We've all experienced times of great uncertainty. A health crisis. A rocky marriage. A stressful job. And these crises can tap into our deepest fears of the uncertain, the unknowable, the unforeseen. How do we respond? Because uncertainty is so painful, we too often seek the quickest resolution of that pain. We flee from the unhappy marriage. Quit the job. Try to escape through denial or addiction. Or, hungering for simple solutions, we bury our heads in the sands of fixed and rigid certainty. We cling to dogma, science, prejudice. Put our trust in gurus, unyielding political beliefs or divisive ideologies. But there is another way. In the Oscar-winning movie Steel Magnolias, Julia Roberts' character faces wrenching uncertainty as she must decide whether to have a baby and put her own life at risk. As she takes a dangerous leap into the unknown, she says, "I'd rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special." Embracing uncertainty--rather than seeking to banish or ignore it---is in fact the only way to utilize its power. To mine its vast potential as a source of creativity, authenticity, and personal and professional growth. Which is what this book is all about. In The Power of Uncertainty, authors Hoyt Hilsman (author, political commentator and former Congressional candidate) and Dennis Palumbo (noted psychotherapist, author, and former screenwriter) argue that fear and uncertainty are, in fact, the wellsprings of positive change. Rather than trying to banish fear and doubt, or struggle against the reality of uncertainty, we should view uncertainty -- and our own fears---as a part of the normal state of nature, and of human life and society. As this ground-breaking book shows, it's only by embracing the power of uncertainty that we can open doors to a world of greater creativity, accomplishment and fulfillment, both as individuals and as a society.

When author, journalist and political commentator Hoyt Hilsman joined The Huffington Post editors as a contributor in the fall of 2008, he had just finished a second unsuccessful campaign for Congress in California, but he still had lots to say about the politics and culture of our country. Since then, he has written over a hundred essays for HuffPost, on topics ranging from gun control to Brittney Spears, with a focus on American politics and culture. As an unabashed Democratic centrist (or more precisely center-left), Hilsman believes in an activist government to meet the needs of all the people, but he also believes that government should be effective and efficient, with as little waste of money and human resources as possible. While he frequently takes the Right to task for their excesses during the Obama presidency, he also has been a critic of some of President Obama's policies and politics. So all that puts Hilsman squarely in the middle of the road as a political and social commentator, which leads to an explanation of the title of this volume of essays - Armadillos and Yellow Lines. Those readers of political commentary will recognize this a reframing of the Jim Hightower quote: "There's nothing in the middle of the road but yellow lines and dead armadillos." His message - stay away from the political middle unless you want to get run over. For better or for worse, Hilsman have accepted the challenge of cheating fate in the middle of the road. Perhaps, after reading these essays, you may want to join him on that lonely patch of asphalt.

When virtually all of the political and military leadership of Pakistan are wiped out by a terrorist attack at the inauguration ceremony of a new President, a race begins to seize control of the country's vulnerable cache of nuclear weapons. CIA agent Grant Stearns and the Team Six Navy SEALs are sent on a mission to secure the top secret Wah nuclear munitions center (near the infamous Osama Bin Laden compound in Abbottabad) and unlock the mysterious Chaklala Codes - the encrypted keys to Pakistan's nuclear weapons - before anyone else gets ahold of them. Stearns and his team are pitted against a wide array of foes - from the radical jihadist Lakshar-e-Taiba (who were responsible for the deadly attacks on Mumbai India) to a strike force of Iranian Quds Special Forces -- all of whom are determined to seize the prize of Pakistan's nuclear weaponry. Working against both a ticking clock and the treachery of the Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency, not to mention the bureaucratic red tape of their own government, Stearns and the SEALS use every resource that they can bring to keep the dangerous nukes out of the hands of America's enemies. The Chaklala Codes is the second in a series of international political thrillers by award-winning author and political insider Hoyt Hilsman. The first in the series, 19 Angels was widely acclaimed, with critics calling it: "A perfect political thriller...""a dynamic hero, a canyon of exotic locales and verbal jousting between protagonists that ultimately provides the fuel that keeps one reading" "a compelling international thriller that kept me turning the pages right to the end"

