Scotland with a Stranger


Ninya - 2020
    One day, she received a message from a stranger. This woman offered to lead her on a self-healing trip hiking through the Scottish highlands.It seemed like a sign—a big sister sent when she needed one most.In this sometimes hilarious, sometimes terrifying, but always inspiring memoir, an introverted pollyanna is paired up with her polar opposite—a steamrolling, abrasive female with completely unorthodox healing methods. As they barrel through the winding one lane roads in a tiny rental car stopping to hike at breathtaking mountains and glens, an outrageous series of events forces Ninya to reclaim her power and find the strength to heal herself in one of the most beautiful places on earth.Readers of “Eat, Pray, Love” and “Wild” will love this memoir.

Sugar Surfing: How to manage type 1 diabetes in a modern world


Stephen W. Ponder - 2015
     An excerpt from Chapter 4 – A Force For Change “… In the grand scheme of diabetes self-management, I explain to patients and families that I (the doctor) don’t “manage” anyone’s diabetes. My role is more like that of a coach, occasional cheerleader, mentor, and at times role model I suppose. It truly is the sum of your choices; not mine or your doctor’s. Simply receiving diabetes education is often not enough. I see a three step process at work, and often times we barely get past the frst step. What we call “diabetes education” is intended to result in understanding on the part of the person(s) receiving it. But that is not the fnal element. Understanding should translate into behavior or actions for the education “loop” to be intact. There are many highly intelligent and understanding individuals in the criminal justice system who are well educated and understand all too well their actions, even the illegal ones. So what does all this have to do with using a CGM? In my opinion, it means all the difference in the world. It morphs a CGM device from a simple high or low blood alarm system (not a bad thing by itself) into the key for unlocking a vast new universe of diabetes self-realization that could once only be dreamed about. Basic diabetes self-care can be drawn as a decision loop. This loop is actually being executed daily by most persons with diabetes albeit often in a mindless fashion. Turning this chore into a more mindful action loop transforms this into an incredible tool for attaining the best blood sugar control possible for you. Like any loop, Sugar Surfing has no beginning or end. I tend to jump in at the point I call “monitoring”. This embodies many inputs both measurable and subjective. Most of us think of the act of measuring a blood sugar level with a meter or CGM device. But it’s more than that. It’s also being “in the moment”. That means being aware of recent, current and impending actions that are known to affect the ebb and fow of blood sugar levels in the body. Since blood sugar levels can be unpredictable, staying “in the moment” is a about the only approach that works for anticipating, or at least quickly reacting to unexpected shifts in BG. Once the status of the system (your body) has been sized up, either through the act of measuring a glucose level or glancing at the screen of your CGM device (or both), the next step is to analyze what is going on. This involves pulling in memories of recent actions (last insulin dose, most recent bout of exercise, what and how much was eaten (or will be soon) and more. The analysis step is where all of the little inputs come together for a final determination which is the next step: decision- making. Deciding is prioritizing one or more actions based on all the possible actions. The one that seems to be the best option is placed at the top of the list to be acted upon. Back up options are most likely numerous, but an initial action is required. The fnal part of our loop is execution: the act of following through on our decision. Immediately afterwards we are moving back into monitoring to determine the effect of our action and then modifying it as needed. You are probably saying “I already do this” and you would be right. But as has been written about by many authors, many of our decisions are mindless as opposed to mindful. This loop is a skill as much as it is a process. And as such, skills are practicable and can improve over time, or grow rusty with disuse.

