Nonfiction

It takes people of all kinds to shape a place. Abolitionists. Trade unionists. Artists. Scientists. Soldiers. Explorers. Traders. Crusaders. Senators. Designers. Michigan had all of these-and all of them, in this book at least, were women. Written for young adults, Bold Women in Michigan History tells the stories of thirteen extraordinary women.

In this book of personal vignettes, the author discovers hopeful spiritual lessons hidden in difficult situations.

Cindy shares how the spiritual lessons she learned freed her to focus again on her own goals instead of the difficult behavior of others.

The War Generation, the first of the Iraqi Americans book series, is a collection of 36 articles that Weam Namou wrote over the years which paint a picture of Iraqi Americans’ political and social situation and their struggles. Namou writes, “The views that leaders, politicians and activists I interviewed had about Iraq and the United States fascinated me, especially since their views largely differed from, or were not found in, mainstream media. Given these people’s direct connection to both countries, I felt it was important that their stories and perspectives be heard.”

In Witnessing a Genocide, Weam Namou shares her visit to Iraq in 2000, a journey where she embraced Easter with relatives, remembered her magical childhood in Baghdad, and enjoyed her ancestors’ town of Telkaif in Mosul. The trip, held dear to her heart and preserved through pictures of extravagant picnics, tours of ancient monasteries and other lively explorations, is soon drowned by the events that follow the 2003 US-led invasion.

Artists have a story, a story that affects their pallets. In Iraqi Americans: The Lives of the Artists, Namou wanted to honor artists of Mesopotamian ancestry by giving them the opportunity to share their incredible stories themselves rather than risk having others to do it for them, as was the case with famous Iraqi artist Layla Al Attar. The 16 artists in this book are not victims, but victors over their lives, following their passions and finding ways to showcase it despite any and all challenges.

People are either straight, gay, or bi, right? Well, not exactly. Sexual orientation and sexual behavior are not so simple. This book explains some of the complexities -- for example, why some straight men seek sex with men -- in an easy-to-read story-based format. Even if you're not concerned about your partner's orientation, this book will intrigue you and tell you some things you don't now know.

There Will be Cyberwar had its genesis in a Master's dissertation at King's College London. It describes how the US military moved into network-centric war fighting with little forethought of cyber security.