7 results for "Biography"

Outside the wire: ten lessons I've learned in everyday courage

Kander, Jason
"Barack Obama has called Jason Kander the future of the Democratic Party. A former Army Captain who served in Afghanistan, Kander was the first millennial ever elected to statewide office. Today, he is the founder and president of Let America Vote, and a bold new voice in American politics. In OUTSIDE THE WIRE, Jason Kander writes candidly about his life, from joining the military following 9/11, to launching his first political campaign, to becoming the next step in the evolution of the Democratic Party following the 2016 presidential election. Kander's signature outspoken voice is on full display as he guides readers through his own journey from soldier to politician, detailing -- often with a dose of humor -- the lessons he's learned along the way. OUTSIDE THE WIRE is an inspiring and entertaining argument for a life of service, as well as a hopeful vision of America's future as seen through the eyes of one of its most dedicated citizens." -- Publisher's annotation.
Twelve, Hachette Book Group 2018-08-07 224 pages

For love of country: what our veterans can teach us about citizenship, heroism, and sacrifice

Schultz, Howard
A celebration of the extraordinary courage, dedication, and sacrifice of this generation of American veterans on the battlefield and their equally valuable contributions on the home front. Because so few of us now serve in the military, our men and women in uniform have become strangers to us. We stand up at athletic events to honor them, but we hardly know their true measure. Here, Starbucks CEO and longtime veterans' advocate Howard Schultz and National Book Award finalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran of The Washington Post offer an enlightening, inspiring corrective. The authors honor acts of uncommon valor in Iraq and Afghanistan, including an Army sergeant who repeatedly runs through a storm of gunfire to save the lives of his wounded comrades; two Marines who sacrifice their lives to halt an oncoming truck bomb and protect thirty-three of their brothers in arms; a sixty-year-old doctor who joins the Navy to honor his fallen son. We also see how veterans make vital contributions once they return home, drawing on their leadership skills and commitment to service: former soldiers who aid residents in rebuilding after natural disasters; a former infantry officer who trades in a Pentagon job to teach in an inner-city neighborhood; a retired general leading efforts to improve treatments for brain-injured troops; the spouse of a severely injured soldier assisting families in similar positions. These powerful, unforgettable stories demonstrate just how indebted we are to those who protect us and what they have to offer our nation when their military service is done.
Alfred A. Knopf 2014 210 pages

Calculated Risk

Mark W. Clark
Mark W. Clark was a major figure in World War II. He was prominent as one of the top American commanders. Together with Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar N. Bradley, and George S. Patton, Jr., Clark was widely regarded as being responsible for victory on the European side of the conflict. One of the great World War II memoirs by a legendary American general in charge of operations in North Africa and Italy. General Mark W. Clark recounts his wartime exploits and tells the story of the battles in Tunisia and Italy with verve and attention to key detail. An unparalleled account by a great military leader.
Enigma Books 2007 399 pages

The Resilient Warrior

Jerry Yellin,Sarina J. Grosswald
It has been said that the only warriors who do not suffer after combat are those who were killed. I cannot attest to that for all battle tested warriors but I certainly can for one---me. Some years ago a young, 13 year old eighth grade student from the Fairfield, Iowa Middle School once asked me, "Were you wounded in the war? I had been invited to speak in Mrs. Broz's class for many years to talk about my wartime experiences. I had been asked and answered many questions but this one was different. I paused, thought deeply and quickly, and replied. "Yes I was wounded, seriously wounded but not a wound that anyone could see and fix." His question gave me pause to quickly think about warriors in all the wars that have been fought, including mine, whose wounds were unseen, untreated and debilitating even though no blood was shed. I spent a sleepless night wondering if my answer had satisfied him...or me. What was there about my military service that left me so hopeless and so helpless when I returned home to civilian life? Was it me? The military itself? The combat? This is what I recalled; perhaps the answers would come as I wrote my experiences down. "I've been practicing Transcendental Meditation for 40 years. It's a great tool for reducing stress ... especially the stress our men and women of the Armed Forces are going through now." --Clint Eastwood, Academy Award-Winning Film Director "Stress causes, anxiety, depression, and violent behavior. Transcendental Meditation is a remarkable process for reducing stress-it can help people live a long and better life." --Mehemet Oz, MD, America's Doctor "In this riveting memoir, a true American hero describes how Transcendental Meditation changed his life for good. A must-read for those struggling with the aftershocks of combat, and their loved ones." --Norman Rosenthal, M.D. Author of Transcendence: Healing and Transformation Through Meditation "The hidden cost of war includes long-term pain and suffering for may veterans and their families. This wonderful book shows how meditation can be a practical, simple, and effective way for our returning warriors to find peace." --Professor Linda Bilmes, Harvard University, co-author of The Three Trillion Dollar War "The Resilient warrior is a riveting read. What is especially impressive is how Jerry Yellin conflates his own war and PTSD experiences, and those experiences of other veterans, with the powerful compelling evidence of the benefits of using meditation as a means to overcome this disorder. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking relief from stress, regardless of the source of the trauma." --Donald Mikkleson, Vietnam Veteran "My son, Dory, was an eight-year Army veteran who committed suicide early this year and I have suffered terribly. On a really bad day, a few weeks after Dory's death, Jerry Yellin suggested that I read The Resilient Warrior and learn to meditate. Since starting to meditate I can feel the stress leaving me, and my days and nights are getting a little better day-by-day, week-by-week. I strongly recommend Jerry's book to veterans and families of veterans, and anyone who is looking for a way of the nightmare of PTSD." --Lin Klock, Vero Beach, Florida Author Jerry Yellin Jerry was a WW 2 fighter pilot from Hillside, NJ. He flew P-51's over Japan from Iwo Jima. Married to Helene for 60 years, they have four sons and six grandchildren. Jerry is the author of the award winning historical fiction book The Blackened Canteen and his memoir Of War and Weddings . The soldier above all other people prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war." --General Douglas Macarthur
TotalRecall Publications 2011 142 pages

The Girl Watchers Club Lessons from the Battlefields of Life

Harry Stein
Harry Stein gives us the conversations of a group of older men who meet every week for lunch to reflect on their lives and the state of the world. What is a well-lived life? What is honour, and does it have a place in our society? A profound and poignant meditation on the meaning of honour, told through the words of men who lived life according to the forgotten rules of trust and responsibility. From these conversations, Stein shows us men who lived their lives according to values that have since been declared relative or obsolete: honour, responsibility, decency, and an uncynical commitment to being the best men they could be. Stein presents the stories of this remarkable group of men who lived through the difficult time of the mid-20th century and all its wars and social upheavals. We meet Moe Turner, Stein's father-in-law, a mathematician involved in research on the H-bomb who is Stein's connection to the group. We meet Boyd Huff, a survivor of the Nazi prisoner camps, whose youngest son was killed in a gun accident and oldest is a hospitalized schizophrenic. We meet Gene Cooper, an electrical engineer and the emotional centre of the group. These three men, and the rest of the club, have had difficult lives and plenty of trying moments, yet all of them have survived with their sense of right and wrong, of honour and love, fully intact. Stein connects their background, stories and lives, to the valuable views and ideas they share with him now. What the reader comes away with is a renewed sense of purpose, a new confidence in the strength of courage and conviction in your beliefs—even as those of the world change around you.
Harper Collins 2005-02 315 pages