“We are not worth more, they are not worth less.” This is the mantra of S. Brian Willson and the theme that runs throughout his compelling psycho-historical memoir. Willson’s story begins in small-town, rural America, where he grew up as a “Commie-hating, baseball-loving Baptist,” moves through life-changing experiences in Viet Nam, Nicaragua and elsewhere, and culminates with his commitment to a localized, sustainable lifestyle. In telling his story, Willson provides numerous examples of the types of personal, risk-taking, nonviolent actions he and others have taken in attempts to educate and effect political change: tax refusal—which requires simplification of one’s lifestyle; fasting—done publicly in strategic political and/or therapeutic spiritual contexts; and obstruction tactics—strategically placing one’s body in the way of “business as usual.” It was such actions that thrust Brian Willson into the public eye in the mid-’80s, first as a participant in a high-profile, water-only “Veterans Fast for Life” against the Contra war being waged by his government in Nicaragua. Then, on a fateful day in September 1987, the world watched in horror as Willson was run over by a U.S. government munitions train during a nonviolent blocking action in which he expected to be removed from the tracks and arrested. Losing his legs only strengthened Willson’s identity with millions of unnamed victims of U.S. policy around the world. He provides details of his travels to countries in Latin America and the Middle East and bears witness to the harm done to poor people as well as to the environment by the steamroller of U.S. imperialism. These heart-rending accounts are offered side by side with inspirational stories of nonviolent struggle and the survival of resilient communities Willson’s expanding consciousness also uncovers injustices within his own country, including insights gained through his study and service within the U.S. criminal justice system and personal experiences addressing racial injustices. He discusses coming to terms with his identity as a Viet Nam veteran and the subsequent service he provides to others as director of a veterans outreach center in New England. He draws much inspiration from friends he encounters along the way as he finds himself continually drawn to the path leading to a simpler life that seeks to “do no harm.&rdquo Throughout his personal journey Willson struggles with the question, “Why was it so easy for me, a ’good’ man, to follow orders to travel 9,000 miles from home to participate in killing people who clearly were not a threat to me or any of my fellow citizens?” He eventually comes to the realization that the “American Way of Life” is AWOL from humanity, and that the only way to recover our humanity is by changing our consciousness, one individual at a time, while striving for collective cultural changes toward “less and local.” Thus, Willson offers up his personal story as a metaphorical map for anyone who feels the need to be liberated from the American Way of Life—a guidebook for anyone called by conscience to question continued obedience to vertical power structures while longing to reconnect with the human archetypes of cooperation, equity, mutual respect and empathy.
For Glasgow-based Gordon O'Brien, attending the Irish Galway Festival was a chance to showcase his vast musical repertoire and revisit Tuam, the old village that had nurtured a long line of past O'Briens before him. The last thing on his mind, however, was that his visit would trigger the events that would see him finally uncover the answer to the eternal problem of human existence. With old band partner, Pete, and newfound friends, Mavis and Sadie, in tow, Gordon played his way through the old and new charms of Galway. Amid all these, the Irish Republicans cast an eye on the potential of a new recruit, while the ancient enemy, the Brits, wheel about biding their time to ensnare new foes. Who will get the upper hand? The Road to Tuam, by Brian Fleming, presents a lively take on deeply held spiritual tenets, blues and folk music, and the general effects of enduring bitter political conflict in the region.
It is often forgotten that during World War II, the Japanese managed to successfully invade and conquer a precious part of American home soil – the first time this had happened since 1815. Capturing the Aleutian Islands, located in Alaska territory, was seen by the Japanese as vital in order to shore up their northern defensive perimeter. Fighting in the Aleutians was uniquely brutal. It is a barren, rugged archipelago of icy mountains and thick bogs, with a climate of constant snow, freezing rains and windstorms. These geographic conditions tended to neutralize traditional American strengths such as air power, radar, naval bombardment and logistics. The campaign to recapture the islands required extensive combined-ops planning, and inflicted on the United States its second highest casualty rate in the Pacific theatre. Featuring the largest Japanese banzai charge of the war, first use of pre-battle battleship bombardment in the Pacific and the battle at the Komandorski Islands, this is the full story of the forgotten battle to liberate American soil from the Japanese.
