"Not just another business autobiography, this is a fascinating and uplifting look into one man's leadership journey through poverty, hardship, racism, and betrayal to becoming one of the most inspirational business leaders of our time." -Jane Marvin, former SVP human resources, Ross Stores, Inc. Bob Knowling is respected by many of America's most admired executives, from Jack Welch to Michael Bloomberg. He has led large organizations through periods of dramatic transformation; management guru Noel Tichy calls him "a change agent's change agent." But even more impressive than Knowling's résumé is the road he took to the top. He grew up as one of thirteen children in Indiana, shuttling between the homes of his divorced parents, surrounded by crime, poverty, drug abuse, and racism. Later he lived and worked on his grandparents' farm in Missouri. No one encouraged him to have big ambitions or even bothered to ask, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" But Knowling used his athletic and academic talents to earn a college scholarship and later an MBA. He became an expert at leading change-helping others see a better future, then work hard to make it real. Knowling's story proves that almost any disadvantage can be overcome with persistence and a passion for excellence. And it teaches us how to embrace change rather than cling to the past. It is easy to lose sight of our potential in a time of economic turmoil, joblessness, and confusion. Knowling reminds us that none of those conditions is permanent and, more important, that none of them excuses us from making a concerted effort at whatever we try to do. As he puts it, "You turn around organizations, in most cases, by turning around individuals. . . . The real lesson of transformation is that it happens not in companies and not in offices, but in lives." Knowling believes that we do not define ourselves by our upbringing or the external conditions of our lives. It's our response to those conditions that counts. It's not where you came from; it's what you do with your potential. You'll be amazed to learn where Knowling came from and how he got from a really distant "there" to a very inspiring "here."

Her street name is Maybe She lives with a tribe of homeless teens -- runaways and throwaways, kids who have no place to go other than the cold city streets, and no family except for one another. Abused, abandoned, and forgotten, they struggle against the cold, hunger, and constant danger. With the frigid winds of January comes a new girl: Tears, a twelve-year-old whose mother doesn't believe her stepfather abuses her. As the other kids start to disappear -- victims of violence, addiction, and exposure -- Maybe tries to help Tears get off the streets...if it's not already too late. Todd Strasser, author of the powerful and disturbing Give a Boy a Gun, again focuses on an important social issue as he tells a thought-provoking, heart-wrenching story of young lives lost to the streets, and of a society that has forgotten how to care.

When a journalist sets out on a round-the-globe adventure, she hopes to meet those that live outside mainstream society, only to find that even on the fringes, the unstoppable forces of globalization encroach on daily life. 30,000 first printing.

Invited to visit the People's Republic of China, the author and a group of American women were not prepared for what they saw and learned.

No matter how far or close you think you are to retirement, this book is your one-stop guide to help you plot your direction for the coming decades. Not long ago everyone knew what the word retirement meant--retire at age 65 after 40 years at the same job and coast through your golden years courtesy of a comfortable nest egg. But now, age expectancy is higher, savings are slimmer, and people change jobs more frequently. Clinging to this outdated concept of retirement only gets you a room in your kids’ house. Your retirement is going to require an incremental approach to planning--and you must begin now. This requires conscious engagement, diverse interests, and the ability to adapt. In How Do I Get There from Here?, readers will first be directed how to review all their assets--both tangible and intangible--so they can get an honest assessment of where they are right now. Then a journey through self-reflective questions and exercises will: walk you through imagining your future, identifying skills you’ll need, and learning how to prepare for inevitable twists and turns along the way. Stop clinging to an ancient and stereotypical idea of retirement. Decades of nonstop leisure is not only unreachable for most, it’s not even truly desirable. Begin now charting the path for a unique, dynamic future you can look forward to!

I'd always wanted to travel, except that I didn't know it. After graduating from college, getting a job, and setting out on my own, I made some sporadic attempts to see some of the world. It took a while to figure out how and it was only after I got married that the two of us came upon a strategy that worked for us. This book is a collection of stories about my mostly modest opportunities to travel. This is not a how-to book. There will be no listings of the best places to go. You will not find even a slightly comprehensive guide to locations, National Parks, interesting cities, countries, or anything else particularly useful. However, I hope you will find some interesting and amusing stories about surprises that we encountered along the way.

Forward Dear Paul M y friend Paul LeBlanc and I have had many wonderful adventures together over the years. I knew we were going to be friends when we first met on a film called Silence of the North in 1981. We were shooting in northern Canada in40 degree temperatures. I had a scene where I had to run out of my cabin because a bear was on the roof, and shoot the bear. Paul and I were inside the cabin, just the two of us, waiting for my cue. When the bear went on the roof, the rafters of the cabin started sagging and the snow came pouring in. It looked like the roof was going to give way and the bear fall through and join us in the small cabin. We were terrified. At which point, Paul wailed, Oh, please, I just wanted to be a hairdresser! I laughed so hard I dropped my rifle. And what a hairdresser he is. Hes always been my favorite, not just for his amazing artistry, which he demonstrated on me over and over again in many films, but most particularly in Requiem for a Dream in 2000. Hes done my hair not only for films, but also for the Oscars, the Tonys, in Paris, in London, in limousines, in all temperatures and under every imaginable condition. But weve always had a great time together and hes always made me laugh, as Im sure readers of his book will. Ellen Burstyn (2006)