Education Biography

Part memoir, part manifesto, Radical is this fearless advocate's incisive, intensely personal call-to-arms. Rhee combines the story of her own extraordinary experience with dozens of compelling examples from schools she's worked in and studied-from students from unspeakable home lives who have thrived in the classroom to teachers whose radical methods have produced unprecedented leaps in achievement. Radical chronicles Rhee's awakening to the potential of every child, her rage at the special interests blocking badly-needed change, and her recognition that it will take a grassroots movement to create outstanding public schools.

From top CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O'Brien comes a highly personal look at her biggest reporting moments, from Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami in Southeast Asia, and the devastating Haiti earthquake to historic elections and high-profile interviews with everyday Americans. Drawing on her own unique background and consciousness as well as her experiences as a journalist at the front lines of the most provocative issues in today's society.

Pat Nixon remains one of our most mysterious and intriguing public figures, the only modern First Lady who never wrote a memoir. Beattie, like many of her generation, dismissed Richard Nixon's wife: "interchangeable with a Martian," she said. Decades later, she wonders what it must have been like to be married to such a spectacularly ambitious and catastrophically self-destructive man. Drawing on a wealth of sources Beattie reconstructs dozens of scenes in an attempt to see the world from Mrs. Nixon's point of view.

In 2002, New York City's newly elected mayor Michael Bloomberg made a historic announcement: His administration had won control of the city's school system in a first step toward reversing its precipitous decline. In a controversial move, he appointed Joel Klein, an accomplished lawyer from outside the education establishment, to lead this ambitious campaign. Lessons of Hope is Klein's inside account of his eight-year mission of improvement.

Hailed by Oprah as a "warrior woman for our times", reviled by teachers unions as the enemy, Michelle Rhee, outgoing chancellor of Washington DC, public schools, has become the controversial face of school reform. She has appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, and is currently featured as a hero in the documentary Waiting for Superman. This is the story of her journey from good-girl daughter of Korean immigrants to tough-minded political game-changer.

While investigating financial crimes for CNN Money, Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken were intrigued by reports that elderly Americans were giving away thousands of dollars to mail-in schemes. With a little digging, they soon discovered a shocking true story. Victims received personalized letters from a woman who, claiming amazing psychic powers, convinced them to send money in return for riches, good health, and good fortune. The predatory scam has continued unabated for decades, raking in more than $200 million in the United States and Canada alone - with investigators from all over the world unable to stop it.

Tortured by nightmares about the teens who roughed him up, Steve Mariotti sought counseling. When his therapist suggested that he face his fears, Mariotti closed his small import-export business and became a teacher at the city's most notorious public school - Boys and Girls High in Bed-Stuy. Although his nightmares promptly ceased, Mariotti's out-of-control students rapidly drove him to despair. One day, Mariotti stepped out of the classroom so his students wouldn't see him cry.

When Victor Villaseñor stood at the podium and looked at the group of teachers amassed before him, he became enraged. He had never spoken in public before. His mind was flooded with childhood memories filled with humiliation, misunderstanding, and abuse at the hands of his teachers. With his heart pounding, he began to speak of these incidents. To his disbelief, the teachers before him responded to his embittered recollection with a standing ovation. Many could not contain their own tears.

John Hope Franklin lived through America's most defining twentieth-century transformation, the dismantling of legally-protected racial segregation. A renowned scholar, he has explored that transformation in its myriad aspects, notably in his 3.5 million-copy bestseller, From Slavery to Freedom. And he was, and remains, an active participant. Intimate, at times revelatory, Mirror to America chronicles Franklin's life and this nation's racial transformation in the 20th century.

Newbery Medalist Paul Fleischman reflects on his childhood with his award-winning father, Sid Fleischman, and details his own path to becoming a writer in this memorable audiobook that is part memoir, part travelogue, and part reflection on craft and creativity. Acclaimed author Paul Fleischman considers how growing up with a father who was an award-winning author helped to shape and inspire his own career. Paul and Sid Fleischman are the only father-son Newbery Medalists in history, and life in the Fleischman home was extraordinary.

Half a Century Ago offers a vivid recollection of memories about coming of age in the Bronx, New York, in the 1970s. This engaging story is an empowering listen about how family love provided the foundation to overcome the challenges faced by language and cultural barriers, poverty and social inequities while remaining steadfast focused on positive outcomes. Dr. Arias told these stories to her students over the years in the classroom. She now wishes to share those tales to a larger audience of young immigrants who struggle to overcome adversity and hope for a brighter future.

In 1971, Rod Barton applied for a junior scientist role in the Australian Department of Defence. Little did he know what it entailed: As the Cold War intensified, Barton was inducted into the murky world of espionage. This is an extraordinary behind-the-scenes account of a world marked by risk, secrecy and individual acts of courage. The Life of a Spy will introduce you to a man of principle in a time of chaos, and take you to the frontlines of politics and war.

This audio study guide of Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis includes detailed summary and analysis of each chapter and an in-depth exploration of the book’s multiple symbols, motifs, and themes such as joy, teaching and learning, and pride and humility. Featured content also includes commentary on major characters, 25 important quotes, essay questions, and discussion topics.

This is part memoir and part "how to be a teacher" with an emphasis on literacy and learning through written reflection. I tell the story of becoming a teacher, working in the inner-city, and relate it to how literacy and writing can improve learning.

Do you know a controlling person? Do you worry about sexual assault or bullies? In Someone You Know, relationship expert Dara Connolly provides an easy, profound, and entertaining listen to help you attract positive people and avoid the bad ones. Learn tools to handle bullies, mean girls, and avoid sexual assault predators or abusive relationships before it's too late. This book is endorsed by counselors, doctors, police, and moms.

With rare honesty, true stories, and refreshingly straight talk, best-selling author and life coach Steve Austin shares his personal journey from crippling anxiety and perfectionism to calm amid life's inevitable chaos. He pulls no punches, revealing his darkest moments and the thoughts most people would be too afraid to admit. Yet he offers hope. In these powerful book, you will find simple ways to cultivate calm and practice self-care by living courageously and authentically. It all starts with vulnerability. Discover how to come up for air and breathe again.

In Stress in the City, Enoch Li shares her experiences at the top of the corporate game, reflects on the warning signs she refused to see, and documents her journey back from the edge through the rediscovery of her inner child. Enoch also discusses how companies can help their executives be mentally and emotionally well through her research into the psychology of playfulness, workplace burnout, and company culture.

One of America's most admired television newsmen gives us an intimate chronicle of the final year of the 20th century. Here is the voice we know from Nightline - intelligent, curious, opinionated, witty, concerned - reminding us in entertaining and thought-provoking ways that even the most public events reverberate in our private lives. Hear an interview with Ted Koppel on The Connection.

The Family Affair Cookbook written by Kathy Garver with Geoffrey Mark, is a tasty trip to the elegant retro-recipes of the 1960s! Not only does Kathy share the culinary secrets of Mr. French's kitchen as well as those of the great restaurants of the era, but she shares warm and poignant memories of working on one of the classic sitcoms of all time.

A fascinating history of the rise and fall of influential Gilded Age magazine McClure's and the two unlikely outsiders at its helm - as well as a timely, full-throated defense of investigative journalism in America. Tracing McClure's from its meteoric rise to its spectacularly swift and dramatic combustion, Citizen Reporters is a thrillingly told, deeply researched biography of a powerhouse magazine that forever changed American life. It's also a timely case study that demonstrates the crucial importance of journalists who are unafraid to speak truth to power.