Author : Slavenka Drakulic
Publisher : Harper Collins
Page : 228 pages
File Size : 24,97 MB
Release : 1993-05-12
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 0060975407
Hailed by feminists as one of the most important contributions to women's studies in the last decade, this gripping, beautifully written account describes the daily struggles of women under the Marxist regime in the former republic of Yugoslavia.
Author : Kate Merrick
Publisher : Thomas Nelson
Page : 225 pages
File Size : 20,44 MB
Release : 2017-03-07
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0718093097
Kate Merrick examines the Bible’s gritty stories of resilient women as well as her own experience losing a child—a journey followed by more than a million on prayfordaisy.com—to reveal the reality of surprising joy and deep hope even in the midst of heartache. Is it possible live fully—even joyfully—in the middle of overwhelming pain? In the excruciating aftermath of her young daughter’s death from cancer, Kate Merrick struggled to find a way to live. Not just to survive or go through the motions, but to live fully. Faithfully. With real joy amid inevitable tears. To discover how, Kate delved into the stories in the Bible of real women who suffered deeply and emerged somehow joyful. How did Sarah, after twenty-five years of achingly empty arms, learn to laugh without bitterness? How did Bathsheba, defiled by the king who then had her husband killed, come to walk in strength and dignity, to smile without fear of the future? In her encounters with these heroines of the faith, Kate discovered how to have contentment—and even joy—whatever the circumstances. By turns heartbreaking and humorous, And Still She Laughs reveals the secret to finding hope in the midst of devastation. In the end, no matter what hardships we face, we can smile, cry, and come away full—laughing without fear and eagerly looking for what is to come. “And Still She Laughs is the terrifying, tearful, heartbreaking, heart healing and humorous, definitive true story of survival and triumph.” —Kathy Ireland, chair of Kathy Ireland Worldwide “Kate Merrick is one of those women that I always wish I had more time with—her honesty, sincerity, and messy straightforwardness are different, in the very best way. Her book, And Still She Laughs, is the same way. It’s one of those books I will keep coming back to it for truth and inspiration.” —Lindsey Nobles, COO of the IF:Gathering
Author : Scott Weems
Publisher : Basic Books
Page : 258 pages
File Size : 24,86 MB
Release : 2014-03-04
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 0465080804
An entertaining tour of the science of humor and laughter Humor, like pornography, is famously difficult to define. We know it when we see it, but is there a way to figure out what we really find funny -- and why? In this fascinating investigation into the science of humor and laughter, cognitive neuroscientist Scott Weems uncovers what's happening in our heads when we giggle, guffaw, or double over with laughter. While we typically think of humor in terms of jokes or comic timing, in Ha! Weems proposes a provocative new model. Humor arises from inner conflict in the brain, he argues, and is part of a larger desire to comprehend a complex world. Showing that the delight that comes with "getting" a punchline is closely related to the joy that accompanies the insight to solve a difficult problem, Weems explores why surprise is such an important element in humor, why computers are terrible at recognizing what's funny, and why it takes so long for a tragedy to become acceptable comedic fodder. From the role of insult jokes to the benefit of laughing for our immune system, Ha! reveals why humor is so idiosyncratic, and why how-to books alone will never help us become funnier people. Packed with the latest research, illuminating anecdotes, and even a few jokes, Ha! lifts the curtain on this most human of qualities. From the origins of humor in our brains to its life on the standup comedy circuit, this book offers a delightful tour of why humor is so important to our daily lives.
Author : Sherre Hirsch
Publisher : Harmony
Page : 210 pages
File Size : 45,61 MB
Release : 2009-06-16
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0385523629
The old Yiddish proverb, “We plan, God laughs,” expresses a truth everyone can relate to. At every stage of life we make plans, setting out where we want to go and imagining what we will be like when we have “arrived.” But things have a way of turning out not quite as we hoped or expected. In WE PLAN, GOD LAUGHS, Sherre Hirsch argues that too often our plans are limited to ones we think up at bedtime, or are devised by our parents, or by what looks good on a résumé. Addressing serious spiritual issues, Hirsch takes readers through ten basics steps for formulating a plan that reflects who we are now and who we want to be—a plan that is alive, organic, and in sync with God. Hirsch teaches the importance of letting go and recognizing that even the most ordinary life is extraordinary in the eyes of God. She makes no foolish promise that life will turn out as we plan, but shows that with hope, faith, and belief, we can change our lives for the better and make a positive difference in the lives of others.
Author : Bill Chadwick
Publisher : Beaver's Pond Press
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 16,27 MB
Release : 2019-11
Category : Humor
ISBN : 9781643438894
In the style of works by Robert Fulghum and Anne Lamott, the stories in Still Laughing, Still Learning (Still Looking for a Good Title) touch on a plenitude of topics, from the warm fuzzies and terrors of parenting to the joys and conundrums of pastoring. But you don't need to be a church person to appreciate Chadwick's insights into the human condition. You may snort milk out your nose at his take on one heck of a biking mishap and then be deeply moved by his interpretations of emotional hot buttons like anger, inclusivity, and death. And while the last thing the world may need is another book, this collection proves there can never be too many stories. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY: Bill Chadwick is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Bill's favorite roles in life are husband, dad, preacher, and writer, but he is also a fisherperson, ventriloquist, stand-up comic, biker, and cross-country skier. He and his wife, Kris Jacobson, live in the Minneapolis area.
