You Can Win is a practical, common-sense approach that will take you from ancient wisdom to contemporary thinking. This book helps you to dispel confusion in daily life and clarify values.
Empower yourself and grow exponentially. This guide will help you:
Authentic Happiness launched the revolutionary new science of Positive Psychology—and sparked a coast-to-coast debate on the nature of real happiness.
According to esteemed psychologist and bestselling author Martin Seligman, happiness is not the result of good genes or luck. Real, lasting happiness comes from focusing on one’s personal strengths rather than weaknesses—and working with them to improve all aspects of one’s life.
Using practical exercises, brief tests, and a dynamic website program, Seligman shows readers how to identify their highest virtues and use them in ways they haven’t yet considered. Accessible and proven, Authentic Happiness is the most powerful work of popular psychology in years.
What does the atonement mean, practically speaking? How is Christ the answer to a strained relationship with a spouse, child, parent, or sibling? What if I am being mistreated—how can the atonement help me cope with that? How can I discover the desire to repent when I don’t feel the need to repent? And how can I invite others to do the same?
These are the challenging, difficult questions of daily life, questions to which the gospel must provide answers if it is to have living, cleansing, redeeming power. The Peacegiver is a book about the answers to these questions. Unlike other books about the atonement, The Peacegiver is written as an extended parable. It tells the story of a man struggling, with the help of a loved one, to come unto Christ.
In reading the rich details of his often difficult journey, we find ourselves embarked on a personal journey of our own. His questions are our questions; his problems, our problems; his discoveries, our discoveries. Along the way, the truths of the gospel are unfolded with surprising clarity and power, illuminating aspects of the atonement that few of us have ever heard or considered before.
These surprising implications show us the way to deep and lasting peace in our hearts and homes. "My peace I give unto you," the Savior declared. The Peacegiver explores in a deeply personal way what we must do to receive the peace he stands willing to give.
The son of a prosperous landowner and a former slave, Paul-Edward Logan is unlike any other boy he knows. His white father has acknowledged him and raised him openly—something unusual in post-Civil War Georgia. But as he grows into a man, he learns that life for someone like him is not easy.
Black people distrust him because he looks white. White people discriminate against him when they learn of his black heritage. Even within his own family, he faces betrayal and degradation.
So at the age of fourteen, he sets out toward the only dream he has ever had: to find land every bit as good as his father's and make it his own.
Once again inspired by her own history, Ms. Taylor brings truth and power to the newest addition to the Logan family stories.
Morning and Evening, a beloved devotional by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, has been a cherished companion for Christians for over a century. With a reading to both start and end each day throughout the year, this book emphasizes the importance of abiding in Christ and meditating on God's Word.
Spurgeon's wisdom offers timeless guidance through life's trials and triumphs. His deep biblical understanding provides a glimpse into the heart of one of England's foremost pastors and enduring Christian authors.
In this updated version, Alistair Begg has modernized Spurgeon's English while maintaining his clear passion and commitment to Christ. Using the English Standard Version as the scriptural text ensures an accurate and understandable accompaniment to Spurgeon's lessons.
This devotional classic is a much-needed encouragement for today's Christian, offering both rich insights and spiritual nourishment.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a poignant novel by Mitch Albom that delves into the intriguing connections that shape our lives, suggesting that heaven offers answers rather than just being a destination. The story revolves around Eddie, a war veteran whose life seems unremarkable. On his 83rd birthday, a fatal accident at the amusement park where he works propels him into the afterlife.
In this new existence, Eddie encounters five individuals who each played a pivotal role in his earthly journey. These encounters shed light on the seemingly inconsequential moments of his life, bringing clarity and understanding to his existence. One by one, they unravel the significance behind the lingering question: "Why was I here?"
Mitch Albom crafts an original and moving narrative that challenges preconceived notions of the afterlife and the meaning of our time on earth. The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a story that resonates with anyone who has pondered their life's purpose and the impact of their actions.
I was born to be a point guard, but not a very good one. There was a time in my life when I walked through the world known to myself and others as an athlete. It was part of my own definition of who I was and certainly the part I most respected.
When I was a young man, I was well-built and agile, ready for the rough and tumble of games, and athletics provided the single outlet for a repressed and preternaturally shy boy to express himself in public. I lost myself in the beauty of sport and made my family proud while passing through the silent eye of the storm that was my childhood.
Pat Conroy’s journey back to 1967 reveals the season that was seminal and easily the most consequential of his life. The place is the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, that now-famous military college, and in memory, Conroy gathers around him his team to relive their few triumphs and humiliating defeats.
