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Life in the Fast Lane
by Aidan ColesThere is a dark underbelly to every city, and one group of professionals spend most of their time lurking within. Unloved, unappreciated and mostly unseen: tow truck drivers. Join accomplished magazine columnist and 20-year towing veteran Aidan Coles as he blows the hood off the true story of what being a towman is. Ever wondered why tow trucks seem to block the middle of a busy street in rush hour for no apparent reason? Or how tow truck drivers seem to always know exactly where the illegally-parked cars are? Or even what happens to those cars once they've been hauled away? This book reveals all, from high-speed impacts to high-jinks on scooters. Take it from the author himself: "I've been the low boy all the way to general manager and have done every job in the industry including toilets. Yes, I've impounded a portable toilet." Hilarious, poignant and revealing, Life in the Fast Lane will ensure you never look at a tow truck the same way again.
Life in the Garden
by Penelope LivelyFrom the Booker Prize winner and national bestselling author, reflections on gardening, art, literature, and lifePenelope Lively takes up her key themes of time and memory, and her lifelong passions for art, literature, and gardening in this philosophical and poetic memoir. From the courtyards of her childhood home in Cairo to a family cottage in Somerset, to her own gardens in Oxford and London, Lively conducts an expert tour, taking us from Eden to Sissinghurst and into her own backyard, traversing the lives of writers like Virginia Woolf and Philip Larkin while imparting her own sly and spare wisdom. "Her body of work proves that certain themes never go out of fashion," writes the New York Times Book Review, as true of this beautiful volume as of the rest of the Lively canon.Now in her eighty-fourth year, Lively muses, "To garden is to elide past, present, and future; it is a defiance of time."
Life in the Georgian Court
by Catherine CurzonThis lively history of Europe&’s royal families through the 18th and early 19th centuries reveals the decadence and danger of court life. As the glittering Hanoverian court gives birth to the British Georgian era, a golden age of royalty dawns in Europe. Houses rise and fall, births, marriages and scandals change the course of history. Meanwhile, in France, Revolution stalks the land. Life in the Georgian Court pulls back the curtain on the opulent court of the doomed Bourbons, the absolutist powerhouse of Romanov Russia, and the epoch-defining royal family whose kings gave their name to the era, the House of Hanover. Beneath the powdered wigs and robes of state were real people living lives of romance, tragedy, intrigue and eccentricity. Historian Catherine Curzon reveals the private lives of these very public figures, vividly recounting the arranged marriages that turned to love or hate and the scandals that rocked polite society. Here the former wife of a king spends three decades in lonely captivity, King George IV makes scandalous eyes at the toast of the London stage, and Marie Antoinette begins her final journey through Paris as her son sits alone in a forgotten prison cell.Life in the Georgian Court is a privileged peek into the glamorous, tragic and iconic courts of the Georgian world, where even a king could take nothing for granted.
