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Peace by Chocolate: The Hadhad Family’s Remarkable Journey from Syria to Canada
By Jon Tattrie. 2020
An Atlantic BestsellerA Hill Times' 100 Best Books in 2020 SelectionFebruary 2016. Antigonish, Nova Scotia.Tareq Hadhad was worried about his…
father: Isam did not know what to do with his life. Before the war began in Syria, Isam had run a chocolate company for over twenty years. But that life was gone now. The factory was destroyed, and he and his family had spent three years in limbo as refugees before coming to Canada. So, in an unfamiliar kitchen in a small town, Isam began to make chocolate again.This remarkable book tells the extraordinary story of the Hadhad family — Isam, his wife Shahnaz, and their sons and daughters — and the founding of the chocolatier, Peace by Chocolate. From the devastation of the Syrian civil war, through their life as refugees in Lebanon, to their arrival in a small town in Atlantic Canada, Peace by Chocolate is the story of one family. It is also the story of the people of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and so many towns across Canada, who welcomed strangers and helped them face the challenges of settling in an unfamiliar land.
Unicorn in the Woods: How East Coast Geeks and Dreamers Are Changing the Game
By Gordon Pitts. 2020
A Globe and Mail Best Book of 2020A CBC New Brunswick Book List SelectionAs tech investors the world over search…
for elusive unicorns (start-ups valued at over $1 billion), acclaimed business journalist Gordon Pitts asks whether there can be a place for high-tech innovation and unicorn-like value creation outside of major urban centres, whether in Atlantic Canada, rust-belt New York, or Northern Ontario.Journeying back to the origins of Radian6 and Q1 Labs — two New Brunswick companies that sold for a combined $1 billion — in the basements and offices of a group of geeks and dreamers, Pitts tells a story of two remarkable companies and the legacies that continue to this day. But theirs was not a simple tale of overnight success; there were sellouts and firings, comebacks and vindication, and still unfulfilled promise.This is a story of high-tech value creation far from Silicon Valley, a story of the mythical unicorn in the woods. Are the stories of Radian6 and Q1 Labs outliers, rogue datapoints that should be discarded, or the foundation for a new knowledge economy outside of the mainstream?
Under Construction: Because Living My Best Life Took a Little Work
By Chrishell Stause. 2022
For fans of Open Book and Sell It Like Serhant, a heartfelt, humorous personal memoir and relatable guide to overcoming…
obstacles, wising up about romance, and getting ahead in your career from the star of Netflix&’s hit reality show Selling Sunset.In this engaging, witty, and inspirational memoir, Chrishell Stause shares her story of living an unconventional childhood in small-town Kentucky marked by periods of homelessness, family addiction struggles, and dreams of one day being on a daytime soap, all while managing the local Dairy Queen. Through resilience and grit, she overcame obstacles and pushed past every barrier in her path to become one of the most envied luxury realtors in Los Angeles and buzzworthy cast members in reality TV. She takes us behind the scenes of Selling Sunset, reveals never-before-told stories from her life in soaps, and even pulls back the curtain on her highly publicized love life, offering insight not before shared. With her signature honesty and charm, Stause also gives tangible advice based on the lessons she&’s learned over the years and offers unique insight about how to stay resilient and positive no matter how many times life knocks you down. Under Construction is for anyone who wants to remember that no matter what happens or how, you have to get up, dress up, and show up, and walk back into the room stronger than ever before.
