Mensch tracht, und Gott lacht. Man plans and God laughs. They thought that quitting their jobs, leaving a comfortable penthouse in Pittsburgh, saying good-bye to family, friends, and their mother tongue and moving to a little olive farm in Puglia, the “heel of the boot,” would be as easy as breaking a really expensive wine glass. And God laughed. So begins The Soul of the Heel, the story of an American couple that dreamt of an idyllic life in Italy but found that getting there would require patience (little of which either of them had), perseverance (which they both had in abundance), and money (of which they barely had enough). At age fifty-eight, Scott felt bone-weary of the corporate life he had endured for over half of his years. He took a leap and suggested to his wife, Jessica who was twenty-three years his junior, that they consider leaving their lives behind and move to Italy. Their jobs were wearing them away much like a chisel wears away marble and they had been talking about how the next chapter in their lives would read. Jessica bought the idea of moving to Italy like it was on sale at Barney’s. They jumped on a plane to Puglia, a place they had never been, visited thirty-three properties in four days and picked one to be their new home. Like a raft on Class 5 rapids, events moved from there at high speed, sometimes out of control, and frequently encountering obstacles that threatened to dash their dream to splinters. Fortunately for them and their vision, they met Colleen and Francesco, owners of Real Estate Cisternino. Colleen was born in Ireland and had lived in England, Canada and France before finally settling in Puglia. Francesco, on the other hand, had spent his entire life in the “heel.” Tall, blonde, and lissome, Colleen seemed to glide from one thing to another. Francesco’s staccato movement and tendency to freneticism was a stark contrast, as was his dark hair and matching complexion. But, in all ways important, they were of like mind and spirit. It was Colleen and Francesco who introduced Scott and Jessica to the property that they would call Villa Tutto and were the Virgil to their Dante, guiding them through the circles of Hell currently referred to as “Italian Immigration,” “the Italian banking system,” and virtually every other Italian institution. It was they who dedicated themselves to the goal of making sure that these naïve Americans, these two brave and silly souls, saw their dream of living in Puglia become a reality. On the two-year journey from making the decision to move to Italy and Scott and Jessica’s first night together as residents of Cisternino, they encountered a cast of characters that taught them that Puglia is not just about delectable food, voluptuous wines, and astounding scenery: Michele, the rotund, ever-smiling contractor they hired to do the renovation they swore they would not undertake; Pierino, owner and executive chef of Il Cappriccio, a Cisternese icon who occasionally serves up porcupine for dinner; Roberto Angelini, one of Italy’s most erudite wine merchants; Pietro, the former owner of Villa Tutto who continues to believe that the place is still his; and, a parade of Italian bureaucrats hell-bent on preventing Scott and Jessica from fulfilling their dream of abiding blissfully in bel paese. As the story of their quest to move to the heel of the boot unfolds, Scott and Jessica, with Colleen and Francesco at their side, take on the challenges set before them, one-by-one overcoming them until they are finally together at Villa Tutto beginning their version of la dolce vita.

    It is isolating, painful, and confusing. Loneliness and longing are your reality. You’re consumed with guilt, self-deprecating inner dialogue, and worst of all, the fear of doing even the smallest thing wrong. You spend a lot of time alone…even when you’re not. You watch a lot of TV.Obviously, this is all your fault. Obviously, the reason you are living this way is because of something you did to warrant it. If they beat you, you deserved it. If they punish you, you asked for it. You never want to go home, but you don’t have a choice because you’ve never had a choice. This is it. This is what you have. This is all you know.And yet, you still smile when you sometimes catch a glimpse of the sweeter things and treasure the smallest kindness. Inside, you know life isn’t supposed to be like this, but it is. Your life is like a bubble of poison gas that could burst at any moment…you know that. You live that. But how are you supposed to make sense of any of this? How do you make it stop?You can’t.You are powerless.You haven’t even reached kindergarten yet.From a severely abusive childhood in the inner city of Baltimore, a string of unsatisfying relationships and several broken marriages, to a six-figure income from the multi-million dollar business I built out of my home, this is my story in my own words.I was stolen as a baby when my mother died. I was lied to by my kidnapper and used as a Cinderella punching bag by his never-ending parade of “step-mothers” and girlfriends, and much worse when he didn’t have one.This memoir covers the good, the bad, and the ugly.As this story unfolds, my hope is that you, the reader, will discover a little girl who survived that abusive childhood, healed, and empowered herself through discipline and hard work. I hope you see a girl who became a woman who learned from her mistakes and a whole human being who loves her newfound family with all her heart.I am no longer an outsider. I can go home now.

