THE MAN OVERBOARD

We certainly live in uncertain times. And yet, there are those who offer words of great wisdom and advice to see us through. Darrly Hagar is just such a man who has opened the book of his life to share, inspire and teach. Regardless of our circumstance, we can forge ahead to build a new life and a new reality. All that we really need to do is listen and learn from those who are paving the way, through their own life stories, to guide us away from the negative and into a more positive world where nothing cannot be overcome.

Darryl Hagar, author of The Man Overboard, will share his story of being a merchant marine and working on 900' tankers and the extra curricular activities that led his life for over 25 years.
The Man Overboard is a vivid account of one man’s tumultuous 25 year round-the-world odyssey, shrouded in the haze of drugs and a sea of alcohol, punctuated by indulgence, abuse, fear, illicit sex, violence, and frequent jail time.
Clean and sober for four years, and retired from the shipping industry since 2005, Hagar has dedicated his life to helping others find the path to recovery through public speaking, and leading group sessions in colleges, churches, high schools, prisons, hospital recovery centers and other settings.
About The Man Overboard
Drawn in by the compelling tales and sometimes exotic settings, readers will be shocked at this glimpse into the little-exposed epidemic of addiction at sea, and will come away amazed there aren’t more shipping disasters like the Exxon Valdez. But it’s the drama when Hagar returns home and his struggle through recovery that makes the book real and relatable. A broken relationship, nearly losing custody of his son, and alienation from his family and friends are just some of the costs Hagar pays and portrays faithfully in his 590 page memoir The Man Overboard.


The Man Overboard; Darryl Hagar; Trade Paperback; 590 pages; 6” x 9”; Publication Date: March 24th 2009


About Author Darryl Hagar
Darryl Hagar is passionate about his recovery and committed to helping others find the strength and support needed to reclaim their lives from the insidious affects of addiction. As a motivational speaker, Darryl has addressed hundreds of groups and shared his message of empowerment and responsibility. Today, Darryl adds the title of author to his resume with the release of his memoir, The Man Overboard “How a Merchant Marine Officer Survived the Raging Storm of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction”.

A graduate of Maine Maritime Academy, class of ‘85, Hagar went to sea as an Able Body Seaman with Military Sealift Command where his role focused on ship maintenance, maintaining mooring lines as the ship’s cargo was loaded and unloaded, and steering the ship in and out of port. After a year-long stint with Crest Oil Tankers, in 1987 he moved on to Maritime Overseas Corporation and gained the designation Third Mate where he was responsible for standing the bridge watch, supervising the able body seaman, ensuring shipboard safety practices were adhered to and was in charge of running the ship’s pumps and valves during the loading and unloading process.
Promoted to Second Mate in 1990 Hagar attained his professional goal of becoming the ship’s navigator. The navigator’s primary role is laying out the voyage, maintaining charts, radar and other electronics and includes the responsibility of ship’s radio operator. Moving on to Alaska Tanker Company in 1999, Hagar earned Chief Mate status. He retired from the industry in 2005.
Darryl Hagar is a native Mainer and a graduate of Maine Maritime Academy. He rose through the ranks to attain Chief Mate of Motor and Steam of any Gross Tons Upon Oceans. Clean and sober for four years, and retired from the shipping industry since 2005, Hagar lives in recovery and hopes to reach people in crisis and help them on their voyage to sobriety.

Watch a video from one of Darryl's speaking event - http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2009/01/man-overboard-by-darryl-hagar.html

Watch an interview with Darryl Hagar - http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2009/03/darryl-hagar-interviewed-on-wcsh6-in.html

OBAMA AND FDR: A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ECONOMIC RECOVERY

There are many who are comparing the actions of President Franklin Roosevelt with those of President Obama regarding the handling of our economic depression. I use the word depression because if we are not there, we will be soon. The following is a brief summary of FDR’s actions:

“FDR declared a "banking holiday" to end the runs on the banks and created new federal programs administered by so-called Alphabet Agencies. For example, the AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Administration) stabilized farm prices and thus saved farms. The CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) provided jobs to unemployed youths while improving the environment. The TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) provided jobs and brought electricity to rural areas for the first time. The FERA (Federal Emergency Relief Administration) and the WPA ( Works Progress Administration) provided jobs to thousands of unemployed Americans in construction and arts projects across the country. The NRA (National Recovery Administration) sought to stabilize consumer goods prices through a series of codes. Through employment and price stabilization and by making the government an active partner with the American people, the New Deal jump-started the economy towards recovery (fdrlibrary.maris.edu).”

Many Republicans argue that FDR’s actions actually prolonged the depression in the 30’s, created a new era of ‘big government’ and stifled the ‘free’ economic market. Many on the right of the political economic spectrum also say that Obama will and even should fail because he is not focusing on the economy. Instead, he is wasting time dealing with such silly issues as healthcare and education reform, stimulating alternative energy production and being concerned with environmental issues.

Our bodies, life, politics, economy and society are holistic. You cannot separate the parts from the whole. If a person is ill, it is necessary to examine not only the immediate symptom, but all factors that contribute to the illness. A heart attack may be the result of a combination of diet and stress in one’s life. While you can ‘treat’ the immediate issue of the heart attack, if the other issues are not resolved, the likelihood is that the heart attack will occur again. Issues in politics and society are holistic. Poverty cannot be solved simply by giving people money. Concerns regarding family values, cultural traditions, employment history, education and even health come into play. Obviously, very few politicians get elected or are effective if they only deal with single issues and not the complete array of problems confronting our society.

One cannot solve our economic crisis simply by focusing on banks. We have already seen that to be true. We cannot solve the crisis by focusing on credit; that has been obvious. Those who say focus on the economy only are the same ones that had no problem with giving money to the banks and who also have big problems with new rules or regulations. After all, we do not want to disrupt the ‘free’ economy. I am not really sure what economy they refer to. If by free they mean let business do as they please, one cannot help but see that this very attitude created our current issues. Do they mean that business should be free to have their products produced in Chinese sweat shops? Do they mean that business should be allowed to produce crap that must be replaced soon after the purchase? Do they mean that business should be free to destroy the basic eco-fabric of the planet in order to keep profits and bonuses high? Do they mean free to charge usurious interest rates? Do they mean free to convince you that you need products that have no lasting value? By focusing on the economy do they mean to simply deal with the issues of huge corporations, at the expense of the small businessman?

In order to deal with our economic crisis, I think president Obama is right. Our economy is not AIG or CitiBank. A truly functioning economy is based upon an educated consumer. People must be healthy to be productive. We cannot continue to destroy the environment else we may have profit, but no world in which to spend it. Some would argue for the quick fix. This will not work. Our issues are to complex and too braid to think we can go back and do things the way they were done in the past. Our economic body must be addressed holistically. FDR saw this in the 1930’s. Was he totally correct? Maybe not. However, he saw that the depression required more than just fixing banks. Yes, we have to deal with energy, the environment, agriculture, education, healthcare and a total review of our economic rules and regulations if we are to have any chance of reviving our economy. If we do not do these things now, there may never be another chance in the future.