Books published by Outskirts Press

Dr. Ray Smith is the saxophonists'' saxophonist, the teachers'' teacher. His 50+ years of saxophone playing and teaching have prepared him well to bring together perhaps the greatest breadth of practical saxophone information ever assembled under one book cover in The Science and Art of Saxophone Teaching. This book is valuable to saxophone teachers and serious saxophone students alike covering such topics as basic tone production (embouchure, oral cavity, breath support) and solving problems with tone, playing low notes, slurring down over intervals, solving reed issues, saxophone repair and adjustments, coordinating classical and jazz study and practice, warmup exercises and practice routines, articulation basics and articulation styles, development of technique and speed, choosing fingerings, solving vibrato issues, working on intonation problems, playing dynamics, rhythmic development, learning altissimo (may be worth the price of the book alone), phrasing musically, choosing good breathing places, working with ornamentation and cadenzas, dealing with differences between styles, becoming a multilingual musician, doubling other woodwind instruments and helpful information on clarinet, flute and double reeds, dealing with stage fright, and much more. This volume belongs in the library of every earnest saxophonist. There are also a series of video tutorials on a coordinated YouTube channel that bring all the concepts to life.Ray has been blessed to be a master pedagogue and is sharing in this book the concepts, insights, and approaches he has used to help countless young players become great saxophonists and musicians. His track record as a professor at Brigham Young University is enviable. His students teach at many of the nations'' universities, perform in the Broadway pits, play in the service bands of the Army, Navy, and Marines, and write for Hollywood movies. One is playing with the Dukes of Dixieland, and one is currently holding down the first tenor chair in the famed University of North Texas 1 O''Clock Lab Band. Ray, himself, a disciple of Eugene Rousseau, is a fine performer and well-recorded artist. He is equally at home in classical and jazz-related styles and adept at all five woodwind instruments. He has been heard frequently on the airwaves of this country (ESPN, ABC, NBC, CNN, etc.), on movies such as The Sandlot and The Swan Princess, and on Television series such as He-Man: Masters of the Universe, Xena, and Hercules.

Ba Gua Zhang (Eight Diagram Palm) is an art of unparalleled sophistication and depth. Rooted in Daoist meditation and longevity practices, and Chinese medical and martial art traditions, Ba Gua Zhang provides the practitioner with a powerful and comprehensive method of actualizing his or her own inherent internal potential. In this unique book on the art of Ba Gua Zhang, Ba Gua instructor Tom Bisio discusses the many facets of this fascinating art:*What is Ba Gua Zhang?*The Relationship of Ba Gua Zhang to the Yi Jing (Book of Changes)*Ba Gua Zhang and Daoism*Ba Gua Zhang for Exercise and Physical Fitness*Ba Gua Zhang as a Method of Physical Therapy*Suitability of Ba Gua for Different Ages and Professions*Ba Gua Zhang as Method of Promoting Health and Longevity*Health Studies on Ba Gua Zhang*Ba Gua Zhang as a Martial Art*Ba Gua Zhang as a Psycho-Spiritual PathThe Art of Ba Gua Zhang is not a how-to book. It is a fascinating meditation on the art of Ba Gua Zhang and its many applications to life and living. The Art of Ba Gua Zhang reveals how practicing Ba Gua Zhang can create change in all facets of one's life, physical mental and spiritual. Philosophy, life cultivation and self-defense are seamlessly combined into Ba Gua Zhang's theories and training methods, so that both the inside and outside of a person are cultivated simultaneously. The foundational training, circular walking, and changing palms strengthen muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones, while simultaneously harmonizing the functions of the internal organs, stimulating the brain and nervous system, unblocking the meridians and fostering the development of an indomitable spirit. At its core, Ba Gua Zhang is an embodied expression of the laws of change and transformation that govern the world in which we live. In The Art of Ba Gua Zhang, Bisio explains how practicing Ba Gua Zhang not only promotes health and fitness, but also allows us to deeply and directly experience and appreciate the natural forces that act upon us from moment to moment and form our experience of the world around us. The Art of Ba Gua Zhang gives the reader a deep understanding and appreciation for Ba Gua Zhang's core practice: Circle Walking Nei Gong. Walking the circle is the foundation of Ba Gua as a martial art, health science and method of transforming life and consciousness. Walking and turning, while cultivating the mind and the breath, has many profound effects on the human body, mind and nervous system. With every step, walking the circle, recharges our internal energy matrix and activates a process of internal transformation that engenders a full engagement with life and living.Tom Bisio is known internationally as a martial artist and practitioner of Chinese medicine. He has studied Chinese medicine and martial arts extensively in mainland China. Tom has written numerous books and articles on Martial Arts, Nei Gong, Daoist Meditation and Chinese medicine. He is the founder of New York Internal Arts and Internal Arts International.

