A captivating, carefully woven tale of village eccentricities - related with hilarious, near-the-knuckle innuendo. Yet this fictional story may take you to a place that is recognisable. A most intriguing and unusually well-crafted piece of work that at times will reduce you to tears of joy.

A first person account of the memoirs of an adult centering around visits to his grandmothers house as a child. The location is a small mining town in western Pennsylvania in the mid to late 1950's. Life lessons are learned, bumps bruises and injuries are acquired, personalities are forged, and the boundries between right and wrong are established.

You don't feel well, so you call your doctor and get put on hold. The first available appointment is in three weeks. They ask about insurance. You tell them, "HMO." It is now four weeks. You quickly say, "PPO." It's back to three weeks. You plead and then yell. They say next week, angrily. You are now afraid they will mark your file and give you expired drugs made for rabid cows. You mention lawsuit. They'll squeeze you in tomorrow. You arrive fifteen minutes early, wait three hours, and see the doctor for two minutes. The prescription drug you get keeps you in the bathroom. Your insurance refuses to pay. Collectors call. You now have high blood pressure, so you call your doctor. You're put on hold. The first available appointment is in three weeks.

Hassles like these are inherent in the idiocy, incompetence, and illogical nature of America's health-care system. Author Bruce Abrahams is not a doctor; instead, he's a person with so many medical conditions that his medical alert bracelet simply states, "Never mind." As a perennial patient, Abrahams shares embarrassing anecdotes and provides valuable tips in dealing with health-care difficulties for both healthy and "health-challenged" individuals.

While carefully dissecting common difficulties using humor, Abrahams explores how to take charge of your health care. "Prescription for Laughter" offers practical advice from a patient's perspective that will keep you laughing as you successfully navigate a complicated health-care system.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish is the fourth installment in Douglas Adams' bestselling cult classic, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 'trilogy'. This edition includes exclusive bonus material from the Douglas Adams archives, and an introduction by Neil Gaiman. There is a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. It's not an easy thing to do and Arthur Dent thinks he's the only human who's been able to master this nifty little trick - until he meets Fenchurch, the girl of his dreams. Fenchurch knows how the world could be made a good and happy place. Unfortunately, she's forgotten. Convinced that the secret lies within God's Final Message to His Creation they go in search of it. And, in a dramatic break with tradition, actually find it . . . Follow Arthur Dent's galactic (mis)adventures in the last of the 'trilogy of five', Mostly Harmless.

After nearly a decade of dutifully climbing the corporate ladder to become a partner in a headhunting firm, Lucy Leonelli was feeling restless in a life that was seemingly mapped out for her, and she could not shake the sense that she was missing out on something... something out there. Realising that the answer was right in front of her - in a country so full of clandestine communities and colourful, eccentric characters - Lucy made the daring decision to hit the pause button on her career and hang up her suit in favour of a year exploring twenty-six wildly different subcultures. Over the next twelve months, she lived with battle re-enactors, circus performers, hill baggers, Morris dancers, naturists, trainspotters, yogis, zeitgeist political activists and more, experiencing first-hand their social rituals and customs in the hope that, somewhere along the way, she might just uncover the most authentic version of herself. A Year in the Life charts Lucy's adventure as she sang naked karaoke with naturists, jumped from one very high place to another with parkour daredevils, partied in tight latex with self-proclaimed vampires and fought the undead in an epic LARP battle. It tells of the importance of community in an increasingly isolating society; of the unquenchable human thirst for a sense of belonging; of how misguided our own prejudices can be; and of how when we open the door to others, we might just learn something about ourselves.

Viet Nam, the hippie movement, Roe v. Wade, inflation, OPEC crisis, Watergate...the perceived loss of America's innocence provides the national stage for Into the Second Springtime. Meet Wesley Gallagher, a precocious young man who is prone to making mischief and scheming shenanigans. You'll laugh at Wesley's perceptions of the world and fall in love with the strong and steady influences in his life. With stormy issues facing the nation, you'll cheer at the bright beacons of light guiding Wesley, quietly instilling values that create a healthy and substantial anchor in this tender coming-of-age novel. Written with unpretentious messages of charity, forgiveness, hope, humor, love and respect, you will cheer Hurrah! for America again.

No, they weren't 'just friends'! Queer women have been written out of history since, well, forever. 'But historians famously care about women!', said no one. From Anne Bonny and Mary Read who sailed the seas together disguised as pirates, to US football captain Megan Rapinoe declaring 'You can't win a championship without gays on your team', via countless literary salons and tuxedos, A Short History of Queer Women sets the record straight on women who have loved other women through the ages. Who says lesbians can't be funny?

Mark Twain (or Samuel Clemens) intended for his autobiography to be published long after he died. He felt that he couldn't be honest about his experiences and contemporaries if he was worried about the reaction of others. However, in 1906 he agreed to publish selections from the autobiography in the North American Review, from September 1906 through December 1907. The twenty-five "Chapters from My Autobiography" have been brought together in this book. At the beginning of each chapter is the following preface: Prefatory Note -- Mr. Clemens began to write his autobiography many years ago, and he continues to add to it day by day. It was his original intention to permit no publication of his memoirs until after his death; but, after leaving "Pier No. 70," he concluded that a considerable portion might now suitably be given to the public. It is that portion, garnered from the quarter-million of words already written, which will appear in this Review during the coming year. No part of the autobiography will be published in book form during the lifetime of the author. -- Editor N. A. R.Eventually the full 'Autobiography of Mark Twain' was published after his death. It is more a lengthy set of anecdotes and ruminations than a traditional autobiography, published in four volumes and comprises some half a million words.

Marty is a Professional Bus / Shuttle Driver and has been driving for many years. His occupation is one that puts him up front and personal with a special sector of our society; Bus Passengers. Over the years he has accumulated an assortment of short stories while driving a city transit bus; he wishes to share these stories with you. Many of these stories are serious while others are mind boggling, hilarious or just make you say, "Oh my gosh; what were they thinking." He has written this book using the following parameters: there are no swear words in this book (He doesn't need to use profanity to get his point across); he does not identify any ethnic backgrounds of the people in his stories (Marty wants people to view people without prejudice and bias) and lastly he was honest and told the truth to the best of his ability (By doing this he has found out that people don't like the truth and will go to extremes to avoid it.) Marty's' writings are unique because he writes like he talks. He does this so that he can relate to anybody who has ever told a story. The stories that he tells are inspirational, motivational and humorous. He has become a Master Story Teller and shares his stories with all who will listen. So get on board; Put your fare in the box; Grab a seat and be prepared for the ride of your life "HEY, I'M MARTY. I DRIVE THE BUS " BOOK I is currently being sold worldwide.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! 2022 is sure to amaze and astound children and adults alike with thousands of strange stories, unusual feats and hair-raising oddities from around the world. Meet the man who has made a model of the Empire State Building - in cheese. Marvel at the heart-warming story of the dog that adopted five kittens. Read all about the curse of OEtzi, the five-thousand-year-old iceman mummy. Be amazed by the strange and extraordinary sea creatures that create their own light. Bursting with brilliant facts, fantastic stories and eye-popping photographs, this all-new edition of Ripley's will entertain, inform and flabbergast you. No Christmas is complete without it.