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This Is Not the Life I Ordered: 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down

It's Not About Being Average

Did I read the same book as the rest of you?

If You're a Woman, You Need This Book!

This Is Not the Life I Ordered: 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down
Deborah Collins Stephens , Michealene Cristini Risley , Jackie Speier , and Jan Yanehiro
Manufacturer: Conari Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1573243051

Book Description

This Is Not the Life I Ordered is for anyone who has ever felt overworked, overwhelmed, or just plain unlucky (and, who hasn't?!). Through this collection of stories, wisdom, and practical advice, readers will meet four ordinary women who have faced extraordinary life challenges. Together, they have a history of six marriages, ten children, four stepchildren, six dogs, two miscarriages, two cats, a failed adoption, and foster parenthood. Two have lived through the death of their spouses and one was shot and left for dead on a tarmac in Guyana -- which is documented in "Jonestown" airing on PBS' American Experience

This book started simply with four friends getting together for "kitchen-table coaching sessions" to talk about their lives. Week by week and story by story, they realized their great advice to each other could help other women struggling with life's myriad issues of work, family, and love, as well as the big questions of life and death. For over a decade, the power and strength of their collective friendship enabled these women not only to survive but to thrive. They invite readers to join them to learn how they, too, can turn "misfortunate" events into joy-filled opportunities. Readers will want to share this book with every woman in their lives!

* Authors are best-selling business-book author, Deborah Collins Stephens; Emmy winner Jan Yanehiro; State Senator Jackie Speier; and entrepreneur Michealene Cristini Risley whose Flashcards was screened at last year's Cannes Film Festival.

* Authors' support circle includes Debbi Fields, Kristi Yamaguchi, Danielle Steele, Gerry Laybourne, and other power women.

* Features practical "Wit (Women in Transition) Kit" tips at the end of each chapter to help readers to be their own life coaches.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent strategies.......2007-09-12

I found this book to be very helpful as I tried to navigate through a very difficult time in my life. It gave real examples of situations that were much worse than my own, and provided practical ideas for moving forward.

This Is Not the Life I Ordered: 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down.......2007-08-14

This book is so inspirational! One of the best books I have read! I highly recommend it to all women and men. I plan on getting copies for my family and women friends. Thanks ladies for sharing your life stories and the stories of so many different and unique women. You are all an inspiration! God Bless

It's Not About Being Average.......2007-08-10

Let's face it - we all come to a point where we think, "This is not what I wanted out of life." This book is for anyone who is at that point or has experienced a personal tragedy that has continued to haunt them. Anyone could read this and instantly identify the vast gap between the average American woman and the authors whose personal stories are shared within its pages, but the point of the book is not to point out who has it worse when dealing with bad situations (a new widow in suburbia or a cmpany executive losing a 6-figure income). The point is actually to give you an idea of just how bad things can be and how you can rise above anything. The basic information provided in the "action steps" apply to just about any situation. There are fantastic motivational quotes throughout and excellent ideas for how to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get going again, no matter what your circumstances. Even if you are feeling negative and pessimistic, this book can help you find positivity and optimism from those people and places that already surround you. I have recommended this book to several friends who have already read and enjoyed it just as much as I did. I returned mine to the library and promptly bought my own copy (as well as a few extras for gifts)!

Did I read the same book as the rest of you?.......2007-07-30

I stumbled across this book while doing research for a book I am writing. I actually wanted to use the same title for a collection of humorous essays, and then felt compelled to read this one. I am only halfway through it and am exhausted from slogging through the overabundance of headings and subheadings in each chapter, the overuse of quotations, and the endless posturing and patronizing from unrelatable situations that so few women will ever face - shot in South America while disbanding a cult, crying over the loss of a $200,000 job, escaping the Khmer Rouge. How is an average American woman supposed to connect with these stories? I am sure every woman mentioned in this book is courageous, intelligent and generous. But the disjointed writing and sloppy editing make it a chore to find their true essence and a message to carry with me. I had such high hopes for this book. I am glad now that I merely borrowed it from the library rather than purchased it. I do enjoy the cartoons, though.

If You're a Woman, You Need This Book!.......2007-07-18

I just finished reading "This is Not the Life I Ordered," by Deborah Collins Stephens, Jackie Speier, Michealene Cristini Risley and Jan Yanehiro and all I can say is get this book!

