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Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad (Austin Kleon)
by Austin KleonKeep Going shows you how to stay true to and focused on your own creative vision when the world seems out of control.In ten heavily illustrated, inspiring chapters, bestselling author Austin Kleon offers advice, stories, and anecdotes that teach you how to persist in doing work that helps make a world worth living in.
The Key to Happiness: How to Find Purpose by Unlocking the Secrets of the World's Happiest People
by Meik Wiking** FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR ****Previously published as The Little Book of Lykke**"A wonderful guide to happy living. It's based on hard evidence and written with a wonderful sense of fun" Richard Layard, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE and author of HappinessHappiness is just around the corner with this practical guide from happiness researcher Meik WikingMeik Wiking understands happiness better than anyone. In his role as Founder and CEO of the world's only Happiness Research Institute, he has travelled the globe interviewing the world's happiest people to discover the key components of happiness.In The Key to Happiness, Meik explores the hidden treasures which can improve your happiness, and divides them into the six building blocks of happiness; togetherness, money, health, kindness, trust and freedom. For each happiness block he offers practical tips: for togetherness he encourages setting up a mini-library in your apartment building or starting a tool-sharing programme in your street; for kindness he suggests leaving a surprise gift on a stranger's doorstep, helping a tourist find their way or telling someone who means a lot to you that they do.Drawing on social science, case studies and Meik's original research, this practical guide shows us that you can find happiness in a simple way of life. While Meik has travelled across the glove to discover the secrets of the world's happiest people, this book shows us that you can be just as happy where you are.This book is the perfect guide on how to survive and navigate the modern world with a smile on your face."An inspiring and highly engaging exploration of what really makes us happy, all underpinned by the latest research" Dr Mark Williamson Director of Action for Happiness
Kingdom Come: Finding Holy in the Here and Now
by Melissa ZaldivarDiscover how God's Divine Presence gives your purpose and fulfillment regardless of life's season as you learn to discern the temporary from the eternal and live with conviction.Have you ever looked at your life and wondered, "Is this it?" After a childhood of being promised the future is bright, it's difficult to see meaning and purpose as you trudge through your everyday adulthood obligations. Expectations are unmet, hope fades, and disappointment in relationships and careers leaves you longing for better while living broken. But some things are temporary and others eternal, and you must learn to tell the difference.The Kingdom and Presence of God are still present, right here and right now. And experiencing them changes everything. Glimpses of God's divine Kingdom can be found in your workplace, classroom, and around the dinner table with friends. His nearness can be felt in celebratory moments and in empty apartments and when the phone rings with devastating news. Even when the world around you appears to be falling apart, God and His Kingdom remain steadfast.As you experience the inevitable pain of finding your way, this book will help you realize you aren't alone and encourage you through the narrative of Scripture. Many have gone before us and shown us the way. God's Kingdom has come (and is still coming) and His presence is real. Eternal things can be seen if we learn to look through the lens of His unchanging Truth.
Knowledge Quiz: Higher Maths (PDF)
by Jo MorganThe Knowledge Quiz series is a deviously simple and effective way for students to revise for GCSE subjects. Put together by teaching experts, these easy-to-use books feature tear-out quizzes to help students memorise the large body of knowledge that form the basis of success in exams. Rather than just flicking through revision cards expecting things to stick in your memory, self-quizzing allows students to complete multiple copies of the same quiz and keep doing them until you get them right every time. This edition will help students to effectively drill the essential facts necessary for success in the GCSE Foundation Maths exam.
Labyrinth Meditations: Labyrinths for Mindfulness, Meditation and Centering
by Madonna GaudingA labyrinth is a beautiful metaphor for spiritual and personal transformation, and many meditation practitioners see it as a symbol of the journey we take in life. By following a path that is meandering yet purposeful, we visit our own centre, and then back again - out into the world - with the new-found wisdom we have gained.Including 10 guided meditations and 30 unique labyrinths, Labyrinth Meditations will release you from the stress of day-to-day life and help you to discover inner peace, wisdom and strength.
