Category: Non-Fiction

The Next Happy by Tracey Cleantis

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The Next Happy by Tracey Cleantis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

“A bold, brave and incredibly relevant book.”
—Lee Woodruff, New York Times best-selling author of Perfectly Imperfect—A Life in Progress, with her husband, Bob Woodruff, and CBS “This Morning” contributor

We all have dreams that drive us, and our passion propels us toward them. For some, it’s playing in the NFL or hitting number one on the Billboard charts, while others dream of a successful marriage and to have children. We all imagine this life while sacrificing and sometimes suffering to make it a reality. But what do we do when the dream is actually holding us back or causing us pain? In today’s society, we are told to “Never, ever give up,” but what happens when it’s time to let it go? What do we do next?

THE NEXT HAPPY: Let Go of the Life You Planned and Find a New Way Forward (Hazelden; March 2015; $14.95; Original Trade Paperback) by Tracey Cleantis, a licensed psychotherapist, is the counterpoint to the adage, “Hang in there; it will happen if you just follow your dreams.” In THE NEXT HAPPY, Cleantis teaches us how to move onward when the life we planned does not come to fruition.

“Just as the day before, and for years before that, no one could have told me that my dream wasn’t going to come true; on that day, no one could tell me that it was.” After many unsuccessful attempts to get pregnant and over $100,000 later, Cleantis moved on with her life. She explains that when a dream dies, the grief process must begin. An individual will often experience sadness, anger, and shame during this time. A strong support system, and being able to look inward for the reasons why the dream didn’t happen, are just some of the tools needed for the healing process to take place so we can proceed in a new direction.

Perhaps just as important as letting go is recognizing the causes of holding on to the dream in the first place, as this can be unhealthy to the individual. “There was something in me that just wanted the literal interpretation and was a bit afraid of the why,” she says of her dream to have children. Holding onto a dream for too long not only impedes us from gravitating toward something that will make us happy but has physical, psychological, and financial costs as well.

THE NEXT HAPPY provides the guidance and support to explain:

  • Why giving up on a dream does not make us a quitter
  • The reasons we hold onto dreams and refuse to let them go
  • How to identify when to let go of a dream
  • The differences between acceptance and closure
  • How getting to the next happy works

With down-to-earth wisdom from Tracey Cleantis, who has worked with hundreds of patients who have dealt with the loss of a dream, THE NEXT HAPPY is the key to letting go of the life you may have wanted for yourself and finding a new path forward. A world of possibilities is waiting . . . Will you take the first step?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tracey Cleantis holds a master’s degree in marriage and family counseling and has built a national reputation as an expert on healing losses through her popular blog, La Belette Rouge, Freudian Sips on PsychologyToday.com, and her writings for the Huffington Post. She also has had interviews and advice featured in articles in Psychologies Magazine, Redbook, and on Fox News Boston, among others. Check out more about Tracey at http://www.traceycleantis.com/

ABOUT HAZELDEN:
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is a force of healing and hope for individuals, families and communities affected by addiction to alcohol and other drugs.  It is the nation’s largest nonprofit treatment provider, with a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center. With 15 sites in California, Minnesota, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Colorado and Texas, the Foundation offers prevention and recovery solutions nationwide and across the entire continuum of care for youth and adults.

The Next Happy:
Let Go of the Life You Planned and Find a New Way Forward
By Tracey Cleantis
Hazelden Publishing
Publication Date: March 3, 2015
ISBN-13: 978-1616495725
eBook: 978-1-61649-576-3
Original Trade Paperback/eBook
Price: $14.95
Pages: 200 pp.

If You Work It, It Works! by Joseph Nowinski, Ph.D.

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If You Work It, It Works!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The Twelve Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has been a long-standing and trusted method of drug and alcohol recovery for more than 75 years, yet there is a continuing debate as to its validity of success. Many outspoken critics argue that there is no actual data or scientific evidence to support claims that the program works. Dedicated “twelve-steppers,”on the other hand, stand by the familiar AA slogan “It works if you work it,”meaning if you follow the Steps, you will indeed find the path to recovery. To set the record straight, internationally recognized clinical psychologist Joseph Nowinski, Ph.D., author of Twelve Step Facilitation Therapy (TSF), which is listed on the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), reveals the studies and data that prove the Twelve Steps improve outcomes for those in recovery from the disease of addiction. 

