Life Is Greater Than Limb

Just before Christmas in 2012, at age fifty-three, John LeMieux lost his left leg to a recurrence of sarcoma. The unique twenty-hour rotationplasty surgery-never done on a man his age-was followed by six months of bed rest. It was only the beginning of years of physical, spiritual, and emotional growth. In this memoir, John recounts the lows and highs of a life forever altered. As an aging, ex-college athlete, John was forced to confront a life where every expectation was changed. With the help of his family and friends, he discovered that he was stronger than he knew, as he grappled with the physical loss of his leg, the crippling anxiety that attacked him, his relationships with others, and his place in the world.

Just before Christmas in 2012, at age fifty-three, John LeMieux lost his left leg to a recurrence of sarcoma. The unique twenty-hour rotationplasty surgery—never done on a man his age—was followed by six months of bed rest. It was only the beginning of years of physical, spiritual, and emotional growth. In this memoir, John recounts the lows and highs of a life forever altered. As an aging, ex-college athlete, John was forced to confront a life where every expectation was changed. With the help of his family and friends, he discovered that he was stronger than he knew, as he grappled with the physical loss of his leg, the crippling anxiety that attacked him, his relationships with others, and his place in the world.

A biker and a cowboy must stop the apocalypse in the first book of the Blood and Bone modern western fantasy series. His voice was rich, a much loved baritone, as he handed his seven-year-old grandson a gun. “It’s time we had a talk, you and I. You won’t remember it, but you need to know it, and one day, when it’s time, I’ll call it up in you. You’ll know who you are, and what you’re intended to do. You’ll be a soldier, boy. Sealed to it. Life and limb, blood and bone. Not a soldier like others are, for it’s not the kind of war most people fight on earth. But because we’re not ‘most people,’ you and I, it will be far more important. The fate of the world will hinge upon it.” Now no longer that wide-eyed child, Gabe is fresh out of prison, a leather-clad biker answering Grandaddy’s peremptory summons to, of all places, a cowboy bar in Northern Arizona. He is about to find out just how different he is from “most people”—and to meet the stranger with whom he will be sealed: life and limb, blood and bone, conscripted to fight an unholy war unlike any other. For the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. When he does. And Gabe, thrown into the unlikely company of a country-music-loving rodeo cowboy from West Texas, an ancient Celtic goddess of war, an African Orisha who sings volcanoes awake, a Chinese goddess of mercy, Nephilim, and Grigori, finds himself fighting a battle he was bred for, but wants no part of.

A collection of short stories by skateboarders explores this enduring sport and the subculture it has spawned, delving into the humor, risk-taking, self-destructive behavior, and commerce that swirls around skateboarding. Original.

Examining the history of arterial repair, Of Life and Limb investigates the process of surgical innovation by exploring the social, technological, institutional, and martial dynamics shaping the introduction and adoption of a new operation.

Phantom Limb is a wise and courageous memoir that moves between past and present, chronicling an adult daughter’s journey through the final years of her parents’ lives. A story of discovering love through adversity as well as an inquiry into contemporary neurology and spiritual life, Phantom Limb is a moving meditation on the struggle to make peace with physical and emotional ghosts of the past. Janet Sternburg writes with such warmth and honesty that loss itself becomes luminous: “This is the grace of the last years, the children coming to understand the contradictions in their parents, not to reconcile them but encompass them in a larger love.”

MORE THAN 3 MILLION COPIES IN PRINT • “A stunningly honest, engrossing account . . . Shirley MacLaine’s discovery of a new sense of purpose, joy, energy, and love will touch and astonish you.”—Literary Guild Magazine An outspoken thinker, a celebrated actress, a truly independent woman, Shirley MacLaine takes us on an intimate yet powerful journey into her personal life and inner self. An intense, clandestine love affair with a prominent politician sparks Shirley’s quest of self-discovery. From Stockholm to Hawaii to the mountain vastness of Peru, from disbelief to radiant affirmation, she at last discovers the roots of her very existence . . . and the infinite possibilities of life. Shirley opens her heart to explore the meaning of a great and enduring passion with her lover Gerry; the mystery of her soul’s connection with her best friend David; the tantalizing secrets behind a great actor’s inspiration with the late Peter Sellers. And through it all, Shirley’s courage and candor opens new doors, new insights, new revelations—and a luminous new world she invites us all to share.

See Sarah on the cover of ESPN The Magazine's first "Body Issue" Touching, funny, and honest, In a Single Bound is the story of how a feisty little girl from Long Island became one of the world’s most famous disabled sports figures. An inspiring memoir of courage, spirit, and determination.

Merlyna Valentine walks you through her incredible journey from the brink of death to experiencing a fulfilling life. She was completely unaware that a sharp pain in her side would lead to a life-altering medical tragedy, giving her only a 10% chance of survival. Mrs. Valentines says, "Tragedy doesn't define me or determine my quality of life in the future." As a survivor of the many storms of change in her life, Merlyna's positivity in the face of tremendous adversity serves as a lesson for all. She inspires others to never give up and view life's many unscripted moments through a different lens. Merlyna authentically shares her personal story of perseverance, resiliency, and the courage it took to thrive in her new life. Through her model of determination, you too will learn to face adversity and obstacles with a newfound brave and positive attitude. Discover how to move from the impossible to the possible as you navigate through life's challenging and difficult times using many of the principles and tools shared in each chapter. With each personal story of victory that Merlyna so eloquently shares, her words of wisdom can be applied successfully in your daily life.