My American Success Story: Always the First, Never the Last is the autobiography of Roy Roberts, who became the highest ranking African American executive in the history of General Motors Corporation and the global auto industry. Roberts transformed GM plants, merged its Pontiac and GMC divisions, and coined the term "right-sizing" during a critical period of upheaval and transformation for the U.S. auto industry. My American Success Story chronicles Roberts' spectacular corporate career, community involvement (including his 2011-2013 role as emergency manager of Detroit Public Schools) and fulfilling personal life, highlighted by his 40-year marriage to Maureen, his wife. A consistent theme of Roberts' story is his determination to share success by opening doors for others. As he puts it: "It's not a sin to be the first; it's a sin to be the last."

Dave Longaberger was one of the most remarkable entrepreneurs of his generation. Overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds and employing a unique management philosophy, he created and grew his company into the largest maker of handcrafted baskets in the United States, employing thousands of people, revitalizing his community, and inspiring everyone with a commitment to quality and craftsmanship.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A great American success story . . . an endearing and well-written book.”—The New York Times Book Review Colin Powell is the embodiment of the American dream. He was born in Harlem to immigrant parents from Jamaica. He knew the rough life of the streets. He overcame a barely average start at school. Then he joined the Army. The rest is history—Vietnam, the Pentagon, Panama, Desert Storm—but a history that until now has been known only on the surface. Here, for the first time, Colin Powell himself tells us how it happened, in a memoir distinguished by a heartfelt love of country and family, warm good humor, and a soldier’s directness. My American Journey is the powerful story of a life well lived and well told. It is also a view from the mountaintop of the political landscape of America. At a time when Americans feel disenchanted with their leaders, General Powell’s passionate views on family, personal responsibility, and, in his own words, “the greatness of America and the opportunities it offers” inspire hope and present a blueprint for the future. An utterly absorbing account, it is history with a vision.

Discover how a Cuban native left his homeland after Fidel Castro's communist takeover, trained for a massive planned U.S. military attack on Castro and overcame language and cultural barriers to excel in America. "From Cuba with Love" details Pablo Umpierre's idyllic childhood before communism. Castro nationalized all businesses, including the robust retail business Umpierre's father had worked a lifetime to create. Pablo Umpierre chose to leave his parents, brother and extended family for a new life. When he arrived in Miami on June 16, 1962, Pablo Umpierre had just 10 cents to his name. Pablo Umpierre ended up joining a top-secret Cuban brigade commissioned by the U.S. Army. Learn about the underreported volunteer Cuban battalion, where the group trained, how the group was honorably discharged, how Umpierre settled in Los Angeles, Calif., met singer Dean Martin, found the love of his life and started a family.

“This isn’t just a must-read for military buffs—it’s a source of inspiration for every American and anyone who aspires to be one.” —John Kerry, former US Secretary of State Born in Poland, John Shalikashvili (1936-2011) emigrated to the United States in 1952 and was drafted into the army as a private in 1958. He rose steadily through the ranks, serving in every level of unit command from platoon to division. In 1993, Shalikashvili was tapped by President Bill Clinton to replace General Colin Powell as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, becoming the first immigrant, first draftee, and first Officer Candidate School graduate to hold the position. This first-ever biography of Shalikashvili’s riches-to-rags-and-back-to-riches story reveals how his distinctive background helped him become one of the United States’s greatest military leaders. He exhibited a unique and unconventional leadership style—employing expertise, humility, straightforwardness, and empathy—that he adroitly used to resolve or prevent destructive conflict. His distinctive leadership style greatly benefited the United States, Europe, and beyond: as when he led the rescue of 500,000 Kurdish refugees in the first Gulf War’s aftermath; when he represented Joint Chiefs chairman Colin Powell in helping secure loose nukes in the former Soviet republics; as he joined forces with fellow immigrant Madeleine Albright on the Partnership for Peace initiative and NATO enlargement program in the 1990s; and in retirement, when he helped end the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, thereby finally allowing gay servicemembers to serve openly without fear of dishonorable discharge. “An engaging story of a remarkable man whose life story would be fascinating even without regard to his military career.” —Foot Notes Blog

From the introduction: "Tradition has it that every American child receives, as part of his birthright, the freedom to mold his own life. . . . However inaccurate as a description of American society, the success myth reflects what millions believe that society is or ought to be. The degree to which opportunity has or has not been available in our society is a subject for empirical investigation. It rests within the realm of verifiable fact. The belief that opportunity exists for all is a subject for intellectual analysis and rests within the realm of ideology. This latter dimension of the success myth is the primary focus of this book."

Updated through the 2012 Olympics. On a July afternoon in 1999, the proudest moment for U.S. soccer occurred in Pasadena, California. In the presence of more than 90,000 fans and viewed by another 40 million on television, the U.S. women outlasted China to win the World Cup. Although the United States has lagged far behind other countries in the men's game, it has been at the forefront when it comes to women's soccer. In the second edition of The U.S. Women's Soccer Team: An American Success Story, Clemente A. Lisi examines how the sport has gained popularity over the past few decades. While other books have been written about the team during a specific year, such as those focused solely on the World Cup win on U.S. soil, Lisi looks beyond this event, detailing the program's infancy and how it steadily became a model for women's teams around the globe. Beginning with the start of the U.S. program in 1985, Lisi recounts the development of the women's team, highlighted by their two first place finishes in the Women's World Cups (1991 and 1999) and four Olympic women's gold medals (1996, 2004, 2008, and 2012). In addition to chronicling the history of the team as a whole, this book offers mini profiles and photographs of some of the best players over the years, including Julie Foudy, Amy Rodriguez, Hope Solo, and Mia Hamm.

The great American success story offers you the opportunity to sit down with some of the most accomplished people in America and learn from the best of the best what it takes to be a success. /