New Jersey Brewery Guide

In the last 10 years, the micro-brewery industry has exploded in New Jersey. The New Jersey Brewery Guide provides first-hand insight into the well over 150 breweries and brew pubs across the Garden State.

Each brewery is reviewed in detail as are the beers they serve. There is space to provide your own ratings so you can begin your own tour of the New Jersey brewery scene.

It’s a trip worth taking and the book serves as an invaluable guide for that journey.

Weasels Always Win

This step-by-step guide is clear and thoughtful. We have all faced the Weasel, and most of us have fallen prey to their scams.

The only time you get stepped on is when you are lying down.

In Weasels Always Win, Paul and Ross provide sound advice to beat the Weasel. They recommend keeping a copy handy whenever you are considering any kind of business deal.

Ross and Paul present the reader with a “paint-by-numbers” approach to ensure the Weasel doesn’t win.

They first paint a clear picture of who the Weasel is and the types of Weasel activities that occur in various situations.

Ross and Paul then offer solutions to protect yourself and defeat Weasel aggression.

Incredibly Blessed

An 89-year-old Roman Catholic priest from Minnesota fell in church and required surgery to repair a neck injury. During his recovery in a rehabilitation facility, he did not dwell on bad luck or misfortune but instead reflected on how blessed his life had been.

Born in Indiana, he arrived in Minnesota in a shoebox at just three weeks old and grew up on a farm during the Great Depression. The smallest boy in his class and extremely shy, he first felt the call to the priesthood in sixth grade at his Catholic school. He attended high school and two years of college at a minor seminary in St. Paul, where he gradually overcame much of his shyness. He then continued his studies in philosophy and theology at a major seminary in St. Paul before being ordained as a priest.

His ministry took him to parishes in western Minnesota and to chaplaincy roles in Catholic nursing homes. Over the years, he traveled extensively, visiting Rome, the Holy Land, and a mission parish in Guatemala. His journeys also took him to 22 countries, including the Galápagos, the Amazon, the Antarctic Peninsula, and Easter Island.

This is the story of a life filled with challenges, adventures, and countless blessings.

Duty Before Love

Fred Carspecken (1914–2003) lived most of his life in a time when society constrained individuals like him. Though he was a closeted gay man until the age of 62, Fred remained true to the responsibilities and expectations placed upon him, often putting duty before his personal desires and needs. This biography explores Fred’s struggle between fulfilling societal duties and pursuing personal happiness. His story is a testament to the many men and women of his era who sacrificed love to meet societal expectations.

Duty Before Love highlights the generational challenges of being a gay man during a time when societal acceptance was not an option. Fred’s life story reveals the emotional and psychological impact of remaining closeted for decades, only to finally embrace his true self in later years. This biography offers an intimate look at a man who quietly lived a life filled with integrity, compassion, and deep relationships, despite having to conceal an essential part of himself for so long.

Unforced Errors: 15 Bad Decisions That Changed American History

Americans often use terms such as “To err is human,” or “nobody’s perfect,” or “we all make mistakes.” Of course, this is true, as it is for all of America’s leaders through the years.

This book is about decisions made in politics or public policy that may be considered unwise; bad decisions that had unintended negative consequences for the decision-maker. This will not include personal decisions like deciding who to marry or whether to get divorced but rather to look at those political and policy decisions that can be considered, at the very least, unwise. Similarly, Kennedy’s decision to visit Dallas in November 1963 led to his death but doesn’t really qualify as a decision of real political or policy calculation. Lincoln going to Ford’s theatre would be in that same category.

Instead, Unforced Errors lists 15 political calculations made by political figures, often at the pinnacle of their own success, which changed American history.

Concrete Flower

This memoir recounts a childhood marked by maternal abandonment, a mentally ill father’s emotional torment, and an alcoholic stepfather’s physical abuse. Left to raise younger siblings with scarce resources or adult guidance, the author navigated profound neglect. Despite these circumstances, relentless determination led to financial independence and homeownership by her early twenties, establishing a foundation built against difficult odds.

Yet, hardships persisted through challenging romantic and family relationships, resulting in several crises throughout her life. Faith and self-belief provided the strength to endure, even when faced with losing her home to her mother and an attempted physical attack by her father.

This account details a journey toward forgiveness, breaking cycles of abuse, and finding positivity, resilience, and love, embodying the author’s description of herself as a ‘concrete flower,’ finding light amidst difficult ground.

Tayoltita, las Minas de San Luís

Fresh out of the University of Colorado with a degree in geology, the author found himself embarking on an adventurous first job as an exploration geologist for Minas de San Luís, situated in the quaint pueblo of Tayoltita in Durango, Mexico. Nestled under Bolaños Peak and in the heart of the Sierra Madre Occidental, the mine was a remote gem accessible only by a solitary road winding 3,000 feet up the mountain.