In a narrative that moves seamlessly between the action of the season and flashbacks into his childhood, we see the author’s love of basketball and how crucial the role of athlete is to all these young men who are struggling to find their own identity and their place in the world.
In fast-paced exhilarating games, readers will laugh in delight and cry in disappointment. But as the story continues, we gradually see the self-professed “mediocre” athlete merge into the point guard whose spirit drives the team. He rallies them to play their best while closing off the shouts of “Don’t shoot, Conroy” that come from the coach on the sidelines.
Coach Mel Thompson is to Conroy the undermining presence that his father had been throughout his childhood. In these pages, heartbreakingly, we learn the truth about the Great Santini.
In My Losing Season, Pat Conroy has written an American classic about young men and the bonds they form, about losing and the lessons it imparts, about finding one’s voice and oneself in the midst of defeat. In his trademark language, we see the young Conroy walk from his life as an athlete to the writer the world knows him to be.
Readers today are still fascinated by “Nat,” an eighteenth-century nautical wonder and mathematical wizard. Nathaniel Bowditch grew up in a sailor’s world—Salem in the early days, when tall-masted ships from foreign ports crowded the wharves. But Nat didn’t promise to have the makings of a sailor; he was too physically small. Nat may have been slight of build, but no one guessed that he had the persistence and determination to master sea navigation in the days when men sailed only by “log, lead, and lookout.”
Nat’s long hours of study and observation, collected in his famous work, The American Practical Navigator (also known as the “Sailors’ Bible”), stunned the sailing community and made him a New England hero.
Billy Beane, general manager of MLB's Oakland A's and protagonist of Michael Lewis's Moneyball, had a problem: how to win in the Major Leagues with a budget that's smaller than that of nearly every other team.
Conventional wisdom long held that big name, highly athletic hitters and young pitchers with rocket arms were the ticket to success. But Beane and his staff, buoyed by massive amounts of carefully interpreted statistical data, believed that wins could be had by more affordable methods such as hitters with high on-base percentage and pitchers who get lots of ground outs.
Given this information and a tight budget, Beane defied tradition and his own scouting department to build winning teams of young affordable players and inexpensive castoff veterans.
Lewis was in the room with the A's top management as they spent the summer of 2002 adding and subtracting players and he provides outstanding play-by-play. In the June player draft, Beane acquired nearly every prospect he coveted (few of whom were coveted by other teams) and at the July trading deadline he engaged in a tense battle of nerves to acquire a lefty reliever.
Besides being one of the most insider accounts ever written about baseball, Moneyball is populated with fascinating characters. We meet Jeremy Brown, an overweight college catcher who most teams project to be a 15th round draft pick (Beane takes him in the first). Sidearm pitcher Chad Bradford is plucked from the White Sox triple-A club to be a key set-up man and catcher Scott Hatteberg is rebuilt as a first baseman.
But the most interesting character is Beane himself. A speedy athletic can't-miss prospect who somehow missed, Beane reinvents himself as a front-office guru, relying on players completely unlike, say, Billy Beane.
Lewis, one of the top nonfiction writers of his era (Liar's Poker, The New New Thing), offers highly accessible explanations of baseball stats and his roadmap of Beane's economic approach makes Moneyball an appealing reading experience for business people and sports fans alike.
I spent five years of my life being treated for cancer, but since then I've spent fifteen years being treated for nothing other than looking different from everyone else. It was the pain from that, from feeling ugly, that I always viewed as the great tragedy of my life. The fact that I had cancer seemed minor in comparison.
At age nine, Lucy Grealy was diagnosed with a potentially terminal cancer. When she returned to school with a third of her jaw removed, she faced the cruel taunts of classmates. In this strikingly candid memoir, Grealy tells her story of great suffering and remarkable strength without sentimentality and with considerable wit.
Vividly portraying the pain of peer rejection and the guilty pleasures of wanting to be special, Grealy captures with unique insight what it is like as a child and young adult to be torn between two warring impulses: to feel that more than anything else we want to be loved for who we are, while wishing desperately and secretly to be perfect.
Tree-ear, an orphan, lives under a bridge in Ch’ulp’o, a potters’ village famed for delicate celadon ware. He has become fascinated with the potter’s craft; he wants nothing more than to watch master potter Min at work, and he dreams of making a pot of his own someday.
When Min takes Tree-ear on as his helper, Tree-ear is elated – until he finds obstacles in his path: the backbreaking labor of digging and hauling clay, Min’s irascible temper, and his own ignorance. But Tree-ear is determined to prove himself – even if it means taking a long, solitary journey on foot to present Min’s work in the hope of a royal commission... even if it means arriving at the royal court with nothing to show but a single celadon shard.
