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When a Loved One Has Dementia: A Comforting Companion For Family And Friends
By Eveline Helmink. 2021
“An open-hearted and honest look at the reality of caring for someone with this life-changing diagnosis. Eveline generously shares her…
experiences, insights, and practical tools to cultivate compassion, acceptance, and love, even during the most painful experiences.”—Dr. Nicole LePera, New York Times–bestselling author of How to Do the Work A vital source of solace and compassion for those whose loved one has dementia, rooted in the author’s unflinching experience of caring for her mother Dementia enters life through the back door, slipping in unnoticed. Once it’s there, it can make you feel powerless, angry, and unsure how to move forward. When her mother developed dementia, Eveline Helmink wasn’t prepared. As she learned firsthand, when your loved one is suffering, it takes a toll on you, too. As you navigate finding professional caregivers and adapting to your loved one’s behavioral challenges, this book will help you confront all the complexities of the experience. Identify healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms. Work through feelings of denial, grief, guilt, shame, and fear. Summon the courage to make decisions in your loved one’s best interest. Live in the present, find laughter, and show love in the face of dementia. When a Loved One Has Dementia weaves together Eveline’s unflinching personal account and her empathetic guidance, allowing you to walk through the endless tunnel and illuminating the path to acceptance, forgiveness, and love.I Promise It Won't Always Hurt Like This: 18 Assurances on Grief
By Clare Mackintosh. 2024
'Truly the best and most insightful book about grief I have ever read' Joanna Cannon'Beautiful, heart-breaking and yet overwhelmingly hopeful'…
Mike GayleGrief is universal, but it's also as unique to each of us as the person we've lost. It can be overwhelming, exhausting, lonely, unreasonable, there when we least expect it and seemingly never-ending. Wherever you are with your grief and whoever you're grieving for, I Promise It Won't Always Hurt Like This is here to support you. To tell you, until you believe it, that things will get easier.When bestselling writer Clare Mackintosh lost her five-week-old son, she searched for help in books. All of them wanted to tell her what she should be feeling and when she should be feeling it, but the truth - as she soon found out - is that there are no neat, labelled stages for grief, or crash grief-diets to relieve us of our pain. What we need when we're grieving is time and understanding. With 18 short assurances that are full of compassion - drawn from Clare's experiences of losing her son and her father - I Promise it Won't Always Hurt Like This is the book she needed then.PRAISE FOR I PROMISE IT WON'T ALWAYS HURT LIKE THIS'That Clare has used her own devastating experience to help others who are going through something similar is a brave and hugely laudable thing to do. A book that is both heart-breaking in its honesty and uplifting in its compassionate approach, it is beautifully written and offers - implicit in the title - hope' Alan Titchmarsh'Wherever you are with your grief, and whoever you're grieving for, this incredibly honest book was written to support you... full of compassion and comfort' Adele Parks, Platinum'A book dripping with a compassion that can only truly be laid out on the page by a Survivor of the Trenches of Grief . We need now, perhaps more than ever, beacon-makers like Clare to help guide us through our darkness' Greg Wise'A true lifeline if you think no one else can possibly understand how you feel' Jill Mansell'Written with honesty, realism, deep personal insight and hope' Child Bereavement UK'A salve for broken hearts. Readers who've been touched by loss will find comfort in these pages.' Publishers WeeklyI Promise It Won't Always Hurt Like This: 18 Assurances on Grief
By Clare Mackintosh. 2024
'Truly the best and most insightful book about grief I have ever read' Joanna Cannon'Beautiful, heart-breaking and yet overwhelmingly hopeful'…
Mike GayleGrief is universal, but it's also as unique to each of us as the person we've lost. It can be overwhelming, exhausting, lonely, unreasonable, there when we least expect it and seemingly never-ending. Wherever you are with your grief and whoever you're grieving for, I Promise It Won't Always Hurt Like This is here to support you. To tell you, until you believe it, that things will get easier.When bestselling writer Clare Mackintosh lost her five-week-old son, she searched for help in books. All of them wanted to tell her what she should be feeling and when she should be feeling it, but the truth - as she soon found out - is that there are no neat, labelled stages for grief, or crash grief-diets to relieve us of our pain. What we need when we're grieving is time and understanding. With 18 short assurances that are full of compassion - drawn from Clare's experiences of losing her son and her father - I Promise it Won't Always Hurt Like This is the book she needed then.PRAISE FOR I PROMISE IT WON'T ALWAYS HURT LIKE THIS'That Clare has used her own devastating experience to help others who