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Bring Yourself: How to Harness the Power of Connection to Negotiate Fearlessly
by Mori TaheripourA look at how relationships can drive successful negotiation, from an award-winning faculty member at the Wharton School of Business.Contrary to conventional wisdom about what makes a good negotiator - namely, being aggressive and unemotional - in Bring Yourself, Taheripour offers a radically different perspective. In her own life, and in her more than 15 years of experience teaching negotiation, she's found that the best negotiators are empathetic, curious, and present. The essence of bargaining isn't the transaction, but the conversation and human connection. It is when we bring our whole, authentic selves to the table that we can advocate for ourselves fearlessly and find creative solutions that benefit everyone.Taheripour has seen the power of this mindset shift firsthand. In her consulting, her classes at Wharton, and in her work teaching negotiation for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, her students and clients experience personal breakthroughs as they face the fears and false narratives that held them back. Bring Yourself explains how our pressure points, personal experience, and even our cultural expectations can become roadblocks to finding common ground, and it offers essential strategies to move beyond them and open our minds. Taheripour argues that regardless of our own perceived ability to negotiate, we must have the courage to engage because bargaining plays a crucial role in every aspect of our lives. We negotiate boundaries with our parents and partners, bedtimes with our kids, and even with ourselves every time we make a pros and cons list to weigh a major decision. Negotiation is how we problem solve and how we find our voice. With eye-opening and empowering stories throughout, Bring Yourself helps readers gain the confidence they need to achieve their goals in work and in life. Timely and provocative, this paradigm-shifting book can transform our world and the way we work together.
Bring Yourself: How to Harness the Power of Connection to Negotiate Fearlessly
by Mori TaheripourContrary to conventional wisdom about what makes a good negotiator - namely, being aggressive and unemotional - in Bring Yourself, Mori Taheripour offers a radically different perspective. In her own life, and in her more than fifteen years of experience teaching negotiation, she has found that the best negotiators are empathetic, curious and present. The essence of bargaining isn't the transaction, but rather the conversation and human connection. It is when we bring our whole, authentic selves to the table that we can advocate for ourselves fearlessly and find creative solutions that benefit everyone.Bring Yourself explains how your pressure points, personal experience and even your cultural expectations can become roadblocks to finding common ground, and it offers essential strategies to move beyond them and open your mind. With eye-opening and empowering stories throughout, Bring Yourself helps readers gain the confidence they need to achieve their goals in work and in life. Timely and provocative, this paradigm-shifting book can transform our world and the way we work together.
Bring Yourself: How to Harness the Power of Connection to Negotiate Fearlessly
by Mori TaheripourContrary to conventional wisdom about what makes a good negotiator - namely, being aggressive and unemotional - in Bring Yourself, Mori Taheripour offers a radically different perspective. In her own life, and in her more than fifteen years of experience teaching negotiation, she has found that the best negotiators are empathetic, curious and present. The essence of bargaining isn't the transaction, but rather the conversation and human connection. It is when we bring our whole, authentic selves to the table that we can advocate for ourselves fearlessly and find creative solutions that benefit everyone.Bring Yourself explains how your pressure points, personal experience and even your cultural expectations can become roadblocks to finding common ground, and it offers essential strategies to move beyond them and open your mind. With eye-opening and empowering stories throughout, Bring Yourself helps readers gain the confidence they need to achieve their goals in work and in life. Timely and provocative, this paradigm-shifting book can transform our world and the way we work together.
