Striking out on your own for the first time is exhilarating. But in a culture full of bad advice, predatory banks, and splurge-now-pay-later temptations, it can also be extremely dangerous—leading you to make financial decisions that could hurt you for years to come. Combine this with a slumped economy, mounds of student loans, and dubious examples from reality TV stars to politicians to your own parents, and it’s no wonder so many twenty-somethings are struggling. Twenty-three-year-old Zac Bissonnette—the author of Debt-Free U—knows exactly what you’re going through. He demystifies the many traps young people fall victim to in their post-college years. He offers fresh insights on everything from job hunting to buying a car to saving for retirement that will give you a foundation for a secure, stable, and happy life. In the process, he reveals why FICO scores are overrated, online job applications are a waste of time, car loans are for suckers, and credit card rewards are a scam. With detours to discuss wine connoisseurs, Really Broke Housewives, and Lenny Dykstra, Zac shows you how to make better choices today so you can be richer, smarter (and better-looking!) for years to come.

Booktalking Nonfiction: 200 Sure-Fire Winners for Middle and High School Readers will provide an introduction to selecting and writing booktalks for nonfiction books with a focus on unique informational texts and biographies and autobiographies. A booktalk is a summary of a book presented in a way that would interest someone in reading the book described. Why non-fiction? Because the Common Core Standards Initiative, which most states have adopted, requires that 70% of the materials students read be from the category of informational texts it is especially important to focus on nonfiction when sharing books with students. Here’s everything you need to do just that. Chapters cover selecting, writing, preparing, and presenting booktalks, special tips for high-interest, low-level books, and using non-fiction in the library and the classroom. Two hundred ready-to-present booktalks arranged by genre are also included. Genres include animals, famous people, sports, crime and serial killers, movies and television, religion, war, history, and the supernatural.

Confucianism is the guiding creed for a quarter of mankind, yet hardly anyone has explained it in plain terms OCo until now. Written in a style both intelligible and enjoyable for the global audience, The Great Equal Society distils the core ideas of the major Confucian classics and shows how their timeless wisdom can be applied to the modern world. It also introduces pragmatic suggestions emanating from Confucius and his followers for ensuring good governance, building a humane economy and educating moral leaders. The book''s core message of inner morality, first expounded by Confucius millennia ago, will resonate on both sides of the Pacific, and its sweeping survey of the hot topics today OCo dysfunctional government, crony capitalism, and the erosion of ethics in both Wall Street and Main Street, among others OCo will breathe new life to Confucian teachings while providing much-needed answers to our urgent social problems. The Great Equal Society is written by Young-oak Kim, a Korean thinker whom Wikipedia describes as the nation''s leading philosopher dealing with public issues and explaining Oriental philosophy to the public, and Jung-kyu Kim, a talented trilingual writer who has published works in English, Japanese and Korean.

You're going to earn plenty of money over your lifetime. Are you going to waste it on stupid crap that doesn't make you happy, or let it buy your freedom and your most audacious dreams? We never get an instruction manual about how money works. Most of what we learn about money comes from advertising or from other people who know as little as we do. No wonder we make such basic mistakes. No wonder we feel disempowered and scared. No wonder so many of us just decide to stick our heads in the damn sand and never deal with it. In Manage Your Money Like a F*cking Grown Up, Sam Beckbessinger tells it to you straight: how to take control of your money to take control of your life. In this clear and engaging basic guide to managing your finances, you will learn: - How to trick your dumb brain into saving more, without giving up fun - How to make a bona fide grown-up budget - Why you need to forget what you've learned about credit - How to negotiate a raise - Why buying a house (probably) won't make you rich - The one super-simple investment you need With helpful exercises, informative illustrations (also: kittens) and straightforward advice, this book doesn't shy away from the psychology of money, and is empowering, humorous and helpful. The book you wish you'd had at 25, but is never too late to read.