are going through something similar is a brave and hugely laudable thing to do. A book that is both heart-breaking in its honesty and uplifting in its compassionate approach, it is beautifully written and offers - implicit in the title - hope' Alan Titchmarsh'Wherever you are with your grief, and whoever you're grieving for, this incredibly honest book was written to support you... full of compassion and comfort' Adele Parks, Platinum'A book dripping with a compassion that can only truly be laid out on the page by a Survivor of the Trenches of Grief . We need now, perhaps more than ever, beacon-makers like Clare to help guide us through our darkness' Greg Wise'A true lifeline if you think no one else can possibly understand how you feel' Jill Mansell'Written with honesty, realism, deep personal insight and hope' Child Bereavement UK'A salve for broken hearts. Readers who've been touched by loss will find comfort in these pages.' Publishers WeeklyWild Tongues Can't Be Tamed: 15 Voices from the Latinx Diaspora
By Saraceia J. Fennell. 2021
Edited by The Bronx Is Reading founder Saraciea J. Fennell and featuring an all-star cast of Latinx contributors, Wild Tongues…
Can’t Be Tamed is a ground-breaking anthology that will spark dialogue and inspire hopeIn Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed, bestselling and award-winning authors as well as up-and-coming voices interrogate the different myths and stereotypes about the Latinx diaspora. These fifteen original pieces delve into everything from ghost stories and superheroes, to memories in the kitchen and travels around the world, to addiction and grief, to identity and anti-Blackness, to finding love and speaking your truth. Full of both sorrow and joy, Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed is an essential celebration of this rich and diverse community. The bestselling and award-winning contributors include Elizabeth Acevedo, Cristina Arreola, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Naima Coster, Natasha Diaz, Saraciea J. Fennell, Kahlil Haywood, Zakiya Jamal, Janel Martinez, Jasminne Mendez, Meg Medina, Mark Oshiro, Julian Randall, Lilliam Rivera, and Ibi Zoboi.A Beginner's Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death
By Bj Miller, Shoshana Berger. 2019
&“A gentle, knowledgeable guide to a fate we all share&” (The Washington Post): the first and only all-encompassing action plan…
for the end of life.&“There is nothing wrong with you for dying,&” hospice physician B.J. Miller and journalist and caregiver Shoshana Berger write in A Beginner&’s Guide to the End. &“Our ultimate purpose here isn&’t so much to help you die as it is to free up as much life as possible until you do.&”Theirs is a clear-eyed and big-hearted action plan for approaching the end of life, written to help readers feel more in control of an experience that so often seems anything but controllable. Their book offers everything from step-by-step instructions for how to do your paperwork and navigate the healthcare system to answers to questions you might be afraid to ask your doctor, like whether or not sex is still okay when you&’re sick. Get advice for how to break the news to your employer, whether to share old secrets with your family, how to face friends who might not be as empathetic as you&’d hoped, and how to talk to your children about your will. (Don&’t worry: if anyone gets snippy, it&’ll likely be their spouses, not them.) There are also lessons for survivors, like how to shut down a loved one&’s social media accounts, clean out the house, and write a great eulogy.An honest, surprising, and detail-oriented guide to the most universal of all experiences, A Beginner&’s Guide to the End is &“a book that every family should have, the equivalent of Dr. Spock but for this other phase of life&” (New York Times bestselling author Dr. Abraham Verghese).Waiting for the Monsoon
By Rod Nordland. 1989
By the New York Times’s legendary war correspondent, written while battling terminal brain cancer: a life-affirming memoir of high adventure,…
deep wisdom, and finding true happiness amid the unlikeliest circumstances“This is, by far, the most enlightening and inspiring book on facing death—and on discovering the beauty of life.” —Lynsey Addario, Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalistFor thirty years, Rod Nordland shadowed death. As one of his generation's preeminent war correspondents, he reported in over 150 countries, many of which were in violent upheaval, and was no stranger to witnessing tragedy. But in summer 2019, during the height of India’s erratic monsoon season, Nordland was suddenly faced with a tragedy of his own: he collapsed in the middle of a morning jog, was rushed to the hospital, and diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor.After decades chasing conflicts across the globe, Nordland, now confined to a hospital bed, found the strength to face more personal conflicts. He reconnected with his estranged children and became closer with them than he ever thought possible. He repaired a friendship with a best friend that had been broken for twenty years. The arrogance and certitude that dominated his every action was replaced by a lucid sense of humility and generosity that persisted even after he left the hospital. Norland’s tragedy became, in his own words, “a gift that has enriched my life.” Waiting for the Monsoon is the exemplary story of confronting death with both eyes open, and of the human capacity to persevere even in the most difficult of times. With tremendous clarity, grace, and courage, Nordland has delivered a powerful final assignment, revealing how facing the unknown can transform experience and change our relationship to the world around us.Coma and Near-Death Experience: The Beautiful, Disturbing, and Dangerous World of the Unconscious