Bringing Death to Life: An Uplifting Exploration of Living, Dying, the Soul Journey and the Afterlife
by Patricia Scanlan Aidan Storey Pamela Young Dr Mary HensleyTake a heart-lifting journey into the great unknown ...In Bringing Death to Life, well-known author Patricia Scanlan, along with soul friends and metaphysical healers Dr Mary Helen Hensley, Aidan Storey and Pamela Young, shine a light into an area that they believe needs to become part of the ordinary conversation of life, not to be feared or avoided in our communications, but recognised, understood, accepted: death.Patricia, whose experience of the loss of her parents was the catalyst for this book, shares her own journey through grief, while Aidan, Mary Helen and Pamela -- who have abilities to channel, communicate with angels, and intuit and heal between this life and the next -- share personal experiences along with insight into death and the afterlife gained through their work.Included are chapters on facing fear of death, being present during death of a loved one, the aftermath of loss, and connecting to signs and messages from beyond, along with remarkable stories of the afterlife in the everyday. Prayers, affirmations and messages from the angels also make up this special, thought-provoking and ultimately deeply comforting book.
Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag
by Michael TonelloAn insider's hilarious, whirlwind account of his years spent globe-trotting in search of the holy grail of handbags: the BirkinFor more than twenty years, the Hermès Birkin bag has been the iconic symbol of fashion, luxury, and wealth. Though the bag is often seen dangling from the arms of celebrities, there is a fabled waiting list of more than two years to buy one from Hermès, and the average fashionista has a better chance of climbing Mount Everest in Prada pumps than of possessing one of these coveted carryalls. Unless, of course, she happens to know Michael Tonello . . .Michael's newfound career started with an impulsive move to Barcelona, a vanished job assignment, no work visa, and an Hermès scarf sold on eBay to generate some quick cash. But soon the resourceful Michael discovered the truth about the waiting list and figured out the secret to getting Hermès to part with one of these precious bags. Millions of dollars worth of Birkins later, Michael had become one of eBay's most successful entrepreneurs—and a Robin Hood to thousands of desperate rich women.With down-to-earth wit, Michael chronicles the unusual ventures that took him to nearly every continent, from eBay to Paris auction house and into the lives of celebrities and poseurs. Flirting with danger, Michael recounts the heady rush of hand delivering his first big score to famed songwriter Carole Bayer Sager in Paris; how he had to hire thugs to rescue a bag that one of his "shoppers" held for ransom; and the story of the Oscar-worthy performances that allowed him to snag "reserved" bags from other, less dogged Birkin seekers. Whether he's relating his wining and dining, buying and selling, dodging and weaving, laughing and crying, or schmoozing and stammering, Michael is a master raconteur who weaves together tales of hunting Birkins in the world's most posh locales, memories of meals that would make any gastronome salivate, anecdotes of obsessed collectors with insatiable desires, and sweetly intimate stories about his family, friends, and finding true love. The result is a memoir that is distinctive, fun, page-turning, and as addictive as its namesake.
Bringing Up Children
by Osho Osho International FoundationOsho responds to a question about the right way to help children to grow without interfering in their natural potentiality.
Bringing out the Best In People: How To Apply the Astonishing Power of Positive Reinforcement
by Aubrey C. DanielsMaximize employee performance with this updated edition of the classic bestseller <P><P> In Bringing Out the Best in People: How to Apply the Astonishing Power of Positive Reinforcement, renowned thought leader and internationally recognized workplace expert Aubrey Daniels takes a look at today’s rapidly changing work environment, providing a timely update to his seminal book on performance management. <P><P> As one of the foremost speakers and writers in the human performance field, for nearly 40 years Daniels has worked with organizations to apply scientifically-based behavioral tools and principles to effectively address workplace issues―particularly as they relate to management, leadership, culture, innovation, safety, engagement, and collaboration. <P><P> Bringing Out the Best in People: How to Apply the Astonishing Power of Positive Reinforcement, presents Daniels’ proven strategies that have been successfully adopted by hundreds of organizations worldwide―ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies―and delivers step-by-step instruction and positive practices to help you implement and sustain positive change. <P><P> With a behavioral foundation and new chapters on employee engagement and the impact of the exponential increase in technology, this latest edition features all new examples, updated approaches to effective recognition and rewards systems, tips for