Into Africa – The Adventures of a Nobody

How I escaped death on numerous occasions remains a mystery to me. Encountering famous personalities unexpectedly was astonishing, and some of the experiences I’ve had are still unbelievable.Throughout my life, finding joy in helping others and sharing moments with them has brought me immense fulfilment.

Maxamillion the Great

Drawing on countless real-life stories from his embattled life, Maxamillion the Great is a captivating and moving autobiography told in the only way it could be, through the eyes of his beloved owner, author Barbara Goodier.

Taking the reader through the lows of his joyless puppyhood into the highs of his new found family, it persuades us to revisit the idea that miracles really do exist and sometimes even more than once.

Creative in its narration and affecting in its story, it will move you to re-evaluate what is important in your own life, will make you cry when you least expect it and lay bare the unbreakable bond between a dog and his mum.

Guns Piranha Lions No Visa No Problem!

A jet fight over Syria. A Cold War listening post in Turkey. An overland trek from Denmark to Thailand. A thriving weapons marketplace in remote Pakistan. An exotic Maasai Star Wars-style saloon in Kenya. Ultra-luxury casinos in Macau. Only in Miami idiosyncrasies. University polemics. The 1980 Moscow Olympics. Memorable World Series, Super Bowls, NBA and college gridiron contests. Civil rights activism. Challenging the Klan. Confronting FBI activities in 1960s Memphis. Encounters with the Clintons. A hurricane at sea. Giant turtles in Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands. A Miami-bound plane commandeered by a heavily armed Haitian general.Erroneously suspected of being a spy, Ken Lipner promises all this and more in his intriguing, serendipitous, eclectic life as a sports-loving, peace-promoting, justice-seeking, pet-rescuing public policy advisor and economics professor with a wanderlust that took him to 120 countries.Vicariously accompany Ken as he makes his way on rust buckets, old buses, slow trains, and small planes, befriending people of widely diverse backgrounds, cultures, vocations, and interests.Detained at the Bulgaria-Danube border crossing. Nearly arrested in Chile and Suriname. Just missing a terrorist attack in Tunisia and the Six-Day War in Israel.For Kenny’s 6th birthday, his first Phillies game. A sports insider for a nanosecond, though as an aspiring athlete, he could never hit a high fastball.Holy Moley!

Surviving the Asylum

In this raw and poignant memoir, Michael recounts his harrowing journey through the psychiatric system and his struggle to find purpose after losing custody of his beloved autistic grandson.

After a suicide attempt lands him in a geriatric psychiatric ward for the third time in recent years, Michael finds himself cut off from the outside world and the grandson he raised for three decades. Facing abuse and isolation, he contemplates ending it all.

But a lifeline appears in the form of his vocal coach and support worker, who encourage him to channel his pain into art. As Michael discovers new passions in singing, painting, and poetry, he forges an unexpected friendship with a fellow patient that reignites his will to live.

This powerful story of resilience and reinvention shows how creativity and human connection can offer hope even in the darkest of times. Michael’s journey reminds us that it’s never too late to find a new voice and a reason to keep singing.

Legally Omitted

Navigating the journey from zero to success is no small feat, a challenge that even the author doesn’t claim to have mastered – but is willing to explore. After graduation, life becomes a high-stakes race against time, filled with head-spinning ‘WTF’ moments. From tackling parenthood and self-doubt to dodging curveballs like talk shows, bills, and Hollywood drama, the author invites you to experience it all unfiltered.Just when a glimmer of hope starts to shine, a myriad of obstacles including baby mama drama, encounters with celebrities, and wrangling with the ever-daunting IRS emerge. Amidst this chaos, can one find love, spiritual peace, and the elusive American Dream in today’s breakneck society?In a world that takes a toll on our mental health, leaving many of us feeling Legally Omitted, this compelling narrative serves as a candid reflection on the complexities of modern life. Explore the rollercoaster that is the pursuit of success, happiness, and self-fulfilment, in a society that never hits the pause button.

The Emigrant Who Became a Town Mayor

A long and hard road to acceptance for a child who wasn’t supposed to be born. Against all odds, he fought just to survive, yearning for love and acceptance.Throughout his life, he has been protected by a Higher Order, guided by faith through trials from Communist oppression to freedom, and into unexpected success.Through hard work and dedication to his community, he rises to become their Mayor, a testament to his resilience and the unwavering support of his Protector.

