Jonathan Tropper's One Last Thing Before I Go is a heartfelt story about a man who has lost all hope. While the subject matter is dark and somewhat controversial, Tropper's word choices are so perfect, and often so funny, that you'll find yourself quickly immersed in the plot and rooting for the characters.
Drew Silver is a 44-year-old man who decides that his best days are behind him. Divorced, and the father of an 18-year-old daughter he barely sees or knows, Silver is a has-been musician who plays in wedding bands and lives in an apartment building called the Versailles, inhabited by other divorced men with little to live for.
One day, Casey, Silver's daughter, shows up at the Versailles and tells him she is pregnant. Soon after, Silver finds out he has a life-threatening heart disorder but refuses to have life-saving surgery, deciding that he will spend his remaining days being a better father, a better man and falling in love.
One Last Thing Before I Go is one of those books you read and can easily picture as a Hollywood film. In fact it has been optioned by Paramount Pictures, but read the book before the movie comes out. You won't be disappointed.
* Ellen Fortini
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
Company%20Profile
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
