Displaying items by tag: Northshire Books

SARATOGA SPRINGS- The statistics: one in six American adults takes at least one psychiatric drug over the course of a year. Hundreds of millions of prescriptions for psychiatric medication are written annually.

Depression and anxiety disorders affect millions of Americans. To that point, Saratoga based psychiatrist Bick Wanck, MD, has authored “Mind Easing: 3-Layered Healing Plan for Anxiety and Depression” - a new book that introduces a holistic approach to mental health treatment. Wanck will lead a discussion about his book and the topic at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 6 at Northshire Bookstore Saratoga, 424 Broadway.

“It became clear to me when I was about 15 years old that helping to relieve suffering was a mission of mine. I wasn’t sure what that would look like, but I wanted to help people to get out of a bad situation, no matter what that bad situation may be,” says Wanck, who has practiced in Saratoga since 1986.

While at medical school he grew increasingly intrigued in the specifics of how the mind works. “It brings in issues of literature, philosophy, science, biology – everything. That captivated me. I decided psychiatry it would be, but I became disenchanted with medicine, because there didn’t seem to be an adequate focus on healing for my purposes,” Wanck says. “The primary issue in regard to getting well is healing. Healing happens naturally. I said: wow, why aren’t we studying that? Why aren’t we putting more emphasis on how healing works and assist that process, rather than jumping right into treating symptoms. I made trouble for myself talking about that a lot.”

Wanck grew frustrated over the lack of emphasis on healing. “I just got fed up. So, I graduated from medical school, got an old van, fixed it up and hit the road. Eventually I ended up in Peru, in the jungle. I was looking for answers about healing and it was the experience in the jungle with the shaman that put it together for me,” says Wanck, who grew up in a rural area of Pennsylvania and spent a lot of time in the wilderness as well as on reservations. His grandmother was an herbalist.

“Sometimes the psychiatric providers are so rushed that when someone walks into their office and looks upset, the first thing they think about is: ‘I wonder what I can prescribe for this person, so they’ll feel better?’” Wanck says.  “When someone walks into the office of a healing person who takes more time that person sees someone upset walking into their office - and they’re not going to think, what can I prescribe for them; They’re going ask: I wonder what’s wrong? And then take some time to find which of the three essential causes of anxiety and depression might be happening here.”

Wanck describes the three essential causes as: excessive current stress, early adversity and trauma, and genetics. “Two things that mimic them are medical problems like low thyroid, or addiction problems that can look like anything,” he says. “People can have any one of them, or all three of them.”

“Mind Easing” explores, among other things, when medicine might help with anxiety and depression, and when it might hinder the healing process. The use of psychiatric medication, for example, comes in to play when the degree of suffering from anxiety or depression is so severe that it interferes with a person’s capacity to make use of healing methods such as diet, exercise and stress management.

“The subtitle is the three-layered healing plan for anxiety and depression. And I do show in the book how to apply the three-layered healing model to anything: dental, cancer, heart disease…I think it’s an approach that can be helpful and empower people to promote healing,” he says. “I only include the wellness approaches and therapy approaches that have some scientific merit, where there are outcome studies that show it works for a sufficient percentage of people.”

Wanck studied at Penn State and eventually relocated Princeton, New Jersey where he ran the addiction programs for a private hospital and helped start the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.  

“I suggest that everybody put together a package of wellness activities for themselves so either they don’t get anxious or depressed or sick in some physical way, or if they do that whatever they do with therapy, or western medicine will be more effective,” he says.    

“The body and the mind constantly heal themselves. You cut yourself, it heals. If there’s some dirt in it: wash it out. It’ll need some help, but it will heal on its own. If it’s a bad enough cut, you might need a couple of stitches - that would be layer three - a medical intervention to assist the natural process of healing,” Wanck says. “It’s the same way with the mind: every day there are times when people feel empty, scared, sad. You might not even know why. But the mind adjusts, it copes. So, there’s a natural healing process that happens all the time. The goal of this three-layered healing plan is to assist that process, to empower the strength of healing.”

Northshire Bookstore Presents: Saturday, April 6 at 7 p.m. - Bick Wanck - Mind Easing: The Three-Layered Healing Plan for Anxiety and Depression.  Author and psychiatrist Bick Wanck will share his book and his healing plan for the three essential causes of anxiety and depression. This book is intended as a guide for both mental health practitioners and for general readers. Bick Wanck is one of the founders of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Northshire Bookstore Saratoga, is located at 424 Broadway. Also this month, the bookstore will present:

6 p.m. Monday, April 8 - Pulitzer Prize Finalist Luis Alberto Urrea – “The House of Broken Angels,” Pulitzer Prize-finalist Luis Alberto Urrea will share his riveting novel about the De La Cruzes, a family on the Mexican-American border, celebrating two of their most beloved relatives during a joyous and bittersweet weekend.

7 p.m.  Friday, April 12 - Matt Lesniewsky in conversation – “The Freak.” Author and artist Matt Lesniewsky will celebrate the publication of his debut graphic novel. Lesniewsky will discuss the book and his art with Chris Martinez of the Evil Geek Podcast. The Freak tells the story of a man thought of as the world’s ugliest man.

