Pieces of My Heart: Writings Inspired by Animals and Nature

Book Description

PLEASE NOTE: This book is scheduled to ship in March. By purchasing it now, you are PRE-ORDERING this book. Your book will ship by March 20th. THANK YOU!

As a "voice for the voiceless," Jim Willis touches human hearts as deftly as he bonds with the animals he rescues. His writings have inspired animal lovers around the world in over a dozen languages. Now, with publication of his collected writings in the USA and the UK, the Author has made a generous arrangement with the publishers that can benefit the fundraising efforts of all animal rescue, conservation and environmental groups.

In Pieces of My Heart - Writings Inspired by Animals and Nature the author paints an emotional rainbow with a palette akin to Thoreau, Khalil Gibran, James Thurber, Chief Seattle, and James Herriot. Pieces of My Heart encompasses favorites such as "We Are Their Heroes," "How Could You?," "The Basset Chronicles," and "The Zen of Cat," as well as a treasure-trove of new writings. Included is an Appendix of suggestions and resources for helping animals; and a Foreword by Dr. Marc Bekoff, author of Minding Animals: Awareness, Emotions, and Heart and co-founder with Dr. Jane Goodall of Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals/Citizens for Responsible Animal Behavior Studies. Illustrated by Christine J. Head. (Softcover, 312 pages.)

Pieces of My Heart is a soulful, heartfelt tribute to animals and a plea for compassion. As you immerse yourself in its truths you'll reach for the nearest animal to hug, you'll smile through tears, and you'll feel the urge to run barefoot in the grass.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding humanitarian .......2007-08-09

The spiritual nature of these "beasts" comes through in each poem and story and essay. I found them each and every one to be powerful. They encourage me when I feel too run down to continue my little rescue efforts. This is from a man who practices what he preaches. Not only does he advocate on behalf of all homeless and abused pets,he also takes care of many of the ones no one else wants. Animals ask only for a safe place to rest, some clean water and decent food. Jim Willis reminds us that each of us can make the world a brighter, kinder place.

Pender County Resident.......2007-08-09

First of all I would like to say that I love this book. It is so heart touching. Second of all in reponse to Kat Lady. I am a former resident of Pender county. Pender County NC is a rural area and the mentality that many, many people in this area have towards animals is heartbreaking and unforgivable. I would be wiling to bet that those dogs that Mr. Willis took were probably being neglected and/or mistreated. The laws of this area often fail the animals and many die waiting for reports of animal abuse/neglect to be investigated or resolved. And not enough people in the area care enough to do any thing about it. Mr Willis taking those dogs may have the best thing that had ever or would ever happen to those dogs. I admittedly don't know the whole story, but I do know how many dogs in that area are treated-- kept chained their entire lives in the humid and severe NC heat without adequate provisions. So why not hold your judgement?

INDICTED FELONY COUNTS.......2007-08-06

Nationally recognized ARA author and animal
rights activist is nailed for theft.

This person was hailed by the NCVAW as a
wonderful person and a part of their crowd.
Goes to show you what they are made of. Goes
to show you what these fanatics will do....

***NEWS: Author of the book "PIECES OF MY
HEART" and
essay "HOW COULD YOU", JIM WILLIS, INDICTED
ON TWO
FELONY COUNTS OF LARCENY OF DOG by Pender
County
Grand Jury***

The Pender County, NC Grand Jury returned two

true
bills to indict Jim Willis for Larceny of
Dogs on July
23, 2007.

Case No. 07-CRS-51009, State of North
Carolina vs.

James Charles Willis states:

"The jurors for the State upon their oath
present
that on or about the date of offense shown
and in the
county named above the Defendant named above
unlawfully, willfully and feloniously did
steal, take
and carry away a dog, a female white lab
sheep dog mix
with black spots with solid black right ear
and black
and white left ear, named 'Krissy', . . ."

Sources say this dog has not been recovered.
If you
have seen this dog or know of it's
whereabouts, please
contact the Pender County Sheriff's
Department at
(910)259-1212.

Some animal lovers have suggested boycotting
the sale
of Jim's book, 'Pieces of My Heart' and
removing his
poetry from their web sites until such time
as the dog
is recovered.

Case No. 07-CRS-051399, State of North
Carolina vs.

James Charles Willis states:

"The jurors for the State upon their oath
present that on or about the date of offense
shown and
in the county named above the Defendant named

above
unlawfully, willfully and feloniously did
steal, take
and carry away a dog, a male Dalmatian dog,
white in
color with black spots, named 'Damon', . . ."

Sources say this dog was recovered at the
home of
Robert Hoggard, of Wilmington, NC, where Mr.
Willis
has been a house guest since April.

