Literary Nonfiction. Memoir. Health. "What is a stroke?" This is the question that plagues Ron Smith as he emerges from the carpet bombing of his brain. THE DEFIANT MIND: LIVING INSIDE A STROKE is a first- person account of a massive ischemic stroke to the brain stem. Smith takes the reader inside the experience and shows how recuperation happens—the challenges of communication,the barriers to treatment, the frustrations of being misunderstood and written off, the role of memory in recovering identity, the power of continuing therapy, and the passionate will to live. Full of arresting anecdote, enlivened by a vivid and vigorous style, the book tells of successes and failures and draws on the newest research in stroke treatment. THE DEFIANT MIND is a necessary book for stroke survivors still dealing with the effects of their trauma and for caregivers, vital to the process of recuperation, who feel hampered and harried by concern and confusion. For medical professionals, the book offers insights into the workings of the brain, the power of the brain to heal, critiques of conventional limits imposed on therapy and suggestions for ways to improve care.

Product Description: This book describes the heritage and development of the entire Piper Cherokee family; its safety and ownership characteristics; internal and external details; and a range of special variants from STOL modifications and new engines to seaplanes and tailwheel conversions...read more

Product Description: The Cessna 172 is unquestionably the world's most successful light aircraft. More than 43,000 have been built since 1956, and the type is in service all over the world. For many, it defines the experience of cross-country flying with family and friends...read more

An accessible resource designed to help seniors protect themselves from sixty-five common scams explains how to use specific prevention tools for such risks as rigged ATM machines, investment fraud, and lower-cost sources for filling prescriptions, in a reference that also provides an appendix of helpful consumer resources. Original. 25,000 first printing.