Dancing with the Octopus

For readers of Educated and The Glass Castle, a harrowing, redemptive and profoundly inspiring memoir of childhood trauma and its long reach into adulthood. One Omaha winter day in November 1978, when Debora Harding was just fourteen, she was abducted at knifepoint from a church parking lot. She was thrown into a van, assaulted, held for ransom, and then left to die as an ice storm descended over the city. Debora survived. She identified her attacker to the police and then returned to her teenage life in a dysfunctional home where she was expected to simply move on. Denial became the family coping strategy offered by her fun-loving, conflicted father and her cruelly resentful mother. It wasn't until decades later - when beset by the symptoms of PTSD- that Debora undertook a radical project: she met her childhood attacker face-to-face in prison and began to reconsider and reimagine his complex story. This was a quest for the truth that would threaten the lie at the heart of her family and with it the sacred bond that once saved her. Dexterously shifting between the past and present, Debora Harding untangles the incident of her kidnapping and escape from unexpected angles, offering a vivid, intimate portrait of one family's disintegration in the 1970s Midwest. Written with dark humor and the pacing of a thriller, Dancing with the Octopus is a literary tour de force and a groundbreaking narrative of reckoning, recovery, and the inexhaustible strength it takes to survive.

This study examines the traditional Cree and Ojibway world view, develops an appreciation of native philosophy and indicates ways in which native values can be incorporated into court and criminal law processes and other aspects of 'mainstream' culture in Canada.

Illustrations and simple, rhyming text encourage the reader to wiggle, shake, and twirl to the beat.

What if we stopped thinking that telling someone what to do is good communication? What telling really does is demotivates, stifles innovation, removes ownership, kills accountability and worse - You are doing all the work!The process and skill of asking questions are coaching. Coaching creates energy, gets clarity and can inspire others to do things better. Those questions become more powerful when they are placed in an order and sequence to create a flow. That flow is like a dance.'Dancing with an Octopus' is mindset and method to becoming a successful coach.Benedict J Larkey is an international, award-winning facilitator and executive coach, who shows you in a memorable and insightful way to use an adaptable 'dancing' mindset, Five Critical Coaching Moments(TM) and a powerful sequence of connected questions to get self-motivated and accountable people. This step-by-step guide to coaching teaches: How thinking of coaching as a dance will harness the talent, potential, and confidence of those around you in a responsive and fun way.How seeing your team member as an Octopus with tentacles to untangle allows you to concentrate on solving one tentacle at a time and allows you to be adaptable and inspiring.How Five Critical Coaching Moments(TM) have a greater positive impact on other people and be far more challenging of behaviour and performance, in a shorter period of time.How listening skillfully to create a sequence of question will enable others to have the clarity solve their own challenges and solutions, while increasing engagement.

Vanessa knew that dance was in her blood, but she had no idea the world of elite ballet was center stage for the darkest of secrets-until her sister mysteriously disappeared from the world-renowned New York Ballet Academy. Three years later, Vanessa follows in Margaret's footsteps, lands the role most girls at NYBA would kill for . . . and gets trapped in a sinister spiral of secrets. Back-stabbing bunheads, a fiercely unrelenting choreographer, and the sexy male lead of the troupe-they all want something from Vanessa. And though she revels in the attention, what Vanessa truly craves are answers. Instead, she feels as though she is losing her footing at every turn. Is she doomed to relive her sister's strange fate? Riveting and sexy, Dance of Shadows twists the cutthroat world of ballet with a psychological thriller, in a dance you won't be able to resist.

Anya is just getting used to being the newest member of the Dance Divas when her parents want her to move back home to L.A. to study dance "more seriously," which means she may have to say goodbye to Divas forever. The timing couldn't be worse. City Feet is back with a vengeance at the Smooth Moves Competition in Las Vegas. Without Anya, Miss Toni has to reshuffle the entire group number at the last minute (good thing it's called "Deck of Cards"!). Meanwhile, mean Justine has a few tricks up her sleeve: her group dance is a magic act that promises to make all the competition disappear! Who will win? And what will happen to Anya? The sixth book in this dance series has everyone on their feet!

