Olympians, soldiers and abolitionists have all hailed from the bustling shores of Norristown, Pennsylvania. Beginning as a modest seventeenth-century settlement along the hidden river, it became an industrial boomtown and attracted waves of immigrants to its forges, railways and mills. Local journalist Stan Huskey brings together lively vignettes and fascinating firsthand accounts to introduce such characters as Union general Winfield S. Hancock, hero of Gettysburg, and baseball greats Tommy Lasorda and Mike Piazza. From tales of calamitous train wrecks to the bygone era of streetcars, Huskey brings readers back to the glow of the hometown lights.
The Olympian Leap: The Life and Legacy of Josh Culbreath is a moving tribute to an immensely talented, world-renowned athlete. His name struck apprehension in the hearts of all his opponents. His sly grin and infectious smile let his competitors know he would kick butt. Josh was a gifted athlete in high school, and they proclaimed him the country's second-top high school hurdler in the country. Described as the "Martin Luther King of athletics", he was a fierce opponent who was humble in victory and gracious in defeat. Kudos to Olympic gold medalist Dr. Edwin Moses, who wrote the Foreword for this book. Dr. Edwin Moses stated in his foreword that Josh Culbreath was one of his "true heroes... and mentors" in his hurdling career. Cynthia Culbreath brings him to life in a gripping sports biography of her cousin's history, leaving no detail untold. Segregated events of his era shaped who he became during his lifetime, and their pasts converged in one explosive moment. Let us remember Josh as someone who overcame tremendous obstacles and triumphed in the life of track and field. This book tells how he won the Olympics, overcame challenges, and covers his distinguished career as an American hero. His story can be called the "Olympian Leap" because his jumping ability was second to none, and he broke world records, which led him to gain immense prestige. Only after you finish reading his story will you understand why people are stunned by his achievements. Please read this book and see what it feels like to soar higher than any other human being ever has.
The banks of the Schuylkill once echoed with the hum of the steel mills, and immigrants came across the sea to transform Conshohocken and West Conshohocken into thriving industrial towns. When the storm clouds gathered in Europe, the neighboring communities proudly sent more sons and daughters per capita to serve in World War I than any other town in America. Author Jack Coll chronicles the history of these Pennsylvania mill towns with a series of compelling vignettes. From stories of Ned Hector, an African American soldier who fought valiantly during the Revolutionary War, to the heroics of the Conshohocken fire companies, Coll pays tribute to his home and evokes times gone by.
This interdisciplinary study examines the still vivid phenomenon of the most controversial psychiatric diagnosis in the United States: multiple personality disorder, now called dissociative identity disorder. This syndrome comprehends the occurrence of two or more distinct identities that take control of a person's behavior paired with an inexplicable memory loss. Synthesizing the fields of psychiatry and the dynamics of the disorder with its influential representation in American fiction, the study researches how psychiatry and fiction mutually shaped a mysterious syndrome and how this reciprocal process created a genre fiction of its own that persists until today in a very distinct self-referential mode.
Severe mental illness afflicts many men and women throughout their lives, often without warning, and almost always with devastating results. This book takes a look at psychosis, and contends that although the delusions and hallucinations of the psychotic person are misguided and confused, they are understandable when viewed in the context of a person's life. Using real life examples, Capps covers the prevalence of psychotic illness; the long-range effects of deinstitutionalization on mentally ill persons, their families, and their communities; family members' responses to their mentally ill relative; rehabilitation and prevention approaches and methods; the nature of delusions and hallucinations; the delusional belief that one is someone else; and the realization of mental stability.