stimulating and fostering innovation and creativity, and productive ways to embrace and empower the multi-generational workforce, including Millennials and future generations. <P><P> This timely update tackles the changes in the contemporary work environment, while providing step-by-step instructions and proven practices that have been adopted by Daniels’ global clients, from startups to Fortune 100 companies. Learn how to: <P> • Create effective recognition and rewards systems that are positively reinforcing to employees <P>• Stimulate innovation and creativity in exciting new ways <P>• Understand fluency as an efficient way to reduce training costs and increase training effectiveness for all employees <P>• Engage employees in ways that lead to improved performance and a stronger culture <P>• Motivate and empower the multi-generational workforce <P>• Understand and shape how technology is affecting employee behavior―for better and worse
British Asian Muslim Women, Multiple Spatialities and Cosmopolitanism
by Fazila BhimjiThe book provides a lively account of the cosmopolitan lives of British Asian Muslim women. Recent studies on the topic of Muslim women have yet to address the ways in which women form and connect with varying communities. This book demonstrates how Muslim women living in Britain of South Asian origin connect with numerous spaces such as religious, virtual, political, and creative spheres and argues that they need to be understood in cosmopolitan and humane ways. British Asian Muslim women cannot be continued to be perceived in monolithic ways and that this level of diversity needs to be recognized by the state in matters concerning integration of Muslims in British society. British Asian Muslim Women, Multiple Spatialities and Cosmopolitanism will appeal to students and academics in Sociology, Anthropology, Politics and Women's Studies.
Broadcasting Happiness: The Science of Igniting and Sustaining Positive Change
by Michelle GielanBroadcasting Happiness will "inspire you and change your life." —Parade Magazine We are all broadcasters. As managers, colleagues, parents and friends, we are constantly transmitting information to the people around us, and the messages we choose to broadcast create success or hold us back. What's your broadcast? New research from the fields of positive psychology and neuroscience shows that small shifts in the way we communicate can create big ripple effects on business and educational outcomes, including 31 percent higher productivity, 25 percent better performance ratings, 37 percent higher sales, and 23 percent lower levels of stress. In Broadcasting Happiness, Michelle Gielan, former national CBS News anchor turned positive psychology researcher, shows you how changing your broadcast changes your power by sharing jaw-dropping stories and incredible research. Learn Michelle's simple research-based communication habits that have been featured in her PBS program Inspire Happiness and Oprah's 21 Days to Happiness class. Broadcasting Happiness will help you: - Inoculate your brain against stress and negativity by fact-checking challenges - Drive success by leading a conversation or communication with positivity - Rewrite debilitating thought patterns and turn them into fuel for resilience and growth - Deal with negative people in a way that lessens their power - Share bad news more effectively to increase future social capital - Create and sustain a positive culture at work or home by creating contagious optimism - Help the people you care about most move from negative to positive in seconds Broadcasting Happiness showcases how real individuals and organizations have used these techniques to achieve results that include increasing revenues by hundreds of millions of dollars, raising a school district's graduation rate by 45 percent, and shifting family gatherings from toxic to thriving. Changing your broadcast can change your life, your success, and the lives of others around you. Broadcasting Happiness will show you how!
Broke Is Beautiful: Living and Loving the Cash-Strapped Life
by Laura LeeA Welcome Mat for the Wealthless
Broke Millennial Takes On Investing: A Beginner's Guide to Leveling Up Your Money
by Erin LowryA guide to investing basics by the author of Broke Millennial, for anyone who feels like they aren't ready (or rich enough) to get into the marketMillennials want to learn how to start investing. The problem is that most have no idea where to begin. There's a significant lack of information out there catering to the concerns of new millennial investors, such as: * Should I invest while paying down student loans? * How do I invest in a socially responsible way? * What about robo-advisors and apps--are any of them any good? * Where can I look online for investment advice?In this second book in the Broke Millennial series, Erin Lowry answers those questions and delivers all of the investment basics in one easy-to-digest package. Tackling topics ranging from common terminology to how to handle your anxiety to retirement savings and even how to actually buy and sell a stock, this hands-on guide will help any investment newbie become a confident player in the market on their way to building wealth.
