Download or read book You Are Not Special and Other Encouragements written by David McCullough Jr and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2014-05-01 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An inspirational and timely reflection on the way we bring up children that will resonate with parents everywhere. 'Longtime high school English teacher McCullough scores an A+ with this volume for teens and parents. Rich in literary references and poetic in cadence, the author also offers plenty of hilarious and pointed comments on teens and today's society.' - Publishers Weekly So you think you're special? Well, think again: you're not. David McCullough Jr, a US high-school English teacher, found himself suddenly famous in 2012 when his commencement address to graduating high-school seniors went viral on Youtube. the main theme of that speech, 'You're not special', seemed to hit a nerve and validate a sense among people worldwide that something is deeply and fundamentally wrong with the way children are being raised today. From infancy, he observed, children are taught to believe they are unique and special, deserving of every advantage, destined for success. Consequently they learn to work hard and distinguish themselves for the sake of status and material reward rather than for the benefit of others - the larger community; the world. Success is defined as something almost entirely selfish. there is little attention or time given to the pursuit of education for the sake of wisdom, or even real happiness. Drawing from his long career as an educator and experience as a father of teenage boys, McCullough will expand upon the ideas laid out in his radical twelve-minute speech and argue that we can do better - as parents and as teachers - than fostering in our children a sense of privilege and entitlement. Watch the speech at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lfxYhtf8o4 Or read it at: http://theswellesleyreport.com/2012/06/wellesley-high-grads-told-youre-not-special/
Download or read book Take This Advice written by Sandra Bark and published by Gallery Books. This book was released on 2006-04-01 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "BE FREE, AND DANCE THROUGH LIFE." -- YOKO ONO "MAKE THE WORLD BEFORE YOU A BETTER ONE BY GOING INTO IT WITH ALL BOLDNESS." -- SEAMUS HEANEY "REMEMBER ALWAYS TO SIT UP STRAIGHT." -- MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT Take This Advice delivers thirty of the most powerful and inspiring commencement speeches given in the past ten years. With grace and humor, this generation's favorite artists and thinkers address graduates to celebrate an incredible achievement, and to let them know that life after school is not the end of the world -- in fact, it's the beginning. "THIS IS YOUR TIME. TAKE IT ON." -- TOM BROKAW
Download or read book Make Your Bed written by Admiral William H. McRaven and published by Grand Central Publishing. This book was released on 2017-04-04 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on a Navy SEAL's inspiring graduation speech, this #1 New York Times bestseller of powerful life lessons "should be read by every leader in America" (Wall Street Journal). If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. On May 17, 2014, Admiral William H. McRaven addressed the graduating class of the University of Texas at Austin on their Commencement day. Taking inspiration from the university's slogan, "What starts here changes the world," he shared the ten principles he learned during Navy Seal training that helped him overcome challenges not only in his training and long Naval career, but also throughout his life; and he explained how anyone can use these basic lessons to change themselves-and the world-for the better. Admiral McRaven's original speech went viral with over 10 million views. Building on the core tenets laid out in his speech, McRaven now recounts tales from his own life and from those of people he encountered during his military service who dealt with hardship and made tough decisions with determination, compassion, honor, and courage. Told with great humility and optimism, this timeless book provides simple wisdom, practical advice, and words of encouragement that will inspire readers to achieve more, even in life's darkest moments. "Powerful." --USA Today "Full of captivating personal anecdotes from inside the national security vault." --Washington Post "Superb, smart, and succinct." --Forbes
Download or read book Hello World written by Kelly Corrigan and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2021-04-20 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From New York Times bestselling author Kelly Corrigan comes a book that celebrates the people in our lives and the meaningful connections we make that come from asking each other questions. Hello World! is the perfect reminder that the journeys we take through life are all about the people we will meet along the way--people who will make us smarter, stronger, and more amazing than we ever thought possible. With her trademark inspirational wisdom, Kelly Corrigan writes the perfect book for anyone about to embark on a new adventure.
Download or read book Graduation Day written by Andrew & Trissler Albanese and published by William Morrow. This book was released on 1998-04-22 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Published just in time for graduation day, this inspiring collection of commencement addresses celebrates the value of education, and its crucial place in the weaving of our social fabric. By turns playful and profound, Graduation Day includes speeches from Jodi Foster, Russell Baker, Alice Walker, Robert Redford, Bill Clinton, Ann Richards, Toni Morrison, and others. This unique anthology will be well cherished long after graduation day.
