Books about Uncomfortable from Amazon.com

In alternating chapters, Zapatista leader Subcomandante Marcos and the consistently excellent Paco Ignacio Taibo II create an uproarious murder mystery with two intersecting story lines.

The chapters written by the famously masked Marcos originate in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico. There, the fictional "Subcomandante Marcos" assigns Elias Contreras-an odd but charming mountain man-to travel to Mexico City in search of an elusive and hideous murderer named Morales.

The second story line, penned by Taibo, stars his famous series detective Hctor Belascoarn Shayne. Hctor guzzles Coca-Cola and smokes cigarettes furiously amidst his philosophical and always charming approach to investigating crimes-in this case, the search for his own "Morales."

The two stories collide absurdly and dramatically in the urban sprawl of Mexico City. The ugly history of the city's political violence rears its head, and both detectives find themselves in an unpredictable dance of death with forces at once criminal, historical, and political.

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Sin. It’s ugly. It’s deceptive It meddles with contentment, confuses wisdom, and disfigures love. It’s the one thing that keeps us from really knowing God. But talking about sin makes us uncomfortable. It’s a loaded word. What is sin to one person is not necessarily sin to another; we don’t want to sound harsh or judgmental, so we avoid using it. And we avoid exposing it. We clean up after its messes, confess our human weakness when it gets us in trouble, and learn to just live with it. But are we really living ? How marginal do we make life when we entangle it with something so deadly? This book is not a history lesson on sin or a guilt-based study on the evils of our society. It is a relevant, thought-provoking look at the seven imperfections that sin uses to tarnish and infect our lives. Written with compassion and understanding, this perceptive and challenging book will reshape your awareness of sin and remind you of a sin-free Savior who gives us the grace to become like Him..
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THE DICTIONARY OF UNCOMFORTABLE WORDS: What to Avoid Saying in Polite (or Any) Conversation

by Andrew Witham & Brian Snyder

The Dictionary of Uncomfortable Words contains more than 650 words and definitions that make people uncomfortable when in public. These are not dirty words, but rather uncomfortable words like "dike," "flaccid," or "penal."

"Over the years," the authors write, "we have repeatedly found ourselves stifling laughter at certain words, such as `tool,' `dump,' and `moist.' Other words such as `spackle,' `loaf,' and `frothy' sound plain peculiar. And still other words, while perfectly harmless, like `masticate,' `climax,' and `undulate,' made us want to hide our heads in shock. We noticed that a lot of other people had the same reactions. They're not dirty words, but they cause a markedly uncomfortable reaction in a group."

Realizing a dictionary was necessary to alert the public, they created The Dictionary of Uncomfortable Words. Each word is followed by a brief explanation of why it makes people uneasy when spoken, such as:

• Abhor: Looks innocuous enough on paper but utterly filthy when spoken aloud.
• Bull: In most circles, this word is merely a prefix. We prefer the term "man-cow."
• Congeal: Just because gooey becomes crusty doesn't mean we want to hear about it.
• Crotch: This word is disturbing even when referring to trees.
• Dingleberry: This is one fruit you don't want to eat.
• Half-cocked: Sounds like a circumcision that went too far.
• Horehound: A drunk with too much money in his pocket on Saturday night..
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Since the end of the Cold War, and especially since September 11, 2001, the United States has faced daunting challenges in the areas of foreign policy and national security. Threatened by failing states, insurgencies, civil wars, and terrorism, the nation has been compelled to re-evaluate its traditional responses to global conflict. In this timely book, John T. Fishel and Max G. Manwaring present a much-needed strategy for conducting unconventional warfare in an increasingly violent world.

In the early 1990s, Manwaring introduced a new paradigm for addressing low-intensity conflicts, or conflicts other than major wars. Termed the Manwaring Paradigm or SWORD (Small Wars Operations Research Directorate) model, it has been tested successfully by scholars and practitioners and refined in the wake of new and significant "uncomfortable wars" around the world, most notably the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Uncomfortable Wars Revisited broadens the definition of the original paradigm and applies it to specific confrontations..
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"Not everyone can find spiritual fulfillment in a place that feels inviting and safe, like a self-help book or a house of worship," writes Niles Elliot Goldstein, in the introduction to God at the Edge. Goldstein, the founding rabbi of The New Shul in New York City's Greenwich Village, begins his book by invoking "a long history of people discovering God in unexpected, unusual, sometimes even uncomfortable contexts." It's an appropriate setup for Goldstein's stories of his exotic pilgrimages, which have included dogsledding above the Arctic Circle, traveling the Silk Road in Central Asia, and cruising with federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents through the South Bronx. Revelation on the margins of human experience is, Goldstein explains, a central aspect of Jewish and Christian traditions: "Judaism was born in the wilderness of the desert, at the foot of a mountain, as a people cringed in terror. Christianity traces its origins to a man dying on a cross, crying out in doubt and despair." The stories in God at the Edge bristle with intelligence and wit. Goldstein's adventures are grander than those most of his readers will experience. But even the homebound will find inspiration in the example of his fearless exploration. --Michael Joseph Gross.
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Ever had to turn down a friend for a loan? Ask your teen about birth control? Suggest to your dad it's time to stop driving? No one likes these discussions They have ways of spiraling out of control until the original subject matter has completely evaporated. Happily, Erik Kolbell has come to our rescue with Lifescripts, a book devoted to simple flow charts detailing how to handle these difficult conversations.

Divided into chapters based on relationships, you can easily flip to the proper section: friends, parents, children, siblings, or spouse. Within each chapter is a series of situations with probable samples of the dialog that is likely to result. Is Dad worried he'll be stuck at home when he stops driving? Reassure him with suggestions on alternative transport. Daughter too embarrassed to talk about her sex life? Gently insist on an appointment with a health-care professional to get matters resolved. Each situation includes a short description of strategy and tactics. In every case, it pays to remember that these conversations are not about blowing off steam, but rather accomplishing a very specific goal.

Put this book on an easily accessible shelf. That way you'll know right where to find it when another of life's little surprises heads your way. --Jill Lightner.
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