This inspirational book is the documented life of Nick Chandler, a man Determined to Change from the only life he knew, the street life; with goons, guns, drugs and money, to a new life as a role model to people struggling to survive child abuse, drug addictions, poverty and emotional pain and suffering. Born in Copeland Florida in 1961, Nicky Chandler lived a life that many people wouldn't have survived. The ninth of twelve children, his early childhood was one of poverty and abuse. Growing up in the sixties and seventies in the rough and rugged projects, he quickly became as ruthless as the hustlers, dope dealers and thugs who were his early idols. By the age of seventeen the Florida State Prison System would become more familiar to him than his family home. Surviving seven prison stays spanning twenty-two years, when realeased in January 2007, he was determined to end his self-destructive behavior that kept returning him to prison. With little to no resources or money he began a journey of self-discovery and healing leading him to confront the demons of his past and the uncertainty of his future. Determined to Change represents the life of a man, who against all odds, has survived, struggled and was victorious to find a new path for his life. Determined to Change reads like a fiction book, however, this true story gruesomely details Nicks life from early childhood to present day. This inspiring story gives readers hope for themselves or others who are also Determined to Change.

Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives? The primary obstacle is a conflict that's built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the critically acclaimed bestseller Made to Stick. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems - the rational mind and the emotional mind—that compete for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort - but if it is overcome, change can come quickly. In Switch, the Heaths show how everyday people - employees and managers, parents and nurses - have united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results: • The lowly medical interns who managed to defeat an entrenched, decades-old medical practice that was endangering patients • The home-organizing guru who developed a simple technique for overcoming the dread of housekeeping • The manager who transformed a lackadaisical customer-support team into service zealots by removing a standard tool of customer service In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to shed new light on how we can effect transformative change. Switch shows that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline.

A renowned psychologist argues that free will is not only real but essential to our well-being It’s become fashionable to argue that free will is a fiction: that we humans are in the thrall of animal urges and unconscious biases and only think that we are choosing freely. In Freely Determined, research psychologist Kennon Sheldon argues that this perception is not only wrong but also dangerous. Drawing on decades of his own groundbreaking empirical research into motivation and goal setting, Sheldon shows us that embracing the ability to choose our path in life makes us happier, healthier, and more fulfilled. He also shows that this insight can help us choose better goals—ones that are concordant with our values and that, critically, we’re more likely to actually see through. Providing readers insight into how they can live a more self-directed, satisfying life, Freely Determined offers an essential guide for how we might recognize our freedom and use it wisely.