    Long before starring in the show, Scotty was living life to the fullest and getting up to all sorts. In this hilarious page turner, Scotty T will not only let slip scandalous secrets from Geordie Shore, Ex on the Beach and Celebrity Big Brother, but will open up about his antics when the cameras stop rolling.   But it's not all sex, fights and getting mortal! Scotty also reveals a surprisingly softer side and opens up about living with ADHD, coping with the breakdown of his parents’ marriage and picking up the pieces after the loss of a loved one. The rascal also reflects on the lasses who have tried and failed to tame his heart and introduces us to the love of his life who has been living in the shadows all this time.    And if all that wasn't enough, Scotty explains why he loves maths so much, what it was like to join the Neighbours cast, plus finally admits what he really thinks about his castmates, why he was nearly kicked off the show by producers and what life has in store for him after Geordie Shore.

    The Wright Brothers is an historical narrative that draws on extensive archival materials, personal journals, and public records to tell the story of the Wright brothers as men of incredible character and determination along the road towards their significant contributions to aviation history. The summary parallels the structure of the book which is divided into three parts. The first part explores the period of the boys’ childhood through their work on flight testing various models of gliders. The second part picks up with the addition of the engine to the Wright planes and traces the brother’s work through the early stages of powered flight, roughly 1903 to 1908. Part three follows the brothers, now globally famous, through the years when they captured the most attention for their accomplishments. A central aspect of this historical account is the development of Orville and Wilbur Wright as individuals who showed fierce determination in the face of relentless setbacks. It also sheds light on their private nature and their deep bond as brothers. McCullough is a two time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for other historical works, Truman and John Adams. He also won the National Book Award twice and is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His educational background includes a degree in English Literature from Yale University. He is also a well-known narrator, as well as previous host of American Experience. Read more....

    Luis was too quick. Before they could move, he had pounced on the ball and fired a shot into the top corner.' Suarez follows the Uruguayan's winding path from love-struck youngster to Liverpool hero to Barcelona star. Grabbing goals and headlines along the way, this is the inspiring story of how the world's deadliest striker made his mark.Ultimate Football Heroes is a series of biographies telling the life-stories of the biggest and best footballers in the world and their incredible journeys from childhood fan to super-star professional player. Written in fast-paced, action-packed style these books are perfect for all the family to collect and share.

    Here's the story: Who didn't want to be a jet pilot as a kid? Yet for most, life gets in the way and charts a different course. But what if? Here's your chance to live the dream, the true story of a childhood passion for airplanes and flight to the rigorous military college that lead to Air Force pilot wings, to years as a USAF pilot in the Pacific and Asia, then into the cockpits of the world's largest airline, and decades as a captain. Live the struggle, the adventures, the flying, the ups and downs of airline crew life from an insider perspective. An airline pilot's life: strap in, hang on--it's a wild ride.

    In this fun, irrepressible collection, author Michael Stahl has delved into the world of the man who was instrumental in shaping Australia's media landscape.For 30 years, Kerry Packer controlled television’s perennial ratings leader Channel Nine and up to half of the nation’s magazines. So much of what Australians watched, read and believed came through the prism of this gigantic man.Beneath all the billionaire clutter, though, Packer had plenty in common with the man in the street: a cheeky humour, a competitive drive, a deep love for his kids and a passion for sports and television. In business, Packer would fight to the last dollar in a deal. Yet the same man would take his private jet to Las Vegas and lose $20 million in a week – then leave a $1 million tip. He could verbally dissect a hapless executive in front of his peers, yet no less often, would step in silently and invisibly when hardship or tragedy befell a loyal staff member or their family.This book is a collection of stories on the Big Fella, gathered from people who knew him, from those who documented him, and from the folklore that inevitably grew up around him.Michael Stahl is a journalist who during the 1980s worked at Packer’s ACP headquarters in Park Street, Sydney, where his career highlights included riding in the lift with the chairman. Stahl was named Journalist of the Year in 2011 by Publishers Australia and is currently features editor of Qantas The Australian Way and contributing editor to Wheels magazine.