Broke Millennial Talks Money: Scripts, Stories, and Advice to Navigate Awkward Financial Conversations
by Erin LowryA comprehensive guide to talking about money in every aspect of your life, including at work, with friends and family, and in relationships, from the author of the Broke Millennial series.Let's face it--talking about money is always awkward. In this user-friendly and approachable guide, finance writer Erin Lowry helps take the stress out of these tricky conversations. With scripts, tips, and troubleshooting advice, she takes you through every possible money talk scenario, including: • how to tell your friends you can't afford the same lifestyle they can • how to ask your parents if they can afford retirement and if they'll need your support as they age • how to talk to your coworkers about your salary and negotiate with your boss • how to broach the subject of a prenup with your fiancé Lowry arms you with all of the financial knowledge you'll need in order to get the most out of each interaction, whether that's with your friends, your spouse, your employer, or your mom. It's time to demystify our money and hash out these tough topics with the important people in our lives, and this helpful book will make it all much easier.
Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together
by Erin Lowry<p>Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck and Get Your Financial Life Together (#GYFLT)! <p>If you’re a cash-strapped 20- or 30-something, it’s easy to get freaked out by finances. But you’re not doomed to spend your life drowning in debt or mystified by money. It’s time to stop scraping by and take control of your money and your life with this savvy and smart guide. <p><i>Broke Millennial</i> shows step-by-step how to go from flat-broke to financial badass. Unlike most personal finance books out there, it doesn’t just cover boring stuff like credit card debt, investing, and dealing with the dreaded “B” word (budgeting). Financial expert Erin Lowry goes beyond the basics to tackle tricky money matters and situations most of us face #IRL, including: <p> <li>Understanding your relationship with moolah: do you treat it like a Tinder date or marriage material? <li>Managing student loans without having a full-on panic attack <li>What to do when you’re out with your crew and can’t afford to split the bill evenly <li>How to get “financially naked” with your partner and find out his or her “number” (debt number, of course) . . . and much more.</li> <p> <p>Packed with refreshingly simple advice and hilarious true stories, <i>Broke Millennial</i> is the essential roadmap every financially clueless millennial needs to become a money master. So what are you waiting for? Let’s #GYFLT!</p>
Broke Vegan: Over 100 budget plant-based recipes in 30 minutes or less
by Saskia SideyMAKE VEGANUARY EASY WITH SIMPLE PLANT BASED MEALS READY IN 30 MINUTES OR LESSWith over 100 quick & easy plant-based recipes using supermarket staples along with hints and tips for making vegan meals in no time at all, Broke Vegan: Speedy will have you cooking delicious dishes time after time that save money and save the planet. From easy weeknight meals to meals you can rustle up in 15 minutes or saving bags of time and money by batch cooking, Broke Vegan: Speedy has got you covered.Whether you're taking part in Veganuary for the first time, making the move from veggie to vegan or just trying to make your money go further, Broke Vegan: Speedy will bring variety and flavour to your meals without having to spend a fortune.Contents include:WEEKDAY LIFESAVERSREADY IN FIFTEENQUICK, QUICK, SLOWA LITTLE BIT SPECIALSPEEDY SWEETS
Broke Vegan: Over 100 budget plant-based recipes in 30 minutes or less
