NATIONAL BESTSELLER Jann Arden—bestselling author, recording artist and late-blooming TV star—is back with this funny, heartfelt and fierce memoir on becoming a woman of a certain age. The power, gravity and freedom she's found at fifty-seven are superpowers she believes all of us can unleash. Digging deep into her strengths, her failures and her losses, Jann Arden brings us an inspiring account of how she has surprised herself, in her fifties, by at last becoming completely her own person. Like many women, it took Jann a long time to realize that trying to be pleasing and likeable and beautiful in the eyes of others was a loser's game. Letting it rip, and damning the consequences, is not only liberating, it's a hell of a lot of fun: "Being the age I am—that so many women are—is just the best time of my life." Jann weaves her own story together with tales of her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, and the father she came close to hating, to show her younger self—and all of us—that fear and avoidance is no way to live. "What I'm thinking about now aren't all the ways I can try to hang on to my youth or all the seconds ticking by in some kind of morbid countdown to death," she writes, "but rather how I keep becoming someone I always hoped I could be. If I'm lucky one day a very old face will look back at me from the mirror, a face I once shied away from. I will love that old woman ferociously, because she has finally figured out how to live a life of purpose—not in spite of but because of all her mistakes and failures."

"No matter what your current achievements or future aspirations, the advice in this book can save you years of hard learning"--Back cover

The acclaimed author explores his path from closeted child to out-and-proud adult in this deeply personal collection of fourteen linked essays. “[A] moving debut. . . . Thanks to Van Meter’s honesty, essays on his own childhood, identity, and love have a profoundly universal appeal.” —Publishers Weekly The middle American coming-of-age has found new life in Ryan Van Meter’s coming-out, made as strange as it is familiar by acknowledging the role played by gender and sexuality. In fourteen linked essays, If You Knew Then What I Know Now reinvents the memoir with all-encompassing empathy—for bully and bullied alike. This deft collection maps the unremarkable yet savage landscapes of childhood with compassion and precision, allowing awkwardness its own beauty. This is essay as an argument for the intimate—not the sensational—and an embrace of all the skinned knees in our stumble toward adulthood. “As Van Meter drifts elliptically between his childhood as a closeted young boy and his life now as an openly gay man, he draws the reader inexorably to this book, and its compelling weight.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer “To read a book this observant, this fiercely honest, and this effortlessly beautiful is to feel the very pulse of contemporary American essays.” —John D’Agata, author of The Lifespan of a Fact “These essays are insistently honest, darkened by melancholy and yearning, yet polished by prose so lithe, so elegant that Van Meter’s human presence brightens every line.” —Lia Purpura, author of It Shouldn’t Have Been Beautiful

'I am the person I always should have been, ' says Amy, 'except for a brief but total, unfathomable lapse of judgment in my youth.' Dubbed the 'Long Island Lolita', Amy Fisher was 16 years old when she became involved with a 36-year-old married auto mechanic, Joey Buttafuoco. A year later she was jailed for shooting his wife. The Amy Fisher case became an international obsession; in the United States, she was the subject of three major TV movies, a musical, books and even trading cards. Now aged 30, in If I Knew Then Amy tells her own story for the first time. She reveals details of the shooting, her seven years of abuse in prison and her struggle to return to normal life after parole. These days Amy is an award-winning journalist and a devoted wife and mother. In this deeply personal account, she takes us beyond the scandal and, in taking responsibility for her actions, offers real insights into her difficult childhood and how it led to a destructive relationship with a much older man. She shares her thoughts on gun control and domestic violence, and lists the warning signs that often reveal a teenager at risk.If I Knew Then, a New York Times bestseller, is both a chilling and cautionary tale. It is also an inspirational story about beginning again and making a life matter

This edition of the inspirational #1 bestseller draws on a new year of Jann's diaries and her mother's final days. When beloved singer and songwriter Jann Arden's parents built a house just across the way from her, she thought they would be her refuge from the demands of her career. And for a time that was how it worked. But then her dad fell ill and died, and just days after his funeral, her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. In Feeding My Mother, Jann shares what it is like for a daughter to become her mother's caregiver—in her own frank and funny words, and in recipes she invented to tempt her mom. Full of heartbreak, but also full of love and wonder.

