Today’s Pop Culture Linked to Yesteryear Hollywood

Between 1917 and 1941, Hollywood studios, gossip columnists and novelists featured an unprecedented number of homosexuals, crossdressers, and adulterers in their depictions of the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle.

Actress Greta Garbo defined herself as the ultimate serial bachelorette. Screenwriter Mercedes De Acosta engaged in multiple lesbian relationships with the Hollywood elite. Countless homosexual designers brazenly picked up men in the hottest nightclubs, building Hollywood's image as a place of sexual abandon.

In a significant contribution to film studies, Hollywood Bohemians shows how both the studios and the press used images of sexually adventurous characters to promote the movie industry and appeal to the prurient interests of mass media audiences.

Each chapter examines a chunk of Hollywood real estate, from stars' residences to the hippest nightclubs, and through national media coverage and iconic imagery, we learn how the studios inspired a worldwide fascination with old Hollywood. The Hollywood bohemians of the ‘20s & ‘30s, with their elicit activities and interests, added titillation to the Hollywood Dream.

Abrams brings out several notable points.
• The Hollywood bohemians usually managed to be depicted in a favorable manner.
• The Hollywood bohemians acted out a dream that audiences may have secretly held to experience the taboo or perhaps engage in adventurous sexual activity.
• The Hollywood bohemians inform how our entertainment media operates today, presenting images of culturally controversial behavior to attract audiences.

Hollywood Bohemians: Transgressive Sexuality and the Selling of the Movieland Dream (McFarland & Company, 2008) features the forerunners of today’s highly sexualized celebrity culture. Hollywood Bohemians demonstrates how studios and the media made celebrity and sex life synonymous by flaunting their controversial behavior and pushing the media envelope.

McFarland is a leading publisher of scholarly, reference and academic books. Founded in 1979 by Robert McFarland Franklin, the firm is located in Jefferson, North Carolina and is especially known for its performing arts and film titles. McFarland releases are part of library collections throughout the world.

Brett L. Abrams is Historian in Residence at American University and Archivist at the National Archives. Hollywood Bohemians grew out of his doctoral research on gender politics. The author’s second book, Capital Sporting Grounds: A History of Stadium and Ballpark Construction in Washington, D.C., will be released next month.

For more information on the book, visit
www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-3929-4

You, your doctor and the Internet

your new healthcare team; learn how to use the Internet to make yourself better

Are you sick? Are you getting the best treatment? Do you want to check out alternative therapies? Do you understand your symptoms? Do you know why you are taking your medications? How can you monitor your health? Can you access your doctor easily? Do you know how experienced your doctor is, and whether he or she is expert in your illness?

The practice of healthcare is about patients and doctors sharing information - both face to face, and online. Medicine is increasingly being practiced online, as we gradually move into the Information Age.

“Your Health in the Information Age” is an exciting new book that shows patients how they can work more closely with their doctors by using the internet effectively.

Are you one of the 10 million Americans who search for health information on the Internet for themselves or for loved ones every single day?

Top Tips for Patients

Do you want to be able to email your doctor, but don’t want to trouble them? Find out the best way of approaching your doctor on this subject, and learn about “netiquette” (etiquette on the Internet).
Are you sure you are getting the best, and most up-to-date, treatment? Find out where to look for treatment guidelines.
Are you considering taking part in a clinical trial? Find out how by searching national databases of available clinical trials.
Do you want to improve your relationship with your doctor? Go online; simplify your healthcare; ask about e-prescribing options.
How is your healthcare going to change in the future? Find out about virtual reality and online doctors and clinics.
Are you an Internet addict? Or are you a “cyberchondriac”? Test yourself, and look for solutions if you or someone you know needs them.
About the Author

Peter Yellowlees MD is Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Health Informatics Program at the University of California Davis. He is deputy editor of the Medscape Journal of medicine (http://www.medscape.com) and has lived in England, Australia and the USA. He is an internationally recognized expert in health on the Internet and his current projects involve virtual reality using Second Life (http://www.secondlife.com), telemedicine, email and video consulting and bioterrorism responses. He has written over 150 scientific articles and four books, has lectured in more than 20 countries, and has undertaken many media interviews. He lives with his wife Barb, in Sacramento, California.

Goal: My Journey from Afghanistan

A Daring Escape from Afghanistan Gives One Man the Opportunity to Realize His Dream

Even though he was haunted by being called Bad-bakht, which means “unlucky one,” Mohammad B. Alikhail overcame the name and persevered through his difficult life in Afghanistan, and eventually escaped to the United States and realized his dream of becoming a doctor.

