Tiger Stripes by Hannah Renae

 

Welcome to the book blast for Tiger Stripes, an intriguing memoir and important discussion tool about the oft-overlooked topic of women's mental health from Hannah Renae. You can read an excerpt here before downloading your copy and then follow the tour for more, plus leave questions and comments along the way. Best of luck entering the great giveaway at the end!

Four psychiatric wards

Three rehabs

Two jail cells

And a suicide attempt...

Hannah was told she would not make it to 25 with the way she was living. She had struggled with mental illness her entire life, but at 22 her demons came to a head at the grips of severe substance abuse, life-changing trauma, and two major deaths in her life.

Hannah's struggles land her places no one ever hopes to grace; jail and psych wards lead her to the brink of death. Running out of options she's left with two choices: live or die. This heart-wrenching memoir combines recovery with bittersweet romance told in a raw presentation that immerses the reader into the author's dark state-of-mind in every page.

Tiger Stripes is going to add a valuable voice to the conversation about women's mental health issues.

Read an excerpt:

THE LETTER H

October 7, 2019

“HENRY! HENRY! HENNN-RYYYY!!!!”

I am screaming at the top of my lungs and can feel my throat tearing, becoming raw. I don’t know how many times I have said his name now, but it is all I know how to do because nothing is making any sense.

I am in a locked room and flashes of images are going through my head, but there is only one thing, one thought that I can focus on, that is pounding through my brain throughout this confusion and that is pouring out of my lungs to the point that my chest feels like it is going to rip.

“HENRY!” I choke on his name and a sob.

He cannot hear me, and he is not coming. He doesn’t know where I am and I don’t know where I am, but I know I am not supposed to be here—and I have to get out.

I beat at the metal door that barricades me from something unknown and choke on words that begin with H.

“HENRY!” “

“HELP!”

“HENRY!”

“HELP!”

I repeat these words for what feels like a lifetime, until I forget how to speak and my begging turns to carnal screaming—shrieking.

No one comes. No one answers. I wait for footsteps, for the sound of the door unlocking, but all I can hear is the sound of my frantic breaths and the echoes of a lamentation that is anything but human.

I look down at my body. My feet are bare against the concrete floor; I cannot feel them. The jean shorts I am wearing show off my slender, scratched legs and remind me that I am small and feeble at this moment, but in an act of desperation, I put all of my faith in the power of momentum and I run. I fucking run as fast as I can from the three paces it takes to get from the wall to the ominous looming, locked door and attack it with my entire being, letting out my most vicious battle cry as I fumble towards it.

The door wins.

I try again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

I am degraded to a crumbling, bruised ball of flesh.

I can barely speak, my throat reduced to sandpaper.

Everything hurts and I can taste the bitterness of blood in my mouth. The floor is like ice against my bare legs. Through the tears in my eyes I see the moon shining through a window at the top of the room. It is full and brilliant and illuminates the white of the brick walls that surround me. I realize that there is writing on them. People have been here before me. People will be here after me. Why am I here though? I should not be.

I should be home, where I belong. In bed, with him. Safe. I feel anything but that word in this moment, as terror sweeps through every single one of my nerves.

I whisper in one last futile attempt:

“Henry?”

But there is silence. Horrible, deafening, fatal silence.

And it seems to last forever, until I hear it, or think I do. A click, the door unlocking, and the small room is suddenly filled with light. Fluorescence suffocates me.

When I dare to open my eyes, they do not find Henry. Instead I find a police officer looking back at me. He wears broad, black framed glasses that are too big for his face and he looks eerily familiar. A sudden memory of lying in a hospital bed comes to me but does not fully resonate. His face is forlorn and almost disappointed, as if he expected more out of me.

“I thought you were going to hurt yourself,” he tells me. “Promise you’ll stay calm and you can come out for a bit. We’ve got to get you fingerprinted.”

It’s then that I have the shattering realization that I am drunk and in a holding cell at a police station. The reason why escapes me though, as I try to grab onto flashes of sober memories but drown in my current state-of-mind.

I try to breathe with intent as I remember every single arrest-cliché in the book, and I cling to the fact that I am going to get my phone call. They will probably let me go—they have to. If anything, they will make me stay the night at the most.

I remember the silent promise I had once made myself—that the moment I got a DUI that I would put down the bottle for good. Jail was the worst it could get. It had been my crowning achievement at my last three rehabs that I had never graced the inside of a jail cell and I never planned to.

“Continue down the path you have been,” one of the staff members at my second treatment center had told me after sharing her own story about prison, “and jail is a guarantee.”

