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There is Something Fishy About Ed. A Gentle introduction into mental health and eating disorders
This book is a heartfelt, poetic exploration of a family navigating the stormy waters of an eating disorder. Told through the eyes of two young fish siblings, it follows their journey as they learn about their mother’s struggle with “Ed” (short for eating disorder). The story gently unpacks complex emotions, fear, confusion, and love and highlights the importance of communication, support, and coping skills. With a mix of tender moments and childlike wonder, it presents a difficult subject in a way that feels safe and accessible for children.
Right from the beginning, the writing pulls you in with its simple yet evocative language. The author does an incredible job of using poetry to create a rhythm that mirrors the ups and downs of mental illness. At times, the verses feel light and playful, especially when the siblings count fish or share inside jokes but there’s an underlying weight that makes the story feel real. The metaphor of the ocean, the storm, and the lurking presence of “Ed” makes this a powerful and relatable read.
One of the most striking aspects of the book is how it doesn’t shy away from the raw emotions children might feel when a parent is struggling. The book captures that feeling of helplessness kids experience when they sense something is wrong but don’t quite understand it. At the same time, it reassures them that they’re not alone. The way the siblings support each other, like when one comforts the other with a quick fin hug, shows the power of small moments in making a big difference.
The ending takes an unexpected yet imaginative turn when the children transform from fish into humans, symbolizing growth and newfound understanding. It’s a creative touch that reinforces the idea that struggles don’t define a person they evolve, they change, they learn to cope. The final message, “Together we’ll rise! No storm will divide!” leaves readers with a sense of hope and resilience. And the fact that they still giggle about “Fred” (instead of “Ed”) makes it feel authentic because healing isn’t just serious work, it’s also about finding joy along the way.
There is Something Fishy About Ed? (A Gentle) Introduction to Mental Health and Eating Disorders would be a great fit for families wanting to introduce mental health discussions in a way that feels safe and engaging. It’s perfect for kids who might be dealing with similar challenges at home or anyone who wants a deeper understanding of how eating disorders affect not just individuals, but the people who love them. It’s emotional, beautifully written, and, most importantly, filled with hope. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or therapist, this book is a conversation starter that will leave a lasting impact.
Keeping the Stethoscope, Hanging up the Uniform, The Curse of Combat Disability Retirement
Keeping the Stethoscope, Hanging Up the Uniform tells the story of a combat-disabled Army nurse who carries his battlefield memories into the civilian ER. The book shifts between gripping trauma-room scenes, raw reflections on disability retirement, and a steady, painful questioning of how a nation can praise its veterans yet leave so many struggling to survive. It blends medical urgency with personal grief, while also tracing the larger social and political failures that shape veterans’ lives. The chapters move from intense medical narratives to broader calls for reform, tying individual suffering to systemic problems.
This was a thought-provoking and emotionally stirring book. The writing feels like a pulse that speeds up and slows down. It mimics the chaos of an ER and the quieter, heavier weight of memory. I kept feeling this mix of admiration and frustration. The author speaks plainly, and that plainness hits hard. There’s no dressing up the trauma, no soft edges on the anger. The stories the author shares are vivid. The medical scenes come alive in a way that made me tense up, and the personal reflections feel like someone talking late at night when honesty comes more easily.
What stayed with me most wasn’t the medical detail, but the sense of abandonment threaded through the book. I could feel his disappointment. His exhaustion. His hope trying to hold on even while he keeps pointing to everything that is broken. He talks about veterans who are homeless, veterans who end their own lives, veterans who are reduced to numbers in the system, and he handles all of it with a mix of sorrow and grit. Some passages made me angry in a way that almost surprised me. Others made me pause and sit with my own discomfort.
By the time I reached the final chapters, I felt grateful for his honesty. This book is a call to pay attention, to stop pretending that “thank you for your service” solves anything. It’s a reminder that behind every veteran is a story still unfolding, sometimes painfully, sometimes quietly, sometimes with no support at all.
