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| chris gardner biography book: The Pursuit of Happyness Chris Gardner, Quincy Troupe, 2009-03-17 The rags-to-riches saga of a homeless father who went on to become a crown prince of Wall Street—the basis for the major motion picture starring Will Smith. At the age of twenty, Milwaukee native Chris Gardner, just out of the Navy, arrived in San Francisco to pursue a promising career in medicine. Considered a prodigy in scientific research, he surprised everyone and himself by setting his sights on the competitive world of high finance. Yet no sooner had he landed an entry-level position at a prestigious firm than Gardner found himself caught in a web of incredibly challenging circumstances that left him as part of the city’s working homeless and with a toddler son. Motivated by the promise he made to himself as a fatherless child to never abandon his own children, the two spent almost a year moving among shelters, “HO-tels,” soup lines, and even sleeping in the public restroom of a subway station. Never giving in to despair, Gardner made an astonishing transformation from being part of the city’s invisible poor to being a powerful player in its financial district. More than a memoir of Gardner’s financial success, this is the story of a man who breaks his own family’s cycle of men abandoning their children. Mythic, triumphant, and unstintingly honest, The Pursuit of Happyness conjures heroes like Horatio Alger and Antwone Fisher, and appeals to the very essence of the American Dream. “Gardner is honest and thorough as he solidly depicts growing up black and male in late twentieth-century urban America . . . a quality African-American/business memoir deserving a wider audience than its niche-market elements might suggest.” —Publishers Weekly |
| chris gardner biography book: Start Where You Are Chris Gardner, Mim E. Rivas, 2009-05-05 “Gardner is encouraging us all to start where we are and dare to make our lives bigger and stronger, more satisfactory, and better. Chris Gardner is a knockout!” —Maya Angelou Chris Gardner’s astonishing memoir—the phenomenal New York Times bestseller, The Pursuit of Happyness, which inspired the film of the same name starring Will Smith—served as a shining beacon of hope for countless people. In Start Where You Are, “a book that teaches you how to transform the impossible into the possible” (Sidney Poitier), Gardner offers indispensible life lessons in getting from where you are to where you want to be. |
| chris gardner biography book: Undiluted Hocus-Pocus Martin Gardner, 2015-11-03 The autobiography of the beloved writer who inspired a generation to study math and science Martin Gardner wrote the Mathematical Games column for Scientific American for twenty-five years and published more than seventy books on topics as diverse as magic, religion, and Alice in Wonderland. Gardner's illuminating autobiography is a candid self-portrait by the man evolutionary theorist Stephen Jay Gould called our single brightest beacon for the defense of rationality and good science against mysticism and anti-intellectualism. Gardner takes readers from his childhood in Oklahoma to his varied and wide-ranging professional pursuits. He shares colorful anecdotes about the many fascinating people he met and mentored, and voices strong opinions on the subjects that matter to him most, from his love of mathematics to his uncompromising stance against pseudoscience. For Gardner, our mathematically structured universe is undiluted hocus-pocus—a marvelous enigma, in other words. Undiluted Hocus-Pocus offers a rare, intimate look at Gardner’s life and work, and the experiences that shaped both. |
| chris gardner biography book: The Architect Mindset Chris Gardner, 2021-07-02 One of my favorite parts of working in the Salesforce ecosystem is the opportunity to work with many incredibly talented admins, analysts, consultants, developers, project managers, and architects. As I grew in my Salesforce consulting career, I started to see a pattern. There were specific individuals that consistently delivered successful projects. Some were project managers, others were architects, and others were consultants or developers. And their success didn't really depend on the project size, industry, or team. These Rockstar team members each possessed their own unique mix of skills. I surveyed colleagues and clients to help identify the skills that help someone succeed. The survey identified six specific skills that were found in top performers. Each one provides benefits to any Salesforce role. But the combination of multiple skills shapes the way one approaches problems. I call this combination of skills The Architect Mindset. It provides a framework to tackle problems, work with stakeholders and achieve successful Salesforce projects. In this book, we'll be diving deep into each of the six skills outlined by the survey. Where appropriate, I'll share real-world examples and scenarios that I've encountered. First, we'll discuss the process of setting expectations. In my opinion, this is the most critical factor in the success or failure of a Salesforce project. If expectations aren't set and maintained, projects are at great risk. Next, we'll dive into database architecture. Knowing how databases are constructed, and how that translates to Salesforce provides crucial context for design decisions. This foundational knowledge informs the logic behind Salesforce best practices and limits. With that background, we will talk about balancing technical debt in chapter 4. Every customization in Salesforce carries some debt, so it is crucial to understand the impacts. You'll learn how to merge processes and systems in the best way possible. Understanding the impact of debt will often require you to deny requests. So, in chapter 5, we'll discuss the importance of saying no, but.... You need to protect the org, but present alternatives to keep things moving forward. In chapter 6, we'll talk about the importance of designing for your end users. Adoption is a key metric in any Salesforce project. An incredible solution that goes unused is just wasted effort. So, go directly to the source when you try to solve a problem. Finally, we'll talk about the importance of documentation. From project documents, to internal Salesforce documentation, making things accessible and useful for your audience will reduce rework and issues. |
