From the founder of the Wu-Tang Clan—celebrating their 25th anniversary this year—an inspirational book for the hip hop fan. The RZA, founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, imparts the lessons he's learned on his journey from the Staten Island projects to international superstardom. A devout student of knowledge in every form in which he's found it, he distills here the wisdom he's acquired into seven "pillars," each based on a formative event in his life-from the moment he first heard the call of hip-hop to the death of his cousin and Clan- mate, Russell Jones, aka ODB. Delivered in RZA's unmistakable style, at once surprising, profound, and provocative, The Tao of Wu is a spiritual memoir the world has never seen before, and will never see again. A nonfiction Siddhartha for the hip-hop generation from the author of The Wu-Tang Manual, it will enlighten, entertain, and inspire.

This book is not your typical book. This book is aimed to pick up your spirits. When you are feeling down pick it up read until you feel better then stash it away until you need it again. This book is positive vibes and good energy. This book is true, honest, and inspirational. Read with an open mind and it will change your life.

Photographer Poul Beckmann's first collection of larger-than-life beetles was hailed across the globe. The Houston Chronicle called it "one of the season's happiest marriages of science and art." The Wall Street Journal declared it an "original and beautiful book," while American Photo praised its "dazzling colour and sumptuous production values." Now Beckmann has compiled an entirely new collection of gorgeous beetles that are ready for their close-up. Magnified multiple times their normal size and photographed in rich colour, their true magnificence is revealed: page after page of luminescent golds, electrifying greens, fiery reds, and unearthly blues. There are beetles with leopard spots and zebra stripes, beetles shaped like rhinos and dragons, beetles with long horns and shining armour. While Beckmann's images represent the finest examples of nature photography, the presentation of his subjects takes these pictures to another level. Graphic designers, painters, architects, fashionistas, and entomologists will be amazed and inspired by the natural beauty of these tiny jewels.

The Jewels of Happiness is a treasure chest of wisdom and joy - a compilation of succinct and insightful pieces of prose, practical exercises and uplifting aphorisms and verse, many of them published here for the first time. Addressing themes such as peace, enthusiasm and love, the self-contained chapters combine to create a wonderful tapestry of inspiration. Sri Chinmoy's easy-to-follow exercises, based on perennial ancient wisdom, are truly pertinent for the modern era and perfectly suited to our fast-paced lives - his amazing ability to offer positive help and insight speaks to each reader as if the words were written just for them.

The Golden Gems of Life; Or, Gathered Jewels for the Home Circle stands as an emblematic anthology that traverses a vast expanse of literary styles and themes, embodying the richness of moral and philosophical musings tailored for the edification of the household. A panoramic array of essays, poems, and narratives converge to sculpt a tapestry of human values, ethics, and the pursuit of wisdom across life's manifold scenarios. This collection prides itself on its diversity, transporting readers from the realms of stoic contemplation to the ebullience of poetic inspiration, thereby cementing its place within the literary context as a beacon of enlightenment and intellectual diversity for the family unit. The compendium heralds the collaborative genius of Emory Adams Allen and Smith C. Ferguson, whose curatorial acumen brings together a multifaceted exploration of life's quintessences. The authors, deeply entrenched within the cultural and philosophical dialogues of their era, imbue the anthology with historical depth and a timeless relevance. By synthesizing perspectives that delineate the contours of moral philosophy and the art of living, this anthology emerges as a confluence of thought that mirrors the era's burgeoning interest in domestic virtue and collective wisdom. To the discerning reader, The Golden Gems of Life offers not merely a compendium of readings but a voyage into the heart of life's perennial questions and joys. It proffers an invaluable opportunity to engage with the multiplicity of human experience and thought, underpinned by the guiding hands of Allen and Ferguson. This collection is an indispensable resource for anyone seeking to enrich their intellectual and moral landscapes, fostering a dialogue between the generations and across the spectrum of human endeavors. Its educational value, coupled with the breadth of insights contained within, makes it a treasure trove for households committed to the lifelong pursuit of knowledge and virtue.

