D.R. Goodman To Appear with Poet Laureate

February 23, 2009

D.R. GoodmanThe Kids' Karate Workbook

D.R. Goodman, author of the upcoming The Kids’ Karate Workbook (available October 13), will be appearing at the San Francisco Center of the Book (SFCB) on March 6th alongside National Poet Laureate Kay Ryan. Goodman and Kay with both read selected poetry works.

The Kids’ Karate Workbook draws on Goodman’s more than 20 years of experience teaching martial arts to children. The workbook is a great supplementary guide for young students of Karate and Taekwondo who wish to hone their technique, as well as parents and instructors of chidren’s martial arts courses.

Poetry Reading – Kay Ryan and D.R. Goodman

at the San Francisco Center of the Book

300 De Haro Street, San Francisco, CA, 94103

Friday, March 6th

7pm to 9pm

$5-entrance fee supports programs at SFCB

For more information on The Kids’ Karate Workbook click here.

Information for the event can be found here.


Me, Chi, and Bruce Lee: A Personal Odyssey through the Global Phenomenon of Martial Arts

January 7, 2009

me-chi

“In the ice-cold echo chamber of the arena I heard him call me a gutless pussy. Or maybe it was pansy. I made it to the bench, but found no comfort there, no words of kindness, no forgiving pat on the shoulder pads from my coach or teammates. For a few minutes I couldn’t look anyone in the eye…At the end of the season, I quit hockey”(6).

…only to pick up Kung-Fu as a middle-aged forty-year-old when, twenty-five years later, such distasteful, diminishing rebukes were apparently still reverberating in Brian Preston’s shaken skull. Yet, Preston acknowledges the fact that he’d never been the aggressive type. Instead, he describes himself as “…more cerebral, haphazard, pacifistic, unfailingly harmless” and, we believe him after he recounts one story after the other of the ruthless bullying of which he remained victim. Whether getting slammed in the hockey rink, chased by young, Scottish thugs (against whom he learned it’s better to yell ‘Fook off” to have them slink off rather than to run away, in which case they’ll follow you!), or being terrorized in middle school for laughing at a classmate’s mispronunciation, in Me, Chi, and Bruce Lee: Adventures in Martial Arts, Preston demonstrates his unyielding commitment to self-defense as the superior response to instigating violence.

And then it all makes sense as to why this wimpy, forty year old would decide to write a book on martial arts and get his rib broken by a sixty year old woman in the process: he commiserated with the cerebral monks for whom Zen was created in the first place; those cerebral monks who, having been bullied and mugged like him, had to learn self-protection and the superior principle his master ingratiated upon him: to “develop a mind that does not need to be protected, that does not view life from that perspective” (32).

Whatever the motivation, Preston’s personal odyssey through the global phenomenon of martial arts provides a comical journey for the fighter and the pensive pacifist alike. His adventures from the Shaolin Temple and Wudang Mountain in China to Canada for a seminar with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to Las Vegas at the Ultimate Fighting Championship either remind the passionate martial arts practitioner what he/she loves about it or explain to the rest of us what this fascination is all about. Or, if nothing else, it serves as a witty travel narrative with musings on Asian landmarks and culture. One finishes the book full of that inner transformation martial arts, we learn, is really about!

CLICK HERE to learn more about Me, Chi, and Bruce Lee.


Remarkable New Books Available This September/October

October 21, 2008

Autumn is the time for students to return to school, leaving the rest of us looking for extracurricular reading to satisfy our curious minds. Once again, our authors and editors have delivered an amazingly diverse set of titles this season. Whether you’d like to learn about psychology, martial arts, science fiction, spirituality, poetry, anatomy, metaphysics, health, religion, cooking, or art history, this fall there’s something for everyone.

To order, please visit www.northatlanticbooks.com.

