Reach! Finding Strength, Spirit and Personal Power


Book Description

Combining a gripping personal story with practical advice on such subjects as diet, training, family, romance, and much more, Laila Ali shows readers of all ages and backgrounds how to transform the demons of self-doubt and stagnation into positive, winning energy. Since her professional debut three years ago, Laila Ali has set the world of women's boxing on fire. The daughter of the world's most famous boxer, she has more than come into her won, winning ten straight fights with breathtaking confidence and poise - including a bout with Jacqui Frazier that was the most highly publicized female boxing event ever. But Laila's journey to success was not without struggle. In this revealing book, she describes - with striking humility and a streetwise wisdom beyond her years - how she made many mistakes along the way, but eventually managed to overcome every obstacle that life threw at her. In fifteen straight-talking, hard-hitting "rounds," Laila offers her dynamic formula for physical, emotional, and mental power, and demonstrates how to sidestep feelings of self-pity and defeatism. Some of the life experiences that Laila recounts are ones many young people face, while others are related to her unique circumstances. Born with a proverbial silver spoon in her mouth, she never felt comfortable, as a child, in her parents' mansion - surrounded by maids, celebrity visitors, and hangers-on - and longed for a "normal" existence. As an adolescent, she became increasingly drawn into negative behavior. But after she found herself, at age sixteen, in juvenile hall, Laila realized it was time to make a change in her life. She resolved to become a responsible, financially independent adult, and soon achieved her long-time dream of owning her own manicure business. Ultimately, however, she would find success in another arena: professional boxing. Revised and updated in 2017.




Reach!


Book Description

With an undefeated 100 boxing record, Laila Ali can definitely hold her own in the ring. She has received a firestorm of media coverage, and her recent bout with Jacqui Frazier was the most highly publicized female boxing fight ever. Now, she offers her formula for physical, emotional, and mental power in a motivational memoir that delivers 15 rounds of straight-talking, hard-hitting advice. She reveals how she overcame child abuse, weight issues, isolation, and overall bad behavior by tenaciously developing a talent that she enjoyedprofessional boxing. She demonstrates how to sidestep feelings of self-pity and defeatism and achieve success in all arenas: diet, family, personal relationships, physical training, and more. Combining spiritual inspiration with practical guidance, Laila Alis program will show readers of all ages and backgrounds how to transform the demons of self-doubt into positive, winning energy.




Reach!


Book Description

A champion in her own right, the daughter of the world's most famous boxer shares her formula for physical, emotional, and mental power in an inspirational memoir that explains how she developed her own positive, winning energy.




The Spirit-Led Leader


Book Description

In our postmodern, experience-oriented culture, people are longing for greater authenticity, integrity, and depth in their pastors and leaders. Board directors, church members, and staff alike are all eagerly seeking leaders who effectively integrate their spirituality and leadership. Pastors and executives, however, often struggle with knowing how to integrate their spiritual values and practices into their leadership and management roles. Designed for pastors, executives, administrators, managers, coordinators, and all who see themselves as leaders and who want to fulfill their God-given purpose, The Spirit-Led Leader addresses the critical fusion of spiritual life and leadership for those who not only want to see results, but who also desire to care just as deeply about who they are and how they lead as they do about what they produce and accomplish. Geoffrion creates a new vision for spiritual leadership as partly an art, partly a result of careful planning, and always a working of the grace of God




Be Water, My Friend


Book Description

Bruce Lee’s daughter illuminates her father’s most powerful life philosophies—demonstrating how martial arts are a perfect metaphor for personal growth, and how we can practice those teachings every day. "Empty your mind; be formless, shapeless like water." Bruce Lee is a cultural icon, renowned the world over for his martial arts and film legacy. But Lee was also a deeply philosophical thinker, learning at an early age that martial arts are more than just an exercise in physical discipline—they are an apt metaphor for living a fully realized life. Now, in Be Water, My Friend, Lee’s daughter Shannon shares the concepts at the core of his philosophies, showing how they can serve as tools of personal growth and self-actualization. Each chapter brings a lesson from Bruce Lee’s teachings, expanding on the foundation of his iconic “be water” philosophy. Over the course of the book, we discover how being like water allows us to embody fluidity and naturalness in life, bringing us closer to our essential flowing nature and our ability to be powerful, self-expressed, and free. Through previously untold stories from her father’s life and from her own journey in embodying these lessons, Shannon presents these philosophies in tangible, accessible ways. With Bruce Lee’s words as a guide, she encourages readers to pursue their essential selves and apply these ideas and practices to their everyday lives—whether in learning new things, overcoming obstacles, or ultimately finding their true path. Be Water, My Friend is an inspirational invitation to us all, a gentle call to action to consider our lives with new eyes. It is also a testament to how one man's exploration and determination transcended time and place to ignite our imaginations—and to inspire many around the world to transform their lives.