Beyond his duties at the mine, he was charged with the thrilling task of scouting the surrounding wilderness for new gold or silver deposits, offering potential expansion for the company. It’s in these explorations, traversing rugged terrains always on muleback, never horse, where the story truly unfolds.

His narrative richly details the culture, courage, intrigue, superstitions, wisdom, and escapades of the local inhabitants he met along the way. These encounters add a colorful depth to his experiences in Tayoltita.

Set against the backdrop of the early days of the drug cartels, this memoir not only recounts geological explorations but also captures a pivotal moment in history. After his return to the United States, the role of Exploration Geologist at Minas de San Luís remained unfilled, marking the end of an era in this secluded part of the Sierra Madre Occidental.

Call of the Raven

This true story takes readers on an unforgettable journey into the untouched wilderness of southern Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska – a land of breathtaking beauty, where towering mountains meet the vast expanse of the North Pacific Ocean.

It offers a rare glimpse into Haida culture and the experiences of a young white couple from the Midwest as they navigate life in a Native American community. Arriving in Hydaburg as teachers, they soon realize that they are the ones being taught.

Through their experiences, they learn profound lessons – patience, the value of listening over speaking, what it truly means to be a minority, and how to let the word honkey roll off their backs like the ever-present rain. Most importantly, they come to understand the power of accepting people for who they are, rather than who we expect them to be.

You are invited to share in the trials and tribulations that changed their lives forever.

Cook'n With Nana

Cookin’ With Nana is more than just a cookbook – it’s a celebration of family, tradition, and the simple joy of gathering around the table. Passed down through generations of country living, these recipes capture the essence of fresh, wholesome ingredients – straight from the garden, farm, or local market.

From the rich flavors of garden-fresh vegetables and home-raised meats to the comforting aroma of time-honored herbs, this collection brings the heart of country cooking to your kitchen. Crafted over decades by three generations of farm homemakers, each dish is a loving tribute to the warmth and care that make family meals unforgettable.

Whether you’re reaching into your backyard garden or selecting the finest produce from the store, these recipes promise to fill your home with the tastes and traditions of a simpler time – fresh, healthy, and made with love.

Welcome to the table. Welcome to Cookin’ With Nana.

The Last Ordinary Life

In The Last Ordinary Life, debut author Cynthia Bowers invites readers on a deeply personal journey, recounting her life-altering decision to donate one of her kidneys to a critically ill 11-year-old boy at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Registered on the transplant list and running out of time, the boy’s only hope came from a woman he had never met.

This story is not just a recounting of the incredible events that led up to an unprecedented organ transplant between two strangers but a transformative narrative that explores the profound impact of spiritual growth and self-discovery.

The Last Ordinary Life is more than a memoir; it’s a testament to the power of selflessness, the importance of overcoming our deepest fears, and the transformative possibility for success that unfolds when we reconnect with our true selves. Cynthia’s journey serves as an inspiring reminder that within each of us lies the potential to live extraordinary lives.

For a Greater Good: The Tom Swann Story

I wrote this book because you and I both need some inspiration from time to time in a tough world. I came out of the closet in 1992 as a gay Marine Corps veteran and civilian worker with a secret clearance for the Department of the Navy. I was assaulted and faced discrimination and retaliation from Navy officials. I was living with advanced AIDS. I suffered and persevered while the ACLU represented me in litigation against the Navy. I am the last federal employee to have his access to classified information challenged by the government based on being a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Our historic successful ACLU litigation against the Navy prompted the Navy Secretary to add sexual orientation protection to the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policy for all civilian employees. The Navy added this protection more than four years before the other branches of the military. Now DEI and the EEOC are being shut down, and we seem to be going backwards. My story will shed light on how difficult work was before DEI and why these programs are so vital for our nation.

The fact that the ACLU and I accomplished this is inspiring. It means you can persevere through adversity and your hopes can be fulfilled. First, have faith in a higher power, and second, believe in the person you see when you stand in front of a mirror. You must never give up hope or give in to discrimination.

Highway to Holiness

For God and country, after trying holiness in the seminary, I enlisted in the Navy. There, I protected others and my country while serving God. I discovered that both serving God in the seminary and serving my country in the military could lead me to heaven after my life here on earth. Both taught me about loyalty, courage, discipline, and putting the needs of others before oneself. At my old age, nothing stops me from finding my destiny with my Lord Jesus Christ as long as I follow my Highway to Holiness.