Take a transformative journey to a deeper level of connection, and discover how to train animals through compassionate wisdom...In Mindful Partners: The Zen art and science of working with animals, Dr. Jenifer A. Zeligs teaches pet owners and animal care professionals how to fulfill their dreams of being like Dr. Dolittle, able to speak joyfully with animals. Dr. Zeligs combines breakthroughs in behavioral sciences with centuries of contemplative wisdom, revealing deep insight into behavior. This is the "Zen" of her approach-not only to teach students what to do, but especially to teach them how to see it for themselves with powerful practices from the mindfulness tradition. Dr. Zeligs guides you, the reader, to partner with any animal to establish interspecies communication, develop calm behavior, respond when things go wrong, reduce aggression, build confidence, overcome fears, and motivate without causing stress. The architecture of her message is built on the psychological sciences, but its heart is told through story, analogy, and introspection. This book is filled with intimate and amusing accounts of Dr. Zeligs' forty-year history of partnerships across the animal kingdom. Dr. Zeligs is the internationally acclaimed author of Animal Training 101 and founder of the Animal Training and Research International Center. She has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in advanced care and training of both pets and exotic animals at California State University, Monterey Bay, for more than twenty years. She is a Buddhist Mitra in the Triratna Buddhist Community with decades of meditation experience. Mindful Partners is the culmination of Dr. Zeligs' profound expertise. Each empowering chapter includes color illustrations, questions for personal reflection, and practices to enable you to master the concepts.

Water, I WonderWith BOB-e as a guide, children, and even adults, can discover the wonder of water. Where water comes from, its value to human and animal life, how we play in and with water, and how we can protect Earth's most valuable resource. Humans are mostly made of water and our connection to water can't be understated. This book provides gentle answers to some of the most common questions about water through a journey with BOB-e and children. Our hope is that the book inspires children and adults to better understand the value of water and strive to protect this scarce and invaluable gift.

Building remote controlled submarines is hard. Bob Martin brings his extensive experience to demystify this amazing hobby with an overview of basic information, resources and techniques for beginning submariner to experienced sub skipper.

A nine-month-old baby is dropped on its head on the floor of a concrete swimming pool. It''s 1948 in Southern Rhodesia. And from the baby''s ensuing convulsions emerges a figure who has become a much-beloved actor of stage and screen. Colonels, Cads and Charmers follows the real-life adventures of Miles Anderson. From his childhood in (now) Zimbabwe (including his father Major General Jock Anderson''s historic dismissal from the army for resisting Ian Smith''s regime) to his award-winning stage career and his popularity on British television. In the African tradition of vivid storytelling, moments of hilarity mix with poignant tales of loss and thoughtful provocations. There are perspectives on acting and insights into the entertainment industry - from the original House of Cards to the ever-popular Soldier Soldier, along with the impactful Cry Freedom and the improbable Sky Bandits. The tales travel the gamut. Talking to a bear in Malaya. Diving from the skies in Singapore. Playing a dog at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Quitting the West End to become a Greek fisherman. Cremating a friend in a hysterical funeral. Each story shimmers with a dramatis personae of charismatic characters - and not a few romances...

Growing up loving to hunt, Bruce LaChance decided to seek his greatest adventure yet: to hunt a giant brown bear on his own. What followed was a tale not only of adventure but of tragedy and redemption through faith.On leave from his US Navy base on Kodiak Island, twenty-year-old LaChance set out in late September 1964 for the extreme danger of the Alaskan wilderness. He struggled alone for nearly two weeks, during which he lost thirty pounds and an inch in height. Along the way, he never lost faith in himself, however. Later in life, he would again find himself lost but in a different kind of wilderness, though one every bit as deadly--that of alcoholism. Only through belief in a Higher Power was he able to survive both wildernesses, and in so doing, find contentment, faith, and true love.Lost and Found in Alaska: A True Story of Survival and Miracles on Kodiak Island...and Elsewhere will help every reader become aware of his or her Higher Power. That Power resides within them, and always has, and if they are willing to surrender to it, they can find serenity.

Poetry is Me brings you tons of explosive, stimulating, and thought provoking poems that have been written over the past 2 decades from Author Kevin Brown. The collection of written art contained in this book will provide insights to the many different situations and/or scenarios that you may be currently experiencing in your own life. You will be compelled to come back and read them again and again. Whether you're missing a loved one that you can't get off your mind, in need of some inspiration to get your day going, or reading about God and undiscovered realms that you never thought possible, Poetry is Me will expand your imagination and leave you contemplating on life as a whole.

