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From the Ground Up: A Journey to Reimagine the Promise of America
by Howard SchultzFrom the longtime CEO and chairman of Starbucks, a bold, dramatic work about the new responsibilities that leaders, businesses, and citizens share in American society today—as viewed through the intimate lens of one man’s life and work. What do we owe one another? How do we channel our drive, ingenuity, even our pain, into something more meaningful than individual success? And what is our duty in the places where we live, work, and play? <P><P>These questions are at the heart of the American journey. They are also ones that Howard Schultz has grappled with personally since growing up in the Brooklyn housing projects and while building Starbucks from eleven stores into one of the world’s most iconic brands. <P><P> In From the Ground Up, Schultz looks for answers in two interwoven narratives. One story shows how his conflicted boyhood—including experiences he has never before revealed—motivated Schultz to become the first in his family to graduate from college, then to build the kind of company his father, a working-class laborer, never had a chance to work for: a business that tries to balance profit and human dignity. <P><P> A parallel story offers a behind-the-scenes look at Schultz’s unconventional efforts to challenge old notions about the role of business in society. From health insurance and free college tuition for part-time baristas to controversial initiatives about race and refugees, Schultz and his team tackled societal issues with the same creativity and rigor they applied to changing how the world consumes coffee. <P><P>Throughout the book, Schultz introduces a cross-section of Americans transforming common struggles into shared successes. In these pages, lost youth find first jobs, aspiring college students overcome the yoke of debt, post-9/11 warriors replace lost limbs with indomitable spirit, former coal miners and opioid addicts pave fresh paths, entrepreneurs jump-start dreams, and better angels emerge from all corners of the country. <P><P>From the Ground Up is part candid memoir, part uplifting blueprint of mutual responsibility, and part proof that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. At its heart, it’s an optimistic, inspiring account of what happens when we stand up, speak out, and come together for purposes bigger than ourselves. Here is a new vision of what can be when we try our best to lead lives through the lens of humanity. <P><P><b> A New York Times Bestseller</b>
From the Ground Up: Stories from the men and women who built, serviced and flew aircraft in WWII (W&N Military)
by Edward Smithies'Fascinating ... this collection illuminates corners of the wartime world ... it provides a valuable and often entertaining window' GUARDIAN'The horrors have not been suppressed. Everyone who speaks was very young then. You sense their wonder that they did the things they recall' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAYWhen we remember the Second World War in the air, we think of fighter pilots and bomber crews. But what was it like for the men and women working as ground crew and in the aircraft factories who also played a crucial role in defeating Hitler? What was it like making history? What sense did these individuals have of what they were doing, either at the time or later? Did they feel they were caught up in the tide of great events? Or were they simply doing their demanding and often dangerous duty?Originally published as ACES, ERKS AND BACKROOM BOYS
From the Heart: Family. Community. Service.
by Mary Anne ChambersA refreshing memoir that challenges readers to make the most of life’s opportunities.After moving to Canada from Jamaica in 1976, a colleague at Scotiabank told Mary Anne Chambers not to be surprised if she didn’t get very far. The overlapping characteristics of her identity — Caribbean immigrant, Black businesswoman, Catholic, wife, and mother—were expected to hinder her both personally and professionally. Yet, against all odds, she went on to attain senior roles in both business and politics.In her inspiring memoir, Chambers shares lessons from the moments that challenged and defined her. From the Heart encourages us to be our authentic selves, to embrace curiosity, to find value in our life experiences and those we meet along the way.
From the Heart
by Kym MarshKYM MARSH is one of our most-loved stars, but her life has been a rollercoaster ride through love, laughter and tears.Now Kym's ready to tell her full story for the first time, describing her difficult childhood growing up on a council estate in Wigan, and struggling at school with bullying and an eating disorder.She describes falling in love at 17 and finding herself pregnant while still a teenager. By the time she was 21, she was a single mum with two very young children, David and Emily, and it was a real struggle to make ends meet.But Kym had always dreamt of performing and even though the odds were stacked against her, she was determined to make her dream a reality. One day she auditioned for a new TV show called Popstars and her life changed forever.Kym now stars in the nation's favourite soap, Coronation Street. But her life off-screen hasn't been easy. She reflects on her marriage to Jack Ryder and how hard she tried to make it work. Kym found new love with Hollyoaks star Jamie Lomas and after tragically losing their first baby Archie in 2009, the couple were over the moon to welcome little Polly Lomas into the world earlier this year.Entertaining, funny and incredibly honest, From the Heart is a fantastic read all about how sometimes the best things happen in life when you refuse to give up hope.
