At a time when society no longer imposes many sexual taboos, why is open marriage still considered beyond the pale? Written by Gracie X, Wide Open is an enthusiastic, honest, and sometimes raw account of one woman’s experience living polyamorously within the context of her average American family. Gracie X—a suburban mother of two—has been married to her loving husband, Hank, for 25 years. The problem is that their once-vibrant sex life has shriveled to nothing. Meanwhile, she has fallen in love with another man, for whom she has an overwhelming physical yearning. Frustrated and conflicted but determined not to give up her hard-won home life and wonderful husband, she is desperate for a creative solution. Can she somehow keep both men in her life without resorting to divorce or dishonesty? A friend introduces Gracie to polyamory: loving and being faithful to more than one person at a time. “Poly,” it turns out, is a whole new world, with dedicated counselors, parties, and dating sites. Convincing Hank ended up being the easy part: he quickly found a girlfriend and accepted Gracie’s terms. Their children, although upset at first, adjusted to having their parents’ “special friends” around, and having Hank and his girlfriend in one duplex, with Gracie and her new boyfriend, Oz, next-door, seemed like an inspired solution. But would trying to go poly create as many problems as it was trying to solve? In her candid and provocative memoir, Wide Open, Gracie details the years she has spent exploring the poly lifestyle and creating her “chosen family.” A fiercely intelligent feminist, she challenges traditional ideas about monogamy, fidelity, and sexuality. From swinger parties and strip clubs to sex toys and pornography, this is an edgy and thought-provoking read. Yet erotica and tenderness share space here, with Gracie’s true love for both Hank and Oz—as well as her two children—coming through very clearly. Wide Open reveals—with humor, integrity and heart—how one woman blended love, sex and marriage in unconventional ways and found the fulfillment she was looking for.

Through a classroom setting in which teeth are the students, "Open Wide" presents information about the structure and care of teeth and the services provided by dentists. There's so much to learn from brushing and flossing to dentin and pulp to every student's nightmare: tooth decay. Full-color illustrations.

Rocking relationships with your family and friends. A soulmate who gets you on the deepest level. And the best soulful sex of your life. Anything is possible with Melissa Ambrosini by your side! From the bestselling author of Mastering Your Mean Girl, Open Wide is the definitive guide to fulfilling and intimate 21st-century relationships, delving into everything from cultivating self-confidence, to unleashing your inner goddess, to forming lasting friendships . . . and even to experiencing toe-curling orgasms on demand. Called a "self-love guru" by Elle magazine, Melissa is a voice for the modern woman. Rather than the preachy tone that plagues many relationship guides, she's your supportive best friend sharing her wisdom in a way that makes your journey fun and simple. Full of electric insights, deeply personal stories, and genuine ‘aha' moments, Open Wide serves up real tools and relatable advice that you can put into action immediately for lasting results. A powerful, life-altering read, Open Wide gives you practical tools you can start using immediately to rewrite your future, create authentic connections, and experience heart-bursting love.

He left KoRn to help himself. He went back to help others. And along the way, he nearly lost everything. A life-changing spiritual awakening freed Brian “Head” Welch from a stranglehold of drugs and alcohol and prompted him to leave the highly successful nu-metal band KoRn in 2005. What followed was a decade-long trial by fire, from the perils of fathering a teen lost in depression and self-mutilation to the harsh realities of playing solo and surviving the shattering betrayal of a trusted friend. In this intensely inspiring redemption saga, perhaps most inspiring is Brian’s radical decision to rejoin KoRn and reconcile with the tribe of people he once considered family in the metal music scene. Brian returned to his musical roots with a clear head and a devoted heart. Though his story is wild, hilarious, and deeply poignant, the message is simple: God will love you into the freedom of being yourself, as long as you keep the relationship going and never, ever quit.

Open Wide the Doors to Christ, is a powerful tool for both teachers and students of the Catholic faith. As an excellent resource for RCIA and Adult Faith Formation, this insightful book discusses the basics of the Catholic faith -- and how we can live it fully. As the "meat and potatoes" of Catholicism, it is an introduction to the Church's teachings on the Creed, the sacraments, the moral life, prayer and much more -- with particular focus upon those who are seeking to become Catholic. Presented in a way that adults from all walks of life can understand, the book challenges readers to dig deeper and to continue to grow in their understanding of Christ and the Catholic Church.

