Scott Murphy’s lover, Marvin, died seven years ago thanks to AIDS. Since then, Scott has become so withdrawn that he has ceased to function as a sexual being. “Scott no longer had sex—not with a lover, not even with himself. He had... Read More

Michael Smith works at the Kincaid Clinic, a hospital for the mentally ill that provides the setting for much of this novel. One of his patients explains that a riddle drove him insane: “What can go up a chimney down but not down a... Read More

“Millions of people suffer from pain. Pain complaints account for more than 70 million doctor’s office visits per year in the United States alone.” Pain can be the signal of an injury or disease, but not all pain is necessary or... Read More

Former President Harry Truman as a civil rights advocate because it was the right—not politically expedient—position for America after World War II. He initially supported civil rights because he was repulsed by the treatment... Read More

“This book is not about dieting. It is about celebrating womanhood. It is about taking care of that very special you. And it is about putting yourself first.” Weight loss requires a combination of factors-changing behaviors and... Read More

“Sometime we skirted along the brow of a precipice where one might look down a sheer thousand feet into a sea of foliage of variegated hues, and anon we plunged into the midnight darkness of a tunnel, and then again into the bright... Read More

Did you know that the daily diet for a woman athlete should be made up of at least 60% carbohydrates? For a woman consuming 3,000 calories a day, that translates to 450 grams, which is the equivalent of “30 bananas, 12 large potatoes,... Read More

The author introduces his collection of southern-themed essays by recalling an interview he once conducted with Los Angeles-born actor Nicolas Cage. While that may at first seem an odd choice, it is actually quite appropriate. Martin... Read More