When I heard that Denzel Washington traveled to Houston, Texas to meet with Dr. Thomas F. Freeman (Doc), the head coach of the Texas Southern University (TSU) Debate Team, I knew the two-time academy award winner searched for and selected the best debate coach in the country. Why did Denzel Washington take time out of his busy schedule to come all the way to Houston, Texas to visit Dr. Freeman in his office on the campus of Texas Southern University? In preparation for the movie The Great Debaters, Denzel Washington and the cast sought the advice and consultation of Dr. Freeman and members of the TSU Debate Team to give them real insight into how ordinary students are transformed into extraordinary communicators. Public Speaking the Freeman Way was conceived out of my desire to honor Dr. Freeman by sharing with the world the Five Universal Laws of public speaking I learned from him as his student. Law I. Master Your Mental Self Principle: Know Thy Powerful Self Law II. Disciplined Preparation Principle: Fail to plan, Plan to fail Law III. Speak Before You Speak Principle: Your Body Carries a "Message of Your Choice" Law IV. Speak When You Speak Principle: Get the Attention of Your Audience and Keep It! Law V: Know When to Shut Up Principle: Always end things well Your "FEAR" of speaking will no longer control you once you learn Public Speaking the Freeman Way!

In the first authoritative biography of Alexander the Great written for a general audience in a generation, classicist and historian Philip Freeman tells the remarkable life of the great conqueror. The celebrated Macedonian king has been one of the most enduring figures in history. He was a general of such skill and renown that for two thousand years other great leaders studied his strategy and tactics, from Hannibal to Napoleon, with countless more in between. He flashed across the sky of history like a comet, glowing brightly and burning out quickly: crowned at age nineteen, dead by thirty-two. He established the greatest empire of the ancient world; Greek coins and statues are found as far east as Afghanistan. Our interest in him has never faded. Alexander was born into the royal family of Macedonia, the kingdom that would soon rule over Greece. Tutored as a boy by Aristotle, Alexander had an inquisitive mind that would serve him well when he faced formidable obstacles during his military campaigns. Shortly after taking command of the army, he launched an invasion of the Persian empire, and continued his conquests as far south as the deserts of Egypt and as far east as the mountains of present-day Pakistan and the plains of India. Alexander spent nearly all his adult life away from his homeland, and he and his men helped spread the Greek language throughout western Asia, where it would become the lingua franca of the ancient world. Within a short time after Alexander’s death in Baghdad, his empire began to fracture. Best known among his successors are the Ptolemies of Egypt, whose empire lasted until Cleopatra. In his lively and authoritative biography of Alexander, classical scholar and historian Philip Freeman describes Alexander’s astonishing achievements and provides insight into the mercurial character of the great conqueror. Alexander could be petty and magnanimous, cruel and merciful, impulsive and farsighted. Above all, he was ferociously, intensely competitive and could not tolerate losing—which he rarely did. As Freeman explains, without Alexander, the influence of Greece on the ancient world would surely not have been as great as it was, even if his motivation was not to spread Greek culture for beneficial purposes but instead to unify his empire. Only a handful of people have influenced history as Alexander did, which is why he continues to fascinate us.

Embark on an awkwardly awesome and imperfect journey with your guide, Jason Freeman, as he endeavors to uncover life's most elusive qualities: success and satisfaction. Eager to enter the world, Jason's umbilical cord became kinked like a garden hose. He lost a bit of oxygen, gifting him with a pronounced speech impediment and coordination awkwardness, a fitting introduction into the imperfect nature of life. Jason promptly ignored this wisdom, and tried for stressful decades to attain perfection. For many years, he assumed his quest was a solitary one, until eventually discovering that perfectionism has a way of plaguing most of us. Like many people, Jason had perfect dreams but on too many occasions found himself sitting on the sidelines of life. Out of misery and desperation, he discovered, and began to implement something that would become key to his success and satisfaction, a simple game-changing concept: 'Doing your Imperfect Best.' Today, Jason does what eight years ago he thought was impossible for him: yoga, owning his own business, speaking to audiences across the country and, now, authoring a book. In 'Awkwardly Awesome - Embracing My Imperfect Best', Jason takes you along on his journey of obstacles, frustrations and epiphanies leading to the powerful Imperfect Best Concept. Part memoir, part self-help guide, the narrative pauses on occasion, asking you, the reader, direct questions relevant to your own life as it introduces concepts intended to transform your journey.