In a separate action, Jim Willis was found
GUILTY of
HARASSING PHONE CALLS in the Pender County
Court on
July 26, 2007. Despite pleading not guilty,
Mr.
Willis was found GUILTY and was sentenced to
30 days
in jail (suspended), 24 months of
unsupervised
probation, was assessed $115.00 in court
costs and
received a fine of $570.00 in restitution. He

was
also ordered to have no contact with the
person he was
harassing and was ordered not to go on her
premises.

not what I thought.......2007-01-18

I'm only half way thru the book, as it lost my interest, I purchased it thinking that it was a story of a guy rescueing dogs, but as of yet, nothing, just poems, and short stories. not satisfied.

One of my favorites.......2007-01-10

I love this book. I bought copies as gifts for others. Anyone who has ever loved a pet will recognize the heartfelt thoughts of Jim. The essay "I Loved You Best" never fails to move me to tears, yet laughter also reigns supreme in these tales of the special bond between human and pet. That essay is one of my favorite pieces of writing of all time, and I'm a prolific reader and poetry lover. Jim's simple style and honest approach make for a wonderful and moving experience. If your heart has ever been touched by your own beloved pet, or by the throwaway unfortunates in our society, this book is a must.

Book Description

Combining a stand-up comics cadence, a satirists use of language, and an equal-opportunity disdain and reverence for pop culture, Schefts laugh-out-loud monologues skewer so many of sports and societys sacred cows, readers will think theyre on an all-protein diet. Scheft also takes readers backstage to reveal how the columns were written. The research. The debates with editors. The battles with himself. From Artest to Zito, this is the most Sports Illustrated-issued fun anyone can have without a swimsuit.

Customer Reviews:

Classic it ain't.......2006-01-06

Bill's a pretty funny guy and I well remember his stand-up routines during those long cold nights at the Albany Times Union where he was a young sportswriter, but it doesn't come across very well here. He's at his best doing stand-up. His SI column has never worked either.

The Best of the Show: A Classic Collection of Wit and Wisdom.......2005-08-06

Bill Sheft is the best. This book is so great! I very much enjoyed reading this book and his weekly articles in SI.

A hit and miss collection.......2005-06-23

In this collection, Scheft has gathered some of his best material, along with adding some new jokes, to create a collection that has some ups to go along with too many downs. Too many of the jokes just fall flat (you can almost hear the little drum kick after some of them), and some of them already feel dated. There are some great lines, but they're unfortunately too few.

Scheft, a former writer for David Letterman, now writes what I consider to be one of the weaker elements of SI - a humor column that isn't often funny. I don't doubt that Scheft is funny, especially given the fact that Larry David sings his praises. However, that humor just doesn't come through in this book, and much of it can seem monotonous.

I think this may have worked better if the book was shorter, given that they could have been more selective about choosing material. Or perhaps they should have waited longer, until Scheft had enough quality jokes to justify the length of the book.

This is a fun book to flip through for a few minutes, but certainly not an essential read.

Amazon.com

Got a book in you just begging to be written? Get it down tonight and start selling it in the morning. No need to hunt for an agent, entice a publisher, bicker about royalty rates, and suffer the interminable wait between acceptance and publication. Do it yourself--online! M. J. Rose (author of Lip Service) and Angela Adair-Hoy (www.writersweekly.com) have collected everything you need to know in this honest-to-goodness-old-fashioned, conventionally published print book. A book that reads very much like an e-book: the chapters and paragraphs are the epitome of brevity, and there are hundreds of links to Web sites. Twenty-two of the 58 chapters were provided by Rose and Adair-Hoy's e-publishing cohorts, who may well have traded their services, as Rose and Adair-Hoy recommend e-authors do, for a byline complete with Web-site link.

Whether you're interested in publishing by download, e-mail, or CD-ROM; whether you'd like to do it yourself or hire an e-publisher, all you need to succeed, say the authors, is "a good book and a good marketing plan." Packed into this book's 266 pages is solid advice on creating an e-book, becoming an e-publisher, and selling your book online. Banner ads, it turns out, are a waste of money. Better to mention your book in your signature, then make your presence known by joining appropriate discussion groups, writing free articles for related Web sites, and sending out catchy press releases. Throw yourself a cyberbook party, do a virtual book tour, and schedule some author chats. And never hesitate to give away free chapters, or even whole books. "Every free book you give away," says Rose, "will be more valuable to you than the few dollars you might have made on it." --Jane Steinberg