Lake of the Ozarks: My Surreal Summers in a Vanishing America
by Bill GeistBeloved TV host Bill Geist pens a reflective memoir of his incredible summers spent in the heart of America in this New York Times bestseller.Before there was "tourism" and souvenir ashtrays became "kitsch," the Lake of the Ozarks was a Shangri-La for middle-class Midwestern families on vacation, complete with man-made beaches, Hillbilly Mini Golf, and feathered rubber tomahawks. It was there that author Bill Geist spent summers in the Sixties during his school and college years working at Arrowhead Lodge -- a small resort owned by his bombastic uncle -- in all areas of the operation, from cesspool attendant to bellhop.What may have seemed just a summer job became, upon reflection, a transformative era where a cast of eccentric, small-town characters and experiences shaped (some might suggest "slightly twisted") Bill into the man he is today. He realized it was this time in his life that had a direct influence on his sensibilities, his humor, his writing, and ultimately a career searching the world for other such untamed creatures for the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, and CBS News.In Lake of the Ozarks, Emmy Award-winning CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Bill Geist reflects on his coming of age in the American Heartland and traces his evolution as a man and a writer. He shares laugh-out-loud anecdotes and tongue-in-cheek observations guaranteed to evoke a strong sense of nostalgia for "the good ol' days." Written with Geistian wit and warmth, Lake of the Ozarks takes readers back to a bygone era, and demonstrates how you can find inspiration in the most unexpected places.
Lake of the Ozarks: My Surreal Summers in a Vanishing America
by Bill GeistBeloved TV host Bill Geist pens a reflective memoir of his incredible summers spent in the heart of America in this New York Times bestseller.Before there was "tourism" and souvenir ashtrays became "kitsch," the Lake of the Ozarks was a Shangri-La for middle-class Midwestern families on vacation, complete with man-made beaches, Hillbilly Mini Golf, and feathered rubber tomahawks. It was there that author Bill Geist spent summers in the Sixties during his school and college years working at Arrowhead Lodge -- a small resort owned by his bombastic uncle -- in all areas of the operation, from cesspool attendant to bellhop.What may have seemed just a summer job became, upon reflection, a transformative era where a cast of eccentric, small-town characters and experiences shaped (some might suggest "slightly twisted") Bill into the man he is today. He realized it was this time in his life that had a direct influence on his sensibilities, his humor, his writing, and ultimately a career searching the world for other such untamed creatures for the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, and CBS News.In Lake of the Ozarks, Emmy Award-winning CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Bill Geist reflects on his coming of age in the American Heartland and traces his evolution as a man and a writer. He shares laugh-out-loud anecdotes and tongue-in-cheek observations guaranteed to evoke a strong sense of nostalgia for "the good ol' days." Written with Geistian wit and warmth, Lake of the Ozarks takes readers back to a bygone era, and demonstrates how you can find inspiration in the most unexpected places.
The Last Diet: Discover the secret to losing weight – for good
by Shahroo IzadiThis is the last diet you'll ever need. Transform your relationship with food and your body for good with The Last Diet from Behavioural Change Specialist, Shahroo Izadi. Shahroo Izadi presents the best approach to losing weight, without telling you what or how to eat. Shahroo goes deeper than traditional diet plans, using her professional experience working in addiction treatment and personal experience of struggling with her own weight and body image to help you find the best diet for your body and your life.She shares how the same evidence-based tools she used effectively with her clients in active addiction helped her to lose eight stone in weight, increase her self-esteem and help her self-manage a range of unwanted habits around food and negative self-talk. Shahroo introduces her revolutionary kindness method and highlights the importance of positive self-perception, showing how to embrace self-kindness and self-respect. Diets often offer quick short-term fixes and so-called miracle cures, but the real challenge is managing weight and changing habits over a sustained period of time. Everybody's journeys and needs are different: it is all about changing the way we communicate with ourselves and our bodies every single day, in every aspect of our lives. The Last Diet helps you identify where your unhealthy habits come from, and how to accept them, change them and what to do when you slip up through self-tailored exercises to maintain your physical and mental wellbeing. Shahroo guides you through every step, helping you to draw out your own wisdom and find motivation for changing long-term habits and losing weight – for good.
Lead Successful Projects (Penguin Business Experts Series)
by Antonio Nieto-RodriguezAre you struggling to juggle multiple projects? Do you often lose control of your budget? Does communicating your progress to the rest of your team cause you undue stress? Project management is an essential skill for anyone who needs to get things done in any organisation, and is absolutely critical for anyone leading strategic change. In Lead Successful Projects, the Penguin Business Expert guide, Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez introduces a simplified but strategic approach to project management developed over the last 20 years coaching executives, managers and MBAs.Learn how to break down your project into manageable elements, define smart goals and meet them in this concise and practical guide to project success.