I would recommend this book to readers who want an unfiltered look at military and medical life, especially those who work in healthcare, public policy, or veteran support fields. It’s also a strong read for anyone who wants to understand the deeper emotional cost of service, far beyond the slogans and ceremonies.
Pages: 192 | ASIN : B0G1L9FM6F
Love Yourself
Indra’s Net offers readers a spiritual guide that blends personal experiences and grounded spiritual lessons within a Tarot-inspired structure. Why was this an important book for you to write?
For my own growth.
Is there anything you now wish you had included in Indra’s Net? Any additional anecdotes or bits of wisdom?
No.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your book?
Love yourself.
Can we look forward to more releases from you soon? What are you currently working on?
Ideas, but nothing definite.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Adult Nonfiction Book of the Year, San Francisco Writer’s Conference
FOR THOSE WHO SEEK ANSWERS, UNDERSTANDING, INSPIRATION, & INNER PEACE
Indra’s Net is a collection of themes about learning to live an awakened life and opening one’s mind and heart to the Self. It is for those who seek answers, understanding, inspiration, and inner peace. It discusses topics such as vulnerability, codependence, arrogance, impermanence, gratitude, and failure, and contains wisdom and teachings from many paths.
This book can be used as daily inspiration, a tool for self-improvement, a spiritual lesson plan, and a source of divination. Full of helpful techniques, hints, humor, and love, all oriented towards making sense of our human experiences and discovering a cosmic home here on Earth, it is a how to do and how to be manual.
The format mirrors a traditional Tarot card deck, although it offers a new take on both Tarot meanings and spiritual discovery outside of Tarot readings. The book can be used as a modern guide to reading and understanding Tarot card meanings.
In the two-thousand-year-old tradition of Indra’s Net, each perfect faceted jewel reflects every other jewel and is reflected by that jewel. It’s an image of interdependence, in that everything is connected to everything else. Indra’s Net is not a poetic or a philosophical idea, it’s the way life functions.
Indra’s Net is a product of author Indra Rinzler’s 50+ years of living on the spiritual path, assembled from decades of study, wisdom paths, practices, experiences, and revelations.
How we view life is our choice. This book is meant to encourage one to choose from a higher wisdom and connection to the truest Self. That which we wish to understand and become, transforms us in the very process of seeking. As we open to awareness, we awaken to the significance of all dimensions of reality.
From a hod to an odd EM wave
From a Hod to an Odd EM Wave follows D. A. Weston’s life from a rough start in postwar Britain to a long, winding career in engineering and research. The book moves through building sites, radio repair shops, mental-health research labs, nuclear facilities, and international consulting work. Along the way, Weston meets people who are brilliant, kind, petty, tragic, and sometimes heroic. His memoir mixes personal anecdotes with technical curiosities, plus emotional reflections on war, ethics, science, and the strange places a career can lead. It feels like a tour through the human side of engineering, full of sharp memories and surprising turns.
I found myself pulled in by the plainspoken honesty in his stories. He writes in a way that feels like the reader is sitting across from someone who has lived five lifetimes and is finally ready to talk. Some scenes hit hard. The thalidomide children, the chaotic fights in the lab, the grim humor around radiation work, and the quiet sadness of patients stuck in outdated psychiatric systems. Other parts feel warm and almost nostalgic. His delight in radios and tape recorders, his pride in small technical victories, his awe at mentors who believed in him. At times I laughed, then suddenly felt my stomach drop. The emotional swing made the book feel alive, even when the writing wandered.
The parts that lingered most for me were the stories that touched on moral courage. Rudy’s escape from Auschwitz and his fight to warn the world. The reminders that science is done by flawed people who can steal credit, cut corners, or act with unexpected kindness. Weston never hides his own missteps either. That humility made me trust him more. Sometimes the prose felt abrupt, but I didn’t mind. It matched the way memories surface in real life. The mix of technical curiosity and human vulnerability kept me hooked.
