Hope is hard to come by in the hard-luck town of Willow Creek. Sam Pickett and five young men are about to change that. Sam Pickett never expected to settle in this dried-up shell of a town on the western edge of the world. He's come here to hide from the violence and madness that have shattered his life, but what he finds is what he least expects. There's a spirit that endures in Willow Creek, Montana. It seems that every inhabitant of this forgotten outpost has a story, a reason for taking a detour to this place--or a reason for staying. As the coach of the hapless high school basketball team (zero wins, ninety-three losses), Sam can't help but be moved by the bravery he witnesses in the everyday lives of people--including his own young players--bearing their sorrows and broken dreams. How do they carry on, believing in a future that seems to be based on the flimsiest of promises? Drawing on the strength of the boys on the team, sharing the hope they display despite insurmountable odds, Sam finally begins to see a future worth living.Author Stanley Gordon West has filled the town of Willow Creek with characters so vividly cast that they become real as relatives, and their stories--so full of humor and passion, loss and determination--illuminate a path into the human heart. "

Get this book to a few of your favorite readers and stand back. It starts brush fires wherever it goes, fanned by great word of mouth, spreading through book clubs and reading groups of all ages, into living rooms and bedrooms and classrooms, loved and acclaimed by readers who don't want it to end.

No matter what type of boat you own, or what you do with it, the rapidly changing marine electronics field offers something to make your life easier -- from VHF and single-sideband radios to depthsounders, fishfinders, electronic chart plotters, radar, cellular phones, loran, and GPS systems. Here's all you need to compare, assess, buy, install, and operate marine electronics gear -- in an objective, straightforward text that covers:

When and what to buy, and from whom -- Asking the right questions

Assessing and interpreting warranties -- Installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting

How the equipment works, from two of the country's acknowledged experts