John W. Barriger III: Railroad Legend (Railroads Past and Present)
By H. Roger Grant. 2018
“Readers will find in his biography an extraordinary tale of the travails of twentieth-century railroading through the career of this…
one man.” —The Annals of IowaAfter graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, John W. Barriger III (1899–1976) started his career on the Pennsylvania Railroad as a rodman, shop hand, and then assistant yardmaster. His enthusiasm, tenacity, and lifelong passion for the industry propelled him professionally, culminating in leadership roles at Monon Railroad, Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad and the Boston and Maine Railroad. His legendary capability to save railroad corporations in peril earned him the nickname “doctor of sick railroads,” and his impact was also felt far from the train tracks, as he successfully guided New Deal relief efforts for the Railroad Division of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation during the Depression and served in the Office of Defense Transportation during World War II. Featuring numerous personal photographs and interviews, John W. Barriger III is an intimate account of a railroad magnate and his role in transforming the transportation industry.“Thanks to Roger Grant’s latest book, Barriger and his amazing legacy endures, waiting to be rediscovered by a new generation of readers. Trust me, you’ll learn a lot.” —Classic Trains“H. Roger Grant’s biography, John W. Barriger III, offers a new and much needed perspective on this prominent individual. Grant brings together an overview of Barriger’s career developments with an appropriate balance of insights into his early life and introduction to railroads.” —Journal of Transport History
The true story of Raymond Loewy, whose designs are still celebrated for their unerring ability to advance American consumer taste.Born…
in Paris in 1893 and trained as an engineer, Raymond Loewy revolutionized twentieth-century American industrial design. Combining salesmanship and media savvy, he created bright, smooth, and colorful logos for major corporations that included Greyhound, Exxon, and Nabisco. His designs for Studebaker automobiles, Sears Coldspot refrigerators, Lucky Strike cigarette packs, and Pennsylvania Railroad locomotives are iconic. Beyond his timeless designs, Loewy carefully built an international reputation through the assiduous courting of journalists and tastemakers to become the face of both a new profession and a consumer-driven vision of the American dream.In Streamliner, John Wall traces the evolution of an industry through the lens of Loewy’s eclectic life, distinctive work, and invented persona. How, he asks, did Loewy build a business while transforming himself into a national brand a half century before "branding" became relevant? Placing Loewy in context with the emerging consumer culture of the latter half of the twentieth century, Wall explores how his approach to business complemented—or differed from—that of his well-known contemporaries, including industrial designers Henry Dreyfuss, Walter Teague, and Norman Bel Geddes. Wall also reveals how Loewy tailored his lifestyle to cement the image of "designer" in the public imagination, and why the self-promotion that drove Loewy to the top of his profession began to work against him at the end of his career. Streamliner is an important and engaging work on one of the longest-lived careers in industrial design.
Un libro magnífico de intriga y estrategia empresarial que recoge algunas de las rivalidades entre empresas más apasionantes de la…
historia. Los negocios son una constante lucha por sobrevivir. En los negocios, como en la guerra, los líderes se enfrentan persiguiendo intereses contrapuestos, idean estrategias y consiguen recursos en pro de la victoria. El éxito depende del detalle más nimio; un error táctico puede derribar un imperio. Al final, un bando triunfa, y la victoria es lo único que importa. David Brown, presentador del popular pódcast Business Wars, reúne en este libro algunos de los más fascinantes enfrentamientos entre empresas y, en cada batalla que examina, pasa revista al ingenio, la estrategia y los recursos. Brown narra el ascenso de las empresas a medida que derrotan a sus rivales, formulan planes innovadores y se adaptan a las cambiantes necesidades de la sociedad. ¿El objetivo? Mantenerse por delante de la competencia y convertirse en titanes de la industria. Las historias de El arte de la guerra entre empresas son extraordinarias, pero las lecciones que el lector extraerá de ellas, sobre determinación, ingenio, paciencia, agallas, sutileza..., son incalculables, ya sea un emprendedor o el CEO de una compañía multinacional. «Cuanto más atrás puedas mirar, más adelante verás».WINSTON CHURCHILL Reseñas:«Si estás preocupado por un competidor conocido o un disruptor invisible, este libro reúne lo mejor de un pódcast de éxito para tu aprendizaje y disfrute».ADAM GRANT, autor de los best sellers Think Again y Originales «David Brown ha hecho un trabajo magistral al pasar por encima de balances e ingresos, y retratar lo realmente importante en una empresa: ego, pasión, ambición y combate cuerpo a cuerpo».JOE NOCERA, columnista de la sección de negocios de Bloomberg «Si Blockbuster hubiera aprendido el "arte de la guerra" de Business Wars, tal vez Netflix no los hubiera derrocado».RICH GREENFIELD, socio y analista de LightShed Ventures
How to Stitch an American Dream: A Story of Family, Faith and the Power of Giving
By Jenny Louise Doan. 2021
Faith, family, hard work, and second chances are at the core of every great American story, and Jenny Doan&’s story…
