Jump: My Secret Journey From the Streets to the Boardroom


Larry Miller - 2022
    Miller wound up in jail more than once, especially as a teenager. But he immersed himself in the educational opportunities, eventually took advantage of a Pennsylvania state education-release program offered to incarcerated people, and was able to graduate with honors from Temple University.When revealing his gangland past caused him to lose his first major job opportunity, Miller vowed to keep it a secret. He climbed the corporate ladder with a number of companies such as Kraft Foods, Campbell’s Soup, and Jantzen, until Nike hired him to run its domestic apparel operations. Around the time of Michael Jordan’s basketball retirement, Nike Chairman Phil Knight made Larry Miller president of the newly formed Jordan Brand. In 2007 Paul Allen convinced Miller to jump to the NBA to become president of the Portland Trailblazers, one of the first African-Americans to lead a professional sports team, before returning to Jordan Brand in 2012.All along, Miller lived two lives: the secret of his violent past haunted him, invading his days with migraines and his sleep with nightmares of getting hauled back to jail. More than a rags-to-riches story, Jump is also a passionate appeal for criminal justice reform and expanded educational opportunities for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people across the United States. Drawing on his powerful personal story, as well as his vast and well-connected network, Miller plans to use Jump as a launching point to help expand such opportunities and to provide an aspirational journey for those who need hope.

Apotheosis Now: Rabbit Hole to the Beyond


Yanhao Huang - 2021
    Because externally, we are always trying to control what is “not me,” and internally, we always get perplexed trying to figure out whether our actions came from our “higher” or “lower” self. As Albert Einstein said: “We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”This book will help you to understand:Why we have internal conflictsHow does our ego trap us in undesirable circumstancesHow do our beliefs limit usWhy thought-based teachings (Law of Attraction), or self-improvement advice don’t workHow do we really get what we wantWhy is happiness so rare for usWho we are reallyWhat is the nature of existenceWhat is the meaning of lifeHow do we know if there is a GodWhat is the process of spiritual enlightenmentMany of us are starting to become tired of this game of life. We have been comparing and striving all our life. But no matter how much success we have achieved—we are still hollow and still have found nothing fulfilling. We don’t even know if happiness exists because it is no longer a living thing in our experience—it has become dead, as we only know it as a concept or memory.We have sought self-help advice, philosophies, and religious teachings to transform ourselves but have not gotten anywhere. We have made some superficial improvements—like adopting a new mindset—but our core remains the same. We are still competitive, still fearful, and we get disturbed all the time.The problem with all attempts at self-improvement is that we do not address the fundamental problem, which is: who is the “you” who needs to be improved? We do not see that the one who is making the improvement is the same one who needs to be improved. The more we try to improve, the more conflict we introduce, within and without. The more knowledge we stuff in our heads, the more we become trapped in a conceptual prison of reality. Inevitably, the more confused we get in life.The book guides the reader out of their distorted beliefs to experience reality beyond the mind. When the deeper intelligence is allowed to flourish without our mind's interference, then the game of life becomes effortless.

Dear William: A Father's Memoir of Addiction, Recovery, Love, and Loss


David Magee - 2021
     The last time David Magee saw his son alive, William told him to write their family’s story in the hopes of helping others. Days later, David found William dead from an accidental drug overdose. Now, in a memoir suggestive of Augusten Burroughs meets Glennon Doyle, award-winning columnist and author David Magee answers his son's wish with a compelling, heartbreaking, and impossible to put down book that speaks to every individual and family. With honesty and heart, Magee shares his family’s intergenerational struggle with substance abuse and mental health issues, as well as his own reckoning with family secrets—confronting the dark truth about the adoptive parents who raised him and a decades-long search for identity. He wrestles with personal substance misuse that began at a young age and, as a father, he sees destructive patterns repeat and develop within his own children. While striving to find a truly authentic voice as a writer despite authoring nearly a dozen previous books, Magee ultimately understands that William had been right and their own family’s history is the story he needs to tell. A poignant and uplifting message of hope translates unimaginable tragedy into an inspirational commitment to saving others, as David founded the William Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing at the University of Mississippi. His mission to share solutions to self-medication and addiction, particularly as it touches America’s high school and college students, emphasizes that William’s story is about much more than a tragic addiction—it’s an American story of a family broken by loss and remade with love. Dear William inspires readers to find purpose, build resilience, and break the cycles that damage too many individuals and the people who love them. It’s a life-changing book revealing how voids can be filled, and peace—even profound, lasting happiness—is possible.

