At age twenty-two, Yosef Mendelevich participated in an attempt to hijack a plane to the West an act designed to raise awareness about the desperate plight of Soviet Jews. He was arrested before the plane ever left the ground and served twelve years in the Soviet gulag. This is the story of one man s resistance against tyranny, and his daily struggle to retain his Jewishness and his humanity in a system built to extinguish both. This is a testament to the strength of the human soul and an inspiration to us all.

Abuse.

A terrible accident thrusts a Navajo youth into the Anglo world: In 1957 Gilbert John, named in Navajo Hashke' Yitaaswod, is born in northwest New Mexico. His childhood encompasses extremes of freedom, responsibility and constraint far beyond the experience of typical American children. His youth straddles not only two cultures but two eras, for modernization comes late to the Navajo reservation. His energy is boundless, his thirst for freedom tempered by devotion to family and a determination to succeed. At age 17, Gilbert is on his way to graduating high school at the top of his class when a tragic accident changes the course of his life. Gilbert is suddenly transported into the white man's world. First, a shocking awakening in a hospital where no one speaks his language. Then comes an arduous rehabilitation, of which the most painful part is coming to terms with his prognosis of irreversible quadriplegia. Here, one might expect the tale to wind down, but many adventures and achievements follow, as Gilbert goes on to earn his bachelor's degree, to travel and live independently in a pre-ADA world, and ultimately to become a powerful advocate and role model for people with disabilities on and off the reservation. Gilbert John's autobiography offers a rare intimate glimpse into tribal life, and a forthright take on Western medicine and culture from a Native American perspective. John tells his story with vivid description, dry wit and piercing honesty. This revised and expanded Second Edition of Gilbert John's Unbroken Spirit combines text from the first print edition (Acacia, 2010) with the author's insertions and addenda to that earlier text, as well as entirely new material, specifically the Prologue and Postscript, written after the book's initial release.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE • Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more. In boyhood, Louis Zamperini was an incorrigible delinquent. As a teenager, he channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics. But when World War II began, the athlete became an airman, embarking on a journey that led to a doomed flight on a May afternoon in 1943. When his Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean, against all odds, Zamperini survived, adrift on a foundering life raft. Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will. Appearing in paperback for the first time—with twenty arresting new photos and an extensive Q&A with the author—Unbroken is an unforgettable testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit, brought vividly to life by Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand. Hailed as the top nonfiction book of the year by Time magazine • Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for biography and the Indies Choice Adult Nonfiction Book of the Year award “Extraordinarily moving . . . a powerfully drawn survival epic.”—The Wall Street Journal “[A] one-in-a-billion story . . . designed to wrench from self-respecting critics all the blurby adjectives we normally try to avoid: It is amazing, unforgettable, gripping, harrowing, chilling, and inspiring.”—New York “Staggering . . . mesmerizing . . . Hillenbrand’s writing is so ferociously cinematic, the events she describes so incredible, you don’t dare take your eyes off the page.”—People “A meticulous, soaring and beautifully written account of an extraordinary life.”—The Washington Post “Ambitious and powerful . . . a startling narrative and an inspirational book.”—The New York Times Book Review “Magnificent . . . incredible . . . [Hillenbrand] has crafted another masterful blend of sports, history and overcoming terrific odds; this is biography taken to the nth degree, a chronicle of a remarkable life lived through extraordinary times.”—The Dallas Morning News “An astonishing testament to the superhuman power of tenacity.”—Entertainment Weekly “A tale of triumph and redemption . . . astonishingly detailed.”—O: The Oprah Magazine “[A] masterfully told true story . . . nothing less than a marvel.”—Washingtonian “[Hillenbrand tells this] story with cool elegance but at a thrilling sprinter’s pace.”—Time “Hillenbrand [is] one of our best writers of narrative history. You don’t have to be a sports fan or a war-history buff to devour this book—you just have to love great storytelling.”—Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

