MSI Press Blog

Foreword  For most Americans, their lives center around the job they have. Strangely, it is the job that defines most people. When two strangers meet, one of the first questions invariably asked is, “What do you do?” Most people take a job because it pays well and has strong benefits such as health coverage. Most of the time the job they have is not what they would really like to be doing. Most people are working to have enough to retire some years or decades later or are working toward a goal they have set for themselves because someone said having a goal is very beneficial. This book is about my taking the jobs that came along because I wanted to do the work, not because of anything that came with the job. I did what I wanted to do and sometimes refused jobs that had a big salary, stock options, health plan, perks of homes and travel, but were not what I would like doing. I could never see why anyone would spend two-thirds of their life essentially working to make money, not

Everyone has at least one story to tell; Alfred Stites has a lifetime’s worth. Candid, humorous, thought provoking and interesting, his writings delight both young and old. Writing is a passion for Alfred… he writes because he loves to tell a story. If you’re fortunate enough to sit in his presence whilst he weaves a tale or two, blue eyes a’ twinkle, you’ll not forget neither the story told nor the storyteller. His book,   Forget the Goal, the Journey Counts…71 jobs Later , relates a lifetime of interesting meetings, unusual endeavors, and tales worth relating and reading.  Update 2016: Alfred passed away on on April 11, 2016 after living a very long and full life. Just read his book, “Forget the Goal, the Journey Counts…71 Jobs Later,” and that will be clear. He worked with some rather famous people, like JFK and others of equal fame. He had quite a zest for life. For 94 years he fully enjoyed every day of it. Indeed,  a long, full life.  RIP, Alfred. We have enjoyed your stories--an

  Excerpt from Forget the Goal, the Journey Counts (Stites)  My Second Miracle   It was during this period of my life when I had the second of my automobile “experiences” with my new Volkswagen Hatchback. One night, around 11:00 p.m., I was driving home to Arlington from a party in D.C. I had had a few drinks, and for some reason I took a winding blacktop road through the residential section instead of the freeway, my usual route. At the top of a rise I saw a curve ahead, and realized I was driving too fast. I hit the brakes twice. The car suddenly fishtailed violently, and I lost control. As it went off the road to the right and up a slope, I gripped the bottom of the steering wheel, bowed my head, and closed my eyes. The car catapulted over a 10 foot embankment, rolled over, landed on the roof, and then rolled over again slamming into a bank. I must have been unconscious for a short time because when I opened my eyes, the road was lined with cars, and a policeman was hurry

  MSI Press authors are located all over the world. Getting to know the authors can also mean getting to know a new part of the world. We will be sharing this information on a regular basis. Follow us and map our authors' locations. The late MSI Press author, Alfred Stites ( Forget the Goal, the Journey Counts ) , spent his retirement years in Costa Rica (lit. rich coast) before moving to New Mexico with his children in his 90th decade. After leaving Costa Rica, he wrote a book, Sidewalks in the Jungle , to tell others what Costa Rica is really like. Costa Rica was the point where the  Mesoamerican  and South American native cultures met. The northwest of the country, the Nicoya peninsula, was the southernmost point of  Nahuatl  cultural influence when the Spanish conquerors ( conquistadores ) came in the 16th century. The central and southern portions of the country had  Chibcha  influences. The Atlantic coast, meanwhile, was populated with African workers during the 17th and 18th

  The following is the story behind Forget the Goal, the Journey Counts (Stites) From the editor: Alfred's book was one of the first we published, nearly 20 years ago, by an author we did not personally know. (Since then, we have met lots of new people and made lots of new friends.) At the time, and until recently, Alfred was living in Costa Rica. In fact, he had written a book earlier about Costa Rica. We were used to working with foreign authors. In fact, we had already published books by authors from Syria and Jordan. We found Alfred's story fascinating -- 71 different jobs, and most of them contributed to who he was as a person. Some of those jobs were downright unique, and he had met some well-known people and a lot of unknown unique words. A fun read! Alfred lived into his 90s. Near the end of his life, he moved back to the USA to be with his children in New Mexico. Alfred may not still be with us, but we still have his book. So, Alfred is still entertaining readers. For

We are happy that we have been able to bring back a couple old favorite books: Everybody's Little Book of Everyday Prayers by Cynthia MacGregor Forget the Goal, the Journey Counts by Alfred Stites While the kindle versions of these books have always been available, the paperback version went out of print. Now, they are back! The covers have changed, but the contents have not! Happy reading!

  excerpt from Forget the Goal, the Journey Counts (Stites) -  President Johnson’s Family  One afternoon, as my part-time bookkeeper was leaving, she turned to me and said, “Don’t look now, but Lady Bird is coming down the hall.” In a few moments, two young men in black suits and dark glasses swept into the room, quickly scoped out the gallery space, then went into my office and workroom. I had seen Secret Service before and waited out their quick and thorough investigation of the premises. Lady Bird entered the gallery followed by Linda Bird, and I smiled a welcome. They spent a half an hour casually looking at prints and artifacts. Lady Bird complimented my gallery and started for the door. Linda Bird hopped up on a cabinet, told her mother she would be along later, and asked to have the car sent back. The young lady and I spent a lovely hour talking about early prints, the caricaturists Cruickshank and Daumier in particular, as she collected their original watercolors. Sh

Yes, we are entering our 20th year of service to authors and the book industry. For our history, take a look at our entry in Wikitia . Unfortunately, we do not enter our 20th year with everyone who started with us or all of those who joined us along the way. Death has claimed her share--more than her fair share, it seems to us.  And so, we remember the following authors and staff with sadness for their loss and gratitude for their gifts which linger with us still. Alfred Stites (author and nonagenarian from Costa Rica)  Anne LaForge (volunteer podcast interviewer and literary advisor from San Juan Bautista, CA) Boris Shekhtman (author from Maryland and co-founder of the Coalition of Distinguished Language Center, which spawned MSI Press)  Carl Leaver (typesetter and MSI Press co-founder) Ekaterina Filatova , Ph.D. (author, professor at Leningrad/St. Petersburg State University, and founder of the socionics movement in Russia) Evgeniy (Zhenya)Yanovich (illustrator and Russia-based S

  Today's fortune cookie is associated with Alfred Stites' books, Forget the Goal, the Journey Counts .  For more posts about Alfred and his book, click HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author-signed copy  of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com.  Want to communicate with one of our authors? You can!  Find their contact information on our  Authors' Pages .    

Many of our authors have had incredible lives or incredible experiences -- or both! Surely, you can find one or more that sits beside you and keeps you company for years. All are difficult to put down.   Looking for love in your 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and yes, even your 80’s or 90’s?  57 Steps to Paradise  will help you navigate dating in midlife and beyond. Lorenz unzips her soul and exposes her foibles during 50 years of men weaving their way in and out of her life, providing a heap of wit and wisdom to help you make life-changing decisions about love and, perhaps, a life partner. A diverting and informative story of searching for love in mid-life by a divorced social worker, who intertwines entertaining stories of successful love interests with well-known movies containing similar plots and themes. Written as diary entries covering a 15-year period, the author shares openly, in detail, and with insights her experiences with dating, friendships, affairs, and relationships. Written ca