Divine Disruption: Holding on to Faith When Life Breaks Your Heart


Tony Evans - 2021
    Tony Evans and his four children—Chrystal Evans Hurst, Priscilla Shirer, Anthony Evans, and Jonathan Evans—on how God uses the hard things of this life to draw us into a deeper faith in Him.Divine Disruption explores the many hardships we experience in life and how God breaks through with the power of hope. In the book, Dr. Tony Evans and his four children—Chrystal Evans Hurst, Priscilla Shirer, Anthony Evans, and Jonathan Evans—discuss their faith-shaking experiences: from the deep grief of losing six loved ones in less than two years' time, with the most devastating blow being the death of Lois Evans, the matriarch of the family, to a deep dive into dealing with the various hard, unexpected things we all face. Life throws many curves—whether the loss of a job or health due to the ongoing worldwide pandemic, or marriage and relationship issues, problems with children, even the recent racial and political unrest.  The authors step together into a unique Kingdom Legacy partnership, opening themselves to the honest questions, raw emotions, and solutions they learned to cling to amid their various struggles as they honor their mother’s wish to work together. Through their bond and individual strengths, they demonstrate how even the most devastating tragedies can bring glory to God as He continues to meet their needs and build their faith.

By the Grace of the Game: The Holocaust, a Basketball Legacy, and an Unprecedented American Dream


Dan Grunfeld - 2021
    The boy who escaped to America with them, who was bullied as he struggled to learn English and cope with family tragedy, was now a young man who had discovered and secretly honed his basketball talent on the outdoor courts of New York City. That young man was Ernie Grunfeld, who would go on to win an Olympic gold medal and reach previously unimaginable heights as an NBA player and executive. In By the Grace of the Game, Dan Grunfeld, once a basketball standout himself at Stanford University, shares the remarkable story of his family, a delicately interwoven narrative that doesn't lack in heartbreak yet remains as deeply nourishing as his grandmother's Hungarian cooking, so lovingly described. The true improbability of the saga lies in the discovery of a game that unknowingly held the power to heal wounds, build bridges, and tie together a fractured Jewish family. If the magnitude of an American dream is measured by the intensity of the nightmare that came before and the heights of the triumph achieved after, then By the Grace of the Game recounts an American dream story of unprecedented scale.From the grips of the Nazis to the top of the Olympic podium, from the cheap seats to center stage at Madison Square Garden, from yellow stars to silver spoons, this complex tale traverses the spectrum of the human experience to detail how perseverance, love, and legacy can survive through generations, carried on the shoulders of a simple and beautiful game.

Welcome to the Agrihood: Living, Shopping, and Gardening for a Farm-to-Table Lifestyle


