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A MAN AGAINST INSANITY describes the remarkable life and career of Dr. John (Jack) Ferguson, a man who began his medical career late in life with the simple goal of becoming a simple country doctor.But Dr. Ferguson was anything but a simple man, and this book provides an insightful description of a tumultuous early life that led to a relentless pursuit of goals motivated by an insatiable need for approval. Despite repeated financial set- backs, a divorce, a heart attack, a barbiturate addiction and several psychiatric hospitalizations, Ferguson persevered and eventually graduated medical school 20 years after he first enrolled. He then realized his dream when he was hired as the town doctor in a small, rural community. The dream didn't last: after only one year, he abruptly abandoned his position and collapsed into a fog of psychosis with grandiose delusions, delusions that led to an attempt to poison his wife and kill himself. Over the next 13 months, Ferguson would be hospitalized three times as a barbiturate psychotic, finally emerging as a "new man." Humbled and compassionate, Fer- guson credited supportive psychotherapy and the warmth of the hospital attendants with helping him find a new direction for life-to serve psychiatric patients.

Jack Kerkhoff was born to the news. His parents both worked at the Grand Rapids Herald, and Jack got an early start at the Traverse City Record-Eagle. Bigger papers followed: the Detroit News, New York Journal-American, and the New York Post.But Kerkhoff's professional success was overshadowed by personal tragedy. His wife died suddenly in 1940 and then his 25-year-old daughter eight years later. Severe depression and two suicide attempts followed.Kerkhoff had done some growing up in the Traverse City area - his parents owned a home on Old Mission Peninsula - and he was well aware of the form and function of the State Hospital.How many times I had scampered up that driveway with my gang, fearful yet curious. How many times we had wandered outside the bleak, tower-topped buildings that had iron bars at the windows, and shouted at the men and women behind the bars and giggled over the obscenities they tossed back at us.So, on a wintery November day, Kerkhoff checked himself into the asylum, hoping that the treatment provided there would lift the veil of sadness.How Thin the Veil is a 45-day account of Kerkhoff 's treatment, his conversations with the nurses and doctors (some of them with their real names), his interactions with the inmates, and his trips to downtown Traverse City watering holes. There's also romance in the form of Suzy, a pretty, lisping waif whose "bad spells" had kept her hospitalized for eight years.First published in 1952, How Thin the Veil shines a "hard-boiled" light on the mid-century conditions of patients of mental illness. Booze and cigarettes abound. Insulin-shock therapy was in vogue, as was what the patients called "eloctros." However, the overall treatment is ultimately sympathetic and humane. Kerkhoff recovered and returned to work.

In Fixey Fox Lights the Night, a story for young readers, Fixey carries the legend of Fox Fire in his heart. When he moves to a new home-a special farm and botanic garden-he finds a chance to be a superhero-and a friend to all who live there, including bats, fairies, a deer, and a boy and his mother. His powers are challenged by a pack of fierce coyotes that threaten to destroy all that he's come to love. Can the daring "Fox of Fire" save his new home and friends?

My parents' determination to survive gives strength to our spirits. Their laughter echoes through the generations, and I see shadows of their gentle smiles on the faces of their great-grandchildren. The blood of our ancestry forever runs through our hearts, and their songs give peace to our souls. We cannot simply disappear, one by one, but must live on in these pages forever. Without our roots we die.A story of strength and tenacity, war and peace, The Empty Sleeve is a heartfelt memoir by the youngest daughter of Latvian immigrants.The author begins her memoir with tales of her parents growing up in the hidden gem of Latvia, a place that for many years was not recognized as a sovereign nation. When WWII breaks out, Germany and Russia battle over the small and defenseless Baltic States, bringing sorrow and wartime hardships.Amid personal tragedy, several years of displacement in Germany, and immigration to the United States, readers get a firsthand and personal look at the courage and strength of one family and their ability to develop roots to grow and flourish in the United States.