“Exquisite. Full of wry humor, tenderness, and compassion.” —Jeannette Walls, New York Times bestselling author A hilarious and heartbreaking memoir about a mother and son’s outlandish odyssey of self-discovery, and the rag-tag community that rallied to help them when they needed it most. Dan Mathews knew that his witty, bawdy seventy-eight year-old mother, Perry, was unable to maintain her fierce independence—so he flew her across the country to Virginia to live with him in an 1870 townhouse badly in need of repairs. But to Dan, a screwdriver is a cocktail not a tool, and he was soon overwhelmed with two fixer-uppers: the house and his mother. Unbowed, Dan and Perry built a rollicking life together fueled by costume parties, road trips, and an unshakeable sense of humor as they faced down hurricanes, blizzards, and Perry’s steady decline. They got by with the help of an ever-expanding circle of sidekicks—Dan’s boyfriends (past and present), ex-cons, sailors, strippers, deaf hillbillies, evangelicals, and grumpy cats—while flipping the parent-child relationship on its head. But it wasn’t until a kicking-and-screaming trip to the emergency room that Dan discovered the cause of his mother’s unpredictable, often caustic behavior: undiagnosed schizophrenia. Irreverent and emotionally powerful, Like Crazy is a “journey to self-acceptance and ultimately finding love” (Alan Cumming) and shows the remarkable growth that takes place when a wild child settles down to care for the wild woman who raised him.

Imagine a world in which people see themselves as embedded in the natural order, with ethical responsibilities not only toward each other, but also toward rocks, trees, water and all nature. Imagine seeing yourself not as a master of Creation, but as the most humble, dependent and vulnerable part. Rupert Ross explores this indigenous world view and the determination of indigenous thinkers to restore it to full prominence today. He comes to understand that an appreciation of this perspective is vital to understanding the destructive forces of colonization. As a former Crown Attorney in northern Ontario, Ross witnessed many of these forces. He examines them here with a special focus on residential schools and their power to destabilize entire communities long after the last school has closed. With help from many indigenous authors, he explores their emerging conviction that healing is now better described as “decolonization therapy.” And the key to healing, they assert, is a return to the traditional indigenous world view. The author of two previous bestsellers on indigenous themes, Dancing with a Ghost and Returning to the Teachings, Ross shares his continuing personal journey into traditional understanding with all of the confusion, delight and exhilaration of learning to see the world in a different way. Ross sees the beginning of a vibrant future for indigenous people across Canada as they begin to restore their own definition of a “healthy person” and bring that indigenous wellness into being once again. Indigenous Healing is a hopeful book, not only for indigenous people, but for all others open to accepting some of their ancient lessons about who we might choose to be.

Are you cursed with two left feet? Consider this kit your revelation. Set your feet a-tapping with a collection of original dance moves inspired by Jesus and the likes of Moses and John the Baptist. This slyly irreverent kit includes a 3" dancing Jesus figurine on a suction cup base that you can attach to your dashboard, your desk, or virtually anywhere that you could use some peace and tranquility- or to just bring a much-needed smile to your face. The illustrated mini book includes 12 dance moves outlined with how-to instructions, along with the inspiration for each dance derived from Jesus's life and teachings. Kit also includes an illustrated conga line backdrop to display with your figurine.

Finalist for the National Book Award for Nonfiction * New York Times Bestseller * Starred Booklist and Library Journal Editors’ Spring Pick * A Huffington Post Notable Nonfiction Book of the Year * One of the Best Books of the Month on Goodreads * Library Journal Best Sci-Tech Book of the Year * An American Library Association Notable Book of the Year “Sy Montgomery’s The Soul of an Octopus does for the creature what Helen Macdonald’s H Is for Hawk did for raptors.” —New Statesman, UK “One of the best science books of the year.” —Science Friday, NPR Another New York Times bestseller from the author of The Good Good Pig, this “fascinating…touching…informative…entertaining” (Daily Beast) book explores the emotional and physical world of the octopus—a surprisingly complex, intelligent, and spirited creature—and the remarkable connections it makes with humans. In pursuit of the wild, solitary, predatory octopus, popular naturalist Sy Montgomery has practiced true immersion journalism. From New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, she has befriended octopuses with strikingly different personalities—gentle Athena, assertive Octavia, curious Kali, and joyful Karma. Each creature shows her cleverness in myriad ways: escaping enclosures like an orangutan; jetting water to bounce balls; and endlessly tricking companions with multiple “sleights of hand” to get food. Scientists have only recently accepted the intelligence of dogs, birds, and chimpanzees but now are watching octopuses solve problems and are trying to decipher the meaning of the animal’s color-changing techniques. With her “joyful passion for these intelligent and fascinating creatures” (Library Journal Editors’ Spring Pick), Montgomery chronicles the growing appreciation of this mollusk as she tells a unique love story. By turns funny, entertaining, touching, and profound, The Soul of an Octopus reveals what octopuses can teach us about the meeting of two very different minds.

