Dresden: Portrait of a City

The world knows Dresden as the victim of vicious Allied bombing at the end of World War II that destroyed its famed Baroque architecture. But Dresden is more than this stereotype implies. This portrait explores the highs and lows of Dresden’s individual experiences. It captures the visions of the princes who created the Baroque city. It displays the talents of the individuals who turned a princely residence into a modern industrial hub. It traces the city’s historically conflicted relationship with its Jewish community. And it reveals how the city’s identification with the arts was often at odds with its economic, social, and political realities. This background led Dresden to act as spearhead of the peaceful revolution that re-united Germany in 1990. The multiple facets of Dresden’s past inspire its current vitality and energize its response to contemporary challenges.

Dropped Calls

Dropped Calls will ring like a lost phone and have you scrambling to pick up the call. Should water, food, and even the air we breathe become threatened? Providence assembles at the bugler’s call. When democracy is under threat from our collective complacency, these words shall find meaning in the screaming echoes of two centuries past “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”.

In this work of fiction, the resonance of truth should challenge the reader’s sagacity so that each person becomes the keystone to the solution. Just like Siddhartha, to read it once is a revelation, and immersed deep in its pages, understanding and enlightenment may develop.

Perhaps some of the people and places in this book are familiar to you. Imagine the events that unfold happening to your loved ones, in your backyard, or on your watch. Prudence necessitates reading Dropped Calls as an act of prevention and a pathway to compassion.

Earlier Fires

Earlier Fires chronicles the personal evolution of Adrian, a promising student, over 20 years as he leaves his prestigious New Jersey prep school to make his name in the competitive legal world of NYC’s corporate law firms. As a disillusioned 17-year-old, Adrian recognizes the entrapment of perpetuating his privileged socioeconomic status.

He excels academically but struggles to envision a purposeful future, feeling fate-bound to graduate high school and college before climbing the well-worn ladder of material success. Adrian grapples with whether meaningful relationships can endure in a culture consumed by globalized commercialization.

In his quest for purpose, he connects with Dominic, a like-minded rebel, and rekindles a childhood friendship with Delilah when she serendipitously re-enters his life.

Will Adrian break free from expectations to chart his own definition of achievement? Can these kindred spirits sustain bonds despite diverging destinies? Or will the cycle of reproducing class status subsume Adrian as its unwitting heir?

Echoes of the Unknown

In Echoes of the Unknown, dive into a riveting odyssey that transcends the boundaries of Earth and ventures into the realms of the unknown. When a young machine learning programmer, grappling with terminal cancer, finds himself miraculously cured, his relief turns to dread as he unravels the truth behind his recovery. Thrust into a clandestine world where advanced alien civilizations covertly manipulate human affairs, he becomes a pawn in a cosmic game that could alter the fate of humanity.

As he navigates a labyrinth of espionage, interstellar politics, and technological marvels, he is guided by a mysterious figure from his dreams, challenging him to make an impossible choice. With a nano-chip controlling his every thought and move, and the weight of Earth’s future on his shoulders, he faces a moral dilemma that tests the limits of his courage and intellect.

Economic Myths and Economic Realities

The world’s ten richest countries have about 60 times the income per capita of the bottom ten. Nobel Prize-winning economists have acknowledged their ignorance regarding the sources of economic growth. This explains why, despite considerable financial assistance, the gap between poorer and richer countries has grown year after year, both globally and within countries like the USA and Europe.

Using straightforward statistical diagrams, this book explains approximately 90% of the variance in income among countries or states. First, it empirically demonstrates what does not work – the myths – from reindustrialization to Keynesianism. Then, it examines the real drivers of growth by evaluating whole countries (public, social and private sectors combined, including the non-working population) as companies, assessing their business administration across areas like marketing, work culture, strategy and operations. After all, numerous multinationals are larger than countries.

The lessons are twofold: First, nothing is more pointless than perfecting the irrelevant. Second, there are no underdeveloped countries, only undermanaged ones (P. Drucker). The wealthiest countries are, overall, the best-run companies.

Eight Fought to Live

1988: 82,362 gay and bisexual men had AIDS.

1989: 100,000 gay and bisexual men had AIDS.

1990: 307,000 gay and bisexual men had AIDS.

These are the two years Dr. Rosiello led an AIDS therapy group at Gay Men’s Health Crisis in New York City. Within two years each man in her group passed away from AIDS complications. One of these men was Vito Russo, an AIDS activist and historian.