And here I am. Her words have come to pass, as promised.

I then remember what else she told me as we talked over a pack of Marlboro Reds on a warm Orange County night.

“Finish the 90 days,” she had said, “Or you will not make it and there will come a day where you will no longer be able to cry out ‘I’m a good person!’. You will lie. You will steal. You will become someone and something else. You will hurt everyone you love. You will lose everything, and just when you think you have lost it all, you will lose something else.”

Buy Links:

Amazon *  B&N *  Kobo *  Apple Books *  Book Depository  

(affiliate link included)

If there is anything Hannah believes in, it’s hope, but that wasn’t always the case. For a long time, chaos was comfortable for Hannah, but at just 22 she would have to make her hardest decision yet: was life really worth living? Since picking up a pen Hannah has had a love for writing, and as an adult it would become her greatest tool in healing from an almost decade-long battle with severe mental illness and substance abuse. Her first book, Tiger Stripes, is a harrowing, raw telling of her year in and out of hospitals, treatment centers, and jail that finally led her on the road to recovery and freedom.

Hannah was born in Orange County, CA but has lived in the Los Angeles area for several years. She now lives in West L.A. with her boyfriend. When she is not writing she can be found reading, running, cooking, or finding the best vegan eats in L.A.!

Author Links: Website - http://hannahrenaeauthor.com/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/byhannahrenae

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hannahrenae/

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/hurnpublications/tiger-stripes/

Book Landing Page - https://hurnpublications.com/tiger-stripes/

Hannah Renae will be awarding a $100 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What They Don’t Tell You About Menopause: A Gynecologist’s Unofficial Guide to Premenopausal, Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Life by Dr. Heather L. Johnson

 

Women have always struggled with the idea of how much better life would be if they had a better body, a better exercise routine, a better life. This can make it difficult for women to grasp that aging is both a normal and natural part of life. With over 40 years of experience working as an obstetrician gynecologist (OBGYN), Dr. Heather Johnson is equipped with the knowledge to help women of all ages mature gracefully

. In What They Don’t Tell You About Menopause, Dr. Johnson discusses the various stages of menopause and what to expect throughout this natural aspect of life for women. From perimenopause to postmenopause, and everything in between, this book will be your guide through this daunting period of womanhood.

Buy on Amazon

(affiliate link)

#1 New Release in Health Reference

Dr. Heather Johnson is a senior partner at Reiter, Hill, Johnson and Nevin, with offices in Washington, D.C., Chevy Chase, Maryland, and Falls Church, Virginia, where she has been since 2001. Dr. Johnson is an actively practicing gynecologist and retired obstetrician after delivering babies for 40 years.

I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my readers.

105 Things You Need to Know to Keep Your Brain Happy and Healthy by Paul M. Willette, MD

How does memory work? 

How can you curb anxiety and stress in your life? 

Why is movement important? 

What does “brain health” really look like? 

The brain is the most complex known structure in the universe. When the brain is not working optimally, your entire body is affected. The opposite is true as well: when the body is not working correctly, your brain is affected. With the occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s on the rise, it’s more important than ever to uncover how to keep your brain functioning well and yourself feeling good. 

There may be a different path to achieving health than taking medications, and this enlightening book teaches you how to take control of your health. By giving the brain and body the nutrition and building blocks it requires and blocking stress, you can improve your mood, memory, and movement. 

Explore the interesting world of science, cell biology, and nutrition and discover everything you need to know to keep your brain and body optimal—even when you’re older. These solutions are based on a deep understanding of human anatomy, physiology, nutrition, cell biology, and anti-aging. The fundamentals involving cell membranes, mitochondria (energy production), microglial cells, and more are important, exciting, and relevant in building a better brain and body health—an emerging field promoted by Global Health Science Solutions, LLC.

Available on Amazon

(affiliate link)

I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my readers.

Earthquake: How the Ever-shifting Healthcare Model Victimizes Americans by Brian H Casull MD, MPA

Earthquake: How the Ever-shifting Healthcare Model Victimizes Americans

Healthcare in America is littered with confusing rules and unclear systems. The discussion is oft centered on misconstrued facts and downright lies. Some politicians claim that nobody ever died from lack of access, that the Affordable Care Act is unnecessary and American healthcare isn't cost-prohibitive. Some claim no one has lost Medicare or Medicaid coverage and pre-existing conditions don't threaten coverage.

