The F Words

Flexibility in the claws of injustice doesn't mean we slide free, escaping their pain, but that we mend to rise again. Sophomore Cole Renner knows teamwork inside and out from running cross-country at his multi-ethnic Chicago public school. He knows about braving the elements and not getting passed in the chute. What Cole doesn't know is how much he'll need all of his mental and physical skills when the doors of Cook County Jail slam shut on his father, a community activist; when his English teacher catches Cole tagging the school with the F word and assigns him to write two poems a week, each on a word that starts with F; when his best friend Felipe Ramirez runs for class president against the girl who dumped him; when the school bully prowls the halls looking for Cole and the principal seems more interested in punishing Cole than the bully. As much as Cole wants to win meets, what he wants, even more, is justice—for his father, for himself, for Felipe, and for his fellow students. Cole learns that actions matter, but so do words. He takes his written words (Spanish and English) and turns them into the right words to fight for justice.

In The 'F' Word: Good Words for Great Leaders, the leadership lexicon of freedom, focus, fidelity, fortitude, forbearance, forgiveness, and faith represent seven tenets for those who wish to inspire others. David Paul Eich shares what he learned from several "teachers," whose stories set the bar for those who strive to become outstanding leaders. Readers will meet the teenager whose freedom to smile in the face of death, gives new meaning to a positive attitude; an advertising director who taught the author how to focus on what is, and what is not, "a bad day"; a marketing executive whose unusual approach to fidelity inspired an entire sales force; a father whose "face the wind" philosophy represents an antidote for adversity; a crippled wife and mother that claims her life has been "perfect;" an unbelievable testimonial by a patient who personally gave three hundred health care executives the gift of forgiveness; and the Peace Corps volunteer, who found God in the smiles of two starving children. These role models join several others as they provide the lessons and principles necessary for good men and women to become great leaders.

We love The American Farmer. We trust them to grow our food, to be part of children's nursery rhymes, to provide the economic backbone of rural communities, and to embody a version of the American dream. At the same time, we know that "corporate farms" are disrupting the agrarian way of life that we so admire, and that we've got to do something to stop it. So what's our plan for saving the farms we love? In Farm (and Other F Words), Sarah K Mock dismantles misconceptions about American farms and discovers what makes small family farms work, or why they don't. While exploring the intersection of farming and wealth, Mock offers an alternative perspective on American agricultural history, and outlines a path to a more equitable food system moving forward. Calling for change, Farm (and Other F Words) tackles questions like: Do farmers really get paid not to farm? Are "big corporate farms" the future? How much good has the food movement done for small family farmers? Ultimately, Mock suggests a solution without putting the onus for change on struggling consumers and reminds us that, "the future of American agriculture is not yet decided."

Growing up with physical and learning disabilities is difficult, especially when bullying is involved. Being continually unsure of your calling in life is discouraging. Ending a marriage and leaving a man who broke his promise to love you forever is heart-wrenching, especially when there are young children involved. Struggling to pursue an education and working a full-time job while also raising two children as a single mother is frustrating and draining. Digging yourself out of a depressive state and learning to move forward with faith is difficult, but Jamie managed to pull through it successfully, and she is here to share with you how she did it. The “F” Words of Life is inspiring and a bit comical, and it proves that no matter what difficulty one struggles through, there is always a light that shines through the darkness, and if one focuses on that light, there is no end to the greatness one can achieve in life.

When the F-word is mentioned, some people think of the street slang F-word, which many find vulgar, crude, offensive, profane, and/or improper. Actually, there are many solid, appropriate, descriptive F-words frequently used in communications every day. Faith, family, friends, frugality, forgiveness, fear, fight--Ann realized these F-words describe the ingredients for the foundation to her productive adult life. She shares the lessons she learned from her challenge-filled life with the hope that this book can point others to happiness and contentment.

In Other F Words: Experiments in Floetry, Denn Thome considers why just one F word has become the standard of what the family of F words means. Latin and other ancient languages did not die out because of misuse. They faltered when they could no longer explain the world emerging about them. Yet they laid a language foundation as their legacy. This collection is the redemption of the family of F words. New words, a new meaning, until the F word 'family' emerges from the fray and is acclaimed for its fervent goal to explain what is to come. Time changes all and the written word is no exception to that rule. Other F Words: Experiments in Floetry introduces a new F word to the family, Floetry. Floetry bends the norm, as the lines of rhyme flow freely, and then looks to the future as the language vibrantly explains what is to come of the myths of tomorrow. In Other F Words, discover that there is great power in other F words as well, as they explore friendship, love, and the world happening around us! FELL Some say trees never dance Do not bear fidelity To earthly melodies. Just wait till the blaring winds feast strong With finality awe Test the fainthearted's Faith with fear Then the trees Who cannot dance the winds Fall.