Living through the Soviet Invasion into Afghanistan and the radical mujahideen where Alikhail saw his country being torn apart, the young man found solace in playing soccer, even though he had to hide his time on the field from his father, who thought it was a waste of time. However, in 1984 it was soccer that helped Alikhail escape the intolerant, violent regime in his country.

Alikhail witnessed his friends being carted away without just cause, without ever being seen again. Realizing that he would never be able to escape being Bad-bakht if he remained in his country, the author made a daring, dangerous move that forever changed the course of his life. Failing would mean that he truly was an “unlucky one.”

“Goal” inspires cross-culture understanding, an understanding that in today’s world of difference and indifference can ease foreign conflict. As Mohammad Alikhail says, “If a refugee from the small village of Saikanda can come to America with nothing and make it this far then everyone has a chance.”

About the Author

Dr. Mohammad B. Alikhail is a practicing physician who works in a hospital in Anderson, South Carolina. Besides teaching residents, he plays soccer and enjoys watching his daughters play the sport.

Who Owns the World? The Parable of Tehya

In his desire for more peace in the world and concern with how America has been perceived during President Bush’s administration, Darby Checketts was inspired to write “Who Owns the World? The Parable of Tehya” (published by iUniverse - http://www.iuniverse.com). Implementing fictional characters in a fictional time, Checketts wonders what would have occurred had Laura Bush formed a Council of Mothers (wives of the heads of state) to contemplate our response to terrorism, before the “great chiefs” chose to invade Iraq.

Having traveled extensively, including to five Islamic countries, Darby Checketts sees the need to remove the barrier communication in order to create better understanding between the West and the East. His contention is that America cannot be seen as prone to war or inclined to intimidate others with military might; otherwise, not only children, like the gentle spirit of Tehya, will suffer, but all humankind.

“Who Owns the World?” is a parable revealing ancient wisdom that is truth for a modern world. Checketts’ hope is for America to be and be seen as not merely a global force, but as a “force” for peace. His parable is not vitriolic criticism of past mistakes, but a desire for a future that can offer hope for tomorrow.

About the Author

Darby Checketts is a well-known business consultant and the author of ten other books. His most recent books are “Positive Conflict,” “Leverage,” and “Customer Astonishment.” He founded Cornerstone Professional Development. He is the proud father of seven children and lives with his wife in South Jordan, Utah. For more information, visit http://www.DarbyChecketts.com

Telling Holocaust Story

A Perilous Journey of Love and Faith - A Memoir

Holocaust accounts usually revolve around the persecution and eradication of the Jewish people, but there are others who also suffered greatly under Hitler’s tyranny; however, their sacrifices and experiences have seldom been chronicled in World War II accounts … until now. Lizzi and Fredl Steiner were Catholics who did not escape the horrors of the war, while Fredl’s account finally answers why the atrocity of the massacres at Oradour-sur-Glane occurred.

World War II scholarly books could only speculate why a Nazi Panzer division destroyed the town of Oradour-sur-Glane by exterminating its citizens, including women and children, and for years the reason has remained a relative mystery. Fredl, however, in sharing the story with his son and author Dr. William B. Stanford, gave an account by an eyewitness who managed to escape and share the horrors of what had been done to his town.

Awarded both Editor’s Choice and Publisher’s Choice by iUniverse, “Lizzi & Fredl” is a story elucidating that France had concentration, internment and labor camps thought mostly to exist in Germany. This memoir is also a love story of unconditional devotion and resilience between a happily married couple whose lives were disrupted by a seven-year nightmare. It took many years for Dr. Stanford to get his parents to share their stories and once they did it was apparent to him that they had not even revealed their individual horrors to each other over the years. From a long, arduous journey to Paris to Fredl’s unbelievable rescue from a train bound for a Nazi death camp, “Lizzi & Fredl” delivers a remarkable true story of courage, faith, and overwhelming love.

About the Author

Dr. William B. Stanford is a practicing optometrist in California. He has been married for 37 years and has two daughters. “Lizzi & Fredl” is the biography of Stanford’s parents, Lizzi and Fredl Steiner. visit the author’s Web site at: http://www.drwilliambstanford.com.