Book Description

Everything you need to know about profitable online publishing and promotionFrom Stephen King to authors who haven't become household names quite yet, authors are increasingly turning to the Internet as a way of taking charge of their own publishing destiny. The opportunities are vast, but also confusing: Should you publish an e-book, a conventional print book, a Print On Demand book, a CD-ROM, or all of the above? What do you need to know to create an e-book? How do you set up a website, and how can you actually get people to visit that website? Where can you sell your books on the web? And how can you use the Internet to generate massive free publicity? M. J. Rose and Angela Adair-Hoy provide the answers to all of these questions and more. When she self-published her first novel, Lip Service, as an e-book, M. J. Rose became a "cyber pioneer" (PW Daily) and attracted so much publicity that she sold the rights to a major book club and a New York publisher. As the co-owner of a highly successful e-book publisher, Booklocker.com, and the publisher of Writersweekly.com, an e-magazine featuring markets for freelance writers, Angela Adair-Hoy also learned all of the possibilities that online publishing could offer. Using their own experiences-combined with insiders' tips from other authors on the web-they published an e-book, The Secrets of Our Success, that became the underground bible for online authors and publishers.Now thoroughly revised and expanded, this book is an indispensable guide to navigating the publishing jungle from you own personal computer.

Download Description

The first authoritative guide to publishing and promoting one's work on the web, by two pioneers of the online publishing format.

Customer Reviews:

Dated, waste of money.......2007-06-25

I read and studied this book and took the advice to heart. When I would go to the web addresses-I would get the "Page Not Found" message. Most of the websites did not exist. Websites that did and said that they were free, now charged a fee. One website even had removed the material stated in this book.I feel that I wasted my moneywith this book of useless information.

The websites have changed-this book has dated material. This book is too old-it was not published recently.

I am the author of Dreams in August: Life, Love, and Cerebellar Ataxia

From what I can see this is the grandmother book of all infopreneur books!.......2007-04-15

This book is a must read for anyone thinking about being an online infopreneur. Just about every book out there today that talks about being an infopreneur and/or how to be an infopreneur seems to (or should) cite this book in its bibliography. I read it some years ago and thought it was wonderful. I found it lacked a little polish, but it was jam-packed full of content. Actually it lacks a lot of polish, but it's still a great book.

Interestingly, the content found in this book is still pretty much up-to-date except for the online links. That is kind of hard to believe since the subject is about using the Internet to sell books, but it's true.

The other books that I recommend you read along with this one include the following:

From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur (ISBN: 0470050861)
Print-on-Demand Book Publishing (ISBN: 0972380132)
Literary Law Guide for Authors (ISBN: 0967457963)
Aiming at Amazon (ISBN: 093849743X)
The Web-Savvy Writer (ISBN: 0977830403
Plug Your Book! (ISBN: 0977240614)

This book will certainly help you in your efforts to publish and promote online. 5 stars!

HOW TO PUBLISH AND PROMOTE ONLINE.......2006-07-15

GREAT BOOK WITH A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION. GREAT BOOK FOR ANY AUTHOR.

Romoulous Enterprises.......2005-09-02

This book has inspired me to market and sale my own books. It has also provided me with information and resources to publish my own books.

A chaotic collection of essays thrown together piecemeal.......2005-05-11

Over the past several months, I've read about a dozen books on electronic and self-publishing. Although I've still to find a truly excellent resource ("The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing" by Tom & Marilyn Ross is the best I've come across as of yet), "How to Publish and Promote Online" is one of the worst I've seen by far.

The general layout of the book is perhaps the biggest disappointment. Rather than having concrete, substantial chapters, arranged in a logical and progressive order, "How to Publish and Promote..." consists of 58 short essays. The text itself is only 246 pages, divided by 58 chapters...and, well, you do the math! Most of the "chapters" are written by "guest" authors. The old adage about "too many cooks in the kitchen" is applicable here - there are so many authors that the different writing styles become distracting. Even more problematic is their seeming lack of communication. No one appears to have read one another's essays, or to even have a vague idea of what topic the other authors are writing about. This holds true for the book's authors, Rose & Adair-Hoy, as well as the many guest authors. Thus, some of the information is mentioned several times and quickly becomes redundant, while other information is presented chaotically and in no clear order. The end result is that the flow of the book is choppy and erratic; the chapters aren't arranged in any obvious order, and no one section transitions smoothly into the next. What little information is included in the book is hard to find.

For example, a survey of radio and television media executives conducted by Paul J. Krupin is described in excruciating detail twice in the book: first in a chapter written by PAUL KRUPIN himself, and in a later chapter authored by both Rose & Adair-Hoy. Additionally, there are numerous instances where Rose and Adair-Hoy provide URLs for similar web sites in different chapters, when it really would have made more sense to group the links together for quick reference. It wasn't a big deal for me, since I was typing up notes from the book in my word processing program, and could reorganize the info any way I saw fit - but I'm sure I would have been much more aggravated had I actually shelled out money for this train wreck. By the way, I ended up with six pages of typed, double-spaced notes for a 254 page book; this should give readers come clue as to how much helpful information is actually included.

