Author: Aaron Clarey
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781522813750
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 222
Book Description
Society, by statistical necessity, needs to focus on the majority. It needs to be built and designed for "the average." Society, by moral necessity, also needs to focus on the disadvantaged and disabled. Helping those who cannot help themselves. But while the majority of society's resources, attention, and infrastructure is dedicated to average or below-average intelligent people, little-to-none of it is paid to the abnormally intelligent. And while having a high IQ is an overall net benefit in life, being an statistical intellectual freak is not without its drawbacks. Welcome to the "Curse of the High IQ." Whether you fall asleep during class, constantly ram heads with your boss, can't understand why people watch the Oscars, are an alcoholic, or are accused of having "ADD," having a high IQ can be a maddening experience. What you see as the obvious solution is what the "normies" will fight against tooth and nail. Your D-'s you keep getting in English? Your superior mind being held hostage by the boring and inferior mind of your teacher. And you'd like to start a family? Good luck finding an intellectual-equal for a spouse. And so while the world obsesses with their own problems or (rightly so) the problems of the disadvantaged, no one is paying attention to the problems of the abnormally intelligent. However, that all changes now with "Curse of the High IQ." "Curse of the High IQ" is the first book specifically written for abnormally intelligent people. It identifies and addresses a litany of problems intelligent people face, as well as analyzes them and provides solutions. But more importantly it aims to bring sanity to those who struggle with abnormally intelligence, especially those who are unaware they have it. So if you're constantly at odds with society, are suffering from depression or ennui, can't find any reason or agency in life, or just plain can't find any friends, consider purchasing "Curse of the High IQ." It's guaranteed to make your life a little easier.
The Curse of the High IQ
Author: Aaron Clarey
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781522813750
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 222
Book Description
Society, by statistical necessity, needs to focus on the majority. It needs to be built and designed for "the average." Society, by moral necessity, also needs to focus on the disadvantaged and disabled. Helping those who cannot help themselves. But while the majority of society's resources, attention, and infrastructure is dedicated to average or below-average intelligent people, little-to-none of it is paid to the abnormally intelligent. And while having a high IQ is an overall net benefit in life, being an statistical intellectual freak is not without its drawbacks. Welcome to the "Curse of the High IQ." Whether you fall asleep during class, constantly ram heads with your boss, can't understand why people watch the Oscars, are an alcoholic, or are accused of having "ADD," having a high IQ can be a maddening experience. What you see as the obvious solution is what the "normies" will fight against tooth and nail. Your D-'s you keep getting in English? Your superior mind being held hostage by the boring and inferior mind of your teacher. And you'd like to start a family? Good luck finding an intellectual-equal for a spouse. And so while the world obsesses with their own problems or (rightly so) the problems of the disadvantaged, no one is paying attention to the problems of the abnormally intelligent. However, that all changes now with "Curse of the High IQ." "Curse of the High IQ" is the first book specifically written for abnormally intelligent people. It identifies and addresses a litany of problems intelligent people face, as well as analyzes them and provides solutions. But more importantly it aims to bring sanity to those who struggle with abnormally intelligence, especially those who are unaware they have it. So if you're constantly at odds with society, are suffering from depression or ennui, can't find any reason or agency in life, or just plain can't find any friends, consider purchasing "Curse of the High IQ." It's guaranteed to make your life a little easier.
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781522813750
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 222
Book Description
Society, by statistical necessity, needs to focus on the majority. It needs to be built and designed for "the average." Society, by moral necessity, also needs to focus on the disadvantaged and disabled. Helping those who cannot help themselves. But while the majority of society's resources, attention, and infrastructure is dedicated to average or below-average intelligent people, little-to-none of it is paid to the abnormally intelligent. And while having a high IQ is an overall net benefit in life, being an statistical intellectual freak is not without its drawbacks. Welcome to the "Curse of the High IQ." Whether you fall asleep during class, constantly ram heads with your boss, can't understand why people watch the Oscars, are an alcoholic, or are accused of having "ADD," having a high IQ can be a maddening experience. What you see as the obvious solution is what the "normies" will fight against tooth and nail. Your D-'s you keep getting in English? Your superior mind being held hostage by the boring and inferior mind of your teacher. And you'd like to start a family? Good luck finding an intellectual-equal for a spouse. And so while the world obsesses with their own problems or (rightly so) the problems of the disadvantaged, no one is paying attention to the problems of the abnormally intelligent. However, that all changes now with "Curse of the High IQ." "Curse of the High IQ" is the first book specifically written for abnormally intelligent people. It identifies and addresses a litany of problems intelligent people face, as well as analyzes them and provides solutions. But more importantly it aims to bring sanity to those who struggle with abnormally intelligence, especially those who are unaware they have it. So if you're constantly at odds with society, are suffering from depression or ennui, can't find any reason or agency in life, or just plain can't find any friends, consider purchasing "Curse of the High IQ." It's guaranteed to make your life a little easier.