This is a tale of courage, honor, and perseverance set in 12th-century Korea, beautifully bringing to life the world of ceramics and the indomitable spirit of a young boy.
Remember is the second book in the Redemption series by Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley, centered around the Baxter family. This story vividly illustrates the importance of valuing others more than ourselves and highlights one of Gary Smalley's key messages: Honor one another.
Ashley Baxter has always believed she could make it on her own, keeping her family, the man who loves her, and even God at a distance. But just as she begins to open her heart, the tragic events of September 11 tear into her world, leading her to make decisions that are both heartbreaking and hope-filled, forever changing her life.
The book explores key relationship themes and the larger theme of redemption, both in the characters’ spiritual lives and their relationships. Join the Baxter family in their journey of hopes and struggles, and delve into a story of tragedy, healing, and the importance of remembering what truly matters.
Each book in the series includes study questions for individual and small-group use, enriching the reading experience.
Now in paperback, Stanice Anderson's engrossing book offers lessons of God's faithfulness as she recounts her journey through addiction, tragedy, and pain to eventually emerge whole.
When Stanice Anderson first began experimenting with drugs, she never imagined she'd become an addict; she just wanted to get her feet wet. However, she quickly descended into full-fledged addiction, becoming what she describes as a lonely, desperate, moral-less, and bitter woman hell bent on self-destruction. Caught in a vicious and deadly cycle of drugs and abusive relationships, she almost didn't survive. But God had another plan.
One day, while shooting drugs and watching television, she heard someone on the 700 Club saying that God loved her, and slowly she began to undertake the arduous journey to reclaim her life. Offering reflections on her past and the prayers that got her through her darkest hours, Anderson delivers a message of inspiration and hope as a living example of the healing and restorative power of God.
"Oscar et la dame rose" presents the letters sent to God by a ten-year-old child. These letters were discovered by Mamie Rose, the "dame rose" who visits him at the children's hospital. They describe twelve days in the life of Oscar, twelve days that are quirky and poetic, filled with funny and moving characters. These twelve days might be his last twelve. However, thanks to the strong bond of love formed with Mamie Rose, these twelve days will become legendary.
Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return is the fascinating continuation of Marjane Satrapi's best-selling memoir, Persepolis. In this heartrending graphic memoir, Satrapi shares her experiences of growing up in Iran during the tumultuous times of the Islamic Revolution.
In 1984, Marjane flees the fundamentalism and the war with Iraq to begin a new life in Vienna. There, she faces the trials of adolescence, far from her friends and family. Although she soon finds a place among fellow outsiders, she struggles for a sense of belonging.
After graduation, Marjane returns to Iran, confronting the changes both she and her country have undergone during her absence. She feels the weight of her past and what she perceives as her failures in Austria. However, with time, she finds like-minded friends, falls in love, and begins studying art at a university.
Yet, the repression and state-sanctioned chauvinism in Iran lead her to question her future in her homeland. As funny and poignant as its predecessor, Persepolis 2 is a raw, honest, and incredibly illuminating depiction of the struggles of growing up, compounded by Marjane’s status as an outsider both abroad and at home.
From one of the world's foremost spiritual leaders, an inspiring book that provides young adults and their parents with a game plan for leading a better life.
This inspiring, upbeat, life-affirming book shows teenagers and their families how to navigate through the moral minefields of contemporary life and how to truly enjoy the opportunities and blessings that the modern world has to offer.
Drawing upon his faith as well as his personal experience, Gordon B. Hinckley provides his readers with a game plan for discovering and embracing the things in life that are valuable and worthwhile. He shows how our lives are shaped by the decisions we make every day about personal behavior—and he shows how to make the right decisions with the help of nine guiding principles.
With its vivid anecdotes, invaluable precepts, and timeless wisdom, Way to Be! will be a source of both inspiration and practical advice for young people everywhere who want to lead better, fuller, more satisfying lives.
The War of Art is an internationally bestselling guide by Steven Pressfield, designed to inspire and support anyone who struggles to express their creativity. In this insightful book, Pressfield identifies "resistance" as the greatest enemy of creativity and offers unique and helpful strategies to overcome it.
Through a blend of tough love and inspirational advice, this book outlines a battle plan to conquer the internal naysayer within us all. Whether you are starting a dream business venture, writing a novel, or painting a masterpiece, The War of Art emphasizes the resolve needed to recognize and overcome the obstacles of ambition.
Discover how to achieve the greatest success in your creative endeavors and reach the highest level of creative discipline. This book is your guide to winning your inner creative battles.
