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Showing 1 - 20 of 3302 items
By Elise Blaha Cripe. 2019
For those who feel overwhelmed by endless to do lists and the stresses that come with daily life, here is…
an empowering guide to establishing healthy productivity habits so that it's easy (and fun!) to accomplish long-term goals. Brimming with simple-to-follow techniques, rituals, and exercises for accomplishing day-to-day tasks and making progress on bigger goals, Big Dreams, Daily Joys offers tips on how-to organize a productive day, overcome the urge to procrastinate, make space for creativity, and achieve a healthy work-life balance. For anyone who is tackling a creative project, running their own business, or simply trying to manage time more efficiently, this is the ultimate handbook to getting things done with clarity, joy, and positivity.Take your people skills to the next level with this easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide Let’s face it. If you want any…
sort of success in life, you’re going to have to deal with other people at some point. It’s also the only way to make friends, meet new colleagues, and even find your special someone. So, why does dealing with other people seem so difficult sometimes? In the newly revised second edition of How to Succeed with People: Remarkably easy ways to engage, influence and motivate almost anyone, bestselling author and international keynote speaker Paul McGee delivers yet another exciting and inspiring guide to improving your communication skills and transforming how you interact with others. You’ll learn how to get over your dread of social events and create better relationships at work and in life, as well as: Strategies for holding people’s attention when you talk and how to listen and respond appropriately to what others are saying or doing Improve your ability to confront and challenge difficult people in and outside work Develop your skills around how to empathise and support people in tough times A can’t-miss guide on how to boost your understanding of people and your success in dealing with them, this book is perfect for young professionals, managers, executives and supervisors. How to Succeed With People will also prove invaluable in helping your relationships outside of work - from dating to parenting, and from motivating others to difficult conversations. With this book, you can have immediate and actionable advice at your fingertips.By Holly Trantham. 2024
A beautiful, full-color guide to living with money, not for money, packed with fun, tangible advice from the women behind…
The Financial Diet. &“Beyond Getting By will make you feel better, not worse, about your money and your life.&”—Tiffany &“the Budgetnista&” Aliche, New York Times bestselling author of Get Good with MoneyThe girlboss came in many forms, and she struggled valiantly against our increasing exhaustion at her brand of pinkwashed-capitalism-as-liberation—but it&’s time to put her to rest. Yes, money is essential to life, and managing it well can be the difference between freedom and constraint. But once you have enough, the focus should be on converting it into things that are meaningful to you: more time with the people you love, more creativity, more days to just vibe on the couch.In Beyond Getting By, the women behind The Financial Diet teach you how to create (and pay for) a life you truly enjoy—and that you can be proud of. They show you how to push beyond what society tells you will make you happy to determine what you actually want, with specific advice and interactive exercises on • how to define your own budget philosophy by no longer chasing fast fashion and instant gratification, instead allowing the unlikely duo of Sigmund Freud and Elizabeth Warren to guide your budgeting• how the idea that we have equal opportunity is bullshit—and how to start a self-advocacy journal in order to kill it in that next raise negotiation• how to stave off burnout by valuing your personal life with as much care as your career, in addition to figuring out the true worth of your time Beyond Getting By is for the woman interested in a life where money is simply a tool and never a reflection of her worth. It&’s for the woman who understands the limits of gamifying personal finance, and that following trends isn&’t the same as creating a sustainable, wealth-generating plan for the future.By Sophie Grégoire Trudeau. 2024
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau invites readers on a deeply personal journey toward self-knowledge, acceptance, and empowerment, drawing on the expertise of…
top psychologists, psychiatrists, scientists, and thought leaders.As a passionate advocate for mental health, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau believes that in order to know and accept ourselves fully, we need to understand why we think and feel the way we do, and recognize the experiences, attitudes, and patterns that may be holding us back. And yet, all of us are capable of growth and positive change, if we're willing to stay open and curious throughout our lives.In Closer Together, Sophie shares moments from her own journey: from her childhood, through her struggles with an eating disorder in her teens and early adulthood; from a career as a speaker and television host to de facto "first lady" and mother of three. Above all, Sophie is a warm and empathetic connector, and her book is enriched by exclusive interviews with experts such as Gabor Maté, Liz Plank, Terrence Real, Catherine Price, Harville Hendrix, and Helen LaKelly Hunt—to name just a few—as she delves into the science behind brain