Lt. Col. Kopelman won the hearts of readers with his moving story of adopting an abandoned puppy named Lava in a hellish corner of Iraq. For this Marine and his comrades, the puppy served as an important emotional touchstone in a grim and seemingly endless war. Kopelman now writes about what it's like to be home. He credits his canine best friend with finding his wife--in the park, Lava began playing with her dog and the two owners met--and for keeping him sane as he readjusted. With intelligence and insight, Kopelman sets forth more than a dozen lessons, including: Life can change in an instant, but you'll be able to handle it; passion for something can help you tap into your most powerful reserve of energy; have a standard operating procedure for everything; never forget who you are or how you got here.--From publisher description.