You Re Not Special

An inspirational reflection on the way we bring up children that will resonate with all parents. David McCullough, Jr’s high-school graduation address, dubbed You Are Not Special when it went viral on YouTube, was a tonic for parents, students, and educators alike. Now he expands on that speech with wit and a perspective earned from raising four children and teaching high-school students for nearly 30 years. In this humorous and insightful book, McCullough takes a hard look at helicopter parents, questionable educational goals, professional university coaching, electronic distractions, and more — and advocates for a life of passionate engagement.

In her first ever (sort of) memoir, YouTube sensation Meghan Rienks gets personal about everything from drunken debaucheries to mental health. As an only child, Meghan has always been pretty good at entertaining herself. Then one day--cue the dramatic voice-over--her life changed forever. On June 12, 2010, Meghan was diagnosed with mononucleosis. Mono is basically just a really bad case of the flu, right? Wrong. To a party-crazed sixteen-year-old, mono is nothing less than social suicide. So Meghan opened up her 2009 MacBook and recorded her first YouTube video. Since then, she has shared the ups and downs of her life on the internet, documenting her coming-of-age for the whole world to see. Not that she's (mostly) through her awkward stage, Meghan's her to tell you that it gets better. Sometimes a bad hair day feels worse than a punch in the gut and asking a boy out seems as difficult as achieving that perfect dewy glow. But despite what you've been told, your problems are not unique, and somebody out there has felt the same way you feel right at this very moment. You're not special. But on the bumpy road to adulthood, you're also not alone.

David mccullough, Jr.'s now iconic high school commencement address was a tonic for children, parents, and educators alike. With wit and a perspective earned from raising four children and teaching high school students for nearly thirty years, McCullough expands on his speech, shares his insights into the lives of today's children, and advocates for a life of passionate engagement.

After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, a professor shares the lessons he's learned—about living in the present, building a legacy, and taking full advantage of the time you have—in this life-changing classic. "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." —Randy Pausch A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture." Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull over the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy? When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave—"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"—wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have . . . and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living. In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.

How did a short, fat alcoholic become one of the most successful TV producers in the world? The self-help industry tells you that if you're positive, if you put your best foot forward and if you just believe in yourself you will find happiness. Let's be real, you can read all the inspirational quotes you want. You can spend your days giving yourself affirmations in your heart-shaped mirror and trying to learn to love yourself. You can say your mantra over and over again while sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat. But the truth is, you still won't have the life you want. That's where You're Not That Great (but neither is anyone else) comes in. This ruthlessly funny and straight-talking guide teaches you how to recognise your weaknesses, your regrets and your f*ck-ups in order to live a better life. No regrets? That's BS. If you have no regrets it means you haven't learnt from your mistakes. As JON RONSON says in the book: 'You are your insecurities. I wake up in he morning and it's anxiety that propels me to be my best'. Topics covered include: * How damaging (and stupid) it is to make your goal in life to 'be happy' * That you absolutely DON'T have to love yourself before you love someone else * How you have the power to make yourself feel like shit and how to use that power 'Any antithesis to the vat of self-book books that proclaim to deliver happiness by smiling more, is welcome. Here, Elan Gale takes a break from his day job producing US reality TV shows The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, to deliver a straight-talking guide that encourages you to find your weaknesses, regrets and your f*ck-ups in order to live a better life.' GQ Australia 'Elan's collection of insights is the hilarious, engaging and necessary dose of reality that's been missing from our lives' AMANDA SEYFRIED 'it'll take all your preconceived notions of "positive thinking" and "positive affirmations" and "everything happens for a reason" and flip them on their motherflippin' heads' MAMAMIA 'Anyone can write a self-help book, but not everyone who you wish would, does. Until now!' Elle Magazine 'energetic, honest, refreshing and also plain funny' POPSUGAR 'if Jean Paul Sartre were alive, he'd probably invite Gale to hang at the Sorbonne to critique life and all its miseries' EXECUTIVE STYLE

'Hypnotic, pitiless and told brilliantly' Bret Easton Ellis Every weekend, in basements and parking lots across America, young men with good white-collar jobs and absent fathers take off their shoes and shirts and fight each other. Then they go back to those jobs with blackened eyes and loosened teeth and the sense that they can handle anything. Fight Club is the invention of Tyler Durden, projectionist, waiter and dark, anarchic genius. And it's only the beginning of his plans for revenge on a world where cancer support groups have the corner on human warmth. Read the subversive, savagely funny novel that defined a generation.

Based on a Navy SEAL's inspiring graduation speech, this #1 New York Times bestseller of powerful life lessons "should be read by every leader in America" (Wall Street Journal). If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. On May 17, 2014, Admiral William H. McRaven addressed the graduating class of the University of Texas at Austin on their Commencement day. Taking inspiration from the university's slogan, "What starts here changes the world," he shared the ten principles he learned during Navy Seal training that helped him overcome challenges not only in his training and long Naval career, but also throughout his life; and he explained how anyone can use these basic lessons to change themselves-and the world-for the better. Admiral McRaven's original speech went viral with over 10 million views. Building on the core tenets laid out in his speech, McRaven now recounts tales from his own life and from those of people he encountered during his military service who dealt with hardship and made tough decisions with determination, compassion, honor, and courage. Told with great humility and optimism, this timeless book provides simple wisdom, practical advice, and words of encouragement that will inspire readers to achieve more, even in life's darkest moments. "Powerful." --USA Today "Full of captivating personal anecdotes from inside the national security vault." --Washington Post "Superb, smart, and succinct." --Forbes

Revised edition of the best-selling memoir that has been read by over a million people worldwide with translations in 29 languages. After too many years of unfulfilling work, Bronnie Ware began searching for a job with heart. Despite having no formal qualifications or previous experience in the field, she found herself working in palliative care. During the time she spent tending to those who were dying, Bronnie's life was transformed. Later, she wrote an Internet blog post, outlining the most common regrets that the people she had cared for had expressed. The post gained so much momentum that it was viewed by more than three million readers worldwide in its first year. At the request of many, Bronnie subsequently wrote a book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, to share her story. Bronnie has had a colourful and diverse life. By applying the lessons of those nearing their death to her own life, she developed an understanding that it is possible for everyone, if we make the right choices, to die with peace of mind. In this revised edition of the best-selling memoir that has been read by over a million people worldwide, with translations in 29 languages, Bronnie expresses how significant these regrets are and how we can positively address these issues while we still have the time. The Top Five Regrets of the Dying gives hope for a better world. It is a courageous, life-changing book that will leave you feeling more compassionate and inspired to live the life you are truly here to live.