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Boxer, Bouncer and Now a Doctor
It all started in a small industrial town in the north of England. Walking into a boxing gym was the start of an amazing metamorphosis for the 14-year-old. At age 20, he had developed into a 16-stone boxer, powerlifter and ferocious street fighter, with a knock-out punch in both hands. This is the story of a young man who, lacking education, immigrated to Australia at just 18 years of age only to experience the twilight world of sleaze and violence in Perth’s underbelly, confronting and often overcoming the many challenges he encountered. Returning to England at 21, he mastered his craft as a bouncer and street fighter, attended two universities, obtained three degrees and was awarded a doctorate at the age of 39.
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Brett Polar
Brett Polar is an intoxicating rollercoaster ride that will leave you as much elated as devastated. It is engaging, empowering, educational and ultimately gives hope to people living with bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses.
Brett’s story involves a mental health sojourn that spans twenty years from 2000 to 2020. Prepare to ride alongside him as he goes through the bipolar motions of extreme highs, devastating lows and all the semi-stable moments in between.
His story is proof that if a diagnosis is accepted and the right support embraced, then an individual living with mental illness can not only survive but thrive!
Jump on in to find out more.
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Broken Roads Lead Me Here
Broken Roads Lead Me Here tells the true-life story of a boy born into unimaginable abuse in Glasgow in the sixties. By the age of eight, Colin had been abandoned by his mother and continued to be sexually, physically, emotionally, and spiritually traumatised by the man she left him with. Blunted by severe trauma, Colin went through one unimaginable nightmare after another, each more traumatising and soul shattering than the last, with no one to tell and no way to understand why. He wondered as he drifted through life, what was to really become of him? Or his half-sisters? All the while, deep down, sensing that one day it could be his last.
At fifteen, he was thrown out of school, and at sixteen he was sent to prison. Colin survived rejection, abandonment, homelessness, gang wars, addiction, mental illness, overdoses, suicide attempts, and abusive adult relationships. But it always seemed as if he was living on borrowed time…
Even as he started writing his memoir, Colin had suffered a stroke, and near his recovery’s conclusion was then diagnosed with what was initially suspected as pancreatic cancer. While Colin’s diagnosis was eventually re-assessed as not immediately life threatening, it did leave him with a series of conditions which would continue to limit the quality of his day-to-day life. His illnesses and his experience of this instead of instilling a sense of profound hopelessness surprisingly led him to a profound sense of inner peace, clarity, and re-awakened purpose through his renewed faith in the real presence, love, forgiveness, and grace of God. His is a miraculous story of faith and redemption.
Colin Mackell is a husband, father, and grandfather. In his professional life as Psychotherapist, he has helped people who struggle to overcome drug and alcohol addiction, and helps them find new meaning, and explore new life paths. He is also the founder of Chrysalis Supported Association & Group CEO of Chrysalis Group Services, providing homes and support to some of life’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged people.
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Café de Flore
Addressing the escalating global issue of mental health and suicide, Café de Flore is a serious book that provides inspiration and relief to those caught in the net of despair. Identifying the critical error made by mankind over the centuries. Café de Flore points towards an escape from the madness of the human condition.
An easily digestible form of philosophy, written with graceful authority, the book takes the reader on a journey that captures the sublime messages contained in the wreck of literature, poetry and prose.
Dostoevsky once said: “It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently.” What more does it take?
Encouraging the world to stop thinking, to entertain a degree of madness, to live with passion and to laugh more. This book provides a fresh perspective on the perceived struggles and difficulties we find ourselves trapped in, in this sad and lonely world.
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Catching Breast Cancer
CATCHING BREAST CANCER
“How is it possible to catch breast cancer?”
“How could breast cancer be an infectious disease?”
For over 20 years James Lawson and his local and international colleagues have searched for the causes of breast cancer. By 2021 they had found the answers.
