An old man, affectionately known as Gramps, remembers and records some of the major events that shaped his life; from the accidental death of his only son to his own declining years. Spot-lighted are the lives of four boys. We watch appalled as Chase, the biological grandson, deals with cancer. We follow the maturing of Roger (who is rescued and subsequently adopted by Gramps) as he deals with a haunting past; Bradley, a young American boy who becomes an honorary grandson adding to the fun-side of Gramps experiences; and we feel for Edward as he deals with the loss of his best friend and later a disastrous courtship. Meet the Rev. Dr. James Hayward, the pompous headmaster of St. Johns; the over-weight, tactless Mrs. Henderson with her multiple chins; Caleb, the avid young fisherman who springs a surprise on Chase and Bradley that neither of them would ever have expected; the young Indian schoolboy who is victimized by the school bullies; young Phelps, the rat-faced stooge of the cowardly Harrington-Blake and others. The author has presented his public with an inspirational book that deals with issues such as the unfairness of life; stereotyping; judgmentalism; racism; corporal punishment; guilt; past regret; heartbreak; death; etc., from a practical, Christian perspective without being "preachy".

This eccentric title recalls a collection of tales first told to grandchildren at bedtime. Each chapter begins with a fun-to-read farmer-boy story from the 1940s, an era before industrial farming when horses, cows, and chickens were still members of the family. These anecdotes each launch a theme that splashes down with further development in later decades of life. Diverse topics include imaginative play, construction crew humor, animal intelligence, contemplative prayer and journal writing, rural and urban farming, communal wisdom, and affordable housing, along with a few serious pranks and the prophetic mischief that follows. This memoir is also a confession in the pattern of Augustine, reflecting on God's in-breaking initiatives and the writer's emerging sense of calling in lifelong conversation with Jesus. Its stories offer a series of curiosity-driven on-ramps into eight decades of transformative experiences for curious souls to ponder an open-eyed faith and a communal way of life for the long haul.

Parents influence. Grandparents leave a legacy. What will you be remembered for by your grandchildren? Teens today are stuffed with information, yet starving for wisdom. They act distant, but the truth is, they need you now more than ever. You have a place in their lives—your gray hair, your wisdom, your relationship, your involvement in their lives to help counter the contrary influence in today’s teen culture. They need you to touch their hearts, even if their behavior hurts your heart. Your life can transform their life and change the destiny of your family! Grandparenting Today’s Teens is a must read for every grandparent’s library. With wit and wisdom, Mark Gregston helps you better connect and engage with your grandchildren. For both young and old grandparents alike, chapter titles include: • Changing Gears When You’re Almost Out of Gas • Why Gray Hair Works to Your Benefit • Making Memories Before You Lose Yours • Losing Battles but Winning Wars • Don’t Save the Best for Last Remember, you can be the connection that offers hope.

Three million kids have grandparents parenting them. Are you one of those grandparents? Are you in need of some help? Are you in a crisis with your teen that you're not sure anyone has an answer for? There are natural communication barriers between grandparents and their teenage grandkids: • new and old cultures collide and the relationship sometimes flies out the window • hurtful words stab at a grandparent trying to help • memories are missed and arguments explode in a family Both grandparents and grandkids face these triggers, but from opposite sides. And sometimes they result in teens getting into drugs, kids smoldering in unexpressed anger that deepens into depression, and kids even harming themselves. The teenagers want attention and relationships; grandparents want to help. Help is available from author and well-known family expert Mark Gregston who has worked in teenage and family ministries such as Young Life and his own program, Heartlight, for over forty years. For Gregston, it’s all about relationships. Teens need to find out why they think no one understands them. And they need help to guide them through this contradictory world. Grandparenting Teens is a valuable resource that helps grandparents love their teens and relate to them in genuine, honest, life-changing ways. This book gives practical tips on how to start grandparenting teens in a way that fosters connection. Mark teaches skills such as getting everyone to listen—really listen. As a grandparent, you can help your teen learn to paint their honest, big-picture perspective, so no one’s left out of their world. They will learn gratefulness instead of giving grief. They will recognize when their grandparent understands their troubles and becomes their role model for life when everyone else turns away. And both grandparents and teens will find their point of contact—their bond. Gregston’s stories will entertain you. They will teach you. They will move you. Some will even change your life. This book is a must for every grandparent who wants to continue to have an influence on the life of their teen grandchildren. In this ever-important role, grandparents can offer something to their grandkids that they can receive from no one else.

Presents a collection of folklore, tall tales, and myths surrounding such characters as Belle Starr, Frank and Jesse James, and Wild Bill Hickok

This is the most complete and comprehensive writing on Vince Gironda…Ever! This is a must read for anyone interested in Vince Gironda. The “Iron Guru” was perhaps at his pinnacle of fame in the “Golden Years” of bodybuilding, the 1960′s. During that time, Vince dominated the scene and Vince’s Gym, was known as the Mecca of bodybuilding. Not only champion bodybuilders trained at Vince’s Gym, movie stars were also regular visitors to seek Vince’s advice and training. People like Eric Estrada, Clint Eastwood, Clint Walker and many others. Hollywood studios used Vince and his gym to shape up their stars. This Updated eBook contains over 300 pages of text, drawings, and pictures in PDF format. It contains a wealth of information on and from Vince Gironda. There never has been, and presently there is nothing in existence, that can compare with the Updated Vince Gironda Legend and Myth for information on his methods, and concepts.

Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of all time Published in 1975, Ragtime changed our very concept of what a novel could be. An extraordinary tapestry, Ragtime captures the spirit of America in the era between the turn of the century and the First World War. The story opens in 1906 in New Rochelle, New York, at the home of an affluent American family. One lazy Sunday afternoon, the famous escape artist Harry Houdini swerves his car into a telephone pole outside their house. And almost magically, the line between fantasy and historical fact, between real and imaginary characters, disappears. Henry Ford, Emma Goldman, J. P. Morgan, Evelyn Nesbit, Sigmund Freud, and Emiliano Zapata slip in and out of the tale, crossing paths with Doctorow's imagined family and other fictional characters, including an immigrant peddler and a ragtime musician from Harlem whose insistence on a point of justice drives him to revolutionary violence.