The Hidden Habits of Genius
Author: Craig Wright
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 006289272X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 336
Book Description
“An unusually engaging book on the forces that fuel originality across fields.” --Adam Grant Looking at the 14 key traits of genius, from curiosity to creative maladjustment to obsession, Professor Craig Wright, creator of Yale University's popular “Genius Course,” explores what we can learn from brilliant minds that have changed the world. Einstein. Beethoven. Picasso. Jobs. The word genius evokes these iconic figures, whose cultural contributions have irreversibly shaped society. Yet Beethoven could not multiply. Picasso couldn’t pass a 4th grade math test. And Jobs left high school with a 2.65 GPA. What does this say about our metrics for measuring success and achievement today? Why do we teach children to behave and play by the rules, when the transformative geniuses of Western culture have done just the opposite? And what is genius, really? Professor Craig Wright, creator of Yale University’s popular “Genius Course,” has devoted more than two decades to exploring these questions and probing the nature of this term, which is deeply embedded in our culture. In The Hidden Habits of Genius, he reveals what we can learn from the lives of those we have dubbed “geniuses,” past and present. Examining the lives of transformative individuals ranging from Charles Darwin and Marie Curie to Leonardo Da Vinci and Andy Warhol to Toni Morrison and Elon Musk, Wright identifies more than a dozen drivers of genius—characteristics and patterns of behavior common to great minds throughout history. He argues that genius is about more than intellect and work ethic—it is far more complex—and that the famed “eureka” moment is a Hollywood fiction. Brilliant insights that change the world are never sudden, but rather, they are the result of unique modes of thinking and lengthy gestation. Most importantly, the habits of mind that produce great thinking and discovery can be actively learned and cultivated, and Wright shows us how. This book won't make you a genius. But embracing the hidden habits of these transformative individuals will make you more strategic, creative, and successful, and, ultimately, happier.
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 006289272X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 336
Book Description
“An unusually engaging book on the forces that fuel originality across fields.” --Adam Grant Looking at the 14 key traits of genius, from curiosity to creative maladjustment to obsession, Professor Craig Wright, creator of Yale University's popular “Genius Course,” explores what we can learn from brilliant minds that have changed the world. Einstein. Beethoven. Picasso. Jobs. The word genius evokes these iconic figures, whose cultural contributions have irreversibly shaped society. Yet Beethoven could not multiply. Picasso couldn’t pass a 4th grade math test. And Jobs left high school with a 2.65 GPA. What does this say about our metrics for measuring success and achievement today? Why do we teach children to behave and play by the rules, when the transformative geniuses of Western culture have done just the opposite? And what is genius, really? Professor Craig Wright, creator of Yale University’s popular “Genius Course,” has devoted more than two decades to exploring these questions and probing the nature of this term, which is deeply embedded in our culture. In The Hidden Habits of Genius, he reveals what we can learn from the lives of those we have dubbed “geniuses,” past and present. Examining the lives of transformative individuals ranging from Charles Darwin and Marie Curie to Leonardo Da Vinci and Andy Warhol to Toni Morrison and Elon Musk, Wright identifies more than a dozen drivers of genius—characteristics and patterns of behavior common to great minds throughout history. He argues that genius is about more than intellect and work ethic—it is far more complex—and that the famed “eureka” moment is a Hollywood fiction. Brilliant insights that change the world are never sudden, but rather, they are the result of unique modes of thinking and lengthy gestation. Most importantly, the habits of mind that produce great thinking and discovery can be actively learned and cultivated, and Wright shows us how. This book won't make you a genius. But embracing the hidden habits of these transformative individuals will make you more strategic, creative, and successful, and, ultimately, happier.
