When the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina receded around New Orleans, they revealed unimaginable destruction and a traditional disaster recovery process that was Byzantine, costly, and far too slow for the victims who just wanted to get home. Getting Home is the inspiring story of a defense lawyer and a school teacher who left their careers to rebuild homes for desperate survivors but wound up reconstructing the entire process for rebuilding after disasters. Authors Liz McCartney and Zack Rosenburg describe how SBP, the disaster relief nonprofit they founded, partnered with Toyota to apply the lean principles of the Toyota Production System to rebuild homes and lives following hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods throughout the U.S. and its territories. For lean thinkers, this story offers a fresh look at lean tools being used in non-traditional settings. With a short-term volunteer workforce, a layer of middle management that turns over every 10 months, and constantly shifting sources of income, SBP seemed like it could never escape a constant cycle of emergencies and triumphs. Using lean tools, however, Liz and Zack got their work processes under control and found the time to think deeply about the nature of disasters and rebuilding and found themselves with a clearer mission. The book also details an innovative, 9-step blueprint for how private industry, relief agencies, volunteers, and all levels of government can work together to dramatically shrink the time between when disasters hit and victims get home in a prompt, efficient, and predictable way. ___ "In these pages, you will read and be inspired by the spirit of a defense lawyer and a school teacher who left their careers to rebuild homes for the most desperate survivors of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. What Liz McCartney and Zack Rosenburg quickly discovered about this work is that the duration of time between disaster and recovery inflicts an immense toll on people. They were determined to do better and Toyota wanted to help. By sharing the Toyota Production System with SBP, we helped them reduce the home rebuilding time by about 50%." - Jim Lentz, CEO, Toyota Motor North America, Inc

"Take him home, and enjoy the time that you have left," the doctors said. Fourteen-year old Christopher was losing his battle with leukemia. "Christopher's Journey" is the story of a remarkable young man's four years of cancer treatments, and the many lives that he touched along the way. "Christopher's Journey" chronicles Chris's chemotherapy treatments, his irrepressible antics, and finally, his insightful acceptance of his own mortality. In many ways the book is like a pediatric version of "Tuesdays With Morrie" by Mitch Albom because it also alternates between journal entries, reflection, and narrative. Walk in the shoes of the Ditmars family as they face a childhood devastated by terminal cancer. Share Chris's unique character and unflappable humor, such as the time he glued a quarter to the floor in his hospital room and kept a tally of the ill-fated attempts to retrieve it, or when he found out he was terminal, and he asked his favorite nurse to hurry up and marry him before it was too late. Follow "Christopher's Journey as it winds its way through the tears and the laughter to a place of peace and hope.

Ron, Owen and Nathan are brothers who happened to be triplets as well. While they were teenagers they created a silly game to fool people who were not aware that there were three boys not just one. They never expected that playing that silly childhood game one more time would change their lives forever.

The highly anticipated book, "First-time Homebuyer Workbook: 13 Steps to Get You Home" is a complete step-by-step guide for those wanting to purchase their first home. Written from the perspective of a homeowner who has been through the process and understands every step and money saving strategies; there are even worksheets to help you track your progress! "First-time Homebuyer Workbook: 13 Steps to Get You Home" will help you develop a plan, start, and close on your first property!

This is a first hand account about the binding human experience we all share, seen through he eyes of a natural born son that could easily be of any background, and told with a voice that articulates stories of challenges, opportunities, and achievements. Rich in experiences shared by all Americans such as family, emotions, loss, and achievements, it allows us to experience living in someone's shoes that most of us have never been able to slide into. It is a story about America, our past, our present and our future. Beginning during a quiet period in our nation's history that sets the stage for upcoming turbulence, the story envelops and takes the reader through time, and through challenges that we all collectively share. While the author is coming of age, we are drawn to understand how our country comes of age during his lifetime. We all love, and lose, and win, and we all experience life individually and as part of multiple groups. We have differences, and we have commonalities that make us who we are. We are America.

From book cover: "The characters are so real, you feel they are family and you will laugh and cry along with them. Follow the lives of three teens, prior to and through the Civil War, Reconstruction of the South and then into the twentieth century in Oregon and California."