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As a Woman: What I Learned about Power, Sex, and the Patriarchy after I Transitioned
By Paula Stone Williams. 2021
This moving and unforgettable memoir of a transgender pastor&’s transition from male to female is an &“audacious, gripping, and profoundly…
real journey that speaks to the mind, heart, and soul&” (Joshua J. Dickson, director of Faith Based Initiatives, Biden Campaign)—perfect for fans of Redefining Realness and There Is Room for You.As a father of three, married to a wonderful woman, and holding several prominent jobs within the Christian community, Dr. Paula Stone Williams made the life-changing decision to physically transition from male to female at the age of sixty. Almost instantly, her power and influence in the evangelical world disappeared and her family had to grapple with intense feelings of loss and confusion.Feeling utterly alone after being expelled from the evangelical churches she had once spearheaded, Paula struggled to create a new safe space for herself where she could reconcile her faith, her identity, and her desire to be a leader. Much to her surprise, the key to her new career as a woman came with a deeper awareness of the inequities she had overlooked before her transition. Where her opinions were once celebrated and amplified, now she found herself sidelined and ignored. New questions emerged. Why are women&’s opinions devalued in favor of men&’s? Why does love and intimacy feel so different? And, was it possible to find a new spirituality in her own image?In As a Woman, Paula&’s &“critical questions about gender, personhood, and place are relevant to anyone. Her writing insightfully reveals aspects of our gender socialization and culture that often go unexamined, but that need to be talked about, challenged, and changed&” (Soraya Chemaly, author of Rage Becomes Her) in order to fully understand what it means to be male, female, and simply, human.Moments of Clarity: Voices from the Front Lines of Addiction and Recovery
By Christopher Kennedy Lawford. 2009
Christopher Kennedy Lawford’s New York Times bestselling memoir, Symptoms of Withdrawal, offered readers a startling, first-hand look at his own…
addictions to drugs and alcohol, prompting People magazine to write, “Few have written so well about the joy of drugs, and few are as unsparing about their drug-driven selfishness.” In his bestselling follow-up, Moments of Clarity, Lawford presents “Voices from the Front Lines of Addiction and Recovery.” With contributions from Tom Arnold, Alec Baldwin, Meredith Baxter, Jamie Lee Curtis, Richard Dreyfuss, Anthony Hopkins and many others, Moments of Clarity is an important addition to the literature of recovery.A Body of Work: Dancing to the Edge and Back
By David Hallberg. 2017
David Hallberg, the first American to join the famed Bolshoi Ballet as a principal dancer and the dazzling artist The…
New Yorker described as &“the most exciting male dancer in the western world,&” presents a look at his artistic life—up to the moment he returns to the stage after a devastating injury that almost cost him his career.Beginning with his real-life Billy Elliot childhood—an all-American story marred by intense bullying—and culminating in his hard-won comeback, Hallberg&’s &“moving and intelligent&” (Daniel Mendelsohn) memoir dives deep into life as an artist as he wrestles with ego, pushes the limits of his body, and searches for ecstatic perfection and fulfillment as one of the world&’s most acclaimed ballet dancers.Rich in detail ballet fans will adore, Hallberg presents an &“unsparing…inside look&” (The New York Times) and also reflects on universal and relatable themes like inspiration, self-doubt, and perfectionism as he takes you into daily classes, rigorous rehearsals, and triumphant performances, searching for new interpretations of ballet&’s greatest roles. He reveals the loneliness he felt as a teenager leaving America to join the Paris Opera Ballet School, the ambition he had to tame as a new member of American Ballet Theatre, and the reasons behind his headline-grabbing decision to be the first American to join the top rank of Bolshoi Ballet, tendered by the Artistic Director who would later be the victim of a vicious acid attack. Then, as Hallberg performed throughout the world at the peak of his abilities, he suffered a crippling ankle injury and botched surgery leading to an agonizing retreat from ballet and an honest reexamination of his entire life.Combining his powers of observation and memory with emotional honesty and artistic insight, Hallberg has written a great ballet memoir and an intimate portrait of an artist in all his vulnerability, passion, and wisdom. &“Candid and engrossing&” (The Washington Post), A Body of Work is a memoir &“for everyone with a heart&” (DC Metro Theater Arts).Stranger at the Gate: To Be Gay and Christian in America
