Compassion Amidst the Chaos: Tales told by an ER Doc


Christopher Davis, MD - 2020
    You meet one when life doesn't go as planned. Survival requires immediate dependence and trust in a stranger in a white coat. As soon as the imminent danger has passed— they are off to the next case. Many patients don't realize that their stories stay with those that served them. Patients have the most to teach about humility and humanity."Compassion Amidst the Chaos" is brimming with the tension, anguish, exhaustion, relief, gratitude, and compassion that are all part of a typical day at work in the ER. Travel with Dr. Chris Davis through the cases he remembers most from his 35-year career as an emergency medicine doctor.

Tears in the Wind: Triumph and Tragedy on America’s Highest Peak


Larry Semento - 2016
    The author endured so much on that mountain, and his description is vivid and emotional. I recommend this book to anyone. You don't have to be interested in climbing to enjoy this slice of adventure and terror. I could not recommend this book more!”-- K. Hymel. In this riveting account of an expedition to climb Denali, the author describes how a childhood fascination with mountaineering led to the adventure of a lifetime. As an average middle-aged guy, he began mountain climbing as a pastime, eventually signing on with a guided group to attempt an ascent of Denali. Formerly called Mt. McKinley, Denali is the highest peak in North America and well known for its vicious winds and dreadfully cold weather. During an expedition that was both triumphant and tragic, the team experienced the full force of the mountain’s fury. They were forced to face life and death on terms that had a lasting effect on each of them. This is a rare peek into a world often shrouded in glamor and mystery. More than a description of the climb, this is an introspective look at the physical and mental demands of climbing a high mountain, and it provides thoughtful insight on the impact that this amazing adventure had on Larry and his family and friends. Come along on a journey from armchair to the top of the continent, and share in the drama of this epic journey.

Rogues and Heroes of Newport's Gilded Age


Edward Morris - 2012
    They built lavish villas designed by the best Beaux Arts–style architects of the time, including Richard Morris Hunt, Charles McKim and Robert Swain Peabody. America’s elite delighted in referring to these grand retreats as “summer cottages,” where they would play tennis and polo and sail their yachts along the shores of the Ocean State. The coachman had an important role as the discreet outdoor butler for Gilded Age gentlemen—not only was he in charge of the horses, but he also acted as a travel advisor and connoisseur of entertainment venues. From the driver’s seat, author and guide Edward Morris provides a diverse collection of biographical sketches that reveal the outrageous and opulent lives of some of America’s leading entrepreneurs.

Mount Rainier: A Climbing Guide


Mike Gauthier - 1999
    Name any route on Rainier, and he can describe its rewards and specific challenges (he's summited Rainier more than 170 times during all seasons and under intense conditions). Whether you choose the classic Liberty Ridge route, the drama of Success Cleaver, or the rarely attempted Mowich Face, Gauthier provides all the details you'll need for a successful and enjoyable climb.This edition presents the information on logistics, regulations, and permits. It includes expanded material on understanding and surmounting Rainier's famed glaciers; tips on selecting a guide service; excellent mountaineering training sites around Rainier for those bound for the world's highest peaks; and bonus routes on adjacent Little Tahoma, Washington's third highest peak.

Woodcraft


Elmer H. Kreps - 1919
    Kreps gives detailed instructions on every aspect of surviving comfortably in the wilderness, including how to build a log cabin, stove, accessories and cabin furniture; what kind and how much food to take along; how to start a fire and build it properly for cooking or warmth; how to make a rabbit skin blanket that will keep you warm in -40 degree weather; the best ax for a woodsman and how to use it; different styles of snowshoes, how to make them and how to use them; finding your way in the woods by using the sun, stars, compass or watch; and how to pack all your gear properly on a horse or mule, plus much more.This digital reproduction contains all of the text of the original book, including the 33 illustrations drawn by the author.NOTE: This eBook, along thousands of other public domain books, is available for free download at Project Gutenberg (gutenberg.org), and the scanned image of the original work may be viewed at Internet Archive (archive.org). It is being offered here by the individual who transcribed the original work as a Project Gutenberg volunteer, at the lowest price allowed.

Paradise Creek: A True Story of Adventure in the Canadian Wilderness


David Scott - 1995
    Imagine stepping from a bush plane on to a frozen lake where the temperature is 60 degrees below zero. Three miles away sits a cabin that will be your home for the next year. Now, imagine not finding it for six bitter cold days. This is where the unforgettable true story begins for two young men in search of adventure in the Canadian wilderness. Share their struggle for survival, hunt moose for winter meat and build a cabin at Paradise Creek. Discover the joy and hardships of living for one year in a wilderness log cabin. This is a coming of age story. The range of emotions stretch from the pain of frostbite to the awesome splendor of Northern Lights. From the darkness and loneliness of a subarctic winter to the bliss of watching a sunset on a home-made swing. Journey with these two young men on an adventure you will never forget.

