Download or read book The Cost of Bravery written by Allan Sparkes and published by Penguin Group Australia. This book was released on 2013-05-21 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'I was Humpty Dumpty at the bottom of the wall, my heart and the very soul of me shattered into a thousand pieces. I knew that my life was never going to be the same again. I also knew that if I did not get professional help, I'd soon be dead.' Allan Sparkes didn't think twice about rescuing an 11-year-old boy from a flooded storm water drain – the courageous policeman put his life on the line and saved the kid. He became one of only five people to be awarded Australia's highest decoration for bravery, the Cross of Valour, but the rescue would signal a downward spiral into post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Here was a man with many professional accolades, who had thrived on never knowing what his next call would involve – murder, bombings, junkies and robberies were often part of a day's work for this detective, yet he suddenly lost his 20-year career and all sense of self-worth. Allan's recovery from debilitating mental illness was a rollercoaster ride of personal challenges that tested his courage and resolve over more than a decade. With the unwavering support of his wife, he faced his demons and rebuilt his mind, body and soul. Today, Allan is back to being his adventurous self, prepared to face whatever comes his way. This is his inspiring story. 'Frank and compelling.' Sunday Age 'In his hard-to-put-down autobiography, Sparkes tells of the rollercoaster ride his life took from decorated cop to the depths of post traumatic stress disorder and suicidal thoughts to happy, healthy, world sailor ... Raw and confronting.' Daily Telegraph 'A ripper.' Courier-Mail 'Inspirational.' Ballarat Courier

Download or read book The Cost of Bravery Large Print 16pt written by Allan Sparkes and published by ReadHowYouWant. This book was released on 2014-03 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Allan Sparkes didn't think twice about rescuing an 11 - year - old boy from a flooded storm water drain - the courageous policeman put his life on the line and saved the kid. He became one of only five people to be awarded Australia's highest decoration for bravery, the Cross of Valour, but the rescue would signal a downward spiral into post - traumatic stress disorder and depression. Here was a man with many professional accolades, who had thrived on never knowing what his next call would involve - murder, bombings, junkies and robberies were often part of a day's work for this detective, yet he suddenly lost his 20 - year career and all sense of self - worth. Allan's recovery from debilitating mental illness was a rollercoaster ride of personal challenges that tested his courage and resolve over more than a decade. With the unwavering support of his wife, he faced his demons and rebuilt his mind, body and soul. Today, Allan is back to being his adventurous self, prepared to face whatever comes his way. This is his inspiring story.

Download or read book The Cost of Courage written by Charles Kaiser and published by Other Press, LLC. This book was released on 2015-06-16 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the first time, a bourgeois Catholic family tells their extraordinary story of working for the French Resistance in Nazi-occupied Paris during WW2. “ . . . a mix of history, biography and memoir which reads like a nerve-racking thriller.” —Guardian In the autumn of 1943, André Boulloche became de Gaulle’s military delegate in Paris, coordinating all the Resistance movements in the 9 northern regions of France—only to be betrayed by one of his associates, arrested, wounded by the Gestapo, and taken prisoner. His sisters carried on the fight without him until the end of the war. André survived 3 concentration camps and later became a prominent French politician who devoted the rest of his life to reconciliation of France and Germany. His parents and oldest brother were arrested and shipped off on the last train from Paris to Germany before the liberation, and died in the camps. Since then, silence has been the Boulloches’s answer to dealing with the unbearable. This is the first time the family has cooperated with an author to recount their extraordinary ordeal.

Download or read book The Book of Gutsy Women written by Hillary Rodham Clinton and published by Simon & Schuster. This book was released on 2019-10-01 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Soon to be an eight-part docuseries on Apple TV+ Hillary Rodham Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea, share the stories of the gutsy women who have inspired them—women with the courage to stand up to the status quo, ask hard questions, and get the job done. She couldn’t have been more than seven or eight years old. “Go ahead, ask your question,” her father urged, nudging her forward. She smiled shyly and said, “You’re my hero. Who’s yours?” Many people—especially girls—have asked us that same question over the years. It’s one of our favorite topics. HILLARY: Growing up, I knew hardly any women who worked outside the home. So I looked to my mother, my teachers, and the pages of Life magazine for inspiration. After learning that Amelia Earhart kept a scrapbook with newspaper articles about successful women in male-dominated jobs, I started a scrapbook of my own. Long after I stopped clipping articles, I continued to seek out stories of women who seemed to be redefining what was possible. CHELSEA: This book is the continuation of a conversation the two of us have been having since I was little. For me, too, my mom was a hero; so were my grandmothers. My early teachers were also women. But I grew up in a world very different from theirs. My pediatrician was a woman, and so was the first mayor of Little Rock who I remember from my childhood. Most of my close friends’ moms worked outside the home as nurses, doctors, teachers, professors, and in business. And women were going into space and breaking records here on Earth. Ensuring the rights and opportunities of women and girls remains a big piece of the unfinished business of the twenty-first century. While there’s a lot of work to do, we know that throughout history and around the globe women have overcome the toughest resistance imaginable to win victories that have made progress possible for all of us. That is the achievement of each of the women in this book. So how did they do it? The answers are as unique as the women themselves. Civil rights activist Dorothy Height, LGBTQ trailblazer Edie Windsor, and swimmer Diana Nyad kept pushing forward, no matter what. Writers like Rachel Carson and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie named something no one had dared talk about before. Historian Mary Beard used wit to open doors that were once closed, and Wangari Maathai, who sparked a movement to plant trees, understood the power of role modeling. Harriet Tubman and Malala Yousafzai looked fear in the face and persevered. Nearly every single one of these women was fiercely optimistic—they had faith that their actions could make a difference. And they were right. To us, they are all gutsy women—leaders with the courage to stand up to the status quo, ask hard questions, and get the job done. So in the moments when the long haul seems awfully long, we hope you will draw strength from these stories. We do. Because if history shows one thing, it’s that the world needs gutsy women.