Ever lost your power? Of course you have, and you will several more times in your life time, along with your water, heat, refrigeration, toilets, gas, and the very utilities most take for granted until there gone.Two terms to remember, OFF-GRID: You develop all your own power, septic, water, and heating systems. ON-GRID: You are supplied with all utilities, but at a very high cost.If you own your home, rent your home or have an apartment, for less than two fast food meals, this little book will make your next outage much easier to cope with and may even save your life. Learn what you need to make your next outage easy to cope with.If you’re thinking of getting away from the crowded cities where you see the air you breathe, taste the water you drink, wear ear plugs to sleep, spend three hours a day to and from your job, where the corporation billionaires has brainwashed you, making only survival pay, and your fed up with this so-called life? Then you really need this little book.In 1971 my wife and I bought in a very remote area in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The property was 26 miles from a town, 12 miles from any electric line, marginal roads in the summer, snow in the winter, no phone service. We have survived for 47 years but we learned, OOOO BOY, did we learn! Now you can benefit from our dumb mistakes, our good choices, and will save you thousands if thinking of building off-grid.The truth of what’s it is really like to live off-grid? I wrote this at the request from the many I have helped to develop inexpensive solar systems, to complete solar systems for off-grid living. You will learn solar systems, water, septic, heating systems, how and where to build your home, buying your land, and a host of other information. No grafts or charts, just the facts. Until the 1950’s most people had gone through the depression, WW2, and still had the means and knowledge to live without all the utilities supplied today. Because the power grid was marginal, they kept all the necessary backups needed to cope with the outages. Today we have grown complacent.Today, largely due to the space age, it is not only much easier to build and live off-grid but much less expensive to do so. It is estimated that in the next ten years over 55% of the work force will work from their home. Your job can be done from your living room, due to satellite technology, in an environment that you now can only dream of. We see solar panels on roofs in the cities, huge wind and solar fields, personal systems on acreages, farms, ranches, and urban areas. It’s here now but only a few realize it as an easy way to escape the urban life.Land in remote areas can still be bought at an affordable price, but as people like yourself want to get off the gerbil wheel, it too is becoming a sought-after commodity. This little book will not only give you good advice on building, but what to look for in off-grid land, and more importantly, what not to look for.As you will learn, most every utility built for off-grid living can be applied to on-grid as well.  Now in our late 70’s and over 47 years living off grid, going through the dark ages of off-grid living, I believe my advice is well worth reading, whether you use it is your decision, but “What If”I have been brutally honest in my advice, but it is all the truth.

With a doctorate in five woodwind instruments and decades as both a performer and a teacher, Dr. Mark Watkins has long been interested in the production of sound. What differentiates his book From the Inside Out: An In-depth Resource for the Development of Saxophone Sound from other music reference texts is its focus on fluoroscopy and endoscopy to supersede supposition and speculation. No other book provides both video and hard-copy illustrations of the inner workings of the saxophonist's vocal tract. Since 1995, Watkins has conducted X-ray and probe camera experiments and consulted with music acoustics physicists from around the world. Now, Watkins shares what he has learned in From the Inside Out, which is filled with explanations and exercises for saxophone performers and teachers in areas including range, relations to vocal mechanisms, articulation, jazz, anatomy, the science of the vocal tract, and extended techniques.

Compliments and Insults are a facet of every day life for all ages. Every one can relate to the material in this book

Nei Gong: The Authentic Classic, (Nei Gong Zhen Chuan) is an obscure text of unknown origin, yet it stands alone as the definitive text on internal energy and the generation of internal power. Hand copied, and passed from teacher to student, it is one of the "secret transmissions" of Chinese martial arts. Nei Gong: The Authentic Classic, is a practical manual on internal energy development and its fundamental importance in the martial arts and fa jin (emitting force). It draws heavily on Daoist meditation and alchemical practices which are said to promote health and longevity. The text is divided into four sections: 1. Nei Gong Jing (Internal Energy Classic); 2. Na Gua Jing (Received Trigram Classic); 3. Shen Yun Jing (Transported Spirit Classic); 4. Di Long Jing (Earth Dragon Classic), which are meant to be read in order. In this way the reader is guided step by step through the details of Nei Gong practice, and in the Di Long Jing, its application to self-defense. Translated by a team of experts, the text is accompanied by extensive footnotes and diagrams that clarify the more obscure passages which otherwise pre-suppose a knowledge of Daoist texts and imagery from the I-Ching (Book of Changes). The appendices further explicate the relationship of Nei Gong: The Authentic Classic to the internal martial art Xing Yi Quan.

("Black women . . . are you tired of being all things to all people . . . while your own needs remain unmet?"Are you overwhelmed by busyness, stress, and exhaustion?What if you found out that it's possible to have the life and love you want and deserve?Would that knowledge change the way you live the rest of your life?Through a series of insightful, updated blog essays that have already helped thousands of overburdened women depressurize, The Sojourner's Passport shows you how to stop doing it all and start enjoying your life.

Bergens Guttehjem (Boy''s home)The author of these memoirs, Olof A. Eriksen, was born in Norway 1936. In 1952 he moved to Karlskrona, Sweden to study Mechanical Engineering, and 1956 he immigrated to the United States. This book is his diary containing his true life memories. "A fascinating, unbelievable, and heart-rending story that will make you shake your head in disbelief."One publisher wrote: "If your accomplishments were not so well documented, readers would want to characterize your writings as a fictitious tale of adventure, filled with exaggeration and fantasy. But we are more amazed to know that this is not fiction, but rather an autobiographical account of, how through determination, creativity and sheer genius, you successfully overcame seemingly insurmountable odds, to live a life so special, most of us can only dream of or see in the movies. This extraordinary book deserves a wide audience, indeed."One Professional writer, Nina M. Sherwood wrote: "Olof''s life is riveting and inspiring. It is hard to imagine that one person could have gone through so much and still come out a "winner"! This definitely is a story that movies and dreams are made from."