This book touches every human aspect possible and carves out a whole new way of looking at life. It shows the power of connecting with women on all levels. These four authors weave in their life stories as well as countless other women's life stories into a book that will become your inspiration to get through the hard times, define your life, enrich the lives of others and live your life to the fullest.

It's the kind of book that you will buy for your friends so you can connect with them on a newer, deeper level.

It's the kind of book that you will read over and over again to receive a renewed strength, sense of self and desire to do more, be more and have more.

Keeping Your Head Above Water: Refreshing Insights for Church Leadership

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Keeping Your Head Above Water: Refreshing Insights for Church Leadership
Dave Stone
Manufacturer: Group Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0764423576

Book Description

Using a water-skiing metaphor, experienced pastor and humorist Dave Stone offers key principles to strengthen your leadership and enjoy it like never before. Overflows with practical insights for mastering unique leadership areas like: Availablility, Patience, Balance, and more. Flows with inspiration for leaders to find a new level for their own personal spiritual growth. Features a stream of opportunities for leaders to assess their own ministry setting, and how to develop a thriving, growing ministry. Great for individual study or church leader training.

Heads Above Water: Gender, Class, and Family in the Grand Forks Flood

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Suffering can depend on many factors

Heads Above Water: Gender, Class, and Family in the Grand Forks Flood
Alice Fothergill
Manufacturer: State University of New York Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0791461580

Book Description

Heads above Water tells the stories of women and their families who survived the Grand Forks, North Dakota, flood of 1997, one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. This book describes the challenges women faced and explores the importance of class, race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability in their disaster recovery. The women found themselves face-to-face with social and familial upheaval, emotional and physical trauma, precarious economic and social status, and feelings of loss and violation. physical trauma, precarious economic and social status, and feelings of loss and violation. By exploring the experiences of these women, author Alice Fothergill contributes to broader sociological discussions about women's changing roles, the stigma of needing and receiving assistance, family relationships under stress, domestic violence, downward mobility, and the importance of "home" to one's identity and sense of self. Heads above Water offers poignant insight into women's everyday lives in an extraordinary time.

Customer Reviews:

Suffering can depend on many factors.......2004-08-13

The black and white photo in the book's cover suggests a decades-past flood. But the episode studied is very recent. The 1997 Grand Forks flood in North Dakota.

Fothergill found a neat way to look at the tribulations of those townspeople. She shows how the experiences were very inhomogeneous. Normally, one might facilely think that in a natural disaster, suffering might be, if not uniformly distributed, then at least randomly so. But here we see that the gender, social class, race and even sexual orientation, can play marked effects on what difficulties a person experiences, and for how long these are endured.

She focuses on women. Since many families suffered, and often, these families had the mothers as the core, holding them together.

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Responsibility
Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Head Above Water
Great Book
Threes a Charm

Head Above Water
S. L. Rottman
Manufacturer: Freestone (GA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1561452386

Book Description

FOR A 16-YEAR-OLD high school junior, Skye has a lot on her plate. With her mother holding down two jobs to support the family since Skye's father left years ago, Skye is given the primary responsibility of caring for her older brother Sunny who has Down syndrome. Skye's relationship with her brother constantly challenges and sometimes frustrates her. All the while, Skye is trying to maintain her 3.5 GPA, and she is training intensely to qualify for the state championships as a member of the high school swim team, in hopes of earning a college scholarship. She is also struggling to come to terms with her feelings for her boyfriend, who wants more from her than she is ready to give. As Skye attempts to face these challenges, she grows up and gains new perspective into what is truly important in her life.

Customer Reviews:

Responsibility.......2007-08-11

Skye, a junior in high school, has always had to be very responsible. Her mother works two jobs and her older brother has Down Syndrome and requires a lot of supervision. Skye is the one who always ends up having to take charge. In order to keep her sanity, Skye swims on the school team, where she is able to take her frustrations out on the water and rise to the top of the competition.

Life becomes a bit more crowded for Skye when the popular and desirable football player Mike asks her out. Skye begins to resent having to watch her brother all of the time, as it leaves her with no free time for her new boyfriend. And her brother hates Mike, seemingly for no reason. Is there something about him that Skye just doesn't see? Or is her family just being unreasonable again?