    

    From stress and anxiety to real loss, booze was his magic elixir that made it all disappear. But the constant blackout nights brought with them even more trouble. Despite the perpetual cycle of drunken mistakes and continued escalation in drinking, he found new ways to rationalize his self-destructive behavior. Drinking was a part of who he was. And an existence without it seemed inconceivable. He takes you through a life where nights with missing pieces of time were the norm. And how there was a haze that overshadowed everything, even his happiest memories. He shares how far he fell before finally willing to change. And the long road back in recovery that required him to completely shift his perceptive in order to remain sober. He also explains what he discovered about the many reasons he drank so much for so long. And how he was ultimately able to come out better on the other side. This is a memoir about overcoming the grip alcohol can have on us. About learning to live life again after the bottle and facing the world with sober eyes. And finally discovering one’s true self. This is a story that will resonate with anyone who has struggled with addiction. And will give hope to those looking to change their lives for the better.

    The Anunnaki came for gold.For over 400,000 years we have been slaves of aliens.They founded our religions,We worshipped them,We built temples for them,They made us go to war,They defiled our women,They fought with nuclear weapons.Now they are coming back to Earth.Their return spells doom for us all in oncoming years we must expectthe Arrival of the Anunnaki.

    Twenty-five years later, he was sedentary and rapidly gaining weight. Hello Couch, meet Potato. It was time for a change, for both his body and his mind. Determined to start moving again, Scott climbed on a bicycle one summer afternoon and started pedaling. By the end of the driveway, he was gasping for breath. A year later, Scott was still trying to stay upright on a mountain bike when he watched Ride The Divide, a movie about an event so daunting, so exhilarating, so tough that few attempt it. But Scott couldn’t stop thinking about it. The Tour Divide, a nearly 3000-mile mountain bike race along the spine of the Continental Divide, was his new dream. Known as one of the toughest races in the world, the Tour Divide is an unsupported off-road event. If your tire is flat, you fix it. If you run out of water, you must find more. If you’re caught in the middle of nowhere, exhausted and blurry-eyed? Find a spot to nap amidst nature and try not to bother the Grizzlies. Starting from zero, Scott trained for two years while maintaining a busy family life and career. Scott was preparing for the ride of his life. In June of 2013, he climbed on that bicycle again, this time to race against 167 other people from all over the world on a trek that would take him from Canada to Mexico in 22 days. Captured through Scott’s vivid words and wondrous illustrations, this is the tale of one man’s quest to break free of the typical life and conquer his wildest dream.

    Sherry Rupke of SwissRidge Kennels was the first breeder to deliberately cross Bernese Mountain Dogs and Poodles. Rupke loved everything about the Bernese, except for the short-lived breed’s genetic propensity for cancer. Plus it sheds. And it can be a little stubborn. Rupke decided to add Poodle to the hybrid equation to create an intelligent, lively, healthy and low- to non-shedding dog. Over the past decade, she’s built her Bernedoodle program with care to ensure that each scrupulously health-checked breeding dog has an impeccable pedigree, a calm temperament, and great conformation. Bernedoodles: A Head to Tail Guide takes readers on a journey from Rupke’s early days of breeding purebred dogs to establishing her highly successful hybrid program. This comprehensive, easy-to-read and entertaining book also covers everything you need to know about finding the right breeder and puppy, to caring for your Bernedoodle. You’ll discover the best training techniques for Bernedoodles (and any dog) from Rupke’s partner, Lucas Mucha. Anecdotes from owners of SwissRidge Bernedoodles, along with stunning photos, are likely to convince you that this fun, fun, affectionate, and allergy-friendly hybrid is the perfect companion dog.