THIS IS NOT YOUR MOM'S GUIDE TO LIFE. SOMETIMES BEING A GIRL SUCKS. A lot. Take it from Ashley Rickards, star of the internationally popular MTV show Awkward., who used to be a little awkward herself. She's been picked on and bullied, binged and purged, financially cut off and lived to tell the tale. But it wasn't easy. Throughout the whole process, she felt alone, scared, confused and sorta hungry. Sound familiar? Well, RELAX. Ashley is here to share all kinds of stories, advice and corny jokes to help get you through it all, kind of like the cool big sister you never had (or wish your sister was). Plus, professional experts like spiritual coach Deepak Chopra, finance expert Zac Bissonnette and celebrity trainer Lalo Fuentes offer their tricks of the trade and behind- the-scenes secrets so you'll be well-versed in Pretty Much Everything About Everything. You'll learn stuff like: How to discover your talents and go after what you really want How to eat right and work out for your body type All the skin/hair/makeup/fashion tips you'll ever need to look like a rock star (or other kind of star) Decorating your room to suit your style and organizing your crap so you're on top of lifeTips for making, saving and spending money Getting along with your family and friends--no drama allowed Most important: how to learn to love yourself (seriously, guys) Whatever you need to know, A Real Guide to Really Getting It Together Once and for All has it all so that you can discover your true self, define your own mold and kick ass along the way.

The world is full of people telling you how to live your life. Sometimes the advice-givers fall ever-so-slightly short themselves. Bestselling author Zac Bissonnette has gathered more than seventy-five jaw-dropping gems, including risk-management advice from the man who triggered the world’s largest hedge fund collapse and tips from gay-prostitute-patronizing pastor Ted Haggard on how to build a marriage that lasts a lifetime. The result will keep you smiling while you glean all the wisdom you need to build the life you want . . . if only you can follow it better than the people who gave it. • “When you know what you are talking about, others will follow you, because it’s safe to follow you.” —Lehman Brothers CEO Richard Fuld, 2006 • “I think the most important thing is restore a sense of idealism and end the cynicism.” —future Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, 2002 • “The day you take complete responsibility for yourself, the day you stop making any excuse, that’s the day you start to the top.” —O.J. Simpson, 1975

In Brokenomics, author Dina Gachman shares the lessons she’s learned about how to live large in the cheap seats. Through stories both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny that anyone can relate to, Dina reveals all the tricks you need to live the good life without spending a ton of money. Brokenomics covers the place where economics and everyday life collide. It includes: Rules for changing your mindset (“There Will Always Be Someone Richer, Taller, Smarter, and Better Looking Than You”) Wise words about making big decisions, like raising children—or not (“Why Have a Baby When You Can Just Get a Nice Potted Plant?”) Clear-eyed relationship advice (“Do Not Date Anyone Who Loves Their Bong More Than They Love You”) Solid guidance for renters (“The Freeloader's Guide to Housesitting”) And strategies for talking to your honey about money. . . without breaking up This helpful and hilarious handbook has the answers for crafting your own version of the glamorous life without breaking the bank. Dina shares advice on every page while keeping things fresh, light, and fun. Written with the wisdom afforded by hindsight, Brokenomics will appeal to recent college grads, newly committed couples, and those facing career crises alike.

What seems at first glance to be a loving message from mother to son about becoming financially responsible is so much more. In money guru Patti J. Handy's inspiring and delightful book, How to Ditch Your Allowance and Be Richer Than Your Parents! 9 Wealth Building Tools to Make a Teen Rich, she introduces teenagers and young adults to some very important concepts guaranteed to enrich their lives and empower their decisions. With a straightforward and highly readable approach, Handy covers such essential topics as being well-organized, learning spending habits, good versus bad debt, saving strategies, investments and credit scores, and the gift of donations. She also stresses the importance of acknowledging our blessings―friends, family, health―and the need to deepen our awareness of God and take responsibility for our actions. Without question, this book is the primer for everyone seeking financial freedom and success.

This book is the complete guide on how to deal with your parents -- without ending up in a padded cell.

What does it really mean to be blessed by God? With Southern charm and razor-sharp wit in this Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide? Ebook, author Karen Spears Zacharias shows how the “prosperity” gospel has led us astray from true Christianity and helped create people and churches focused on greed. Zacharias unpacks story after story of families and individuals using the name of God as a means to living their own “good life.” You’ll hear shocking tales of those who exploit the gospel for their own gain, and mega-evangelists who live in million-dollar mansions with children groomed from the cradle to sell the message of Christ while their parents rake in the cash. Discover churches that have modeled themselves on Wall Street and unbridled materialism, and see what is happening to them now. Is this the good life? You’ll also meet some unlikely folks who live with genuine biblical integrity. People who know that God is more than some cosmic genie who gives them an easy life, a fat bank account, and a second home in an exotic location. Come discover stories about authentic Christianity and the true “good life” in Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide?