Viva Editions: 95 books

   Growing up and living in Kibera, Kenya, Abdul Kassim was well aware of the disproportionate number of challenges faced by women due to the extreme gender inequalities that persist in the slums. After being raised by his aunts, mother, and grandmother and having a daughter himself, he felt...

Face it, life is short and who has time to see 1000 places, read 1000 more "classics" or see 1000 movies somebody else deems essential, and all that nonsense? Here is a list of 101 things you should never bother with from the fiendishly clever mind of Kevin Pryslak. The F*ck It List is a hilarious...

Death is a great and grand mystery, and the actual act of dying is the last physical act of our lives. We can do it well, like a graceful well-rehearsed piano solo—or we can do it like that first awkward dance with a middle-school crush. But if anything deserves our full attention, some preparation,...

In this timely new book, BBC star and Gardening World's thrifty and resourceful Alys Fowler shows that there is a way to take the good life and re-fashion it to fit in with life in the city. Abandoning the limitations of traditional gardening methods, she has created a beautifully productive garden...

What do Madonna, Martha Stewart, John Lennon, Ellen DeGeneres, Ben Franklin, Ronald Reagan, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison, and Johnny Cash have in common? Each is (or was) a list maker. These successful people, along with CEOs and successful entrepreneurs, all use lists to keep track of their ideas,...

Who knew that the great country of Canada is named for a mistake? How about "bedswerver," the best Elizabethan insult to hurl at a cheating boyfriend? By exploring the delightful back stories of the 250 words in Wordcatcher, readers are lured by language and entangled in etymologies. Author Phil Cousineau...

In this D.I.Y. guide to the good life, readers learn how to edit their lives, since in the long run, less is more — pedal now or paddle later! Readers and their families can live more joyfully and far more creatively, all on a dime. The best things in life are free — or very nearly free — and...

Allen Klein is a motivational speaker and author who believes strongly in the way words can influence how we feel mentally, physically, and spiritually. In this day of tweeting, texting, cyberspeak and the non-language of E-mail, the written and spoken word has the power to touch our hearts and lift...

The Whole-Hearted Life is the culmination of Susyn Reeve's lifelong work. Comprised of 365 days of change-your-life ideas to try a few minutes each day, this is a guide to a life of contentment and community, where you give and receive love, including the oft-missing piece of self-love and compassion....

Inspired by the timeless quote by the great writer George Eliot, It's Never Too Late to Be What You Might Have Been is a guidebook to getting the life you've always wanted. Written in best-selling author BJ Gallagher's trademark warm and witty style, this book is written for, in her own words, "Everyone...

Everyone knows that boys are falling behind in education. Largely left out of the discussion are parents of boys, who are most aware that their bright, eager sons hit an invisible wall somewhere near fourth grade, after which they become disengaged, discouraged, and disaffected. There are dozens of...

You Can’t Ruin My Day contains 52 themes to help readers take back their power and not let other people or other situations ruin their day. Each of these themes has three sections: Wake-Up Call (the potential day-ruiner); Follow-Up Exercise (practical steps to turn it around); and Lighten-Up Laugh...

Author and business leader David Mezzapelle, author of 2013's best-selling Contagious Optimism, is on a mission to get people to "power their lives with the positive." He has worked with top influencers, business people, and others and observed that each one of these folks had a few things in common...

To untangle the knot of interlocking meanings of these painted words, logophile and mythologist Phil Cousineau begins each fascinating word entry with his own brief definition. He then fills it in with a tint of etymology and a smattering of quotes that show how the word is used, ending with a list...