Master Teruyuki Okazaki, Chairman and Chief Instructor of the International Shotokan Karate Federation, is revered as one of the greatest karate masters of our time. At 75 years of age, he moves with the speed and grace of an athletic man in his twenties. He smiles broadly and laughs easily, defying the somber stereotype of a martial arts master. His warmth, humility, and understanding of the human condition are obvious to all who encounter him. "Karate practitioners and other martial artists must know that the martial arts are about more than physical development, self-defense, and competition; most importantly, they are about continually striving to perfect one's character," Master Okazaki explains. This is the message that Master Okazaki's own teacher, Master Gichin Funakoshi, the father of modern karate, most wanted to emphasize as well. To this end, Master Funakoshi articulated two sets of principles, the Dojo Kun, and the Niju Kun. The Dojo Kun are the five guiding, general principles of karate; and the Niju Kun are the twenty specific and subordinate principles of karate, which encompass morality, technique, and proper mindset. In this book, Master Okazaki draws out the deep and hidden wisdom from these seemingly simple principles in a light and lucid fashion, and emphasizes that the principles of karate are principles for living a peaceful, fulfilling, and happy life. This profound book is not just for karate practitioners and martial artists; it is a book for all who genuinely seek to become the best person they can be.

A classic-feeling middle-grade novel with a modern twist about a girl dealing with friendship, family, and OCD.

Book One in the EX Series The Mighty Dragon. Stealth. Gorgon. Regenerator. Cerberus. Zzzap. They were superheroes fighting to make Los Angeles a better place. Then the plague of living death spread. Billions died, civilization fell, and the City of Angels was left a desolate zombie wasteland. But the ex-humans aren’t the only threats the heroes face. Another group is amassing power . . . led by an enemy with the most terrifying ability of all.

Julie Metz's life changes forever on one ordinary January afternoon when her husband, Henry, collapses on the kitchen floor and dies in her arms. Suddenly, this mother of a six-year-old is the young widow in a bucolic small town. And this is only the beginning. Seven months after Henry's death, just when Julie thinks she is emerging from the worst of it, comes the rest of it: She discovers that what had appeared to be the reality of her marriage was but a half-truth. Henry had hidden another life from her. "He loved you so much." That's what everyone keeps telling her. It's true that he loved Julie and their six-year-old daughter ebulliently and devotedly, but as she starts to pick up the pieces and rebuild her life without Henry in it, she learns that Henry had been unfaithful throughout their twelve years of marriage. The most damaging affair was ongoing -- a tumultuous relationship that ended only with Henry's death. For Julie, the only thing to do was to get at the real truth--to strip away the veneer of "perfection" that was her life and confront each of the women beneath the veneer. Perfection is the story of Julie Metz's journey through chaos and transformation as she creates a different life for herself and her young daughter. It is the story of coming to terms with painful truths, of rebuilding both a life and an identity after betrayal and widowhood. It is a story of rebirth and happiness -- if not perfection.