One thing that can't be denied about American healthcare is how often the average consumer is left confused. Earthquake: How the Ever-shifting Healthcare Model Victimizes Americans uses an easy-to-understand metaphor that equates the ever-shifting healthcare system with tectonic plates: just as earthquakes create victims with every shift of tectonic plates, so does the unstable American healthcare system.

Available on Amazon

Yes, this is my affiliate link. Should you make a purchase through it, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my websites!

About Brian H. Casull

Brian H. Casull, MD, MPA has been in healthcare for almost 50 years as a practicing physician and physician executive. His 21 years in the U.S. Army and time spent as Chief of Staff for a Cigna Staff Model, Medical Director for United Healthcare for Southern California, and AVP for a Pharmacy Benefit Manager were based on serving the patient and improving the interface between our healthcare system and those whom it serves. He currently consults on healthcare matters and serves as the Medical Director for the Government Contractor awarded the Medicare Beneficiary and Family Centered Care (BFCC) Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) initiative.

I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my readers.

Type 2 Diabetes: The Owner's Manual by Daryl Wein FREE 11/29 - 12/3

Type 2 Diabetes

Daryl Wein discovered he was among the millions of patients with type 2 diabetes while studying to become a Physician Assistant. That's when he found out that, despite type 2 diabetes making up the vast majority of cases, most of the reading material he could find was geared toward patients with type 1 diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes The Owner's Manual is his way of fixing that. 

This handbook is an easy-to-read guide on how to manage your blood sugar primarily through diet. It is written clearly and concisely, explaining the difference between the two diseases in a way that is easy to grasp. You don't have to be a health professional to understand the book. Wein includes concrete examples of what to eat and what to avoid. He talks about the importance of exercise and provides information about medicines in a way that the layman can comprehend without needing to know medical terminology. The book also includes a useful question-and-answer section that covers a variety of specifics about type 2 diabetes to help you make sense of it all. 

Wein knows about the frustration and fear diabetics feel, because he's been there. As he explains in the book, when he experienced blurred vision and other health problems while studying to become a Physician Assistant, he discovered that he was among the millions diagnosed each year with type 2 diabetes. 

"There was no mistake: I was now a diabetic!" he writes. "I sat down and started crying, not something I would ordinarily allow myself to do." 

He goes on to describe how a mentor told him that diabetes can usually be managed easily. He made sure to explain that failing to control it can lead to serious health problems including blindness, kidney failure, and limb amputations. He offered hope. 

Wein's book offers the same message of hope, along with a somber reminder that failing to control diabetes can lead to premature death. He provides readers with the right information to help make sure they understand that this doesn't have to happen to them. 

The author also makes clear the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, suggesting that type 2 diabetes needs to have a new name. That name should be "carbosis," he argues, which gets right to the point that type 2 diabetes is a disease where the body does not process carbohydrates correctly. He has conveniently included tabular lists of many foods, showing the carbohydrate content of each. 

"My intent in writing this book is to finally provide a source of information geared specifically for you and me, along with the millions of others with this disease and the many millions who have it but don't yet know it," he writes. "This book is designed primarily to provide clear guidance for patients." You don't have to be a health expert to manage the disease. Wein lays it out to his patients, about eighty percent of whom, he estimates, have well-controlled blood sugar levels. Type 2 Diabetes The Owner's Manual can be your step-by-step guide on how to control your disease. Let this book help you manage type 2 diabetes rather than letting the disease manage you.

Available on Amazon

FREE 11/29-12/3

A few of the eye-opening pieces of advice given by Wein in his highly-respected book include:

• There is no need to consume any sugar or starches at all
• Natural fruit and fruit juices are not good for diabetics
• Avoid all forms of alcohol when trying to lose weight
• The only fats known to be harmful are trans-fats which are mainly found in shortening and margarine
• Eating fat does not make you fat and eating fat has never been directly associated with heart disease
• Brown sugar has never been healthier than white sugar, only less pure
• There are almost no carbs in any of the artificial sweeteners so they do not contribute to the elevation of blood sugar.
• Monitoring your sugar 2-3 times a day with a finger stick test is costly and a complete waste of time.

About Daryl Wein

A native of Niles, Michigan, Wein earned a degree as a Medical Technologist/Clinical Laboratory Scientist from USC Medical Center in 1978 and earned a degree as a Family Practice Physician Assistant from UC Davis School of Medicine in 1999. Since 1999, while working as a PA with Dr. David Olson and Dr. Elaine Madayag in internal medicine, Wein also worked as a PA at Stanislaus County Urgent Care, Oak Valley Hospital ER, Central California Bariatric Surgery, as a contractor for California Correctional Health Care System, and for rural health clinics run by Oak Valley Clinics. He also has has done some software development, and is credentialed in California to teach community college classes.