| chris gardner biography book: The Catalogue of Shipwrecked Books Edward Wilson-Lee, 2019-03-12 “Like a Renaissance wonder cabinet, full of surprises and opening up into a lost world.” —Stephen Greenblatt “A captivating adventure…For lovers of history, Wilson-Lee offers a thrill on almost every page…Magnificent.” —The New York Times Book Review Named a Best Book of the Year by: * Financial Times * New Statesman * History Today * The Spectator * The impeccably researched and vividly rendered account of the quest by Christopher Columbus’s illegitimate son to create the greatest library in the world—“a perfectly pitched poetic drama” (Financial Times) and an amazing tour through sixteenth-century Europe. In this innovative work of history, Edward Wilson-Lee tells the extraordinary story of Hernando Colón, a singular visionary of the printing press-age who also happened to be Christopher Columbus’s illegitimate son. At the peak of the Age of Exploration, Hernando traveled with Columbus on his final voyage to the New World, a journey that ended in disaster, bloody mutiny, and shipwreck. After Columbus’s death in 1506, the eighteen-year-old Hernando sought to continue—and surpass—his father’s campaign to explore the boundaries of the known world by building a library that would collect everything ever printed: a vast holding organized by summaries and catalogues, the first ever search engine for the exploding diversity of written matter as the printing press proliferated across Europe. Hernando restlessly and obsessively amassed his collection based on the groundbreaking conviction that a library of universal knowledge should include “all books, in all languages and on all subjects,” even material often dismissed as ephemeral trash: song sheets, erotica, newsletters, popular images, romances, fables. The loss of part of his collection to another maritime disaster in 1522—documented in his poignant Catalogue of Shipwrecked Books—set off the final scramble to complete this sublime project, a race against time to realize a vision of near-impossible perfection. Edward Wilson-Lee’s account of Hernando’s life is a testimony to the beautiful madness of booklovers, a plunge into sixteenth-century Europe’s information revolution, and a reflection of the passion and intrigues that lie beneath our own attempts to bring order to the world today. |
| chris gardner biography book: The Chris Farley Show Tom Farley, Jr., Tanner Colby, 2008-05-06 The New York Times bestselling biography of an American comedy legend After three years of sobriety, Chris Farley's life was at its creative peak until a string of professional disappointments chased him back to drugs and alcohol. He fought hard against them, but it was a fight he would lose in December 1997. Farley's fans immediately drew parallels between his death and that of his idol, John Belushi. Without looking deeper, however, many failed to see that Farley was much more than just another Hollywood drug overdose. In this officially authorized oral history, Farley's friends and family remember his work and life. Along the way, they tell a remarkable story of boundless energy, determination, and laughter that could only keep the demons at bay for so long. |
| chris gardner biography book: Grace After Midnight Felicia Pearson, David Ritz, 2007 Pearson, who plays Snoop on the HBO hit series The Wire, reveals her incredible, hard-knock life story, one that dramatically parallels the life of her character on TV. |
| chris gardner biography book: Ava Gardner Ava Gardner, Peter Evans, 2013-07-02 Ava Gardner was one of the most glamorous and famous stars in Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s. Her list of films includes The Killers, Showboat and Mogambo, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for best actress, and her co-stars included Clark Gable, Gregory Peck, Burt Lancaster, Humphrey Bogart, Charlton Heston, and Richard Burton - the A-list of male Hollywood stars. Married three times - to Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra - the first two lasted only about a year each whilst her marriage to Sinatra lasted several. She had a long-running affair with Howard Hughes, and a briefer one with George C. Scott, among others. In Ava Gardner, she has much to say about her husbands and lovers, and some of her co-stars,all of whom get Gardner's unflinchingly honest treatment. Ava Gardner is irresistibly candid and surprising. She began the book because, as she told Evans, 'it's either write the book or sell the jewels and I'm kinda fond of the jewels.' At the time of their collaboration Gardner was living in London, where she had lived for decades, smoking and drinking heavily. Having suffered a stroke that damaged the left side of her face and her left arm she had trouble sleeping and was often depressed - the glamorous wardrobes replaced by grey. Her story could itself have been depressing except for her wit and wickedness, which are on full display in this book. This book tells the story of her life as she wanted to tell it. Ava Gardner is the autobiography that Ava Gardner began with writer Peter Evans in 1988. She never finished it and decided against publishing it because of its frankness. She later collaborated on a tamer autobiography, which was published at her death in 1990. After Gardner's death, her estate authorised the book to be published much as she and Evans had originally conceived it. |