-SEPTEMBER-

Black Belt Karate
By Chris Thompson

In Black Belt Karate, noted karate instructor and 8th-dan black belt Chris Thompson explains that real yudansha (black belt level) is not just about physical prowess but about self-improvement, and that because of this, further study is vital for all students. Neither a beginner’s guide nor a manual of advanced techniques, Black Belt Karate is both inspirational and informative for students of all levels. The book sheds light on the world of international karate, providing a solid history of the basic schools of karate and their development, and details the WKF (World Karate Federation) rules and traditions that govern the sporting element of the discipline. Thompson describes every aspect of karate training in clear, simple language, including detailed exercises and stretches to warm up and cool down. Beautiful color photographs demonstrate step-by-step sequences of forms.

$17.95 / $21.00
Trade Paper
978-1-58394-254-3
160 pages, 8.5 x 11

On Sale September 2, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

Dreams of the Presidents: From George Washington to George W. Bush
By Charles Barasch

Dreams take on a new cultural currency in this collection of dream-poems, one for each American president. Exploring power, as well as its limits and possibilities, linguistics instructor Charles Barasch plays no favorites, making light of the sense of entitlement and self-importance that afflicts too many politicians. Fun to read, humorous, and laced with events of historical interest, each poem gives a dose of insight into the president’s life and his relationships with others, including his family, allies, and rivals. This book offers some much-needed laughs at leaders who take themselves too seriously, and a fun platform from which readers can start to explore the lives of those who, for better or worse, have led America.

$12.95 / $14.95
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-750-2
93 pages, 5 x 8

On Sale September 9, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

The Unknown Hieronymus Bosch
By Kurt Falk

The paintings of Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516) have captivated and confounded observers for centuries, leading to wildly varying conclusions on the artist’s spirituality. Kurt Falk presents the first analysis of Bosch’s inner life in light of a hitherto unknown–and now lost–version of one of his seminal works, The Last Judgment, found by the author in Cairo in the mid-1930s. With an introduction by spiritual psychologist Robert Sardello, The Unknown Hieronymus Bosch presents an entirely new way of looking at this art–-through the spirit. Falk’s analysis reveals the ways in which Bosch addresses creation, including the exalted and fallen spiritual worlds so prevalent in his work. The book’s high-quality reproductions, carefully rendered in the paintings’ true colors, offer powerful visual support for the author’s theories.

$29.95 / $34.00
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-759-5
116 pages, 8-3/8 x 10-3/4

On Sale September 16, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

Being and Becoming: Psychodynamics, Buddhism, and the Origins of Selfhood
By Franklyn Sills

Being and Becoming is a wide-ranging analysis of the nature of being and selfhood. The book presents an original, integrated paradigm with the aim of creating a comprehensive overview of the human condition–and finding ways to alleviate suffering. Most of Being and Becoming is about the nature of self and selfhood as a process of “I-am-this,” “my becoming” rather than “my being.” Author Franklyn Sills interweaves concepts from object relations theories, psychodynamics, pre- and perinatal psychology, and Buddhist self-psychology, along with his own rich experience as a Buddhist monk, somatic therapist, and psychotherapist, into his inquiry. The works of Fairbairn and Winnicott are discussed in depth, as are Winnicott and Stern’s insights into the nature of the early holding environment, the infant-mother relational field, and early perceptual dynamics.

$22.95 / $25.95
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-762-5
307 pages, 6 x 9

On Sale September 23, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

The Concise Book of Trigger Points: Revised Edition
By Simeon Niel-Asher

Written in a straightforward style, The Concise Book of Trigger Points functions both as an entry-level textbook and an authoritative reference for even the most experienced therapist. The first four chapters describe the physiology of trigger points and the general methods of treatment. The following six chapters are organized by muscle groups; each two-page spread features detailed color illustrations of each major skeletal muscle, accompanied by an explanation of each muscle’s origin, insertion, action, and function. The physiological implications of the trigger points in each muscle are discussed, along with treatment techniques. This edition contains updated text and a self-help section addressing common pain complaints, including headache, neck pain, lower back pain, and TMJ syndrome.