Bachelor Pad Economics
Author: Aaron Clarey
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781494463182
Category : Young men
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
"Bachelor Pad Economics" is THE financial advice bible for men...and any women who are bold enough to read it! Whether you're 14 and just trying to figure out life, or 70 and starting to think about estate planning, "Bachelor Pad Economics" addresses every major (and minor) economic and financial issue the average man will face in his ENTIRE life. From dating, to what to major in, to purchasing a home, to starting a business, to children and "wife training," "Bachelor Pad Economics" is the wisdom you wish the father-you-never-had gave you. Written FOR GUYS it is candid, blunt, honest and everything else Oprah isn't, and will give you the road map you need to provide direction and purpose in your life. Guaranteed to prove more useful than a college degree, "Bachelor Pad Economics" is WELL worth the money to buy and the time to read.
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781494463182
Category : Young men
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
"Bachelor Pad Economics" is THE financial advice bible for men...and any women who are bold enough to read it! Whether you're 14 and just trying to figure out life, or 70 and starting to think about estate planning, "Bachelor Pad Economics" addresses every major (and minor) economic and financial issue the average man will face in his ENTIRE life. From dating, to what to major in, to purchasing a home, to starting a business, to children and "wife training," "Bachelor Pad Economics" is the wisdom you wish the father-you-never-had gave you. Written FOR GUYS it is candid, blunt, honest and everything else Oprah isn't, and will give you the road map you need to provide direction and purpose in your life. Guaranteed to prove more useful than a college degree, "Bachelor Pad Economics" is WELL worth the money to buy and the time to read.
The Cult of Smart
Author: Fredrik deBoer
Publisher: All Points Books
ISBN: 1250200385
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 149
Book Description
Named one of Vulture’s Top 10 Best Books of 2020! Leftist firebrand Fredrik deBoer exposes the lie at the heart of our educational system and demands top-to-bottom reform. Everyone agrees that education is the key to creating a more just and equal world, and that our schools are broken and failing. Proposed reforms variously target incompetent teachers, corrupt union practices, or outdated curricula, but no one acknowledges a scientifically-proven fact that we all understand intuitively: Academic potential varies between individuals, and cannot be dramatically improved. In The Cult of Smart, educator and outspoken leftist Fredrik deBoer exposes this omission as the central flaw of our entire society, which has created and perpetuated an unjust class structure based on intellectual ability. Since cognitive talent varies from person to person, our education system can never create equal opportunity for all. Instead, it teaches our children that hierarchy and competition are natural, and that human value should be based on intelligence. These ideas are counter to everything that the left believes, but until they acknowledge the existence of individual cognitive differences, progressives remain complicit in keeping the status quo in place. This passionate, voice-driven manifesto demands that we embrace a new goal for education: equality of outcomes. We must create a world that has a place for everyone, not just the academically talented. But we’ll never achieve this dream until the Cult of Smart is destroyed.
Publisher: All Points Books
ISBN: 1250200385
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 149
Book Description
Named one of Vulture’s Top 10 Best Books of 2020! Leftist firebrand Fredrik deBoer exposes the lie at the heart of our educational system and demands top-to-bottom reform. Everyone agrees that education is the key to creating a more just and equal world, and that our schools are broken and failing. Proposed reforms variously target incompetent teachers, corrupt union practices, or outdated curricula, but no one acknowledges a scientifically-proven fact that we all understand intuitively: Academic potential varies between individuals, and cannot be dramatically improved. In The Cult of Smart, educator and outspoken leftist Fredrik deBoer exposes this omission as the central flaw of our entire society, which has created and perpetuated an unjust class structure based on intellectual ability. Since cognitive talent varies from person to person, our education system can never create equal opportunity for all. Instead, it teaches our children that hierarchy and competition are natural, and that human value should be based on intelligence. These ideas are counter to everything that the left believes, but until they acknowledge the existence of individual cognitive differences, progressives remain complicit in keeping the status quo in place. This passionate, voice-driven manifesto demands that we embrace a new goal for education: equality of outcomes. We must create a world that has a place for everyone, not just the academically talented. But we’ll never achieve this dream until the Cult of Smart is destroyed.