What does it take to say “F-it!” and really mean it? To walk away from the circumstances that have you stuck in neutral, or worse, headed in the wrong direction? To reroute your life along a smoother path toward success? To live an “F”-It-Less life? Have you ever just thrown your hands in the air and said “F”-It!? Been tempted to give in to someone or something you’ve been resisting? Or worse, found yourself backed into changes, circumstances, or even a life you didn’t ask for? If so, you are not alone. But thankfully, there is now a powerful way to never have to say “F-It!” again. It begins with reframing the ‘f’ word . . . and ultimately leads to reframing your life. It’s a method designed to help you choose the life you want to live, rather than blindly accepting the one you’ve got. Shaun Rawls, popular motivational speaker and founder of Atlanta’s #1 real estate firm, devised this method during one of the most trying, yet triumphant periods of his life. In “F”-It Less he offers a whole new lexicon of F-words more powerful than the one we all already know. By employing each thoughtfully and practically in your life you can begin to craft the existence you’ve always dreamed of. During his own transformation, words such as ‘fragmented’, ‘frustrated’, ‘fractured’, and ‘failed’ helped him identify where he was in the moment and to earnestly assess where he’d gone wrong in the past. In time he enjoyed days that were ‘fine’ or even ‘fantastic’. Prioritizing words such as ‘float,’ ‘family,’ ‘faith,’ ‘fun,’ and ‘freedom,’ reminded him of his destination, while words such as “find,” “forgive,” “forget,” “fix,” and “foxhole” helped him to get there faster. What he discovered is that these F-words can draw us back into alignment with our purpose and goals, enabling us to live a more intentional and rewarding life—the life of our dreams. In this infinitely empowering book, Rawls shares both his story and his method with you, boldly encouraging you to use these words to examine your own life too—to see if it is one you consciously crafted or one you simply allowed to unfold. To decide whether you’re living how you really want to live or if there is still much more work to be done. He challenges you to truly listen to your heart and gut, and to honestly acknowledge the areas of our life where you’ve compromised love and happiness for money, safety, security, or worse, fear. He coaxes you not to let our best life pass you by, but rather to proactively attain the life you really want. By sharing some of his greatest lessons, Rawls aims to help you avoid some of the same obstacles he’s encountered and to live what he refers to as an “F-it-less” life—the life we’re all entitled to discover, explore, and fulfill for ourselves. Saying, “F-It!” doesn’t always have to mean you are giving in or giving up. With the right tools, it can actually mean you are ready to pursue a better life— one of greater ease, meaning, and purpose. A truly F-It-Less life.

We all know what frak, popularized by television's cult hit Battlestar Galactica, really means. But what about feck? Or ferkin? Or foul--as in FUBAR, or "Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition"? In a thoroughly updated edition of The F-Word, Jesse Sheidlower offers a rich, revealing look at the f-bomb and its illimitable uses. Since the fifteenth century, no other word has been adapted, interpreted, euphemized, censored, and shouted with as much ardor or force; imagine Dick Cheney telling Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy to "go damn himself" on the Senate floor--it doesn't have quite the same impact as what was really said. Sheidlower cites this and other notorious examples throughout history, from the satiric sixteenth-century poetry of James Cranstoun to the bawdy parodies of Lord Rochester in the seventeenth century, to more recent uses by Ernest Hemingway, Jack Kerouac, Ann Sexton, Norman Mailer, Liz Phair, Anthony Bourdain, Junot Diaz, Jenna Jameson, Amy Winehouse, Jon Stewart, and Bono (whose use of the word at the Grammys nearly got him fined by the FCC). Collectively, these references and the more than one hundred new entries they illustrate double the size of The F-Word since its previous edition. Thousands of added quotations come from newly available electronic databases and the resources of the OED, expanding the range of quotations to cover British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Irish, and South African uses in addition to American ones. Thus we learn why a fugly must hone his or her sense of humor, why Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau muttered "fuddle duddle" in the Commons, and why Fanny Adams is so sweet. A fascinating introductory essay explores the word's history, reputation, and changing popularity over time. and a new Foreword by comedian, actor, and author Lewis Black offers readers a smart and entertaining take on the book and its subject matter. Oxford dictionaries have won renown for their expansive, historical approach to words and their etymologies. The F-Word offers all that and more in an entertaining and informative look at a word that, while now largely accepted as an integral part of the English language, still confounds, provokes, and scandalizes.