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This is that rare book from Gems Press — one that hasn’t been lovingly resurrected from the past, but which was written new by yours truly. It started as a bedtime story for my kids and took on a life of its own — becoming an exciting chapter book for all ages. In this humorous fantasy adventure, Marcus Realwright, traveling elf-magician, learns more than he ever imagined possible about the effects of casting a spell in the presence of a disbeliever in magic. His companion in The Book of Glimmer, a tabby cat called Stub, used to be Eddie, the young Earl of Stubbenfield — but oops, he lied about his (dis)belief in magic, and so Marcus’s spell has gone awry and turned the young Earl into a cat. No one is happy about it, except Stub’s mom, who is thrilled he’s now rid of his many unsuitable girlfriends…. See on Amazon.*

From Gems Press. A new, true, and valuable addition to the amount of fun and wit loose in the world! Courtly Quips & Gentry Gems: The Best of Early English Wit, Volume I, is nearly three hundred pages of authentic quips, jests, bon mots, quotations, anecdotes, maxims, etc., from the 1700s and 1800s in England. Many of these appear here for the first time in a modern digitized format. At Gems Press, we save the parts worth saving and bring those to you, nicely formatted. After hundreds of years, these long-lost words are fresh once again, resurrected to make their charming way in the modern world. Hope you don’t mind bawdy! See on Amazon.* Get a Sampler PDF of the first 70 pages of the book free when you sign up for our mailing list.

From Gems Press. A fascinating new resource for historians and people who like well-reasoned arguments on weighty issues — published in 1773. A Collection of Tracts, on the Subjects of Taxing the British Colonies in America, and Regulating Their Trade.: Volume I is now available in both Kindle and paperback versions. Finally, we’ve created the first version in modern typeface and the first true digital version of these classic contemporary writings about the issues preceding the U.S. Revolutionary War. Both the Kindle and the paperback contain the full contents of the original Volume I — 83,000+ words, including all the footnotes. For the first time, you can read this book without having to deal with those funny-looking s’s. See on Amazon.*

From Gems Press. This lecture on “sanitary science” by Dr. J. Fletcher Horne in the year 1885 has a great deal of smart thinking on the idea of keeping your home healthy — and most of it is extra-helpful because it is advice barely mentioned nowadays, despite representing basic tenets of health. For instance, his extensive emphasis on ventilation is literally refreshing. And his statement that the human body is “but a mass of hidden drains, large and small and, how directly the health of the individual is dependent on their condition!” rings true and is a concept worth thinking about in relation to our health. Here’s how Dr. Horne sums up a healthy house….See on Amazon.*

From Gems Press. What could a physician from the year 1830 have to say that could possibly be of use to us today? How about, “Take a bath”? Author J.W. Ford, M.D., explains why sometimes some people should take a cold bath, and some should take a tepid bath, but pretty much everyone should have a vapour bath, also known as a steam bath, as often as possible. It’s no coincidence that the doctor had a thriving business administering “Simple and Medicated Vapor Baths” at his residence on Tyler Street in Lowell, Massachusetts. Dr. Ford takes an interesting look at the skin as an organ of exhalation and the damage to internal organs that he says can result when the skin can’t breathe properly…. See on Amazon.*

From Gems Press. Amos G. Wells’ classic book from the year 1910, How to Work, is a smart, useful, and enjoyable read. It’s full of good life advice, as if from an experienced friend whom you like to hang out with. The author is a Christian, and his faith is central to the book, yet the book is full of practical advice, and the faith it talks about could equally be any authentic religious or spiritual conception of Christ Consciousness, or God – there is no doctrine or dogmatism in this book…. The sincerity of Mr. Wells’ good-natured attempt to help us all along in life comes shining through…. See on Amazon.*