is just that. In her new memoir, How to Stitch an American Dream, readers will discover the behind-the-scenes success story of the Missouri Star Quilt Company and Jenny&’s remarkable journey to overcome hardship, claim the abundance of family, and ignite the power of giving—all while revitalizing a small town along the way. Over the last decade, the Doan family business, the Missouri Star Quilt Company in tiny Hamilton, Missouri, has grown from Jenny&’s corner shop--with one quilting machine and two bolts of fabric for sale in the back--to become the largest supplier of pre-cut quilting fabric in the headquarters of Jenny&’s world-famous YouTube tutorial videos. Jenny is now giving her fans, the business world, and moms of all ages (and grandmas too!) what they&’ve been asking for: the full story of her journey, from her humble beginnings as a homeschooling mom, to founding MSQC in her fifties, through the remarkable success and inspiration she&’s so well-known for today. In this book, you&’ll learn:How she and her beloved husband, Ron, raised seven children on a shoestring budget— and had fun doing it;How, after a string of bad luck, the family made a prayer-based decision to leave California behind and start over again in rural Missouri, even though they had no place to live, no jobs lined up, and no idea how they were going to make it;How Jenny, Ron and their children worked side-by-side to patch together a family home out of a crumbling shell of a farmhouse;And how their faith, hard work, and generosity not only carried them through the hard times, but led directly to the success of the Missouri Star Quilt Company.How to Stitch an American Dream will make you laugh, cry, say &“bless your heart.&”
Good Business: The Talk, Fight, Win Way to Change the World
By Bill Novelli. 2021
An inspiring and practical look inside the mind of Bill Novelli, one of the founders of social marketing, Good Business…
challenges all of us to change the world for the better and is a blueprint for tackling today's critical issues.From his humble beginnings selling soap in a sales training program to his rapid rise in the fast-paced New York advertising scene, Bill Novelli was well on his way to becoming a leader in the hypercompetitive business world. But it wasn't long before he became disillusioned with the drive for profits at any cost. He knew that his marketing skills made those companies successful, but what good did that success do for the world? That question sent him on a career path that involved taking the marketing and communication tactics long used by big businesses and applying them to social change. He found that this strategy was not only good for the world but also good for business. In Good Business, Novelli begins with his early career success in Mad Men–era marketing, which left him feeling unfulfilled. He describes the process of changing career trajectory: how he helped reposition the Peace Corps; built Porter Novelli, a global PR agency for social impact; fought the Tobacco Wars; and became CEO of AARP, the largest nonprofit in America. Drawing practical lessons and principles from play-by-play stories of his experiences in large and small organizations, Novelli deploys his characteristic wit to stress the importance of building and maintaining connections with people—and engaging them in the cause. Good Business, which is part behind-the-scenes look at crafting social and health policy, part inspirational guide, proves that you can do well (creating economic and financial success for yourself and your company or organization) by doing good (helping to solve the world's and society's major problems). Throughout the book, Novelli shows that you can make a positive social difference regardless of what business you are in or where you are in your career. Readers will come away with the message that anyone who wants to have a positive impact on the world can do it right now from where they are—or can be inspired by Novelli's story to make the leap to somewhere they can.
Sex Cult Nun: Breaking Away from the Children of God, a Wild, Radical Religious Cult
By Faith Jones. 2021
Named a Best Book of 2021 by Newsweek and a Most Anticipated by People, TIME, USA Today, Real Simple, Glamour,…
Nylon, Bustle, Purewow, Shondaland, and more!Educated meets The Vow in this story of liberation and self-empowerment—an inspiring and stranger-than-fiction memoir of growing up in and breaking free from the Children of God, an oppressive, extremist religious cult.Faith Jones was raised to be part a religious army preparing for the End Times. Growing up on an isolated farm in Macau, she prayed for hours every day and read letters of prophecy written by her grandfather, the founder of the Children of God. Tens of thousands of members strong, the cult followers looked to Faith’s grandfather as their guiding light. As such, Faith was celebrated as special and then punished doubly to remind her that she was not.Over decades, the Children of God grew into an international organization that became notorious for its alarming sex practices and allegations of abuse and exploitation. But with indomitable grit, Faith survived, creating a world of her own—pilfering books and teaching herself high school curriculum. Finally, at age twenty-three, thirsting for knowledge and freedom, she broke away, leaving behind everything she knew to forge her own path in America.A complicated family story mixed with a hauntingly intimate coming-of-age narrative, Faith Jones’ extraordinary memoir reflects our societal norms of oppression and abuse while providing a unique lens to explore spiritual manipulation and our rights in our bodies. Honest, eye-opening, uplifting, and intensely affecting, Sex Cult Nun brings to life a hidden world that’s hypnotically alien yet unexpectedly relatable.