Tales of a Female Nomad is the captivating story of Rita Golden Gelman, an ordinary woman leading an extraordinary life. At the age of forty-eight, on the verge of a divorce, Rita left an elegant life in L.A. to follow her dream of connecting with people across cultures around the globe.
In 1986, she sold her possessions and embraced the life of a nomad. Her journey took her from living in a Zapotec village in Mexico to sleeping with sea lions on the Galapagos Islands. She experienced life in various settings, from thatched huts to regal palaces.
Rita observed orangutans in the rainforests of Borneo, visited trance healers and dens of black magic, and cooked with women over open fires worldwide. Her example encourages us all to dust off our dreams and rediscover the joy, exuberance, and hidden spirit that we often bury as adults.
In 1903, a student at a military academy sent some of his verses to a well-known Austrian poet, requesting an assessment of their value. The older artist, Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926), replied to the novice in this series of letters — an amazing archive of remarkable insights into the ideas behind Rilke's greatest poetry. The ten letters reproduced here were written during an important stage in Rilke's artistic development, and they contain many of the themes that later appeared in his best works. The poet himself afterwards stated that his letters contained part of his creative genius, making this volume essential reading for scholars, poetry lovers, and anyone with an interest in Rilke, German poetry, or the creative impulse.
In a small neighborhood, atop a hill in Pittsburgh, thrives a world where neighbors don't move away, where friends become family, and where community takes on a deeper meaning. Welcome to the inviting and intriguing neighborhood of Troy Hill. Unlike nearby towns, the families of Troy Hill have lived in the same neighborhood for generations, providing continuity in these women's lives and depth in their relationships. They christened babies, raised children, and even buried their loved ones together. Now in their seventies and eighties, the women of Troy Hill form a community of independent souls, who find joy in each other and solace in service.
Troy Hill and these women resonate beyond this hilltop, providing insight into bonds between mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, sisters and friends. From them we learn to shape our lives with love and humor.
Veteran reporter Clare Ansberry brings to life these vibrant women, and offers some invaluable lessons about acceptance, faith, and family. A portrait of American life and a hymn to the durability of the human spirit, The Women of Troy Hill is an inspiration for us all.
A Room of One's Own is an extended essay by Virginia Woolf. First published on the 24th of October, 1929, the essay was based on a series of lectures she delivered at Newnham College and Girton College, two women's colleges at Cambridge University in October 1928. While this extended essay in fact employs a fictional narrator and narrative to explore women both as writers and characters in fiction, the manuscript for the delivery of the series of lectures, titled Women and Fiction, and hence the essay, are considered nonfiction. The essay is seen as a feminist text, and is noted in its argument for both a literal and figural space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by patriarchy.
Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as the Big Book in recovery circles, sets forth cornerstone concepts of recovery from alcoholism and tells the stories of men and women who have overcome the disease. The fourth edition includes twenty-four new stories that provide contemporary sharing for newcomers seeking recovery from alcoholism in A.A. during the early years of the 21st century. Sixteen stories are retained from the third edition, including the "Pioneers of A.A." section, which helps the reader remain linked to A.A.'s historic roots, and shows how early members applied this simple but profound program that helps alcoholics get sober today.
Approximately 21 million copies of the first three editions of Alcoholics Anonymous have been distributed. It is expected that the new fourth edition will play its part in passing on A.A.'s basic message of recovery. This fourth edition has been approved by the General Service Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous, in the hope that many more may be led toward recovery by reading its explanation of the A.A. program and its varied examples of personal experiences which demonstrate that the A.A. program works.
The Passion of Artemisia is a captivating novel that brings to life one of the few female post-Renaissance painters to achieve fame during her own era, despite facing immense struggles. Artemisia Gentileschi led a remarkably "modern" life, filled with both extraordinary highs and challenging lows.
From her public humiliation in a rape trial at the age of eighteen to her father's betrayal, Artemisia's life was a testament to her resilience and talent. Her marriage of convenience, motherhood, and growing fame as an artist are depicted with rich details, set against the glorious backdrops of Rome, Florence, Genoa, and Naples.
Inhabited by historical characters such as Galileo and Cosimo de' Medici II, this novel paints a vivid picture of life as a seventeenth-century painter. Susan Vreeland crafts an inspiring story about one woman's lifelong struggle to reconcile career and family, passion and genius.
Join Artemisia on her journey as she navigates the world of art and society, living as a bold and brilliant woman who paid a high price for her independence.
One Writer's Beginnings is a deeply personal and inspiring memoir by the acclaimed author Eudora Welty. This work offers a rare glimpse into the formative years of Welty's life, detailing the experiences and influences that shaped her as a writer.
