This book is about knowing when creative action is worth the risk and when it is not. This includes developing the awareness, courage, and confidence to support and take risks when it is beneficial to do so in the classroom. It also includes being able to recognize when certain risks should be avoided. The key is knowing when and how to take creative action in a way that not only makes sense for the situation at hand, but also stands to make a positive contribution to others. The aim of this book is to help you and your students identify the kinds of risks that are worth taking, better anticipate and navigate potential hazards associated with those risks, and maximize the potential benefits.

This is a book about what many teachers know but are increasingly being prevented from talking about: that real education always involves a risk. The risk is there because, as W. B. Yeats has put it, education is not about filling a bucket but about lighting a fire. It is there because students are not to be seen as objects to be moulded and disciplined, but as subjects of action and responsibility. The Beautiful Risk of Education is organised around a critical discussion of seven key educational concepts: creativity, communication, teaching, learning, emancipation, democracy, and virtuosity. By opposing the risk aversion that characterises many contemporary educational policies and practices, Gert J.J. Biesta makes a strong argument for giving risk a central place in our educational endeavours and brings risk taking to the forefront of a critical pedagogical practice.

*Winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Memoir/Biography* An Honor Book for the 2023 Stonewall Book Award—Israel Fishman Non-Fiction Book Award This witty memoir traces a touching and often hilarious spiralic path to embracing a gay, Latinx identity against a culture of machismo—from a cockfighting ring in Nicaragua to cities across the U.S.—and the bath houses, night clubs, and drag queens who help redefine pride I’ve always found the definition of machismo to be ironic, considering that pride is a word almost unanimously associated with queer people, the enemy of machistas . . . In a world desperate to erase us, queer Latinx men must find ways to hold on to pride for survival, but excessive male pride is often what we are battling, both in ourselves and in others. A debut memoir about coming of age as a gay, Latinx man, High-Risk Homosexual opens in the ultimate anti-gay space: Edgar Gomez’s uncle’s cockfighting ring in Nicaragua, where he was sent at thirteen years old to become a man. Readers follow Gomez through the queer spaces where he learned to love being gay and Latinx, including Pulse nightclub in Orlando, a drag queen convention in Los Angeles, and the doctor’s office where he was diagnosed a “high-risk homosexual.” With vulnerability, humor, and quick-witted insights into racial, sexual, familial, and professional power dynamics, Gomez shares a hard-won path to taking pride in the parts of himself he was taught to keep hidden. His story is a scintillating, beautiful reminder of the importance of leaving space for joy.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The brilliant coming-of-age-and-into-superstardom story of one of the greatest artists of all time, in his own words—featuring never-before-seen photos, original scrapbooks and lyric sheets, and the exquisite memoir he began writing before his tragic death NAMED ONE OF THE BEST MUSIC BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST AND THE GUARDIAN • NOMINATED FOR THE NAACP IMAGE AWARD Prince was a musical genius, one of the most beloved, accomplished, and acclaimed musicians of our time. He was a startlingly original visionary with an imagination deep enough to whip up whole worlds, from the sexy, gritty funk paradise of “Uptown” to the mythical landscape of Purple Rain to the psychedelia of “Paisley Park.” But his most ambitious creative act was turning Prince Rogers Nelson, born in Minnesota, into Prince, one of the greatest pop stars of any era. The Beautiful Ones is the story of how Prince became Prince—a first-person account of a kid absorbing the world around him and then creating a persona, an artistic vision, and a life, before the hits and fame that would come to define him. The book is told in four parts. The first is the memoir Prince was writing before his tragic death, pages that bring us into his childhood world through his own lyrical prose. The second part takes us through Prince’s early years as a musician, before his first album was released, via an evocative scrapbook of writing and photos. The third section shows us Prince’s evolution through candid images that go up to the cusp of his greatest achievement, which we see in the book’s fourth section: his original handwritten treatment for Purple Rain—the final stage in Prince’s self-creation, where he retells the autobiography of the first three parts as a heroic journey. The book is framed by editor Dan Piepenbring’s riveting and moving introduction about his profound collaboration with Prince in his final months—a time when Prince was thinking deeply about how to reveal more of himself and his ideas to the world, while retaining the mystery and mystique he’d so carefully cultivated—and annotations that provide context to the book’s images. This work is not just a tribute to an icon, but an original and energizing literary work in its own right, full of Prince’s ideas and vision, his voice and image—his undying gift to the world.

