University of Life

75 Search and Rescue Stories: an insider's view of survival, death, and volunteer heroes who tip the balance when things fall apart. Reviewers say things like "Shaun Roundy has a fast-paced, light-hearted writing style that never bogs down" and "If you don’t have a copy of 75 Search and Rescue Stories in the mail to your address right now, I highly recommend you get one. This is the best rescue book by far that I’ve ever read.” [expand title="» Show/Hide Amazon Book Reviews" tag="h5"] Inspiring and fascinating By Lily.cc This book is well worth twice the price charged, especially given that part of the proceeds are donated to SAR. Divided into quick, engrossing chapters that each tell the story of a SAR operation, it's immensely readable. Some stories will make you laugh, some will leave you in awe. Shaun Roundy has a fast-paced, light-hearted writing style that never bogs down. Everyone in Utah County should read this before heading to the mountains or the lake; maybe then we'd have fewer people getting ledged out on a cliff in a t-shirt with no gear every month. I have never required the assistance of SAR, but my brother did, and some these stories seriously brought tears of gratitude to my eyes. Anyone considering volunteering for SAR or something similar (working at a mountain resort, national park, or similar) should definitely read this first to get a feel for what they might be facing and to understand the mindset required. A Must Read!!!!!!!!!! By Marla Hendrickson As a person new to the hiking scene here in Utah I never stopped to think just how serious a situation I could find myself in if I didn't make wise choices considering my inexperience and ability. After reading Shaun Roundy's book centered on rescues here locally in Utah and more specifically Utah County I have a much deeper appreciation for my surroundings. Every chapter is a new experience. Some with happy outcomes and some that are not. I gained a greater appreciation for the skills, dedication and compassion of the men and women of Utah County's Search and Rescue Team who put their lives on the line and life on hold to serve others, all at their own expense. This is not a paid position nor is their equipment or travel provided for. You will not be able to put the book down. I read it while flying from one destination to another and was disappointed when it was time to land. What impressed me the most was Shaun's ability to tell a story and include all the details and facts and yet do so very respectfully of the families involved. Some stories will even make you smile and some will make you cry. I have since purchased additionally copies to give to my son a fireman and a good friend who was personally touched by one of the tragedies in the book. You will not regret your purchase. [/expand]

Courage, Love and the Meaning of Christmas is the major revision of the popular Gone but not Forgotten. UPDATED FOR 2018. More information on ChristmasNovels.com [expand title="» Show/Hide Amazon Book Reviews" tag="h5"] I laughed, I cried, it made me think...buy this book By M. Gordon "careful reader" I laughed. I cried. The story stuck with me and made me think. I, like Spencer, thought about the meaning of life. As I read this thoughts and the characters wriggled their way into my heart. After I finished, I found these thoughts had blossomed and I will be better for having read this. A fantastic book! By J. Partridge I really loved this book. I read it in two nights -- practically couldn't put it down. Roundy is a pro in this genre. He really captures the heart of interpersonal interactions and relationships, and mixes in the right amount of suspense and adventure. And he takes a much needed and profound look at the real meaning and purpose of life. An excellent read! (And I'm excited that this story about Spencer is a trilogy!) A Good Heart Reader By Inez The Meaning of life is experimented thru out life.. Varies on one soul to the next.. But I love the variety and detail this book gives to such a meaning.. I really enjoyed this book. It made me feel alive and free spirited after.. A wonderful feeling for days to come. Thanks for the soul finder. Awesome Book By Samuel Pucketton This is an awesome book well written and pulls you in as a part of the story. It is real life as he questions what is the real meaning of life. He gets his answers living life with family friends and of course meeting a young lady that shares his dreams and challenging his thoughts dreams and bringing out the best in him. A great read that's hard to put down. [/expand]

