Great Belief in an Open and Honest Mind…”The Point of It All: A Lifetime of Great Loves and Endeavors”, by Charles Krauthammer

41Before his death, American Columnist and Political Analyst, Charles Krauthammer compiled a collection of his most important works. The book, entitled The Point of It All: A Lifetime of Great Loves and Endeavors. Krauthammer was highly regarded for his opinions and analyzes of current issues and their effect on global democracy. He always cut through all the background noise of politics to get to the important issues with clarity and integrity. The book is edited and introduction written by his son, Daniel Krauthammer.

The book will fill the void left for thousands of fans who had great respect for Charles, and who tuned in with great anticipation to hear what he would have to comment on the issues of the day. He never disappointed in his clear, concise views. Even the most uninterested could have their interest peaked by his observations. But the book does more…… it shows his personal side, that of a husband, a dad and just a human being, who enjoyed chess, baseball, ideas, and competition.

The best description of Krauthammer’s book is the following…… it’s brimmed with a cup overflowing toward emotion paired with precise logic, and yet succinct in word craft nailing to the logical analysis…….a look at the man behind the words……one who had a great belief in an open and honest mind. R.I.P. Charles Krauthammer.

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Integrity, Trust in God, and the True Power of Forgiveness…”Higher is Waiting”, by Tyler Perry

WonderWhen one thinks of Tyler Perry, the actor, we think of his comedic character Madea. He created the character which has brought him much recognition and success as actor, director, and producer of the Madea movies. However, with the publishing of his book, Higher is Waiting, Perry also adds serious author to his resume.

The novel is very poignantly written, describing Perry’s life in vivid, moving prose, even though his early childhood and life were filled with brutality, depravation, and fear. He chose to be thankful for those people who helped him survive, rather than dwelling on the negatives. He gave praise to people such as…….his Aunt Mae who gave care to her grandfather, and who was born a slave and sewed quilts that told generational stories; Mr. Butler, a blind man who sold penny candies; and, his beloved Mother, Maxine, who endured abuse, money problems, and the daily struggle growing up in the old south. Perry very tenderly creates portraits of these people who taught him the important life lessons of integrity, trust in God, and the true power of forgiveness.

One reviewer says this of Tyler Perry…….despite his experiences early on in life, and despite having that natural ability to “sniff out” danger or ill intention, Perry has managed to develop an accepting and loving graciousness toward people, even toward those who have wronged him.

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Codenpendence, Eating Disorders, Abortion as Well as Many Others…”I’m Fine…And Other Lies”, by Whitney Cummings

I'm Fine...And Other LiesYou expect a book by Whitney Cummings, stand-up comic, actor and creator/co-creator of two network sitcoms, including the long-running “Two Broke Girls” would be funny. What you wouldn’t expect is that her memoir “I’m Fine … And Other Lies” would be such a frank, deeply moving account of her experiences with codependence, eating disorders, abortion, consent, fertility as well as many others.

“I feel I had dealt with a lot of my codependence in my personal life and professional life but it still was rearing its ugly head in other ways,” she told me. “Codependence is like a game of whack-a-mole. You think you’ve dealt with one part, another part pops up.”

“I so badly wanted everything to be easy that I ignored reality,” she continued. “The same mentality can be, ‘Oh, this guy will change. He’s done this with every other woman but if I just love him enough, he’ll change.’ Or, ‘My boss yells at me every day but if I just dress a certain way or get this brief in on time, she’ll stop.’ These things that we tell ourselves to self-soothe but ultimately end up putting us in dangerous situations, for me is a slippery slope.”

The theme of her book mimics her comedic style. There will be honesty and humor enough for any “2 Broke Girl” fan.

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Never Fear the Haters…Fear the weak who listen to them…”Obsessed or Be Average”, by Grant Cardone

Be Obsessed Or Be AverageFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The 10X Rule and If You’re Not First, You’re Last comes an in-your-face wake-up call for anyone truly ready for success. We’re in the middle of an epidemic of average. So-called “normal” people get up every day, go to work, do what’s asked of them, leave promptly at 5, and return home to sit on the couch and watch TV. Society tells us that this is what it means to lead a balanced life. Don’t stress too much or work too hard. Your career isn’t everything. But Grant Cardone thinks this preoccupation with balance has really just given an excuse to be mediocre.