Christian Bride, Muslim Mosque

Paul Wiebe’s New Novel, ‘Christian Bride, Muslim Mosque,’ Based on Ancestor’s Saga

Fictionalized Memoir of How Mennonite Boy Discovers Why His Great-Grandmother Had Been Married in a Mosque

All families have their secrets, but few have one as remarkable as the secret held by the fictive Reisender clan of “Inverness,” Idaho.

Paul Wiebe gives a fictionalized account of how he learned his nonfictional family’s secret in his latest novel, “Christian Bride, Muslim Mosque” (ISBN 978-0-9718599-3-7, Komos Books, http://www.komosbooks.com).

In the Dedication, Wiebe writes, “This is for the members of the Wiebe clan, both sentient and bone-dry, who lived in and around the modest metropolis of Aberdeen, Idaho from the year 1944, when I entered the first grade, to 1956, when I left my native valley for many distant cities.”

The story itself involves a weighty mystery.

Young John Reisender is puzzled. Why did Great-grandma get married in a Muslim mosque out in the wilds of Central Asia?

Before he is let in on the Reisender family secret, John finds himself excommunicated (temporarily) from the Mennonite religion, discovers how his maternal grandfather had escaped from czarist Russia, plays undertaker at the funeral of his piano teacher’s cat, takes a crash course in Nietzsche from the caretaker of the city dump, becomes an unsung accidental “hero” in a high school football game, escapes death on a spelunking expedition, and falls in lust with a girl whose derriere reminds him of that of the WWII pinup, Betty Grable.

As he prepares to leave Inverness for the Gomorrahs of the world, John is entrusted with the family secret, which concerns a band of Mennonites on a trek to the middle of Asia and the hospitality of a Muslim village in Turkmenistan back in the 1880s.

“Christian Bride, Muslim Mosque” is available through http://www.komosbooks.com and Amazon.

About the Author

Paul Wiebe was a professor of comparative religion until he converted to the joys of writing comic fiction. Born and reared in the Idaho outback, he has lived in Newton (KS), Atlanta, Chicago, Wichita, Berkeley, Santa Barbara, Gig Harbor (WA), and Upland (CA). He now resides in Fort Collins (CO) with his wife, Eleanor. His first novel, “Benedict XVI,” was published in 2003, two years before Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger chose that papal name. His other novels are “Dead White Male” and “The Church of the Comic Spirit.” Wiebe may be contacted at pagewebsr@earthlink.net.

Reconstructing Fame: Sport, Race, and Evolving Reputations

Book Examines how Athletes’ Legacies Improved with Understanding of Race

The new book "Reconstructing Fame: Sport, Race, and Evolving Reputations," examines the legacies of Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Curt Flood, Paul Robeson, Jim Thorpe, Bill Russell, Tommie Smith, and John Carlos—twentieth-century athletes whose careers were affected by racism, and whose post-career reputations have improved as society's understanding of race has changed.

The idea for the book began when Joel Nathan Rosen, assistant professor of sociology at Moravian College, presented "Separating Wheat from Chaff: Looking for Jackie Robinson in an Uncritical Age" at a 2005 Ithaca College conference. He was intrigued to learn that Robinson had been invited to Boston to try out for the Red Sox in 1945 (when professional baseball was segregated), but had been "no-showed" repeatedly. Yet by the late '90s, Boston completely reversed its stance, helping to lead the charge to celebrate Robinson as a national hero. Today, at least two annual celebrations honor Jackie Robinson. “I wondered why everyone was loving him now—he was much more complicated than that,” says Rosen.

About a year later, at the Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture, Rosen met David Ogden, associate professor of communications at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and a lively discussion ensued. “He had similar thoughts about the racialization of athletes' reputations,” says Rosen. “Before long, we had mapped out four or five separate books we wanted to do on the subject.”

Reconstructing Fame: Sport, Race, and Evolving Reputations, recently released by the University Press of Mississippi, is the first of the collaborative series co-edited by Joel Nathan Rosen and David C. Ogden.

Contributors attempt to clarify the sports stars' stories by analyzing the myths that surround them, delving into the role that nostalgia and collective memory play. "Shifts in popular perception often obscure an athlete's true role in history and can serve to trivialize their achievements," Rosen notes.

Future books in the series will discuss athletes whose reputations have changed from hero to villain; the creation of women athletes' reputations; and how international sports stars' reputations are framed.

Joel Nathan Rosen is also author of "The Erosion of the American Sporting Ethos: Shifting Attitudes toward Competition (2007)."