Download or read book Home of the Brave written by Katherine Applegate and published by Feiwel & Friends. This book was released on 2014-12-23 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bestselling author Katherine Applegate presents Home of the Brave, a beautifully wrought middle grade novel about an immigrant's journey from hardship to hope. Kek comes from Africa. In America he sees snow for the first time, and feels its sting. He's never walked on ice, and he falls. He wonders if the people in this new place will be like the winter – cold and unkind. In Africa, Kek lived with his mother, father, and brother. But only he and his mother have survived, and now she's missing. Kek is on his own. Slowly, he makes friends: a girl who is in foster care; an old woman who owns a rundown farm, and a cow whose name means "family" in Kek's native language. As Kek awaits word of his mother's fate, he weathers the tough Minnesota winter by finding warmth in his new friendships, strength in his memories, and belief in his new country. Home of the Brave is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Download or read book Losing Brave written by Bailee Madison and published by Blink. This book was released on 2018-01-30 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Payton Brave's twin sister, Dylan, has been missing for more than a year. So has Payton's memory. Amid the turmoil of her sister’s disappearance, Payton feels lost as the one left behind. Her mental state wrought and reckless, she tumbles from the graces of popularity to the outskirts of high school society, where she attracts a rag-tag group of friends—and a troubling romance with her sister’s boyfriend, Cole. Though Payton remembers nothing of the day Dylan disappeared, she must pry into her own mind when another missing girl’s body is recovered from a nearby lake, the victim’s features eerily similar to Dylan’s. The further Payton presses into the recesses of her memory, the more danger surrounds her. The darkness around her sister’s disappearance grows and the truth becomes more and more unbearable. What she finds might just cost Payton her life. Losing Brave: Is written by award-winning actress Bailee Madison (Once Upon a Time, Bridge to Terabithia) and Reader’s Choice Award Finalist Stefne Miller Features forbidden romance, intense action, and high-stakes sacrifice

Download or read book Brave Beauty written by Lynn Cowell and published by Zonderkidz. This book was released on 2017-08-29 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 100 courage-building moments to help girls 8-12 explore who they are, easing their fears and anxiety, while inspiring them to strive towards the woman they want to be through this exciting yet confusing season of change. From Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and blogger, Lynn Cowell, comes Faithgirlz’ Brave Beauty: Finding the Fearless You. These 100 motivating moments guide tween girls to reflect on Scripture and find confidence in God, rather than in someone, some place, or some thing, as pop culture is already telling them. Throughout these pages—formatted as theme-based mini chapters that can be read once a day, once a week, or at the reader’s own pace—Lynn prepares tween girls to: Overcome confidence-defeating thoughts and stand on who Jesus says she is. Build a strong foundation to face the fickle, sometimes hurtful opinions of others. Find approval of herself even when she lacks the acceptance of others. Walk confidently through the exciting, yet scary world of growing up by turning to Christ step by step. Featuring a gorgeous, foil decorated hardcover and beautifully formatted pages modeled after the well-known and loved Faithgirlz brand of books, Lynn’s relatable, conversational tone makes it easy for girls to feel like they’re in a safe place spending time with a close friend.

Download or read book The Courage to Be Disliked written by Ichiro Kishimi and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-05-08 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An international bestseller and TikTok sensation with more than 10 million copies sold worldwide, The Courage to Be Disliked is a transformative and practical guide to personal happiness and self-fulfillment. Now you can unlock your full potential and free yourself from the shackles of past traumas and societal expectations to find true personal happiness. Based on the theories of renowned psychologist Alfred Adler, this book guides you through the principles of self-forgiveness, self-care, and mind decluttering in a straightforward, easy-to-digest style that’s accessible to all. The Courage to Be Disliked unfolds as a dialogue between a philosopher and a young man, who, over the course of five enriching conversations, realizes that each of us is in control of our life’s direction, independent of past burdens and expectations of others. Wise, empowering, and profoundly liberating, this book is a life-changing experience that shows you a path to lasting happiness and how to finally be the person you truly want to be. Millions are already benefiting from its teachings—and you can be next.