health and our unique emotional signatures. She explores the questions that matter the most for our individual and collective growth, and in how we interact with others:How does the way we were raised contribute to our sense of self?How can we better prepare ourselves to deal with big emotions?What do we need from our relationships, and what can we contribute to them?What role do physical activity and creative pursuits play in mental health?How can we let go of what doesn&’t serve us and nurture what does?Drawing on her own mindfulness and yoga practices, Sophie also offers journalling prompts and other tools that will guide readers as they explore these questions in their own lives. In creating a space for openness, playfulness, and creativity, Sophie inspires us to see that there are more things that bring us together than separate us, allowing us to stand in the light of our true potential.By Amy Tan. 2024
A gorgeous, witty account of birding, nature, and the beauty around us that hides in plain sight, written and illustrated…
by the best-selling author of The Joy Luck Club • With a foreword by David Allen Sibley&“Unexpected and spectacular&” —Ann Patchett, best-selling author of These Precious Days"The drawings and essays in this book do a lot more than just describe the birds. They carry a sense of discovery through observation and drawing, suggest the layers of patterns in the natural world, and emphasize a deep personal connection between the watcher and the watched. The birds that inhabit Amy Tan&’s backyard seem a lot like the characters in her novels.&” —David Allen Sibley, from the foreword Tracking the natural beauty that surrounds us, The Backyard Bird Chronicles maps the passage of time through daily entries, thoughtful questions, and beautiful original sketches. With boundless charm and wit, author Amy Tan charts her foray into birding and the natural wonders of the world.In 2016, Amy Tan grew overwhelmed by the state of the world: Hatred and misinformation became a daily presence on social media, and the country felt more divisive than ever. In search of peace, Tan turned toward the natural world just beyond her window and, specifically, the birds visiting her yard. But what began as an attempt to find solace turned into something far greater—an opportunity to savor quiet moments during a volatile time, connect to nature in a meaningful way, and imagine the intricate lives of the birds she admired.By Boria Majumdar. 2024
A social media trial can break you. There were 100,000 tweets of abuse for days on end, all premised on…
a set of untruths pushed by someone hugely powerful because he had played for the national team. Against the entitled, I never stood a chance. The online trial forced me and the family to draw on every last bit of inner strength, and yet left permanent scars. Having served the ban, I wanted closure in the form of this book. But no one knows better that there will never be a full stop. I will not get back the two years of opportunities that I lost, or the days and evenings when I was almost a stranger to my daughter. For two years, my wife and I never had a quiet dinner where we could just relax. There was not one evening when we didn&’t discuss the issue and the book. Which outsider can quantify the impact it had on the mental health of my family? On my wife, my mother, my sister and my daughter? I became cynical about a number of things, and it will be tough to change that. Writing this book and putting the truth out there has drained and exhausted me. The truth is that the falsehoods piled up against me, ratified by all-knowing social media trolls, changed my life and that of my family. There is no going back to what we were. This was our Long Covid.This book is a collection of chapters by playwrights, directors, devisers, scholars, and educators whose praxis involves representing, theorizing, and…
performing social trauma.Chapters explore how psychic catastrophes and ruptures are often embedded in social systems of oppression and forged in zones of conflict within and across national borders. Through multiple lenses and diverse approaches, the authors examine the connections between collective trauma, social identity, and personal struggle. We look at the generational transmission of trauma, socially induced pathologies, and societal re-inscriptions of trauma, from mass incarceration to war-induced psychoses, from gendered violence through racist practices. Collective trauma may shape, protect, and preserve group identity, promoting a sense of cohesion and meaning, even as it shakes individuals through pain. Engaging with communities under significant stress through artistic practice offers a path towards reconstructing the meaning(s) of social trauma, making sense of the past, understanding the present, and re-visioning the future.The chapters combine theoretical and practical work, exploring the conceptual foundations and the artists’ processes as they interrogate the intersections of personal grief and communal mourning, through drama, poetry, and embodied performance.By Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino. 2024
An inspirational guide for visualizing and actualizing success on a personal and professional level.Author Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino, master life coach and…