From the Heart
by Kym MarshKYM MARSH is one of our most-loved stars, but her life has been a rollercoaster ride through love, laughter and tears.Now Kym's ready to tell her full story for the first time, describing her difficult childhood growing up on a council estate in Wigan, and struggling at school with bullying and an eating disorder.She describes falling in love at 17 and finding herself pregnant while still a teenager. By the time she was 21, she was a single mum with two very young children, David and Emily, and it was a real struggle to make ends meet.But Kym had always dreamt of performing and even though the odds were stacked against her, she was determined to make her dream a reality. One day she auditioned for a new TV show called Popstars and her life changed forever.Kym now stars in the nation's favourite soap, Coronation Street. But her life off-screen hasn't been easy. She reflects on her marriage to Jack Ryder and how hard she tried to make it work. Kym found new love with Hollyoaks star Jamie Lomas and after tragically losing their first baby Archie in 2009, the couple were over the moon to welcome little Polly Lomas into the world earlier this year.Entertaining, funny and incredibly honest, From the Heart is a fantastic read all about how sometimes the best things happen in life when you refuse to give up hope.
From the Hidewood: Memories of a Dakota Neighborhood
by Robert C. AmersonIn 21 interwoven stories, author Robert Amerson re-creates life on his family's 160-acre farm in the remote Hidewood Hills of eastern South Dakota from 1934 to 1942. In exquisite detail, he portrays a particular moment in time with a power that could help many readers better understand their own pasts.
From the Hood to the Hill: A Story of Overcoming
by Barry C. BlackFrom the Hood to the Hill is Chaplain Black's story of overcoming unpromising beginnings in the ghettos of Baltimore. His travels through uncharted waters exemplify God's power for change. Read his story and discover how you, too, can move toward unprecedented satisfaction through a living faith in God."With Barry Black, you don't just hear a sermon, you see the sermon. That sermon is captured vividly in this story of his life. A life shaped by love, humility, confidence, courage, strength, and hope." - from the Foreword, THOMAS R. CARPER, US Senator"Barry Black is a leader among leaders. Brilliant and articulate, yet humble and approachable, he is a force for integrity, goodness, and compassion on Capitol Hill . . . this narrative, From the Hood to the Hill, is a fascinating read." - DR. RICK WARREN, Best-Selling Author, The Purpose Driven Life, and Pastor, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA"Chaplain Barry Black embodies the best of the American Spirit and the Christian tradition-a man of great erudition who has never forgotten his humble roots; a man of great faith who remains open to all the wisdom of all people; a man of great seriousness who knows how to laugh. The Senate and the country are grateful for his service." - BARRACK OBAMA, US Senator"From a wonderfully unique man comes a powerfully unique story. Barry Black is a testimony to God's faithfulness and grace." - MAX LUCADO, Pastor, Oak Hills Church, San Antonio, TX"This is an inspiring autobiography by an outstanding man of God, a great leader, a powerful preacher, and a true patriot . . . Barry Black is my cherished friend. I'm honored that he succeeded me as Chaplain of the United States Senate. From the Hood to the Hill is a stirring and power-packed book of the way God uses whom He chooses." - DR. LLOYD J. OGILVIE, Former US Senate Chaplain
From the Hood to the Holler: A Story of Separate Worlds, Shared Dreams, and the Fight for America's Future
by Charles BookerKentucky State Representative Charles Booker tells the improbable story of his journey from one of the poorest neighborhoods in the country to a political career forging new alliances among forgotten communities across the New South and beyond.&“Charles Booker is a rising leader in our nation, and an inspiration to me and all those who get to know his story and vision.&”—Senator Cory BookerCharles Booker grew up in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Kentucky, living in the largely segregated West End of Louisville. Faith and love were everything in his family, but material comforts were scarce. The electricity was sometimes shut off. His mother often went hungry so her son could eat. Even after he graduated from law school, Booker rationed the insulin he took for diabetes. Determined to build a world in which poverty and racism would not plague future generations, he charted his own course into Kentucky politics, a world dominated by the myth of an urban-rural divide, and controlled by the formidable Republican establishment.In this stirring account, Booker unfolds his journey from the heart of Louisville to the deepest reaches of Kentucky&’s rural landscapes, reflecting the journey America itself must make on the way to a progressive future. Robbed of multiple family members by gun violence, Booker found the roots of a system built to fail him and his neighbors in everything from the hypocrisy of elected officials to the structural racism embedded in the state&’s budget. Yet it wasn&’t until his unlikely appointment to the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources that he understood the transformative power of the issues that bound his family with those in rural Appalachia. In coal country, he met citizens who, like those in the West End, suffered from extreme isolation, for whom fresh food and economic stability were scarce, who lacked the resources to overcome their cynicism about change. Through his work as the youngest Black state legislator in Kentucky, Booker built an unprecedented alliance between the hood and the holler. This coalition was the basis for a thrilling grassroots Senate campaign that nearly stunned the nation, putting Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul on notice that the days of business as usual were over. From the Hood to the Holler is both a moving coming-of-age story and an urgent political intervention—a much-needed blueprint for how equity and racial justice might transcend partisan divisions in Kentucky, throughout the South, and across America.