A practical and hopeful examination of how colleges and universities can create the best possible experience for students and faculty. There are few higher education leaders today that command more national respect and admiration than Freeman A. Hrabowski III, the outspoken president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Named one of America's Best Leaders by US News & World Report and one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World, Hrabowski has led a community transformation of UMBC from a young, regional institution to one of the nation's most innovative research universities. In The Empowered University, Hrabowski and coauthors Philip J. Rous and Peter H. Henderson probe the way senior leaders, administrators, staff, faculty, and students facilitate academic success by cultivating an empowering institutional culture and broad leadership for innovation. They examine how shared leadership enables an empowered campus to tackle tough issues by taking a hard look in the mirror, noting strengths and weaknesses while assessing opportunities and challenges. The authors dig deeply into these tough issues in higher education ranging from course redesign to group-based and experiential learning, entrepreneurship and civic engagement, academic inclusion, and faculty diversity. The authors champion a holistic approach to student success, focusing on teaching and learning while offering an array of financial, social, and academic supports for students of all backgrounds. Throughout the book, the authors emphasize the important role of analytics in decision-making. They also explore how community members and senior leaders can work together to create an inclusive campus through a more welcoming and supportive racial climate, improved Title IX processes, and career support for faculty of all backgrounds. Ultimately, The Empowered University is as much a case study of the authors' work as it is an examination of institutional change, inclusive excellence, and campus-community partnerships. Arguing that higher education can play a unique role in addressing the fundamental divisions in our society and economy by supporting individuals in reaching their full potential, the authors have developed a provocative guide for higher education leaders who want to promote healthy and productive campus communities.

"One of the best history books I've read in the last few years." —Chris Hayes The Field of Blood recounts the previously untold story of the violence in Congress that helped spark the Civil War. A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR ONE OF SMITHSONIAN'S BEST HISTORY BOOKS OF THE YEAR Historian Joanne B. Freeman recovers the long-lost story of physical violence on the floor of the U.S. Congress. Drawing on an extraordinary range of sources, she shows that the Capitol was rife with conflict in the decades before the Civil War. Legislative sessions were often punctuated by mortal threats, canings, flipped desks, and all-out slugfests. When debate broke down, congressmen drew pistols and waved Bowie knives. One representative even killed another in a duel. Many were beaten and bullied in an attempt to intimidate them into compliance, particularly on the issue of slavery. These fights didn’t happen in a vacuum. Freeman’s dramatic accounts of brawls and thrashings tell a larger story of how fisticuffs and journalism, and the powerful emotions they elicited, raised tensions between North and South and led toward war. In the process, she brings the antebellum Congress to life, revealing its rough realities—the feel, sense, and sound of it—as well as its nation-shaping import. Funny, tragic, and rivetingly told, The Field of Blood offers a front-row view of congressional mayhem and sheds new light on the careers of John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and other luminaries, as well as introducing a host of lesser-known but no less fascinating men. The result is a fresh understanding of the workings of American democracy and the bonds of Union on the eve of their greatest peril.

Offering a reassessment of the tumultuous culture of politics on the national stage during America's early years, when Jefferson, Burr, and Hamilton were among the national leaders, Freeman shows how the rituals and rhetoric of honor provides ground rules for political combat. Illustrations.

"David Johnson's even-handed biography of Douglas Southall Freeman exactly limns an extraordinary man. The Doc, as we newsmen knew him, would be pleased."--James J. Kilpatrick "I picked up this book in the early evening, and it was 2:30 A.M. before I reluctantly laid it aside. That's no exaggeration. Johnson not only brings to life his subject but also the times and the place." --Charley Reese "Just as Boswell eventually found an exemplary biographer in Frederick Pottle so has Dr. Freeman found one in David Johnson." --Dr. Richard Mullen, Contemporary Review Douglas Southall Freeman (1886-1953) remains one of the greatest historians of the Civil War. His monumental biographies, including Lee's Lieutenants and the Pulitzer Prize-winning R. E. Lee, combined intellectual fervor with meticulous research and a graceful prose style. He received a second, posthumous Pulitzer Prize for his six-volume study of George Washington, still the definitive work on the first president. Freeman's literary accomplishments are all the more remarkable considering that he was also editor of the Richmond News Leader from 1915 to 1949 and made twice-daily radio news broadcasts. Freeman's influence was not confined to Virginia or the South, nor was his expertise limited to the Civil War. During World War I, Pres. Woodrow Wilson read Freeman's daily reports about the conflict in Europe. Freeman also acted as friend and advisor to world leaders like Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower. Until now, no biography of this important figure has existed. With Douglas Southall Freeman, first-time author David E. Johnson brings the man and his achievements to light.