founder of The Best Ever You Network has long espoused that we must redefine success for our authentic selves—a one-size fits-all-concept is not only outdated but unworkable. Success is so much more than data or the dollars in our bank account. True success is reflected in the smiles that brighten our faces and the peace that settles in our hearts. It's the gratitude we seek in all things and the intention and actions being our very best in each moment. In The Success Guidebook, readers will find inspiration, motivation, and a pathway to live their best, most fulfilling life. By implementing Elizabeth&’s unique Ten Factors of Success—the behaviors consistently exhibited by people who stand out and behave with world-class excellence—readers will learn how to finally overcome the stubborn obstacles that have stood in their way and harness the power to move forward with clarity, a renewed purpose, and the personalized confidence to build a life of bold, brave, and infinite possibilities. Included are profiles of 20 people who exemplify these principles. Here&’s the secret: You don&’t need to be on a national or international platform to be world-class. You can have it right in your own home, to be and feel successful in each and every moment of your life. This book will help you learn how to tap into world-class behaviors and get the results you desire—at last.By Emmett Rensin. 2024
An unflinching, rare account of living with severe mental illness that is also a bold commentary on how we misunderstand…
this often debilitating disease.The Complications is an intimate portrait of what it’s like to live with schizoaffective disorder of the bipolar type as well as a biting, revelatory critique of America’s mental health culture. Emmett Rensin has written and edited articles for major national media outlets, and taught writing and literature at prestigious schools. But he has also lost jobs and friends, been hospitalized and institutionalized, and cycled through a daunting combination of medications. With scorching honesty, he reflects on his messy, fragile attempt to live his life, his periods of grace, and his near misses with disaster and death.Going beyond the usual peans against “stigma” and for “understanding”, Rensin confronts the dysfunction in current mental health narratives, contrasting what he calls mental illness “high culture”—in which we affirm the prevalence of anxiety and encourage regular therapy, insisting that the “mentally ill” aren’t dangerous or even weird—with even progressive society’s inability to contend with people with more severe forms of mental illness: those people we pass on the street talking to themselves, those caught in a loop between hospitals and prisons, or even those who we cannot tolerate in our own schools, offices, and lives, including himself. With raw honesty, Rensin invites us into every aspect of his life, from what it’s like see four different psychiatrists in one year and the nature of psychotic breaks to a harrowing diary that logs exactly what happens when he stops taking his medication and the unexpected kinship he discovers with an incarcerated spree killer with schizophrenia. Going beyond pure memoir, he reflects on the uncertain “science” of diagnosis, the nature of art about and by the insane, political activism, and the history of madness, from the asylum to the academy. A compelling, often devastating, blend of memoir, cultural commentary, and history, The Complications elevates the conversation around mental illness and challenges us to reexamine what we think we know about what is to go insane.By Scott Galloway. 2024
A must-have guide to optimizing your life for wealth and success, from bestselling author, NYU professor, and co-host of the…
Pivot podcast Scott Galloway.Today's workers have more opportunities and mobility than any generation before. They also face unprecedented challenges, including inflation, labor and housing shortages, and climate volatility. Even the notion of retirement is undergoing a profound rethink, as our life spans extend and our relationship with work evolves. In this environment, the tried-and-true financial advice our parents followed no longer applies. It's time for a new playbook.In The Algebra of Wealth, Galloway lays bare the rules of financial success in today's economy. In his characteristic unvarnished, no-BS style, he explains what you need to know in order to better your chances for economic security no matter what. You&’ll learn:How to find and follow your talent, not your passion, when making career decisionsHow to ride and optimize big economic waves (hard truth: market dynamics always trump individual achievement)What small steps you can take that pay big returns later, including diversification and tax planningHow stoicism can help you minimize spending and develop better financial habitsBursting with practical, game-changing advice from one of the world&’s most popular business school professors, The Algebra of Wealth is the practical guidebook you need to win today&’s wealth game.By Grace Jung. 2024
From the Emmy Award-winning Squid Game to streaming sensations like The Glory and Crash Landing on You, Korean television has emerged onto…
the global pop culture scene as compelling television—but what exactly makes these shows so irresistibly bingeable? And what can we learn about our societies and ourselves from watching them? From stand-up comedian and media studies PhD Grace Jung comes a rollicking deep dive into the cultural significance of Korean television. K-Drama School analyzes everything from common tropes like amnesia and slapping to conspicuous product placements of Subway sandwiches and coffee; to representations of disability, race and gender; to what Korea's war-torn history says about South Korea&’s media output and the stories being told on screen. With chapters organized by "lessons," each one inquiring into a different theme of Korean television, K-Drama School offers a groundbreaking exploration into this singular form of entertainment, from an author who writes with humor and heart about shows that spur tears and laughter, keeping us glued to the TV while making fans of us all. Shows discussed include: Squid Game, SKY Castle, Crash Course in Romance, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, My Mister, Something in the Rain, One Spring Night, DP, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, Autumn in My Heart, Winter Sonata, Our Blues, and more.The acclaimed author of The Happiness Track maps a bold and fresh, science-backed path to break the bonds of self-destructive…
