Fifteen-year-old Savvy Smith, an American living near London, sees her chance to write a full column for her school newspaper, and must rely on her Christian faith when she is forced to choose between friends, family, and fame.

Determined to lose weight, two sisters with little in common--Stephanie, an overwhelmed, stay-at-home mother of a six-month-old infant, and Meredith, a successful food critic with no boyfriend in sight--decide to join forces to accomplish their goals. By the author of Pug Hill. Original.

With his infectious energy and charisma, Gok Wan has an incredible gift of making women feel more confident within themselves - but it's not until you read his own inspirational story that you find out where he got that gift from. Gok grew up on a Leicester housing estate, with a loving family who ran a Chinese restaurant. For his parents, food meant love - and Gok was so well loved that by the time he was a teenager he weighed 21 stone. Being Asian and gay as well, Gok felt lonely and out of place. He was an easy target for bullies and suffered terribly at their hands. In a moment of inspiration, he decided to reinvent himself with his first style makeover and a larger-than-life personality to go with it. But his next move was to lose a devastating ten stone in nine months. In Through Thick and Thin, for the first time, Gok reveals all about that life changing period. The lessons Gok learnt during this time helped him bounce back to become a stylist to the stars, every woman's best friend and a national treasure. In this intimate memoir Gok tells his full story in his own words. Whether he's recounting the horrors of childhood bullying or riotous anecdotes about his loving family, behind the scenes in the fashion world or TV shows, Gok's voice jumps off the page with all the honesty, wit and warmth we've come to know and love him for.

Pediatrician Carolyn Roy-Bornstein and her husband had a comfortably empty nest after their sons had grown and flown. Soon after, Carolyn noticed that two of her patients struggled after their father died of cancer and their mother became too mentally ill to care for them. As a result, they were both placed in foster care, where one developed a severe eating disorder and the other began self-harming. In a leap of faith, Carolyn and her husband opened their home to these sisters and became their foster parents. Carolyn, despite being a doctor, was unprepared for the harsh realities of severe anorexia, depression and grueling treatment. She had worked as a pediatrician for the Department of Children and Families for years, but still was not equipped for the bureaucratic struggles she would face to save her youngest foster child from a brutal eating disorder. This book outlines the struggles of a fledgling foster family who, despite all odds, remains devoted to one another throughout the healing process.

Sometimes the recipe for a good marriage needs a few new ingredients. Maxine and Kenny love each other very much, and nothing can tear them apart. So why do they feel so distanced from one another? Maybe it's because Maxine wants to spread her wings and her words by taking a writing class. But Kenny doesn't want to do anything to upset the status quo -- specifically Maxine's status as a wife and mother. Their arguments may be many, but there is one thing that Maxine and Kenny can agree on: they disagree. Encouraged by her sisters Teri and Bird, Maxine takes the class and finds herself developing a deep connection with her writing instructor. He is a successful, sensuous man who seems to under-stand the secrets of her soul. As he encourages and nurtures her talents, Maxine gets a sense of fulfillment that her husband no longer provides. Stubborness blinds Kenny, and no advice from Teri, Bird, or even Lem can make him see the path on which his marriage is traveling. With their lives seemingly taking different directions, how are these two sensible, sensitive adults supposed to stay together -- faithfully, and forever?

Discover what factors, beliefs, and attitudes build a successful marriage!In the enormous social, political, and technological upheavals since World War I, the long and happy marriage has begun to seem like an endangered species. In the desperate hunt for reasons that marriages fail, most researchers have ignored the factors that help marriages succeed. Together Through Thick and Thin: A Multinational Picture of Long-Term Marriage reports a landmark study of long-term satisfaction in marriage. Instead of relying on conjecture or unproven clinical hunches, the authors studied the happily married around the world. The respondents’early experiences included the Great Depression, World War II, and the Holocaust as well as the Roaring Twenties. In the years since they married, technological change and the women's movement have made the world almost unrecognizable. Yet these people have managed to maintain both stability and quality in their marriages. The scope of Together Through Thick and Thin is sweeping: eight countries, more than 400 couples who had been happily married for between 25 and 45 years. Factors analyzed include degree of satisfaction, gender differences, socioeconomic level, family history, shared values, religious belief and practice, attitudes toward children, physical health, and problem-solving styles, among many others. Moreover, the book builds on existing documented literature on marriage. This solid background helps put its wealth of practical data into context, an ideal synthesis of theory and practice.This study delves into the reasons couples stay together and stay satisfied. What qualities and attitudes do happily married couples share? Can the factors that keep a Chilean couple together for life also apply in the very different cultures of Sweden, Israel, South Africa, the United States? What keeps a marriage together in times of crisis? How important is love?Together Through Thick and Thin helps you understand the diverse factors that affect marital quality and stability by offering a broad range of information: a comprehensive review of the literature of happy marriage cross-cultural comparisons that kindle fresh insights discussions of factors ranging from gender and economic status to family history and shared attitudes specific behaviors and attitudes that illuminate what matters most in marriage, from mutual respect to shared fun the reasons couples stick together during crises which problem-solving behaviors actually workTogether Through Thick and Thin provides psychologists, family therapists, and couples counselors with the solid data they need to guide couples in crisis toward greater intimacy, commitment, and joy together.

Are you married to an overweight spouse, or have a relative who is obese, or a really heavy friend? Do you have feelings and thoughts about your relationship with them and are some of your feelings anger, shame, frustration, hopelessness, or desperation? I have written this book for you. It's a book that... alidates yours and other's real and heartfelt, conflicted feelings. gives tips on coping with a loved one's obesity. tells the stories of others who have gone through this same challenge and either came out triumphantly on the other side or failed trying their best and making healthy decisions for themselves and their obese loved one. is informative not only to the supporter, but to the person who suffers with this disease. "Thru Thick & Thin" is a story of triumph over severe obesity and the arduous journey of both patient and family members. Anyone who struggles with obesity or cares deeply for a loved one with obesity should read this book! -Philip Schauer, M.D. Professor of Surgery Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine Cleveland, Ohio The key to overcoming any challenge is education and enlightenment. As my good friend, Dr. Butch Rosser, would say. "You don't know, what you don't know and what you don't know can cause you to fail." This landmark book from his wife, Dana Rosser, provides critical information for those who dare to love the obese. This book is a must read. -Rod Paige, Ph.D. Former U.S. Secretary of Education (January 20, 2001-January 20, 2005) Dana M. Rosser is a homemaker, mother and wife, married to Dr. James "Butch" Rosser Jr., a world-renowned laparoscopic surgeon. Dana is dedicated to educating people on how to support a loved one's challenge with obesity."