Me Caribou Is On Fire: International Adventures of An Alaskan Hunting Guide
By Pete Buist. 2021
Me Caribou Is On Fire is a great read! One can almost taste the camp grub he describes, whether prepared…
for or by him, smell the scents of the hunting camps and cabins and feel the bitter cold of the 1992 fall hunt or the Delta sheep hunt snowstorm. The descriptions of his many hunting experiences make the reader feel like they were there with him in the wild or on a flight to the next adventure. I can't wait for the sequel! Mike Fleagle, Former Chairman - Alaska Board of Game Pete Buist is undoubtedly the epitome of the outdoorsman in the truest meaning of the term. Trapper, hunter, master guide, firefighter are just some of his accomplishments; in a nutshell, a lifetime of adventure and excitement lived in the manner that makes me envious and at the same time filled with admiration. While guiding Pete in South Africa, it did cross my mind that I would have relished doing a hunt with our roles reversed and basking in the experience of a life well-lived. Pete Tumkulu "Buist has applied his knowledge, experience, and eloquence to add the title of Author to his other accomplishments and has produced a well-written, enjoyable read capable of transporting the reader to those wild places. John" Madala" Barnes Professional Hunter - South Africa The real "trophies" of a life spent outdoors are the stories. Indeed, storytelling is a foundational skill of the seasoned hunter, and Pete's "seasoning" reaches into a stratosphere most of us will never see. I became friends with Pete in 2008, and after only a couple of days of immersing myself in his storytelling prowess, I said, "Pete, you really need to write a book." And here it is. Pete's recall, precise detail, wit, and humor are extraordinary as he takes you along on countless adventures. These entertaining stories are definitely worth the price of admission. Curt Wells Editor - Bowhunter Magazine"
Tattered Cover Book Store: A Storied History
By Mark A. Barnhouse. 2021
For more than five decades, the Tattered Cover has been Colorado's favorite source for books. Beginning with just 950 square…
feet, it has grown into a multistore operation and important cultural institution, the special place where people go for all things literary. It has been a forum for ideas, with hundreds of writers visiting each year to sign books and greet readers. It has proven itself a bastion of democracy, championing the First Amendment and readers' rights to privacy. Join Denver historian and onetime Tattered Cover employee Mark A. Barnhouse as he celebrates the store's first fifty years and tells stories from the thousands of author events it has hosted over the decades.
The Savage Truth is the story of Greg Savage, his stellar career in recruitment and the lessons he has learned…
on leadership, business and life over a career spanning four decades.The Savage Truth is a must-read for next generation leaders and lovers of business biography. It is a book in two parts. The first part covers Greg's early life - the people and events that shaped him - and follows his career path, which took him from his hometown of Cape Town around the world before settling in Sydney, Australia. He gives an honest, open, often humorous account of his experiences, which reflect how much business has changed over the past 40 years. In the second part of the book, Greg distils his learnings into guidance and advice for his successors in the recruitment industry and, more broadly, to anyone working in business. He covers topics including building a personal brand, negotiating fees and margins, people leverage, performance management, 'Savage' leadership skills and preparing for exit towards the end of your career.Throughout his fascinating career, Greg has learned countless lessons in leadership, business and in life. One of his greatest achievements is his success as a communicator. Greg is one of the most highly respected voices across the global recruitment and professional services industries, speaking regularly to audiences around the world. An early adopter of social media for recruiters, Greg's industry blog, The Savage Truth (gregsavage.com.au/the-savage-truth), is a must-read in the recruitment industry. In November 2018, he was named one of LinkedIn's 'Top Voices'.