What is behind the economic cycle that resulted in the excesses of the late twentieth century and the Great Recession of the twenty-first century? Is it simply part of the ebb and flow of the worldwide economy? Or is it just human nature to fall victim to endless cycles of boom and bust? Certainly there have been periods throughout human history when economies have risen and fallen, and when human greed and risk-taking has resulted in great catastrophes. But is this period somehow different, and, if so, what is the underlying dynamic that we are experiencing? Idonomics - the triumph of the pleasure principle over a traditional, common-sense approach - is the culprit. Unlike previous generations, today's Americans have traded our traditional economic and social values for "idonomics" - the pursuit of the pleasure principle. In this groundbreaking book, Hoyt Hilsman argues that idonomics has impacted not only our economy, but our politics, media, technology, even our religious and personal lives. In the bargain, we have abandoned the common sense that has been a hallmark of the American character. And we have put the American Dream at risk. Hoyt Hilsman is an award-winning author, journalist and former candidate for Congress in California. He is a contributor to national media, including The Huffington Post, where he is a regular columnist.

On the night of October 25th, 1929, the French writer Stendhal set about to write his classic novel Le Rouge et Le Noir, which had been inspired by the trial of a young seminarian, Antoine Berthet, who was charged with killing his mistress, a married woman from a provincial town. In Hilsman's dramatic comedy, we learn the story of the seminarian, a poor farm boy with a secret enthusiasm for Napoleon. Berthet is sent to tutor the child of a provincial mayor and, before long, begins an affair with the mayor's wife. When her husband discovers her affair, she ends their relationship and confesses her sin to the local priest. Enraged, Antoine follows her to a village church where he shoots her. She survives, but Antoine is put on trial. Frustrated by his failing literary career, Stendhal confides in his dearest friend, Mme. Jules Gaulthier, vowing to leave Paris to attend the trial of the young seminarian, she is aghast. Stendhal arrives at the prison and tries to persuade him to recant and save, but he refuses and is sent to the guillotine. Stendhal vows to tell his story, in what will become the classic novel, Le Rouge et Le Noir. Stendhal's life becomes entwined with the fate of the young seminarian. Frustrated by his failing literary career, Stendhal confides in his dearest friend, Mme. Jules Gaulthier, vowing to leave Paris to attend the trial of a young seminarian accused of shooting his married lover in a church, she is aghast. Stendhal arrives at the prison and tries to persuade him to recant and save, but he refuses and is sent to the guillotine. Stendhal vows to tell his story, in what will become the classic novel, Le Rouge et Le Noir. HOYT HILSMAN is an award-winning writer, journalist and former candidate for Congress in California. He has written screenplays for a number of studios and television networks, including Disney, Sony, New Line, Fox, ABC, NBC and CBS. His stage plays and musicals have been produced in theaters around the country and abroad, and have won numerous awards. He is the author of a series of political thrillers, including Nineteen Angels, which is currently in development as a feature film. Mr. Hilsman has been an active participant in the national political scene, as well as a candidate for Congress. He was a delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention and later ran for Congress. Mr. Hilsman has written hundreds of articles and op-eds for national newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Baltimore Sun, Los Angeles Magazine, Variety, and The National Law Journal. He has been a regular theater and TV critic for Variety, is a recipient of the Apex Award for Excellence in Journalism and is currently a regular columnist/blogger for the Huffington Post

Family Values is a full-length comedy by Hoyt Hilsman. Set in Washington, DC, the play is about a Senator from Idaho and his oddball family. When son Duncan returns from his first semester at college, he discovers that his room has been turned over to an itinerant reporter for the BBC. His father is in the midst of a political campaign, his mother is trying to remember when the family dog died, and his sixteen-year old sister is about to elope to Las Vegas with her lesbian lover. Family Values is part of a family trilogy, which includes Foggy Bottom, which was adapted as a television pilot, optioned by Fox, and honored at the Slamdance Film Festival. Family Values has five characters and flexible settings.

