Self Biography

Forty is a profound milestone in one's life, representing a time of reflection and transformation. As I approach my fortieth birthday, I find myself on a journey to free myself from mental slavery. This book serves as a personal journal, capturing my experiences in discovering my authentic purpose ordained by God. Divided into three parts-Childhood, Early Adulthood, and Motherhood-each season of my life reveals different tests of faith and perseverance. Through candid reflections, I explore the challenges and triumphs that shaped my spiritual journey and personal growth.

It was a wrong turn that changed everything. When Luma Mufleh—a Muslim, gay, refugee woman from hyper-conservative Jordan—stumbled upon a pick-up game of soccer in Clarkston, Georgia, something compelled her to join. The players, 11- and 12-year-olds from Liberia, Afghanistan, and Sudan, soon welcomed her as coach of their ragtag but fiercely competitive group. Drawn into their lives, Mufleh learned that few of her players, all local public school students, could read a single word. She asks, “Where was the America that took me in? That protected me? How can I get these kids to that America?”

Jane Fonda, numeber-one best-selling author, actress, and workout pioneer, is an icon for generations of women. In this inspiring and candid book, she shares her wisdom on making the most of your later years. Combining stories from her own life and from the lives of others with new research, Jane Fonda explores how the critical years from 45 and 50, and especially from 60 and beyond, can be the time when you truly become the energetic, loving, fulfilled person you were meant to be.

Former Ethiopian refugee Yonas Hagos shares his amazing story about his plight in Ethiopia, his emigration to the US, and the business journey he took to become the owner of dozens of restaurant franchises. From Scrappy to Self-Made describes how Hagos beat all the odds to become the owner of more than four dozen restaurant franchises that have earned him $10 million, and counting.

When Shay Eskew’s roadblock - a splash of gasoline and a lit match that set his body ablaze - came as a child, he had the choice to either succumb to his injuries or to rise above them. In What the Fire Ignited: How Life’s Worst Helped Me Achieve My Best, Shay shares the trials and tribulations he was forced to face while recovering from his burns and reclaiming his life as an athlete. By sharing his story, Shay hopes to help those struggling with life to realize the greatest tragedies are often our greatest blessings if we have the faith to stay the course.

Octavio Cesar Martinez writes on the subject of forgiveness with engaging honesty, humility, and depth. His deeply personal story is raw, inviting us into his suffering and struggle as he recounts his painful and abusive childhood, growing into a life of rage. But he also leads us into his experience of freedom and joy, without denial or sugar-coating. As Octavio learns to forgive, so do we. If you have been hurt or betrayed, this audiobook is for you. If you have thought about revenge, or imagined punishing someone for their misdeeds, this audiobook is for you.

Today's heads of big companies are as recognizable to us as the most popular entertainers or sports stars, but the heart and soul of every organization are those leaders below the CEO. Today's celebrity CEO has become either a figurehead or an egomaniac, and often too public a personality to get the real work done. That work is done instead by teams of leaders - exceptional deputies who forge great partnerships to maximize both organizational and personal success.

CEO Lisa Messenger shares an insightful account of her rollercoaster ride as the creator and founder of the globally popular Collective Hub, the hip magazine of inspiration for disrupters and innovators of all stripes - with bold ideas on how you can stay on track and remain true to whatever your passion may be. Speaking to the new generation of innovators, this book is a personal and honest chronicle of Lisa Messenger's various business endeavors. Exuding honesty and energy, Lisa blends these wonderfully insightful stories with important business lessons.

A survivor of 20 years of abuse and battles that would destroy most, from incest to sexual molestation, physical and verbal abuse, rape, and abandonment, speaks out. I am a woman who knows my past and understands that my experiences are purely lessons meant to bring me closer to self-knowledge and unconditional self-love. I also know that without God, I am nothing. My life was Perfectly Planned by the Lord himself.

One of the most respected and successful athletes ever to grace a major-league pitcher's mound, Orel Hershiser had an approach to the game that put him in a class by himself. Now that he's retired, this Cy Young Award winner, MVP of division- and World Series-winning teams, and Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year" looks back on the people, events, and decisions that most affected his life, on the field and off.

The Second Half explores how the second half of life is experienced by women from many different cultures. From a French actress to a British novelist, from an Algerian nomad to a Saudi Arabian doctor, and an American politician, Ellen Warner traveled all over the world to interview women about their lives. She asked them what they learned in the first half that was helpful in the second, and what advice they would give to younger women. Their revealing and inspiring stories are enlightening for all listeners.

This book allows listeners to dive into a captivating exploration of resilience and personal growth. Through compelling stories and personal insights, you’ll join the author’s parents on a journey through the trials of WWII, the Great Leap Forward, and China’s Reopening to the World. You’ll also join the author on her path from childhood in China to adulthood in the US. These intriguing stories span three generations, two countries, and more than eighty years.

From battling a devastating childhood illness to unearthing untold trauma, this healing memoir is one of resilience and transformation.

This book continues Chicken Soup for the Soul's focus on inspiration and hope in these difficult times. These inspirational stories remind us that each day holds something to be thankful for - whether it is having the sun shine or having food on the table. These stories of gratitude, getting back to basics, recovering from adversity, and silver linings remind us of the simple pleasures of family, home, health, and inexpensive good times.

A miracle disguised as a tragedy (a daughter's traumatic brain injury) became the birthplace of a successful God-centered, residential, entrepreneurial community designed to truly enhance the lives of adults with special needs. Out of this "tragedy" came a new life for this population utilizing effective vocational, emotional, spiritual, and educational methods which provided opportunities to help them find meaning and purpose in their lives through practical education in tandem with life.

Celina Caesar-Chavannes digs deep into her childhood and her life as a young Black woman entrepreneur and politician, and shows us that effective and humane leaders grow as much from their mistakes and vulnerabilities as from their strengths. Both memoir and leadership book, Can You Hear Me Now? is a funny, self-aware, poignant, confessional, and fierce look at how failing badly and screwing things up completely are truly more powerful lessons in how to conduct a life than extraordinary success.

Here are 21 inspirational stories about role models and counting your blessings. The stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive will encourage listeners to stay upbeat, because there's always a brighter way to look at life. This book continues Chicken Soup for the Soul's focus on inspiration and hope, reminding us that each day holds something to be thankful for.

Brian Pennie shouldn’t be alive today. His drug addiction was so bad that he was deemed too much of a risk for detox. Determined to confront his demons, he went cold turkey at home. On 8 October 2013, he was finally clean after 15 years of heroin addiction and something extraordinary happened: the world suddenly became beautiful. Given a second chance at life, he devoured every minute of it. Bit by bit he rebuilt his world, returning to university to study neuroscience in a bid to understand the source of his suffering.

Samuel Pepys kept a diary in which he wrote with astonishing candour about the life he saw around him in London in the 1660s, and about his private desires and ambitions. The diary was kept for fewer than 10 years of his long life: Claire Tomalin tells the whole story of the Fleet Street tailor's son who made himself rich and powerful, an MP and adviser to royalty.

Jack Rocco was a baby when he was adopted by a blue-collar, Italian American family. Today a successful orthopedic surgeon, Jack’s identity was built around his Italian heritage, and while he knew the story of his “Gotday,” he didn’t know the story of his birth day. His was a closed adoption, and he only knew that his birth parents were a young couple—an Italian father and a German Irish mother—who couldn’t afford a child.