Anna DeSimoneAnna DeSimone - 2020
    Award-winning author Anna DeSimone explains all the ways that sustainably sourced, locally grown food is healthier, preserves farmland, and lowers your carbon footprint. LIVE IN AGRIHOOD, an eco-friendly, healthy-lifestyle community centered around a professionally managed farm. Discover why agrihoods are winning awards across the nation for "best places to live." You can have a beautiful, sustainably built home with the latest energy conservation features, and yet be surrounded by pastoral landscapes and natural habitat. This book takes you through a virtual tour of agrihoods, known for amenities such as charter K-12 schools, clubhouses, fitness centers, boating, golf, horseback riding, swimming, walking, hiking, and biking trails. Best of all, many are surprisingly close to major cities and metro areas. ORGANIC ROOFTOP FARMS are the newest trend in multifamily housing, where tenants can take the elevator to shop for fresh food, or perhaps dine at the on-site café where meals are prepared with food from the chef's garden. Many apartment complexes are incorporating community gardens into the landscape or offering individual raised-bed gardens for tenants to grow their own produce. GROW YOUR OWN ORGANIC FOOD on your porch, balcony, or in your backyard with helpful tips, planting guides, and valuable resources about sustainable, chemical-free, and environmentally friendly growing methods. This book teaches the basics of organic certification, food safety, biodiversity, beekeeping, soil testing, composting, and local laws. With infographics and clear commentary, readers will understand how sustainable agriculture helps the environment, and how far food travels. You might be inspired to start planting microgreens indoors after learning about aeroponics, hydroponics, and aquaponics. SHOP FROM THE FARMER YOU KNOW and learn the story behind your food. This book illustrates the "harvest season," and describes the scope of food products and pick-your-own options at "on-farm" markets. You'll learn about "food hubs," mission-based organizations dedicated to sustainable agriculture, fair trade, social, and environmental causes. Food hubs bring together local farmers, fisheries, ranchers, and artisans. By enrolling in a season-long "farm share" program known as "Community-Supported Agriculture" your family can enjoy fresh, healthy food and connect with the people who plant, manage and harvest your food. Contents:•The Local Food Sensation•Say Hello to Your Farmer•Urban Agriculture•Agrihoods•Backyard Farming•Community-Supported Agriculture (CSAs)•On-Farm Markets•Food HubsBOOK INCLUDES A NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF AGRIHOODS AND LISTS OVER 2,200 RESOURCES TO BUY FRESH, LOCALLY GROWN FOOD.

My Money My Way: Taking Back Control of Your Financial Life


Kumiko Love - 2022
    Previous budgeting methods haven't worked because they weren't designed by you or for you. Love's original strategies will help you define your goals and achieve them on your own terms. You will learn foundational practices such as:- How to harness your emotions to make authentic money decisions, instead of letting your emotions control you - How to create a budget based on what you need to spend, not what you think you should be spending - How to create a motivating debt pay-off plan that fits your life, not a plan that's too strict to succeedLove knows this better than anyone because she's lived it. Only a few years ago, she struggled to pay her $77,000 dollar debts down while making $24,000 per year as a single mom. Every financial plan she tried failed, so she made one that prioritized her family and her sanity. Today, she's living debt-free in her dream home, which she paid for in cash, and spends stress-free time with her son every day.Love has motivated millions of women to get in control of their financial futures. Her revolutionary yet practical and accessible approach will unlock the secrets of financial fulfillment so you never have to sweat living your best life ever again.

Wish It Lasted Forever: Life with the Larry Bird Celtics


Dan Shaughnessy - 2021
    But it wasn’t always this successful. Before primetime ESPN coverage, lucrative branding deals like Air Jordans, and $40 million annual player salaries, there was the NBA of the 1970s and 1980s—when basketball was still an up-and-coming sport featuring old school beat reporters and players who wore Converse All-Stars.Enter Dan Shaughnessy, then the beat reporter for TheBoston Globe who covered the Boston Celtics every day from 1982 to 1986. It was a time when reporters travelled with professional teams—flying the same commercial airlines, riding the same buses, and staying in the same hotels. Shaughnessy knew the athletes as real people, losing free throw bets to Larry Bird, being gifted cheap cigars by the iconic coach Red Auerbach, and having his one-year-old daughter Sarah passed from player to player on a flight from Logan to Detroit Metro.Drawing on unprecedented access and personal experiences that would not be possible for any reporter today, Shaughnessy takes us inside the legendary Larry Bird-led Celtics teams, capturing the camaraderie as they dominated the NBA. Fans can witness the cockiness of Larry Bird (who once walked into an All-Star Weekend locker room, announced that he was going to win the three-point contest, and did); the ageless athleticism of Robert Parish; the shooting skills of Kevin McHale; the fierce, self-sacrificing play of Bill Walton; and the playful humor of players like Danny Ainge, Cedric “Cornbread” Maxwell, and M.L. Carr.

