Download or read book Lightning Flowers written by Katherine E. Standefer and published by Little, Brown Spark. This book was released on 2020-11-10 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This "utterly spectacular" book weighs the impact modern medical technology has had on the author's life against the social and environmental costs inevitably incurred by the mining that makes such innovation possible (Rachel Louise Snyder, author of No Visible Bruises). What if a lifesaving medical device causes loss of life along its supply chain? That's the question Katherine E. Standefer finds herself asking one night after being suddenly shocked by her implanted cardiac defibrillator. In this gripping, intimate memoir about health, illness, and the invisible reverberating effects of our medical system, Standefer recounts the astonishing true story of the rare diagnosis that upended her rugged life in the mountains of Wyoming and sent her tumbling into a fraught maze of cardiology units, dramatic surgeries, and slow, painful recoveries. As her life increasingly comes to revolve around the internal defibrillator freshly wired into her heart, she becomes consumed with questions about the supply chain that allows such an ostensibly miraculous device to exist. So she sets out to trace its materials back to their roots. From the sterile labs of a medical device manufacturer in southern California to the tantalum and tin mines seized by armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to a nickel and cobalt mine carved out of endemic Madagascar jungle, Lightning Flowers takes us on a global reckoning with the social and environmental costs of a technology that promises to be lifesaving but is, in fact, much more complicated. Deeply personal and sharply reported, Lightning Flowers takes a hard look at technological mythos, healthcare, and our cultural relationship to medical technology, raising important questions about our obligations to one another, and the cost of saving one life.

Download or read book The Magic Feather Effect written by Melanie Warner and published by Scribner. This book was released on 2020-01-14 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The acclaimed author of Pandora’s Lunchbox and former New York Times reporter delivers an “entertaining and highly useful book that gives you the tools to understand how alternative medicine works, so you can confidently make up your own mind” (The Washington Post). We all know someone who has had a seemingly miraculous cure from an alternative form of medicine: a friend whose chronic back pain vanished after sessions with an acupuncturist or chiropractor; a relative with digestive issues who recovered with herbal remedies; a colleague whose autoimmune disorder went into sudden inexplicable remission thanks to an energy healer or healing retreat. The tales are far too common to be complete fabrications, yet too anecdotal and outside the medical mainstream to be taken seriously scientifically. How do we explain them and the growing popularity of alternative medicine more generally? In The Magic Feather Effect, author and journalist Melanie Warner takes us on a vivid, important journey through the world of alternative medicine. Visiting prestigious research clinics and ordinary people’s homes, she investigates the scientific underpinning for the purportedly magical results of these practices and reveals not only the medical power of beliefs and placebo effects, but also the range, limits, and uses of the surprising system of self-healing that resides inside us. Equal parts helpful, illuminating, and compelling, The Magic Feather Effect is a “well-written survey of alternative medicine…fair-minded, thorough, and focused on verifiable scientific research” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Warner’s enlightening, engaging deep dive into the world of alternative medicine and the surprising science that explains why it may work is an essential read.

Download or read book The Way Lightning Splits the Sky written by Peter Churchill and published by . This book was released on 2013-06-27 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Come join the astonishing, mystical and inspiring journey of one man as he experiences near-death adventures in the wilderness and ecstatic awakenings in consciousness while seeking the wisdom he needs to become a true healer, a shaman. From his deeply personal and honest recounting of his early life as a gypsy on the roads, railways and wilderness of America in the early 70's, and through his later years as a highly sought-out Healing Friend and teacher, Peter's story describes a path of liberation and healing that calls every heart to passionate participation in a sacred life where anyone can choose to live and be "absolutely and utterly free."

Download or read book The Third Heiress written by Brenda Joyce and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2000-08-15 with total page 514 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Jill Gallagher's fiance is tragically killed, she brings his body home to his aristocratic English family. Once there, she enters a world of hostility, suspicion, and closely guarded secrets.