Originally delivered as a series of lectures at Harvard University, this book invites readers to journey through Welty's childhood in Mississippi, exploring the vivid landscapes and rich cultural tapestry that fueled her imagination. Her reflections are not just a recounting of memories, but a testament to the power of storytelling and the importance of nurturing one's creative spirit.
Welty's eloquent prose and heartfelt anecdotes provide a window into the soul of a writer dedicated to her craft. Aspiring authors and literary enthusiasts alike will find inspiration in her words, as she shares the joys and challenges of her path to becoming one of America's most cherished storytellers.
Finding Fish is the remarkable memoir of Antwone Fisher's journey from abandonment and abuse to liberation, manhood, and extraordinary success.
Baby Boy Fisher was raised in institutions from birth, facing emotional abandonment and physical abuse. Despite these challenges, he refused to let his spirit be broken, nurturing a romantic heart and a wondrous imagination.
Fate brought him to the United States Navy, where he found a new family and became a man of the world. His journey continued as he worked as a federal correctional officer and a security guard at Sony Pictures, ultimately becoming one of Hollywood's most sought-after screenwriters.
In a tumultuous and gratifying tale of self-discovery, Antwone's story concludes with a return to Cleveland to unravel the mystery of his identity, connecting with his family.
Written in Fisher's gritty yet melodic literary voice, Finding Fish is an unforgettable reading experience.
Awareness: The Key to Living in Balance is a profound exploration into the art of living in the present moment, guided by the timeless wisdom of Osho. Underlying all meditation techniques, including martial arts—and in fact, underlying all great athletic performances—is a quality of being awake and present to the moment, a quality that Osho calls awareness. Once we can identify and understand what this quality of awareness is, we have the key to self-mastery in virtually every area of our lives.
According to great masters like Lao Tzu or Buddha, most of us move through our lives like sleepwalkers. Never really present in what we are doing, never fully alert to our environment, and not even aware of what motivates us to do and say the things we do.
At the same time, all of us have experienced moments of awareness—or awakening—in extraordinary circumstances. On the road, in a sudden and unexpected accident, time seems to stop, and one is suddenly aware of every movement, every sound, every thought. Or in moments that touch us deeply—welcoming a new baby into the world for the first time, or being with someone at the moment of death.
Awareness, says Osho, is the key to being self-directed, centered, and free in every aspect of our lives. In this book, Osho teaches how to live life more attentively, mindfully, and meditatively, with love, caring, and consciousness. He challenges readers to examine and break free of the conditioned belief systems and prejudices that limit their capacity to enjoy life in all its richness.
Skallagrigg unites Arthur, a little boy abandoned many years ago in a grim hospital in northern England, with Esther, a radiantly intelligent young girl suffering from cerebral palsy, and Daniel, an American computer-games genius.
Skallagrigg—whatever the name signifies, whoever he is—will come to transform all their lives. William Horwood's inspired, heart-rending story of rescue and redemptive love will undoubtedly touch your life too.
Sheri Dew, counselor in the general Relief Society presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, offers a faith-filled account of what she believes and why. She bears powerful testimony of the reality of Jesus Christ, that he cares about each of us personally, and that He will fulfill all of His promises to us.
She discusses our individual and unique mission in life, reminding us who we are and who we have always been.
People from all over the world have come to appreciate and love Sister Dew's personable, enthusiastic and direct style, memorable stories and her solid gospel understanding and testimony.
She knows that there is No Doubt About It!
Have you ever wondered what Jesus would say to Mohammed? Or Buddha? Or Oscar Wilde? Maybe you have a friend who practices another religion or admires a more contemporary figure.
Drop in on a conversation between Jesus and some well-known individuals whose search for the meaning of life took them in many directions—and influenced millions. Popular scholar Ravi Zacharias sets a captivating scene in this first in the intriguing Conversations with Jesus books.
Through dialogue between Christ and Gautama Buddha, Zacharias reveals Jesus' warm, impassioned concern for all people and explores God's true nature.
Sarai was a child of ten years, wise for her age but not yet a woman, when she first met Abram. He appeared before her in her father's house, filthy from the desert, tired and thirsty. But as the dirt of travel was washed from his body, the sight of him filled her heart.
And when Abram promises Sarai to return in ten years to take her for his wife, her fate was sealed. Abram kept his promise, and Sarai kept hers; they were wed, and so joined the royal house of Ur with the high priesthood of the Hebrews.
So began a lifetime of great joy together, and greater peril: and with the blessing of their God, a great nation would be built around the core of their love.