In IF YOU WORK IT, IT WORKS!: The Science Behind 12-Step Recovery (Hazelden; February 2015; $14.95; Original Trade Paperback) Joseph Nowinski, Ph.D., provides hard scientific evidence based on multiple studies by researchers from major universities and addiction research institutes to not only support that Twelve Step recovery works but to explain how it works.

The most renown of these is Project MATCH, a major study by a research team at Yale University that sought to investigate the effectiveness of the Twelve Step model compared with cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational enhancement therapy, and motivational interviewing. The study involved nine separate treatment locations and nearly 2,000 patients. Nowinski was asked to be part of the study by creating the treatment protocol, Twelve Step Facilitation, for people with the diagnoses of alcohol abuse or dependence. After seven years, the first results were released, which showed that Twelve Step Facilitation is equally as effective, and in some ways more effective, than the other evidence-based practices in the reduction of drinking and improved abstinence following treatment.

Nowinski also covers the dynamics of how Twelve Step recovery works, specifically how social networks, spirituality, and sponsorship all contribute to the recovery process. He goes even further to discuss the relationship between alcohol, other drugs, and mental illness. 

IF YOU WORK IT, IT WORKS! equips readers with:

  • Hard evidence that the Twelve Steps really work
  • Chapter summaries and questions to help people evaluate their recovery progress
  • Reasons why fellowships such as AA and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are regarded as natural community resources that are effective supplements to treatment
  • Neurological facts such as how recovery improves brain function

IF YOU WORK IT, IT WORKS! by Joseph Nowinski, Ph.D., is the premiere source for those seeking validation that the Twelve Steps actually work. It is a wonderful affirmation for people seeking a Twelve Step recovery program or who are already a member of one. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joseph Nowinski, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist who has taught at the University of California–San Francisco and the University of Connecticut and has served as supervising psychologist at the University of Connecticut Health Center. He is the author of Twelve Step Facilitation Therapy (TSF), which is listed in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices, and Almost Alcoholic: Is My (or My Loved One’s) Drinking a Problem?, with coauthor Robert Doyle. He blogs regularly for the Huffington Post and Psychology Today. Read more at his website: http://www.josephnowinski.com/

ABOUT HAZELDEN:
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is a force of healing and hope for individuals, families and communities affected by addiction to alcohol and other drugs. It is the nation’s largest nonprofit treatment provider, with a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center. With 15 sites in California, Minnesota, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Colorado and Texas, the Foundation offers prevention and recovery solutions nationwide and across the entire continuum of care for youth and adults.

If You Work It, It Works!: The Science Behind 12-Step Recovery
By Joseph Nowinski, Ph.D.
Hazelden Publishing
Publication Date: February 3, 2015
ISBN-13: 978-1616495718
eBook: 978-1-61649-574-9
Original Trade Paperback/eBook
Price: $14.95
Pages: 240 pp.

 

American Conspiracy Theories by Joseph Uscinski and Joseph Parent

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American Conspiracy Theories coverFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

“Conspiracy theories have been deeply entwined in revolutions, social movements, and public policy, and they have fueled political stalemate, alienation, witch-hunts, and worse.”
—Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent

The 9/11 attacks, the JFK assassination, and the Apollo moon landing all have one thing in common—they are forever shrouded in conspiracy theories. The mere mention of these incidents illicit thoughts of cover-ups and hidden agendas. How do conspiracy theories originate and why do so many people believe in them? Why do some last for decades and only seem to grow stronger? Has the United States become a “conspiracy nation”? What dangers do conspiracy theories pose to our democracy and to our safety?

AMERICAN CONSPIRACY THEORIES (Oxford University Press; September 2014; $29.95) by University of Miami associate professors Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent answer these questions and many others by dissecting the root causes and effects of conspiracy theories, analyzing the strategic logic behind conspiracy theories, and evaluating the validity of many explanations for conspiracy theorizing. Uscinski and Parent have written the first book on the subject that presents empirical data from surveys from before and after the 2012 presidential election, over 100,000 letters to the editors of popular newspapers, and a year’s worth of news stories from across the Internet.