An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller! An Instant Indie Bestseller! *An Amazon Best Book of the Year * A B&N Best Book of the Year* A great gift for tiny go-getters and big dreamers, including for back to school! NBA champion and superstar LeBron James pens a slam-dunk picture book inspired by his foundation’s I PROMISE program that motivates children everywhere to always #StriveForGreatness. Just a kid from Akron, Ohio, who is dedicated to uplifting youth everywhere, LeBron James knows the key to a better future is to excel in school, do your best, and keep your family close. I Promise is a lively and inspiring picture book that reminds us that tomorrow’s success starts with the promises we make to ourselves and our community today. Featuring James’s upbeat, rhyming text and vibrant illustrations perfectly crafted for a diverse audience by #1 New York Times bestselling and Geisel Honor winning artist Nina Mata, this book has the power to inspire all children and families to be their best. Perfect for shared reading in and out of the classroom, I Promise is also a great gift for graduation, birthdays, and other occasions. Plus check out the audiobook, read by LeBron James's mother and I Promise School supporter Gloria James!

Can he forgive himself in time to save the woman he loves?Former Delta Force operator, Trevor Matthews, has spent years trying to move on from the sins of his past. Nearly a decade later, he's still haunted by the deaths of his teammates and the woman he cared deeply for. Then, he meets Lexi--the beautiful waitress with an angelic smile--and almost instantly, his soul sparks back to life.Lexi Hamilton was well on her way to fulfilling her dream of becoming a world-class chef when tragedy strikes. After losing everything that mattered to her, she has no other choice but to spend her days waiting tables and praying for tips. Busy clawing her way back to the life she aspires to have, the last thing Lexi expects is to fall in love. That all changes the moment she meets Trevor.When the hunky private security expert protects her from a dangerous situation, they immediately form an unbreakable connection. But just as Trevor decides he's ready to give love another try, he realizes someone wants Lexi dead. Can Trevor fight off his own demons in time to save the woman he loves, or will the ghosts from his past cost him everything?***Beautiful Risk is a stand-alone romantic suspense with a sweet, burning love story and plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. If you like hot, alpha men who will risk everything to protect the women they love, buy this book--the third in the new R.I.S.C. Series--today!**All R.I.S.C. novels are full-length and filled with hot romance, loads of action, and edge-of-your-seat suspense. Every R.I.S.C. member will get their own Happily Ever After...of course, they'll have to fight for it, first.R.I.S.C. Series in order:Book 1: Taking a Risk, Part One (Jake & Olivia's HFN)Book 2: Taking a Risk, Part Two (Jake & Olivia's HEA)Book 3: Beautiful Risk (Trevor & Lexi)Book 4: Intentional Risk (Derek & Charlotte "Charlie")Book 5: Unpredictable Risk (Grant & Brynnon)Coming Soon:Book 6: Title TBD (2020)Book 7: Title TBD (2020)Bravo Team Series:This spin-off series will follow the stories of each member of R.I.S.C.'s new Bravo Team and will be available to either purchase through Amazon or read through KU. All Bravo Team books will be part of Susan Stoker's Special Forces: Operation Alpha World and will include Ms. Blakey's Bravo characters, as well as appearances by members of Alpha Team and Susan Stoker's Deltas and SEALs.Book 1: Rescuing Gracelynn (Nate & Gracie) (September 10, 2019)Book 2: Rescuing Katherine (January 14, 2020)Book 3: Title TBD (March 10, 2020)Book 4: Title TBD (May 2020)

A human-centric guide to solving complex problems in engineering management, from sizing teams to handling technical debt. There’s a saying that people don’t leave companies, they leave managers. Management is a key part of any organization, yet the discipline is often self-taught and unstructured. Getting to the good solutions for complex management challenges can make the difference between fulfillment and frustration for teams—and, ultimately, between the success and failure of companies. Will Larson’s An Elegant Puzzle focuses on the particular challenges of engineering management—from sizing teams to handling technical debt to performing succession planning—and provides a path to the good solutions. Drawing from his experience at Digg, Uber, and Stripe, Larson has developed a thoughtful approach to engineering management for leaders of all levels at companies of all sizes. An Elegant Puzzle balances structured principles and human-centric thinking to help any leader create more effective and rewarding organizations for engineers to thrive in.