The Sociopath Next Door


Martha Stout - 2005
    He’s a sociopath. And your boss, teacher, and colleague? They may be sociopaths too.We are accustomed to think of sociopaths as violent criminals, but in The Sociopath Next Door, Harvard psychologist Martha Stout reveals that a shocking 4 percent of ordinary people—one in twenty-five—has an often undetected mental disorder, the chief symptom of which is that that person possesses no conscience. He or she has no ability whatsoever to feel shame, guilt, or remorse. One in twenty-five everyday Americans, therefore, is secretly a sociopath. They could be your colleague, your neighbor, even family. And they can do literally anything at all and feel absolutely no guilt. How do we recognize the remorseless? One of their chief characteristics is a kind of glow or charisma that makes sociopaths more charming or interesting than the other people around them. They’re more spontaneous, more intense, more complex, or even sexier than everyone else, making them tricky to identify and leaving us easily seduced. Fundamentally, sociopaths are different because they cannot love. Sociopaths learn early on to show sham emotion, but underneath they are indifferent to others’ suffering. They live to dominate and thrill to win. The fact is, we all almost certainly know at least one or more sociopaths already. Part of the urgency in reading The Sociopath Next Door is the moment when we suddenly recognize that someone we know—someone we worked for, or were involved with, or voted for—is a sociopath. But what do we do with that knowledge? To arm us against the sociopath, Dr. Stout teaches us to question authority, suspect flattery, and beware the pity play. Above all, she writes, when a sociopath is beckoning, do not join the game. It is the ruthless versus the rest of us, and The Sociopath Next Door will show you how to recognize and defeat the devil you know.

The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life


Francine Jay - 2010
     Do you ever feel overwhelmed, instead of overjoyed, by all your possessions? Do you secretly wish a gale force wind would blow the clutter from your home? If so, it's time to simplify your life! The Joy of Less is a fun, lighthearted guide to minimalist living. Part One provides an inspirational pep talk on the joys and rewards of paring down. Part Two presents the STREAMLINE method: ten easy steps to rid your house of clutter. Part Three goes room by room, outlining specific ways to tackle each one. Part Four helps you trim your to-do list and free up your time, and explains how saving space in your closets can save the planet. Ready to sweep away the clutter? Just open this book, and you'll be on your way to a simpler, more streamlined, and more serene life.

The Zero-Waste Lifestyle: Live Well by Throwing Away Less


Amy Bowden - 2012
    The average American tosses out nearly 2,000 pounds of garbage every year that piles up in landfills and threatens our air and water quality. You do your part to reduce, reuse, and recycle, but is it enough? In The Zero-Waste Lifestyle, Amy Korst shows you how to lead a healthier, happier, and more sustainable life by generating less garbage. Drawing from lessons she learned during a yearlong experiment in zero-waste living, Amy outlines hundreds of easy ideas—from the simple to the radical—for consuming and throwing away less, with low-impact tips on the best ways to:•  Buy eggs from a local farm instead of the grocery store•  Start a worm bin for composting•  Grow your own loofah sponges and mix up eco-friendly cleaning solutions•  Purchase gently used items and donate them when you’re finished•  Shop the bulk aisle and keep reusable bags in your purse or car•  Bring your own containers for take-out or restaurant leftovers By eliminating unnecessary items in every aspect of your life, these meaningful and achievable strategies will help you save time and money, support local businesses, decrease litter, reduce your toxic exposure, eat well, become more self-sufficient, and preserve the planet for future generations.

Nutrition Diva's Secrets for a Healthy Diet: What to Eat, What to Avoid, and What to Stop Worrying About


Monica Reinagel - 2011
    In her highly-anticipated guidebook she sorts through all the conflicting nutrition information out there and busts outdated food myths, so you'll know exactly what to eat (and what to avoid) once and for all. Don't worry if pasta makes you happy, if chocolate keeps you sane, or if you just can't stand broccoli; no food is off limits and none is required. Instead, Monica walks you through every aisle of the grocery store and through each meal and snack of the day, helping you make healthier choices and answering your burning questions, including:- How often should you eat?- Which organic foods are worth the extra cost?- Does cooking vegetables destroy the vitamins?- Should foods be combined in certain ways for better digestion?Complete with grocery shopping lists, simple, delicious recipes, and sample meal plans, Nutrition Diva's Secrets for a Healthy Diet will have you feeling healthier, looking better than ever before, and no longer worrying about what to eat for dinner.