By Mel White. 1994
&“Compelling…eloquent and compassionate…We learn as much about growing up in the Christian right as we do about gay life in…
Mel White&’s heartfelt and revealing memoir.&” —San Francisco ExaminerUntil Christmas Eve 1991, Mel White was regarded by the leaders of the religious right as one of their most talented and productive supporters. He penned the speeches of Oliver North. He was a ghostwriter for Jerry Falwell, worked with Jim Bakker, flew in Pat Robertson&’s private jet, walked sandy beaches with Billy Graham. What these men didn&’t know was that Mel White—evangelical minister, committed Christian, family man—was gay. &“An engrossing journey to unite sexuality with faith&” (Dallas Morning News), Stranger at the Gate details Mel White&’s twenty-five years of being counseled, exorcised, electric-shocked, prayed for, and nearly driven to suicide because his church said homosexuality was wrong. But his salvation—to be openly gay and Christian—is more than a unique coming-out story. It is a chilling exposé that goes right into the secret meetings and hidden agendas of the religious right. Told by an eyewitness and sure to anger those Mel White once knew best, Stranger at the Gate is a warning about where the politics of hate may lead America…an important book by a brave man whose words can make us both richer in spirit and much wiser too.Desire: Where Sex Meets Addiction
By Susan Cheever. 2008
We've all felt the giddy flutter of excitement when our new lover walks into the room. Waited by the phone,…
changed our plans...But are we in love, or is there something darker at work? In Desire: Where Sex Meets Addiction, Susan Cheever explores the shifting boundaries between the feelings of passion and addiction, desire and need, and she raises provocative and important questions about who we love and why. Elegantly written and thoughtfully composed, Cheever's book combines unsparing and intimate memoir, interviews and stories, hard science and psychology to explore the difference between falling in love and falling prey to an addiction. Part one defines what addiction is and how it works -- the obsession, the betrayals, the broken promises to oneself and others. Part two explores the possible causes of addiction -- is it nature or nurture, a permanent condition or a temporary derangement? Part three considers what we can do about it, including a provocative suggestion about how we describe and treat addiction, and a look at the importance of community and storytelling. In the end, there are no easy answers. "A straight look about some crooked feelings," Desire shows us the difference between the addiction that cripples our emotions, and healthy, empowering love that enhances our lives.Recovery: A Guide for Adult Children of Alcoholics
By Herbert L. Gravitz, Julie D. Bowden. 1985
Rich with insight and awareness, Recovery explores the secrets, fears, hopes and issues that confront adult children of alcoholics. Authors…
and widely respected therapists and ACOA workshop leaders Herbert Gravitz and Julie Bowden detail in a clear question-and-answer format the challenges of control and inadequacy that ACOAs face as they struggle for recovery and understanding, stage-by-stage: Survival* Emergent Awareness* Core Issues* Transformations* Integration* Genesis.If you feel troubled by your post, Recovery will start you on the path of self-awareness, as it explores the searching questions adult children of alcoholics seek to hove answered:* How con I overcome my need for control?* Do all ACOAs ploy the some kind of roles in the family?* How do I overcome my fear of intimacy?* What is all-or-none functioning?* How can ACOAs maintain self-confidence and awareness after recovery?* How do ACOAs handle the family after understanding its influence?* And many other important questions about your post, family and feelings.Written with warmth, joy and real understanding, Recovery will inspire you to meet the challenges of the post and overcome the obstacles to your happiness.The Disabled Will: A Theory of Addiction
By John T. Maier. 2024
This book defends a comprehensive new vision of what addiction is and how people with addictions should be treated. The…