Adair-Hoy includes this "disclaimer" (her words, not mine) in her introductory chapter:

"Finally...my secret. I have never taken a formal writing course and I don't intend to. I write the way I talk."

Without meaning to, Adair-Hoy offers a succinct summary of the primary flaw in "How to Publish and Promote...". When writing a reference book, it just isn't acceptable for the authors to ramble on and on in a disorganized, roundabout manner, offering pieces of information here and there in a sort of word jumble. If writing simply involved "writing how you talk," then anyone could do it! Nonfiction/reference books such as these should be well-organized, informative, and packed with useful knowledge. They SHOULDN'T be thrown together piecemeal. Any one of these 58 essays is acceptable on its own, in a `zine or newsletter, perhaps - but lumped together under the guise of a "how-to" book, they simply don't cut it.

If you really must read this book, check it out of your local library before purchasing it - I guarantee you'll thank me for saving you $10+. Then put the Ross' "The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing" or (if you're just interested in marketing ideas for your book) their "Jump Start Your Book Sales" on hold. Their writing style can be somewhat grating, but they offer a ton of useful information - and, better yet, their guides are actually organized into REAL CHAPTERS!

- Kelly Garbato

Author & ePublisher, "13 Lucky Steps to Writing a Research Paper"
Peedee Publishing / Hot Dog!, LLC

A truly good book teaches me better than to read it.
I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint.
What I began by reading, I must finish by acting.
- Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Average customer rating:

How To Publish and Promote Online
M. J. Rose
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTP0DO

Customer Reviews:

Interesting but not scientific.......2007-09-25

How does a person become a spiritual/sex guru? I was curious and decided to purchase and read this book.

I did some research on David Deida, and it appears he has no formal education on either psychology or human sexuality. What he does appear to have, however, are powerful insights into eastern beliefs on sexuality greatly differing from our own western version.

Although the author sites absolutely no scientific rationale to provide support for his views, I found his views to be fascinating. For example, in a chapter "Stop Hoping for Your Women to Get Easier":

"So she will test you. She might not be fully conscious of why she is doing it, but she will poke your weak spots, especially in moments of your superficial success, in order to feel your strength. If you collapse, you've flunked the test....It never ends. A woman will always test her man for the pleasure of feeling his strength in loving, his capacity to transcend nuisance, his persistence in his own truth, and his capacity to share that truth in love with her, even when she is complaining- especially when she is complaining."

The author provides a refreshing eastern perspective on sexuality, masculinity, and feminity. It isn't entirely politically correct. But it is sexually correct. I am sure not all feminists would agree with the author's views. But those who seek the truth will find the author's unique perspective to be invigorating as having a good night with a woman who loves, and therefore tests, him.

MUST reading for all men.......2007-09-20

This is the 'how-to" book our fathers could never write (God bless them), and the best men's book on relationship I've ever read. Not because it teaches you tricks, or how to please a woman, but because it it shows men how to stand in our masculine power as our true selves, rather than someone who denies themselves to please others. I could never be in the incredible relationship I'm in today without the lessons I've learned from this book, and that includes having clear boundaries where self respect, awareness, integrity and purpose must come first in our lives. We always get the relationship we deserve...this book helps us deserve more. I use this book as a basis for the men's group I'm leading.

Great look at sex in loving relationships.......2007-09-09

I was impressed at the level of honesty by the author. He was very open about his desires and fantasies, and how these can exist in a committed relationship. He really teaches that it is not our dark side that is inappropriate, but how we handle it.
His views on the relationship dynamic were also helpful. The male and female priorities are inherently different, and once we accept these differences, love can actually exist. This theory has helped me in my personal life and relationships.
I would recommend this book to anyone that is willing to be honest about their relationships and sexual life.

Unravel the mysterious behavior of women!.......2007-08-30

Deida gives guys a great guide to understanding the often maddening behavior of their woman. He explains what they are really desiring and how we can satisfy those desires.

I've been astounded at the reactions I get from girls who I share his ideas with. They unanimously confirm that he's right on track. I wish I had known these secrets sooner in life!

A must read for any guy who wants a fulfilling relationship rather then a maddening one. Also, woman could also learn a lot about themselves and their guys by reading this.

totally made up .......2007-08-26

The author of this book must be laughing all the way to the bank. He has no credentials and doesn't support anything he says with any research - just his own opinion. Seems to be written for the man who only wants to get ahead - and this makes him feel good about it. Come on guys - we're talking the 1950s male mindset....

