Drop Dead

From Confederation in 1867 until the abolition of the death penalty in 1976, 704 people were hanged in Canada. The book examines how trial, conviction, and punishment operated then, and the relevance of capital punishment today. It profiles notable individuals: victims, murderers, judges, jurors, the wrongfully convicted ... and the hangman.

From the bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically and The Know-It-All comes the true and truly hilarious story of one person’s quest to become the healthiest man in the world. Hospitalized with a freak case of tropical pneumonia, goaded by his wife telling him, “I don’t want to be a widow at forty-five,” and ashamed of a middle-aged body best described as “a python that swallowed a goat,” A.J. Jacobs felt compelled to change his ways and get healthy. And he didn’t want only to lose weight, or finish a triathlon, or lower his cholesterol. His ambitions were far greater: maximal health from head to toe. The task was epic. He consulted an army of experts— sleep consultants and sex clinicians, nutritionists and dermatologists. He subjected himself to dozens of different workouts—from Strollercize classes to Finger Fitness sessions, from bouldering with cavemen to a treadmill desk. And he took in a cartload of diets: raw foods, veganism, high protein, calorie restriction, extreme chewing, and dozens more. He bought gadgets and helmets, earphones and juicers. He poked and he pinched. He counted and he measured. The story of his transformation is not only brilliantly entertaining, but it just may be the healthiest book ever written. It will make you laugh until your sides split and endorphins flood your bloodstream. It will alter the contours of your brain, imprinting you with better habits of hygiene and diet. It will move you emotionally and get you moving physically in surprising ways. And it will give you occasion to reflect on the body’s many mysteries and the ultimate pursuit of health: a well-lived life.

Winner, 2017 American Theater and Drama Society John W. Frick Book Award Winner, 2017 ASTR Barnard Hewitt Award for Outstanding Research in Theater History Hillary Miller’s Drop Dead: Performance in Crisis, 1970s New York offers a fascinating and comprehensive exploration of how the city’s financial crisis shaped theater and performance practices in this turbulent decade and beyond. New York City’s performing arts community suffered greatly from a severe reduction in grants in the mid-1970s. A scholar and playwright, Miller skillfully synthesizes economics, urban planning, tourism, and immigration to create a map of the interconnected urban landscape and to contextualize the struggle for resources. She reviews how numerous theater professionals, including Ellen Stewart of La MaMa E.T.C. and Julie Bovasso, Vinnette Carroll, and Joseph Papp of The Public Theater, developed innovative responses to survive the crisis. Combining theater history and close readings of productions, each of Miller’s chapters is a case study focusing on a company, a production, or an element of New York’s theater infrastructure. Her expansive survey visits Broadway, Off-, Off-Off-, Coney Island, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, community theater, and other locations to bring into focus the large-scale changes wrought by the financial realignments of the day. Nuanced, multifaceted, and engaging, Miller’s lively account of the financial crisis and resulting transformation of the performing arts community offers an essential chronicle of the decade and demonstrates its importance in understanding our present moment.

'Bald and wrinkly' Grandma and Grandad recall to their grandmother their entire lives which have been more colourful and bizarre than anyone could possibly imagine. Adventurous babies, outrageous school children, disastrous and experienced teenagers who grow up to be a stunt man film star. . . But despite the hazards they have survived, they expect one day to just drop down dead like everyone else. But their story doesn`t stop there, because once dead, they could be recylced as anything. . .

Snooping around the mysteriously abandoned Dew Drop Inn, Sebastian Barth and his best friends, David Lepinsky and Corrie Wingate, are startled to come upon what they are certain is a dead body. Sebastian is the first to put into words what they all believe: A murder has been committed. When they return with the police, however, the body is gone! "A homeless man sleeping off a drink," is the police chief's explanation. But Sebastian and his friends are not ready to believe that. They are sure the body they saw was dead, not unconscious. As the three undertake their own further investigation, more and more questions arise: Who was the man? Was he alone? And most important of all, is there a connection between the man they saw and one or more of the homeless people Corrie's father, a minister, is trying to help? The answers to the questions do not come until the three have made a number of discoveries, some of them more horrifying than they had expected. Dew Drop Dead is the fourth mystery in the Sebastian Barth series. Using rural Connecticut as a background, this tension-filled story is told with a unique blend of humor and seriousness, as it unravels a challenging puzzle and explores a difficult social problem.

"One mans comedic journey to discover how to live as healthfully as possible"-- Provided by publisher.

"From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Gibson comes another hilarious and moving fish-out-of-water tale about what happens when a small-town Texas girl is forced to swap bodies with a filthy rich socialite"--

Murder always leaves a sour taste . . . Although baby showers aren’t an Amish tradition, Bailey King wants to celebrate Emily Keim’s forthcoming bundle of joy. It’s the least she can do for her hardworking assistant at Swissmen Sweets, especially with Emily being estranged from her siblings. Everyone in Harvest, Ohio has gathered at the town gazebo—decked out in lemon-themed décor to add some of Emily’s favorite flavor to the festivities—including Juliet Brook, Jethro the Pig, and in a last-minute invite, Emily’s sister Esther Esh. But Esther isn’t the only surprise guest. A mysterious Amish woman confronts Emily claiming to know about her secret shame—the child she had as a teenager who was given up for adoption. The stranger vanishes before Bailey could find out who she was and if she knew what happened to Emily’s first baby. Later that evening, the woman reappears—dead in Esh Family Pretzels, with a threatening letter written by Esther found on her body. Emily knows her sister is not a murderer and convinces Bailey to help clear Esther’s name and put the squeeze on the real killer . . . Recipe Included! Praise for Amanda Flower and her Amish cozies “As it turns out, Amanda Flower may have just written the first Amish rom com.” —USA Today “Flower has hit it out of the ballpark . . . and continues to amaze with her knowledge of the Amish way of life.” —RT Book Reviews “Reading the book is a visit to a town that feels like home.” —Kings River Life