Communication Alternatives in Autism: Perspectives on Typing and Spelling Approaches for the Nonspeaking

Toplight Books

The Appalachian Mountains are a well-known world treasure, perhaps the most biodiverse region on the planet. This book spans almost six years and 500 miles of hiking by the author along the southern portion of the Appalachian Trail. A fresh perspective is brought to the subculture of "AT" hikers. 
 The path of the trail crosses many areas that featured dramatic family events, and the author weaves in compelling stories of his ancestors who called this ancient mountain range home. Also explored are a multitude of topics ranging from environmental challenges to the modern day problems facing residents of the region.

Mountain Miles: A Memoir of Section Hiking the Southern Appalachian Trail

Sports & Outdoors

Clegg, Mark

Biographies

Part sport and part exercise, running boosts health, longevity, and mental well-being. However, running is a demanding activity that can potentially tax the runner's body and mind. Therefore, possessing durability for running--a fusion of toughness and flexibility--is desirable to enhance a runner's physical and mental experience. This book--the first of its kind to combine corrective exercise, self-myofascial release, and yoga--empowers runners with measures to avoid unnecessary pain, injury, and burnout. It is a comprehensive guide to creating a simple and efficient system of personalized supplemental training in which runners learn to identify and address areas of imbalance and overuse. These training methods increase strength, stability, mobility, and resiliency, and require as little as 15 minutes per day to implement. (For each technique, the author has produced a video, and live links are included in the enhanced ebook edition.) Runners can decrease the risk of injury, improve running performance, and maintain joint health. The result: a more durable body and mind that will support your running--and your life--for years to come.

The Durable Runner: A Guide to Injury-Free Running

Heilig, Alison

Individual Sports

In the middle of a paralyzing panic attack, 34-year-old Holly Pennebaker made the call that would ultimately save her life. She realized that her eating disorder had consumed her life for the previous 15 years and made the decision to get help and enter a rigorous treatment program. Holly documented the program in real time, writing about it in an authentic, raw form. 
 This account chronicles the author's experience with disordered eating, anxiety and other mental illness from the onset of her major panic attack through the weeks following her completion of the treatment program. By candidly recounting her own journey, Holly explores struggle, hope and self-acceptance.

A Killer Appetite: Overcoming My Eating Disorder and the Thinking That Fed It

Pennebaker, Holly

Biographies & Memoirs

Ten autistic self-advocates share their experiences with alternative forms of communication such as rapid prompting method (RPM) and facilitated communication (FC), both highly controversial. Their narratives document the complexities that autistic individuals navigate--in both educational and community settings--when choosing to use approaches that utilize letter boards and keyboards. While the controversies remain--RPM requires further scientific study, and FC is subject to criticism about confirmation bias--these individuals share powerful stories in the context of aiming for disability rights. The book concludes with a chapter about best practices for educators, particularly for schools and colleges that have students who use these communication methods.

Politics & Social Sciences

Sociology

"Perhaps I should have realized that cancer runs in my family. After all, three grandparents and my father and brother perished from this disease. Yet, when I received my colorectal cancer diagnosis, I was surprised. I never expected to be primarily identified as a cancer patient. Following a typical combination of chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and more chemo, I was presumably cancer-free when my post-treatment scans looked clean. Nonetheless, within a year I received a terminal diagnosis; cancer had metastasized in my lungs. Thus began my year as a dead woman--a time of chaotic emotions, new priorities, and rapid-fire plans and changes. Expecting the unexpected became a theme in my life, but the things that turned out to be most shocking are social, familial, and even my expectations about what is realistic for a dead woman to be or do." 
 Preconceptions about a terminal cancer diagnosis frequently are based on popular culture depictions of cancer and dying, which can be misleading as a guide for knowing what to expect when you're expecting to die. This memoir provides one woman's often-irreverent, pop culture-illustrated guide to life that deconstructs some common preconceptions about living with a terminal diagnosis.

A Year in the Life of a "Dead" Woman: Living with Terminal Cancer

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Porter, Lynnette

Diseases & Physical Ailments

Travelers are buzzing about apitourism--or "bee tourism"--as an opportunity to get close to bees and learn about the ecology and industry they support. Apitours invite visitors to see what takes place inside a hive, taste fresh honey and observe its journey from comb to bottle. Apitourists explore "bee culture" through diverse activities--watching films, creating art, building "bee hotels," sampling mead, learning to plant pollinator gardens and documenting species in the wild. This guide presents an educational overview of apitourism, with an exploration of the fascinating world of bees and the sometimes controversial issues surrounding them.

Places to Bee: A Guide to Apitourism

Business & Money

Industries

In 1980s America, coming out as gay as a father and husband was a significant journey for anyone to make. Coming out as gay as a priest guaranteed immersion into controversy, contradiction, and challenge. This book tells of the Reverend Canon Ted Karpf's navigation of new social and romantic journeys, all within the context of his priestly vocation in the Episcopal Church. 
 Covering from 1968 to 2018, Karpf recounts his vivid memories, life-changing dreams and resonant reflections on living a life of faith in a socially and politically tumultuous period. His narratives are crafted as poetic meditations on enduring values and meaning, which can remind any reader that we are neither abandoned nor alone, and that forgiveness is a fulfilling way of living in a world of contradictions.

Acts of Forgiveness: Faith Journeys of a Gay Priest

Karpf, Ted

Social Sciences

Nearing his sixth decade as a dedicated climber, William "Bill" Katra describes himself as "not a great climber, but a persistent one." In his memoir, the author details his climbs in vivid detail, describing some of the world's most popular routes while emphasizing that scenic beauty is as important to a hike as technical difficulty. From his early partner-belayed adventures to his more recent unassisted solo "scamper-climbs," Bill's techniques have evolved, but his love for the experience remains steadfast. Within recent years, Bill has again summited a few climbs from his younger days, often reflecting on where senior climbers fit in the sport's changing social--and environmental--landscape. This memoir is a relatable and nostalgic account of a life well-spent in nature, as the author muses on his long-past adventures enriched and nurtured by the wisdom of the present.

Mountain Climber: A Memoir

Katra, Bill

Nonprofit Work Is Killin' Me: Mitigating Chronic Stress and Vicarious Trauma in Social Service Organizations

Self-Help

Vélez Young, Morghan

Stress Management

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