From the Imjin to the Hook: A National Service Gunner in the Korean War
by James JacobsThe British Armys considerable contribution to The Korean War 1950 1953 was largely composed of conscripts or national servicemen. Plucked from civilian life on a lottery basis and given a short basic training, some like Jim Jacobs volunteered for overseas duty and suddenly found themselves in the thick of a war as intensive and dangerous as anything the Second World War had had to offer.As a member of 170 Independent Mortar Battery RA from March 1951 to June 1952 Jim was in the frontline at the famous Battle of the Imjin River. By great luck, he evaded capture and death unlike so many. He returned to the UK only to volunteer again for a second tour with 120 Light Battery from March 1953 to March 1954. During this period, he was in the thick of the action at the Third Battle of the Hook during May 1953.In this gripping memoir, Jim calmly and geographically recounts his experiences and emotions from joining the Army through training, the journeys by troopship and, most importantly, on active service in the atrocious and terrifying war fighting that went on in a very foreign place.
From the Inside Out: Harrowing Escapes from the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center
by Erik O. RonningenFifteen survivors of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center share their dramatic stories of that fateful day. On September 11, 2001, tens of thousands in New York City awakened to a beautiful Tuesday morning. Just like any other day, they completed their morning routines and headed to work. For Erik Ronningen, that was his job with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey at the World Trade Center. Ronningen had a big, career-changing meeting scheduled for 9 A.M. At 8:46 A.M., Erik was on the seventy-first floor of the North Tower when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the building. As acrid smoke filled the building, he made his way downstairs, hoping to get to the Security Command Center in the basement of the South Tower. However, he was unable to reach it and was the last person to exit the South Tower alive . . . In From the Inside Out, Ronningen shares the story of his harrowing escape, along with stories from fourteen other survivors. These gripping accounts chronicle individuals displaying courage and heroism when their ordinary day quickly became a fiery scramble for survival.
From the Jaws of Death: Extreme True Adventures of Man vs. Nature
by Brogan SteeleA harrowing collection of true tales of death and survival under the most extreme conditions imaginableThere comes a time in some men's lives when their physical and emotional states are pushed to the limit. Maybe their boat has capsized and they are adrift in the ocean, or maybe they've fallen into an ice crevasse, with no apparent way out. It is in these moments men discover what they are truly made of and whether they have the courage and physical strength to come back From the Jaws of Death.This explosive collection showcases twenty-three stories of adventure gone horribly wrong, including:--"The Devil's Thumb" by Jon Krakauer: the bestselling author recounts his perilous solo climb of Alaska's infamous Devil's Thumb--"Surviving the St. Patrick" by Spike Walker: the crew of a fishing boat face crushing waves in the middle of a winter storm in the Gulf of Alaska--"Look for a Corpse" by Larry Kaniut: a man buried by an avalanche fights to make it out alive--"The Boat Journey" by Sir Ernest Shackleton: when his expedition's ship is destroyed, Shackleton and five of his crewmembers resolve to cross 800 ocean miles in a lifeboat to look for help--And many more!This is one of the finest and most extreme collections of true adventure ever assembled.