Reconstructing Fame: Sport, Race, and Evolving Reputations is available at bookstores nationwide and from Amazon.com.

Moravian College is a private, coeducational, selective liberal arts college located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Tracing its founding to 1742, it is recognized as America's sixth-oldest college. Visit the Web site at www.moravian.edu.

Faust

My Soul be Damned for the World’: New Historical Research Unveils the History, Legend and Drama Surrounding Faust

Read about the man behind one of the central myths of the modern world, the man who reportedly sold his soul to the devil, in E.A. Bucchianeri’s new historical figure analysis, “Faust: My Soul be Damned for the World: Volume I” (published by AuthorHouse - http://www.authorhouse.com).

Ideal for those interested in the history, legend and drama surrounding the historical figure of Faust, aficionado and academic alike, “Faust: My Soul be Damned for the World” is a comprehensive exploration in two volumes. Bucchianeri retraces the life of this enigmatic figure through time from the history of the real Dr. Faustus in the 1480s, to the early 1600s and his transformation to a character in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s drama in the 1750s to 1832.

Bucchianeri’s analysis includes new insights into the life, times and contemporaries of the historical Faustus, a study of Faustian folk tales, Marlowe’s Elizabethan drama, Faustian puppet plays and glimpses into the fragments of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing’s Faust drama. The second volume features a more in-depth account of Goethe’s masterpiece and detailed, original analysis. Bucchianeri writes:

His contemporaries, who witnessed first hand his nefarious lifestyle, considered they had sufficient proof to determine he was a man willingly heading down the wide path to perdition. However, the most startling information concerns Faustus’ ominous revelation that the devil was his “brother-in-law,” stated in Luther’s Tischreden and supported by Wier’s document based on information gleaned from the reports of personal acquaintances. Hence, Faustus, undaunted by the publication of Trithemius’ letter (1507) in 1536, dared to confirm he had advanced beyond the level of a scarlet sinner - he was a conscious follower of the Prince of Darkness.

Therefore, it is not difficult to comprehend the upsurge in legendary and didactic material following his death. Faustus, who embraced evil and shunned righteousness, became the foremost symbol of the misuse of free will, that sublime gift from God with its inherent opportunity to choose virtue and reject iniquity. “What shall a man gain if he has the whole world and lose his soul,” (Matt. 16: v. 26) - but for a notorious name, the ethereal shadow of a career, and a brief life of fleeting pleasure with no true peace? This was the blackest and most captivating tragedy of all, few could have remained indifferent to the growing intrigue of this individual who apparently shook hands with the devil and freely chose to descend to the molten, sulphuric chasm of Hell for all eternity for so little in exchange. It is a drama that continues to fascinate today as powerfully as when Faustus first disseminated his infamous card in the Heidelberg locale to the scandal of his generation. In fine, a life of good or evil, the hope of Heaven or the despair of Hell, Faustus stands as a reminder that the choice between these two absolutes also falls to us.

Read the chilling and utterly fascinating research surrounding the figure and legend of Faust in “Faust: My Soul be Damned for the World: Volume I.”

A New Kind of Office Holiday Party - Office Sportz!

New book, Office Sportz!, will boost morale, encourage teamwork, foster innovation, and improve the bottom line

The current economic slowdown has many offices searching for a low-budget replacement for their typical holiday celebration. Enter Office Sportz!, a new book written by Jeff Rogers (with Maria Corell and Kate Porterfield, Ph.D.), that is filled with fun, exhilarating, and often ridiculous games that make life in the workplace a lot more entertaining! The games use common office equipment and supplies to create easy, stress-free yet hilarious challenges that break up the monotony of daily corporate life and bring co-workers together in the process. Whether you are looking for a distraction from the status quo or an engaging way to increase communication, interaction, and positive energy among co-workers, Office Sportz! is the book for you!

With a foreword by Olympian and New York Times bestselling author Vince Poscente, this book will bring your team together for hours of fun and years of great memories. It contains over 50 different, safe games for both teams and individuals of varying functions, preferences, and learning styles. The games are arranged into four types:

Warm-ups To Get Geeked Up With - Used to get people laughing and feeling relaxed.
Tools For Mental Jousting - These play to people’s verbal and analytical skills and help make your group feel smart and clever.
Physical Master Challenges - Great exercises for a group that feels comfortable moving around in a space that allows it.
Totally Teamtastic - These are the games that are the most dependent on a team’s ability to work together.
Whether you need some way to break up the day, build team synergy, or replace a holiday party with an Office Olympics-style event (including Opening and Award Ceremonies and events such as Office Obstacle Course, Paper Clip Race, and 3 Man Bobsled), this book is guaranteed to create fun, which is what most offices really need.