by Saskia SideyMAKE VEGANUARY EASY WITH SIMPLE PLANT BASED MEALS READY IN 30 MINUTES OR LESSWith over 100 quick & easy plant-based recipes using supermarket staples along with hints and tips for making vegan meals in no time at all, Broke Vegan: Speedy will have you cooking delicious dishes time after time that save money and save the planet. From easy weeknight meals to meals you can rustle up in 15 minutes or saving bags of time and money by batch cooking, Broke Vegan: Speedy has got you covered.Whether you're taking part in Veganuary for the first time, making the move from veggie to vegan or just trying to make your money go further, Broke Vegan: Speedy will bring variety and flavour to your meals without having to spend a fortune.Contents include:WEEKDAY LIFESAVERSREADY IN FIFTEENQUICK, QUICK, SLOWA LITTLE BIT SPECIALSPEEDY SWEETS
Broke Vegan: Over 100 plant-based recipes that don't cost the earth
by Saskia SideyAs seen on TV'There's something for everyone here... Brilliant recipes... A really clever book' - Georgina Hayden, Sunday Brunch We all want to help do our bit to save the planet by moving towards a plant-based diet, but let's face it: eating vegan can be expensive.With over 100 plant-based recipes using supermarket staples along with hints and tips for making your food go further, Broke Vegan will have you cooking meals time after time that save money and save the planet. From easy weeknight meals ready in 20 minutes to feeding a crowd on a budget or saving bags of time and money by batch cooking, Broke Vegan has got you covered.Whether you're taking part in Veganuary for the first time, making the move from veggie to vegan or just trying to make your money go further, Broke Vegan will bring variety and flavour to your meals without having to spend a fortune.BREAKFAST & BRUNCH including:Speedy sourdoughAny berry muffinsFrozen smoothie bowlBATCH COOKING including:Confit tomatoesChilli con veggieSticky sweet auberginesREADY IN 20 including:Kimchi pancakes with dipping sauceCauliflower nuggetsBack of the fridge frittersIMPRESS A CROWD including:Pizza 5 waysAny vegetable tartSOMETHING SWEET including: Chocolate mousse Lemon, coconut & cardamom cakeLeftover porridge flapjacks
Broke Vegan: Over 100 plant-based recipes that don't cost the earth
by Saskia SideyAs seen on TV'There's something for everyone here... Brilliant recipes... A really clever book' - Georgina Hayden, Sunday Brunch We all want to help do our bit to save the planet by moving towards a plant-based diet, but let's face it: eating vegan can be expensive.With over 100 plant-based recipes using supermarket staples along with hints and tips for making your food go further, Broke Vegan will have you cooking meals time after time that save money and save the planet. From easy weeknight meals ready in 20 minutes to feeding a crowd on a budget or saving bags of time and money by batch cooking, Broke Vegan has got you covered.Whether you're taking part in Veganuary for the first time, making the move from veggie to vegan or just trying to make your money go further, Broke Vegan will bring variety and flavour to your meals without having to spend a fortune.BREAKFAST & BRUNCH including:Speedy sourdoughAny berry muffinsFrozen smoothie bowlBATCH COOKING including:Confit tomatoesChilli con veggieSticky sweet auberginesREADY IN 20 including:Kimchi pancakes with dipping sauceCauliflower nuggetsBack of the fridge frittersIMPRESS A CROWD including:Pizza 5 waysAny vegetable tartSOMETHING SWEET including: Chocolate mousse Lemon, coconut & cardamom cakeLeftover porridge flapjacks
Broke, Not Broken: Personal Finance for the Creative, Confused, Underpaid, and Overwhelmed
by Anna Jo BeckA compassionate, friendly, and even fun book about personal finance for the overwhelmed. In a world with fewer and fewer economic guarantees, every bit of knowledge is powerful, so we can build the life we dream of, meet our basic needs, and develop a healthy relationship with money. For many of us, salaried work and even hourly wages aren't part of our financial picture; this book is for the self-employed, the entrepreneur, the creative, and the gig worker whose relationship with money isn't well covered by other books. Anna Jo Beck is your calm, friendly, and knowledgable guide through the obstacle course of getting your funds, savings, spending, and debt in order. Hand-illustrated charts and worksheets mean you can start tackling your financial demons, building your safety net, and gaining confidence in your money and value right now.