| chris gardner biography book: Miles and Me Quincy Troupe, 2000-03-08 Quincy Troupe's candid account of his friendship with Miles Davis is a revealing portrait of a great musician and an intimate study of a unique relationship. It is also an engrossing chronicle of the author's own development, both artistic and personal. As Davis's collaborator on Miles: The Autobiography,Troupe--one of the major poets to emerge from the 1960s--had exceptional access to the musician. This memoir goes beyond the life portrayed in the autobiography to describe in detail the processes of Davis's spectacular creativity and the joys and difficulties his passionate, contradictory temperament posed to the men's friendship. It shows how Miles Davis, both as a black man and an artist, influenced not only Quincy Troupe but whole generations. Troupe has written that Miles Davis was irascible, contemptuous, brutally honest, ill-tempered when things didn't go his way, complex, fair-minded, humble, kind and a son-of-a-bitch. The author's love and appreciation for Davis make him a keen, though not uncritical, observer. He captures and conveys the power of the musician's presence, the mesmerizing force of his personality, and the restless energy that lay at the root of his creativity. He also shows Davis's lighter side: cooking, prowling the streets of Manhattan, painting, riding his horse at his Malibu home. Troupe discusses Davis's musical output, situating his albums in the context of the times--both political and musical--out of which they emerged. Miles and Me is an unparalleled look at the act of creation and the forces behind it, at how the innovations of one person can inspire both those he knows and loves and the world at large. |
| chris gardner biography book: Beautiful Jim Key Mim E. Rivas, 2009-10-13 The remarkable true saga of an exceptional animal—and the no less exceptional man who led him to greatness: “Seabiscuit had nothing on Beautiful Jim Key.” —Sacramento Bee Beautiful Jim Key—the onetime ugly duckling of a scrub colt who became one of the most beloved heroes of the turn of the twentieth century—was adored not for his beauty and speed but rather for his remarkable abilities to read, write, spell, do mathematics, even debate politics. Trained with patience and kindness by one of the most renowned horse whisperers of his day—former slave, Civil War veteran, and self-taught veterinarian Dr. William Key—Jim performed in expositions across the country to wildly receptive crowds for nine glorious years, smashing box office records, clearing towering hurdles of skepticism and prejudice, and earning the respect and admiration of some of the most influential figures of the era, from Booker T. Washington to President William McKinley. “Wonderful . . . a fascinating and touching book.” —Winston-Salem Journal “If Beautiful Jim Key were alive today, he’d have a movie deal.” —People “A classic. . . . a window into a lost world.” —Nashville Scene “Chronicles the adventures of a great horse and the men who loved him . . . engaging.” —Entertainment Weekly “Compelling . . . a vivid slice of Americana.” —Parade “Captivating.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) |
| chris gardner biography book: The Gingerbread Family Grace Maccarone, 2010-10-05 Under cotton candy clouds, the children play in The Lemon Drop Forest in a very sweet way. Under cotton candy clouds a gingerbread family lives in a sugary world filled with delectably sweet images and scents. This scratch and sniff book features clear stickers that smell like gingerbread, lemon drops, chocolate, peppermint, and more! |
| chris gardner biography book: Condé Nast Susan Ronald, 2019-09-03 The first biography in over thirty years of Condé Nast, the pioneering publisher of Vogue and Vanity Fair and main rival to media magnate William Randolph Hearst. Condé Nast’s life and career was as high profile and glamorous as his magazines. Moving to New York in the early twentieth century with just the shirt on his back, he soon became the highest paid executive in the United States, acquiring Vogue in 1909 and Vanity Fair in 1913. Alongside his editors, Edna Woolman Chase at Vogue and Frank Crowninshield at Vanity Fair, he built the first-ever international magazine empire, introducing European modern art, style, and fashions to an American audience. Credited with creating the “café society,” Nast became a permanent fixture on the international fashion scene and a major figure in New York society. His superbly appointed apartment at 1040 Park Avenue, decorated by the legendary Elsie de Wolfe, became a gathering place for the major artistic figures of the time. Nast launched the careers of icons like Cecil Beaton, Clare Boothe Luce, Lee Miller, Dorothy Parker and Noel Coward. He left behind a legacy that endures today in media powerhouses such as Anna Wintour, Tina Brown, and Graydon Carter. Written with the cooperation of his family on both sides of the Atlantic and a dedicated team at Condé Nast Publications, critically acclaimed biographer Susan Ronald reveals the life of an extraordinary American success story. |