Bestselling author Orson Scott Card uses his fertile imagination, and uncanny insight into human nature, to tell the story of a unique woman—one who is beautiful, tough, smart, and resourceful in an era when women had little power, and are scarce in the historical record. Sarah, child of the desert, wife of Abraham, takes on vivid reality as a woman desirable to kings, a devoted wife, and a faithful follower of the God of Abraham, chosen to experience an incomparable miracle.
Twenty-five years ago, a disillusioned young man set out on a walk across America. This is the book he wrote about that journey - a classic account of the reawakening of his faith in himself and his country.
"I started out searching for myself and my country," Peter Jenkins writes, "and found both." In this timeless classic, Jenkins describes how disillusionment with society in the 1970s drove him out onto the road on a walk across America.
His experiences remain as sharp and telling today as they were twenty-five years ago - from the timeless secrets of life, learned from a mountain-dwelling hermit, to the stir he caused by staying with a black family in North Carolina, to his hours of intense labor in Southern mills.
Many, many miles later, he learned lessons about his country and himself that resonate to this day - and will inspire a new generation to get out, hit the road and explore.
More than a half-century ago, the naturalist Farley Mowat was sent to investigate why wolves were killing arctic caribou. Mowat's account of the summer he lived in the frozen tundra alone—studying the wolf population and developing a deep affection for the wolves (who were of no threat to caribou or man)—is today celebrated as a classic of nature writing.
It is at once a tale of remarkable adventures and an indelible record of the myths and magic of wolves.
When Jesus "made himself nothing...taking the nature of a servant," He modeled for all believers true humility. Andrew Murray calls this "our true nobility" and "the distinguishing feature of discipleship." With insightful, penetrating clarity, Murray calls all Christians to turn from pride, empty themselves, and study the character of Christ to be filled with His grace.
In twelve brief but powerful chapters, Murray underscores the Christian's need for humility—as opposed to pride—in daily life. Humility is the most overlooked teaching of Jesus Christ. In this book, Andrew Murray explores how essential humility is to the understanding and practice of Christianity.
Let us listen to His teaching. There we shall hear how He speaks of it, and how far He expects men, and especially His disciples, to be humble as He was.
Gloria Whelan's National Book Award-winning novel chronicles the breathtaking story of a remarkable young woman who dares to defy fate. Like many girls her age in India, thirteen-year-old Koly faces her arranged marriage with hope and courage. But Koly's story takes a terrible turn when, in the wake of the ceremony, she discovers she's been horribly misled; her life has been sold for a dowry.
In prose both graceful and unflinching, this powerful novel relays the story of a rare young woman, who even when cast out into a brutal current of time-worn tradition, sets out to forge her own remarkable future. Inspired by a newspaper article about real teenage widows in India today, this universally acclaimed, best-selling novel, characterized by spare, lyrical language and remarkable detail, transports readers into the heart of a gripping tale of hope.
Koly's journey is a testament to the power of courage and hope, showing that fate can indeed be taken into one's own hands.
New York Times bestselling author Catherine Anderson presents the beloved Coulter family in a novel that's romantic through and through.
One glance. That's all it takes. Wealthy rancher Ryan Kendrick falls hard and fast for the lovely Bethany Coulter. A beguiling mix of sass and shyness, naivete and maturity, she shares his passion for horses, has a great sense of humor, and can light up a room with her beautiful smile. She's absolutely perfect—in every way but one...
A long-ago barrel-racing accident has left Bethany confined to a wheelchair. In the years since, she has known both betrayal and heartbreak—and vowed never to open her heart to a man again. She has even accepted the possibility that she'll never be able to enjoy a healthy intimate relationship—or have children of her own. But there's something about handsome Ryan Kendrick. Something that makes her believe she can overcome every obstacle. Something that makes her believe in lifelong, lasting love...
The Great Bridge is a sweeping narrative of a stupendous American achievement that rose up out of its era like a cathedral, a symbol of affirmation then and still in our time.
Built to join the rapidly expanding cities of New York and Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Bridge was thought by many at the start to be an impossibility destined to fail, if not from insurmountable technical problems, then from political corruption. But the Brooklyn Bridge was at once the greatest engineering triumph of the age, a surpassing work of art, a proud American icon, and a story like no other in our history.
Courage, chicanery, unprecedented ingenuity, and plain blundering, heroes, rascals, all the best and worst in human nature played a part. At the center of the drama were the stricken chief engineer, Washington Roebling, and his remarkable wife, Emily Warren Roebling, neither of whom ever gave up in the face of one heartbreaking setback after another.
This monumental book brings back for American readers the heroic vision of the America we once had. It is the enthralling story of one of the greatest events in our nation's history during the Age of Optimism—a period when Americans were convinced in their hearts that all great things were possible.