From Jeff Rogers:

“As a Strategic Communications Creative Director and Professional Meeting Host for the better part of 20 years, I have seen every type of corporate culture you can imagine. But there is one striking similarity between all of them that drove me to write this book. Every person at every level of interaction, from CEOs to new hires, we’re all looking for one thing - ENGAGEMENT! Everyone wants the team to be engaged in their work but few people have figured out how to accomplish that task. Study after study proves that employee engagement is directly tied to higher profitability, lower sick days, and better morale. Office Sportz! is the vehicle for starting your office down the road to engagement. Let the games begin!”

About the Author

Jeff Rogers is President and Chief Creative Officer of Zap Creative, Inc. (http://www.zapcreativeinc.com), a strategic communications company based in Chicago. He is also known by thousands of corporate clients through his work onstage as a professional emcee and host for corporate meetings and events. A veteran of the famous Second City Theater in Chicago, Jeff performed with comedic stars such as Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, and Amy Sedaris. Jeff is currently working on his second book, Built to Laugh, which teaches individuals how to create an environment conducive to success through our ability to PLAY.

Breaking Bad Habits of Race and Gender

New Book Details Prominent Role Racism and Sexism Play in K-12

Racism and sexism play a prominent role in today’s classrooms, with behavior in some children starting in kindergarten, according to a new book authored by Sarah Stitzlein, assistant professor of education at the University of New Hampshire.

Stitzlein’s book, “Breaking Bad Habits of Race and Gender: Transforming Identity in Schools,” is the first to unite two major schools of educational philosophy, traditional American pragmatism and contemporary poststructuralism, to offer both theoretical and concrete suggestions for dealing with actual classroom oppression based on race and gender.

“Every day teachers encounter moments of racial and gender tension in their classrooms. In the most drastic cases, these situations erupt into overt conflict or violence, while in other instances they go largely unnoted. Such incidents reveal that despite equality legislation and the good intentions of many teachers, racial and gender problems persist,” Stitzlein says.

Stitzlein’s book also provides a historical overview of how oppression tied to race and gender has changed in America in kindergarten through 12th grade.

“Today, racism and sexism have become more internalized. They shape our behaviors and self-expectations about how we should walk, talk, and think. They shape our habits, including the way we move, talk, and interact with others,” she says.

According to Stitzlein, overt sexism is more likely to occur in high school, but the more tacitly embodied behaviors of race and gender begin at early age – even in kindergarten.

“It's part of the process of becoming a human being in America. We pick it up through images and direct teachings, but also through the more subtle work of language -- the way we speak, are described, and respond to others,” she says.

And while schools are one of the most common settings of race and gender discord, schools also are the primary locations for alleviating systems of oppression, she says. It is within schools that children learn how to enact and respond to race and gender.

To combat racism and sexism in the classroom, Stitzlein encourages teachers to have more direct and open conversations about how race and gender work in society and how they affect the lives of all students.

“I encourage teachers to make children uncomfortable with their racial positions, especially white students who live rather privileged lives. I also recommend that teachers help students reflect on themselves in ways that can make their habits of race and gender more flexible,” she says.

Stitzlein’s book has been well received by the education community.

"Stitzlein makes a great theoretical case for the intelligent treatment of race and gender in schools. This is an important and timely book that Rowman & Littlefield will be happy to have published," said Gregory Seals, College of Staten Island, CUNY.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a New England liberal arts college and a major research university with a strong focus on undergraduate-oriented research. A land, sea and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 11,800 undergraduate and 2,400 graduate students.

Do You Know How I Feel?

New Book Teaches Children to Accept Others Despite Perceived Differences

A child’s first day of school can be intimidating enough without dealing with a physical limitation like cerebral palsy. In her poignant children’s story, “Do You Know How I Feel?” (published by AuthorHouse - http://www.authorhouse.com), Zofia Kaczmarek helps young readers understand the challenges disabled children face.

Meet Zack, a fun-loving 8-year-old who loves eating ice cream and chocolate and playing with his friends. Zack shares what his daily life is like living with cerebral palsy, candidly discussing the physical components of the disease as well as the many specialists he visits. As readers get to know Zack, they are able to empathize with him and discover that he shares many of the same thoughts and feelings they do.

