"You think you know her . . ."
Now read the stories even her famous children haven't heard in this gripping and inspirational "New York Times "bestseller from the superstar matriarch of one of the biggest celebrity empires of our time.
On "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," we've watched Kris Jenner do it all. She runs a household, manages her children's blockbuster careers, produces four television shows featuring her larger-than-life family, and still finds time to tweet to her fans. In this thoughtful, candid, and no-nonsense memoir, Kris opens up about the parts of her life that aren't always in the spotlight: her marriage to Robert Kardashian, the late father of her four oldest children; her husband Olympic champion Bruce Jenner's pivotal role in ending the Kardashians' messy divorce so they could all move forward as a family; her close relationships with Nicole Brown Simpson and O. J. Simpson and her insider knowledge about the murder, its aftermath, and the infamous trial; and even her controversial decision to make her charming family into an international brand.
If you think your life is chaotic, try keeping up with Kris Jenner.

FORMER NBA STAR LUTHER WRIGHT SHARES HIS HARROWING AND UPLIFTING JOURNEY OF FINDING GOD--AND HIMSELF--WHEN HE HAD NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE.
Luther Wright had the life hoop dreams are made of. A first-round NBA draft pick for the Utah Jazz, he was a rookie on a team with basketball legends Karl Malone and John Stockton. He had money, women, cars, and a luxurious bachelor pad overlooking Salt Lake City. But within a year, ravaged by drugs and unable to cope with life as an NBA star, he was homeless, broke and addicted to crack cocaine.
Wright never wanted to play basketball, yet standing more than seven feet tall even as a boy, he thought he had no choice. In this heartrending memoir, he writes candidly about the self-destructive spiral he found himself on after neglecting his passions to pursue the dreams of others. After years of living on the streets, he finally found a gift greater than anything his millions could have bought him--God. Today, Wright offers a simple message: believe in yourself, follow your dreams, and only then will you find your "Perfect Fit."

Our culture and media often simplify the choice educators face stay in or leave classroom teaching. Written for teachers and other educational professionals, this book dispels this simple dichotomy by representing the range of responses and career pathways that enable educators to make a difference. Based on interviews with hundreds of change-minded educators, the authors share career stories and insights against a backdrop that maps out the complexities, roles, and structures that define professional advancement in education. All of the teachers in this book have taught in challenging urban contexts, fought hard to exercise their professional autonomy and responsibility to serve students well, navigated social networks of educators, friends, and family who buoy or dampen their reform spirit, and remain committed to changing society through schooling. Their stories are as instructive as they are inspiring and offer roadmaps for the current generation of change-minded educators.

Our culture and media often simplify the choice educators face stay in or leave classroom teaching. Written for teachers and other educational professionals, this book dispels this simple dichotomy by representing the range of responses and career pathways that enable educators to make a difference. Based on interviews with hundreds of change-minded educators, the authors share career stories and insights against a backdrop that maps out the complexities, roles, and structures that define professional advancement in education. All of the teachers in this book have taught in challenging urban contexts, fought hard to exercise their professional autonomy and responsibility to serve students well, navigated social networks of educators, friends, and family who buoy or dampen their reform spirit, and remain committed to changing society through schooling. Their stories are as instructive as they are inspiring and offer roadmaps for the current generation of change-minded educators.

The mother of rap superstar Kanye West shares her experiences on being a single mother raising a celebrity. As the mother of hip-hop superstar Kanye West, Donda West has watched her son grow from a brilliant baby boy with all the intimations of fame and fortune to one of the hottest rappers on the music scene. And she has every right to be proud: she raised her son with strong moral values, teaching him right from wrong and helping him become the man he is today. In Raising Kanye, Donda not only pays homage to her famous son but reflects on all the things she learned about being his mother along the way. Featuring never-before-seen photos and compelling personal anecdotes, Donda's powerful and inspiring memoir reveals everything from the difficulties she faced as a single mother in the African American community to her later experiences as Kanye's manager as he rose to superstardom. Speaking frankly about her son's reputation as a "Mama's Boy," and his memorable public outbursts about gay rights and President George W. Bush, Donda supports her son without exception, and here she shares the invaluable wisdom she has taken away from each experience-passion, tolerance, patience, and above all, always telling the truth. Ultimately, she not only expresses what her famously talented son has meant to her but what he has meant to music and an entire generation.

nig-gard-ly (adj.) nigerd-le]
1. stingy, miserly; not generous
2. begrudging about spending or granting
3. provided in a meanly limited supply

If you don't know the definition of the word, you might assume it to be a derogatory insult, a racial slur. You might be personally offended and deeply outraged. You might write an angry editorial or organize a march. You might even find yourself making national headlines

In other words, you'd better know what the word means before you pour your energy into overreacting to it.