Download or read book Assume the Worst written by Carl Hiaasen and published by Knopf. This book was released on 2018-04-10 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is Oh, the Places You'll Never Go--the ultimate hilarious, cynical, but absolutely realistic view of a college graduate's future. And what he or she can or can't do about it. "This commencement address will never be given, because graduation speakers are supposed to offer encouragement and inspiration. That's not what you need. You need a warning." So begins Carl Hiaasen's attempt to prepare young men and women for their future. And who better to warn them about their precarious paths forward than Carl Hiaasen? The answer, after reading Assume the Worst, is: Nobody. And who better to illustrate--and with those illustrations, expand upon and cement Hiaasen's cynical point of view--than Roz Chast, best-selling author/illustrator and National Book Award winner? The answer again is easy: Nobody. Following the format of Anna Quindlen's commencement address (Being Perfect) and George Saunders's commencement address (Congratulations, by the way), the collaboration of Hiaasen and Chast might look typical from the outside, but inside it is anything but. This book is bound to be a classic, sold year after year come graduation time. Although it's also a good gift for anyone starting a job, getting married, or recently released from prison. Because it is not just funny. It is, in its own Hiaasen way, extremely wise and even hopeful. Well, it might not be full of hope, but there are certainly enough slivers of the stuff in there to more than keep us all going.
Download or read book If God Gave Your Graduation Speech written by Jay Payleitner and published by Ellie Claire Gifts. This book was released on 2013-03-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With refreshing honesty, winsome humor and a keen understanding of human nature, Payleitner delivers a surprising and thought-provoking commencement address from God's point of view. Every remark is a fresh and relevant restatement of truths found in Scripture, which are shown in subtle, yet profound footnotes at the bottom of each page. Graduates are reminded of God's love, faithfulness and trustworthy plan for their lives. In the final pages, Psalm 37:4 yields a surprise ending for those who trust God. -An inspired gift for high school and college grads. -Vividly "Imagined" from God's eternal perspective. -Content is a retelling of specific Bible verses revealed in footnotes right on the same page. -In its first year, Jay's book 52 Things Kids Need from a Dad sold more than 90,000 copies through Choice Books. The success of that title launched a new "52 Things" franchise for the publisher, for which Jay continues to write. -Stunning full-color interior design. Deluxe cover finishes.
Download or read book This Is Water written by Kenyon College and published by . This book was released on 2014-05-22 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Only once did David Foster Wallace give a public talk on his views on life, during a commencement address given in 2005 at Kenyon College. The speech is reprinted for the first time in book form in THIS IS WATER. How does one keep from going through their comfortable, prosperous adult life unconsciously' How do we get ourselves out of the foreground of our thoughts and achieve compassion' The speech captures Wallace's electric intellect as well as his grace in attention to others. After his death, it became a treasured piece of writing reprinted in The Wall Street Journal and the London Times, commented on endlessly in blogs, and emailed from friend to friend. Writing with his one-of-a-kind blend of causal humor, exacting intellect, and practical philosophy, David Foster Wallace probes the challenges of daily living and offers advice that renews us with every reading.
Download or read book Way More than Luck written by Various and published by Chronicle Books. This book was released on 2015-03-10 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The commencement speech is the most popular public address of our time, shared every spring and remembered for years. Here, in an anthology of some of the finest of the genre, brilliant creative minds in every sector offer their wisdom: David Foster Wallace on living a compassionate life, Debbie Millman on the importance of taking risks, Michael Lewis on the responsibility that good fortune merits—and so many other greats. Some of this advice is grand (believe in the impossible), and some of it is granular enough to check off a life list (donate five percent of your money or your time). All of it is universally uplifting. Handsomely packaged with a silkscreened cloth spine and energetic typography throughout, this book is a smart, special gift for graduates and anyone embarking on a new adventure. Includes speeches from: Dick Costolo, Nora Ephron, Ira Glass, Khaled Hosseini, Barbara Kingsolver, Madeleine L’Engle, Michael Lewis, Debbie Millman, Eileen Myles, Jonathan Safran Foer, Michael Uslan, David Foster Wallace, Bradley Whitford, and Tom Wolfe.
Download or read book Make Good Art written by Neil Gaiman and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2013-05-14 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THIS BOOK IS FOR EVERYONE LOOKING AROUND AND THINKING, "NOW WHAT?” Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed commencement address, "Make Good Art," thoughtfully and aesthetically designed by renowned graphic artist Chip Kidd. This keepsake volume is the perfect gift for graduates, aspiring creators, or anyone who needs a reminder to run toward what gives them joy. When Neil Gaiman delivered his "Make Good Art" commencement address at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts, he shared his thoughts about creativity, bravery, and strength. He encouraged the fledgling painters, musicians, writers, and dreamers to break rules and think outside the box. Most of all, he encouraged them to make good art. The speech resonated far beyond that art school audience and immediately went viral on YouTube and has now been viewed more than a million times. Acclaimed designer Chip Kidd brings his unique sensibility to this seminal address in this gorgeous edition that commemorates Gaiman's inspiring message.
Download or read book What Now written by Ann Patchett and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2009-10-13 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A wise, generous and compact primer for life that could well become a touchstone, readers will return to this book, and probably find something new each time they do; deserves to be given often and enthusiastically.” — Publishers Weekly Based on her lauded commencement address at Sarah Lawrence College, this stirring essay by bestselling author Ann Patchett offers hope and inspiration for anyone at a crossroads, whether graduating, changing careers, or transitioning from one life stage to another. With wit and candor, Patchett tells her own story of attending college, graduating, and struggling with the inevitable question, What now? From student to line cook to teacher to waitress and eventually to award-winning author, Patchett's own life has taken many twists and turns that make her exploration genuine and resonant. As Patchett writes, "'What now?' represents our excitement and our future, the very vitality of life." She highlights the possibilities the unknown offers and reminds us that there is as much joy in the journey as there is in reaching the destination.
