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Keys to Inspiration: A Teacher’s Guide to a Student-Centered Writing Program

Student-centered instruction is the buzzword among today’s educators, yet the teaching of writing is still very top-down. Student-centered should mean student-inspired, and that’s where Keys to Inspiration comes in. The path to a writer’s truth always starts with an emotion, and almost all forms of writing contain at least a trace of emotional DNA. This book shows teachers how to align emotion with subject matter, and it offers them lessons and projects (from challenging writing exercises to larger projects, such as memoir, research reports, and editorials) that resonate with young authors. While Keys to Inspiration focuses sharply on content, it contains an instructive mechanics section and an Appendix of unique word lists (emotion-related words, themed spelling lists, and alternatives to “went” and “said,” to name a few), as well as a few grammar worksheets.
Once motivated, young authors must learn to describe with detail, meddle with metaphor, and mind their mechanics. Veteran writing instructor Steve Ford offers many lessons and exercises that will polish students’ narrative skills, and he alerts teachers to the common spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes that young writers need to learn to avoid.

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Invent, Reinvent, Thrive: The Keys to Success for Any Start-Up, Entrepreneur, or Family Business

In today’s uncertain world of business, one rule stands above the rest: If you want to survive–let alone thrive–you must embrace change. Everything else comes after.

In Invent Reinvent Thrive Kellogg School of Management Professor Lloyd Shefsky provides the inspiration and insight any entrepreneur or family business needs for long-term success–and he backs it all up with proven models of what works and what doesn’t.

Shefsky reveals the common thread of all business success stories: reinvention. He explains not just how to reinvent concepts and ideas from the start, but ways to continuously innovate and reinvent your business to meet today’s constantly changing marketplace conditions. In addition to his own expert insight, Shefsky provides firsthand advice through case studies derived from dozens of original interviews with entrepreneurs and family business giants, consisting of the leaders of some of today’s most successful companies, including: Howard Schultz (founder, Chairman, and CEO of Starbucks) Jim Sinegal (founder of Costco) Chuck Schwab (founder of Charles Schwab & Co.) Tom Stemberg (founder of Staples)

The author also gives special attention to family businesses (which account for over half the U.S. GDP) and how to address vexing family disparities, enabling family businesses to last more than two generations.

Invent Reinvent Thrive offers all the answers you need to get your business where you want it to be. You’ll learn exactly where new and multi-generational business owners fall short and miss incredible opportunities, why they fail to take the plunge or innovate–and how you can rework, revitalize, and reinvent your business not just to avoid the most common perils but to lead your business to the apex of your industry.

“Entrepreneurship is not a cataclysmic event,” Shefsky writes. “It is a constant process.” Follow his advice through every step of the process and you will successfully invent, reinvent–and thrive.

PRAISE FOR INVENT REINVENT THRIVE:

“If you think business books are boring, this is your chance to prove yourself wrong. Storytelling is an art, and Shefsky brings that art to business. Invent Reinvent Thrive is a treasure trove of valuable lessons.” — STAN KASTEN, President and CEO, Los Angeles Dodgers; former President of the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves, Hawks, and Thrashers

“Invent Reinvent Thrive is full of wise and practical guidance for both would-be and continuing entrepreneurs. Shefsky’s discussions provide wonderful advice that will aid anyone embarking on or continuing in an entrepreneurial enterprise.” — DAVID RUDER, former Chairman, Securities & Exchange Commission

“Our company’s direct experience with Lloyd Shefsky . . . inspired us to methodically pursue Brown-Forman’s never-ending greatness, and this book can do the same for others. I highly recommend Invent Reinvent Thrive to all businesspeople.” — PAUL VARGA, CEO and Chairman, Brown-Forman Corporation, producer of Jack Daniels, Finlandia, Southern Comfort, and other spirits

“Lloyd Shefsky tackles the issues many entrepreneurs face and offers practical advice to defy the odds. If you’ve had business success, yet need to go to the next level, read this book.” — GINGER GRAHAM, former President and CEO, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, and former faculty at the Arthur Rock Center for Entrepreneurship at the Harvard Business School

“This is a very serious study of a critical issue, and no one dealing with entrepreneurship or family businesses should make the mistake of ignoring it.” — ISRAEL ZANG, Professor and former Dean of Business School and Vice Provost of Tel Aviv University

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Economic Stress: Harsh Truths and Keys to Empowerment

