An interactive guide for teens shares quizzes and activity suggestions for navigating the tumultuous, confusing and sometimes depressing challenges of adolescence, sharing positive advice on topics ranging from relationships and self-image to willpower and learning from failure.

A collection of more than 100 short stories about gold mining in California in the mid-1800s

We’ve been conditioned to think about creative genius as a dichotomy: dreamers versus doers, creativity versus discipline, the spark versus the grind. But what if we’re wrong? What if it’s the spark and the grind? We love people whose creative genius arrives in sudden sparks of inspiration. Think of Archimedes in his bathtub or Newton under his apple tree. But we also admire people who work incredibly hard and long for their creative breakthroughs. Think of Edison in his lab, grinding through hundreds of failed variations on the lightbulb. We remember his words in tough times: “Genius is 1 percent inspiration, 99 percent perspiration.” Now Erik Wahl, a visual artist, speaker, and entre­preneur, helps us unite the yin and yang of creativity— the dynamic new ideas with the dogged effort. He shows why we won’t get far if we rely on the spark without the grind, or the grind without the spark. What the world really needs are the creators who can hold the two in balance. Fortunately, it’s possible to get good at both, as Wahl knows from experience. After his corporate career sud­denly ended, he pursued a spark—to paint photorealistic portraits—and ground it out until he got good enough to make very good art very quickly. That’s the basis of his riveting live shows, which have captivated skeptical audiences who never expected to be inspired by art—and taught them to embrace creativity in a whole new way. This book offers surprising insights and practical advice about how to fan the sparks and make the grind more productive. Wahl deftly synthesizes the wisdom of other artists, philosophers, scientists, and business visionaries throughout history, along with his own views. Here’s how he sums up his approach: The world needs people who enjoy swimming in ideas until they discover a great one. The world also needs doers who have a gift for activation, a.k.a. “getting s*** done.” But the most potent individual creators in any industry or environment have learned how to be both. They’ve learned how to spark their grind and they’ve learned how to grind their sparks. As a result, they not only make things happen, they make great things. If you want to ensure constant creativity in your life and produce your most innovative work—this is your guide.

This latest collaboration in the Library Programs that Inspire series explores library media center events that target the high school age audience. Detailing particular methods to inspire high school students to appreciate and use the library media center, this guide provides compelling evidence of the potential for young adult programming as an effective teaching tool. This practical guide provides everything you need to plan, execute, and evaluate events that will get the attention of even your least motivated high school students. Emphasizing the benefits of effective programs, the authors offer creative techniques to enhance the curriculum, improve school library media center use, broaden student interest, and inspire lifelong learning. Programming foundations and examples from across the nation, as well as practical advice and helpful resources, provide the necessary inspiration to help you team up with educators, parents, and student volunteers to create unique, effective, and memorable events that will motivate your teenagers to fully take advantage of all that the school library offers.

You were born with a creative spark inside. Do you look at yourself now and wonder if the spark has gone out? Ignite that inner fire with the 30 engaging exercises, fun activities, inspirational images, and motivating ideas in this book. Learn what your Little Spark of creative passion looks like, how to capture it, and how to make room for it in your life. Read the book cover-to-cover and use it as a month-long creative roadmap, or just dip into the exercises as your time and inclination allow. Either way, you will change your life.

Intimacy is essential to marriage, but many couples find achieving it to be easier said than done. Jay and Laura Laffoon unravel its mysteries in the humorous and down-to-earth style that has made their marriage conference one of the fastest growing in the country. Countering the popular misconception of intimacy as primarily a sexual issue, they explore five essential facets that need to be in balance for a healthy marriage. Their insights are practical, grounded in Scripture, and augmented by real-life stories drawn from a survey of more than 2,000 married people. Chapter-end discussion questions help readers identify immediate steps they can take to light a fire in their relationship and keep it burning. The Spark is both a fun read and an indispensable guide to strengthening any marriage.