Orion and her brother Ollie think it's just a funny, old mirror, until they see the reflection of a girl who isn't really there. Not only that, she looks like somebody from another time. With neighbors Sal and Sofi Martelli, they learn the story of Susanna Chase, who escaped from slavery on the Underground Railroad in 1860. Susanna was waiting for her father to run away from his master and go with her to Canada, but she died of the measles before he could meet up with her. She never knew if he got away, and she can't "die satisfied" until she finds out. The kids seek help from Granny, who reveals a long-buried secret. A diary, a doll and a harmonica lead them to answers for Susanna, but they're almost out of time-they have to tell her before she goes back to her grave forever! The bonus? An amazing connection that nobody expected.

Everybody who looks at the Great Lakes knows they're big, but why are they Great? From sea serpents to sunken ships, from lonely lighthouses to fish on Prozac, this book engages the reader in a quest to find what's beneath the surface.¿¿FLOW's mission is to ensure the waters of the Great Lakes Basin are healthy, public, and protected for all. The public trust doctrine holds that certain natural resources like navigable waters are preserved in perpetuity for the benefit of the public to use and enjoy. Under the public trust, the waters of the Great Lakes Basin can never be controlled by or transferred to private interests for private purposes or gain. Our rights to use the water of the Great Lakes Basin cannot be alienated or subordinated by our governments to special private interests. Founded in 2011 by pioneering environmental leader and attorney Jim Olson, FLOW is tackling, among other threats, the antiquated Line 5 petroleum pipeline through the Straits of Mackinac, the commercialization of water, and raw sewage contaminating groundwater and surface water.

An ancient alien civilization, vastly more advanced than the people of Earth, resorts to kidnapping to save themselves from certain extinction. Lanaq's race has been on an achingly slow road to annihilation. His mission is their last hope for survival. He has followed the Quorum's orders to find the Vashallen of Earth, those women capable of becoming Devetian mates. But has he found his own mate? Is the draw he feels toward Beatrix a precursor to their sharing frisson? Beatrix awakens in a strange hospital to find her cancer-wracked body hale and whole. A look in the mirror shows a face she hasn't seen in a great many years. Revitalized in a way she could never have hoped for, Bea is excited to experience the new life Lanaq offers. She finds herself drawn to the pilot of the alien spaceship, but will he find a place in her heart? Will she have room? Travel with the Vashallen to Devet, home of a matriarchal society where war and crime are merely words in ancient annals. Devet, where nature and humans have reached a balance in which both thrive; where no female child has been born in millenia.

Wild Jalopy is a book of poetry by Kathleen Hopkins, published posthumously by her loving husband, Howard. The poems, enhanced with a pen-and-ink drawing by noted illustrator Michael Morris, celebrate joyful living, the pleasures of reading, the fire of creation, of wonder, of a secret life. Readers will recognize in these poems their own life experiences: the feeling of elemental existence, the searching for solace, the humor of first-time parenting, and the restorative pleasures of nature. Kathleen had no idea that her poems would ever see print; with this publication, Howard seeks to bring their light and joy to others.If you're sensitive to the wonder of words and to having your heart touched and your mind stimulated, you'll find pleasure in reading Wild Jalopy.

The Populists of the 1890s transformed the nation's political terrain, and this book tells the story of the hard-pressed farmers who launched that movement. Their call for a widening democracy to counter corporate monopoly and profiteering tapped into a growing resentment of the rich, a resentment that grew as the economy alternated between rapid growth, producing more millionaires, and severe economic depressions, producing more poverty. The Populist challenge to unbridled capitalism would finally force Republicans and especially Democrats to recognize the growing support for progressive change within their own ranks. These historical Populists are now forgotten as today's pundits would have us believe that "populists" of the left - no less so than the right - are uniquely drawn to authoritarian politics. Often enough, the term serves as a sly pejorative, hinting at the unreliable behavior and hidden agendas of anyone who challenges established authority.You won't find that in this book. The historical Populists are presented here as champions of democracy and forward-looking reforms. Recovering the historical meaning of their challenge to corporate absolutism is a first step in linking that past to current struggles against the corporate behemoths of our time.