A Life in the Hills: The Katharine Stewart Omnibus
by Katharine StewartA collection of memoirs about an English woman and her family giving up city life for the Scottish Highlands in the 1950s. Katharine Stewart, who died in 2013, was one of Scotland&’s best-loved writers on rural life in the Highlands. A Croft in the Hills, her first book, tells the story of how a couple and their young daughter, fresh from city life, took over a remote hill croft near Loch Ness and made a living from it. Full of warm personal insights, good humor and a love of living things, it has become a classic and has rarely been out of print since it was first published in 1960. This omnibus gathers A Croft in the Hills together with some of Katharine&’s later books: A Garden in the Hills, describing a year in the life of her Highland garden; A School in the Hills, a history of the school at Abriachan that eventually became the Stewarts&’ family home; and The Post in the Hills, which tells the story of the postal service in the Highlands, from the point of view of Katharine&’s later role as postmistress of the smallest post office in Scotland, run from the porch of her Abriachan schoolhouse. Each of these books glows with what Neil Gunn described as &“its unusual quality, its brightness and its wisdom.&” The omnibus brings the grace, charm, and wisdom of Stewart&’s writing to a new generation of readers.Praise for Katharine Stewart&“Stewart&’s memories are, as she says herself a tale of other times, almost a glimpse of legend . . . Evocative and charming.&” —Scottish Book Collector on A Croft in the Hills
Life in the Leatherwoods
by John Quincy Wolf Gene Hyde Brooks BlevinsLife in the Leatherwoods is one of the country's most delightful childhood memoirs, penned by an Ozark native with a keen, observant eye and a gift for narrative. John Quincy Wolf's relaxed style and colorful characters resemble those of another chronicler of nineteenth-century rural life, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Wolf's acerbic wit and lucid prose infuse the White River pioneers of his story with such life that the reader participates vicariously in their log rollings, house-raisings, spelling bees, hog killings, soap making, country dances, and camp meetings. Originally published by Memphis State University Press in 1974, this new edition includes additional writings of John Q. Wolf and a continuation of the autobiographical narrative after his 1887 move to Batesville. Wolf's writings are valuable resources for southern historians, folklorists, general readers, and scholars of Ozarkiana because they provide a rare glimpse into the social and family life of a largely misunderstood and stereotyped people--the independent hill farmers of the Arkansas Ozarks of the 1870s and 1880s. With Life in the Leatherwoods, Wolf bestows a benediction upon a society that existed vibrantly and humorously in his memory--one that has now forever disappeared from the American countryside. Originally published by Memphis State University Press in 1974, this new edition includes additional writings of John Q. Wolf and a continuation of the autobiographical narrative after his 1887 move to Batesville. Wolf's writings are valuable resources for southern historians, folklorists, general readers, and scholars of Ozarkiana because they provide a rare glimpse into the social and family life of a largely misunderstood and stereotyped people--the independent hill farmers of the Arkansas Ozarks of the 1870s and 1880s. With Life in the Leatherwoods, Wolf bestows a benediction upon a society that existed vibrantly and humorously in his memory--one that has now forever disappeared from the American countryside.
A Life in the Making
by Franz Michael FelderThe inspiring, meditative classic autobiography of a pioneering nineteenth-century autodidact and writer, in English for the first timeOver the 29 years of his short life, Franz Michael Felder worked with furious productivity to better himself and the lives of those around him. From his humble origins in the Austrian village of Schoppernau, he went on to found workers' cooperatives, a political party and even a public library in his own home, as well as writing many literary works. A Life in the Making is both the culmination of this extraordinary career and a chronicle of its development. It is a story of early hardship and fortitude, of Felder's relentless zeal for learning and his lifelong effort to reconcile his own expanding horizons with the enforced confines of the community he was born to. Unfolding in prose of limpid beauty, A Life in the Making becomes a deeply moving tribute to Felder's wife Nanni, and to his enduring belief in the possibility of a better world.
A Life in The Wild: George Schaller's Struggle to Save the Last Great Beasts
by Pamela S. TurnerIn this biography, Pamela S. Turner examines the amazing life and groundbreaking work of the man International Wildlife calls the worlds foremost field biologist. Schaller's landmark research revolutionized field biology, demonstrating that it is possible to study dangerous animals in their own habitats: mountain gorillas in Central Africa, predatory tigers in India, mysterious snow leopards in the Himalayas, and many others.
