In her newest book, Regina Barreca writes of growing up in an urban Italian American household under the watchful eyes of her aunts. She shares stories of an adult pajama party, her own hysterectomy, and adventures (and misadventures) with her many friends. She describes learning about her mother's French Canadian relatives, her husband's love of too-fast cars, and her "talent" for remembering lyrics to vintage rock 'n 'roll songs. Always warm and humorous, Barreca, who was deemed a "Feminist Humor Maven" by Ms. magazine, has a knack for voicing the thoughts and concerns of ordinary Americans. First published in Northeast Magazine and the Chicago Tribune, her columns have attracted a wide readership. Her many fans eagerly await this new collection.

Before Madonna, before Marilyn, there was Mae. The impact of Mae West - through her films, attitude, and aphorisms ("Too much of a good thing can be wonderful"; "Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?") - continues to reverberate through American popular culture more than fifteen years after her death. In Too Much of a Good Thing, Ramona Curry examines the interplay between West's bawdy, worldly persona and twentieth-century gender and media politics. Although West has remained an important figure, her image has fulfilled varied cultural functions. In the thirties, she was a lightning rod for debates over morality and censorship. In the seventies, the complexity of her portrayal of gender made her a controversial figure for both the gay rights and feminist movements. Curry not only analyzes the symbolic roles West has occupied, arguing that the entertainer represents a carefully orchestrated transgression of race, class, and gender expectations, she also illustrates how icons of pop culture often distill contested social issues, serving diverse and even contradictory political functions. A pithy and innovative look at what Mae West means, Too Much of a Good Thing is must reading for fans, film buffs, and anyone interested in how popular culture evolves and circulates in the United States.

Sex goddess, Hollywood star, transgressive playwright, author, blues singer, and vaudeville brat---Mae West remains the twentieth century's greatest comedienne. She made an everlasting mark in trailblazing Broadway plays such as Sex and The Constant Sinner and in films such as She Done Him Wrong, Klondike Annie, and I'm No Angel. Simon Louvish, biographer of W. C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, and Keystone's Mack Sennett, brings Mae to vibrant life in this unparalleled new biography. He charts her amazing seven decades in show business, from early years in teenage summer stock to her last reincarnation as 1960s gay icon and grande dame of Hollywood survivors. Mae West: It Ain't No Sin is the first biography to make use of Mae's recently uncovered personal papers, offering an unprecedented view into the endless creative drive and daring wit of this legendary star.

Two single parents find a chance for a new future in a delightfully uplifting romance by the acclaimed author of The Real Thing . . . When recently widowed Joe Murphy meets Shawna Mitchell in an online forum, all he’s seeking is advice on keeping his home and his family together. Shawna’s compassionate e-mails become his lifeline, and as months pass their correspondence grows deep and warm. Discovering that Shawna lives only blocks away…well, it feels like more than luck. It feels a lot like hope. With three children to raise, Shawna has no interest in getting close to another man, let alone one who’s got three kids of his own. And the fact that Joe’s white can only complicate matters more. But now, as they navigate family dates and vacations and their own doubts and fears, Joe and Shawna find themselves moving toward a future that’s bright, new, and totally unexpected . . . Praise for the writing of J.J. Murray “Hilarious . . . Murray’s dialog sparkles and the characters are witty and fun.” —Booklist on She’s The One “Thoughtful and well done.” —Library Journal on Original Love

Be careful what you wish for! It's time for Lu Sheppard to get back in the game—fact. After ten years of playing mom to her younger brothers the boys have left home and she's determined to make up for lost time! Item number one on her list? A man to have some fun with! Rugby coach Will Scott is just what Lu needs to ease herself back into the dating game. Only in town temporarily, king of the fling…he's perfect. But his kisses are so electric that remembering they have an expiry date is getting harder. Suddenly Lu starts wondering…maybe it is possible to have too much of a good thing!

This collection of 120 alphabetized categories with over 2,000 highly enlightening, inspiring and often funny quotations covers all aspects of health - be it mental, physical, spiritual or emotional. Let the great minds of the ages stimulate your well being with their Words of Wellness.

In recent decades, we have seen five perilous and interlocking trends dominate global discourse: irreversible climate change, extreme food and water shortages, rising chronic illnesses, and rampant obesity. Why can't we make any progress in counteracting these problems despite vast expenditures of intellectual, institutional, and social capital? What makes these global emergencies the "wicked problems" that resist our best efforts and only grow more daunting? Daniel Callahan, noted author and the nation's preeminent scholar in bioethics, examines these global problems and shines a light on the institutions, practices, and actors that block major change. We see partisan political and ideological forces, old-fashioned hucksters, and trumped-up scientific disagreements but also the problem of modern progress itself. Obesity, anthropogenic climate change, degenerative diseases, ecological degradation, and global famine are often the unintended consequences of unchecked industrial growth, insatiable eating habits, and technologically extended life spans. Only through well-crafted political, regulatory, industrial, and cultural counterstrategies can we change enough minds to check these threats. With big thinking on issues that are usually evaluated separately, this book is sure to scramble partisan divides and provoke unusual, heated debate.