The curse of intelligence
Author: Carmen Sanz Chacón
Publisher: Plataforma
ISBN: 8416820988
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 154
Book Description
This is the first book to address the problems faced by this cohort written in simple language and containing completely new ideas. The author, a clinical psychologist specialising in the extremely gifted, explains in this book why being intelligent is a curse for many children and adults. Being extremely intelligent can lead to rejection by those around you, affecting self-esteem, motivation and social development, with possible life-long traumas creating depression or aggression. Using simple, direct language, this book will help parents, teachers, counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists and highly-gifted individuals themselves to fully understand their needs and improve the attention they currently recieve.
Publisher: Plataforma
ISBN: 8416820988
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 154
Book Description
This is the first book to address the problems faced by this cohort written in simple language and containing completely new ideas. The author, a clinical psychologist specialising in the extremely gifted, explains in this book why being intelligent is a curse for many children and adults. Being extremely intelligent can lead to rejection by those around you, affecting self-esteem, motivation and social development, with possible life-long traumas creating depression or aggression. Using simple, direct language, this book will help parents, teachers, counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists and highly-gifted individuals themselves to fully understand their needs and improve the attention they currently recieve.
Enjoy the Decline
Author: Aaron Clarey
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781480284760
Category : United States
Languages : en
Pages : 218
Book Description
The "End of America?"Most likely.The "Demise of liberty?"You betcha!The "Destruction of Western Civilization?"Of course!But why let all of the above get you down? Learn to "Enjoy the Decline!""Enjoy the Decline" is mandatory reading for all conservatives, libertarians, Americans, and lovers of freedom who are mourning the slow, but sure death of their culture and their country. America is over. Freedom will be curtailed. Liberty is dead. And above all else, it is inevitable.But the answer is not to get depressed and give up hope. The answer is to change your attitude and learn how to "Enjoy the Decline." You get one life on this planet and Aaron Clarey explains how to get the most out of it even though socialism and tyranny are all around you. From learning how to adapt your psychology to learning to let go and take advantage of the socialist system, "Enjoy the Decline" carries the freedom loving American through the 5 stages of grief and puts them on a path to enjoy their life regardless of what is happening to their beloved America.Dark, macabre, and morose, but truthful, helpful, and practical all the same, it is guaranteed to make you happier than your socialist counterparts even though they have everything they want.Make leftists, liberals, and progressives miserable. Enjoy the Decline!
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781480284760
Category : United States
Languages : en
Pages : 218
Book Description
The "End of America?"Most likely.The "Demise of liberty?"You betcha!The "Destruction of Western Civilization?"Of course!But why let all of the above get you down? Learn to "Enjoy the Decline!""Enjoy the Decline" is mandatory reading for all conservatives, libertarians, Americans, and lovers of freedom who are mourning the slow, but sure death of their culture and their country. America is over. Freedom will be curtailed. Liberty is dead. And above all else, it is inevitable.But the answer is not to get depressed and give up hope. The answer is to change your attitude and learn how to "Enjoy the Decline." You get one life on this planet and Aaron Clarey explains how to get the most out of it even though socialism and tyranny are all around you. From learning how to adapt your psychology to learning to let go and take advantage of the socialist system, "Enjoy the Decline" carries the freedom loving American through the 5 stages of grief and puts them on a path to enjoy their life regardless of what is happening to their beloved America.Dark, macabre, and morose, but truthful, helpful, and practical all the same, it is guaranteed to make you happier than your socialist counterparts even though they have everything they want.Make leftists, liberals, and progressives miserable. Enjoy the Decline!
Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome
Author: Luke Jackson
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
ISBN: 1846423562
Category : Young Adult Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 219
Book Description
Part of the Reading Well scheme. 35 books selected by young people and health professionals to provide 13 to 18 year olds with high-quality support, information and advice about common mental health issues and related conditions. Winner of the NASEN & TES Special Educational Needs Children's Book Award 2003 Have you ever been called a freak or a geek? Have you ever felt like one? Luke Jackson is 13 years old and has Asperger Syndrome. Over the years Luke has learned to laugh at such names but there are other aspects of life which are more difficult. Adolescence and the teenage years are a minefield of emotions, transitions and decisions and when a child has Asperger Syndrome, the result is often explosive. Luke has three sisters and one brother in various stages of their adolescent and teenage years but he is acutely aware of just how different he is and how little information is available for adolescents like himself. Drawing from his own experiences and gaining information from his teenage brother and sisters, he wrote this enlightening, honest and witty book in an attempt to address difficult topics such as bullying, friendships, when and how to tell others about AS, school problems, dating and relationships, and morality. Luke writes briefly about his younger autistic and AD/HD brothers, providing amusing insights into the antics of his younger years and advice for parents, carers and teachers of younger AS children. However, his main reason for writing was because "so many books are written about us, but none are written directly to adolescents with Asperger Syndrome. I thought I would write one in the hope that we could all learn together".