Download or read book The Cost of Knowing written by Brittney Morris and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2021-04-06 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dear Martin meets They Both Die at the End in this gripping, evocative novel about a Black teen who has the power to see into the future, whose life turns upside down when he foresees his younger brother’s imminent death, from the acclaimed author of SLAY. Sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus is trying his best. He tries to be the best employee he can be at the local ice cream shop; the best boyfriend he can be to his amazing girlfriend, Talia; the best protector he can be over his little brother, Isaiah. But as much as Alex tries, he often comes up short. It’s hard to for him to be present when every time he touches an object or person, Alex sees into its future. When he touches a scoop, he has a vision of him using it to scoop ice cream. When he touches his car, he sees it years from now, totaled and underwater. When he touches Talia, he sees them at the precipice of breaking up, and that terrifies him. Alex feels these visions are a curse, distracting him, making him anxious and unable to live an ordinary life. And when Alex touches a photo that gives him a vision of his brother’s imminent death, everything changes. With Alex now in a race against time, death, and circumstances, he and Isaiah must grapple with their past, their future, and what it means to be a young Black man in America in the present.

Download or read book Be Kind Be Brave Be You written by Charles M. Schulz and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-01-16 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Celebrate everyday acts of kindness and bravery with the Peanuts gang in this uplifting board book that’s perfect for gift-giving! Give a gift from the heart and then you will see... ...being kind may take time but the cost is free. It’s tough to be brave when you’re high in the sky. It’s true: you may flop, but you also might fly! Go sing in the rain if it makes you smile. There’s only one you. You have your own style! In this ode to kindness, bravery, and being yourself, Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the whole Peanuts gang encourage young and old fans to look inside and discover that caring and courage are contagious! This special board book is the perfect gift for Peanuts fans of all ages and anyone who’s looking to spread a little more kindness in the world. © 2018 Peanuts Worldwide LLC

Download or read book How Big Is Your Brave written by Ruth Soukup and published by Zonderkidz. This book was released on 2020-05-05 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do you teach a child to dream big and shoot for the stars? In this inspiring story, a young bunny named Zippy dreams of traveling to space. When the opportunity to attend space camp arrives, she worries she might not be capable enough to compete with other kids. But Zippy’s desire to build her rocket is bigger than her fear of failing, and through hard work and creativity works to make her dreams come true. New York Times bestselling author Ruth Soukup empowers children everywhere to dream big and live a life they love. How Big Is Your Brave? encourages readers to face their fears and overcome obstacles in order to follow their dreams and reach their goals. How Big Is Your Brave? is: Great for boys and girls, ages 4–8 An excellent choice for STEM storytime and sparking discussions about STEM fields A great resource to teach young children about confidence, self-esteem, and the value of hard work Through whimsical illustrations and encouraging text, children will discover how standing up to fears (both big and small) makes them stronger and unstoppable.

Download or read book Daring Greatly written by Brené Brown and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2013-01-17 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Researcher and thought leader Dr. Brené Brown offers a powerful new vision in Daring Greatly that encourages us to embrace vulnerability and imperfection, to live wholeheartedly and courageously. 'It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; . . . who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly' -Theodore Roosevelt Every time we are introduced to someone new, try to be creative, or start a difficult conversation, we take a risk. We feel uncertain and exposed. We feel vulnerable. Most of us try to fight those feelings - we strive to appear perfect. Challenging everything we think we know about vulnerability, Dr. Brené Brown dispels the widely accepted myth that it's a weakness. She argues that vulnerability is in fact a strength, and when we shut ourselves off from revealing our true selves we grow distanced from the things that bring purpose and meaning to our lives. Daring Greatly is the culmination of 12 years of groundbreaking social research, across the home, relationships, work, and parenting. It is an invitation to be courageous; to show up and let ourselves be seen, even when there are no guarantees. This is vulnerability. This is daring greatly. 'Brilliantly insightful. I can't stop thinking about this book' -Gretchen Rubin Brené Brown, Ph.D., LMSW is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. Her groundbreaking work was featured on Oprah Winfrey's Super Soul Sunday, NPR, and CNN. Her TED talk is one of the most watched TED talks of all time. Brené is also the author of The Gifts of Imperfection and I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't).