Download or read book The Girl Who Saw Heaven written by Lisa Reburn and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2024-08-06 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Shares the story of Ari Hallmark, who is now a high school senior, and what happened to her during the tornado that claimed the lives of her parents, delivering a powerful message to the world: you will see your loved ones again"--

Download or read book Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel written by James Markert and published by HarperChristian + ORM. This book was released on 2019-04-09 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A story of the power of memory, Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel explores the mysteries of the mind, the truth behind lore, and the miracle of inspiration. After thirteen months at war, Vittorio Gandy is haunted by memories, and his former life is unrecognizable. Once a gifted painter, now he can’t bear the vivid, bleeding colors on a canvas. His young son doesn’t remember him, and his wife, Valerie, is scared of him. But the most disconcerting change is in Vitto’s father, Robert Gandy, who has fallen from being a larger-than-life sculptor to a man whose heart has been broken by the death of his muse—Vitto’s mother—and whose mind has been taken by Alzheimer’s. When Robert steals away in the night, Valerie, Vitto, and his new acquaintance and fellow veteran John go to the only place Robert might remember—the now-abandoned Tuscany Hotel, where it was once rumored that creatives of all kinds could find inspiration. When they find him there, Robert’s mind is sound and his memories are intact. Before long, word gets out that drinking from the fountain at the hotel can restore the memories of those suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia. The rooms once again fill up with guests—not artists this time, but people seeking control over their memories and lives. Vitto desperately wants to clear his own mind, but as he learns more about his late mother’s life and her tragic death, he begins to wonder whether drinking the water comes at a price.

Download or read book Louisiana Ghost Stories Ii written by Jesse L. Wimberly and published by Archway Publishing. This book was released on 2020-01-23 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New Orleans claims to be the most haunted place in America, and the Crescent City has the stories to back it up. Louisiana Ghost Stories II: Lagniappe is the second riveting collection from acclaimed author Jesse Wimberly. These ten tales of the macabre are set in and around New Orleans and are guaranteed to frighten and enlighten. Go down to the crossroads on a moonless night and meet Old Scratch. Eavesdrop in Pirate’s Alley when Jean Lafitte reveals the location of his hidden treasure. Venture into the asylum or the heart of Mardi Gras as Inspector Sterling investigates brutal murders in the city. Get lost with two brothers on a flatboat in the swamp when they meet The Mossgatherer. Rooted in actual events that have taken place over the years, these stories of the supernatural and occult will keep you on the edge of your seat. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, this collection will challenge even the bravest of readers.

Download or read book Mail Order Marriage written by Mary Davis and published by Barbour Publishing. This book was released on 2015-12-01 with total page 744 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Escape into the history of the American West along with five of today’s leading inspirational fiction authors who deliver exciting historical romances begun from advertisements for mail-order marriages. Placing their dreams for new beginnings in the hands of a stranger, will Cinda, Emily, Maura, Gabe, and Daughtry each be disappointed, or will some find true love?

Download or read book A Fresh Start written by Carol Welson-Burden and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2002-04-16 with total page 675 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written with a dash of vinegar, A FRESH START tells nine wry, happy, bitter, funny, and ironic tales of fate and destiny, pipe dreams and fortune hunters, vanity and pleasures of the rich, curdled love and finaglers, skeptics and scoffers, fools and simpletons, all put together with satire and witticism and great big smiles in the face of adversity.

Download or read book A Friend at Midnight written by Caroline B. Cooney and published by Delacorte Press. This book was released on 2008-08-12 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lily has settled into life in Connecticut after her parent's divorce but it's been harder on her eight-year-old brother Michael. After their mother remarries, her brother chooses to go live with his father in Washington, D.C., until the day he calls home from the Baltimore-Washington Airport where his father has abandoned him. Lily is home babysitting her baby stepbrother when she answers the phone. She has no idea the extent to which her faith in God will be tested. There is no choice for Lily. She will rescue Michael, but will she be able to rescue herself from the bitterness and anger she feels?