As the first day of school approaches, Zack cannot wait to begin this new chapter in his life. However, by the end of the second day, disappointment replaces excitement. He is left behind at recess as his classmates run and play. He sits alone at lunch. In the days that follow, friendly adults help Zack adjust, especially his special education assistant, Mrs. Simken. Soon, the other children feel comfortable around Zack and realize, despite his physical differences, he is a lot like they are. Friendships grow, and Zack finally feels a part of this new circle of friends.

Filled with colorful illustrations, “Do You Know How I Feel?” teaches young readers the importance of kindness and acceptance of those who may appear different, teaching the invaluable lesson that deep down, people are more alike than they think.

About the Author: Originally from Europe, Zofia Kaczmarek currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, two children, and one dog. During her practicum as a special education assistant she noticed that it was difficult for many children to relate to classmates who were disabled. In 2005, Kaczmarek sustained permanent injury in a car accident. She says this experience enabled her to understand what it is like to be disabled. “Do You Know How I Feel?” is her first book.

‘Devil’s Interval’

A Literary Roller-Coaster with Hitherto Unseen Takes on Class and Race Relations in America

The writer F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “Let me tell you about the rich. They are different from you and me.” In Nelson Canton’s new novel, “Devil’s Interval” (published by iUniverse - http://www.iuniverse.com), the rich are not only different but also hilariously funny. They are part of a gallery of grotesques on a literary roller-coaster.

Indeed, the laughs, the drama, and the many takes on class and race relations are unrelenting in this comic novel about a streetwise character named Watt who lives in Harlem with his grandmother, a renowned voodoo priestess.

Watt’s job is to administer “slap therapy” - technically calibrated, therapeutic body slaps - at Dr. Otto Von Geber’s Treatment Center for those suffering from Chronic Millionaire Burnout (CMB). Millionaires (and billionaires) afflicted with CMB search in vain for a purpose, feel that life is meaningless, and can’t trust a soul. It’s a little-known disease; however, because if it ever became common knowledge that wealth and power are such difficult burdens to bear, it could undermine the global economy, raise the stakes on poverty, and possibly lead to worldwide depression.

When one of Watt’s richest patients dies during a therapy session, Watt becomes an instant fugitive, hiding in New York City haunts from Harlem to the posh Sutton Place. All the while he is pursued by Jehoover, the ruthless and merciless Old Testament police captain who has sworn to kill Watt.

This gutsy New York novel moves seamlessly between the worlds of the rich and the poor, highlighting the comedy and tragedy that bind the two and, indeed, all of us together.

About the Author

Born and educated in New York City, Nelson Canton is a freelance writer who has worked as a writer and book reviewer for Time Magazine, a corporate speechwriter, and a writing and literature instructor. Currently, Canton lives and works in the Washington, D.C. area. “Devil’s Interval” is his first novel.

“Devil’s Interval” is available from: http://www.iUniverse.com, http://www.bn.com, and http://www.amazon.com

‘The Way: The Spiritual Journey - The Path to Glory’

In 1949, author Robert Johnston experienced a life-changing encounter with an agnostic coworker. Because of this person’s radically different life perspective, Johnston began to realize how spiritual conflict leads a Christian into a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit.

“The Way: The Spiritual Journey - The Path to Glory” (published by iUniverse - http://www.iuniverse.com) is the compelling story of Johnston’s 50-year Christian pilgrimage. In the course of his journey, Johnston discovers that it is not our achievements in the world that prepare us for salvation but rather Christ who uses our life’s experiences to propel us toward spiritual victory.

Followers of Christ are directed to witness his victorious love, the type of love Johnston experienced at work in 1949. “The Way” encourages all who read it to seek the Lord in their lives through prayer, worship and the study of Scripture. In doing so, they will be guided into a deeper understanding of the personal faith relationship and be motivated to spread his wonderful message to those who have yet to discover or respond to it.

Johnston encourages everyone to read his unbiased text to discover for themselves the saving grace and unconditional love the Lord offers each and every one of his children, regardless of where they currently are on their spiritual journey.

