A Choice Is Made

The choice I made when I was twenty-three is about a young man's becoming of age story. It's about overcoming battles with identity, sexuality and spirituality. At age twenty-three Mark faces his secrets, pain and anger from the past and announces to his parents that he is gay. After his announcement he begins feeling empty and desperate once again searching for help and answers. One day in his room he receives help in a way he least expected. Mark perseveres through some of his hardest moments in life eventually marrying his true love. Through it all he realizes that everything people do, become, and achieve all starts with the power of a choice. Here is Mark's story of hope to those who have ever wondered who am I? What am I here for? And how one choice can put you in a brand new direction that will change your life forever.

Whether we're buying a pair of jeans, ordering a cup of coffee, selecting a long-distance carrier, applying to college, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday decisions—both big and small—have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented. As Americans, we assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. But beware of excessive choice: choice overload can make you question the decisions you make before you even make them, it can set you up for unrealistically high expectations, and it can make you blame yourself for any and all failures. In the long run, this can lead to decision-making paralysis, anxiety, and perpetual stress. And, in a culture that tells us that there is no excuse for falling short of perfection when your options are limitless, too much choice can lead to clinical depression. In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains at what point choice—the hallmark of individual freedom and self-determination that we so cherish—becomes detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being. In accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, Schwartz shows how the dramatic explosion in choice—from the mundane to the profound challenges of balancing career, family, and individual needs—has paradoxically become a problem instead of a solution. Schwartz also shows how our obsession with choice encourages us to seek that which makes us feel worse. By synthesizing current research in the social sciences, Schwartz makes the counter intuitive case that eliminating choices can greatly reduce the stress, anxiety, and busyness of our lives. He offers eleven practical steps on how to limit choices to a manageable number, have the discipline to focus on those that are important and ignore the rest, and ultimately derive greater satisfaction from the choices you have to make.

This updated edition is radically changed from the original and will be much appreciated by thinkers within economics. Boland is back.

“Phenomenal! Immediately pulled me into the story and I couldn’t set the book down until I’d finished… This will be one of those books that I reach for time and again.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I don’t know what I’d expected to find. Pictures of her mother, maybe, or a locket. Instead, there was a letter. My breath came fast as I read the first few sentences… When Julie’s mother falls ill, she has no choice but to return to her parents’ Wisconsin resort, Wood Violet, for the summer. Away from the pressures of city life, Julie also hopes the trip will give her and husband Tristan the chance to heal after the heartbreak of another miscarriage. Back home, surrounded by nature and old friends, Julie starts to feel a sense of calm she’d thought she’d lost forever. But her fragile peace is shattered when she stumbles upon an eighteen-year-old girl hiding out in an abandoned cabin. The girl, Margaret, seems lost in the world and Julie wants to help her. But when she finds the letters in her backpack, Julie realizes she isn’t telling the whole truth about why she’s here. And if Margaret finds what she’s looking for, it could expose a long-buried secret that could destroy Julie’s family’s reputation and tear all their lives apart… A beautiful and emotional story about love, betrayal and finding your true home, from the bestselling author of The Lighthouse Keeper. Fans of Mary Ellen Taylor, Barbara O’Neal and This is Not How it Ends will adore Cynthia Ellingsen’s captivating novel. What readers are saying about The Choice I Made: “Kept me turning the pages… I couldn’t put it down and finished it in a day!… feels like a warm hug.” Goodreads reviewer “Such a beautiful and emotional story… completely captured my heart and my sense of adventure.” Berit Talks Books “Hooked from the first page… I found myself wanting to read faster and know what happens next.” The Writer’s Workout “Will tug at readers’ heartstrings and make them laugh and cry… a stirring tale of love, loss and loyalty that manages to be life-affirming, heart-breaking and uplifting at the same time.” Bookish Jottings “Filled with memorable characters… I barely could put it down… There are plenty of twists and turns and the reader is pulled this way and that.” On the Shelf Books “The characters were so easy to relate to and the setting was beautiful… helped take me away like a book should… One of the best books I've read so far in 2021.” Book Dreamer, 5 stars “Terrific… I didn’t want to stop reading…The characters are so real I felt like I really got to know them.” The Book Lover’s Boudoir “Captivating… compulsive… packed full of emotion… all set against an exquisite rural backdrop.” Avid Reader’s Retreat “The characters feel like old friends. There's love for family, friends and husbands along with a bit of mystery and a beautiful setting.” Nicki’s Book Blog, 5 stars “I could very well picture a movie made out of this story… warms your heart and truly makes you escape.” Goodreads reviewer “I loved this book! It was heartwarming… exactly what I needed with everything going on in the world!” @aliciagoeser “Such a wonderful story to read!!” @oh.happy.reading

From cradle to grave, the most common act of man is choice making. We take decision everyday for better livelihood. Every student has choice of career to make. Career is who you are and what you can still be able to do. In this book, choice of career is explained with clarity and guiding questions into a definite outcome that will save you from the effects of your unguided decisions due to corrupt environment, parents’ wishes, peer groups, available institutions and detail of courses to study. As a student seeking guidance on choice of career, solemnly read through this book for timely and timeless treasure of good decision that will save and solve your generational issues. It also contains 96 successful career profiles. Happy reading!

Proceedings of the June 2000 conference that addressed society's unprecedented reliance on the dependability, integrity, security, and availability of a global network of computing systems. The 66 contributions cover embedded systems, measurement and assessment, mobile agents, analysis and evaluatio