THE ABDUCTION:
The Sacred Legend of the Great Wall
by John F. Brinster
Published by AuthorHouse
(ISBN 978-1-4343-0039-3, 290 pages, softcover, $17.49)
Available through this site or directly from the publisher: http://www.authorhouse.com
A new novel by a noted author of science, philosophy and religion with its subplot set in first century China when massive walls were built for protection against Mongolian hordes and alliances were sought with the mushrooming Roman Empire far to the west.
An ancient legend suggested the abduction of the Christ child by an ambitious Chinese ambassador, an early traveler, who replaced him in the manger with his own twin son. Influenced by the messianic prophesy, his mission was to return to China with the secret of Roman success and the potential for Chinese superiority. Following his brother's crucifixion and burial, the second twin was mistaken for resurrection. With similar previously undisclosed events in first century Judaea an historical account was contained in the controversial Book of Chan, hidden in the Great Wall for two thousand years. The location was inscribed in a set of Chinese seals with sculptured ivory handles since scattered among world collectors of sigillography.
Two Harvard and Oxford professors, meeting on an Oriental cruise, teamed up in search of the legendary book but encountered very rough competition from religious agents determined to prevent disclosure. Amidst touches of romance they uncovered a unique culture at the conflux of the Great Wall and Silk Road. Finding a number of the ancient seals, including several that later had been carried to Venice by the Marco Polo entourage, the academic couple succeeded in computer analysis producing a usable matrix map.
Written in the genre of The DaVinci Code, the book includes an important philosophical addendum on the search for greater realism in biblical understanding that strongly influenced the creation of this unique and somewhat controversial story. Proof readers see it as a best seller and the next major "Hollywood Project."
ENDINGS:
A Novel
by Barbara Bergin
Published by Sunstone Press
(ISBN 978-0865345195, 268 pages, hard cover, $ 28.95)
Available through this site or directly from the publisher: http://www.sunstonepress.com
Following a tragic accident two years ago, Leslie Cohen, M.D. is driven to live the nomadic life of a locum tenens physician, moving from one temporary job to another, covering the practices of orthopedic surgeons while they take time off. Deeply affected because of her loss, this enables her to avoid forming relationships, both friendly and professional. And she is determined.
But all of this changes when she agrees to a one month commitment in Abilene, Texas, temporarily taking over the practice of Hal Hawley while he goes on leave to have surgery for cancer. Soon after arriving she realizes her mistake in taking on an extended post as she develops a strong bond with Doc Hawley and his wife.
Even more significant is the friend she finds in Regan Wakeman, a local rancher and contractor. There is conflict in her soul as Leslie tries to protect the memories she wants to keep alive no matter how painful they might be. As the relationship with him progresses, there is a gradual revelation of the tragedy that has remained her secret until now.
The Oil and the Glory:
The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune
on the Caspian Sea
by Steve LeVine
Published by Random House
(ISBN 0375506144, 496 pages, 16 pages of photos, hard cover, $27.95)
Available through this site or directly from the publisher: http://www.randomhouse.com
When the Soviet Union crumbled, oil in the Caspian region -- a remote, rather barbaric, highly romanticized region -- was accessible to the west for the first time in history. The race was on, as Big Oil and all manner of adventurers, dealmakers, and political operatives traveled to one of the most corrupt and dangerous neighborhoods on earth to embark on a new Great Game with massive geopolitical and strategic implications. Fortune hunters sought fortunes, oil companies built an unprecedented, dystopian oil city on the surface of the Caspian Sea, and the American government pushed for the longest pipeline ever built -- one that would lead to a major geopolitical victory over Russia and Iran.
The Wall Street Journal's Steve LeVine takes us from the pipeline builders and oil extractors battling the elements in a primitive land, to the boardrooms of Chevron and BP, to meetings between corrupt officials and U.S. dealmakers on the make, providing a window into the high-stakes, transcontinental maneuvering that occurs when Big Oil, geopolitics, and massive corruption overlap.