Broken
by Katherine Ketcham William Cope MoyersUnlike some popular memoirs that have fictionalized and romanticized the degradations of drug addiction, Broken is a true-life tale of recovery that stuns and inspires with virtually every page. The eldest son of journalist Bill Moyers, William Cope Moyers relates with unforgettable clarity the story of how a young man with every advantage found himself spiraling into a love affair with crack cocaine that led him to the brink of death-and how a deep spirituality allowed him to conquer his shame, transform his life, and dedicate himself to changing America's politics of addiction.
Broken & Blessed: God Changes the World One Person and One Family At A Time (Broken and Blessed)
by Jessica LaGroneA little nod to those of us who are still feeling slightly half-baked: those with struggling families, cracked relationships, and a world that’s showing a little wear around the seams. When God wants to create the remarkable, He chooses to work with the less-than-perfect.Genesis is a book of beginnings. It is deeply concerned with the origins of things—of the universe, of humankind, of relationships, of sin, of civilization, of families, and of one special family created and chosen by God to be the instrument through which He would bless the world. That family is our family, yours and mine. Like all good family stories, it starts with not just a something or somewhere, but a someone.Part memoir, part biblical inspiration story, Broken & Blessed is about how change begins when one person decides to believe God’s promises and how that makes a change in a family, like ripples on water.
Broken Hallelujahs: Learning to Grieve the Big and Small Losses of Life
by Beth Allen Slevcove2016 IVP Readers' Choice Award
Broken Lenses: Seeing Others' Value in a World of Division (Broken Lenses)
by Emily BernathThe inspirational Christian author presents “a positive, emotional, and straightforward manual on Christian coping strategies” (Kirkus Reviews).In the first book of the series, Broken Lenses: Identifying Your Truth in a World of Lies, we learn to see ourselves as God sees us. In doing so, we begin to experience intimacy in our personal relationship with Him. This second book addresses how we should see others the same way God sees them. When we see others the way God sees them, it facilitates an environment of unity, rather than the division we commonly see in this world.Broken Lenses: Seeing Others’ Value in a World of Division focuses on twelve different truths such as, “They are Worthy,” “They are Welcome,” and “They Belong.” Each chapter explores what it means to value others, using lessons from the Bible to show us how we can apply these truths in our own lives.God sees everyone on this earth as valuable enough to die for. In Broken Lenses: Seeing Others’ Value in a World of Division, Emily Bernath encourages readers to see the value He sees, looking past people’s worldly image to appreciate their Godly image.
Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow
by Elizabeth Lesser"If we can stay awake when our lives are changing, secrets will be revealed to us--secrets about ourselves, about the nature of life, and about the eternal source of happiness and peace that is always available, always renewable, already within us."--ELIZABETH LESSERDuring times of transition, amid everyday stress, and even when we face seemingly insurmountable adversity, life offers us a choice: to turn away from change or to embrace it; to shut down or to be broken open and transformed. In the more than twenty-five years since she cofounded the Omega Institute--now the world's largest personal-growth and spiritual retreat center--Elizabeth Lesser has been an intimate witness to the ways in which human beings deal with change, loss, and difficulty. She herself has struggled to submit to what she calls the "Phoenix Process"-- allowing herself to be broken open in order to rise like the mythical bird from the ashes of past mistakes and suffering.In this beautifully written, often funny, and always inspiring book, Lesser has gathered together true stories about ordinary people who by design or disaster decided to step boldly into a fuller life. Here are profoundly moving narratives of fears overcome and risks taken; of hard times and difficult passages; of betrayal, divorce, sickness, and death; and of the day-to-day challenges of raising children, earning a living, and growing older. By sharing her own most human traits, Lesser helps us feel less lonely in our own struggles, and more optimistic about the possibility of transformation. Broken Open also introduces us to some of the world's greatest spiritual teachers--both ancient and living--and imparts the wisdom of various traditions, from Buddhist meditation to Sufi dance, and from Christian prayer to contemporary psychotherapy. Eminently practical, Lesser provides tools to support us in our quest for a clearer sense of purpose and a new passion for life. Broken Open is not only a testament to the inner richness and potential of every life but also a deeply trustworthy guide to the dynamics of healing and growth--how we resist and how we surrender, how we stay stuck and how we grow, and how we can turn misfortune into insight, and grief into joy. It helps us to discover within ourselves a fearless heart, a clear mind, and a shining soul.From the Hardcover edition.
