Books published by White River Press

 At four years old, Eleanor was hit by a car. It was 1937: she remembers the sunshine in her hospital room, the doctor, the nurses, the glass straw in her cup of water. She remembers that her face had been disfigured, leaving her ridiculed for years. But those experiences prepared her for the future - first with apprehension and suspicion, then with acceptance and understanding of others who were challenged.More than a memoir, THE GLASS STRAW provides insight into pre-WWII and wartime middle-America, from the innocence of young girls playing hopscotch and young boys jumping trains, to nighttime travels in a delivery truck from Indiana to Chicago to pick up boxes for families to ship supplies to their overseas servicemen. Eleanor''s lessons in perseverance continued to develop; they served her well when she married Bob who, despite the difficulties of medical school while they were newlyweds, was destined to become a beloved pediatrician, and Eleanor, a good doctor''s wife. She never minded Bob''s long days, phone calls from worried parents at all hours, or the sacrifices needed for his profession. After all, Eleanor knew firsthand how a frightened child felt, and that long after her own scars faded, it had taken longer for the ones inside to heal.

Genealogy and family history of the Coats Family in Minnesota and Iowa in the 1940s. This includes childhood memories by Deane (Coats) Dierksen and her siblings, her mother's recipes, and other family gems in words and pictures.

The Descendants of William Hayward of Easton, Massachusetts documents William's life in the eighteenth century, his two wives, Lydia Manley and Ann Holland, his children, and his grandchildren.

George D. Aiken, a hillside farmer and a liberal Republican Depression-era Governor, rose to national prominence as a leading GOP U. S. Senator and enduring critic of the Vietnam War from 1962-1975. Aiken’s long-standing friendship with Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield, an unheard of political alliance in today’s sharply divided Washington, forged bi-partisan opposition to the war. Aiken was neither “hawk” nor “dove”, but a “wise owl” who spoke his mind forcefully and bluntly to all against the war. He advised President Johnson to declare that the U. S. won the Vietnam War and to get out. Later, Aiken told President Nixon to stop bombing in Cambodia or he couldn’t be elected “dogcatcher.” This is pure Aiken speaking truth to power for ending America’s most controversial war, a common-sense voice that the Nation sorely needs today.This book demonstrates that bi-partisan Senate leadership has worked in the past and must be present in order to solve urgent national problems. Senator Aiken was a catalyst for forging consensus on issues from civil rights to foreign policy by being open-minded to all ideas that would help his constituents. Aiken’s philosophy was always to help people first. He never made decisions based on his party, a lost art in the current political environment. A Senator like George Aiken today would help show how to restore bi-partisanship.

A RE-VISIONING OF NUTRITIONAL HEALTHIn this breakthrough book, lifestyle and nutrition researchers Deborah Kesten and Larry Scherwitz offer documented proof that it is possible to overcome overeating, overweight, and obesity by nourishing yourself multidimensionally each time you eat. They reveal how overeating may be halted, even reversed, by replacing their newly identified overeating styles with the antidotes: the ancient/new elements of their Whole Person Integrative Eating dietary lifestyle described in this book.The authors’ paradigm-shifting, well-researched message in Whole Person Integrative Eating is that food influences not only the physical dimensions of health, but also our emotional, spiritual, and social well-being. Their scientifically sound dietary lifestyle can build bridges between the millions who struggle with overeating and weight issues and the medical community. And it can inspire you to re-envision your relationship to food, eating, and weight, so that each time you eat, you are nourished...for life.

Building Economically Sustainable Communities of Color around the Worldthrough Social Impact and Entrepreneurship The time has come for philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and emerging and established venture capitalists to come together to build and strengthen communities of color through domestic and global initiatives. MOSAIC GENIUS offers an inspiring, how-to guide that promotes the spirit of networking and reveals proven methods to successfully increase wealth while creating a sustainable impact economy for all. From Ms. Jackson's early experience with social impact-her first playmate was a 92-year old patient in her mother's nursing home-to her much-heralded convenings of business leaders where they share and learn from one another, her primary focus has been on helping those less fortunate. MOSAIC GENIUS provides a slice of Ms. Jackson's "Can-Do" solutions that will show you how to increase both personal fulfillment and business success while making a much-needed impact on the world.