Praise for The Oil and the Glory:
"The deft political portrait of this strategic, volatile area makes the book essential reading, but it's LeVine's fine writing that makes it a pleasure." -- Portfolio Magazine
"A complex story rendered comprehensible, with much drama and intrigue." -- Kirkus Reviews
HEALTH CARE REFORM NOW!: A Prescription for Change
by George C. Halvorson
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
(ISBN 0-7879-9752-8, 394 pages, hard cover, $27.95)
HEALTH CARE REFORM NOW! is written by one of the leading figures in health care today, and offers a simultaneously enthusiastic and rational way to solve this country's health care crisis. George Halvorson, who has led two of the most successful nonprofit health plans in the country (Health Partners in Minnesota and currently, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, headquartered in California), expounds on a model that solves the unsolvable -- by simplifying and streamlining our health care system in a way that works for patients, doctors, nurses, payers, and those who legislate health care policy.
Currently, 1% of people incur 35% of health care costs. Health care needs to focus on improving the care of those people in very logical and doable ways. Any effort to reform health care that does not understand the overwhelmingly powerful implication of that cost distribution reality is doomed to fail.
Halvorson's model outlines the ethical and logistical reasons for health care reform, and explains and defends a benefit package and funding services. And finally, he explains why quick action is essential and how using the right tools -- the focus on real costs and the use of real data and systems -- can make universal coverage affordable, efficient, and administrable.
ENDORSEMENTS:
"Halvorson's comprehensive approach, rooted in a practical understanding of the complexities of American healthcare...shows us how to stimulate high performance in the healthcare delivery system, and guides us on how to get all Americans covered." -- Ian Morrison PhD, Healthcare Futurist and Author of Healthcare in the New Millenium: Vision, Values, and Leadership
"Halvorson convincingly argues that the U.S. finally has what it needs to make universal coverage a reality and lays out a plan to get us there. It should be required reading on Capitol Hill." -- Congressman Pete Stark (D-CA), Chairman of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee
"[Halvorson's] creative and original ideas for organizing 'infrastructure vendors' and financing universal health insurance in the U.S. are a must-read for anyone who is seriously interested in health system reform." -- Alain Enthoven, Marriner S. Eccles Professor of Public and Private Management (Emeritus), Graduate School of Business at Stanford University
"Halvorson not only offers a comprehensive vision, with creative approaches to improved quality of care and covering the uninsured, he proposes a new model of purchasing that moves away from the current flawed system." -- Helen Darling, President, National Business Group on Health
"This book is powerful and compelling. It's just the right book for this time." -- Jeffrey C. McGuiness, President, HR Policy Association
BORDERLINE
by Bonnie Rozanski
Published by The Porcupine's Quill
(ISBN 0-88984-293-0, 208 pages, sewn paper, $22.95)
Available through this site or directly from the publisher:
Available through this site or directly from the publisher. http://www.sentex.ca/~pql/
BORDERLINE is a skewed coming-of-age story of a normal boy in a crazy world -- a fast-paced world of high-tech gismos, global air travel and antibiotics, a world in which high schools have replaced cafeterias with fast food counters and the scourges of autism, asthma, allergies, diabetes and obesity are the norm.
Still another novel about adolescent angst? Well, the protagonist is indeed going on thirteen and, with some justification, he is seriously stressed, but there this wonderful story diverges from the stereotype. Rampant hormones, peer pressure, romance -- all take a backseat as Guy Ritter wrestles with the challenge of attracting the attention of parents preoccupied with the demands of his autistic brother. And then there is the wolf, condemned to death unless Guy can find a way to spring him from a pen.
Adolescents will love this book, but there is much here for adult readers as well, including a short treatise on genetics and a graphic evocation of the consequences of a fast-food diet.
All of the characters in this story are interesting and believable: Guy's mother, driven to distraction by the needs of her autistic son; his father, the geneticist, preoccupied with his experiments with wolves; a most unorthodox psychiatrist patiently seeking a breakthrough with a stubbornly unresponsive patient. And the most fascinating of all, Austin, who, at the age of five cannot speak but can take apart and re-assemble any electronic gadget, including the lock on a wolf's cage.