Life in Two Worlds: A Coach's Journey from the Reserve to the NHL and Back
by Ted NolanIn 1997 Ted Nolan won the Jack Adams Award for best coach in the NHL. But he wouldn&’t work in pro hockey again for almost a decade. What happened?Growing up on a First Nation reserve, young Ted Nolan built his own backyard hockey rink and wore skates many sizes too big. But poverty wasn&’t his biggest challenge. Playing the game meant spending his life in two worlds: one in which he was loved and accepted and one where he was often told he didn&’t belong.Ted proved he had what it took, joining the Detroit Red Wings in 1978. But when his on-ice career ended, he discovered his true passion wasn&’t playing; it was coaching. First with the Soo Greyhounds and then with the Buffalo Sabres, Ted produced astonishing results. After his initial year as head coach with the Sabres, the club was being called the &“hardest working team in professional sports.&” By his second, they had won their first Northeast Division title in sixteen years.Yet, the Sabres failed to re-sign their much-loved, award-winning coach.Life in Two Worlds chronicles those controversial years in Buffalo—and recounts how being shut out from the NHL left Ted frustrated, angry, and so vulnerable he almost destroyed his own life. It also tells of Ted&’s inspiring recovery and his eventual return to a job he loved. But Life in Two Worlds is more than a story of succeeding against the odds. It&’s an exploration of how a beloved sport can harbour subtle but devastating racism, of how a person can find purpose when opportunity and choice are stripped away, and of how focusing on what really matters can bring two worlds together.
A Life in Words: In Conversation with I. B. Siegumfeldt
by Paul Auster I. B. SiegumfeldtAn inside look into Paul Auster's art and craft, the inspirations and obsessions, mesmerizing and dramatic in turn.A remarkably candid, and often surprisingly dramatic, investigation into one writer's art, craft, and life, A Life in Words is rooted in three years of dialogue between Auster and Professor I. B. Siegumfeldt, starting in 2011, while Siegumfeldt was in the process of launching the Center for Paul Auster Studies at the University of Copenhagen. It includes a number of surprising disclosures, both concerning Auster's work and about the art of writing generally. It is a book that's full of surprises, unscripted yet amounting to a sharply focused portrait of the inner workings of one of America's most productive and successful writers, through all twenty-one of Auster's narrative works and the themes and obsessions that drive them.
Life in Yellow: A Memoir
by Liz IronsIn this dazzling memoir, the author brings to life the multitude of emotions she went through when faced with the hardships of her mother's colon cancer diagnosis and the death of her distant father. She takes us across the ocean to Italy where she develops life-long friends, finds her true self and, at times, feels utterly alone. We are with Irons in the emptiness that only follows losing your first love and the amazing strength that can be found in the women that surround her. This book is about sharing the author’s inner growth and self-reflection in the hopes that it will illuminate the simple joys that each and every one of us has throughout our daily lives. She helps us capture that feeling of freedom that, for her, was found whizzing across Milan on the back of a motorbike at midnight. Irons' book might even help you find your own color yellow.
Life Inside: The Hard Reality of Prison and What It Takes To Survive
by Linda Calvey'One of the best books about prison I've ever read' Kimberley ChambersA chilling look into the brutality of life behind bars and what it's like to be locked away with some of the world's most dangerous criminals.Widely known in the criminal underworld as the 'Black Widow', Linda Calvey spent the first half of her life running with the UK's top gangsters, robbing banks and rubbing shoulders with the Kray twins. That is, until, in 1990, her lover Robbie Cook was murdered at point-blank, and she found herself falsely convicted.Linda was sent away for decades, and would go on to become Britain's longest-serving female prisoner. This is her story of life inside, and how she learnt to survive the many years she spent behind bars.Detailing the systems, characters and rules of prison life, as well as her encounters with notorious criminals Charles Bronson, Rose West and Myra Hindley, Linda gives a full account of her time locked up.Featuring stories of fights, riots, dodgy dealings and what happens when a prison officer gets taken hostage, this is a gritty and eye-opening look at prison life from a woman who has seen it all.