Noon, Thursday, April 18 - Lunch at Hattie’s Restaurant with Juliette Fay – “City of Flickering Light.” A special lunch at Hattie’s with bestselling historical fiction author Juliette Fay. Her new novel transports us back to the Golden Age of Hollywood and the raucous Roaring Twenties, as three friends struggle to earn their places among the stars of the silent screen—perfect for fans of La La Land and Rules of Civility. Tickets required for this event.

For more information, call 518-682-4200 or 1-855-339-5990, or visit the Northshire Bookstore website at www.northshire.com.

Published in Entertainment
Friday, 17 August 2018 12:30

Spicer in the Spa City

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer spent Wednesday in the Spa City as part of a national book tour to promote his recently published memoir, “The Briefing: Politics, the Press, and the President.”

Northshire Bookstore hosted a book-signing at their store on Broadway, where Spicer was greeted by approximately 60 people who attended the event, shared brief conversation and posed for pictures with President Trump's former press secretary.

Responding to one person who said they missed seeing him as press secretary, Spicer laughed and responded, “Ah, I’m good.” Another patron suggested they would like to see him seek political office. “I hate to let you down, but I’m not ever running for president,” Spicer said, with a smile.  

Northshire Bookstore owner Chris Morrow, who was present at the event, had earlier responded to inquiries from some patrons who disapprovingly questioned the store hosting Spicer. Morrow explained the store’s mission is to be “a bookstore for all people, with open access to books and authors as diverse as our wonderful country.” Attendees at Wednesday’s event were overwhelmingly supportive of Spicer.

“We support Trump, we support his agenda and we support Sean Spicer and everything he’s done while he was at the White House and as a Naval Commander,” said Kathy Obst, who made the drive to Saratoga Springs from Queensbury.  “There are so many people who live in our area who are not conservatives, so I think showing a unification of that is something important,” she said. “If you look at (Michael) Wolff and his book (“Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House”) and you look at Omarosa and the book she just released ("Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House"), it’s just garbage. This book is filled with what happened at The White House and it’s all positive things.”

Meg Messitt who last November founded The Saratoga Springs High School Teenage Republicans club at the school, also attended the event. “I’m excited to read Sean Spicer’s book and learn more about the former press secretary of The White House,” said the soon-to-be 10th grade student.

In a gathering with reporters following the book-signing, Spicer was asked about the book tour, his thoughts on the current climate at the White House and whether he believed media is the enemy of the people, which he responded to with a brief and blunt “no.”

The book tour, Spicer said, has been fun.  Saratoga Springs marked the 24th day of a tour which wound through the west coast, south through Texas and up north via Washington, D.C. “You saw a lot of folks here today who are Trump supporters, but there are also a lot of folks who come out say: I’m a Democrat, or not so much a supporter, but I’m interested in your story,” Spicer said. “It’s been fascinating to see the full spectrum of people who come out. I feel comfortable with the book that I’ve written. I enjoy being able to share my story and share some of the behind-the-scenes moments over the past couple of years.”  

Spicer was also asked about Omarosa Newman – a reality television show participant who became a political aide to President Trump. The release of her new book, which is critical of Trump, was met with a presidential tweet in which Trump referred to her as a “crazed, crying lowlife,” and a “dog.” Spicer’s response to queries about Omarosa: “I find it unsettling that someone would take a position of trust like that and then go out and frankly abuse it on multiple levels.”

Spicer said he often offered Trump advice which was not always taken but was reluctant to share specific information about what that advice was.  “There were plenty of times during the campaign when we would counsel him not to do something and he would disregard it and come out better,” Spicer said. “The track record the president has is doing it his way, and for many aspects of his life being successful.”

Following an afternoon visit to Saratoga Race Course, Spicer attended a Republican Party fundraiser on Union Avenue. A spirited group of about 70 people gathered outside to stage an “anti-treason rally,” criticizing Trump, local U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik’s alliance with the president, and waving American flags and Veterans for Peace flags, while carrying signs whose slogans ranged from “Reunite Families Now” to “Spicer Go Home.”

Published in Local News

SARATOGA SPRINGS –  A new spy thriller which includes action scenes that take place at Riley’s Lake House, the United States Hotel and other Saratoga locations in 1940 will celebrate its book launch at Northshire this month.

Lawrence Dudley’s “New York Station” has been hailed by Publisher’s Weekly as a gritty spy thriller featuring “a multifaceted protagonist who’s a refreshing change from formulaic genre,” and by critic Angela Woltman for its “never-ending supply of action, new characters, and puzzling subplots.”

The book launch celebration for Dudley’s “New York Station” will take place 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26.

Also this month at Northshire: poet, memoirist & philanthropist Eileen Rockefeller will read poems from her new collection, “Space Between: Selected Poems,” at 7 p.m. on Jan. 12, and Mary Cuffe Perez will share stories from her new book, “Barn Stories: Reflections from a Saratoga County Horse Farm,” at 7 p.m. on Jan. 27.