The Leadership Factor: The 7 characteristics of exceptional leaders
by Drew Povey Laura McInerneySome leaders just have 'it'. They walk into a room and you know they are in charge. But how? What sort of person is so inspirational that even when the chips are down they make their team feel like the strongest warriors, ready and willing to march over the hill into battle? Drew Povey is one of the UK's most influential leadership authorities. Over decades working with leaders in education, the police, the National Health service, elite-level sport and international businesses, he has developed a unique multi-sector viewpoint - and a universal model for becoming an authoritative, dynamic and brave leader. Every successful CEO, world-beating sports captain and inspirational teacher exhibits the same characteristics: the 7Cs that together create the Leadership `it' Factor - curiosity, change-ability, charisma, connection, confidence, collaboration and courage. Taking each attribute in turn, Drew explains its necessity and guides the reader with steps and exercises to master it. With countless concise case studies from the worlds of business, education and global politics - some famous; some not so famous; many notorious - Drew draws lessons, guides development and paves the path to great leadership.
Leading on the Frontline: Remarkable Stories and Essential Leadership Lessons from the World's Danger Zones
by Linda CruseTransform your leadership with powerful lessons from the frontline Leading on the Frontline brings humanitarian leadership into the boardroom, giving business leaders a powerful lesson in engagement, motivation, inspiration and innovation. Drawing upon a lifetime of humanitarian work in some of the world’s most difficult places, author Linda Cruse shares stories from the frontline that illustrate how to dig deep, inspire, thrive and more. Business leaders work on a different type of frontline — one that is no less volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous — and the ability to deal effectively with the unexpected sets great leaders apart from the herd. Tap into your own intuition, compassion and courage; keep composure under pressure; align vision with strategic goals; exercise mental toughness — these skills are required in the aftermath of a tsunami in Thailand or a landslide in Nepal, and in business, they propel good people to great feats of leadership. This book presents extraordinary stories of extraordinary people who confront the best and worst of humanity every day. These people accomplish big things with few resources, prioritise progress over personal comfort and prevail over seemingly impossible odds. Their lessons contain multitudes for those who aspire to be great leaders — and the very best version of themselves. Learn the secrets of effective leadership through the frontline humanitarian lens Master the art of storytelling to build morale, strengthen teamwork and define problem solving paradigms See everyday situations in a new way, discover new possibilities and unearth new solutions Learn how extraordinary people confront fear, face death and find joy in the most difficult circumstances Whether on the frontline or in the boardroom, the objective is the same: to achieve goals and exceed expectations. Leading on the Frontline equips leaders with the skills and perspective they need to emerge victorious in a relentlessly volatile, constantly changing world.
Leading on the Frontline: Remarkable Stories and Essential Leadership Lessons from the World's Danger Zones
by Linda CruseTransform your leadership with powerful lessons from the frontline Leading on the Frontline brings humanitarian leadership into the boardroom, giving business leaders a powerful lesson in engagement, motivation, inspiration and innovation. Drawing upon a lifetime of humanitarian work in some of the world’s most difficult places, author Linda Cruse shares stories from the frontline that illustrate how to dig deep, inspire, thrive and more. Business leaders work on a different type of frontline — one that is no less volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous — and the ability to deal effectively with the unexpected sets great leaders apart from the herd. Tap into your own intuition, compassion and courage; keep composure under pressure; align vision with strategic goals; exercise mental toughness — these skills are required in the aftermath of a tsunami in Thailand or a landslide in Nepal, and in business, they propel good people to great feats of leadership. This book presents extraordinary stories of extraordinary people who confront the best and worst of humanity every day. These people accomplish big things with few resources, prioritise progress over personal comfort and prevail over seemingly impossible odds. Their lessons contain multitudes for those who aspire to be great leaders — and the very best version of themselves. Learn the secrets of effective leadership through the frontline humanitarian lens Master the art of storytelling to build morale, strengthen teamwork and define problem solving paradigms See everyday situations in a new way, discover new possibilities and unearth new solutions Learn how extraordinary people confront fear, face death and find joy in the most difficult circumstances Whether on the frontline or in the boardroom, the objective is the same: to achieve goals and exceed expectations. Leading on the Frontline equips leaders with the skills and perspective they need to emerge victorious in a relentlessly volatile, constantly changing world.
