Potomac, MD, – The Good, The Bad, and The Crazy: No One’s Ever Called Me Boring (Duke, M.D. Literary Enterprises, L.L.C.) by Mary Ann Duke, M.D., is the true story of a modern-day Joan of Arc who survived being burned at the stake by the male-dominated medical and judicial systems, and now dares to tell the unrevealed truth.
Mary Ann Duke was the epitome of a success story. She graduated from medical school at age twenty-three and became a board-certified ophthalmologist by age thirty. Her private practice in the prestigious suburb of Potomac, Maryland had a patient list that read like a Who’s Who of the Washington Metropolitan Social Register. Dr. Duke was granted privileges at the renowned John Hopkins’ Wilmer Eye Institute. Happily married, she lived in a gorgeous home with her husband and their three beautiful children.
That is, until the day she found her husband and best friend together and her perfect world exploded, sinking her into a pit of despair. This was the beginning of the end for Mary Ann Duke; the God-fearing, small town girl from upstate New York. She began drinking to ease her pain, and the alcohol, along with an untreated bipolar disorder, soon cost her everything…
The Good, The Bad, and The Crazy is packed with life lessons that come together in a mixture of spirit and guts, new-found wisdom and touching sorrow. This writer’s sharp wit and glorious sense of humor (especially when she describes being in jail with an alleged killer) makes her book a page-turner that is impossible to put down!
The Good, The Bad, and The Crazy not only chronicles the myriad challenges and prejudices a brilliant, young female doctor faces from both the medical and legal systems, but it also tells the very personal and moving story of her downward spiral into alcoholism; her private war with bipolar disorder; her fight for custody of her children, and the pain of incarceration. Yet the sheer determination and perseverance of this writer incites readers to cheer for her tenacious spirit that has proven no matter what the odds – she will never give up.
Dr. Mary Ann Duke’s electrifying book challenges the status quo and shamelessly avenges her honor. It is a story of social protest that will be read and revered for generations to come. The final pages of The Good, The Bad, and The Crazy are scanned medical and legal documents that prove the truth of her writing.
Samuel R. Shumaker, III, Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col., published author: “A genuine page turner. The most insightful and wise book of our generation about the medical and legal systems of America gone cancerous. The harsh realities are deftly balanced by the devastatingly perceptive humor of the author, an accomplished eye surgeon. This book is impossible to put down.”
Amazon Five-Star Reviews:
“I literally could not put this book down when I first started reading. Then I didn’t want it to end. How anyone could survive all this and still be in one piece is beyond all comprehension. You find yourself rooting for the author, despite all the trials and tribulations she has experienced during the past 30 years. Outstanding!!! A “must read”
“This is quite a story. Interesting, tragic, funny and compelling. Read this book and you will know why no one ever called the author boring. Hollywood needs to latch onto this one. It is the stuff great movies are made of!”
“This book gives a fascinating look into the mind of one of America’s top medical minds. Parts of it are gut-bustingly hilarious, but …a grim reminder of the weaknesses of the American penal system, and the Machiavellian organization commonly known as the AMA. Would most certainly recommend it to anyone.”
“I usually only read a few books each year, but I read this one incredibly FAST – because I could not put it down… Well written and juicy to the end… You feel the struggle as you read it. Highly recommend.”
New York, NY, – Dr. Mark Robert Banschick designed The Intelligent Divorce book series and The Online Family Stabilization Course as a way to help divorcing parents avoid the common mistakes that end up hurting children during a divorce. The mission of the project is to teach parents how to raise well-adjusted children despite the pressures that divorce puts on everyone.
A blueprint that every adult should use as they go through a divorce, The Intelligent Divorce advocates on behalf of kids through books, an online course, seminars and a media campaign. Based on hundreds of case studies, current research and decades of experience, Dr. Banschick teaches parents how to handle divorce with dignity, strength and intelligence.
The first book in the series, Taking Care of Your Children (2010), focuses on the well being of kids by teaching parents effective communication strategies that help them gauge how their children are doing with the divorce. And, if their child is in trouble, Dr. Banschick’s pragmatic approach teaches parents how to make a positive difference.
