America Needs Talent


Book Description

The author of Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines presents “a sharp, timely blueprint for unleashing the potential of millions of Americans” (Bruce Kats, Founding Director oof the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program). The president and CEO of Lumina Foundation, Jamie Merisotis is a leading voice in philanthropy, higher education, and public policy. In America Needs Talent, he explains the choices that must be made on all levels—in government, education, and the private sector, as well as by individuals—to usher in a new era of success and innovation in America. What if you paid for education based on what you actually learned, instead of the time you spent in class? What if visa applicants were treated like potential assets to our nation’s talent pool, rather than potential threats monitored by Homeland Security? Merisotis proposes bold ideas to successfully deploy the world’s most talented people, revitalize urban hubs, encourage private sector innovation, and power America’s knowledge economy in the 21st century.




Inside AGT


Book Description

Think you know everything about television's biggest talent competition? Think again! From what really goes on backstage to the binding contracts each contestant must sign and why some performers say they don't want to win -- these are the true, behind-the-scenes stories as told by the show's most memorable contestants. You'll also learn: * Which runner-up says he contemplated suicide after a painful spinal injury * How accused "fake soldier" Timothy Poe ended up saving the life of a stranger in his hometown * Why one winner gave away all of his prize money * Which finalist used to rob people's houses "for fun" before appearing on the show * How one act got tricked into moving to Branson, Missouri by a fake show promoter * Which winner forgot to claim his $1 million prize ...And much, much more! So forget the rumors -- Inside AGT: The Untold Stories of America's Got Talent is packed with first hand memories, newly published photos and updated interviews with more than 65 winners, finalists and fan favorites.




The Scrambled States of America Talent Show


Book Description

Those wacky scrambled states are back. This time they've come together for a spectacular show featuring their many goofball talents. But just when Indiana (the director) is about to call SHOWTIME!, Georgia gets a bad case of stage fright and can't perform in her juggling act. Will the show go on, or will it be curtains? In this winning companion to The Scrambled States of America, young readers will revel in the madcap adventure and silly antics all while learning interesting facts about states and geography. This title has Common Core connections. The Scrambled States of America Talent Show is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.




America's Got Talent Winner Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr


Book Description

In 2011, the nation watched an American Jazz singer from the coalfields of West Virginia rise to the top of a talent competition on NBC. The story of Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. is more than a rags-to-riches story of some singer who won a reality show—it's a story of faith, hope, destiny, and dreams. To many people, Landau is the young man with dreadlocks who sings like Sinatra, but the story to be told is that of someone who is a hardworking man of enduring faith. When you're finished reading this book, you'll discover, along with having a great voice, Landau is a world-class human being.




Beyond Talent


Book Description

New York Times best-selling author John C. Maxwell shows that talent is just the starting point for a successful impact in any organization. It's what takes you beyond your talent that matters. People everywhere are proving him right. Read the headlines, watch the highlights, or just step out your front door: Some talented people reach their full potential, while others self-destruct or remain trapped in mediocrity. What makes the difference? Maxwell, the go-to guru for business professionals across the globe, insists that the choices people make―not merely the skills they inherit―propel them to greatness. Among other truths, successful people know that: Belief lifts your talent. Initiative activates your talent. Focus directs your talent. Preparation positions your talent. Practice sharpens your talent. Perseverance sustains your talent. Character protects your talent. . . . and more! It's what you add to your talent that makes the greatest difference. With authentic examples and time-tested wisdom, Maxwell shares thirteen attributes you need to maximize your potential and live the life of your dreams. You can have talent alone and fall short of your potential. Or you can go beyond talent and really stand out.




Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines


Book Description

A public policy leader addresses how artificial intelligence is transforming the future of labor—and what we can do to protect the role of workers. As computer technology advances with dizzying speed, human workers face an ever-increasing threat of obsolescence. In Human Work In the Age of Smart Machines, Jamie Merisotis argues that we can—and must—rise to this challenge by preparing to work alongside smart machines doing that which only humans can: thinking critically, reasoning ethically, interacting interpersonally, and serving others with empathy. The president and CEO of Lumina Foundation, Merisotis offers a roadmap for the large-scale, radical changes we must make in order to find abundant and meaningful work for ourselves in the 21st century. His vision centers on developing our unique capabilities as humans through learning opportunities that deliver fair results and offer a broad range of credentials. By challenging long-held assumptions and expanding our concept of work, Merisotis argues that we can harness the population’s potential, encourage a deeper sense of community, and erase a centuries-long system of inequality.




