"4 simple suggestions in 4 short chapters that will help formerly incarcerated African-American men re-enter society"--Cover.

“When Coss Marte went to prison 10 years ago, he was faced with not one, but two big challenges: lose weight and discover a legitimate career upon release. Luckily for him, overcoming the first obstacle helped him find the answer to the other.”—NPR As a teenager, Coss Marte was flying high on New York’s Lower East Side as a drug dealer, making money hand over fist. But after watching his life and those of his loved ones fall apart, he realized things had to change. That change occurred when he was sentenced to prison. Within the space of his own cell and without workout equipment, Coss took the initiative to improve his circumstances and created ConBody, a bodyweight-only approach to fitness. This plan helped him drop 70 pounds from his dangerously obese frame, reversing a negative health prognosis of surviving the next five years. Once he saw that his workout plan was not only effective, but accessible, he knew he’d found a pathway to health and ultimately to a new life—and designed a regimen to train his fellow inmates. When he left prison, he returned to the Lower East Side, but not to his criminal career. Instead he worked out in his old hangouts and gained a small following that turned into an acclaimed business, winning entrepreneurial awards and the support of Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran. Coss’s method works. These exercises are for anyone, anywhere. All you need is yourself and the space of a jail cell to get started. It’s perfect for busy lifestyles on the go and can be done in hotel rooms, small apartments, and in your backyard. With fun, engaging exercises, ConBody: The Revolutionary Bodyweight Boot Camp will help give you the extraordinary hope and resilience to improve your health and life.

A groundbreaking reassessment of the American prison system, challenging the widely accepted explanations for our exploding incarceration rates In Locked In, John Pfaff argues that the factors most commonly cited to explain mass incarceration -- the failed War on Drugs, draconian sentencing laws, an increasing reliance on private prisons -- tell us much less than we think. Instead, Pfaff urges us to look at other factors, especially a major shift in prosecutor behavior that occurred in the mid-1990s, when prosecutors began bringing felony charges against arrestees about twice as often as they had before. An authoritative, clear-eyed account of a national catastrophe, Locked In is "a must-read for anyone who dreams of an America that is not the world's most imprisoned nation" (Chris Hayes, author of A Colony in a Nation). It transforms our understanding of what ails the American system of punishment and ultimately forces us to reconsider how we can build a more equitable and humane society.

Through the stories of prisoners and their families, including her own family’s experiences, Maya Schenwar shows how the institution that locks up 2.3 million Americans and decimates poor communities of color is shredding the ties that, if nurtured, could foster real collective safety. As she vividly depicts here, incarceration takes away the very things that might enable people to build better lives. But looking toward a future beyond imprisonment, Schenwar profiles community-based initiatives that successfully deal with problems—both individual harm and larger social wrongs—through connection rather than isolation, moving toward a safer, freer future for all of us.

If you want your startup to succeed, you need to understand why startups fail. “Whether you’re a first-time founder or looking to bring innovation into a corporate environment, Why Startups Fail is essential reading.”—Eric Ries, founder and CEO, LTSE, and New York Times bestselling author of The Lean Startup and The Startup Way Why do startups fail? That question caught Harvard Business School professor Tom Eisenmann by surprise when he realized he couldn’t answer it. So he launched a multiyear research project to find out. In Why Startups Fail, Eisenmann reveals his findings: six distinct patterns that account for the vast majority of startup failures. • Bad Bedfellows. Startup success is thought to rest largely on the founder’s talents and instincts. But the wrong team, investors, or partners can sink a venture just as quickly. • False Starts. In following the oft-cited advice to “fail fast” and to “launch before you’re ready,” founders risk wasting time and capital on the wrong solutions. • False Promises. Success with early adopters can be misleading and give founders unwarranted confidence to expand. • Speed Traps. Despite the pressure to “get big fast,” hypergrowth can spell disaster for even the most promising ventures. • Help Wanted. Rapidly scaling startups need lots of capital and talent, but they can make mistakes that leave them suddenly in short supply of both. • Cascading Miracles. Silicon Valley exhorts entrepreneurs to dream big. But the bigger the vision, the more things that can go wrong. Drawing on fascinating stories of ventures that failed to fulfill their early promise—from a home-furnishings retailer to a concierge dog-walking service, from a dating app to the inventor of a sophisticated social robot, from a fashion brand to a startup deploying a vast network of charging stations for electric vehicles—Eisenmann offers frameworks for detecting when a venture is vulnerable to these patterns, along with a wealth of strategies and tactics for avoiding them. A must-read for founders at any stage of their entrepreneurial journey, Why Startups Fail is not merely a guide to preventing failure but also a roadmap charting the path to startup success.

The author's experiences teaching in a prison setting are an unexpected and untapped resource for all teachers who wish to close the achievement gap. This book will be helpful for: * Teachers who are currently teaching in a correctional setting, as well as those who may find themselves in that career in the future * Those who teach in any other adult education programs * Those who teach in urban schools or alternative schools, no matter the age of the students * Teachers who work with students who have special needs

The inspiring, instructive, and ultimately triumphant memoir of a man who used hard work and a Master Plan to turn a life sentence into a second chance. Growing up in a tough Washington, D.C., neighborhood, Chris Wilson was so afraid for his life he wouldn't leave the house without a gun. One night, defending himself, he killed a man. At eighteen, he was sentenced to life in prison with no hope of parole. But what should have been the end of his story became the beginning. Deciding to make something of his life, Chris embarked on a journey of self-improvement--reading, working out, learning languages, even starting a business. He wrote his Master Plan: a list of all he expected to accomplish or acquire. He worked his plan every day for years, and in his mid-thirties he did the impossible: he convinced a judge to reduce his sentence and became a free man. Today Chris is a successful social entrepreneur who employs returning citizens; a mentor; and a public speaker. He is the embodiment of second chances, and this is his unforgettable story.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1883.

What Obstacles Are Keeping You From Purpose and Prosperity? As an 18 year old, Mike Pisciotta found himself in a position no one wants to be behind bars at a Florida State prison. Even worse, Mike couldn't remember the night that had put him there - he only knew that he was destined to become more than just another number in the prison system. Through a combination of prayer, honest introspection and commitment, Mike rose from his "identity" as prisoner #R18756 to become one of the world's most respected marketers. But Mike is more than a marketing expert. He is passionate about using his experiences to help others who are lacking direction and purpose to guide them to not only meet their God-given potential but to exceed it! In From Prison to Prosperity, you'll discover Mike's story and learn how his lesson have transformed thousands of lives all around the world. If you, your team or your organization aren't fulfilling a deeply ingrained purpose. From Prison to Prosperity might just be the inspiration you need to dig deeply and become empowered with renewed purpose and drive.