| chris gardner biography book: No Way Home Tyler Wetherall, 2018-04-03 One of PureWow's 20 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2018 and Books to Read in April • One of InStyle UK's Best New Books to Read in 2018 • One of LitHub's 20 Books You Should Read This April • One of Bustle's 5 Gripping Memoirs Under 300 Pages To Read In One Weekend A memoir of growing up on the run—and what happens when it comes to a stop. Lucid, tender, exquisitely re-imagined, and compulsively readable. —Jessica Nelson, author of If Only You People Could Follow Directions In this wondrous and richly detailed coming of age story, Tyler Wetherall follows the breadcrumbs of her childhood to discover a family home that is unlike any other. —Katy Lederer, author of Poker Face Tyler had lived in thirteen houses and five countries by the time she was nine. A willful and curious child, she never questioned her strange upbringing, that is, until Scotland Yard showed up outside her ramshackle English home, and she discovered her family had been living a lie: Her father was a fugitive and her name was not her own. In sunny California, ten years earlier, her father’s criminal organization first came to the FBI’s attention. Soon after her parents were forced on the run taking their three young children with them, and they spent the following years fleeing through Europe, assuming different identities and hiding out in a series of far-flung places. Now her father was attempting one final escape—except this time, he couldn’t take her with him. In this emotionally compelling and gripping memoir, Tyler Wetherall brings to life her fugitive childhood, following the threads that tie a family together through hardship, from her parents’ first meeting in 1960s New York to her present life as a restless writer unpacking the secrets of her past. No Way Home is about love, loss, and learning to tell the story of our lives. |
| chris gardner biography book: Cosby Mark Whitaker, 2014-09-16 The first major biography of an American icon, comedian Bill Cosby. Based on extensive research and in-depth interviews with Cosby and more than sixty of his closest friends and associates, it is a frank, fun and fascinating account of his life and historic legacy. Far from the gentle worlds of his routines or TV shows, Cosby grew up in a Philadelphia housing project, the son of an alcoholic, largely absent father and a loving but overworked mother. With novelistic detail, award winning journalist Mark Whitaker tells the story of how, after dropping out of high school, Cosby turned his life around by joining the Navy, talking his way into college, and seizing his first breaks as a stand-up comedian. Published on the 30th anniversary of The Cosby Show, the book reveals the behind-the-scenes story of that groundbreaking sitcom as well as Cosby’s bestselling albums, breakout role on I Spy, and pioneering place in children’s TV. But it also deals with professional setbacks and personal dramas, from an affair that sparked public scandal to the murder of his only son, and the private influence of his wife of fifty years, Camille Cosby. Whitaker explores the roots of Cosby’s controversial stands on race, as well as “the Cosby effect” that helped pave the way for a black president. For any fan of Bill Cosby’s work, and any student of American television, comedy, or social history, Cosby: His Life and Times is an essential read. |
| chris gardner biography book: The Man Who Caught the Storm Brantley Hargrove, 2018-04-03 The saga of the greatest tornado chaser who ever lived: a tale of obsession and daring and an extraordinary account of humanity’s high-stakes race to understand nature’s fiercest phenomenon from Brantley Hargrove, “one of today’s great science writers” (The Washington Post). At the turn of the twenty-first century, the tornado was one of the last true mysteries of the modern world. It was a monster that ravaged the American heartland a thousand times each year, yet science’s every effort to divine its inner workings had ended in failure. Researchers all but gave up, until the arrival of an outsider. In a field of PhDs, Tim Samaras didn’t attend a day of college in his life. He chased storms with brilliant tools of his own invention and pushed closer to the tornado than anyone else ever dared. When he achieved what meteorologists had deemed impossible, it was as if he had snatched the fire of the gods. Yet even as he transformed the field, Samaras kept on pushing. As his ambitions grew, so did the risks. And when he finally met his match—in a faceoff against the largest tornado ever recorded—it upended everything he thought he knew. Brantley Hargrove delivers a “cinematically thrilling and scientifically wonky” (Outside) tale, chronicling the life of Tim Samaras in all its triumph and tragedy. Hargrove takes readers inside the thrill of the chase, the captivating science of tornadoes, and the remarkable character of a man who walked the line between life and death in pursuit of knowledge. The Man Who Caught the Storm is an “adrenaline rush of a tornado chase…Readers from all across the spectrum will enjoy this” (Library Journal, starred review) unforgettable exploration of obsession and the extremes of the natural world. |
| chris gardner biography book: Rasputin Douglas Smith, 2016-11-22 On the centenary of the death of Rasputin comes a definitive biography that will dramatically change our understanding of this fascinating figure A hundred years after his murder, Rasputin continues to excite the popular imagination as the personification of evil. Numerous biographies, novels, and films recount his mysterious rise to power as Nicholas and Alexandra's confidant and the guardian of the sickly heir to the Russian throne. His debauchery and sinister political influence are the stuff of legend, and the downfall of the Romanov dynasty was laid at his feet. But as the prizewinning historian Douglas Smith shows, the true story of Rasputin's life and death has remained shrouded in myth. A major new work that combines probing scholarship and powerful storytelling, Rasputin separates fact from fiction to reveal the real life of one of history's most alluring figures. Drawing on a wealth of forgotten documents from archives in seven countries, Smith presents Rasputin in all his complexity--man of God, voice of peace, loyal subject, adulterer, drunkard. Rasputin is not just a definitive biography of an extraordinary and legendary man but a fascinating portrait of the twilight of imperial Russia as it lurched toward catastrophe. |
