At least on the surface this is the story of the author's struggle to restore (properly) an aged and almost derelict 17 foot Chris Craft Deluxe utility motorboat. Examines the link between father and son, and between the men and their boats.

From Ross Raisin, the highly acclaimed author of Out Backward—a debut novel Colm Tóibín called “compelling, disturbing and often very funny”—comes the moving and story of an ex-shipyard worker’s journey of grief and reclamation in the wake of his wife’s death. Lyrical and resonant, with echoes of Paul Harding’s Tinkers and Anne Enright’s The Gathering, Raisin’s blue collar story of a man’s fractured search for a new beginning is a powerfully voiced, penetratingly personal narrative of alienation and, ultimately, redemption. “Ross Raisin confirms himself as an exciting talent, a unique, gifted, and generous voice, a young writer with a vision broad far beyond his years.” —David Vann, Financial Times

MacDonald uses the massive foundations of bridges not visible to the eye but essential to long term viability as a metaphor for the spiritual life of Christian leaders.

Minkkinen has been photographing himself in the nude since 1971, an exploration that unfolds here as a timeless study of the human figure amid the forces of nature. The element of water provides the common ground for his surrealistic vision.

Philip Reed, best known for his superb models of ships from the age of sail, here turns his attention to the other highly popular subject for ship modelers - the warships of the Second World War. The book is a step-by-step manual for building a scratch waterline model of the Ca Class destroyer HMS Caesar, the sistership of Cavalier now on display in drydock at Chatham Historical Dockyard. These emergency built ships were launched between 1943 and 1945 and Caesar herself was to see action in 1944 on the Russian convoys and then in defense of the Western Approaches. The model presented in the book is built to the scale of 16ft to the inch and is designed to be displayed as a waterline model in a diorama. Every aspect is covered from the construction of a bread and butter hull through to the the details of camouflage, bridge, funnel, mast, the 4.5in, Hazemeyer and Oerlikon guns, boats, davits, depth charge gear, torpedo tubes, searchlights, vents and lockers,and the sea itself. Ship’s plans and a picture gallery at the end of the book devoted to a whole array of the author’s WWII model warships complete the book. More than fifty years of modeling experience is passed on through wise and practical advice and thus each page will be of the utmost value to scratch builders and to any kit builders who may be setting out to construct a model of a WWII warship.

In most states the boundary separating public waters from private uplands--the ordinary high water line (OHWL)--is a flashpoint between proponents of either property rights or public-trust protection of our water. Using Florida as a case study, Down to the Waterline is the first book-length analysis of the OHWL doctrine and its legal, technical, and cultural underpinnings. Sara Warner not only covers the historical function of the OHWL but tells how advances in science and our environmental attitudes have led us to a more complex encounter with this ancient boundary. Florida sees a steady influx of new residents who crowd along its extensive coasts and interior shorelines--yet who also demand pristine water resources. The OHWL establishes public access and private ownership limits on some of the state’s most valuable land: in economic terms, waterfront real estate; in ecological terms, marshes and wetlands. Sara Warner brings to life many of the courtroom battles fought over the OHWL through the perspectives of ranchers, outdoors enthusiasts, developers, surveyors, scientists, and policymakers. While explaining the OHWL’s legal and political intricacies, Warner never loses sight of the wonder of herons wading a marsh or a largemouth bass breaking a smooth lake surface. To her the OHWL is not just an ideological battleground; it is a marker of how we see the natural world. What do we think we’re doing when we channel a river or fill a swamp? she asks--for it matters greatly where we focus our attention before invoking the awesome capabilities of technology.

Influence is a powerful, palpable presence that can move mountains--the hearts and minds of others. This kind of influence creates an arresting form of presence because it is confident, clear, engaging, and very human. It resonates a powerful level of openness, confidence and trust. It doesn't have to use force, deception or manipulation because it comes from confident authenticity. The desire for and pursuit to control the world around us, both professionally and personally, are at the top of most people's objectives and efforts. And yet we frequently struggle with misaligned and misunderstood forms of power in an attempt to garner this influence. The power of influence is very different from positional or authoritative power and creates very different scenarios and outcomes when it is engaged. At its core, it's first about being before doing, which is about authenticity--guided by a set of principles versus rules or strategies. In this space you develop a presence--clarity, confidence and courage--that allows you to engage in a profound and intentional way that shifts the dynamics in your personal and professional life.