Life Inside
by Mindy LewisThe patient is an ascetically pretty 15½-year-old white female. She is intelligent, fearful, extremely anxious, and depressed. Her rage is poorly controlled and inappropriately expressed. Diagnostic Impression: Program for social recovery in a supportive and structured environment appears favorable. Life Inside In 1967, three months before her sixteenth birthday, Mindy Lewis was sent to a state psychiatric hospital by court order. She had been skipping school, smoking pot, and listening to too much Dylan. Her mother, at a loss for what else to do, decided that Mindy remain in state custody until she turned eighteen and became a legal, law-abiding, "healthy" adult. Life Inside is Mindy's story about her coming-of-age during those tumultuous years. In honest, unflinching prose, she paints a richly textured portrait of her stay on a psychiatric ward -- the close bonds and rivalries among adolescent patients, the politics and routines of institutional life, the extensive use of medication, and the prevalence of life-altering misdiagnoses. But this memoir also takes readers on a journey of recovery as Lewis describes her emergence into adulthood and her struggle to transcend the stigma of institutionalization. Bracingly told, and often terrifying in its truths, Life Inside is a life-affirming memoir that informs as it inspires.
Life Inside My Mind: 31 Authors Share Their Personal Struggles
by Amber Benson Maureen Johnson Francesca Lia Block Ellen Hopkins Melissa Marr Wendy Toliver Crissa-Jean Chappell Sara Zarr Hannah Moskowitz Cyn Balog Francisco X. Stork Aprilynne Pike Amy Reed Jessica Burkhart Lauren Oliver Cynthia Hand Megan Kelley Hall Robison Wells Dan Wells E. Kristin Anderson Tom Pollock Jennifer L. Armentrout Sarah Fine Karen Mahoney Rachel M. Wilson Candace Ganger Kelly Fiore-Stultz Scott Neumyer Tara Kelly Kimberly McCreight Cindy L. RodriguezYour favorite YA authors including Ellen Hopkins, Maureen Johnson, and more recount their own experiences with mental illness in this raw, real, and powerful collection of essays that explores everything from ADD to PTSD. <P><P>Have you ever felt like you just couldn’t get out of bed? Not the occasional morning, but every day? Do you find yourself listening to a voice in your head that says “you’re not good enough,” “not good looking enough,” “not thin enough,” or “not smart enough”? Have you ever found yourself unable to do homework or pay attention in class unless everything is “just so” on your desk? Everyone has had days like that, but what if you have them every day? You’re not alone. Millions of people are going through similar things. However issues around mental health still tend to be treated as something shrouded in shame or discussed in whispers. It’s easier to have a broken bone—something tangible that can be “fixed”—than to have a mental illness, and easier to have a discussion about sex than it is to have one about mental health. <P><P>Life Inside My Head is an anthology of true-life events from writers of this generation, for this generation. These essays tackle everything from neurodiversity to addiction to OCD to PTSD and much more. The goals of this book range from providing home to those who are feeling alone, awareness to those who are witnessing a friend or family member struggle, and to open the floodgates to conversation. Participating writers include E.K. Anderson, J.L. Armentrout, Cyn Balog, Amber Benson, Francesca Lia Block, Jessica Burkhart, Crissa Chappell, Sarah Fine, Kelly Fiore, Candace Ganger, Meghan Kelley Hall, Cynthia Hand, Ellen Hopkins, Maureen Johnson, Tara Kelly, Karen Mahoney, Melissa Marr, Kim McCreight, Hannah Moskowitz, Scott Neumyer, Lauren Oliver, Aprilynne Pike, Tom Pollack, Amy Reed, Cindy Rodriquez, Francisco Stork, Wendy Tolliver, Rob Wells, Dan Wells, Rachel Wilson, and Sara Zarr.
