The Monster I Loved: The true story of a young girl and her father's betrayal.


Shannon Clifton - 2019
    Raped by her father from age six and pregnant at eleven and again at thirteen, he kidnapped her and went on the run as the net eventually closed in around him. Shannon's story is not an easy read; she goes into graphic detail about her sexual, physical and mental abuse, which included being burned with an iron, hit with a hammer and even stabbed. Her father told her "it was something all fathers do with their daughters," and for a time she believed him. Shannon wrote this book to start making sense of her childhood and is currently studying towards a degree in Forensic Psychology to help understand what makes people evil. "It was a painful journey," she explains, “but it was worth it because I want to help others who have been through similar experiences."

Over the Wire: A POW's Escape Story from the Second World War


Philip H. Newman - 1983
    After several failed attempts he got out over the wire and journeyed for weeks as a fugitive from northern France to Marseilles, then across the Pyrenees to Spain and Gibraltar and freedom. He was guided along the way by French civilians, resistance fighters and the organizers of the famous Pat escape line. His straightforward, honest and vivid memoir of his work as a surgeon at Dunkirk, life in the prison camps and his escape attempts gives a fascinating insight into his wartime experience. It records the ingenuity and courage of the individuals, the ordinary men and women, who risked their lives to help him on his way. It is also one of the best accounts we have of what it was like to be on the run in occupied Europe.

Voices in the Street: Growing up in Dundee


Maureen Reynolds - 2008
    Born in Dundee in 1938, Maureen Reynolds grew up in wartime Scotland, a young girl surrounded by adult concerns and as she came of age, a whole generation seemed to suddenly do the same, with the rise of the Teddy Boy and rock'n'roll.

My War in the Jungle: The Long-Delayed Memoir of a Marine Lieutenant in Vietnam 1968–69


G.M. Davis - 2021
    

Raising A Thief


Paul Podolsky - 2020
    

Happiness Simplified: Free Version: Why are we so unhappy? Happiness is a serious problem


German Muhlenberg - 2017
    No it doesn't, sorry to dissapoint you. But I promise if you keep reading you will get something better... And no, you are not going to get two ice creams.Happiness is a widely discussed topic, and still it is quite disconcerting. In fact, many sociological studies show that most people have no idea what it is that makes them happy.According to a poll taken by psychiatrist Robert Waldinger about what the most important goals were in life for today's young people, 80% of the respondents said 'being a millionaire.' And not only that, half of them also wanted to be famous. So we work hard to get those things but, are they actually the most important in life for our happiness? In addition. for a long time, it was also said that positive thinking was the key to happiness. Well, sorry to dissapoint again but it is not.As the entrepreneur Nat Ware afirms: The first step to being happy is to understand why we can often become unhappy. There is no magic pill for true happiness, at least nothing that will last in the long run. Happiness is an emotional process that can be learned if we understand the primary factors that determine it. Giving you a better understanding of happiness will actually help you to make yourself happier, but this undoubtedly requires a lot of work, effort and determination.

Trauma: My Life as an Emergency Surgeon


James Cole - 2011
    Cole's harrowing account of his life spent in the ER and on the battlegrounds, fighting to save lives. In addition to his gripping stories of treating victims of gunshot wounds, stabbings, attempted suicides, flesh-eating bacteria, car crashes, industrial accidents, murder, and war, the book also covers the years during Cole's residency training when he was faced with 120-hour work weeks, excessive sleep deprivation, and the pressures of having to manage people dying of traumatic injury, often with little support.Unlike the authors of other medical memoirs, Cole trained to be a surgeon in the military and served as a physician member of a Marine Corps reconnaissance unit, United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), and on a Navy Reserve SEAL team. From treating war casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq to his experiences as a civilian trauma surgeon treating alcoholics, drug addicts, criminals, and the mentally deranged, TRAUMA is an intense look at one man's commitment to his country and to those most desperately in need of aid.

Cry Purple


Christine McDonald - 2013
    She has survived brutality and discrimination with astonishing resilience and optimism. "Horrifying, heartbreaking, informative and inspiring." "A story from the heart...a riveting memoir." "An eye-opening view of life on the streets and beyond." "Cry Purple chronicles a shattered life, rebuilt through sheer determination, courage and faith." "The most inspiring story I've ever read. A must-read filled with hope."

