Books with author Richard J. Cootes

And so, a new chapter in the life of Richard J. Codey, an undertaker's son born and bred in the Garden State, began on the night of August 12, 2004--he knew from that point his life would never be the same . . . and it hasn't been. His memoir is a breezy, humorous, perceptive, and candid chronicle of local and state government from a man who lived among political movers and shakers for more than three decades. Codey became governor of New Jersey, succeeding James McGreevey, who resigned following a homosexual affair--a shattering scandal and set of circumstances that were bizarre, even for the home state of the Sopranos. At once a political autobiography, filled with lively, incisive anecdotes that record how Codey restored respectability and set a record for good politics and good government in a state so often tarnished, this is also the story about a man and his family.

And so, a new chapter in the life of Richard J. Codey, an undertaker's son born and bred in the Garden State, began on the night of August 12, 2004--he knew from that point his life would never be the same . . . and it hasn't been. His memoir is a breezy, humorous, perceptive, and candid chronicle of local and state government from a man who lived among political movers and shakers for more than three decades. Codey became governor of New Jersey, succeeding James McGreevey, who resigned following a homosexual affair--a shattering scandal and set of circumstances that were bizarre, even for the home state of the Sopranos. At once a political autobiography, filled with lively, incisive anecdotes that record how Codey restored respectability and set a record for good politics and good government in a state so often tarnished, this is also the story about a man and his family.

One of the most important life skills is the ability to be receptive to the ideas and opinions of others, particularly when they differ sharply from your own. Nature has programmed us to be wary of things that are new, foreign or different. But, in the 21st Century the pendulum seems to have swung too far toward "I'm right and you're wrong; end of discussion." This book is designed to show middle school children and adults how different people (or groups) can have very different beliefs - yet that fact doesn't necessarily mean that one of the people (or groups) is wrong! In fact, this story graphically demonstrates how it's possible for all their different opinions (or beliefs) to all be correct. Not only that, the story also shows how all the groups’ appreciation for their sacred mountain was ultimately enhanced by learning of the other groups different perceptions of it. This story also introduces young people to the challenges of Global Warming and provides a symbolic example of how United Nations (UN) helps those people most vulnerable to it.