This book will give you permission to be obsessed. It will make you aware of the haters and the naysayers. Grant points out the difference between the two, and how naysayers are worse than haters. “Never fear the haters – fear the weak who listen to them.”

It was a great refresher into obsession as a positive in business. Combine this with “Ego is the Enemy” and you have a powerful strategy. Literally makes you want to sprint to your goals and conquer them. Makes what you have to do obvious and clear.

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Harnessing the Electrifying Power of a Bold Vision…”Shoe Dog”, by Phil Knight

The Last MilePhil Knight, the founder of Nike has written a very honest and entertaining memoir about how he became the chairman of the board for one of the most successful companies in business history. His decision to try something other than the usual corporate employment and ladder climbing was reached after a back-packing trip through Asia, Europe, and Africa. He was 24 years old and was questioning what his future would hold. During that trip, he decided to follow an unconventional path…….one that would lead him to be the chairman of a company that now grosses $30 billion annually.

Knight was a graduate of the University of Oregon, where he was a runner on their track team. He decided that he wanted a career in something that would allow him to not only make money, but afford him the opportunity to pretty much “play all the time”. He began his amazing venture by borrowing $50 from his father, and sold Japanese made running shoes from the trunk of his Plymouth Valiant. He says that in his first year, he made a profit of $8,000. That “company” was named Blue Ribbon, after those hanging on his bedroom walls representing his own running competitions.

The road to his current multi-billion dollar corporation was not always rosey. Knight encountered many successes and setbacks along the way. But through those good and bad times, he persevered, with his most cherished accomplishment being the formation of relationships that formed the foundational heart and soul of Nike. One can only imagine the current thoughts of the struggling graphic designer who was paid $35 to create the iconic swoosh! The chairman Knight, and his “ragtag group of misfits”, together “harnessed the electrifying power of a bold vision and a shared belief in the redemptive, transformative power of sports, and created a brand, and a culture, that changed everything.”

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Feeling Strong and “Pretty Happy”, by Kate Hudson

Pretty HappyOne would think by looking at Kate Hudson, that she effortlessly goes through life ever beautiful, ever in the best of physical fitness. The truth is…….she has had to learn how to take care of herself, to strive to her fullest potential. She outlines her fitness journey in her book……Pretty Happy: Healthy Ways to Love Your Body. She is the mother of two, a businesswoman with her line of clothing, and actress. Her time is very precious, so she makes the most out of work outs. It takes motivation and a lot of discipline to meet your personal goals…… a whole lot of hard work. Her best feeling about it all is when physical and mental combine to give her a sense of feeling strong.

The book is not some tell all. It is meant to give an explanation of how, over a period of time, Kate developed a focus on how to connect with what her body needs by connecting to herself. In that way, she does not even have to think about what she needs to eat or how long she should work out.
She explains that she is not always the smiling, upbeat persona that the public is used to seeing in movies……she says, nobody is. She has great days, not so great days, and awful days, just like everyone else. She is leading a much more complicated life than in her earlier years, but feels more relaxed, self-assured, and confident than ever. She attributes this to feeling at peace with herself, which gives her the energy to face new challenges and new projects.

“When you understand yourself and connect to how you can become body smart, you realize pretty quickly that the perfect, the ideal is not the goal…….the goal is feeling good in your body.”

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Smiling Makes You Look Younger….”Timeless Beauty”, by Christie Brinkley

See MeAt 61 years old Christie Brinkley appears to be half her age, with a glow that would fool many who might be trying to guess her age. In her new book, Timeless Beauty, she has shared her secrets to an ageless beauty that anyone would love to have. The former supermodel spent five long days of personal appearances, and in retail stores autographing her book, but still managed to look fabulous. She has appeared on over 500 magazine covers around the world. Among her many honors have been being the first to appear as Sports Illustrated’s swim suit cover girl for three consecutive years, being the face of Cover Girl make-up for several years, and being selected as a featured person in the 100 Most Beautiful People in People Magazine. Christie is an active Vegan……..the 5’9″ beauty attributes her youthful glow to her healthy lifestyle, and to inheriting her mother’s good looks. She is the mother to Alexa 29, Jack 20, and Sailor 17.