By Alan Pearce, Beverley Pearce. 2024
• Examines the experiences of those who have survived comas• Demonstrates how a key element of the brain is switched…
off by coma-inducing sedatives, allowing the mind to break free from the body• Shares proven alternatives to medically-induced coma that are safer for treating critically ill patients and kinder for the patients and their familiesEvery day around the world, thousands of people are placed in medically-induced comas. For some coma survivors, the experience is an utter blank. Others lay paralyzed, aware of everything around them but unable to move, speak, or even blink. Many experience alternate lives spanning decades, lives they grieve once awakened. Some encounter ultra-vivid nightmares, while others undergo a deep, spiritual oneness with the universe or say they have glimpsed the afterlife.Examining the beautiful and disturbing experiences of those who have survived comas, Alan and Beverley Pearce explore the mysterious levels of consciousness this near-death experience unlocks. They demonstrate how a key element of the brain is switched off by coma-inducing sedatives, allowing the mind to break free from the body and experience a greater expansion of consciousness. Revealing the dangers of deep sedation and other intensive care procedures, the authors show how comas are unnecessary more often than not and that many coma survivors go on to suffer lasting cognitive and physical harm. Exploring proven alternatives to medically-induced coma, they share tried and tested protocols that are safer for critically ill patients and kinder for the patients and their families.Showing how we can avoid the suffering caused by comas, this book reveals the wide variety of conscious states that can arise during comas, both positive and negative, and how accepting the reality of these experiences is crucial not only to the recovery of coma survivors but also to the field of consciousness and near-death experience (NDE) studies.Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways (Road Trip USA)
By Jamie Jensen. 2000
Criss-cross the country on America's two-lane highways with the ultimate guide to the classic road trip. InsideRoad Trip USA you'll find:11…
routes through the heart of America, color-coded and extensively cross-referenced to allow for hundreds of possible itineraries Mile-by-mile highlights celebrating the best of Americana, including roadside curiosities, parks, diners, and the local history and personality that makes each small town and big city unique Over 125 streamlined maps covering more than 35,000 miles of two-lane American blacktop Full-color photos and illustrations of America both then and now Expert advice from road-warrior Jamie Jensen, who sped along nearly 400,000 miles of highway in search of the perfect stretches of pavement Insight into the great American road trip, as well as resources, history, and fun facts along the way About Moon Travel Guides: Moon was founded in 1973 to empower independent, active, and conscious travel. We prioritize local businesses, outdoor recreation, and traveling strategically and sustainably. Moon Travel Guides are written by local, expert authors with great stories to tell—and they can't wait to share their favorite places with you. Hit the road, roll down the windows, and discover the soul of the country with Road Trip USA.Midwest Bedrock: The Search for Nature's Soul in America's Heartland (Heartland History)
By Kevin J. Koch. 2024
To know a place deeply means to understand it on several levels, layered almost as if from bedrock to topsoil.…
Midwest Bedrock: The Search for Nature's Soul in America's Heartland takes readers on a journey across all twelve Midwest states to natural settings that defy typical stereotypes of the Midwest landscape. Each chapter focuses on one focal region or locality within each state, often seeking out lesser-known landscapes steeped in beauty and story.Author Kevin Koch invites readers to join him on a journey through the beauty of the Midwest and to discover such places as Wisconsin's 1,100-mile Ice Age Trail that follows the furthest reach of the last glacier; Minnesota's Lake Itasca, headwaters of the Mississippi River; and Indiana's Hoosier National Forest, which still cradles hidden graveyards from long-abandoned farm communities. Part history, part memoir, part interview-based research, Midwest Bedrock is a personal narrative of exploring the natural beauty of America's Heartland, where each location tells the stories of the past that linger on the landscape.Grief Is for People
By Sloane Crosley. 2024
Disarmingly witty and poignant, Sloane Crosley’s memoir explores multiple kinds of loss following the death of her closest friend. …