From Australia, Italy, Austria and the US, a handful of medical scientists dared to think outside the accepted narrative. These outward-thinking individuals and small dedicated teams overcame the intense rivalry and competitiveness that so often stymies scientific progress. Over two decades, their collaborative work discovered that you can catch breast cancer and that it can be indeed an infectious disease. These groundbreaking findings have laid the groundwork for the most important step of all – preventing breast cancer.
Lawson's work takes you behind these discoveries to the personal stories of those that have made such immense contributions to science and human health. The dry world of scientific papers and journals comes to life as one delves into the stories of those bright and brave minds that have driven this progress. Some humorous, others sad or poignant, all are fascinating.
From Professor Generoso Bevilacqua of Pisa: “I have just completed reading your book. It was a fantastic experience! One can find everything in it. Science, history, personal memories and many humorous anecdotes.”
Catching Breast Cancer is an important and compelling detective story for our current generation. -
Change Your Life Forever!
Did you know that we have the freewill and are always given a chance to choose the kind of life we want to live? You can either choose to live in sin and choose a sinful lifestyle or alternatively, you can opt for living a life based upon the principles and core values of righteousness. In reality, you have a choice. Most people rarely question the way that they live and automatically follow a path of mindless and senseless self-destruction, destroying relationships with themselves and with others - by choosing to allow sin to underpin their hidden agendas and motivations for their life choices. But the truth is that you don’t have to live this way.
This book was written to help every person in the world understand how the seven deadly sins as we know them are not only extremely dangerous to us and those around us, but are the reasons and root causes that can lead us down the road of destruction. Understanding the ways these sins may operate or manifest in a person’s life, and how to deal with them, can help us to banish sinful and destructive routes in life once and for all. As it is only then that we can choose to turn our backs on the very lives that are causing us immense pain and suffering. Choosing to live a life of sin equates to gradual emotional and spiritual suicide, whereby one’s once joyful spirit and moral character of nobility and righteousness are eroded and eventually lost forever.
What are the benefits you will gain from reading this book?
• Help people from around the world understand how to combat these seven deadly sins, develop the willpower to consciously overcome destructive emotions and underlying motives - help you to restore a sense of hope, purpose, and new-found direction in your life.
• Will help you live a life based on truth and stop you from making costly mistakes that are causing you unhappiness, perennial pain, and suffering.
• Will help you realize that you deserve to be happy, and deserve to have a better life through simply knowing what is presented to you in this book; learning, understanding, and implementing the life-changing virtues taught in this self-help guide.
• Will help you will gain the ability to recognize the material manifestations of the seven deadly sins in the world and the people around you, and how best to neutralize or combat these attacks on your own lives.
• Incrementally find liberation and be set free and change your life forever! Our main motivating purpose is to liberate all people in this world. No matter who you are, where you’re from, your individual circumstances, or your past mistakes or faults. This guide will ultimately help you to understand that your destiny is your own to change!
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Coming Unstuck – A Year in the Life of a Failed Funk Band
‘Coming Unstuck’ is a ‘faction’. Part memoir. Part discourse on why people get stuck. And why forming a band is not necessarily the best way to get unstuck. Based on true events, the book’s front-story follows a year in the life of a London band’s attempts to claw its way up the greasy pole of the music business. Its backstory involves a journey into the dark heart of stuckness, taking in genetic theory, memetics, the history of the Border Reivers, the Liverpool Police Strike, dodgy Lourdes miracles, a Nigerian Nose-Band, and the refurbishment of the boilers in the Houses of Parliament.
Take a front-stage seat as Cyrus, Brendan, Pete, Duff, Max, Flimsy and The Guv’nor overcome unscrupulous promoters, bogus A&R reps, death-wired amplifiers, catatonic audiences, and the music critic of the Borehamwood Times in pursuit of that elusive recording contract. Only to do a Devon Loch with the winning post in sight.
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Crossing Blue Bridges
What did you want to be when you grew up? For a long time, I wanted to be a walking talking real life superhero. For over eight years, I pursued that vision of myself in trying to become a Police Officer. With each attempt at selection, and with each letter of decline, I grew hungrier and more determined to make it. It’s answering the highest calling in serving my community, I said during my interview. The selflessness, the sacrifice, the unfathomable courage, and commitment to serve.