A fascinating exploration of how between February 1 and March 10, 1942, three small US task forces launched several unexpected raids across the Japanese defensive perimeter in the Central and South Pacific. After the devastating Japanese blows of December 1941, the Allies found themselves reeling with defeat everywhere in the Pacific. Although stripped of his battleships and outnumbered 10:3 in carriers, the US Navy commander-in-chief Admiral Ernest J. King decided to hit back at Japan's rapidly expanding Pacific empire immediately, in an effort to keep the Japanese off-balance. On February 1, 1942, Vice Admiral Bill Halsey led the US Pacific Fleet carriers on their first raid, using high-speed hit-and-run tactics to strike at the Japanese, at a time when most of the Japanese carrier fleet was in the Indian Ocean. Halsey's aggressive commitment inspired its American participants to invent the mythical “Haul Ass With Halsey” club. The last of the 1942 US carrier raids in March 1942 would form a defining moment in the Pacific War, prior to a new phase of high-seas battles between the opposing fleets. This superbly illustrated book documents for the first time in a single volume this little-known but important World War II naval campaign. The fabulous illustrations, including maps and colour artworks, bring to life the US air and naval raids on the Japanese bases in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands, Rabaul, Wake Island, Marcus Island, and Lae and Salamaua in northern New Guinea.
Minneapolis P.I. Lyle Dahms investigates the murder of an old high school buddy. The dead man, now a highly successful software developer, is found repeatedly stabbed with swastikas carved into his corpse. Suspicion promptly falls on the dead man’s son, a high school student who had gone virtually overnight from star athlete and scholar to rebellious skinhead whose hate-filled diatribes spare no one, least of all his privileged, liberal father. Dahms soon discovers others with motives to kill his old friend, chief among them a white supremacist leader and publicity-hungry “minister” who frames his racist views as divine law. But before Dahms can close in on the truth, his investigation is hampered by the arrival of the dead man’s former girlfriend, now an embittered hooker. Claiming to know who killed his friend, she refuses to tell Dahms for fear that she will be the next victim. She does, however, leave him something. When she bolts, she abandons her three-year-old daughter to his care, leaving Dahms charged with keeping the little girl safe, finding her mother, and solving the murder before the killer can strike again.
With the number of people requiring palliative and end-of-life care set to increase by 2020, it is the responsibility of every nurse, regardless of specialism, to know how to provide high-quality care to this group of people. Yet caring for those nearing the end of life can throw up complex issues, including handling bereavement, cultural and ethical issues, delivering care in a wide variety of settings, symptom management and also ensuring your own emotional resilience. This book is specifically designed to equip nursing students and non-specialists with the essential knowledge in relation to the care and management of people nearing the end of life.
In this comprehensive yet accessible guide, Brian Draper, a leading expert on Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, describes the symptoms, treatment and management of the condition. Covering everything from assessment and diagnostic processes to drug and psychosocial treatments, community and residential care options, assistive technology, support for carers, ethical and legal considerations, end of life decisions and the latest research and treatment developments, the book provides a complete road map for those supporting someone with the condition, in either a professional or personal capacity. The book will demystify the condition and increase understanding about why it occurs, current treatments and how it may be managed. Filled with useful information and advice, it will be an invaluable resource for relatives and carers, and a useful reference on the desk of any professional working with individuals with dementia.
After serving in the Vietnam War, S. Brian Willson became a radical, nonviolent peace protester and pacifist, and this memoir details the drastic governmental and social change he has spent his life fighting for. Chronicling his personal struggle with a government he believes to be unjust, Willson sheds light on the various incarnations of his protests of the U.S. government, including the refusal to pay taxes, public fasting, and, most famously, public obstruction. On September 1, 1987, Willson was run over by a U.S. government munitions train during a nonviolent blocking action in which he expected to be removed from the tracks. Providing a full look into the tragic event, Willson, who lost his legs in the incident, discusses how the subsequent publicity propelled his cause toward the national consciousness. Now, 23 years later, Willson tells his story of social injustice, nonviolent struggle, and the so-called American way of life.
How God glorified Himself in the life of a follower. Through cancer, marriage and cancer coming back God revealed Himself. Through one man's struggle, you see God's perfect grace.
The stories of Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends have delighted generations of children and adults, but what do we know of the man who created them? A devoted pastor and family man, the Reverend W Awdry first started telling the stories in order to amuse his own children, with no idea that the characters would lead to a global phenomenon that now, seventy years after their first appearance, shows no signs of waning. In this fascinating and warm biography, prolific author Brian Sibley brings to life one of the most eminent children's writers of the twentieth century, tracing his story from his Edwardian childhood through his time at University and into World War 2. A convinced pacifist, Awdry was thrown out of one curacy and denied another, because of his beliefs. Never afraid to fight for what he thought was right, he argued with his publishers and his illustrators, demanding the best for his favourite creations - the trains and their friends.