Economic Stress – Harsh Truths and Keys to Empowerment (2013) is a 13 chapter book that captures the personal stories of people who are facing challenges meeting their financial obligations because of job loss, not enough work, job instability or low wages and the impact this has on their well-being. Using their own words, stories of economic stress are shared in the first four chapters. These include some of the experiences of a civil engineer who wakes up swinging because of the economic stress that he is experiencing, a middle class family that lives paycheck to paycheck, a single mom who is trying to cope with the prospect of being unemployed for the first time in her career, and a highly educated professional who has not been able to find work for more than three years. The remainder of the book identifies strategies that could help a person or a family address economic stress more effectively by exploring issues such as: (1) managing bill collector demands for the mortgage, rent, car note, utilities and credit card payments by being proactive rather than reactive; (2) seeking social support and asking for help; (3) understanding how the job applicant process can work; (4) building relationships rather than networking; (5) knowing how to attract mentors and sponsors to increase the likelihood of finding employment; (6) changing your mindset to make your life better; and (7) entrepreneurship. A major question that is asked in this book is whether or not it may be time to redefine what the American Dream means in the 21st century. Is it home ownership with big salaries, and an abundance of disposable income and tangible items? Is it having a more frugal lifestyle that embraces health, greater peace of mind and autonomy? Or, is it being a part of a loving, strong, supportive family that has the capacity to endure and thrive? Economic Stress – Harsh Truths and Keys to Empowerment encourages the reader to examine these issues in a way that could help to promote a different outlook and also enhance a person’s or family’s quality of living.

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The Three Keys to Self-Empowerment

Three of Stuart Wilde’s bestselling books are included in this beautifully packaged self-empowering anthology…’Miracles’ – Stuart makes the point that creating miracles in our lives is no more complicated than understanding the metaphysics of the Universal Law, which states that within human beings there lies an immense power …and this power is impartial and unemotional. And because that law is indestructible and therefore infinite, we know that the power used by miracle-makers in the past is still available today. Yet, in our modern society, we are brought up to believe only in those things we can logically understand. We are not taught that the Universal Law has limitless potential or that this power is at our disposal and can be used to work miracles in our lives. ‘Life Was Never Meant To be a Struggle’ – Through a concerted action plan, this amusing work will help you quickly identify and eliminate the cause of struggle in your life. You were meant to be FREE – to achieve that state, you have to move gradually from struggle into free FLOW! As Stuart says, ‘Life was never meant to be a struggle, just a gentle progression from one point to another, much like walking through a valley on a sunny day.’ ‘Silent Power’ – ‘Within these pages, I’ll tell you about the silent power, its mystery, and how to get it. But there’s a simple trick you have to learn, and once you have that, silent power becomes your unspoken credential. It’s a charisma that gradually grows and develops around you. Through it, you can express a special goodness that helps people-and this planet-to change for the better. ‘Embrace your silent power. A great awakening is yours for the asking.’ (Stuart Wilde). 16851 Integrating political events with cultural, economic, and intellectual movements, Modern Japan provides a balanced and authoritative survey of modern Japanese history. A summary of Japan’s early history, emphasizing institutions and systems that influenced Japanese society, provides a well-rounded introduction to this essential volume, which focuses on the Tokugawa period to the present. The fourth edition now includes the latest scholarship on feudal women, samurai tactics, Chonin education, political reforms in the late Tokugawa period, foreigners in Nagasaki during the Meiji Restoration, and early feminism in the later Meiji period. Bringing Japanese history up to date, the final chapter details current issues, including the impact of the Gulf Wars on Japanese international relations and the recent controversies over Japanese war crimes, the so-called Comfort Women, and the Yasukuni war memorial.

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The Three Keys to Self-Empowerment

Three of Stuart Wilde’s bestselling books are included in this beautifully packaged self-empowering anthology…”Miracles” – Stuart makes the point that creating miracles in our lives is no more complicated than understanding the metaphysics of the Universal Law, which states that within human beings there lies an immense power …and this power is impartial and unemotional. And because that law is indestructible and therefore infinite, we know that the power used by miracle-makers in the past is still available today. Yet, in our modern society, we are brought up to believe only in those things we can logically understand. We are not taught that the Universal Law has limitless potential or that this power is at our disposal and can be used to work miracles in our lives. “Life Was Never Meant To be a Struggle” – Through a concerted action plan, this amusing work will help you quickly identify and eliminate the cause of struggle in your life. You were meant to be FREE – to achieve that state, you have to move gradually from struggle into free FLOW! As Stuart says, “Life was never meant to be a struggle, just a gentle progression from one point to another, much like walking through a valley on a sunny day.” “Silent Power” – “Within these pages, I’ll tell you about the silent power, its mystery, and how to get it. But there’s a simple trick you have to learn, and once you have that, silent power becomes your unspoken credential. It’s a charisma that gradually grows and develops around you. Through it, you can express a special goodness that helps people-and this planet-to change for the better. “Embrace your silent power. A great awakening is yours for the asking.” (Stuart Wilde).

