Away

In 1,001 Excuses!, George Zgourides and Nancy Pickering successfully collaborate to present a compendium of proven techniques, strategies, and methods to prevent the reader from being entrapped into being involved with someone else's agenda, activity or scheme against the reader's own will and best interests. Of particular value is the introductory chapter clearly explaining why non-assertive, overly nice, easily manipulated people do not have to be exploited for someone else's pleasure or purpose. 1,001 Excuses! out to be prominently available in every community library self-help collection in the country, and is "must" reading for anyone no longer willing to feel like other people's "doormat".

This book has changed my life for the better, however it was not easy. This book is about how to get manipulators out of your life and start living your own. After reading this book me and my wife had to change Churches, (we were #1 on the churches volunteer list) my wife had to change her job and I had to change my business practices. This has resulted in several law suits (Some in my favor). If there are manipulators in your life and they have been manipulating you for years, the manipulators will not let go of you so easily after all you are there free meal ticket. The good side is we were able to move from a small 3 bedroom apartment to a 2700 square foot home just 6 weeks after reading the book. Me and my wife have doubled are income as a result of reading this book. Before my wife was working for a manipulator that was having her work 60 hours a week including the weekends. Now my wife got a new job working on an hourly wage making $5 more an hour, she's still work 60 hours a week except she gets paid time and a half for overtime!!! This is a great book if you want to change you life keep in mind it won't be easy you will possibly have to change friends, change your job, and put restraining orders against some manipulators (some won't take no for an answer.)

This book is one of those books that only comes along once in a while. Why doesn't anyone write parodies any more? Who doesn't like a good parody? This book is great. Windows for dumbells, Having our lay, Mars and Venus in the bathroom... and all around the house, The farm, Iron Tom, Jurrasic Pork, "S" is for supercalifragilisticexpealodoious and The "you're Hot, baby" zone are just some of the gut busting parodies in this book. and who can forget the parody that is the title of the book: 7 habits of highly defective people, which is the 18 page classic right in the middle of the book. I recommend this book to everyone. I bought it for 7 bucks when it came out. Buy it for one dollar now. What's a buck to you? 117 pages of pure parody, what more could you ask for?

This is simply a hilarious audio casette. You will laugh so loud that you will disturb the neighbors. I have listened to it five times. And each time, it becomes funnier and funnier. If you are hypersensitive, I wouldn't buy this cassette. The authors really lampoon so many of our favorite icons. Order this audio casette and have the time of your life!

Of all of Joan Aiken's books I have read, this is far and away the best. My sister read it to me when I was six, and I think I've read it 10 times since. I'm heading towards thirty and still enjoy it immensely. It's a shame it's out of print.

With this book, Joan Aiken has written another wonderful children's book. I personally think this book should be considered a children's classic - it has all the right stuff. It consists of short stories that center on 2 children, whose mother wished (while she had a wishing stone on her finger) that her children should always have an interesting life - but only one day of the week. These wonderful, whimsical stories range from being about the children's ghost governess, to the day that their house is turned into a school for warlocks (and this while their father is a ladybug!). Joan Aiken's wonderful writing makes this book a must read, for children or older readers.

Have You Ever Been "Away" and Had A "Far Out" Time?

Have you ever been in an earthquake? in a high-rise hotel?

Have you ever been rescued in Mexico by the Marines?

Have you ever been upside down in a plane at 30,000 feet?

Have you ever been through a hurricane? in a sailboat?

Ralph Bolton has!

In "Away and Far Out", Mr. Bolton recalls nearly 77 years of "far out" travel experiences in exotic locations ranging from Turkey to Egypt to Australia to his very own backyard.

Ralph shares a lifetime of adventures he has had with his wife and travel companion Arlene - adventures that were at times frightening, unbelievable and hilarious and always with a happy ending.

Yes, folks, toilets can flush up! Read the book and find out how!

As a master story teller and prankster, Ralph will entertain you whether you are reading this book at 30,000 feet, sailing the sea or sitting in your arm chair at home! From funny memories of childhood adventures to present day "calamities," Ralph has fun telling tales on himself, as well as on others! One can only imagine the response of those, kept anonymous in these stories, as they read the "truth" about what really took place!

These things, incredible as they may seem, REALLY did happen - and reading about them adds to their continued enjoyment. Not only will this light-hearted book bring you a good laugh, but it may also encourage you to recall your own humourous or preposterous moments and have fun re-telling them too. Maybe you'll even write a book . . .

