It didn't matter that Jeff Gordon hailed from California -- hardly a fountain of stockcar pedigree -- or that they said he was too small to race with the big boys on the dirt tracks and ovals of his youth. It didn't matter that Dale Earnhardt called this upstart "Wonderboy" -- no one raced the legendary Earnhardt harder, and no two drivers had more respect for each other. And it didn't matter that the racing world said Gordon was finished with the breakup of the crew on the #24 car and the departure of Ray Evernham, his crew chief, in 1999 -- he came back two seasons later to win a record-equaling fourth Winston Cup, this time with Robbie Loomis as crew chief. In the end, all that matters is that Jeff Gordon is the greatest living NASCAR champion, and it only remains to be seen just how many championships he can win.But what's it really like to climb into a stockcar every weekend and challenge for a championship? Offering a never-before-seen entry into the thrilling world of NASCAR racing, Jeff Gordon takes us into the cockpit of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet car; right into the garages where his cars are made; and inside the lives and efforts of his extraordinary team, the Rainbow Warriors. Just how does his car get built, tested, and driven, and how do these personalities mesh into a championship team? Along the way we find out what he thinks of life as both a NASCAR champion and a never-left-alone celebrity, where he came from and to whom he owes all his successes, and above all, what it takes to be a champion in one of the most dangerous and thrilling sportsof all."Jeff Gordon: Racing Back to the Front" -- My Memoir is a pit pass all its own, giving passionate NASCAR fans unique access into the life and career of one of the most storied champions in the sport.

    No matter what our financial or family situation, we each get 24 hours a day. In the practical and straightforward style to which his Dragon's Den contestants are accustomed, Duncan Bannatyne explains how we can make the most of our time to get the most from our lives, and not just our working day. What do you really want to do with your life? This book will help you identify the goals and aspirations that really matter to you so that you can make them happen. It will give you the confidence to make your ambitions a reality and teach you how to focus on the things that count. In a series of short chapters, illustrated with examples from his extraordinary career in business, Duncan will show you how to make quicker, better decisions and how to make things happen - fast. Duncan knows more about what can be achieved in a day, a year and a lifetime than most and in this book he shares how you can achieve your ideal work/life balance.

    It is also a crucial discipline to help you get the most out of in-person events such as conferences and networking opportunities where the key to a successful outcome often lies in your personal brand standing out.Given the explosion in use of digital and social media over the past few years, the internet has presented professionals with a magnificent opportunity to help their expertise become more discoverable, sharable and memorable through their personal brands.Personal Branding Benefits Your Business by:Establishing Credibility & Thought LeadershipGrowing Your NetworkAttracting New OpportunitiesIncreasing SalesHelping You Reach Your Business GoalsWho is this book for?CEOs, Executives, and Business Owners who want to position themselves as industry thought leaders and stand out from the competition.Individual Contributors & Academics who want to get ahead in their careers and want to understand how to have their expertise and experience be more discoverable.HR & Training Managers who want to understand personal branding to help train employees on social media branding and social selling.PR Agencies & Exec Comms Managers who need inspiration and training on personal branding strategies for their clients, CEOs, or themselves.About Mel CarsonMel Carson is Founder of Delightful Communications and former Digital Marketing Evangelist at Microsoft. He speaks and writes about personal branding at conferences and for publications all over the world. He previously co-wrote Pioneers of Digital: Success Stories from Leaders in Advertising, Marketing, Search and Social and has had his wisdom featured in Forbes, Fast Company, GQ, QZ.com, USA Today and he regularly writes as a business columnist for Entrepreneur.com.For more on Mel Carson visit http://www.MelCarson.com and http://www.DelightfulCommunications.com

     Hardcore music emerged just after the first wave of punk rock in the late 1970s. American punk kids who loved the speed and attitude of punk took hold of its spirit, got rid of the “live fast, die young” mind-set and made a brilliant revision: hardcore. The dividing line between punk and hardcore music was in the delivery: less pretense, less melody, and more aggression. This urgency seeped its way from the music into the look of hardcore. There wasn’t time to mold your liberty spikes or shine your Docs, it was jeans and T-shirts, Chuck Taylors and Vans. The skull and safety-pin punk costume was replaced by hi-tops and hooded sweatshirts. Jamie Reid’s ransom note record cover aesthetic gave way to black-and-white photographs of packed shows accompanied by bold and simple typography declaring things like: "The Kids Will Have Their Say", and "You’re Only Young Once." Radio Silence documents the ignored space between the Ramones and Nirvana through the words and images of the pre-Internet era where this community built on do-it-yourself ethics thrived. Authors Nathan Nedorostek and Anthony Pappalardo have cataloged private collections of unseen images, personal letters, original artwork, and various ephemera from the hardcore scene circa 1978-1993. Unseen photos lay next to hand-made t-shirts and original artwork brought to life by the words of their creators and fans. Radio Silence includes over 500 images of unseen photographs, illustrations, rare records, t-shirts, and fanzines presented in a manner that abandons the aesthetic clichés normally employed to depict the genre and lets the subject matter speak for itself. Contributions by Jeff Nelson, Dave Smalley, Walter Schreifels, Cynthia Connolly, Pat Dubar, Gus Peña, Rusty Moore, and Gavin Ogelsby with an essay by Mark Owens.