When a series of traumatic calls on the job as a firefighter leaves Steve shaken and unable to recover, he, reluctantly at first, seeks out clinical counselling. His one rule, “I won’t talk about my childhood,” closes the door on several therapists, until he meets one who is willing to respect his wishes—providing he explores his childhood on his own. When Steve begins to reflect on his past, he also begins to write it all down. The good, and the terrible. Those written words are here. Growing up in a fractured family rocked by addiction and trauma, Steve had to learn how to understand life, and death, on his own. As a self-described “street rat” on Boundary Road in East Vancouver, Steve caused trouble when it wasn’t already following him around. Struggling in school, at home, and in countless fights, he navigated his way through adolescence with the help of his father, and pursued his dream of becoming a firefighter. While realizing that dream, he is forced to confront the demons of his past and the reality of post-traumatic stress injury. Through clinical counselling he is able to release his past and find the power of self-acceptance and vulnerability. The Unbroken is the memoir of one firefighter, his family, trauma, and resilience. Most importantly it is a story that teaches all of us, no matter our situation, that life is school, and the subject is ourself, our life habits, thoughts, and our reactions to them. And that sometimes it is okay to not be okay.

In Abby Carters everyday world, appearance is not reality. There are black holes in her All-American, small-town family. In these moments of no boundaries, Abbys body is the pawn and each violation is stored in a place that cannot be recalled. Not knowing the secrets held in the deep corners of her mind, Abby creates normal out of chaos. She doesnt understand what is driving her choices, but she will take you to the joy and nostalgia of childhood in the 1950s. She will grab your heart and turn yourworld upside down as you witness innocence celebrated and violated. "Spirit Unbroken" honors the wonder and beauty of resilient personal spirit. Thrust from lascivious, cold power back into childhood, Abby warmed her innocence by being a good girl. She had a smile for everyone. She was helpful, kind, and responsible though she was never seeking approval. Her quest was reconciliation with her self. Abby was shaping her place in the world, not knowing what drove her choices. Powerful and unsettling, this story held me captive. LM

When a car accident robbed David Meador of his sight as a teenager, he thought his life was destined to be one of hardship and struggle. And he wasn't wrong. But, as you will discover, it has also been one of great accomplishment and reward.Broken Eyes, Unbroken Spirit is the inspirational story of one man suddenly faced with nothing but limitations, pain and frustrations, who nonetheless managed to triumph in life by winning golf championships, setting sales records, and beating cancer - twice.This book goes far beyond success. It will show you an entirely new world - one where you have the courage to overcome any of life's challenges - if only you will close your eyes and see.

Driven by her life-long dream to find her maternal family in Japan, as a young girl Alice faces the darklings of her demeaning childhood, and as an adult, fights for her life back through self-discovery.and with her newfound heritage.

Marley meets...Cujo?A dog down the block is being forced to live outside, at the mercy of abusers, wild animals and brutal weather. The author does nothing-at first. Then, an accidental meeting with Lance, a Border Collie, sets the wheels in motion for a life-saving rescue and a disappointing discovery: Lance turns out to be a semi-feral dog. During the first twenty-four hours of his liberation, he attacks both the author and his wife, and soon proves to be a threat to anyone he can get his teeth on. His rescuers ask themselves: Do we euthanize the dog we rescued? Making their soul-searching even more difficult is Lance's alter ego; when not threatening, he's getting into all kinds of highly entertaining mischief. Among the many "victims" of his hilarious quirkiness are a State Trooper, the local school bus driver, and a neighborhood drug dealer. This rollicking and-at times-heart-wrenching, true-life account of the unorthodox rescue of an unorthodox dog has been called "riveting," "spellbinding," and "jaw-dropping." Lance's compelling story reveals as much about the rescuers as it does the rescued. Lance: A Spirit Unbroken is a book for any reader looking to have her or his faith in the human race restored.