Arthur Jenkins, recently widowed and adrift in grief and the morass of middle age, retreats to a cabin in his native state of Michigan, hoping for a fresh start. That's when his oldest friend, Eddie Fletcher, also in retreat after being relieved of duty by the Army while serving in Iraq, calls him on the pretense of a few days of fly fishing up north. But Eddie had more on his mind than fishing. Two college students from Central Michigan University went missing more than 20 years ago while on a trip to the Au Sable River. Not a trace was ever found. What they did find were altars, stone circles and evidence of something called Werewolf Parties. Eddie is convinced that the authorities bungled the investigation by pinning it on a notorious serial killer called Big Foot, and he wants Art to help him solve the cold case. Nothing like someone else's personal tragedy to help kill the time.And so it begins. With the help of Eddie's Army buddy, licensed private investigator Zachariah Phoenix, the three wade into the often-hostile backwaters of Michigan's northwoods, looking for old bones, answers and a new lease on life.

This is the story of a young man's sojourn in the rainforest of Borneo in the late 1960s. Told through letters sent home, the book reveals the life of a small Kadazan village and the relationship that grows between the villagers and the American Peace Corps volunteer who lives among them for two years.¿¿In 1967, just four years after the birth of the Federation of Malaysia, a young man travels from his home in Michigan to a small, remote, rainforest village on the island of Borneo. Here he finds no telephones, electricity, radios, or running water, but plenty of cat-sized fruit bats, fire ants, monsoons, mangy dogs, and home-dwelling lizards that occasionally fall from the ceiling. He also discovers a rich culture and villagers who gradually welcome him into their circle. This travel memoir, written by former Peace Corps volunteer Ed Demerly, is based on letters the author wrote home during his two years in the ulu of Malaysia. Living in the Ulu captures Demerly's sense of adventure, his determination to teach well, the challenges and joys of adjusting to a lifestyle simpler than what he'd known in Michigan, and the love that developed between him and his students and their families.

Mary Ellen and Poppy, private eyes, turn from their work of chasing lost dogs, errant husbands, and playing mah-jongg in the tourist town of Frankenmuth, Michigan, to assisting the police in solving murders, with dog Babycakes lending a helping paw. Quirky suspects and surprises abound! A warm Willkommen to Poppy and Mary Ellen, the sleuths of book one of the Frankenmuth Murder Mysteries series!When the Stanley family gathers in the number one tourist town in Michigan-Frankenmuth-the festive, fun town experiences the murder of the Stanley family matriarch, followed by the murder of another resident. The solution, though, isn't obvious since there are plenty of suspects to consider. Nieces? Nephews? A disgruntled caterer, a carriage driver, or someone else entirely? Or multiple killers with completely different motives? The local police step into the investigation under the spotlight of an unrelenting press. Meanwhile, local private eyesMary Ellen and Poppy-best known for finding lost dogs, catching errant husbands, and playing a mean game of mah-jongg-find themselves in a daunting role. They are hired by an out-of-state lawyer to find a missing heir, and the local police welcome their inside information to help bring a killer (or killers?) to justice.Even Poppy's Boston terrier, Babycakes, has a role in closing the case. How long will it be before tourists are enjoying their chicken dinners again without looking over their shoulders?

In this fifth installment of the Burr Lafayette Mystery series, a Michigan attorney's fight against his client's stingy insurance company suddenly turns into a murder case. Molly Fagan is merely looking for a quick life insurance payout after her radio-station-owner husband suffered a heart attack and died. But just when Burr Lafayette gets his client a shot at the money, Molly is arrested for murder. Once again, the hard-drinking, courtroom-quipping lawyer finds himself in the thick of a homicide investigation, the outcome of which depends as much on his courtroom expertise as the answer to this question: Who put the poison mushrooms in the soup?

Travel and Leisure's #1-ranked Mackinac Island, Michigan, and all its natural beauty can be found in the pages of M is for Mackinac: A Nature Alphabet. This charmingly illustrated alphabet book highlights Mackinac's incredible landscape, amazing animals, and natural resources. It will delight children of all ages through rhyme, fun facts, and soft watercolor illustrations. From Arch Rock to zinnias, the island is filled with endless discoveries, and this book is the perfect place to start.