The Lean and Happy Home: More time, less stress. How to get your family life in order
by Eva JarlsdotterIn seven simple steps...Lean removes waste: wasted money, energy, resources.Lean will give you the gift of time.Lean is a set of principles embraced by the most creative and dynamic organisations around the world, and now for the first time, Swedish social entrepreneur Eva Jarlsdotter applies them to family life.Embracing the Japanese 'stream' technique, Eva's seven steps show you how to systematically create and maintain order. From kaizen (continuous improvement) to kanban (visual planning), these principles will bring harmony and a sense of flow to your home. No more time wasted searching for your keys, important paperwork or your internet banking password; no more throwing away food past its sell-by date or arguing about the mess; no more feeling on the back foot all the time. This transformative book will also empower children in the household to take responsibility for their belongings and their schedules, meaning a lot less parental nagging. This modern guide will transform family life from the inside out. The time you save can be channelled into doing things you actually want to do. Be inspired by Eva's own story, understand how Lean works and start to apply her small changes to your everyday life - you will be delighted with the results.
The Leap of Your Life: How to Redefine Risk, Quit Waiting For 'Someday,' and Live Boldly
by Tommy BakerThere’s a bold decision in your life you’ve been waiting to make, and every day passing by is a reminder of what hasn’t happened. Conveniently tucked in a box labeled ‘someday,’ the fear of the unknown has taken a grip on your life and put your dreams on hold. Until now. Whether your leap is quitting the soul sucking job and starting your own business, taking a bold chance on love or finally going all in on your dreams, The Leap of Your Life is the ticket to get you there. All while having the time of your life and ensuring you don’t wake up years down the line with a sinking feeling of regret. Author and high-performance coach Tommy Baker has helped thousands of everyday people identify and take their leap, step into courage and create a life they can’t wait to wake up for. After interviewing 250+ of the world’s most powerful entrepreneurs, thought leaders, experts, spiritual teachers and athletes he discovered a common theme: They all took a leap, even if they were full of fear—and it radically transformed their experience of life. If you’re ready to: Re-define risk and stop playing small Step into the boldest version of yourself Give yourself permission to take a chance Live the Hero’s Journey of your life story Eradicate regret and ‘what could have been’ . . . then look no further and order The Leap Of Your Life now!
The Leap of Your Life: How to Redefine Risk, Quit Waiting For 'Someday,' and Live Boldly
by Tommy BakerThere’s a bold decision in your life you’ve been waiting to make, and every day passing by is a reminder of what hasn’t happened. Conveniently tucked in a box labeled ‘someday,’ the fear of the unknown has taken a grip on your life and put your dreams on hold. Until now. Whether your leap is quitting the soul sucking job and starting your own business, taking a bold chance on love or finally going all in on your dreams, The Leap of Your Life is the ticket to get you there. All while having the time of your life and ensuring you don’t wake up years down the line with a sinking feeling of regret. Author and high-performance coach Tommy Baker has helped thousands of everyday people identify and take their leap, step into courage and create a life they can’t wait to wake up for. After interviewing 250+ of the world’s most powerful entrepreneurs, thought leaders, experts, spiritual teachers and athletes he discovered a common theme: They all took a leap, even if they were full of fear—and it radically transformed their experience of life. If you’re ready to: Re-define risk and stop playing small Step into the boldest version of yourself Give yourself permission to take a chance Live the Hero’s Journey of your life story Eradicate regret and ‘what could have been’ . . . then look no further and order The Leap Of Your Life now!
Lessons in Stoicism: What Ancient Philosophers Teach Us about How to Live
by John SellarsA deeply comforting and enlightening book on how Stoicism can inspire us to lead more enjoyable livesWhat aspects of your life do you really control? What do you do when you cannot guarantee that things will turn out in your favour? And what can Stoicism teach us about how to live together?In the past few years, Stoicism has been making a comeback. But what exactly did the Stoics believe? In Lessons in Stoicism, philosopher John Sellars weaves together the key ideas of the three great Roman Stoics -- Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius -- with snapshots of their fascinating lives, to show us how their ideas can help us today. In vivid prose, Sellars shows how the works of these three Stoics have inspired readers ever since, speaking as they do to some of the perennial issues that face anyone trying to navigate their way through life. Their works, fundamentally, are about how to live -- how to understand one's place in the world, how to cope when things don't go well, how to manage one's emotions and how to behave towards others. Consoling and inspiring, Lessons in Stoicism is a deeply thoughtful guide to the philosophy of a good life.
