"Why walk when you can soar..."

These are the opening words on Tracy Todd’s website and they are a powerful affirmation of the person Tracy is today – a sought-after inspirational speaker whose uplifting presentations have inspired and given hope to many people. But it is difficult to imagine what she has overcome in a tough and often lonely journey.

At the age of twenty-eight her life was turned upside down when a horrific road accident left her a quadriplegic, paralysed from the neck down. Her life as an athletic, marathon-running young mother and teacher was abruptly shattered. Despite months of rehabilitation, Tracy often found herself wondering if her life was worth living. Everything she had taken for granted was now beyond her reach and frustration at her helplessness threatened to overwhelm her. Against the odds, Tracy chose to live.

Her strength of character and determination prevailed and, sustained by the support of her son, family and friends, her care assistants, and an unbelievably caring community, she set about gaining the independence to rebuild her life and reclaim her identity – which she has done, with dignity and grace. Brave Lotus Flower Rides The Dragon is an honest, inspiring and engaging memoir in which Tracy’s natural warmth and humour are tangible and, most importantly, she embodies what the human spirit can achieve.

A BIG ISSUE BOOK OF THE YEAR This illuminating and defining biography from bestselling author Traci N. Todd, with illustrations from award-winner Christian Robinson, tells the story of Eunice Waymon, who grew up to become Nina Simone - and shares her bold, defiant, and exultant legacy with a new generation. With passion and unparalleled skill, Traci N. Todd and Christian Robinson bring this iconic singer's story to young readers and their families. Meet young Eunice, who sang before she could talk, and journey with her from the piano stool she shared with her father in her childhood home, to the bars and concert halls where she became the one and only Nina Simone. Learn about how Nina's voice started out rich and sweet but grew to a thunderous roar as the Civil Rights Movement gained steam. Witness this artist in all her brilliance, singing in protest against racial inequality and discrimination. With rhythmic prose and masterful images, Nina perfectly demonstrates the relationship between art and activism. An essential addition to every young reader's library.

Building and maintaining a private practice today requires initiative, creativity, and a willingness to adapt new tools, technologies, and techniques to your business. As a therapist, and a small business owner of a private practice, you face the challenges of fluctuating market trends, infrastructure inefficiencies, seismic changes in demographic populations, complex reimbursement systems, and technological advances which alter practice patterns. Your "therapist side" may be reluctant to think of yourself as a businessperson; however, if you are to keep offering your valuable services, you owe it to yourself and your clients to build the most effective and efficient practice possible. To do so, you need to take advantage of the latest technology. Tracy Todd presents a number of technologies that will help you build, maintain, and expand your practice. He clearly walks you through the (surprisingly easy) process of creating your own Web site, highlighting the usefulness of features such as online scheduling and payment systems. He also provides overviews of podcasting, videocasting, blogs, and electronic file management, pointing out the benefits of each, and how you can go about applying these tools to your practice. The result is a book that will help you streamline your administrative duties, while expanding your clinical reach-thus helping your practice thrive.