$29.95 / $34.00
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-745-8
224 pages, 8-1/2 x 11

On Sale September 23, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

The Book from the Sky
By Robert Kelly

The Book from the Sky is Robert Kelly’s remarkable science fiction novel about a literally divided self. Billy, the book’s protagonist, is a boy who is captured by a group of aliens who take him to a cave and meticulously, if seemingly by caprice, remove his “young pure smokeless lungs” and other internal organs to replace them with two gray squirrels, a live hawk, a shoe, and a variety of other bizarre objects. Billy’s body and mind are spun off into a curious twin, one whose adventures Billy is forced by his captors to watch and try to make sense of–not a simple task when he sees his doppelganger stealing everything from him: body, name, family, his beloved Eileen. Complicating matters, and forcing Billy deeper into his ironic journey of self, is a mysterious pamphlet called “The Book from the Sky,” written by what may be yet another variation of Billy himself, Brother William.

$15.95 / $18.95
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-755-7
240 pages, 6 x 9

On Sale September 30, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

-OCTOBER-

The Hierophant of 100th Street
By Cullen Dorn

The Hierophant of 100th Street tells of one boy’s journey to discover ancient, eternal truths and mysteries concealed within the fabric of everyday life. The story follows seventeen-year-old Adam Kadman through his initiation into the rough, tough, and exuberantly low-class life of the streets. At this highly impressionable point in his life, Adam encounters Clifford Bias and Dr. Richard Ireland, real-life mid-century psychics, recognized as key forerunners of today’s New Age movement. Adam begins his spiritual journey upon meeting Bias, at one of his life-altering public psychic readings. Bias reveals Adam’s own psychic abilities and explains to him the significance of his life’s purpose. His calling revealed, Adam becomes Bias’s pupil and begins to learn the secrets of the Ancient Mystical Order of Seekers, a hidden society of magi dedicated to the Higher Self.

$16.95 / $20.00
Trade Paper
978-1-58394-253-6
360 pages, 6 x 9

On Sale October 7, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

The Odyssey
Translated by Charles Stein

Most translations of The Odyssey are in the kind of standard verse form believed typical of high-serious composition in the ancient world. Yet some scholars believe the epic was originally composed in a less formal, phrase-by-phrase prosody. Charles Stein employs the latter approach in this dramatic, and in some ways truer, version. Famous episodes such as the sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, and the Cyclops, are rendered with previously unseen energy and empathy. Most versions exclude or minimize the magical aspects of the poem, but Stein gives these elements full play, so that the spirit of a universe predating the classical era shines through. This vibrant version of The Odyssey shows readers not only what the Greeks thought about their gods but the gods themselves.

$22.95 / $25.95
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-728-1
656 pages, 6 x 9

On Sale October 7, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

Blackbird, Farewell
By Robert Greer

Shandell “Blackbird” Bird has everything going for him, or so he thinks. Recently selected number two overall in the NBA draft, the 6′8″, 250-pound superstar has a gleaming new ride and a salary and athletic shoe contract that make him an instant millionaire. What he doesn’t have is the ability to bury secrets from his past. When Shandell is found shot to death at mid-court, his best friend and college teammate Damion Madrid sets out to find the killer. Damion is well meaning but naive; luckily his godfather is gumshoe CJ Floyd. Featuring the vivid characters and streetwise dialogue that have made the CJ Floyd series a critical and commercial success, Blackbird, Farewell is a punch-packing whodunit that exposes the dark side of the pro-athlete good life.

$25.95 / $30.00
Hardcover
978-1-58394-250-5
352 pages, 6 x 9

On Sale October 14, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

Sweet Gratitude: A New World of Raw Desserts
By Matthew Rogers and Tiziana Alipo Tamborra

Sweet Gratitude is a cookbook with a message: raw desserts aren’t only healthier for both people and the planet, they can also be every bit as tasty as their mainstream counterparts. Tiziana Tamborra and Matthew Rogers, both master dessert chefs at the pioneering San Francisco-based Café Gratitude, present a tantalizing table of after-dinner or any-occasion delights. Illustrated with gorgeous color photographs, the recipes range from simple and quick to advanced and detailed, showing how versatile commonly used fruits and nuts are for whipping up innovative and beautiful desserts. This book is ideal for anyone looking for healthier dessert choices as well as a valuable resource for people with special dietary needs including those who cannot consume dairy, gluten, or refined sugar.