You hold in your hand a book that will significantly impact the lives of those precious jewels in your life. You Are Gods Precious Jewel will instill confidence and mold a positive self-image in young children the world over. This book will lay the foundation upon which they can build a Christ-centered life while pursuing His purpose for their lives. You Are Gods Precious Jewel is based on Biblical concepts and principles. It is intended to shape the mind and hearts of young children with the knowledge and truth that they are precious in the eyes of God and that He loves them dearlya love, demonstrated by Him sending His only son, Jesus Christ, to die so that they may have eternal life. They will learn of His infinite wisdom and knowledge. They will discover that there is nothing about themtheir lives and their future that God does not already know. Even when they are sad, there is a truth that will forever ring in their hearts; that God holds them in the palm of His hands, just like we hold precious jewels. Godspreciousjewels.com

Told with an unflinchingly honest voice as real as the flawed people that populated her world, The Making of a Woman is an unexpected memoir exploring the path less traveled. Childhood abuse and trauma powered an alcoholism that would nearly defeat Jewels. Yet Jewels assures us that even when we lose those things that give shape to our soul--belonging, the need for touch, and safety in our own home--we can go on to devise a new way of being that surpasses our childhood haunts. Jewels was seven years old when her father attempted a family suicide, so her mother whisked her away to the arms and family of another man. Ruled by her mother's delusional survival aspirations and the ignored evidence of her suffering at the hands of her new relatives, life became a daily struggle for survival for Jewels. But when the truth could no longer be hidden, the family split, leaving Jewels to navigate a new world, not of her making. Deciding to use her earlier trauma to enter recovery, sexually liberate herself, and enter the competitive world of professional bodybuilding, Jewels created a life that inspires others to push forward no matter the details. In this uncommon ode to survival, Jewels creates a quite unexpected career from her truth--underscored by her complicated relationship with the allure of sexuality. Through a tangle of forgiveness and understanding emerges an elevated journey of the mechanisms for survival, of pain and joy, and of discovering that family is what you make of it.

“Jewel is a truth-teller…this is a book that lingers in your heart.” – Brené Brown *The New York Times bestseller* New York Times bestselling poet and multi-platinum singer-songwriter Jewel explores her unconventional upbringing and extraordinary life in an inspirational memoir that covers her childhood to fame, marriage, and motherhood. When Jewel’s first album, Pieces of You, topped the charts in 1995, her emotional voice and vulnerable performance were groundbreaking. Drawing comparisons to Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell, a singer-songwriter of her kind had not emerged in decades. Now, with more than thirty million albums sold worldwide, Jewel tells the story of her life, and the lessons learned from her experience and her music. Living on a homestead in Alaska, Jewel learned to yodel at age five, and joined her parents’ entertainment act, working in hotels, honky-tonks, and biker bars. Behind a strong-willed family life with an emphasis on music and artistic talent, however, there was also instability, abuse, and trauma. At age fifteen, she moved out and tasked herself with a mission: to see if she could avoid being the kind of statistic that her past indicated for her future. Soon after, she was accepted to the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and there she began writing her own songs as a means of expressing herself and documenting her journey to find happiness. Jewel was eighteen and homeless in San Diego when a radio DJ aired a bootleg version of one of her songs and it was requested into the top-ten countdown, something unheard-of for an unsigned artist. By the time she was twenty-one, her debut had gone multiplatinum. There is much more to Jewel’s story, though, one complicated by family legacies, by crippling fear and insecurity, and by the extraordinary circumstances in which she managed to flourish and find happiness despite these obstacles. Along her road of self-discovery, learning to redirect her fate, Jewel has become an iconic singer and songwriter. In Never Broken she reflects on how she survived, and how writing songs, poetry, and prose has saved her life many times over. She writes lyrically about the natural wonders of Alaska, about pain and loss, about the healing power of motherhood, and about discovering her own identity years after the entire world had discovered the beauty of her songs.

Life is the choicest gift in the bounty of heaven entrusted to your wise and diligent keeping. God has given you power and opportunity to improve it and be happy. He has also given you equal power to despise the gift and be miserable. Which you do is up to you. You may make life what you please and give it as much worth, both for yourself and others, as you desire. How are you doing so far on this journey called life? Are you striving to make the most of its possibilities? When your life is nearly ended you will think of the past and perhaps contemplate a different course you would take if only you could turn back the hands of time. But this is not possible. Therefore, make the most of your life now. Live no longer as though you are indifferent to life's prizes. You are invited to discover the real "jewels of life" that will prepare you to fill with honor and usefulness the places you are destined to occupy. You'll find the inspiration and help you need to make real your hopes of success and happiness.

Inspired by memories of her beloved grandmother, photographer and author Alysia Burton Steele -- picture editor on a Pulitzer Prize-winning team -- combines heart-wrenching narrative with poignant photographs of more than 50 female church elders in the Mississippi Delta. These ordinary women lived extraordinary lives under the harshest conditions of the Jim Crow era and during the courageous changes of the Civil Rights Movement. With the help of local pastors, Steele recorded these living witnesses to history and folk ways, and shares the significance of being a Black woman -- child, daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother in Mississippi -- a Jewel of the Delta. From the stand Mrs. Tennie Self took for her marriage to be acknowledged in the phone book, to the life-threatening sacrifice required to vote for the first time, these 50 inspiring portraits are the faces of love and triumph that will teach readers faith and courage in difficult times.