The second book, Taking Care of Yourself (2011), helps parents take control of their lives by handling anger, pain and anxiety more productively; learning about finances and healthier living and dealing realistically with the world of attorneys, therapists and difficult ex-spouses. On this note, the third book, scheduled to come out in 2012, centers around Dealing with a Difficult Ex.
Mark R. Banschick, M.D. is a child and adolescent psychiatrist. The Intelligent Divorce project evolved from his work as an expert witness in custody disputes. Dr. Banschick has appeared on the CBS Early Show, The Ricki Lake Show, WCBS TV Morning News, and has been quoted in The New York Times, Divorcemagazine.com, and firstwivesworld.com. A regular contributor to the Huffington Post, please see his relevant article on the new movie, Crazy, Stupid, Love at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-banschick-md/sensible-smart-love_b_925889.html. Dr. Banschick is currently working with a production company on a sample pilot television show designed to educate the public about divorcing with your children in mind, despite the difficult feelings and power struggles that come with the territory. For the two million people divorcing each year in this country and the one and a half million children who are affected, The Intelligent Divorce is a project worth pursuing. As part of a public outreach effort, Dr. Banschick is open to media contact and interviews on topics of divorce and parenting. For more information please visit Dr. Banschick’s website, www.TheIntelligentDivorce.com.
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TIP SHEET:
Dan Couvrette, Divorce Magazine: “This can really help parents and most especially, their children.”
Jill Brooke, Contributor, Huffington Post: “Dr. Banschick is a rare talent, as practical as Dr. Phil, as soulful as Rabbi Kushner and as savvy about men and women as John Gray. He can guide rebuilding families so that they not only survive, but thrive.”
Richard Francis, M.D., Founding President, American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry: “Dr. Banschick’s unique and credible voice is pragmatic and optimistic. The anecdotal evidence throughout the book rings true, and this makes The Intelligent Divorce an important read.”
Cathy Meyer, Founder, DivorcedWomenOnLine.com: “It isn’t merely a book; it’s a tool that anyone going through a divorce should be required to implement. It belongs on the desk of all divorce lawyers, judges, child psychologists, and every divorced or divorcing parent.” Video: “It’s Working Out” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ytJMyMmK8U
Ridgewood, NJ, – At some point in our lives, we’ve all wondered what it would be like to win the lottery. You Never Know (Wheatmark, Inc.) is an extraordinary novel by Lilian Duval that shows us it’s not always what it’s cracked up to be. Her story draws a parallel between two families who are friends; one has suffered great tragedy and struggles financially, while the other has enjoyed an affluent lifestyle. Little did they realize that everything in their worlds would change when one decides to buy a lottery ticket.
Having struggled through his young life with a condescending father, alcoholic mother and an artistically gifted younger brother, Tobias Hillyer’s life changes forever during a Christmas visit home when a tragic automobile accident leaves both parents dead and his younger brother Simeon seriously injured. Tobias, always the one to do the right thing, abandons his dreams of finishing college to take care of his brain-damaged sibling. He gets stuck in a low-paying job and marries a nurse he meets while visiting his brother at the hospital.
On the other hand, Martin, his college roommate, seems to have everything going his way; he finishes college, marries well and lands a high-paying job with Lehman Brothers in New York. In spite of their differences in incomes, the two couples and their children stay in touch.
When Tobias buys a lottery ticket on a whim – and wins – he believes his problems are finally over. Strangely, as the roles are reversed, Tobias and his wife now get to live out their fantasies and Martin now faces bankruptcy.
As problems surface and life gets more difficult and less predictable for Tobias, who nearly loses everything he holds most dear while trying to get his head around this staggering amount of money, it is Simeon who surfaces as the unexpected hero by realizing his own happiness and success as a result of his own efforts. As ‘Simmy’ sets out on his own personal life journey, he leaves the family with a gift that brings them full circle and grants Tobias inner peace.
You Never Know is more a story of triumph than defeat, and what stems from that winning ticket makes for an exciting and surprising read that is filled with unexpected twists and turns to the very end, proving that while chance can change lives in a split second it’s the results that can last a lifetime.
While Lilian Duval implies in her novel that her characters may be impacted by the eventual terrorist attack on the World Trade Center Towers in 2001, she and her husband are actual survivors of this attack and know first-hand how this experience forever changed their lives.
