If It Makes You Happy

Claire Kann's If It Makes You Happy is a coming-of-age novel about a young girl learning to embrace her cultural and sexuality identity. Winnie is living her best fat girl life and is on her way to the best place on earth. No, not Disneyland--her Granny’s diner, Goldeen’s, in the small town of Misty Haven. While there, she works in her fabulous 50’s inspired uniform, twirling around the diner floor and earning an obscene amount of tips. With her family and ungirlfriend at her side, she has everything she needs for one last perfect summer before starting college in the fall. ...until she becomes Misty Haven’s Summer Queen in a highly anticipated matchmaking tradition that she wants absolutely nothing to do with. Newly crowned, Winnie is forced to take center stage in photoshoots and a never-ending list of community royal engagements. Almost immediately, she discovers that she’s deathly afraid of it all: the spotlight, the obligations, and the way her Merry Haven Summer King, wears his heart, humor, and honesty on his sleeve. Stripped of Goldeen’s protective bubble, to salvage her summer Winnie must conquer her fears, defy expectations, and be the best Winnie she knows she can be—regardless of what anyone else thinks of her.

Known as much for her youthful looks and natural chic as she is for her sunny and heartfelt songs, Sheryl has written a cookbook that is true to her style Rock star. Activist. Mother of two. How does Sheryl Crow have time to keep so healthy and fit? Sheryl knows how to eat right and deliciously thanks to personal chef Chuck White, affectionately known as "Chef Chuck." The duo met while Sheryl was battling breast cancer, which for her, was a wake-up call to eat better. Since then, Chuck has taught Sheryl how to do just that by cooking foods that are seasonal, locally grown, and vitamin-rich to keep her on top of her game and always ready to perform. This wholesome approach to every dish has been successfully integrated into all aspects of Sheryl's busy life—from dinner parties, to touring, to settling in at home near Nashville, TN with her two sons, Wyatt and Levi. Now Sheryl and Chuck want to bring their nutritious, delicious creations from her kitchen into yours. Rock-and-roll flavored throughout, If It Makes You Healthy will have a full menu of approximately 125 recipes grouped seasonally, which reflects Sheryl's busy schedule: Summer months offer tomatoes and corn, and summer also puts Sheryl on the road. Fall and winter brings apples and winter squash, when Sheryl is at home and in the studio. From the big entertaining menus that are prepared for her crew while touring (Mojito braised pork) to small home-cooked meals for Sheryl and her children (basil and apple marinated chicken)—all lushly photographed by Victoria Pearson—this book will be filled with easy and flavorful recipes anyone can make. Along the way, Sheryl opens up about touring and home life with stories about her childhood, her early years as a backup singer, and her eventual stardom.

In this “powerful personal story woven with a rich analysis of what we all seek” (Sergey Brin, cofounder of Google), Mo Gawdat, Chief Business Officer at Google’s [X], applies his superior logic and problem solving skills to understand how the brain processes joy and sadness—and then he solves for happy. In 2001 Mo Gawdat realized that despite his incredible success, he was desperately unhappy. A lifelong learner, he attacked the problem as an engineer would: examining all the provable facts and scrupulously applying logic. Eventually, his countless hours of research and science proved successful, and he discovered the equation for permanent happiness. Thirteen years later, Mo’s algorithm would be put to the ultimate test. After the sudden death of his son, Ali, Mo and his family turned to his equation—and it saved them from despair. In dealing with the horrible loss, Mo found his mission: he would pull off the type of “moonshot” goal that he and his colleagues were always aiming for—he would share his equation with the world and help as many people as possible become happier. In Solve for Happy Mo questions some of the most fundamental aspects of our existence, shares the underlying reasons for suffering, and plots out a step-by-step process for achieving lifelong happiness and enduring contentment. He shows us how to view life through a clear lens, teaching us how to dispel the illusions that cloud our thinking; overcome the brain’s blind spots; and embrace five ultimate truths. No matter what obstacles we face, what burdens we bear, what trials we’ve experienced, we can all be content with our present situation and optimistic about the future.

What do you want most in life? Most peoplewould answer: "I just want to be happy." Sounds simple, but what does happiness look like? And is the life you lead now bringing you closer to happiness? Many of us have adopted lifestyles that don't support happiness. We lead lives that are too rushed, too stressed and too focused on things that don't matter. And our obsession with economic development is destroying the natural environment. We need to rethink our way of life because our unhealthy lifestyles are making us physically and mentally unwell. They're making us unhappier, not happier. The solutions -- doing things that support our wellbeing, finding opportunities to connect with others and supporting the environment we live in -- are intrinsically linked. The good news is that many simple, positive, healthy choices and activities promote wellbeing. Fiona Robards is a psychologist -- with four Masters degrees -- but the things that make her happy are simple: a walk with a friend, a movie, travelling, watching waves rise and fall, kindness. In What Makes You Happy? she looks at ten areas of our life, ranging from finances to relationships, personal style to having fun, and through a series of practical exercises and searching questions guides us down the path to finding our own simple solutions to everyday happiness, so that we can stress less and live calmer, richer lives.

Everybody wants to be happy. Everybody is on a happiness quest. For many, happiness is measured in moments. Experiences. It's elusive. Unsustainable. What about you? What makes you happy? Something comes to mind for each of us. In this six-session video Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), pastor Andy Stanley examines the ways in which we tend to define happiness and explains how that definition influences the way we pursue it. He reveals that happiness is about who, not what, and that happy people are at peace with God, with others, and with themselves. He also shows how sin undermines peace because it separates us from God, others, and ourselves by substituting pleasure for fulfillment, things for people, images for intimacy, and self-expression for self-control. We are often tempted to believe that happiness comes from acquiring things, but happiness is actually an outcome of what we sow in our lives. We can't acquire, consume, or exercise our way to happiness, but we may be able to serve and volunteer our way there. In the end, we find that if we live as if it's all about us, we will never be happy. Sessions include: Nothing Plan for It Peace with God Happy Money Shoes You're Not Enough Designed for use with the What Makes You Happy Video Study (sold separately).

Each day presents an opportunity to find delight, whether in your surroundings, your work, your relationships, your insights, or your actions. This journal will guide you to look inside and outside yourself to discover and appreciate what makes you happiest. With prompts and exercises, the wise words of writers, musicians, philosophers, and leaders will help you reflect on what fills you with joy. You’ll measure your happiness at the outset and along the way; after a year’s worth of delight, your smile will be bigger than ever.

If you've ever thought, "There must be more to life than this," The Art of Non-Conformity is for you. Based on Chris Guillebeau's popular online manifesto "A Brief Guide to World Domination," The Art of Non-Conformity defies common assumptions about life and work while arming you with the tools to live differently. You'll discover how to live on your own terms by exploring creative self-employment, radical goal-setting, contrarian travel, and embracing life as a constant adventure. Inspired and guided by Chris's own story and those of others who have pursued unconventional lives, you can devise your own plan for world domination-and make the world a better place at the same time.

If feeling blue isn’t bad enough, it’s even worse without your best furry friend. This Makes Me Sad follows a young boy after he accidentally lets his dog, Kit, loose from the yard. Despite his parents’ attempt to find her, nothing can cheer up the boy. His favorite things, like a pretty sunset, going to the park, and his beloved teddy bear, just make him more sad. Even happy memories of Kit no longer feel good. With help from his family, the boy must learn to accept and express how he’s feeling inside. And by dealing with his feelings, he might just be able to do some good until Kit comes home. Easy-to-read text and evocative illustrations make this relatable second story in the Dealing with Feelings series a perfect practice in emotional maturity for kids.