Introduction to Mineralogy


William D. Nesse - 1999
    It presents the important traditional content of mineralogy including crystallography, chemical bonding, controls on mineral structure, mineral stability, and crystal growth to provide a foundation that enables students to understand the nature and occurrence of minerals. Physical, optical, and X-ray powder diffraction techniques of mineral study are described in detail, and common chemical analytical methods are outlined as well. Detailed descriptions of over 100 common minerals are provided, and the geologic context within which these minerals occur is emphasized. Appendices provide tables and diagrams to help students with mineral identification, using both physical and optical properties. Numerous line drawings, photographs, and photomicrographs help make complex concepts understandable. Introduction to Mineralogy not only provides specific knowledge about minerals but also helps students develop the intellectual tools essential for a solid, scientific education. This comprehensive text is useful for undergraduate students in a wide range of mineralogy courses.

The Reluctant RV Wife


Gerri Almand - 2019
    He wanted to go; she wanted to stay. They both learn, grow, and change as a new level of freedom evolves.This book is light-hearted and humorous but at the same time serious. While not a How-To book, it gives lots of basic information about RVing. And while not a travelogue, it touches upon many travel destinations in the United States and Canada. On deeper levels, the book is about marital relationships, retiring and getting old, and finding a new kind of freedom through a minimalistic lifestyle.After reading this book, you’ll never again look at one of those huge monstrosities driving down the road in quite the same way. The book answers questions for non-RVers and triggers chuckles of recognition from experienced RVers.What Others Are Saying:When his RV dream rear-ends her perfectly mapped-out retirement, navigating through their travails and travels - in life and on the road - spins a romantic and humorous adventure. - Doreen Orion, author of Queen of the Road

The Book of Camping and Woodcraft: A Guidebook for Those who Travel in the Wilderness


Horace Kephart - 1906
    [Note: this pre-1923 book has been converted from its original format and may contain an occasional defect from the conversion process or from the original publication.]

Hank Haney's Essentials of the Swing: A 7-Point Plan for Building a Better Swing and Shaping Your Shots


Hank Haney - 2009
    In Hank Haney's Essentials of the Swing, the world's premier expert on the golf swing takes you back to step one to master the essentials and build a complete, powerful, and consistent swing that will improve your game quickly and keep you playing better for years to come.This step-by-step guide brings you the same careful analytical approach that Hank has shared with the hundreds of touring pros who have been his students — including the world's #1 golfer. It walks you through every aspect of your swing, from grip to contact to follow-through, and shows you how to analyze ball flight to shape your shots and put the ball where you want it more frequently and with much more consistency.Packed with helpful pictures, invaluable practice tips, and insightful pointers on everything from club selection to the difference between a good miss and a bad miss, Hank Haney's Essentials of the Swing is the resource you need to hit the top of your game and stay there.

Flying Into the Sun


Paul Ogier - 2018
    Cows, burros, dead animals or broken-down cars might be just around the bend—even bandidos. Tonight, the danger is crazed, drug-running gringos flying down the mountain, blowing past anything threatening their rhythm.”~Flying Into the SunIn 1979, a Mexican army truck and a small U.S.-registered airplane race toward each other on a remote airstrip in southern Mexico. Their game of chicken marks the end of a young surfer’s true-life smuggling odyssey involving midnight powwows with indigenous Zapotecs of Oaxaca, paddling kilos of marijuana across the Rio Grande on surfboards, learning to fly, and a stint in the Oaxaca State Penitentiary.Narrated by the main character, Flying Into the Sun is not just a true-crime adventure memoir. It is an introspective, coming-of-age tale that weaves through a secret Mexico and chronicles the fast-changing 1970s in the U.S. with its emergent culture of long hair and drugs, rebellious youth versus hostile law enforcement, and the music and pop themes of the times.The author worked his way up through general aviation to become a pilot for American Airlines, where he flew twenty years and retired as captain. Previous literary endeavors include publishing the insubordinate aviation tabloid Houston Air News, as well as writing stories for national and regional publications such as General Aviation News, the Portsmouth Herald and the Texas Flyer.Chapters* Prologue (Chicken)1 Mexico2 El Salvador (Bandidos)3 Costa Rica (The Brotherhood)4 Oaxaca (The Zapotecs)5 The Rio Grande6 Solo Run7 Oil Initiative8 Learning to Fly & Rainbow Weed9 Saga of the El Camino10 A New Era11 Pop12 La Carcel (Jail)13 Kilos14 La Casa Grande (The Big House)15 Escape16 Kilos Again17 The Judge18 You Will Be Free19 Disco Sucks20 What’s Your Purpose?21 Southbound with Our Ears On22 Cocaine All Around My Brain23 Volcan Orizaba24 Flying Home* Epilogue* Thanks* About the AuthorPRAISE FOR FLYING INTO THE SUN“This is fantastic!! It's going to be BIG! I see a movie!”~Chris Cantara, pilot & owner of Seaside Aviation, LLC“So many great parts in the book. Magical Mystery Tour down the mountain was excellent. The book reveals a Mexico that tourists never see.”~Eric Knight, semi-pro surfer“F****** awesome!!!!!!!!!!!”~Dave Bicknell, guitarist and software engineer“I think it's great. You are a very accomplished storyteller. As a US expat living in Mexico I found the Mexican details to be quite accurate.”~Tom Bailey, retired expat living in the Yucatán, Mexico"I just finished this book. It’s killer. I loved it. 5 stars. A true story about some wild, crazy times in the 70’s. I really felt like I was there with you. I got a bit nervous a few times. Great Read. Hate that it ended."~Sandi Syndergaard, moderator of the Original Over the Hill Hippies FB groupYup, I love books. And I'm always happy to find out about a surf/ travel book that takes me back to places I've been to, or back to a time I've missed. Flying into the Sun is a mix of both...a time before smartphone navigation in rental cars or even planes, and what more a surfboard can be used for than just riding waves...Worth a read.~thefreesurfer.com