The Legend of Gladee's Canteen: Down Home on a Nova Scotia Beach
By David Mossman. 2019
A history of the family-owned, Nova Scotia beach canteen and two sisters determined to show their father that women can…
also be successful.&“Everyone remembers the famous food at Gladee&’s Canteen, especially Gladee&’s fish and chips and her coconut cream pie.&” —Calvin TrillinGladee&’s Canteen, several times voted as one of the ten best restaurants in Canada, was a special example of co-operative and communal spirit. At the centre of the operation were Gladee and her sister Flossie, supported by the extended Hirtle family. They offered a warm welcome and a memorable menu, in a setting brashly open to the forces of nature.The Legend of Gladee&’s Canteen tells the story of a popular Nova Scotia beach and a pioneer family who, against the odds, constructed a simple canteen at Hirtle&’s Beach in 1951 and ran it for forty years. The book draws on the author&’s family associations, personal memory, and the outlying stockpile of collective recollections—a tapestry of events woven through the evolutionary fabric of a small, relatively isolated Maritime coastal community.The era of Gladee&’s Canteen is remarkable story that takes place in a small coastal Nova Scotia community blessed with a spectacularly dynamic living beach. In its time, the Hirtle family and its sparkling enterprise thrived in spite of relative isolation, uncertain funding, and domestic demons. As a Nova Scotia epic, the success story of Gladee&’s Canteen mirrors the recent history of Hirtle&’s Beach, exemplifying the twists and turns locked up in legend.&“A Maritime tale of family success and love. . . . History lovers should be sure to pick this one up off the shelves.&” —Atlantic Books
Simon Spatz: From Holocaust to Halifax, A Story of Survival and Success
By Michael Cobden. 2016
A fascinating biography of the high-profile Jewish Nova Scotian businessman—a man who not only survived but thrived against all odds.In…
Simon Spatz, former journalism professor Michael Cobdon tells the remarkable story of a fighter, a survivor, an achiever, a man of extraordinary determination and spirit.After bringing his family out of poverty in Poland, surviving the Holocaust in an area where 97 per cent of Jews were murdered, and immigrating to Canada at nearly forty with little money and no knowledge of English, Spatz would open a successful Halifax grocery business before entering into real estate in the 1950s. Known today as the magnate behind the international, multi-billion-dollar real estate development firm Southwest Properties, Spatz remains an inspiration to Nova Scotia&’s business and Jewish communities. What his family calls a &“larger-than-family-pride human narrative,&” Simon Spatz is the story of a man shaped, but not destroyed, by one of the cruelest events in human history; a no-holds-barred depiction of a man who did more than build a life for himself and his family: he left behind a legacy.
Aiming High: Masayoshi Son, SoftBank, and Disrupting Silicon Valley
By Atsuo Inoue. 2021
__________*Picked by the Financial Times as a Best Read of 2021*'I have no intention of making small bets' - Masayoshi…
SonIn order to understand what's happening in Silicon Valley, you just need to look at Masayoshi Son. __________There is no one in the world right now who is in a better position to influence the next wave of technology than Masayoshi Son. Not Jeff Bezos, not Mark Zuckerberg, not Elon Musk. They might have the money, but they lack Masa's combination of ambition, imagination, and nerve. Masayoshi Son is the most powerful person in Silicon Valley. As CEO and founder of the Japanese investment firm, SoftBank Group, 'Masa' has invested in some of the most exciting and influential tech companies in recent memory - Uber, WeWork, ByteDance, and many others. Prior to that, he was known as one of the first investors in Alibaba and Yahoo!He has an audacious vision for the future and one that is unmatched in the tech industry. Aiming High provides insight into this charismatic and visionary leader. Originally published in Japan, this book charts Son's rise from a Korean immigrant who left Japan at 16 to becoming one of the wealthiest people in the world. With unprecedented access to Son, including exclusive interviews, this book creates an authoritative account of how SoftBank Group and it's visionary and charismatic CEO is shaping the future of tech. __________
Nailing It: How History's Awesome Twentysomethings Got It Together
By Robert L. Dilenschneider. 2022
Mozart * Mary Shelley * Honore Daumier * Ulysses S. Grant * Einstein * Othmar Ammann * Helen Keller When…
you&’re in your twenties, life can seem full of obstacles. Where&’s that glorious career you dreamed of? How can you make your way past student debt, economic uncertainty, and other challenges of adulting? Respected advisor Robert L. Dilenschneider takes you into the pages of history to show how 25 fascinating and diverse twenty-somethings found their way and created their legacies.Elizabeth Kenny * Branch Rickey * Jackie Robinson * Coco Chanel * Golda Meir *Roberto Marinho * Do you think Albert Einstein had his science career together by his mid-20s? Actually, he was a clerk in a patent office. Maya Angelou became a beloved, acclaimed poet and writer after a string of odd jobs during her young adulthood. Steve Jobs was at the top of his game by age 25. But his beginnings were marked by adoption, displacement, bullying, and many more challenges lay ahead. This absorbing book examines the trajectories of iconic figures to reveal the choices that enabled them to fulfill their potential. Rita Levi-Montalcini * Edith Piaf * I.M. Pei * Akio Morita * Maria Tallchief * Maya Angelou * For those who are coming of age now, and for those who care about them and their futures, these eye-opening time capsules provide inspiration, instruction, and encouragement. Audrey Hepburn * Rudolf Nureyev * Sally Ride* Christa McAuliffe * Steve Jobs * Jean-Michel Basquiat Foreword by U.S. Ambassador Donald Blinken