    And with G-d's help, he saved not only himself but also his parents and a host of friends, relatives, and strangers from almost certain death. If Ludvik Wieder's adventures were fiction, they would seem too contrived. But everything told is the unembellished truth. At the age of 26, Ludvik had it all—health, wealth, good looks, popularity, and a growing business in one of Europe's brightest capitals. Then, one dreadful Sunday in the spring of 1943, the Nazis marched into Budapest and imposed a series of repressive measures that threatened the life of every Jew in Hungary. From that day on, all that mattered was survival. Suddenly, life hung by a shred of paper— the proper “Aryan” identification. Determined to survive, Ludvik boldly entered the black market to buy those precious scraps of false identity that might save him and his loved ones from disaster. Soon he was living a double life, outwardly forsaking his Orthodox Jewish upbringing to pose as a gentile, at the same time clinging steadfastly to his beliefs, never for a moment forgetting who he was and where he came from. Soon he became a master of deception— whether it was posing as a trusted “gentile” factory employee, disguising himself as a drunken peasant, or assuming the dress and manner of a member of the Hungarian S.S. Somehow, he had the capacity to enlist the aid of an unlikely assortment of non-Jews, who helped him at the peril of their lives—among them, a peasant woman who befriended him in prison and offered her home as his haven for the duration of the war… a Hungarian Air Force officer, who “adopted” Ludvik's niece as his own illegitimate child, lent him his apartment as a hiding place and smuggled a series of vital ID papers to him… the Skid Row derelict who saved the life of Ludvik's nephew by pretending to be the boy's uncle. The book traces Ludvik's life, beginning with his placid, essentially easygoing boyhood in Czechoslovakia. Then, in 1940, after the Hungarian takeover, he was inducted into forced labor. It describes the cruelty and black humor of the labor camp, which helped him to develop the cunning and ingenuity that enabled him to sharpen his survival skills and avoid being sent to fatal service on the Russian front. The story then focuses on the Nazi occupation, culminating in Ludvik's near-execution at the hands of his Russian liberators. Armed with optimism, unswerving faith in the Almighty, and his own resourcefulness, Ludvik never let fear keep him from doing whatever was necessary to save himself and his fellow Jews. Throughout his heart-stopping adventures —and even in the darkest moments of despair, when events propelled him to the brink of suicide—Ludvik was motivated to go on by consummate devotion to his beloved mother. He knew he had to survive, for he had promised her he would.

    From near fatal accidents during training in Canada, to dodging flak and fighters over Germany, not to mention trying to land with a ten ton 'Grand Slam' on board, his motto in life has been 'Just Do It'. Born in the East End of London, he left school as the Battle of Britain raged overhead. Determined to 'do his bit', he signed up for service in the RAF. Volunteering for special duties after completing his first tour, he became a member of the famous 617 'Dambusters' Squadron, flying to attack precision targets such as viaducts, submarine bases, and even Hitler's hideout at Berchtesgaden. When the War ended he tried to forget about his experiences, and told no-one of what he had been through; until fifty years later, when an unexpected phone call led to him taking the controls of a Lancaster bomber once more. He is one of the last of an extraordinary generation, one who flew through the unfriendly darkness of German skies, was hunted by fighters and shot up by flak, but pressed ahead with his duty knowing that his chances of survival dwindled every time he took off. His modesty and unfailing sense of humour are an inspiration. Just Do It. Ken is very kindly donating all of his royalties from the sale of this book to The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund & Holidays for Heroes Jersey.

    Some of the stories are hilarious. Some of the stories are heartbreaking. All of the stories are true.Most people think of the funeral business as being very subdued where words are spoken in hushed tones and those who work in it are best described as “somber.” Like almost everything else in life, you never really know what goes on behind closed doors.How could the station wagon used to pick up bodies just vanish? What did the waitress at the drive-in really think was in the back of the car? Why did the woman driving a Cadillac stop in the middle of the busy street in front of the funeral home and start screaming obscenities? How did a woman’s panties end up inside a casket?The answers to these questions and other interesting tales are found on the pages of Casket Chronicles.