The Perfect Gift is the long-awaited sequel to Courage, Love and the meaning of Christmas or Gone but not Forgotten. It takes up one year after the first book and things are not as you expected! UPDATED FOR 2018. More information on ChristmasNovels.com [expand title="» Show/Hide Amazon Book Reviews" tag="h5"] The Perfect Gift was the Perfect Gift for me! By photoatvmomon I love reading a book where you feel better after you read it and learn some lessons along the way. This heart warming book did that for me. I could identify with the characters and could not put this book down. What I love about Shaun Roundy's books it seeing the world through his eyes. He has amazing insight and leaves you wanting more. So do yourself a favor and purchase this and take some time out for you to enjoy this masterpiece! truly was a perfect gift By Inez Knew I would love this book. Just as I did the first one. Was sad when I finished and now have to wait for the third book to be released.. this series is one of the best I have read.. and ive read tons. What can I say I'm a bookworm, and love a heartwarming romance story. Courage, Love and the Meaning of Christmas By P. Poynor "granmama" I read this book and its sequel, The Perfect Gift, and found both to be thought provoking as well as entertaining. Spencer and Ski seem to be an unlikely pair to engage in friendship, but it works. Spencer has to fight through his insecurities to discover who he really is. That leads him to visit his grandmother earlier than planned and where he meets Annetta. He discovers that his friendship with Annetta brings out the best in him. Through the course of the two books, Spencer and Ski both discover their best selves. But there are unresolved issues with Annetta. I'm eager to read the last book in the trilogy. The Perfect Gift by Shaun Roundy By vellaon I really enjoyed reading The Perfect Gift. Shaun is a talented author who does a great job! I highly recommend this book to readers. I loved a poem called, The Darkest Hour that is part of the story & also I'm hooked for the upcoming sequel. Lots of different things going on throughout the book. There is romance as well as evolving friendships. You won't be sorry for this purchase! Love Love Love!!! By Barb I am not one to post reviews......but I love this series of books so much that I am leaving a review my first time. If you don't get these books, you are missing out on a wonderfully well written book with lots of love and lots of emotions. I can't express enough how much I love Shaun's books!!! LOVED IT By lizzy I got this book from my daughter and couldn't wait to read it. I loved the first one and the second was just as good. I can't wait for the next one. If the author wasn't such a good professor I would suggest that he quit his day job. Great book for all ages. Happiness By Sanna Warm-fuzzy, funny, charming,exciting, this is the book that's going to get passed around the office and your friends, everyone will want to read it. A+![/expand]

New for 2012, The Art of Heart is the long-awaited sequel to Courage, Love and the meaning of Christmas and The Perfect Gift. This 268-page high-altitude conclusion to the trilogy is packed with more adventure, insights, romance, plot twists, just like the first two books. In the end, all loose ends get tied up, but it keeps you guessing right up to the last page! UPDATED FOR 2018. More information on ChristmasNovels.com

Order from Amazon.com: bit.ly/artheart

UofLIFE.com price: $14.99 $12.99

An American in China: Starting Over. A Travel Guide to the Adventurous Life recounts a spontanous trip to the Orient full of adventure, romance, and the unexpected costs and blessings of starting over again and again and again. [expand title="» Show/Hide Amazon Book Reviews" tag="h5"] Great story, great style! By Antone Roundy "Alpha Gecko" The story is moving, entertaining, interesting, exciting... And I love the format: a series of vignettes from the author's experiences in Taiwan and China and reads like a journal of how it all felt, only better than a journal. Every other page includes a photograph (or 2 or 3 or 4...) that really help to communicate the flavor of the people and places you encounter in the book. Gripping By Trevor Shaun descriptively reveals his adventure of dropping everything and flying to the other side of the world. For adventure seekers everywhere, this book gives an inside look at experiences that all of us long for. Actually going out and searching for whatever it is that will fill your cup. Whether it be soul searching, an adventure, freedom from the fast pace life or a longing to break free of the obliviousness to the beauty, mystery and wonderment of the whole world. You'll find, page by page, Shaun does all of this. Paving the way for future wanderlust people wondering if going around the world is really as doable as you've wished it to be. Break free of monotony and routine. Shauns style of writing has a natural flow. The book reads like a journal and each randomly sized anecdote is chuck full of details you can tell he is desperate not to forget. It feels like your reading the conversation going on inside his head while he discovers his new world. Coupled with vivid real time context, you feel like you are actually there. Personally, this books opens new doors and sparks up a brighter flame of wanderlust. This book is a must-read for anyone that has said to themselves, "there's got to be more out there." [/expand] UofLIFE.com discount price: $13.99 $9.99 for one, $8.99 each when you order two, 7.99 each for three.