How do we live without the ones we love? Grief Is for People is a deeply moving and suspenseful portrait of friendship, and a book about loss that is profuse with life. Sloane Crosley is one of our most renowned observers of contemporary behavior, and now the pathos that has been ever present in her trademark wit is on full display. After the pain and confusion of losing her closest friend to suicide, Crosley looks for answers in philosophy and art, hoping for a framework more useful than the unavoidable stages of grief. For most of her adult life, Sloane and Russell worked together and played together as they navigated the corridors of office life, the literary world, and the dramatic cultural shifts in New York City. One day, Sloane’s apartment is broken into. Along with her most prized possessions, the thief makes off with her sense of security, leaving a mystery in its place. When Russell dies exactly one month later, his suicide propels Sloane on a wild quest to right the unrightable, to explore what constitutes family and possession as the city itself faces the staggering toll of the pandemic. Sloane Crosley’s search for truth is frank, darkly funny, and gilded with resounding empathy. Upending the “grief memoir,” Grief Is for People is a category-defying story of the struggle to hold on to the past without being consumed by it. A modern elegy, it rises precisely to console and challenge our notions of mourning during these grief-stricken times. New York Times BestsellerGreat Googly Moogly!: The Lowcountry Liar's Tales of History & Mystery
By Brian Wanamaker McCreight. 2013
Stories based upon traditional South Carolina local history and legends fill the pages of this haunting collection. Talented wordsmith Jim…
Aisle, known as the Lowcountry Liar, spins tales of the supernatural, the weird, the mysterious, and the humorous. These titillating tales are recorded and relayed to the gentle reader by his friend Brian Wanamaker McCr�ight, who tosses in a few of his own yarns to round out this clever collection.Each story begins with a folksy introduction from both the Lowcountry Liar and McCr�ight as they ramble about the region and ends with notes about provenance and fascinating facts. The tales have a life of their own and will resonate with all who have listened in rapt attention around a campfire surrounded by darkness. Included are ghostly legends from the great Late Unpleasantness, more often referred to as the Civil War, with such intriguing titles as "The Silverware Civil War" and the "Cross of St. George." Spooky twists abound in "Love Stinks" and "Mother's Milk." Even the most endearing of timeless tales, such as the popular "The Little White Dog of White Point Garden," are told in the Lowcountry vernacular and will become a favorite of every reader.Florida Almanac, 2012
By Bernie McGovern. 2012
An amazing atlas, directory, tourist guide, reference manual, and history book all in one—for natives, visitors, and new residents in…
the Sunshine State! From basic history and tourist information to obscure facts—such as the size of the largest squash grown—this book has it all. After reading the list of derivatives for the name of each Florida county, the Lake City Reporter called a previous edition of this book &“indispensable&” and described it as containing &“just about everything you ever wanted to know about Florida—and a good deal of information you probably never really thought about.&” In addition to listings of national memorials, monuments, and landmarks, this volume contains road maps of each county, charts of rivers and waterways, and facts about Florida&’s geography and climate. For those who are visiting the state, there are sections on major attractions, annual festivals, state parks, and lodging as well as regulations for boating, fishing, and hunting. The chapters on education, crime, residency, taxes, and utilities will be invaluable to people who are considering moving to Florida. Anyone interested in the history and settlement of the Sunshine State will appreciate the facts about Native American cultures and the chronology of major events in Florida&’s past. Also included are various statistics and a hurricane survival guide. Packed with information and including a detailed index, it&’s a useful, comprehensive reference—and a fascinating resource for geography lovers.From grief and mourning to aging and relationships, poet and Redbook contributor Judith Viorst presents a thoughtful and researched study…
in this examination of love, loss, and letting go.Drawing on psychoanalysis, literature, and personal experience, Necessary Losses is a philosophy for understanding and accepting life’s inevitabilities.In Necessary Losses, Judith Viorst turns her considerable talents to a serious and far-reaching subject: how we grow and change through the losses that are a certain and necessary part of life. She argues persuasively that through the loss of our mothers’ protection, the loss of the impossible expectations we bring to relationships, the loss of our younger selves, and the loss of our loved ones through separation and death, we gain deeper perspective, true maturity, and fuller wisdom about life. She has written a book that is both life affirming and life changing.The Deepest South of All: True Stories from Natchez, Mississippi
