In the spirit of The Last Lecture, The Secret, and The Alchemist, this small book presents BIG ideas for turning your "one day" into today, including the generational transfer of a dream and a powerful blueprint for a masterpiece life--from the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir and major motion picture The Pursuit of Happyness. On a winter's day, Chris Gardner set off with his nine-year-old granddaughter Brooke to find the harmonica of her dreams. The search sends them North "beyond the wall" into a foreboding Chicago neighborhood and, soon, on a harrowing adventure that will change both of their lives--and ours. Chris is still mourning the loss of his girlfriend to brain cancer. Her question haunts him: "Now that we know how short life can be, what will you do with the time you have left?" After five years, he feels an urgency--what he calls, "Atomic Time" in which every second counts--to find an answer, but is stuck. Even while giving Brooke permission to aspire to one day become President of the United States, he knows it's time to reclaim his own permission to dream. Lost, Chris and his granddaughter board a bus, reminding him of earlier rides through dark times when dreams of a better life kept him alive. As the two wind through a changing cityscape, Chris reflects on past lessons that offer powerful guidance for dreaming your way to monumental success. At its heart, this book lays out a blueprint for building a dream-come-true life--even during uncertainty. Gardner delivers the secrets to achieving a prosperous career--from a method for identifying your ultimate dream to a playbook for becoming world class at it. His tools include the "new 3 R's"--or the Rep, the Rap and the Rolodex--which reveal how to earn a stellar reputation, develop a rap for marketing yourself, and amass a Rolodex of rewarding relationships. No matter how much wealth you achieve, Chris notes, true success comes from enriching the lives of others--so all can still have access to the American Dream. Toward the end, Brooke observes that in Atomic Time it's never too late for anyone to reinvent themselves and change their fortune. Chris, hearing her, realizes what his next pursuit will be--to go back to high school and give permission to dream to the next generation of problem solvers and change makers. A true fable, Permission to Dream is a timeless and timely manifesto for turning dreams into action--beginning right now.

In the tradition of the beloved New York Times bestsellers Marley and Me and Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love, “a beautiful, inspiring” (Laura Schroff, New York Times bestselling author) memoir about empathy, resilience, kindness, and an adorable deaf blind pink dog. When veterinarian Melissa Shapiro gets a call about a tiny deaf blind puppy rescued from a hoarding situation in need of fostering, she doesn’t hesitate to say, “yes.” Little does she know how that decision will transform her, her family, and legions of admirers destined to embrace the saga of the indomitable pink “puppy with a purpose” (Good Morning America). The anxious and traumatized Piglet weighed under two pounds upon his welcome into the Shapiro household—which included Melissa’s husband Warren and their three college-aged kids, plus six other rescued dogs. After weeks of reassurance, and lots of love, Piglet connected, gained confidence, and his extraordinary spirit emerged. Melissa soon forged a powerful bond with Piglet, allowing the two to communicate without sound or visual cues. Two months later, when the day arrived to say goodbye to the now dashing, six-pound pink dog with the larger-than-life spirit, Melissa faced a heart-wrenching decision. Could she hand him over to someone willing to give Piglet full-time attention or could she adapt her life to make a permanent place for him? Of course, the answer was simple: love would find a way. Piglet: The Unexpected Story of a Deaf, Blind, Pink Puppy and His Family fully illustrates this heartwarming story of one special little puppy who teaches the power of empathy, love, and kindness. “Feeling hopeless? Pick up this book, savor its heartwarming messages, and share it widely. It is that good” (Marc Bekoff, PhD, author of Canine Confidential).

The business marketing genius at the forefront of today s entertainment marketing revolution helps corporate America get hip to today s new consumer the tan generation.

When Fortune 500 companies need to reenergize or reinvent a lagging brand, they call Steve Stoute. In addition to marrying cultural icons with blue-chip marketers, Stoute has helped identify and activate a new generation of consumers. He traces how the tanning phenomenon raised a generation of black, Hispanic, white, and Asian consumers who have the same mental complexion one based on shared experiences and values rather than the increasingly irrelevant demographic boxes that have been used to a fault by corporate America. But there is a language gap that must be bridged to engage the most powerful market force in the history of commerce.

"The Tanning of America" provides the needed translation guide. Drawing from his company s case studies, as well as from extensive interviews with leading figures in multiple fields, Stoute presents an insider s view of how the transcendent power of popular culture is helping reinvigorate and revitalize the American dream."