Download or read book Congratulations by the Way written by George Saunders and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2014-01-01 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An inspiring message from the inaugural Folio Prize winner, George Saunders, one of today's most influential and original writers
Download or read book Ain t Burned All the Bright written by Jason Reynolds and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-01-11 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Caldecott Honor winner! Prepare yourself for something unlike anything: A smash-up of art and text for teens that viscerally captures what it is to be Black. In America. Right Now. Written by #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jason Reynolds. Jason Reynolds and his best bud, Jason Griffin, had a mind-meld. And they decided to tackle it, in one fell swoop, in about ten sentences, and 300 pages of art, this piece, this contemplation-manifesto-fierce-vulnerable-gorgeous-terrifying-WhatIsWrongWithHumans-hope-filled-hopeful-searing-Eye-Poppingly-Illustrated-tender-heartbreaking-how-The-HECK-did-They-Come-UP-with-This project about oxygen. And all of the symbolism attached to that word, especially NOW. And so for anyone who didn’t really know what it means to not be able to breathe, REALLY breathe, for generations, now you know. And those who already do, you’ll be nodding yep yep, that is exactly how it is.
Download or read book 10 1 2 Things No Commencement Speaker Has Ever Said written by Charles Wheelan and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2012-05 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Refreshingly honest advice and observations on happiness, success, and the world lurking beyond the campus gates.
Download or read book If This Isn t Nice What Is written by Kurt Vonnegut and published by Rosetta Books. This book was released on 2016-04-05 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of commencement speeches and other wit and wisdom from the New York Times–bestselling literary icon and author of Slaughterhouse-Five. Master storyteller and satirist Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most in-demand commencement speakers of his time. For each occasion, Vonnegut’s words were unfailingly insightful and witty, and they stayed with audience members long after graduation. This expanded second edition also includes more than sixty pages of further thoughts from Vonnegut (whose good advice wasn’t limited to graduation speeches). Edited by Dan Wakefield, and including such pieces as “How to Make Money and Find Love!,” “How to Have Something Most Billionaires Don’t,” and “Somebody Should Have Told Me Not to Join a Fraternity,” this book reads like a narrative in the unique voice that made Vonnegut a hero to readers everywhere. Hilarious, razor-sharp, freewheeling, and at times deeply serious, these reflections are ideal not just for graduates but for anyone undergoing what Vonnegut would call their “long-delayed puberty ceremony”—marking the long and challenging passage to full-time adulthood. “Like Mark Twain, Mr. Vonnegut used humor to tackle the basic questions of human existence.” —The New York Times
Download or read book Very Good Lives written by J. K. Rowling and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2015-04-14 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: J.K. Rowling, one of the world's most inspiring writers, shares her wisdom and advice. In 2008, J.K. Rowling delivered a deeply affecting commencement speech at Harvard University. Now published for the first time in book form, VERY GOOD LIVES presents J.K. Rowling's words of wisdom for anyone at a turning point in life. How can we embrace failure? And how can we use our imagination to better both ourselves and others? Drawing from stories of her own post-graduate years, the world famous author addresses some of life's most important questions with acuity and emotional force.
Download or read book The World Is Waiting for You written by Tara Grove and published by New Press, The. This book was released on 2011-05-10 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inspiring commencement speeches from Wynton Marsalis, Toni Morrison, Gloria Steinem, and others: “The perfect gift for grads-to-be” (O, The Oprah Magazine). “The voices of conformity speak so loudly. Don’t listen to them,” acclaimed author and award-winning journalist Anna Quindlen cautioned graduates of Grinnell College. Jazz virtuoso and educator Wynton Marsalis advised new Connecticut College alums not to worry about being on time, but rather to be in time—because “time is actually your friend. He don’t come back because he never goes away.” And renowned physician and humanitarian Paul Farmer revealed at the University of Delaware his remarkable discovery—the new disease Empathy Deficit Disorder—and assured the commencers it could be cured. The prescient, fiery feminism of Gloria Steinem sits parallel to that of celebrated writer Ursula K. Le Guin, who asks, “What if I talked like a woman right here in public?” Nobel Prize–winning author Toni Morrison sagaciously ponders how people centuries from now will perceive our current times, and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Barbara Kingsolver asks those born into the Age of Irony to “imagine getting caught with your Optimism hanging out” and implores us always to act and speak the truth. With eighteen rousing graduation speeches, The World Is Waiting for You speaks to anyone who might take to heart the advice of Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards—“life as an activist, troublemaker, or agitator is a tremendous option and one I highly recommend”—and is the perfect gift for all who are ready to move their tassels to the left.