Denison was founded in 1872, when the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) Railroad established a terminus just south of the Red River. The small town quickly grew to hold a prominent place in the 19th-century American West, and it prospered alongside the railroad, becoming the gateway to Texas from the North. Denison has the distinction of being the birthplace of Pres. Dwight Eisenhower, the site of the first free, graded public school in Texas, and home to beautiful Lake Texoma. This book features a diverse collection of postcard images and takes readers on a journey through Denison’s colorful past.
An enthralling work of fiction... or is it? This is a book that raises a multitude of awkward questions -- and provides some uncomfortably plausible answers. In 1943, a very gifted man with a deep hatred of everything British comes to an important decision. 'If conventional armed forces cannot conquer this blot on the face of Europe then we must learn from the ancient Greek legend of the Trojan horse and destroy it from within its own borders.' Even as World War II was ending this man and his disciples were infiltrating Britain and, with extraordinary ability and vision, began to change its economy and culture. Their skill in the now commonly used misinformation techniques can be taken from the fact that their ability to manipulate the media was unsurpassed and yet the media owners and operators were only vaguely aware of their existence. This is an incredible story of hatred and love of Britain as a nation state. It is the story of a foot soldier in a new type of war - a war waged in secret, over many years, and with incalculable effect. This young man is one of many trained since his pre-teen years to damage the British economy and way of life through the use of misinformation techniques. As he struggles to fulfil the destiny that others have intended for him, he begins to question the certainties he has been given and, finally, to come to a momentous conclusion. His true destiny lies elsewhere. In recent times whenever British people of mature years get together in groups the conversation invariably turns at some stage to the depressing changes that have taken place in the country since World War II. In particular, they ask each other why British governments never follow the wishes of the majority on key issues like law and order, our relationship with Europe and preventing dangerous terrorists from setting up their operations in Britain. The typical reaction of those who have read this is -- 'If there is a better explanation for the current situation in Britain, then I have not yet heard of it!
This is a great book to pick up over a cup of coffee as the stories are short and entertaining. Brian Wilsons short stories have been described as being like a box of chocolates, each one being delightful but quite different. Some of the stories are humorous, while others are thought provoking, and there is a story for everyone. Hold on tight as Wilson takes you on a journey through life. Look out for the twists and turns on the way. Wilson has been described as a master of short story twists. Here Comes the SunPerhaps? will take you on a journey through the spring of life, leaving behind winterthe Bumpy Roads (his previous book). The dark clouds have now parted and the sun emerges, promising new beginnings and a warmer approach to life. But life is never predictable, and the best of plans sometimes fall apart and the humour of life surfaces. Brian Wilsons collection comprises thirty entertaining short stories plus the contribution by a new short story writer. The stories are set in New Zealand, China, Japan, England, Zambia, India, and Fiji. Brian Wilson is well travelled and uses his overseas experiences as a basis for these stories. Having an MA (honours) in psychology, he understands how people tick, and his characters are very real and his stories true to life.
From the bestselling author of Eat That Frog While productivity and time management expert Brian Tracy has been writing bestselling books and giving seminars on these topics for well over thirty years, the challenge of remaining optimally productive in our modern world has never been greater. How can this be? We live in the most technologically advanced period of history in the most technologically advanced world. With the advent of mobile phones, killer apps, internet speeds that stagger the imagination, and nearly any bit of information, products, and solutions only one click away, how can it be that remaining optimally productive is such a challenge for so many? In a word: DISTRACTION. Many of us spend precious time focusing on the incessant emails, texts, notifications, ads, etc. that seem important-even urgent-to our success and happiness, but, in reality, only complicate our lives and take us even further from our goals. In Get It Done Now!, Brian addresses this challenge of distraction in its many forms and shows you how to focus on your most important task so you can get it done now! In this book, you will discover: How to eliminate excuses and take control of your life NOW! Mental programming for getting things done NOW! The 10 best productivity methods Breakthrough habits for getting organized NOW! Productivity tips to fast-track your career
When first published this book had a significant influence on the campaign for comprehensive schools and it spoke to generations of working-class students who were either deterred by the class barriers erected by selective schools and elite universities, or, having broken through them to gain university entry, found themselves at sea. The authors admit at the end of the book they have raised and failed to answer many questions, and in spite of the disappearance of the majority of grammar schools, many of those questions still remain unanswered.
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