Most Popular Books by Marilyn Johnson

"What a wonderful surprise—a charming, lyrical book about the men and women who write obituaries . . . sly, droll, and completely winning." —David Halberstam, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Where can readers celebrate the life of the pharmacist who moonlighted as a spy, the genius behind Sea Monkeys, the school lunch lady who spent her evenings as a ballroom hostess? The obituary page, of course. Enthralled by these fascinating former lives, Marilyn Johnson tumbled into the little known world of the obituary page to find out what made it so compelling. She sought out the best obits in the English language, and chased the people who spent their lives writing about the dead. Surveying Internet chat rooms, surviving a mass gathering of obituarists, and making the pilgrimage to London to savor the most caustic and literate obits of all, she leads us into the cult and culture behind this fascinating segment of our daily news. "A smart, tart and often hilarious tiptoe through the tombstones." — Parade "This delightful quirk of a book is not dark or morose; it''s an uplifting, joyous, life-affirming read for people who ordinarily steer clear of uplifting, joyous, life-affirming reads . . . Of all the personalities captured in The Dead Beat, few are more endearing than Johnson, a former obituary writer. Her enthusiasm is infectious . . . Writers interested in honing the craft should inhale this book. Who else might profit or delight from reading about obituaries? Just about anyone who''s not yet in one, I''d wager." —Mary Roach, Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Through a combination of perception and wit, Johnson discovers how archaeologists are invaluable witnesses ‘to the loss of our cultural memories.’” —USA Today The author of The Dead Beat and This Book is Overdue! turns her piercing eye and charming wit to the real-life avatars of Indiana Jones—the archaeologists who sort through the muck and mire of swamps, ancient landfills, volcanic islands, and other dirty places to reclaim history for us all. Pompeii, Machu Picchu, the Valley of the Kings, the Parthenon—the names of these legendary archaeological sites conjure up romance and mystery. The news is full of archaeology: treasures found (British king under parking lot) and treasures lost (looters, bulldozers, natural disaster, and war). Archaeological research tantalizes us with possibilities (are modern humans really part Neandertal?). Where are the archaeologists behind these stories? What kind of work do they actually do, and why does it matter? Marilyn Johnson’s Lives in Ruins is an absorbing and entertaining look at the lives of contemporary archaeologists as they sweat under the sun for clues to the puzzle of our past. Johnson digs and drinks alongside archaeologists, chases them through the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and even Machu Picchu, and excavates their lives. Her subjects share stories we rarely read in history books, about slaves and Ice Age hunters, ordinary soldiers of the American Revolution, children of the first century, Chinese woman warriors, sunken fleets, mummies. What drives these archaeologists is not the money (meager) or the jobs (scarce) or the working conditions (dangerous), but their passion for the stories that would otherwise be buried and lost. “Delectable.” —Salon “A gem of hands-on reportage.” —Nature

In This Book is Overdue!, acclaimed author Marilyn Johnson celebrates libraries and librarians, and, as she did in her popular first book, The Dead Beat, discovers offbeat and eloquent characters in the quietest corners. In defiance of doomsayers, Johnson finds librarians more vital and necessary than ever, as they fuse the tools of the digital age with love for the written word and the enduring values of truth, service to all, and free speech. This Book Is Overdue! is a romp through the ranks of information professionals who organize our messy world and offer old-fashioned human help through the maze.

Book Delisted

Directory and statistical analysis of women holding public office in the USA during 1976 and 1977, serving as judges, administrators, civil servants and politicians, etc. - Includes a bibliography pp. 63a and 64a and statistical tables. Biographys, u.s. Female officials.

Come along with the Johnson clan on their adventures in God''s amazing classroom of nature. Around the globe and in the front yard, they are always having fun and learning-and so can you!

Cooking With The Bishop, Bishop Larry D Trotter, Chicago Illinois

This report is a review of the literature on cyclists who ride in large groups or bunches on public roads. The research was conducted following the Victorian State Coroner''s investigation into the death of an elderly pedestrian, following a collision with a cyclist who was riding in a bunch. The aims of the review were to understand the behaviour of bunch riders, particularly the behaviours that may contribute to increased risk of collision and to make recommendations for effective enforcement and countermeasure strategies for this road user group.

Mary Isabella Rouse (Maybelle) was born on the family farm in East Galena, Illinois. Maybelle taught piano lessons and in 1937 opened Maybelle''s Tea Room. Maybelle''s Tea Room moved into the Old Stockade in the 1940''s. Maybelle''s Tea Room closed in 1947 and Maybelle began researching and providing history of Galena, Illinois.

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of social support on the experiences of Black students at predominantly white institutions. Utilizing a narrative inquiry methodology, the study addresses how Black students define social support along with the structures that facilitate or hinder feelings of mattering and belonging for Black students at predominantly white institutions. A review of the literature includes a look at the pathway to college, a picture of the Black experiences in college, an examination of marginality and mattering, along with the capacity of social support to buttress individuals against stressors common to all students and those unique to Black students in the post-secondary environment. Data for this qualitative study was collected at a large, public, predominantly white, research institution in the southeastern United States. The primary source of data was in-person participant interviews with Black undergraduate students. Six proverbial and thematic findings emerged. Utilizing Critical Race Theory and a transformative theoretical paradigm, this study reveals the multidimensional presence of racism and links research findings to actions intended to mitigate disparities. The resulting discussion of findings offer implications for practice and present a profound counter-narrative to dominant culture positions, deficit orientations, and conventional wisdom about Black students in higher education.

The genesis of this collection of stories is attributed to a genuinely vulnerable and long social media post where transparency was gut-wrenchingly in full view and rare form. As the result of a conversation based on that post, women responded to a call to share the dark side of their pandemic journey that forced a pivotal moment. Their sharing was designed so that others might be encouraged to find the courage to push through and pursue their passion. We hope that readers will immerse themselves in the stories and find aha moments that may reflect a common thread of family, health, grief, fear, caregiving, mental health, business model shifts, or toxic environments. This patchwork quilt of stories weaves together the renewal of spirit to rediscover patience and adopt the fortitude to survive. Whether you tidy up, pack up or move to your happy space or place, surviving pandemic pivotal moments by leaning on anchors of faith and perseverance become pathways to see the light at the end of this dark tunnel. Every journey is uniquely different, as is your story. This journey called life continues and we invite you to PIVOT.