Straw Bale Gardening


Joel Karsten - 2013
    He has perfected the perfect way for anyone to have a garden without weeding, bending over, or using chemicals. If you follow his step by step methods and suggestions you will be assured to grow a beautiful and productive garden this year, even if you have never gardened before. The best part is that if the soil in your backyard is less than productive it doesn't matter at all. If you have sunlight and water, you will have a great garden this year. From the Arctic Circle in Northern Alaska to the heat of the desert in Saudi Arabia, people are using this method, and having great success. The booklet is full color with 78 pages, and has a perfect bind booklet binding.

Alpine Warriors


Bernadette McDonald - 2015
    The state of Slovenia was split up amongst Germany, Hungary and Italy. Partisan groups, under the leadership of Josip Tito, managed to liberate the state by 1945, and then began a period of relative calm, under the benevolent rule of Tito. A Communist, he began to distance himself from the Soviet Union, looking to western economic models as Yugoslavia struggled to rebuild. During the thirty years following the war, a Yugoslavian passport was one of the best in the world, and Yugoslavians could travel freely during this time, if they had the money. Most did not.But alpinists did. Through centralized government programs that established elaborate training régimes and state-supported expeditions abroad, Yugoslavian alpinists began making impressive climbs in the Himalaya as early as 1960. By the early 70’s, they had advanced to the 8000ers. Although not exclusively Slovenian, the teams were – not surprisingly – dominated by Slovenian climbers, since Slovenia is blessed with the Julian Alps. A fiercely steep range of limestone peaks, the Julian Alps provided the ideal training ground for Slovenian climbers, in both summer and winter. The brooding north faces and razor-sharp ridges taught them the skills they would need on the highest mountains on earth – the Himalaya.But when Tito died in 1980, the calm period ended. Inter-ethnic conflict and economic decline ripped the country apart. Serbian Communist leader, Slobodan Miloševic, led the charge with, what appeared to be an unstoppable strategy of aggression and oppression. But he misread the strength and character of several Yugoslavian states, including that most northerly one – Slovenia. By the summer of 1991, Slovenia was an independent country.Slovenia continued the tradition of support for climbers, and success breeds success. By 1995, all of the 8000ers had been climbed by Slovenian teams. And in the next ten years, some of the most dramatic and futuristic climbs were made by Slovenian climbers. Apart from a few superstars, most of these amazing athletes remain unknown in the West.What prompted this Himalayan performance by a tiny nation of just two million people? Life in Slovenia during this period was defined by shortages, preoccupation with ethnic conflict and poor living conditions. Yet, like had previously happened in Poland, its neighbor to the North, Slovenian climbers seemed to thrive and excel in these trying conditions, setting standards that no other country could replicate. Alpine Warriors explores the explosion of Slovenian alpinism within the context of its turbulent political history.

Appalachian Fail: What I Learned from My Failed Thru-Hike


John Desilets - 2018
    Those who can't, write a book outlining their many failures." John Desilets was an unlikely candidate to be a thru-hiker. As a video game industry veteran and reclusive homebody, nothing about him screams "backpacker." Nothing about him screams at all. He appreciates reasonable volumes. Nevertheless, he attempted to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail in 2017. He failed. Spectacularly. John is no stranger to failing and is happy to add the Appalachian Trail to his impressive resume of failures. He hopes to help others realize there's no shame in failing. Appalachian Fail is a compilation of lessons learned from months of hiking the Appalachian Trail. It contains entertaining stories about trail experiences and useful wisdom for on or off the trail. You might wonder how failing to finish the Appalachian Trail qualifies John to give anyone else advice. People say you learn more from your failures than you do from your successes. John experienced so much failure he's buried in learnings. If you follow John's advice, you might be successful thru-hiker one day. Or even better–a failure.

The McCandless Mecca: A Pilgrimage to the Magic Bus of the Stampede Trail


Ken Ilgunas - 2013
    The Magic Bus is becoming a national shrine, a holy pilgrim site, a modern-day Mecca. And I was determined to see it, too." So writes author and adventurer Ken Ilgunas, who, in the summer of 2011, moved up to Alaska and, like thousands before him, embarked on pilgrimage to explore the storied bus of the Stampede Trail, the very bus in which Chris McCandless of "Into the Wild" died twenty years before. What was supposed to be little more than a "literary tour" to a bus from a book that Ilgunas had "merely enjoyed" would become a humorous, enthralling, and, at times, treacherous journey, leading him to the very heart of Alaska.