patterns and beliefs and live a fuller, more authentic life."Sovereign is one of the most influential books I have read in years. It's loaded with ideas that will recharge your life and change the way you think and act right away. By far the most highlighted book in my library!"— Tom Rath, #1 New York Times best-selling author of How Full Is Your Bucket? and Strengthsfinder 2.0In the post-pandemic era of war, polarization, and economic and environmental challenges, is it any wonder that we&’re questioning a lot of things we thought we knew? We&’re ready to reevaluate what&’s important and rethink how we are living our lives. We need a new perspective—and acclaimed psychologist Emma Seppälä offers one.Sovereign delivers a radically new and enlightening message, made for this age of suffering and confusion. It&’s a manifesto that awakens us to all the areas in our life where we have subjugated ourselves to self-destructive beliefs and tendencies. And it&’s a roadmap to reclaim our full psychological sovereignty so we can live free, happy, and authentic lives.Seppälä&’s voice is raw and honest, laugh-out-loud funny, and deeply reflective, delving into topics ranging from the nature of self-loathing to the nuances of relationship as she shows us how to unbind ourselves in every area:In our working life and our family life In our physical health and our emotional well-beingIn our minds, our spirits, and our connection to our very selvesBacked by psychological data, neuroscience, and empirically validated methodologies, Sovereign takes us further along the path of personal transformation than we may ever have ventured before—and gives us the true freedom to live life to our fullest potential.By Keila Shaheen. 2023
Join more than a million readers around the world in this journey to self-discovery, healing, and inner transformation—new, expanded edition…
with added tips and exercises curated by therapists! Are you ready to transcend your shadows and journey toward deeper self-awareness and inner peace? The first step is to confront the shadows that have been holding you back for years. The Shadow Work Journal, a smash hit on TikTok, is an empowering and compassionate tool to help you face and overcome the obstacles and limiting self-beliefs that are holding you back from achieving your true potential. Based on highly effective therapeutic practices, this interactive journal guides you on an exploration through the hidden aspects of your psyche, to help you confront and embrace your shadow self. Whether you&’re struggling with anxiety, depression, loneliness, or confusion, you&’ll find plenty of tools to help you here. Using insightful prompts, thought-provoking exercises, and reflections, you&’ll discover a path to develop greater self-awareness, cultivate self-love and acceptance, and find a deeper connection with your authentic self. Join the millions of people whose lives have been transformed through The Shadow Work Journal and experience the healing you deserve. Benefits of Shadow Work: -Strengthen friendships, relationships, and everyday interactions with others -Heal generational trauma -Become &“un-stuck&” -Set personal boundaries -Build compassion for yourself and those around you -Process the world around you with clarity and insightFinancial Times Best Business Book of the Month April 2024An essential guide to protect yourself from burnout by learning to…
develop and master key emotional intelligence skillsWhy do some people in the world’s most stressful careers avoid burnout while countless others are overwhelmed by the demands of ordinary jobs? What can we learn from these resilient role models who seem to be naturally resistant to the psychological hazards of work?After extreme stress caused a life-threatening health crisis in her own life, Dr. Kandi Wiens dedicated herself to understand why work was leaving millions of us sick, exhausted, unmotivated, and feeling stuck and ineffective. In her research, she discovered something remarkable: Despite dangerous levels of work-related stress, some people seemed to be naturally “immune” to burnout.So what did these people have that Dr. Wiens and millions of others did not? Regardless of their role, industry, or experience, all these professionals exhibited a high degree of emotional intelligence (EI). EI is the ability to clearly perceive, understand, and productively manage emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in service of one’s overall well-being and performance. The people with burnout immunity were relying on specific EI skills to successfully cope with stressful work environments and experiences. The result is that they were more productive; had happier careers and lives; and were free from the physical and mental ravages of exhaustion, negativity, and inefficacy that characterize burnout.The good news is that everyone can build and boost emotional intelligence and use EI-based skills to manage workplace stress before it leads to breaking down or burning out. Burnout Immunity shows readers how to:Build self-awareness to identify what makes you vulnerable to burnoutManage your stress triggers and response, and tap into moments of good stressRegulate your thoughts and emotions to remain effective in the midst of stressDevelop healing connections to keep burnout at bayRecover from moments of burnout, reconnect to things that bring you joy, and reimagine a new way forwardBolstered with research, exercises, self-assessments, and real-life stories from people with natural burnout immunity and those who’ve cultivated it, Burnout Immunity teaches workers how to positively cope with stress and to enjoy healthier and happier relationships with work.By Matthew Hussey. 1974