Uscinski and Parent contend that conspiracy theories are a strategic response to social and political power and stem from emotional conditions, ideology, and group identity. They illustrate that people believe in conspiracy theories as a way to cope with their status, explain losses, arrest defeat, and signal group allegiances in the face of perceived threat.

In AMERICAN CONSPIRACY THEORIES,Uscinski and Parent show that much of what we know about conspiracy theories and conspiracy theorists is wrong. They clearly answer many common questions such as:

  • What are the causes of conspiracy theories and why do Americans believe in them?
  •  Do conspiracy theories exist solely on the political right?
  •  Are we in danger from conspiracy theory inspired violence?
  • Who benefits from the spread of these theories?
  • How can we know if a conspiracy theory is true or not?

AMERICAN CONSPIRACY THEORIES will crack open the mysteries behind the conspiracy phenomena. Uscinski and Parent will reveal the political, sociological, and psychological foundations of these ideas; how they influence our thoughts and minds; and in the end,reveal a startling conclusion.

Joseph E. Uscinski received his bachelor’s degree from Plymouth State University, his Master’s from University of New Hampshire, and his Doctorate from University of Arizona. He teaches courses on American politics, public opinion, media, and conspiracy theories. His research has appeared in Journal of Politics, Political Research Quarterly, and Critical Review among other scholarly outlets. His first book, The People’s News: Media, Politics, and the Demands of Capitalism (New York University Press, 2014) addresses how audience demands drives news content. He is currently associate professor of political science at University of Miami.

Joseph M. Parent received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and his doctorate from Columbia University. His articles have appeared in Foreign Affairs, International Security, and Political Science Quarterly. His first book was Uniting States: Voluntary Union in World Politics (Oxford University Press, 2011). He assisted the National Intelligence Council on its Global Trends 2030 report and served as a fellow at the Norwegian Nobel Institute. He is currently associate professor of political science at University of Miami.

Where Do Camels Belong: Why Invasive Species Aren’t All Bad by Ken Thompson

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAMELS COVER“Ken Thompson’s fascinating and highly readable book takes us on a tour of the way that ecologists have made invasive species public enemies without any good basis.”
– Popular Science

 Camels evolved in North America 40 million years ago, and the largest camel that ever lived, the Titanotylopus, made its home in Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, and Arizona. They eventually spread to South America, Africa, and Asia—places we think of when we consider where camels thrive today. Unfortunately for Titanotylopus, the camels that were living in North America went extinct about 8,000 years ago. If we were to ask, “Where do camels belong today? If we reintroduced camels into the US, would they be considered native or invasive? How would they affect the other native species?”

In a controversial new book WHERE DO CAMELS BELONG? Why Invasive Species Aren’t All Bad (Greystone Books; September 9, 2014, $17.95, 978-1-77164-096-1), Ken Thompson investigates an array of invasive and natural species to determine how much we really need to fear alien invaders, such as the tamarisk. This non-native plant is accused of wasting water and turning soil salty. The end result has been damage to the surrounding native plant species that can’t endure saline soil. But building dams and pumping and redistributing water has allowed a viable habitat for the tamarisk while causing other plants to vanish. Is it fair to blame it all on a plant that was allowed so much freedom for growth?

With sharp insight and wit, WHERE DO CAMELS BELONG? points out that while we blame certain invasive species, there are native and human-introduced plants and animals that are under our radar, potentially doing more damage. Alien species seem practically designed to excite public opinion, and Thompson takes on that idea to dig down into the most crucial questions: are invasive species guilty as charged, and are natives always the good guys? What is so special about human agency? And if an animal is extinct and reintroduced 8,000 years later, does that still make the animal “native”?

WHERE DO CAMELS BELONG? is a provocative exploration of “invasive” versus “natural,” that questions our public concern of invasive species, and asks us to consider whether they really are contributing to climate change or threatening biodiversity.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dr. Ken Thompson has combined a career lecturing in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield with writing on gardening for the Daily Telegraph. He has written five other books, including Do We Need Pandas: The Uncomfortable Truth About Biodiversity. He lives in the United Kingdom.