| chris gardner biography book: Hard Target Chris Ryan, 2012-01-01 The first book in the Chris Ryan Extreme series. Former SAS Warrant Officer Joe Gardner has fought the Regiment's deadliest enemies, in some of the most desolate places on earth. And he's always won. Now he's about to face his toughest challenge yet. After losing his hand whilst on a covert operation in Afghanistan, Gardner is forced to stand down from active duty. Now he lives off the grid. But trouble finds him in the shape of a phone call from an old friend. Ex-Regiment legend John Bald is trapped in a bullet-ridden favela in Rio de Janeiro and a violent gang is out to kill him. Unless Gardner helps, Bald is a dead man. What begins as a simple rescue mission soon descends into a desperate struggle for survival as Gardner finds himself caught up in a conceit that stretches from the slums of Brazil to the frozen steppes of Siberia. Stalked by elusive MI6 agents and ruthless ex-Blades, Gardner must draw on all his training and instincts to hunt down the hardest target of all - before disaster strikes... The Chris Ryan Extreme books take you even further into the heart of the mission with more extreme action, more extreme language and more extreme pace. Like Call of Duty or Medal of Honor, you'll feel part of the team. Chris Ryan Extreme: Hard Target has already been published as four separate shorter missions on ebook. This print edition features a new prequel mission that hasn't been published in ebook. |
| chris gardner biography book: The Einstein Pursuit Chris Kuzneski, 2015-09-16 A LAB DESTROYED. While investigating an explosion at a secret lab in Stockholm, Interpol director Nick Dial uncovers research that pushes the boundaries of modern medicine and technology. A SCIENTIST ON THE RUN. Fearing that he may be linked to the events in his homeland, Dr. Mattias Sahlberg calls on Jonathon Payne for help. Together with his best friend, David Jones, they discover truths that will alter Payne’s understanding of his family’s past and shed light on the secret lives of the world’s greatest minds — including Einstein himself. A MIRACULOUS DISCOVERY. As Dial’s case intertwines with Payne’s search for answers, they are pulled toward an inevitable face-off with those who will stop at nothing to ensure that mankind’s most radical and innovative discoveries will never reach the masses. |
| chris gardner biography book: Minesweeper (Special Forces, Book 2) Chris Lynch, 2019-12-03 All the sizzle, chaos, noise and scariness of war is clay in the hands of ace storyteller Lynch. -- Kirkus Reviews for the World War II series Discover the secret missions behind America's greatest conflicts.Fergus Frew thought he knew what to expect when he signed up with the Navy's demolitions team. But as the Korean War rages on, Fergus and his fellow divers -- AKA frogmen -- are tasked with more than just scouting mudflats. Soon they're planting mines. And sabotaging tunnels, bridges... and even fishing nets. Strangest of all, it falls to Fergus to transport a spy into the country -- and that means traveling far from Navy-controlled waters.But frogmen are amphibious. And Fergus may not realize it, but he's in a position to change the way the whole world thinks about combat.National Book Award finalist Chris Lynch continues his explosive fiction series based on the real-life, top-secret history of US black ops and today's heroic Navy SEALs. |
| chris gardner biography book: Wendy Carlos Amanda Sewell, 2020 Drawing on published and unpublished interviews with Wendy Carlos and with other people in her life and career, this full biography tells the story of Carlos' life from her childhood in Pawtucket, Rhode Island to her present life in New York and the secrecy that has surrounded it. |
| chris gardner biography book: A Father First Dwyane Wade, 2012-09-04 NBA star Dwyane Wade discusses the rewarding responsibilities of being a single dad to his two sons, Zaire and Zion and highlights of his basketball career-- |
| chris gardner biography book: Call of the Arcade F Gardner, 2021-07-04 A sci-fi horror novel about the most mysterious arcade game ever made. Two friends travel to an arcade in downtown Chicago, which they suspect may contain a haunted arcade machine from urban legends- Polybius. Unknown horrors await them, as they inch ever closer to the truth behind the sinister arcade game. |
| chris gardner biography book: About Chekhov Ivan Alekseevich Bunin, 2007-06-05 Seven years after the death of Anton Chekhov, his sister, Maria, wrote to a friend, You asked for someone who could write a biography of my deceased brother. If you recall, I recommended Iv. Al. Bunin . . . . No one writes better than he; he knew and understood my deceased brother very well; he can go about the endeavor objectively. . . . I repeat, I would very much like this biography to correspond to reality and that it be written by I.A. Bunin. In About Chekhov Ivan Bunin sought to free the writer from limiting political, social, and aesthetic assessments of his life and work, and to present both in a more genuine, insightful, and personal way. Editor and translator Thomas Gaiton Marullo subtitles About Chekhov The Unfinished Symphony, because although Bunin did not complete the work before his death in 1953, he nonetheless fashioned his memoir as a moving orchestral work on the writers' existence and art. . . . Even in its unfinished state, About Chekhov stands not only as a stirring testament of one writer's respect and affection for another, but also as a living memorial to two highly creative artists. Bunin draws on his intimate knowledge of Chekhov to depict the writer at work, in love, and in relation with such writers as Tolstoy and Gorky. Through anecdotes and observations, spirited exchanges and reflections, this memoir draws a unique portrait that plumbs the depths and complexities of two of Russia's greatest writers. |