Bonnie Rozanski has obviously done extensive research on genetics and on autism, and the novel offers a short treatise on each, but the enlightenment in no way detracts from the fast-moving plot and the engaging insights into the minds of pubescent boys. This novel will appeal to readers from twelve to ... well, whenever, if ever, the need to learn and to enjoy ceases.
ALIVE AND KICKING:
Legal Advice for Boomers
by Kenney F. Hegland and Robert Fleming
Published by Carolina Academic Press
(ISBN-10: 1-59460-322-7, ISBN-13: 978-1-59460-322-8, Library of Congress Catalog Number 2006038318, 288 pp, softcover, $24.95)
Available through this site or directly from the publisher: http://www.cap-press.com/books/1650
If you are getting older (or hope to), this book is for
you. It will save you and your family money, restless
nights, and heartbreak. Do I really need a living will?
What are living trusts and should I attend a "free
seminar"? How can I protect myself from scams and identity
theft? How can I care for my aged parents? What are
"assisted living facilities" and what about nursing homes?
How can I recognize elder abuse and what about guns in the
home? How can I fight age discrimination? What will be my
insurance needs? What are reverse mortgages, Roth IRAs,
durable powers of attorney, and disgruntled heirs? Will I
have to give up both driving and sex? Need I worry about
estate taxes? Should I avoid Probate? Most important, how
can I get my family (and myself) to discuss the real
problems that will face us? Here they come, ready or not.
Not to worry. You don't have to read the entire book. What
you need to know right now is in the first four chapters.
The rest can wait. This is a serious book about serious
times, but, if you're not up for an occasional joke, or
poem, just put it back.
"Alive and Kicking is an engaging, even entertaining and
uplifting, book about a subject most of us who are getting
on in life often avoid: arranging our affairs for our
latter years to avoid medical, financial, and legal
troubles. I will use it myself and recommend it to
patients, friends, and loved ones." -- Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Healthy Aging
"An encyclopedic legal reference with the down-home
philosophy and wit of a Will Rogers. Accurate, to-the-point
legal advice wryly enriched by poetry, humor, and
existential musings." -- Charles Sabatino, Chair of the American Bar Association
Commission on the Legal Problems of the Elderly, principal
author, ABA Legal Guide for Older Americans
"Professor Hegland is simply one of the nation's best legal
writers." -- Tom Sullivan, Provost, University of Minnesota
"The authors really cover all the topics that you need to
consider when you are either taking care of an elderly
loved one or thinking about your own planning. This book
really got us talking and thinking about a whole range of
issues that we had not considered before. A must-read if
you are over 60." -- JM Slaw, author of Amazon.com Listmania showing Alive
and Kicking as the top book on Retirement and Caring for
Parents
"In an incredible short amount of space and with humor,
intelligence and an obvious grasp of their subject matter,
the authors have covered all the bases in an exceptionally
readable style. From telemarketing scams to pension plans,
from Medicare to 'when should you stop driving?' the cover
it all. Talk about 'one stop shopping.' I had already
ordered a second copy for my brother before I'd finished
reading it." -- Stuart Zimring, Past President, National Association of
Elder Law Attorneys
"A lively and entertaining book full of advice with amusing
quotes and references to books, music, movies, and poetry.