I liked this glimpse into the life of a family with a Down Syndrome member. It would be difficult to try to juggle regular responsibilities with the extra effort of caring for someone with a developmental problem. However, the demands Skye's mother placed on her seemed completely unreasonable to me, and it seems as though Skye would have rebelled long before she did. The character of Mike also wasn't developed enough that I could see why Skye ever fell for him. He seemed like a jerk right from the beginning, and I found myself thinking Skye was really stupid to like him at all, even before he started being so awful to her.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-05-08

Skye Johnson, a junior in high school, is an excellent swimmer, and is training to qualify for State. The state swimming competition could net a college scholarship for Skye. Her older brother, Sunny, has Down Syndrome. Since her divorced mother must work more than one job to support the family, she is away from home most of the time, and it is Skye's job to watch out for Sunny. He's a great kid, always cheerful, but he does require a lot of time from Skye as she makes sure he does his homework, and manages to get home from school, along with fixing him meals. There is just not much time for anything else...just Sunny, school, and swimming.

Then Skye meets Mike and her priorities begin to change. Sunny wants to learn to swim: he adores his sister, and wants to be just like her, and he wants Skye to teach him how. Life is frustrating, and Skye finds herself being dishonest with her mother in order to find time for herself. She had promised to give Sunny swimming lessons, but instead signs him up for classes so that she can spend time with Mike - only to find out that he may not be the nice guy that she thought he was.

Her life is further complicated when Sunny qualifies for Special Olympics, and his meet is at the same time as Skye's state championship swim. Skye's emotions are on a roller coaster, and her pain and frustration had me crying and then cheering for her victories.

Rottman is a master at characterization and plotting. The author brings to life the reality and rewards of caring for someone with a learning disability in a fast-paced story that is hard to put down.

Reviewed by: Grandma Bev

Head Above Water.......2001-06-15

Head Above Water tells the story of Skye Johnson, a junior in high school. Skye is an excellent swimmer. She also has a brother, Sunny, who has Down syndrome. Skye's mother is divorced and works a couple of jobs to support the family, and since her mother is almost always gone, Skye has to watch Sunny. Skye has little time for anything other than swimming, her brother, and school. Skye is trying to find time for all of these things so she can get a scholarship to college. Skye and her brother go through many difficult times throughout the book, some leaving Skye frustrated, laughing, and sometimes crying. Skye also tries to help her brother Sunny to swim because he wants to be just like her. Once Skye starts dating Mike she all of a sudden starts lying to her mother and not spending time with her brother. Bcause she starts dating Mike she is not helping swim ans tells her mother she is. I recommend this book to any one who enjoys reading. I think that Rottman's writing was very touching in this tale of Skye and her brother. It showed how difficult it was for Skye to have tocare for her brother with Down syndrome, and has little tie for herself. It was definitely a page-turner and was a hard book to put down. If you like this book I would recommend Rottman's other amazing books such as Hero.

Great Book.......2000-07-27

This book excellently displays a teenagers struggle with everything going on in their life. Skye is a junior at her highschool and is struggling with taking care of her brother, Sunny, who has Down Syndrome. She also sturuggles for time with her personal life because her mom works two jobs to support their family. Her father left when she was a kid and they've been on their own ever since. Once Skye starts to get a plan so she could spend more time with her boyfriend, she starts lying to her mother. The lies build up and she learns the hardway how it well all blow up in her face. She is also giving her all everyday after school to make state for her school swimming team. The portrayal of an everyday battle with your own needs and the needs of others is perfectly mastered in this smartly written, teenage-savvy book. I highly recommend this book along with other S. L. Rottman books.

Threes a Charm.......1999-10-12

I have read all three of R. L. Rottmans books. Head Above Water was very well written and dealt with the High School pressures of sex and dealing with personal emotions. Skye Johnson has her head screwed on straight. She is working towards qualifying for State Swimming Championships and the challenges of being responsible for her Down syndrome older brother, who is also a Junior in High School. Talk about massive frustration. This book was hard to put down. Thank you S. L. Rottman, I can't wait for your next book.

Head Above Water (City Lights Italian Voices)

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Staying Afloat
Bortolussi does more than keep his head above water...
Fantastic writing! What a treat.

Head Above Water (City Lights Italian Voices)
Stefano Bortolussi
Manufacturer: City Lights Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 087286426X

Book Description

Italian writer Cardo Maraini is a cauldron of contradictions. Plagued by guilt over the drowning of his younger brother, he is strangely terrified by life. When the Norwegian woman he loves becomes pregnant, he plunges into a comically disastrous liaison, fleeing from commitment and responsibility. He tries to escape through writing about his youth, reliving erotic encounters and the political activism of Italy in the 1960s. When he is finally forced to confront his past and his evasions, he learns to face his fear and finds that there are second chances after all.