Download or read book The Outer Cape written by Patrick Dacey and published by Henry Holt and Company. This book was released on 2017-06-27 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “The Outer Cape is a wonderful book from a remarkably talented author...” —NPR.org An Amazon Editor's Pick Robert and Irene Kelly were a golden couple of the late ‘70s—she an artist, he a businessman, each possessed by dynamism and vibrancy. But with two young boys to care for, Irene finds herself confined by the very things she’d dreamed of having. And Robert, pressured by Irene’s demands and haunted by the possibility of failure, risks the family business to pursue a fail-safe real estate opportunity. Twenty years later, their now-grown sons, Nathan and Andrew, are drawn back to confront a fateful diagnosis. As they revisit the Cape Cod of their childhood, the ghosts of the past threaten to upend the tenuous peace of the present. In The Outer Cape, Patrick Dacey delivers a story of four people grappling with the shadow of infinite possibility, a book in which chasing the American dream and struggling to survive are one and the same.

Download or read book Dancing on Broken Glass written by Ka Hancock and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-03-13 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A powerfully written novel offering an intimate look at a beautiful marriage and how bipolar disorder and cancer affect it, Dancing on Broken Glass by Ka Hancock perfectly illustrates the enduring power of love. Lucy Houston and Mickey Chandler probably shouldn’t have fallen in love, let alone gotten married. They’re both plagued with faulty genes—he has bipolar disorder, and she has a ravaging family history of breast cancer. But when their paths cross on the night of Lucy’s twenty-first birthday, sparks fly, and there’s no denying their chemistry. Cautious every step of the way, they are determined to make their relationship work—and they put it all in writing. Mickey promises to take his medication. Lucy promises not to blame him for what is beyond his control. He promises honesty. She promises patience. Like any marriage, they have good days and bad days—and some very bad days. In dealing with their unique challenges, they make the heartbreaking decision not to have children. But when Lucy shows up for a routine physical just shy of their eleventh anniversary, she gets an impossible surprise that changes everything. Everything. Suddenly, all their rules are thrown out the window, and the two of them must redefine what love really is. An unvarnished portrait of a marriage that is both ordinary and extraordinary, Dancing on Broken Glass takes readers on an unforgettable journey of the heart.

Download or read book Rust and Bone Stories written by Craig Davidson and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2006-11-17 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Enough incident, shock, and suspense for a dozen books. . . . Filled with stories you haven’t heard before.”—Bret Easton Ellis In steel-tipped prose, Craig Davidson conjures a savage world populated by fighting dogs, prizefighters, sex addicts, and gamblers. In his title story, Davidson introduces an afflicted boxer whose hand never properly heals after a bone is broken. The fighter's career descends to bouts that have less to do with sport than with survival: no referee, no rules, not even gloves. In "A Mean Utility" we enter an even more desperate arena: dogfights where Rottweilers, pit bulls, and Dobermans fight each other to the death. Davidson's stories are small monuments to the telling detail. The hostility of his fictional universe is tempered by the humanity he invests in his characters and by his subtle and very moving observations of their motivations. He shares with Chuck Palahniuk the uncanny ability to compel our attention, time and time again, to the most difficult subject matter.

Download or read book The Warded Man Book One of The Demon Cycle written by Peter V. Brett and published by Del Rey. This book was released on 2010-03-23 with total page 482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As darkness falls after sunset, the corelings rise—demons who possess supernatural powers and burn with a consuming hatred of humanity. For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards—symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile. It was not always this way. Once, men and women battled the corelings on equal terms, but those days are gone. Night by night the demons grow stronger, while human numbers dwindle under their relentless assault. Now, with hope for the future fading, three young survivors of vicious demon attacks will dare the impossible, stepping beyond the crumbling safety of the wards to risk everything in a desperate quest to regain the secrets of the past. Together, they will stand against the night. Look for Peter V. Brett’s complete Demon Cycle: THE WARDED MAN | THE DESERT SPEAR | THE DAYLIGHT WAR | THE SKULL THRONE | THE CORE

