The Turin Shroud is an intriguing scientific journey exploring one of the greatest mysteries of the world. It has captivated the curiosity of international scientists, as well as religious and non-religious inquirers. Hopefully, this book will elucidate insights which a casual observer may not think to consider, thereby enabling nonscientists to grasp the significance of findings that so astounds the scientific community. The Jewish perspective is also unique and intriguing. It elicits important insights: placing events and transporting readers into its historical context with surprising results. All facts have been meticulously documented with hundreds of notes and references. Foreword by Mark Antonacci, who is one of the world's leading authorities on the Shroud.

The Turin Shroud is an intriguing scientific journey exploring one of the greatest mysteries of the world. It has captivated the curiosity of international scientists, as well as religious and non-religious inquirers. Hopefully, this book will elucidate insights which a casual observer may not think to consider, thereby enabling nonscientists to grasp the significance of findings that so astounds the scientific community. The Jewish perspective is also unique and intriguing. It elicits important insights: placing events and transporting readers into its historical context with surprising results. All facts have been meticulously documented with hundreds of notes and references. Foreword by Mark Antonacci, who is one of the world's leading authorities on the Shroud.

Badass Lawman. The true story of Sheriff John H. Adams who faced down the gangs and guns of early California and ended the career of America's most wanted bandit. Set against the sweep of America's Manifest Destiny, Badass Lawman takes the reader from the dust of the Santa Fe Trail and the dangers of crossing the prairie, across the mountains and deserts of our country to the lawless camps of the Gold Rush and the fertile valleys of the new state of California, where Californios were trying to hang on to their heritage and outlaws found justice was often served from a six gun or rope.

Author William Briggs is a former San Jose State University mass communications professor and Dean Emeritus at California State University Fullerton. He is past co-president of the Morgan Hill, California Historical Society.

Sherry and Lee are the experts in the area of single parent adoption. They have studied the issue intensely, listened to both adoptees and parents, and most importantly they have lived it. This is an important book for all those impacted by single parent adoption. --Betsy Burch, Founder & Former Dir. of S.P.A.C.E. (Single Parent Adoption of Children Everywhere) Whether you are a single parent who has adopted or is contemplating adopting, Single Adoptive Parents: Our Stories, is a wonderful resource. Single parents, in their own words, discuss their decision to adopt, and share the joys and the challenges of parenting. --Jane Mattes, LCSW. Director, Single Mothers by Choice Single Adoptive Parents: Our Stories, is compelling and insightful. It fills a niche and a need for the people whom the title describes (as well as anyone connected to them), to be sure, but I also recommend this important book to anyone who cares about family issues - or simply wants to better understand the changing world around them. --Adam Pertman, Executive Director, Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute Lee Varon and Sherry Fine have been helping the world of adoption for years with their books and videotapes about the joys and challenges of single parenthood in adoption. Most of the two-parent families that we see have enough challenges and require a repertoire of skills in order to parent children who have suffered loss, trauma and neglect, but for a single parent the need for multitasking and a strong support network is even more of a requirement. Sherry and Lee are part of that support network, and I rarely see a single parent adoptive family that I don't recommend their books and tapes to This newest book is another major resource. --Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao, CEO and Founder, Center For Family Connections

That Pirate, Bouchard: the epic true story of Hipolito Bouchard who became the hero of three South American nations, while considered the scourge of Alta California. The young French sailor, disillusioned after the Napoleonic wars, casts his lot with the emerging republic of Argentina in its fight for independence from Spain. His epic voyage aboard la Argentina takes him around the world and across the Pacific, blockading the port of Manila, negotiating with the King of Hawai'i, and meeting the Russians in northern California, all before loosening the grip of the Spanish Empire on the mission towns of Monterey, Santa Barbara and San Juan Capistrano forever, when for one brief week, the flag of Argentina flew over California. Returning to South America only to face charges of piracy, he fights for redemption before ascending to become the Father of the Peruvian navy. High adventure on the high seas, set against the turmoil of revolutions that shaped the modern world, That Pirate, Bouchard recounts the struggles of one man against an empire, and against himself, to become one of the last great privateers of the Age of Sail.