     Meet Spills, Bea Silly, Albert, and Marge. No, they aren't TV's latest cartoon characters. They're just a few of the new and improved Muses. Combining the whimsical and spiritual appeal of Sark with the concrete step-by-step approach of The Artist's Way, The Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard) presents a fresh approach toward accessing your creativity, and is designed specifically for our frazzled and time-sensitive era. Creativity coach Jill Badonsky takes the nine classical Greek Muses and updates them for our time. Along with a little help from their no-nonsense bodyguard, Arnold, they personify ten principles designed to overcome creative blocks and embrace the wonders of self-expression. Meet Aha-Phrodite, the inspired Muse of paying attention to possibility and new ideas. And Audacity, the uninhibited Muse of the courage to take risks. Lull gives you permission to let go of the process and take a break; Marge brings common sense and a call to action; while nurturing Muse Song sings your praises. Arnold acts as protection against such intruders as discouragement, creativity blocks, and mindless TV. With these and other encouraging, supportive, and practical Muses as your guides, you'll discover how to view your talents and creative potential in a positive light, with passion and self assurance. Each Muse will take you on a journey and share with you: o Empowering exercises to awaken creativity o Brainstorming o Muse rituals to inspire faith and confidence o Muse walks o Spiritual affirmations o Quotes from mortals who've been inspired by the Muses o Journaling and much more. This entertaining, inspirational, and practical book is an indispensable handbook for the twenty-first-century seeker.

    Along with tips on planning and assessment, she presents strategies for self-management, including marketing, online promotion, building professional relationships, grant writing, and portfolio development.Each chapter ends with an insightful “Reality Check” interview, featuring advice and useful information from high-profile artists and professionals.The result is an inspiring, experiential guide brimming with field-tested techniques that readers can easily apply to their own career.

    Whether you want to personalize stationery or enhance other special gifts and objects, The Art of Calligraphy helps you choose equipment, from brushes, pens, pencils, papers, to inks, and then shows exactly how to produce every letter of the alphabet in a number of different scripts.

    In Encaustic Workshop, it becomes much more: a dynamic medium where anything goes and the possibilities are endless.Packed with step-by-step techniques, helpful tips and diverse examples of completed works, Encaustic Workshop brings all the accessibility and excitement of a mixed-media workshop to your own workspace. If you're a beginner, you'll find everything you need to know to get started. If you're a more advanced crafter or fine artist, you'll discover things you never knew you could do with encaustic.Instructions and photos will guide you as you learn to:Apply, layer, color and carve wax to create artwork rich with texture and depth.Create collages that combine encaustic with papers, fabric, found objects, image transfers and more.Experiment with charcoal, inks, watercolors, pastels and other mediums to create unexpected effects in the wax.Then, complete step-by-step projects and an extensive inspirational gallery will show you how you can combine the techniques you've learned to create more complex works.Sign your creativity up for this Encaustic Workshop--then just melt, paint and play!

    Learn how to choose and mix colors, and create a multitude of effects using only one set of tubes. Discover how to make your own equipment, set up a "studio" space, and use household materials to save money. Beginners can follow processes stage-by-stage, while more experienced artists can dip in and out for help with specific problems. A unique section on how to develop your art and take it to a wider public is full of professional secrets which can bring you success much more quickly. “Try it” and “Fix it” panels placed throughout the book suggest ways of practicing and developing new skills, and avoiding or correcting common painting errors.

    This book covers topics which include the secrets of how the pros retouch portraits; how to color correct any photo without breaking a sweat (you'll be amazed at how they do it!); how to unlock the power of Photoshop CS' new features for digital photo pros; and others.

    From creating free-flowing lines and swirls to shading in intricate patterns, every illustration in this book has been carefully crafted so that even amateur artists can enjoy the satisfaction of creating something of exceptional beauty. Everyone will benefit from the stress-relieving effect that increased focus and creativity can provide. There are no rules or complicated step-by-step instructions in these pages and no need for expensive art and craft supplies. Readers can simply scribble, scrawl and shade to their hearts' content.

    If you want to succeed in life or business, this book is a must.

    From traditional sailor’s knots to the trendy friendship bracelets of the 90’s to the modern craze of paracord crafts, knot tying is a fun and valuable skill. Guys, gals and even young kids can learn the principles of knot tying to create a huge variety of projects. This ebook will teach you a selection of the most widely used, best loved knots and a variety of accompanying projects. The step-by-step photo instructions make it easy to learn, even for the beginner!

    Sahre explores his mostly vain attempts to escape his "suburban Addams Family" upbringing and the death of his elephant-trainer brother. He also wrestles with the cosmic implications involved in operating a scanner, explains the disappearance of ice machines, analyzes a disastrous meeting with Steely Dan, and laments the typos, sunsets, and poor color choices that have shaped his work and point of view. Two-Dimensional Man portrays the designer's life as one of constant questioning, inventing, failing, dreaming, and ultimately making.

    Suspended for a few seconds, they float in their own space and time with their own hidden prospects. For want of a better term, we call these moments “magical” and when we remember them they are cloaked in a halo of special meaning.’For 14-year-old Johnny Clegg, hearing Zulu street music as plucked on the strings of a guitar by Charlie Mzila one evening outside a corner café in Bellevue, Johannesburg, was one such ‘magical’ moment. The success story of Juluka and later Savuka, and the cross-cultural celebration of music, language, story, dance and song that stirred the hearts of millions across the world, is well documented. Their music was the soundtrack to many South Africans’ lives during the turbulent 70s and 80s as the country moved from legislated oppression to democratic freedom. It crossed borders, boundaries and generations, resonating around the world and back again. Less known is the story of how it all began and developed. Scatterling of Africa is that origin story, as Johnny Clegg wrote it and wanted it told. It is the story of how the son of an unconventional mother, grandson of Jewish immigrants, came to realise that identity can be a choice, and home is a place you leave and return to as surely as the seasons change.