Be Bad First

We are operating in a world defined by constant connection, rapid change, and abundant choices. News that once took months, even years, to spread now reaches across the globe in seconds. Advances in medicine and science are pushing boundaries with gene therapy and stem cell transplants. And decisions about where and how to work and live are nearly endless. As new knowledge--and the possibilities that arise from that knowledge--propels us forward, leadership readiness expert and renowned author Erika Andersen suggests that success in today's world requires the ability to acquire new knowledge and skills quickly and continuously--in spite of our mixed feelings about being a novice. In her newest book, Be Bad First, Erika explores how we can become masters of mastery; proficient in the kind of high-payoff learning that's needed today. With assessments and exercises at the close of every chapter, she encourages readers to embrace being bad on the way to being great--to be novices over and over again as we seek to learn and acquire the new skills that will allow us to thrive in this fast-changing world.

A haunted woman's reclusively ordered world is thrown into chaos by a houseguest who bullies her into reality and brings love into her life. A first novel by the best-selling author of No One Belongs Here More Than You. 125,000 first printing.

Victor Spoil realizes he's not cut out for life as a supervillain and instead decides to be...a librarian. Little does he know that librarians are a kick-butt secret society who will stop at nothing to control---and shush---the world! It's time for Victor Spoil to hang up his cape. After trying to be the supervillain his diabolical parents always wanted, it's time he followed his own dream to become a librarian. As a nice guy who likes quiet and order, Victor knows he'll be happy reading books for the rest of his life. But when his library is suddenly attacked by robot ninjas and he sees his boss leap into battle, Victor learns that librarians are actually a secret league working to bring order to the whole world. It all sounds wonderful to Victor...until he finds out that his friends are planning to destroy the librarians' plan for peace. Who's right and who's wrong? Sometimes it's hard to tell if you're a good guy...or a supervillain.

Early in his career, Judge John Reilly did everything by the book. His jurisdiction included a First Nations community plagued by suicide, addiction, poverty, violence and corruption. He steadily handed out prison sentences with little regard for long-term consequences and even less knowledge as to why crime was so rampant on the reserve in the first place. In an unprecedented move that pitted him against his superiors, the legal system he was part of, and one of Canada’s best-known Indian chiefs, the Reverend Dr. Chief John Snow, Judge Reilly ordered an investigation into the tragic and corrupt conditions on the reserve. A flurry of media attention ensued. Some labelled him a racist; others thought he should be removed from his post, claiming he had lost his objectivity. But many on the Stoney Reserve hailed him a hero as he attempted to uncover the dark challenges and difficult history many First Nations communities face. At a time when government is proposing new “tough on crime” legislation, Judge Reilly provides an enlightening and timely perspective. He shows us why harsher punishments for offenders don’t necessarily make our societies safer, why the white justice system is failing First Nations communities, why jail time is not the cure-all answer some think it to be, and how corruption continues to plague tribal leadership.

A collection of 20 original, unstinting essays by the young YouTube vlogger and creator of Not Cool shares intimate insights into his personal life, highlighting moments from his childhood, his rise on YouTube and his experiences as a filmmaker. Original.

New York Times bestselling author and artist James Dean brings readers along for a hilarious ride with Pete the Cat! Pete the Cat bites into a bad banana and decides that he never, ever wants to eat another banana again. But Pete really likes bananas! Will a rotten bite ruin Pete's love for this tasty fruit? Pete the Cat and the Bad Banana is a My First I Can Read book, which means it's perfect for shared reading with a child.

If he had been with me everything would have been different... I wasn't with Finn on that August night. But I should've been. It was raining, of course. And he and Sylvie were arguing as he drove down the slick road. No one ever says what they were arguing about. Other people think it's not important. They do not know there is another story. The story that lurks between the facts. What they do not know—the cause of the argument—is crucial. So let me tell you...

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” —Lao Tzu But is the teacher ready? That’s the question that haunts every teacher that fateful first day in the classroom. Making it through that day and the 179 school days that follow is how every career in education—and lifelong learning—truly begins. In this collection, fifty teachers share the trials, tribulations, and triumphs they’ve experienced during their first year on the job. Organized along the lines of the school calendar, these touching tales illustrate the learning curve experienced by new teachers: Facing Day One Meeting the Students Surprising the Students Bonding with Faculty and Staff Being Surprised by the Students Watching the Students Bloom Saying Farewell From the hilariously obsessive-compulsive preparation of a rookie English professor to the poignant lesson a bold third grader imparts upon his novice teacher about love and acceptance, this moving collection is sure to motivate new and veteran teachers alike.