The beautiful practicality of her teaching has made Pema Chödrön one of the most beloved of contemporary American spiritual authors among Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. This book is a treasury of wisdom for going on living when we are overcome by pain and difficulties.
Chödrön discusses:
Have Christians become so preoccupied with "major" sins that we have lost sight of our need to deal with more subtle sins? Navigator author Jerry Bridges addresses the "acceptable" sins that we tend to tolerate in ourselves, including pride and anger. He goes to the heart of the matter, exploring our feelings of shame and grief and opening a new door to God's forgiveness and grace.
Travel down the road of spiritual formation with Jerry and discover your true identity as a loved child of God.
This book tackles a dozen clusters of specific "acceptable" sins that we tend to tolerate in ourselves, such as: Jealousy, Anger, Judgementalism, Selfishness, and Pride. Writing from the trenches of his own battles with sin, Bridges offers a message of hope in the transforming grace of God to overcome our "respectable sins."
Practical, thought-provoking, and relevant at any stage of life, Respectable Sins is a staple of Jerry Bridges’s classic collection.
This acclaimed autobiography presents a fascinating portrait of one of the great spiritual figures of our time. With engaging candor, eloquence, and wit, Paramahansa Yogananda narrates the inspiring chronicle of his life: the experiences of his remarkable childhood, encounters with many saints and sages during his youthful search throughout India for an illumined teacher, ten years of training in the hermitage of a revered yoga master, and the thirty years that he lived and taught in America.
Also recorded here are his meetings with Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Luther Burbank, the Catholic stigmatist Therese Neumann, and other celebrated spiritual personalities of East and West. Autobiography of a Yogi is at once a beautifully written account of an exceptional life and a profound introduction to the ancient science of Yoga and its time-honored tradition of meditation. The author clearly explains the subtle but definite laws behind both the ordinary events of everyday life and the extraordinary events commonly termed miracles. His absorbing life story thus becomes the background for a penetrating and unforgettable look at the ultimate mysteries of human existence.
Considered a modern spiritual classic, the book has been translated into more than twenty languages and is widely used as a text and reference work in colleges and universities. A perennial bestseller since it was first published sixty years ago, Autobiography of a Yogi has found its way into the hearts of millions of readers around the world.
Love That Dog is a delightful and heartwarming tale about a young boy named Jack who initially hates poetry. "Only girls write it," he thinks, and every time he tries to write, his mind feels blank. However, his persistent teacher, Ms. Stretchberry, continues to assign poetry tasks, and Jack can't escape them.
But then, something amazing happens. As Jack writes more, he discovers he actually has something to say. The story unfolds in a series of poetic entries, revealing Jack's emotional journey and newfound love for poetry. It's a joyful and at times heartbreaking exploration of a young boy's feelings and thoughts.
Colors of the Mountain is a classic story of triumph over adversity, a memoir of a boyhood full of spunk, mischief, and love, and a welcome introduction to an amazing young writer. Da Chen was born in 1962, in the Year of Great Starvation. Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution engulfed millions of Chinese citizens, and the Red Guard enforced Mao's brutal communist regime.
Chen’s family belonged to the despised landlord class, and his father and grandfather were routinely beaten and sent to labor camps, the family of eight left without a breadwinner. Despite this background of poverty and danger, Da Chen grows up to be resilient, tough, and funny, learning how to defend himself and how to work toward his future.
By the final pages, when he says his last goodbyes to his father and boards the bus to Beijing to attend college, Da Chen has become a hopeful man astonishing in his resilience and cheerful strength.
Using Stanford University's voluminous collection of archival material, including previously unpublished writings, interviews, recordings, and correspondence, King scholar Clayborne Carson has constructed a remarkable first-person account of Dr. King's extraordinary life.
Beginning with his boyhood, the book portrays King's education as a minister, his ascendancy as a leader of the Montgomery bus boycott, his pivotal role in the civil rights demonstrations in Washington, D.C., and his complex relationship with the Kennedy brothers, LBJ, Malcolm X, and numerous other leading figures of the day.
Have you ever wanted to rewrite your past?
Three best friends, all with the same birthday, are about to turn forty. Celebrating at a summerhouse in Maine, Leslie Headrick, Madison Appleby, and Ellie Abbott are taking stock of their lives and loves, their wishes and choices. But none of them expect the gift that awaits them at the summerhouse: the chance for each of them to turn their “what-might-have-beens” into reality…
Leslie, a suburban wife and mother, follows the career of a boy who pursued her in college and wonders: what if she had chosen differently? Madison dropped a modeling career to help her high school boyfriend recover from an accident, even though he’d jilted her. But what if she had said “no” when her old boyfriend had called? Ellie became a famous novelist, but a bitter divorce wiped out her earnings—and shattered her belief in herself. Why had the “justice” system failed her? And could she prevent its happening the second time around?