| chris gardner biography book: 18 Minutes and a Lifetime Linda Sedrick Pearson, 2009 On October 16, 2000 at 7:33 P.M., a Cessna 335 airplane carrying Missouri governor Mel Carnahan, his son Roger, and senior aide Chris Sifford went down in the Missouri countryside near the town of Goldman, killing all aboard. Three of Missouri's finest were lost that day, and the memory of one still inspires many in the town of Puxico, Missouri. 18 Minutes and a Lifetime... is a celebration of the life of Christopher Dale Sifford, from his childhood in Puxico, through his school years, working as a journalist in both the radio and print industry, and finally on to his job working for the people of Missouri on the staff of Governor Mel Carnahan. Well researched and beautifully illustrated, this amazing, neverbeforetold story gives insight into Chris' wit, humor and affable personality, and a look in the close bonds of kinship he enjoyed within the Sifford household as well as the many friends he made through the years. A loving son, brother and public servant, Chris Sifford will be remembered forever. |
| chris gardner biography book: The Elephant to Hollywood Michael Caine, 2010-09-30 'Uproarious and unflinching' Mail on Sunday 'A truly incredible life story' The Sun 'Most memorable . . . told in a voice as distinctive as his spoken one' Independent 'Brims with his gift for genial anecdote' The Sunday Times * * * From the author of the bestselling Blowing the Bloody Doors Off, the original, definitive autobiography of British screen icon and legend Sir Michael Caine. It's been a long journey for Maurice Micklewhite - born with rickets in London's poverty-stricken Elephant & Castle - to the bright lights of Hollywood. With a glittering career spanning more than five decades and starring roles which have earned him two Oscars, a knighthood, and an iconic place in the Hollywood pantheon, the man now known to us as Michael Caine looks back over it all. Funny, warm, honest, Caine brings us his insider's view of Hollywood (where there's neither holly nor woods). He recalls the films, the legendary stars, the off-screen moments with a gift for story-telling only equalled by David Niven. Hollywood has been his home and his playground. But England is where his heart lies. And where he blames the French for the abundance of snails in his garden. A plaque now celebrates him at the Elephant in London. His handprint is one of only 200 since 1927 to decorate the hallowed pavement outside that mecca of Hollywood stars, Grauman's Chinese Theatre. A very British star, The Elephant to Hollywood is the remarkable full circle of Michael Caine's life. |
| chris gardner biography book: Robert Mitchum Lee Server, 2002-03-06 One of the movies' greatest actors and most colorful characters, a real-life tough guy with the prison record to prove it, Robert Mitchum was a movie icon for an almost unprecedented half-century, the cool, sleepy-eyed star of such classics as The Night of the Hunter; Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison; Cape Fear; The Longest Day; Farewell, My Lovely; and The Winds of War. Mitchum's powerful presence and simmering violence combined with hard-boiled humor and existential detachment to create a new style in movie acting: the screen's first hipster antihero-before Brando, James Dean, Elvis, or Eastwood-the inventor of big-screen cool. Robert Mitchum: Baby, I Don't Care is the first complete biography of Mitchum, and a book as big, colorful, and controversial as the star himself. Exhaustively researched, it makes use of thousands of rare documents from around the world and nearly two hundred in-depth interviews with Mitchum's family, friends, and associates (many going on record for the first time ever) ranging over his seventy-nine years of hard living. Written with great style, and vividly detailed, this is an intimate, comprehensive portrait of an amazing life, comic, tragic, daring, and outrageous. |
| chris gardner biography book: Finding Fish Antwone Fisher, Mim E. Rivas, 2009-10-13 The author recounts his life from birth in prison to success in Hollywood in the New York Times–bestselling memoir that inspired the film Antwone Fisher. Baby Boy Fisher was raised in institutions from the moment he was born to a single mother in prison. He ultimately came to live with a foster family, where he endured near-constant verbal and physical abuse. In his mid-teens he escaped and enlisted in the navy, where he became a man of the world, raised by the family he created for himself. Finding Fish shows how, out of this unlikely mix of deprivation and hope, an artist was born—first as the child who painted the feelings his words dared not speak, then as a poet and storyteller who would eventually become one of Hollywood's most sought-after screenwriters. A tumultuous and ultimately gratifying tale of self-discovery written in Fisher's gritty yet melodic literary voice, Finding Fish “reads like a great work of fiction” (Denzel Washington). |
