Self Biography

Discover a story of healing and personal transformation. Marlena’s childhood was full of contradictions. Her father was both a heroic doctor for people with leprosy and an abusive parent. Her Mennonite missionary community was both a devoted tribe and a controlling society. And Marlena longed to both be accepted in Paraguay and escape to somewhere new. In Nothing Bad Between Us, follow Marlena’s journey as she takes control of her life and learns to be her authentic self, scars and imperfections included.

Every great artist started out as a kid. Forget the awards, the sold-out museum exhibitions, and the timeless masterpieces. When the world’s most celebrated artists were growing up, they had regular-kid problems just like you. Jackson Pollock’s family moved constantly - he lived in eight different cities before he was 16 years old. Georgia O’Keeffe lived in the shadow of her “perfect” older brother Francis. And Jean-Michel Basquiat triumphed over poverty to become one of the world’s most influential artists.

Dance Until it Rains shares the life of a remarkable lady, and in so doing, highlights the amazing lessons that each of us can learn, not only from her life, but also from our own. It is an inspirational story of love, hope, courage and overcoming the many obstacles life throws our way. It will help you to find the motivation to create a better level of wellbeing and a happier life for yourself.

This book continues Chicken Soup for the Soul's focus on inspiration and hope in these difficult times. These inspirational stories remind us that each day holds something to be thankful for - whether it is having the sun shine or having food on the table. These stories of the joy of giving, attitude, and being grateful for what you have remind us of the simple pleasures of family, home, health, and inexpensive good times.

Jono Lancaster was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome - a condition that affects facial appearence - and at only two weeks old, he found himself in foster care. In his remarkable story, Jono shares the highs and lows of his journey and how he turned his differences into his greatest strengths. Inspirational, empowering and moving - this is an extraordinary memoir with a powerful message: you are strong enough to become your own hero. (Cape optional.)

At 23, Isa Mazzei was just like any other college graduate: broke, lacking purpose, and searching for an identity. She was also a compulsive seductress with a reputation as a slut and heartbreaker. One day, while working a low-paying retail job, she had a revelation: why not embrace her salacious image and make some money off of it?

Gigorou (jig-goo-roo) means ‘beauty’ or ‘beautiful’ in Jirrbal, the language of Sasha Kutabah Sarago’s grandmother. Growing up, Sarago didn’t feel gigorou. At a young age, she was told, ‘You’re too pretty to be Aboriginal’. Since then, she’s been on a journey to reconcile her conflict with beauty. In this intimately fierce, funny and reflective audiobook, Sarago retraces her footsteps as a beauty assistant, model and magazine editor to find the answers she’s searching for.

Exclusive interviews with the top athletes in sports today. Trust the Grind: How World-Class Athletes Got to the Top reveals how these men and women reached the heights of their profession so that you can too. Each chapter tells a different story, as each superstar shares the habit that helped them accomplish their goals and reach the pinnacle of their profession.

Are you standing at the crossroads of midlife, grappling with the unraveling of old identities and the uncertainty of what's ahead? Self-Reckoning offers a raw and inspiring account of transformation, resilience, and self-discovery after 40 and divorce.

The founder of Boss Women Media and Black Girl Magic summit shares tips on how to stop playing it safe—and start creating a life that's truly your own. Marty McDonald’s pivotal career moment was nothing if not audacious: she stopped the CEO of a candy company in a hallway, pitched her idea...

Covering seven decades of living, traveling, and growing, Does My Voice Matter? follows James’ journey of self-discovery and authenticity as she gradually recognizes that she has a voice—and learns how to use it. She uses her own life experiences as a backdrop for her exploration of how the voice is used as a tool of engagement.

Through her life story, rising Republican star Senator Katie Britt shares some candid advice for how to overcome personal challenges, appreciate blessed moments, make our lives more fulfilling, and keep an unshakeable faith in God, family and our country. With grit and grace, Katie Britt has...

Having struggled with gut-wrenching depression, a broken back, sexual abuse, a severe eating disorder, attempted suicide, and a brain aneurysm - all before she was 18 - Dawn learned to become a fighter and survivor. Her deepest desire is to turn everyone she meets into their own rock star through her strategy based coaching practice.

This is an ideal introduction to the ideas of a man whom many regard as the greatest thinker of our time. Here we encounter the stages in the development of his unique philosophy of consciousness, his key intellectual breakthroughs, his theory of history, and his diagnosis of the political ills of the modern age. The book provides a veritable catalog of the thinkers who created the intellectual foundation of the twentieth century.

"This work offers wonderful wisdom for navigating the inflection points in our lives." - Mehmet Oz, MD An iconic teacher. A warm friend. A generous mentor. For more than 40 years, Howard Stevenson has been a towering figure at Harvard Business School: the man who literally defined...

Women today feel a constant pressure to improve themselves and just never feel like they’re “enough.” All too often, they live their daily lives disheartened, disillusioned, and disappointed. That’s because joy doesn’t come from a new self-improvement strategy; it comes from rooting their identity in who God says they are and what he has done on their behalf.

Our beauty rituals are so often based around things we think we need to fix, grow, and develop—sometimes tipping into dangerous obsession. So, what seismic shift does it take to break free from this mentality? In Ugly, Anita uncovers where these beauty standards started, unpicks why they've been perpetuated, and unmasks the structures that continue to support them. From the ever-growing cosmetic surgery industry, to the hidden pitfalls of "pretty privilege," it is time to finally break free from those limiting beauty standards.

My pain of sexual abuse did not really kick in till later in life. In the audiobook, you will discover my darkest secret that most of my family do not know to this day. I chose to open up my abuse in the church not to shame the Christian faith, as I have since returned to God and found Christ, but to help victims of sexual abuse and give them hope. This is as real as I can write, and tears are falling off my eyes right now. The pain goes deep, and even now, I wonder what better boyfriend and husband I could have been if I had not been taken advantage of in the church.

That day she revolted, as she felt a warm and foamy substance running down her legs. Though she was 16, Diana knew what had just occurred was an injustice act. She had been raped by the Caucasian man but decides to keep the event to herself and not tell a soul. Instead, she allowed it to create a cloud of poisonous hate in her that will further spill the venom on her future relations. Years passed, and her heart kept darkening by anger mixed with hate. Treading on this path; her happiness became distant from her.

It Gets Better is a collection of expanded essays and new material from celebrities, everyday people, and teens who have posted videos of encouragement, as well as new contributors who have yet to post videos to the site. While many of these teens couldn’t see a positive future for themselves, others can. We can show LGBT youth the levels of happiness, potential, and positivity their lives will reach if they can just get through their teen years.