Following thrilling stints as a sailor-for-hire, a spinach farmer, a slapstick Vaudeville and film comedian, a Zamboni driver, a banana ripening room supervisor, a Duck-Billed Platypus tamer in a circus, a lousy rotten foul-mouthed self-loathing sinner, a church trustee (pro tem), a tea lush, a figure skating dress designer, a porta-potty maintenance truck operator, a male cake-popper, a Guy Friday, and a book formatter and editor of marginal proficiency and no renown, Rick Helley turned his attention to committing to paper a representative collection comprising decades of his lousy jokes. The present volume, RICK'S JOKE OF BOOKS, his legacy to whomever and whatever, is the result.

Dr. MaryAm Armani, who is a Doctor of Psychology in Organization Development, is an expert in cross-cultural communication, with extensive experience in marketing and customer service across various economic, political, and religious arenas.

Born and raised in Great Persia (Iran), she moved to Italy in her mid-teens and now resides in the United States. Dr. Armani's diverse background allows her to bridge cultural gaps while fostering better understanding and collaboration in the workplace.

With a passion for exploring the impact of cross-cultural interactions, Dr. Armani has dedicated her career to improving customer service, leadership styles, communication, and decision-making in multicultural settings.

She is particularly interested in how diverse employee and client populations can thrive when companies embrace and respect cross-cultural differences. Through her consulting work, Dr. Armani emphasizes the importance of adapting policies and procedures to fit the cultural context of different countries, ensuring mutual respect and successful collaborations.

San Francisco has always been a magnet. From Gold Seekers to Flower Children to Tech Wizards, The City has attracted dreamers and doers. Less well known in The City's colorful history:

• How San Francisco began as a colony of religious pilgrims.
• How the first newspaper transformed sleepy Yerba Buena into San Francisco and then launched the Gold Rush.
• How the publisher of that newspaper became the dominant historical figure of his time, only to be downplayed or purposely ignored later by many historians.

Like a Greek tragedy set in Gold Rush California, THE STAR, THE SAINT AND THE CITY is the true story of publisher Samuel Brannan, who amassed California's first great fortune. He became early San Francisco's most influential and flamboyant figure after trading his Mormon faith for his belief in the future of California, only to lose his fortune and die in obscurity.

Author William Briggs is an Emeritus California State University Dean of Communications and author of two previous volumes of California history, BADASS LAWMAN and THAT PIRATE, BOUCHARD. He lives in Morgan Hill, CA.

Following thrilling stints as a slapstick film comedian at the Hal Cockroach Studio, a temp sailor (via the Gobs-R-Us temporary employment agency), a spinach wholesaler, a Zamboni mechanic, a banana ripening room supervisor, a Duck-Billed Platypus Tamer and Elephant Cage Sanitary Engineer in a circus, a Tuna Casserole Taste Tester in a Southern Baptist Church's fellowship meals, a chiropractor (trained at the renowned Sorebone University), a hot chocolate lush, a figure skating dress designer, a porta-potty maintenance truck operator, a male cake-popper (through his Limited Liability Corporation You Can Have Your Cake And Eat It Too LLC), a freelance Guy Friday on Mondays through Thursdays, and a book formatter and copy editor of marginal proficiency and no renown, Rick Helley turned his attention to compiling into book form his lousy jokes spanning decades. His first joke book, RICK'S JOKE OF BOOKS, and the present volume, RICK'S JOKE OF BOOKS II, are the result.

Larry Youngblood was one of New Orleans preeminent Mardi Gras costume designers from 1946 to 1998. During that 52 year period he designed for over forty clubs as well as the theatre, opera, ballet, Spring Fiesta and for private clients. His stories and memories are as colorful and outrageous as his costumes were beautiful and spectacular. Through countless interviews and years of recounting stories during visits, Larry's niece, Liz (Elizabeth) Canik was able to complete what Larry started a decade earlier, revealing what a stellar career he had. Though interrupted by the death of her father Peter, Larry's beloved oldest brother, Hurricane Katrina and the death of Larry himself, Liz was able to complete the book five years after his death. She lives in Covington, Louisiana with her family.

The Turin Shroud is a scientific journey exploring one of the greatest mysteries of the world. It has captivated the curiosity of international scientists, as well as religious and nonreligious inquirers. Hopefully, this book will elucidate insights which a casual observer may not think to consider - thereby enabling non-scientists to grasp the significance of findings that so astounds the world's scientific community. The book is an abridged version of The Turin Shroud: Physical Evidence of Life After Death? (With Insights from a Jewish Perspective) wherein every fact was meticulously researched and documented with hundreds of reference notes.