Reviewer's note: How come Grandpa falling off the freighter, or being carted away in the paddy wagon wasn't in there? and by the way, Ralph's humorous approach to life is not always shared by those closest to him - especially Arlene, one of the author's main characters, who has lovingly "put up" with his shenanigans over the last 55 years. But, he's my Dad and I wouldn't have him any other way!

What a wonderful honest account of the struggles of a man, Hugh Gregory Gallagher who at his peak suffered a tremendous loss as a result of polio. Yet in spite of it, and in part because Mr. Gallagher was blessed with a smart mind and strong spirit, overcame the obstacles, making a statement to society about his worth as a human being, as he pursued his dreams, then ultimately made the world a better place for thosewith disabilities. As a polio survivor and one who is facing the challenges of the late effects of post polio, I applaud Mr. Gallagher for his courage and have read and re-read his book to help me gain my strength and courage to face the challenges before me.

From Jack Trombadore Book Reviews New Jersey Polio Network
NEWSLETTER, Fall, 1998.

In this collection of essays, journals, writings and personal recollections spanning almost half a century, Hugh Gallagher courageously reveals himself in a compelling autobiography as both protagonist and antagonist in a drama with countless scenes in three acts. Throughout the first two acts he forces himself to overcome the role of emotional anti-hero until he achieves final freedom from the talons of clinical depression at the beginning of a long, ongoing and productive third act.

Stricken with severe paralytic polio at nineteen, Gallagher never walked again. A freshman at Haverford in the spring of 1952, he was young, beautiful and free; he was in love with a beautiful girl, the novels of Thomas Mann, Italian opera, politics, and with life. He was young, strong and invincible.

Polio, My Account, was written twenty years "after the event" and never previously published. Here, he tells us what it "felt" like to have had a life sentence of disability imposed without hope of pardon or parole. The physiological aspects of his polio were just representative of the inward tragedy of the collapse of a young life. He saw himself watching his own deterioration from outside his body. He saw the horrific progression of the disease the first days: legs, trunk, breathing, arms, hands, neck, double and quadruple vision, the tracheotomy on a body too weak for anesthetics, the rush down corridors in the arms of non-medical personnel to the iron lung, the108 degree fever, last rites.

His body was the battlefield for the doctors and his presence was "accidental." No one disclosed what his ravaged body would be like if they succeeded in keeping him alive. The overwhelming question became: stop or go, yes or no, live or die. He decided to live.

After a year in hospitals, he was admitted to the Warm Springs Foundation in Georgia. He spent nine months there, learning the "functional" tricks of the trade that would enable him again to live in the outside world. He was physically independent, healthy and in a wheelchair. He still is.

He obtained his American B.A. in 1956 from Claremont McKenna College in California. It was the only college of the forty to which he had written that was fully accessible. His first application for a Rhodes Fellowship to Oxford was returned unprocessed; Gallagher was not "fit in mind and body" as required by the will of Cecil Rhodes. His was the first application Oxford had ever received from a disabled person. However, he did attend Oxford with a Marshall Fellow scholarship and studied there for three years at Trinity College, the only one of Oxford's thirty-five individual colleges that was "wheelchair accessible." He was the only person at Oxford in a wheelchair. There he endured unbelievable hardships.

The water closet was a block away, down a ramp and up a ramp, nearly always slippery from the constant rain. The bath facilities were inaccessible and he did not bathe or wash his hair for a year at a time. His legs turned blue from the cold and stayed blue until the late spring. Despite having acquired an outstanding education and lifelong friends, Gallagher now looks with awe and disbelief at the hardships he willingly endured in those three years.

In 1959, as a member of a senatorial staff on Capitol Hill he was once again the only person there in a wheelchair. There was no handicap parking, there were steps everywhere, and the bathrooms were not accessible.

In 1962 Gallagher began his life's work, the search for equal access and equal rights for disabled persons, when he joined the staff of Alaska's powerful, popular and supportive Senator Bob Bartlett (D. Alaska), a member of the Appropriations Committee. The Senator authorized him to work on disability issues and agreed to support this work. Gallagher drafted the Federal Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, the first legislation anywhere to treat equal access of disabled people as a civil right, and the precursor to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

One is thrilled by the account of the political maneuvering, and the political blackmail engineered by Gallagher and the ever-willing Bartlett in the Johnson years to achieve accessibility to the Library of Congress, the National Gallery of Art, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, federally funded hospitals across America, and many more sites.

On Bartlett's death in 1968 Gallagher went to work for British Petroleum, Ltd., where he acted for five years as that Company's chief political officer in London and Washington. The discovery of vast oil reserves by BP on its Alaska holdings made it the holder of the largest crude reserves in America. Gallagher tells us he was playing with the "Big Boys."