From the Jungles to the Cathedrals: The Captivating Story of Juan Carlos Ortiz
by Juan Carlos OrtizEl Dr. Juan Carlos Ortiz, cuenta la historia de cómo paso de las selvas a las catedrales. A través de sus páginas, el describe como a pesar de venir de un hogar y familia sencilla y un padre alcohólico, Jesús, en la forma de dos misioneras, toco a la puerta de su hogar. Aunque su madre no quería perder tiempo en “tonterías” su decisión de recibirlas dio un giro inesperado a su hogar. Jesús suplió todas las necesidades, permitiendo así que una imposibilidad de estudio para él y sus cuatro hermanos se convirtiera en realidad. Es así que el Dr. Ortiz empieza a servir a Dios y da comienzo a su vida ministerial. La influencia de grandes líderes internacionales como Tommy Hicks, marcaron su vida y su llamado. Tiempo después, Ortiz presidió como pastor principal una de las catedrales más importantes de Estados Unidos, la “Catedral de Cristal”, en California, Estados Unidos.
From the Kingdom of Memory
by Elie Wiesel"One of the great writers of our generation" (The New Republic) weaves together memories of his life before the Holocaust and his great struggle to find meaning afterwards. Included are Wiesel's landmark speeches, among them his powerful testimony at the trial of Klaus Barbie and his 1986 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech.From the Trade Paperback edition.
From the Kingdom of Memory: Reminiscences
by Elie WieselWiesel weaves together memories of his life before the Holocaust and his struggle to find meaning afterwards. His powerful testimony at the trial of Klaus Barbie and his 1986 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech are included here.
From the Lake House: A Mother's Odyssey of Loss and Love
by Kristen RademacherDizzy with grief after a shattering breakup, Kristen did what any sensible thirty-nine-year-old woman would do: she fled, abandoning her well-ordered life in metropolitan Boston and impulsively relocating to a college town in North Carolina to start anew with a freshly divorced southerner. Dismissing the neon signs that flashed Rebound Relationship, Kristen was charmed by the host of contrasts with her new beau. He loved hunting and country music, she loved yoga and NPR; he worried about nothing, she worried about everything. The luster of her new romance and small-town lifestyle soon—and predictably—faded, but by then a pregnancy test stick had lit up. As Kristen&’s belly grew, so did her concern about the bond with her partner—and so did a fierce love for her unborn child. Ready or not, she was about to become a mother. And then, tragedy struck. Poignant and insightful, From the Lake House explores the echoes of rash decisions and ill-fated relationships, the barren and disorienting days an aching mother faces without her baby, and the mysterious healing that can take root while rebuilding a life gutted from loss.
From the Leader's Chair
by Kenneth SillitoKenneth Sillito is internationally recognised as one of Britain's most distinguished musicians. Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, he studied with David Martin at the Royal Academy of Music, and in Rome with Remy Principe. His first major appointment was as associate leader of the newly created English Chamber Orchestra in 1960. He was subsequently appointed leader and remained with the orchestra until 1973, during which time he established a worldwide reputation as both director and soloist. In 1967, he founded the Gabrieli String Quartet, which swiftly established itself as one of this country's leading chamber ensembles. With the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, which he joined in l980, Kenneth led and directed innumerable distinguished recordings and performances until his retirement in 2012. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy in 1971 and awarded the highly prestigious Cobbett Medal in 2017 by The Worshipful Company of Musicians for his services to chamber music.
From the Left: A Life in the Crossfire
by Bill Press"Bill Press has done it all. He was the Chair of the California Democratic Party, he has been involved in numerous campaigns, he has been a prolific writer, and has worked as a host and commentator on radio and TV. In other words, he knows politics inside and out. This is the tale of an engaged and often outraged citizen who loves his country and wants to see it move forward in a progressive direction." —Senator Bernie SandersA memoir of talk radio host and political commentator Bill Press.The name Bill Press is synonymous with honest journalism, intelligent commentary, and progressive politics.But based on where he came from, it's a wonder he didn't end up a Trump voter. He grew up in a blue-collar family in a small town in Delaware south of the Mason-Dixon line, where segregation was the rule. As a Catholic, he was taught that abortion, divorce, sex outside of marriage, and homosexuality were morally wrong: beliefs later reinforced in ten years of seminary studies for the priesthood. He was on his way to be a rock-ribbed conservative.So what went right for him that he swerved so far to the left? In From the Left, Press shows this gradual transformation, starting with two years of studies in Europe and a providential escape to California. From Sacramento he made his way to Southern California television and talk radio as a political commentator and liberal talk show host. Jumping to Washington and national cable TV, Press hosted Crossfire and The Spin Room on CNN, and Buchanan and Press on MSNBC. A member of the White House Press Corps and columnist for Tribune Media Services and The Hill, Press was an early supporter of Bernie Sanders and hosted two of the Senator's first presidential strategy sessions in his living room.If you're already on the left, you'll cheer a fellow traveler. If not yet there, you soon will be.