Broken Open: What Painkillers Taught Me About Life and Recovery
by William Cope MoyersWilliam Cope Moyers was a model of sober success. As his inspiring story of overcoming addiction was on its way to becoming a New York Times bestseller, everyone thought he had finally achieved the redemption promised by recovery—including him. But the perfect story that helped Moyers become a famous face of the recovery movement was already unraveling, revealing a yet-to-be healed chasm between his public persona and conflicted inner life. A follow-up to his 2006 memoir Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption, this is Moyers&’s story of the ups and downs of life beyond the bright moments of early sobriety and what happened when a new crisis invaded what once seemed like a steady and secure recovery.William didn&’t know something was missing until it happened. He&’d been in recovery for alcohol and drugs for years. He was a recovery activist and a spokesperson for the gold standard of treatment and recovery organizations. He was a model leader and follower of Twelve Step programs. But, still, he slipped. And his slip lasted a few years. Privately, he was addicted to painkillers while publicly saying he was in recovery from alcohol and drug use. So, was he still in recovery? How could this happen to someone who did everything &“right&”? How did it go so wrong? With brutal honesty and introspection, William shares what happened after sobriety—after he&’d published his candid and shocking memoir, Broken, in 2006. While he no longer frequented or passed out on the floor of crack houses, his life of sobriety wasn&’t perfect. But his recovery was strong, or so he thought. Unfortunately, the opioid epidemic was stronger. It broke him. Broken Open could be one long story of self-justification. Instead, William takes a courageous look at the years he struggled and suffered to reclaim his recovery. He concludes by sharing the new perspectives these experiences provided. Recovery isn&’t black and white. Our recovery stories aren&’t things we have to live up to; they&’re journeys we get to live into. All-or-nothing approaches don&’t address the complications that make us human. As we continue our life journeys we learn and change and grow—and the things and people that help us sometimes change too.
Broken Places & Outer Spaces: Finding Creativity in the Unexpected (TED Books)
by Nnedi OkoraforA powerful journey from star athlete to sudden paralysis to creative awakening, award-winning science fiction writer Nnedi Okorafor shows that what we think are our limitations have the potential to become our greatest strengths.Nnedi Okorafor was never supposed to be paralyzed. A college track star and budding entomologist, Nnedi’s lifelong battle with scoliosis was just a bump in her plan—something a simple operation would easily correct. But when Nnedi wakes from the surgery to find she can’t move her legs, her entire sense of self begins to waver. Confined to a hospital bed for months, unusual things begin to happen. Psychedelic bugs crawl her hospital walls; strange dreams visit her nightly. Nnedi begins to put these experiences into writing, conjuring up strange, fantastical stories. What Nnedi discovers during her confinement would prove to be the key to her life as a successful science fiction author: In science fiction, when something breaks, something greater often emerges from the cracks. In Broken Places & Outer Spaces, Nnedi takes the reader on a journey from her hospital bed deep into her memories, from her painful first experiences with racism as a child in Chicago to her powerful visits to her parents’ hometown in Nigeria. From Frida Kahlo to Mary Shelly, she examines great artists and writers who have pushed through their limitations, using hardship to fuel their work. Through these compelling stories and her own, Nnedi reveals a universal truth: What we perceive as limitations have the potential to become our greatest strengths—far greater than when we were unbroken. A guidebook for anyone eager to understand how their limitations might actually be used as a creative springboard, Broken Places & Outer Spaces is an inspiring look at how to open up new windows in your mind.