Let's Get Digital: How to Self-Publish, and Why You Should


David Gaughran - 2011
    Packed with practical, actionable advice, the new fourth edition of Let's Get Digital delivers the very latest best practices on publishing your work and building audience.* Boost your writing career with marketing strategies that are proven to sell more books.* Discover expert tips on platform building, blogging and social media.* Learn which approaches are best for selling fiction vs. non-fiction.* Implement powerful ways to make your ebooks more discoverable.* Increase your visibility by optimizing keywords and categories.* Weigh the pros and cons of Kindle Unlimited, and find out exactly how to tweak your promotional plans depending on whether you stay exclusive to Amazon or opt for wider distribution.And that's just for starters...

How to Write a Mystery


Larry Beinhart - 1996
    There's more to it than just a detective, a dead body, and Colonel Mustard in the drawing room with the candlestick. Fortunately, Larry Beinhart--Edgar Award-winning author of You Get What You Pay For, Foreign Exchange, and American Hero--has taken a break from writing smart, suspenseful thrillers to act as your guide through all the twists and turns of creating the twists and turns of a good mystery. Drawing on advice and examples from a host of the best names in mystery writing--from Raymond Chandler and Mickey Spillane to Scott Turow and Thomas Harris--plus some of his own prime plots, Larry Beinhart introduces you to your most indispensable partners in crime: *Character, plot, and procedure * The secrets to creating heroes, heroines, and villains ("All writers draw upon themselves and their experience. While the whole of yourself might not be capable of being either a serial killer or an FBI agent, there are parts in each of us that are capable of almost anything.") * The fine art of scripting the sex scene *The low-down on violence ("A crime novel without violence is like smoking pot without inhaling, sex without orgasm, or a hug without a squeeze." ) *And much more!From the opening hook to the final denouement, Larry Beinhart takes the mystery out of being a mystery writer.

How to Be Idle


Tom Hodgkinson - 2004
    In How to Be Idle, Hodgkinson presents his learned yet whimsical argument for a new, universal standard of living: being happy doing nothing. He covers a whole spectrum of issues affecting the modern idler—sleep, work, pleasure, relationships—bemoaning the cultural skepticism of idleness while reflecting on the writing of such famous apologists for it as Oscar Wilde, Robert Louis Stevenson, Dr. Johnson, and Nietzsche—all of whom have admitted to doing their very best work in bed.It’s a well-known fact that Europeans spend fewer hours at work a week than Americans. So it’s only befitting that one of them—the very clever, extremely engaging, and quite hilarious Tom Hodgkinson—should have the wittiest and most useful insights into the fun and nature of being idle. Following on the quirky, call-to-arms heels of the bestselling Eat, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss, How to Be Idle rallies us to an equally just and no less worthy cause: reclaiming our right to be idle.

If You Did What I Asked in the First Place


Lori B. Duff - 2019
    Duff bares the creaky, embarrassing parts of our high school cafeteria-scarred souls for us, leaving us no choice but to laugh at our failures, no matter how spectacular, and rejoice in our successes, no matter how itty-bitty. She shows women that each one of us is a wonder in our own way, with the ability — whether we know it or not — to make the best of life’s often absurd situations. Reading If You Did What I Asked In the First Place is like sitting down with a good friend who helps you make it through the day. Pour yourself a glass of whatever makes you feel better and take off any constricting undergarments: Let loose with the knowledge that you are not alone. You have Lori at your side.

SMART Recovery Handbook


Rosemary Hardin - 2014
    The Handbook will cover the heart of SMART's 4-Point Program. 1: Building and Maintaining Motivation 2: Coping with Urges 3: Managing Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviors 4: Living a Balanced Life SMARTS approach: Teaches self-empowerment and self-reliance. Provides meetings that are educational, supportive and include open discussions. Encourages individuals to recover from addiction and alcohol abuse and live satisfying lives. Teaches techniques for self-directed change. Supports the scientifically informed use of psychological treatments and legally prescribed psychiatric and addiction medication. Works on substance abuse, alcohol abuse, addiction and drug abuse as complex maladaptive behaviors with possible physiological factors. Evolves as scientific knowledge in addiction recovery evolves. Alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and other 12-step programs. The SMART Recovery Handbook can also be used in conjunction with the SMART community. SMART sponsors face-to-face meetings around the world, and daily on-line meetings. In addition, our online message board and 24/7 chat room are excellent forums to learn about SMART Recovery and obtain addiction recovery support. Find the SMART community at: www.smartrecovery.org. "Discover the Power of Choice!"