Life Inside the Dead Man's Curve: The Chronicles of a Public-Safety Helicopter Pilot
by Kevin McDonald&“A warm compassionate story of helicopters in rescue missions&” (Igor Sikorsky Jr., aviation historian). Travis County STAR Flight, in Austin, Texas, is recognized as one of the premier public-safety helicopter programs in the United States. Life Inside the Dead Man&’s Curve is a firsthand account of the tragedy and triumph witnessed by STAR Flight crews as they respond to a myriad of emergencies, everything from traumatic injuries to rescues―and more. The author, Kevin McDonald, recounts how he turned his passion for flying into an extraordinary career filled with real-life twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. From his early days as a naval aviator, to his twenty years as a STAR Flight pilot, Kevin takes the reader on a powerful, emotional roller coaster ride. Even if you&’re not an aviation enthusiast, you need to strap in for this read. This is more than a book about flying helicopters―it&’s a book about life, life inside the dead man&’s curve. &“A delightful, informative homage to a life of flight.&” —Kirkus Reviews
Life Interrupted: The Unfinished Monologue
by Spalding GrayAs the first decade of the new century was getting underway, Spalding Gray worried that the joy he'd finally found with his wife, stepdaughter, and two sons would fail to fuel his work as a theatrical monologist the way anxiety, conflict, doubt, and various crises once had. Before he got the chance to find out, however, an automobile accident in Ireland left him with the lasting wounds of body and spirit that ultimately led him to take his own life. But as his dear friend novelist Francine Prose notes in this volume's foreword, "Even when his depression became so severe that he was barely able to hold a simple conversation, he was, miraculously, able to perform." As was always his method, Gray began to fashion a new monologue in various workshop settings that would tell the story of the accident and its aftermath. Originally titled Black Spot--for what the locals called the section of highway where Gray's accident occurred--it began as a series of workshops at P.S. 122 in New York City and eventually became Life Interrupted.Gray died in early 2004, and though never completed, Life Interrupted is rich with brave self-revelation, masterfully acute observations of wonderfully peculiar people, penetrating wit and genuine humor, an irresolvable fascination with life and death, and all the other attributes of Gray's singular and unmistakable voice.In the final performance of Life Interrupted, Gray read two additional pieces: a short story about a day he spent with his son Theo at the carousel in Central Park and a brief, poignant love letter to New York City that he wrote after the terrorist attacks in 2001. This volume includes these pieces as well as many of the eulogies that were delivered by his friends and family at memorial services held at Lincoln Center and in Sag Harbor.[If you had to reduce all of Spalding's work to its essence, its core, if you wanted to locate the subject to which, no matter what else he talked about, he kept returning, I suppose you could say that his work was a profoundly metaphysical inquiry into how we manage to live despite the knowledge that we are someday going to die. . . .If there is a consolation, it's what he left behind: the children whom he so loved and, of course, his work. Reading the unfinished pieces in this volume . . . we hear his voice again and feel the happiness we felt when he sat on stage behind his wooden desk, took a sip from his water glass, transformed the raw material of his life into art, and the crowd applauded each brilliant, beautiful sentence.] --Francine Prose, from the Foreward.
Life, Interrupted
by James McconnelJames McConnel always felt like a ‘nearly’ person. Alienated and bullied at school, playing music was the only time James felt in control. But as his piano playing skills developed, so did a bewildering array of strange compulsions. Initially the jerking, coughing, grunting, repeating, tapping, sniffing and counting, was dismissed as a ‘funny little habit’. But it was clearly much more than that. Touching, humorous and intimate, LIFE, INTERRUPTED is the astonishing story of one man’s journey to self-acceptance.
Life, Interrupted
by James McconnelJames McConnel always felt like a ‘nearly’ person. Alienated and bullied at school, playing music was the only time James felt in control. But as his piano playing skills developed, so did a bewildering array of strange compulsions. Initially the jerking, coughing, grunting, repeating, tapping, sniffing and counting, was dismissed as a ‘funny little habit’. But it was clearly much more than that. Touching, humorous and intimate, LIFE, INTERRUPTED is the astonishing story of one man’s journey to self-acceptance.