That's the jumping-off point for this powerful directive from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author Karen Hunter. It's time for the black community to stop marching, quit complaining, roll up their collective sleeves, channel their anger constructively, and start fixing their own problems, she boldly asserts. And while her straight-talking, often politically incorrect narrative is electrifyingly fresh and utterly relevant to today's hot-button issues surrounding race, Hunter harks back to the wisdom of a respected elder--Nannie Helen Burroughs, who was ahead of her time penning Twelve Things the Negro Must Do for Himself more than a century ago. Burroughs's guidelines for successful living--from making education, employment, and home ownership one's priorities to dressing appropriately to practicing faith in everyday life--teach empowerment through self-responsibility, disallowing excuses for one's standing in life but rather galvanizing blacks to look to themselves for strength, motivation, support, and encouragement.

From our urban communities to small-town America, the issues Hunter is bold enough to tackle in Stop Being Niggardly affect us all. Refreshingly candid and challenging, certain to get people everywhere talking, this is the book that takes on race in a new--yet also historically revered and
simply stated--way that can change lives, both personally and collectively.

You're out there dating, and you're looking for marriage material. But how can you tell if the guy who's wining and dining you tonight has (somewhere deep inside his complex male machinery) the potential to make a lifelong commitment? And what can you do to significantly increase your odds for finding Mr. Right?
"Why Men Fear Marriage "is the new dating bible, and it begins with one essential golden rule: "If a man is interested, he'll let you know." From there, #1 "Essence "magazine bestselling author RM Johnson explains, with wit and honesty, what men "really "think, feel, and fear when it comes to tying the knot. You'll learn to recognize the "five types of guys"--yes, every man fits one of them--and discover invaluable and empowering advice on every page:
- ten steps to make him pop the question "without "an ultimatum
- how to spot opportunities to meet marrying men--at the gym,
at the market, and elsewhere
- when to take his phone number, and when to give him yours
- how to let a guy down . . . gently
- where you should meet on your first date
- an instant way to win his respect
. . . and much more.

As the reigning "Queen of Radio," Ritz Harper has managed to out, ridicule, jack up or mess over everyone and anyone, from hip-hop stars to high-class snobs. So, she's decided to take her career to the next level: "Hollywood, baby!"

Decked out in Chanel from head to toe, and sporting bodacious new breast implants, Ritz is ready for her close-up. But first, she has to deal with the dirtiest dealmakers in Tinsel Town -- and the trashiest trash-talkers in her reckless past. Is Ritz worried? Of course not. She's saving all the drama for her on-air debut, where the scandalicious details of her life could send her ratings through the roof. Even if the hottest players and heaviest hitters in Hollywood come gunning for her, this tell-it-like-it-is bombshell plans to drop a few bombs of her own -- before you can say "Lights! Camera! "How you doin'?""