On the 4th of July weekend, 1974, Gallagher left his office and never returned. He was in total mental and physical collapse and spent the rest of the decade recovering from his clinical depression. It had begun two years earlier at his 40th birthday party when he realized that "youth was past." He had been frozen with fear as he felt a giant black buzzard flapping its wings high above him. The experience was repeated in a few months. He continued working until he could no longer do so, filled with dread and unable to go out.

"The great black buzzard sat heavy on my shoulder. It would not go away." " ...the pain of acute paralytic polio in no degree equaled the agony and despair, the abject helplessness of depression." This period of Gallagher's life ended after a long and successful course of psychiatry and psychoanalysis.

Gallagher has long since assumed center stage in the Third Act of this heroic human drama, writing (FDR's Splendid Deception), traveling, speaking, and advocating nationally for the rights of the disabled. A must read.

What can I say, but WOW!!! This is an EXCELLENT book on the edged tools and weapons used during the age of fighting sail.
Well documented, with exceptional line drawings and paintings, this book is a MUST for museum curators, collectors, reenactors, artists and navy historians. Even if you are not an "anchor clanker" at heart, you can almost smell the salt air and feel the spray...

There is a vast literature on naval warfare in the age of sail. William Gilkerson's two volume set, Boarders Away, deals with the fascinating topic of boarding actions and their weapons and tactics. Although covering the entire age of fighting sail, his emphasis is on the period 1775-1815 and on the British, French, and American navies.

Volume I, With Steel, covers edged weapons and polearms. Chapter I gives a general description of boarding actions. Included is a detailed account of the 1813 action between HMS Shannon and USS Chesapeake. Other chapters discuss boarding axes, boarding pikes, cutlasses, officers swords and dirks, and miscellaneous weapons (knives, belaying pins, flensing spades, etc.)

The text discussed these subjects in lavish detail. Included are are extracts from logs and other primary sources. The folio-sized volume is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of drawings and photographs. The cover photo above is an example of one of the colored plates.

This is definitely a deal because you get two books under one cover. I read a lot of lesbian literature and this ranks as one of the better ones produced in recent years. It features another Xena couple, tall, dark and brooding and small, blonde and talkative, but the story is told so well, that it's not as distracting as in some of the books. Lacey is the right hand "man" to a Mafia type boss and meets Rachel, who has a dark past herself. The two books tell how they try to build a life together, solve mysteries and separate themselves from Lacey's criminal background. The second book is actually the better one as far as plot and story development. Unfortunately, I remember reading that the author died from cancer, so this is her only work, but she left behind a very good work.

I didn't think I would like this one, but I was wrong. Very powerful characters. Open and honest emotions filled with spark. The author did a wonderful job of capturing the essence of relationships. How love changes us, how it makes us vulnerable, and how its all worth every bit of trial. It addresses lesbian parenting issues well and is very rich in bantering humor. I was drawn into the story and I didn't want to see it end.

Comprehensive review of the wineries in Virginia and Maryland. Describes how each of the wineries got started and a bit about the owners, growers, and/or winemakers. Also offers a brief summary of the wines produced. Includes sidebar-type sections on such topics as individual varietals, wine festivals, and competitions.

A wonderful resource if you like weekend getaways, beautiful farms, and, of course, sipping wine! Indispensable for budding regional wine connoisseurs and casual travelers alike.

Elisabeth Frater's lovely travel guide is great for both residents and visitors. I have lived in Northern Virginia for 13 years and don't even drink alcohol, but I found this book to be useful. Frater gives clear, concise information, but also offers opinions. You hear the facts about each winery, but you also here the stories behind each one.

I have enjoyed living in this area much more after using Frater's book to plan weekend trips. Her book was invaluable when family came to visit recently.

This writer's group of breast cancer survivors explores the darkness and the light of dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, the most common cancer in American women. The prose, poetry, and vignettes offered in this wonderful collection are presented with power and an honesty that sometimes takes your breath away. For example, one entry is on thoughts of suicide -- something even we breast cancer survivors rarely confess to each other. The writer talks starkly about being surprised to find herself planning (just in case) an act that she had always found dispicable, and speaking with tremndous candor and bravery about her thoughts and reasons for even looking at the issue. Some of the entries are also just plain funny, with the kind of irony that serious illness or disaster sometimes engenders. I'll always keep a vivid image of the account of one of the writer's brothers shopping for Astroglide for her when it was unavailable in her part of the country -- and he did this shopping in full clerical gear and collar! As a two-time breast cancer survivor (so far), I've used this book to focus my own thinking and to help offer peer-to-peer support to other women facing the challenges of the disease and the changes it brings to their lives. I've shared it with my husband to help him understand even more fully the range of effects and emotions caused by breast cancer. I've read whole chapters of it aloud as a member of a therapy group for women with advanced breast cancer. The book has helped us as we explore issues arising from dealing with a less-than-favorable long-term prognosis and the existential questions that arise from being in that situation. If you have or have had breast cancer and have ever wondered, "Does anyone else feel this way, or am I just crazy??" buy this and read it! Believe me, you are not alone! If you have not had the disease, but perhaps are a friend or relative of someone with breast cancer, and if you want to know the emotional experience of having breast cancer, this is the book for you. Can You Come Here Where I Am? is an invaluble resource and also a comfort in showing the common threads of experiencing the diagnosis, treatment and aftermath of breast cancer.