By Richard Grant. 2020
Bestselling travel writer Richard Grant &“sensitively probes the complex and troubled history of the oldest city on the Mississippi River…
through the eyes of a cast of eccentric and unexpected characters&” (Newsweek).Natchez, Mississippi, once had more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in America, and its wealth was built on slavery and cotton. Today it has the greatest concentration of antebellum mansions in the South, and a culture full of unexpected contradictions. Prominent white families dress up in hoopskirts and Confederate uniforms for ritual celebrations of the Old South, yet Natchez is also progressive enough to elect a gay black man for mayor with 91% of the vote.Much as John Berendt did for Savannah in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and the hit podcast S-Town did for Woodstock, Alabama, so Richard Grant does for Natchez in The Deepest South of All. With humor and insight, he depicts a strange, eccentric town with an unforgettable cast of characters. There&’s Buzz Harper, a six-food-five gay antique dealer famous for swanning around in a mink coat with a uniformed manservant and a very short German bodybuilder. There&’s Ginger Hyland, &“The Lioness,&” who owns 500 antique eyewash cups and decorates 168 Christmas trees with her jewelry collection. And there&’s Nellie Jackson, a Cadillac-driving brothel madam who became an FBI informant about the KKK before being burned alive by one of her customers. Interwoven through these stories is the more somber and largely forgotten account of Abd al Rahman Ibrahima, a West African prince who was enslaved in Natchez and became a cause célèbre in the 1820s, eventually gaining his freedom and returning to Africa.With an &“easygoing manner&” (Geoff Dyer, National Book Critics Circle Award–winning author of Otherwise Known as the Human Condition), this book offers a gripping portrait of a complex American place, as it struggles to break free from the past and confront the legacy of slavery.Everything Is Fine: A Memoir
By Vince Granata. 2021
Grief, mental illness, and the bonds of family are movingly explored in this extraordinary memoir &“suffused with emotional depth and…
intellectual inquiry&” (Rachel Louise Snyder, author of No Visible Bruises) as a writer delves into the tragedy of his mother&’s violent death at the hands of his brother who struggled with schizophrenia. Perfect for fans of An Unquiet Mind and The Bright Hour. Vince Granata remembers standing in front of his suburban home in Connecticut the day his mother and father returned from the hospital with his three new siblings in tow. He had just finished scrawling their names in red chalk on the driveway: Christopher, Timothy, and Elizabeth. Twenty-three years later, Vince was a thousand miles away when he received the news that would change his life—Tim, propelled by unchecked schizophrenia, had killed their mother in their childhood home. Devastated by the grief of losing his mother, Vince is also consumed by an act so incomprehensible that it overshadows every happy memory of life growing up in his seemingly idyllic middle-class family. &“In candid, smoothly unspooling prose, Granata reconstructs life and memory from grief, writing a moving testament to the therapy of art, the power of record, and his immutable love for his family&” (Booklist).On Children and Death
By Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. 1997
On Children and Death is a major addition to the classic works of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, whose On Death and Dying…
and Living with Death and Dying have been continuing sources of strength and solace for tens of millions of devoted readers worldwide. Based on a decade of working with dying children, this compassionate book offers the families of dead and dying children the help -- and hope -- they need to survive. In warm, simple language, Dr. Kübler-Ross speaks directly to the fears, doubts, anger, confusion, and anguish of parents confronting the terminal illness or sudden death of a child.The latest edition to the successful Hidden Magic series features updated information on the latest attractions at Walt Disney World,…
including Star Wars: Galaxy&’s Edge and Mickey and Minnie&’s Runaway Railway! Whether it&’s your first or fiftieth visit to Walt Disney World, you&’ll be surprised at how much you can miss during your trip. But with this guide to Disney&’s hidden treasures you&’ll learn: -You can search for more than the usual hidden Mickey. There are other beloved characters like Donald Duck and Minnie Mouse hidden around the parks. -The book Belle reads in Beauty and the Beast is a real book...and you can find out what it is by heading to Maurice&’s cottage. -Imagineers hide symbols of themselves around the park to &“sign&” their work.Including all-new information on Toy Story Land, Star Wars: Galaxy&’s Edge, and Mickey and Minnie&’s Runaway Railway, The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World, 3rd Edition will inspire you to relive the magic year after year!Grief is for People: A Memoir
By Sloane Crosley. 2024
