In a world where family expectations outweigh personal desires, tradition isn't simply a guide—it's an ironclad rule. Madhav is a young man with an engineering job that pays rather well. He also has: · A mother who doesn’t understand why it is so wrong to demand dowry for her son. Especially when she paid out a generous dowry for her daughter. · A father who feels so obligated to his beautiful wife for consenting to marry him, he will not deny her. · A grandfather whose wacky schemes occupy his own time and Madhav’s. · A grandmother whose sharp tongue hides a kind heart. · A girl who has possession of his heart but not of the dowry his mother so desires. Traditionally, as the eldest son, Madhav must marry a woman who will perform his ancestors’ afterlife rituals—a responsibility he’s ready to shoulder. Yet, when it comes to selecting a bride, he'd rather deviate from tradition and choose his own partner—an idea his parents are not willing to accept. Set in rural India, where old traditions and new ideas often collide, Talking Is Wasted Breath is a compelling drama about the challenges of generational differences, societal pressures, and the power of love. In a world where family ties are both valued and limiting, the story follows one man’s search for happiness as he disrupts long-standing traditions. Engaging and insightful, this novel explores themes of change, hope, and the complexities of human relationships. ◆ This book was previously called 28 Years A Bachelor. ◆ Spellings used in this book are British/Indian. ◆ All books in this series may be read independently.

'Sis, the worst thing CF [cystic fibrosis] can do is kill me. It can't stop me from living.' Todd Gibbs spoke those words once to his sister and he proved that statement true time and time again. Though cystic fibrosis did kill him five days after his thirty-first birthday, the living he did showed that he had won the battle, even if CF eventually won the war. Not a Wasted Breath is not just a story about living with a fatal disease or waiting for a transplant. That was only a part of Todd's life. He never allowed his illness to rule his life, even in the face of over eighty hospitalizations. This is truly a story about how others perceived Todd, how they were affected by his presence in their lives, and how Todd viewed himself and his existence. In a poignant compilation of thoughts, memories, articles, and journal entries, LaRecea Gibbs, Todd's mother, creates a touching tableau of a life well spent that will inspire anyone to overcome personal obstacles through faith, determination, courage, and most of all, humor. Join mother and author LaRecea Gibbs in an inspiring biography which shows that though Todd's life was short, he never wasted a single breath. This Book is an inspiration to all readers in appreciating the gift of life. The account is thorough, has depth of development, is authentic, and puts us inside the people involved. Not a Wasted Breath enables readers to travel along emotionally. As a result, we count our own blessings. John Hagaman, Professor of English, Western Kentucky University, Director of WKU Writing Project.

A New York Times Bestseller A Washington Post Notable Nonfiction Book of 2020 Named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR “A fascinating scientific, cultural, spiritual and evolutionary history of the way humans breathe—and how we’ve all been doing it wrong for a long, long time.” —Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic and Eat Pray Love No matter what you eat, how much you exercise, how skinny or young or wise you are, none of it matters if you’re not breathing properly. There is nothing more essential to our health and well-being than breathing: take air in, let it out, repeat twenty-five thousand times a day. Yet, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences. Journalist James Nestor travels the world to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. The answers aren’t found in pulmonology labs, as we might expect, but in the muddy digs of ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, New Jersey choir schools, and the smoggy streets of São Paulo. Nestor tracks down men and women exploring the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices like Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and Tummo and teams up with pulmonary tinkerers to scientifically test long-held beliefs about how we breathe. Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can jump-start athletic performance; rejuvenate internal organs; halt snoring, asthma, and autoimmune disease; and even straighten scoliotic spines. None of this should be possible, and yet it is. Drawing on thousands of years of medical texts and recent cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry, and human physiology, Breath turns the conventional wisdom of what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function on its head. You will never breathe the same again.