As The Gritty Berkshires makes clear,  Massachusetts’ westernmost county is not just art museums, music festivals and beautiful scenery.  For generations of working class families who have lived in the northern part of this county, their reality looks more like Rust Belt America.  Maynard Seider, an activist sociologist who has taught and researched in the area for more than three decades, places the history of the North Berkshire region in the context of U.S. and global history.  Through the use of oral histories, union archives, newspaper accounts and participant observation, the author focuses on the 1,000 men who built the nation’s longest railroad tunnel, the thousands of men and women who worked in its textile mills and electronics factories and who struck, built worker co-ops, and community coalitions to improve their daily lives.In this history, we learn how the Berkshires offer insight into so many crucial aspects of the American experience.  Moving from the early 1800s to the present, Seider weaves a narrative that details the area’s vibrant immigrant history, slavery’s role in its textile industry,  the battle for national unions and the ideological struggles with corporate elites over who best speaks for the community.   Enriched by dozens of photographs, these stories focus on the voices of ordinary people as they often do extraordinary things.Seider concludes his book by considering the question of “What’s next?” through a case study of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA).   These brick buildings which housed generations of blue and white collar workers until 1986 now attract tourists to the country’s largest contemporary art collection.  Yet the unanswered question remains, can a tourist-service economy provide a meaningful and economically sustainable life for its residents?  The Gritty Berkshires’  last section deals with this question both nationally and locally, exploring diverse responses amidst the nation’s growing inequality, militarism and cutbacks in social services.    

How to find peace and harmony in an unsettled world. You. Me. The person down the street or halfway around the globe. In this inspiring collection of stories, blessings, poetry, divine teachings, and meditation exercises, Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg conveys a single, powerful message: Let us not be strangers. God loves us all. Using a blend of ancient and modern ideas, God Loves the Stranger carves a clear pathway that enables us to learn how to love one another and create just societies. From teaching us how to handle suffering and aversion in positive, productive ways; how to learn creative skills for mindfulness, meditation, and retreat practice; and how to bring the roots of love and gratitude into our everyday lives, this book is a comprehensive tutorial for navigating today's interpersonal and situational challenges with grace, spiritual fulfillment, and understanding. It offers tender, thought-provoking insight into the awareness that we are not-are never-alone; and that neither are our family members, our friends, or the strangers everywhere in the world. This lovely book comes along at just the right moment. The author has much wisdom to share for these difficult times about how to connect embracing the stranger within-our fears, vulnerabilities, and self-deceptions-with welcoming strangers without, whether they be those near to us or far away. -Judith PlaskowProfessor Emerita of Religious Studies at Manhattan College and author of Goddess and God in the World: Conversations in Embodied Theology

Amity Street continues the story that began in New Haven in 1856, chronicled in The Writing Master. It is now the year 1892. Anna Felice, a wealthy former opera star, travels from Rome, Italy, to America-Manhattan, New Haven, finally Amherst, Massachusetts-in search of the truth about her family history. In Amherst, she encounters George Mullen, who holds the key to her past; Hazel Cooper, the writing master's daughter, who is trying to chart the precarious course of her future; and Hazel's cousin, the eccentric, enigmatic Davey Chillick, whose placid existence is about to take a startling turn. And much to Anna's surprise, as she learns the shocking facts about her background, she begins to fall in love with a little country town and the people in it. The scope of the novel includes the social and political upheavals of the 1890s-among them the suffrage movement, the Rational Dress Society, and the conventions of courtship. It also encompasses the taming of a hawk, the right way to train a voice, the making of rhubarb wine, and-most of all-the many ways to define what we call home. Reflecting the author's affection for Victorian novels, New England history, and the towns and landscapes of Western Massachusetts, Amity Street is a thoughtful and compelling examination of a memorable cast of characters and the changing world in which they struggle to live their tumultuous lives.

Great nutrition, exercise, healing pathways, meditation, the importance of sex, joy, a life of meaning - TAKE TWO TABLETS: Medicine from the Bible reveals how ancient principles -as told in the Bible-have been verified by today''s scientific scrutiny and hold the keys to a healthier, longer life and how to apply them to today''s hectic lifestyles. It shows us how to deal with pain, suffering, work and stress and how these proven healing techniques resonate with all the world''s major traditions as well as specific ancient Asian health practices that promote robust health and vitality. Created and written by Dr. Peter Kash, a bestselling author, biotech specialist, and educator-Dr. Shmuel Einav, a well-known biomedical research scientist and educator and Dr. Linda Friedland, an international health expert, medical doctor, speaker, and author. Rooted in the teachings of the Old Testament, this inspiring manual can transform your life.

Joi the Two Loons as they continue to careeb down the path of motherhood. In Cookies for Dinner,co-authors, Pam and Kae shared their experiences of early motherhood. If you thought that getting through the diaper wars and succesfully engineering "e;the potty train"e; was wild, wait until you read how the Two Loons handle what comes next! Only in Panic Early, Panic Often will you learn what no other "e;How to be the Perpect Mother"e; books are willing to share, such as: How to banish monsters with nothing but a handful of pocket link How to gain security at Chuck E. CheeseUnusual Uses for the average household ladder How to accept your place in the family hierarchy Why swimming lessons may not always be the best idea How to graciously accept help from your three year old when going potty Why you should never take your children to get your tires rotated How to handle it when your child tells everyone you have gone to jail How to keep your kids from tellung the world you're an idiot Why "e;family"e; and "e;vacation"e; are two words that should never be used together