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
ISBN: 1846423562
Category : Young Adult Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 219
Book Description
Part of the Reading Well scheme. 35 books selected by young people and health professionals to provide 13 to 18 year olds with high-quality support, information and advice about common mental health issues and related conditions. Winner of the NASEN & TES Special Educational Needs Children's Book Award 2003 Have you ever been called a freak or a geek? Have you ever felt like one? Luke Jackson is 13 years old and has Asperger Syndrome. Over the years Luke has learned to laugh at such names but there are other aspects of life which are more difficult. Adolescence and the teenage years are a minefield of emotions, transitions and decisions and when a child has Asperger Syndrome, the result is often explosive. Luke has three sisters and one brother in various stages of their adolescent and teenage years but he is acutely aware of just how different he is and how little information is available for adolescents like himself. Drawing from his own experiences and gaining information from his teenage brother and sisters, he wrote this enlightening, honest and witty book in an attempt to address difficult topics such as bullying, friendships, when and how to tell others about AS, school problems, dating and relationships, and morality. Luke writes briefly about his younger autistic and AD/HD brothers, providing amusing insights into the antics of his younger years and advice for parents, carers and teachers of younger AS children. However, his main reason for writing was because "so many books are written about us, but none are written directly to adolescents with Asperger Syndrome. I thought I would write one in the hope that we could all learn together".
Ungifted
Author: Scott Kaufman
Publisher: Basic Books (AZ)
ISBN: 0465025544
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 428
Book Description
Questioning everything we know about the childhood predictors of adult greatness, a cognitive psychologist, who was told as a child that he wasn't smart enough to graduate from high school, explores the latest research to uncover the truth about human potential.
Publisher: Basic Books (AZ)
ISBN: 0465025544
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 428
Book Description
Questioning everything we know about the childhood predictors of adult greatness, a cognitive psychologist, who was told as a child that he wasn't smart enough to graduate from high school, explores the latest research to uncover the truth about human potential.
I Know This Much Is True
Author: Wally Lamb
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780060391621
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 884
Book Description
With his stunning debut novel, She's Come Undone, Wally Lamb won the adulation of critics and readers with his mesmerizing tale of one woman's painful yet triumphant journey of self-discovery. Now, this brilliantly talented writer returns with I Know This Much Is True, a heartbreaking and poignant multigenerational saga of the reproductive bonds of destruction and the powerful force of forgiveness. A masterpiece that breathtakingly tells a story of alienation and connection, power and abuse, devastation and renewal--this novel is a contemporary retelling of an ancient Hindu myth. A proud king must confront his demons to achieve salvation. Change yourself, the myth instructs, and you will inhabit a renovated world. When you're the same brother of a schizophrenic identical twin, the tricky thing about saving yourself is the blood it leaves on your bands--the little inconvenience of the look-alike corpse at your feet. And if you're into both survival of the fittest and being your brother's keeper--if you've promised your dying mother--then say so long to sleep and hello to the middle of the night. Grab a book or a beer. Get used to Letterman's gap-toothed smile of the absurd, or the view of the bedroom ceiling, or the influence of random selection. Take it from a godless insomniac. Take it from the uncrazy twin--the guy who beat the biochemical rap. Dominick Birdsey's entire life has been compromised and constricted by anger and fear, by the paranoid schizophrenic twin brother he both deeply loves and resents, and by the past they shared with their adoptive father, Ray, a spit-and-polish ex-Navy man (the five-foot-six-inch sleeping giant who snoozed upstairs weekdays in the spare room and built submarines at night), and their long-suffering mother, Concettina, a timid woman with a harelip that made her shy and self-conscious: She holds a loose fist to her face to cover her defective mouth--her perpetual apology to the world for a birth defect over which she'd had no control. Born in the waning moments of 1949 and the opening minutes of 1950, the twins are physical mirror images who grow into separate yet connected entities: the seemingly strong and protective yet fearful Dominick, his mother's watchful "monkey"; and the seemingly weak and sweet yet noble Thomas, his mother's gentle "bunny." From childhood, Dominick fights for both separation and wholeness--and ultimately self-protection--in a house of fear dominated by Ray, a bully