For more information on Lilian Duval and her extraordinary novel, please visit her website at: www.lilianduval.com.
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TIP SHEET:
Charles Ashbacher: “Tobias is a very talented college student in anthropology… The family goes out to dinner and Tobias is behind the wheel when another vehicle slams into them, killing his parents and giving Simeon a severe head injury. Blaming himself for the tragedy, Tobias is forced to cancel his participation in the research trip to take care of his brother…he meets a young nurse named Carmela and she helps guide him through the very difficult first years. They are married and together they take care of Simeon … they have twins and while Simeon eventually is able to work at simple tasks, his ongoing recovery remains expensive. One day…Tobias, missing a train, buys a lottery ticket. His willingness to aid others is rewarded as he is the winner of …in excess of $100 million. This is a story of struggle, major achievement and then struggle again with a completely different set of problems. Tobias demonstrates …that he is a very good person; he retains a loyalty to people, even when they are unable to repay their loans. Duval keeps the action going in a smoothly consistent manner…everything that happens to Tobias and his group is believable consequences of winning a lottery at that level. While bad things often happen to good people, this is an uplifting story of the good being triumphant over the bad and well as the good.”
Alan Caruba of The National Book Critics Circle: “You Never Know…explores what happens when extraordinary things happen to ordinary people. The author is a survivor of the 9/11 attack and lives in New Jersey where the novel’s protagonist, Tobias Hillyer, has a life filled with both tragedy and extraordinary luck…the characters intertwine in an ever-changing landscape of events, capped by Hillyer’s win of a MegaMillions lottery that, despite the millions involved, evoke a whole new set of problems. It an intriguing story filled with unexpected twists and turns.”
Emily Truman, Esq., Asst. Municipal Prosecutor, City of Newark: “Have you ever read a book you didn’t want to finish simply because it was so good that you didn’t want the experience to end? It’s a rare find, and one to be treasured. You Never Know is one of those books—it’s a book to be devoured in one night, but also a book you want to cherish and read slowly.”
Southlake, TX, – With 80,000 centenarians currently in the world and more expected in the future, scientists predict that children born today may well reach their 150th birthday. And that doesn’t mean their last fifty years will be in a nursing home; it means living life to the max – good mental faculties, physically active and also enjoying sex – the new ‘doorway to the fountain of youth!’
One of the greatest discoveries of all time for the science world was the ability to identify the genes that make up human DNA. This gave us a road map to the body that allows doctors to understand diseases and treatment on a whole new level and target drugs to groups of individuals – not a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
Researchers recently found that aging is caused by the shortening of telomeres, the protective strands of DNA at the end of our chromosomes. Since we now know that heart disease, diabetes and cancer can shorten the telomeres, we have to avoid even the earliest stages of these diseases if we want to live to 100 plus!
Overall, treat your body like a temple and be aware of what you put in it. Play safe; if you can’t pronounce an ingredient – don’t eat it!
Go through life with a good attitude and thinking positive thoughts because thinking negatively releases cortisol and other hormones that can cause aging, whereas positive thoughts create serotonin that helps increase sleep quality – another essential to longevity.
It’s apparent that if people want to live happy and healthy lives and become tomorrow’s centenarians, they need to take control of their lifestyle choices now. To help them do this, doctors Walter Gaman and Mark Anderson of Executive Medicine of Texas (named ‘Best Doctors in Texas’ by Newsweek Magazine), know just what it takes and they share it all in their ground-breaking book, co-authored with Judy Gaman, Stay Young: 10 Proven Steps to Ultimate Health (George House Publishing).
While these internationally recognized leaders put their main focus on anti-aging through preventive and proactive measures, some of the tips they offer might surprise you. New studies show that having an active sex life can increase longevity and these experts will tell you why that is and how much you need.
The team of experts at Executive Medicine of Texas are currently being booked on television shows around the country with segments that include visual tools and offer real advice on staying young. They show a chromosome model and explain how shortening the telomeres causes aging; they present foods that keep you younger longer, and discuss the need for sleep and how being on the computer or phone at night can disturb sleep patterns. Everything in their live presentation is geared towards giving viewers/listeners the tools to increase longevity.
