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.

Illinois 1000

Illinois 1000 is a quick dive into the lives of the English and the Indians of the Upper Midwest a thousand years ago.

Building on The Year 1000 by British historians Robert Lacey and Danny Danzinger, the author moves from one side of the Atlantic to the other. The contrasts are as much from the past to the present as between the two very different cultures. ‘Primitive’ is often used to describe the Indians’ way of life, and not without at least some reason. So much of what characterized and made English life possible was entirely absent in North America.

Yet, centuries later, hundreds, even thousands of Europeans joined the Indians, preferring their way of living to that which they had known in Europe or colonial America. The Indians, the first people, survived and prospered in what was at that time not amber fields of grain but a very ungenerous landscape. If they were brutal, they were hardly unique. In their affinity to the earth they lived on, there were few like them.

Birthed Anew: From Pain to Passion to Purpose

We all have a part deep within us that is fighting to make its exit. Whether it’s hidden secrets, traumatic experiences, or soul wrenching memories, it no longer wants to reside there. Let me introduce you to Grace. She weaves us through the course of her life as she embarks upon this quest for freedom from life’s shackles. On this journey, we experience her deeply rooted pain, and her drive towards deliverance. We witness her attempts of resurrection from the dark pits of pain to the moment of her personal triumph.

Pursing growth commences through the identification of the who, what, where, when and why’s in our lives. Gaining a better understanding of how our past paves our future can help individuals make positive choices that will support authentic healing and restoration.

Birthed Anew: From Pain to Passion to Purpose will shed light on commonly hidden skeletons while simultaneously revealing the beauty of what it actually means to transition from a painful situation to a purposeful one and ultimately experience the gift of forgiveness.

Refrigerator Door

Refrigerator Door!

How one household item became the epicenter for cherished memories.

The refrigerator door – that communal billboard found in every home. Covered in photos, mementos, report cards, and takeout menus, this humble appliance takes on far greater meaning. It becomes a tapestry of everything important to a family.

In Refrigerator Door, author and father Thom reminisces on the refrigerator door of his childhood. This mosaic of fading photos and fridge magnets shaped his upbringing and brought his family together. Now Thom passes along the tradition to his own children, reminding them that even an ordinary door can be transformed into something extraordinary with the memories we choose to display.

Join Thom on this heartwarming journey that reveals how a refrigerator door quietly yet profoundly chronicles the story of a family. More than just a surface for sticking homework assignments and takeout menus, it is a celebration of all that gives our fast-paced lives meaning.

Danielle

In Danielle, the author invites readers into an intimate journey through the life of her seven-year-old daughter, who courageously battled cancer. Far from being just a heartbreaking narrative, this true story illuminates the transformative power of suffering when united with faith. Danielle, with her extraordinary spiritual maturity, finds strength and inspiration from her favorite saint, St. Therese of Lisieux, while navigating the complexities of illness.

This book transcends the usual narratives of tragedy and loss by offering a message of hope and grace. Through sharing the family’s experience – Danielle’s remarkable perspective on life, her deep relationship with God, and her steadfast resilience – the author aims to reveal the beauty that can be found even in immense suffering. Danielle serves as a poignant reminder that life’s hardships and joys are both cradled in the hands of God, and it challenges us to embrace them as such.

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.

Polliwog Hunting

This is a story about Darkness. It’s also a story about Light. It is in essence a memoir and a diary woven together by flashes of memories. There is a learning through those memories that sometimes Light can be shadowed by the Dark.

This is a story about a family. A family that was hindered in being all it could have been because of the Darkness. One that was intermittent in its visits and left radically affected souls in its wake.

This is my story. A story about an ordinary young girl in a seemingly normal family. It is a glimpse into and a reflection of the memories I have sorted through in my journey into healing. It is a story about bravery and learning to live fully in the aftermath. There is much power within courageous healing and the hope that can unfold with it.

Is It Possible to Embrace Seniority with Optimism and Happiness?

Embrace the golden years with a renewed sense of vigor and understanding in this enlightening exploration of seniority. This book delves deep into the intricate relationship between optimism, health, and aging, drawing from both personal experiences and broad statistical insights. Learn how factors such as one’s cultural background, specifically the rise of immigrant seniors in the U.S., shape the aging experience, contrasting them with the socio-politico-economic intricacies of Latin American countries.

Uncover the ever-evolving dynamics of senior care, from the intricacies of love relationships among older couples to the stark disparities between genders, both in health risks and societal expectations. This is juxtaposed against the author’s empowering journey of proactive healthcare and wellness. Recognize the transformative power of systematic exercising in bolstering self-assurance, happiness, and most importantly, joy. With philosophical insights from the likes of Aristotle and more, discover how inner joy, consistent self-care, and embracing one’s strengths and weaknesses play pivotal roles in enriching the experience of seniority.