Now, a mysterious “Madame Zoya,” offers each of them a chance to relive any three weeks from the past. Will the road not taken prove a better path? Each woman will have to decide for herself as she follows the dream that got away…and each must choose the life that will truly satisfy the heart’s deepest longings.
Galileo's Daughter dramatically recolors the personality and accomplishment of a mythic figure whose seventeenth-century clash with Catholic doctrine continues to define the schism between science and religion.
Inspired by a long fascination with Galileo, and by the remarkable surviving letters of Galileo's daughter, a cloistered nun, Dava Sobel has written a biography unlike any other of the man Albert Einstein called "the father of modern physics--indeed of modern science altogether."
Galileo's Daughter also presents a stunning portrait of a person hitherto lost to history, described by her father as "a woman of exquisite mind, singular goodness, and most tenderly attached to me."
The son of a musician, Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) tried at first to enter a monastery before engaging the skills that made him the foremost scientist of his day. Though he never left Italy, his inventions and discoveries were heralded around the world. Most sensationally, his telescopes allowed him to reveal a new reality in the heavens and to reinforce the astounding argument that the Earth moves around the Sun. For this belief, he was brought before the Holy Office of the Inquisition, accused of heresy, and forced to spend his last years under house arrest.
Of Galileo's three illegitimate children, the eldest best mirrored his own brilliance, industry, and sensibility, and by virtue of these qualities became his confidante. Born Virginia in 1600, she was thirteen when Galileo placed her in a convent near him in Florence, where she took the most appropriate name of Suor Maria Celeste. Her loving support, which Galileo repaid in kind, proved to be her father's greatest source of strength throughout his most productive and tumultuous years. Her presence, through letters which Sobel has translated from their original Italian and masterfully woven into the narrative, graces her father's life now as it did then.
Galileo's Daughter dramatically recolors the personality and accomplishment of a mythic figure whose seventeenth-century clash with Catholic doctrine continues to define the schism between science and religion. Moving between Galileo's grand public life and Maria Celeste's sequestered world, Sobel illuminates the Florence of the Medicis and the papal court in Rome during the pivotal era when humanity's perception of its place in the cosmos was being overturned. In that same time, while the bubonic plague wreaked its terrible devastation and the Thirty Years' War tipped fortunes across Europe, one man sought to reconcile the Heaven he revered as a good Catholic with the heavens he revealed through his telescope.
With all the human drama and scientific adventure that distinguished Longitude, Galileo's Daughter is an unforgettable story.
When Sierra discovers a handcrafted quilt made by one of her young ancestors, she embarks on a journey that intertwines her life with the past. Through the quilt, she finds the journal of a young pioneer woman on the Oregon Trail, leading her to realize that their lives, though separated by time, are strikingly similar.
As Sierra delves into the past, she finds herself rediscovering her own spirituality and understanding the meaning of unconditional love and surrendering to God's sovereignty. This touching narrative explores themes of love, loss, and the enduring power of faith, guiding Sierra to find her true path and reconnect with her own heart.
Introduction by Mary Oliver
Commentary by Henry James, Robert Frost, Matthew Arnold, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Henry David Thoreau.
The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson is the definitive collection of Emerson’s major speeches, essays, and poetry. It chronicles the life’s work of a true “American Scholar.” As one of the architects of the transcendentalist movement, Emerson embraced a philosophy that championed the individual, emphasized independent thought, and prized “the splendid labyrinth of one’s own perceptions.”
More than any writer of his time, Emerson forged a style distinct from his European predecessors and embodied what it meant to be an American. Matthew Arnold called Emerson’s essays “the most important work done in prose.”
She Said Yes is a gripping account of the tragic events that unfolded on April 20, 1999, at a Colorado school. On this fateful day, two students, heavily armed, wreaked havoc in a perverse celebration of Hitler's birthday.
Confronted by these attackers, 17-year-old Cassie Bernall was asked a question that would define her legacy: Do you believe in God? Her courageous response, "Yes," was met with a laugh from the killer before he pulled the trigger.
While the world remembers Cassie as a modern martyr, her story is far more complex. Just three years earlier, Cassie had been on a troubling path, contemplating violence and suicide. She Said Yes delves into the dramatic transformation of Cassie's life, as recounted by her mother, Misty Bernall, leading up to her daughter's heroic stand.