What Kind of Peanut Butter Is Your Massage? by Heather Leigh

What Kind of Peanut Butter Is Your Massage?

Written for the massage therapist who wants to give their best. From maximizing money, to turning the first time client into a 'regular', there are new ideas to help you achieve your goal. Learn how to re-book, communicate effectively, treat customers, and work in different venues. 

Geared toward the new therapist, there are also many things for seasoned professionals to learn. As a massage therapist with over a dozen years of experience, allow me impart to you what I've learned after performing hundreds of massages.

Available on Amazon

'Holistic Medicine for Women's Health' by Sauciron

Blurb:

Finally, There's a book devoted to women's health issues. And to make matters even better, it promotes a holistic approach to healing and prevention, eliminating the need for drugs and their pesky side effects. 

This book reveals a multitude of startling facts that some of you may not be aware of. For example, there's a food additive that's in a lot of what we eat and drink, and it's doing serious harm to us and our children. Find out what it is and how it is adversely affecting our health.

Read an excerpt:

Tension Headache

Tension headaches are caused by muscle contractions in the temples or the back of the head. They are usually brought on by stress and could last four hours or even days. This type of headache feels like your head is being compressed from both sides making it almost impossible to sleep. Relief can be achieved by using a cold compress, by massage, or by using acupuncture.

Sinus headaches are the result of congestion or inflammation of the nasal cavity. Symptoms of this problem are a dull ache over the eyes causing irritability and the inability to sleep.

Stress and tension headaches are caused by, as you have probably guessed, stress and tension. But that is where the simplicity ends because each of us, as individuals, have different situations and conditions that cause us to become stressful and tense.

The following are some examples of the causes of stress and tension: Computer eyestrain, pinched nerves, too much caffeine, too much sugar or salt, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), PMS, artificial sweeteners, a need for a liver detox, candida, a need for a heavy metal detox, a need for a full body detox. You can find more details on detoxification in later chapters of this book. Those and numerous other situations could possibly cause a tension headache.

If you use over the counter drugstore headache drugs on a regular basis, you could be setting yourself up for rebound headaches. Acetaminophen, if combined with alcohol, can cause liver damage. So if you were to have a hangover, don't take Tylenol to get rid of the headache.

If you feel a headache coming on, immediately apply cold, slightly damp black tea bags to your eyes (closed) for 15 minutes or have a cup of black decaf coffee. Consuming Ginger, fresh or supplemental, can often stop a developing headache. Also an ice pack on the back of the neck at the base of the skull is often very effective. But most importantly, if you are not sure why you are getting your headaches, get tested for food allergies. There could be a very simple answer to the problem. It’s always easier to prevent a problem than to treat it.

Buy links

Website / Amazon / Smashwords  

About the author:

Twenty years ago my mother had a series of mini-strokes. I took care of her at home because many years earlier she had asked me not to put her in a nursing home if it was at all possible. Her doctor explained her situation and it went something like this. "Your mother's strokes have caused permanent brain damage. Her brain cells are slowly dying and the cells adjacent to the damaged cells will eventually die also. I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do for her".

The mainstream medical community had given up on the person most dear to me. So I decided to conduct some extensive research into alternative measures like vitamins, herbs, and minerals. I was determined not to let my mother die without a fight. This is the person who took care of me when I was sick; she deserved the same from me.

I read multitudes of books, newsletters, and reports. I watched educational videos, attended homeopathic trade-shows, and interviewed anyone who would be willing to talk to me. All the time taking extensive notes and documenting my efforts. I fought an endless fight, but I lost my mother. I started too late in her illness.

After a period of mourning and occasional bouts of depression, I decided to take all that valuable information I had accumulated, continue my research, and use it to help others by writing educational books.

Visit his website: http://www.vitaminandherbalhealth.com/

'The Waist Management System' by Dr. Peter Windross

The Waist Management System - by Dr Peter Windross

You are a survival machine. The DNA in your cells has survived for millions of years. It has been copied billions of times. Your ancestors all survived long enough to have offspring. These offspring then survived to grow up and repeat the process. You are the latest in a long line of successful survivors who had children. Who also survived successfully.

You are designed to survive. You are designed to replicate. By this I mean that your body and everything in it is designed to fulfil these functions. Every thought you have and every biological urge you feel are designed to drive you towards putting yourself in optimal situations for reproducing and the survival of your genes.