ONE OF THE GREATEST ENTERTAINERS OF OUR TIME CANDIDLY REVEALS HER VERY PERSONAL STRUGGLE WITH AN ISSUE SO MANY OF US FACE EVERY DAY: SELF-ESTEEM
Janet Jackson emerged from the shadows of an already famous family to become one of the most beloved, recognizable, and influential performers in the world. But at what cost?
From the age of ten, when she made her acting debut on "Good Times, "Janet was told by Hollywood that she needed to slim down. Her well-meaning brothers, especially fun-loving Michael, teased her relentlessly until she began to believe that who she was wasn't good enough. It was an idea that no amount of critical acclaim in television and film or, later, international platinum success in music could change.
Janet turned to food for comfort and escape. She developed a self-destructive pattern familiar to so many of us: fear and uncertainty led to bad feelings about herself and ultimately depression. The depression led to overeating. And her yo-yoing weight was painfully obvious in the bright lights of the entertainment world.
It has taken Janet most of her adult life to come to terms with who she is. But she has finally broken free of the attitudes that brought her down and has embraced realistic goals that help her eat better, exercise better, feel better, and ultimately be better.
This book is about meeting those challenges that face all of us. With candor and courage, Janet shares her painful journey to loving herself. She addresses the crazy rumors that have swirled around her for most of her life, shines an intimate light on her family, and pulls us behind the velvet rope into her unforgettable career. She also shares lessons she has learned through contact with friends and fans and reveals the fitness secrets she has learned from her trainer. Finally, her nutritionist, David Allen, unveils the wholesome, delicious recipes and lifestyle-changing tips that helped Janet get in shape--mind and spirit, heart and soul.
"True You "is a call to tune in to your own fundamental wisdom, to let go of the ugly comparisons, and to understand that who you are, the "true you, "is more than enough.
***
"I'm loved, I'm valued, and I'm capable of achieving balance in my life. I can learn to eat well. I can exercise. I can express gratitude for the simple act of being able to breathe in and breathe out. I can move away from darkness and depression to light and hope. I can be happy with who I am, not what I should be, or what I might have been, or what someone tells me I must be.
I am me, the true me; you are you, the true you--and that's good. That's beautiful. That's enough."

--JANET JACKSON

MEET CAT
In Jamaica . . . he learned the art of the "jux" robbing people by studying their everyday movements. By the age of eight, Cat was shoplifting and purse-snatching. By ten, he had his first gun. At fifteen, he committed his first murder.
MAKE THE GANG
In New York City . . . he created The Order: a secret society of thieves who played by Cat's rules. He taught his crew how to pull off the perfect jux. Made them swear on a bible and a bullet. Robbed dealers, pushers, thugs. And raked in millions. Then Cat was betrayed--by one of his own men.
BREAK THE RULES
In Miami . . . he set up a new operation. Bigger game, bigger stakes. The targets are prime--athletes, politicians, drug lords, celebrities--and the payoff is huge. But the party scene is as dangerous as the ladies are beautiful. Cat has to watch his back and remember the rules: Never trust a thief. Never get caught. And always . . .
RESPECT THE JUX
"
A novel based on true events, written by a man who experienced it within two degrees of separation.
"

The bestselling author of the novels "Soul Food" and "Web of Deception," LaJoyce Brookshire tells a true story more shattering than any work of fiction. It's "her" story. A memoir of survival against the odds and courage in the face of a troubled relationship and a terrifying illness. A chronicle of faith under fire.
Imagine the joy of being swept away by your very own Prince Charming, and the excitement of marrying him. Imagine starting a life together. Imagine discovering a side of him that you never knew existed -- a controlling and explosive side. Imagine watching him slowly, inexplicably dete-riorate before your eyes. Imagine his doctors telling you, "He has AIDS."
That was the reality for LaJoyce Brookshire, and in this page-turning, astoundingly moving memoir, she tells the full story of her marriage to her first husband, who knew he was HIV positive at the time they wed but kept this information hidden from her -- until his body betrayed him.
Imagine how you would react. What would you do? Contemplate murder? Divorce? Live in denial? Or would you turn to God?
That's what LaJoyce chose to do in the face of her husband's health crisis -- and every other challenge life has presented: With her faith firmly planted and with God beside her at all times, LaJoyce faced the deadly secret that had been kept under wraps by her husband -- and by his family, who knew of his condition but revealed nothing. She stayed by his side, coordinating his care and even changing his diapers, until the end.
"Faith Under Fire" tells the story of a marriage tainted by lies, but it also tells much more: a capsule portrait of the specter of AIDS facing African-American women today, it reveals how fear, ignorance, and secrets perpetuate the disease. In a poignant narrative overflowing with her gutsy humor and vibrant spirit, LaJoyce Brookshire shares her faith in all of its richness. She offers a living testament to relying on God's strength through any ordeal, and shows how His truth is all we need to believe in, every day of our lives.