Lady Charlotte Guest: The Exceptional Life of a Female Industrialist (Trailblazing Women)
By Victoria Owens. 2020
The remarkable biography of a mother of ten who stepped up to run her late husband’s ironworks in Victorian Wales.When…
impoverished aristocrat Lady Charlotte Bertie married wealthy Welsh ironmaster John Guest of Dowlais in 1833, her relatives looked on with dismay. Yet despite their vast difference of background and age, over their nineteen-year long marriage husband and wife enjoyed great happiness and much adventure. There would be ten children, and while John built up an immense commercial empire, Charlotte championed Welsh culture.Crucially, she taught herself John’s business from the inside. Over the years, she made the keenest observation of iron production, the fluctuations of the trade, and the engineering innovations. When John died in 1852, she was therefore uniquely placed to succeed him as head of the works—a remarkable position for a Victorian woman. She endeavored to introduce reforms, but also—rather to her dismay—had to weather a potentially destructive strike.But success came at a price. With her star seemingly in the ascendant, Lady Charlotte suddenly chose to abandon all, leave Wales, and marry her sons’ tutor. This book traces the ardent, creative years of her first marriage, explores her determination to preserve John’s legacy as a widow, and observes her growing devotion to the scholarly Charles Schreiber.
Ladder to Leader: My Journey From Failure to Fire to Financial Freedom
By Ryan D Larson. 2022
Ladder to Leader: My Journey From Failure to Fire to Financial Freedom is a memoir by Ryan D. Larson, the…
principal Investment Advisor Representative and Founder of FirstLine Financial, LLC. Founded in 2015, FirstLine Financial earned a Service Mark from the US Patent office for the company's intake process in 2020, only five years later. Larson credits his time in the Phoenix Fire and other Arizona Fire Departments for teaching him organization and planning skills that inspired FirstLine Financial's intake process. In the second half of the book, Larson introduces financial terms and products, describing them using terminology and giving examples that make them simple to understand. The book is interesting from a memoir perspective and shares information, including case studies, to explain the financial investing terminology clearly and concisely.Larson shares childhood struggles which lead to his failures and frustrations as a high school graduate. He tells stories about feeling like an outsider at home because of not being close to his three siblings and the impact his father's time away in the military affected him. Married young, the family always lived near his mother's parents. His father joined the army, and his mother worked part-time to help make ends meet. Larson's grandparents took care of the children often and were very important to the author, especially when his father deployed during his pivotal middle school years. Always active and very athletic, Larson became a local Pop Warner Football hero. His father, when not deployed, was an assistant coach and very involved with the author's athletics. Both father and son saw a future for Larson in professional football, which came to an end in middle school. However, Larson struggled academically and his parents wanted him to “just graduate and get a job,” especially when his dreams of a pro-football career faded. All of this affected the author's self-confidence. After graduation from high school, Larson was lost, became depressed, and floated from job to job, never feeling fulfilled or seeing a future for himself. A twist of fate, which his mother calls ‘divine inspiration,' led Larson to the Fire Department Explorer Program, which fueled his interest in becoming a firefighter. The competition is fierce for the very few fire department job openings, requiring passing a rigorous suitability/entrance exam. Larson studied several hours a day to prepare and failed the exam at least three times, but his score was better each time. This process made him realize that he is smart and, if he sets his mind to the task, he can accomplish anything. The fire department exam includes sections on reading comprehension and math, which the author was terrified of. The confidence he gained from this process carried him through the many challenges he had yet to face.Once employed as a firefighter, Larson quickly became a valued member of the department. During his days off, he began taking stock market trading classes after watching the movie Wall Street. As part of the course, students bought and sold stocks, learned how to chart them, and did things that would have once scared Larson. As he began making money, fellow firefighters took an interest in his new passion. Before long, he was discussing their finances and giving investment advice. With encouragement from his wife and friends at the station, Larson began working for financial advisors. He eventually earned his Independent Retirement Adviser credentials and opening his own Registered Investment Advisory Firm, FirstLine Financial.
