Sheila M. Rothman documents a fascinating story. Each generation had its own special view of the origins, transmission, and therapy for the disease, definitions that reflected not only medical knowledge but views on gender obligations, religious beliefs, and community responsibilities. In general, Rothman points out, tenacity and resolve, not passivity or resignation, marked people's response to illness and to their physicians.

The press called Martin's actions a "crime spree." Already convicted of armed robbery, Martin was facing the death penalty. In less than two weeks the jury would decide his fate. Terrified that his son would be sentenced to die, Phillip did the only thing he felt he could do: in an act of faith and desperation in his garage with the car exhaust running, Phillip made the consummate sacrifice to spare his son the ultimate punishment. Ironically, his suicide presented Martin's with another chance at life; the jury, moved by Martin's loss, spared his life. Phillip's story-like those of the other parents, siblings, children, and cousins chronicled in this book-vividly illustrates the precarious position family members of capital offenders occupy in the criminal justice system. At once outsiders and victims, they live in the shadow of death, crushed by trauma, grief, and helplessness. In this penetrating account of guilt and innocence, shame and triumph, devastating loss and ultimate redemption, the voices of these family members add a new dimension to debates about capital punishment and how communities can prevent and address crime. Restorative justice theory, which views violent crime as an extreme violation of relationships; searches for ways to hold offenders accountable; and meets the needs of victims and communities torn apart by the crime, organizes these narratives and integrates offenders' families into the process of transforming conflict and promoting justice and healing for all. What emerges from hundreds of hours' worth of in-depth interviews with family members of offenders and victims, legal teams, and leaders in the abolition and restorative justice movements is a vision of justice strongly rooted in the social fabric of communities. Showing that forgiveness and recovery are possible in the wake of even the most heinous crimes, while holding victims' stories sacred, this eye-opening book bridges the pain of living in the shadow of death with the possibility of a reparative form of justice. Anyone working with victims, offenders, and their families-from lawyers and social workers to mediators and activists-will find this riveting work indispensable to their efforts.

"Former NFL star Kermit Alexander tells the ... true story of the ... massacre of his family and his subsequent years of despair, followed by a spiritual renewal that showed him a way to rebuild his family and reclaim his life"--Amazon.com.

We're all going to die. Yet in our medically advanced, technological age, many of us see death as a distant reality--something that happens only at the end of a long life or to other people. In The End of the Christian Life, Todd Billings urges Christians to resist that view. Instead, he calls us to embrace our mortality in our daily life and faith. This is the journey of genuine discipleship, Billings says: following the crucified and resurrected Lord in a world of distraction and false hopes. Drawing on his experience as a professor and father living with incurable cancer, Billings offers a personal yet deeply theological account of the gospel's expansive hope for small, mortal creatures. Artfully weaving rich theology with powerful narrative, Billings writes for church leaders and laypeople alike. Whether we are young or old, reeling from loss or clinging to our own prosperity, this book challenges us to walk a strange but wondrous path: in the midst of joy and lament, to receive mortal limits as a gift, an opportunity to give ourselves over to the Lord of life.

When I returned home from my latest deployment in the U.S. Army, my life began to fall apart. My nightmares and flashbacks kept getting worse, and I reached the point where I was afraid of sleep. I decided the best days of my life were behind me and decided I was going to take my own life. One night, after heavy drinking, I placed my 1911 pistol in my mouth and said a prayer in my mind. “God, if you're there, save me,” but there was no response.I heard a metallic “click” when I deactivated the safety and began to slowly squeeze the trigger. Then I heard a BANG! I dropped the pistol and I looked around me, but there was no blood. The bang I heard was the Bible on my desk falling and hitting the floor. I fell to my knees and asked God for forgiveness. I surrendered to Jesus Christ and asked him to help me. He answered.

Marwin Strong should not be alive today. He died 17 years ago, and was reborn a remarkably transformed man. Marwin Strong's message is: Achieving dreams is possible for everyone," though he admits it will not be easy. With his unique life and message, Marwin shows that moving into the light of self-fulfilling dreams and success is a choice and a journey worth making."Born in the small, rural town of Muncie, Indiana, Marwin grew up in an inner-city neighborhood rife with poverty, drugs, violence and discrimination. After a near fatal attack by an unknown assailant, Marwin made a dramatic comeback from his former life by starting his own in-the-trenches war against drugs and violence. His experiences in the streets, and his unique speaking style due to his trauma, help him communicate with those in the community as well as those still in the drug game.With frequent frustration, but also courage and hope, Marwin shows this kind of transformation can happen to anyone. Though his experience is told from a uniquely Christian perspective, Marwin's is a story for any person, from any religion, even for those who claim no religion at all. It is a story of hope for an America ravaged by overdoses from the opioid epidemic, suicide, homicide and depression.

Yea though I Walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death had to be written. It is a heart-wrenching account of a womans road through her own personal anguish and back, one that could be written only by the person who experienced it. It describes how she lived through the death of her infant daughter, a fire that totally destroyed her home and its contents, the suicide of her 21-year-old son, the killing of her 25-year-old son, the subsequent trauma, called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that followed, and her return to stability. Such a listing doesnt capture Chriss journey. Though not a professional writer, she has allowed us to enter her world, with all of its twists and turns, moments of sadness and despair, and finally, the peace that comes from emerging on the other side. She has a guileless honesty that wont let you go. No doubt thousands of people have shared some of Chriss experiences few, if any, to her degreebut fewer still have her ability to capture that experience in a way that makes her experiences their own. Kevin Burne, Ph.D.