From the Library of C. S. Lewis: Selections from Writers Who Influenced His Spiritual Journey
by James Stuart Bell Anthony P. DawsonDiscover great truths from C. S. Lewis's mentors C. S. Lewis was perhaps the greatest Christian thinker of the twentieth century. He delighted us inThe Chronicles of Narnia, intrigued us inThe Screwtape Letters, mystified us in The Space Trilogy, and convinced us inMere Christianity. His influence on generations of Christians has been immeasurable. But who influenced C. S. Lewis? What were the sources of his inspiration? Who were his spiritual mentors? Who were his teachers? Drawn from Lewis's personal library, annotations, and references from his writings, the selections in this book bring us into contact with giants such as Dante, Augustine, and Chaucer, as well as introduce us to more contemporary writers such as G. K. Chesterton, Charles Williams, George MacDonald, and J. R. R. Tolkien. Over 250 selections provide a vast array of inspiration from those who have shone forth as messengers of light in Lewis's own thinking, writing, and spiritual growth. A rare glimpse into the intellectual, spiritual, and creative life of one of literature's great writers,From the Library of C. S. Lewisis a treasury of insight and wisdom. From the Hardcover edition.
From the Marne to Verdun: The War Diary of Captain Charles Delvert, 101st Infantry, 1914–1916
by Charles DelvertCharles Delverts diary records his career as a front-line officer in the French army fighting the Germans during the First World War. It is one of the classic accounts of the war in French or indeed in any other language, and it has not been translated into English before. In precise, graphic detail he sets down his wartime experiences and those of his men. He describes the relentless emotional and physical strain of active service and the extraordinary courage and endurance required in battle. His account is essential reading for anyone who is keen to gain a direct insight into the Great War from the French soldier's point of view, and it bears comparison with the best-known English and German memoirs and journals of the Great War.
From the Marne to Verdun: The War Diary of Captain Charles Delvert, 101st Infantry, 1914–1916
by Charles DelvertCharles Delverts diary records his career as a front-line officer in the French army fighting the Germans during the First World War. It is one of the classic accounts of the war in French or indeed in any other language, and it has not been translated into English before. In precise, graphic detail he sets down his wartime experiences and those of his men. He describes the relentless emotional and physical strain of active service and the extraordinary courage and endurance required in battle. His account is essential reading for anyone who is keen to gain a direct insight into the Great War from the French soldier's point of view, and it bears comparison with the best-known English and German memoirs and journals of the Great War.
From the Mines to the Streets
by Benjamin Kohl Linda Farthing Félix MuruchiFrom the Mines to the Streets draws on the life of Félix Muruchi to depict the greater forces at play in Bolivia and elsewhere in South America during the last half of the twentieth century. It traces Félix from his birth in an indigenous family in 1946, just after the abolition of bonded labor, through the next sixty years of Bolivia’s turbulent history. As a teenager, Félix followed his father into the tin mines before serving a compulsory year in the military, during which he witnessed the 1964 coup d’état that plunged the country into eighteen years of military rule. He returned to work in the mines, where he quickly rose to become a union leader. The reward for his activism was imprisonment, torture, and exile. After he came home, he participated actively in the struggles against neoliberal governments, which led in 2006—the year of his sixtieth birthday—to the inauguration of Evo Morales as Bolivia’s first indigenous president. The authors weave Muruchi’s compelling recollections with contextual commentary that elucidates Bolivian history. The combination of an unforgettable life story and in-depth text boxes makes this a gripping, effective account, destined to become a classic sourcebook.
From the Mob to the Movies: How I Escaped the Mafia and Landed In Hollywood
by Richie SalernoThe veteran character actor recounts the epic adventure of his life from the NYC mob and prison life to making movies with Hollywood legends. You might know him as the character Tony Darvo in the movie Midnight Run, but before he played tough guys in the movies, Richie Salerno was born into the real-world Brooklyn Mafia. Some of New York&’s most notorious gangsters were his uncles, aunts, cousins, and family friends. For a time, it looked like he was heading for a life in the family business. During a stint in prison for theft, Richie managed to turn his life around. Using the tailoring skills he learned from his father and butchering abilities he picked up from his father-in-law, he ingratiated himself with the warden and guards, and survived his 120 month sentence without a scratch. After his release, he scored an audition for the Sidney Lumet film Serpico starring Al Pacino. That audition turned into a long career as a character actor in major Hollywood films. In From the Mob to the Movies, Richie recounts his journey from the mean streets of Brooklyn and as a child of the mob to the silver screen.