A wonderful, uplifting, funny and enchanting look at the lives of seven women struggling and living through the rigors of diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer. As every woman's nightmare became reality for these women, they chose to pour out their disbelief, anger, frustration and their determination in intensely personal vignettes about life, loss, priorities and survival.

I began this book expecting to be depressed, but found myself laughing as well as crying at vagaries of the medical profession, the common ways we all deceive ourselves, and the ultimate hopefulness of spirit. This is not another book about how to deal with diagnosis, nor is it the narrative of a miracle. It is the lyrical (and sometimes in-your-face) story of the ordinary and extraordinary events that punctuate all our lives.

A wonderful book for anyone touched by breast cancer - survivor, family member or friend - and I suppose that includes all of us.

Erica Lane was engaged to the perfect man, even if he was a little boring and unromantic. Jack loved to work and when he ask Erica to marry him and she accepted, he believed his courting days were over. Jack's younger sisters had a governess Sarah and Erica believed everyone should be in love like her so she wrote Happily Ever After Co. to find Sarah a groom. When she received a letter back with the perfect mate, she tells Sarah what she has done but Sarah doesn't want to leave Boston.

Captain Daniel McCullum was a widower in the Caribbean and his mother-in-law had written to find a new mother for his 3 children. He is happy with his life since his wife's death during childbirth but his busy body mother-in-law wants to return to Salem instead of raising his children. Erica decided after Jack pushed her away again, to work on his ledgers that she would add a little spice to their romance, she packed her bags to go check out Daniel McCullum for Sarah. She leaves a letter for Jack hoping he will jump on a ship and sail to her for a romantic reunion.

When she meets the children she falls in love, when she meets their father she falls in lust. She believes she is still very much in love with Jack. To Daniel she is the most intriguing and beautiful woman he has ever met.

I picked this book up in the evening think to only read an hour or two......at 2:30 AM I closed it! It was wonderful. I loved Erica with her zesty for life and Daniel for his willingness to play her games. I can just she the sailing off into the sunset. This book is on the keeper shelf. Debbie Gilbert

In 1866, marriage broker Russell Braddock arranges his riskiest match yet when he pairs the adventuresome governess with a widowed sea captain with three young children. CARRIED AWAY is the second book of the Happily Ever After Co. miniseries.

Jack Ryerson absolutely bores his fiancée, Erica Lane. While he dwells on investments, Erica fails to convince him to peruse less cerebral matters. How she wishes she could see Jack passionate, obsessed, aroused. But then, her father always said she had a worrisome tendency to get carried away. Nevertheless, when the governess decides to decline the marriage broker's offer regarding the sea captain, Erica decides to take her place. She intends to simply find a husband for Sara, planning to return to Jack by summer's end. Perhaps Jack will be stricken with jealousy and will come racing after her, and carry her back to Boston for an immediate wedding. Then again, maybe not.

Captain Daniel McCullum and his first mate have made a pact to protect one another from scheming females. Daniel believes his first wife only caught him because she caught him by surprise. And while his marriage was a bittersweet blessing, especially since he now has three children, he never intends to marry again, despite his mother-in-law's objectives. Of course, he doesn't know just far his mother-in-law will go to escape the island and return to her friends in Salem, and he especially doesn't know about her letter to the marriage broker. Daniel proves to a rogue, but one who loves his children deeply, and finds Erica very attractive. Indeed, Daniel fills Erica's ideas of romance splendidly, if only she weren't already engaged to another man. Erica's mix of innocence and sensuality drive Daniel wild, but somehow he must persuade her to quite matchmaking for Sara.

CARRIED AWAY is a delightful romp filled with romance and sensuality. With the bit of the madcap blended into Erica's personality and the rogue blending into Daniel, the two provide humorous, and at times risqué fun. Further, Erica's playfulness and romanticism, though a bit whimsical, is quite engaging. What a wonderful diversion when life seems much too serious! Very highly recommended.