Are mermaids compassionate beings waiting to save drowning sailors or vindictive creatures hoping to lure people to their deaths? The answer depends on the lore, which is vast and varied. Through the centuries, people around the world have reported seeing real mermaids on rocks or bobbing in the sea. Even in the 21st century, people are drawn to the mystery of the mermaid. Readers, too, will find the many mermaid stories and hoaxes in this engaging book entertaining as well as educational. Folklore is a unique and entertaining window into studies of world culture.

"Travel is no longer a past-time but a colossal industry, arguably one of the biggest in the world and second only to oil in importance for many poor countries. One out of 12 people in the world are employed by the tourism industry which contributes $6.5 trillion to the world's economy. To investigate the size and effect of this new industry, Elizabeth Becker traveled the globe. She speaks to the Minister of Tourism of Zambia who thinks licensing foreigners to kill wild animals is a good way to make money and then to a Zambian travel guide who takes her to see the rare endangered sable antelope. She travels to Venice where community groups are fighting to stop the tourism industry from pushing them out of their homes, to France where officials have made tourism their number one industry to save their cultural heritage; and on cruises speaking to waiters who earn $60 a month--then on to Miami to interview their CEO. Becker's sharp depiction reveals travel as a product; nations as stewards. Seeing the tourism industry from the inside out, the world offers a dizzying range of travel options but very few quiet getaways"--

Callum Littlefield walks a fine line between arrogant overconfidence and self-deprecating insecurity. After being ostracized by his peers and getting thrown out of his New England boarding school, Callum’s parents exile him to his aging grandmother’s Gold Coast estate on Long Island. He is promptly put to work with her smattering of servants, and is forced to interact with his old Macumba-practicing Brazilian nanny. Though Callum reunites with old friends and tries his hand at the prep school party scene, he soon tires of his duties and escapes back to his family's empty Manhattan townhouse. There he meets a young girl named Layla, who changes his life in more ways than even he can understand. In one summer, Callum finds love, adventure, death, and heartbreak, all the while offering us a detailed social commentary on his blue blood, eastern surroundings.

One of the New York Times Book Review's Top Ten Best Crime Novels of 2020 One of USA Today's Best Books 2020 "[A] hypnotic debut. . . .[An] uncommonly clever whodunit."--New York Times Book Review Perfect for lovers of Agatha Christie and The Secret History, The Truants is a seductive, unsettling, and beautifully written debut novel of literary suspense--a thrilling exploration of deceit, first love, and the depths to which obsession can drive us. People disappear when they most want to be seen. Jess Walker has come to a concrete campus under the flat gray skies of East Anglia for one reason: to be taught by the mesmerizing and rebellious Dr. Lorna Clay, whose seminars soon transform Jess's thinking on life, love, and Agatha Christie. Swept up in Lorna's thrall, Jess falls in with a tightly knit group of rule-breakers--Alec, a courageous South African journalist with a nihilistic streak; Georgie, a seductive, pill-popping aristocrat; and Nick, a handsome geologist with layers of his own. But the dynamic between the friends begins to darken, until a tragedy shatters their friendships and love affairs, and reveals a terrible secret. Soon Jess must face the question she fears most: what is the true cost of an extraordinary life? An Entertainment Weekly Best Book of January A USA Today Must-Read Book of Winter An Observer Book of the Year (UK) A Marie Claire Top 5 Christmas Read (UK) A Times Best New Crime Novel (UK) A Guardian Top 10 Golden Age Detective Novel An Irish Times Best Debut of 2019 An Apple Books Pick for January

Follow Dolphin on a fast-paced adventure that nearly lands him in the jaws of a shark!

Children love to unwind and relax with this fun exercise known as "muscular relaxation". Children relate to the angry octopus in this story as the sea child shows him how to take a deep breath, calm down, and manage his anger. This effective stress and anger management technique focuses awareness on various muscle groups to create a complete resting of the mind and body. Muscular relaxation can lower stress and anxiety levels. It can be used to decrease pain and anger. This engaging story quiets the mind and relaxes the body so your child can let go of anger and fall asleep peacefully. This is one of four stories featured on the Indigo Ocean Dreams CD.