If your ancestors weren't as good at surviving as their neighbours they would have been the more likely to die out. If they weren't as good at mating and having offspring as their neighbours they would then have been less likely to pass on their genes and nature would unapologetically have weeded them out.

We are all here because our distant relatives were fantastic at surviving infancy, childhood, adolescence, seeking out a mate, having sex and then ensuring that the baby went on to survive infancy, childhood and so on. That's it. There are no other traits which will do better in the world that we all came from. There are no features of your body which don't serve a function towards surviving and passing on your genes. It is not enough to simply replicate. Your offspring need to survive to become fertile and produce successful offspring of their own.

The genes we carry in each of our cells are virtually the same as when we lived on the African plains. We are identical in our bodies and minds to nomadic tribes. It is only forty thousand years ago since we were like this. This is a blink of an eye in evolutionary terms, which means our genes have not had enough time to change in the last 40,000 years. We are not very well adjusted for life in the twenty-first century.

Your genes come from a time when we lived in very hot conditions with limited food and water. We would mainly gather our food. Nuts, berries, fruit and roots. We occasionally managed to kill a large animal like an antelope but small birds and rodents would have been more common fare. In the last forty thousand years we have domesticated animals and learned to farm. We no longer rely on our small group to survive and now have food in abundance. We now cook our food so that twelve hours a day doesn’t need to be spent chewing just to get enough nutrients to survive. This has freed up a lot of time. Machines have made a lot of other things easier. We each live today in greater luxury than Kings and Queens of only a few hundred years ago.

We are still ruled by the emotions and desires that powered us for life on the African plains. We eat whenever we can and our bodies rapidly lay down any excess in fat stores because the next meal might be days or even weeks away. We are driven to fit in with the group for its survival benefits. We are driven to gain social status where we can and to seek out and find the best possible mates to pass on our genes. This is what makes us tick.

Understanding this can help us regain control of our waists once more.

What is the Waist Management System?

▪ Accept that your body has biology which will make you fat unless you concentrate hard and make a bit of an effort.
▪ Learn what hunger is and what it isn’t.
▪ Make better food choices each and every day.
▪ Use your body the best way that you can. Keep yourself fit and active.
▪ Sleep well. Rest and recuperation are part of a healthy life.
▪ Recognise snacking for what it is - unnecessary calories and best avoided.
▪ Keep busy and focused working towards SMART goals.
▪ Keep a journal of progress, calories in and exercise done, along with daily thoughts.
▪ Change lifelong habits around food. This is very achievable, worth doing and takes about two months.
▪ Changes feel strange at first like new shoes, but become automatic and comfortable with time.

Buy the book, learn how it makes sense and fits together, complete the daily journal and start living the dream.

Buy it on Amazon

About the author:

Dr Peter Windross lives and works in the South of the UK near the New Forest. A General Practitioner for over ten years, he has a special interest in weight management. He reads more about running in his spare time than is good for him. He is often told that he should get out more, though he obviously thinks that means on the trails.

He's not a very good runner. What he lacks in style, grace and speed he tries to make up for in terrible jokes and enthusiasm. He enjoys trail running and racing. Anything from 5k to multi-day ultra-marathons.

He enjoys writing books about how to do stuff a little better. He is no expert and has made more mistakes than most. He is thus well qualified on really how not to do things 'this way'.

Review of 'Do It With Words: Regrow Your Hair With Your Mind' by Kfir Luzzatto

Regrow Lost Hair and Restore Its Natural Color to Gray Hair – Do It With Your Mind

Do It With Words – No “Magic” Potions Or Lotions Needed

Do It With Words is a straightforward guide into the power of your mind. The author, a former skeptic, who reformed after witnessing how mind-body practices deliver tangible results, provides visual proof and a precise blueprint of the mind-body experiment in which he succeeded in his attempt to regrow lost hair and to restore its natural color to gray hair.

The book describes in precise detail how the author:

Regrew lost hair; restored its natural, dark brown color to his previously white hair;used self-hypnosis, guided imagery and meditation to achieve all results without the aid of any external preparation.

Editorial Reviews

“It’s a wonderful application of something that I have believed in for many years now – the power of mind over body . . . This technique is worthy of serious attention.” – Michael J. Hadfield, D. Hyp., MBSCH

“Kfir Luzzatto . . . has laid down a path for you to reach many goals traditionally considered difficult or impossible. I see Kfir as very much a visionary pioneer in the mind-body field. We are fortunate to read what he has discovered and reveals . . .” – Forbes Robbins Blair

**My thoughts**

When I first saw the title of this book, I wanted to just blow it off as absolute nonsense. I decided to give it a shot, anyway. It wasn't a total waste of my time.

