I always played it safe and never took risks. I had complete control over my life. The year before I turned twenty-five everything changed. I experienced true love and true heartbreak, career success and failure, and crossed the bridge of fear leaving everything behind to move to another country. How did I avoid a quarter life crisis? By learning to be self-ish."I choose to not look at this quarter life milestone as a crisis, but to look at it as a solution. To choose not to drown, but to float, and take the time to figure out my next destination. That sink or swim millisecond is the exact moment to acknowledge that we always have a choice to make in our lives. The Quarter Life Solution: Reflect on where you are in your life. Contemplate. Are you happy here? If not, what would you change? Is this job working for you? Is this relationship fulfilling you? Is this life serving you? Think self-ishly. It's okay in these moments to put yourself first. You will find that the only person who can truly make you happy, is you."

“An intelligent, thoughtful look at the complex journey that is gender transition” from an openly transgender Quaker woman and human rights activist (Joy Ladin, author of Through the Door of Life). SELF-ish is a narrative drawn from an international life, beginning with some early glimpses out at the world by a girl in a boy’s body. Chloe Schwenke was raised as Stephen in a Marine Corps family, and was sent off at age fourteen to “man-up” at a military academy. Later—and still embodied as a man—she ventured abroad to work in some of the roughest regions of Africa, the Gaza Strip, Turkey, and many other locales. Her far-flung global journey was matched in intensity by an inner identity and spiritual struggle and the associated ravages of depression, before she came to the revelation of being a transgender woman. At a time when many Americans are just waking up to the reality of the transgender phenomenon, this portrayal of Chloe’s life, her challenging gender transition, and her many accomplishments and adventures along the way (including being among the first three transgender political appointees in U.S. history, under President Obama), creates a poignant story of authenticity, self-discovery, and the meaning of gender set against a fascinating international backdrop. “Takes the reader through a powerful, heart-wrenching journey of the innumerable, daunting challenges of gender transition confronted by a transgender woman. It is ultimately also a story of extraordinary courage in persevering through formidable odds to be true to oneself. Schwenke underscores the moral, human and societal imperative to confront and ameliorate the challenges faced by transgender people, and others marginalized by mainstream society.” —Sanjay Pradhan, CEO, Open Government Partnership

The hilarious follow-up title to How Rude! which introduced us to the wonderful duo, Dot and Duck. They're back to share even more giggles in this sweet story about sharing, manners, and friendship. One day Dot and Duck find a stick, only Dot thinks it's a sword and Duck thinks it's a flag. When Dot refuses to share the new toy, she goes to any lengths to make sure Duck doesn't try to take it. How will Duck react to such selfish behavior? Simple, funny, and ultimately touching, this book will appeal to any child who is learning what it means to share and, more importantly, what it is to be a true friend. Bright and colorful illustrations accompany this fun and easy to read story, which will bring a smile to the faces young children time and time again.

Sixteen literary luminaries on the controversial subject of being childless by choice, in this critically acclaimed, bestselling anthology One of the most provocative and talked-about books of the year, Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed is the stunning collection exploring one of society’s most vexing taboos. One of the main topics of cultural conversation during the last decade was the supposed “fertility crisis,” and whether modern women could figure out a way to have it all—a successful career and the required 2.3 children—before their biological clocks stopped ticking. Now, however, the conversation has turned to whether it’s necessary to have it all (see Anne-Marie Slaughter) or, perhaps more controversial, whether children are really a requirement for a fulfilling life. In this exciting and controversial collection of essays, curated by writer Meghan Daum, thirteen acclaimed female writers explain why they have chosen to eschew motherhood. Contributors include Lionel Shriver, Sigrid Nunez, Kate Christensen, Elliott Holt, Geoff Dyer, and Tim Kreider, among others, who will give a unique perspective on the overwhelming cultural pressure of parenthood. This collection makes a smart and passionate case for why parenthood is not the only path to a happy, productive life, and takes our parent-centric, kid-fixated, baby-bump-patrolling culture to task in the process. In this book, that shadowy faction known as the childless-by-choice comes out into the light.

Welcome to your Pocketbook Guide to start the path of living your most fulfilling life. Incorporate more feel-good days without the GUILT in this journey of replacing selfless acts with the positivity and necessity of being SELF-ISH! What was once considered a societal negative- toned word, selfish, has since been renewed with this author's remarkable perspective of breaking down the word into two distinct parts: self and -ish. The takeaway here is- we cannot be our best for others unless we are our best for ourselves. Covering talking points of self-care, communicating with purpose, navigating relationships, and prioritizing your needs. Don't be selfless and focus on others... be SELF-ISH and focus on yourself, how you spend your time alone, and how and when you will spend your time with others. After all... haven't you heard? Self-ish is the new selfless! Throughout this guide, you can find the following short but sweet reads that consist of 3 sections: The Pocketbook Guides, The Heartfuls, and The Random Stuff. Readers are encouraged to embrace putting themselves first. The Pocketbook Guides are focused on deciding who you want to be a part of your life and how. With an emphasis on choice, communication, and maintaining boundaries. The Heartfuls encompass compassion and empathy towards ourselves and others. The Heartfuls enhance mental health well-being through self-care, self-love, and a special focus on self-worth when seeking a life-long partner. The Random Stuff is a hodgepodge focus of: Friendly reminders to keep ourselves healthy Reminders to do what we love most How to support "young ones" in recognizing and developing a passion A discussion of "college or no college" Preparing for a job interview Making time to do things you enjoy and are interested in (even alone-embrace it) is what promotes a feel-good-more-often kind of life. A life that everyone deserves. This book represents embracing the self with self-care, self-love, self-compassion, and SELF-ISH decisions. Remember, we can't be our best for others if we are not our best for ourselves. After all, didn't you hear? Self-ish is the new selfless.

You are exactly what the world needs What if your search for meaning could solve the world’s problems? What if everything you are passionate about could save a life or change history? Justin Dillon argues it can, and A Selfish Plan to Change the World shows how. In this paradigm-shifting new book, Dillon--the founder of Slavery Footprint and Made in a Free World--reveals the secret to a life of deep and lasting significance: the discovery that our need for meaning is inextricably linked to the needs of the world. A Selfish Plan to Change the World delivers a revolutionary method for meeting both needs. Drawing upon his own unlikely transformation from touring musician to founder of a global movement and telling the stories of other surprising world-changers, Dillon shows how to create a life of deep purpose by stepping into the problems of the world. Taking readers on a journey from sweatshops in India to punk rock concerts in Ireland, Dillon exposes the limitations of the "giving back" approach involving donations and volunteerism to reveal the unexpected power of "giving in" to pursue self-interest in a way that alters the very dynamics of the world’s most challenging problems. A Selfish Plan to Change the World is your "self-help-others" guide to a life that matters, demonstrating how you can repurpose your existing talents, backstory, and networks to improve the lives of others. Changing the world no longer belongs only to martyrs and professional do-gooders. You can live an extraordinary life. You can change the world. All you ever needed was a plan.

Join Dot and Duck in a simple, yet hilarious, story about kindness, manners, and friendship that gets more and more chaotic with every turn of the page! Dot invites Duck to a tea party, but from the moment Duck enters the house, the tea party descends into chaos; from licking sandwich fillings to spitting tea, Duck gets ruder...and ruder...and ruder. Just how will Dot react to such outrageous behavior? Simple, funny, and ultimately touching, this book will appeal to any child who is learning what it is not to be rude and, more importantly, what it is to be a true friend.