When Steve Mikita was 18 months old, he was diagnosed with Werdnig-Hoffman's Disease and given six months to live. But his parents had a different plan for their son. Instead of taking Steve home from the hospital to die, his parents took him home; Steve defied the odds and lived. He is now 53 years old and has outlived both his parents. Though he has spent his entire life in a wheelchair, he graduated magna cum laude from Duke University and received a juris doctorate from BYU. He works as an assistant attorney general for the State of Utah.

All Amazed celebrates the life and work of the late Roy Kiyooka (1926-1994), one of Canada's first multi-disciplinary artists whose work transcended categorical and cultural exclusivity. At various periods of his life, Kiyooka was a painter, sculptor, teacher, poet, musician, filmmaker, and photographer. When Kiyooka arrived in Vancouver in 1959, he was already one of Canada's most respected abstract painters. His modernist stance at the time inspired a generation of Vancouver painters to reach beyond regionalism. In the sixties and seventies, Kiyooka began to write and publish poetry and produce photographic works; the best known of these, StoneDGloves (1969-1970), is both a poetic and photographic project. In all of his projects, he saw the position of the artist as being in opposition to the institutions of art. The shape and scope of Kiyooka's work continues to be revealed, seven years after his death. Based on a major multidisciplinary conference at the University of British Columbia organized by such luminaries as Michael Ondaatje, Daphne Marlatt, Scott Watson, and John O'Brian, All Amazed pays tribute to a remarkable artist and poet who continues to amaze and astound us. Includes essays by Roy Miki, Henry Tsang, Sheryl Conkelton, and Scott Toguri McFarlane, as well as numerous black and white images of Kiyooka's artwork.

You must deliver an amazing customer experience. Why? It is the competitive edge of new-era business—in any market and any economy. Renowned customer experience expert Shep Hyken explains how consistently amazing customers through stellar service can elevate your company from good to great. All transformations require a role model, and Shep has found the perfect role model to inspire your team: Ace Hardware. Ace was named as one of the top ten customer service brands in America by Businessweek and ranked highest in its industry for customer satisfaction. Through revealing stories from Ace’s over-the-top work with customers, Shep explores the five tactical areas of customer amazement: leadership, culture, one-on-one, competitive edge, and community. Delivering amazing service requires everyone in your organization to step up and be a leader. It doesn’t take a title. It takes the right set of tools and principles. To help you empower employees at all levels, Shep brings the content to a deeply practical level. His 52 Amazement Tools—like “Ask the extra question” and “Focus on the customer, not the money”—are simple, clear, useful for almost anybody, and supported with compelling research and stories. Between these covers, you will find the tools and tactics you need to transform your company into a seriously customer-focused operation that will amaze every customer every time.

Elane is a woman who has experienced an incredible amount of pain throughout her life. It would have been very easy for her to be vengeful and full of bitterness. Instead she humbly sought forgiveness, acceptance and direction from God. Elane's near death experience, or death vision as she calls it (in her words, she was not near death; she “was dead”), completely changed her life. She experienced God's love and healing. With new understanding, Elane is a testament of love, always giving and concerned about those around her.

Most people have prayed for something or someone in earnest, seeking God’s will, only to be left confused by God’s response. Sometimes we ask, “Why would a good God allow bad things to happen to good people?” In Amazed and Confused, Heather Zempel tackles this question head-on by exploring the book of Habakkuk. When the prophet Habakkuk prayed that God would bring change to the backsliding nation of Israel, this issue came to the forefront. Habakkuk begged God for revival and that He would turn the hearts of faithless people back to Him. God’s answer to Habakkuk was, “Take a look at the nations and watch what happens! You will be shocked and amazed” (1:5, The Voice). The vision God gave Habakkuk was one of warfare and exile. How do you respond when God answers your prayers in a way that seems out of line with his character and promises? Amazed and Confused proceeds systematically through the book of Habakkuk, exploring the prophet’s prayer, God’s response, and the prophet’s journey from confusion to worship. This interactive Bible study is the perfect choice for those who are hurting and confused about God’s responses to their prayers. Features include: Helpful guidance on a question without an easy answer Practical tools for studying the Minor Prophets Easy-to-understand, accessible language

Grace is the true message of Jesus. All faiths have virtues and creeds and justice and truth, but Jesus speaks of simply accepting not trying to earn, the unconditional love that God has for us. This collection of thoughts on grace from writers throughout history underscores the fact that it is grace through Christ that truly sets apart the Christian faith. Through six thematic divisions readers will gain a deeper understanding of the sweetness, sufficiency, and transforming power of grace-not only when received from God but also when extended to others. Reflections from: Max Lucado Philip YanceyCharles SpurgeonFrancis of AssisiBrennan ManningEmily DickinsonDietrich BonhoefferStormie Omartianand more...