The Best Gun in the World: George Woodward Morse and the South Carolina State Military Works
By Robert S. Seigler. 2019
A thoroughly researched account of weapons innovation and industrialization in South Carolina during the Civil War and the man who…
made it happen.A year after seceding from the Union, South Carolina and the Confederate States government faced the daunting challenge of equipping soldiers with weapons, ammunition, and other military implements during the American Civil War. In The Best Gun in the World, Robert S. Seigler explains how South Carolina created its own armory and then enlisted the help of a weapons technology inventor to meet the demand. Seigler mined state and federal factory records, national and state archives, and US patents for detailed information on weapons production, the salaries and status of free and enslaved employees, and other financial records to reveal an interesting, distinctive story of technological innovation and industrialization in South Carolina.George Woodward Morse, originally from New Hampshire, was a machinist and firearms innovator, who settled in Louisiana in the 1840s. He invented a reliable breechloading firearm in the mid-1850s to replace muzzleloaders that were ubiquitous throughout the world. Essential to the successful operation of any breechloader was its ammunition, and Morse perfected the first metallic, center-fire, pre-primed cartridge, his most notable contribution to the development of modern firearms.The US War Department tested Morse rifles and cartridges prior to the beginning of the Civil War and contracted with the inventor to produce the weapons at Harpers Ferry Armory. However, when the war began, Morse, a slave-holding plantation owner, determined that he could sell more of his guns in the South. The South Carolina State Military Works originally designed to cast cannon, produced Morse’s carbine and modified muskets, brass cartridges, cartridge boxes, and other military accoutrements. The armory ultimately produced only about 1,350 Morse firearms. For the next twenty years, Morse sought to regain his legacy as the inventor of the center-fire brass cartridges that are today standard ammunition for military and sporting firearms.“Does justice to one of the greatest stories in American firearms history. If George Woodward Morse had not sided with the Confederacy, his name might be as famous today as Colt or Winchester.” —Gordon L. Jones, Atlanta History Center “Excellent and well-researched.” —Patrick McCawley, South Carolina Department of Archives and History“For connoisseurs and scholars of military history (especially Civil War), history of technology, or Southern/South Carolina history, this is a must-read and reference volume pertaining to a previously little-known aspect of the nineteenth century that had a far-reaching impact in the manner wars would be fought by soldiers decades later.” —Barry L. Stiefel, College of Charleston
Unprecedented: Canada's Top CEOs on Leadership During Covid-19
By Andrew Willis, Steve Mayer, Michele Romanow. 2022
A remarkable collection of exclusive, first-person stories on leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic from 29 chief executives at iconic Canadian…
companies. Unprecedented is an extraordinary business book for extraordinary times: a collection of exclusive, first-person stories on leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic from twenty-nine chief executives at Canada&’s most iconic and largest companies. These are unforgettable accounts from senior leaders at companies on the front lines during the pandemic—nursing homes, grocery stores, airlines, hotels, pharmacies, shopping malls—along with valuable lessons on crisis management. The insights in Unprecedented are remarkable. Readers get a seat at the table when the CEO of Tim Hortons visits the White House to discuss financial relief initiatives for business. Canada Goose&’s CEO tells of retooling the parka maker to turn out surgical gowns. The head of one of Canada&’s largest paper producers reveals what happened when the country almost ran out of toilet paper. COVID-19 is a shared challenge, a crisis that touches everyone. Unprecedented captures that shared experience with personal essays that mix struggle and achievement, fear, humour, and compassion. At their heart, these are stories about overcoming adversity, a theme that resonates with managers, professionals, entrepreneurs, and students of business. Unprecedented gives us rare insight into how leaders navigated the pandemic and the social unrest and technological changes that marked this era—what was gained, what was lost, and what was learned that can help serve companies, employees, and customers better in an uncertain future. The authors&’ net proceeds from the sales of Unprecedented are being donated to United Way Centraide Canada for COVID recovery across Canada.