Finally, I had my shot. My dream had been realised. In three years, I served as a role model, and a protector for my community. I faced everyday what so much of society should never have to see or be exposed to. This is my story, a raw, honest, and open account of life as a South Australian police officer, and the most profound three years of my life. Violence, foot chases, car chases, mental health, domestic violence, and all extremes of human nature. I discovered trying to live everyday as a superhero, can bring its own personal struggles and conflicts.
I hope this serves to inspire others, who are considering and are already a part of this incredible career. It’s my humble pleasure to share with you some of the greatest lessons I learnt, what I experienced, and the awe I was in everyday of the heroic actions of the men and women who uphold that blue bridge that separates society from falling into all out chaos.
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Cuban, Immigrant, and Londoner
What does a certificate of naturalistion mean to an immigrant in Brexit-plagued modern Britain? How do we navigate the various identity markers we acquire through life? Which ones stand out? Which ones blend in and get forgotten? And why? How does language affect the process of adaptation to a new country? Should writing from an “English as an Additional Language (EAL)” perspective be seen through the prism of aesthetics (writing per se) or identity politics? What is masculinity in the 21st century? How big is the Afro-Cuban scene in London nowadays? Is it time the Cuban government acknowledged Virgilio Piñera’s contribution to the island’s literary canon and apologised for the way it treated the writer? What is the linguistic future of the next Latin American generation?
Throughout almost a hundred pages, I will attempt to answer these and other questions. However, if you finish the book and are left with more interrogative sentences than statements, I will feel just as satisfied. My job as a writer has been done.
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Dancing to the Beat of the Drum
Returning to her parents’ birthplace in 1994, Pamela Nomvete became a household name as Ntsiki Lukhele, “the bitch”, on a South African soap opera called Generations.
But the mirage of luxury and success in which she lived was just that, a mirage. Behind closed doors, she battled her husband’s infidelities, addiction, and spiritual confusion.
Dancing to the Beat of the Drum details the traumatic personal crisis Pamela went through as her success grew – a crisis which took everything she had worked for from
her – and how she came to re-evaluate her priorities and reconnect with the spiritual side of her life, something she had long neglected.
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Death by Dementia
You have two extremely active individuals, mid-60s, looking to many more years of future travel, boating, loyal companionship and retirement. How things can change! Not feeling well in one instance, forgetting what one did with the car keys in the other.
A routine unconcerned visit to the GP, subsequent referral to a specialist and in 48 hours your life is in turmoil.
“You have dementia Mrs Mclean, it’s in the early stages and in your case the CT scans have identified Alzheimer’s. No, there is presently no cure.”
We then roll the dice once more. “You have a carcinoid tumour Mr Mclean. Its metastatic and barely noticeable. However, we have made an appointment for you to see a leading professor of oncology who may put you on trial for a new form of tumour suppressant.”
It’s the two words that everyone fears dementia and cancer.
This, therefore, is a deadly personal journey dealing with the many and varied implications of dementia. In this instance it meant caring for my best friend, confidant, advisor, lover and wife of 50 years, whilst fighting my own diagnosis.
Misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, misunderstood and often denied, this killer with no conscience, now mainstream, leaves but an empty shell as a memory.
If you know anyone with dementia, have been diagnosed in the early stages of dementia or if you are caring for a person with dementia, then you should definitely read this story of love, loyalty, passion and patience. A tale of never-ending belief in the future.
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Ecocide
How
‘Sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll’
in ancient Athens entered
Christianity.
How Plato’s mental bias wrecks
our ecology and our mental health.
In this remarkable and well researched book, Dr John Wilson, a down-to-earth psychiatrist, breaks new ground. He shows how classical Greek civilization, still the foundation of Western culture, splits our minds from our bodies. Splitting us also from physical health, from mental health, and from our natural environment. In this sixth ‘Mass Extinction Event’, Plato’s legacy is now becoming fatal.
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