Author : Bianca Marais
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 450 pages
File Size : 49,45 MB
Release : 2020-07-07
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 0735219338
A rich, unforgettable story of three unique women in post-Apartheid South Africa who are brought together in their darkest time and discover the ways that love can transcend the strictest of boundaries. In a squatter camp on the outskirts of Johannesburg, seventeen-year-old Zodwa lives in desperate poverty, under the shadowy threat of a civil war and a growing AIDS epidemic. Eight months pregnant, Zodwa carefully guards secrets that jeopardize her life. Across the country, wealthy socialite Ruth appears to have everything her heart desires, but it's what she can't have that leads to her breakdown. Meanwhile, in Zaire, a disgraced former nun, Delilah, grapples with a past that refuses to stay buried. When these personal crises send both middle-aged women back to their rural hometown to heal, the discovery of an abandoned newborn baby upends everything, challenging their lifelong beliefs about race, motherhood, and the power of the past. As the mystery surrounding the infant grows, the complicated lives of Zodwa, Ruth, and Delilah become inextricably linked. What follows is a mesmerizing look at family and identity that asks: How far will the human heart go to protect itself and the ones it loves?
Author : Phil Callaway
Publisher : Multnomah
Page : 258 pages
File Size : 49,14 MB
Release : 2005-08-01
Category : Humor
ISBN : 1590525388
Find Out What’s So Funny When Nothing’s Funny Sometimes life just stinks—people disappoint, bad things happen, and hardship comes. Laughing Matters is a collection of stories that shows the difference between those who resign and those who rejoice when reality bites. Readers will be encouraged to choose joy, to find hope, and to discover the abundant life Christ offers all who follow Him. Author and humorist Phil Callaway—once described as “Dave Barry with a message”—employs his revealing and hilarious style to remind readers that, “it’s always darkest just before the fridge door opens.” Do you resign or rejoice when reality bites? Sometimes life just stinks. People disappoint. Bad things happen. Hardship comes in double helpings. The last thing you want to do is laugh. So let hilarious humorist Phil Callaway show you—as only he can—that some of the darkest times are those just before the fridge door opens. *** ** *** ** “Everything Phil Callaway writes is full of life because he’s discovered a fabulous secret: The joy of Christ doesn’t go away, even when life is a mess.” Luis Palau, President of the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association “Phil really knows how to get in touch with his spiritual funny bone.” Janette Oke, Bestselling author “One page into this book and I’m quaking with laughter. Callaway has the uncanny ability to uncover the funny in any situation and report it with inspirational wit.” Paul L. Maier, Coauthor of The DaVinci Code: Fact or Fiction? “This book is an excellent source of encouragement for anyone in the midst of a crisis who may be asking God that hardest question of all: ‘Why?’” Martha Bolton, Author of Cooking with Hot Flashes and Didn’t My Skin Used to Fit? Story Behind the Book Phil Callaway wrote this book after a five-year journey he and his wife embarked upon when she began having seizures. He discovered that when life throws you curve balls, juices lemons in your eyes, scrunches you in a knuckle sandwich…the last thing you want to do is laugh. And at the moment we realize that life can just plain stink, “this book helps us know where to go from that point,” he says. Celebrities like Dave Dravecky, Barbara Johnson, Gloria Gaither, and Joni Eareckson Tada have endorsed Callaway’s positive approach to trials. “Everything Phil Callaway writes is full of life because he’s discovered a fabulous secret: The joy of Christ doesn’t go away, even when life is a mess,” says evangelist Luis Palau.
Author : Joanna Cole
Publisher : Doubleday Books for Young Readers
Page : 302 pages
File Size : 12,67 MB
Release : 1986
Category : Children's literature.
ISBN : 9780385185592
A collection of jokes, riddles, tongue twisters, tricks, games, poems, and stories.
Author : Audette Rackley
Publisher : Booksurge Publishing
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 41,34 MB
Release : 2009-09-22
Category : Alzheimer's disease
ISBN : 9781439239391
Thirteen men and women reveal how individuals with dementia can reframe their thoughts and actions, and successfully disprove the notion that life ends with a diagnosis.
Author : Mariette Guenette
Publisher : FriesenPress
Page : 338 pages
File Size : 18,62 MB
Release : 2017-12-12
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 1460294963
From a very humble beginning filled with hardships, the sixth child in a family of fourteen, I was born on a small impoverished farm on the Gaspé Peninsula, in Quebec, Canada, just a tiny dot on the map as I say, and had a very unusual and fulfilled life. Living in ten major Canadian and us cities, always accidentally, I met unforgettable people such as a Roman Catholic Cardinal, Representatives of Governments in Canada, the Governor of Florida, as well as meeting internationally known singers such as Elvis Presley and Julio Iglesias, a WWII naval officer, hockey players, wrestlers and many more prominent people. I lived through illnesses, three earthquakes, car accidents, robberies at gun point and knife point, the Italian and Cuban exoduses and through the 9/11 collapse of the Twin Towers by the terrorists, in ny. In my youth I even realized my dream of skydiving. I dedicate this book to Dr. Maria Pedro for saving my life in 2013, without whom there would not be a book to leave as my legacy to future generations, and to my dear sister, Françoise, who is always there for me.