Let Go: Release Yourself from Anxiety – Practical Tips and Techniques to Live a Happy, Stress-Free Life
by Elizabeth ArcherI breathe in peace, I breathe out tensionEmbrace the calm and happiness that comes once you’ve learned to let go.Don’t we all want to live a life full of positivity and joy, unshackled by anxiety? Well, the secret is in letting go of our fears, stress and worries, and this accessible and beautifully designed book will show you how – with practical techniques for dealing with anxiety, simple lifestyle changes and therapies you can try at home. Offering words of wisdom, positive affirmations and the low-down on the most effective treatments to explore, this is the book you need to take control of your life.
Let It Go: My Extraordinary Story - From Refugee to Entrepreneur to Philanthropist
by Dame Stephanie Shirley CHA moving memoir from a woman who made a fortune in a man's world and then gave it all away...soon to be turned into a filmIn 1962, Stephanie 'Steve' Shirley created a software company when the concept of software barely existed. Freelance Programmers employed women to work on complex projects such as Concorde's black box recorder from the comfort of their own home. Shirley empowered a generation of women in technology, giving them unheard of freedom to choose their own hours and manage their own workloads. The business thrived and Shirley gradually transferred ownership to her staff, creating 70 millionaires in the process.Let It Go explores Shirley's trail blazing career as an entrepreneur but it also charts her incredible personal story - her dramatic arrival in England as an unaccompanied Kindertransport refugee during World War Two and the tragic loss of her only child who suffered severely from Autism.Today, Dame Stephanie Shirley is one of Britain's leading philanthropists, devoting most of her time, energy and wealth to charities that are close to her heart. In Let It Go, Shirley tells her inspirational story and explains why giving her wealth away - letting it go - has brought her infinitely more happiness and fulfilment than acquiring it in the first place.Co-written with Richard Askwith, the former Executive Editor of The Independent and the award-winning author of seven books in his own name, including biographies of Emil Zátopek and Lata Brandisová.'An extraordinary tale of creativity and resilience' - Guardian'This engrossing story of an extraordinary life is filled with lessons in what it means to be human' - Financial Times
Let's Do This!: How to use motivational psychology to change your habits for life
by Andy RamageFind your motivation, change your life. Let's Do This! is the motivation playbook for any type of personal change, from losing 10lbs to stepping up in your career to running a half-marathon. The difference between giving up and succeeding comes down to your motivation to take control of your life. Forget worrying about your willpower (which drains your energy and zaps your confidence) and join Andy Ramage's 28-day Motivation Masterclass to enjoy totally new levels of success. Tap into the 'Six Streams of Positivity' that will keep you on the straight and narrow, refine your resolution and master your mornings through simple daily rituals. The key to any successful behaviour change is the motivation to keep going once you've started. In this unapologetically positive book, Andy Ramage, who transformed his own life step by step, explains the theory and the practice of motivation so that you can make any change in your life, and make it last.
Let’s Talk about Death (over Dinner): The Essential Guide to Life’s Most Important Conversation
by Michael HebbFor readers of Being Mortal and When Breath Becomes Air, the acclaimed co-founder of Death over Dinner offers a practical, inspiring guide to life's most difficult yet important conversation Of the many critical conversations we will all have throughout our lifetime, few are as important as the ones discussing death - and not just the practical considerations, such as DNRs and wills, but what we fear, what we hope, and how we want to be remembered. Yet few of these conversations are actually happening. Inspired by his experience with his own father and countless stories from others who regret not having these conversations, Michael Hebb cofounded Death Over Dinner - an organisation that encourages people to pull up a chair, break bread, and really talk about the one thing we all have in common. Death Over Dinner has been one of the most effective end-of-life awareness campaigns to date; in just three years, it has provided the framework and inspiration for more than a hundred thousand dinners focused on having these end-of-life conversations. As Arianna Huffington said, 'We are such a fast-food culture, I love the idea of making the dinner last for hours. These are the conversations that will help us to evolve.' Let's Talk About Death (over Dinner) offers keen practical advice on how to have these same conversations - not just at the dinner table, but anywhere. There's no one right way to talk about death, but Hebb shares time- and dinner-tested prompts to use as conversation starters, ranging from the spiritual to the practical, from analytical to downright funny and surprising. By transforming the most difficult conversations into an opportunity, they become celebratory and meaningful - ways that not only can change the way we die, but the way we live.
