Books published by Microcosm Publishing

An updated and expanded edition of our hand-illustrated and accessible introduction to the world of bike repair! Through working at both Plan-B Bike Project and French Quarter Bicycles in New Orleans, our co-authors have gathered a wealth of experience to share with would-be bicycle mechanics. The first half of this book is a complete repair manual to get you started on choosing the right bike for you, riding that bike, and fixing it when it breaks down. The second half reprints all four issues of the Chainbreaker zine, whose originals were destroyed in Hurricane Katrina.This is the best bicycle repair manual that we have, and the one that many of us here at Microcosm use to fix our own bikes. It's incredibly useful for fixing older bikes, and the illustrated instructions help you suss out how to fix a wide variety of issues whatever kind of bike you have, whether it's a beater or a vintage classic.

In a no-nonsense guide on how to cope with mental-health issues, Harper explains what's going on in our skulls, and talks us through the process of retraining our brains to respond appropriately to the non-emergencies of everyday life.

Boundaries are the ways we communicate our needs. They are what allow us to feel safe among strangers, in everyday interactions, and in our closest relationships. When we have healthy boundaries, we have a strong foundation in an uncertain world. And when someone crosses your boundaries, or you cross someone else's, the results range from unsettling to catastrophic. In this book, bestselling author Dr. Faith Harper offers a full understanding of issues of boundaries and consent, how we can communicate and listen more effectively, and how to survive and move on from situations where our boundaries are violated. Along the way, you'll learn when and how to effectively say "no" (and "yes"), troubleshoot conflict, recognize abuse, and respect your own and others' boundaries like a pro. You'll be amazed at how much these skills improve your relationships with friends, strangers, coworkers, and loved ones.

New edition with all new, step-by-step photography!A classic beginner''s guide to basic home fermentation of just about anything, Wild Fermentation is a great resource by one of the world''s foremost experts on the topic. Includes easy to read and inspiring instructions to get you started making anything fermentable, from bread to cheese to yogurt to kimchi to miso to injera to beer to even chocolate—in the comfort of your own home. Who knew making tasty, healthy, interesting food could be so easy?

The 24th annual edition of Friday Gladheart''s beloved almanac is focused on crafting your magic. Special planner pages, worksheets, and articles are included to help you achieve your goals, discover your hidden talents, and explore the awe-inspiring beauty of nature, no matter what kind of magic you practice. The projects, articles, and ideas will motivate you to hone your witchy skills no matter your current level of expertise. It can also be used as a companion study guide to the traditional ''year and a day'' of study prior to initiation or solitary dedication. And as always, it contains astrological and astronomical information, moon phases, trivia, recipes, Sabbats, historical tidbits, and more.

Playful rhymes and whimsical art celebrate the many faces of the vulva in this mesmerising colouring book. Some of the rhymes uplift this oft-misunderstood body part: My vag is a martini / sometimes dry, sometimes dirty / but always delightful & a little bit flirty. And others keep it wonderfully real: Slobbering on a bush / my vag is a giraffe / majestic in person / but goofy in photograph. These pages provide a wonderful antidote to body shame. Colour your heart out as you marvel at the versatility, prowess, and personality of the vagina.

Are other people constantly intruding on your personal space, using your stuff, disrespecting you, and otherwise violating your boundaries? You can't control what they do, but you can control how you understand and communicate your own needs and make choices about how you behave and respond to the people around you. Dive deep into self-work with this interactive guide that can be used alone or as a companion to Dr. Faith's book Unfuck Your Boundaries. You'll learn about how to give and get consent, how to make sure you're stating your boundaries clearly and being understood, how to decide what is a dealbreaker, how to deal with boundaries in group settings, how to identify abuse, and how to hold yourself accountable to respecting the boundaries of others. Helpful to anyone trying to figure out healthier intimate relationships, better workplace dynamics, difficult family drama, or just how to be more confident in your own skin.

If you've ever been so pissed off that you did things that you regretted, or ruined your own day and some other people's too, this book is for you. Or if you feel angry every single day and it's affecting your health and sleep and love of life. Or if you've got very good reasons to be mad as hell, and you aren't going to take it anymore. Or if you've repressed your anger all your life and now it's all coming out at once. Microcosm Publishing bestseller Dr Faith explains here what the hell is going on in your brain and how to retrain yourself to deal with enraging situations more productively and without torpedoing your relationships. This is Your Brain on Anger gives you a heady dose of neuroscience and cultural explanation of what anger is and what it does to you, and then gives you a handy four-step checklist to help you deal with maddening situations after (or before) the fact, guidance on getting over things, and a chapter on forgiveness. Your brain actually knows what it's doing, and anger can be a good thing sometimes--just not if it's ruining your life.

Anxiety can control your life with a tight grip. Get yourself free with these exercises and worksheets designed to help you identify, manage, and ultimately calm your anxiety, be it stress that ebbs and flows or constant, chronic panic. Work through this book either by itself or as a companion to Dr. Faith G. Harper's bestselling Unfuck Your Anxiety. Figure out the history of your anxiety and how and when it makes itself known, and learn basic tools for surviving moments of panic as well as longer-term problem solving.