Download or read book Courage for Beginners written by Karen Harrington and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2014-08-12 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Twelve-year-old Mysti Murphy wishes she were a character in a book. If her life were fictional, she'd magically know how to deal with the fact that her best friend, Anibal Gomez, has abandoned her in favor of being a "hipster." She'd be able to take care of everyone when her dad has to spend time in the hospital. And she'd certainly be able to change her family's secret. Seventh grade is not turning out the way Mysti had planned. With the help of a hot-air balloon, her new friend Rama Khan, and a bright orange coat, can she find the courage to change?

Download or read book Braving the Wilderness written by Brené Brown and published by Random House Trade Paperbacks. This book was released on 2019-08-27 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK • A timely and important book that challenges everything we think we know about cultivating true belonging in our communities, organizations, and culture, from the #1 bestselling author of Rising Strong, Daring Greatly, and The Gifts of Imperfection Don’t miss the five-part Max docuseries Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart! “True belonging doesn’t require us to change who we are. It requires us to be who we are.” Social scientist Brené Brown, PhD, MSW, has sparked a global conversation about the experiences that bring meaning to our lives—experiences of courage, vulnerability, love, belonging, shame, and empathy. In Braving the Wilderness, Brown redefines what it means to truly belong in an age of increased polarization. With her trademark mix of research, storytelling, and honesty, Brown will again change the cultural conversation while mapping a clear path to true belonging. Brown argues that we’re experiencing a spiritual crisis of disconnection, and introduces four practices of true belonging that challenge everything we believe about ourselves and each other. She writes, “True belonging requires us to believe in and belong to ourselves so fully that we can find sacredness both in being a part of something and in standing alone when necessary. But in a culture that’s rife with perfectionism and pleasing, and with the erosion of civility, it’s easy to stay quiet, hide in our ideological bunkers, or fit in rather than show up as our true selves and brave the wilderness of uncertainty and criticism. But true belonging is not something we negotiate or accomplish with others; it’s a daily practice that demands integrity and authenticity. It’s a personal commitment that we carry in our hearts.” Brown offers us the clarity and courage we need to find our way back to ourselves and to each other. And that path cuts right through the wilderness. Brown writes, “The wilderness is an untamed, unpredictable place of solitude and searching. It is a place as dangerous as it is breathtaking, a place as sought after as it is feared. But it turns out to be the place of true belonging, and it’s the bravest and most sacred place you will ever stand.”

Download or read book Choosing Courage written by Peter Collier and published by Artisan Books. This book was released on 2015-05-19 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How does an ordinary person become a hero? It happens in a split second, a moment of focus and clarity, when a choice is made. Here are the gripping accounts of Medal of Honor recipients who demonstrated guts and selflessness on the battlefield and confronted life-threatening danger to make a difference. There are the stories of George Sakato and Vernon Baker—both of whom overcame racial discrimination to enlist in the army during World War II (Sakato was a second-generation Japanese American, Baker an African American) and went on to prove that heroes come in all colors—and Clint Romesha, who led his outnumbered fellow soldiers against a determined enemy to prevent the Taliban from taking over a remote U.S. Army outpost in Afghanistan. Also included are civilians who have been honored by the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation for outstanding acts of bravery in crisis situations, from a school shooting to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Adding depth and context are illuminating essays on the combat experience and its aftermath, covering topics such as overcoming fear; a mother mourning the loss of her son; and “surviving hell” as a prisoner of war.

Download or read book 8 Seconds of Courage written by Flo Groberg and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-11-07 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes the author's childhood relocation from France to the U.S., where as a naturalized citizen he joined the military and served multiple tours in Afghanistan before he was wounded while protecting his patrol from a suicide bomber.

Download or read book Fifteen Days written by Christie Blatchford and published by Anchor Canada. This book was released on 2009-02-24 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Long before she made her first trip to Afghanistan as an embedded reporter for The Globe and Mail, Christie Blatchford was already one of Canada’s most respected and eagerly read journalists. Her vivid prose, her unmistakable voice, her ability to connect emotionally with her subjects and readers, her hard-won and hard-nosed skills as a reporter–these had already established her as a household name. But with her many reports from Afghanistan, and in dozens of interviews with the returned members of the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and others back at home, she found the subject she was born to tackle. Her reporting of the conflict and her deeply empathetic observations of the men and women who wear the maple leaf are words for the ages, fit to stand alongside the nation’s best writing on war. It is a testament to Christie Blatchford’s skills and integrity that along with the admiration of her readers, she won the respect and trust of the soldiers. They share breathtakingly honest accounts of their desire to serve, their willingness to confront fear and danger in the battlefield, their loyalty towards each other and the heartbreak occasioned by the loss of one of their own. Grounded in insights gained over the course of three trips to Afghanistan in 2006, and drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews not only with the servicemen and -women with whom she shared so much, but with their commanders and family members as well, Christie Blatchford creates a detailed, complex and deeply affecting picture of military life in the twenty-first century.