Elephants in My Salad

Have you ever wanted to get away from it all and escape to the wilds of Africa?Well, this writer did!At the age of 48, she sold her successful South African company to self-build a house on a 4,500-hectare private game reserve in Botswana. Just four hours of electricity a day, no phone, no gun, no fences to keep predators or elephants at bay, and no vet, doctor, dentist, or supermarket within 120 miles!Told with humour (and a taste of just how life-threatening the bush can be,) this collection of personal experiences gives you a real taste of belonging as an integral part of wild Africa.Be immersed in tales of: Wildfires, droughts, and being marooned by rain-swollen rivers!Being charged by angry elephants and being caught between herds of elephants while on foot!Being adopted by a one-tonne land antelope and a two-week old baby elephant!…and how often Caesar saved the day!

Plane Speaking

For the last decade of his career, Peter dedicated himself to traveling the globe, attempting to show that shared information benefits the entire company more than isolated data. However, this book isn’t about his professional mission; it’s about the adventure of travel itself.Travel is divided into four essential parts:Planning the trip.Getting there.Being there.Getting home.While all four parts are covered, it’s ‘Being there’ that takes center stage, as that’s where the real excitement happens.Peter’s journeys through diverse countries, encountering different peoples, cultures, and landscapes, only deepened his love for travel and humanity. Yet, post-9/11, the joy of travel has been marred by the extensive time spent navigating airport security. Sometimes, it feels like more time is spent in airports than in the air.Join Peter in rediscovering the joy of travel. Let’s bring the fun back into our journeys.

The Four Ships

In this poignant and compelling true story, Tanya Mullins opens the door to her heart, sharing a journey marked by unimaginable loss, unyielding strength, and the enduring pursuit of survival. As she grapples with the devastating death of one of her children, Tanya faces the harsh reality of poverty and mounting bills, her world shrouded in shadows.Amidst the trials of life, Tanya discovers an inner strength that propels her forward. Just when it seems that life has granted her the gift of true love, tragedy strikes once again, plunging her into a vortex of grief, loss, and the profound challenges of mental health. Yet, against the tempest of despair, Tanya’s resilience shines through.Reluctantly compelled to engage with life’s relentless lessons, Tanya confronts her deepest fears and inner demons, seeking redemption in the face of adversity. Her story is a testament to the human spirit’s capacity to endure, learn, and emerge stronger. Through the darkness and into the light, Tanya’s journey is a beacon of hope and inspiration for anyone grappling with the complexities of life, loss, and the arduous path to healing.

Reflections on a Bathroom Mirror

The mirror has no preferences. Whoever peers into that pool of light sees a faithful image, albeit laterally inverted. The young boy had looked into the bathroom mirror perhaps a thousand times with casual confidence, but today, the reflection felt surprising and strangely alien. It had to mean something. Thus began a quest that spanned his entire life, filled with many kinds of adventures, both external and internal. His journey crossed continents and led him to explore the deepest places of the mind and heart. It required keen observation and demanded ultimate honesty. Sometimes he stumbled; other times, he rejoiced. Ultimately, his goal was to answer that age-old question: who am I and where do I fit into the scheme of things? This question is everyone’s question, and it suggests that by polishing our own mirrors, we might discover something wholly renewed.

Schizophrenic

Ally North's life is shattered by abuse at the age of eleven, but she refuses to fit the stereotype of a beautiful victim. By turns she is intelligent and funny, psychotic and violent. Cognizant of her symptoms of schizophrenia, she tries to control them with alcohol and drugs. It's never wise to fight a passionate tomboy, and she finds support in her devoted father, Davey, and in her ex-teacher friend, Steve Hussy. "Mangled characters living out their dead-end love affair; thwarted at every possible turn by alcohol, drugs and mental illness. The writing is lean and savage: they talk a lot about breaking free but their story is like that last drink of the night - spiked with barbiturates." U.V.RAY: "A CIGARETTE BURN IN THE SUN"

No I'm Not A Pilot

The Royal Air Force is one of the most technologically advanced armed forces in the world, with a reputation for fighting well above its size and weight. To most people the first thought they have about the RAF is about pilots and aircrew – quite right too. But for every one of the pilots to take off and deliver a mission successfully there will be a team on the ground making that happen, actually around twenty people for each pilot (which makes the aircrew a vital, but relatively small percentage of the entire force). The daring exploits of our aviators are deservedly well documented, but what about the hundreds of people on the ground that never fly in combat missions and yet enable every single mission to actually happen? This book is a very personal and sometimes emotional journey giving an insight into life in the RAF from the late 1970s to the end of the century, for just one of the support trades – Trade Group No 1: the aircraft armourer. After all, as the founder of the RAF – Lord Trenchard is reputed to have said “without armament, there is no Air Force”. What the armourers say (tongue firmly in cheek) is that without armament, the RAF would be a glorified flying club!