About the Author

Robert Johnston is a graduate of MIT, where he studied Chemical Engineering and applied his knowledge for over 34 years at Esso Engineering, which is now called ExxonMobil. Most of Johnston’s free time has been spent serving in the United Methodist and United Presbyterian Church as a deacon and elder, as well as a teacher and adult scripture discussion leader. When not serving in one form or another at church, Johnston enjoys reading and playing bridge. He currently resides with his wife Dorothea at Bristol Glen, a Continuing Care Retirement Community in Newton, NJ. “The Way” is Johnston’s second book. (He is also the author of “The Bell Ringer,” Vantage Press, 1983.)

“The Way: The Spiritual Journey - The Path to Glory” is available at: http://www.iUniverse.com, http://www.bn.com, and http://www.amazon.com

‘The Nativity’

New Book Seeks to Shed Light on the Birth of Jesus Christ

Just in time for Christmas comes “The Nativity” (published by AuthorHouse - http://www.authorhouse.com), the new book by Kurt B. Bakley.

In “The Nativity,” Bakley promises that readers will “receive new information on when the birth of Christ happened,” he writes. “It will show you the exact date and year he was born. This book will also show you where the wise men were from and that one of their three names has been discovered on an ancient coin in eastern Iran or Afghanistan. There will be new information on exactly what the star of Bethlehem was.”

Bakley combines biblical text with historical clues to back his claims: “Also revealed are ancient prophecies, given in the Bible in the book of Daniel chapters 9 and 12, that predicted the year Christ was born, the year he would start his ministry, the exact day of His death, and the possible year of His Second Coming. Revealing information will tell how an ancient Egyptian carving depicts the day Christ would be born in the Chinese Year of the Snake and conceived in the Year of the Dragon just as Revelation chapter 12 indicated.”

All of the information in “The Nativity” has been researched using the Bible, astronomy, astrology - including Chinese astrology, numerology, archeology, history and ancient gentile buildings and knowledge, all of which point to the “exact day and year [of Christ's birth],” Bakley writes. “Also, new astronomy computer programs show what the star of Bethlehem was when the wise men came west two years after the birth of Christ.”

Unprecedented and full of new, intriguing information regarding the birth of Jesus Christ, “The Nativity” sheds new light on ancient prophecies just in time for the holiday season and is sure to spark debate and conversation among readers.

About the Author: Kurt B. Bakley was born and raised in New Jersey. He began research for “The Nativity” in 1976 and is currently working on his next book, “The antichrist: Who is he and what are his words of deception,” due out in 2009. “The Nativity” is his first published book.

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‘Doris TheSaurus’

Colorful New Book Teaches Students How to Use a Thesaurus to Improve Reading and Writing Skills

Ideal for students, teachers and librarians, “Doris TheSaurus” (published by AuthorHouse - http://www.authorhouse.com), the new book by Maria L. Corkern, uses whimsical characters and colorful illustrations to teach readers the importance of using a thesaurus to enhance reading and writing.

Sara, a student in Ms. Ross’ classroom, is participating in a writing workshop. When she expresses her frustration to her friend Cory about having trouble choosing words, she asks him for help because he seems to have no trouble writing his assignments. Cory immediately tells Sara to call his friend, Doris TheSaurus, for help.

When Sara says, “Doris, please help me awhile,” the classroom spins and words fly all around her, and the creature who appears seems familiar - in fact, she reminds Sara a lot of Ms. Ross! Doris explains to Sara that the thesaurus helps with writing and reading by listing words with similar meanings. “They’re also known as synonyms. They’ll help you with writing and reading,” she assures Sara, who immediately asks to look at the book herself:

Sara turned the pages quite fast,
And big was the word that she found.
Next to big was enormous and huge.
Her eyes grew wide and round.

“I’m starting to see how this book of yours works.
I look up a word that I wrote.
And then I read the ones that come next.
They’ll help give my writing some hope.”
“Doris TheSaurus” will improve writing and reading skills and would be a welcome addition to any classroom. Follow Sara on her quest for knowledge as she enlists the help of her new friend, Doris TheSaurus.

About the Author: Maria L. Corkern, nee Ross, is an elementary school teacher currently living in Alpharetta, Ga. She was born and raised in Tacoma, Wash., and has family ties to South Dakota. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University and a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Corkern formerly taught in the Birmingham area. She wrote “Doris TheSaurus” to enhance her own language arts lessons and decided to share the lovable dinosaur with others. This is her first book.

