Success Biographies

When Jade unexpectedly suffered from a rare condition which left her paralysed and in a wheelchair at the age of twelve, she never imagined that she'd one day meet her husband John and that together they would take to social media to dispel the stigma surrounding disability, one story at a time. From questions about suffering and sex to family and faith, Jade and John speak honestly and humorously about life as an inter-able couple.

In this full and frank memoir - a personal story of duty, family, justice, politics and resilience - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo reflects on his rise, fall, and rise in politics, and recounts his defining personal and political moments and tough but necessary lessons he has learned along the way.

This book continues Chicken Soup for the Soul's focus on inspiration and hope in these difficult times. These inspirational stories remind us that each day holds something to be thankful for - whether it is having the sun shine or having food on the table. These stories of gratitude, getting back to basics, recovering from adversity, and silver linings remind us of the simple pleasures of family, home, health, and inexpensive good times.

The Huck Finn of foreign correspondents provides a colorful account of old Honolulu, the island nobility, the City of Refuge on the Kona coast, and the active volcano of Kilauea. These selections of Mark Twain's newspaper dispatches are both charming and informative. The light touch of the great humorist is seldom missing as he reveals the "loveliest fleet of islands that lie anchored in any ocean".

Twenty years after creating the phenomenal best-selling classic The One Minute Manager, Ken Blanchard returns to its roots with the most powerful and essential title in the series as he explores the skills needed to empower yourself to success. In this captivating business parable, best-selling author Ken Blanchard tells the story of Steve, a young advertising executive who is about to lose his job.

Joyce Roche rose from humble circumstances to earn an Ivy League MBA and become the first female African-American vice president of Avon, president of a leading hair care company, and CEO of the national nonprofit Girls Inc. But despite these accomplishments, she felt like a fraud. She worked more and more, had less and less of a personal life, and was never able to enjoy her success.

This book is for people who want to learn the ins and outs of business by studying the examples of the best. Just as a philosopher might study Plato or Socrates to establish a philosophical foundation, so too a businessman can study the greatest businessmen and women in order to establish a business foundation.

Ready or Not was written by J. Francis Angier and is a memoir of his life and flying career — highlighted by his shoot-down and imprisonment in Nazi Germany. His narrative encompasses his early interest in aviation, (he soloed at age 15) and his upbringing on a Vermont farm during the Depression which prepared him for the rigors of flying in combat and the hardship of his captivity.

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God’s Fingerprints is a story of fulfilled promises and the unlimited reach of God in our lives. Dive deep into the incredible testimony of Alfonso Gomez, a pastor’s son. When he was five years old his father had a vision of Alfonso all grown up and preaching in Colombia, South America. As Alfonso grew up in the central valley of California, this vision seemed further away from ever becoming a reality. With a dark cloud coming over his generation with gangs, drugs, and alcohol, he doubted he would live to be an adult.

Brian Pennie shouldn’t be alive today. His drug addiction was so bad that he was deemed too much of a risk for detox. Determined to confront his demons, he went cold turkey at home. On 8 October 2013, he was finally clean after 15 years of heroin addiction and something extraordinary happened: the world suddenly became beautiful. Given a second chance at life, he devoured every minute of it. Bit by bit he rebuilt his world, returning to university to study neuroscience in a bid to understand the source of his suffering.

Even in this time of rethinking women’s roles, we define genius almost exclusively through male achievement. When asked to name a genius, people mention Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, and Steve Jobs. As for great women? In one survey, the only female genius anyone listed was Marie Curie. Janice Kaplan, the New York Times best-selling author of The Gratitude Diaries, set out to determine why the extraordinary work of so many women has been brushed aside.

Case Keenum has traveled one of the most unique paths in the NFL. Recruited by just one college, undrafted, and released three times, Case has overcome every obstacle to become a successful starting quarterback. Keenum shares stories from every stage of his life, starting out as a ball boy for his father’s college team in West Texas, going on to win a state title in high school, and rewriting the NCAA record book at the University of Houston. A devastating knee injury almost derailed his football career, but helped him get closer to the woman who would soon become his wife.

Vincent Torres was never meant to be part of the elite. A former U.S. Marine turned Beverly Hills bodyguard, he spent his days protecting the rich and powerful—until a single moment changed everything. When a smug billionaire laughed in his face, telling him he’d never qualify for an exclusive metal credit card, Vincent didn’t just take it as an insult. He took it as a challenge.

Success can be anything - solving a problem, becoming the president of your country, winning an argument, wooing an individual, or establishing a business. For teenagers success could mean persuading their parents to let them purchase gadgets or go to their friends' places for sleepovers. A kid will feel successful if he or she manages to impress his or her parents with his or her homework or by winning an electronic game. Therefore, every success in life has a particular meaning, purpose, and context.

At the start of this riveting memoir, Dan Conway is a brash young executive in a vast corporation, slogging his way up the ladder while struggling with depression and an addiction he thought he had defeated long ago. As he begins to realize that the mix of nightmarish bureaucracy and his unruly “flip side” have doomed any chance of success, Dan stumbles upon cryptocurrency, tumbling down the rabbit hole to discover a strange, anarchic, but captivating world. He decides to wager everything - his savings, his marriage, his family, his future - on the fledgling crypto, Ether.

As the sweet, polite, and thoughtful Mary Ann Summers from Kansas in the hit series Gilligan's Island, Dawn Wells created an unforgettable and beloved character that still connects with people 50 years from the show's debut in 1964. As the "good girl" among the group of castaways on a tiny island, she was often positioned against the glamorous and exotic Ginger Grant, played by Tina Louise, prompting many to ask: Are you a Ginger or a Mary Ann?

In our culture, there is a premium placed on finding our passion, as though somehow once we've found it, our lives will finally start to come together as we've always imagined. We've held onto these beliefs about passion and have made daily and even life-changing decisions based on the principle of following our passion.

Tatyana Bakalchuk is a self-made Russian billionaire entrepreneur and the founder of Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer. Born in 1975 and originally a school teacher, she launched Wildberries from her Moscow apartment in 2004 while on maternity leave, aiming to simplify online shopping for Russian consumers. With no prior business background or outside investment, she built a retail empire rooted in customer trust, operational discipline, and quiet innovation. Known for her low profile and data-driven leadership, Tatyana has become one of the world’s richest women, and a ...

On April 9, 2021, Chris wrote an email to his stakeholders, admitting having squandered millions of investor dollars as the CEO of Bellatorum Resources, a Texas-based energy fund. Part-memoir and part-manual, Burning Bellatorum is a brutally honest story written down in Chris’ own words as he reflects upon his journey, explains his decisions, and articulates exactly why and how he orchestrated the fraud. With Bellatorum’s story as the backdrop, he brings to light invaluable lessons for novice to intermediate investors, fund managers, and entrepreneurs.