| chris gardner biography book: Home Is Within You Nadia Davis, 2023-03-07 In this deeply personal memoir, Nadia Davis addresses her three sons with brutal honesty, hope, and strength, revealing both her childhood and adult traumas that led to issues with addiction and dysfunctional relationships, as well as to discuss transformational healing, spirituality, intensive trauma therapy, chronic pain management, healthy co-parenting and intimacy, preventing learned toxic masculinity, and more. As a young high-profile lawyer, school board member in Southern California, county supervisor in the Bay Area, recipient of state and national public service awards, and former wife of California's attorney general and treasurer, Nadia Davis has been a public figure in California for over two decades. Her experience with addiction in the trenches of a non-marital highly publicized and abusive relationship led Davis through the challenges of public shaming, injustice, arrests, mandated treatment, and a total lack of privacy for personal issues. Home Is Within You details her courageous journey towards wholeness and health as a woman, mother, and former spouse/co-parent in a powerful homage to finding one's truth and worth. It is also a defense of privacy and motherhood, as well as a call to action against shaming of women and ineffective, often damaging policies towards families struggling with mental health and addiction, with suggestions for more compassionate methods of treatment and restorative justice enabling those struggling to ultimately find their personal truth and strength within. |
| chris gardner biography book: Angels Along the Way Della Reese, Franklin Lett, Mim Eichler, 1997 My life with help from above. |
| chris gardner biography book: I Am Jackie Chan Jackie Chan, Jeff Yang, 1999 Jackie Chan is a martial arts superstar. The star of some 40 movies, for decades his adrenaline-charged movies won fans; in 1995, with the release of Rumble in the Bronx, the mainstream caught on - and now he ranks alongside Bruce Lee. This is his autobiography. |
| chris gardner biography book: Scientist, Scientist, Who Do You See? Chris Ferrie, 2018 Readers will learn about scientists who changed the world. |
| chris gardner biography book: Chris Bromham Autobiography Chris Bromham, 2017-01-14 'A Strange Twist Of Fate' tells the story of one mans emotional trail through life. From the humble beginnings as the seventh child of a South Wales mining family, Chris battles through the verbal and physical battering of his father and elder brother to become a well respected, and successful performer, within his field. The holder of numerous world records and accredited by his piers, Chris grew into a high flyer. Then tragedy struck. His world was torn apart by a freak accident which left him the lone parent of three young children, Shane fifteen, Natalie three and a half and Natasha, just one week short of her first birthday. Chris had felt secure and content with his life, but then it crumbled away and he faced new battles.Ironically with Chris risking his life through his dangerous career, it was Donna, his wife, who got struck down and killed by an unsecured road Safety vehicle, whilst walking along a pavement on her way back from a local shop with her two young daughters by her side, the youngest still in her pram.The loss of his career and self-esteem followed the loss of his wife. Chris had to find the courage and inspiration to drag himself from his chasm of despair and self-pity, he did....his children. Chris fought back to rebuild his life and attempt to take another record.A Strange Twist Of Fate is the Biography of Chris Bromham world class Motorcycle stunt rider and World record holder.This moving and compelling true-life story ties the glitter of success with the ironic tragedies of life. |
| chris gardner biography book: The Master Plan Chris Wilson, 2019-03-14 An inspiring, instructive, and ultimately triumphant guide to turning your life around, from a man who used hard work and his Master Plan to convert a life sentence into a second chance. Like a lot of people, Chris Wilson didn’t have an easy start in life. But, unlike many, he has managed to overcome severe setbacks to achieve a life defined by material success and personal meaning. How did he do it? When he committed a fatal crime at the age of 17 and received a devastating prison sentence, incarceration became the unexpected trigger that set Wilson off on a journey of self-improvement — reading, working out, learning languages, and starting a business. Creating a Master Plan for the life he wanted, he worked through it step-by-step to transform his reality. In this gripping memoir, he tells his story and explains the thought processes and techniques he used to go from being in prison with no hope of parole to being a free man, a successful social entrepreneur, and a respected mentor. |
| chris gardner biography book: The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck, 2002 For use in schools and libraries only. Penguin celebrates the centennial of John Steinbeck's birth with stunning commemorative editions of his essential works. |
| chris gardner biography book: Chris Gardner: Business Leader and Entrepreneur Turner Myra Faye, 2023-04-14 Themes: Biography, Inspiration. After a difficult childhood, Chris Gardner promised he would be a good father. He also vowed to become successful. When he found himself homeless as a single dad, Gardner didn't give up. Instead, the Navy veteran put all his energy into becoming a stockbroker and building a happy life. Today Gardner inspires people to keep reaching for their dreams. Blue Delta BooksTM, a Hi-Lo BooksTM biography series, tell the stories of people who have changed our world in profound ways. This series features a diverse group of people. Some are more well-known than others, but all deserve to be highlighted for the positive impact they have had. Each Blue Delta Book features full-color images on every page and tells the person’s story from childhood throughout their life. These books are sure to inspire young teen readers. Each book is 48 pages long. |