Life Interrupted
by Teisha RoseTeisha Rose was just twenty-two and on a fast track to corporate success when her life was interrupted by a huge and unexpected hurdle. For the next four years she grieved for her lost dreams, caught in an avalanche of endless hospital ordeals and gruelling rehabilitation. Her devastating physical condition came to dominate her identity ... until she decided to turn her hurdle into hope. Teisha committed herself to finding joy where it seemed impossible. Turning an existence of debilitating lows into a life of exhilarating highs, she left her homeland to travel the world. She left creature comforts to help orphans overseas. She left corporate life to become a social worker among the homeless and lonely. She found new gifts, new perspectives, new homes, new friends and in an amazing set of circumstances she found love. Teisha's extraordinary story will break your heart, inspire you, enthral you and thrill you. Yet Life Interrupted is more than a life story. In the second part of her book, Teisha uses her unique discoveries to help you find your way through whatever might have interrupted your own dreams. Your challenges need not be as tragic as Teisha Rose- few people's are - but like her, you can find your way past your hurdle to a new life full of hope.
Life Is a Gift: The Zen of Bennett
by Tony BennettA moving and inspiring memoir from one of the greatest musical artists of all time"My given name is Anthony Dominick Benedetto, and Benedetto in Italian means 'the blessed one.' I couldn't say it any better than that."—Tony BennettLegendary singer, artist, and performer, Tony Bennett has been one of the world's most beloved entertainers for more than six decades. From the 78 to the LP to the digital age, Tony has done it all and is still at the top of his game. In decade after decade, this artistic icon—who has won seventeen Grammys, sung for ten presidents, and performed for royalty—has refused to compromise his vision or values. His unwavering commitment to quality has helped him stay true to his classic sound and is the reason his music continues to endure. Mentored by such legends as Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nat King Cole, Bennett has only gotten better with age, and his popularity continues to grow as each new generation discovers his timeless songs and incredible voice.In this entertaining and thoughtful memoir, a collection of soulful reflections and philosophies from his life and career, Bennett shares stories of friends and family and the essential lessons they have taught him: of the value of hard work and of creating art that continues to inspire; of perseverance and a dedication to excellence; of the necessity of humility, love, respect, and, most important, gratitude. Bennett cherishes the passion and insatiable thirst for knowledge that have shaped his life and made each day a journey of discovery. He pays tribute to all the remarkable talents he has had the honor to work with and to learn from, including Luciano Pavarotti, Judy Garland, Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney, Amy Winehouse, Willie Nelson, Lady Gaga, David Hockney, and k.d. lang, to name just a few.A magnificent testament to an extraordinary man and his art, and illustrated with Tony Bennett's own beautiful hand-drawn artwork, Life Is a Gift is a work that will captivate, delight, and be cherished by music lovers of all ages.
Life Is a Joke: A Writer's Memoir
by Rosemary FriedmanThe hazards and secrets of the book trade and writing for television and the theatre are revealed and co-mingle with the joys of travel, family and entertaining. The alarums and excursions of an arson attack and the efforts to ease the lot of fellow writers imprisoned for their beliefs in democracy are eclipsed temporarily as Rosemary Friedman emerges from the valley of the shadow of death into which she is unexpectedly precipitated. With her skill and acute eye she takes us behind the scenes of the theatre (in which applause is the writer's personal laurel wreath) and lets us into the machinations of auditions, directors and stage managers and the dynamics of plays themselves in which every actor is expected to be 'dead letter perfect'. In summing up she concludes (with WS Gilbert) that life ' - is a joke that's just begun'.
Life Is a Joke: A Writer's Memoir
by Rosemary FriedmanThe hazards and secrets of the book trade and writing for television and the theatre are revealed and co-mingle with the joys of travel, family and entertaining. The alarums and excursions of an arson attack and the efforts to ease the lot of fellow writers imprisoned for their beliefs in democracy are eclipsed temporarily as Rosemary Friedman emerges from the valley of the shadow of death into which she is unexpectedly precipitated. With her skill and acute eye she takes us behind the scenes of the theatre (in which applause is the writer's personal laurel wreath) and lets us into the machinations of auditions, directors and stage managers and the dynamics of plays themselves in which every actor is expected to be 'dead letter perfect'. In summing up she concludes (with WS Gilbert) that life ' - is a joke that's just begun'.