who abuses his power over these stepsons whose biological father is a mystery. I was still afraid of his anger but saw how he punished weakness--pounced on it. Out of self-preservation I hid my fear, Dominick confesses. As for Thomas, he just never knew how to play defense. He just didn't get it. But Dominick's talent for survival comes at an enormous cost, including the breakup of his marriage to the warm, beautiful Dessa, whom he still loves. And it will be put to the ultimate test when Thomas, a Bible-spouting zealot, commits an unthinkable act that threatens the tenuous balance of both his and Dominick's lives. To save himself, Dominick must confront not only the pain of his past but the dark secrets he has locked deep within himself, and the sins of his ancestors--a quest that will lead him beyond the confines of his blue-collar New England town to the volcanic foothills of Sicily 's Mount Etna, where his ambitious and vengefully proud grandfather and a namesake Domenico Tempesta, the sostegno del famiglia, was born. Each of the stories Ma told us about Papa reinforced the message that he was the boss, that he ruled the roost, that what he said went. Searching for answers, Dominick turns to the whispers of the dead, to the pages of his grandfather's handwritten memoir, The History of Domenico Onofrio Tempesta, a Great Man from Humble Beginnings. Rendered with touches of magic realism, Domenico's fablelike tale--in which monkeys enchant and religious statues weep--becomes the old man's confession--an unwitting legacy of contrition that reveals the truth's of Domenico's life, Dominick learns that power, wrongly used, defeats the oppressor as well as the oppressed, and now, picking through the humble shards of his deconstructed life, he will search for the courage and love to forgive, to expiate his and his ancestors' transgressions, and finally to rebuild himself beyond the haunted shadow of his twin. Set against the vivid panoply of twentieth-century America and filled with richly drawn, memorable characters, this deeply moving and thoroughly satisfying novel brings to light humanity's deepest needs and fears, our aloneness, our desire for love and acceptance, our struggle to survive at all costs. Joyous, mystical, and exquisitely written, I Know This Much Is True is an extraordinary reading experience that will leave no reader untouched.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780060391621
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 884
Book Description
With his stunning debut novel, She's Come Undone, Wally Lamb won the adulation of critics and readers with his mesmerizing tale of one woman's painful yet triumphant journey of self-discovery. Now, this brilliantly talented writer returns with I Know This Much Is True, a heartbreaking and poignant multigenerational saga of the reproductive bonds of destruction and the powerful force of forgiveness. A masterpiece that breathtakingly tells a story of alienation and connection, power and abuse, devastation and renewal--this novel is a contemporary retelling of an ancient Hindu myth. A proud king must confront his demons to achieve salvation. Change yourself, the myth instructs, and you will inhabit a renovated world. When you're the same brother of a schizophrenic identical twin, the tricky thing about saving yourself is the blood it leaves on your bands--the little inconvenience of the look-alike corpse at your feet. And if you're into both survival of the fittest and being your brother's keeper--if you've promised your dying mother--then say so long to sleep and hello to the middle of the night. Grab a book or a beer. Get used to Letterman's gap-toothed smile of the absurd, or the view of the bedroom ceiling, or the influence of random selection. Take it from a godless insomniac. Take it from the uncrazy twin--the guy who beat the biochemical rap. Dominick Birdsey's entire life has been compromised and constricted by anger and fear, by the paranoid schizophrenic twin brother he both deeply loves and resents, and by the past they shared with their adoptive father, Ray, a spit-and-polish ex-Navy man (the five-foot-six-inch sleeping giant who snoozed upstairs weekdays in the spare room and built submarines at night), and their long-suffering mother, Concettina, a timid woman with a harelip that made her shy and self-conscious: She holds a loose fist to her face to cover her defective mouth--her perpetual apology to the world for a birth defect over which she'd had no control. Born in the waning moments of 1949 and the opening minutes of 1950, the twins are physical mirror images who grow into separate yet connected entities: the seemingly strong and protective yet fearful Dominick, his mother's watchful "monkey"; and the seemingly weak and sweet yet noble Thomas, his mother's gentle "bunny." From childhood, Dominick fights for both separation and wholeness--and ultimately self-protection--in a house of fear dominated by Ray, a bully who abuses his power over these stepsons whose biological father is a mystery. I was still afraid of his anger but saw how he punished weakness--pounced on it. Out of self-preservation I hid my fear, Dominick confesses. As for Thomas, he just never knew how to play defense. He just didn't get