author argues that, in addition to physical and intellectual disabilities, there are volitional disabilities – disabilities of the will – and that addiction is best understood as a species of volitional disability. This theory serves to illuminate long-standing philosophical and psychological perplexities about addiction and addictive motivation. It articulates a normative framework within which to understand prohibition, harm reduction, and other strategies that aim to address addiction. The argument of this book is that these should ultimately be evaluated in terms of reasonable accommodations for addicted people and that the priority of addiction policy should be the provision of such accommodations. What makes this book distinctive is that it understands addiction as a fundamentally political problem, an understanding that is suggested by standard legal approaches to addiction, but which has not received a sustained defense in the previous philosophical or psychological literature.This text marks a significant advance in the theory of addiction, one which should reshape our understanding of addiction policy and its proper aims.Victory Over Verbal Abuse: A Healing Guide to Renewing Your Spirit and Reclaiming Your Life
By Patricia Evans. 2011
"You're too sensitive.""You'll never amount to anything.""You're crazy."If this is what you hear--from your spouse, your parent, your boss--then you've…
been the victim of verbal abuse. This insidious behavior permeates our culture--from the privacy of our own homes to the public glare of our schools, workplaces, and other institutions.But you don't have to live with it. In this groundbreaking companion to her bestselling The Verbally Abusive Relationship, acclaimed public speaker, educator and author Patricia Evans brings you the tools you need to triumph over verbal abuse, no matter where or how you encounter it.She'll guide you step by step through a powerful healing process that provides:A thorough review of available therapiesStrategies for dealing with abusersPositive messages of support and encouragementInspiring affirmations for every week of the yearWith Patricia's help, you'll achieve the clarity you need to build a new life--far from senseless accusations, wounding words, and confusing comments that have taken an untold toll on your psyche. You'll find validation, and learn to believe in yourself--and a better future--once more.Relentless Pursuit: My Fight for the Victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
By Bradley J. Edwards, Brittany Henderson. 2020
&“A thrilling page-turner about the pursuit of justice&” (New York Post), this is the definitive story of the case against…
Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and the corrupt system that supported them, told in thrilling detail by the lawyer who has represented their victims for more than a decade.In June 2008, Florida-based victims&’ rights attorney Bradley J. Edwards was thirty-two years old and had just started his own law firm when a young woman named Courtney Wild came to see him. She told a shocking story of having been sexually coerced at the age of fourteen by a wealthy man in Palm Beach named Jeffrey Epstein. Edwards, who had never heard of Epstein, had no idea that this moment would change the course of his life.Over the next ten years, Edwards devoted himself to bringing Epstein to justice, and came close to losing everything in the process. Edwards tracked down and represented more than twenty of Epstein&’s victims, shined a light on his shadowy network of accomplices, including Ghislaine Maxwell, and uncovered the scope of his sexually exploitative organization, which reached into the highest levels of American society.In this &“revelatory exploration of the long fight to bring a monstrous man to justice&” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), Edwards gives his riveting, blow-by-blow account of battling Epstein on behalf of his clients, and provides stunning details never shared before. Epstein and his cadre of high-priced lawyers were able to manipulate the FBI and the Justice Department, but despite making threats and attempting schemes straight out of a spy movie, Epstein couldn&’t stop Edwards, his small team of committed lawyers, and, most of all, the victims, who were dead-set on seeing their abuser finally put behind bars.The Way of Our People: Weekly Inspiration for American Indians in Recovery
By Donald Richard Wright. 2012
These inspirational meditations, prayers, and stories were written by an Ojibwe Elder and alcohol and drug counselor to speak directly…