Shock jock extraordinaire Wendy Williams lets loose with the first in a series of novels based on her alter ego, the divalicious radio DJ Ritz Harper. Ritz puts the "s" in shock and the "g" in gossip, and Drama is her middle name.
Ritz is a suburban girl on the outside, but inside she's a hustler's hustler who's masterfully maneuvered her way into the spotlight after ruining the career of a well-respected newswoman (and former college friend). Ritz's "exclusive" rockets her to the top of the ratings, and she's rewarded with her very own show. Like a talking Venus flytrap, she verbally seduces her on-air guests, only to have them for lunch as she spews gossip about their lives.
Ritz becomes the darling of the station's afternoon slot. But what happens when Ritz goes from drive-time diva to drive-by victim? Has Ritz bad-mouthed the wrong person? Has her signature cat-and-mouse "bomb drop" been dropped on her instead?
As Ritz lies crumpled on a city sidewalk, all she can think as she struggles to maintain consciousness is "Who did this to me? Who?"
Readers will salivate as they try to figure out where the fictional Ritz ends and the real-life Wendy begins. Wendy will involve her millions of listeners by asking them what should happen to Ritz, which will be revealed at the beginning of the next novel, scheduled to be published in fall of 2006 for Christmas.

Imagine having it all and leaving it all behind -- to answer a higher calling...

REVELATIONS

His rise to fame was one of rap's great success stories. He had millions of fans and the prospect of multi-millions of dollars. But just as Ma#&36;e -- as he was then called -- was poised to sign a deal with Sean "Puffy" Combs' famed Bad Boy Records, he walked away.

Revelations is Mason Betha's powerful memoir about a miraculous transformation: his own -- from the material-minded Ma$e to the pastor he has become. Here, Betha reveals the rhyme and reason behind his choice to trade in his sensational music career for a richer, more spiritual one. As founder of a nondenominational movement called S.A.N.E. (Saving a Nation Endangered) Ministries, Betha has traveled throughout the country to share his messages of peace and prosperity with today's youth. Revelations is his testament to the enduring power of faith, and to the limitless possibilities in a life transformed by God's guiding hand.

Preparing and Sustaining Social Justice Educators spotlights the challenging and necessary work of fostering social justice in schools. Integral to this work are the teachers and school leaders who enact the principles of social justice—racial equity, cultural inclusivity, and identity acceptance—daily in their classrooms. This volume makes the case that high-quality public education relies on the recruitment, professional development, and retention of educators ready to navigate complex systemic and structural inequities to best serve vulnerable student populations. Annamarie Francois and Karen Hunter Quartz, along with contributing scholars and practitioners, present an intersectional approach to educational justice that is grounded in research about deeper learning, community development, and school reform. Throughout the book, the contributors detail professional activities proven to sustain social justice educators. They show how effective teacher coaching, for example, encourages educators to confront their explicit and implicit biases, to engage in critical conversations and self-reflection, and to assess teacher performance through a social justice lens. The book illustrates how professional learning collaborations promote diverse, antiracist, and socially responsible learning communities. Case studies at three university-partnered K–12 schools in Los Angeles, demonstrate the benefits of these professional alliances and practices. Francois and Quartz acknowledge the difficulty of the social justice educator’s task, a challenge heightened by a K–12 teacher shortage, an undersupplied teacher pipeline, and school closures. Yet they keep their sights set on a just and equitable future, and in this work they give educators the tools to build such a future.

No admission into Heaven, but not banished to Hell, the Nameless await their ultimate fate in between-but one Nameless has decided to control his own fate. In the in-between are the Nameless; names are for masters and they have none. They live in the Nameless realm, between being saved and being destroyed-they are Fallen. One Nameless spends his time watching humans in New York City and, in his endless eternity of boredom, becomes intrigued by a drunk named Aurick Pantera. One day Aurick, a reckless gambler, is about to be killed by a gang over his debts. Nameless feels sorry for him and possesses his body to save his life. He then decides that he rather likes being in a human body, given the chance to taste, smells, and touch. He uses Aurick's body to fulfill all of his wildest dreams-become a rock star, have a successful psychiatric practice, and pursue star journalist Helena Way. Until, three years after possessing Aurick, the other Fallen take notice of these random achievements and begin appearing to Aurick. They are tired of waiting in Nameless and are ready to start a war-their only chance to cease this painful eternity of waiting and either be saved or be released. Aurick, struggling to regain control of his body, stuck in the middle. Join the ranks and finally be released to Null for atrocities against mankind, or can his love for Helena, his budding friendships, and his growing concern for all humans grant him salvation?