Albuquerque, NM, – ‘Just as talking about sex won’t make you pregnant, talking about funerals won’t make you dead’ – says Gail Rubin, author of A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die (Light Tree Press). Rubin uses gentle humor to convey vital information about funeral arrangements that most people don’t learn until faced with a death in the family.
With chapters named Over My Dead Body, I Got It At Costco, and It’s My Party and I’ll Die If I Want To, Rubin has overcome society’s last taboo with a book like no other – a great resource minus the morbidity! Rubin’s book provides the information, inspiration and tools to plan and implement creative, meaningful and memorable end-of-life rituals for people and pets while taking the fear out of the subject of death.
Given the fact that only 24% of us pre-plan a funeral and less than 46% tell our family our final wishes – it’s evident we plan our finances, families and retirement, but rarely plan our funerals. Without end-of-life planning, all of life’s other plans can come undone. For this reason an annual event, Create a Great Funeral Day (that occurs every October), was started twelve years ago to remind people of the many benefits of planning their own end-of-life event.
Rubin’s new book, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die, goes one step further with resources to help reduce family conflict, avoid stress at a time of grief, prepare directives, obituaries, eulogies, ethical wills, cards and thank-you notes, and save readers thousands of dollars in the process. She also presents background on many religious traditions and creative non-religious rituals – especially helpful for interfaith families.
This Doyenne of Death speaks to groups on funeral planning issues using comedy films to lighten the conversation. A Certified Celebrant and event planner, Rubin has been interviewed on television affiliates of ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox, as well as on public radio. Her book was a finalist in the Family & Relationships Category of ForeWord Magazine’s 2010 Book of the Year Award; has been featured in Entrepreneur.com’s article ‘Weird Companies That Work!’ and quoted in a Kiplinger Retirement Report article ‘Selling a burial plot is a grave decision.’
Once a year, like the characters in Harold and Maude, Rubin attends funerals of strangers. During her second annual “30 Funerals in 30 Days Challenge,” she covered each one with a video and wrote about them on The Family Plot Blog. Rubin shares the creative ways people celebrate the lives of those they love and emphasizes that funerals are a life cycle event much like a wedding (and better if planned more than a few days ahead). Rubin sees this as a healthier way of dealing with death – “we know it’s going to happen to all of us some day so let’s make it more comfortable to talk about and plan for.”
Jacqueline Marcell, Author, Speaker, Radio Host: “…an upbeat guide book that brings a light touch to the “icky” subject everyone tries to avoid. Gail is our perky party planner (ok, so it’s for a party no one wants to go to) but hey, her humor will keep you reading and learning what most don’t learn until a crisis or a death–which is a really bad time to find out!… I think it is a must-read for Baby Boomers…and well, any adult still breathin’! Gail was a dynamic guest on my Internet radio program.”
Sylvia Martin, Marriage & Family Therapist: “Rubin approaches a taboo subject in a humorous, sensitive, compassionate manner. She has done her research fully and presents easy to follow, practical steps to take in funeral planning. ..It’s no secret that 67 per cent of American adults are overweight…These bigger bodies need bigger caskets for burial and that has implications for boomers with bad backs who may be pallbearers… This is a very readable book on a difficult subject. I was impressed with her humanism, psychological awareness and empathy.”
Sheryl Inglat, Comfort Keepers: “Rubin has taken a highly emotional subject and turned it into a topic that’s easy to chat about …Her perspective and casualness of the subject of death brings an acceptance most people can’t typically speak of openly. Most valuable to me, as a Gerontologist, were the notes on religious ceremonies – from Hindu to Mormon to Native American and everything in between. What a great resource!”
Boca Raton, FL, – “In Live Like a Fruit Fly, Gabe Berman shares his recipe for living a more joyful, worthwhile, and abundant life in every way. A witty, entertaining, and insightful read.” – Deepak Chopra, Author, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
“Meet the new generation of consciousness-raising. Gabe’s simple, yet profound message can be a life-changer.” – Alan Colmes, Nationally Syndicated Radio Host
What more can one say after hearing the casually existential cliches, carpe diem, “live every moment like it was your last” or ‘live like there’s no tomorrow?” Blogger and Miami Herald columnist, Gabe Berman wants us to “live like a fruit fly.”