to American Indians about their everyday experience of recovery from alcoholism. A combination of Ojibwe and Twelve Step spiritual principles and practices, along with stories from Indians struggling with recovery, create an authentic experience of the challenges and rewards of living sober. People from all tribes will recognize spiritual laws like Honesty, Sharing, Kindness, and Strength, along with traditional rituals such as offering tobacco with prayers, and can apply teachings from their own culture to these messages.The importance of reliance on the Creator, the wisdom of Elders, and sober community support inform these writings to provide strength while counteracting the harsh realities of poverty, violence, and broken relationships fueled by alcohol abuse. A meditation, seven daily prayers, and selected stories “from the rooms” of AA meetings are presented for each of the 52 weeks of the year, providing a weekly and daily source of inspiration and hope.It Should Be Easy to Fix
By Bonnie Robichaud. 2022
In 1977, Bonnie Robichaud accepted a job at the Department of Defence military base in North Bay, Ontario. After a…
string of dead-end jobs, with five young children at home, Robichaud was ecstatic to have found a unionized job with steady pay, benefits, and vacation time. After her supervisor began to sexually harass and intimidate her, her story could have followed the same course as countless women before her: endure, stay silent, and eventually quit. Instead, Robichaud filed a complaint after her probation period was up. When a high-ranking officer said she was the only one who had ever complained, Robichaud said, “Good. Then it should be easy to fix.” This timely and revelatory memoir follows her gruelling eleven-year fight for justice, which was won in the Supreme Court of Canada. The unanimous decision set a historic legal precedent that employers are responsible for maintaining a respectful and harassment-free workplace. Robichaud’s story is a landmark piece of Canadian labour history—one that is more relevant today than ever.Resilience Is Futile: The Life and Death and Life of Julie S. Lalonde
By Julie S. Lalonde. 2020
For over a decade, Julie Lalonde, an award-winning advocate for women’s rights, kept a secret. She crisscrossed the country, denouncing…
violence against women and giving hundreds of media interviews along the way. Her work made national headlines for challenging universities and taking on Canada’s top military brass. Appearing fearless on the surface, Julie met every interview and event with the same fear in her gut: was he there? Fleeing intimate partner violence at age 20, Julie was stalked by her ex-partner for over ten years, rarely mentioning it to friends, let alone addressing it publicly. The contrast between her public career as a brave champion for women with her own private life of violence and fear meant a shaky and exhausting balancing act. Resilience sounds like a positive thing, so why do we often use it against women? Tenacity and bravery might help us survive unimaginable horrors, but where are the spaces for anger and vulnerability? Resilience is Futile is a story of survival, courage and ultimately, hope. But it’s also a challenge to the ways we understand trauma and resilience. It’s the story of one survivor who won’t give up and refuses to shut up.The Mother-Daughter Relationship Makeover: 4 Steps to Bring Back the Love
By Leslie Glass, Lindsey Glass. 2024
The Mother-Daughter Relationship Makeover combines a compelling mother and daughter memoir with self-help and a formula for readers to explore their…
own mother-daughter history, understand and ease their conflicts, and rediscover their appreciation and love.Bestselling author Leslie Glass and her daughter, award-winning documentarian Lindsey Glass, offer a brand-new kind of interactive self-help book that combines actionable information, compelling storytelling, and writing prompts that are guaranteed to bring awareness, understanding, and compassion to mothers and daughters everywhere. It is a book that promises to heal your relationship and keep it strong, offering a positive pathway to peace and serenity no matter how far apart you feel you are. Leslie and Lindsey have lived through their own traumas and devastating ups and downs in their relationship. They&’ve turned their experiences into a successful platform for helping others and share them here in this book. They use their own tumultuous story, told from their respective points of view, to help mothers and daughters understand that even if you go off track, go to war, part ways for years, you can still find your way back to friendship, understanding, and love. For the first time, Leslie and Lindsey will share their secret sauce for healing, broken down into four steps: •Revealing Your Back Story •Exploring Your Emotional and Personality Styles •Understanding Your Conflicts and Triggers •Learning the Tools to Restore the LoveThe Elephant in the Room: One Fat Man's Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America