Sammy loves being outside and spending time with his friends and family. He loves going to the beach, feeling the warm sun on his skin, and playing in the sand. Like most children his age, he loves playing outside, but does not always think about the importance of sunscreen. But he keeps getting sunburns that affect his health and mood. After all, isn't annoying to put on sunscreen? With his Mom's help, Sammy learns that wearing sunscreen is important to prevent skin cancer.

It's the early '80s and heroin is king. It's all about the money; there's no loyalty. The only rule is to get even. Killings of Detroit and other mafia across the nation--all on the 22^nd of the month--means someone is trying to get even with the mob. The FBI is puzzled. Team members work relentlessly to discover what appears to be an international conspiracy to get even.

Detective Clark Philips and his team of police officers and FBI agents end up in a direct confrontation with the Mafia's big bosses. Their probes into Mafia connections with the Catholic Church provide new revelations and a twist on those responsible for the number of body mutilations and killings. Father Dom's digging into Mafia ties with the Catholic Church uncovers surprising mafia manipulation.

Detective Clark Philips is upping the ante; his team of police officers and FBI agents embark on an operation to undercut Mafia run blind pigs and unmask Mafia ties with the Catholic Church.

Building upon their successes in SAX CLUB, the real-to-life characters continue their uphill battle in BLIND PIG, the second historical fiction novel in the Detroit Thorn Birds series.

It's the early '80s, Detroit is hemorrhaging; a criminal juggernaut has brought the city to its knees -- the Mafia has outwitted and outmaneuvered what is widely known as the nation's most corrupt police force. The city's social fabric is torn beyond repair, neighborhood gangs are rampant -- unethical political officials offer no help -- the situation is hopeless Like the characters in Colleen McCullough's bestseller novel, The Thorn Birds, the Detroit Thorn Birds are unrelenting in their resolve; they refuse to succumb to the evil forces permeating their small neighborhoods -- they're clawing to save their dignity and way of life.

This is the third volume of The Karma of Self where the same narrator addresses the issue of the influence of a shadow presence that is always hiding behind each of his dreams. In The Karma of Self the narrator makes the following statement: He had felt a presence always hiding behind the shimmering, illusory veneer of his dreams and the shadow had been there for a long time. It was the shadow of beauty although he didn't know it for sure, at least not yet. The present volume is an attempt to explain that initial assessment and a meditation on the results of the inquiry.

This is the second volume of The Karma of Self where the same narrator addresses the issue of the influence of emotions in one's existence. In The Karma of Self the narrator makes the following promise: It occurred to him that perhaps he should make a list of all the strongest emotions he had experienced, and figure out which ones had been running his life without him being aware of it. Some of them came to mind right away, but he didn't want to act hastily in this situation since the results had the potential to be quite revealing. The present book is a fulfillment of that initial promise and a meditation on the results of this inquiry.

The book is a meditation on the ideas of the Ego, the Soul and the Higher Self and the differences between them. The narrator is a rather amorphous figure that can actually be anyone who has thought about these issues. There are no characters per s , but as the novel evolves, night, darkness, the dreaming process, the mind, and thought become the main characters. The story is part of a very long, complex dream that the narrator seems to be going through as he makes his way to the realization that the Higher Self is the source of everything.

The book is intended as a thought-provoking meditation on the idea of the future. It asks questions about different aspects of the relationship between past, present and future, claiming that the connections between them may not be as clear cut as expected. It also touches upon the concept of time, which seems to influence the relationships between these three ideas, but which also complicates their seeming dependency on one another. It is also very concerned with the topic that the present might not actually exist. The rest of the book follows from this one intriguing assertion.

Presidential Affair: The intriguing conclusion of the Love, Lies and Liaisons Trilogy. As the first female president of the United States, Janet Stetson is the most powerful woman in the world, but to Steve Schilling she's much more than that. The two form the perfect team -- on the Hill during the day and in the White House at night -- he treats her like no man ever before. Together they develop a plan to reform the nation's beleaguered public schools and successfully gain support from both sides of the aisle to pass legislation that revolutionizes our public school system. While she's making tough decisions, he's involved with other women creating a Steve-a-mania epidemic. And when his sexual encounters extend beyond the White House, there's an attempted assassination of president. The Secret Service, FBI, CIA and NSA work together like never before to uncover those responsible for this treasonous act.