The Way of the Superior Man : A Spiritual Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Women, Work, and Sexual Desire

Average customer rating:

Review of "The Way of the Superior Man."
If male and female are within each of us...
How I see it.
If I were you, I wouldn't buy this
Now I know why they invented Happy Hour

The Way of the Superior Man : A Spiritual Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Women, Work, and Sexual Desire
David Deida
Manufacturer: Plexus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1889762105

Customer Reviews:

Review of "The Way of the Superior Man.".......2007-08-28

I feel that David Deida has some great information on modern mans role in todays society.

If male and female are within each of us..........2007-01-01

My understanding of female and male is that these energies are in each human being and must be balanced within for optimum results, whether you are a man or a woman. That readers are "agreeing with" Deida's opinions on women just isn't a great advertisement for this book. It tells me that the book is full of opinions that a lot of people (men, maybe women, too?) hold. There are plenty of popular opinions that don't really contribute to our lives in meaningful ways, though they may feel satisfying for providing a ready-made "answer" when we are faced with something we don't understand or accept. This doesn't get us any closer to moving beyond opinions so that we can allow ourselves and each other to be fully human and alive. Seeking to become "superior" is also cause for inquiry. I recommend a book called Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves by Naomi Aldort. Though this book is a parenting guide, I would venture to say that virtually none of us was parented in a way that encouraged full acceptance of our whole selves, including all our feelings. Naomi's book is a wonderful guide for how to begin the process of acceptance of all of our parts. Rather than reinforcing stereotypes of and opinions about male and female, it describes an inner process that can take us far, possibly where David Deida may be meaning for us to go, beyond the usual traps.

How I see it........2006-10-12

I think the problem many have with Deida`s books comes from judging themselves and view others thorough that light. That goes for the content, too.

I agree with Deida`s view on women. The thing is that, unlike many critics, I don`t judge women for it, and in no way do I look at them as inferrior. I respectm appreciate and love them for who they truly are on all levels, and I accept my role as the yang energy in the relatioship. By teaching them how to become stringer, love themselves even more and understand how beautiful they really are.

Love is the only truth.

If I were you, I wouldn't buy this.......2006-04-17

Though I found one or two good points in what I read of the book, his words are so ugly and insulting that I could hardly get passed the introduction. For some reason he feels the need to label sensitive nice guys as "wimps" and "spineless." Among the many other needlessly ugly and one-sided comments in his introduction was the point that a man who watches sports "doesn't have the balls to do it himself" (pg 6).
His main point within the book is that, in order for the relationship to have passion, one partner has to be the dominant one and the other has to be dominated. One has to the "ravisher" and the other has to be the "ravishee." The masculine energy is all about living on the edge and accomplishing goals. He states that, "if you have a masculine sexual essence then you would probably admit... that your intimate relationship is just not as important to you as the 'mission' in your life" (pg 9). He says that, for people with "a more balanced sexual essence...[who want a relationship] full of love and human sharing without the passionate ups and downs... [will find this book] irrelevant, possibly offensive" (pg 5). Honestly, I've got a feeling that lots of good natured, sincere, and intelligent men are looking for just that. We're looking for a girl that won't try dragging us into her drama of ups and downs.
I've got a feeling that, if I listened to this (bald and ugly) baffoon's advice to the letter, I'd end up like one of those 50 year old pathetic males that tries to cope with becoming older and no longer attractive by constantly trying to show himself and his equally pathetic friends that he's a man by chugging beers (adding to that already huge potbelly) and making manly noises while gawking at women who would puke just at the thought sex with them.
Though I'm usually too lazy to write reviews, this book is so bad that it motivated me to write my first book review ever. If I were you I'd find another book.

Now I know why they invented Happy Hour.......2004-01-01

I gave this book four stars instead of five because part of me wants to hold back and say "Waitaminute, let's give women some more credit." On one hand, I chuckled because yes, David Deida accurately describes several of the maddening mind games that women play. On the other hand, if I dare agree that Deida is absolutely right, then it means I'm also agreeing that women are irrational, overly-emotional, mind-screwing loons who need extensive psychotherapy. When I read Deida's suggestions, I see he has some good points, but... if women are really THAT high-maintenance, why bother? I'd rather spend an evening with a six-pack, ESPN and my best buddies instead of trying to decipher my wife's saying one thing but meaning something else. I'm conflicted because I want to give women benefit of the doubt -- they can't possibly be this irrational. Or can they? This book may just explain why man invented Happy Hour.

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