BRILLIANTLY EXPLORING TODAY'S CUTTING-EDGE BRAIN RESEARCH, MIND WIDE OPEN IS AN UNPRECEDENTED JOURNEY INTO THE ESSENCE OF HUMAN PERSONALITY, ALLOWING READERS TO UNDERSTAND THEMSELVES AND THE PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES AS NEVER BEFORE. Using a mix of experiential reportage, personal storytelling, and fresh scientific discovery, Steven Johnson describes how the brain works -- its chemicals, structures, and subroutines -- and how these systems connect to the day-to-day realities of individual lives. For a hundred years, he says, many of us have assumed that the most powerful route to self-knowledge took the form of lying on a couch, talking about our childhoods. The possibility entertained in this book is that you can follow another path, in which learning about the brain's mechanics can widen one's self-awareness as powerfully as any therapy or meditation or drug. In Mind Wide Open, Johnson embarks on this path as his own test subject, participating in a battery of attention tests, learning to control video games by altering his brain waves, scanning his own brain with a $2 million fMRI machine, all in search of a modern answer to the oldest of questions: who am I? Along the way, Johnson explores how we "read" other people, how the brain processes frightening events (and how we might rid ourselves of the scars those memories leave), what the neurochemistry is behind love and sex, what it means that our brains are teeming with powerful chemicals closely related to recreational drugs, why music moves us to tears, and where our breakthrough ideas come from. Johnson's clear, engaging explanation of the physical functions of the brain reveals not only the broad strokes of our aptitudes and fears, our skills and weaknesses and desires, but also the momentary brain phenomena that a whole human life comprises. Why, when hearing a tale of woe, do we sometimes smile inappropriately, even if we don't want to? Why are some of us so bad at remembering phone numbers but brilliant at recognizing faces? Why does depression make us feel stupid? To read Mind Wide Open is to rethink family histories, individual fates, and the very nature of the self, and to see that brain science is now personally transformative -- a valuable tool for better relationships and better living.

Opening weekend is a battle for the hearts and minds (and wallets) of American moviegoers. In Open Wide, Dade Hayes and Jonathan Bing expose the blockbuster factory that lies just beyond Hollywood's red carpet. They reveal how movies have become products of instantaneous mass consumption no more enduring than popcorn and soda. They shadow the actors, directors, producers, and studio executives, tracing the trail of blood, sweat, tears, and hundreds of millions at stake in a weekend at the multiplex.

Dorothy Height marched at civil rights rallies, sat through tense White House meetings, and witnessed every major victory in the struggle for racial equality. Yet as the sole woman among powerful, charismatic men, someone whose personal ambition was secondary to her passion for her cause, she has received little mainstream recognition -- until now. In her memoir, Dr. Height, now ninety-one, reflects on a life of service and leadership. We witness her childhood encounters with racism and the thrill of New York college life during the Harlem Renaissance. We see her protest against lynchings. We sit with her onstage as Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "I Have a Dream" speech. We meet people she knew intimately throughout the decades: W.E.B. DuBois, Marcus Garvey, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mary McLeod Bethune, Adam Clayton Powell Sr., Langston Hughes, and many others. And we watch as she leads the National Council of Negro Women for forty-one years, her diplomatic counsel sought by U.S. Presidents from Eisenhower to Clinton. After the fierce battles of the 1960s, Dr. Height concentrates on troubled black communities, on issues like rural poverty, teen pregnancy and black family values. In 1994, her efforts are officially recognized. Along with Rosa Parks, she receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

Who would ever buy sex toys from the woman who cleans their teeth? Apparently, a lot of people! Open Wide -- Divorce, Dating, Dentistry & Dildos tells the embellished story of real-life Heidi's adventures in raising her kids after her divorce. As Heidi was scraping by (literally) on her dental hygienist's job salary, she found herself trying to make ends meet while fending off her patients who seemed more interested in setting her up on dates than in her hygiene skills. In attempts to get out of her financial rut, Heidi accepted an offer to get in on the ground floor of a new business, selling sex toys in people's homes. This decision proved not only successful but also turned out to be an entertaining adventure, full of hilarious stories detailed in Open Wide. Let Heidi take you along for the ride as she learns everything there is to know about human sexuality -- what makes men and women tick, and even more important, what makes them orgasm. Open Wide is for every woman who yearns for support while facing life's challenges, and for every man who faces the seemingly impossible task of understanding middle-aged women. Humorous, warm, and educational, this story comes from someone who will soon be everyone's favorite (and possibly the world's only) dental hygienist and sex expert. One thing is for sure. You will never look at the woman cleaning your teeth quite the same way again!

Chaos reigns when the magic wind turns fourth-grader Katie into Dr. Sang the dentist, and she must examine the mouth of a fearful new patient.