An essential set of tools and principles for healing your heart, finding love, and loving life.Finding love can be hard.…
Being single can feel even harder. In Love Life, world-renowned coach and New York Times bestselling author Matthew Hussey provides a practical roadmap for letting go of past relationships, overcoming the fear of getting left behind, and finding the love we want.Sometimes it feels like life and love are working against us. Just finding someone we like can be a struggle. Even when we do, we often find they’re not ready, or they want different things. Then there are the internal fears and anxieties that lead us to self-sabotage—that make us indulge the wrong behavior in others, hold back from expressing our needs for fear of losing someone, or overinvest in people and lose ourselves in the process. Love Life sheds light on these common patterns and how to overcome them, by showing us how to adopt new standards, elegantly communicate them, and develop the deepest levels of confidence that underpin them. Like many of us, Hussey has gone through major life changes over the past decade, and he opens up about his experiences, vulnerabilities, and mistakes.Love Life is about doing love better. More than a book about romantic relationships, Love Life shows us how to take control of each of the major relationships in our lives: our relationship with others, our relationship with ourselves, and our relationship with life itself.Our love lives have the power to elevate or eradicate the adjacent joy in our lives. Love Life sets you on the path to finding the love of your life, while deepening your love for life.By Kevin Sandler and Tyler Solon Williams. 2024
Hanna and Barbera: Conversations presents a lively portrait of Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, the influential producers behind Tom and…
Jerry, the Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, the Smurfs, and hundreds of other cartoon characters who continue to entertain the world today. Encompassing more than fifty years of film and television history, the conversations in this volume include first-person accounts by the namesakes of the Hanna-Barbera studio as well as recollections by artists and executives who worked closely with the pair for decades. It is the first collection of its kind about Hanna and Barbera, likely the most prolific animation producers of the twentieth century, whose studio once outflanked its competitor Walt Disney in output and influence.Bill Hanna fell into animation in 1930 at the Harman-Ising studio in Los Angeles, gaining skills across the phases of production as MGM opened its animation studio. Joe Barbera, a talented and sociable artist, entered the industry around the same time at the wild and woolly Van Beuren studio in Manhattan, learning the ins and outs of animation art before crossing the country to join MGM. In television, Hanna’s timing and community-oriented work ethic along with Barbera’s knack for sales and creating funny characters enabled Hanna-Barbera to build a roster of beloved cartoon series. A wide range of pieces map Hanna and Barbera’s partnership, from their early days in Hollywood in the 1930s to Cartoon Network in the 1990s, when a new generation took the reins of their animation studio. Relatively unknown when they made over one hundred Tom and Jerry theatrical cartoons at MGM in the 1940s and 1950s, Hanna and Barbera became household names upon entering the new medium of television in 1957. Discussions here chart their early primetime successes as well as later controversies surrounding violence, overseas production, and the lack of quality in their Saturday morning cartoons. With wit, candor, insight, and bravado, Hanna and Barbera: Conversations reflects on Bill and Joe’s breakthroughs and shortcomings, and their studio’s innovations and retreads.By Derek C. Maus and James J. Donahue. 2024
Contributions by GerShun Avilez, Lola Boorman, Thomas Britt, John Brooks, Phillip James Martinez Cortes, Derek DiMatteo, Tikenya Foster-Singletary, Alexandra Glavanakova,…
