“Keillor’s best stuff is clean (in the sense that lines are clean), down to earth, exquisitely good-hearted, highly ludicrous, and as labored as nitrous oxide…. This book will either leave you dumbfounded or happy—almost deservedly happy—to be anywhere” —The New York Times Book Review “His humor is cerebral and complex, a blend of romance and nostalgia; it sparklingly parodies the American (and human) condition…. His stories and satires glow with a sense of time and place.” —The Washington Post

"A refreshingly raw, contrasting perspective on the foolproof idea of motherhood." -- POPSUGAR "By turns painful and funny... A searingly candid memoir." -- Kirkus "Far from your cookie-cutter story of addiction . . . [I'm Just Happy to Be Here] describes Hanchett's journey to recovery and sobriety in imperfect and unconventional ways." -- Bustle In this unflinching and wickedly funny memoir, Janelle Hanchett tells the story of finding her way home. And then, actually staying there. Drawing us into the wild, heartbreaking mind of the addict, Hanchett carries us from motherhood at 21 with a man she'd known three months to cubicles and whiskey-laden domesticity, from judging meth addicts in rehab to therapists who "seem to pull diagnoses out of large, expensive hats." With warmth, wit, and searing B.S. detectors turned mostly toward herself, Hanchett invites us to laugh when we probably shouldn't and to rejoice at the unconventional redemption she finds in desperation and in a misfit mentor who forces her to see the truth of herself. A story of ego and forced humility, of fierce honesty and jagged love, of the kind of failure that forces us to re-create our lives, Hanchett writes with rare candor, scorching the "sanctity of motherhood," and leaving beauty in the ashes.

When The Snowblatt kids, Snow-Ellen and Snow-John, ask where snowpeople come from, their parents tell them.

In this “powerful personal story woven with a rich analysis of what we all seek” (Sergey Brin, cofounder of Google), Mo Gawdat, Chief Business Officer at Google’s [X], applies his superior logic and problem solving skills to understand how the brain processes joy and sadness—and then he solves for happy. In 2001 Mo Gawdat realized that despite his incredible success, he was desperately unhappy. A lifelong learner, he attacked the problem as an engineer would: examining all the provable facts and scrupulously applying logic. Eventually, his countless hours of research and science proved successful, and he discovered the equation for permanent happiness. Thirteen years later, Mo’s algorithm would be put to the ultimate test. After the sudden death of his son, Ali, Mo and his family turned to his equation—and it saved them from despair. In dealing with the horrible loss, Mo found his mission: he would pull off the type of “moonshot” goal that he and his colleagues were always aiming for—he would share his equation with the world and help as many people as possible become happier. In Solve for Happy Mo questions some of the most fundamental aspects of our existence, shares the underlying reasons for suffering, and plots out a step-by-step process for achieving lifelong happiness and enduring contentment. He shows us how to view life through a clear lens, teaching us how to dispel the illusions that cloud our thinking; overcome the brain’s blind spots; and embrace five ultimate truths. No matter what obstacles we face, what burdens we bear, what trials we’ve experienced, we can all be content with our present situation and optimistic about the future.

Evan Pannick resumes his life after he and his soccer team have been in a hostage situation on Labor Day. It is back to normal after escaping and being on national TV or is it? Does that one huge day in his life where everything changed, alter him, his life and his future? Is it possible that his own perceptions and those around him have been changed? Evan Pannick returns to his pleasant reality in the place he loves and faces the familiar with a new perspective. A perspective that has sharp edges and dark implications.

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 I was pregnant with my first child, and I smoked a cigarette on the balcony of our one-bedroom apartment. I had never been the type of person who wanted company in moments of vulnerability, so I was alone to deal with the situation. #2 I had unprotected sex with my boyfriend when I was eighteen, and I knew immediately that I would not have a baby. I felt relief, but also sadness. I did not feel guilty about that decision, though I suspected it made me a monster. #3 I remember a woman in my freshman comparative literature class who told me that getting an abortion is like getting your teeth cleaned. Her nonchalance convinced me that I would be fine, and that I was even perhaps not as foul as I had believed. #4 I was twenty-one and Mac was nineteen when we moved into our first apartment together. It was a small, plain apartment with yellowed linoleum floors and air conditioner box windows. It never felt like home, but we were kids in love, so we didn’t care.

Happy to be Here Now Title inspired by Baby Chloe, Cypress, TX The title of this book refers to a new-born child, abandoned one night in a plastic bag. The baby, named by caring nurses, spoke to the author through her pictures in the newspaper. In each picture, her love and happiness to be alive emerged. That is what this book is about: the optimism and happiness of life and the lessons that we can learn from them. Each story is true and helps form this anthology of the author's life experiences. Quotes from life philosophers concisely emphasize what you may take from the stories....