Woody Allen, Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and the Beatles
all make cameo appearances." -- ElderLawAnswers
"Although the authors are lawyers, the book goes into many
subjects, other than legal advice, related to getting
older. I highly recommend this reasonable priced book. It
is especially a great resource for 'baby boomers.' Being
one myself, I learned much and it gave me lots to think
about." -- Dan England, Blogger News Network
"We highly recommend Alive and Kicking, a serious book
about serious times and serious issues written in a reader-
friendly format. A wonderful read." -- Jan Warner and Jan Collins, syndicated columnists
"Alive and Kicking is a valuable resource not only for
seniors, but also for their families and advisors. The
authors have done an excellent job in plain English
(without use of legal jargon) of discussing complex issues
and providing suggestions for solutions in a way that both
seniors can understand and appreciate. Oast & Hook highly
recommends 'Alive and Kicking' to anyone who needs
information about the issues facing all of us as we age." -- Oast and Hook, Elder Law firm, Virginia Beach, Virginia,
client newsletter
THE GIRLS' GUIDE TO BUILDING A MILLION-DOLLAR BUSINESS
by Susan Wilson Solovic
Published by AMACOM
(ISBN 978-0814474198, 224 pages, hard cover, $ 21.95)
Available through this site or directly from the publisher: http://www.amanet.org/books/
We've all been told that nice girls don't get the corner office. And they certainly don't strike out on their own to start a million-dollar company. Fortunately, we all know better.
As the head of the highly successful SBTV.com (Small Business Television), author Susan Wilson Solovic is an authority on making money and building a thriving business. Now in The Girls' Guide to Building a Million-Dollar Business, she shows women how to gain the confidence and knowledge they need to become successful entrepreneurs.
Featuring interviews with daring, powerhouse women like Gayle Martz, President & CEO, Sherpa's Pet Trading Company, and Taryn Rose of Taryn Rose International, Solovic offers frank advice and hard-won lessons including:
Taking emotions out of the workplace.
Make business decisions based on what is best for the company, not on your personal feelings.
Thinking big and bold.
Believe that you can be successful and be willing to announce your intentions to the world.
Managing for growth.
Hire the right people and discover the best ways to keep them.
Never being afraid to take a chance.
Boost profits by taking financial risks.
Inspiring and unflinching, The Girls' Guide to Building a Million-Dollar Business shows women that not only do they have the power to earn more money and control their financial destinies -- they deserve to.
Praise for The Girls' Guide to Building a Million-Dollar Business:
"Only 3% of women-owned businesses in the U.S. gross a million dollars or more in revenue. It doesn't have to be that way, according to Solovic[...] Women face deeply ingrained challenges on their way to wealth, from a discomfort with talking about money to a fear of success, but are also more inclined to create flexible working environments that cater to the needs of their employees as well as to the bottom line. Solovic lays out the steps to success: chutzpah, determination, managing changing relationships, keeping employees and customers happy, getting and maintaining credit, overcoming gender bias and creating a successful business plan and a solid brand. [...T]his is a useful and encouraging guide, providing solid advice and resources to help women achieve and sustain entrepreneurial success."
THE PRICE OF LIBERTY:
Paying for America's Wars
by Robert D. Hormats
With an illustrated historical Afterword
Published by Times Books
ISBN 0-8050-8253-0, 345 pages, hardcover, US$27.50
Available through bookstores or directly from the publisher: http://www.henryholt.com/holt/liberty.htm
In a bracing work of history, a leading international finance expert reveals how our national security depends on our financial security.
More than two centuries ago, America's first secretary of the treasury, Alexander Hamilton, identified the Revolutionary War debt as a threat to the nation's creditworthiness and its very existence. In response, he established financial principles for securing the country -- principles that endure to this day. In this provocative history, Robert D. Hormats, one of America's leading experts on international finance, shows how leaders from Madison and Lincoln to FDR and Reagan have followed Hamilton's ideals, from the greenback and a progressive income tax to the Victory Bond and Victory Garden campaigns and cost-sharing with allies.
Drawing on these historical lessons, Hormats argues that the rampant borrowing to pay for the war in Iraq and the short-sighted tax cuts in the face of a long-term war on terrorism run counter to American tradition and place our country's security in peril. To meet the threats facing us, Hormats contends, we must significantly realign our economic policies -- on taxes, Social Security, Medicare, and oil dependency -- to safeguard our liberty and our future.