Berman reminds us of that cheerful thought; we are all dying. We’ve been dying since the moment we were born–which in the world of fruit flies seems enviable since they only get to enjoy a life span of a few weeks. Berman wants us to stop wasting time, to make peace and happiness our top priority. Sure, we’ve all heard this hundreds of times, but ask yourself: are you really embracing every moment?
Unconventional and endearing, Live Like a Fruit Fly: The Secret You Already Know (HCI Books –$14.95) makes the sage advice “Seize the day” feel like a revolutionary concept . . . a contemporary twist on an age-old maxim.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE LIKE A FRUIT FLY? Fruit flies are born, begin attending to their fruit-fly agendas almost immediately, and then succumb to old age before witnessing a single change of season. Likewise, we live and die in the virtual blink of an eye.
Live Like a Fruit Fly is a call to action. Through anecdotes, insightful musings, candid stories, and hopeful messages, it emphasizes the importance of following your passions as well as being grateful through Active Appreciation, the gentle but concentrated art of meditating on ‘thank you’ for everything that has happened, is happening,
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gabe Berman is a native New Yorker who settled in South Florida after graduating from the University of Miami. An epiphany, a passion, and a trail of breadcrumbs led him out of Corporate America and into a writing career. His columns appear regularly in The Miami Herald and on Alan.com. Visit the author at: www.livelikeafruitfly.com
Available wherever books are sold or to order directly from the publisher, contact: (800) 441-5569 or www.hcibooks.com.
LIVE LIKE A FRUIT FLY The Secret You Already Know $14.95 ISBN: 978-0-7573-1569-5 August 2011
Southlake, Texas, – Dr. Mark Anderson, Dr. Walter Gaman, and health expert and public speaker, Judy Gaman, are part of Executive Medicine of Texas’ first-rate medical facility. They are also the hosts of a hugely popular radio show and authors of a top selling book. Please read more on their combined talents below:
Rapidly Growing Radio Show Listeners never know what might be discussed on The Staying Young Radio Show – a weekly, one-hour nationally syndicated health and wellness radio program. Distributed by SRN AMC-3, SR5 Wegener Receiver, the show airs live every Sunday at 11:00 a.m. and is fast-becoming the hot topic of Monday morning chat around the water cooler. The show offers the latest in medical advancements and health news, often including nationally-acclaimed medical experts, best-selling authors and celebrities, but what listeners really love is the delivery.
Drs. Mark Anderson and Walter Gaman, accompanied by Walter’s beautiful wife Judy, have developed a huge following because no subject is off limits! While listeners know they’ll get an expert answer, they also know they’ll be thoroughly entertained along the way by the hilarious banter that takes place between the three talented hosts. This team of talent is a media dream and can provide quotes, full text, radio or television interviews and medical advice in a totally media-friendly way, and radio stations can use their “daily medical minutes” to meet their public service announcement requirements.
Finding The Fountain Of Youth Just Got A Little Easier Drs. Gaman and Anderson, together with Judy Gaman, co-authored Stay Young: 10 Proven Steps to Ultimate Health (George House Publishing); a one-of-a-kind health journal that offers a detailed plan for people to get healthy and stay that way! While the whole book is packed with expert health information, Chapter 8 seems to get more attention by its assertion that having sex really does contribute to good health! Apparently, frequent intercourse causes the brain to release a human growth hormone that helps maintain youth. Yes, the fountain of youth can be found between the sheets! The doctors present their case in a straightforward manner that is backed by case studies and facts, but have managed to do something most health care facilities have not – combined ‘sexy’ with healthcare and turned health into something exciting!
Executive Medicine of Texas is a first-rate facility that offers state-of-the-art technology, geared to the specific needs of the patient, and go above and beyond when it comes to keeping their clients as healthy and vibrant as possible. With a team of physicians that act more like medical detectives than doctors, they leave no stone unturned when it comes to the health of their patients. The outstanding care and services they offer has made them an international leader in preventative and proactive medical care, making them a favorite with high profile celebrities and attracting patients from around the world.
