Annotation A deeply personal account of raising a child with low functioning autismBeautifully written by a respected journalist and teacherOffers hands-on advice to parents in an entertaining and easy-to-read manner.
By the time he was three, Walker's parents were concerned enough about his delayed development to consult a paediatric neurologist. Doctors diagnosed autism and issued a grim prognosis: 'I hold out no hope for this child'. But they hadn't accounted for Walker's intelligence, affection, and sense of humour - or for the remarkable bonds that grew within his family. Walker's father, Robert Hughes, tells a touching and inspiring story of discovering that their 'perfect little boy had a problem'. With disarming honesty and humour, the book tells how a family copes and keeps hope alive despite the staggering difficulties autism presents.
A powerful post-apocalyptic thriller, perfect for fans of The End of the F*cking World. 'A real find' STEPHEN KING When the world ends and you find yourself stranded on the wrong side of the country, every second counts. No one knows this more than Edgar Hill. 550 miles away from his family, he must push himself to the very limit to get back to them, or risk losing them forever... His best option is to run. But what if your best isn’t good enough? The Number One race-against-time bestseller as featured on Simon Mayo’s Radio 2 Book Club *The sequel, The Survivors’ Club, is now available to pre-order* What readers are saying - over 350 5* reader reviews: ‘Difficult to put down and impossible to forget’ ‘A real page turner’ ‘An absolute joy of a read’ ‘Gripping and entertaining all the way through’ ‘Exciting right from the beginning and it left me wanting more’ ‘This book gets better with every page turn’
The undisputed classic of running novels and one of the most beloved sports books ever published, Once a Runner tells the story of an athlete’s dreams amid the turmoil of the 60s and the Vietnam war. Inspired by the author’s experience as a collegiate champion, the novel follows Quenton Cassidy, a competitive runner at fictional Southeastern University whose lifelong dream is to run a four-minute mile. He is less than a second away when the turmoil of the Vietnam War era intrudes into the staid recesses of his school’s athletic department. After he becomes involved in an athletes’ protest, Cassidy is suspended from his track team. Under the tutelage of his friend and mentor, Bruce Denton, a graduate student and former Olympic gold medalist, Cassidy gives up his scholarship, his girlfriend, and possibly his future to withdraw to a monastic retreat in the countryside and begin training for the race of his life against the greatest miler in history. A rare insider’s account of the incredibly intense lives of elite distance runners, Once a Runner is an inspiring, funny, and spot-on tale of one individual’s quest to become a champion.
We've always been told that you have to walk before you can run. And it's true. But do you know that if you are a walker you can become a runner? With the right preparation you too can have that exhilarating feeling of throwing on a pair of running shoes and heading out into freedom. Running is one of those activities which is intrinsically enjoyable and super healthy and almost anyone can learn to do it safely and well. This book is for people who want stronger bones and muscles, better cardiovascular health, improved feelings of well-being, and the enjoyment of running. This book is for YOU! In Walker to 30 Minute Runner you will: - learn about running gear, routes, motivation, the nuts and bolts of running days - be given unique warm up exercises and cool down stretches for each day - use entries in your running log to track your own progress - have the ability to complete the program at your own pace - obtain a proven guide to gradually transition from walking to running for 30 minutes - use timed walk/run interval prescriptions - become a runner in about 8 weeks! Photos accompany all the recommended exercises and stretches to help guide you through a safe and successful program. Happy running everyone!...
Most people would describe Walker Hughes as warm, enthusiastic and charismatic - even if he doesn't say very much. But after several happy years living in a group home, Walker descended into a deep unhappiness, and his parents were told that their son with low-functioning autism was 'unmanageable' and a danger to others. Where did it all go wrong? From the author of Running with Walker, this witty and touching memoir tells a story of crisis and recovery of a young man with low-functioning autism. Battling miscommunication, misinterpreted behaviour and a lack of appropriate services, Walker and his parents' resilience shines through, providing a much-needed portrayal about what life is like for adults with low-functioning autism, and how we can understand the complex personalities of people with communication difficulties.
An imaginative, thought-provoking gift book to awaken your senses and attune them to the things that matter in your life. Welcome to the era of white noise. Our lives are in constant tether to phones, to email, and to social media. In this age of distraction, the ability to experience and be present is often lost: to think and to see and to listen. Enter Rob Walker's The Art of Noticing. This gorgeously illustrated volume will spark your creativity--and most importantly, help you see the world anew. Through a series of simple and playful exercises--131 of them--Walker maps ways for you to become a clearer thinker, a better listener, a more creative workplace colleague and finally, to rediscover your sense of passion and to notice what really matters to you.
In this National Book Award–winning novel from a “brilliantly breathtaking writer,” a young Southerner searches for meaning in the midst of Mardi Gras (The New York Times Book Review). On the cusp of his thirtieth birthday, Binx Bolling is a lost soul. A stockbroker and member of an established New Orleans family, Binx’s one escape is the movie theater that transports him from the falseness of his life. With Mardi Gras in full swing, Binx, along with his cousin Kate, sets out to find his true purpose amid the excesses of the carnival that surrounds him. Buoyant yet powerful, The Moviegoer is a poignant indictment of modern values, and an unforgettable story of a week that will change two lives forever. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Walker Percy including rare photos from the author’s estate.
Soon to be a Netflix series starring Octavia Spencer, On Her Own Ground is the first full-scale biography of “one of the great success stories of American history” (The Philadelphia Inquirer), Madam C.J. Walker—the legendary African American entrepreneur and philanthropist—by her great-great-granddaughter, A’Lelia Bundles. The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Sarah Breedlove—who would become known as Madam C. J. Walker—was orphaned at seven, married at fourteen, and widowed at twenty. She spent the better part of the next two decades laboring as a washerwoman for $1.50 a week. Then—with the discovery of a revolutionary hair care formula for black women—everything changed. By her death in 1919, Walker managed to overcome astonishing odds: building a storied beauty empire from the ground up, amassing wealth unprecedented among black women, and devoting her life to philanthropy and social activism. Along the way, she formed friendships with great early-twentieth-century political figures such as Ida B. Wells, Mary McLeod Bethune, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Booker T. Washington.