Gyppo


Mary Margaret Doherty - 2017
    A community rich with diverse cultures, humour and warmth; but behind closed doors, mopping up her Mother’s blood became a gruesome task all too familiar in a world of domestic violence, oppression and neglect. A story of alcohol fuelled domestic abuse, of secret lives beyond the windows veiled by the pristine white net curtains; which proudly proclaimed a women’s worth as much as a black eye marked her not as a victim, but as a man’s property. Though amidst the stark reality of a bygone era, there is also an affectionate account of love and family bonds on a street that often echoed with the sounds of children’s laughter.

StreetChild: An Unpaved Passage


Justin Reed Early - 2008
    The problem inspired the classic and riveting documentary, "STREETWISE", which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1984.Author Justin Reed Early, a credited participant of the documentary and now successful Los Angeles resident, tells the story of how he survived the arduous streets. We grow with this homeless youth as he relives a harrowing journey into adulthood. Justin introduces us to the characters and dramas of his younger years bringing new life to his street family as many of their lives have been silenced by AIDS, suicide and serial killers (the Green River killer).Join this tragic yet magical journey as Justin honors childhood heroes, pays tribute to many lost friends and learns of forgiveness when the now middle aged Justin is thrust into a life defining experience that will change his world - forever.

Stand By for Action: The Memoirs of a Small Ship Commander in World War II


William Donald - 2009
    'I don't want to appear fussy, but are we going to be greeted by cheers and kisses from Norwegian blondes, or a hail of gunfire from invisible Huns?' he remarked to his officers on approaching the small town of Andalsnes. returncharacterreturncharacterHis next task - in command first of a corvette and then a destroyer - was escorting East Coast convoys, and his experiences reflect the danger of this work against the menaces of E-boats, enemy aircraft and mines. He then took part in the landings at Anzio and the Normandy landings in 1944; finally, he rescued internees from the Japanese prison camp on Stanley, Hong Kong. His career was much helped by his highly developed sixth sense for danger, the deep affection of his crews and his affinity with cats which he believed brought him luck. returncharacterreturncharacterThis record of varied and almost incessant action ranks among the most thrilling personal stories of the war at sea.

Fear of the Collar: The True Story of the Boy They Couldn't Break


Patrick Touher - 1991
    No allowances were made for emotion, sentiment or boyhood worries, and anyone who disturbed the routine was severely punished. Artane demanded absolute obedience, absolute submission; Patrick's was an education in cruelty and fear. Patrick Touher spent eight long years in Artane Industrial School. Run by the Christian Brothers, the school has become synonymous with the widespread abuse of children in Ireland in the 1940s and 1950s which is currently the subject of an official inquiry. This is the inside story of a childhood lived in the most horrific of circumstances. A moving and powerful true account, Fear of the Collar bears testament to the courage and determination of the children that society forgot.

Becoming Che


Carlos Calica Ferrer - 2004
    As in his first trip with Alberto Granado, this second journey was an encounter with the roots of indigenous America, with the incipient people’s movements and all the beauty and suffering of a continent oppressed for centuries.“The name of the sidekick has changed from Alberto to Calica, but the trip is the same: two free-spirits spanning out over South America without knowing exactly what they're looking for or which way is north,” wrote Guevara in his travel diary.The two friends explore Bolivia, Perú and Ecuador, alternating their enthusiasm for travel and youthful antics with revealing discoveries about social and political reality in Latin America, in the end turning the trip into a profound journey of self-discovery that would change them forever.The book presents previously unpublished photos from Calica’s personal album that portray the childhood and youth of the two friends in the town of Alta Gracia in the Province of Córdoba, Argentina, as well as their trip together.Alberto Granado, friend of both Ernesto and Calica, prologues the book and finishes with these words:“Thank you, Calica, for having brought this breath of fresh air and showing us our friend just as he was, is and always will be: a man of flesh and blood.”

Sacred Fire My Journey Into Ashtanga Yoga


Kino MacGregor - 2012
    The narrative explores the dynamic of the sacred teacher-student relationship in the spiritual tradition of India. By presenting the intensity of transformation achieved through yoga and spiritual practice through the eyes of an American woman many readers will easily identify with the narrator's personal dilemmas, issues, and accomplishments. Sacred Fire is a courageous, vulnerable, unflinchingly soul-searching account of the journey from a girl to a woman, a student to a teacher, and a seeker to devotee of love in all its forms. Anyone who has ever felt self-doubt, wished for grace, or dreamed of peace will find a compassionate friend and guide within.

A Lonely Kind of War: Forward Air Controller, Vietnam


Marshall Harrison - 1989
    It was a dangerous life as they flew low and slow, always a prime target for enemy small arms fire.