*A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!* For most of our lives, we are encouraged to trudge along the well-worn paths of those who have come before us. We learn the rules - in our families, in our schools, in our workplaces, in our churches - and most of the messages we receive tell us that following the rules will allow us to arrive at the lives we desire. But when change becomes not only desirable but also urgently necessary, this way of being no longer serves us. In fact, in every human endeavour, every major leap forward, has involved a cataclysmic challenge to existing ways of thinking and being. Breakthroughs, by definition, run against the grain and almost always encounter scepticism and opposition. In this book for leaders, thinkers, doers, and creators, Bishop T.D. Jakes illuminates the pathway to encouraging and unleashing disruptive thinking and provides the wisdom and practical skills we need to evolve our most original and potentially transformational ideas from vision to reality. Through his insight into how our minds and emotions work and through his experiences as a pastor, entrepreneur, and creator, Bishop Jakes leads us into a new way of relating to and transforming the world around us for good. Disruptive Thinking will show you the mindset and the tools you need to create ground-breaking and meaningful change in your own life and in the world around you.

In an autobiography marked by staggering vulnerability, former NBA star Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf-whose given name was Chris Jackson before converting to Islam and changing it in 1991-recounts the twists, turns, trials, and triumphs of his life. He is perhaps most well-known for being exiled from the league for praying--instead of standing and saluting the flag - during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before games throughout the 1995-96 season. Abdul-Rauf's protest sent shockwaves through the NBA that can still be felt today. With wit and candor, Abdul-Rauf tells the story of how he rose to the top of his game--only to have his career taken away in the blink of an eye when he stood up for his principles. He also recounts his experiences living with Tourette Syndrome, committing his life to the Islamic faith, and growing up estranged from his father. In the Blink of an Eye challenges readers to examine our own lives by asking what we value, how we want to be remembered, and how we can contribute to making the world a better place. Through evocative passages that place the reader in the heat of the moment as well as poignant portraits of the important people in his life, In the Blink of an Eye will capture the attention of readers from all walks of life. This book is a must-read for anyone who has faced down adversity by standing up for the integrity of their own life, path, and identity. From his confrontations with racism--including the burning down of his house--to his difficult relationship with some of his closest family members, Adbul-Rauf reveals in intimate detail the important and inspirational, if painful, episodes that shaped his life.

*A COMPANION TO THE BOOK DISRUPTIVE THINKING* For most of our lives, we are encouraged to trudge along the well-worn paths of those who have come before us. We learn the rules - in our families, in our schools, in our workplaces, in our churches - and most of the messages we receive tell us that following the rules will allow us to arrive at the lives we desire. But when change becomes not only desirable but also urgently necessary, this way of being no longer serves us. In fact, in every human endeavor, every major leap forward, has involved a cataclysmic challenge to existing ways of thinking and being. Breakthroughs, by definition, run against the grain and almost always encounter skepticism and opposition. In this book for leaders, thinkers, doers, and creators, Bishop T.D. Jakes illuminates the pathway to encouraging and unleashing disruptive thinking and provides the wisdom and practical skills we need to evolve our most original and potentially transformational ideas from vision to reality. Through his insight into how our minds and emotions work and through his experiences as a pastor, entrepreneur, and creator, Bishop Jakes leads us into a new way of relating to and transforming the world around us for good. Disruptive Thinking will show you the mindset and the tools you need to create groundbreaking and meaningful change in your own life and in the world around you.

In "Fatherhood," beloved NBA player, poet, children's advocate, and devoted dad Etan Thomas speaks from his heart on what matters most in his life: being there for his children. As a leading participant in President Obama's Fatherhood Initiative, Etan has reached out to young men (often young fathers) in the juvenile detention system and in local communities. He knows firsthand the difference having a father in your life every day can make.
Now he brings together a chorus of voices to weigh in on the importance of being a father in our nation today and to share what they've learned from being a father, having a father, or in some cases not having a father around.
With Original Essays and Poems from
Taye Diggs - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Malcolm-Jamal Warner - Ice Cube - Howard Dean - Tony Hawk - Isaiah Washington - Yao Ming - Al Sharpton - John King - Lamman Rucker - Derek Fisher - Kevin Durant - Russ Parr - Michael Moore - Chuck D - Malcolm Shabazz - Talem Acey - Will Downing - Chris Paul - Allan Houston - Talib Kweli - Black Ice - Cornel West - Elijah Cummings - Mumia Abu-Jamal - Grant Hill - Coach John Thompson - Roland Martin - Joakim Noah - Arn Tellum - Damian Marley - Abiodune Oyewole - Styles P - Baron Davis - David Aldridge - Stuart Scott - Dave Zirin - Kevin Powell - John Carlos - Derrick Coleman - J. Ivy - Joe Johnson - Al Horford - Pastor John Jenkins - Julian Thomas - Ed Gordon Jr. - Tito Puente Jr. - Billy Hunter - 13 of Nazareth - Messiah Ramkissoon
Through these inspiring personal experiences, Etan and the men he's gathered together hope to share the message that by standing up and taking an active role as fathers, men not only find their own lives more joyful and fulfilling--they pass on to the next generation an unshakable legacy of love, wisdom, responsibility, and strength.