The Witch's Book of Self-Care: Magical Ways to Pamper, Soothe, and Care for Your Body and Spirit


Arin Murphy-Hiscock - 2018
    The Witch’s Guide to Self-Care contains recipes for products and spells for self-restoration.” —Bustle Self-care and magic work together in this guide to help you become the best version of yourself. You’ll learn how to nourish your body and spirit with herbal remedies, spells, and rituals inspired by witchcraft in this unique, enchanted guide to self-care.Self-care is a necessity for any modern woman. The goals of self-care are simple: healthy mind, healthy body, healthy spirit. This book helps you prioritize yourself with a little help from the magic of witchcraft. The Witch’s Book of Self-Care has advice for pampering your mind, body, and spirit with spells, meditations, mantras, and powerful activities to help you to keep healthy, soothe stress, relinquish sadness, channel joy, and embrace your strength. This book features such magical self-care remedies: -A Ritual to Release Guilt: Learn to burn whatever causes you pain and process painful memories or work through heavy emotions in this therapeutic ritual. -Green Space Meditation: Learn how to reconnect with the healing energies of nature, even in the middle of a bustling city, as part of a series of meditations based on the elements and your senses. -DIY Body Butter: Create your own custom soothing and smoothing body butter, powered by crystal and essential oils suited to your intention, and sanctified by a ritual. And much more! The Witch’s Book of Self-Care shows you how easy it is to connect to the earth, harness your personal power, and add a little magic to your everyday life for a better you!

Chess Openings: Traps And Zaps


Bruce Pandolfini - 1989
    Unfortunately, though, many openings are not completed successfully, partly because until now most opening instruction has consisted of tables of tournament level moves that offer no explanations for the reasons behind them. Consequently, these classical opening patterns can serve as little more than references to the average player. In Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps, Bruce Pandolfini uses his unique "crime and punishment" approach to provide all the previously missing explanation, instruction, practical analyses, and much, much more. The book consists of 202 short "openers" typical of average players, arranged according to the classical opening variations and by level of difficulty. Each example includes: -the name of the overriding tactic -the name of the opening -a scenario that sets up the tactic to be learned -an interpretation that explains why the loser went wrong, how he could have avoided the trap, and what he should have done instead -a review of important principles and useful guidelines to reinforce each lesson Also included are a glossary of openings that lists all the classical "textbook" variations for comparison and reference and a tactical index. Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps is a powerful, pragmatic entry into a heretofore remote area of chess theory that will have a profound influence on every player's game.

Reflections on Happiness & Positivity


Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum - 2017
    He explores the relationship between the two, and examines how they impact achievement, productivity and creativity. Written in Arabic by Sheikh Mohammed’s own hand, this insightful book includes both personal stories and an international perspective to emphasize the pivotal role that happiness and positivity play in forming leadership strategies and fostering relationships among team members.

The Glamour of Grammar: A Guide to the Magic and Mystery of Practical English


Roy Peter Clark - 2010
    Roy Peter Clark, author of Writing Tools, aims to put the glamour back in grammar with this fun, engaging alternative to stuffy instructionals. In this practical guide, readers will learn everything from the different parts of speech to why effective writers prefer concrete nouns and active verbs. The Glamour of Grammar gives readers all the tools they need to"live inside the language" -- to take advantage of grammar to perfect their use of English, to instill meaning, and to charm through their writing. With this indispensable book, readers will come to see just how glamorous grammar can be.