American Development

An urban, candid recounting of my journey to combat a debilitating case of imposter syndrome through faith, therapy, and culture. How I learned to find joy, love, peace, and hope in impossible places.

For several years, campuses and sports teams across the country have been plagued with accusations of sexual violence, and they've been criticized for how they responded to the students involved. In Violated, two ESPN investigative reporters provide listeners with a shocking narrative of sexual crimes committed against women and a university's culture that kept them quiet.

For a young American boy in the 1950s, Fontainebleau was a sight both strange and majestic, home to a continual series of adventures: a different language to learn, weekend visits to nearby Paris, family road trips to Spain and Italy. Then there was the château itself: a sprawling palace once the residence of kings, its grounds the perfect place to play hide-and-seek. The curiosities of the small town left such an impression on him that 30 years later, Thad Carhart returned to France with his wife to raise their two children.

When we first meet the young man at the center of this extraordinary and moving story, he is one of 13 children by a mother addicted to crack; he does not know his real name, his father, his birthday, or any of the things a child might learn in school. And he has no serious experience playing organized football.

Vivian is a cosmopolitan Taiwanese-American tourist who often escapes her busy life in London through adventure and travel. Johnny is a 15-year-old Irish teenager living a neglected life on the margins of society. He has grown up in a family where crime is customary, violence is a necessity, and everything - and anyone - can be yours for the taking. As Vivian looks to find her calling professionally, she delights in exploring foreign countries, rolling hillsides, and new cultures. But all of that changes when...Vivian's path collides with Johnny.

The quinceañera, the 15th birthday celebration for a Latina girl, is quickly becoming an American event. This legendary party is a sight to behold: lavish ball gowns, extravagant catered meals, DJs, limousines, and multi-tiered cakes. The must haves for a "quince" are becoming as numerous and costly as a prom or wedding. And yet, this elaborate ritual also hearkens back to traditions from native countries and communities, offering young Latinas a chance to connect with their heritage.

Life: Four Quarters Plus Overtime is a book created specifically with the African American community in mind. The book will examine the periods of development associated with the human life span with brief overview of the social, emotional, congenital, perceptual, and moral development specific to each life stage.

Acclaimed essayist Mark Edmundson reflects on his own rite of passage as a high school football player to get to larger truths about the ways America's Game shapes its men. Football teaches young men self-discipline and teamwork. But football celebrates violence. Football is a showcase for athletic beauty and physical excellence. But football damages young bodies and minds, sometimes permanently. Football inspires confidence and direction. But football instills cockiness, a false sense of superiority.

When Beating the Odds: Raising Academically Successful African American Males appeared in 1998, it was hailed as "a crucial book" (Baltimore Sun) and "undoubtedly one of the most important tools the African American parent can possess" (Kweisi Mfume, President NAACP). Now, in response to enormous demand, the authors turn their attention to African American young women. Statistics indicate that African American females, as a group, fare poorly in the United States.

Cada año, más de trescientos mil latinoamericanos llegan a Estados Unidos en busca de nuevas oportunidades y un mejor futuro para ellos y sus familias. Persiguen ese ideal al que muchos nos referimos simplemente como el Sueño Americano. Sin embargo, la inmensa mayoría demora años en aprender las leyes y el sistema estadounidenses, y muchos nunca logran aprovechar todo lo que este país tiene por ofrecer.

"Dear Dope Black Girl, you don’t know me, but I know you. I know you because I am you! We are magic, light, and stars in the universe.” So begins a letter that Tamara Winfrey Harris received as part of her Letters to Black Girls project, where she asked black women to write honest, open, and inspiring letters of support to young black girls aged 13 to 21. Her call went viral, resulting in a hundred personal letters from black women around the globe that cover topics such as identity, self-love, parents, violence, grief, mental health, sex, and sexuality.

Being a true modern gentleman and a genuine class act is increasingly rare. It is also more important now than ever before. What worked for the rat pack and the brat pack won’t work for you, and truth be told, it won’t work for anyone because that is old school. Manliness in the modern era is worth learning about, and the dividends will pay off for a lifetime. Not only will you bring joy to all those around you, you’ll be happier, too. Once you master this, you’ll live the good life.

How to Move a Mountain inspires you to step forward, discover solutions, and plow through life’s obstacles with confidence. Mountain-mover Joanne Jolee - author, composer, businesswoman, leadership coach, mother of five, and grandmother of six - takes you on a revealing soul-nudging journey of life lessons.

Social justice work is more crucial than ever, but it can be physically and emotionally draining. Longtime activist Denise Collazo offers three keys to help Latinas keep their focus, morale, and energy high. Doing the work of social change is hard. Waking up every day to take on the biggest challenges of our time can be overwhelming, and sometimes progress is hard to see. She understands that Latina and all women of color activists do their best work when they are thriving, not simply surviving.

In "Surviving the American Dream: A Practical Guide to Thriving in the Land of Opportunities," author Jeff Pfalzer arms listeners with essential survival tactics and insights to navigate the intricacies of living in America.

From the New York Times best-selling author of Brady vs. Manning and dean of football writers - an audiobook that explores the many interesting facets to NFL quarterbacks and their relationships with their fathers. My First Coach goes behind the scenes to explore the unique relationship between these and other quarterbacks and their fathers, as well as investigate various approaches to parenting through their stories. Can young athletes overcome helicopter parents? How did the kids with NFL aspirations deal with their fathers who'd already made it?

Todd Gerelds, author of the best-selling book and hit movie Woodlawn, believes the most meaningful life lessons he has learned have been on the playing field. The voice of his coach rings in his head when life gets tough or when his day becomes off-kilter. It just happens that his coach's voice is also his father's. His dad was Tandy "The Coach" Gerelds, the subject of Woodlawn and the man who led his team to victory in the racially charged atmosphere of 1970s Alabama. Here, Todd reflects on 52 of his dad's most formative "coachisms."

Can I Be the Man?: A Letter from Us to You is exactly what the title implies. It is a letter written on behalf of African American men in an attempt to put an end to the feud between male and female, so the duality of relationships can be restored. It addresses some hard conversations that need to be discussed within African American culture and relationships.

In Our Fathers, Ourselves, research psychologist, author and scholar Dr. Peggy Drexler examines the ways in which the father-daughter bond impacts women and offers helpful advice for creating a better, stronger, more rewarding relationship. Through her extensive research and interviews with women, Dr. Drexler paints an intimate, timely portrait of the modern father-daughter relationship.

On July 23, 2007, Dr. William Petit suffered an unimaginable horror: Armed strangers broke into his suburban Connecticut home in the middle of the night, bludgeoned him nearly to death, tortured and killed his wife and two daughters, and set their house on fire. He miraculously survived, and yet living through those horrific hours was only the beginning of his ordeal. Broken and defeated, Bill was forced to confront a question of ultimate consequence: How does a person find the strength to start over and live again after confronting the darkest of nightmares?