Born as Jesus Christ Allin and raised in rural isolation by a violently abusive religious fanatic, GG Allin grew up to be one of punk''s most controversial figures. His onstage antics, which included throwing blood and faeces at the audience, overshadowed his music. In this first substantial biography of the man who wanted to make rock ''dangerous'' again, author and illustrator Reid Chancellor portrays Allin''s life and early death with sensitivity, asking us to look beyond the shocking spectacle to understand the troubled human behind the scenes, and the societal forces that pushed him to the edge of creative expression.

Ever since he came out as autistic, people have been contacting Joe to share their stories and ask questions. The most common question by far: How do I find a romantic partner? Dr. Faith G. Harper, author of Unfuck Your Brain and Unfuck Your Intimacy joins autistic publisher and author Joe Biel to offer hard-won guidance on a wide range of topics about friendships, dating, and romance and answer a ton of questions. Autistic readers will find valuable answers and perspectives in this book.

Vulvas are too often either crudely objectified or shrouded in mystery. No longer! The Post-Structuralist Vulva Coloring Book demystifies gender and interrogates your assumptions as you are drawn into its mesmerizing patterns, folds, and whorls. Color away the false binaries between male and female, words and text, inside and outside, art and nature. As you meditate on the sameness and difference of the vulvas on each page, you will question your interpellation into dominant systems of knowledge. By overwhelming the senses with vulvas, you can easily deconstruct the meaning and very existence of this social construct we call the "vulva" and the instructions for living that come with it. Quotations from post-structuralist philosophers accompany the art, and can be colored and even edited into new constructs and critiques. Perfect for the recovering graduate student who wants to deconstruct gender without being themselves dismantled by the tools of deconstruction.Printed on one side, with perforated pages so you can easily color and display your masterworks.

Through hundreds of exclusive and original interviews, Punk USA documents an empire that was built overnight as Lookout! Records sold millions of albums and rode the wave of the second coming of punk rock until it all came crashing down. In 1987, Lawrence Livermore founded an independent punk label to release records by his band the Lookouts. Forming a partnership with David Hayes, the label released some of the most influential recordings from California's East Bay punk scene, including a then-teenaged Green Day. Originally operating out of a bedroom, Lookout! Records created the "e;East Bay Punk sound,"e; with bands such as Crimpshrine, Operation Ivy, the Mr. T Experience, and many more. The label helped to pave the way for future punk upstarts, and as Lookout! grew, young punk entrepreneurs used the label as a blueprint to try their hand at record pressing.

When we lose someone or something close to us--a loved person or animal, a relationship, our health, our dream, our idea of who we are--it hurts. A lot. Grief is both what we experience and how we heal. Dr. Faith Harper, bestselling author of books like Unfuck Your Brain and Unfuck Your Boundaries brings us a counseling and neuroscience perspective on grieving. She explains what is actually happening in our brains and bodies and what we need in order to allow it to happen fully. She also shows us how to identify and treat traumatic grief, the variety of grieving processes we experience, what grief looks like in the long term, when to get professional support, and how to ask the people in our lives for what we need (and to give ourselves the care we need as well). You'll also find solid advice on how (and how not!) to support a grieving person in your life. Wise, a little crass, and gently funny.

Hello Cleveland unlocks the hidden, larger-than life history and culture of Cleveland, Ohio, possibly the country's most misunderstood city. Locals, visitors, transplants, and people--who moved away as soon as they could--will gain a well-rounded picture of the city's passionate pursuits, dark corners, dubious claims to fame, and disarmingly friendly culture. Nick Perry, who grew up in Cleveland and then moved back as an adult, invites you to join him in taking a loving, brutally honest look under the hood. Develop an appreciation for local celebrities like Devo, Bone Thugs & Harmony, Lil' John and Big Chuck, and Dick Goddard the weather guy. Marvel at landmarks like the Great Lakes, the Metroparks, and the world's largest outdoor chandelier. There are plenty of downsides and none are sugarcoated. You'll discover why Cleveland is the reason for the creation of the Environmental Protection Act and how it's largely to blame for the widespread adoption of suburban city planning. But you can still find a heartwarming pride in rooting for sports teams that seem cursed to lose every championship. As the city's unofficial slogan says, "You've got to be tough," but there's a lot to love--especially when the world-famous Cleveland Orchestra wanders into the dive bar you're sitting in and starts to play an impromptu concert.

Want to write a book? Half the battle is finding a practice that works for you. Successful author and creativity expert Jessie Kwak is here to help you do just that--and have fun doing it. In her view, every part of the process is important: idea generation, development, research, planning, drafting, revising, and publication and are all covered here in friendly, accessible detail. As in her previous book, From Chaos to Creativity, Kwak helps you set up a system that makes the most of your creative ideas and helps them find their best form--and their audience. Fiction and nonfiction writers alike can use this book as a muse, a checklist, and a resource for getting your ideas out of your head and into the world. With a foreword by Charlie Gilkey, author of Start Finishing.