A Burning Bridge Is A Warm Goodbye

A Burning Bridge is a warm Goodbye is a collection of poems, thoughts and short stories amassed during Baker's turbulent time traveling between the U.S. and Canada. Finally landing in the states and going from couches to beds to week long drinking binges. Baker taps into the raw, harsh reality of truly seeing the elegance and splendor of Hell and "her". Often relating the two. His honesty is jarring and humorous. So, grab the cat, grab the wine and enjoy.

“Read it. You will be uplifted.”—Ruth Ozeki, Zen priest, author of A Tale for the Time Being Marie Mutsuki Mockett's family owns a Buddhist temple 25 miles from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. In March 2011, after the earthquake and tsunami, radiation levels prohibited the burial of her Japanese grandfather's bones. As Japan mourned thousands of people lost in the disaster, Mockett also grieved for her American father, who had died unexpectedly. Seeking consolation, Mockett is guided by a colorful cast of Zen priests and ordinary Japanese who perform rituals that disturb, haunt, and finally uplift her. Her journey leads her into the radiation zone in an intricate white hazmat suit; to Eiheiji, a school for Zen Buddhist monks; on a visit to a Crab Lady and Fuzzy-Headed Priest’s temple on Mount Doom; and into the "thick dark" of the subterranean labyrinth under Kiyomizu temple, among other twists and turns. From the ecstasy of a cherry blossom festival in the radiation zone to the ghosts inhabiting chopsticks, Mockett writes of both the earthly and the sublime with extraordinary sensitivity. Her unpretentious and engaging voice makes her the kind of companion a reader wants to stay with wherever she goes, even into the heart of grief itself.

There is no decision that will have a greater impact on our lives than who we choose to give our heart to and share our emotional, parental and financial future with. With divorce rates over 40 per cent in much of the world, it's clear many of us need some help in picking partners. In this informative and entertaining guide, unique father-daughter team psychiatrist Dr George Blair-West and dating coach Jiveny Blair-West unlock the science and the secrets to making the biggest decision of your life. You'll learn: How attraction works and how to understand the unconscious forces at play How to create 'true love' that carries us through the tough times What we can learn from arranged marriages Why we need to avoid the nines & tens The six specific qualities important to support a healthy long-term relationship If you're single, this book will give you clarity and the confidence to choose a better partner. If you're in a relationship, it will help you to work out if you should stay or go. Either way, this book will empower you to take charge of your relationship destiny. 'Fascinating. Essential advice - the world needs this book.' - Andrew Matthews, bestselling author of Being Happy! And Follow Your Heart

China’s Cultural Revolution brought a halt to the everyday life of ordinary citizens, and the monotonous routine of daily life was disturbed by political accusations made by ‘Red Guards’. The writer gives vivid descriptions of incidents: the burning of antiques, destroying artists’ work, desecrating religious places of worship and attacking the religious beliefs of the people. Forty seven years have now elapsed, and the present generation of Chinese may be able to understand some of the political developments that opened up the country, liberalising the economy, and the beginning of some form of individual freedom. Although living in the diplomatic enclave, the writer seized the opportunity to gather information from a cross section of Chinese, and from translations of the local newspaper Shinhwa. She is sympathetic to Chairman Mao’s idealism but with the advent of indisciplined and immature groups of Red Guards negating the democratic communist dream, the heroine in the novel naively believes different things could be achieved. The story is fact and fiction, as firsthand incidents that took place bring out the authenticity of this historical period in China. The characters are fictitious and if there is any resemblance to actual people it is entirely coincidental. This is the work of an author moving in an environment of diplomats and politicians during a very volatile period.

BOOKER PRIZE WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A novel that follows a middle-aged man as he contends with a past he never much thought about—until his closest childhood friends return with a vengeance: one of them from the grave, another maddeningly present. A novel so compelling that it begs to be read in a single setting, The Sense of an Ending has the psychological and emotional depth and sophistication of Henry James at his best, and is a stunning achievement in Julian Barnes's oeuvre. Tony Webster thought he left his past behind as he built a life for himself, and his career has provided him with a secure retirement and an amicable relationship with his ex-wife and daughter, who now has a family of her own. But when he is presented with a mysterious legacy, he is forced to revise his estimation of his own nature and place in the world.

After thirty years spent eating the brains of overachieving amateur climbers—who incorrectly believed they could summit Mount Everest—a James Bond-loving yeti decides that his life needs a touch more spirituality. But can an abominable monster truly change? Thus begins an improbable journey overseen by the true Dalai Lama himself, an adventure of attempted enlightenment, dietary restriction, unlikely friendship, and political intrigue. Bigfoot and the Bodhisattva is award-winning author James Morrow (Towing Jehovah, Shambling Towards Hiroshima) at his best: witty, incisive, and nonpareil.