On the night of October 25th, 1929, the French writer Stendhal set about to write his classic novel Le Rouge et Le Noir, which had been inspired by the trial of a young seminarian, Antoine Berthet, who was charged with killing his mistress, a married woman from a provincial town. In Hilsman's dramatic comedy, we learn the story of the seminarian, a poor farm boy with a secret enthusiasm for Napoleon. Berthet is sent to tutor the child of a provincial mayor and, before long, begins an affair with the mayor's wife. When her husband discovers her affair, she ends their relationship and confesses her sin to the local priest. Enraged, Antoine follows her to a village church where he shoots her. She survives, but Antoine is put on trial. Frustrated by his failing literary career, Stendhal confides in his dearest friend, Mme. Jules Gaulthier, vowing to leave Paris to attend the trial of the young seminarian, she is aghast. Stendhal arrives at the prison and tries to persuade him to recant and save, but he refuses and is sent to the guillotine. Stendhal vows to tell his story, in what will become the classic novel, Le Rouge et Le Noir. Stendhal's life becomes entwined with the fate of the young seminarian. Frustrated by his failing literary career, Stendhal confides in his dearest friend, Mme. Jules Gaulthier, vowing to leave Paris to attend the trial of a young seminarian accused of shooting his married lover in a church, she is aghast. Stendhal arrives at the prison and tries to persuade him to recant and save, but he refuses and is sent to the guillotine. Stendhal vows to tell his story, in what will become the classic novel, Le Rouge et Le Noir.

It's October, 1962. Soviet missiles in Cuba are poised to launch at the US. President Kennedy announces a blockade on TV. Fear grips America. Sixteen-year old Duncan Ambrose wants to lose his virginity before the world ends. Which could be in about 36 hours. He'd also like to figure out the meaning of life. Which could also be a challenge. Duncan's family won't be much help. His father, head of Intelligence for the State Department and famous for his very bad haircut, is away in a secret location briefing the President on the crisis. His mother is too busy crying over the kitchen sink to sympathize with Duncan's plight. And his little sister Rachel, destined to become a feminist lawyer, is in her stupid phase, listening to the Beatles and chatting on her Princess phone. His teachers can't give him much advice. Mrs. Matters, his history teacher, is divorced, and therefore either a nymphomaniac or crazy, or both. His Latin teacher, Miss Rosebrook, is a refugee from a Tennessee Williams play, complete with a tawdry past. His friends just think he's weird. Despite the threat of nuclear annihilation and the craziness of his quirky family, Duncan (almost) manages to lose his virginity. And, along the way, he begins to figure out the meaning of life. An original television pilot based on the play received an award at the Slamdance Film Festival's television competition. HOYT HILSMAN is an award-winning writer, journalist and critic, and a former candidate for Congress. He has written screenplays for studios and television networks, including Disney, Sony, New Line, ABC, NBC and CBS, and his stage plays and musicals have been produced in theaters around the country and abroad, and have won numerous awards. Mr. Hilsman has been a regular critic for Daily Variety, former President of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, and chair of the PEN West drama awards. He has been an active participant in the national political scene, as a delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention and later as a candidate for Congress in California. Mr. Hilsman has written hundreds of articles and op-eds for national newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Baltimore Sun and Los Angeles Magazine, and is currently a regular columnist for the Huffington Post. His novel, 19 Angels, a political thriller set in the Middle East, is currently in development as a feature film.

This is the story of Perpetua, a young Roman woman living in the city of Carthage in North Africa early in the 3rd century A.D. Perpetua came from a noble Roman family, was a wife and mother of a young child and was secretly a Christian at a time when they were being widely persecuted. When the Roman governor ordered the arrest of Christians - mostly lower-caste servants and others - Perpetua publically declared her faith. Despite her nobleman father's pleas to save herself, she insisted on being treated like any other believer. After a long imprisonment and trial, Perpetua died as a martyr in the Roman Colosseum, along with thousands of others. She left behind her husband and small baby, but was later canonized as St. Perpetua for her courage. The film is not only a story of enduring faith, courage and sacrifice, but also a universal tale of love and family. HOYT HILSMAN is an award-winning writer and former candidate for Congress in California. He has written screenplays for numerous studios and networks, including New Line, Sony, Disney, ABC, CBS and others. He has also been a regular critic for Variety, and a contributor to national media, including the Huffington Post, New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and others. He is active in national politics, not only as a former candidate for Congress, but also as a member of several national political and public policy organizations.

