Up, Not Down Syndrome is a love letter and a map. Experience how it feels to think your life is over after having an unlovable baby. At first the loss seems impossible to overcome. Alex becomes the author's greatest teacher. Love is stronger than fear. Everyone has gifts. The book consists of three parts: the story, the lessons Alex taught the writer and Alex's perspective. Up, Not Down Syndrome is a promise to stay positive, no matter what: up, not down. Nancy's journey gets to the core of what it is to be human: * Explore what it feels like to think life, as you know it, is over. * Discover the fierce love, joy and peace a baby diagnosed with Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) brings. * Learn the lessons this child taught his mom. * Understand the gift this baby brings to our world. * Realize the depth of the love this family has for the child. "A beautiful, honest account of not just accepting--but embracing--the unknown. Nancy shows us the blessing of an unexpected gift and the enormity of love." --Sara Byala, Ph.D. "This is a wonderful book to remind you that the joy of love is possible in unexpected places when you open your heart to it." --Barbara Taylor Bowman, Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Development "A moving and wise story of how a family navigates through hope, loss, learning and, most of all, love." --Rabbi David Wolpe, author of David: The Divided Heart "The truth and beauty of Nancy Schwartz's words tell an ongoing story of love, learning and the power of acceptance. All can learn from this family's boundless hope and from their source of joy and strength: Alex." --April Beard, Music Educator and Cellist Learn more at www.UpNotDownBook.com From Modern History Press www.ModernHistoryPress.com

When 4th grader Alex Schwartz first met his cello, his eyes lit up with wonder and a smile appeared on his face as bright as the potential his new cello teacher saw within him. The cello positively impacted all aspects of his development including focus, fine motor and gross motor skills. Through the transformative power of music, Alex's voice sings through his cello in songs of joy, determination and strength. Up Bow Down Bow shares the beauty of his ongoing musical journey and tells of the vital teamwork between a young music teacher with an endless belief in the abilities of her students, and a mother with ceaseless love, support and hope for her son who has Down syndrome, epilepsy and hypotonia. "Children with varying abilities have much to offer us all. This book speaks to how parents, families and communities can support children with diverse capabilities and the joy we can receive in return" -Barbara Bowman, Irving B. Harris Professor, Erikson Institute "This is a tale of the triumph of the human spirit: the triumph managed through a parent's love and persistence, a teacher's dedication, a young boy's desire to learn and music's power to transform." -Russ Walsh, Rider University, author of A Parent's Guide to Public Education in the 21st Century "This collaboration offers a promising and powerful blueprint for educators, parents and caregivers everywhere to collab-orate, teach and love all children within the space of strength-based perspectives." -Kass Minor, Co-Founding Educator and Executive Director, The Minor Collective "Up Bow, Down Bow: A Child with Down Syndrome and His Journey to Master the Cello by Nancy M. Schwartz and April E. Beard is a multivocal learning narrative that weaves the rhythms of a mother's vision and persistence, a teacher's skill and dedication, a young boy's vitality and commitment to learning with the power of relational music instruction. In this book, the cello is a portal-to an illuminating vision of how families, educators, and communities can optimally support children with diverse capabilities in ways that generate reciprocal learning and transformation." -Sharon M. Ravitch, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education "This book, co-authored by the kind of teacher or parent that every child deserves, captures the magical powers of music to meet learners where they are. It is a loving thank you note to every teacher whose lessons have built our competence and confidence. While it is the continuing and triumphant story of one child's journey towards independence, Up Bow, Down Bow is also a universal guide to how to live a good life-working together as a team and looking beyond obstacles to embrace new challenges." -- Betty Litsinger, Director of Multilingual Writing, Bryn Mawr College "This beautiful book shows the inner beauty of a whole community, focused on the inner beauty of Alex, a little boy with Down syndrome. It is the joint account of a loving mother and a talented, loving music teacher in helping Alex to grow through learning to play the cello. At twelve years of age, Alex is unable to do many of the things we take for granted, including speech, and yet... Read, and be inspired." --Bob Rich, PhD, professional grandfather and author of From Depression to Contentment Learn more at www.UpNotDownBook.com From Modern History Press

Violin bow technique to help you play with ease and fluency. Improve your bowing and develop expression with the help of explanations and teaching points contained in 130 video clips ...

