“The book combines a personal guide and business manual with a culinary story . . . lays out a series of plain-sounding but persuasively thoughtful principles organized around the straightforward contention that there really isn’t much difference between the two disciplines, asking a deceptively simple question: ‘Can implementing business values improve personal lives?’ . . . A lucid, step-by-step guide to personal and professional success—with vichyssoise mixed in.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“The Business of Being sets itself apart through engaging stories, actionable steps, and a dash of humor. Deftly closing the gap between business and spirituality, it encourages current or prospective business owners to live in alignment with inner values without compromising integrity. Those who take this book to heart will undergo a powerful transformation in both their personal and business lives.”
—Stephen J. Hopson, the world’s first deaf instrument-rated pilot and author of Obstacle Illusions: Transforming Adversity into Success

“When we allow ourselves to show up authentically—be who we are—we’re in alignment. The Business of Being helps us unlock the power to reach our full potential and thrive.”
—Rachael O’Meara, transformational leadership and executive coach, sales executive at Google, and author of Pause: Harnessing the Life-Changing Power of Giving Yourself a Break

“The Business of Being is an important resource that will enable individuals to discover their calling and transform their personal and professional lives.”
—Dr. Lynn Schmidt, leadership development expert, executive coach, keynote speaker, and award-winning coauthor of Shift Into Thrive: Six Strategies for Women to Unlock the Power of Resiliency

“Laurie Buchanan is a master storyteller. In The Business of Being, she expertly weaves the development story of a French restaurant business with the exploration story of personal being. Individuals considering creative business partnerships will gain insights on charting a successful business and collaboration. However, the essence of the book is an imaginative and resource rich guide to hearing and responding to the internal call to one’s authentic raison d’etre. It offers a pleasurable recipe for stirring our personal being and responding to it.”
—Audrey B. Denecke, Senior Leader Coach and Organizational Change Consultant

“ The Business of Being is the best silent partner I ever took on.”
—Terrill Welch, gallery owner and author of Leading Raspberry Jam Visions Women’s Way: An Inside Track for Women Leaders

“Unlike so many others in the self-help book business, Laurie Buchanan makes no promises that you will ‘think and grow rich.’ Even though she uses business best practices as teaching moments, the goal is sustainability over wealth, integrity over profit, and the joy of the journey over the destination. Unlike many spiritual writers, she does not denigrate the physical world or the sensory world. In fact, quite the opposite! The business she chooses to use as the example of combining self and business is a restaurant, featuring the most sensory of all cuisines—French. I found myself totally absorbed in the story of how La Mandarine Bleue came into existence as an extension of relationships among talented friends whose love of good food and wine, and whose shared values but varied gifts, make a compelling story that illustrates the thesis.”
—Shirley Hershey Showalter, former president of, and professor at, Goshen College, and author of Blush: A Mennonite Girl Meets a Glittering World

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“Intimate, personal, visionary, In Search of Pure Lust is the chronicle of a now vanished golden age of the lesbian feminist movement, a time when we lived the belief that we were reinventing culture and society from root to flower. . . . A page-turner, and a call to remembrance. The reader should expect to stay up all night, and for many nights, reading.”
—Kim Chernin, best-selling author of In My Mother’s House and The Hungry Self

“A poetic memoir of feminist history as told by a practicing lesbian. By turns hot and cold, raunchy and literate, Buddhist and Sapphist, it is a generous, complex complement to any story or study of women. Weil makes me grateful to have shared this history.”
―Kate Clinton, humorist. AKA Jane

“Lise Weil, founder of the unique and essential feminist journal Trivia: A Journal of Ideas, ponders what went right―but also wrong―in this momentous time of her own and so many other women’s awakening. In Search of Pure Lust provides an invaluable record of the power―personal, political, historical, and spiritual―of women lusting for women.”
―Jane Caputi, author of Gossips, Gorgons and Crones: the Fates of the Earth and The Age of Sex Crime

“Lise Weil’s story wisely does not neatly tie together threads of contradictory magnetisms, but weaves among them: the longing for maternal acceptance, offset and upset by the lure of passion and sexual expression. The search for physical everyday love, balanced, but not assuaged by, the communal peace of spirituality. And the lust for individual freedom offset, upset by, and in denial of the continual need for community activism and social justice. All together, this is surprisingly contemporary in its resonance, and compellingly told.”
―Judy Grahn, author of The Common Woman Poems, The Highest Apple, Another Mother Tongue: Gay Words, Gay Worlds, and A Simple Revolution