A mixed-media volume with text by Hoyt Hilsman and original artwork by Nancy Kay Turner

In March, 2008, the eighty-five year old brokerage firm of Bear Stearns was in deep trouble, bloated with failing mortgage-backed securities. On the verge of bankruptcy, the management of Bear Stearns spent a hectic weekend in negotiations with the major banks and the federal government in an effort to save the company. For Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, the leaders of the international banks, and investors like Warren Buffet, the stakes were even higher - saving the global economy. In this fast-paced screenplay, the big players in this Wall Street drama reveal both the strengths and weakness of human beings under incredible pressure - and the failures and dangers of the global economy. Hoyt Hilsman is an award-winning screenwriter, playwright and journalist. He has written screenplays for Sony, Disney, New Line, CBS, ABC and others, and his plays have been widely produced in the U.S. and abroad. He is also a recognized political figure and former candidate for Congress. He is a frequent contributor to The Huffington Post and other national publications and was a regular critic for Variety .

The tragic, epic story of Nelson Rockefeller - colorful scion of the wealthiest family in America, philanthropist and philanderer, collector of art and women, equally reviled by the political left and right, Vice-President and candidate for President, the scourge of the Attica Prison riots and the savior of New York. From his privileged but bleak upbringing to his firestorm life, from his dynamic personality to his scandalous divorce, from his priceless art collection to his sudden death in the arms of his mistress, this is the story of an outsized figure - and one of America's greatest characters - during one of the most turbulent eras in American history. Hoyt Hilsman is an award-winning screenwriter, journalist and playwright. He has written screenplays for Sony, Disney, New Line, CBS, ABC and others, and his plays have been widely produced in the U.S. and abroad. He is also a recognized political figure, most recently as a candidate for Congress in California. He grew up in Washington, DC, where his father was an advisor to President Kennedy. He is a frequent contributor to The Huffington Post and other national publications, was a regular critic for Variety and is a recipient of the Apex Award for Journalism. His scripts have been honored at the Slamdance Film Festival, the O'Neill Theater Center and elsewhere.

BACK CHANNEL is a political thriller, inspired by news reports of secret negotiations between Saddam Hussein's government and the Bush administration prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The story focuses on an American intelligence officer who is contacted by an Iraqi diplomat -- an old friend -- with an offer to negotiate. The official's life, both professional and personal, is thrown into danger when he reports the contact to the office of the Vice-President. BACK CHANNEL, while a work of fiction, echoes many of the events that have come to light in the years since the invasion of Iraq.

It's October, 1962. Soviet missiles in Cuba are poised to launch at the US. President Kennedy announces a blockade on TV. Fear grips America. Sixteen-year old Duncan Ambrose wants to lose his virginity before the world ends. Which could be in about 36 hours. He'd also like to figure out the meaning of life. Which could also be a challenge. Duncan's family won't be much help. His father, head of Intelligence for the State Department and famous for his very bad haircut, is away in a secret location briefing the President on the crisis. His mother is too busy crying over the kitchen sink to sympathize with Duncan's plight. And his little sister Rachel, destined to become a feminist lawyer, is in her stupid phase, listening to the Beatles and chatting on her Princess phone. His teachers can't give him much advice. Mrs. Matters, his history teacher, is divorced, and therefore either a nymphomaniac or crazy, or both. His Latin teacher, Miss Rosebrook, is a refugee from a Tennessee Williams play, complete with a tawdry past. His friends just think he's weird. Despite the threat of nuclear annihilation and the craziness of his quirky family, Duncan (almost) manages to lose his virginity. And, along the way, he begins to figure out the meaning of life. An original television pilot based on the play received an award at the Slamdance Film Festival's television competition. HOYT HILSMAN is an award-winning writer, journalist and critic, and a former candidate for Congress. He has written screenplays for studios and television networks, including Disney, Sony, New Line, ABC, NBC and CBS, and his stage plays and musicals have been produced in theaters around the country and abroad, and have won numerous awards. Mr. Hilsman has been a regular critic for Daily Variety, former President of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, and chair of the PEN West drama awards. He has been an active participant in the national political scene, as a delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention and later as a candidate for Congress in California. Mr. Hilsman has written hundreds of articles and op-eds for national newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Baltimore Sun and Los Angeles Magazine, and is currently a regular columnist for the Huffington Post. His novel, 19 Angels, a political thriller set in the Middle East, is currently in development as a feature film.