Who's the Dummy Now?


Book Description

Describes how the ventriloquist overcame an abusive childhood and years as a struggling entertainer to pursue his dreams and, after winning "America's Got Talent," has gone on to have a successful career in television and Las Vegas.




You Don’T Need Talent to Succeed


Book Description

You Dont Need Talent to Succeed, But Everything Else Counts shines the spotlight on your abilitiesmy abilitiesanyones abilities. We all have the ability to be kind, to strive for excellence, and to keep promises. Were able to be on time for appointments, willing to learn new things and share. The list of our abilities is as long as a giraffes leg, and this realization isnt rocket science. Yet, the phenomenon of discovering you already have what it takes to succeed is as potent as any fueled rocket at blast off! Hector Hernandez offers eight simple yet powerful solutions that will unlock your abilities to succeed: Reaching your higher self Rehearsing victory Feeding your thought processor Shifting your thinking Buoyed by the source, Number one and number two: do not disturb, Welcome new experiences Understanding have versus get You Dont Need Talent to Succeed is like a safe containing something precious. Imagine that its secured with a combination lock. As you acquaint yourself with each chapter, youll virtually be turning the dial. Before you know it, youll crack the entire code and confidently map your journey to a successful future.




This Might Hurt a Bit


Book Description

“Full of wit and wisdom, and riotously funny to boot. A phenomenal debut!” —Ransom Riggs, New York Times bestselling author of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children “As irreverent as it is gratifying.” —David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author of Kids of Appetite and Mosquitoland A grieving teen faces dangerous classmates, reckless friends, and the one-year anniversary of his sister’s devastating death in this poignant, quirky, often humorous novel that’s perfect for fans of Jeff Zentner and Brendan Kiely. Kirby Burns is about to have the second worst day of his life. Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of the worst day of his life, and in the three hundred and sixty-four days since then he hasn’t stopped running: from his family, his memories, and the horse-sized farm dogs that chase him to the bus stop every morning. But he can’t run forever, and Kirby and his friends PJ and Jake sneak out of his house to play a prank with consequences that follow them to school the next day, causing a chain reaction of mayhem and disaster. It’s a story that’s touching and funny, an authentic meditation on the pain of loss, and the challenge of getting paint to stick to cows.




The Gift of Global Talent


Book Description

The global race for talent is on, with countries and businesses competing for the best and brightest. Talented individuals migrate much more frequently than the general population, and the United States has received exceptional inflows of human capital. This foreign talent has transformed U.S. science and engineering, reshaped the economy, and influenced society at large. But America is bogged down in thorny debates on immigration policy, and the world around the United States is rapidly catching up, especially China and India. The future is quite uncertain, and the global talent puzzle deserves close examination. To do this, William R. Kerr uniquely combines insights and lessons from business practice, government policy, and individual decision making. Examining popular ideas that have taken hold and synthesizing rigorous research across fields such as entrepreneurship and innovation, regional advantage, and economic policy, Kerr gives voice to data and ideas that should drive the next wave of policy and business practice. The Gift of Global Talent deftly transports readers from joyous celebrations at the Nobel Prize ceremony to angry airport protests against the Trump administration's travel ban. It explores why talented migration drives the knowledge economy, describes how universities and firms govern skilled admissions, explains the controversies of the H-1B visa used by firms like Google and Apple, and discusses the economic inequalities and superstar firms that global talent flows produce. The United States has been the steward of a global gift, and this book explains the huge leadership decision it now faces and how it can become even more competitive for attracting tomorrow's talent. Please visit www.hbs.edu/managing-the-future-of-work/research/Pages/default.aspx to learn more about the book.