From a hod to an odd EM wave is ideal for readers who enjoy memoirs with grit and candor, especially those curious about science and engineering from the inside. It is raw, personal, and full of feeling. I recommend it to anyone who likes hearing about life told straight from the heart and who does not mind a ride that goes from light to heavy and back again.
Pages: 223 | ASIN : B0G9C9R31N
Easy-To-Use Tactics
Dr. Toad’s Short Book for a Long Memory is a guide that blends humor with practical advice, vivid examples, quirky illustrations, and down-to-earth explanations to show how memory works and how anyone can strengthen it. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Among several reasons, I wanted to be a physician because I receive tremendous satisfaction from helping people with challenges. No longer in clinical practice or teaching, I realized some time ago that everyone—no matter their age—worries about lapses in memory. I knew I could help by offering my simple, easy-to-use tactics.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about memory and learning to improve it?
If you are young, under 40 years old, you worry about looking dumb when you can’t remember someone’s name or phone number. If you are older, you worry about early dementia. A lot of people assume they have a memory problem if they can’t recall everything. Not true! As I describe in my book, forgetting things is common. Good memory does not require brilliance. It only requires a small effort to employ one’s imagination.
Learning to strengthen memory can be overwhelming. What were some ideas that can help readers feel more comfortable with starting this process?
Start with a name you want to memorize. Use your imagination to turn that name into a mental image that is outlandish. If that image makes you laugh, you are on the right track. This may sound silly at first, but it works! Turning one’s wristwatch over and linking it to an item or date is another simple technique.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Dr. Toad’s Short Book for a Long Memory?
I hope readers will believe that they truly can improve their memory for things that are important by using the simple, easy-to-understand techniques that anyone can use. They can DO it!
Author Links: GoodReads | LinkedIn | Website | Amazon
Dr. Toad’s Short Book for a Long Memory is the first book in the Dr. Toad series, created to share simple, achievable solutions for the everyday challenges we all face on the path to better health and well-being.
Dr. Toad’s Short Book for a Long Memory
Dr. Toad’s Short Book for a Long Memory is a light and friendly guide that walks readers through simple ways to recall names, numbers, lists, and lost items. The book blends humor with practical advice, using vivid examples, quirky illustrations, and down-to-earth explanations to show how memory works and how anyone can strengthen it. It moves through seven short chapters that each offer a new tool or idea and wraps it all up with a warm push toward healthier habits for a sharper mind.
As I read it, I found myself smiling at how disarming the tone is. The author talks about blimps, spilled eggs, dancing seniors, and cartoon images glued to people’s faces. It made learning feel easy. At times, I caught myself trying out the techniques before I even realized it. When he described the Roman Room idea, I could almost see my own messy living room turning into a mental storage unit, and it honestly made me laugh. I liked that the writing never tries to sound smarter than it needs to be. It keeps things simple and conversational, which left me feeling more relaxed than judged.
I also appreciated how encouraging the book feels. The author stresses that forgetfulness is normal and often harmless. That reminder took a weight off my shoulders. Reading the sections on distraction and switch tasking made me nod in recognition because they felt so true to daily life. Some parts felt a little repetitive, and I wished a few techniques had more real-world examples. Still, the charm of the book never fades. I felt the writer rooting for me, which made the advice land with more force.
By the end, I felt motivated. The book’s mix of science, humor, and practical steps stirred a sense of hope that memory can be trained with small habits. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants simple tools without heavy jargon. It is great for busy people, older adults who feel a little nervous about forgetfulness, students who want to sharpen their recall, and anyone who has walked into a room and muttered, “Why did I come in here?”
Pages: 67 | ASIN : B0G3TDSHJD
Back Into Delight: Grief Recovery at the Speed of Life
Back Into Delight is a grief recovery book that blends memoir and self-help, following Paul O’Neill as he recounts the losses of his brother and later his son, and the slow work of teaching a shocked, frozen body how to move again. The book moves through the warping force of bereavement, the paralysis of shutdown, and the tools that help coax a person back toward breath, connection, and, eventually, delight. O’Neill shares stories, somatic techniques, and moments of dark humor to show how grief can bend a life but does not have to break it. It’s part personal narrative, part practical guide, all oriented toward finding motion in the aftermath of loss.
