Getting Life

“A devastating and infuriating book, more astonishing than any legal thriller by John Grisham” (The New York Times) about a young father who spent twenty-five years in prison for a crime he did not commit…and his eventual exoneration and return to life as a free man. On August 13, 1986, just one day after his thirty-second birthday, Michael Morton went to work at his usual time. By the end of the day, his wife Christine had been savagely bludgeoned to death in the couple’s bed—and the Williamson County Sherriff’s office in Texas wasted no time in pinning her murder on Michael, despite an absolute lack of physical evidence. Michael was swiftly sentenced to life in prison for a crime he had not committed. He mourned his wife from a prison cell. He lost all contact with their son. Life, as he knew it, was over. Drawing on his recollections, court transcripts, and more than 1,000 pages of personal journals he wrote in prison, Michael recounts the hidden police reports about an unidentified van parked near his house that were never pursued; the bandana with the killer’s DNA on it, that was never introduced in court; the call from a neighboring county reporting the attempted use of his wife’s credit card, which was never followed up on; and ultimately, how he battled his way through the darkness to become a free man once again. “Even for readers who may feel practically jaded about stories of injustice in Texas—even those who followed this case closely in the press—could do themselves a favor by picking up Michael Morton’s new memoir…It is extremely well-written [and] insightful” (The Austin Chronicle). Getting Life is an extraordinary story of unfathomable tragedy, grave injustice, and the strength and courage it takes to find forgiveness.

Presents a practical guide to dealing with grief; and offers personal case studies and advice that help individuals find peace, acceptance, and strength to move on.

" ... authors Jacqueline Blix and David Heitmiller, a married couple, explain how they gradually transformed their lives over the past six years by using the [Your money or your life] program."--Jacket.

Neglect and abuse change Emily's life. She is so badly neglected by a member of the nursing home staff that she finds herself in a hospital-and that turns out to be the best thing that could have happened for her. An empathetic doctor sees that there is more to Emily than meets the eye and begins a course of liberating Emily from the nursing home.

Just graduated? Feeling a little lost? Life After College is like a portable life coach, giving you straightforward guidance on maneuvering the real world--along with tips, inspiration, and exercises for getting you where you want to go. Congrats, you've graduated! You have your whole life ahead of you. Do you feel overwhelmed? Unsure? Deluged with information, but no real plan? Jenny Blake's Life After College gives you practical, actionable advice, helping you to navigate every area of your life -- from work, money, dating, health, family, and personal growth -- to help you see the big picture. It will get you focusing on your goals, dreams, and highest aspirations so that you can create the life you really want. Now in a repackaged edition!

Various encounters helped us transform what was originally just a response to a trendy 1980s phrase--Get A life!--into the pointed yet heterogeneous engagement with everyday practices that we believe this collection represents. Papers submitted for the session on the everyday uses of autobiography at the Modern Language Association's convention in 1992 enabled us to connect with scholars around the country.

"Comic book superheroes, fantasy kingdoms, and futuristic starships have become inescapable features of today's pop-culture landscape, and the people we used to deride as "nerds" or "geeks" have ridden their popularity and visibility to mainstream recognition. It seems it's finally hip to be square. Yet these conventionalized representations of geek culture typically ignore the real people who have invested time and resources to make it what it is. Getting a Life recentres our understanding of geek culture on the everyday lives of its participants, drawing on fieldwork in comic book shops, game stores, and conventions, including in-depth interviews with ordinary members of the overlapping communities of fans and enthusiasts. Benjamin Woo shows how geek culture is a set of interconnected social practices that are associated with popular media. He argues that typical depictions of mass-mediated entertainment as something that isolates and pacifies its audiences are flawed because they do not account for the conversations, relationships, communities, and identities that are created by engaging with the products of mass culture. Getting a Life combines engaging interview material with lucid interpretation and a clear, interdisciplinary framework. The volume is both an accessible introduction to this contemporary subculture and an exploration of the ethical possibilities of a life lived with media.

Helen Simpson's third collection is a bold, honest exploration of the trials and the rewards of motherhood. ‘Her stories are - for those who, like me, recognise the truth in every word - like a reprieve... Sharp, poetic and marvellously witty’ Kate Kellaway, Observer Here are tales of a highflyer stuck at an interminable Burns Night celebration, increasingly aware of the babysitter waiting for her at home; an exhausted mother longing for adult conversation but whose son unwittingly precludes it; and a teenage girl whose fraught encounter with a harried mum of one brings newfound appreciation for her own capable mother of four. Most strikingly of all we meet Dorrie, whose efforts to calm her tinderbox of a family leave her struggling to contain her own emotions. Hey Yeah Right Get a Life is a singular achievement: relatable, perceptive and utterly poignant. ‘It's a brilliant, painful, funny and courageous book’ Esther Freud, Guardian

In this powerful new self-help program, Wright and Basco show you how to blend the best methods of scientifically tested treatments to win the battle against depression. By following their step-by-step instructions, you will be able to develop a Personal Plan for Recovery that you can use to get well and stay well. The flexible plan lets you learn about and master the Five Keys to Recovery in the sequence that's best for you. Some people may want to work through all five keys; others may find they are able to achieve the level of health they want with just a few. Whether you learn the self-help strategies of cognitive-behavior therapy, rely on prescription antidepressants, try herbal remedies, work on mending relationships, focus on spiritual growth, or use a combination of methods, the Personal Plan for Recovery is a breakthrough tool that allows you to take control of your own treatment. Conversational and filled with guided exercises and strategies that work, Getting Your Life Back is an empowering book that maximizes each person's strengths and potential.

A fun & uplifting women’s guide to embracing happiness at middle age and beyond. Queen of Your Own Life is a philosophy, a decision, and an invitation to happiness for women who have made the tough but rewarding journey to the midpoint in their lives. Kathy Kinney (best known as Mimi on The Drew Carey Show) and Cindy Ratzlaff (marketing genius behind the launch of The South Beach Diet) have been best friends for more than thirty years, and have helped each other navigate the ups and downs of their lives with humor and grace. In this entertaining and inspiring book, they share the tried-and-true techniques they call “the seven best gifts a woman can give herself.” They reveal how they learned to value themselves just the way they are—women in full bloom, sensual, vibrant, wise and more beautiful than ever—and they’ll show you how you can, too. With these seven gifts you’ll discover how to: • Claim your beauty and feel your power • Clean your mental closet and find your queen voice • Admire yourself for who you’ve become • Build deep, fulfilling friendships with other women • Establish firm boundaries that will strengthen all your relationships • Learn the simple trick to finally being happy • Place the crown firmly on your head With humor, comfort and inspiration, Queen of Your Own Life offers easy step-by-step actions to blast away at the societal tall tale that young is beautiful and old is just old. If you’ve been feeling that the best part of your life may be behind you, then this book will prove to you just how untrue that is, and that the door to being happy is not only never closed, but just waiting for you to fling it open. Remember, you don’t have to be twenty to have your whole life ahead of you. Now is the time to become Queen of Your Own Life!