"Life Is a Jungle" (Book 2: The Rani Adventures)
by Ron SnellIn this delightfully written book, Ron continues his memoir. His parents are Wycliffe translators, who live much as the Machiguenga do. Ron spends much of his time with his Peruvian Indian friends, helping with projects, which often leads to fascinating and hilarious adventures. Ron loves this life, and he writes with a warmth and cleverness that makes this book hard to put down. The other books in this series are available from Bookshare.
Life Is a Marathon: A Memoir of Love and Endurance
by Matt FitzgeraldAn endurance athlete and coach reveals how the marathon transforms the lives of everyone who attempts it--and how it has helped his own family cope with serious adversityStep after step for 26.2 miles, hundreds of thousands of people run marathons. But why--what compels people past pain, lost toenails, 5.30 am start times, The Wall? Sports writer Matt Fitzgerald set out to run eight marathons in eight weeks across the country to answer that question. At each race, he meets an array of runners, from first timers, to dad-daughter teams and spouses, to people who'd been running for decades, and asks them what keeps them running. But there is another deeply personal part to Matt's journey: his own relationship to the sport--and how it helped him overcome his own struggles and cope with his wife Nataki's severe bipolar disorder. A combination of Matt's own How Bad Do You Want It? and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Life Is a Marathon captures the magic of those 26.2 miles. At the end of the day--and at the end of the race--the pursuit of a marathon finish line is not unlike the pursuit of happiness. You will pick up the book for a powerful personal story about what running does for the people for whom it does the most. You will put it down with a greater understanding of what it means to be alive in this world.
Life is a Wheel: Memoirs of a Bike-Riding Obituarist
by Bruce WeberBased on his popular New York Times series, bestselling author Bruce Weber shares the adventures of his solo bicycle ride from coast to coast. <P> Riding a bicycle across the United States is one of those bucket-list goals that many dream about but few fulfill. During the summer and fall of 2011, at the age of fifty-seven, Bruce Weber, an obituary writer for The New York Times, made the trip, alone, and wrote about it as it unfolded mile by mile, a vivid and immediate report of the self-powered life on the road. <P> Now, expanding upon the articles and blog posts that quickly became a must-read adventure story, Weber gives us Life Is a Wheel, a witty, inspiring, and reflective diary of his journey, in which the challenges and rewards of self-reliance and strenuous physical effort yield wry and incisive observations about cycling and America, not to mention the pleasures of a three-thousand-calorie breakfast. <P> The story begins on the Oregon coast, with Weber wondering what he’s gotten himself into, and ends in triumph on New York City’s George Washington Bridge. From Going-to-the-Sun Road in the northern Rockies to the headwaters of the Mississippi and through the cityscapes of Chicago and Pittsburgh, his encounters with people and places provide us with an intimate, two-wheeled perspective of America. And with thousands of miles to travel, Weber considers— when he’s not dealing with tractor-trailers, lightning storms, dehydration, headwinds, and loneliness—his past, his family, and the echo that a well-lived life leaves behind. <P> Part travelogue, part memoir, part romance, part paean to the bicycle as a simple mode of both mobility and self-expression—and part bemused and panicky account of a middle-aged man’s attempt to stave off, well, you know—Life Is a Wheel is an elegant and beguiling escape for biking enthusiasts, armchair travelers, and any readers who are older than they were yesterday.
Life Is a Zoo - No Matter What Side of the Cage You're On
by Gary RichmondGary Richmond tells the comical and hair-raising adventures of his own journey into manhood. Tales portray a young who tested every law of God and nature. He inspired teachers to retire early, his father to lay down the law, his mother to throw up her hands, and his friends to risk their lives. But underneath the antics emerges a young man who grappled with his rocky passage into adulthood.