Positive Power Publishing Information

Positive Power Publishing is dedicated to inspiring people with disabilities to live a full life and showing the world that having a disability doesn't mean giving up. Paul Berger's compelling story is an example of the can-do attitude and abilities - and positive power - that many people with disabilities offer. Positive Power Publishing was founded in 1998, and published the first edition of You Can Do It!, released during the Northern Virginia Brain Injury Association's mid-Atlantic Conference, Journey Toward Independence, October 1998. The first edition of How to Conquer the World With One Hand...And an Attitude, was released in March, 1999, during a book signing party attended by more than 150 people in the Washington, DC suburbs, and featured on the Dana Foundation's calendar of activities celebrating Brain Injury Awareness Month. In 2000, Positive Power Publishing released How to Conquer Hobbies With One Hand: Paul Berger's 50 Tips and Tools to Make Things, at Speaking Out! 2000, the biannual meeting of the National Aphasia Association held in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The second edition of You Can Do It!was significantly expanded in 2000 to include 105 solutions, thoughts and feelings from Paul, and also released at Speaking Out! Two years later, Positive Power Publishing released a professionally recorded version of You Can Do It! In 2002, Positive Power Publishing released the second edition of How to Conquer the World With One Hand...And an Attitude, in May, during the graduation ceremonies of the Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Departments of the University of New Hampshire. Paul gave the keynote graduation speeches at these ceremonies, and the new edition featured comments from the professor and students who used the first edition as a textbook of case studies in rehabilitation planning. The second edition also featured a new Foreword from best-selling health author, Julian Whitaker, MD, additional chapters on Paul's adventures, his award from the National Council on Communicative Disorders, and resources for conquering stroke. In 2003, Positive Power Publishing published its first newsletter, Stroke Survivor Paul Berger's News and Attitude For You, with informative articles, interesting facts, resources, links, and Stephanie's comments from the caregiver's perspective for pursuing a positive attitude and living a fulfilling life. In 2004, Paul and Stephanie's presentations to the NAA's Speaking Out! 2004 in Tampa, Florida were videotaped and made available for distribution. These presentations were twelve years after Paul and Stephanie's first public presentations on successful recovery from stroke made to the U.S. Government's Agency For Health Care Policy and Research's Clinical Practice Guidelines Panel on Post-Stroke Rehabilitation, Washington, DC, 1992. In 2005, Paul and Stephanie tailored a series of new presentations into a full-day conference offering stroke survivors, caregivers, and rehabilitation professionals practical information, tools, and hands-on activities to improve communication, achieve goals, build a positive attitude, and regain a balanced life with energy and a sense of humor. In 2005, Positive Power Publishing renamed its website StrokeSurvivor.com and reconstructed it to offer free articles, information on resources, and valuable links -- all to help stroke survivors, caregivers, professionals and others to use the power of a positive attitude to find the motivation and tools to regain control of their lives and achieve their goals and dreams.