The Power of Now


Book Description

Celebrating 25 Years as a New York Times Bestseller — Over 16 Million Copies Sold It’s no wonder that The Power of Now has sold over 16 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 30 foreign languages. Much more than simple principles and platitudes, the book takes readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of truth and light. In the first chapter, Tolle introduces readers to enlightenment and its natural enemy, the mind. He awakens readers to their role as a creator of pain and shows them how to have a pain-free identity by living fully in the present. The journey is thrilling, and along the way, the author shows how to connect to the indestructible essence of our Being, “the eternal, ever-present One Life beyond the myriad forms of life that are subject to birth and death.” Featuring a new preface by the author, this paperback shows that only after regaining awareness of Being, liberated from Mind and intensely in the Now, is there Enlightenment.




Food for Life


Book Description

The four-time undefeated boxing world champion, cooking personality, and health advocate serves up over 100 sassy recipes that will help you “swap it out.” In Laila’s kitchen, nutrition is King, but flavor is Queen! In her debut cookbook, Laila shows you how to make knockout meals in ways that work with your busy and demanding life, so you can eat healthy, delicious food without feeling hungry! Food for Life shares more than one hundred of Laila’s favorite recipes. Whether you’re new to cooking, busy feeding a family, or ready to eat healthier, Food for Life will be your guidebook! In Food for Life, you’ll find real-life recipes to bring simple, healthy, hearty, and satisfying food to the table, such as: Stovetop Ratatouille Oven-”Fried” Chicken West Coast Southern Greens The Greatest of All Time Burger (her father’s favorite) Heavenly Lemon Yogurt Cake “If you’re looking for nutritious recipes that ‘go the distance’ when it comes to flavor, look no further. Laila’s new book shows you how to eat like a champion, without sacrificing taste!” —Rachael Ray “What I love about Laila’s cookbook is she’s giving the people what they both need and want . . . flavorful, homestyle recipes that are nutritious and created with love! You can tell that she really put her heart and soul into this book!” —Patti LaBelle “Oven fried chicken, seafood gumbo, and sweet potato pie that won’t clog up your arteries? Laila’s recipes are winning and will keep YOU undefeated!” —Steve Harvey




I Never Had It Made


Book Description

The New York Times–bestselling autobiography of Jackie Robinson, barrier-breaking Brooklyn Dodger and civil rights legend: “An American classic.” —Entertainment Weekly Before Barry Bonds, before Reggie Jackson, before Hank Aaron, baseball's stars had one undeniable trait in common: they were all white. In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke that barrier, striking a crucial blow for racial equality and changing the world of sports forever. I Never Had It Made is Robinson's own candid, hard-hitting account of what it took to become the first black man in history to play in the major leagues. I Never Had It Made recalls Robinson’s early years and influences: his time at UCLA, where he became the school’s first four-letter athlete; his army stint during World War II, when he challenged Jim Crow laws and narrowly escaped court martial; his years of frustration, on and off the field, with the Negro Leagues; and finally that fateful day when Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers proposed what became known as the “Noble Experiment”—Robinson would step up to bat to integrate and revolutionize baseball. More than a sports story, I Never Had It Made also reveals the highs and lows of Robinson’s life after baseball. He recounts his political aspirations and civil rights activism; his friendships with Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, William Buckley, Jr., and Nelson Rockefeller; and his troubled relationship with his son, Jackie, Jr. It endures as an inspiring story of a man whose heroism extended well beyond the playing field. “Affecting and candid . . . I Never Had It Made offers compelling testimony about the realities of being Black in America from an author who long ago became more a monument than a man, and his memoir is an illuminating meditation on racism not only in the national pastime but in the nation itself.” —The New York Times “A disturbing and enlightening self-portrait by one of America’s genuine heroes.” —Publishers Weekly “An important book that should be widely read.” —The New York Times Book Review




Proud


Book Description

Growing up in New Jersey as the only African American Muslim at school, Ibtihaj Muhammad always had to find her own way. When she discovered fencing, a sport traditionally reserved for the wealthy, she had to defy expectations and make a place for herself in a sport she grew to love. From winning state championships to three-time All-America selections at Duke University, Ibtihaj was poised for success, but the fencing community wasn't ready to welcome her with open arms just yet. As the only woman of color and the only religious minority on Team USA's saber fencing squad, Ibtihaj had to chart her own path to success and Olympic glory. Proud is a moving coming-of-age story from one of the nation's most influential athletes and illustrates how she rose above it all.




Ghosts of Manila


Book Description

When Muhammad Ali met Joe Frazier in Manila for their third fight, their rivalry had spun out of control. The Ali-Frazier matchup had become a madness, inflamed by the media and the politics of race. When the "Thrilla in Manila" was over, one man was left with a ruin of a life; the other was battered to his soul. Mark Kram covered that fight for Sports Illustrated in an award-winning article. Now his riveting book reappraises the boxers -- who they are and who they were. And in a voice as powerful as a heavyweight punch, Kram explodes the myths surrounding each fighter, particularly Ali. A controversial, no-holds-barred account, Ghosts of Manila ranks with the finest boxing books ever written.