‘The College Selection Compass’

With application rates soaring hand-in-hand with costs, the process of getting into the college of your choice has never been more difficult and stressful. In their new book, “The College Selection Compass: Helping Families Navigate A Difficult Course” (published by iUniverse - http://www.iuniverse.com), educators Becky Callow and Susan Nichols use data collected from 1,500 current college and university students to map out the easiest path through the application process.

“The College Selection Compass” sets itself apart from other books in that it is not geared to show students how to get into college. The book is geared to help families organize the college search process and continually maintain ways to communicate openly and honestly with one another. A basic system of checks and balances, in which children and parents hold each other accountable, helps establish an open and honest channel of communication in times of stress.

Callow and Nichols contacted colleges and universities, asking for permission to talk with and poll respective student populations regarding their college search and admission process. The students polled, representing 48 states, were eager to recount their experiences with stress, difficulties with communication, questions regarding choices, and the need for parental and adult guidance. Many of the students polled strongly felt the concept of this book would prove helpful to future college applicants and their families.

The final chapter of “The College Selection Compass” contains basic organizational tools, such as resumes and sample letters, which students can use as guides through their own journeys. A series of graphs outline the major points of information Callow and Nichols garnered from the student questionnaires, such as how many colleges students applied to, how many they visited, when they visited, and the reasons they decided to attend a particular school. Some of the data was surprising, some of it anticipated, but all of it was interesting and informative.

About the Authors:

Becky Callow has worked in primary and secondary education for over 40 years. She is a graduate of Wheaton College and lives in Weston, Mass. with her husband and three children. She has written two children’s books, “Anthony’s Gift” and “The Marble.”

Susan Nichols has worked in market research as a consultant, conducting both qualitative and quantitative research. She has also been involved in the college admission process for over 20 years as a volunteer interviewer and local and national admissions coordinator for Middlebury College in Vermont. She is currently the president of the Middlebury College Alumni Association.

‘Breaking Borders’

A Unique WWII Story Told from a Jewish-Polish Soldier’s Perspective

Much has been written of World War II from the perspective of the American and British soldier. It is rare to find a book written from the perspective of a soldier from occupied Europe, let alone a Jewish soldier. “Breaking Borders” (published by iUniverse - http://www.iuniverse.com), Alexander Harris’ autobiography, tells the story of his experiences as a displaced Polish Jew during and after World War II.

“Breaking Borders” opens in the prosperous town of Lodz, Poland where Harris was raised in the shadow of the Great War. Harris’ narrative depicts his family, friends and upbringing in post-World War I Poland. Harris moves rapidly through his childhood, with the Nazi invasion of Poland looming on the horizon. “Breaking Borders” conveys the apprehension, fear and disillusionment of the Jewish community in Poland with a clarity that can only be painted by someone who lived through it.

Shortly after the Nazi march into Poland, Harris leaves Lodz to seek refuge in the United States. However, Harris is apprehended during a failed attempt to cross through Soviet-controlled territory. He is charged, ironically, with being a German spy. Although tortured for weeks, Harris never admits to being a spy and is sentenced to ten years hard labor in a gulag:

He shoved my uncle Maurice’s letter from America in my face, the letter the Russian border guard had confiscated when I was caught trying to reach Lithuania, while another blow to my head from behind made me lose my balance. As I struggled to regain it, a blow delivered by a truncheon to my right kidney stunned me, making me lose my breath. I felt a warm wetness along my right leg as I lost control of my bladder. Momentarily, a sense of shame overwhelmed me, and embarrassment overshadowed the pain in my back, which began turning numb.
His sentence is cut short when the Soviets agree to release Polish prisoners so that they may fight against Germany in the Polish army.

Harris is again faced with the same prejudice that spurred him to leave Poland. His first attempt to join the army is thwarted because he is a Jew. His second attempt is more fruitful and he eventually earns a commission as a lieutenant in a Polish artillery unit. After enduring the privations of war, Harris returns to his home of Lodz only to find most of his family felled by life under Nazi occupation.

Harris’ odyssey in “Breaking Borders” takes him west to America in search of a new beginning and a new life. Armed with his unyielding determination and desire to better himself, Harris embarks on a career in the burgeoning U.S. travel industry. His success leads him to the unlikely position of being one of the first people to promote tours to Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe. “Breaking Borders,” a true American success story in every sense, is an inspiration to all who face seemingly overwhelming odds and proof that even the greatest obstacles can be overcome.

About the Author: Alexander Harris is the Chairman of an international tour operator and resides in New York City with his wife Judy.