$24.95 / $27.95
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-744-1
248 pages, 7 x 9-1/4

On Sale October 14, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

The Great Gate: A Guidebook to the Guru’s Heart Practice, Dispeller of All Obstacles
By Tsikey Rinpoche Chokling, Tulku Rinpoche Urgyen, Chokyi Rinpoche Nyima and Rinpoche Dudjom

Vajrayana Buddhism differs from other branches of Buddhism in providing an accelerated path to enlightenment based on Dzogchen principles. The word dzogchen, translated variously as Great Perfection and Great Completeness, conveys the idea that our nature as intrinsic awareness has many qualities that make it “perfect”: indestructibility, incorruptible purity, non-discriminating openness, flawless clarity, profound simplicity, all-pervading presence, and attitude of equality toward all beings. Drawing on the work of four renowned Tibetan masters, The Great Gate compiles concise instructions on Dzogchen’s foundational practices. This revised edition features a new translation and an extensive commentary by Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche.

$13.95 / $15.95
Trade Paper
978-962-7341-04-8
160 Pages, 5-1/2 x 8-1/2

On Sale October 14, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

Natural Treatments for Tics and Tourette’s: A Patient and Family Guide
By Sheila Rogers

This welcome guide explains how to treat tics and Tourette’s syndrome using natural and alternative therapies, from nutritional therapy, behavioral and counseling therapies, EEG biofeedback, and homeopathy to bodywork, energy medicine, and Chinese medicine. Natural Treatments for Tics and Tourette’s takes a closer look at the environmental factors and underlying physical imbalances that trigger these conditions’ symptoms. In this second edition, Rogers offers a detailed natural treatment plan. In eight sections, the book offers advice from medical experts, the latest reports in medical research, a checklist of common tic triggers, inspirational stories from families who have successfully conquered tics and Tourette’s, and practical worksheets for readers to use in their treatment and research.

$19.95 / $22.95
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-747-2
360 pages, 8 x 10

On Sale October 21, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

Capoeira Beyond Brazil
By Aniefre Essien

In Capoeira Beyond Brazil, Aniefre Essien brings an international, political perspective to capoeira, speaking to both the novice and aficionado, as well as to historians, martial artists, social justice organizers, and youth development professionals. Essien shows capoeira in its complete historical context, providing not only technical instruction but also a critical history that highlights the political milestones of the form. Capoeira Beyond Brazil expands the meaning of capoeira with a sociocultural consideration of the effects internalization has had on the form. Showcasing Essien’s own experiences using capoeira training at-risk youth, the book articulates the form’s empowering aspects with strategies for using martial arts to foster individual self-reliance and confidence, as well as a commitment to community development.

$15.95 / $18.95
Trade Paper
978-1-58394-255-0
136 pages, 6 x 9

On Sale October 21, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

Failed God: Fractured Myth in a Fragile World
By John A. Rush Ph.D.

Failed God re-examines the scriptural stories of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as told in the Bible and Qur’an and reveals them as “concocted mythical charters stemming from drug-induced romps with the super-natural.” Rush shows how mind-altering substances played an instrumental role in the birth and development of Western religions and explains how they contributed to reports of “prophetic” experiences, including angry and disturbing messages from the divine. Rush fully addresses the effects of mind-altering substances on each tradition, convincingly discrediting the idea that they stem from actual human interaction with the divine. He also shows how an intoxicated and over-zealous Apostle Paul corrupted Jesus’s simple message of human decency, forming an oppressive religious system based on fear.

$28.95 / $33.95
Trade Paper
978-1-58394-274-1
456 Pages, 6 x 9

On Sale October 28, 2008
____________________________________________________________________


Exciting New Books Available This August

August 20, 2008

Autumn is nearly upon us, bringing shorter days and colder nights. Whether you are returning to school or snuggling up at home, the following new releases from North Atlantic Books are sure to provide an interesting read for everyone. These amazing authors offer their unique wisdom on the subjects of poetry, anatomy, martial arts, spirituality, and holistic healing.