Sex fascinates us. Scares us. Troubles us. Sex, not baseball, is the real American pastime. But the rules are often kept under wraps, and no one's quite sure about the definition of a home run. Until now.

Bestselling authors Denene Millner and Nick Chiles break open the vault and reveal the real deal on what African Americans think about sex. Drawing on their own experiences as husband and wife -- and those of their friends who were willing to give it up they offer insights and sizzling tips for communicating, seducing and heating up the bedroom (or wherever else couples may find themselves . . . ). In their own unique way, they help couples communicate about sex -- from their favorite pleasure to their most sinful fantasy -- to keep a relationship healthy and hot. It makes for some steamy reading....

Now, Millner and Chiles once again venture boldly into each other's heads to discover-and decode -- what African American men and women really think about sex and intimacy. In a he said/she said format, the authors discuss the emotional and physical landscape of sex with one specific goal: to help other couples communicate about sex-from their favorite pleasures to their most sinful fantasies -- to keep a relationship healthy and hot.

Ranging from the first date to the first baby, from missionary style to love-making so creative that your whole body blushes, What Brothers Think, What Sistahs Know About Sex replaces myth with reality, wipes away taboo, and begins a dialogue about sex and intimacy so real that it will deepen any love connection.

Now, Millner and Chiles once again venture boldly into each other's heads to discover-and decode--what African American men and women really think about sex and intimacy. In a he said/she said format, the authors discuss the emotional and physical landscape of sex with one specific goal: to help other couples communicate about sex-from their favorite pleasures to their most sinful fantasies--to keep a relationship healthy and hot.

Ranging from the first date to the first baby, from missionary style to love-making so creative that your whole body blushes, What Brothers Think, What Sistahs Know About Sex replaces myth with reality, wipes away taboo, and begins a dialogue about sex and intimacy so real that it will deepen any love connection.

From the author of The Sistahs' Rules and her husband comes a Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus for African Americans.Denene Millner's sassy, shrewd reaction to The Rules became a bestseller. The Sistahs' Rules spent six months on the BlackBoard list. Then, proving the value of her own advice about dating and mating, Denene married Brother Mr. Right, Nick Chiles. Once she'd laid claim to his heart, she took a really long look at his head to find out what his words and actions really meant. Together they decided to go boldly where few couples dare: inside the minds of a sistah and a brotha to reveal the real deal on what Black men think of commitment, monogamy, and other mysteries--and what sistahs know about staying true to themselves.

What Brothers Think, What Sistahs Know is the first book for African Americans that decodes the inscrutable ways of the opposite sex. In this funny, honest, provocative book, Millner and Chiles step across the great divide to create--once and for all--real understanding between sistahs and brothers. They give the real deal on:

* The perfect date
* Why brothers think all sistahs are angry
* Why so many men could run down Michael Johnson in an effort to escape commitment
* Whether it's fair for sistahs to scream when brothers chase white girls
* Why good sex matters

What Brothers Think, What Sistahs Know covers everything from first dates to lasting commitments, from myths and misunderstandings between brothas and sistahs to the kind of communication that fosters love and respect. It reveals, for the very first time, the motivations and fears coursing through that warm-blooded animal on the other side of the bed.

"Justice While Black" is a must-read for every young black male in America--and for everyone else who cares about their survival and well-being. This is a first-of-its-kind essential guide for African-American families about how to understand the criminal justice system, and about why that system continues to see black men as targets--and as dollar signs.
The book provides practical, straightforward advice on how to deal with specific legal situations: the threat of arrest, being arrested, being in custody, preparing for and undergoing a trial, and navigating the appeals and parole process. The primary goal of this book is to become a primer for African Americans on how to avoid becoming ensnared in the criminal justice system.
While the precarious safely of black males has received renewed interest in the past year because of the deaths of teenagers Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis, the fact is that this group has always been under threat from the armed guardians of the white social order. The tactics have been modernized, but the impact is still devastating--we are witnessing an epic criminalization of the African-American community at levels never before seen since the end of slavery.