Eric Rittmeyer is a former US Marine and an expert in the fields of mental toughness and emotional intelligence. He's been a professional speaker for the past decade, and is a regular guest on television outlets including Fox, NBC and ABC. He speaks to audiences all over the country, teaching executives and sales professionals how to overcome the limits brought on by fear and emotions, and replace them with clear, concise critical thinking that gets results.

One night. No strings attached. What could go wrong? Cooper I was pretty happy living the carefree life of a successful bachelor. Money to spend, a revolving door of women, no commitment, no relationship troubles-it was perfect. At least, that's what I thought until I held my friends' newborn baby in my arms, and she smiled at me. That was the moment I realized what life was all about. That was also the moment it occurred to me I needed a baby mama-stat. So... the hunt is on for the perfect candidate. But first, I might have to have one last fling-you know, go out with a bang. Literally. Kate Thanks to making a few wrong decisions along the way, I'm now busting my ass waiting tables while putting myself through college. It's not ideal, but I'm determined to stand on my own two feet and take care of my responsibilities the best I can. But I'm still a woman. I have needs. I just don't have the time for any kind of commitment. Naturally, when a smoldering hot Marine offers me a no-strings-attached one-night stand, I'm all on board. Turns out... he wants more than I'm willing to give.

Originally published: Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, c2002.

An ex-Marine captain shares his story of fighting in a recon battalion in both Afghanistan and Iraq, beginning with his brutal training on Quantico Island and following his progress through various training sessions and, ultimately, conflict in the deadliest conflicts since the Vietnam War.

This fiction based story of events and real experiences of a single down in the dirt Marine during the Korean War is my way of answering that question. This could be any Marine, in any war. With a violent war going on around, these men do not see the big war picture with the over-lay maps and arrows. They are, for the most part, men who do not know the philosophies and reasoning of the people who started their war. But what they do have on a daily basis in that war is fellow Marines with the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor on the dungaree jacket. Trust me, that is enough. Not one Marine in the history of the Corps will tell you that he gave more to the Marine Corps than it gave back to him. Each of us comes away with a bag full of personal strengths and treasures that we get to keep.

A vivid portrait of both the traumas of war and the shamanic healing ceremonies of ayahuasca • Explains how our culture lacks rites of passage and how shamanic ritual can fill this gap • Reveals how ayahuasca frees your consciousness from inherited beliefs, fears, and traumatic experience, allowing healing from PTSD, enabling genuine growth, and offering an enlightening path out of the malaise, discontent, and dissatisfaction that life in a modern world often brings • Details the author’s experiences in Afghanistan, sailing on the Amazon river with a shaman, and the many ayahuasca ceremonies he experienced in the jungle After returning from a tour of duty during the war in Afghanistan, Alex Seymour needed a way to cope with the extremes he experienced as a member of the Royal Marine Commandos, losing 7 men in his unit, and having his best friend critically injured by a Taliban bomb. Drawing upon his pre-deployment experiences, Alex knew that entheogens could help him release his fears and traumas. But he also knew that simply taking psychedelics wasn’t enough--he needed ceremony, something sacred to draw meaning from his experiences, to help him reassess not only the war and his role in it, but his entire life. So he set out for the Amazon in search of the hallucinogenic brew known as ayahuasca and a shaman to guide him. The result is a crazy, page-turning adventure where he journeys deep into the jungle and himself. Alex soon finds himself deep within the jungle on an incredible adventure, sailing on the Amazon river with an ayahuasca shaman and his troop of 8 female shamanas, whose ethereal songs help guide participants during the nightly ayahuasca ceremonies. Accompanied by others seeking wisdom and a redemptive experience from their First World professional lives, Alex finds his core beliefs fundamentally challenged, replaced by the power of direct experience of the sacred, which allows him to release his fears from the war and set an inspiring path for the future. Painting a vivid portrait of both the anguish of war and the transcendent world of shamanic ritual, the author shows how young people often enlist in the military to satisfy our human need for a rite of passage into adulthood, a ritual sorely missing in our culture. He explores how ayahuasca can offer a way to help soldiers prepare for war and help combat veterans heal from war and overcome PTSD--as well as alcoholism and addiction. From Afghanistan to the Amazon, the author shows how ayahuasca frees your consciousness from inherited beliefs and fears, offering a truly transformative rite of passage.

If you are a warrior ... or know one ... you will want to read this brave and moving memoir.