From the Moment They Met It Was Murder: Double Indemnity and the Rise of Film Noir
by Alain Silver James UrsiniThe behind-the-scenes story of the quintessential film noir and cult classic, Billy Wilder&’s Double Indemnity—its true crime origins and crucial impact on film history—is told for the first time in this riveting narrative published for the film's 80th anniversary. From actual murder to magazine fiction to movie, the history of Double Indemnity is as complex as anything that hit the screen during film noir&’s classic period. A 1927 tabloid sensation &“crime of the century&” inspired journalist and would-be crime-fiction writer James M. Cain to pen a novella. Hollywood quickly bid on the film rights, but throughout the 1930s a strict code of censorship made certain that no studio could green-light a murder melodrama based on real events. Then in 1943 veteran scriptwriter and newly minted director Billy Wilder wanted the story for his third movie. With tentative approval from the studio he hired hardboiled novelist Raymond Chandler to co-write a script that would be acceptable to industry censors. Director Wilder then cajoled a star cast into coming aboard: the incomparable Barbara Stanwyck in her unforgettable turn as the ultimate femme fatale; alongside Fred MacMurray, going against type as her accomplice; and Edward G. Robinson as a dogged claims investigator. Wilder kept Chandler on for the entire shoot, and other key collaborators were cinematographer John Seitz, costume designer Edith Head, and composer Miklôs Rôzsa. With all these talented contributors, the final film became one of the earliest studio noirs to gain critical and commercial success, including being nominated for seven Oscars. It powerfully influenced the burgeoning noir movement, spawned many imitators, and affected the later careers of all its cast and crew. Double Indemnity&’s impact on filmmakers and audiences is still felt eight decades since its release. Authors Alain Silver and James Ursini tell the complete, never-before-told history of writing, making, and marketing of Double Indemnity in their latest and most provocative work on film noir: From the Moment They Met It Was Murder.
From the Mouth of the Monster
by MladinichKILLER AND COP -- BOUND TOGETHER BY FATE They met in college twenty years ago. One became a decorated NYPD officer and a journalist. The other became New York's most notorious serial killer. This is the riveting true story of Joel Rifkin -- the Long Islander convicted of savagely murdering seventeen young women -- as told by Rifkin to Robert Mladinich. The two met as journalism students on assignment together in 1979; more than two decades later, the NYPD detective visited Rifkin in prison to examine what both had made of their lives. In a chilling series of exchanges, Rifkin bared his soul to Mladinich, chronicling his lost years: the missed opportunities, the failed relationships, and the terrible details behind his killings. But Mladinich probed deeper, forcing Rifkin to confront the horrifying nature of his crimes. Drawn from interviews with Rifkin and his mother, and conversations with acquaintances and professionals who encountered him, From The Mouth Of The Monster is an exacting true-crime portrayal and a chilling study of the possible evil within us all.
From the Mouths of Dogs: What Our Pets Teach Us about Life, Death, and Being Human
by B. J. HollarsWhat is it that dogs have done to earn the title of “man’s best friend”? And more broadly, how have all of our furry, feathered, and four-legged brethren managed to enrich our lives? Why do we love them? What can we learn from them? And why is it so difficult to say good-bye? Join B.J. Hollars as he attempts to find out—beginning with an ancient dog cemetery in Ashkelon, Israel, and moving to the present day. <p><p> Hollars’s firsthand reports recount a range of stories: the arduous existence of a shelter officer, a woman’s relentless attempt to found a senior-dog adoption facility, a family’s struggle to create a one-of-a-kind orthotic for its bulldog, and the particular bond between a blind woman and her Seeing Eye dog. The book culminates with Hollars’s own cross-country journey to Hartsdale Pet Cemetery—the country’s largest and oldest pet cemetery—to begin the long-overdue process of laying his own childhood dog to rest. <p> Through these stories, Hollars reveals much about our pets but even more about the humans who share their lives, providing a much-needed reminder that the world would be a better place if we took a few cues from man’s best friends.