Three of Stuart Wilde’s bestselling books are included in this self-empowering anthology: Miracles, Life Was Never Meant to be a Struggle, and Silent Power. “These keys to empowerment are simple to understand and easy to put into effect; it’s very much a matter of changing your mind and opening up to allow the power of the life force within you carry you along. It’s all there waiting for you, and as you come to comprehend it better, people respond to your newfound energy. Suddenly, old blocks and frustrations fall away, and you find yourself better connected to the universal flow of things, your path becomes straighter, and people come forward to help you make new connections. Overall, good things come to you as they should…miraculously.”-Stuart Wilde

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Break Out!: 5 Keys to Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life

We were not created to just get by with average, unrewarding or unfulfilling lives. God created us to leave our marks on our generations. Every person has seeds of greatness planted within by the Creator. When life weighs upon us, pushing us down, limiting our thinking, labeling us in negative ways, we have what it takes to overcome and rise above into the fullness of our destinies. In his dynamic, inspiring and faith-building new book, BREAK OUT: Five Ways To Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life, best-selling author Joel Osteen provides practical steps and encouragement for creating a life without limitations. This book will help readers break out and break free so they can believe bigger, increase their productivity, improve their relationships and accomplish their dreams. Osteen’s uplifting message focuses on moving beyond barriers by:
Daring to believe that the best will happen for usAdopting an irrepressible “break out” attitudeMaking room for increasePraying bold prayersFollowing God’s plan beyond our circumstances Filled with faith and inspiration, BREAK OUT challenges readers to have a new perspective, to let nothing hold them back, and to reject any labels that might limit them. Osteen inspires and encourages with the message that our first break outs must occur within our own minds: “When you break though in your mind, believing you can rise higher and overcome obstacles, then God will unleash the power within that will enable you to go beyond the ordinary into the extraordinary life you were designed to live.”

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Still Foolin’ ‘Em: Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys?

Hilarious and heartfelt observations on aging from one of America’s favorite comedians now that he’s 65, and a look back at a remarkable career

 

Billy Crystal is 65, and he’s not happy about it. With his trademark wit and heart, he outlines the absurdities and challenges that come with growing old, from insomnia to memory loss to leaving dinners with half your meal on your shirt. In humorous chapters like “Buying the Plot” and “Nodding Off,” Crystal not only catalogues his physical gripes, but offers a road map to his 77 million fellow baby boomers who are arriving at this milestone age with him. He also looks back at the most powerful and memorable moments of his long and storied life, from entertaining his relatives as a kid in Long Beach, Long Island, his years doing stand-up in the Village, up through his legendary stint at Saturday Night Live, When Harry Met Sally, and his long run as host of the Academy Awards. Readers get a front-row seat to his one-day career with the New York Yankees (he was the first player to ever “test positive for Maalox”), his love affair with Sophia Loren, and his enduring friendships with several of his idols, including Mickey Mantle and Muhammad Ali. He lends a light touch to more serious topics like religion (“the aging friends I know have turned to the Holy Trinity: Advil, bourbon, and Prozac”), grandparenting, and, of course, dentistry. As wise and poignant as they are funny, Crystal’s reflections are an unforgettable look at an extraordinary life well lived.

Includes a portion recorded in front of a live studio audience

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God Is a Woman: 7 Keys to Self-Love and Empowerment for Women

DISCOVER THE GODDESS WITHIN YOU! Do you know who you really are? “God Is a Woman: 7 Keys to Self-Love and Empowerment for Women” takes you on a step by step journey to discovering the answer to this age old question. On your path, you will: *Meet your spiritual self *Learn the true meaning of unconditional love *Understand the importance of forgiveness *Test your faith *Discover your life purpose Your life will be changed with the jewels of knowledge found in this small but powerful book. The journal spaces inside will help you to document your progress on your road to spiritual growth. “In her book, God Is A Woman, Kioni Carter, is insightful, honest and inspiring. Her writing style is engaging, spiritual and real. God Is A Woman is a wonderful book that will help you to expand your mind and spirit as you move along your path to personal growth and empowerment! -Keva Larthridge-Mack, Personal Life Coach

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8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery: Take-Charge Strategies to Empower Your Healing (8 Keys to Mental Health)

Safe and effective principles and strategies for recovery from trauma.

Trauma recovery is tricky; however, there are several key principles that can help make the process safe and effective. This book gives self help readers, therapy clients, and therapists alike the skills to understand and implement eight keys to successful trauma healing: mindful identification of what is helpful, recognizing survival, having the option to not remember, creating a supportive inner dialogue, forgiving not being able to stop the trauma, understanding and sharing shame, finding your own recovery pace; mobilizing your body, and helping others.

This is not another book promoting a new method or type of treatment; rather, it is a necessary adjunct to self-help and professional recovery programs. After reading this book, readers will be able to recognize their own individual needs and evaluate whether those needs are being met. They will have the tools necessary to put themselves in the drivers seat, navigating their own safe road to recovery.