| chris gardner biography book: The Pursuit of Happyness , 2007 A heartwarming film that demonstrates how good, hard-working people can become homeless almost overnight, Pursuit of Happyness is a tour-de-force showcase for Will Smith, who convincingly portrays a down-and-out dad trying to better his family's life. Smith, who usually is cast in effortlessly boyish roles (Men in Black, Independence Day), is wonderful in the film--even in the scenes that shamelessly tug at viewers' heartstrings. Based on the true-life story of Chris Gardner, a San Francisco salesman forced at times to shelter his young son (played by Smith's adorable look-alike offspring Jaden Smith) in a men's room, there is little suspense to the film in terms of Chris' outcome. (His story and eventual success a successful and wealthy Chicago businessman was well-publicized on the newsmagazine show 20/20.) And let's face it, Hollywood's not too keen on making feel-good movies with unhappy endings. The beauty (and suspense, to a certain extent) of this film is in the way the story is told. Though he is constantly rushing around to get to appointments and pick up his child, things do not happen quickly for Chris. When he accepts an internship with a prestigious stock brokerage firm, there's a catch: The position is unpaid, suitable more for trust-fund children than single parents with no other source of income. In many scenes, the viewer panics along with Chris, wondering how he's going to feed his child. While Smith and his son, Jaden, share many tender moments together, Thandie Newton has the thankless role of playing Chris' shrill wife, who deserts her family early in the film. It's not a particularly challenging part for the talented actress, and her departure doesn't impact the storyline much at all. As for the movie's misspelled title, it's inspired from a scene in the film. (Seeing a mural drawn by the children at a daycare center, Chris points out to the proprietor that happiness is spelled incorrectly. She notes that it doesn't matter how the word is written--just that the kids have it.) With Pursuit of Happyness, Smith has come out of his safety zone and, in turn, ends up playing his most heroic role to date. |
| chris gardner biography book: Life Skills Curriculum: ARISE Fatherhood (Instructor's Manual) ARISE Foundation Staff, 2011-07 ARISE Fatherhood explains that parenting skills are not inherited or instinctive. They must be observed and learned. This life skills manual is Dad's Basic Training for teenage boys and young men. It shows them that making a baby just to prove you can do it isn't cool or smart. Youth will see that a good father is one who understands supports, loves and protects his children and family. |
| chris gardner biography book: Miles & Me Quincy Troupe, 2018-10-16 An intimate story of Miles Davis, the man, the musician, and his friendship with the young journalist and poet Quincy Troupe--soon to be a major motion picture. Poet, activist and journalist Quincy Troupe's candid account of his friendship with Miles Davis is a revealing portrait of a great musician and an engrossing chronicle of the author's own artistic and personal growth. Miles and Me describes in intimate detail the sometimes harrowing processes of Davis's spectacular creativity and the joys and travails Davis's passionate and contradictory temperament posed to the two men's friendship. Miles and Me shows how Miles Davis, both as an artist and as a black man, influenced Troupe and whole generations of Americans while forever changing the face of jazz. In 1985, Spin magazine hired Troupe to do an exclusive two-part interview with the by-then legendary jazz artist Davis. The hour-and-a-half scheduled interview stretched to ten hours. After it was published, Davis was so enamored of Troupe and the interview that he finally relented to a major publisher's request that he write his autobiography under the condition that they could get Quincy Troupe to write it. Miles: The Autobiography became an instant bestseller and opened up the entire field of popular music autobiography. Years later, Quincy went back to his notes of his time with Miles that had been so important to them both, and produced this more intimate book, Miles and Me, told from his side of their friendship. Miles and Me takes us from St. Louis, where both men grew up, to New York, where both men lived, to Malibu where Miles also kept a home. Troupe also takes us through the entire catalogue of Davis's recordings. Troupe calls his friend irascible, contemptuous, brutally honest, ill-tempered when things didn't go his way, complex, fair-minded, humble, kind, and a son-of-a-bitch. The author's love and appreciation infuses Miles and Me with a rare quality of grace, and at the same time, throughout the book, Troupe's observations of his friend are keen, sometimes hilariously funny, and truthful, as he knows Miles would want him to be. |
| chris gardner biography book: American Autobiography After 9/11 Megan Brown, 2017-01-10 In the post-9/11 era, a flood of memoirs has wrestled with anxieties both personal and national. |
Any good fantasy and school appropriate book suggestions?
Aug 31, 2017 · A Series of Unfortunate events is a sequel by Lemony Snicket. The first book of the series is called The Bad Beginning. Will not do any spoilers for you as it is one of my …
Any good fantasy and school appropriate book suggestions?
Aug 31, 2017 · A Series of Unfortunate events is a sequel by Lemony Snicket. The first book of the series is called The Bad Beginning. Will not do any spoilers for you as it is one of my …