Potent and propulsive, a lyrical meditation on loss and what comes after - TARA WESTOVERFor most of her adult life,…
Sloane and Russell worked together and played together as they navigated the corridors of office life, the literary world, and the dramatic cultural shifts in New York City. One day, while Russell is still alive, Sloane's apartment is broken into. Along with her most prized possessions, the thief makes off with her sense of security, leaving a mystery in its place.When Russell dies exactly one month later, his suicide propels her on a wild quest to right the unrightable, to explore what constitutes family and possession as the city itself faces the staggering toll brought on by the pandemic.Crosley's search for truth is frank, darkly funny, and gilded with a resounding empathy. Upending the 'grief memoir' in this deeply moving and surprisingly suspenseful portrait of friendship, Grief Is for People is a category-defying story of the struggle to hold on to the past without being consumed by it. A modern elegy, it is a book about loss packed with verve for life, rising precisely to console and challenge our notions of mourning during these grief-stricken times.Soldier Dead: How We Recover, Identify, Bury, & Honor Our Military Fallen
By Michael Sledge. 2004
The first book to address the complicated issues surrounding what happens to members of the United States Armed Forces after…
they die. Why does recovering the remains of servicepeople matter? Soldier Dead examines this question and provides a thorough analysis of the processes of recovery, identification, return, burial, and remembrance of the dead. Sledge traces the ways in which the handling of our Soldier Dead has evolved over time and how these changes have reflected not only advances in technology and capabilities but also the shifting attitudes of the public, government, and military. He also considers the emotional stress experienced by those who handle the dead; the continuing efforts to retrieve bodies from Korea and elsewhere; and how unresolved issues regarding the treatment of enemy dead continue to affect U.S. foreign relations. Skillfully incorporating excerpts from interviews, personal correspondence and diaries, military records, and journalistic accounts—as well as never-before-published photographs and his own reflections—Michael Sledge presents a clear, concise, and compassionate story about what the dead mean to the living. Throughout Soldier Dead, the voices of the fallen are heard, as are those of family members and military personnel responsible for the dead before final disposition. At times disturbing and at other times encouraging, they are always powerful as they speak of danger, duty, courage, commitment, and care. &“A timely and detailed investigation into the moral conscience of American society which will be of interest to anyone concerned with the human costs of war. An important and passionate book which deserves a wide readership.&”—Chris Shilling, University of Portsmouth, UKWisdom of the Last Farmer: Harvesting Legacies from the Land
By David Mas Masumoto. 2009
It was when David Mas Masumoto's father had a stroke on the sprawling fields of their farm that the son…
looked with new eyes on the land where he and generations of his family have toiled for decades. Masumoto -- an organic farmer working the land in California's Central Valley -- farms stories as he farms peaches. In Wisdom of the Last Farmer, an impassioned memoir of revitalization and redemption, he finds the natural connections between generation and succession, fathers and children, booms and declines as he tells the story of his family and their farm. He brings us to the rich earth of America's Fruit Basket, under the vine trellises and canes where grapes are grown, and to the fruit orchards flush with green before harvest, where he uncovers and preserves the age-old wisdom that is fast disappearing in our modern, information-driven world -- and that is urgently needed in this time of food crises and social disruption. Masumoto sees the price the family has paid to grow complex heirloom peaches -- when the market rewards tasteless, big, and red fruits -- and the challenges of maintaining traditions and integrity while working in the modern, high-pressure agricultural marketplace. As his father's health declines along with the profitability of the family farm, Masumoto has the further hard work of nursing his father back to health -- becoming master to the teacher who once schooled him -- and is driven beyond economic concerns to even larger questions of life, death, and renewal. In his gorgeous, lyrical prose, Masumoto conjures the realities of farming life while weaving in the history of American agriculture over the past century, encapsulating universal themes of work along with wisdom that could be gleaned only from the earth. By the end of the workday, he understands the feeling of accomplishment when you've done your best...and discovers that it's when he lets go -- of both his father and control of nature -- that wisdom manifests itself. And, when Masumoto's daughter intends to return to the family farm, hope is found in the generations. In the quiet eloquence of Wisdom of the Last Farmer, you will see how your own destiny is involved in the future of your food, the land, and the farm.