Erica-Brittany Horhn, Matthias Klestil, Abigail Jinju Lee, Derek C. Maus, Danielle Fuentes Morgan, Derek Conrad Murray, Kinohi Nishikawa, Sarah O'Brien, Keyana Parks, and Emily Ruth RutterThe seventeen essays in Greater Atlanta: Black Satire after Obama collectively argue that in the years after the widespread hopefulness surrounding Barack Obama’s election as president waned, Black satire began to reveal a profound shift in US culture. Using the four seasons of the FX television show Atlanta (2016–22) as a springboard, the collection examines more than a dozen novels, films, and television shows that together reveal the ways in which Black satire has developed in response to contemporary cultural dynamics. Contributors reveal increased scorn toward self-proclaimed allies in the existential struggle still facing African Americans today.Having started its production within a few weeks of Donald Trump’s (in)famous escalator ride in 2015, Atlanta in many ways is the perfect commentary on the absurdities of the contemporary cultural moment. The series exemplifies a significant development in contemporary Black satire, which largely eschews expectations of reform and instead offers an exasperated self-affirmation that echoes the declaration that Black Lives Matter.Given anti-Black racism’s lengthy history, overt stimuli for outrage have predictably commanded African American satirists’ attention through the years. However, more recent works emphasize the willful ignorance underlying that history. As the volume shows, this has led to the exposure of performative allyship, virtue signaling, slacktivism, and other duplicitous forms of purported support as empty, oblivious gestures that ultimately harm African Americans as grievously as unconcealed bigotry.By Adam Gopnik. 2024
From New Yorker staff writer Adam Gopnik, a slim, elegant volume presenting a radical alternative to our culture of relentless…
striving. Our society is obsessed with achievement. Young people are pushed toward the next test or the “best” grammar school, high school, or college they can get into. Adults push themselves toward the highest-paying, most prestigious jobs, seeking promotions and public recognition. As Adam Gopnik points out, the result is not so much a rat race as a rat maze, with no way out. Except one: to choose accomplishment over achievement. Achievement, Gopnik argues, is the completion of the task imposed from outside. Accomplishment, by contrast, is the end point of an engulfing activity one engages in for its own sake. From stories of artists, philosophers, and scientists to his own fumbling attempts to play Beatles songs on a guitar, Gopnik demonstrates that while self-directed passions sometimes do lead to a career, the contentment that flows from accomplishment is available to each of us. A book to read and return to at any age, All That Happiness Is offers timeless wisdom against the grain.By Deesha Dyer. 2024
Without credentials or connections, community college student and advocate Deesha Dyer navigated her imposter syndrome, landing one of the most…
exclusive positions in the White House. From the most unlikely person to end up as a senior official to President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama comes a candid, incredible, and inspiring story. Moved by the election of the country&’s first Black president, Deesha Dyer applied for a White House internship in 2009 as a thirty-one-year-old part-time community college student, taking a leap that carried her into a permanent full-time position, followed by three promotions landing her at the epicenter of politics. In spite of the little voice in her head telling her she didn&’t deserve to be there, Deesha thrived and rose to the highly coveted role of White House social secretary, giving her a front-row seat to defining moments in history while curating some of the flyest parties 1600 Pennsylvania has ever seen. Yet, with humor and realness, she peels back the curtain, revealing the hard truth about why she spent years trying to hide behind it. Undiplomatic is a deeply personal narrative about combating self-doubt while being on top of the world. Deesha reflects on how imposter syndrome threatened her self-esteem, proven aptitude, and survival until she realized that it was neither her fault nor her responsibility. In this vivid portrayal from a true &“around the way girl&” on the personal impact of the Obama presidency, Deesha shares her road map from imposter to impact. In Undiplomatic, she invites you on a journey of self-discovery where she overcame doubt, unearthed true love for herself, and learned that your unique worth is not something to be earned, but something inherently deserved. Uplifting, funny, and sincere, Deesha&’s story shows you about authenticity at all costs, and the joy and freedom that awaits on the other side.By Kimberly Stuart. 2024
A funny, thought-provoking memoir-in-essays about learning to understand—again and again—that we can&’t earn God&’s love no matter how many rules…
we follow or boxes we check, and learning to accept the grace that is freely given. Growing up, Kimberly Stuart got really good at strapping on her spiritual tap shoes and trying to be a star for Jesus. She could sing all the songs, ace the sword drills, and know all the right theology. From earning creepy Jesus paperweights in her church&’s faux Girl Scout program to trying to calm an actual storm on the Mediterranean, she was doing her best… and still found herself longing for something more. She didn&’t mean to completely ignore the most beautiful tenets of her faith—the unwavering grace and tenacious love of God—but she did. Which, of course, was the problem. Her best was lackluster, and God wasn&’t looking for a star performer anyway.Star for Jesus (And Other Jobs I Quit), is an invitation for readers to spot unvarnished, amazing grace when they see it. With her trademark wit and transparency, Stuart brings readers through both big and small moments that teach us to cling to the fierce love of God instead of the flimsier versions we find elsewhere. With unflinching honesty and relatable humor, Stuart encourages readers to take another look at unrelenting grace; why, contrary to the cultural narrative, we are not actually enough, and that&’s good news; how we always, remarkably, have all the grace we need; and why this moment in history is the perfect time to extend no-strings-attached grace to an emotionally bedraggled, wary world. .