O’Neill writes with a mix of clarity and lived authority that made me lean in. He doesn’t romanticize grief. He doesn’t turn it into a neat psychological model. He just walks me through the reality of it, page by page. His descriptions of shutdown hit especially hard: the body going still, breath thinning out, thoughts getting muffled. I recognised that feeling. And I appreciated how he roots his methods in the physical, not the abstract. There is something grounding about watching him refuse to let grief stay purely conceptual. Breath, posture, voice, humor. These are small, almost embarrassingly simple interventions, but he shows how they become anchors.
I was surprised by how often I smiled. His tone shifts in a way that feels inviting. One moment he’s describing the unbearable silence of losing his son, and the next he’s talking about noodle-breaths or Stretch Armstrong or telling himself he’s not Humpty Dumpty. The humour doesn’t soften the pain so much as make space inside it. It lets the ideas land in a real, lived way. And when he brings in the tools of trance, voice modulation, and emotional repatterning, he does it without jargon. It’s practical. Warm. Sometimes blunt. Sometimes tender. The kind of writing that feels like someone reaching across the table to say, “Try this. It helped me.”
By the end, I felt steadier. Not because the book offers solutions, but because it treats healing as a practice. Grief recovery, in O’Neill’s world, isn’t a miracle. It’s a muscle. It’s a series of cues that teach the body it is safe enough to return. This is where the book’s genre really shines: it lives at the intersection of memoir and self-help, and that blend makes the guidance feel earned.
If you want a companion for the messy middle of loss, someone speaking plainly and offering tools that actually feel usable, then I’d recommend it wholeheartedly. This book is especially for readers who feel frozen in their grief, who need something gentle but not vague, and who are open to a mix of story, science, and the smallest sparks of humour cutting through the dark.
Pages: 108 | ASIN : B0F92GTHSP
Nurse Dorothea® presents Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Why Mindfulness is a Key Coping Skill
Nurse Dorothea Presents Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Why Mindfulness Is a Key Coping Skill by Michael Dow is a warm, inviting introduction to mindfulness presented through a fictional after-school class. Nurse Dorothea guides readers through the basics of mental health, the meaning of mindfulness, and the many ways it can improve daily life. The book mixes friendly explanations, real research, and simple activities while also covering Jon Kabat-Zinn’s nine pillars of mindfulness and the three main practices: meditation, body scanning, and mindful yoga. It’s an easygoing, approachable read meant for people of all ages.
The book opens with Dorothea reminding the class that every person is one life event away from facing a mental health challenge, which felt honest and grounding. Throughout the early chapters, she repeats gentle reminders to be patient and nonjudgmental with yourself, and I found those small, warm nudges surprisingly comforting. The writing avoids heavy language and instead feels like someone sitting beside you, calmly talking you through your own thoughts.
I also really enjoyed the student comments woven throughout the book. They make the lessons feel alive and relatable. One student mentions that mindfulness while driving helps keep you safe, and another talks about how multitasking can pull you away from the moment. These small interactions add humor and humanity to the material. They break up the teaching in a way that makes the book feel more like a real class than a traditional self-help guide.
The seated meditation instructions are clear and easy to follow, and the emphasis on letting your mind wander without judgment made me feel oddly relieved. The body scan exercise is explained in a simple, calm voice that made me want to try it right away. Even the yoga section feels approachable, especially when the author reassures readers not to judge themselves if they wobble or fall. That moment actually made me smile because it felt so human.
The book is gentle, sincere, and wonderfully beginner-friendly. I’d recommend it to teens, parents, teachers, or anyone who wants a simple and encouraging introduction to mindfulness. If you’re looking for a book that feels like a calm, supportive voice guiding you through stress and distraction, this one fits the bill perfectly.
Pages: 179 | ISBN : 978-1-968690-01-4