Download or read book 2017 Del Rey Sampler written by Katherine Arden and published by Del Rey. This book was released on 2017-06-20 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the best in science fiction and fantasy with the 2017 Del Rey ebook sampler! 2017 is shaping up to a big year. Kevin Hearne, who remixed our myths in The Iron Druid Chronicles, kicks off a fantasy series with an entirely new lore. A sentient social network aspires to world domination in a diabolical satire of Silicon Valley. A persecuted princess returns to her magical homeland in an enchanting debut novel. And in an wild new vision of reincarnation, one man waits ten thousand lifetimes for his true love: Death herself. But 2017 will also be a big year for next chapters and long-awaited endings. With The Core, the final book in The Demon Cycle, looming, now is the perfect time to rediscover Peter V. Brett’s The Warded Man. Alan Dean Foster’s For Love of Mother-Not will prepare you for the triumphant return of Pip and Flinx in Strange Music. And Terry Brooks, one of the all-time masters of fantasy, sets in motion the epic four-part conclusion to his beloved Shannara saga. Plus, discover new series that are quickly becoming fan favorites: Cold Welcome is the warm-up for Into the Fire; Sleeping Giants sounds the alarm for Waking Gods; Gilded Cage unleashes Tarnished City; and The Bear and the Nightingale sets the scene for The Girl in the Tower. This sensational ebook sampler includes excerpts from eleven recent and upcoming titles: AFTER ON by Rob Reid THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE by Katherine Arden THE BLACK ELFSTONE by Terry Brooks COLD WELCOME by Elizabeth Moon FOR LOVE OF MOTHER-NOT by Alan Dean Foster GILDED CAGE by Vic James A PLAGUE OF GIANTS by Kevin Hearne REINCARNATION BLUES by Michael Poore SLEEPING GIANTS by Sylvain Neuvel THE WAKING LAND by Callie Bates THE WARDED MAN by Peter V. Brett

Download or read book The Cup Of Destiny written by T J Mayhew and published by TJ Mayhew. This book was released on with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Darkness is gathering… The final battle is upon us. But, when the war is won, who will be left to claim Camelot? Despite almost dying at the hands of Morgan le Fay, Cai Pendragon is still standing, still determined to lead this war that has already claimed so many lives. As the final battle draws ever closer, Cai is forced to deal with injury, betrayal… even the uncertain throes of first love. When an unexpected attack on Camelot leads to the revelation of the Holy Grail, could Cai finally obtain the key he needs to turn the tide and defeat Mordred, once and for all? But Cai is not the only one searching for the Grail and, with so much at stake, who will finally claim victory? THE CUP OF DESTINY is the exciting finale of the Prophecies of Fate series, perfect for fans of J. K. Rowling, A. F. Steadman and Karen Inglis. Buy The Cup of Destiny today and join Cai Pendragon as he rides into his final battle with Morgan le Fay and her power-hungry son, Mordred! Official Reading Order: Book 1: The Book of Legend Book 2: The Prison of Ice & Shadows Book 3: The Cup of Destiny

Download or read book A Southern Exposure written by Alice Adams and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2011-06-08 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “What a terrific book. I loved its rich, recognizable characters, the intricacies and excitement of the plot, the beauty of the writing.” --Anne Lamott Reaching back to the Great Depression, and with all the insight, tenderness, and extraordinary narrative power that have been the hallmark of her writing, Alice Adams once again illuminates the workings of the human heart. When Harry and Cynthia Baird flee south from Connecticut to Pinehill, they hope to find a simpler, and cheaper, way of life, and a refuge from the burdens of their life in the North. What they find, in the small societies of a college town, each with its own intricate and beguiling etiquette is a deeper involvement in private scandals, long-held secrets, dangerous love affairs, dreams, desires, fears, betrayals.