Stefano Bortolussi is an Italian novelist, critic, translator, and poet. He also writes a monthly column for Italian Esquire and works frequently in theater and film.

Customer Reviews:

Staying Afloat.......2004-04-13

If you are as fascinated as I am by the complexities of the human psyche, you will enjoy this poignant and humorous study of the interior life of a man in turmoil. If you are enticed by the idea of going along for a somewhat wild ride with an Italian male of a certain age who is forced to adjust to evolving perceptions of what is important in life, you will probably love this book as much as I did. The novel explores the heart and mind of a middle-aged Italian writer as he attempts to cope with the news that he is about to become a father, largely by focusing on, and trying to revive, his youthful past. Once you've started the book, you will quickly understand why Anne Milano Appel recently won the prestigious Northern California Book Award for her English translation of poet and playwright Bortolussi's first novel. Milano Appel masterfully grasps and skillfully presents all of the subtleties and contradictions of the protagonist's internal struggle as he battles the twin fears of responsibility and loss.

Bortolussi does more than keep his head above water..........2004-02-26

This is a wonderfully deft treatment of a delicate topic. A man coming into middle age subtly being manipulated by anxieties he doesn't understand, struggles to keep his head above water. His fear is not the extrinsic variety we so often feel in modern life, but a pervasive almost indescribable angst anchored in a tragic moment in his past but shadowing him in his present life. Cardo, the main character, must find a way to come to terms with his fear in order to keep his marriage afloat. Blessed with a wise spouse, in Sol, he is given the space and time he needs. But he charts a most amusing course through this maze of confused emotions.

High recommended. This is an impressive debut in English (translated from his Italian novel) for this well-know Italian Poet, commentator and translator. Bravo Bortolussi!

Fantastic writing! What a treat........2003-12-04

I had been pining for a new book. What a great read. Obviously written by a fine writer, (as opposed to someone with a story first, writing second). Fun, great writing, vocabulary, use of metaphor, twisting timeline, historical references, interesting, varied settings, snappy dialogue, internal conflict, a-typical characters but a univeral theme, must have really kicked ass in Italian. I really enjoyed it. The part about the younger brother was a bit rough, and I could see it coming based on the Greek Mythology reference. Stretched out the pain that you knew was just around the corner.

Head Above Water (African Writers Series)

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Head Above Water (African Writers Series)
Buchi Emecheta
Manufacturer: Heinemann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0435909932

Book Description

Buchi Emecheta's autobiography spans the transition from a tribal childhood in the African bush to life in North London as an internationally acclaimed writer.

Head Above Water: Building the Cape Cod Canal

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Head Above Water: Building the Cape Cod Canal
Jack Conway
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1413758290

Book Description

The building of the Cape Cod Canal in 1914 was one of America's engineering marvels. New York financier August Belmont, Jr., undertook the building of the canal, financing the construction with much of his own money. Millions of tourists visit the Cape Cod Canal today. A New England landmark, few know who built it and the struggle it took. Herein lies the true, entertaining, and enlightening story of August Belmont, Jr., and the building of the Cape Cod Canal.

Keeping Heads Above Water: Salvadorean Refugees in Costa Rica

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Keeping Heads Above Water: Salvadorean Refugees in Costa Rica
Tanya Basok
Manufacturer: McGill-Queen's University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Aquarium gets its head above water after close call with financial disaster.(General News)(The 10-year-old Newport institution is recovering after a $4 ... from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)

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Aquarium gets its head above water after close call with financial disaster.(General News)(The 10-year-old Newport institution is recovering after a $4 ... from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)

Manufacturer: The Register Guard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008DNAKG
Release Date: 2005-07-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by The Register Guard on June 11, 2003. The length of the article is 1505 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Aquarium gets its head above water after close call with financial disaster.(General News)(The 10-year-old Newport institution is recovering after a $4 million deficit was discovered last year)
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: June 11, 2003
Publisher: The Register Guard
Page: A1

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Keep your head above water.: An article from: Ground Warrior

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Keep your head above water.: An article from: Ground Warrior
Jennifer Brown
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Ground Warrior, published by Thomson Gale on June 22, 2005. The length of the article is 565 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Keep your head above water.
Author: Jennifer Brown
Publication: Ground Warrior (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: 8(2)

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