One free tip before you read the book filled with over 100 beauty secrets……..Christie says the best secret to looking younger is a great smile!

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There Must be a Pony Here Somewhere, “A Lucky Life Interrupted”, by Tom Brokaw

A Lucky Life InterruptedTom Brokaw, the former news anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News has written a new book, A Lucky Life Interrupted: A Memoir of Hope, in which he reflects back on his life and considers what he would still like to achieve. He was 75 years old and had extreme back pain due to his multiple myeloma. Every day that he went outside his Manhattan apartment, he was smacked in the face by a huge billboard of a young, healthy Tom Brady starring back at him. He admitted to Tom Brady the first time they met, that he therapeutically cursed that billboard every time he saw it. He told Brady that his cursing him got him through cancer treatment. The story gave the New England Patriots quarterback a good laugh.
Brokaw was very touched by all those who reached out to him with support during his battle with cancer. Among them were the current President, President George W. Bush, Charles Barkley, and many more, including David Letterman, who was very kind in checking on him and inviting him to dinner. It was immensely helpful to him to have such considerate people caring about him.
In the book, he considers his bucket list: ● Learn to sail solo ● Learn to play chess ● Get a short story published ● Spend more mornings by the sea, with his wife, Meredith, a copy of The New Yorker, and plenty of black coffee ●Fish more river and saltwater flats
Brokaw insists he is an eternal optimist, even through the difficult journey of having multiple myeloma. A great story he used as illustrating that optimism was when Ronald Reagan used the great line “about a child comes down in the morning, and beneath the Christmas tree there is just an enormous pile of horse dung. And he starts thinking, ‘there must be a pony here somewhere’. That is kind of my attitude about life.”

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Thinking Big, Giving Big….”Living Big”, by Pam Grout

Living BigDo you ever say to yourself, “Is this all there is?” Most of us ask ourselves the question, then just go back to the program we are watching on television. Author, Pam Grout has written a helpful book to give advice on how to get the most out of your life if you seriously want more.

Some of the subject titles are: “Thinking Big, Giving Big, Blessing Big, Imagining Big…….” The list is quite lengthy. She gives examples of many different people who have accomplished their goals. There are ordinary people, extraordinary people, people with money, people without, and people who have fallen on hard times. Some people overcame huge obstacles just to be able to help others.

One key to “Living Big” is to get over your suspicion of others when thinking, “wonder what they want from me”. We must remind ourselves that what we give is what matters, not what we may receive in return. We were always taught……it is better to give than to receive.

The object of the book is to teach how to shift attitudes, how to make the most out of your day, and become the person that we wish we could be. By “Living Big” in all facets of your life, each of us has the ability to make a difference on our own lives, and in the world!

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Start your new year off on the right track…”Work Simply”, by Carson Tate

Blood MagickCarson Tate has put her thoughts on the most productive means by which different people can work into her book, “Work Simply: Embracing The Powers of Your Personal Productive Style”. The book is a tool to use to avoid the pitfalls of “spending more time managing our calendars and to-do lists than doing actual work”.

Tate observes that we are so different in the way our brains work, and that so called “experts” who give instruction do not allow for those differences. There are four major styles of individual productivity: Prioritizers, Planners, Arrangers, and Visualizers. Her tactics allow the individual to leverage their personal style instead of fighting it.
Her informative advice shows how you can even improve workplace relationships by understanding different styles. She gives an example of “you’ll find out why it’s more effective to e-mail a Planner, but deliver the same message in person to an Arranger”.

One reviewer said that with Carson Tate’s book, she feels that she is entering 2015 inspired to adjust her time management and productivity practices to better align not only how she works, but how she lives!

Start your new year on the right track!!! Get your digital audio copy today!!!