Why would one family choose to fight for the enemy of the British Empire, while another defends it?It's 1915. The Great War has descended into horrific trench warfare with the great nations fighting over inches of European ground. In the Middle East, the war is between the British Empire and the Ottoman Empire, allied to Germany. Caught in the middle of this Middle East war are two families of spies - the Bankrofts, who support British operations in Mesopotamia, and the O'Connell family, on the side of the German and Ottoman operations. Both families trained in the mystic arts, mesmerism and intelligence tradecraft in British India, but one chose patriotism and the other, treason. The intelligence chess game between these two families places them at even greater risk as their tribal allies switch sides and fight for their own reasons.______Author JR Seeger brings "Steampunk in the Raj" to life as two young spies, Elizabeth Bankroft and Michael O'Connell, match wits, wizardry, and courage with murderers, mystics, colonialists - and each other - in pre-World War One India and the Ottoman Empire. It's a thrilling and dangerous mix of Rudyard Kipling, H.G Wells, and T.E. Lawrence that awaits the reader as the two secret agents and their teams search for secrets and try to derail their enemy's plans. It's a magical ride, not to be missed. -James Stejskal, author of The Snake Eater Chronicles J.R. Seeger transports the reader into the era of the Raj with a rollicking tale that reeks of authenticity, drawn from a fizzing imagination that springs from both scholarship and real-world experience. No stranger to the modern-day battlefields of Afghanistan that remain unchanged in many respects from days of yore, he conjures up the sounds and smells of the Near East as he expertly crafts a plot that twists through the shadow and shade cast by the British Crown. -Toby Harnden, war correspondent and author of Dead Men Risen______J.R. SEEGER is a Western New York native who served as a U.S. Army paratrooper and as a CIA case officer for a total of 27 years of federal service. In October 2001, Mr. Seeger led a CIA paramilitary team into Afghanistan. He splits his time between Western New York and Central New Mexico.LISE SPARGO has been an archaeologist, an intelligence officer, and the manager of a conservation charity. She is a formally trained botanical illustrator and splits her time between New Mexico and western New York focusing on capturing plant species using graphite and watercolors.

Fidel Caströs guerrilla fighters defeated the ruthless Batista regime in 1959. His triumph drove hundreds of thousands of Cubans of all walks of life to flee the island to everywhere in the world, but especially to the United States. Stolen Dreams is an account of Pablös life as he was caught in the vortex of violence by two tyrannical governments. Pablo is torn between his dream of playing baseball abroad and his belief in freedom and justice for all. He and his friend risk their lives attempting to cross the dangerous Straits of Florida seeking freedom. As the Cuban patriot José Martí wrote, "To change master is not to be free... Man loves liberty, even if he does not know that he loves it. He is driven by it and flees from where it does not exist." Stolen Dreams is a tribute to all who have tried and, after six decades, are still attempting to flee to freedom to anywhere through any means.

Larry Holley grew up in the tiny town of Jameson, Missouri, and he never forgot his roots. Even after becoming a standout three-sport student-athlete at William Jewell College and later the 10th winningest coach in four-year college basketball history, Holley was still the same guy-rooted, supportive and friendly to competitor and colleague alike. His story is about so much more than his 918 wins. It's about treating people with respect and making them feel like they were important to him-because they were. You will be encouraged to live your life in a more meaningful way after reading the subtle but transformative story of what made Larry Holley the man he was. Written before his sudden and surprising death, this story is in his words.

Situated next to the Kenyan capital's largest garbage dump, the Nairobi slum of Korogocho might seem like one of the least likely places on the planet where a youth orchestra has found itself a home. And yet, the classical strains of Mozart and Vivaldi, along with more contemporary fare, can be heard gently wafting through Korogocho on a weekly basis. Since its founding in 2008, Ghetto Classics-so named by the initial cohort of students-has been helping to inspire generations of local kids who learn firsthand how the arts can uplift and change lives.Ghetto Classics: How a Youth Orchestra Changed a Nairobi Slum is the story of how an initially motley crew of young people has morphed over time into a semi-professional orchestra that has played with some of the world's top classical and jazz musicians like Branford Marsalis, David Sanborn and Hugh Masekela, and performed for the likes of dignitaries including Pope Francis, President Barack Obama and Belgium's Queen Mathilde. They have also helped to encourage their local community and bring a sense of possibility and promise to a place where it was much needed. The book is based on the author's 2016 New York Times profile of the orchestra and its founder, Elizabeth Njoroge.www.ginannebrownell.com