By Tommy Tomlinson. 2020
An NPR Best Book of the Year: This story of a man’s reckoning with his 460-pound body is “warm and…
funny and honest . . . genuinely unputdownable” (Curtis Sittenfeld, New York Times–bestselling author of Romantic Comedy).When he was almost fifty years old, journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist Tommy Tomlinson weighed an astonishing—and dangerous—460 pounds, at risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, unable to climb a flight of stairs without having to catch his breath, or travel on an airplane without buying two seats. Raised in a family that loved food, he’d been aware of the problem for years, seeing doctors and trying diets from the time he was a preteen. But nothing worked, and every time he tried to make a change, it didn’t go the way he planned—in fact, he wasn’t sure that he really wanted to change.In The Elephant in the Room, Tomlinson chronicles his lifelong battle with weight—and hits the road to meet other members of the plus-sized tribe in an attempt to understand how, as a nation, we got to this point. From buying a Fitbit to contemplating the Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas, America’s “capital of food porn,” Tomlinson takes a candid and sometimes brutal look at the everyday experience of being constantly aware of your size. He confronts these issues head-on and recounts the practical steps he has to take to lose weight by the end—in a memoir that will resonate with anyone who’s grappled with addiction, shame, or self-consciousness.“What could have been a wallow in memoir self-pity is raised to art by Tomlinson’s wit and prose.” —Rolling Stone“Heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud . . . I could not turn the pages fast enough.” —Beth Macy, author of Dopesick“Inspirational . . . witty and punchy.” —The New York TimesThe Life of Rylan
By Rylan Clark-Neal. 2016
*The Sunday Times Number One Bestseller*Well hark at you, stumbling upon my autobiography. Bet you wouldn't have put money on…
that three years ago, eh?! Please don't stress yourself out too much, though, it's actually socially acceptable nowadays that you're interested. Firstly I'd like to emphasise that I have WRITTEN THIS BOOK MYSELF, so be assured you're getting the TOOTH, the WHOLE TOOTH and NOTHING BUT THE TOOTH! (Which was my original choice of title, but babe, we're so over that.) This book documents my story, year by year, from my humble beginnings growing up in the East End of London, becoming one of the nation's most talked-about people overnight to finally moving up the spectrum from guilty pleasure, and getting nearer to national treasure.It will make you laugh, cry, and most importantly you'll discover who I really am. If it doesn't do any of those things you're not legally entitled to a refund - just clearing that up ;-).I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I have enjoyed writing it. This book has been like therapy, and LORD was I in need. Enjoy!How To Stop Smoking And Stay Stopped For Good: fully revised and updated
By Gillian Riley. 2007
Everyone knows how bad smoking is for them: about half of all regular cigarette smokers will be killed by their…
habit, but they just can't seem to give up. If you're really serious about giving up smoking then this is the book that will not only help you to stop, but to stay stopped for good.Gillian Riley's techniques allow you to understand your nicotine addiction, take control and break your smoking habit. There is a step-by-step giving up programme that is easy to follow and really works. Even in stressful situations, or when boredom sets in, you'll soon realise that even though the freedom and opportunity to smoke is there, you have chosen not to.How to Stop Smoking and Stay Stopped for Good will even help you to give up smoking without gaining weight.How To Stop Smoking And Stay Stopped
By Martin Raw. 2000
How to Stop Smoking and Stay Stopped is published to support a pan-BBC campaign, Kick the Habit, launching in March…
