Personal Memoirs

Ryan Blair knows about building a business from the ground up. Like many entrepreneurs he had no formal business education. But he had great survival instincts, tenacity, and, above all, a "nothing to lose" mindset.Blair's middle-class childhood came to an abrupt end when his abusive father succumbed to drug addiction and abandoned the family. Blair and his mother moved to a bad neighborhood, and soon he was in and out of juvenile detention, joining a gang just to survive. Then his mother fell in love with a successful entrepreneur who took Ryan under his wing.

Nattanya Andersen's cherished career as a flight-attendant for one of the world's largest airlines careened to a halt, when a jet-engine-explosion five feet away from her at 6,000 feet altitude shortly after take-off left her with post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD). The mental health professions' apparent lack of knowledge concerning the treatment of PTSD-sufferers and Nattanya's desire to help herself lead her to search for empirical studies on PTSD and other health-issues and dangers facing air-crew - and by extension their passengers - on a daily basis.

This program is read by read by Sura Siu with an exclusive note written and read by the author. One of TIME and Oprah Daily's Most Anticipated Books of 2025 “Siu's measured, compassionate delivery honors Nguyen's story, which balances the raw emotion of trauma with the strength of survival...

Emily Smith was held in a prison of fear for ten years. When she was four, her father left and a new man was brought into her life. He loved her, he kept telling her so, but the emotional and physical abuse she suffered at his hands were a daily nightmare. Until one day, after he crept into her bedroom, her life became unbearable. Emily found she was different in another way as her autism became more noticeable and punishments for her 'abnormal' behavior more severe. Astonishingly, she managed to escape her home of hell, where she was abused right in front of her mother.

Here are 21 inspirational stories about role models and counting your blessings. The stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive will encourage listeners to stay upbeat, because there's always a brighter way to look at life. This book continues Chicken Soup for the Soul's focus on inspiration and hope, reminding us that each day holds something to be thankful for.

Set against a backdrop of East End London, Georgia experienced a childhood few of us could imagine. Though brought up in a loving family, she watched her family break apart through deceit and her mother descend into heroin addiction. Escaping into what she felt was a loving sanctuary, Georgia ended up trapped in a violent relationship with a man who would beat and abuse her. After having her three children by him, she knew she had to escape to finally find safety. Now Georgia is sharing her story of survival to help others and prove there is hope even after trauma and heartache.

"If you can dream it, you can do it!" - das ist bei Oliver Brünner keine Floskel. Dabei sah im Leben des heute erfolgreichen Speakers eigentlich alles ganz anders aus. Noch während seiner Geburt zieht sich die Nabelschnur seiner Mutter wie eine Schlinge um seinen Hals, weswegen er fortan mit einer spastischen Tetraparese lebt. Doch Oliver trotzt den vermeintlichen Widrigkeiten und kann heute auf einen Lebensweg zurückblicken, den dem schon früh als "Sorgenkind" titulierten Jungen wohl niemand zugetraut hätte. Seine Geheimwaffe: das Träumen.

Amy's happy life changed forever when her mother suddenly passed. Abandoned by her family as they struggled to cope, she found herself facing hardships and exploitation alone, which eventually led to severe drug addiction at twelve years old. Now she shares what it was like to survive her new life in UK #1 bestselling author Toni Maguire's latest survivor story, Abandoned Child. This book, full of dark secrets and hard choices, follows Amy's journey from a victim to a fighter. The lesson? Change isn't easy, but it is worth it.

From Obama's former communications director and current co-host of Pod Save America comes a colorful account of how politics, the media, and the Internet changed during the Obama presidency and how Democrats can fight back in the Trump era. On November 9th, 2016, Dan Pfeiffer woke up like most...

Finally! A male survivor speaks out about male childhood sexual abuse. Randy offers survivors and their families answers to their questions of why victims act out the way they do, and strategies to start living with greater purpose and happiness. Unlike books based on academic theories and abstract philosophies, Randy Boyd talks candidly about what it takes for men, women, and their families to heal from the pain of childhood sexual abuse. Randy tells his story in a way that the lay-person can absolutely relate to.

Over a three-decade span, more than 20 women - many teenagers - died mysteriously in the small towns bordering Interstate 45, a 50-mile stretch of highway running from Houston to Galveston. The victims were strangled, shot, or savagely beaten.

No es maldita la mujer asesinada porque era malvada o perversa, sino porque cayó sobre ella la maldición de ser víctima de un feminicida; maldita porque sobre su muerte se abrieron las horas más trágicas y dolorosas para su familia.

Frances Stroh's earliest memories are ones of great privilege: shopping trips to London and New York, lunches served by black-tied waiters at the Regency Hotel, and a house filled with precious antiques, which she was forbidden to touch. Established in Detroit in 1850, by 1984 the Stroh Brewing Company had become the largest private beer fortune in America and a brand emblematic of the American dream itself; while Stroh was coming of age, the Stroh family fortune was estimated to be worth $700 million.

An old fashioned love story and a practical map for spiritual growth. Life of Kai, a memoir of awakening, takes the listener on a spirited journey through shamanic ceremonies, meetings with remarkable people, adventures in nature, love, death, grief and renewal. This is a captivating listen that you will not forget.

From the early lessons she learned growing up in South London, to the moment she gave up the 9 to 5 to do what she loved, Patricia Bright’s story will revolutionise how you think about work, life, and what it means to succeed.

Against all odds, one man chooses life. This is his remarkable story. This groundbreaking work invites us on a heartfelt journey from tragedy to triumph, changing the way we typically think about our body, our mind, and what we are truly capable of accomplishing. Terri Mah's ordinary life was rocked when persistent indigestion turned out to be Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer. His story offers hope, resources, and practical examples demonstrating the true power within us to heal.

In this humorous memoir, New York Times bestselling author and podcast host of The Spiritual Life, Father James Martin tells the story of a busboy, dishwasher, caddy, usher, factory worker, bank teller, and corporate tool and, finally, a Jesuit priest. ""Funny, charming, inspiring and...

As the voices of transracial adoptees gain prominence in academic, literary, and creative works, Adopting Privilege emerges as both a timely and vital contribution to the discourse. Through the lens of an adoptee, Dr. Hasberry’s debut memoir explores the triumphs, challenges, and complexities of transracial adoption, the nuances that make it difficult to hold space for oneself, and the experience that comes with adopting outside of race.

This cultural history and memoir of stage fright will resonate with anyone terrified of speaking or performing in public. Stage fright is one of the human psyche's deepest fears, challenging actors, musicians, professional athletes, and people from all walks of life. Surveys in the United States repeatedly rank public speaking as one of the top fears, affecting up to 74 percent of people.

Remembering Satan is a lucid, measured, yet absolutely riveting inquest into a case that destroyed a family, engulfed a small town, and captivated an America obsessed by rumors of a satanic underground. It follows the increasingly bizarre accusations and confessions, as well as the claims and counterclaims of police, FBI investigators, and mental-health professionals.