This is the story of eight gay men living with advanced AIDS and one inexperienced fresh out of training psychoanalyst. Each man’s intimate story is peppered with Dr. Rosiello’s anxiety and her growing awareness regarding the importance of emotional authenticity in psychotherapy. The group members had no spare moments for Dr. Rosiello to use her newly learned psychoanalytic techniques. There was only time to be real.

Early on these group members pledged to not die. They pledged emotional support for the life of the group. This pledge held true for over a year. Blood brothers in their fight to live.

El Club de los Suicidas

La vida nunca es fácil. Es una lección que varios jóvenes aprenden al decidir e intentar tomarse su vida. Por medio de un acto insólito, estos jóvenes logran ver que la vida trae consigo muchas cosas, tal como personas que no solo se encuentran en su misma situación o similar, sino que también les abre los ojos y los ayuda a ver lo hermosa y variada que es la vida.

Elodie's Magical Adventures

In Elodie’s Magical Adventures, readers are introduced to a young girl with big dreams and an imagination that knows no bounds. Even with Kindergarten just around the corner, Elodie is already dreaming of magical adventures that may one day come true. With the love and support of those around her, Elodie believes that anything is possible.

Follow along as Elodie embarks on a journey of the mind, exploring enchanted forests, meeting mystical creatures, and discovering hidden treasures. With each turn of the page, readers will be captivated by Elodie’s boundless imagination and the possibilities that await her.

Emily Fisher - Word Maven

Emily Fisher - Word Maven introduces an engaging and imaginative child who takes it upon herself to find out as much as she can about words and how to use them. Emily's fascination with words, how they sound, and what they mean, lead to her determination to pursue a career as a "word maven," a term she has invented from listening to those around her, most notably her grandmother. Determined and focused on the task at hand, Emily embarks on her quest with sometimes humorous and always delightful results.

Emma's Weekend Vacation

Emma is a proud female chocolate labrador that protects her house on a daily basis and at any cost. She now has the opportunity to get out of the house and into the world. She is very curious to see what is going on out there.

Emma experiences several different adventures and learns some valuable lessons along the way.

She encounters new creatures and establishes a new, respectful bond with her parents. During her joumey Emma learns to become a better companion.

Empowered Ladies

Empowerment doesn’t always follow a fairy-tale script. Neither its beginnings nor its journeys are always paved with acceptance. Women who dared to don trousers lived with the tremor of discovery, particularly those who veiled themselves as men to enlist in early wars, when only men were permitted to serve. Their fear was not just the battle cries, but the disgrace of being unmasked and sent home.

The world paused in disbelief when, upon the death of jazz musician Billy Tipton, it was revealed that he was a she. Similarly, when Dr. James Barry, who ascended to the zenith of medical ranks in the British Army, was uncovered as a woman posthumously, the army swathed the truth in secrecy.

Not all were ‘ladies’ in the conventional sense, but they were undeniably women - women who defied the societal mold. They sometimes cloaked themselves in trousers or other male disguises, challenging the expectations of their eras.

Their ranks encompassed saints and sinners, queens, countesses, and commoners. While names like Joan of Arc and Calamity Jane might ring familiar, their tales, along with those of others, are captivating in Empowered Ladies. This book unearths the narratives of these audacious women, weaving a tapestry of resilience and defiance that continues to inspire the quest for empowerment.

Ending Today’s Chaos And Repairing America

In our modern American society, we find ourselves amidst a disheartening breakdown, where chaos prevails. The dominance of a few corporations stifles diversity across numerous sectors of our economy. Complex and biased laws and tax systems cater to special interests, while the upbringing of many children and the quality of education are skewed towards wealthy areas. Moreover, our online platforms inundate us with fraudulent schemes, adding to the societal disarray.

This thought-provoking book offers a fresh perspective on historical change, presenting the idea that the Western world has undergone three distinct civilizations: the Greco-Roman, the Medieval, and the Enlightenment. With the passing of each civilization, we have witnessed a gradual deterioration of institutions and the erosion of social consensus. Examining the challenges we face today, the book delves into the concept of ‘Justice’ and questions what truly constitutes a fair society. It then presents a range of potential improvements to our current institutions, serving as a temporary measure until a new civilization emerges. Additionally, the book explores America’s place in the global context and delves into the complexities faced by other civilizations experiencing their own periods of institutional breakdown.

By offering a critical analysis of our present state and proposing alternative perspectives, this book provides a guiding light for navigating the turbulent waters of societal transformation. It inspires hope for a future where our institutions can be reimagined, fostering a more just and harmonious society.