“Lise Weil’s quest to split the world open and recreate it anew takes her on a physical and spiritual journey that helps shape a movement―and ultimately lands her on a Zen cushion where she begins to recognize the gifts, as well as the limitations, of her own desire. This is the most alive and embodied book I’ve read in years. I found myself inspired and broken-hearted again and again. Weil’s story continues to burn in the heart long after the last page is turned.”
―Donna M. Johnson, author of the New York Times best-selling Holy Ghost Girl

“Lise Weil’s In Search of Pure Lust is an erotic and intellectual powerhouse of a memoir. She takes us on her epic adventures as a pioneer in the uncharted territory of radical lesbian feminism. Her quest from decades-past is relevant as ever during this era of #MeToo.”
―Jill Dearman, author of The Great Bravura, Bang the Keys, A History of Feminism

“In Search of Pure Lust provides a window into one vibrant strand of 1980s lesbian feminism. Lise Weil brings to life politics and theories that animated activism as well as heartbreak and conflict. Her account of the debates about sex and sexuality is particularly rich. The history of Trivia: A Journal of Ideas is a fascinating one and Weil’s commitment to lesbian theory and lesbian writing are inspiring.”
―Julie R. Enszer, author of Avowed and editor of Sinister Wisdom

“A lyrical odyssey into the shifting politics and alliances of lesbian feminism―alliances that sometimes disrupted a community ethos of love. Weil’s memoir is one of the few to portray how women have acted on desire sexually, only to break apart culturally. The women’s music references create an authentically remembered background to an era when so many women were coming out as lesbians while discovering their potential in the arts and letters.”
―Bonnie J. Morris, author of The Disappearing L. and Sappho’s Bar and Grill

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“In Now I Can See the Moon, Alice Tallmadge tells the story of a beloved niece lost to suicide. She weaves together strands of family love, false memories, mental illness, faith, and our inability to speak in a haunting story about what we need to be whole and what we are willing to give those we love.”
—Sallie Tisdale, author of Violation: Collected Essays, Women of the Way: Discovering 2500 years of Buddhist Wisdom, and The Best Thing I Ever tasted: The Secret of Food

“Now I Can See the Moon is the first thoughtful account of a family caught in the vise of the ritual abuse panic that swept the country in the 1980s and early 1990s. Tallmadge takes us through a long, slow wringer of doom. It’s the private doom of caring deeply for someone who’s gravely mentally ill and wanting to help, yet suspecting that the accepted method of ‘help’ is making things much worse. It’s the civic doom of slowly, painstakingly realizing that a country-wide hysteria engulfed one’s own family—negating good sense, love, and even life itself. For every friend, family member and mental health professional who was sucked into the panic, Tallmadge’s quiet, beautifully written memoir will be painful but necessary reading.”
—Debbie Nathan, coauthor of Satan’s Silence: Ritual Abuse and the Making of a Modern American Witch Hunt and author of Sybil Exposed: The Extraordinary Story Behind the Famous Multiple Personality Case

“Alice Tallmadge’s magnificent memoir is a story told with the intimacy of a family member, and the breathtakingly beautiful writing of a terrific journalist. It’s a story of false memories that has afflicted so many families in the last half century. I commend Now I Can See the Moon for understanding the problem, and communicating it so superbly.”
—Elizabeth Loftus, Distinguished Professor, University of California, Irvine; Past President, Association for Psychological Science; Author, Eyewitness Testimony

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“In this wise volume, Susan Stewart offers a compelling vision of what aging can be, not only for women but for us all. In particular, the eleven qualities she dubs as ‘the Graces of Winter’ articulate a profound depth-psychological model, rooted both in contemporary, cutting-edge research, and ancient wisdom.”
—David Van Nuys, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Psychology and creator/host of the Shrink Rap Radio podcast

“Dr. Susan Stewart’s book is a gift to all of us who are making the transition to late adulthood. Written in a beautiful, moving, personal, and descriptive style, her work draws on the truths of science and a myriad of traditions, cultures, and stories, and weaves these together into a seamless, rich tapestry. Dr. Stewart’s writing has reaffirmed that I am not alone with the challenges that I am facing in the second half of life, and has given me the courage and perspective to forge onward with a renewed optimism about life and all that it has to teach me. Her book has given me permission to be my own unique and authentic self as I attempt to master the art of living fully and joyfully. I look forward to rereading Dr. Stewart’s work many times as I hold it as a companion on my life’s journey.”
—David F. Sowerby, PhD, consultant, author, and Adjunct Faculty Member in the Psychology Departments at Sonoma State University, Sofia University, and Dominican University of California.

