Before Their Time

in this memoir of his experiences as a teenage infantryman in the US Third Army during World War II, Kotlowitz brings to life the harrowing story of the massacre of his platoon in northeastern France, in which he--by playing dead--was the only one to survive. 208 pp. 15,000 print.

Women have been struggling for thousands of years for equality in their many relationships. “Before Their Time – Women Who. Dared” takes an historical look at the secondary roles women have played throughout history. The female half of the human race was expected to lead subservient lives to the men of their times. Those who sought equality were vilified and mistreated. There have always been those females who refused the stereotypical demands of their patriarchal societies. Through their decisions and actions, those individuals lived lives of power and daring. I have highlighted seven of those female heroines who provide inspiration for future generations.

"This 82-page report documents the routine arrest of children for such 'offenses' as begging, running away from home, or being alone with a member of the opposite sex. Prosecutors can hold children, like adults, for up to six months before referring them to a judge. In the case of girls, authorities can detain them indefinitely, without judicial review, for what they say is 'guidance.' Detention centers mix children under investigation or trial with children convicted of a crime and sometimes with adults. Judges regularly try children without the presence of lawyers or sometimes even guardians, even for crimes punishable by death, flogging, or amputation."--Publisher website.

Here are the stories of six children born too soon--true stories of women, men and tiny children exploring the meaning of life, death and faith. Written by Daniel Taylor from extensive interviews, each story arises out of the practice of Dr. Ronald Hoekstra at Children's Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Enter the neonatal intensive care unit, a place of drama, heartache, waiting and joy.

What do Sir Isaac Newton, Johannes Kepler, and Buddha have in common? They were all born prematurely. Tiny, weak, and brain-damaged, they very nearly didn't survive. But, just about pulling-through, they went on to change the world. And so did Rousseau, Goethe, and Moses, despite being born tiny and many months early. In Sent Before Their Time, Edward Dutton, who was born 3 months early himself, explores the massive and disproportionately high impact that people born prematurely or with low birth weight have had on world history. He shows that the mental characteristics caused by being born prematurely - being a 'preemie' - are precisely those that have always been associated with the heights of genius and of spell-binding charisma. And Dutton, whose analysis includes an eye-opening account of his own preemie childhood, presents an evolutionary theory for preterm birth, arguing that under the harsh Darwinian conditions that existed before the Industrial Revolution, the group with the optimum number of surviving preterm children - and, therefore, geniuses and inspiring people - would have been better able to win wars against other groups and, thus, triumph in the battle of Darwinian selection.

Although numerous international treaties and organizations worktirelessly to improve conditions for children, there are still 320million children under the age of sixteen working around the world-- 150 million of those in the most harmful industries, such asprostitution and forced military service. This is their story, inwords and photographs. Physician and photographer David L. Parker takes us beyond theheadlines and into the textile factories, stone quarries, andgarbage dumps where children are forced -- by unscrupulous adultsor by lack of any other economic opportunity -- into the desperatecycle of child labor. His haunting and sensitive portrayal of thesechildren preserves their dignity and humanity while exposing theiroften tragic circumstances. The hazards of harsh working conditions are visitedexponentially on still-growing bodies and minds, whether they arecleaning elephant stables in India, picking cotton in Turkey, orextracting gold from Nicaraguan mines. Mercury used in miningcauses brain damage; stone dust destroys young lungs; circuscontortions cause serious muscular harm. But even beyond thedisastrous physical consequences of child labor, simply having towork means that children are deprived of the education, nurturing,and socialization that are the necessary foundations of lastinghealth, development, and progress. Dr. Parker\'s riveting portraits of children continues in thebrave documentary tradition of Lewis Hine, Milton Rogovin, andSebasti¿o Salgado, who have contributed to the legal andhumanitarian advances of previous generations. We can only hope, asHine said in the early twentieth century, that one day soonheartbreaking images like these will simply be "records of thepast." Until then, Before Their Time is an essential call toaction. 135 duotone photographs.

Once upon a time in a small Westchester community named Laurelville, 71-year-old David Goldstein is called out of retirement to direct and piano accompany the high school production of "Fiddler on the Roof." A disgruntled former Laurelville High School student named Michael LaDonna, enters the auditorium during rehearsal, shooting down students left and right. To stop further carnage, an injured Goldstein crawls over to the shooter and engages him in talk. It seems the previous school theater director molested LaDonna's sister, and he is out for revenge. Goldstein's brave and delaying tactic gives the police time to act, and they storm the auditorium, killing the shooter. In this horrific shooting, three students and the shooter lie dead, and many others are injured. Although a novel, this story is a scary reminder of the times we live in, and what happens all too often in differing scenarios throughout the country.