Valerie Worthington had all the trappings of successful life-a doctorate from a respectable school, a powerful career trajectory, a condo in Chicago-but it felt hollow. She was hitting all the right notes yet couldn't escape the sinking feeling that something was, very, very wrong. After her instructor passed away, she faced the truth: the life she had built was not the life meant for her. Training Wheels follows Worthington's unlikely odyssey. After quitting her job and selling her condo, she drives around the country to chase the only passion that ever really made sense to her: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. At the time of Worthington's adventure, jiu-jitsu road trips were rare and female practitioners were rarer still. As her story unfolds, every new gym she steps into uncovers more of her inner-self and reveals more about the jiu-jitsu community as a whole-the good parts as well as the nefarious. Worthington's tale is both a story of self-discovery and a unique insight into jiu-jitsu culture. Her one of a kind adventure is engaging, inspiring, and entertaining, a must-read for anyone passionate about living life to the fullest and taking the road less traveled.

It’s the first day of spring, and Izzy is excited. She can’t wait to wear her new high heel shoes, a gift from her grandmother. And she’s looking forward to riding her new bike in the warm sunshine. But, she has a dilemma. She wants to do both at the same time. Is it possible to ride a bike while wearing high heels? Izzy, with the help of her mother, discovers that with some determination and a few secrets, a princess can do anything in high heels. A picture book for children, High Heels and Training Wheels illustrates that you can achieve your dreams with practice and hard work.

Charlie O'Shields is the creator of Doodlewash®, founder of World Watercolor Month in July, and host of the Sketching Stuff podcast. Every single day, for over three years, he created a watercolor illustration and wrote a short essay about whatever came to mind that day and posted it on his blog. These are some of the collected favorites along with some brand new musings. With over 180 illustrations, this book is part personal memoir and sometimes just a randomly fun romp through the sillier bits of this crazy world we all inhabit. Written to take on the impossible task of inspiring creativity, unleashing your inner child, and instilling hope, it will, at the very least, make you smile and touch your heart.

Robert Penn has saddled up nearly every day of his adult life. In his late twenties, he pedaled 25,000 miles around the world. Today he rides to get to work, sometimes for work, to bathe in air and sunshine, to travel, to go shopping, to stay sane, and to skip bath time with his kids. He's no Sunday pedal pusher. So when the time came for a new bike, he decided to pull out all the stops. He would build his dream bike, the bike he would ride for the rest of his life; a customized machine that reflects the joy of cycling. It's All About the Bike follows Penn's journey, but this book is more than the story of his hunt for two-wheel perfection. En route, Penn brilliantly explores the culture, science, and history of the bicycle. From artisanal frame shops in the United Kingdom to California, where he finds the perfect wheels, via Portland, Milan, and points in between, his trek follows the serpentine path of our love affair with cycling. It explains why we ride. It's All About the Bike is, like Penn's dream bike, a tale greater than the sum of its parts. An enthusiastic and charming tour guide, Penn uses each component of the bike as a starting point for illuminating excursions into the rich history of cycling. Just like a long ride on a lovely day, It's All About the Bike is pure joy- enriching, exhilarating, and unforgettable.

Examines how the engineer George Ferris invented and constructed the amusement park ride that bears his name for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.