“Susan Stewart’s book, aptly named Winter’s Graces, is full of grace. For me, reading it was like opening a treasure box and discovering that a time of life I was anticipating with some dread is actually rich in beauty and other blessings. I envision groups of women coming together to receive its reassuring wisdom and to be awakened to the inviting possibilities that age has to offer.”
—Margaret Potts, retired teacher

“Winter’s Graces comes to us in an era that requires more grace than most us can muster. And yet the myths and stories included in this book, and the lessons drawn from them, nurture a sense of adventure and lay out a map of how we might create an old age worth living, in spite of moments of fear and despair and loss of faith. Though written for women in or approaching the winter of their lives, it speaks as truly for us codgers as well. Among the gifts this work has to offer is the experience of the author’s voice: at once gentle and wise, tentative and sure, and above all deeply human.”
— James A. Wiley, professor, Institute of Health Policy Research, UCSF School of Medicine

“A compelling, poignant, and necessary rebuttal to a culture that devalues people as they age. Dr. Stewart reveals the untapped resources of our human family through a framework rooted in science and ancient wisdom that helps us intentionally embrace the cycles of nature, and one another.”
—Dr. Kristen Lee, Lead Faculty, Behavioral Science, Northeastern University, Boston, and author of Mentalligence: A New Psychology of Thinking

“Dr. Susan Stewart has indeed followed her own instincts and inner wisdom in gathering stories that illustrate the meaning and value of our lives as we move toward adult maturation. She has thoughtfully organized this gentle book in approachable steps that encourage reflection, imagination, and acceptance.”
—Penelope Tarasuk, PhD, IAAP Jungian psychoanalyst and author of Polishing the Bones

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“Jennifer Spencer, because of her dedicated work with the umbrella arts organization COVA, is beloved by many San Diego Artists. These artists make up the bulk of the portraits in this book and what is interesting is how she has continued to learn about and support them. This is shown not only in the words that accompany the images but in the images themselves. They tell us more than words could ever express. She has caught a mood of a time and so these photographs, which are works of art themselves, will also be an important historical record of this visual arts community.”
—Patricia Frischer, founder and coordinator of San Diego Visual Arts Network

“Tucked into this wonderfully realized selection of 50 artists, there is a 51st: Jennifer Spencer is in every image. She is reflected in the generosity she gives the sitters, who are seen with respect and affection. Her camera distance, little more than arm’s length, shows her intimacy. That her subjects open to her identifies her warmth, and she allows the artist’s work to be as present and speak as eloquently as do their faces.”
—Arthur Ollman, former director of MOPA (Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego), San Diego State University, head of the School of Art and Design

“For the past 10 years, Jennifer Spencer has taken intimate photographs of a cross section of the most influential mid-career and established artists working in the San Diego area. These photographs, which are presented in The Artist Portrait Project: Fifty San Diego Artists 2006-2016, are themselves works of art in that they reflect not only the unique personality of each artist, but also their diverse bodies of work. Jennifer’s portraits document an important period of time in the long history of San Diego as a world-class center for art, and remind us of the numerous accomplished artists we are lucky to call our own.”
—Lawrence J. Poteet, Art Collector, Ablon, Lewis, Bass & Gale, LLP

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“A rich tapestry of scenic delight, intrigue, and misdirection in the Regency and Early Victorian era. A riveting novel, rich with unique characters that are not all who they seem to be. Some are better than their initial actions would suggest; some are worse. However, through it all, the fabulous and highly intelligent horse Midnight remains the center of this complex weaving of truths, lies, and attempted thefts.”
—Liza O’Connor, author of The Adventures of Xavier & Vic series and A Long Road to Love series

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“In addition to being one of the finest pianists of her generation, Carol Rosenberger is also one of the most eloquent―as her new book triumphantly attests. Hers is an important and inspiring story, and she tells it superbly.”
—Jim Svejda, commentator on KUSC radio, called “The High Priest of Classical Music” by the Los Angeles Times