*One of Glamour’s Best Books of 2020* Popular podcast host and personal finance expert Lindsay Goldwert explores what professional dominatrixes can teach us about confidence, power, and happiness. Imagine, for a moment, a world where the usual power dynamic is turned on its head. Where women not only stop apologizing, but seize—and enjoy—control. This is the quickly mainstreaming world of BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism)—and it has a lot to teach women about empowerment, negotiation, open-mindedness, and more. Journalist Lindsay Goldwert, intrigued by this seismic cultural shift, traveled across the United States to meet the stars of the subculture, who spoke frankly with her about their lives and work. In this “lively, funny, thoughtful channeling of wisdom” (Sara Benincasa, author of Real Artists Have Day Jobs), these Alpha women show you how you can reset the power dynamic in any situation to get what you want—whether it’s from a husband, a boss, or partner. They share strategies for revolutionizing not only your sex life, but your career, your relationships, and most importantly, your inner foundations. With bondage gear popping up on the big screen, the runway, the red carpet, and in celebrity lingerie lines, BDSM is officially moving out of the dungeon and into the sun. Let Bow Down help you learn how to use it. “Whether your fantasies lie in the bedroom or the boardroom, Lindsay will give you the courage to go forth and dominate.” (Sarah Cooper, author of How to Be Successful without Hurting Men’s Feelings).

"Volinworks, in two volumes, is a comprehensive method for the adult beginner, taking students carefully from the very first steps to around Grade 3 standard. The approach suits self-taught beginners as well as those who have teachers, and emphasizes the importance of good habits from day one, of using your ear, and of always aiming for the best sound. Each volume contains a wide selection of repertoire, plus detailed descriptions and photos to demonstrate correct playing positions. The accompanying CD includes play-along tracks for all pieces, with piano, string quartet, or band backings, plus aural exercises and downloadable PDFs of piano accompaniments. There are supporting video clips and additional resources on a dedicated website, making Violinworks a complete resource for all new learners."--Publisher's description.

Fire can fascinate, inspire, capture the imagination and bring families and communities together. It has the ability to amaze, energise and touch something deep inside all of us. For thousands of years, at every corner of the globe, humans have been huddling around fires: from the basic and primitive essentials of light, heat, energy and cooking, through to modern living, fire plays a central role in all of our lives. The ability to accurately and quickly light a fire is one of the most important skills anyone setting off on a wilderness adventure could possess, yet very little has been written about it. Through his narrative Hume also meditates on the wider topics surrounding fire and how it shapes the world around us.

In a world run by machines, humans are an endangered species -- and their only hope is a rebel warrior with nothing left to lose. The Great War is over. The robots have won. The humans who survived have two choices: they can submit and serve the vicious rulers they created, or be banished to the Reserve, a desolate, unforgiving landscape where it's a crime just to be human. Following the orders of their soulless leader, the robots are planning to conquer humanity's last refuge and make all humans bow down. The only thing more powerful than an enemy who feels nothing is a rebel warrior with a cause and nothing left to lose. Six is a feisty, determined woman whose parents were killed with the first shots of the war, and whose siblings lie rotting in prison. Her partner in crime is Dubs, the one person who respects authority even less than she does. On the run for their lives after an attempted massacre, Six and Dubs are determined to save humanity before the robots wipe humans off the face of the earth. Pushed to the brink of survival, they discover a powerful secret that may set humanity free, but to succeed they'll have to trust the unlikeliest of allies . . . or be forced to bow down, once and for all. Full of twists and turns from the world's #1 writer, Humans, Bow Down is an epic, dystopian, genre-bending thrill ride you'll never forget.