A therapist creates moving portraits of five of her most memorable patients, men and women she considers psychological heroes. Catherine Gildiner is a bestselling memoirist, a novelist, and a psychologist in private practice for twenty-five years. In Good Morning, Monster, she focuses on five patients who overcame enormous trauma--people she considers heroes. With a novelist's storytelling gift, Gildiner recounts the details of their struggles, their paths to recovery, and her own tale of growth as a therapist. The five cases include a successful but lonely musician suffering sexual dysfunction; a young woman whose father abandoned her and her siblings in a rural cottage; an Indigenous man who'd endured great trauma at a residential school; a young woman whose abuse at the hands of her father led to a severe personality disorder; and a glamorous workaholic whose negligent mother had greeted her each morning with "Good morning, Monster." Each patient presents a mystery, one that will only be unpacked over years. They seek Gildiner's help to overcome an immediate challenge in their lives, but discover that the source of their suffering has been long buried. It will take courage to face those realities, and creativity and resourcefulness from their therapist. Each patient embodies self-reflection, stoicism, perseverance, and forgiveness as they work unflinchingly to face the truth. Gildiner's account of her journeys with them is moving, insightful, and sometimes humorous. It offers a behind-the-scenes look into the therapist's office and explains how the process can heal even the most unimaginable wounds.

An Amazon Best Book of the Year Meet Octicorn, the funny, sweet, and disarming character who is a champion for anyone who has ever felt a little bit different. And isn’t that everyone? This is a self-published success story from debut authors Justin Lowe and Kevin Diller. Octicorn is half octopus, half unicorn, half confused . . . which sometimes makes it hard to fit in. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

Hello Kitty meets Star Trek under the sea! Dive in for adventure in this classic story featuring global sensations, The Octonauts! The classic Octonauts picture books inspired the phenomenally successful animated TV series, broadcast around the world.

Featuring an introduction by Neil Gaiman! “J. Michael Straczynski is, without question, one of the greatest science fiction minds of our time.” -- Max Brooks (World War Z) For four decades, J. Michael Straczynski has been one of the most successful writers in Hollywood, one of the few to forge multiple careers in movies, television and comics. Yet there’s one story he’s never told before: his own. In this dazzling memoir, the acclaimed writer behind Babylon 5, Sense8, Clint Eastwood’s Changeling and Marvel’s Thor reveals how the power of creativity and imagination enabled him to overcome the horrors of his youth and a dysfunctional family haunted by madness, murder and a terrible secret. Joe's early life nearly defies belief. Raised by damaged adults—a con-man grandfather and a manipulative grandmother, a violent, drunken father and a mother who was repeatedly institutionalized—Joe grew up in abject poverty, living in slums and projects when not on the road, crisscrossing the country in his father’s desperate attempts to escape the consequences of his past. To survive his abusive environment Joe found refuge in his beloved comics and his dreams, immersing himself in imaginary worlds populated by superheroes whose amazing powers allowed them to overcome any adversity. The deeper he read, the more he came to realize that he, too, had a superpower: the ability to tell stories and make everything come out the way he wanted it. But even as he found success, he could not escape a dark and shocking secret that hung over his family’s past, a violent truth that he uncovered over the course of decades involving mass murder. Straczynski’s personal history has always been shrouded in mystery. Becoming Superman lays bare the facts of his life: a story of creation and darkness, hope and success, a larger-than-life villain and a little boy who became the hero of his own life. It is also a compelling behind-the-scenes look at some of the most successful TV series and movies recognized around the world.

From beloved, award-winning poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil comes a debut work of nonfiction—a collection of essays about the natural world, and the way its inhabitants can teach, support, and inspire us. As a child, Nezhukumatathil called many places home: the grounds of a Kansas mental institution, where her Filipina mother was a doctor; the open skies and tall mountains of Arizona, where she hiked with her Indian father; and the chillier climes of western New York and Ohio. But no matter where she was transplanted—no matter how awkward the fit or forbidding the landscape—she was able to turn to our world’s fierce and funny creatures for guidance. “What the peacock can do,” she tells us, “is remind you of a home you will run away from and run back to all your life.” The axolotl teaches us to smile, even in the face of unkindness; the touch-me-not plant shows us how to shake off unwanted advances; the narwhal demonstrates how to survive in hostile environments. Even in the strange and the unlovely, Nezhukumatathil finds beauty and kinship. For it is this way with wonder: it requires that we are curious enough to look past the distractions in order to fully appreciate the world’s gifts. Warm, lyrical, and gorgeously illustrated by Fumi Nakamura, World of Wonders is a book of sustenance and joy.