To order, please visit www.northatlanticbooks.com
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

The Concise Book of Muscles: Revised Edition
By Chris Jarmey

The Concise Book of Muscles is a clear, simple guide for students of anatomy and an excellent resource for athletes, massage therapists, and anyone interested in the workings of the human body. This user-friendly book is organized around six muscle groups including muscles of the face head, and neck; the trunk; the shoulder and upper arm; the forearm and hand; the hip and thigh; and the leg and foot. Each of the groups is given a distinctive color to make it easy to identify, and each muscle is shown in its relationship to the skeleton. Each gets a complete profile, including origin/insertion, action of the muscle, which nerve controls it, movements that use it, and exercises and stretches that strengthen it. This expanded edition includes 20 muscles not previously covered.

$29.95 US / $34.00 CAN
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-719-9
192 pages, 8.25 x 10.75
On Sale August 12, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy: Volume Two
By Michael J. Shea

In Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Volume Two, Michael Shea analyzes the relationship of trauma resolution, psychodynamics, and shamanism, and provides practical meditations, visualizations, and clinical skills to restore physical, spiritual, and emotional health. Shea explores the meaning of biodynamic, followed by a discussion of human embryology as a path to healing in any form of therapy. The book offers a set of pioneering techniques based on perceiving stillness—slow movement–as a fundamental healing influence. A special section contains fresh strategies for anyone working with infants and children, along with a provocative analysis linking the infant-mother relationship to the patient-therapist relationship. Shea provides a unique perspective on depth psychology, mythology, and healing and defines the difference between biodynamic craniosacral therapy and all other forms of craniosacral therapy.

$39.95 US / $45.00 CAN
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-715-1
560 pages, 8 x 10
On Sale August 19, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

Creating Peace by Being Peace: The Essene Sevenfold Path
By Gabriel Cousens, M.D.

Creating Peace by Being Peace represents a synthesis of Gabriel Cousens’ decades of multidisciplinary work in meditation, psychiatry, psychotherapy, and spirituality and guides readers in creating peace on seven levels of engagement, from the body to the ecology to God. Cousens addresses the need to transform humankind with the ancient peace wisdom of the Essenes, and explains the lessons they can teach us as creators of peace. Cousens transfers the gift of the Essenes to modern seekers as a breathing blueprint for realizing this reality as we walk in our lives; work according to our gifts, joys, and sacred design; and live the path of spiritual awakening—the sevenfold peace.

$17.95 US / $21.00 CAN
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-722-9
264 pages, 6 x 9
On Sale August 19, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

Liu Bin’s Zhuang Gong Bagua Zhang: Foundation Practices, Volume One
By Zhang Jie; Contribution by Richard Shapiro

One of the three major orthodox internal styles of Chinese martial arts, Bagua Zhang (or Ba Gua Zhang) is one of the most ancient and revered. Liu Bin’s Zhuang Gong Bagua Zhang, is written from the perspective of a wise master who gives equal attention to Bagua’s historical evolution and to the art and practice itself. Professor Zhang Jie presents the fundamental theories of Bagua simply and clearly, in such a way that they comprise both a martial arts manual and a guide for everyday living. The idea of balance in all things is stressed throughout, as is the ancient Chinese philosophy that underlies Bagua. In addition to illustrations of the Bagua movements, the book contains previously unpublished historical photographs. This book is equally useful for novice and seasoned practitioners, as well as students of Chinese culture and history.

$22.95 US / $25.95 CAN
Trade Paper
978-1-58394-218-5
264 pages, 7 x 9.25
On Sale August 19, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

Living in the Moment: A Prescription for the Soul
By Gary Null, Ph.D.