The Flirtation Experiment: Putting Magic, Mystery, and Spark Into Your Everyday Marriage


Lisa Jacobson - 2021
    . . the immense demand for romantic stories reveals a deep, unsatisfied longing that can be found in many marriages, but does it have to be that way? Is it possible that the best marriage has to offer can grow, rather than fade after you say “I do”? Lisa and Phylicia say, “Absolutely yes!” So what is the secret to a happy, thriving, loving marriage, where the fire of romance and close friendship do not fade? While The Flirtation Experiment includes the frisky side of marriage, it’s far more than a good romp. By degrees, each chapter takes you to a deeper place, covering themes every beautiful marriage has in common, such as covenant, healing, and hope. After reading The Flirtation Experiment, wives willbe filled with hope and encouragement for how they can make a powerful, positive change in their marriages,become empowered to pursue their husbands romantically,understand the Bible invites women to be proactive in their marriages,be motivated to consistently love in creative ways, andforge closeness and intimacy in their marriages. “Intentional flirting keeps a positive lightness in the atmosphere and improves our overall communication,” says Jacobson. “My light flirtations bring us closer in meaningful ways and lead to connection on a deeper level. It helps us discover true romance waiting for us in everyday situations.” Perfect for the wife who wants romance, passion, and the closeness that only comes from a deep heart connection but isn’t sure where to start, The Flirtation Experiment is a candid, real-life record of two Christian women from different seasons of life who discovered they could make a significant impact on their marriage relationships, one small flirtatious experiment at a time.Readers can go deeper by using The Flirtation Experiment Workbook.

The Astrology of Love Sex: A Modern Compatibility Guide (Zodiac Signs Book, Birthday and Relationship Astrology Book)


Annabel Gat - 2019
    In 12 detailed chapters, astrologer Annabel Gat divulges how each sign likes to flirt, date, and fool around. Going beyond traditional heteronormative gender roles, the book candidly explores love and lust in today's sexually fluid world. From love philosophies to sexual inclinations, readers will enjoy dissecting and analyzing each passage. With unique compatibility profiles matching every sign and a quiz to identify your star match—wrapped in an all-foil case wtih gilded page edges—this is a fun and comprehensive guide to finding true cosmic love.

The Last Enforcer: Outrageous Stories From the Life and Times of One of the NBA's Fiercest Competitors


Charles Oakley - 2022
    But his individual stats weren’t remarkable, and while he helped power the Knicks to ten consecutive playoffs, he never won a championship. So why does he hold such a special place in the minds, hearts, and memories of NBA players and fans? Because over the course of nineteen years in the league, Oakley was at the center of more unbelievable encounters than Forrest Gump, and nearly as many fights as Mike Tyson. He was the friend you wish you had, and the enemy you wish you’d never made. If any opposing player was crazy enough to start a fight with him, or God forbid one of his teammates, Oakley would end it. “I can’t remember every rebound I grabbed but I do have a story—the true story—of just about every punch and slap on my resume,” he says. In The Last Enforcer, Oakley shares one incredible story after the next—all in his signature “unflinchingly tough, honest, and ultimately endearing” (Harvey Araton, New York Times bestselling author) style—about his life in the paint and beyond, fighting for rebounds and respect. You’ll look back on the era of the 1990s NBA, when tough guys with rugged attitudes, unflinching loyalty, and hard-nosed work ethics were just as important as three-point sharpshooters. You’ll feel like you were on the court, in the room, can’t believe what you just saw, and need to tell everyone you know about it.