Letters to a Roman Catholic Priest
by H. A. IronsideWhat does the Bible say about...Roman Catholic Doctrines?Originally published in 1914, this booklet written by H. A. Ironside contains personal letters addressed to a parish priest of the Church of Rome, whose acquaintance Pastor Ironside made on a railway journey:“It was a pleasure to converse with this cultured gentleman. When we parted, he accepted from me a small volume dealing with a portion of Holy Scripture. Afterward he wrote me a very appreciative letter about the topics with which the book was concerned. There began a correspondence, which is being published with the hope that they may prove helpful to the reader.”—H. A. Ironside
A Liberated Mind: The essential guide to ACT
by Dr Steven HayesOver the last 35 years, Steven C. Hayes and his colleagues have developed Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with many hundreds of studies supporting the impact of his approach on everything from chronic pain to weight loss to prejudice and bigotry.A Liberated Mind is the summary of Steven’s life’s work which will teach readers how to live better, happier and more fulfilled lives by applying the six key processes of ACT. Put together these processes teach us to pivot: to “defuse” rather than fuse with our thoughts; to see life from a new perspective; and to discover our chosen values, those qualities of being that fuel meaning.Steve shares fascinating research results like how ACT techniques decreased typing errors on a clerical test or showed that positive affirmations actually increase negative emotion. And he weaves them with stories of clients and colleagues as well as his own riveting story of healing himself of a severe panic disorder, which is how the idea of psychological flexibility was born.A Liberated Mind is a powerful and important book about a new form of psychology, destined to become a modern classic of narrative psychology on par with Daring Greatly and Rising Strong by Brene Brown, or Carol Dweck’s Mindset.
The Life Diet: How to let in what makes you happy, and let go of everything else
by Laura Jane WilliamsThe Life Diet is Laura Jane Williams' brilliantly funny, painfully honest and inspiringly insightful philosophy of what it means to curate your life in order to fill your time, thoughts and relationships with inspiration, motivation, and love - by getting rid of everything else. In a world full of options and abundance The Life Diet will equip you with the tools and motivation to make your life more centred, deeper connected, and more in control.
Life Is a Marathon: A Memoir of Love and Endurance
by Matt FitzgeraldAn endurance athlete and coach reveals how the marathon transforms the lives of everyone who attempts it--and how it has helped his own family cope with serious adversityStep after step for 26.2 miles, hundreds of thousands of people run marathons. But why--what compels people past pain, lost toenails, 5.30 am start times, The Wall? Sports writer Matt Fitzgerald set out to run eight marathons in eight weeks across the country to answer that question. At each race, he meets an array of runners, from first timers, to dad-daughter teams and spouses, to people who'd been running for decades, and asks them what keeps them running. But there is another deeply personal part to Matt's journey: his own relationship to the sport--and how it helped him overcome his own struggles and cope with his wife Nataki's severe bipolar disorder. A combination of Matt's own How Bad Do You Want It? and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Life Is a Marathon captures the magic of those 26.2 miles. At the end of the day--and at the end of the race--the pursuit of a marathon finish line is not unlike the pursuit of happiness. You will pick up the book for a powerful personal story about what running does for the people for whom it does the most. You will put it down with a greater understanding of what it means to be alive in this world.
Life Is a Marathon: A Memoir of Love and Endurance
by Matt FitzgeraldAn endurance athlete and coach reveals how the marathon transforms the lives of everyone who attempts it--and how it has helped his own family cope with serious adversityStep after step for 26.2 miles, hundreds of thousands of people run marathons. But why--what compels people past pain, lost toenails, 5.30 am start times, The Wall? Sports writer Matt Fitzgerald set out to run eight marathons in eight weeks across the country to answer that question. At each race, he meets an array of runners, from first timers, to dad-daughter teams and spouses, to people who'd been running for decades, and asks them what keeps them running. But there is another deeply personal part to Matt's journey: his own relationship to the sport--and how it helped him overcome his own struggles and cope with his wife Nataki's severe bipolar disorder. A combination of Matt's own How Bad Do You Want It? and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Life Is a Marathon captures the magic of those 26.2 miles. At the end of the day--and at the end of the race--the pursuit of a marathon finish line is not unlike the pursuit of happiness. You will pick up the book for a powerful personal story about what running does for the people for whom it does the most. You will put it down with a greater understanding of what it means to be alive in this world.