2000 on the subject of addiction. The author takes the line that stopping smoking is a process which can take time and can be difficult but is certainly possible with good planning, determination and a bit of support. How to Stop Smoking and Stay Stopped provides help in all three of these areas. The book begins by explaining just why it is so hard to stop. It describes the importance of motivation and preparation before guiding the smoker through the process from day one onwards. It includes details of the common problems and excuses that smokers will come up against and suggests solutions. As well as information on the various therapies available (both traditional and alternative), the book provides details of where smokers can get further help and support. How to Stop Smoking and Stay Stopped is a practical book, filled with charts, tables and questionnaires. Drawing on 25 years experience in helping people to quit, Martin Raw has written a truly smoker-friendly guide, including case studies examples of how real people have beaten their addiction to encourage the reader to stop smoking and stay stopped! WARNING: This book can seriously improve your health!At the vulnerable age of 12, Lara McDonnell was picked out by a gang of men who befriended her, showered…
her with attention and gained her trust. Manipulated and groomed, her life quickly spiralled out of control as the men trafficked her around the country, deliberately keeping her compliant with drink and drugs. Deeply disturbed, and frightened about what the gang would do to her if she tried to break free, it would take over 4 years for Lara to find the strength to fight back, flee Oxford and escape her nightmare.This is her heartbreaking story.Go the Way Your Blood Beats
By Emmett De Monterey. 2023
AN EXTRAORDINARILY MOVING AND ORIGINAL MEMOIR OF GROWING UP GAY AND DISABLED IN 1980s LONDONSHORTLISTED FOR THE SLIGHTLY FOXED BEST…
BIOGRAPHY PRIZE 2023 When Emmett de Monterey is eighteen months old, a doctor diagnoses him with cerebral palsy. Words too heavy for his twenty-five-year-old artist parents and their happy, smiling baby.Growing up in south-east London in the 1980s, Emmett is spat at on the street and prayed over at church. At his mainstream school, teachers refuse to schedule his classes on the ground floor, and he loses a stone from the effort of getting up the stairs. At his sixth form college for disabled students, he's told he will be expelled if the rumours are true, if he's gay.And then Emmett is chosen for a first-of-its-kind surgery in America which he hopes will 'cure' him, enable him to walk unaided. He hopes for a miracle: to walk, to dance, to be able to leave the house when it rains. To have a body that's everyday beautiful, to hold hands in the street. To not be gay, which feels like another word for loneliness. But the 'miracle' doesn't occur, and Emmett must reckon with a world which views disabled people as invisible, unworthy of desire. He must fight to be seen.'Vivid, engaging... this insightful memoir sheds light on the author's life as a disabled gay man who is often rendered invisible' Andrew McMillan, Guardian Book of the Day'A frank and intimate memoir written with an incredible clear-eyed intensity' Claire FullerThe Frog Princess
By Angie Beasley. 2011
The Frog Princess is the story of Angie Beasley's transformation from ugly duckling to beauty queen.With few jobs around, bland…
food and cold weather, the best that Angie could hope for was a job at the local Findus factory. Her family didn't have it easy. Her baby brother was a cot death and the tragedy caused her mother to turn to the Jehovah's Witness faith. Their poverty, now combined with an austere belief system, meant no Christmas, no birthdays and little joy. But aged 16, Angie decided that she was destined for bigger things. After seeing a TV advertisement she entered a beauty pageant. And won. She went on to take 25 titles, including Miss Leeds, and her home town title Miss Cleethorpes, giving her the opportunity to model while travelling the world.Just as Angie felt that life couldn't get any better, she got engaged to a man who trapped her in a terrifying cycle of domestic violence. When she eventually escaped him, she had lost all of her money and self-esteem. She was on the bottom rung of the ladder yet again. But Angie picked herself up, turned her talents to event management and grafted her way to becoming Director of Miss England.Evoking the magical, lost world of the 1970s beauty pageant, The Frog Princess is Angie Beasley's real life fairytale.The eldest of six children, Angie Beasley (nee Chapman) was born in 1963 in Grimsby. With few prospects in life beyond the local fish factories, she decided to enter Miss Yorkshire Television at the age of 16. Within eight years, Angie had gone on to win twenty-five beauty titles, leading to work in the entertainment industry. She is now the Director of Miss England Limited, and lives in Leicester with her son.