An Uncommon Road

"The book is the tale of an immigrant's arrival in a strange new world, of hostility and insult, of persistence through ups, downs and heartaches, and, finally, of security and finding a place to call home. In that sense, it is as a story as Canadian as, oh, chaat, dal and paneer." -- Toronto Star A riveting, incisive account of some of the most complex politics in modern Canada, from the founder of the World Sikh Organization of Canada. Widely publicized atrocities in the mid-80s came to define Canada's Sikhs: the 1984 assault on the Golden Temple by the Indian military, the assassination of Indira Gandhi and subsequent pogroms that left over 3,000 Sikhs dead in Delhi alone, and the bombing of Air India Flight 182 one year later. In An Uncommon Road Gian Singh Sandhu traces the evolution of Sikhs' place in Canada: from Sikhs' dealing with the assumption of blame for the Air India bombing; to combatting incendiary false news stories; to overcoming rampant disdain by governments in India and at home. Sharing never-before-heard stories, Sandhu offers a remarkable view of some of the most complex modern politics Canadian citizens have ever faced. But struggle can lead to liberation. Over three decades, the World Sikh Organization fought for landmark human rights legislation, from the rights of Sikhs in the RCMP to wear turbans, to campaigning on behalf of religious freedoms for others, and championing the acceptance of gay marriage. An Uncommon Road is the celebration of an extraordinarily resilient people and a moving roadmap for how individuals, and a community, can fight for their own social justice and--in doing so--gain justice for all.

A riveting, incisive account of some of the most complex politics in modern Canada, from the founder of the World Sikh Organization of Canada. An Uncommon Road is the celebration of an extraordinarily resilient people and a moving roadmap for how individuals, and a community, can fight for their own social justice and gain justice for all.

When Eleanor Phillips Brackbill bought her suburban Westchester house in 2000, three mysteries came with it. First, from the former owner, came the information that the 1930s house was "a Sears house or something like that." Thrilled to think it might be a Sears, Roebuck & Co. mail-order house, Brackbill was determined to find evidence to prove it. She found instead a house pedigree of a different sort. Second, and even more provocative, was the discovery of several iron stakes protruding from the property's enormous granite outcropping, bigger in square footage than the house itself. When queried about them, the former owner told her, "Someone a long time ago kept monkeys there, chained to the stakes." Monkeys? Was this some kind of suburban legend? A third mystery came to light at closing, when a building inspector's letter contained a reference to the house having had, at one time, a different address. Why would the house have had another address? Her curiosity aroused, and intent upon finding the facts, Brackbill gradually peeled back layers of history, allowing the house and the land to tell their stories, and uncovering a past inextricably woven into four centuries of American history. At the same time, she found thirty-two owners, across 350 years, who had just one thing in common: ownership of a particular parcel of land. An Uncommon Cape not only tells the story of an eight-year odyssey of fact-finding and speculation but also answers the broader question: "What came before?" and, through material presented in twenty-two sidebars, offers readers insights and guidelines on how to find the stories behind their own homes.

Building an Uncommon Champion helps parents guide their athletic children to learning lifelong principles to be confident, mentally tough, and capable of developing deeper, more meaningful relationships. Parents whose children desire to achieve the highest level in their sport, particularly hockey, find tools to aid their children in not just growing as athletes, but as people. Young athletes may have hopes of being on a college, NHL or Olympic team one day, but not many make it that far. Utilizing philosophies employed by Navy SEALS to build strong leaders and teams alongside anecdotes from years of experience in training and raising athletes, Jennifer Matras lays the groundwork for athletes to develop into better friends, teammates, and students. More than a book that focuses on the how-to's of building speed or strength, Building an Uncommon Champion shares details of Competitive Edge Skating, Inc.’s program, which is designed to give children an uncommon advantage with proven techniques to enhance and sustain their abilities in the arena, weight room, and classroom along with building world class leadership skills. Parents learn to help their children tap into their God-given tools to be the best they can be, leaving common for someone else!