 

Events are free and open to the public and will take place at Northshire Bookstore Saratoga, 424 Broadway. For more information on these or other events, call 518-682-4200, or visit the Northshire Bookstore website at www.northshire.com.

Book Launch at Northshire for New Spy Thriller with Saratoga Connections 

Published in Entertainment

When underground ideas, sounds, or images seep into conventional culture, the status quo itself is altered. Surely, one aim of politically subversive art is exactly that: change the world. When commonly held assumptions are challenged and subverted, a new synthesis is born, whether that be in the art world or politics or everyday life. The subculture’s loss is the mainstream’s gain.

- excerpt from Paul Hockenos' new book “Berlin Calling.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Berlin has long had a reputation for its off-beat mystique and powerful allure, drawing an array of underground artists, punk rock and techno connoisseurs, and DIY political activists into its city limits. From free-love communes to the era of amphetamine-fueled techno clubs, it’s a city of charisma and innovation. So how and why did Berlin become the vibrant world capital of eccentric subculture?

American journalist Paul Hockenos moved to West Berlin in the 1980s and has watched it change over more than three decades. In “Berlin Calling: A Story of Anarchy, Music, the Wall, and the Birth of the New Berlin,” Hockenos delves into Berlin’s tendency toward reinvention and its ability to “posit itself anew many times over” – a quality he attributes to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Hockenos presents his book, “Berlin Calling: A Story of Anarchy, Music, the Wall, and the Birth of the New Berlin,” in conversation with William Lewis, professor of philosophy at Skidmore College, at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11 at Northshire Bookstore Saratoga, 424 Broadway.

Other notable upcoming events at Northshire Bookstore:

7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 5 - Karen Rogers – “Racing with My Shadow “- signing only with the author, a professional leading jockey at the New York tracks and one of the first successful female jockeys. This memoir shares her personal journey to overcome the negative results of childhood sexual and emotional abuse through her work in the sport.

2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10 - Bob Cafaro – “When the Music Stopped: My Battle and Victory Against MS.” The author, a cellist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, will share his personal journey and a brief musical performance.

Published in Entertainment
Thursday, 23 March 2017 16:27

Reality TV Star Comes to Saratoga

The long line of humanity stretches far as the eye can see. It flows past the rows of fiction titles and shelves filled with historical tales. It weaves beyond bookcases that cradle publications with lessons about eating well and losing weight. It crisscrosses through the bookstore’s neighboring café, curls around a table that boasts new releases and spills out the front door, eventually coming to rest in an adjacent alley on the north side of the building.

 The line is composed of 500 people who have come to “meet-and-greet” Theresa Caputo – author and TV star of the reality show “The Long Island Medium.” She said she had been given “The Gift” at a young age.

“I’ve been seeing, feeling, and sensing Spirit since I was 4 years old, but it wasn’t until I was in my 20s that I learned to communicate with souls in heaven,” Caputo says.

She came to Northshire Bookstore Saratoga in between tour dates in New Jersey and Connecticut and Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to promote the release of her fourth book, “Good Grief: Heal Your Soul, Honor Your Loved Ones, and Learn to Live Again.” Five hundred tickets were offered for the Saratoga Springs event. They were quickly gone. 

“We watch her on TV and love her,” said Lela Barber-Pitts, who made the journey from Schenectady to Saratoga Springs to meet Caputo, and who holds the last place on the long line. “I’m thrilled she’s come to our area.”

The cost of admission requires a simple process: purchase a copy of the new book and in exchange receive an autographed copy of the publication and a picture standing alongside the author.

Sunday morning, Caputo held court in the center of the bookstore, her Long Island accent fully engaged and her small black-draped frame accented by a gold neck chain that reads: Blessed.

The event guidelines for ticketholders are clear: all books are pre-signed by Caputo - which she does Sunday morning in the bookstore’s offices upstairs - with no additional personalization possible. Every fan gets a professional photograph taken of themselves with Caputo and instructions on how to retrieve it. Asking for a personal “reading” is not permissible; the line must be kept moving quickly. Do the math: 500 people in two hours’ time equates to four people per minute. It does allow for brief exchanges: “Hi. How are you? Nice to meet you. I hope you enjoy the book.”

Despite an understanding of event instructions, the mind inevitably wanders. Whether people are here for the TV star factor and in appreciation of Caputo as an entertainer, or believe she has a way to connect with those who have left this mortal coil, everyone has got someone who they have lost – an Aunt Mary, a cousin Bill, a mother, a father, a family pet – and some can’t help to thinking: wouldn’t it be nice to hear from them again.

“I hope my mother comes through. She was a feisty one, and she loved Theresa,” said Michelle Milks, who arrived at the bookstore two-and-a-half hours prior to the signing and scored one of the first positions on line.

“I’m hoping to get help in healing,” said Liz Witbeck, while waiting in line to meet Caputo. A few moments later, the two women engaged in a brief discussion and posed for a photograph together. Then Witbeck was on her way, book in hand and the trace of a smile on her face.

 

 

 

 

 

Published in Entertainment

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