This. a vampire cure for forever has earned high praise from several reviewers for its engaging plot, depth of characterization, useful insights, and more. The protagonist, Kayla Porter, made the Best Female Characters of 2010 list, winning Honorable Mention from YA Vampire Books. For Utah Valley residents, you'll enjoy all the action spread throughout the valley, up the canyon, and on the lake. More information on ThisVampire.com[expand title="» Show/Hide Amazon Book Reviews" tag="h5"] This. A vampire cure for forever By Cieratownsmc Overall great book!It was such a page-turner that I stayed up and read it all in one day (and night). Quick but good. Although it's a YA novel, you almost don't miss that it doesn't get "steamy". The characters were easy to love and the story was easy to fallow. Read this book!!!!!!!!!!!! By Maizie This book is a good book however at some points it gets a little confusing.While I was reading this book I couldnt put it down and finished it in two to three days.This. is a great book for vampire lovers like myself and people who like to read about bloody fights.I would recamend this book to people.I wish there was another book about Ethan and Kayla after the ending.Thats all im going to say beacuse I wont ruin it for when you decide this book is worth reading!!!!! Have you read This? By Katherine Blazzard To escape. To be invincible. To find lasting love. To discover friends false and true. To dream deeply, live intensely, long for a better world. To conquer your fears and learn to see what others are really made of. To learn to be comfortable in your own skin and find power hidden deep within.That is what This is about.Is This a story, a tale, a legend? Yes. This is all of those things. But This is more. Because This is not just the human story. This encompasses Others. In This we discover what it means to have a perspective shift.To stop fearing the unknown. To embrace the different. To defend your friends with a fierce loyalty. To follow your heart and your bliss. To become who you want to become. To see the world how you would like to see it. To love and be loved in return.In This, the author gently guides the reader to a place where all of This become a reality. Call it fantasy, call it magic, call it make-believe.But after you read This - you too will want to believe as the characters in the book believed, that your world is what you make it.This is what you have been looking for.P.S. If you like Batman, Dracula, Twilight, Chupacabras, or The Outback Steakhouse, you will LOVE another theme in This. An exciting and unexpected adventure! By db This book targets such a wide audience, sure to please everyone. Like a little romance and flash backs to high school crushes? You'll love it! More into action and adventure and unexpected twists and suspense? Well, you'll love it too! With two small boys at home, I don't remember when the last time was that I finished a book. This one I couldn't put down! I finished it in 2 days! With great character development and wonderful details and descriptions it's easy to follow, and too easy to get engulfed by. Yes, it's a vampire book, but just like Kayla says in the beginning, it's not what you're thinking. But it's not just a story either. Full of wisdom and insights, this book isn't just for teens or an empty read. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to everyone, old and young, guys and girls. So if you can't decide, just buy it! You won't be disappointed! 🙂 (and pick one up for a friend too! It would make a great gift!) Another can't-put-it-down novel by Roundy By J. Partridge This. is another suspenseful, insightful, and thoroughly enjoyable story by Shaun Roundy. Reading it produced the kind of feel-good and inspiring experience that I've come to expect reading his work.I have to say that Chapter 11, "BFF," was probably the best essay I've ever read about being oneself and not giving in to peer pressure or "petty insecurities," as Roundy puts it. Being confident with the person you are, and not letting others opinions affect the way you act, the things you say, the kind of person you know you should be -- Roundy nails it on the head and causes you to look closely at your own behaviors, which I really loved. The vampires in the story are very interesting and quite different than you'd expect, and the story ends with an excellent twist and cliffhanger.A fun and inspiring read, I recommend the book to everyone. Vampires afoot By Kirsten "This" was a surprisingly fun read. Not being a teen anymore didn't discount the fact that it kept me interested in the story. The development of the characters and especially of Mitch was superb. The story places the heroine in high school and in love. When vampires appear in their lives, danger and excitement and profound experiences ensue. That's really as much as I feel comfortable telling about the story as I don't want to ruin the enjoyment of reading it for yourself! An inexpensive book that really was fun to read. I'm excited for the sequel! The characters make you want to become like them or acquire one of their traits By photoatvmom Such a unique story! The characters make you want to become like them or acquire one of their traits! The story line is different than the usual vampire books, its much better! So much detail and great writing in this book, read many times! You fall in love with their relationship and the friendships and take the journey with them. My younger sister got hooked on this book and she never reads, now that says something! A+[/expand]

Over more than a dozen years of innovating teaching, Shaun Roundy compiled The Art & Craft of Writing: the ultimate step-by-step guidebook to the writing process and effective composition. This concise, clear, effective and sometimes humorous text leads you step by step though the three categories of requirements to create powerful writing: concepts, process, and specific writing skills.

Order from Amazon.com: http://bit.ly/writingguide

"No one ever writes stories about good step mothers," a friend once complained to Shaun. "I'll write you one," he responded, and The Stolen Heart is the result. This simple tale is designed to help children process the remarriage of their parents.

Shaun wrote Bloomers for some neighborhood kids who he wanted to persuade to shake off expectations to stay small and let loose all the greatness they had inside. Two friends have used the story in lessons and presentations to good effect - one reported that everyone in her class cried, and the parent of one student reported, weeks later, that the story changed her son's life.

Shaun wrote The Joy of Misery about an audacious solo trip straight up 7,000' Mount Timpanogos one spring. Nestled into the adventure, he explains the roots of beauty, balance, and several other insights. The original version earned high praise when published in SummitPost, and this version has been significantly revised and includes 45 expedition photos.