“Parents and principals trying to understand what makes successful schools work ought to read Born to Rise.” — New York Times Born to Rise is the inspiring account of Deborah Kenny’s pursuit of social justice for our nation’s most vulnerable children. Part memoir, part manifesto, it is a hopeful and practical exposition of what it takes to transform schools and create organizations where the staff lights up with entrepreneurial drive. Students enter Harlem Village Academies, the network of charter schools Kenny founded, several years behind grade level, but in just a few years they are transformed, ranking among the highest in the nation. How did they do it? For the first time, Kenny reveals the secret to creating a powerful workplace culture that attracts the most talented people and brings out their passion and highest performance—a culture that produces stunning student achievement results and teachers who regularly use words like “magical” to describe the workplace environment. It is a must-read for anyone who cares about children and the future of this country and for leaders who want to inspire fierce dedication in their employees.

The “riveting” true story of the Vietnamese gang that terrorized Manhattan’s Chinatown, from the New York Times–bestselling author of The Westies (Newsday). They are children of the Vietnam War. Born and raised in the wasteland left by American bombs and napalm, these young men know a particular brand of cruelty—which they are about to export to the United States. When the Vietnamese gangs come to Chinatown, they adopt a name remembered from GI’s helmets: “Born to Kill.” And kill they do, in a frenzy of violence that shocks even the old-school Chinese gangsters who once ran Canal Street. Killing brings them turf, money, and power, but also draws the government’s eye. Even as Born to Kill reaches its height, it is marked for destruction. This story is told from the perspective of Tinh Ngo, a young gang member who eventually grows disenchanted with murder and death. When he decides to inform on his brothers to the police, he enters a shadow world far more dangerous than any gangland.

An accessible, beautifully crafted and heartbreakingly topical novel about PTSI and the unseen effects of global conflict on ordinary lives. Beyond the bright lights and casinos lies the real Las Vegas, a forces town. In the predawn hours, a woman's marriage crumbles with a single confession. Across the city, Bashkim, the young son of an immigrant family, observes how they are struggling to get by in the land of opportunity. Three thousand miles away on the other side of the United States, a soldier, recently returned from active service in Iraq, wakes up in hospital with the feeling he's done something awful. In Laura McBride's heartbreaking and authentic novel, these disparate lives are brought together by one split-second choice; this is a story about families, the ones we are born to and the ones we choose to make. Faced with seemingly insurmountable loss, each person must decide whether to give in to despair, or to find the courage and resilience to rise. 'A powerful story of the way in which war detonates far from battlefields, exploding lives in a single irrevocable moment. We Are Called to Risereverberated long after I'd put it down. I can't stop thinking about it' Sarah Blake, The Postmistress 'A haunting and unforgettable debut' Marie Claire 'Compelling, emotional and heart-breaking' Sun 'Packs a raw, emotional power' Sunday Mirror 'Like Donna Tartt's… The Goldfinch, it strips a layer of gloss off the Las Vegas myth by moving to the families populating suburbia' Grazia

This book chronicles the 1933 Amenia Conference in upstate New York which brought together a young group of African-American activists who would shape the ongoing civil rights movement during the Depression, World War II, and beyond.

In 2009, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed at the Super Bowl's half-time show. The experience was so exhilarating that Bruce decided to write about it. That's how this extraordinary autobiography began. Over the past seven years, Bruce Springsteen has privately devoted himself to writing the story of his life, bringing to these pages the same honesty, humour, and originality found in his songs. He describes growing up Catholic in Freehold, New Jersey, amid the poetry, danger, and darkness that fueled his imagination, leading up to the moment he refers to as "The Big Bang": seeing Elvis Presley's debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. He vividly recounts his relentless drive to become a musician, his early days as a bar band king in Asbury Park, and the rise of the E Street Band. With disarming candour, he also tells for the first time the story of the personal struggles that inspired his best work, and shows us why the song "Born to Run" reveals more than we previously realized.

Great empires are built, on the backs of the innocent and simple. Aiyeko-ooto digs trenches in the fight for freedom. In this anthology, the poet asks questions in 5 breathtaking steps: In peoples' fight for freedom: What are we afraid of? When do we walk through reality arcades? Is this necessarily part of history? When does this pregnancy end? and are we through eye of the needle yet? Aiyeko-ooto in this anthology masks these questions into analogous songs of life, love and living with insights that becoming free is a parturient experience: & I quote ""Wherever abound life, tyranny spreads out, over such land, It touches and steals from peoples' loves with little twitches, In no time, pins down living cultures, thorns and tears it apart, Struggle of peoples are squelched, with imperial reinforcements""

A powerful call to step into your full potential that biblically affirms the need for women to rise up and work together to make a better world. "Jo is one of my most trusted voices in Christian leadership. . . . She leads auditoriums full of people, and she leads me one-on-one."—Jen Hatmaker Have you ever questioned the roles you find yourself in, wondering if you were made for more but unsure of the rocky path before you? Have you had a clear vision for your life, but along the way, insecurity and fear weighted your dreams and silenced the voice within you? You’re not alone. Many amazing women like you have experienced the same struggles. Whether you’re moving into leadership, discovering your calling, fighting for change, or doing all three, leadership coach and speaker Jo Saxton affirms that God designed women for influence and impact. But are you living up to your full potential? Ready to Rise tackles the real-life issues—from harassment and sexism to self-doubt and loneliness—that can discourage and derail women from leading in the areas God has called them to. With insights from her own journey and powerful biblical examples, Jo offers practical advice to empower and equip women to transform their communities. If you’ve ever longed to uncover your true potential, own your voice, and boldly advance God’s goodness in the world, now is the time to start. Get ready to rise!

On January 14, 1952 in Demoplis, Alabama, my mother (Ella M. Jones) delivered me into a world where your food was always fried and everyone we knew was Black and a Baptist. I was Lucky number “4” of 9 children, five girls and four boys. We children didn’t know it, but we were not wealthy. The world that my parents built for us was secure as any palace, so filled with warmth and affection. The four-bedroom dwelling, with a covered front porch was located in the west section of town, about two blocks from St. Peters Baptist Church. Our Sunday started early. It was a day of rest from work, but not from activity. After one of my mother’s unforgettable breakfasts, we would all walk to church for morning services. We were a family who deeply believed that all of our strength comes from the Lord. I feel that it is my religious belief, which has helped to shape my personality as it is today. My parents instilled in us to trust your instincts, to be patient and to strive for the highest educational goals possible. They continually told us to always put God first and he will lead the way. My structural educational experience began in 1959 when I entered first grade at Faunsdale Elementary School. There were no pre-schools or kindergarten classes. After my first grade year, my parents moved to Uniontown, Alabama where I attended Uniontown Elementary School from second to seventh grade. I enrolled in Robert C. Hatch High School in the fall of 1966. While attending this school, I was introduced to my first physical education class. The class was well organized and so exciting. The teacher was really innovative and a true motivator. I knew from that experience I wanted to study and teach physical education. I was graduated from high school in May 1971. In the fall of 1971, I was accepted into Alabama State University. Those years were challenging and rewarding. I majored in Physical Education and Health, with a minor in English. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in June 1974. In August 1974, I began teaching physical education in the Miami-Dade County Public School System. In September 2001, I earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the Union Institute University. I am presently living in Montgomery, Alabama and is in the process of writing books. Christine J. Dial-Benton, Ph.D.

This beautifully written, absorbing and thoughtful book tells the story of the first white Australians. Born before 1850. Most were the children of convicts. They had no access to land and no education, and free settlers generally treated them with contempt, as second-rate citizens.