My Thinning Years by Jon Derek Croteau

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My Thinning Years by Jon Derek Croteau“I knew now that I wouldn’t be able to hide it from anyone anymore, least of all, myself. I finally had to face the fact that the “demon” inside indeed was homosexuality. I believed I needed to rid myself of it, at any cost.”

Each year, countless men and women struggle with their own sexual identity. The decision to keep this knowledge private, burying one’s true self underneath feelings of inadequacy or fear of rejection from society, family, and friends, can trigger an internal war for the individual with potentially dangerous results. Quite often, suicide and self-abuse become the only escape from the emotional stress he or she carries. This toll was all too common for Jon Derek Croteau, EdD, author of MY THINNING YEARS: Starving the Gay Within (Hazelden, September 2014, $14.95), who took his suffering to the ultimate level.

MY THINNING YEARS

Starving the Gay Within

By: Jon Derek Croteau

In this candid and moving memoir, Jon describes his turbulent childhood and rocky relationship with his emotionally abusive father, who regularly imposed his will on Jon to do things that would make him “a real man,” like play football and baseball. In his teenage years Jon starts realizing the truth about himself: “I was petrified that everyone would know what was ‘wrong’ with me, as if some sort of plague was marked on my head or they would be able to somehow see it in my eyes that I was gay,” and he becomes increasingly alarmed when he develops romantic feelings for his friend Chad. The confusion of his thoughts and feelings drives Jon mad, eventually pushing him to the edge. He cannot handle “the thought of being gay,” and his self-hatred causes him to attempt suicide, only to be saved by a family member. Like many homosexuals in denial, Croteau attempts to suppress the urge to be his true self but is unable to do so.

Jon then makes a decision that only compounds his anguish. In MY THINNING YEARS, Jon sharply details his growing obsession with his physical appearance and fear that he is “too fat.”

“What I saw in my reflection, and what was forever imprinted in my mind, was a pear-shaped chubby person. I loathed my Humpty-Dumpty figure, the one I’d inherited from my dad—skinny legs and an oversized, flabby torso.” He soon develops a deadly routine of starvation, exercise, and running to the point of withering away. Yet his anorexia has another disturbing purpose—to starve the “gayness” out. Jon is so disgusted and ashamed of who he is that he feels compelled to punish himself and force the thoughts and feelings out by physical exertion. He tortures himself because he believes he deserves it—and has no intention of stopping.

MY THINNING YEARS: Starving the Gay Within by Jon Derek Croteau is the emotional journey of a man who battled with his own sexuality and spent most of his life trying to win his homophobic father’s approval. Despite punishing himself to the point of starvation, Jon always maintained hope, and, ultimately, accepted himself and found true love. This inspiring true story proves that people can learn to embrace who they are and have the happy endings they deserve.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jon Derek Croteau (jonderekcroteau.com) is a consultant, educator, speaker, and writer. A Huffington Post contributor, he is the author of three books on leadership and numerous journal and periodical articles, as well as poetry, essays, and short stories. He is also executive producer of singer-songwriter Will Dailey’s fourth studio album, National Throat. Jon is a sought-after speaker on resilience, eating disorders and recovery, leadership and talent management, and LGBTQ issues. He has served on boards, committees, and councils for Emerson College, Point Foundation, his own COURAGE Foundation, The Home for Little Wanderers, Boston University, and The Trevor Project. In 2007, Jon married his husband, Justin, and they enjoy the arts, traveling, home design, gardening, skiing, and the outdoors. They reside in Vermont.

ABOUT HAZELDEN:
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation helps people reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction. It is the nation’s largest nonprofit treatment provider, with a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center. With 15 sites in California, Minnesota, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Texas, the Foundation offers prevention and recovery solutions nationwide and across the entire continuum of care for youth and adults. It includes the largest recovery publishing house in the country, a fully-accredited graduate school of addiction studies, an addiction research center, an education arm for medical professionals and a unique children’s program, and is the nation’s leader in advocacy and policy for treatment and recovery.

My Thinning Years:
Starving the Gay Within
By Jon Derek Croteau
Hazelden Publishing
Publication Date: September 9, 2014
ISBN-13: 978- 1616495091
ISBN-10: 161649509X
Original Trade Paperback/E-book
Price: $14.95
Pages: 240 pp.