Kfir has a Ph.D. He is no stranger to doing research, and his book demonstrates this. He has put together a comprehensive approach to using your mind to do great things within the mind-body connection. While the focus is on regrowing hair, or even changing your hair color, he does tell how you can apply these concepts to many different aspects of your life.

He provides a detailed description of how he has gone through this process, as well as an outline to follow should you wish to try this technique on your own. He explains the need to believe in what you are doing and to be careful in how you approach it. He cites many sources, as well as sharing his own experiences.

Within these experiences, he has included photographs of the changes within his own hair. My only wish is that he would have done the two pictures in a similar setting. The picture of his white, balding head looks like it was done outside in the bright sunlight, whereas the one that shows the darker hair growing in was done inside in artificial light. A true comparison would be more effective if both had been one or the other.

Does the program work? I can't vouch for that. I have a head full of hair that is still 97 percent its natural brown. I have never tried guided meditation, nor other procedures discussed in this book, but I have had some experience with what we might call mind power. I have known people who use guided imagery to get them through painful experiences, such as cysts or during chemotherapy. There could be something valid there.

Am I going to try it? Perhaps on some level I will give it a shot. I figure I have nothing to lose.

So, kudos to Kfir for having strong faith in what he is doing. I am impressed by his research and synthesizing of the material into a useful guide. I wish anyone who tries this process a lot of luck.

Buy links

Amazon / Kobo / Google / Smashwords

About Kfir Luzzatto

I was born and raised in Italy, and moved to Israel as a teenager. I acquired my love for the English language from my father, a former U.S. soldier and WWII veteran, a voracious reader, and a prolific writer. I have a PhD in chemical engineering and I work as a patent attorney. I am a recipient of the prestigious Landau Award for Research and have been granted several patents for my own inventions. I live in Omer, Israel, with my full-time partner, Esther, our four children, Michal, Lilach, Tamar, and Yonatan, and the dog Elvis.

I published extensively in the professional and general press over the years. For almost four years I wrote a weekly “Patents” column in Globes (Israel’s financial newspaper). My non-fiction book, The World of Patents, was published in 2002 by Globes Press. I am the author of several short stories and of six novels. I am an HWA (Horror Writers Association) and ITW (International Thriller Writers) member and I also serve on the editorial board of The Harrow Press as Anthology Editor.

I became interested in mind-body practices a few years ago, after witnessing how my son got rid of a persistent viral wart with guided imagery. How I decided to initiate the ambitious experiment that finally led me to regrow lost hair and to turn the clock back on my hair age, restoring the original color to it, is a long story that unfolds in the book.

Follow Kfir: 

https://twitter.com/#%21/KfirLuzzatto” target=”_blank”>Twitter / Facebook / Literary Addicts / Smashwords / Blog / Amazon / Goodreads

Follow the tour!

'Big Pharma Big Agri Big Conspiracy:' by Dina Rae

About the book:

Non Fiction
Date Published: June 25, 2014

Blurb:

Big Pharma’s and Big-Agri’s growing power happens mostly behind the scenes. For whatever reason, mainstream media leaves these giants alone except in terms of business profit margins. Before researching the two industries, I knew nothing more than most people-a vague recognition of the terms Big Pharma and Big Agri. A few magazines articles along with some radio talk show episodes was all it took to ensnare me into obsession. 

As curiosity turned into research, I could not help but speculate that these industries are involved in conspiracy on a global level. This is a subject that impacts anyone who has ever taken medication, seen a doctor, and/or eaten food. If you are intrigued about the elite inner circle of these two empires, Big Pharma, Big Agri, and Big Conspiracy is the perfect place to begin your journey in searching for the proverbial man behind the curtain. This book is an introduction to history, fact, and conspiracy theory of these growing industries. A follow-up book is currently being outlined. For the record, I am NOT a doctor, just a nerd who loves to learn new things.

What is Big Pharma?

Big Pharma is a term that refers to the giants of the pharmaceutical industry. Collectively, they made approximately $690 billion in 2012 and are projected to exceed one trillion in 2014. That’s more than the GDP of Saudi Arabia and Iraq combined. Because of the immense profitability, many question the ethics involved in research, FDA approval, manufacturing, and prescriptions of the pharmaceuticals. Big Pharma doesn’t just sell pharmaceuticals; they influence the entire healthcare industry.