This wonderfully whimsical book is a celebration of all the phases and stages it took to get you to who you are today... a bold, confident, incredible woman who is not afraid to stand up, speak out, and rock the boat.

From Juvenile Halls, Juvenile Camp, Multi Arrests, County Jail, Alcoholism, Marijuana Use, Gang Activity, Street Life, Drug Dealer, 22 years in State Prison, Solitary Confinement, Converted to Islam in 1993, from there - Training Vocational School, College, Islamic School, Creates Self-Help Programs for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Prison Population, Released from Prison in 2012, Gets Married, Teacher of Accredited Private Islamic High School, Commissioner on the Human Relations Commission for the City of Union City, Blue Ribbon Commissioner for the City of Los Angeles, Founder and Executive Director of the Timelist Group a Non-Profit 501(c)(3) which helps the homeless and the formerly incarcerated in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. Highlighting the life of a man's lived experience and journey to success.

A revised and updated edition of the international bestseller Inspiring readers all over the globe to reimagine their future, this revised and updated edition of What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20 features new material to complement the classic text. Major life transitions such as leaving the protected environment of school or starting a new career can be daunting. It is scary to face a wall of choices, knowing that no one is going to tell us if we make the right decision. There is no clearly delineated path or recipe for success. Even figuring out how and where to start can be a challenge. As head of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, Tina Seelig’s job is to guide her students as they make the difficult transition from the academic environment to the professional world—providing tangible skills and insights that will last a lifetime. Seelig is a wildly popular and award-winning teacher and in What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20 she shares with us what she offers her students –provocative stories, inspiring advice, and a big dose of humility and humor. These pages are filled with captivating examples, from the classroom to the boardroom, of individuals defying expectations, challenging assumptions, and achieving unprecedented success. Seelig throws out the old rules and provides a new model for reaching our potential. We discover how to have a healthy disregard for the impossible; how to recover from failure; and how most problems are remarkable opportunities in disguise. What I Wish I Knew When I Was Twenty is a much-needed book for everyone looking to make their mark in the world.

We all have a story of our own individual journeys. From laughter to tears, to being in love and even some fears. If I Knew Then is Symphony's story. She is not proud of every choice she made but she has no regrets knowing that every lesson made her the woman she is today. Her story will encourage you to remember that it's not just about how you start the race that's important; but the good and the bad experiences that you gather along the way. We learn we grow, and we push past the disappointments. If I Knew Then is a reminder on the importance of family, forgiveness and self-love. Using your journey to encourage and empower others. Past generations thought it best to hide their mistakes. Like Symphony, I have learned that you can share your story to bless and encourage others through their struggles. The more we live, it's through our mistakes that we learn. If I Knew Then uncovers hidden truths that are often swept under the rug such as: -Domestic violence-Molestation-Childhood Trauma-And more...

There is strength and promise within these pages to inspire any reader seeking to find quality of life. Join us on our journey as we courageously share our heartfelt stories about what we have learned through life lessons and trial and error. If I Knew Then What I Know Now is a compilation of our experiences, things we have done, observations we have made and what we have discovered. "I am honored to have been chosen to be a part of this amazing quality of life project. This book is a testament to a single radiant Spirit who, years ago, visualized and set a goal to help more than one million people live a better Life. Doreen lives the mantra of "People Helping People," and this book intensifies her vision and her dream. The stories written in If I Knew Then What I Know Now came straight from the souls of people wanting to help other people while, unknowingly, helping themselves in the process. These heartfelt stories will give you courage and inspiration to explore your own life-while loving and accepting others even more.Thank you, Doreen for your vision and for your tenacity. I'm one of your biggest fans " Love, Rebecca L. Norrington, Happiness Specialist P.S. You have already changed the world with this book.