“Carol Rosenberger’s book, To Play Again, is a very touching and remarkable story of a great artist, her battle with paralytic polio at age twenty-one, and her triumph over the disease. It is beautifully written with great sensitivity and should be an inspiration to all that are exposed to this rich life of music and much beyond.”
—Gerard Schwarz, celebrated American conductor

“Any reader seeking insight into how the art of music can intertwine with a truly courageous life saga need look no further. Carol Rosenberger’s To Play Again is a gripping journey through time, place, and emotion that will have you marveling at her indefatigable determination to attain her dreams against the most formidable odds.”
—Mark Abel, composer, writer, and onetime foreign editor, San Francisco Chronicle

“Carol Rosenberger’s story is one of courage in the face of so many challenges. Just as she starts her concert career in earnest she has to learn all over again how to play and how to live. An amazing story of resilience and accomplishment.”
—Leslie Ann Jones, Director of Music Recording and Scoring, Skywalker Sound

“Carol Rosenberger is a unique artist whose career spans surprising excursions, useful detours, and welcome extensions. She has always been smart, tough, honest, funny, authoritative, and eminently compelling. Happily, her memoir, To Play Again, illuminates all of these qualities.”
—Martin Bernheimer, music critic, Financial Times

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“This entertaining depiction of life in a cult pits the appeal of belonging against the desire for self-determination. An enlightening read.”
—Julia Scheeres, New York Times best-selling author of Jesus Land

“If you have joined, left, or wondered about a utopian group, you should read Mating in Captivity. Fascinating, disturbing, and ultimately inspiring, this is a brave, honest book.”
—Margaret Hollenbach, Lost and Found: My Life in a Group Marriage Commune

“Just as the Zendik community, a cult, pulled Helen Zuman in and held her, her account of her time there will pull you in and hold you. Her clear-eyed observations of her fellow idealists—and of herself—are honest, compelling, and sophisticated.”
—Daniel Menaker, My Mistake: A Memoir

“How timely, how telling this story of an inexperienced young woman who fell prey to a cult because of the abuse to which she’d been subjected by male strangers. Only within the fold, where there were rules protecting the women, did she feel safe enough to explore her sexuality and learn to love. So she gave them her possessions, her will, her youth. Read Mating in Captivity as a cautionary tale, one I hope will spark a desire to create a better world for our daughters.”
—Leah Lax, Uncovered: How I Left Hasidic Life and Finally Came Home

“Helen Zuman was a believer. She believed in the perfectibility of community, in the ability of young dreamers to transform traditional sexual norms by getting back to the land. That Zendik Farm was ultimately exposed for her as a tyranny built on lies somehow does not destroy the idealism of Zuman’s original impulses, as she tells her story in Mating in Captivity. No, she is able to hold up her youthful self alongside her wiser older self, without useless moralizing, and thereby show respect for the young people drawn to this cult, as well as to shed light on the long history of American pastoral communal experiments. She does all this with restraint and wit, and a deft instinct for entertaining incident and character. A page turner, with purpose!”
—Philip Weiss, American Taboo: A Murder in the Peace Corps

“Zendik Farm has long been both mysterious and intriguing.  Helen Zuman has given us her wrenchingly personal and deeply insightful story of her time in this most unusual of communes.  Others might see the group and their own experience differently, but few will provide a better-written or more probing account of Zendik.”
—Timothy Miller, The 60s Communes: Hippies and Beyond

“Like Animal Farm and 1984, Mating in Captivity shows how shared delusion feeds creeping oppression. A keen study of tyranny in microcosm, and the costs of acquiescence.”
—Ryan Grim, This Is Your Country on Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America

“Zuman . . . retains her sense of agency (and humor) as she weighs Zendik’s weird creed and power plays against the sense of righteousness and belonging that drew her in. Her whip-smart prose . . . conveys the squalid exuberance of Zendik’s blend of idealism and fraud [in this] engrossing and offbeat story of ideological bonds that chafe—and sometimes liberate.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Raw in perspective, this challenging memoir of religious fanaticism never adequately addresses the nagging question: Was Zuman a victim, or did she freely seek the group out because she was looking for the experiences Zendik promised to provide?”
—Library Journal

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“Reinhart writes in a conversational tone, as if she’s telling a juicy story to a good friend… A memoir that crafts a neatly resolved narrative”
—Kirkus Reviews

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