it. But Dominick's talent for survival comes at an enormous cost, including the breakup of his marriage to the warm, beautiful Dessa, whom he still loves. And it will be put to the ultimate test when Thomas, a Bible-spouting zealot, commits an unthinkable act that threatens the tenuous balance of both his and Dominick's lives. To save himself, Dominick must confront not only the pain of his past but the dark secrets he has locked deep within himself, and the sins of his ancestors--a quest that will lead him beyond the confines of his blue-collar New England town to the volcanic foothills of Sicily 's Mount Etna, where his ambitious and vengefully proud grandfather and a namesake Domenico Tempesta, the sostegno del famiglia, was born. Each of the stories Ma told us about Papa reinforced the message that he was the boss, that he ruled the roost, that what he said went. Searching for answers, Dominick turns to the whispers of the dead, to the pages of his grandfather's handwritten memoir, The History of Domenico Onofrio Tempesta, a Great Man from Humble Beginnings. Rendered with touches of magic realism, Domenico's fablelike tale--in which monkeys enchant and religious statues weep--becomes the old man's confession--an unwitting legacy of contrition that reveals the truth's of Domenico's life, Dominick learns that power, wrongly used, defeats the oppressor as well as the oppressed, and now, picking through the humble shards of his deconstructed life, he will search for the courage and love to forgive, to expiate his and his ancestors' transgressions, and finally to rebuild himself beyond the haunted shadow of his twin. Set against the vivid panoply of twentieth-century America and filled with richly drawn, memorable characters, this deeply moving and thoroughly satisfying novel brings to light humanity's deepest needs and fears, our aloneness, our desire for love and acceptance, our struggle to survive at all costs. Joyous, mystical, and exquisitely written, I Know This Much Is True is an extraordinary reading experience that will leave no reader untouched.
Reconnaissance Man
Author: Aaron Clarey
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781532780110
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 202
Book Description
The true irony of American life is that everybody does precisely what they're told, but then are shocked when they end up like everyone else. They don't end up millionaires. They don't end up with great careers. They don't have hot wives or husbands. They're just like every other 30 something schmuck with student loans, a mortgage they can't afford, a job they hate, a looming divorce, and a cluelessness as to why their lives never turned out the way they were promised. They did what they were told. They did everything right. They followed the advice of others. And they played by the rules. ...which is precisely why they failed. You have a choice in life. Do what everybody says you should do and end up like everyone else. Or figure out what you want out of life first and become a "Reconnaissance Man" instead. Be you a 17 year old whose parents are forcing you into college, or a 45 year old who's wondering where his youth and life has gone, "Reconnaissance Man" is the book that guarantees you live life right the first time or at least ends your wandering in the desert. By perfectly and clearly explaining the process by which a person figures out who they are and what they want out of life, "Reconnaissance Man" provides the reader a clear road map to life, ensuring you don't waste precious decades on worthless degrees, careers you hate, and people you don't love. Make sure your life counts. Buy "Reconnaissance Man" today.
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781532780110
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 202
Book Description
The true irony of American life is that everybody does precisely what they're told, but then are shocked when they end up like everyone else. They don't end up millionaires. They don't end up with great careers. They don't have hot wives or husbands. They're just like every other 30 something schmuck with student loans, a mortgage they can't afford, a job they hate, a looming divorce, and a cluelessness as to why their lives never turned out the way they were promised. They did what they were told. They did everything right. They followed the advice of others. And they played by the rules. ...which is precisely why they failed. You have a choice in life. Do what everybody says you should do and end up like everyone else. Or figure out what you want out of life first and become a "Reconnaissance Man" instead. Be you a 17 year old whose parents are forcing you into college, or a 45 year old who's wondering where his youth and life has gone, "Reconnaissance Man" is the book that guarantees you live life right the first time or at least ends your wandering in the desert. By perfectly and clearly explaining the process by which a person figures out who they are and what they want out of life, "Reconnaissance Man" provides the reader a clear road map to life, ensuring you don't waste precious decades on worthless degrees, careers you hate, and people you don't love. Make sure your life counts. Buy "Reconnaissance Man" today.