Real, Not Perfect


Book Description

Real, Not Perfect is the first book in a series that travels alongside four friends as they deal with teen life in Riverbend, Indiana. The novel inspires girls and young women to deepen their relationships with God and solve their problems in God-honoring ways. Tessa has lived a trouble-free life as the only child of two loving parents—she is well-liked, gets straight As, is on the competitive swim team, and is active in her church youth group. It’s a pretty perfect life! That is, until she comes home from swim practice one day to find that her parents are divorcing. Along with that, her BFF has moved to Florida, and Tessa gets stuck in Intro to Drama—possibly the worst class ever! Soon Tessa’s mom sinks into despair and Tessa struggles with her anger and hurt. Meanwhile, her BFF posts fabulous pictures of her new life on Instagram. Tessa thinks that everyone’s posts show lives that are way better than the one she has. Why does it seem like everyone else’s life is more perfect than hers? Find out how Tessa’s new friends from Intro to Drama and Alex, her true-blue friend, help her discover that real is better than perfect.




Between Perfect and Real


Book Description

Dean Foster knows that he’s a trans man. He's watched enough YouTube videos and done enough questioning to be sure. But everyone at his high school thinks he’s a lesbian—including his girlfriend Zoe. Maybe he can just wait to openly transition until he’s off at college. Besides, he's got enough to worry about: He’s cast as Romeo in the school play (in what the theater teacher thinks is an interesting gender swap), he’s falling in love with Zoe, and he's applying to the NYU theater program. It’s not everything, but it’s pretty good. But playing a boy every day in rehearsals, Dean realizes he wants everyone to see him as he really is now––not just on the stage, but everywhere in his life. Emboldened by stepping out on the stage as Romeo each day and the trans youth support group he's started attending, he knows what he needs to do. The only question remains: can he try to achieve everything he needs without losing all he has?




Life is Not a Game of Perfect


Book Description

Most people think talent is genetically determined. Either you can sing or you can't. You get calculus or it's beyond you. You have what it takes to succeed -- or you don't. The truth about human performance is far more encouraging, says Dr. Bob Rotella in Life Is Not a Game of Perfect. Dr. Rotella, the bestselling author of Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect and Golf Is a Game of Confidence, believes that talent, as conventionally defined and measured, plays a secondary role in determining one's fate. Far more important is real talent, a combination of character, attitude, and devotion, which makes greatness possible. And the good news is that anyone can develop real talent. As always, Dr. Bob Rotella speaks from experience. He has made a career of helping people chase and catch their dreams. His authority as a sports psychologist is well known. Golfers from Tom Kite to David Duval to Pat Bradley have relied on him to help them break through to triumphs on the PGA Tour. But Bob Rotella's practice extends beyond the sports world. He is a consultant on performance enhancement to leading businesses such as Merrill Lynch, General Electric, and PepsiCo. He has worked with successful people in businesses ranging from law to entertainment. From hundreds of clients and countless students, Dr. Bob Rotella has learned what works. In Life Is Not a Game of Perfect, he shares what he has learned and what he teaches his clients. Real talent, he explains, is "brilliance of a different sort." It is the nerve to choose a career doing something you love or the ability to learn to love what you do. It is courage, persistence, and determination. It is the ability to handle failure and honor commitments. Whether you think so or not, real talent is within your grasp. In Life Is Not a Game of Perfect, Dr. Bob Rotella will help you make it a decisive element in your life. He can show you how to identify and cultivate the qualities that lead to success, prosperity, and happiness.




Real, Not Perfect How to Become Your Happy, Authentic Self


Book Description

Holly infuses her unique personal style, intuitive gifts, and personal healing stories to guide you through a step-by-step process to help you claim your voice, passions, and self-worth.




Brave, Not Perfect


Book Description

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • Inspired by her popular TED Talk, the founder and CEO of Girls Who Code urges women to embrace imperfection and live a bolder, more authentic life. “A timely message for women of all ages: Perfection isn’t just impossible but, worse, insidious.”—Angela Duckworth, bestselling author of Grit Imagine if you lived without the fear of not being good enough. If you didn’t care how your life looked on Instagram. If you could let go of the guilt and stop beating yourself up for making human mistakes. Imagine if, in every decision you faced, you took the bolder path? As women, too many of us feel crushed under the weight of our own expectations. We run ourselves ragged trying to please everyone, pass up opportunities that scare us, and avoid rejection at all costs. There’s a reason we act this way, Saujani says. As girls, we were taught to play it safe. Well-meaning parents and teachers praised us for being quiet and polite, urged us to be careful so we didn’t get hurt, and steered us to activities at which we could shine. As a result, we grew up to be women who are afraid to fail. It’s time to stop letting our fears drown out our dreams and narrow our world, along with our chance at happiness. By choosing bravery over perfection, we can find the power to claim our voice, to leave behind what makes us unhappy, and to go for the things we genuinely, passionately want. Perfection may set us on a path that feels safe, but bravery leads us to the one we’re authentically meant to follow. In Brave, Not Perfect,Saujani shares powerful insights and practices to help us let go of our need for perfection and make bravery a lifelong habit. By being brave, not perfect, we can all become the authors of our best and most joyful life.