This guide invites you on a journey of self-discovery, offering a fresh perspective on aging with a harmonious blend of optimism, health, and profound happiness.

Humanity in Trouble and Our Failure to Act

Mankind is on a crash course with destiny and doesn’t seem to have a clue! We are witnessing rapidly accelerating global warming of our own making that could potentially result in species extinctions, including our own. Witness widespread signs of the impending disaster including super storms, record drought, floods, forest fires and climate refugees. Dangerous nuclear saber rattling by Russia and North Korea is on the upswing and the Russian invasion of Ukraine threatens to expand to Western Europe. The increasing number of fascist, autocratic, dictator-run states such as China, North Korea, Turkey, and Brazil are snuffing individual freedoms, denying social justice and fanning the flames of global conflict.  The world’s population is rapidly approaching eight billion and is well past the point of Earth’s ability to sustain us. Crushing poverty, starvation, and dozens of militarized religious and ethnic conflicts. We have polluted our planet with toxic chemicals, oil spills, reckless dumping of trash on land and sea, contaminating the oceans with fish and fowl killing plastic waste.

This book is the result of overwhelming outrage and disappointment with our species, our failure to adequately address worldwide problems that threaten our very existence. We (if there is a ‘we’) should be embarrassed and ashamed. Nature has endowed us with near perfect bodies and amazing brains and for the most part we squander our evolutionary inheritance. And the greatest gift of all, consciousness, is under-developed in most of us. In this collection of essays, the author offers insights into the human condition, the reasons we have run afoul of the natural order, along solutions to alleviate human suffering on an individual and global scale plus some playful jabs at our human folly.

Gen. Park Chung-Hee and South Korea’s Han River Miracle

Gen. Park Chung-Hee was born to a poor family in rural Korea when Japan ruled the nation as a colony. After teaching at a rural elementary school for three years, he studied at three different military academies to become an army officer in the liberated Korea. Although he encountered a career-threatening crisis right before the outbreak of the Korean War, he returned to the service and served many key staff positions during the war and important command positions after the war with devoted professionalism. When the nation drifted rudderless in the 1960s, he led the military revolution as the last resort. Hence forth he headed the government that was steadfastly focused on rebuilding the nation. His administration laid the extensive, future-oriented foundation for the nation’s industrial development and advanced defense capability. Gen. Park lived his life aligned with, to the letter, his personal motto: ‘My Whole Life to Fatherland.’

My Family’s Godly Road

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
– John 3:17

To get to the Heavenly Father…
You must believe in Jesus…
That he lived and died for you.
No matter the religious road you go down, you must accept Jesus as your savior…

This book chronicles the many roles the author played within the church and how her journey impacted the lives of those around her. From Sunday school teacher to Usher, and eventually marrying a preacher, her dedication to her faith and community is woven throughout her story. It also serves as a heartfelt tribute to her family, including her grandson Malachi, who became a deacon, and her granddaughter Delisia, whose solo performances touched the congregation. Through her experiences, the book highlights the profound life lessons that the church instilled in her and her loved ones.

The Secret Bombs of Iva Valley

This book is the first true and full account of the 34 months of weapons manufacturing activities of Biafra’s “Research and Armaments Production” (RAP).

RAP was secretly nucleated and named by an Arrowhead Troika of engineers in March 1967, following privileged information on Nigeria’s war preparations, goaded by Harold Wilson, the British Prime Minister. The Troika’s mentor was a brave gentleman officer, Major Louis Chude Sokei, who established a Military Wing of the Troika’s RAP and named its only regular commissioned officer (this author) as the Head.

The university community and the organized private sector personnel joined the Troika four/five months later, and RAP’s weapons output soared exponentially. The Military Wing regularly deployed RAP’s weapons directly to the various field commands, along with its specialized weapon firing crews of soldiers. An account of the eight fiercest battles of the entire campaign is given in fair detail. Similarly, a brief description of twelve of the most intrepid Biafran officers and men is given.

The incredible mystery of the war is how the five-week-old Biafran Army, totally bereft of all ordnance and using its own manufactured weapons, without Navy or Air Force, managed to keep at bay, for thirty-four months, Nigeria’s gargantuan coalition with Britain and Soviet Russia, which was commanded by Britain’s General Alexander, until both sides became exhausted and a political gimmick of surrender was contrived by Gowon and Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s first President. How Biafra achieved this incredible feat is what this book is about.