Who is Big Pharma?

Generally, Big Pharma consists of the biggest drug companies who make more than three billion dollars each year. Of the top eleven giants, six are headquartered in the U.S. These companies spend multi-millions of dollars each year to lobby Congress for legislation in their favor. U.S. pharmaceutical companies reportedly have 1,100 lobbyists who make sure they are represented.

Read an excerpt:

Introduction

Big Pharma’s and Big-Agri’s growing power happens mostly behind the scenes. For whatever reason, mainstream media leaves these giants alone except in terms of business profit margins. Before researching the two industries, I knew nothing more than most people-a vague recognition of the terms Big Pharma and Big Agri. A few magazines articles along with some radio talk show episodes was all it took to ensnare me into obsession.

As curiosity turned into research, I could not help but speculate that these industries are involved in conspiracy on a global level. This is a subject that impacts anyone who has ever taken medication, seen a doctor, and/or eaten food. If you are intrigued about the elite inner circle of these two empires, Big Pharma, Big Agri, and Big Conspiracy is the perfect place to begin your journey in searching for the proverbial man behind the curtain. This book is an introduction to history, fact, and conspiracy theory of these growing industries. A follow-up book is currently being outlined. For the record, I am NOT a doctor, just a nerd who loves to learn new things.

What is Big Pharma?

Big Pharma is a term that refers to the giants of the pharmaceutical industry. Collectively, they made approximately $690 billion in 2012 and are projected to exceed one trillion in 2014. That’s more than the GDP of Saudi Arabia and Iraq combined. Because of the immense profitability, many question the ethics involved in research, FDA approval, manufacturing, and prescriptions of the pharmaceuticals. Big Pharma doesn’t just sell pharmaceuticals; they influence the entire healthcare industry.

Who is Big Pharma?

Generally, Big Pharma consists of the biggest drug companies who make more than three billion dollars each year. Of the top eleven giants, six are headquartered in the U.S. These companies spend multi-millions of dollars each year to lobby Congress for legislation in their favor. U.S. pharmaceutical companies reportedly have 1,100 lobbyists who make sure they are represented.

Whose political campaigns are funded by Big Pharma?

In 2012 Big Pharma favored the Republicans, but they also hedged their bets by backing the Democrats. About $16.2 million was spent by the top twenty pharmaceutical companies for Democratic and Republican campaign contributions. The top three that donated over one million dollars in campaign funds were Pfizer, Amgen, and Abbott, with Merck a few dollars shy of one million.

Some of the biggest giants are listed below.

Top 10 Pharmaceutical Companies 
(based on 2012 pharmaceutical revenues in billions)

http://www.drugwatch.com/manufacturer/

Manufacturer 2012 in Billions

Johnson & Johnson.………$67.2

Pfizer……………………….$58.9

Novartis……………………$56.7

Roche…………….………..$47.8

Merck……………….……..$47.3

Sanofi……………….……..$46.4

GlaxoSmithKline………….$39.9

Abbot Lab …………………$39.9

Astra Zeneca…………………$28

Bayer………………………….$24.3

Johnson & Johnson: They sell drug-store drugs like Tylenol, Band-Aids, and baby shampoo.

Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson, makes surgical items. One of their products, a vaginal mesh implant, is currently under fire. They have 1800 lawsuits filed against them.

Pfizer: Lipitor (cholesterol problems), Viagra (erectile dysfunction), Celebrex (arthritis), and Lyrica (neuropathic pain) are some of their most advertised. Despite their huge sales, they claim huge overhead in taxes, advertising, and research and development. Later on I will go more into R&D, as they really aren’t paying for all that is claimed. The tax-payer unwittingly pays for much of their R&D.

Novartis: Gilenya (Multiple Sclerosis) and Diovan (hypertension) are some of their top sellers.

Merck: Singulair for asthma and Zetia for cholesterol are some of their big movers. They also manufacture several vaccines.

Abbott Labs: Klacid (antibiotic), Biaxin (bacterial infections), Luvox (anti-depressant), and Synthroid (thyroid) are some of their many products.

Big Pharma claims they are in the business of curing and controlling diseases. Their real mission, like all businesses, is to increase profits. Unlike most businesses they do not have to play by the same rules. Their twenty-year patents given out for each of their new drugs give them a monopoly. This prevents other countries from making cheaper versions. TRIPS (international intellectual property rights organization) legally protects them from others cutting into their profits.

Can they patent plants found in remote places of the world?