The Smash-Up


Ali BenjaminAli Benjamin - 2021
    Ethan co-founded a lucrative media start-up, and Zo was well on her way to becoming a successful filmmaker. Then they moved to a rural community for a little more tranquility--or so they thought.When newfound political activism transforms Zo into a barely recognizable ball of outrage and #MeToo allegations rock his old firm, Ethan finds himself a misfit in his own life. Enter a houseguest who is young, fun, and not at all concerned with the real world, and Ethan is abruptly forced to question everything: his past, his future, his marriage, and what he values most.Startling, witty, thought-provoking, and wise, Ali Benjamin's exciting debut novel offers the shock of recognition as it deftly illuminates some of the biggest issues of our time. Taking inspiration from a classic Edith Wharton tale about a small-town love triangle, The Smash-Up is a wholly contemporary exploration of how the things we fail to see can fracture a life, a family, a community, and a nation.

When Strivings Cease: Replacing the Gospel of Self-Improvement with the Gospel of Life-Transforming Grace


Ruth Chou Simons - 2021
    Despite all the affirming memes and self-reflections that dominate social media feeds, approval and worth often seem assigned to what we do rather than who we are. And we end up constantly feeling behind, lacking, and like we're failing--at home, at work, with friends, with God.Ruth Chou Simons knows something of feeling measured by achievement, performance, and the approval of others. As a Taiwanese immigrant growing up between two cultures, Ruth was always on a mission to prove her worth. Until she came to truly understand the one thing that changes everything: the extravagant, undeserved gift of grace from a merciful God. In When Strivings Cease, Ruth guides us all on a journey to find freedom from the never-ending quest for self-improvement. She shows us how to examine the ways we look to superficial means of acceptance and belonging, and find relief in realizing we can't be so amazing that we won't need grace; stop seeing God as someone we perform for and start finding delight in responding to God's welcome; and find relief from running the hamster wheel of relying on our own strength, our own abilities, and our own savvy--and always coming up short--by truly understanding the freedom Jesus purchased.With personal story, biblical insights, practical applications, and original artwork by Ruth, this book helps us see the truth that God's favor is the only currency we need, because in Christ we are enough.

Breakfast with Bonhoeffer


Jon Walker - 2012
    After almost twenty years in ministry, Walker was laid off twice, lost his home and savings, was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, and then his wife filed for divorce just a few days before their twenty-fourth anniversary.Bonhoeffer saw the storms of political upheaval and pressure on Christians coming at warp speed, and he called believers to meet it head on by following Jesus, who bids believers to come and die.In BREAKFAST WITH BONHOEFFER, Walker brings to a new generation the timeless teachings of Bonhoeffer, especially the teaching that calls Jesus' followers to break free from the tyranny of popular culture and religious thinking. It also offers hope for those who face loss or have been hurt by the economic downturn.

You Are Stronger than You Think: Unleash the Power to Go Bigger, Go Bold, and Go Beyond What Limits You


Joel Osteen - 2021
    When you feel overwhelmed, like you can’t go on, He comes in and gives you special strength. Strength that you didn’t get on your own. Strength to move forward when you should be stuck, strength to overcome that hurdle, strength to outlast that opposition. You’re going to feel strength that you didn’t have, joy when you could be discouraged, and hope when you should be depressed. You’re going to have the power to endure, the favor to overcome, and the determination to outlast.He’s going to bring blessings, increase, favor, and healing that He’s already prepared. It’s going to be easier than you thought, and it’s going to happen sooner than you think. As you read You Are Stronger Than You Think, feel a power rising that you have never felt—a strength, a courage, a determination, a stamina. He won’t let you stay overwhelmed. You may feel that way at times, but that’s not how your story ends. You’re going to feel a strength that pushes you forward, a power to do what you couldn’t do before.​Believe and declare that you are strong, you are victorious, and you are able. You’re going to accomplish dreams bigger than you imagined, overcome obstacles that look insurmountable, and reach the fullness of your destiny!