COMMENTS:
Robert Hormats mounts a compelling argument that America faces large-scale economic catastrophe due to lack of a long-term, fiscally sound strategy for meeting military and security needs as well as domestic obligations. The Price of Liberty is a fascinating book and its messsage is hard to ignore." -- Henry Kissinger
The Price of Liberty is both a superb history and an urgent call for appropriate fiscal policy in the current campaign against terrorism. Hormats shows that, time and again, how wars were paid for determined how wars were fought -- and won or lost. An important and timely book. -- David M. Kennedy, author of Freedom from Fear
Bob Hormats has taken on the impossible: making lively history of the fiscal side of America's wars. Taxes and spending, economics and politics, all mixed up together in times of national crisis, from the Revolution and Alexander Hamilton to Iraq and both George Bushes. There are lessons to be learned and too often forgotten, even for the financing of the new 'War on Terror.' -- Paul Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve
Hormats links economics with history and politics in a must-read for anyone who would understand the fundamentals of America's national security. Lucid and engrossing, The Price of Liberty provides a new and vital perspective for students of national security. -- General Wesley K. Clark
SHAMANIC JOURNEYING:
A Beginner's Guide
by Sandra Ingerman
Published by Sounds True, Inc.
ISBN 1-59179-151-0, 80 pages, hardcover, audio CD, $19.95
Available through this site or directly from the publisher: http://store.yahoo.com/soundstruestore/ingermans.html
Shamanic journeying is the inner art of traveling to the "invisible worlds" beyond ordinary reality to retrieve information for change in every area of our lives -- from spirituality and health to work and relationships. With Shamanic Journeying, readers join world-renowned teacher Sandra Ingerman to learn the core teachings of this ancient practice and apply these skills in their own journey.
In Shamanic Journeying, readers learn how to use a fundamental technique practiced by shamans worldwide to connect with spiritual helpers, to access personal guidance and healing, to help others and the planet, and to reconnect with nature and its rhythms. Learn to:
Interpret dreams and omens
Communicate with weather spirits
Meet ancestors and deceased loved ones
Resolve conflict in relationships
Restore harmony and balance in your life
Meet the spirit of your home, workplace, or city
Shamanic Journeying is a practical guidebook and gives you advice on the best time of day to journey, how to get comfortable, lighting, using the audio CD, and simple techniques of guided meditation to start you on a path to the Upper World, the Lower World, or the Middle World. You will learn how to identify power animals and other teachers and the best way to approach them for advice.
Shamanic Journeying is a gorgeous hardcover book, lovingly produced with colorful endpapers and elegant type. It includes an audio CD containing drum rhythms for three shamanic journeys. This book & CD make a wonderful gift for the spiritual traveler who likes to visit the exotic places all around us. Thank you for considering it.
GHOST STORIES OF PETS AND ANIMALS by Darren Zenko Published by Ghost House Books,
an imprint of Lone Pine Publishing
Can animals return as ghosts? "Definitely," says
paranormal storyteller Darren Zenko. Some ghost animals, especially
pets, prove their loyalty in the afterlife, while others, such as
Great Britain's Black Dogs, return to terrify the living. The stories
in this remarkable new collection, based largely on eyewitness accounts,
will inspire and astound, confirming the special bond between the
human and animal worlds.
In a mountainous area of Ohio, the spirit of a legendary ghost wolf
makes its final stand against some malicious hunters.
In the Hanging Hills of Connecticut, the spirit of an adorable puppy
lures hikers to their deaths.
A phantom bear stalks the halls of the Tower of London.
Majestic as ever, the ghost horses of President
Lincoln's funeral procession continue their proud march.
In rural Alberta, a loyal hound's spirit returns
to save her mistress from the clutches of drug addiction.
A dead mynah bird uses his talent for mimicry to say goodbye to his
family.
Gef, an elusive talking mongoose, turns a cottage on the Isle of
Man into an international paranormal sensation.
Near Virginia City, Nevada, the spirit of a camel materializes, led
by a dead man.
A ghostly herd of horses, killed long ago, rumbles
through Texas' breathtaking Palo Duro Canyon.
Author Profiles 
BORDERLINE