Living in the Moment comprises health expert Dr. Gary Null’s lifetime of observation and wisdom. This book offers fresh, paradigm-breaking solutions to living our life to its fullest potential—through our relationships, health, and self-expression. Dr. Null’s “prescription for the soul” bids readers to take an active role in their own lives—to carefully distinguish truth from past conditioning. While he espouses a natural-foods and alternative-health lifestyle as part of our well-being, Null also shows us how crucial it is to do those things with the right awareness and intention. Living in the Moment enlightens readers on the many tools at their disposal for achieving the balance, self-esteem, and passion missing from their lives.

$23.95 US / $27.95 CAN
Hardcover
978-1-55643-763-2
296 pages, 6 x 9
On Sale August 19, 2008
____________________________________________________________________

Poems for New Orleans
By Edward Sanders

The indomitable spirit of the people of New Orleans is the focus of this powerful suite of poems by counterculture icon Ed Sanders. The book begins with a series of vivid evocations of key events and personalities in the city’s history, and then brings this colorful legacy into the present with the harrowing force of Hurricane Katrina. That natural catastrophe, multiplied by human indifference, incompetence, and greed, is explored as a watershed demonstration of the sociopolitical fissures underlying modern America. Although the enormous, still-unfinished tragedy of Katrina suffuses Poems for New Orleans, human resilience in the face of adversity is its ultimate subject. Here is a New Orleans only glimpsed by the outside world, a place whose creativity, humor, and triumphant spirit no tragedy can overcome.

$14.95 US / $16.95 CAN
Trade paper
978-1-55643-742-7
128 pages, 6 x 9
On Sale August 19, 2008
____________________________________________________________________


Blue Snake Kids – Call For Submissions

July 3, 2008

Do you teach martial arts to kids? Ever considered writing about it?

Blue Snake Books, an imprint of North Atlantic Books, is now actively looking for manuscripts in a new area: martial arts books for children. Staying true to Blue Snake’s mission of publishing in-depth books on a wide variety of authentic martial arts traditions, Blue Snake Kids will publish sophisticated, intelligent books to help foster young martial artists. We are especially interested in publishing books on single arts or disciplines (karate, tai chi, aikido, muay thai, jujitsu, etc.) but also encourage submissions on slightly broader topics: grappling arts, internal arts, practical self-defense, etc. Authors are also encouraged to submit books on multiple arts that are closely related.

WHAT WE WANT: Books that speak to kids in a language they can understand—without being condescending; training manuals with illustrations or high-quality photos; books designed to be interactive and entertaining (e.g. suggestions for training games, questions for the reader to think about). We especially want books that are intended to be used as a supplement to, not a replacement for, regular training with a teacher.

WHAT WE DON’T WANT: Books that are overly simplistic and broad (e.g. “Respect your teacher; practice your forms every day; bow before entering the dojo.”); fiction, picture, or coloring books; books on obscure or not-widely practiced arts.

If you have a quality manuscript that you’d like to submit, here are our submissions guidelines. Feel free to forward and repost!

Mail a cover letter, proposal, and partial manuscript to:

Blue Snake Books Acquisitions Board
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, CA 94704

Or email Terri in Marketing Communications: tsaul@northatlanticbooks.com

Send a self-addressed stamped envelope for all responses!

The proposal should include:

  1. Table of contents
  2. At least three sample chapters
  3. Sample illustrations or high quality photos
  4. A 75-word statement describing the book’s intention
  5. Statement of your qualifications in this area
  6. A marketing plan
  7. Review of comparable titles: What are the two leading titles to which your book will be compared? How do they differ from your book?
  8. The length of your manuscript in double-spaced pages
  9. A few suggestions for foreword writers, and your ideas for back cover endorsements
  10. Your plans for promoting the book, including your ability to travel to workshops or speaking engagements with relevant organizations

We aim to respond to every submission we receive within three or four months. Submissions received without S.A.S.E.s (self-addressed stamped envelopes) may not receive responses.

Best of luck from the Blue Snake Books Acquisitions Team!

CLICK HERE to learn more about Blue Snake Books.

CLICK HERE to visit the Blue Snake Books Blog.