Better, Not Perfect


Book Description

*** Distinguished Winner for the Responsible Research in Management Award *** Negotiation and decision-making expert Max Bazerman explores how we can make more ethical choices by aspiring to be better, not perfect. Every day, you make hundreds of decisions. They’re largely personal, but these choices have an ethical twinge as well; they value certain principles and ends over others. Bazerman argues that we can better balance both dimensions—and we needn’t seek perfection to make a real difference for ourselves and the world. Better, Not Perfect provides a deeply researched, prescriptive roadmap for how to maximize our pleasure and minimize pain. Bazerman shares a framework to be smarter and more efficient, honest and aware—to attain your “maximum sustainable goodness.” In Part Two, he identifies four training grounds to practice these newfound skills for outsized impact: how you think about equality and your tribe(s); waste—from garbage to corporate excess; the way you spend time; and your approach to giving—whether your attention or your money. Ready to nudge yourself toward better, Part Three trains your eye on how to extend what you’ve learned and positively influence others. Melding philosophy and psychology as never before, this down-to-earth guide will help clarify your goals, assist you in doing more good with your limited time on the planet, and see greater satisfaction in the process.




Searching for Normal


Book Description

Searching for Normal is the second book in a series that travels alongside four friends as they deal with teen life in Riverbend, Indiana. The novel inspires girls and young women to deepen their relationships with God and solve their problems in God-honoring ways. Six months ago Shay Mitchell’s life changed forever. Now she’s just trying to survive school bullies, drama class, and living with her Aunt Laura above the bookstore. No one, not even her new friends, knows her real story or the reason she’s living with her aunt in the first place. When Shay learns the truth about her biological father, she jumps at the chance to meet him. This could be her chance! Maybe she’ll finally find the normal life she’s longed for―a life where she feels loved and wanted―you know, part of a real family.




The Nesting Place


Book Description

Create the home--and life--you've always wanted with the help of popular blogger and author of Cozy Minimalist Home Myquillyn Smith (The Nester) as she helps you free yourself to take risks and find beauty in imperfection. Myquillyn Smith is all about embracing reality--especially when it comes to decorating a home bursting with kids, pets, and all the unpredictable messes of life. In The Nesting Place, Myquillyn shares the secrets of decorating for real people--and it has nothing to do with creating a flawless look to wow your guests and everything to do with making peace with the natural imperfection and joy of daily living. Drawing on her years of experience creating beauty in her 13 different homes and countless seasons of life, Myquillyn will show you how to think differently about the true purpose of your home, and simply and creatively tailor it to reflect you and your unique style--without breaking the bank. Full of simple steps, practical advice, and beautiful, full-color photos, The Nesting Place gives you the tools you need to: Cultivate a home that works for you and your family Transform your home into a place that's inviting and warm for family and friends Discover your own personal style There is beauty in embracing the lived-in, loved-on, and just-about-used-up aspects of our homes and our daily lives--let Myquillyn show you how. Praise for The Nesting Place: "This book made me look at every room in my house differently, with a new lens of creativity and beauty and possibility. It inspired me to reclaim my home as sacred space, ripe with opportunities to celebrate and create memories and moments." --Shauna Niequist, New York Times bestselling author of Present Over Perfect and I Guess I Haven't Learned That Yet "This highly personal account about embracing imperfection and finding contentment in your home is like sitting down with a good friend and talking about the stuff that really matters. The Nesting Place is full of approachable ideas, encouragement, and a whole lot of heart." --Sherry Petersik, home blogger; bestselling author of Young House Love




The Not-So-Perfect Planet


Book Description

Audisee® eBooks with Audio combine professional narration and sentence highlighting to engage reluctant readers! Josh Higgins has an alien gizmo that lets him think his way to other planets—and he does NOT want to use it. But his sister Maggie won't stop bugging him, so he agrees to an off-world vacation. Josh dreams up a planet full of blue oceans, white beaches, and sunny weather. And he prepares for everything...well, almost. A parade of cranky creatures soon spoils Josh and Maggie's perfect getaway—including a one-horned beast, a sharp-toothed sea princess, and a two-tailed monkey. The planet's locals just can't get along, and Josh and Maggie find themselves caught up in the squabbling. As the Earth kids rush from one danger to another, will they discover a way to keep the peace? Or will Josh and Maggie become prisoners of the not-so-perfect planet?




The Me You See


Book Description

The Me You See is the third book in a series that travels alongside four friends as they deal with teen life in Riverbend, Indiana. The novel inspires girls and young women to deepen their relationships with God and solve their problems in God-honoring ways. Winter break is usually Izzy’s favorite time of year, but this year all it does is make her feel lonely. She adores her brother Sebastian, but she’s stuck at home taking care of him ALL. THE. TIME. And her squad—her friends from Drama I—are too busy with their own exciting plans to get together with her. So of course her phone is her lifeline! Izzy creates and posts videos of her amazing, to-die-for cupcake creations on her Instagram account. AND she stays connected with her squad. At least she would . . . if any of them bothered to text her back. Seriously, how hard is it to text back? But then school starts up again and Zac, the dreamy senior she’s been crushing on for months, starts texting her. But her friends are less than thrilled. If they could only see Zac like she does—he’s really a great guy! Then everything would be perfect. Riverbend Friends: A girl’s best hope for surviving high school is her friends. Join Tessa, Shay, Izzy, and Amelia as they laugh together, lean on each other, and discover that God is a Friend who’s always got their back.