Sparked

Discover your unique imprint for work that makes you come alive, fills you with meaning, joy, purpose, and possibility, then spend the rest of your life doing it. We’re all born with a certain “imprint” for work that makes us come alive. This is your "Sparketype®," your DNA-level driver of work that lets you know, deep down, you’re doing what you’re here to do. Work that motivates you, fills you with purpose and, fully-expressed in a healthy way, becomes a main-line to meaning, flow, performance, and joy. Put another way, work that “sparks” you. Sparked draws upon years of research, experimentation, more than 25-million data-points generated by over half-a-million people, and hundreds of deep-dive conversations with luminaries from science to art to industry and wellbeing. Award-winning author, serial wellness-industry founder, and host of the top-ranked Good Life Project®, Jonathan Fields, and his team at Spark Endeavors, developed the Sparketype imprints and methodology that is the basis of this book. In this book, Fields and his team will help you: Discover what sparks you, what drains you, where you stumble and come alive, so you can reclaim a sense of direction, control, and purpose; Understand the “real” reasons certain experiences, jobs, and roles leave you empty and know how to make things better, without having to endure big disruptive changes; Learn from real-world, relatable stories, case-studies, and data-driven insights; Identify the action steps to begin immediately transforming the way you work and live. Sparked takes you deep into the world of the Sparketypes, revealing an entirely new depth of insights about what makes you come alive in work life, along with what empties you out and trips you up, so you can avoid those life-drains. You’ll discover tons of case studies, stories, and real-world applications, creating a comprehensive guide to help you discover what you are meant to do and how to get started.

Fifteen-year-old Laurel Goodwin wakes up to find her older sister Ivy missing from their Airstream trailer in the Oregon redwoods. A recurring nightmare convinces her that Ivy was abducted, but no one takes her dream seriously, including her mom. Laurel, a loner, has to learn to ask for help, and Jasper Blake, a mysterious new kid who shares her love of old books, quickly becomes her ally. Together they find their quiet town holds a deep secret and is the epicenter of a dark prophecy. Laurel soon learns that her worst enemies, mean girls Peyton Andersen and Mei Rosen, are developing powers that she needs to find and save Ivy. With time running out, Laurel realizes that power doesn't always take the form that you expect. And once she learns to look beyond her snap judgments, she develops an unexpected gift of her own.

“I have these whispers in my ears. I see things, and my mind is so full of thoughts that it’s really tough to choose one. It’s just so crowded and… I don’t know how to un-crowd it. I don’t know how to focus. I don’t know what to do. I can’t think about only one thing, and it makes my head ache.” This is a simple story about, amongst other things, a bunch of suicidal teenagers convincing each other suicide isn’t an option. It’s hard to keep your shit together when the worst thing has happened. It’s hard to smile and pretend like everything’s okay but, well, we do it anyway, don’t we? But what happens when the burden gets heavier? What happens when that ray of light disappears? Being a teenager is a war. The question is—will we get out of it alive?

As the evil Nacht spreads his darkness across the valley, Tom and his friends, the Bone family, desperately try to find the Spark that will heal the Dreaming and save the world.

The extraordinary memoir of a mother's love, commitment and nurturing, which allowed her son, originally diagnosed with severe autism, to flourish into a universally recognized genius--and how any parent can help their child find their spark. Today, at 13, Jacob is a paid researcher in quantum physics, working on extending Einstein's theory of relativity. Diagnosed at 1 with severe autism, at 3 he was assigned to life-skills classes and his parents were told to adjust their expectations. The goal: tying his own shoes at 16. Kristine's belief in the power of hope and the dazzling possibilities that can occur when we keep our minds open and learn to fuel a child's true potential changed everything.

Bestselling author and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Ratey presents a groundbreaking and fascinating investigation into the transformative effects of exercise on the brain.

Sparks is a hero and man's best friend, but nobody suspects he's two cats! August is a brilliant inventor who is afraid of the outside. Charlie is a crack pilot who isn't afraid of anything. Together these pals save lives every day as they pilot a powerful, mechanical dog suit! 6 x 9.

Kristine Barnett’s son Jacob has an IQ higher than Einstein’s, a photographic memory, and he taught himself calculus in two weeks. At nine he started working on an original theory in astrophysics that experts believe may someday put him in line for a Nobel Prize, and at age twelve he became a paid researcher in quantum physics. But the story of Kristine’s journey with Jake is all the more remarkable because his extraordinary mind was almost lost to autism. At age two, when Jake was diagnosed, Kristine was told he might never be able to tie his own shoes. The Spark is a remarkable memoir of mother and son. Surrounded by “experts” at home and in special ed who tried to focus on Jake’s most basic skills and curtail his distracting interests—moving shadows on the wall, stars, plaid patterns on sofa fabric—Jake made no progress, withdrew more and more into his own world, and eventually stopped talking completely. Kristine knew in her heart that she had to make a change. Against the advice of her husband, Michael, and the developmental specialists, Kristine followed her instincts, pulled Jake out of special ed, and began preparing him for mainstream kindergarten on her own. Relying on the insights she developed at the daycare center she runs out of the garage in her home, Kristine resolved to follow Jacob’s “spark”—his passionate interests. Why concentrate on what he couldn’t do? Why not focus on what he could? This basic philosophy, along with her belief in the power of ordinary childhood experiences (softball, picnics, s’mores around the campfire) and the importance of play, helped Kristine overcome huge odds. The Barnetts were not wealthy people, and in addition to financial hardship, Kristine herself faced serious health issues. But through hard work and determination on behalf of Jake and his two younger brothers, as well as an undying faith in their community, friends, and family, Kristine and Michael prevailed. The results were beyond anything anyone could have imagined. Dramatic, inspiring, and transformative, The Spark is about the power of love and courage in the face of overwhelming obstacles, and the dazzling possibilities that can occur when we learn how to tap the true potential that lies within every child, and in all of us. Praise for The Spark “[An] amazing memoir . . . compulsive reading.”—The Washington Post “The Spark is about the transformative power of unconditional love. If you have a child who’s ‘different’—and who doesn’t?—you won’t be able to put it down.”—Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind “Love, illness, faith, tragedy and triumph—it’s all here. . . . Jake Barnett’s story contains wisdom for every parent.”—Newsday “This eloquent memoir about an extraordinary boy and a resilient and remarkable mother will be of interest to every parent and/or educator hoping to nurture a child’s authentic ‘spark.’”—Publishers Weekly “Compelling . . . Jake is unusual, but so is his superhuman mom.”—Booklist “The Spark describes in glowing terms the profound intensity with which a mother can love her child.”—Andrew Solomon, author of The Noonday Demon and Far from the Tree “Every parent and teacher should read this fabulous book!”—Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures and co-author of The Autistic Brain