Every life is a story, and every story a journey. We are born, our story begins, and life happens. Each story develops over time from infancy through adulthood and from changes due to choices we make and many times by events over which we have no control. How our story ends is determined by how we react to those events. It is the life’s lessons and what we learn from them that help us grow, gain experience and wisdom, and move us along our journey. We decide if we are in charge of our destiny or if destiny is in charge of us. We drift aimlessly, or we paddle in the direction of our goals. Crooked Sidewalks will guide you as you tell your own story.

Cudahy (an independent scholar with a PhD in philosophy and a passion for transportation) looks at the early days of the cruise ship industry and discusses contemporary cruise ship design, cruise markets, and the evolution of the burgeoning, recreation-oriented business. Coverage also includes the challenges of managing cruise lines and regulations governing the industry. A detailed appendix presents an instant history of the major cruise line ships, including notes on specifications, builders, registry, and passenger capacity. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.

Kim Jon Il holds an iron grip over North Korea, and the world can only wonder what the secretive leader is doing within his borders. The deputy director of the CIA, Bob Wells, intends to discover the truth. He knows that if he doesnt, the world could see an attack similar to 9/11, or even worse. With the countrys security at stake, and confidence in the intelligence agency shaken, he cant allow such a disaster. The only person qualified to find out what the North Koreans are doing is Dr. Jon London, but the former operative turned his back on clandestine assignments two years ago. Now, he shares a quiet life as a university professor with the love of his life, Dr. Kim Lake, who knows nothing about his connection to the CIA. Suddenly, London finds himself enmeshed in a life he thought hed left behind. Hell journey all over the world and enter a land that hardly anyone knows anything about in his efforts to thwart disaster in Broken Border.

Sea of Heartbreak is a story set in 1977. Jack Thorne and his high school sweetheart, Sarah Long, wanted to be married one year after high school. Unfortunately, the world got in the way when Jack decided to enlist in the US Navy. He was looking for a career and thought the military could teach him just that. He and Sarah wanted to pursue the American dream. The book follows Jack’s four years in the navy. Jack excels in the military and enjoyed the adventures. Yet he was desperately in love with Sarah Long. Jack’s childhood best friend and fellow sailor, Mike Farmer, has been Jack’s devoted friend. Mike is the outgoing one with a girl in every port. So unlike Jack in that way. The two of them work as a team. They have an extremely close brotherhood and always guard each other’s back. But for Sarah Long, it is hell on the home front. She is going to college and working a full-time job just to pass the time away. She struggles seeing friends get married and others dating, always staying faithful to the love of her life. But it’s hard when you only get one phone call on the weekend and have to deal with deployments lasting several months. About the time Jack’s four years are up, he volunteers for a dangerous mission in war-torn Lebanon in 1981 during the Lebanese Revolution. He comes home a different man than when he left four years ago. Sarah is trying to live with the new man that is fighting the ghosts that haunt him. She is searching for answers to their problem. Little did Jack Thorne know this was the beginning of the war on terror that the world has denied.

These widely acclaimed essays from the author of Infinite Jest -- on television, tennis, cruise ships, and more -- established David Foster Wallace as one of the preeminent essayists of his generation. In this exuberantly praised book -- a collection of seven pieces on subjects ranging from television to tennis, from the Illinois State Fair to the films of David Lynch, from postmodern literary theory to the supposed fun of traveling aboard a Caribbean luxury cruiseliner -- David Foster Wallace brings to nonfiction the same curiosity, hilarity, and exhilarating verbal facility that has delighted readers of his fiction, including the bestselling Infinite Jest.

Set sail and dive into Europe's magnificent port cities with Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports! Inside you'll find: Rick's expert advice on making the most of your time on a cruise and fully experiencing each city, with thorough coverage of 23 ports of call Practical travel strategies including how to choose and book your cruise, adjust to life on board on the ship, and save money Self-guided walks and tours of each port city so you can hit the best sights, sample authentic cuisine, and get to know the culture, even with a short amount of time Essential logistics including step-by-step instructions for arriving at each terminal, getting into town, and finding necessary services like ATMs and pharmacies Rick's reliable tips and candid advice on how to beat the crowds, skip lines, and avoid tourist traps Helpful reference photos throughout and full-color maps of each city Useful tools like mini-phrasebooks, detailed instructions for any visa requirements, hotel and airport recommendations for cruise access cities, and what to do if you miss your ship Full list of coverage: Provence, Marseille, Toulon and the Port of La Seyne-sur-Mer, Cassis, Aix-en-Provence, Nice, Villefrance-sur-Mer, Cap Ferrat, Monaco, Cannes, Antibes, Florence, Pisa, Lucca, the Port of Livorno, Rome, the Port of Civitaveccia, Naples, Sorrento, Capri, Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Amalfi Coast, Venice, Split, Dubrovnik, Athens, the Port of Piraeus, Mykonos, Santorini, Corfu, Olympia and the Port of Katakolo, Crete and the Port of Heraklion, Rhodes, Istanbul, Ephesus, and The Port of Kusadasi Maximize your time and savor every moment in port with Rick's practical tips, thoughtful advice, and reliable expertise. Heading north? Pick up Rick Steves Scandinavian & Northern European Cruise Ports.

True love never dies… The island of Sainte Isabel seems like a tropical paradise. But Sara Hansen sees a different side to her beautiful home. A sinister legacy of bloodshed and death haunts the crystal blue shores. And her husband is still missing… swept away by the spectral vessel known as the Devil Ship. Struggling to keep her dive resort in business, Sara has no time to mourn her loss. But as she tries to put the past behind her, she finds herself plagued by terrible nightmares. Visions of drowned sailors and rotting corpses haunt her waking hours. And a sinister voice calls to her from the sea… Lemaitre, the spirit of a brutal pirate, and captain of the Devil Ship, draws her to him. As more guests vanish from the island, Sara unearths a dark ritual, cast hundreds of years in the past. The soul of Lemaitre’s lover, Catherine, seeks a new body to occupy. Enlisting the help of a local priestess, Sara must wage a spiritual battle against the undead forces that seek to control her. But as the Devil Ship prepares to sail once more, its captain vows to reclaim his lost love. And he will possess her.

Imagine a middle-aged man with a solid career, beautiful wife and a waterfront home in sunny South Florida. Picture also, a gorgeous ophthalmologist with a beachfront condo, her own thriving practice and a bevy of rich friends sharing her life in the fast lane. You would have thought they had won life's lottery. Wanting for nothing, intoxicated by pleasure and devoid of pain. It's a natural assumption that would be wrong. Ugly intruders, like wantonness and jealousy, infect perfect worlds. Uninvited yet inevitable guests that fuel the furnaces of hate and stoke the fires of remorse. What transpires isn't pretty. Is it deserved? No one can say. Who can judge without walking in their shoes? The friction of life tends to callous souls and distort judgment. Without the slightest notion that they took a wrong turn down a dangerous path, they plod on, to ruination.