Lori Lansens became one of Canada’s most sought after writers more than a year before her internationally heralded first book, Rush Home Road, would see publication in April 2002. So immediately and passionately was her novel embraced that it was already front-page arts news back in April 2001. Knopf Canada was the first publisher to buy this extraordinary debut novel, but just before the 2001 London Book Fair, Little, Brown US bought the rest of the world rights for a major six-figure sum (for Rush Home Road and the author's yet-to-be-written second novel), and rights have now been sold in numerous countries. The Globe and Mail reported the record-breaking news with full, front-page coverage, and Little, Brown International Rights Director Linda Biagi found herself talking of nothing else in London; she sold Rush Home Road to a further 9 territories with the manuscript still unedited. Biagi likened the book to some of the most important literary achievements of our time, saying, “It’s as if John Irving had written The Color Purple.” Louise Dennys, the Executive Publisher of Knopf Canada, describes it as “a novel of startling beauty and great heart that will immediately find a place within that small, special tribe of books beloved by readers the world over.” The untold story of the descendants of the Underground Railroad Heartbreaking and wise, Rush Home Road tells the life story of Adelaide Shadd, who finds redemption in old age, and Sharla, a five-year-old mixed race girl abandoned to Addy’s care by her white mother. Born in the first decade of the 20th century in Rusholme (inspired by the real town of Buxton), in southwestern Ontario, an all-black community settled by fugitive slaves, Addy Shadd is raped as a teenager and forced to flee the family home. She makes her way on foot to Detroit, where she becomes the housekeeper for an elderly man and his grown son, both of whom develop a crush on her. When misfortune strikes again, she sets off to make a new life for herself in Canada. Thrown off the train at Keating, not far from her birthplace, she meets and eventually marries the train porter, the wonderful Mose, with whom she has a daughter. But when tragedy strikes, Addy is left alone. Now an old woman, she lives a quiet existence in a trailer park near Chatham. Her whole world changes when a young mother asks her to babysit her daughter, as it soon becomes clear that the mother is never coming back. Addy is glad of the company, but not sure if she’s up to the job of mothering this sweet, awkward five-year-old. Nor is she sure how much longer she’ll be around to do so. How she manages is part of the story of this brilliantly captivating novel. Written with verve, grace and unflinching emotional acuity, Rush Home Road is an epic story that explodes our notions of identity, justice, and heroism, penetrating one of our darkest periods with profound insight and humanity. Addy Shadd is a protagonist like no other -- full of quiet, steely bravery and tenderness of heart. This spellbinding novel will leave no reader untouched.

The New York Times bestseller is now in softcover with a bonus chapter on how the “Dare to Be Uncommon” movement is reaching schools, teams, and families across the country and an update on Tony’s life since retiring as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. What does it take to live a life of significance? When Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy took home the trophy in Super Bowl XLI, fans around the world looked to him as the epitome of success. Athletic victory, professional excellence, fame and celebrity, awards and honors—he had it all. But even in that moment, he knew those achievements had little to do with his ultimate significance as a man. Coach Dungy still passionately believes that there is a different path to significance—a path characterized by attitudes, ambitions, and allegiances that are all too rare but uncommonly rewarding. In the New York Times best seller Uncommon, Dungy reveals secrets to achieving significance that he has learned from his remarkable parents, his athletic and coaching career, his mentors, and his walk with God.

This biography of Carleton Gonya Cramer is an attempt by his children to describe the man and reconstruct the environment and major events in his life, as remembered by his descendants nearly 30 years after his death in 1986 at age 85. He was a common man in terms of education and social standing, but quite uncommon in terms of his creativity, humility and basic decency. This biography relies heavily on second generation anecdotes which in some cases are inconsistent and may or may not be true to fact. However, they represent the events as recalled by the tellers and, together, paint a true picture

For nearly thirty years, author Dr. Jeff Herten was a high-functioning alcoholic-one who drinks every day, yet continues to lead a productive, successful life. Now he shares his first-hand knowledge of how alcohol can destroy lives-as it nearly destroyed his. Alcohol is the single greatest social ill in the United States. It affects us not only emotionally but physically. Alcohol may lead to deadly cancers of the breast, colon, esophagus, and liver. It rots our bones, corrodes our stomach lining, erodes our memories, and suppresses our immune systems. "An Uncommon Drunk" explores the numerous facets of alcohol consumption in the United States, including the risks, the behaviors associated with alcohol, and the innocent victims of alcohol abuse. But it also offers hope for those wishing to become sober and recommends resources to help them turn their lives around. Frank and honest, "An Uncommon Drunk" is a must-read for every spouse, parent, child, employer, physician, and counselor whose life is touched by alcohol. It may be just the wake-up call you need.