In November 1938, a crowd of over 120 tiny actors ambled through the gates of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios in Hollywood. They were about to become Munchkins in the classic film The Wizard of Oz. This most popular and acclaimed film made the reputations of Judy Garland and many others by,...  more

In November 1938, a crowd of over 120 tiny actors ambled through the gates of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios in Hollywood. They were about to become Munchkins in the classic film The Wizard of Oz. This most popular and acclaimed film made the reputations of Judy Garland and many others by, ironically, the diminutive actors and actresses who peopled Munchkinland weren't even listed in the credits. Most of us have never even heard their names but now their story is told, as thirty ex-Munchkins reveal their amazing personal stories. This book offers brand-new perspectives on the filming of the movie and what went on behind the scenes. We learn about life on the set, how they were recruited, intimate memories of the stars and the Munchkins' lives before and after Oz. Over 300 photographs, many never before published, illustrate and enhance the lively text

In Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Writer's Life, Pamela Smith Hill delves into the complex and often fascinating relationships Wilder formed throughout her life that led to the writing of her classic Little House series. Using Wilder's stories, personal correspondence, a previously unpublished...  more

In Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Writer's Life, Pamela Smith Hill delves into the complex and often fascinating relationships Wilder formed throughout her life that led to the writing of her classic Little House series. Using Wilder's stories, personal correspondence, a previously unpublished autobiography, and experiences in South Dakota, Hill has produced a historical-literary biography of the famous and much-loved author. Following the course of Wilder's life, and her real family's journey west, Hill provides a context both familial and literary, for Wilder's writing career. Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Writer's Life is the first book in the South Dakota Biography Series, which highlights some of the state's most famous residents. Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane: Deadwood Legends and Seth Bullock: Black Hills Lawman are also a part of this series. More information about this series can be found on the South Dakota Historical Society Press website.

The Amplified Bible captures the full meaning behind the original Greek and Hebrew.

LIVE A LIFE OF MEANING AND CONNECTION Instead of pushing for perfection A few years ago, I found myself exhausted and isolated, my soul and body sick. I was tired of being tired, burned out on busy. And, it seemed almost everyone I talked with was in the same boat: longing for connection,...  more

LIVE A LIFE OF MEANING AND CONNECTION Instead of pushing for perfection A few years ago, I found myself exhausted and isolated, my soul and body sick. I was tired of being tired, burned out on busy. And, it seemed almost everyone I talked with was in the same boat: longing for connection, meaning, depth, but settling for busy. I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, neighbor, writer, and I know all too well that settling feeling. But over the course of the last few years, I’ve learned a way to live, marked by grace, love, rest, and play. And it’s changing everything. Present Over Perfect is an invitation to this journey that changed my life. I’ll walk this path with you, a path away from frantic pushing and proving, and toward your essential self, the one you were created to be before you began proving and earning for your worth. Written in Shauna’s warm and vulnerable style, this collection of essays focuses on the most important transformation in her life, and maybe yours too: leaving behind busyness and frantic living and rediscovering the person you were made to be. Present Over Perfect is a hand reaching out, pulling you free from the constant pressure to perform faster, push harder, and produce more, all while maintaining an exhausting image of perfection. Shauna offers an honest account of what led her to begin this journey, and a compelling vision for an entirely new way to live: soaked in grace, rest, silence, simplicity, prayer, and connection with the people that matter most to us. In these pages, you’ll be invited to consider the landscape of your own life, and what it might look like to leave behind the pressure to be perfect and begin the life-changing practice of simply being present, in the middle of the mess and the ordinariness of life.

In a culture that values speed, efficiency, image, and busyness, some of us are aching for another way to live: more intentional, more connected. Simpler, slower, richer. Many of us have believed the myth that achievement and success bring us contentment, only to find it?s actually things like...  more

In a culture that values speed, efficiency, image, and busyness, some of us are aching for another way to live: more intentional, more connected. Simpler, slower, richer. Many of us have believed the myth that achievement and success bring us contentment, only to find it?s actually things like connection and meaning, not success and achievement, that provide true peace and genuine happiness. Present Over Perfect is bestselling author Shauna Niequist?s motto for how to live a rich, engaged, and loving life in the midst of what often feels terribly messy and imperfect. As a wife, mother, friend, and writer, Shauna shares with vulnerability and transparency about the reality of living wholly present in our relationships with our families and the others we love. These five sessions will inspire participants to discover their own path to this more fulfilling way to do life.