Yes. They can and they do, especially in the rain forest, through a process called bio-prospecting. They get away with it by paying indigenous people a stipend for exploration of new plants. To patent something suggests that it’s an invention. How are plants grown in the rain forest an invention? Again, Big Pharma does not have to play by the rules. They pay for the legislation that enables them to take what they want.

Many of these companies will protect their empires at any and all costs. Lying to Federal Drug Administration, submitting fraudulent data, bribing doctors, omitting side effects, and bullying the supplement industry are some of the ways they play ball. Lastly, some conspiracy theories claim Big Pharma hide cures to terrible diseases to continue steady, gigantic profits.

What is Big-Agri?

This book began with exploring the inner workings of Big-Pharma from a lay-person’s perspective. My research constantly overlapped another mammoth industry called Big-Agri.

Big-Agri is short for big agriculture or farming corporations that are taking over the farming industry on a global level. This kingdom controls many aspects of farming such as crop production through technology and pesticides. One of their main contributions to the world’s food supply is the controversial use of GMOs or genetically modified organisms. Later on in this book I will elaborate on GMOs. GM stands for genetically modified and then there is the term GE for genetically engineered. These terms basically mean the same thing and will be used interchangeably for the purposes of this book. GM/GE/GMOs are a growing business of genetically engineered food.

GMOs have led to other modified things such as glow-in-the dark cats, cabbage with scorpion venom, less flatulent cows, vaccinated bananas, cancer medicine eggs, and mass carbon eating plants. The possibilities are endless, producing results that make for a great horror/sci-fi movie. Much of the GMO food has earned the nickname “Franken-food”.

The giant corporations that make up Big-Agri are Dow AgroSciences, DuPont, Monsanto, and Syngenta. Other corporations that make up the business include machinery (John Deere), ADM (grain transport), and AB Agri (animal feeds, micro-ingredients, and biofuels). In this book, I will be referring to Big-Agri in strictly crops, food, or pesticides.

Monsanto (largest seed and pesticide manufacturer in the world)

In 2013 fiscal year Monsanto’s net sales were $14,861,000,000. Net profits were $7,653,000,000. That’s a gross profit of 51%! They reported a net income of $2,482,000,000 after research and development and other expenses. Research and Development costs will later on be more fully explored. At face value, according to their own site, www.monsanto.com, that’s about 17% profits-not a bad return!

DuPont, www.dupont.com

This corporation has its fingers in many pies, including healthcare/Big-Pharma. For the purpose of this book, DuPont will be placed among the Big-Agri companies. Some of their biggest selling products are herbicides/insecticides and GMO seeds. Their agriculture products division had an outstanding 2013-9.9 billion in sales, primarily through their GMO corn seeds. Seven million acres planted their corn in 2013 compared to two million acres using the seeds in 2012.

Dow-AgroSciences, http://www.dowagro.com/products/

Their main products are herbicides/insecticides and GMO seeds. Dow-AgroSciences is a subsidiary of Dow-Chemical. Their gross sales in 2012 was $6,400,000,000. A little interesting trivia found on their own website shows that Dow AgroSciences was originally called DowElanco and then joined with Dow Chemical and Elanco Plant Sciences. Why is this important? Because Elanco Plant Sciences is part of Eli Lilly, one of the Big-Pharma mammoths earlier mentioned. Big Agri and Big Pharma are constantly overlapping.

Syngenta, www.sygenta.com

This global corporation’s main products are herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and GMO seeds including flowers. In 2012 they grossed 14,202,000,000 in sales with $6,984,000,000 in gross profits. $2,292,000,000 was left over after operating expenses. Syngenta is still a young company. According to their website, they offered to invest one half of a billion dollars in Africa at the 2012 G8 Summit. Humanitarian or smart business? Syngenta projects that they will sell 25 billion dollars in sales by 2020.

Throughout this book I will present the facts and cite sources. Some sources will be hyperlinked and other sources will be mentioned on the bibliography page of the book. The conspiracy angle is yours to agree or disagree with. At the very least, you will hopefully have a different perspective on this very important subject.

Available on Amazon

About the author:

Author Dina Rae has four published novels in thriller, horror, and paranormal genres. Her passion for conspiracy theory is obvious as she continues to mix fact into her fiction, leaving readers wondering about the truth. She holds a Master of Arts from Roosevelt University. Ms. Rae continues to guest on multiple conspiracy radio shows, convinced that New World Order looms around the corner. Big Agri, Big Pharma, and Big Conspiracy is her first nonfiction book.


http://www.dinarae.co/

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