brennan had been driving his car. In reality, she had been dead for three years. Through a chain of events that at times seemed exceedingly unlikely, Einfeld's lie was exposed with unimaginable consequences. His world, and virtually every honor he had earned, rapidly disappeared. And, his old friend Brennan, who had died in suspicious circumstances, was suddenly, posthumously, attracting attention for all the wrong reasons. This is the remarkable story of two outstanding Australians who lived large, and, ultimately, have been bound by tragedy.
In Remarkable People, Dan Walker, the host of BBC1's Breakfast, recounts inspiring stories of the courage and selflessness of people he has met throughout his career. An uplifting tonic for the darkness and negativity of recent times. We live in an age of anxiety, besieged by bad news and uncertainty. But Dan Walker, the host of BBC1's Breakfast and Football Focus, is determined to shine a light onto stories of selflessness and compassion that seldom make the headlines. In the course of his professional life, Dan has encountered many inspiring stories of bravery and kindness. In Remarkable People, he recounts tales of incredible humanity, empathy, compassion, and a steely determination to transform lives, restore trust, renew hope. Remarkable People is the perfect book for these challenging times; an escape from the negativity of our everyday news cycle, and a tribute to courage and positivity.
This inspiring collection of real life stories captures the struggles and successes of nine remarkable deaf adults and parents of deaf children. Each story offers a candid insight into the world of deafness - the highs and lows. Five parents describe their experiences in dealing with the diagnosis and embracing the challenges of raising a deaf child in a hearing world. Five deaf adults describe their own journey with hearing loss and paint an honest picture of the struggles and barriers they have encountered being deaf in a hearing world. Each story illustrates that deaf people can BE, DO and HAVE anything they want in this world and that nothing is impossible. All provide specific strategies they have used to tackle barriers related to early intervention services, education, or issues within the family and community, employment and adulthood. An invaluable resource for families of deaf and hard of hearing children and professionals working in the deafness field.
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.
"Wasting Libby" chronicles decades of neglect by state and federal agencies, which allowed the Grace corporation to reap millions in profits from the largest vermiculite mine in the world, while knowingly exposing generations of Montana residents to fatal levels of asbestos-contaminated dust. Libby's story, which culminates in the 2009 criminal trial of the corporation's executives, is ultimately the tale of the families who fought Grace for justice, who refused to sacrifice their dignity even as they lost their lives. With an introduction by actor and environmentalist Jeff Bridges. Andrea Peacock is the co-author, with Doug Peacock, of "The Essential Grizzly."
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." |
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